??????? ?? ???? ੈ✩‧₊˚? ?????

𝕀𝕀𝕀~⚂

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❝𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓶 𝓫𝓮𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓶❞

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You gasp, blood pumping in your chest like you've just walked a blade between life and death. Perhaps you have, in a sense.

"You're awake."

The stranger pauses in crushing up herbs with a mortar and pestle to scrutinise you.

There is a guy in your room. Though, upon further inspection you realise it's not actually your room. Before you could begin to question why you were alone in a room with a random fox eared guy he places a small ceramic cup in your hands.

"Um...thanks?" You would be more grateful if you actually knew what it was this stranger had gifted you.

"Drink this." The rational part of your brain (yes, it existed) is suspicious but there were stealthier ways to poison someone. Plus, this guy looks like he hugs trees and takes in orphans in his spare time.

"It's got antioxidants to boost your immune system," he clarifies patiently.

You had no idea what antioxidants were but, not wanting to seem stupid, you swallow it, cringing at the medicinal aftertaste it leaves in your mouth.

Your distaste must have been apparent because he chuckles, his fluffy ears twitching as he does so.

"I'm Tighnari," his voice is soft and soothing (you note that he has a wonderful bedside manner), "a Forest watcher from Avidya forest and that's Cyno, the general-"

"WHAT THE FUCK," you point accusingly, "HAS HE BEEN THERE THE WHOLE TIME?"  The figure in the corner of the room blended so seamlessly with the shadows that you had initially only counted one other person in it.

With that menacing aura, intricate headpiece and self assured countenance with which he carried himself, it could only be-

"Hello," Cyno greets, unruffled.

"Can someone explain why the general Mahamatra is in my room before I lose my mind."

They trade a weighted glance that was not nearly as inconspicuous as they probably thought it was.

"Do you," Tighnari hesitates, "remember what happened?" 

"Remember...?"

Oh.

Your attention falls on the vision on your lap. The cryo vision. The cryo vision you earned fighting for your life. Well, fighting was a generous term. There was a lot more flailing and near-death involved.

"It's a miracle that your vision manifested otherwise we likely wouldn't have arrived in time to save you."

"Tighnari's being modest," Cyno interjects, "it was also thanks to his being in the city that we were able to make and administer the antidote within the brief window of time."

Tighnari ducks his head bashfully and releases a long-suffering sigh but can't disguise his pleased expression. He pulls out a sheaf of paper and busies himself with scrawling notes while muttering distractedly under his breath.

"...Minor head trauma ....could be from the altercation....may be from collateral damage caused..."

Oh, right. The glacial construct that could be seen all the way from the city. An uncontrolled burst of pure cryo energy that had simultaneously saved your life and become a beacon of distress. You wondered how many pyro vision users it had taken to melt that popsicle.

You still couldn't quite believe you had resonance with the element of frost; not flame.
You, a being that lived, breathed, basked in daylight.

The instant dawn broke through the blue morning, you soaked up the sun's rays like the wilted leaves of a nilotpala lotus. Evolution dictated you to be practically photosynthetic with the way you fed off solar energy.

It was a lucky thing winter didn't manifest in the desert the way it did other regions of Teyvat, otherwise it'd find you huddled despairingly in a sand igloo (sandcastle?) clinging to the last vestiges of warmth.

"Am I dead?"

"Well, legally speaking-"

"Cyno," Tighnari hisses, "she's still recovering".

"There's only so much time left," Cyno stresses, "we have all the official documents forged and a merchant ship in the harbour ready to set sail for Fontaine."

Tighnari pinches the bridge of his nose in resignation. "I know, I know, but is she really recovered enough to be travelling such long distances?"

"The longer she stays, the higher the chances Deathstalker will realise his only witness is still alive and try to silence her." There's an urgency in this tone that that leaves Tighnari with no choice but to concede.

You observe the exchange raptly, still dazed by the sudden turn of events. Bombarded with so much information and so little context, the comment almost slips by.

"Wait, he?," you sit up, blood rushing to your head, "Deathstalker, she's a woman."