Giant green bouncy mushrooms. I wonder how they would taste roasted. I send a wave of Electro towards one of them, but instead of getting scorched, it wakes up, pulsing with energy! Tri-Lakshana creatures are not to be eaten, says a voice inside my head. I jump back, startled. Tri-Lakshana creatures? Animate mushrooms? I take a step closer to re-examine the mushroom but this time, a shrill voice fills my head–

"Rise and shine!" shouts Paimon, slicing straight through my strange dream. My eyes snap open and I bolt up in bed, horrified that I was salivating at a conscious mushroom during my sleep. Sunlight streams through the leafy rafters of our cottage, and it already appears to be midmorning.

"Come on, sleepy head! Let's go find Collei," Paimon says excitedly. She makes a circle around the cottage before landing right in front of my face.

Groggily, I rub my eyes and yawn. Sumeru is a strange land. Shaking the sleep from my head, I let my thin blanket slide away and step off the cot. Though slightly cramped and a little messy, our living quarters are well-provisioned. A jug of water and an empty plate of breadcrumbs sit on the table – no doubt delivered while I was asleep and consumed by Paimon before I was awake. Seeing my gaze, Paimon smiles sheepishly. Luckily, I'm not hungry. I splash some water over my face, and I feel refreshed, ready to go.

Outside, the weather is temperate and humid, but not uncomfortably so. There's a steady breeze from the main river nearby. It's only my second (waking) day in this village, and already I feel at home among the lively chatter and smiling faces. Looking around, I spot Collei and Tighnari near a building on the other side of the narrow tributary that runs through the village. "Over there," I tell Paimon.

As we approach the rope bridge, Tighnari's voice travels towards us across the thick air. "Right hand please," he says. Collei extends her hand over and Tighnari takes it in both of his own. After a moment's examination, he says, "not bad, but you still need to be careful. Do you understand?"

"Yes master," Collei says. She retracts her hand. "By the way, I still have not received the patrol route for today," she adds as an afterthought.

Tighnari shakes his head. "Today's patrol route is quite long. You won't be coming. After all, there's a chance we may encounter–" he says, pausing. "Well, you understand," he finishes.

Collei lowers her head, disappointed. "What use is my Vision, if I cannot be of help to anyone, master?"

"Don't say that" Tighnari says gently. Then his ears twitch suddenly, and he looks up towards Paimon and me. "Why there you are! How are you feeling?" He calls out to us.

"Amazing," I reply. "I had the most wondrous of dreams last night. Is there anything we can help with?"

Tighnari grins. "Not the type to sit around, are we? No bother. You can join Collei on a patrol south of Gandharva Ville if you would like." He says, gesturing towards Collei, whose eyes light up. "Oh, and if your stamina holds up, you can help her clean the Statue of the Seven too," he adds. Paimon and I exchange glances, both eager to spend some time with Collei alone.

"Tighnari!" A male voice calls from afar. We all turn towards the direction of the sound, and we see a ranger party fully assembled by the edge of the forest. "We are heading out soon!" The man says.

Tighnari waves and shouts back, "Roger that Amir! Be right there!" He looks back at us and says, "All right. The patrol is waiting on me. Collei, I trust you will instruct them on the duties of a forest watcher today?"

Collei salutes and smiles. "You can count on me!" She says happily. Tighnari nods once, rummages through his backpack to assess his supplies, then starts jogging towards the rest of his company.

Once they're out of sight, Paimon asks, "So Collei, what's the plan for today? Tighnari told us to clean the statue, but is that really a ranger's job?"

Collei nods eagerly. "We forest watchers handle a variety of tasks, some of which may sound a little mundane to those unfamiliar with our work," she says, clearly passionate about her job. "In addition to patrolling the forest for potential dangers, we maintain infrastructure like roads and facilities, and ensure that fire safety requirements are met. We also guide and aid both locals and travelers."

