𝚂𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙰𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚠 (𝙰𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚡 𝙾𝙲)

Chapter 2 - On Our Left Here...

The Outrider sped away with Bayler's hand in tow. There was no decision on whether to follow the energetic woman; she made the choice for him. He tried to keep up with her brisk trot the best he could. His heavy boots were not intended to go on runs in. It was quite the opposite, actually.

Amber suddenly stopped, causing him to run into her back. She looked back at him with a confused expression, her lower lip slightly jutting out, then curved into a kind, apologetic smile. Awkwardly, she scratched behind her neck and laughed dryly.

"Sorry! This would be our first stop," she explained, turning away to approach the tables placed outside.

A sign was painted on the side of the building reading 'Angel's Share.' Bayler looked around at the drunken men staggering around with their own glass bottles in hand, guessing this was a tavern of some kind. A green bard was among them, raising his wine high into the air with a jolly laugh. The flowers displayed in barrels were a nice touch in his opinion. Their blossoming petals really motivated the theme.

Bayler kicked the ground awkwardly, adjusting his mask as he did. "A tavern?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. "I've heard of Mondstadt's Dandelion Wine."

"Correct!" Amber reached toward a mug on an empty table. She brought her nose to the rim, gave it a good sniff, then offered it out to him. "Master Diluc, the owner of the Angel's Share, is the keeper of the recipe. The Dawn Winery produces many assortments of beverages and not just ones with alcohol."

The mug looked fairly clean, but the liquid inside was a tad suspicious. He lowered his mask just enough to tuck underneath his lips for him to take a swig of the drink. Flavor burst on his tongue, dancing around with the songs of those of Mondstadt's dandelion meadows. The tanginess of the fruits rippled over his taste buds in pleasurable waves.

"Mmm..." Bayler pulled his mask back up and set the wooden tavern mug on the table. Someone would come to fetch it at some point, he was sure, but before he could continue, Amber was already moving on toward the heart of the city.

Amber walked at a steady pace this time, occasionally looking over her shoulder to check he was still there. "There are many small businesses on the sides. Flora sells flowers and Wagner can craft any weapon you'd like! Speaking of which, maybe he could help improve your bow in time for the archery competition tomorrow!"

He resisted the urge to scoff by throwing back his head. Very rarely did he show off his Skyward Harp to anybody outside of his trust circle. While he felt Amber was reliable enough to keep her hands off, he'd rather not take any unnecessary chances for the sake of his well-being. Instead of showing his amusement though, he pretended to nod exaggeratingly.

The winding path upward revealed more small stands. To their left, a woman dressed in green was cheerfully declaring 'ad astra abyssoque!' to anybody who passed by, including them. Amber waved at the woman, then moved on to the next stand.

A general goods store, a food place, and a knick-knack stand were all passed by in time. Bayler learned that the Good Hunter was a popular hangout for anybody needing a freshly cooked meal, while Timaeus, who sat at a peculiar blue table, often did alchemy for anybody who needed such materials. There were similar shops in Inazuma, but the ones in Mondstadt were more... warm than the ones back home.

"The Cat's Tail is another tavern in Mondstadt!" Amber declared, climbing a small set of stairs after leaving the Good Hunter. "This one is run by Diona. She's not big on the concept of alcohol, but she makes really good drinks. I believe she'll be receiving a shipment of flavorings soon in honor of Windblume!"

Bayler furrowed his brows in confusion. "Why would someone run a tavern when they don't like alcohol?"

Amber pushed open the door, careful to watch out for the cats that dashed out into the open air to bask in the sun. "No clue! I think she secretly enjoys her work, though you'd never get her to admit it."