Author Notes: Sooo, this popped into my head while I was making the next chapter, and I couldn't get it out of my head, so here it is. An AU where Ren was plopped into Nod-Krai instead of Liyue. I might have gotten slightly carried away... But enjoy!
Also, there's an extra image at the end of the chap!
/ --- /
Lauma
"What a pleasant day it is," One of the younger Scions breathed out.
"It is," Lauma smiled, "If we're lucky, the fruits should be ripe and full for picking. So let's make haste."
The Scions around the Moonchanter nodded in unison.
Lauma and a small group of Frostmoon Scions walked through the island's wilder groves with baskets in hand.
It was time for them to gather more fruit again, and they had high hopes for this season.
After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at a patch of trees that grew heavy with plenty of fruit.
She sighed happily as she picked one from the branches. Activities like this were always a good way to start the morning, and helped calm her mind.
"This one's ripe! I think?" Another Scion said while inspecting a red fruit.
"Let me check, it's better if we don't eat unripe fruit," An elder Scion took the fruit from her hands and inspected it herself, "It's good."
Lauma smiled at the interaction and continued to harvest a cluster of pale yellow fruit on a higher branch.
Around her, the island's wildlife moved on like it was any other day. Some birds and deer approached to see what the Scions were up to, but none stuck around for too long.
"Hmm?" Lauma noticed a pair of small eyes watching her.
She turned her eyes to see a small weasel sitting on a root nearby, staring intensely at her basket of fruit.
"Are you hungry?" Taking a fruit from her basket, she crouched down and extended her hand. It didn't take long for the weasel to approach her and snatch the fruit from her hands, making a happy noise as it did so.
'This should be enough for now,' Lauma eyed the full basket, 'The rest should—'
SQUAWK.
"Huh?"
The forest's peaceful sound was suddenly disturbed when a flock of birds flew from the trees in a frenzy. Followed by a few other land animals running in the same direction.
Lauma was immediately on guard, "Everyone, stay near me."
The other Scions quickly rushed behind the Moonchanter as she finally sensed a foul energy coming from deeper within the forest.
'Are the animals running away from that?'
"Lauma?" One of the Scions called out, "What's going on?"
Lauma didn't answer, but instead extended her senses outward to feel the Kuuvahki coursing through the forest. Sure enough, that foul energy was doing something that disrupted the natural flow throughout the forest.
'Something's not right,' She started to get worried, 'Is it the Wild Hunt? No, this feels different. It feels much colder…'
"Stay here, I need to see what's happening."
"What if it's dangerous?!"
"Please don't be worried," She turned to face her fellow Scions with a reassuring smile, "I can handle a few monsters. So please stay back and run back to the Enclave."
The other Scions were still unwilling to let her go by herself, but they trusted their Moonchanter and let her go.
Walking deeper into the forests, Lauma felt the area around her become colder, and the sounds of wildlife slowly thinned out until it was dead silent.
Her senses tried to classify what exactly she was sensing, only to fall short of any conclusion. It definitely was not elemental. It wasn't Kuuvahki or even the Wild Hunt. Her mind simply did not know how to classify this foreign energy.
After minutes of walking, she stepped through the last line of trees and saw—
"A child?"
Lauma stopped in her tracks.
A boy was lying on the ground.
His clothes were burned and torn in places, with fresh blood smeared across his body and face. A closer look showed that the boy was still breathing, and that meant whatever happened to him was really recent.
But what puzzled the Moonchanter most was how the foul energy was radiating from him.
"Lauma!" A voice shouted from behind her.
She turned her head to see that her fellow Scions had followed despite being told not to.
'I should have expected this,'
"What happened to him?" One said when they laid eyes on the unconscious boy.
"That foul energy… What in the world?" The elder one took a step back.
"It isn't dangerous," Lauma immediately said, much to the confusion of the Scions. "It might be… unusual, but I don't sense it trying to hurt us."
Without another word, she walked towards the unconscious boy and crouched next to him. She checked his injuries closely.
'This isn't good,' She winced once she saw a patch of burnt flesh on the child's hand.
"I'm bringing him back to the Enclave to deal with his injuries."
"We don't know where he came from."
"We don't," she agreed, already sliding her arms beneath him carefully, mindful of the injuries. "We'll figure that out when he can tell us."
Nobody argued further. With Lauma, there was rarely a point.
She carried him back through the grove, the morning's fruit forgotten in baskets on the ground behind them, the weasel watching them go until they were out of sight.
/ — /
Ren
"HAAAH—!" Ren jolted upwards in a cold sweat.
'W-Where am I?' He put his hands over his body, surprised he was still breathing. 'I'm alive?'
His eyes immediately began to scan the area around him.
He was in a room that looked like it belonged in the medieval ages. Not that it was dirty, quite the opposite, in fact. But it was the design of the stone walls and the overall look that made it feel old.
Looking down, he was on a bed. Which meant someone must have put him here. Which also meant that a person should be near him—
"Oh, you're awake!"
Ren's head immediately snapped in the direction of the voice, and he saw a woman standing not too far from his bed.
'What the heck?'
