The sun was dipping towards the city walls, casting long shadows across the cobblestones, when Paimon tugged on Aether's sleeve. "Maybe we should check back with the Knights? They did say they'd have a plan!"
Aether agreed. As they turned towards the headquarters, a flash of red and brown descended lightly from a rooftop.
"Aether! Paimon! There you are!" Amber landed with a smile, though her eyes held a trace of lingering tension from the day's events. "I was just finishing my patrol. Making sure everyone's okay after… you know."
"Just doing what anyone would," Aether said with a modest shrug.
"Don't be so humble! You were amazing!" Amber insisted, her energy returning. "So, did you two get to try Good Hunter like I said?"
"We did!" Paimon chirped, floating excitedly. "The Sticky Honey Roast was… was… Paimon doesn't have the words! It was the best thing ever!"
Amber laughed. "Right? Sara's recipe is a Mondstadt treasure." She looked at Aether expectantly.
"It was delicious," Aether confirmed, offering a genuine smile. "Thank you for the suggestion. But you were looking for us for more than just restaurant reviews, right?"
Amber's expression turned serious, the Outrider taking over. "Yeah. Jean… the Acting Grand Master, she's formulated a plan. A way to actually stop Stormterror, not just drive it off. She needs your help. We all do."
Without further ado, Amber led them back to the headquarters. Jean was at her desk, looking over a large, weathered map with Lisa leaning beside her, pointing at various locations.
"Thank you, Amber," Jean said, looking up. Her gaze settled on Aether, a mixture of gratitude and solemn resolve in her eyes. "Traveler. Lisa's research, combined with the evidence of the dragon's corrupted tear, has given us a path forward. Stormterror's power isn't just his own. He's drawing on the Ley Lines, corrupting the very temples dedicated to the Four Winds that once protected him and this city."
Lisa nodded, her usual languid tone replaced with scholarly precision. "The temples of the Wolf, the Falcon, and the Lion… their Ley Line confluences are being twisted, feeding his rage and sorrow. It's what's allowing him to generate storms of that magnitude."
"We need to sever that connection," Jean stated, her voice firm. "We need you and Paimon to investigate these three temples, confront whatever guardians or manifestations the corruption has spawned, and purify the Ley Line terminals. It is the only way to weaken him enough to… to reach the Dvalin we once knew." She met Aether's eyes, the weight of her duty and hope clear. "This is not just about stopping an attack. It is about saving a protector of Mondstadt from the agony that has consumed him. Will you help us?"
Aether didn't hesitate. "I will."
"Excellent," Jean said, a flicker of relief softening her features. "Amber will accompany you to the first temple near Starfell Lake. The situation is serious, Traveler. We are counting on you to help us reclaim the homes—and the guardians—we have lost."
Soon after, Aether and Amber were trekking out of the city gates, the first temple their goal. As they walked, Amber happily explained the concept of the Four Winds—the Wolf of the North, the Lion of the South, the Falcon of the West, and the Dragon of the East—their ancient protectors.
Aether listened politely, but internally, his mind was racing. 'Temples, likely confined spaces with multiple enemies. Perfect controlled environments for training. A chance to push my Anemo comprehension without the existential threat of a dragon.'
[Affirmative. High probability of structured combat scenarios. Optimal for systematic testing and fusion of elemental paradigms.]
They reached the ancient temple, a massive stone edifice built into a cliff face. The air around it hummed with a discordant, staticky energy—corrupted Anemo. As the giant, moss-covered gate groaned open, a group of snarling Hilichurls, their masks gleaming in the dim light, charged out.
"Get behind me!" Amber yelled, notching an arrow.
"I have a better idea," Aether said, stepping forward, his new "Serpant Devourer" held loosely at his side. "You provide ranged support. I'll handle the front."
He quickly assessed the situation. Amber was here. She would report everything to Jean. He needed to keep his abilities believable, cohesive. A blend of styles that seemed like a unique, personal martial art.
