The Dark Side of Dawn

"So you are saying that Lisa sent you here to deliver a letter, and had Amber guard you all the way here, but when you approached the mansion she suddenly disappeared?"

In front of Sai was a scarlet-haired young man, who wore full black formal clothes and a skeptical look on his face. He was very young, but from a glance Sai could notice how mature the handsome guy was.

Diluc Ragnvindr continued in a light tone:

"And she happened to be the one carrying the letter?"

"Well… yes. You can ask him." Sai pointed to the guard who met him and Amber at the entrance.

After insisting to the butler that he could prove his origin through the guard, someone was sent to fetch and substitute him. Miraculously enough, Sai was allowed to speak to Diluc, and he just finished explaining the situation.

Sitting on his fancy chair, Diluc silently looked at the guard, who nervously defended himself.

"That's correct, sir. There was a girl with him, and I am sure that she was carrying a Pyro Vision. That's why I let them through, sir."

"I see." Diluc nodded. He then looked at Sai again. "Do you know how or why she disappeared?"

"I think… no, I'm quite certain that she was summoned." As he voiced his thoughts, Sai started to worry about the possibility of him being summoned again.

"Hmm… I understand. Did Lisa say anything else?" He had already been informed on the 'summonings'.

Recalling the witch, Sai grimaced internally.

"She specified that I deliver the letter only to your hands and to come back immediately after I do it."

After some thinking, Diluc asked:

"And who are you?"

"I'm Sai." Despite the suddenness, he was prepared for the question.

"But who are you, 'Sai'? Who do you serve?"

"Uhh… I'm not from Mondstadt." He was unsure if that answered his question.

"Then where are you from? What are you doing in Mondstadt?"

"I was summoned by the Traveler and woke up here, I'm just a student." He purposely ignored the first part and added his profession.

Diluc stared up and down at Sai a couple of times and questioned:

"Then why were you sent by Lisa?" The 'you' was emphasised.

For a Visionless, not Blessed person, there was no way to survive in a new place full of strangers without any Mora. Finding work was the only possible solution. Nonetheless, Lisa would never entrust a letter to someone like Sai, who suddenly 'fell from the sky'.

Sai could more or less understand the purpose of the question, but he could only smile wryly and answer:

"Well… I don't know." It was the truth. Everything about this task was weird to him.

After a couple more seconds of staring and another couple of seconds thinking, Diluc came to an understanding.

"What are you going to do next?" He repeatedly tapped his finger on the desk.

Sai pondered: 'I think Lisa might have been summoned too… But I am not sure if Amber could come back here even if there was a teleport point nearby… I think it would be better to just go back and report to her, she will probably be back before I get there.'

"I want to go back to the city." He was too distracted to ask for food at the moment.

"Very well. I'll have one of my trusted personnel guard you back to the city. Morris, you are dismissed. Go back to your post and tell Arsen to come here."

"Yes sir."

Not long after the guard Morris left, another man dressed in gray appeared and saluted.

"Sir."

Sai noticed that while their appearance wasn't much knight-like, those guards in gray robes had behaviour similar to real knights. He wondered whether they had been knights before.

"I need you to take Sai here to Mondstadt as soon as possible. You can use your horse. Get him to the bridge and come back as soon as he enters the gates."

"Understood, I shall get my horse ready."

"Then, Mr. Sai, thank you for your efforts. I still have much to do, so please ask the butler if you have any other matters to resolve."

"Alright. Thank you for the help, Mr. Diluc."

…

Amber was hiding on a high branch of a tall tree, observing the movements of people coming in and out of the mansion. She waited for Sai to leave on horseback before coming down.

"Sigh… what is Ms. Lisa thinking? Such a strange task…" She pouted. "I have to wait for two hours before going back, but maybe I might make it on time."

She hopefully looked up at the quickly darkening sky.

"I barely have opportunities to make new friends, I can't let Amy go no matter what!"

She walked deeper into the near canopy, searching for ways to pass the time. The sun set, and Amber kept talking to Baron Bunny to avoid the encroaching loneliness. The seconds turned into minutes, and then into chunks of an hour.

Suddenly, space rippled and enshrouded her, leaving no time for even a yelp of surprise.