Gonna live this life as the Heroine Villianess

100k Special: Short Story Sneak Peak!

A/N. For the 100k special, I'm writing a snippet of a short story! Comment if you'd like to see more :>

At this point, Diluc didn't know where he was going anymore. How many days had it been? No- how many months? Ah, right. Today marked exactly 13 months, since he left. Since that day. It pained him to think about it. He grit his teeth. That day, he had lost not only his father, but him too. Thinking back on it, was he really even mad? What had he been feeling, at that moment? He only remembered the burning feeling in his chest, in his head- the kind that swallowed you whole and clouded your senses. His temper had raged, like a burning inferno, bursting forth from the ashes of his passion that had dwindled out when he had held his father in his arms. Ashes, just like what his father had been reduced to when he had faded away forever. That pounding feeling in his head... it was similar to how he felt, no. That wasn't good. Diluc sat up straighter on his blankets, his teeth chattering. Somehow, in the humid rainforests of Sumeru, he still felt like he was about to freeze to death.

The previous day he had felt too cocky and mistakenly thought he could make it to the next town before the overbearing storm clouds caught up to him- but he had underestimated just how many Ruindrakes and those pesky Eremites- who were, as he had found, Sumeru's version of Treasure Hoarders, but he had to admit were much more flashy in their attacks- and had lost track of time. He ended up getting caught in the rain, and maybe it was his Pyro vision, but he never did do too well in stormy weather. He sneezed. Dang. He guessed that someone must be talking smack about him right now, back at Mondstat. Or maybe that fish vendor back in Liyue that he out-haggled for a slab of tuna fish. He stood up, stumbled towards the fire, and reached over to touch the still damp fabric of his overcoat. Once it was dry, he would have to put it away. it was overbearingly hot in Sumeru. He yanked his white t-shirt off the clothing line, next. Adelaide had sewn it for him, a week before he left- but since then, he had grown quite a bit- and the shirt that had once hung loosely over his shoulders was now a snug fit. He squinted at the torn hem near the bottom of the shirt and sighed. His needlework had never been as good as Adelaide's, no matter how much she tried to teach him. He hustled back to the warm refuge of his blankets, rolled himself up, and then scootched back over to the fire with a fish bone needle. Alright. Just a few more hours until sunrise.

~ 🦉 🔥~

"Divine Retribution!" Diluc slammed his claymore down on the next unsuspecting group of fowl, swimming lazily along the edges of the lake. He felt strange, using his signature moves to catch fish and birds. But he was hungry, and at that moment, he felt prouder than when he had taken down his first hillichurl camp, looking down at the five birds and bonus two fish that he had managed to catch. At least, he would eat well for the next two days or so. He quickly packed up the meat, grabbed the rest of his things, and set off.

He frowned, taking out his map and looking around. he squinted. Hold on. Hadn't he been to this swamp multiple times already? He looked up. It was hard to tell. the larger, overhanging mushrooms looked the same to him. Even if it got dark, he could keep going, because the mushrooms would glow a brilliant, bright blue. He knew, because his father had told him so- in the writings in his travel journal, which Diluc had tucked safely away in his pack. He had to say, though. Sumeru was a very large region. Half of it was desert, which he had found himself stuck in for days until he had found some nice locals who helped him on his way. Even now, Diluc thought he could find sand stuck in his clothes, or in his hair. It was an unpleasant feeling. He kept going. The Fatui were scarce in Sumeru, but in recent years, they had begun to trickle in and infiltrate the Acadamia.

He had a source from the academy tell him as such, and he was going to meet them to gather more information. First, though, he would actually have to get to the acadamia. He sighed. Maybe he should have requested a guide.