Promoted To Honorary Knight

As Mark storms out of the room, everyone remains baffled, the thud of the door being closed seeming rather...soft. 

"Just what is his deal?" asked Kaeya, glancing at Ras, who shrugged.

"He's simply like this sometimes. No clear reason; he just does what he thinks he should."

Jean glanced at Lisa, who chuckled softly.

"It seems that he might have a bit of a temper. Nothing a little zap can't fix," chuckled Lisa, her voice soft as she went after Mark.

"It appears that we already have a team out. Ras, Aether, and Paimon, how will you proceed?" asked Jean, glancing around at each of them. Ras glanced at Amber, who stood there with a soft smile on her face as she leaned against the wall, looking at Jean.

"I'll go with Amber if that's fine," said Ras, looking at Aether, who simply nodded in response.

"Then I'll go with Kaeya."

"Paimon's coming as well."

Kaeya looked down at Aether, speaking in a calm tone.

"Well then, Aether, let us go ahead and take care of the issue, shall we?"

The three of them left, leaving behind Ras, Amber, and Jean. Ras felt slightly awkward, his gaze fixed on the ground as he was pondering something.

"Right, before I forget. Ras," spoke Jean, prompting him to look up. "I see that you possess no weapon, and neither did Mark. Had he stayed a bit longer, I would have given him one as well."

Ras' eyes widened slightly as he let out an awkward laugh.

"Weapons? Me? Sure, I think I could try my luck with a sword."

Jean's lips curled up slightly. "That's fine." 

Her eyes hovered over Amber.

"Amber, please fetch him a sword from the armory."

"Yes, Jean!" 

She rushed off, not bothering to close the door behind her, only to return in a few moments with a simple, long sword, sheathed properly. She handed it to Ras with a smile, and he put it on the left side of his waist.

"It sure suits you," remarked Amber, taking a better look from different angles.

"Make sure to take care of it, Ras. In the same way you take care of your sword, the sword will take care of you."

He took in Jean's words, nodding faintly as his gaze fell upon the hilt.

"I will. Thank you." 

He began walking towards the door, waving at Jean before leaving the room, with Amber following closely. They both walked together to the temple, a short journey that he enjoyed in silence. He felt rather awkward when bunched together with new people, so he chose to keep to himself.

"This is it. One of the deserted temples of The Four Winds." 

She looked at the large stone door, taking a moment to think. Ras watched carefully as well, feeling a certain sense of awe at the sight of the immense gates.

"These temples have been left to waste for years now. The people of Mondstadt almost never come here."

Ras nodded. "Well, this place looks creepy if you ask me. No wonder they'd stay away."

Amber turned to face him, a certain hint of sadness, like the wrong note in the middle of a song, hidden in her voice.

"It might be even worse now. There's a chance we'll find a monster nest or a hilichurl camp inside."

Ras placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, glancing confidently at the entrance.

"Then we'll only have to take them down and finish our task."

"I guess that should do it," laughed Amber, a bit more energy to her words.

"It's sad that even Stormterror has abandoned its own temple... I find it hard to accept that Stormterror was once one of The Four Winds."

Ras thinks about it, bringing his right hand up to his chin.

"Well, that sure's an interesting piece of lore. Nonetheless, something must have happened, and that's why things turned out like they did."

The wind suddenly picked up, an ominous feeling cursing through it.

"Wait... Did you just feel that?" asked Amber, her eyes widening slightly.

"Let's go in and take a look, Ras. Be careful; the dragon's power is disturbing the area."

Ras took out his sword, holding it to the best of his ability. They made their way inside, nudging the doors slightly for them to open without as much as creaking.

The place seemed to be populated; faint tracks were made within the dust. Large branches and vines blocked their path, but Amber made quick work of them using her Pyro. Ras followed closely, waiting for something to happen.

They climb along a ladder, noticing a lone hilichurl with a shield standing in the open. Amber draws an arrow, pulling it slowly before letting it fly out through the air, striking the hilichurl down with one swift blow.

"You know how to use that bow of yours, that's for sure."

Amber shushed Ras, jumping off the platform, walking beside the fallen hilichurl. Ras did the same, trying not to make too much noise. As he touched the ground, the sound of a battle horn echoed through the temple.

"Shit...what now?" asked Ras, seemingly unshaken by the sudden commotion.

"Well, good thing I prepared my secret weapon: Explosive Puppet 'Baron Bunny'!"

She took out a bunny-shaped plush and hurled it at the incoming monsters. Ras could only watch as they exploded before his very eyes.

"That's quite the Oppenheimer moment."

"It's what?" asked Amber, clearly confused.

"Ahem, nothing interesting. It's something me and Mark joke about."

He began walking deeper inside, pretending to look around, hoping that Amber wouldn't press him too much on the matter.

"Shit, I almost let it slip," thought Ras, slightly frustrated.

"Well then, let's go. I think we're almost at the end."

Amber tagged along, following closely. She lit up a Pyro Monument before taking off with Ras, as they both used their gliders to ride a strong wind current. They came face-to-face with the cause of the commotion: Stormterror's power.

"Dragon's Breath! Is that where the power is coming from?"

Ras walked closer to it, slowly, his eyes seeping the very image of crystallized power.