The woman's attire was definitely not something you saw every day. It was definitely not modern clothing, but it wasn't something he'd see people cosplay either. The clothing was far too intricate, and it showed a lot of skin, yet it still felt modest in a way.
She looked like a religious figure of some sort.
'Does she have horns?' His eyes moved to the real horns on her head. He could sense a faint energy pulsing from it that matched the energy throughout the rest of her body.
'More importantly, what language is she speaking?'
The woman looked at him with a worried gaze, but Ren's brain couldn't currently process her look.
His mind was too occupied with the energy she was exuding.
It was so… pure.
'It's like Reverse Cursed Energy,' Not that he'd ever seen RCE with his own eyes, but if he had to guess what it'd feel like, then this would be it.
But his instincts latched onto something else.
The woman was strong. Far stronger than he was right now.
Usually, he'd be tense to no end. Waking up in a random house after surviving a plane crash didn't help a person's psyche.
Yet… something about the lady made him feel calm.
"W-Were you the one who saved me?" His voice was still hoarse from lack of use, and the woman immediately walked over to give him a cup of water.
"Please drink."
It wasn't hard to decipher what she wanted to say, even if he didn't understand her language.
Ren took the cup and drank all of its contents in a few gulps.
"Haah… Thank you." He realized that she probably didn't understand him either, so he bowed his head a little to show his thanks.
She just smiled at him. A gesture that he appreciated more than he realized.
Then, she stepped back to grab something from a table nearby. She blocked the view of what she was getting, but when she turned around, she was holding a plate filled with cut fruit.
'How did I not see that there?'
Walking back to his bed, she placed the fruit on a small stand next to him.
Ren narrowed his eyes at the plate of food.
She said something in her language that he didn't understand, but he was pretty sure she wanted him to eat this.
'She did help me, so there's no reason for her to put anything in my food, but…' His thoughts trailed off. Even if she saved him, he was still cautious of her and wherever he was currently located.
But it seemed like his body decided for him.
GROWL.
His stomach grumbled in hunger.
…
…
"S-Sorry." His cheeks gained a red hue as the woman chuckled lightly.
He relented and took a few bites of the fruit.
It was delicious.
'Kind of tastes like watermelon.'
Suddenly, bandages and a small container materialised in her arms. He jolted slightly at the action, which made the woman apologise for startling him. At least, he thinks it's an apology.
She began to change some of the bandages on his arms and body. Carefully moving around the areas where the wounds were worse.
Ren felt her gently applying something from the container to his wounds. He winced a little at the sensation before the pain almost went away entirely, not a second later.
There was something about how she expertly and carefully tended to his wounds that put him completely at ease. He found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the woman, feeling her touch slowly pull him to sleep.
He didn't realise he was staring until the woman looked up straight into his eyes.
"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to stare."
She chuckled and said something else before going back to fix him up.
A few minutes later, she finished and stood up. Looking pleased at his awakened and improved condition.
"Lauma," She said while pointing to herself.
'So her name is Lauma… What a beautiful name.'
He pointed to himself in turn, "Ren."
Lauma let out a pleased sound that he was able to understand her, and suddenly, she put her hand on his head, gently caressing him.
But even if it was an action made in the spur of the moment, she was still very gentle.
'This is nice…'
/ — /
Ren
"I get the whole giving out fruits thing, but isn't this a little excessive?" Ren asks as he carries a crate filled to the brim with fruits.
Walking beside him was Lauma, who held her own, albeit smaller, crate of fruit.
It had been about two months since he arrived in Teyvat and was picked up by Lauma, and he could speak Teyvat's common language pretty roughly now.
Lauma chuckled, "It used to be less, but with your Shadow Storage, we can afford to bring more."
"Haha, very funny."
Yup, ever since he told Lauma and the Frostmoon Scions about his Shadow Storage, he had become the Scions delivery guy.
Not like he minded much, it helped keep his mind off the fact that he was in a new world that had literal gods and monsters roaming the land. The full fantasy isekai package.
At least he had Lauma looking after him.
Earlier this morning, she had offered him to come with her to Nasha Town to give out some fruit.
He was quite nervous, this was his first time in a city in another world, and it didn't help that all the stories the Frostmoon Scions told him made him absurdly paranoid of the rest of Teyvat.
But Lauma's presence helped ease some of his worries.
Ren didn't know why he was so attached to Lauma. Maybe it was the fact that she was the first person he met after waking up from a plane crash, or maybe it was because she was kind of like a mother figure to him.
Not that he'd say it out loud.
"How are you feeling?" Lauma suddenly asked.
"Oh? I guess I'm getting better." He smiled lightly, "I'm really lucky you and the Frostmoon Scions were the ones who found me that day. I'd be really screwed if it were anyone else."
She looked at him with a soft look in her eyes, "Don't think that you owe the Scions or me anything. It was only natural that we would help."
"Even so, that's not going to stop me from trying to pay you all back!" Ren laughed.
They walked for a while before Lauma spoke again.
"Do you miss your home?"
…
…
"Yeah…" he said eventually. "A lot."
She nodded, expecting the answer. But something in her eyes showed that she was also sad, "You do not have to stay if you wish to return. You have no obligation to pay us back."
