Xiaolumi S3: Everything To Me

Flower of Khaenri'ah

[A/N: Chasm Arc continues!! A chance encounter with an old comrade of Dain's leads to an unexpected discovery; Lumine sees an event of her brother from the past. Also about darn time we finally have a name for those flowers in the trailer and in Lumine's hair!! They are called Inteyvet....what a weird name.]

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The Chasm's depths itself were rather odd place, but what truth and theories Dainslief himself offered, were odder still. The things he had revealed despite this being his first time here in his over five hundred years of life...That was the most interesting to them. Seemed this place had the unique effect of weakening and easing the effects of the curse. These monsters, once human but now damned for eternity for whatever sin their homeland had committed...They came here to die.

It seemed all too sad to Lumine to be honest. They had not expected the arrive of the massive suits of armor that soon came to attack them. Lumine discovering that left her troubled afterwards. She had struggled to channel and use her control over the elemental energies. Normally controlling more then one was easy for her but still took great control to do for Lumine. Several times during that fight the pain and dizziness made it difficult to fight back and defend herself as efficiently as she was used to. "I can practically hear Childe taunting and teasing me for that horrible display of prowess back there."she thought in frustration as they walked through the darkness of the mine. Following the massive and heavy foot falls of the large serpent knight Dainslief had called "Halfdan." 

Before that they had discovered a room at the tower. Xiao and Dainslief revealing the spring above seemed to have a positive, healing effect....How very odd. Eventually the trail brought them to a cavern tunnel where a small hilichurl camp was. It was rather barren despite the beds of straw and the dying bonfire. The humanoid monsters though Xiao noticed the breath of life and fire in their eyes was long gone. Nothing but lifeless corpses remained that would soon start to rot and fester, returning to the earth itself as all things did. It was the natural order of the world.

"Is this what Halfdan wanted to show us?"asked Paimon asked curiously.

"It's plausible." Lumine, Dainslief?"Xiao looked to the two blondes calmly, his gaze drifting to Lumine on occasion. The soft glow of his tattoo on his arm casting a jade green glow while his eyes reflected the lumenstone's light. Yet again, his wife rubbing her eyes wincing a little from the cut on her cheek from the fight against the serpent knights earlier within the towers. She seemed to be getting steadily worse, Paimon seemingly as always dense to it all. Dainslief though had most defiantly noticed going by the way he kept exchanging glances over to him. As if some sort of silent agreement was made between them: Keep a watchful eye on Lumine.

"Whether it is or not, everything here is worth investigating in greater detail. Lets inspect the area and leave no stone unturned."urged Dainslief as they began to spread out and search around. "Oh and Lumine, don't wander far."

"Don't worry I won't. I may be reckless but I'm not stupid enough to wander a dark cave alone."she assured. Lumine began to search further back in the cave until she found something achingly familiar. Set by the deceased hilichurl was a tiny bouquet of flowers identical to her flower hairpin in her hair. "Those flowers...no way..."she thought. Carefully she reached up to touch the pin in her hair to remove it in order to compare them. To her amazement they were indeed identical.

"Dain, Xiao, Paimon!"she swiftly called, grabbing their attentions. Swiftly they went over to her side and seeing the flowers Xiao was astonished as was Paimon.

"How did those flowers get this deep underground though? Did somebody leave them in memory of these deceased hilichurls?"wondered Paimon.

"I know these flowers..." Lumine's expression was a serious one as she put her hairpin back in her hair. Slowly and carefully she stood back up onto her feet her honey amber eyes never leaving the three lone white flowers. Xiao carefully went closer bending down for a better look.