Traveling is something I never quite understand the appeal of.
Sure visiting someplace new and meeting all kinds of people can be exciting, but the hoops you have to go through to just travel in the first place, especially internationally, can be quite daunting.
Itineraries, documentations, reservations; just looking at my parents trying to do all this when we wanted to go somewhere made it feel like it's more work than relaxation, which kind of defeats the point of it all.
Even then, in an age where all sorts of information can be obtained by doing something as simple as typing several keywords into your favorite search engine, you can simply experience everything from the comfort of your home.
Curious about this tilting tower that everyone is harping about? A google search away, and every possible documentation from multiple sources are there for you to consume. Ever wonder what's it like to live in the Bahamas? Oh, would you look at that, a three hour comprehensive video posted by some well-known vlogger that you can watch if you just click this link.
You could argue that it's not quite the same as experiencing it by yourself, which is true. But with how expensive traveling can be, to those who are incapable of doing so due to their lack of monetary funds, something is better than nothing.
Not to say you can't travel cheaply, but in order to do that, you have a lot of planning to do. Whether it's researching for the cheapest available flights, which public transport would you take, how much luggage do you have to bring with you; for the regular person, it seems a bit too much for what should have been an activity to get away from the stress of everyday life.
So why bother going through all that, when there's an easier and cheaper method available to you?
'Totally not the inner shut-in in me rearing its head.'
When everything is available to you at the tip of your fingers, it feels as if the excitement that comes from visiting a foreign place for the first time is no longer there.
'Which kind of baffles me that I'm feeling somewhat excited about this whole traveling thing now.'
Granted, this isn't exactly a place I would've thought possible to even go to, being a fictional world and all. Perhaps that's what made it so exciting, despite the knowledge that I have.
For once, I agree that experiencing it first hand is a lot different than seeing it from behind a screen.
Currently, the two of us are walking through a narrow valley, with tall stone walls on both sides. The passing hunter from Springvale told us it was called the Drunkard Gorge.
Apparently, it was once a famous place for merchants to gather and do business. At least, it was until monsters started showing up.
"I seriously do not understand the naming sense of these people."
Despite the evening sun lighting up this dreary place, it didn't manage to dispel the somewhat eerie atmosphere the gorge is giving off.
"He did say it was a merchant's hotbed. And with this being Mondstadt, it's not a stretch for most of them to be selling alcohol, no?"
"True. But really, who would drink in a place like this?"
"As long as they have company, I don't think they really care what kind of place they're drinking in."
"Hmm." Looking around, there are several half destroyed stalls on both sides of the gorge, with scattered fruits and vegetables lying rotten on the ground. "Speaking from experience?"
"Yup." She said, as she carefully navigates through the rocky terrain, her grip on my hand tightening slightly. "Makes all the difference in the world."
"Eh, I'll take your word for it."
Walking further into Drunkard Gorge, we were met with a familiar sight of multiple wooden structures alongside several garbled noises distinct to the hilichurls.
While some of them are raiding the abandoned stalls and empty caravans, most of them are relaxing by a campfire that is fenced in, with the archers providing an overwatch atop their towers, periodically scanning the area around them.
"How do you want to go about this? Should I provide support?"
"If by support you mean completely annihilating them in the blink of an eye, then no. I'd like to get some exercise in, if you don't mind." Materializing her dull sword with a wave of her hand, she eyed the large group of hilichurls for a bit, memorizing their positions and compositions. "Unlike you, I actually need it. Please be considerate to us lesser beings."
"You calling yourself a lesser being is an insult to every ordinary person in this world."
With only two archers perched on top of their respective towers, she should have no problem dealing with the rest. Might get a bit hectic with the presence of an anemo samachurl, but a little bit of intervention from yours truly should help.
"I'll stick to just covering your back then. Try not to lose yourself in the battle too much, princess."
"I'm getting better, I'll have you know."
Giving her sword one last swing, she nodded in satisfaction before sprinting towards the hilichurls.
Seeing the approaching figure of Lumine, their reaction was immediate. The ones busying themselves on the stalls dropped their loot and brandished their clubs and shields, each positioning themselves in a certain way, creating what seems to be a combat formation.
The ones hanging around in the camp hurriedly grabbed their weapons before rushing towards the front. The samachurl lifted its staff, waving it around and started to gather anemo energy from his surroundings, but not yet launching them towards Lumine.
