Hope Has Feathers and Wings

Gabrielina looked at their suspicious gazes, pushed Paimon aside with a wing, and turned toward the statue herself.

The statue held both hands out before it, two braids peeking out from beneath its hood, its eyes closed.

Behind its slender body, a pair of wings spread wide, the carved stone feathers gleaming gray-green in the sunlight.

...So how did we look alike? Was it the wings??

"It doesn't have a halo."

"Wouldn't carving a piece of stone that floats in midair be... a little difficult?" Lumine leaned closer too, studying Gabrielina's face.

The girl broke into a cold sweat.

"I only just got here from out of town!"

"The people of Mondstadt... haven't seen the Anemo Archon in a very long time either."

Amber wasn't letting Gabrielina off the hook. If anything, her eyes held a hint of anticipation.

"I... I heard the Anemo Archon was a man..."

"Why would you assume a god's gender?" Paimon asked in confusion.

A gentle breeze blew past, softly stirring Gabrielina's hair, yet she somehow sensed a strange malice in it.

"Then let me ask you. Are you a boy or a girl?" Gabrielina suddenly seized Paimon with a vicious look.

"?"

"If you're a girl, hmm? Then let me ask you..."

"M-Miss Gabrielina, please wait!" Seeing the girl getting ready to grab Paimon's head and gnaw on it, Amber hurried to stop her.

But it was no use. She finally sank her teeth in. She had finally crossed that line.

Lumine, Paimon isn't your emergency food. She's mine, Gabrielina's!!

"Aaaaaah! Traveler, save meeee!"

"..."

"Boo-hoo... I've been defiled..."

Lumine looked at the angel, who had just plucked a few hairs out of her own mouth, then at Paimon, who was sobbing and burrowing into her arms, before giving Amber a helpless look.

She might be the Anemo Archon, but the Anemo Archon probably wouldn't do that.

"Ptooey... Am... ptooey! Miss Amber, if you really believe I'm the Anemo Archon..."

Amber watched Gabrielina expectantly, and a few passersby stopped in the street as well.

"...Then send me 500 Mora. Once I've had a couple of fried eggs, I'll help you deal with the dragon crisis."

Amber stared at the angel's outstretched hand as a bead of sweat slowly trickled down her temple.

...She probably really wasn't.

Surely the Anemo Archon... even if traveling incognito, wouldn't be unable to scrape together 500 Mora? Surely not??

"...Sigh. I'm sorry, Miss Gabrielina." Amber sighed softly and looked up at the statue of the Anemo Archon overhead. "Everyone just... misses the Anemo Archon a little. So do I."

"It's all right. If you need me to, I can be the Anemo Archon too."

Amber: ?

Seeing the girl's brain freeze, the angel smiled proudly and showed off her arms, which had no visible muscle whatsoever.

"What I mean is, in terms of combat strength, while I might not measure up to the Anemo Archon, I think I'm pretty capable."

Bombarding Slimes with Heaven's Strike-now that was power.

"That won't be necessary, Miss Gabrielina," Amber refused firmly.

"If the Anemo Archon doesn't appear, then the Knights of Favonius should shoulder their responsibilities, rather than pin their hopes on a guest who's come from far away."

Seeing the determination in the girl's eyes, Gabrielina said nothing more and simply gave her an encouraging smile.

"...All right, let's stop talking about such heavy things!" Amber returned to her usual energetic self and clapped her hands at the group.

"Oh, right! You helped me clear out that Hilichurl camp, so let me give you a gift!"

The moment Paimon heard there was a gift, her eyes practically sparkled with excitement.

"What is it? What is it?"

"Uh... little Paimon probably won't have any use for it." As though something had occurred to her, Amber suddenly looked at Gabrielina's wings.

"It's fine, Amber. It wasn't a big deal anyway."

Amber scratched her head sheepishly. "Th-then I'll treat you all to some sticky honey roast tonight! It's delicious. You're sure to love it."

Paimon nodded "reluctantly."

"...All right, then! The gift I promised you is the Wind Glider!"

"The Wind Glider?" Lumine looked at the slightly drooping wings behind Gabrielina and seemed to understand why she was the only one who needed them.

"That's right! Outriders use them to get around in the sky, and the people of Mondstadt love using them too!"

Amber explained.

"I actually brought you here because I wanted you to try them out right away... hehe..."

Perhaps noticing Gabrielina's own wings again, the girl gave an embarrassed laugh.

"Anyway, Lumine, hurry and give them a try... With the Wind Glider, you can fly too!"

Watching Amber lead Lumine toward the high platform, Gabrielina reached behind herself and drew one of her wings around in front of her.

Soft, pure-white feathers squeezed between her fingers, and she could faintly feel the power buried within them: the Corridor working on its own.

"System..."

"Speak."

"I want to dye this thing green~"

*"??????"*

While Gabrielina teased the system as usual and got thoroughly cussed out in return, the other two finished preparing for takeoff.

"Gabrielina..."

The girl looked up to see Lumine standing on the steps, waving at her.

Did she want me to come over?

"I'm coming!"

Rather than teleporting, Gabrielina gave her wings a gentle beat and flew to Lumine's side.

"Lumine, what is it...?"

The girl didn't answer. She simply shook her head and looked at Amber beside her.

"All right, watch me demonstrate first." Amber adjusted her hair accessory and took a few small steps to the edge. "Focus your mind, use your imagination, and let the wind become your wings...!"

The girl leaped into the air and spread her arms, and a pair of wings patterned in blue appeared out of thin air behind her.

However, without a wind current to help, this seemed more like gliding than flying.

"...All right, Lumine. Amber's calling you over."

Gabrielina pointed at Amber, who had already drifted down to the shopping district and was waving at them nonstop, only for the girl beside her to grab her hand.

"Gabrielina... could you come with me?"

The angel looked at Lumine, but the girl wasn't meeting her eyes.

So she deliberately withheld her answer and made no effort to take the other girl's hand.

Only when Lumine's cheeks began to flush, her lips trembled, and her fingers loosened slightly did Gabrielina step closer and take her hand firmly.

"They're just the Wind Glider. If you want, I can fly with you."

"Okay..."

The surrounding Anemo seemed to stir as well, gathering behind Lumine.

But what she felt more vividly was the warmth in her palm, as though a surge of courage was slowly lifting her up. She gazed closely at the angel's face, then looked down.

"Let's go, Gabrielina. I... I'm ready!"

Little Paimon cheered them on from behind, though she didn't need the Wind Glider in the first place. Floating in midair, it was certainly easy for her to talk.

Lumine took a deep breath, then jumped straight down, holding Gabrielina's hand.

The sound of wind swept past their ears, but before long, Lumine smoothly spread her Wind Glider.

Looking at the scenery below, the girl no longer felt any fear. Instead, she shouted joyfully.

"Gabrielina! Is this... what the ground usually looks like to you?"

Seeing how happy the girl was, Gabrielina couldn't bring herself to admit that she had only flown a few times herself.

Besides, as a matter of fact, teleporting directly took far less effort than flying.

"...Yes! Stop talking... it's all wind!"

As they drew closer to the shopping street, Lumine's body began to wobble noticeably. Whether it was because this was her first time or because her stamina bar had run out was unclear.

So Gabrielina moved behind Lumine, wrapped both arms around the girl, and carried her gently down.