𝚂𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙰𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚠 (𝙰𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚡 𝙾𝙲)

Chapter 1 - Greetings From Mond

Mondstadt... a city flooding with rumors of freedom and love during the Windblume season. Even from a distance, you could spot the many bustling couples moving within the city's walls. Flowers were bought from a young girl, gifts were exchanged in a romantic display, and a few even left the city to sit by the bridge across the lake.

Bayler tapped his chin thoughtfully. The flier in his right hand was crumpled, but the bold words were legible from afar. In celebration of the Windblume festival, the Knights of Favonius were putting on an archery contest to raise funds for renovations around the place. It was a good cause, truthfully, but he had other intentions.

The Electro Vision hanging from his trench coat swayed gently in the wind, occasionally bumping into his chest. It sparkled in the sunlight, sending a few shards of purple light onto his black shirt. The purple cross stitch blended in perfectly with these rays. He had to admit that he was dressed too heavily for a place that wasn't cooled by the winds of the seas. There was sun... and a warm breeze.

The walk to the front gates was a short one. Immediately he was greeted by a flock of pigeons fluttering away with distressed coos. The dumbest ones remained in their places pecking at the solid stone bridge. Only when he drew close enough to step on their tail feathers did they take flight.

Two Knights stood on guard outside of the entrance. Bright smiles lined their lips as they laughed over something he was unable to catch. Possibly a joke, but he was sure it wasn't as funny as they were making it out to be. As he approached, they were brought to their senses to greet him.

"Welcome to Mondstadt!" one of them greeted.

"Might you be here for the Windblume Festival?" the other asked. "We have an archery competition starting tomorrow if you'd care to join us!"

Bayler stopped in his tracks, his heavy black boots clicking to a halt. He looked at the two of them over his purple face mask, then raised the paper flapping around in his hand. A few stray dandelion seeds floated past him, lazily landing by the stands in the city.

"Where do I sign up? I've traveled very far for this competition," he replied lazily, folding the flier to tuck into the deep pocket of his black trench coat. He adjusted the tall triangular collar, raising it higher to shield his neck from a potential sunburn. His pale skin would roast easily if he wasn't careful.

The first Knight let out a jolly laugh, pointing up the stairs towards a large castle-like building. "Head up to the Knights, sir! There is a stand outside accepting participant names."

Looking into the city, Bayler nodded. "Thank you," he mumbled, dipping his head respectfully and walking past the pair to find the stand they spoke of.

Very few people paid much attention to him. Despite looking like a foreigner, there were many others who had attire far different from the traditional Mondstadt or Inazuman style. The color scheme was very... earthy. Far different from the tones he wore, which were dark and mysterious.

Bayler continued walking up the stairs. One thing he noticed was the immense amount of them. The sight reminded him of the Grand Narukami Shrine's winding staircases up to the great tree. He had never been to the top personally, as he preferred the lowlands where he could solely focus on his studies, but he'd seen pictures and listened to stories.

The windmill off to the side of the Knights of Favonius caught him off guard. When the massive shadow shifted by him, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Such architecture... the wooden frame looked solid enough that he dismissed it as a threat instantly. The broad blades were much larger up close than they had been on the horizon.

Just as the Knight at the gate had said, there was a small stand with a few Knights sitting behind it. One of them in particular was a woman dressed in all red. She jumped around with a bright smile on her face, making the ribbon on her head bob around with her long brown hair.