The Offer - Into the Land of Teyvat
"Hello There" -- Characters speaking
'General Kenobi' -- Character thoughts
"You are" 'a bold one' -- Invocations, Thoughts/Conversations in flashbacks
The Negotiator -- Titles
"Ah yes, the Negotiator" -- ??? speaking
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"Huh... I'm back here?"
Upon opening his eyes, Erden was greeted by the same sight he had experienced when he was teleported to the Eternal Gardens; a sky full of stars, nebulae, and galaxies, their radiance illuminating the entire realm.
'How long was I out for? I've still got my armor on and my sword is... my sword!'
As he sat up on the grass, he frantically searched for the 2 meter long sword as he couldn't see it anywhere around his body. He almost began to panic until he looked through his Inventory, finding the blade taking up one of the slots.
'God, that scared the shit out of me for a second. I guess, that's also one of its functions.'
He released a sigh of relief as he observed his surroundings, spotting the same apple tree he had seen before. Only this time, there was a new addition to the scenery: A table, along with two chairs, all emitting slights traces of Mana were situated under the tree.
As he began to walk over there, he noticed that on one of the chairs facing away from him sat a figure. They had shoulder-length white hair with a slightly tanned face hidden under a black-and-gold mask that had slits acting as eyeholes. They wore loose dark clothing with gold accents, and a white hooded overlay on top of it. Judging from their build, it was most likely that they were a male.
[IMG]
Reaching the tree, he sat on the remaining unoccupied chair as his gaze sat on the mysterious individual. For a few moments, neither said anything as they simply sized each other up. Until the silence was broken by the voice of the masked being, echoing out through the realm.
"Tea, or coffee?"
Caught off-guard by such an abrupt question, Erden quickly composed himself as he answered unabashedly, expressing his choice of beverage.
"I'll take coffee, with sugar, of course."
The masked being chuckled upon hearing Erden's response, as he snapped his fingers, causing motes of light to combine, forming an ornate cup filled with coffee.
Erden picked it up as he brought it close to his lips, before he stopped. He suddenly cast a suspicious gaze on the masked being, as he questioned the man's intentions.
"...You didn't poison it, did you?"
Due to the mask on his face, it was hard to tell the being's expression, but judging by his dry tone as he retorted, he was definitely not amused.
"Ha-ha, very funny. But we both know that such petty tricks have no chance of working against you."
"How'd you- oh right, you kept an eye on me the last few years.... ooh, this tastes good! You got the sweetness spot-on."
His mouth was assaulted by a sweet sensation as he took a sip of the coffee. He wasn't really surprised that the being knew about his items and abilities, considering that he pretty much admitted to it half a year ago. He took another sip before his face took on a serious expression.
"Now then, let's get down to business. As you wanted, I kept growing stronger, and even passed your so-called 'test'. Now it's time for you to hold your end of the bargain... Ascendant god, Xeroc."
On the other side of the table, the being now known as Xeroc, intertwined his hands with his elbows on the table, as he took a classic Ikari Gendo pose.
"Ahh yes, I do believe I said that. Very well then, what is it that you wish to know?"
Hearing that, Erden sat ramrod straight. A drop of sweat ran down his temple as he took a few seconds to organize his thoughts. Once he did so, he took a deep breath as he asked the question that had plagued his mind for five years.
"Why... why did you bring me to this world?"
Listening to his question, Xeroc remained silent for a moment as he simply gazed into Erden's eyes. He noticed a myriad of emotions that he seemed to be hiding, the most prevalent being anticipation and fear.
"Why I brought you to this world... huh? I am not sure as to what answer will satisfy you, so I will be honest. The reason I summoned you... was curiosity."
Every cell in his body froze as he tried his best his best to keep his bubbling emotions in check. His voice dangerously low, he repeated the reason Xeroc told him, hoping that his ears weren't playing tricks on him.
"Curiosity...? Did you... really just say that...?"
"You wished to know the reason behind my actions. And sadly... back then that was the main driving force beh-"
BOOM!
