Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame
The next day, the group prepares to participate in the Pilgrimage while the Traveler and Paimon spectate from the stands. The first part of the Pilgrimage begins, with teams tasked with collecting Contending Sparks. Kachina and Mualani work together to defeat some of the competition, allowing them to clear the stage. Mualani and Kachina are then separated, as they are placed in different lounges. During this time, two former participants attempt to threaten Kachina, believing she had played a role in disqualifying them in a previous Pilgrimage. The Traveler intervenes, and Kachina is reassured by the staff to focus on her current battle. After a short break, she heads to the stadium, where she faces Nkunga and defeats him, determined to participate in the Night Warden Wars. After a few more fights, she faces Liliuo. While she puts up a greater fight compared to Nkunga, Kachina defeats her, and Liliuo apologizes for taunting her earlier, acknowledging her strength.
Back at the lounge, Kachina thanks the Traveler and Paimon for their cheers as Mualani comes in, revealing that she’s her final opponent in the next round. Kachina is upset that she has to fight her friend, but Mualani accepts whatever outcome happens. Kachina prepares herself and heads back out to the arena. While she’s still nervous, Mualani reassures her and they fight. Kachina comes out victorious with a surprise attack, and the resulting victory allows her to participate in the Night Warden Wars alongside Chasca, Iansan, Kaiulani, and Kibnagu.
While Kachina and the others head to fight the Abyss, Mualani decides to show the Traveler around Natlan just as Kinich arrives and had the same idea. Since Mualani asked first, he relents and allows her to take them to her village.
Home of the Hot Springs
The three arrive at Mualani’s village and she prepares to send them to the hot springs, but are stopped by Atea, who reminds her about the unwritten rule; outsiders must first acclimate themselves in the artificial springs before using the natural ones, to avoid scalds and burns. Mualani reveals that while Atea is a good friend of hers, she could not enjoy hot springs anymore after being impaled by an Abyssal monster. They later meet up with the chief Amina and her guards, who were secretly organizing a party for after witnessing her enter an abandoned hot spring. After a short soak in the artificial springs, helped to by Atea with snacks, they check on the party progress. Unfortunately, little was made, so Mualani brings the Traveler with her to show her around the village while also getting the necessary items to set up the venue. The setup takes all night, but to their dismay, Atea had volunteered for guard duty, so they would have to wait tomorrow.
Mualani brings the Traveler and Paimon to the inn, where they resign themselves to a night of sleep. However, they are suddenly jolted awake when they hear cries; the Abyss had emerged to attack the village, consisting of a few riftwolf whelps and Abyssal manifestations of Saurians. Defeating the few stragglers that entered the village, Mualani decides to talk to Amina to get a grasp of the situation. Amina tells them that they had confirmed one pylon in the area, but there could be more. Mualani and the Traveler head to the known pylon and destroy it, before the Traveler notices more monsters coming from afar, which Mualani recognizes as the abandoned spring area. They head to the area to clear the pylon, only to find that Atea had destroyed it, albeit her injuries were severe. As a doctor is called for, the Traveler realizes that she wouldn’t have enough time and recalls the time they purified Dvalin‘s tears when they were in Mondstadt. The Traveler uses their purification powers on Atea’s wounds to cleanse the Abyssal energy. This removes the mark from Atea, though the Traveler worries that the old Abyssal contamination was too deep-rooted and she had been visiting the abandoned spring because she knew that her end was near.
The next day, the party commences, though Atea is nowhere to be seen. She later arrives and thanks the Traveler for their actions, though their silence causes her some concern. She later spots Mualani and has her come with her for a “walk,” where she reveals that she was nearing death. However, seeing Mualani in action reassured her that the tribe would be in good hands. She also hands the Traveler her talisman, asking that it be given to the Pyro Archon when they meet again.
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