After all, losing the gnosis brought some advantages, like less of their stifling surveillance.

He set down his mug, “Let’s spar for a bit, Honorary Knight? Just a moment to clear out heads in a fight.”

Zhongli’s brow crept up, much as Ei narrowed her eyes, and he tried not to burst out laughing at the way he could almost see the gears of their mind turn quickly, like Lumine- except she nodded, understanding as they got up from the table immediately.

 

Roughly half an hour later, past the hike for a good place and some rule settings by a curious former Geo and Electro Archon, the dance of a former Anemo Archon and a Traveler wielding three elements began before their eyes, it eventually got rowdy. Amidst Lumine stamping her feet and flooding Geo around her, just as Venti fired a storm more massive than usual. Cross the distance- and in the middle, the eye of the storm, protected by the wind’s scream, he whispered phrases- the few answers he can.

She slipped in their dance and got blasted off the clearing. They paused for a moment, him checking if she understood. She nodded back resolute, "Again, please!"

 

By then, the fight had gone off into half an hour mark, and four times, he tried as much as he could spill. At such point, Zhongli understood, pulling him back and taking chance when his meteor crashed, meeting her amidst ground zero for her assurance. Ei followed, the crackling of her word missing a few notches and nearly drowning her words.

But they were answers she sought- and secrets that they tried to figure out how to tell her. An hour later, all four of them would collapse in the middle huffing but at least. Lumine, smiling lighter than ever earlier if a bit touched with more worry on the things she didn’t realize about these three.

Three gods and three countries, and more secrets and places she needed to be. But for a moment, she received a bit more understanding.

Tomorrow she would be on her journey, and for the meantime, she could bask in this. It may be hard to realize, but she would have help, and it allayed a bit of her fears.

Aether waited at the end, lonely. Perhaps they can have a different ending in their story. Hands prodded at her, three gods worried-- caring, and perhaps, her fleeting worries can remain just small bouts of anxiety, never to be reality.