A sudden force erupted that sent the table and Erden's chair flying, followed by a sonic boom that resulted from Erden delivering a devastating punch that connected directly with Xeroc's mask.
Unfortunately, the punch did not do much damage as Xeroc did not budge an inch. However, his mask did show brief signs of cracking before they instantly went away as the mask was repaired.
"You... kidnapped me from my home... took me away from my family... threw me into a forest... not knowing when I'd get eaten by some wild animal! You destroyed my life... just because you were curious?! How dare you!"
"...My apologies."
BOOM!
Another sonic boom erupted, as the sound barrier was broken a second time due to Erden throwing another punch at Xeroc's face. However, this time he raised his hand to block the punch, leaving behind a strong shockwave created from the impact.
"You think apologizing will change anything?! Because of you, I was forced to leave my family for god knows how long!"
Even when faced with Erden's anger, Xeroc did not flinch, his form exuding calmness and tranquility. With a gaze carrying no ill-will, he responded in a concise manner.
"Then what do you wish for me to say? Would you prefer that I lie, and tell you that you were summoned for some great purpose?"
"It's not about lying or telling the truth, but rather the-!"
"While I will not deny the fact that you brought about great change to this world, the truth is that I held no such expectations when I plucked you from your world."
"..."
"Then...! why exactly... was I chosen?!"
"That is because I simply wished to see how a regular mortal... from a relatively peaceful world would fare in this world. You... just happened to be the first person that I set my sights on. The fact that you were chosen was simply by chance. Nothing more, nothing less."
Hearing that, Erden bit down on his molars hard as he gritted his teeth, his hands balled into fists as he clenched them tight enough to leave red markings that healed within seconds.
He just glared at Xeroc for a few moments, before he relaxed as his body slumped into a new chair that formed into existence, courtesy of Xeroc. He was hunched forward, eyes cast downwards, completely listless as they held no light within them.
"Have you calmed down now?"
"Hoooo... you're quite the infuriating bastard, you know that? I am 'this' close to punching your head off... so no, I have not calmed down."
As Xeroc assessed his emotional state, Erden made a small gesture, nearly pinching his index finger and thumb, expressing his restraint as he tried to put a lid on his emotions, doing his best to not break the sound barrier a third time.
"I see, then what else would you like to ask me?"
"Seriously, do you have no empathy at all?! At least give me a few minutes to properly calm down."
"I am sorry to say, but I stopped caring about such things a long time ago."
'Don't punch him, don't punch him, don't punch him...'
Hearing his indifferent answer, Erden massaged his temple as the veins beneath the skin of his forehead began to bulge from fury. He couldn't decide whether to punch him again and prolong their meeting or get his answers as quickly as possible so he didn't have to stay within a 100 miles radius of Xeroc.
"...Is it possible for me to go back to my world?"
Understanding what he was trying to get at, Xeroc closed his eyes for a few seconds, preparing himself for the next few minutes as he undoubtedly knew that Erden would try to lash out upon hearing his answer.
"Unfortunately, it is not possible."
He raised his hand as a signal to stop, seeing as Erden was starting to get up from his seat. With a sigh, he continued speaking as he added on to his previous statement.
"Do not misunderstand. It is not that I do not want to send you back, for I would wish nothing more than to reward you for your efforts."
Hearing his reasoning, Erden stilled as he glared at Xeroc, his gaze piercing through the slits of the mask right into Xeroc's eyes as he tried to search for any signs of falsehood.
On the other side, Xeroc calmly stared back as his eyes showed no signs of panic or deceit. Seeing that, Erden let out a grunt as he signaled for him to continue.
"...Explain."
"You see, your world is quite intriguing. Although at first glance, it seems like a perfectly normal world without any ounce or presence of the supernatural, but that is actually not true."
As Xeroc spoke, Erden furrowed his eyebrows as he seemed confused hearing the last part of his statement.
"The truth is, the supernatural does exist... in the form of a barrier right outside your universe."
"Huh... what do you mean?"