"What a noble calling!" Paimon says, and I agree. This sounds like the role of a "park ranger" in other worlds I've visited – an under-appreciated, underpaid profession.

Smiling, Collei shrugs shyly. "Master Tighnari also attends to more dangerous parts of the forest, but today we will only be conducting routine checks on the lamps along the main road, towards the Statue of the Seven."

"Sounds like we have a plan," I say.

"This way to the first lamp!" Collei says, pointing, and we follow her out of the village.

Outside Gandhara Ville, the Avidya Forest quickly reclaims our surroundings. Up above, the rainforest canopy renders the bright midday sunlight a pale leafy glow. The main road dwindles into a dirt footpath, lit only by low lamps, spaced just close enough to ward off the darkness beyond. Collei has taken charge of maintaining the lamps, while we stand guard against the supposed dangers of the forest.

We watch as she crouches to examine the lamp, emitting a feeble marigold glow. She brushes off loose dirt and grips the top of the lamp, checking for any looseness. "Nothing wrong here," she reports. We move onto another lamp farther down the road and she repeats the same tests. "This one is a little wobbly," she says, jotting down some notes.

In this manner, it takes us nearly an hour to walk the short distance to the Statue of the Seven. By the time we reach the base of the tall plateau, Collei looks visibly tired. "The Statue is up there," she says, pointing. "The rock is pretty high, so if you don't feel up to the task, I'm sure Master Tighnari won't mind."

“Good thing Paimon can fly, right?” I say in jest. Paimon glares at me and replies, “Paimon isn’t going to clean the whole statue by herself!” She lands on the ground beside Collei and crosses her arms. “Well, if Paimon’s not volunteering,” I say, “I’m an expert climber.” Gazing up, I estimate that the climb will take us no more than a couple of minutes. Though the small plateau is quite high, there are plenty of footholds.

Collei nods. “Be careful up there. It’s more slippery than it looks,” she says. Then she sits down on the ground, leaning against a log, and takes a drink from her water skin.

“By the way,” Paimon cuts in, “what do you know about the Dendro Archon?” She points towards the small figure on top of the statue.

Surprised, Collei tilts her head and shrugs. “It depends. Are you referring to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata or Lesser Lord Kusanali?”

“Greater Lord Rukkhadevata – is that the previous Dendro Archon?” I ask cautiously. We were told that the current Dendro Archon was the youngest of the Seven, but this is the first we’ve heard of the Greater Lord.

“Yes,” Collei replies. “Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was our original Archon, who created the rainforests out of the desert and erected the Wall of Samiel, to provide her people with a peaceful life.”

“Wow, she sounds really powerful,” Paimon says.

Collei nods eagerly. “To the people of Sumeru, she was not only a symbol of power, but of kindness. Unfortunately, she disappeared during a calamity a few hundred years ago.”

My eyes widen slightly. Could this Greater Lord have disappeared during the same time frame as Raiden Makoto’s demise? If so, perhaps she too was involved in the events at Khaenri’ah. Still, these ancient myths are but a tenuous link to my brother at best.

“According to master,” Collei continues, “the sages found the newly born Dendro Archon during the aftermath of that calamity, and they transported her back to Sumeru. They named her Lesser Lord Kusanali, and she resides in the Sanctuary of Surasthana to this day.” She stops talking, as if the story is over.

After a moment of silence, I ask quietly, “what happened next, after inheriting Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's legacy?” The discovery of Lesser Lord Kusanali sounded like the beginning of a new story, not the end of an old one.

Blushing, Collei stammers, “well, I’m not too sure.”

“What do you mean? Aren’t you from Sumeru though?” I ask. After all, I would expect Sumeru children to grow up knowing the legends of their land.

Collei looks between the two of us and then down at her feet. “That’s right. I’m from Sumeru.”

So perhaps these stories are sensitive topics in Sumeru, if no one wants to tell us about them. “Apologies for my curiosity,” I say courteously. “We understand if it’s hard to discuss these stories with outsiders.”