The archer, meanwhile, loaded up their element-infused arrows on their crossbows before firing them towards the approaching traveler, both of which ended up being parried by her sword, not hindering her in the slightest.
Undeterred by their display of force, Lumine ran even faster towards them, to which the hilichurls at the front responded by lifting their shields, while the ones directly behind them lifted their club, preparing themselves for the inevitable clash.
A clash that didn't end up happening.
Instead of attacking them, she jumped onto the shield of one of the hilichurls and used it as a spring to launch herself towards one of the closest watchtowers, propelling herself further with a blast of anemo.
'That is some anime shit right there.'
Repositioning herself midair, she kicked the archer into the side, burying them into the rock wall. Breaking her momentum with the help of an additional gust of anemo from her leg, she stabbed the incapacitated hilichurl before parrying yet another arrow by a flick of her sword.
Breaking out of their daze, the frontline hilichurls grabbed some rocks and started throwing them at Lumine, causing her to jump onto the next tower, grabbing the other archer and using it as a meat shield.
Once the volley of rocks were blocked, she threw the battered archer towards the samachurl, interrupting it midcast, causing the forming tornado to dissipate into nothingness and slamming it hard towards a sharp rock protrusion, piercing it right on its head.
Taking advantage of the brief lull, she jumped towards the group of frontliners and began her attack in earnest.
Landing on top of one of the hilichurls, she stabbed it directly on its head before immediately somersaulting backwards, narrowly avoiding a hit to her legs. The hilichurls are relentless, however, and immediately rushed her from all directions, not giving her a moment of respite.
Even when she is surrounded, her face is the picture of calm, her movements quick, and her attacks calculated and deadly, aiming to end every confrontation in a single exchange whenever possible.
It's like a dance.
The sounds of steel clashing against wood accompanied the entire exchange. Every time the hilichurls attack, they are met with a deadly counterattack, be it a slash aimed to kill, or a devastating kick, leaving them incapacitated for a moment, giving Lumine some breathing room.
When the hilichurls attacked her at the same time, a gust of anemo would be fired towards her surroundings, blowing them away, granting her an opportunity that she took full advantage of, leaving several more dead bodies in her wake.
Once the curtains fall, nothing is left of the encampment aside from the bodies of their inhabitants, and debris strewn around as a result of the quick yet vicious battle. And yet, despite the messy and chaotic battlefield she found herself in, there was not a single stain on her pure white dress.
"Didn't even have to do anything, huh. Oh well. It's nice being carried every once in a while."
The moment the hilichurls were alerted to her presence, I immediately took to the skies in order to better observe the flow of battle and prepared myself to assist her when she needed it.
"Give her another sword to wield and she might just Starburst Stream her way to victory. I'd pay to see that shit live."
Lowering myself to the ground, I approached the lightly panting Lumine. Rummaging through my bag for a bit, I grabbed the water flask and offered it to her.
"Here, drink up."
Swinging her sword towards the ground harshly, the once dirty blade is now clean, leaving a new trail of blood on the ground next to her.
Sheathing her sword into motes of light, she opened the flask I offered and took several gulps of the water inside, only stopping once she's satisfied.
"Fuah, thanks, Yuu."
"Don't mention it."
Now that I'm standing on the center of the battlefield, it really drives home how chaotic of a battle that was, especially since she's using her sword most of the time. Really puts into perspective how much easier I have it, being a caster and all.
'Melee fighters are a different breed, I swear.'
"You did great back there." I said, as I pat her head, brushing down her somewhat messy blonde hair. "And what do you know, you really are getting better."
"Fufu, I told you so." Standing on her tiptoes, she leans into my touch, slightly shaking her head in the process.
"Let's get going then. We're burning daylight as is."
Feeling her head nodding in response, both of us move past the broken debris deeper into the gorge.
The rest of the walk went by without any problems. Aside from broken down stalls and abandoned caravans, there are several crystal chunks stuck to the rock formation near the walls, reflecting the sunlight and giving off a light glow.
When the narrow passage ended, we were greeted by the sight of a sign that presumably had the word Dawn Winery written into it placed on a clearing directly in front of us. Behind it is a large stretch of vineyard giving off a fruity scent with several workers who were busy picking the grapes into a basket.
"Ah, the smell of grapes and wine. If only they would sell some to me."