'Which aspect to lead with?' he thought. Close quarters was imminent. Airbending—fluid, evasive, martial. It was perfect for melee and looked like an exotic fighting style. For longer ranges or groups, he could mix in the more structured, projectile-based Wind Magic.
**[Tactical Suggestion: Collaborate with ally 'Amber.' Utilize Swirl reaction (Anemo + Pyro) for area control and increased damage efficiency. This is a common combat tactic in Teyvat and will reinforce your integration into local paradigms.]
"Amber," Aether called out, his stance shifting into the flowing readiness of a waterbender adapted to air. "When I create an opening, hit them with Pyro!"
"Got it!" Amber responded, her arrowhead already glowing with ember-bright energy.
The Hilichurls lunged. Aether moved. He didn't slash with his sword; he weaved between them, his movements a dance. A pivoting palm strike sent a concentrated gust of air into a Hilichurl's chest, throwing it back. A spinning kick launched a crescent of wind that staggered two more. It was Airbending in its purest form—using the opponents' force against them, controlling the battlefield with circular motion and precise, powerful bursts of wind.
Amber's eyes widened. She'd seen him use wind before, but this was different. This was an art form—smooth, clean, and terrifyingly efficient. It was beautiful.
"Now, Amber!" Aether shouted, having gathered several Hilichurls in a gust-lifted cluster.
Fwoosh! A flaming arrow struck the central creature. The moment the Pyro energy met the lingering Anemo, the air itself ignited in a violent, expanding vortex of fire—a Swirl reaction. The flaming tornado engulfed the group, clearing them instantly.
"Wow! You two are syncing up great!" Paimon cheered from a safe corner.
They pushed deeper into the temple, encountering more corrupted clusters of Hilichurls and even aggressive Anemo slimes. Each engagement followed a pattern: Aether would engage with graceful, martial Airbending, controlling space and applying Anemo. When the moment was right, he'd call for Amber's Pyro, triggering devastating Swirl chains that cleared rooms with satisfying efficiency. For enemies on ledges or archers, Aether would occasionally flick his wrist, sending a razor-sharp blade of Wind Magic: Slicing Wind Cutter snipping across the chamber—explained to Amber as a "focused wind projectile" from his homeland's techniques.
Throughout the battles, Great Sage provided a steady, encouraging stream of updates only he could hear.
[Combat Data Acquired. 'Airbending' proficiency increasing. Integration with 'Polymath' accelerating muscle memory development by 100x.]
['Wind Magic' spell efficiency improving. 'Evolver' actively simplifying spell matrices for faster casting. Mana-to-magicule conversion rate optimizing.]
['Wind Release' chakra pathways becoming more defined through practical application. 'Limitless' growth potential engaged—chakra capacity steadily expanding beyond standard human limits.]
[Overall Anemo Comprehension (Practitioner Level): EX to Next Tier now at 58%... 61%... 65%...]
The training was working. The controlled, repetitive combat in an Anemo-saturated environment was like a hyper-accelerated training montage fueled by his unique skills. By the time they reached the temple's inner chamber and faced the corrupted Ley Line manifestation—a larger, fiercer Anemo specter—Aether felt a new level of synergy with the wind. He didn't just control it; he felt its flow as an extension of his own breath.
The final battle was a symphony of their collaboration. Aether used Aerodynamics to create a high platform, dodging whirlwinds, before diving down with a Riftwalk-enhanced strike, layering his sword with Wind Release chakra. Amber's fiery arrows peppered the creature, creating constant Swirl explosions that chipped away at its form until, with a final sigh of purified wind, it dissipated, and the ancient terminal in the room's center glowed with a clean, blue light.
Amber looked at Aether with renewed awe. "Your fighting style… it's incredible. You and the wind move like one thing."
"It's all about flow and partnership," Aether said, sheathing his sword and offering her a smile. "Just like us back there. We make a good team."