"I already said I'm sticking around because I want to… But I won't lie that I do want to go home sooner or later."
Ren looked up at the sunny sky, "But… I need to get stronger first, and research a way to get home. I think Nod-Krai is good for that."
"I see." Lauma stared at his face for a second, "I might not be the best when it comes to these sorts of things. But please come to me if you need any help."
"I know." He smiled at her, "I can always count on you."
/ — /
Nasha Town was loud.
Considering what the Frostmoon Enclave was like, he expected Nasha Town to be the typical fantasy village.
Not… whatever this is.
'It's like a mix of steampunk and fantasy…' He stared with mixed feelings at a floating, spinning ball of metal, 'How can the tech here look older but more sophisticated than the one back on Earth?!'
His mind only further shut down when he saw what looked like a giant magnet moving above him.
This place was a total mind fuck.
Thankfully, Lauma was in no rush, so he had more than enough time to get used to the crowded and bustling streets of Nasha Town.
The people there already knew Lauma, but didn't hide their curiosity once they saw Ren walking with the Moonchanter.
He would never admit it out loud, but being stared at by so many people made him super nervous.
They stopped at a stall somewhere and began placing down the crates of fruit to give out.
Some people stared in shock when he pulled out a dozen crates from his shadow and quickly came by to see what was up and get some fruit.
More people got word that the Moonchanter was giving out food and a crowd began to form. While it didn't look like it at a glance, Ren could tell that Lauma felt slightly overwhelmed.
With the number of people, it would take a long while before the crowd would thin out, even with his help.
So he got an idea.
"Divine Dogs."
The crowd let out a startled noise when Ren's shadow bubbled, and two dogs emerged from the darkness.
People seemed unsure of the dog's appearance, but were immediately swooned by the dog's happy barks and wagging tails.
Now, more people lined up to get fruits handed to them by a pair of adorable dogs.
Looking at Lauma, she sent him an appreciative glance.
'Good job, Vader, Yoda.' Ren threw a piece of fruit at them, which they swallowed in a single bite.
Almost an hour later, the crowd had thinned, and they only had a few more fruits left to give out.
"I didn't expect you to bring out your… shikigami," Lauma said, smiling down at Yoda.
"Well, what's the point of having a technique if you're not gonna use it? Besides, Vader and Yoda are the friendliest looking ones of the Ten Shadows."
"Ah, yes," Lauma's expression turned firm, and Ren cursed at himself for the blunder, "I remember how your 'taming ritual' went with that Ox of yours."
He tried his best not to make eye contact with her. "To be fair, it worked out in the end?"
"It only did because you somehow made the Cryo-wielding Ox fall into the ocean upside down, making it freeze itself in place." She sighed, "You have to be careful, do not rush things. Especially when they are dangerous. You hear me, young man?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be more careful."
Lauma seemed pleased at his answer, but before she could say anything else, a young voice shouted at them.
"Whoa, puppies!"
A young child with pink hair rushed over to them with a wide smile. She crouched down in front of Yoda with a curious look in her eyes.
"Hmmm… These are not normal dogs." The child turned her eyes towards Ren, "What ARE these?!"
"Well, they're my—"
But Ren stopped when he saw her attention move to Vader, completely disregarding what he was going to say next.
"Analyzing situation," A second, flatter voice came behind the girl.
'That must be her guardian—IS THAT A ROBOT?!'
The robot walked up to the child and pulled them back gently by the hem of their shirt, "Aino. You were supposed to be selecting fruit."
"Ineffa," Aino whined, "I'm just taking a small detour. Look at these puppies!"
Ineffa sighed, somehow. An action that made Ren do a double-take.
"I am looking—Oh?" She stopped herself mid-sentence the moment she laid eyes on Yoda. The dog merely looked up at the robot while wagging its tail excitedly.
"Analyzing composition."
"Wait what—"
"Conclusion: Dogs appear to be made of an unknown form of energy." Some more calculations seemed to go through her mind before she settled down, "No records found, combat mode on standby."
'Combat mode?!'
"H-Hey, my dogs are quite harmless, thank you very much." Ren immediately walked in front of his dogs. "A-And for the record, I do not appreciate you… scanning my dogs."
"I see." Ineffa stared at him, her eyes glowing for some reason, "I apologise."
A chuckle sounded from his side. It was Lauma, "Calm down, Ren, it's just Aino and Ineffa."
"Hi Lauma!"
"Hello, Lauma."
"It's nice to see you two," Lauma greeted back, "Please don't be alarmed. Vader and Yoda are what Ren calls shikigami. Essentially, they are his summons."
"Interesting," Aino muttered while narrowing her eyes at the dogs, while Ineffa stared silently.
"H-Hey! You can't just explain things to me!" Ren protested. But his expression only gained a soft laugh from the Moonchanter.
"If I didn't, you would not have said anything at all," Lauma said while handing over some fruit to Ineffa.
"I'm not that socially awkward…"
Lauma laughed louder.
Aino and Ineffa watched the interaction in silence, a curious look slowly crossing both their faces.
"Ineffa, I like him."
"Noted," Ineffa said. "This is the third time you have decided you like someone unprompted."