“No!” Collei says loudly. Paimon jumps a little in the air from surprise. “It’s not that,” Collei adds quickly. “I’m not trying to hide anything. Besides, I don’t consider you two strangers.”

Now I’m equally as confused as Paimon. “We just met," I say instinctively. "We don't take offense, not at all."

Collei keeps quiet. Then out of the blue, she stammers, "y-you two know Amber, right?"

"Amber?!" Paimon repeats. "We only know an Amber from Mondstadt."

"She's an outrider of the Knights of Favonius," I say, unsure how this is relevant, "and she loves to fly."

"Yes, that's her!" Collei says without missing a beat. "We've been exchanging letters, you see. As much as I can write at least," she adds. "I've known of you two for a while now, but I never expected to meet you in person. I heard you defeated the fearsome dragon that attacked her city!"

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Stories always sound more impressive than reality. We haven't seen Amber in a long time though," I say wistfully, reminiscing about learning to use a wind glider under Amber's tutelage. "We need to visit her next time we're in Mondstadt. How did you two meet?"

"I actually lived in Mondstadt for some time, before I came back to Sumeru," Collei replies. "As an outrider, Amber is the first to greet travelers to Mondstadt, and even though she didn't know me well, she helped me a lot," she says enthusiastically. "You simply cannot resist her charm and her love for Mondstadt. She lives each day to the fullest, but she is always ready answer the call to action, or stop and help others. She lights the spark in so many hearts. She made me a better person," Collei gushes on and on.

"I'm sure Amber is proud to see you as a forest watcher apprentice now," I say. This girl really admires our dear outrider friend.

"Heh, sorry for rambling," Collei says. "It must have sounded a bit strange coming from me."

"Not at all!" Paimon assures her. "In fact, I feel a lot closer to you now."

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that you two have my complete trust," says Collei. "I really wish I could tell you more about the Dendro Archon, but I've been away from Sumeru for so long, and I'm very slow at reading books so I haven't read many."

I think I understand now. If Collei left Sumeru as a child, before she was literate, it would be natural for her to know more about the outside world than about her own homeland. Still, we've learned more from her than from anyone else. "You already helped us a lot," I say. "No one had ever told us about the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata or the Sanctuary of Surasthana before you mentioned them."

Collei smiles. "I'm glad I could be of help! But why do you want to know about the Dendro Archon?"

Paimon and I exchange glances, and I recount to Collei an abridged version of my journeys through Teyvat, starting from the unknown god's abducting my brother. We chased the vaguest of leads from the rolling hills of Mondstadt to the bustling Liyue Harbor; we braved the unrelenting storms of Inazuma and the depths of the Chasm; and finally, we arrived at Sumeru, where I promptly fainted as soon as I arrived, landing in Collei's expert care.

When I finished my story, Collei laughed. "I didn't do much," she says, "but thank you for telling me your story. I think I understand you a little better too now."

"We're friends now, right?" Paimon asks.

"Friends," agrees Collei. Her cheeks are rosy, not with embarrassment this time, but with joy.

"Okay," I say, "we have a statue to clean." I rub my hands together and take a deep breath in.

"Um, I'm not very good at climbing, so I'll inspect the forest canopy from some facilities nearby," says Collei. "We can chat more afterwards."

"Sounds like a plan!" Paimon says. With a wave, Collei disappears into the woods, leaving Paimon and I alone at the statue. Without another word, I set myself at the tall rock. Smooth to the touch, this pillar of rock seems have been carved from the ground by ancient rivers, perhaps prehistoric extensions of the one flowing through the forest today. Luckily for me, thick vegetation clings to the cracks in the rock. Grabbing one such vine, I hoist myself up, a step at a time.

