Say My Name and I'll Be There

Chapter 5

"You should let me win at least once against you," you brushed the dirt off of your jeans and stood up to face Childe once again. "Ya know, to boost my confidence and determination?"

"Where would the point be in that? My Master used to beat me if I didn't meet her expectations, you know." Childe looked past the trees as he remembered his days in the Abyss. "Consider yourself lucky that I'm just beating you in battle."

"Maybe a sword isn't the best weapon for me?" You looked down at the weapon in your hands. It wasn't a bad weapon, but it had taken on some pretty bad blows from Childe the past few months. What was it about you that kept you from improving your skills? You had been getting better on a daily basis, but it never felt like it was enough.  You scrunched your eyebrows together in deep thought.

"The sword is the most basic weapon you can master. A gateway weapon, if you will." His expression hardened with jealousy when he noticed you were staring at Xiao, who was sparring with Zhongli with lance in hand. "You want to learn how to wield a lance? I could teach you."

"Hm?" Your head snapped out of its daze and whipped in Childe's direction. "Oh, no. I was just admiring him. I could never wield a weapon with such speed."

'Just admiring him,' eh? "Well, you have gotten better since I started training you. You just have to keep at it."

"I wonder if I'll ever get a vision," you muttered under your breath. "Maybe then I'd be of more use to everyone."

"If you want to be of use, then take me down," Childe retorted. "You don't need a vision to be powerful. Look at Aether. He doesn't have one."

"But that's not even a valid point to make! I can't just resonate with archon power whenever I want."

"Are you making excuses to be weak?"

"Ugh, I just need a break. I'm going to go get water." You jogged away from the group to the stream that was near the campsite. Your head ached from dealing with his personality all morning. You splashed water onto your face, still submersed in your thoughts when you heard a branch snap behind you.

A shriek echoed through the trees and into the campsite where your team was at.  "What was that?"  Aether looked to the sky for answers, and Paimon appeared.

"It sounded like someone's in trouble!"

"Hey Harbinger, where'd she go?" Xiao's eyes flicked to Childe's.

"In that direction, actually," his eyes widened when they landed on the sword she didn't take with her to the river.

By the time the group caught up to you, which couldn't have been longer than two minutes, you were already leaving a trail of blood on the golden grass beneath your feet.   A stonehide lawachurl continued to charge at you, and you barely managed to dodge it's attack.  

I can't dodge it for much longer, you grit your teeth and glanced at your aching thigh.  Your pants were soaked in blood and clinging to your skin.  If only I had a vision--no.  If only I wasn't dumb enough to leave my sword back at the camp.  You peeked back at the lawachurl from behind the tree you used for cover.  

"ARRRRAAAAAAGGHHH!"  It staggered backwards after being hit by an unseen force.  It advanced forward before being met with another blast of an anemo burst.  Xiao suddenly appeared in midair above the creature, and he shoved his lance through it's neck.  It disintegrated immediately, and the adeptus landed light-footed on its ashes.

You slid down the trunk, reveling in both relief and pain.  Your injured leg hitting the ground drew out a small cry that caught the attention of your teammates.  Footsteps quickly followed the blood trail to your location a few meters away.  

"Are you alright?"  Aether was the first to reach you and was followed by Zhongli, Childe, and Xiao.  He winced at the sight of your torn leg.  "Can you walk?"

"Aha, yeah," your lips held a trembling smile.  "This is nothing."

"You're pale," Childe called you out.  The amount of blood she's losing...did it manage to swipe at her artery?

"Let me see the extent of your injuries."  Zhongli knelt beside you and gently peeled back the torn cloth that stuck to your wound.  His expression didn't change.

"That looks...kinda bad," Aether mumbled.  "We need to get that treated."

"Yes, it would be wise to do so immediately.  We passed by a few herbs on the way here.  I shall go gather them."  Zhongli stood and backtracked to the path they took.  

"It's not safe here," Xiao studied the surrounding area for the rest of the hilichurl tribe.  "Let's get her back to camp."  He stepped forward and slung your arm over his shoulder.

"I'll help," Childe began to move to your other side.

"No.  Too tall.  Aether," he nudged his chin at Aether, and he moved to your other side.  Childe crinkled his nose, but decided not to argue.

"Be careful now."  Xiao and Aether lowered you down while Zhongli mashed and warmed the medicinal herbs.  

Childe conjured a small hydro blade to cut the remaining fabric from around your leg.  "Now to wash the wound..."

"Aha, that kind of hurts," you warned through a clenched jaw.  

"Did it bite you?" Paimon popped up at your side.

"This is just from one of its claws."

"Step aside, Childe," Zhongli stirred the finished paste in a small bowl before spooning it out and spreading it onto your wound.

"OW! Wait!"  You squirmed under his touch.  The pain was worse than when Childe cleansed it.

Xiao held your leg down.  "Stay still and bear with it awhile longer."  He didn't let on that he was worried about how much you were bleeding.

"My apologies, dear comrade.  This will stop the bleeding and speed up the healing process.  It is almost done."  He finished applying the paste.  "Aether, do you still have bandage wraps?"

"Got them right here."  He knelt beside you and began to wrap your leg up.  "This should do it."

"Guess we won't be leaving this campsite today," Paimon shook her head as she stared at your leg.  None of you left the campsite for several days, actually.  You developed a high fever that night. 

Zhongli and Xiao were sitting at the edge of the camp and observing everyone's movements.  It hadn't gone unnoticed by the Prime Adeptus that you were Xiao's priority in recent days, and even more so now.  He decided to casually bring it up.

"I saved her a couple decades ago," Xiao admitted as he eyed you.  "She doesn't remember it.  I occasionally checked in on her once she was adopted."

"I see," Zhongli followed his gaze.  "There is a strange presence about her.  You said you brought her from death's door?  Could you have possibly--"

"I did."

"Interesting.  She seems to be doing well enough.  I am worried about her fever, though.  Humans are delicate creatures."

"Human fragility is absurd."

"Regardless, your past dealings with her seem to have saved her today.  She should not have survived the blood loss caused by that wound...or at least, not as a human.  How did you manage it?"

"The smallest prick of blood."  Human bodies cannot withstand large amounts of adeptal energy, so Xiao used the smallest drop of his blood to heal you as a child.  It acted as a healing agent, and as a result, was a type of "vaccine" that allowed you to withstand the adeptal energies of Zhongli and Xiao.  Biologically, you remained a human.  A human with adeptus blood in your veins.

"I never thought it was possible to give such a miniscule amount to a human before.  It is a miracle it didn't backfire on her body."  Zhongli nodded in acknowledgement.  "I would like to observe this matter further."

"Of course."