"I meant exactly what I said. There is a barrier that protects your universe from outside influences. To say that it is 'very strong' would be severely underestimating it, as throughout the past it has been attacked by many different beings, some of whom far outrank me in terms of strength. And yet, never once did the barrier show any signs of faltering."
"Okay... I get what you're saying, but what does the barrier have to do with you not being able to send me home? I mean, I was originally an inhabitant of Earth, so it shouldn't be much of a problem to send me back... "
Xeroc shook his head upon hearing Erden's objection, choosing to expand more on the subject of the barrier and its inner workings.
"It is because of the way the barrier works. It is made up of several layers with each layer having a certain threshold that detects and keeps out foreign energies. One type of this foreign energy exists in this world and did not exist in yours."
Erden racked his brain, trying to figure out what the mysterious energy was. It didn't take long for him to come to a conclusion, as he realized exactly what Xeroc was referring to.
"...Mana."
"That is correct. 'Mana' or magical energy has long existed, since the time of the Auric Dragons. The moment you were dropped into this world, your body became exposed to Mana as it changed your physique at a fundamental level, unlocking your latent potential in the process."
"On top of that, you kept expanding your mana reserves throughout the years. As a consequence of that, It is simply impossible for me to send you back as the barrier will just repel you as soon as it senses your level of magical energy."
"That... is there really no other way to send me back?"
Ignoring the depressed expression on his face, and the somber tone of his voice, Xeroc almost shook his head before he stopped, his mind cooking up an offer for Erden.
"Hmmm, although I cannot send you back to your world, the same does not apply to other worlds, which do not have any barriers preventing entry. What do you think about going to a new world?"
"...And why the hell would I want to do that? I've already had enough adventure for a lifetime. What I want, is to go home. Which, according to you, is not possible."
"You are free to decline this offer, but do you really want to stay in this world any longer? I take it that you do not exactly have a lot of good memories of this land."
"...Tch."
Knowing that he was right on the mark, Xeroc let out a small chuckle as he spoke further, briefly explaining about the new world.
"The world is comprised of mainly seven, known nations, each having their own unique cultures. Each nation has a... ruler, of course, with each ruler being... unique in their own rights. This world has its fair share of problems, but you should be able to enjoy your time in it... for the most part."
After hearing a brief description of the world, Erden narrowed his eyes at Xeroc, as he began to feel something amiss.
"Why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?"
Xeroc, on his part, remained calm, not counting the bead of sweat that ran down his cheek behind his mask, as he was taken slightly off-guard by Erden's intuition.
"Oh, whatever may you be talking about?"
"...Nevermind, just tell me the name of the world, if it has one."
"It does have a name, but it would be too easy and boring if I just gave it to you. Instead, that is something you must find out yourself."
The bulging veins on his forehead told of his emotions, as Xeroc decided to withhold such basic information. He gritted his teeth, repeating three words inside his head like a mantra to calm himself down.
'Don't punch him, don't punch him, don't punch him...'
"Well, moving on, do you have any more questions for me?"
"Earlier... you mentioned that coming into contact with Mana unlocked my latent potential. What exactly did you mean by that?"
Xeroc put his elbow on the arm of the chair he sat on, as his cheek rested on the palm of his hand. In that posture, he casually dropped a metaphorical bomb on Erden, revealing the nature of his "system".
"What I meant was that... the magic that you believe was given to you, is something that you've always had from the start. The only reason that you couldn't use it before is that you didn't have a mystical energy source to power it. The energy source, in this case, being Mana."
Erden stared ahead dumbstruck, processing what he had just heard.
'He... didn't give me my magic? Then, how come...?'
"If... what you just said is remotely even true, then how the hell do you explain the existence of the system?"
"Well, first off, I wouldn't exactly call it a system, at least according to the novels and stories from your world; Perhaps, it is closer to one of those HUDs from your video games. And if I had to say, it may be that you subconsciously used your magic when you realized the predicament you were in, creating the illusion that you were given a 'system'."
Listening to Xeroc's explanation, Erden pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling mentally drained from spending a few minutes with him. His frustration was palpable, as although he was able to have his questions answered, they weren't the answers that he truly wanted to hear.