"Good luck convincing them that you're old enough to drink."
"Tch, the downside of looking young. Maybe we can convince Diluc to hand over some of his stash. We did save an entire city, so it shouldn't be too much to ask, right?"
"Yeah, well he's right there if you really want to."
Pointing towards a patch of glorious red hair among a sea of green, I see Diluc in between the vineyard, currently discussing something with a gray-haired man wearing a rather formal black clothing.
"So? What are you going to do?"
"Mmmmrgh… can you please talk to him, Yuu?"
"Sorry, princess. I'm not really interested in alcohol, so if you want some so badly, you're going to have to talk to him yourself."
"But… it's too troublesome…."
"Well boo-fucking-hoo, princess." Shrugging my shoulders, I leaned onto the wooden sign, smiling at the sight of a sulking Lumine. "It's either that, or we try our luck in Liyue, which is a lot more strict in terms of their laws, might I add, being the Land of Contracts and all."
'Now that I think about it, it might be a good idea to consider relying on a certain half-adeptus legal adviser should we ever get on the wrong side of the law.'
"Nghhh… fine. Come on."
Following a step behind the sulking girl, we walked past several workers, greeting some that recognized us along the way. It's quite jarring to be recognized by people I have never met before.
When we reached Diluc, the gray-haired man had already left for the manor. Hearing the two of us approaching him, Diluc glanced towards our direction before a faint smile started to form at the edge of his lips.
"Ah. travelers. It's nice to see you again." The redhead said, as he offered his hand in greeting, to which both of us took turns to respond. "What brings you here today?"
"We were just passing by. I've heard a lot of things about the Dawn Winery, and can't help but make a slight detour before we continue our journey to Liyue. I must say, it lives up to its reputation."
"I'm glad you think so." A nostalgic look came over Diluc's eyes as he looked around the entire winery. "It's only been four years since I took over, but I'm proud of what it has become. I can only hope my late father would think so as well."
Shaking his head, Diluc turns his attention towards Lumine. "But nevermind that. You said you were heading to Liyue? They must've held quite the send off for the two of you, I assume?"
"Not really. Aside from Margaret, we didn't really tell anyone about our departure. I don't think they should make that big of a deal out of this."
"Really?" Diluc said, as he crossed his arms together. "Well, I suppose I can see where you're coming from. After not being able to enjoy themselves back when Stormterror was present, a chance to celebrate something like this is not something the people would miss."
Tapping the base of his chin, Diluc let out a hum as he mulled something over before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, it's probably more of the fact that they would jump at any excuse to start drinking. It's Mondstadt, after all."
"Yeah, well. Even if we agreed to the whole send off, it's not like she can drink any alcohol anyway, what with her 'looking too young' as they put it."
"Ah, yes. Honestly, it's quite baffling to me that such a rule even exists. I understand the reasoning, but for cases like hers, it's definitely an annoyance." Shaking his head, Diluc turns his attention towards me. "Does it bother you, traveler?"
"Not really." Feeling the wind starting to pick up, I held down the tip of my head before continuing. "I never drank before, and the prospect of it doesn't really seem enticing to me. She, on the other hand…."
"It's a shame to not be able to taste the famous dandelion wine before I left, but what can I do?" Lumine sighed, her tone filled with resignation.
Glancing towards Lumine, Diluc rubbed his chin deep in thought, before eventually nodding his head, seemingly having come to a conclusion. "Follow me, travelers."
Walking towards the two-storey manor, Diluc led the way while me and Lumine followed several steps behind him. Despite her calm exterior, I can see the bubbling excitement threatening to burst beneath it.
"Don't get too excited just yet." I whispered. "Who knows, he might just be messing with us."
"Stop saying that, you're going to jinx it."
"I thought you said you don't believe in such a thing?"
"There's an exception to everything, Yuu."
Following the dirt path between the vineyard, the three of us walked up the stone stairs and arrived in front of the manor before being directed towards one of the empty tables outside.
"Take a seat, I'll be with you shortly."
With that, Diluc left the two of us before approaching one of his employees, a person wearing a wide-brimmed flat top hat with a brown mustache who was busy checking over their stock at the back.
"Ooooh, do you think they'll give us a barrel?"
"I mean, saving a city from a dragon is kind of a big deal, so maybe? I don't really understand how valuable these things are." Looking at the visibly excited Lumine across from me, I couldn't help but sigh. "Calm down, will you? I don't want you breaking that chair from all the shaking you're doing."