Amber beamed, any lingering suspicion washed away by the camaraderie of battle. "We do! Two temples to go!"
Aether so far, wasn't just clearing a temple. He was undergoing a hyper-accelerated, combat-driven training montage. Every fight, every coordinated Swirl, was hammering the separate disciplines of wind into a more cohesive, personal whole, while the exponential modifiers of his unique skills turned minutes of combat into months of theoretical progress.
As they pushed deeper into the temple, defeating ever-larger groups of corrupted Hilichurls and even a rumbling Mitachurl, the synergy between Amber's fiery arrows and Aether's guiding winds became a devastatingly effective routine. By the time they stood before the corrupted ley line monolith at the temple's heart, Aether felt more in tune with the Anemo element than ever before—not as four separate powers, but as a single, vast, and endlessly adaptable force he was just beginning to truly command.
So far it has been become a tiny routine,
"Explore the temple" - "Get attacked by hilichurls" - "Use a combination of Anemo/Wind elements + Pyro from Amber providing long range support" + "Create a "Swirl" Explosion" + "Collect Treasure". + "And Repeat"
So on and so fourth
As we travelled instead we reached the core of the temple, finding a dragon egg filled with high concentrated anemo energy, with amber saying that its the core of storm terrors power and that destorying the egg would do the trick.
The heart of the temple was a domed chamber, humming with a oppressive, mournful energy. In its center, pulsating with a rhythmic, teal light, floated what could only be described as an egg of pure storm—a condensed nucleus of the temple's corrupted Anemo power, the source of the ley line disruption. The air around it shimmered with volatile power.
"That's it," Amber said, her voice hushed. "That's the source of the disruption. We have to destroy it."
Aether observed it with Great Sage's analytical gaze. The structure was incredibly dense, a knot of raging wind given semi-solid form. "It should be simple enough," he said, stepping forward. He raised his Iron Sting, and without a spoken chant, willed the energy forth. 'Wind Creation Magic: Slicing Wind Emperor.'
A roaring vortex of emerald wind materialized around the blade, condensing into a massive, shimmering sword of pure, focused Anemo energy. With a powerful downward slash, he brought the weapon crashing onto the glowing egg.
CLANG!
A deafening, metallic shriek filled the chamber. Instead of cutting, the wind-blade splashed against the egg's surface. A tremendous recoil, like striking a granite mountain with a gale, shot up Aether's arms. The force hurled him backwards, his own attack rebounding.
"Aether!" Amber cried out, lunging forward and catching him before he could slam into a pillar. They stumbled together, the wind knocked from his lungs.
[Analysis Complete. Attack Failure Diagnosed.] Great Sage's voice was calm and clinical in his mind. [Target is composed of hyper-concentrated, corrupted Anemo energy. Host's attack was pure Anemo energy of a higher order but similar fundamental nature. Result: Elemental Negation. Like trying to cut water with water, or disperse wind with wind. The energies cancel and repel.]
[Corollary: To disrupt the elemental matrix, a contrasting or opposing elemental force is required. Pyro is optimal for destabilizing Anemo. Ally 'Amber' possesses Pyro affinity via Vision. However, her raw output is insufficient to overwhelm the egg's density. Estimation: Her solo attack would be negated and repelled as host's was.]
Aether steadied himself, nodding thanks to Amber. His mind raced, connecting the dots. "It didn't work because we're using the same element against it," he explained to Amber, who looked at the pulsating egg with renewed worry. "My wind just cancels out its wind. We need fire."
"I can do that!" Amber said, nocking an arrow, its tip already smoldering.
"But it might not be enough on its own," Aether said, holding up a hand. An idea, a fusion of game mechanics and his unique skills, crystallized. "Remember how our attacks worked together against the Hilichurls? The Swirl reaction?"
Amber's eyes lit up with understanding. "You mean… we do that to the egg? Use your wind to carry and amplify my fire?"