"Stop keeping track of that!"
"I cannot stop. It is a logged function."
Aino just sighed childishly and walked over to Lauma, "Lauma! Did you have a baby?"
"W-Wha—?!" The question made the usually composed Moonchanter start stuttering, "N-No, Aino. Ren is just staying with the Frostmoon Scions for the time being."
"Ohh."
Suddenly, Lauma's eyes widened as a thought passed through her mind. "Actually… Aino, would you like to show Ren around Nasha Town? This is his first time here."
"Ok!" Aino had already grabbed his wrist. "Come on, I'll show you the Craftshop first, the machines there are amazing, I built most of them, actually I built all of them. Ineffa, help me explain—"
"I will attempt to translate where necessary," Ineffa said, falling into step.
"Huh?! Wait!" Ren looked back at Lauma as he was pulled forward. He managed a wave. It came out slightly desperate.
Lauma raised her hand in return. "Have fun!" she shouted as Ren quickly disappeared into the crowd.
She stared at the spot where he had been for a few seconds more, a soft smile on her face.
"A child, huh? Didn't think you had it in you."
Lauma's expression immediately dropped, she recognized that voice.
"Nefer," She said, turning around.
Nefer was somehow right next to Lauma without her even noticing. "A random child appearing out of nowhere, and you decided to take care of him on your own."
Lauma narrowed her eyes, already not liking where the conversation was heading. "He was injured and needed my help."
"They always do, with you." Nefer's eyes moved to the corner where Ren had disappeared. "You did a good job teaching him to conceal his energy, but it still leaks out."
"..."
"You don't find that concerning?"
"I find your watching concerning," Lauma said defensively, actually narrowing her eyes at her. "He is not a subject for your Curatorium, Nefer. He is a boy who is far from home and doing his best."
She stared directly at Nefer's eyes, who seemed slightly surprised at the sharpness in the Moonchanter's tone. "He is anxious enough without someone of your particular talents taking an interest in him. So please."
Nefer held her gaze for a moment, seemingly coming to a conclusion about something. "Alright, I'll let it go for now."
And with that, she walked away.
/ — /
Ren
'I'll never get tired of this.' Ren thought as he ran towards a flat area of land as a large horde of Wild Hunt monsters chased him.
This had become a usual collaboration between him and the Lightkeepers.
After an incident on Hiisi Island, he found out that, for whatever reason, the Wild Hunt seemed to be attracted to him. Probably had something to do with his Cursed Energy.
But even then, he was pretty good at concealing it, so how the Wild Hunt was able to even sense it was beyond him,
So it was fortunate that Ren actually enjoyed it when this happened. It was a chance to test his strength after all.
Almost an entire year had passed since he arrived in Nod-Krai, making the place his home. Of course, he still won't give up on trying to find a way back to Earth, but he'd be lying if he didn't like the place.
As a result of staying here, he had met several strong people to train with, and thus, he was able to tame most of his shikigami except for Round Deer, Tiger Funeral, and Mahoraga.
"This place should be good," Ren stopped running to face the horde that was barreling towards him.
"Alright, guys, let's get to work!" Just as the horde got closer, dozens of Lightkeepers appeared and surrounded the Wild Hunt.
It was an ambush.
"Efficient as ever, Roman!" One shouted as they rushed at the Wild Hunt with their blade.
"Don't mention it," Ren made a hand sign, "Orochi!"
The Great Serpent burst from the shadows and immediately clamped its large maw around a group of monsters.
Geo engulfed the area, providing protection and support to the Ratniki fighters. Shield of Geo surrounded the Lightkeepers as they fought with all their might.
Of course, Ren didn't let them have all the fun. Grabbing a custom-made spear from his shadow storage, he let out a shout of excitement as he tore through the Wild Hunt monsters.
Piercing it through the torso and using its body to crush more monsters until its form was nothing but pulverised goo.
'Looks like our fighting attracted more,' Ren sensed another group of Monsters approaching, no doubt attracted by the sounds of fighting.
"Orochi, stay here and help the Ratniki!"
Without waiting another second, he rushed towards the horde ahead with his spear in hand.
The horde immediately locked onto him, which made him unsettled for all but a second. The Wild Hunt always unnerved him for some reason. They didn't move like singular entities, but like a hivemind. He didn't really know how to explain it.
But honestly? He didn't hate it.
All the more fun for him.
'Let's test this out,' He made a hand sign, 'Piercing Ox!'
The Ox emerged from his shadow mid-stride, keeping pace beside him.
The ground beneath immediately began to be encased in ice. "You know what to do!"
Without making a sound, the Ox increased its speed and created a continuous road of ice with repeating loops.
Piercing Ox only gets stronger the longer it runs, but it can only run in a straight line. A limitation that usually held back the shikigami.
But with Cryo-wielding abilities, Ren created a tactic that would make a continuous road that looped like a roller coaster. It was still a straight line, but it allowed Piercing Ox to charge up much longer and would create a more devastating attack.
With a wide grin on his face, he made the command. "Charge!"
After charging for a few seconds, the ox mooed loudly, and the ice road evened out into a line aiming straight at the Wild Hunt horde.