"I can't help it, okay? It's been a long time since I had alcohol."
"You don't have anything stored with you? Not even a bottle?"
"Nope. I already drank all of it in the first month I woke up."
"First month?!"
"Look, it was hard, okay?" Though she managed to calm herself down somewhat, I can still hear the faint scratching of wood against stone coming from the chair. "I was confused, angry, and lost. I didn't know what to do about my situation."
"So you resort to drinking?"
"Yes." Before I could reply, she raised her hand to stop me. "In my defense, I did manage to sort myself out. It only took one month… and several cases of alcohol."
"My fucking god, Lumine. You need an intervention."
"Okay, first of all, it's not an addiction–"
"That's what every person with an addiction would say."
"My body is different, okay?" Crossing her legs, she placed both of her hands on top of the table before leaning forward towards me. "I physically cannot get addicted to alcohol. I'd know. It just doesn't work that way for me."
"Hmph, alcoholics around the world would kill to have that liver of yours."
"Anyway, though it doesn't negatively affect my body, I do still get drunk. On top of that, my tolerance isn't any better than a regular person, so there's that.
"The point is, I'm not addicted to alcohol, I just enjoy consuming them from time to time in large quantities. Don't worry though, I'll make sure to keep it in moderation."
Well that's not reassuring at all. Someone who can consume alcohol non-stop is already a recipe for disaster, but for it to be her of all people? Who knows what kind of stupidity she'll commit if I'm not around to supervise her everytime she goes drinking?
'Diluc, please for the love of god, do not give us a barrel of wine.'
"Sorry for the wait, travelers."
Coming back from the back of the manor, Diluc approached our table, followed by the person with the brown mustache alongside two other people pushing a wooden cart with them…
…which contained not one, but two barrels of wine.
'God help us all.'
"It might not seem much, but hopefully you'll find these to your liking." Standing next to the wooden cart, Diluc knocked on the wine barrel it's carrying. "I've been saving these two from the first time I took over this winery for something special. And giving it as a reward to the two brave travelers who aided Mondstadt when it needed it the most seems appropriate, don't you think?"
While I was busy contemplating life, Lumine was over the moon, barely containing her joy as she approached the two barrels containing her hopes and dreams. "Thank you very much, Diluc, but are you sure we can have these?"
'Acting all humble now? This girl, I swear to god.'
"For everything you've done? It's the least I could do. Besides, I have more of these, so there's no need to worry."
"In that case, we'll accept."
After that, Diluc introduced her to the brown mustache guy, who turned out to be their winemaker, Connor, who proceeded to explain the proper way to consume dandelion wine or whatever the fuck.
Honestly, I couldn't be bothered to listen to his explanation.
"...and that should be everything. Ah, do remember that they should be stored at an appropriate temperature. Would it be a problem, since you'll be traveling?"
"Not at all. We have that covered. Yuu, can you help me with these?"
Snapping me out of my internal crisis, I stood up from my seat and surrounded the barrel with anemo before levitating both of them into a horizontal stack.
"Thanks."
'Stop smiling like that, it doesn't make me feel good about any of this.'
"Everything okay, travelers?"
"Yes. Once again, thank you very much, Diluc."
"Don't mention it." At her rather excessive display of gratitude, Diluc let out a slight chuckle. "In any case, it would be in your best interest to continue your journey. Accommodations in Liyue are usually fully booked one week before the Rite of Descension, so you still have a lot of time, but who knows what could happen on the way."
"I see. Thank you for the information."
"You're welcome. May the wind guide you on your journey, travelers."
Waving our hand goodbye towards the group, the two of us headed east, following the dirt path towards the area next to the river. Once we were quite the distance away from the winery, Lumine could no longer hold back her emotions.
"Fuck yes!" Pumping her hand in joy, she eyed the two barrels following us closely. "Finally, finally! We finally have our hands on some dandelion wine!
"Oh, just you wait, Yuu, I'm going to introduce you to the wonderful world of drinking. I can't wait!
"Where should we have our first drinking session I wonder? Perhaps we should look for some place to stay first. Maybe an inn, or would a camp be more fitting? Sitting by the campfire while enjoying some fine wine seems like a–"
"I'm dumping these into the river."
"Don't you dare!"