However, he won't deny that he felt a bit happy knowing that the power he thought was given to him by someone else, was in fact his own all along.
"Now, if you are satisfied with the explanation, we can move on to the next question."
"Haahhh... about two years ago, I created an item similar to the cell-phone from my world. As soon as it was completed, it glowed with your light, and a new feature was added to it that I did not intend to add when I was making it."
"Ah yes... I remember. You see, at the time I decided to partake in small amounts of tomfoolery. And I won't lie, your reaction back then was quite amusing."
Erden stared at him with a blank look before his brows furrowed, remembering the small "freak-out" he had when Xeroc pulled his little antics.
"Alright, once I put on this cover, it should start working."
Erden was in his workshop, working on a small, rectangular, electronic device, similar to a cell-phone. However, unlike the regular cell-phones from his world, this device had a few different functions.
The device not only displayed things like time, weather conditions, coordinates, but also the different kinds of ores around him. It also warned him of any enemies that came within a certain distance of him.
As soon as he put on the back cover of the device, it suddenly began to glow with a bright light, prompting Erden to drop the device on the table and jump back as he brought out a bow from his Inventory while nocking an arrow at the same time.
The cell-phone glowed for a few seconds before the light went away, revealing its form to be completely unchanged.
Erden spent a few moments, cautiously observing the phone to find any signs of traps or the like. Seeing none, he stepped closer to it as he replaced the bow with a sword. As he brought the sword close to the device...
Poke, Poke.
He began to poke it with the sword, which resulted in the screen of the cell-phone being turned on as a song began to play from it.
"Never gonna give you up~ Never gonna let you down~ Never gonna turn around and desert you~"
As soon as he heard the lyrics, Erden froze in place as he was left dumbfounded. The song on the other hand, did not stop as it continued playing.
"Never gonna make you cry~ Never gonna say goodbye~ Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you~"
As he regained his bearings and realized what exactly had happened, he grabbed and flung the table, yeeting the cell-phone alongside it as he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"GOD DAMN IT-"
'Even in another world, I can't escape being rick-rolled!'
As Xeroc chuckled upon hearing him bring up an old incident, Erden could do nothing but grit his teeth in indignation.
"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. Won't be so funny when you're the one getting hit with a rick-roll."
"Ahem, putting that aside, do you have any more questions for me?"
Erden straightened up as with a bated breath, he asked the question that would decide whether or not he would accept Xeroc's offer.
"Is it possible to bring someone along with me when I go to the world you told me about?"
"Well, I do believe that could be arranged."
Now knowing that he won't have to leave Calamitas behind in Terraria, he let out a sigh of relief.
Realizing that he'd gotten the answers to all of his questions, he stood up, stretching his body as he prepared to go back to get everything he would need for the upcoming journey.
"Looks like we are done here... oh! Before I forget, can you bring out the Terminus?"
Without asking any questions, Erden brought out the Terminus from his Inventory, cautiously handing it over as he kept a very close eye on Xeroc, discerning what he was trying to do.
Xeroc, on the other hand, paid him no mind as he began to infuse the artifact with Auric energy, imbuing a new destination along with a path into it. As he did so, the sigil on the artifact began to pulse with energy, signaling the completion of the process.
Once he was done, he handed it over back to Erden and began to instruct him on things to look out for when using it.
"You can use the Terminus to teleport you back. Once you are ready, simply use the Terminus again as it will transport you to the new world. Also, do make sure that you are in physical contact with whoever you wish to bring with you, otherwise the Terminus won't register them and they will be left behind."
He didn't receive a verbal response, as Erden simply nodded his head in Xeroc's direction. He held the Terminus in his hand, sending bouts of Mana into it, before he suddenly stopped, cutting off the flow of Mana.
"Hey, I have one more question."
Seeing as Erden's curiosity was not satiated, he decided to humor him as he gestured for Erden to continue; something he regretted seconds later.
"Back then, why'd you break your oath? Zeratros' Auric soul... why did you consume it?"