BOOM.
The resulting explosion created a massive dust cloud, and Ren could feel the shockwave even a few hundred meters away.
"Nice!"
Once the smoke cleared, only a fraction of the horde remained, and the area was completely covered in ice and snow.
'Looks like that didn't get all of them." Ren desummoned the Ox and prepared to rush in himself. Only to be beaten to them when a blur passed faster than his eye could see.
'What?'
In just a few seconds, what was left of the horde was engulfed in purplish flames, and the monsters were burned to nothing but ash,
The figure didn't even look winded after such an attack, and turned his body to face Ren.
Ren tensed up, unsure if the man was an ally or not. Keeping his spear in a defensive position, he waited for the man's next move.
…
…
"You must be Lauma's child,"
And there went Ren's composure.
Ren felt his face heat up immediately. "I'm—she's not my—I'm just a guest of the Frostmoon Scions."
"I see," the man said, but his expression didn't really change much. "I am Flins. This must be the first time we met."
Seeing that the man meant no harm, Ren put his weapon away into his Shadow Storage and extended his hand. "Ren Roman. Nice to meet you, mister Flins."
Flins took his hand, "Likewise."
"So," Ren looked at the man up and down, "Never seen you with the other Lightkeepers before."
"Is that so?" He seemed amused for some reason, "I do tend to stick to myself more often than not, so that is no surprise."
But then, his expression changed to one of curiosity. "I have a question about your abilities, if you don't mind."
"Sure, shoot."
Flin's eyes moved to his shadow, "I have… an ability that allows me to understand the whispers of the Wild Hunt."
'Oh?' That got Ren's attention.
"I'm guessing they're reacting oddly to my energy?"
The Fae nodded, "Not so much reacting as it was trying to communicate with it. They weren't trying to attack you."
"Uhh, they very much were trying to attack me."
"On the surface, it may seem that way." He paused, "But underneath, it sounded like they were trying to ask your energy something."
"They're trying to talk to my Cursed Energy?"
"That's… an interesting name."
Ren waved him off, "Don't worry about it. What were they trying to ask?"
"That's what I can't determine." The first sign of something like frustration in his voice, though it was very contained. "The whispers are more muddied when it tries to talk to you. What I can tell you is that it doesn't feel like aggression. It feels like recognition."
Ren put a hand under his chin, "CE doesn't have a consciousness. So I have no clue what they might be trying to talk to."
There wasn't much else to say after that. They just didn't have enough info to make further deductions.
Then, one of the Ratniki approached. They had finished off the horde and were moving to another area near the Northern coast.
Ren and Flins shared a glance.
"You wanna come with?"
"It would be my pleasure."
/ — /
Nod-Krai had many statues of the Moon Goddess. Each has existed for thousands of years, longer than the nations of the seven.
Lauma loved telling him the ancient stories. She always said them with love and pride, which made sense as she was the Moonchanter.
Even if he wasn't a part of the Frostmoon Scions, he still found himself gaining an appreciation for the statues. Both for the quality and its history.
So, one can imagine Ren's immense anger and irritation once the Fatui arrived in Nod-Krai and had begun defiling the statues of the goddess that Lauma held so dear.
Ren found himself in a similar situation right now.
He had been heading back from training when he felt distinct energy signatures that caught his attention. There were those of the Frostmoon Scions, whose energy Ren was already familiar with.
But then there were the others. Not strong compared to him, but strong enough to be a danger to the island's regular inhabitants. It didn't help that this wasn't too far from the Enclave.
He slipped into the shadows and emerged near a patch of trees to see what was happening.
Three Frostmoon Scions stood in front of a Moon Goddess statue, blocking what looked to be a group of six Fatui agents.
Ren immediately felt his heart rate increase as anger bubbled up in his gut. His fury was only increased when he saw the agents looking at the Scions, the people he called family, like they were nothing more than annoyances.
"Step aside, we are not going to stop. We are authorized under the Palestar Edict—"
"Your authorization has no meaning here!" One of the Scions said, their voice unwavering. "Leave this island, you are not welcome here."
The agent sighed, "We have already installed units on the outer island statues. This is simply the next—"
"No!"
The Fatui agents were irritated. They had been doing this back and forth for who knows how long.
One of the bigger agents stepped closer to the Scion that blocked the statue.
"I'm not letting you—Ah!" She let out a shout when the agent pushed her aside.
It wasn't a hard shove, but it was enough to send her stumbling to the other Scions.
It was a deliberate show of 'power.' Telling the innocent Scions that they were going to do what they wanted and that there was no stopping them.
Something went quiet in Ren's chest.
'Weaklings…'
He stepped out of the nearest agent's shadow.
"You—ARGH!"
The agent didn't even have time to register the hand before it was around his collar. Ren lifted him, swung him sideways, and let go. The man hit the ground rolling and didn't immediately get up.
His appearance made the rest of the Fatui brandish their weapons, preparing for a fight. But he didn't even look the slightest bit intimidated, and instead turned to the startled Scions.
"Please go back to the Enclave, I'll take care of this."
The Scions looked at each other for a moment before going away, and Ren turned to the Fatui.
