An unfortunate accident, or an attempted assassination?
Y/N, the gender neutral partner of Hu Tao now heads to Sumeru to uncover the answer of what exactly happened to their girlfriend, and to free her from whatever ails her now as a result of that...
Candace: "You may be leaving the desert, but it will still prove a tiring journey back to the city. Please, take care and stay safe."
Collei: "We will! Thank you Candace!"
* * *
It had been some time since our being seen off by Candace, and we'd managed to, since then, make our way through what little desert opposed us, passing through Caravan Ribat and back into the jungle of a land that was eastern Sumeru.
And, despite my insistence, Collei did not return back into the Serenitea Pot for this journey back. She worried that I might get lost, or that I might confront more mercenaries alone, so she walked by my side the entire journey.
Collei: "Uhmm... Y/N?"
Y/N: "Hmm? What's up, Collei?"
Collei: "Well, I was just wondering... you told Candace that we were heading back to Sumeru City, and that you would help Aether and the others. I was just wondering... how, exactly?"
Y/N: "How? Well, however they have need of me! I wasn't kidding earlier when I said that, the killing of Gods being something I was known for, I mean. I am a very powerful individual, as much as I might hate to acknowledge it... I will certainly be of use if this siege falls to open combat, or should Dottore himself join the fray. Of course, I'm not going to pull you into this. You'll stay safe in the teapot, and then only should something come up that I would feel comfortable having you assist with will I call for you."
Collei: "Huh? Wait a second! I don't want to just sit around in a paradise that you made for me whilst you fight for the region I live in!! I want to help!"
Y/N: "You're helping enough already, by just walking and talking with me like this. It's helping me relax a whole lot. Thank you, Collei!"
Collei: "That's not...! I want to...! *sigh* I guess you've got a point... it'd be really bad if my Eleazar came back whilst you were all busy fighting..."
Y/N: "I pray that it doesn't. In a perfect world, the freeing of this young Dendro Archon would mean the release of her apparently caged self, and with that perhaps too may similarly caged knowledge that could bring cure to such an evil disease be freed. But... I'm not too hopeful for that, so I'll be sticking by my earlier promise: in that I will find a way to cure your Eleazar, or I'll stick around beside you until someone smarter than me does!"
Collei: ". . ."
Y/N: "And after this is all over, why don't we meet that friend you mentioned before? The one from Mondstadt? We'll go and see her, to let her know that you're fine. Together!"
Collei: *sniffle*
Y/N: "But first, we'll have to deal with this little event playing out in Sumeru City. So, please, allow me to take the lead for a little while longer?"
Collei: ". . ."
She didn't seem to say anything in response to this. Nothing verbally, at least. However, most unexpectedly, I felt a small graze of skin rub against the back of my hand as the back of Collei's own hand made contact for but a moment. And then she did it again, still staying utterly silent, Collei almost seemed to be trying to... *pomf!* ...to take a hold of my hand...?
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