For the first time since he met Xeroc, Erden saw something different in his eyes. Compared to his usual indifference and amusement, he saw... regret, and nostalgia.
As he spoke, his tone which was always neutral, had a slight edge to it.
"My apologies, but that... is something that I cannot give an answer to."
Realizing that he wasn't in the mood to answer any more questions, Erden simply shrugged his shoulders as he supplied the artifact with some more Mana, causing the artifact to glow and teleport Erden, as it disappeared shortly after.
After confirming that Erden had left, he released a heavy sigh as the final question had caught him off-guard, bringing up memories of the past.
Memories of his service to the Auric Dragons, the battle against the behemoth from beyond the stars, its defeat and imprisonment within the moon, the deaths and casualties brought about in the aftermath, and the final meeting between him and the Zeratros, King of the Auric Dragons, subsequently leading to his betrayal, all flashed through his mind.
"Truly, I wonder... why must our future forever haunt us?"
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As he came to, Erden perceived that he was back in the middle of the forest where he had used the Terminus. The sun was beginning to set, indicating that it would soon be nighttime. He put the Terminus back in his Inventory as he began to head back to the town, only to stop in his tracks as he noticed a red blur rapidly heading in his direction.
He was almost prepared to strike it down until he realized exactly what, or rather, who the red blur was.
"Errrrrddddddeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnn!!"
He began to wave at her, only for him to tense his body as Calamitas crashed right into him, sending them both sprawling on the grass.
The both of them rolled a few times, their armor and clothing gaining a few splotches of dirt and grass. After a few seconds, they came to a stop with Calamitas laying on top of Erden, her face buried into the crook of his neck.
"You're finally back... you had me quite worried, y'know?"
"Well, I did make a promise, didn't I?"
"I know, but you were gone for almost two days."
"Two days? Sure didn't feel like it. Anyways, can you get off me? I'd rather lay down on a proper bed, and this doesn't exactly classify as one."
"Nuh-uh, don't wanna."
"...Alright fine, you leave me no choice."
Saying that, Erden raised his hands... before he brought them to her armpits, as he began to tickle the stubbornness out of her.
"Puh... hahahahah... stop i- hehehe- okay- I'll get- eep!"
All of a sudden, one of his hands went down to her ass as he lightly pinched it, eliciting a surprised yelp from her. His other hand also began to move downwards, but was stopped short as he heard the sound of footsteps, followed by the voice of an old man.
"At least get a room, you two. Good grief, young'uns these days."
"Oh, it's you, Permafrost. When did you come over?"
Looking towards his left, he saw the old figure of Permafrost, someone he had met about three and a half years ago.
"I got here yesterday, sometime after you left. And what's this I hear about you challenging the Traitor almighty, you brat?! Do you realize how much stress you put my student under? What if you ended up dying?!"
"Relax, old man. I'm here in one piece, aren't I?"
"Ugh, I swear I'll die from a heart attack before old age catches up, just because of the stunts that you keep pulling."
"Oh, stop being so overdramatic. I'm sure you'll live a few more years."
Feeling that he might become drowsy if he kept laying on the ground any longer, he sprung up, eliciting another yelp from Calamitas as she was momentarily flung upwards, before falling right into Erden's arms.
"Anyways, let's head back and eat first, because I'm really hungry. After that, I'll tell you what happened while I was gone."
And so, he marched on with Calamitas in his arms and Permafrost following behind him from a distance. As they walked, Calamitas noticed that Erden's eyes would become downcast from time to time, something she thought she'd address later.
After several minutes, they reached the town as they walked in, following the path to the building their rooms were in.
Entering their room, Erden put Calamitas down on the bed as he himself grabbed a set of clothes, walking into the bathroom to take a short bath. Once he was done, he left the bathroom, sitting down on the sole table in the room.
With a snap of his finger, a bowl of Rabbit Stew appeared from his Inventory. It was something he always kept in his Inventory, along with other sorts of dishes in large quantities for emergencies.