"You must be the Frostmoon Scions bodyguard. Do you really think—"
The agent couldn't even finish his words when six Geo pillars erupted from the ground with immense speed and straight at the agents. The impact sent them all airborne, landing far away, and a few even hit some trees.
"Shoot!" The two with firearms aimed and shot at him, but he simply caught the bullets with his Cursed Energy reinforced palms.
The marksmen were frozen at the display, and Ren grabbed one of the bullets and infused it with CE before flicking it back.
The force was enough to create its own gunshot sound, and it pierced the abdomen of the two marksmen.
"Y-You!" The agents seemingly realised that they didn't stand a chance against Ren, and slowly backed away.
A part of him was willing to let them go. Even if they were weaklings, he didn't want to sully the land Lauma called home.
But they just couldn't keep their mouths shut.
"You're going to regret this. Do you understand what you've just—!"
Ren crossed the distance before he finished.
He grabbed the man's head and drove it into the ground with enough force to crack the stone beneath, and he slammed his foot into the man's leg at the knee.
CRACK.
"AAAAHHHH!" The agent cradled their broken leg, and Ren kicked him away to the rest of the Fatui group.
"Haahhh…" He held up a hand into a sign, "Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."
The sky above them went black. The daytime light was replaced by something darker and more enclosed.
Everything outside this space became muddied and blurred. And the Fatui were stuck inside the barrier with him.
"Let me explain something to all of you," Ren spread his Cursed Energy out through the entire area, coating it in an oppressive pressure that made it hard for the Fatui to breathe.
"I know exactly what you people are like. You show up somewhere that isn't yours, you start planting flags and building bureaus, and you expect the people who were already here to just accept that."
He looked at the agent with the broken leg. "I know this playbook. I've seen where it leads."
"W-We're just following orders—"
That seemed to be the wrong answer as Ren's CE flared out even more intensely than before.
"Yeah." Ren turned toward the voice. "I know."
He walked over.
The Fatui backed up so far that they touched against the Curtain wall, unable to move any further.
"So let me ask you something." Ren stopped in front of him. "If I were given orders to… skin you alive and boil you to death. Would I be justified in doing so? Because I was just following orders?"
Ren chuckled, though the sound lacked any form of amusement, "It'd be ok, right? Because I'm just following fucking orders."
The man's mouth opened. Nothing came out.
"That's what I thought."
Behind Ren, something rose from the shadows.
A horned, three-headed Hydra, created from a fusion of Orochi, Piercing Ox, and Nue. Using Orochi as the base to create a monstrosity that froze and electrocuted anything in its surroundings.
The three sets of eyes tracked the assembled Fatui like a predator to its prey. Already assured of its victory, it was only waiting for orders.
Slowly, the area around them started to freeze over, and the cracking of electro filled the area.
"I have been holding myself back so, so much." Ren's eyes looked manic, "It's only because of Lauma that you lot are still alive. But what you people never seem to understand is that patience has a limit. And you have been chipping at it for months."
The Hydra moved its head closer to the huddled Fatui, opening its jaws wide to show its large maw, capable of swallowing them all whole.
"Let me make this clear to you," Ren summoned his spear and dragged it across the chest of one of the agents.
"I am NOT Lauma, I am NOT like any of the Scions. I don't do all that peaceful shit."
He put more pressure on his spear, making the agent shout out in pain as his skin was pierced. Yet he was unable to move, forced to stare up at the man who could end his life in an instant. "I will hurt you. I will torture you. I will make you tear each other apart for my own amusement."
"This is your LAST warning. Continue to harass the people of this island, continue to harass MY MOTHER!" He lifted his spear and stabbed the man through his shoulder. "So help me, I will BUTCHER every last one of you SCHNEZHNAYAN DOGSif you set foot on this island again!"
Not a second later, he pulled his spear out in one motion, tearing a scream from the agent.
Ren stood there for a moment, breathing after his rant.
"Where there are shadows, I'll be there, watching." He held their gaze for a moment. "So know your place, weakling."
He dispersed the Curtain.
He stepped into the nearest shadow and was gone, the Hydra dissolving after him, leaving the agents alone.
/ — /
On another day in the Frostmoon Enclave, Ren found himself training alone in his usual clearing.
Spear in hand, he went over the motions over and over. The speed of the spear created wooshing sounds as it split the air.
But then, he felt a familiar presence approach his area.
Turning his head, he saw none other than Lauma.
"Ren, do you have a moment?"
"Of course." He put his spear away and walked over.
Immediately, he noticed something different about Lauma's expression. It seemed much more… tense than usual. It wasn't quite a worried face, but it was definitely something unusual.
"Please come with me," she said.
Ren followed without a second thought.
/ — /
'I've never been to this area before… weird.'
Ren had covered most of Hiisi Island by now. After a few years of Wild Hunt operations, errands, and even collaborations with Nefer, resulted in him covering most of Nod-Krai already.
This area had nothing of interest. Just entirely wildlife and nature, so he wondered why Lauma brought him here.
The Moonchanter walked like she knew every nook and cranny of the area.
She seemed much calmer now that it was just the two of them.