"Exactly," Aether said, a determined smile on his face. "I won't attack it directly. I'll create a channel, a vortex aimed right at it, and you pour everything you have into that vortex. My Anemo will feed your Pyro, creating a Swirl reaction inside its own energy field. It won't be able to cancel itself and the fire at the same time."
It was a risky plan, requiring perfect timing and trust. Amber nodded firmly, her expression set. "I'm ready."
Aether took a deep breath, centering himself. This time, he didn't cloak his entire sword. Instead, he pointed the tip at the egg, focusing not on a blade of wind, but on a conduit. He carefully modulated his magicule output, not to overwhelm, but to match and guide. He visualized a spiraling tunnel of wind, a highway for destruction.
Amber drew her bowstring taut, her Pyro Vision blazing. She focused, pouring her will into the arrow until it glowed like a fragment of the sun.
"On my count!" Aether called, his voice steady. "We hit the same spot! One… Two… THREE!"
"Wind Creation Magic: Spiral Gale!" Aether whispered. A roaring, tightly-wound helix of piercing Anemo energy shot from his sword, not as a slash, but as a relentless, drilling beam.
"Ignited Sharpshooter!" Amber cried, releasing her shot.
The flaming arrow streaked into the tail of Aether's spiraling wind. The moment they met, the reaction ignited. The Anemo beam didn't repel the Pyro; it devoured it, transforming into a blazing, spiraling drill of fire and hurricane force—a colossal, concentrated Swirl reaction given form and purpose.
It struck the Anemo egg dead center.
For a second, nothing happened. Then, a sound like a thousand windows shattering filled the air. The egg's dense Anemo energy tried to repel the attack, but it couldn't. The opposing Pyro energy woven into the vortex acted as a destabilizing agent. Every attempt by the egg to muster its wind only fanned the flames of the Swirl, feeding the reaction from within its own body. Cracks, glowing with molten light, spiderwebbed across its surface.
BOOM!
The egg exploded not with wind, but with a silent, consuming firestorm that swirled violently for one brilliant, deafening moment before collapsing inward. The oppressive hum vanished, replaced by a sudden, profound stillness. The chamber trembled, and with a groan of ancient stone, a new passage—the true exit—ground open on the far wall.
The temple was cleansed.
As the dust settled, Amber lowered her bow, breathing heavily, a triumphant grin spreading across her face. She turned to Aether, her eyes shining. "We did it! That was incredible! You… you made my fire stronger."
"We did it together," Aether said, sheathing his sword. "Your aim was perfect."
As they walked through the newly opened passage, emerging into the clean, evening air of Starfell Valley, Amber looked at him with sincere gratitude. "Thank you, Aether. For your help, and for… well, for figuring that out. I'd have just kept shooting flaming arrows at it until my arms fell off."
"Couldn't have done it without you," Aether said sincerely. Without her Pyro, he would have been stuck.
As they walked out of the now-peaceful temple into the late afternoon light, Amber turned to him. "One temple down. Jean will be relieved. The next temple is in the care of the Cavalry Captain." She smiled, though it was slightly strained at the mention of Kaeya. "He should be at the Knights' headquarters. He'll… explain things. Probably in his own way. Thank you again, Aether. Really."
"Anytime, Amber," he said, waving as she headed off to make her report. He watched her go, Great Sage already compiling the combat data from the encounter—the precise modulation of elemental output, the successful forced-Swirl reaction—a valuable lesson in Teyvat's elemental laws.
Paimon floated beside him. "So, off to see the one eye patched, creepy, smiley guy now?"
"Looks like it," Aether said, turning his gaze towards the city. One guardian's trial was complete. Now, it was time to face the scrutiny of the one who watched from the shadows. The path to quelling the storm led next to Kaeya Alberich, and Aether knew that confrontation would be less about fighting monsters, and more about navigating the man's sharp and suspicious mind.