Soon, my hand reaches the top of the plateau, and I drag myself over the edge. Paimon is already waiting for me with a smug smile. Standing up, I can see the canopies of the Avidya Forest all around us, surrounded by high cliffs in every direction. Ancient roots lead into tree trunks as thick as roads, which branch off into leafy ceilings. Looking up, I see Sumeru City in the distant northwest, a living city spiraling out of the earth itself. A tree as old as time itself holds up the painted domes and glass towers. I'm at a loss for words as I marvel at the sight.

Then suddenly, in the corner of my eye, a round, greenish creature seems to wave at me. I spin around, but it's gone. I rub my eyes. Am I seeing things? I glance around me, the magic of the moment lost.

"You saw it too?" Paimon cries. "Small, round, like a vegetable?"

"That... cabbage-like creature?" I say.

"Gone, just like that!" Paimon exclaims. "Maybe they're little fairies or nature spirits?"

"Maybe we're seeing things," I say without conviction.

"Let's ask Collei when we're done cleaning," Paimon says.

"Speaking of the statue, who do you think is that deity?" I ask, pointing up. Like every other Statue of the Seven, this statue is topped with a carving of its Archon. It depicts a girl dressed in long robes, bending over an orb, asleep.

"She looks small," Paimon observes.

"Lesser Lord Kusanali, then?" I say.

"The name seems to fit," Paimon says.

"We can ask Collei later too," I say. "Shall we begin?"

"Paimon will take care of the top, and you can clean the base," Paimon says. She flutters up beyond reach and leaves me on the ground.

I approach the statue and press my hand against the smooth stone. Like each time before, when I first touched the statues of each land, a sensation of power streams from the statue into my body. Dendro fills me with warmth and delight, and I feel as if I have been granted the power to bring the withered to life. Searching for the Dendro now within me, I hold out my hand and try to imagine a bouquet of leaves. A puff of green explodes in my face, and I giggle, batting the sparkles away.

"Paimon's working very hard up here!" I hear her yell down at me.

"On it!" I shout back. Staring at the large chunk of stone before me, I reach instead for Anemo. Directing the wind towards the statue, I will the air to brush away dust from every crevice. A small whirlwind picks up around the statue, but I hold the power tightly, to protect the forest around us. I did not, however, prevent the wind from blowing too high. With a yelp, Paimon falls from the sky, blasted by my whirlwind. Laughing, I deploy my wind glider and sail down next to her. "That's one clean statue," I remark. Paimon offers no reply, still dizzy from her ordeal. No doubt will I hear an earful about this later.

"Welcome back!" Collei says from a path nearby. "You must be tired." She extends a water skin towards us, and I take it gratefully. After a couple of sips, I drip a little over Paimon's head. Paimon sputters, splashing water away from her face, and glares at me.

Ignoring Paimon, I ask, "Collei, have you ever seen those vegetable-like creatures scurrying around the forest?"

"Vegetable-like?" Collei seems perplexed. "I have not, but master might say 'all plants are living organisms, so they also fall under the category of creatures.' That's not very helpful, is it?"

"It only appeared for an instant, but Paimon saw it too," I say. "It was small, green, and round, but I could swear it smiled at me."

"Wow!" Collei says. "It sounds like a creature from Sumeru fairy tales. I've never seen one. I'll keep an eye out for it. By the way, are you hungry? I have food." Collei reaches into her pack and retrieves three wrapped parcels.

At this, Paimon finally stops glaring and jumps up. "Me! Me!" She cries, flying into Collei's arms and snatching a serving.

"Don't be rude Paimon," I say.

Collei laughs and brushes me off. "It's okay! I prepared these pita pockets just for you. Rangers like to eat them on the job since they're filling and portable." She hands one to me and I reach out for it, but it slips from her hands before I can catch it.

"Oh no!" Paimon says in horror. "Our food!"

Collei hurriedly bends down to pick up the pita. "Sorry about that, but don't worry. I wrapped it oiled paper to keep it dry." She dusts off the parcel and hands it to me again. This time, I accept it graciously and unwrap its contents.

