while delusions were a man - made creation, as frostwind knight retrieved the broken scrap of the relic from the scene of the crime, he couldn’t help but feel the faint traces of abyssal energy. he could feel it resonating with his own, this almost parasitic desire to feed of ambition. the greatest of manipulations ; the ability to turn something good into something horrid, until it drained the user of all life force. they were fascinating little gadgets, perhaps less horrifying to kaeya that his own visions, but to voice this aloud might earn him some rather curious and contemptuous expressions from the general public, especially those with an already dubious opinion on him.
the new windswept knight didn’t seem to carry such thoughts, or at least hadn’t shown any bias one way or another during the few times previous they’d run into one another amidst hoarder encounters. that was refreshing at least, that the younger knights ( albeit unofficial ) seemed to have less of an issue when it came to the captains operational blueprint. “ when you encountered these hoarders, what were they doing ? do you believe they’ve already circulated some of the delusions ? ” he turned the broken case over in his hand, noting the fragility of it in comparison to his vision, one kaeya had tried to destroy many many times. “ if so, we must do our best to prevent the most disastrous of outcomes. ” he’d seen first hand what delusions could do.
Her eyes take in the now-abandoned cavern more than her previous visit — It could have been considered more of a pitstop, now that she thinks on it. She and her team’s prior dealings with this location had less to do with observation, more to do with thwarting the threat its occupants held against themselves and the people of Mondstadt. It’s dark, like many domains the newly appointed Knight had charged through in days passed, only it feels all the more sinister due to its intended use. She remembers quite literally falling into the place, seeing the presence of Treasure Hoarders and Fatui agents . . .
‘ They were all huddled close together, talking with the people in masks. Fatui agents. ‘ Ruby chooses her words carefully, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she scans the area. Emptied and broken crates and scattered debris litter the dirt flooring of the cavern, accented here and there by the shells of Delusions which had been dropped during the fray. Footprints are scattered throughout the place, a mishmash of friends and foes tracks, making it difficult to accurately follow the trail of those who’d escaped the adventuring party’s capture. ‘ It sounded like they were doing some kind of transaction. ‘
Despite her good fortune in discovering such a scandal right beneath her feet, Ruby still feels frustration nipping at her heels, and it shows easily in her knitted brow, her rigid posture. ‘ They seemed familiar with each other. I have a bad feeling they’ve done something like this before. ‘
Ruby shifts to look back towards the Cavalry Captain. ‘ Captain Kaeya . . . What exactly can these Delusions do? What should we look for to keep them away from the people? ‘
