Every nation has that one person who excels over the others. Whether it be in economics, combat, literature... or archery.
Inazuman Bayler Velice has sailed over the crashing waves to attend Mondstadt's first archery competition to claim a victory...
Her journey into the great beyond was short-lived. It'd gotten dark quickly, and venturing in the wild without the gift of sight was difficult for anybody. Sure, she could use elemental sight, but the risk was too great for that.
Plus, she wanted to read the letter Noelle had delivered to her. It had been a bit since Collei last sent a letter back. The last exchange they had was Amber inviting the Sumeru girl to the Windblume festival as her "date." She'd used the term for fun, and Collei had agreed wholeheartedly.
Collei had also said she couldn't make it, even if she wanted to. Her instructor, Tighnari, had warned her against traveling without a guide. He and Cyno were in a heated Invocation TCG competition, one they apparently couldn't step away from.
Amber had reassured her in her last response that it was okay, and she'd fare just fine on her own. Mondstadt was her home, after all. Part of her wished Collei was beside her though. She would've made it so much easier to handle her... boy situation.
The letter she said now was short and sweet. The neat handwriting was a bit slanted, as if Collei had been in a rush while writing it. That was likely since she was always busy with the village kids running around her heels.
Amber pulled the envelope out of the band on her hip and immediately tore it open. She was halfway up the stairs to the Knights of Favonius. By now, she trusted her feet to get her there without a hitch.
The letter read as follows;
"To my dearest Amber,
I'm so, so sorry I can't make it to the Windblume Festival! I know I've already said this over a thousand times, but I feel so bad about it! It's been completely chaotic here in Sumeru, and I would make the journey if not for Tighnari, who is insistent on keeping beside Cyno during this competition. (Did you know that they have cards of US, by the way?! I find that so absurd!)
As soon as things slow down here, I promise I'll visit! It's been quite some time since we've been able to see each other in purpose. I'm just DYING to find out some of the gossip during the season of lovers!
Reply as soon as you can! I can't wait to hear back!
- Collei <3"
That sounded just like her. Amber giggled to herself. She folded back up with a crisp corner and returned it to her waistband. As soon as she got back to her home, she'd write a letter to deliver to Noelle. Hopefully the maid didn't mind taking care of it for her.
She was just turning the corner when she stumbled upon Bayler. He was pacing outside of the main building, almost like he was waiting for her. Bayler suddenly realized she was there and stopped, turning his head to look at her.
Whatever emotion it was that crossed his face, it made her happy. Relief? Excitement? It had to be positive, because he was grinning from ear to ear.
Bayler ran over to her, immediately slipping down his mask. "Would you like to climb up to the roof of the Cathedral with me?"
Amber blinked in surprise. "The top of the Cathedral? Is that even safe?"
A wild, energized spark entered his eyes. "That's the fun part of our escapade." He extended a hand out to her, adding a slight bow in his figure.
Giggling, she took his hand, and he gripped tight. "Let's go!"
~~~~~~~~~
Bayler POV
The two lovebirds ran the rest of the way to the Cathedral. In the dark, it was nearly impossible to see the individual bricks against the shadow of the building. The moon was their only light, after all.
"I'll follow you," Bayler ensured her. "If you fall, I'll catch us both."
Amber looked up at the wall with uncertainty, then back at him. "Are you sure?"
Bayler smiled at her. "Would you prefer I go first?"
"Actually, yeah..."
She stepped away from the wall, leaving a large enough space for him to climb. Bayler stepped toward it, jumping up and digging his nails into the bricks. He used his boots as extra traction, and he climbed up with ease.
The Cathedral's roof was peaked with several climaxes in the design. They'd have to navigate their way well to get up to the bell tower.
Bayler pulled himself into the first peak of the roof and looked back at Amber. She gave him a little wave at first, then backed up and launched herself at the way. The horrible sound of crumbling brick told him she had a grip, perhaps too strong if she was taking off brick.
Amber slowly made her way up. A few times she jumped forward, gasping as she did, but continued on strong. That was until the very end after she made one finally jump. She froze in place, looking up at him with her chest heaving.
Bayler lowered his hand down, securing himself to the roof with the other. "Grab my hand, I'll pull you up."
"I'm incredibly heavy!" she protested. "I'll just take a breather down on the bottom."
"And let you fall?" Bayler chuckled, though he was absolutely serious. "I'll pull you up, just grab on."
She hesitated for a moment longer, finally giving in and taking his hand. He pulled her up to the top with little to no effort. Amber dusted herself off immediately after and gave him a small thank you.
Bayler winked at her and took off in the other direction. The bell tower wasn't far, since they chose a wall close enough. He jumped from peak to peak, careful as to where his steps landed on the thin boards.
Amber followed close behind, acting as his shadow. Bayler looked back at her once with a giddy smile before focusing on the trek ahead.
They kept running for a few minutes more, and their ascension to the bell tower was soon over.
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