Genshin Impact: Frostburn

The sun rose from its sleep as people loaded bags containing the necessary supplies for travel.

With a smile, Leo waved his brother and father goodbye. "I'll see you next time, Dad, Leon."

Leon scratched his eyes, drowsiness still in his face as he waved back at him. "Bye..."

Pantalone stepped forward, knelt in front of Leo, and put on a scarf embroidered with golden patterns on Leo's shoulder. "Be safe. If anything happens, trust Polochko. He will take good care of you."

Leo nodded. As they finished their goodbyes, the carriage driver bowed, signaling that everything was ready.

Polochko opened the carriage door as Leo stepped inside. With a flick of the reins, the horses pulled the carriage forward.

Through the back window, Leo looked back at them and waved. I feel like I'm forgetting something...

He scratched his head as he tried to remember. He looked back once more. Maybe it's nothing. If I forgot about it that means it's nothing important.

Meanwhile, back at a garden where a maiden slept happily, a Fatuus entered the room shaking from nervousness. He searched for Columbina, his eyes darting around frantically.

In the corner where colorful flowers can be seen, he found her sleeping as the flowers circled her.

He exhaled, not out of relief—but out of fear as the hardest part of this job was yet to come.

Approaching her, his steps were light and controlled. In a practiced manner, he knelt in front of Columbina as sweat poured out of his body.

"L-Lady Columbina," he meekly said. "I-I believe i-it's time for Leo- young master Leo to leave."

Columbina rustled as she gently opened her eyes. The Fatuus closed his eyes as fear seeped in. I'm dead, I'm surely dead... Your Majesty the Tsaritsa, please save me!

She sat right up and looked at the Fatuus before her. "Is it that time already?"

"Y-Yes, Lady Columbina!"

She ran her hand across his pale face and raised his head toward hers. "Why are your eyes closed? Be not afraid; you have not done anything to provoke my wrath."

The Fatuus opened his eyes and looked at hers. A smile appeared on her face as she looked at the clock placed on the wall. 

Chill filled the room as the flowers wilted and darkness enveloped the outside. She faced the Fatuus, the smile on her face long vanished. "Did I not ask you to wake me up on time?"

The Fatuus trembled in fear as he kowtowed. "Forgive me Lord Harbinger! I-I made a mistake!"

The place trembled as the chilling cold from the outside seeped into the garden. The once lush garden was now filled with chilling snow. Ice covered the plants and the glass above cracked and shattered.

A small noise from the other side of the room took her out of her anger. She rushed towards the source and saw a broken glass—the snow globe that Leo had given her.

She desperately tried to put them back together, piece by piece yet to no avail. She once more directed her gaze towards the Fatuus, her once closed eyes were opened with anger.

The Fatuus ran for his life. Yet no matter where he ran, Columbina always appeared before him. With nowhere left to go, and backed to a corner, he pleaded. "Please, Lord harbinger! I-I have sinned! Please forgive me!"

She once again ran her hand across his face. "You want to be forgiven?"

"Y-Yes Lord Harbinger! I-I'll do anything! Please spare me!"

An eerie smile emerged from her face. "Then, you are forgiven." withdrawing her hand and turning back, she left without a word.

Bewildered, the Fatuus instinctively touched his face.—the part where Columbina touched.

He watched her leave, her steps light.

"T-Thank-" his words were cut off as his face began to crumble, and soon after, all that was left of him were ashes.

Columbina returned to the garden where the broken pieces of glass from the snow globe lay. She sat silently in front of it and looked at it with sadness. 

A week passed and far on from the land of ice, Leo's head racked back and forth as the carriage rolled on a stony—snow trail. In front of him, Polochko was reading a book—unbothered by the shaking.

Leo's eyes were baggy—he rarely had any sleep since this journey to Liyue started.

I forgot why I hate riding a carriage. He looked at Polochko and asked. "What route are we going to use?"

Closing his book and pulling out a map, Polochko replied. "There are two ways we can enter Liyue young master," he started. "First, is through Mondstadt. The second would be in Fontaine. And lastly, we could use a maritime route towards Chenyu Vale."

Leo pondered. I don't want to go there via Fontaine, though I would want to take a look at Arlecchino and Clervie.

"Polochko handed him the map, and Leo studied it intently. "Woah! This is the whole map of Teyvat?!" On the piece of fine paper, was the whole entirety of Teyvat. Even the regions that he never saw in-game were labeled and documented on the map. 

His eyes beamed—childlike curiosity and wonder filled his face.

"Ahem!" Polochko interrupted "That map is quite valuable young master, please handle it with care."

A wry smile tugged at his lips. He shook his head and focused on the topic at hand.

 Mondstadt is a good place to stop, we can rest there for a few weeks before going to Liyue. His eyes drifted towards the middle part of Liyue and Fontaine. But if I remember correctly, Chenyu Vale have some good merchants and artisans, I wonder if I can get some things going in there. Maybe get a connection with Xingqiu's family? a soft chuckle escaped his lips. Nah, couldn't be.

Shortly after, his eyes darted around the map, like a squirrel searching for food. Wait, no! Focus! Ask questions later, decide now! He closed his eyes and pointed his finger on the map.

"Let's go here!" 

"I see," Polochko took out his notebook—one that he never had before and wrote something down.

"When did you have a notebook?"

Polochko kept writing as he answered. "Lord Pantalone suggested I keep tabs on every decision you make, young master. Some sort of a backlog or a ledger of sorts."

"I'm really getting monitored that much, huh." he scoffed.

In reply, Polochko smiled warmly. "But your choice is a good one, young master. It's this time of the year that the Windblume Festival is taking place. It would be a great Experience for you, young master."

"Wait, really!" Leo jumped off from his chair and leaned on closely to Polochko.

"Y-yes young master."

Resting back in his seat, Leo could not suppress the excitement bubbling within him.

***

A/N: My head hurts, this chapter might not be satisfactory.