Neither of them said much. It was kind of the norm for them now. He had walked with Lauma plenty of times, and the two grew close enough to just appreciate each other's presence.
Eventually, she stopped and turned to look at him.
"Ren."
"Yeah?"
"I just realized I've never really thanked you for what you have done for the Scions." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "What you have done for this island. For my people."
Her lips curled up into a gentle smile, one Ren had gotten very familiar with. "You did not have to, nor did anyone ask you to."
He opened his mouth.
"I'm not finished," she said gently.
He closed it.
"You came here as a stranger. Injured, alone, far from everything you knew." She looked at him steadily. "And you chose to stay. To protect. To fight for people who were not yours to fight for."
"They are lucky to have you… I am lucky to have you."
Her sudden seriousness and genuine words surprised him. He turned to look at a tree to his left to hide his embarrassed face. Though his red ears betrayed his true feelings.
"Yeah, well." He cleared his throat. "I mean. You know. You kind of started it."
"Did I?" Lauma chuckled.
"You were the first one who helped me. So." He shrugged with one shoulder. "It's just basic reciprocity."
That seemed to just make her laugh louder, "Basic reciprocity, he says."
"Don't make it weird."
She laughed for a moment longer. Then the smile settled into something more serious, but not heavy. The kind of seriousness that was also a form of trust.
"There is something I want to show you… Something I have kept from everyone else." She looked at him with eyes filled with trust, "I think it's time you know."
"O-Okay." He found himself suddenly getting a little nervous. Usually, when people said these kinds of things, it was for some bad news.
"Come."
/ — /
"Soooo, what exactly am I supposed to see?"
In front of him was a mountainside made from solid rock.
Lauma let out a small chuckle before walking directly into it.
"What the fuck?"
He stood there for a moment before following suit.
The wall wasn't there when he stepped through it. It was definitely a result of some Kuuvahki technique, but whoever made it was definitely skilled to be able to do something like this.
'So bright,' The moment he stepped through, blinding light encompassed his senses.
It was a cave of sorts, filled with flowers that emitted a constant blue glow. In the middle was a moon-shaped construct that was undoubtedly a sight for the eyes.
His CE stirred.
'What is this place?' There was something about the area that made his instincts queasy. But when he turned to Lauma, she didn't look even a little worried.
They walked closer to the moon construct when a figure slowly came into view.
It was a woman wearing some sort of eye covering. The moment she turned her head towards them, Ren immediately froze in place.
The sheer amount of Kuuvahki energy emitting from the woman completely drowned out all his other senses. His throat went dry as the woman walked closer to them.
"Ren, I'd like you to meet Kuutar." Lauma moved her hand towards the woman, who gave Ren a small wave. "She's the Moon Goddess."
'SHE'S THE WHAT?!' Ren's eyes bulged from his sockets as he stared at the literal deity in front of him.
"Kuutar, this is Ren. He's the one who has been protecting the Frostmoon Scions and stopping the Fatui's advances onto the island."
"Is that so?" Kuutar tilted her head to the side, letting out a satisfied hum. Then, she extended her hand towards him, an action that actually made him flinch, "It's nice to meet you, Ren."
…
…
Ren passed out.
"H-Huh?!" Lauma quickly took hold of his body before he hit the ground, "Ren? What happened?!"
"It appears he has passed out." The Moon Goddess unhelpfully said. Much to Lauma's dismay.
/ — /
Ren had made his way to a quieter section of Hiisi Island's border. He got a tip that there was Fatui activity in the area and went to check it out himself.
But he certainly didn't expect who was about to show up.
Heavy, metallic footsteps echoed from a forest in front of him. Until two distinct figures walked through the tree line.
One was a smaller woman in a frilly dress, while the other was a metallic behemoth with a hat that made it look like a high-class butler.
'The Marionette,' Ren immediately clocked in, 'Sandrone…'
He turned his gaze to the massive robot behind her, its 'eye' constantly observing his form. 'And that must be Pulonia….'
"Well, isn't this a surprise?" Ren scoffed out, crossing his arms over his chest, "What does the Marionette want with me?"
"Ren Roman," Her mechanical eyes met his, "You've made quite a name for yourself. Enough to warrant a personal visit."
A blue, holographic screen appeared in front of her. The text on it was moving too fast for Ren to read, but the displeased look on her face clued him in on what it was.
"Supply disruptions, patrol dismantlements… You've been busy." Her voice was flat, but it sounded immensely irritating to Ren's ears. Like a bratty child. "You have singlehandedly dismantled 98% of all Fatui operations in Nod-Krai."
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
That got her eye to twitch in annoyance, "I expected a seasoned warrior or protector. But it turns out the one responsible for hindering my progress is nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum."
Ren narrowed his eyes, and Sandrone seemed pleased at the reaction. She slowly circled him, Pulonia following just behind.
"The Palestar Edict is the highest command the Tsaritsa could issue." She waved away the hologram next to her and faced him, continuing her stride. "You should understand that this is no mere regional operation. This is a direct command by an Archon."
She stopped, putting a hand on her hip and staring at him with a confident gaze. "You can stall us as much as you want, but we are inevitable. The Fatui will get what they want, it's only a matter of time."
