Outrider Amber
"Holy—what kind of system companion IS this?!" His pulse jackhammered as Zero approached, her every step a hypnotic sway of black-and-white fabric clinging to curves that defied logic.
"That dress is a crime. That waist is a felony. If she were a dessert, I'd already be licking the plate—WAIT, NO, BAD BRAIN—"
Zero's whisper—"Master, shall I undress?"—nearly short-circuited his higher reasoning.
"Is this a test?! Did the Heavenly Principles send me a companion or a sin incarnate?!"
Then—movement. A flash of red in his periphery.
Amber.
The Outrider moved like sunlight given form—bouncing strides, wind-tousled hair, a grin as bright as her pyro vision. Her gloved fingers tapped her bow, playful but poised.
"Knights of Favonius. Shit. She definitely saw me staring like a starved man at a banquet."
Zero's fingers crept toward her collar. Orion's soul left his body. "If she strips NOW, I'm jumping off Starsnatch Cliff."
Amber's eyebrow arched. His fate hung in the balance.
Verdict:"I'm doomed."
The Encounter
Amber strode forward, her boots crunching lightly on the grass as she stopped just a few paces away, her gloved hands resting on her hips. Her bright, curious eyes studied Orion with a mix of suspicion and playful challenge.
"Hey, you! Identify yourself!" she called out, her voice carrying the natural confidence of a Knight.
Orion blinked—then realized Zero was gone. Vanished, as if she had never been there. His heart gave a traitorous pang of disappointment.
"Of course. How could the Heavenly Principles actually give me a companion like that? Some cruel joke..." A part of him wanted to weep for the lost opportunity, but he quickly shoved the thought aside.
Forcing a calm expression, he raised his hands slightly in a non-threatening gesture. "I'm not here for trouble."
Amber smirked, tilting her head. "That's what all the troublemakers say."
A flicker of memory surfaced—a familiar line, one he'd heard before in another life. Without thinking, Orion crossed his arms and shot back, "Hey! Aren't you being a little rude? Is that how you welcome travelers?"
Amber's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she laughed, her demeanor shifting instantly. She placed a hand on her chest and gave a small, theatrical bow.
"Welcome to Mondstadt! The Knights of Favonius handbook states that we must greet all travelers with courtesy and vigilance!" She straightened up, grinning. "But you've got a point. I'm Amber, Outrider for the Knights. And you are...?"
Orion exhaled, the tension easing. "Well, at least she's not arresting me on the spot."
"Orion," he replied. "Just... passing through."
Amber's grin didn't waver. "Uh-huh. Well, 'just passing through' or not, you've got the look of someone who could use a proper Mondstadt welcome. How about I show you around?"
"Is this how she recruits people?" he wondered. But with Zero mysteriously absent and no real plan, he figured he might as well play along.
"Sure," he said. "Lead the way."
Amber's eyes sparkled. "Great! First stop—Good Hunter. I'm starving, and you look like you could use a meal."
Orion's stomach betrayed him with a quiet growl.
"Damn it."
Amber laughed again, already turning toward the city gates. "Come on, traveler! Adventure awaits!"
And with that, Orion found himself pulled into the whirlwind that was Amber—whether he was ready or not.
The towering gates of Mondstadt loomed ahead, their stone arches weathered but welcoming. As Orion and Amber approached, a pair of knights standing guard straightened up, their eyes narrowing slightly at the unfamiliar face.
"Halt! State your business," one of them called out, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
Orion tensed—Were they going to turn him away?—but before he could speak, Amber stepped forward with a cheerful wave.
"Relax, guys! He's with me!" she said, grinning. "New traveler, potential recruit, all that good stuff!"
The knights exchanged glances before nodding, stepping aside. "Very well, Outrider. But keep an eye on him."
Amber rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, yeah, I know the drill."
As they passed through the gates, Orion's breath caught in his throat.
Mondstadt.
The *real* Mondstadt—not pixels on a screen, not some distant fantasy, but here, alive and breathing around him. The wind carried the scent of fresh bread and blooming flowers, the sound of laughter and distant lyre strings weaving through the air. The city sprawled before him in all its sunlit glory, from the bustling market stalls to the towering statue of Barbatos overlooking the plaza.
"Is this… freedom?" he wondered.
No smog, no deadlines, no weight of a past life dragging him down. Just open skies and endless possibilities.
Amber nudged him with her elbow. "Pretty great, huh? First time's always a little overwhelming."
Orion could only nod, his chest tight with something he couldn't name. Nostalgia? Longing? Or just the sheer, dizzying relief of being somewhere that felt like it could be home?
As they walked toward Good Hunter, Orion's gaze snagged on a familiar sight—a woman in a distinctive uniform standing near the Adventurers' Guild board.
"Katheryne?" The name surfaced from the depths of his memory.
She stood there, ever-smiling, ever-patient, just like in the game. But seeing her in person sent an odd shiver down his spine.
"Why does this feel so… surreal? Like I've stepped into a dream I don't want to wake up from?"
Amber noticed his hesitation. "Hey, something wrong?"
Orion shook his head. "No, just… taking it all in."
But the question lingered in the back of his mind, unspoken:
"What am I even doing here?"
---
Author's Intentions (Or: Why Are We Here?)
[Reader, let's pause for a second. What do you think? Does the Author want Orion to have a normal life? A peaceful existence, sipping dandelion wine at Angel's Share, flirting with the locals, maybe settling down with a certain blue-haired maid if she ever reappears? Or is this just the calm before the storm?]
[Orion himself doesn't know. He's torn between wanting to believe this is his second chance and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because let's be real—when has the Heavenly Principles ever given anyone a simple gift?]
[And what about you, Author? Are you just toying with him? Dangling happiness in front of him like a carrot, only to yank it away later? Or is this genuine—a rare moment of kindness in a story destined for chaos?]
[Only time will tell. But for now, Orion has a meal to eat, a city to explore, and a certain Outrider who seems way too interested in his story.]
---
Amber tugged at his sleeve, snapping him back to reality. "Come on, slowpoke! I can hear you overthinking from here. Food first, existential crisis later!"
Orion huffed a laugh. "Yeah. Yeah, okay."
And for the first time since waking up in this world, he let himself relax.
"Maybe… just maybe… this is enough."*
(For now.)