He quickly ate his food and walked into the kitchen, put the bowl in the sink, washed his hands as he walked back into the bedroom, where he saw both Calamitas and Permafrost waiting for him, their facial expressions betraying their calmness as they anticipated a unique tale of Erden's short journey.
He dragged one of the chairs over to the bed as he sat down, clearing his throat as he began to speak.
"So... where do I even begin?"
And so he spoke, regaling a grand tale starting from his arrival to the Eternal Gardens, the appearance and battle against the puppet beast, and finally, his talk with the Traitor almighty and the Ascendent god, Xeroc.
His face couldn't help but sour when he thought about their conversation, and the revelation that he couldn't return to his world.
"Fascinating... to think that another world, let alone another universe, exists beyond ours."
Permafrost was quite amazed as he heard the details of his conversation with Xeroc, specifically the fact that Erden wasn't native to Terraria. Calamitas, on the other hand, contemplated on a select part of the conversation, as she decided to bring it up.
"Well... at least this explains the absence of the supernatural within your world."
"Yeah... it does..."
Noticing the dejected look on his face, Calamitas beckoned for him to come to the bed. Knowing that this would be a moment just for the two of them, Permafrost quietly left the room, but not before throwing a thumbs-up in Calamitas' direction.
Erden slowly walked over to the bed as he sat on it, prompting Calamitas to gently grab his head and lay it down on her thighs, as she began to caress his hair.
"Callie...?"
"It's alright... you know, you don't have to hold it in... you can let it all out, I'm here for you..."
As if a dam had been broken, his lips quivered and his eyes became misty with tears.
"It's just... I really miss them... my kind mother... my strict, yet fair father... and my smart and mischievous younger brother..."
As he spoke, his voice began to crack multiple times as he tried miserably to keep his emotions in check, but failing to do so.
"There hasn't been a single day where I didn't think about them. I... can't help but worry... worry that my parents and brother might be losing sleep worrying about where I am... I want to tell them that I am alright... I just... I really want to see them again!"
His tone was full of emotions. The only thing Calamitas was able to do in that moment was comfort Erden and listen to his woes, as this was perhaps, the most vulnerable she'd ever seen him.
After that, Erden quieted down as the only sound audible in the room was the sound of their breathing and his sniffles. After a little while, he removed his head from her lap as he sat up on the bed.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah... thanks a lot, Callie. I... definitely needed that."
"Any time, Erden."
"Hmm... hey Callie, I have a question for you; would you like to go to another world with me?"
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In the middle of a clearing stood three figures, as the bright rays of sunlight shone upon them, signifying that it was early afternoon. Two of the figures stood together, while the third figure, an old man, stood on the opposite side, facing them.
"Teach, are you sure that you don't want to come with us?"
"Haahhh... as much as I would like to traverse and see another world, I'm simply too old for this sort of thing. Besides, exploration and adventure have never really been my forte."
The figure being Calamitas, bore a sad expression as the corners of her lips were slightly curved downwards, upon hearing the old man's refusal.
"A shame, really. Looks like I can't convince you to come with us."
"Do not be sad. I don't want my student to be sulky when entering a completely new world. You've been through a lot in this world, facing so much misfortune and anguish... so this new journey is something that you rightfully deserve."
The old man—Permafrost shifted his gaze to the third figure, dressed in black and red garbs. He didn't have much to say to the man, knowing that he could take care of himself quite well.
"I trust that you will look after her, and she after you."
He gently patted the man on the shoulder, receiving a nod in return, before retracting his hand as he addressed the both of them, a gentle smile visible on his face.
"Erden, Calamitas, no matter what happens on your journey, always stand strong, have fun, and look out for each other. Oh... and do make sure to visit this old man from time to time, it does get a bit lonely in the Tundra."
As he said his piece, the old man turned around as he began to walk away, his gait slow and relaxed. Both of the youngster watched him leave as his figure disappeared into the forest.
Their gazes stayed in his direction for a few more seconds, before they looked away as Erden offered his hand, a gesture that represented their decision to leave Terraria.
"Now then... shall we?"
