2 - The Unknown Savior

                                    

                                          
From my view from the hilichurl camp, I seemed to be somewhere near Ritou. I held my breath as I heard approaching footsteps and prayed it wasn’t the Shogun army or some monster. Tension built up until I swore the shadow was above me. 
Before I could say or do anything, there was a blindfold around my eyes and a hand around my throat. I choked and tried to speak, but a deep voice shushed me.
“At 1700 hours tonight, a ship will arrive in Ritou. Sneak into that ship and it will lead you into Liyue harbour. Get away from this place. These are the directions.” Something slipped into my trembling hand. It felt like a card.
Before I could even utter anything, the hand snaked away from my throat and the shadow was gone. It felt safe to remove the blindfold. 
I blinked in the sudden light and spun around to look for whoever just approached me. No one was in sight. Slightly dizzy, I glanced down at the thing in my hand which told me where to go.
It was my only lead. I had to do what my mother had told me, even if that meant to abandon her. She gave me a good talking to when the Vision Hunt Decree was announced, telling me to take whatever I said to heart. 
She must’ve organised this. I raised the card up to my nose and sniffed it, and sure enough it smelt like the rose perfume she sprayed on everyday. Just her scent calmed me a little, but it still didn’t get rid of my uneasy feeling. I was only a kid. 
How would I even get on the ship? First of all, I only had 5 hours to travel from Inazuma City all the way to Ritou, an almost impossible journey which involved swimming most of the way. 
Another thing hit me. If I was to travel unnoticed and still rent transport, I needed a disguise. Surely that man would have left me some clue on how to travel fast towards Ritou. 
It seemed he had. A slightly rusty canoe was bobbing in the water when I emerged from the hilichurl tent, and a sizable amount of gold was in the cabinet. I quickly pocketed the gold and climbed in the canoe.
                          
“Seriously?” I muttered as it started raining the closer I got to Ritou. It was expected, ofcourse, for the Raiden Shogun would try to stop me, but I still hoped for better. I panicked slightly when a wave rolled across my boat, picking up speed. 
It was 1400 and I was only halfway. I put in more and more effort towards working my way towards Ritou. After a while, I arrived. I only had about half an hour before the ship arrived, so I hurried to buy a new set of clothes. 
The woman at the store seemed to notice me. She eyed my skirt and t-shirt, and clearly thought I was suspicious. 
“Excuse me miss, but may I know who you are?” She asked me quietly. 
“I...Uh…” I stammered, unsure of how to approach this situation.
“Look, I know who you are. I know where you’re trying to go. I am willing to help you, but you are not to mention you met me if you’re caught.” The woman whispered quietly. I froze, frightened. She smiled sweetly and handed me a light outfit. I thanked her heaps, and left a generous amount of gold on her desk. 
“Travel safely.” The lady pushed me out of the shop. Rather rude, I thought. I seemed to be getting less suspicious stares as I walked in my new outfit. Usually buying clothes would give me joy, but in this     situation, it was a time-consuming task.
My heart leaped as a massive ship entered the harbour, its large sails quivering in the wind. It matched the description that the man gave me, so I shuffled towards it.
The Shogun Army was checking ID’s as a blonde traveler left the boat. He seemed to be accompanied by a peculiar floating pet, who was chatting away. I shook my head and started looking for a way onto the boat. 
Swimming seemed the only way to get on the boat unnoticed. If I swam towards one of the windows and somehow undid it, I could climb inside and hide in a suitcase or something. 
I tried to quietly go to the edge of the pier, sitting down and making sure my vision was hidden. Making sure that no one was looking, I slipped beneath the water.
The ocean was icy, fogging up my vision and hurting my head. It wasn’t practical as I saw with fright that the captain of the ship seemed to be making her way back onto the boat. 
I finally climbed towards the window. I needed a way to get in, and luckily the window slid open with a small click when I wedged a dagger underneath it. As I climbed into the ship, I could hear footsteps above me on the boat’s deck.
I spotted a suitcase underneath the bed. It was empty; hopefully the owner wouldn’t try and open it. I had enough food to last me a couple of days, although I probably wouldn’t be able to breathe in the case. 
I secured the window and shoved my belongings in the case with me. It seemed fairly spacious. I almost fell when the ship jolted and started to move, and with quickened heartbeats I zipped up the case. It was very dark.
It smelt strangely like leaves. Maple ones, to be exact. I remember how my mother thought they were beautiful, so it calmed me to be near them. Before I knew it, I was drifting asleep.