A fragrant aroma of spiced meat fills my nose. I bite into the pita pocket, and I am blown away by the taste. Though cold, the tender meat melts into the leavened bread, and a creamy sauce coats the lettuce and tomatoes in a savory, rich sensation. "Mm," I hum in appreciation. Collei grins and unwraps her pita too. "It's delicious!" Paimon says between juicy bites. "Xiangling once taught Paimon that the best way to compliment a chef is to enjoy her food!"

After a couple more bites, all I'm left with is the oiled paper in my hands. "This tasted amazing," I say to Collei.

"I'm glad you both liked my food!" She replies. "I'll give you a copy of the recipe once we return to the village."

"I'm so glad you wrapped it up!" Paimon says. "I would be devastated if I knew something so delicious was wasted. It's hard to believe that someone so diligent as Collei can have clumsy moments too."

Collei laughs nervously and says, "it happens from time to time."

Like yesterday, when she dropped the bowl of medicine. "Why is Tighnari so strict with you?" I ask suddenly. "He doesn't treat anyone else the same way."

"Yea!" Paimon agrees. "He won't let you touch anything without permission."

Collei shakes her head. "That's not true. Master Tighnari may seem harsh at first, but he has a heart of gold. In fact, his people are known to be cunning and reclusive, but master has always been kind."

"His people?" I ask. Tighnari did have those big, tall ears.

"An ancient and mysterious race, according to some veteran rangers," Collei replies. "Also, you've heard of the Akademiya, right? There's a group called the A– Amu– anyways, they study botany, and they have written to master many times, asking him to take a post there."

"Why doesn't he go?" I say. "Isn't the Akademiya of utmost regard in Sumeru?"

Collei nods. "Yes, but master declines, citing 'Sumeru City is too noisy, it'd be bad for my ears.' He could have a bright future with the sages, yet he stays for the forest, for people like us. He uses his knowledge to help the forest watchers, and oh– he was the one who taught me to make pita pockets."

"For some reason, I didn't expect him to know how to cook," I say. Not meat, at least.

"Speaking of Tighnari," Paimon says, "he was the who took care of you when Collei saw you passed out yesterday. He even carried you all the way back."

"Really?" I say, a little embarrassed myself now. I'll have to thank him properly when we return tonight.

"Paimon's still a little vexed though," Paimon continues. "He scolded Paimon the whole way back!"

"You must have done something to deserve that," I say.

"No! Master was overreacting," Collei adds quickly, "but Paimon wouldn't stop asking whether you were going to die, and she must have gotten on master's nerve."

"Paimon was genuinely concerned about you!" Paimon exclaims. "Paimon thought you were going to die!"

I smile, and Collei giggles a little too. It's heartwarming to know that Paimon does care, after so long.

"That's it! Even Collei's laughing." Paimon huffs. "Paimon is angry!" She flies towards Collei, little hands outstretched, but Collei jumps out of the way. "Don't touch me!" She screams. The jolly mood evaporates into a chilly silence.

"What's wrong?" I ask urgently.

"No, nothing's wrong. Sorry for startling you," Collei replies quietly. "It's getting late now. Master and the others should be back." With a forced smile, she turns away and runs back down the path towards the village.

"What just happened?" Paimon asks. I shake my head. I'm not sure either. "Let's go?" I say. At that, Paimon and I trek quietly back down the road, lit by the very lamps Collei was so eager to maintain earlier today. This time, the walk is short.

"You're returned." A forest watcher greets us at the gates of Gandhara Ville.

"Have you seen Collei by any chance?" I ask. "She left in a hurry."

The forest watcher looks us over, scrutinizing our faces. "She has retired to her room for the night."

Oh. "Well, I guess we will see her tomorrow," I say, disappointed. Tomorrow we will apologize to her properly, or so I hope.