Calamitas accepted the gesture as she grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers in a firm hold, a sign of their unbreakable bond. Erden brought out the Terminus from his Inventory, sending slivers of Mana into it as it glowed, sucking them into a wormhole and flinging the duo into the cosmos and beyond.
Black was all they could see, followed by a spectrum of blinding lights that covered their peripheral vision. As they focused their eyesight, they caught brief glimpses of different wonders, ranging from a great-red western dragon residing in a void-like dimension, to a humongous tree with an uncountable number of branches.
In the midst of their flight through reality and space, they felt weird sensations, almost as if their bodies were broken apart at an atomic level multiple times before being put back together, but there was no sense of pain accompanying such a process as it was instantaneous.
All of a sudden, the sensations and flight came to a standstill, as they were ejected from the wormhole. Upon regaining clarity, they were greeted by the presence of clouds that moved slowly through the sky, inch by inch.
Gravity took ahold of their bodies as they began their descent into the land. As a countermeasure, Erden materialized his wings as they unfurled, dragging against the air and slowing his fall.
Calamitas, on the other hand... did nothing. She simply let herself fall as her body accelerated downwards, breaking terminal velocity. Instead, she called out for Erden in a very robotic tone, urging him to catch her mid-fall.
"Errdeeen... catch. me. I. am. falling."
Not surprised by her antics, he rolled his eyes as he closed his wings, letting himself accelerate until he caught up with her. Putting her in a bridal carry, he once again unfurled his wings as he broke his fall, slowing their descent as they landed on top of a cliff.
As he let Calamitas down on the ground, the both of them observed their immediate surroundings. In the distance, they could see a dirt road along with a small tower made of stone and wood, standing erect, accompanied by dozens of small trees that stood guard around it.
The cliff itself overlooked a small coastal area as it was situated above a beach, which seamlessly transitioned into a seemingly endless sea.
"So... did we seriously just get dropped into the middle of nowhere?"
"Well... there's only one way to find out... exploration!"
From his Inventory, a black saddle came out as it was flung into the air. From the saddle, wisps of smoke were released that combined together, forming a shadowy-black horse with the saddle attached to its back.
"Hey Jamal, how're you feeling, boy?"
The horse let out a content neigh in response, nodding his head up and down. His mane, as dark as the night sky, flowed along the wind as the calming embrace of a quiet breeze caressed his majestic, shadowy form.
Satisfied with the condition of the horse, Erden climbed on top of him as he settled himself on the saddle. He pulled up Calamitas, who sat on the back part of the saddle as it was big enough to comfortably hold two people.
"You know, I still can't believe the name that you gave your horse."
"What do you mean? Jamal is a good name."
She rolled her eyes, knowing that he was playing dumb, trying to skirt around the topic of the horse's full name.
"I swear, you gave him the worst name."
Hearing her criticism, Erden released an over-the-top gasp, as he tried to defend his... sophisticated naming sense.
"I'll have you know, that Quandale Dingle-Dingleberry Quandavius Jamal The Third is a grand name for a magnificent horse like him!"
Neigh!
"See! Even he agrees that it's a good name."
"Ugh, whatever. Let's just go!"
"Heh... anyways, giddy up!"
Issuing the command, Erden lightly gripped his legs around the horse, as a sign for him to start moving.
The horse slowly moved away from the cliff before he began to pick up speed, accelerating towards the dirt road as it was the only man-made path visible.
And so, began their journey in another world, as alongside one other enigmatic traveler, they would bring about great change to the world, while causing as much chaos possible along the way.
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And, that's a wrap.
I was hoping to shorten the talk between Erden and Xeroc as much as possible so I could write more about Teyvat in this chapter, but this was the end result, even after much editing.
Quick question: Should I keep the length of each chapter around 5-6k words, or should I shorten to around 2-3k words, as shorter chapters would mean more frequent uploads.
Anyways, first arc is in Mondstadt, since its the one I'm most knowledgeable about. Gonna have Erden show off the fact that American Imperialism is absolutely justified because we had a black President once.
byeee