"Pfft—!" Ren couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a laugh.
Sandrone frowned, "What are you laughing at?"
"You know what I've noticed about the word inevitable?" His eyes filled with disdain met hers, but the smirk on his face remained. "People always use it when they can't logically justify their actions. I really thought a robot like you would have a better justification, but no. It seems I expected too much of you."
"Who do you think you are—?"
"You show up, pillage, and conquer without any thought to those already there." He said, his voice barely hiding his animosity, "I grew up in a country that ran that exact script for centuries. I know what will happen if I let people like you continue unabated."
His gaze turned to Pulonia before turning back to Sandrone, "And I especially won't let a Clanker colonize my home."
"Don't you have a way with words?" Sandrone scoffed, but it's clear his words ticked a nerve. Even Pulonia looked miffed, and it didn't have a face! "Is throwing petty insults all you can do? If so, then this will be over very quickly."
"Ugh, stop this sophisticated act. It just makes you look more like a brat."
"Brat—?!"
"You know what's funny?" Ren cut her off, "With all your big talk, you're nothing more than a lesser version of Ineffa."
Now that really hit home.
Her confident act melted away, and she scowled at him, clenching her fist.
"Did that hurt your feelings? If you even have them," He pointed a finger at her, specifically at her attire, "You have this whole doll getup to look perfect, yet you fall short of acting anything like it. Literally!"
Shaking his head, he let out another mirthful laugh. "Your creator must have been so disappointed in you. To end up becoming something like…" He motioned to her entire, short stature, "This."
"Watch your words, boy." Pulonia's back let out a hissing sound, and Ren could see missiles from an ejection port.
"I know of your true origins, descender."
Ren tensed.
"My reports told me that your ultimate goal is to go back to your world, no?" She mocked, relishing the look on his face. "And yet, you've instead stuck around here, playing house on Hiisi Island. Getting cozy with the Moonchanter."
Sandrone let out a short laugh, "What was it you called her again? Mother?"
From his own shadow, he pulled out his spear and narrowed his eyes at the Harbinger.
"Struck a nerve, did I?" she continued, "And you've attached yourself this thoroughly to the first person who showed you kindness in a new world and even delayed your own goals for someone you barely knew,"
She looked at him with the expression of someone identifying a design flaw. "What a mommy's boy."
…
…
"Yeah," he said.
She blinked.
"She matters to me. I stayed because of her, among other reasons. Correct on all counts." He moved his spear into position. "Is that supposed to be the part where I get upset?"
"Most people would."
"I'm not most people." He looked at her evenly. "Having someone who matters to you isn't a weakness. It's the whole point. Even Ineffa understands this, and I thought you were supposed to be better."
"You—!"
"You act like the Fatui is so superior, but its performance in other nations speaks otherwise," He counted with his hands, "How many Harbingers does the Fatui even have left at this point? Because the list keeps getting shorter."
Suddenly, his hand lit up in a bright, crimson fire and slowly shaped itself into a form Sandrone was very familiar with.
"La Signora. Her story was my favorite, yknow?"
"That's enough." Around Sandrone, several weapons materialised from thin air, and Pulonia punched its fists together in preparation. "Do not speak of my colleagues."
"The elegant and dignified Fair Lady walked into the Raiden Shogun's throne room as if she owned the place." The flame in his hand then morphed into a new form, that of Signora cowering away in fear. "She spent her last moments screaming and begging for her life, even if it didn't change anything. That's all it amounted to in the end. Everything she was, all turned to ash."
"Pulonia."
The missiles on its back charged up with a dangerous sound as the weapons around the Harbinger charged in a blue light.
"I'm going to give you this last opportunity to surrender—"
"Good, I was getting tired of talking to a Colonizing Clanker."
That seemed to be the last straw as Sandrone and Pulonia fired their weapons.
Ren smiled and jumped back, using Geo and Anemo extensions to block and move the missiles away from himself.
Once he got enough distance, he put his hands together.
"From shadow, light remembered—"
"From absence, form recalled—"
"Descend, Chained Angel of Heaven: Ezekiel."
The area was engulfed in shadows as a pale figure, completely opposite to the shadows, climbed out of the depths.
It was a tall, humanoid figure in white robes. A visage similar to that of the Kuutar.
Six wings extended from its back, white as the snow on the tallest mountains, the tips bleeding into deep crimson. And across every surface of the wing, dozens of eyes remained open, locking onto the Harbinger's form.
"Columbina?!" Sandrone recoiled, instantly seeing the resemblance to her fellow, former Harbinger. She froze under the gaze of the countless eyes, each moving independently to one another.
Finally, as it raised its head, she could see the uncanny resemblance to Columbina's own face, down to the veil she wore over her eyes.
The only difference was the third eye that was constantly open on its forehead.
"What? You scared?!" Ren shouted.
Kuuvahki exploded around the fusion, creating an oppressive atmosphere throughout the island.
"As if!" Sandrone and Pulonia charged their weapons once more and prepared to engage.
While Ren met their gaze head-on with a wide smile.
***
Ren in a suit (image).