"Careful, Ras." 

He placed a hand on the crystal, feeling the Anemo swirling around it. The light on his wrist appeared again, glowing brightly, nearly blinding him as well as Amber, and before he knew it, the crystal vanished before his very eyes.

"Ugh...Amber..." 

Amber blinked rapidly, waiting for her sight to return. As it did, she looked at Ras, and her mouth was left open as she stared at him.

"Ras...how did you?"

"How did I what?" asked Ras, confused.

"The crystal vanished, but you...you look...different."

"What exactly do you mean by different?"

She gulped as she looked at him, feeling her cheeks blush slightly.

"Your muscles—they're way more defined now, and your face—your jaw is way more defined. Just how did you pull that off?"

Ras touched his jaw, feeling around before glancing at his arms, noticing that his body was tonified.

"I guess I absorbed it or something. No wonder I feel so full of energy."

He walked towards Amber, moving his arms around, his body feeling lighter.

"Let's head back to Mondstadt for now."

She nodded silently, avoiding Ras' gaze as they walked out and back to town.

They entered Jean's office, and everyone had gathered there, except for Kaeya. Ras noticed that Lisa was talking with Jean, a slightly worried look on her face. Mark sat alone in a corner, leaning on the wall as he held his arms crossed, placed over his chest. He looked at Ras, and his eyes lit up.

"My man! What were you up to? You look insane, bro!"

Mark walked closer to Ras, tapping his biceps, taking note of his features. Ras brushed it off.

"Nothing much. Magic crystal goes whomp."

Both Lisa and Jean turned to them, carefully studying Ras.

"Both Mark and you? It seems we have quite the interesting men in here," said Lisa, eyeing both of them before turning towards Aether, who walked closer to them.

He reached for his pocket, taking out a glowing red crystal, handing it over to Lisa, who studied it carefully.

"Oh my, just what is with this impure energy? It's -" 

She reached out with a tender hand before letting out a pained "Ouch!" as her reflexes kicked in, removing her hand from the crystal's proximity.

"That impure energy..."

She thought for a moment before speaking again.

"It's reacting to the Vision's energy; the impurities repel the pure elemental energy. The crystal would be better left in the hands of my cutie. It will just be a pain if left with us—both literally and metaphorically."

"Cutie?" asked Aether, taken aback by Lisa's words. Jean peeled her eyes off of the crystal before glancing back at Aether.

"I'm surprised that the crystal is not hurting you as well, Aether."

Aether felt Mark's gaze plastered on his back, turning around just enough to see Mark muttering something to himself.

"Aether, is it alright if I hold it for a bit?"

"Sure, Mark." 

He hands Mark the crystal, and everyone is studying him carefully, especially Lisa. Mark closed his eyes, holding the crystal in his palm, when a faint Anemo wind began twirling around him. The crystal began to vibrate, its red color dilluting slightly.

"Aaah, it seems I need to practice my Anemo some more. I could filter out a bit of the energy, but it doesn't seem to be fully working. I can't get the right frequency."

"Frequency?" asked Amber, trying to follow along.

"You didn't just try to make it resonate, did you?" asked Ras.

"Exactly what I tried to do. I wasn't sure whether it would work, but by making it resonate at a certain frequency, I could get a destructive resonance, but it seems I failed."

Lisa seemed baffled, staring at both of them with wide eyes.

"You... just who exactly are you people?"

Mark laughed it off, waving a dismissive hand around.

"We're your run-of-the mill guys; don't bother with us. We just know a thing or two here and there, nothing much."

Jean sighs, resting her face in her palm.

"So many secrets..."

She composes herself, straightening her back before taking a deep breath.

"Anyway, I know this is rather abrupt, but the Knights of Favonius have another favor to ask of you. Please, all four of you, accept the title of Honorary Knights...and the gratitude of the Acting Grand Master."

Paimon was rather impressed.

"Honorary Knights of Favonius?"

Jean smiled softly, while Lisa chuckled at her side.

"Yes, Honorary Knights of Favonius. I'd be forever grateful if you could help us investigate this matter related to Stormterror." 

Aether nodded while Paimon floated happily around him. Ras glanced at Mark, a satisfied smile on his face.

"I'll take you up on the offer, as long as I can spend some time in the library as well."

Mark thought for a second, his mind focused on practical matters.

"Well, I'll accept as well, as long as we get a place to rest since we have no home. Also, I'd like access to the training grounds, access to the armory, and permission to study books from the forbidden section of the library."

Jean's eyes widened at Mark's words, her head feeling light.

"How come you know about that section of the library?"

Mark returned a half-mouthed smirk.

"I just know some things, meaning I'll be a better asset than you even realize. So, how about it?"

Jean sighed, shaking her head, before speaking once more.

"Fine, but Lisa will keep a close eye on you."

"Fine by me. I just hope her presence won't distract me from my studies, since she's quite alluring."

Mark winked at Lisa before leaving the room, waving goodbye before going outside.

"Did this just happen now, or am I hallucinating?" asked Ras, baffled by his old friend's actions. Even he didn't know Mark to be so random with his behavior.

"You two sure are an interesting duo. I'm glad to have you on our side." said Lisa, her eyes still fixed on the open door.