Acting on the thought immediately, Columbina took Coppelia into the air once more. They skimmed over broad lakes, traversed lush primordial forests, and began a careful search for traces of human activity.
After passing several more ancient ruins swallowed by vines, they finally discovered a cave beneath a leeward cliff that showed signs of human habitation.
The area around the cave entrance was relatively flat, scattered with stones bearing obvious marks of processing, likely used as stools or hammering tools. The ground outside the entrance featured a hard-packed path formed by long-term treading, leading to a nearby stream.
Simple traces of campfires could be seen nearby, with ashes still remaining. Scattered beside them were clean-picked animal bones and shells. On the rock walls, there were even simple patterns daubed with some kind of colored mud—their meaning unclear, perhaps some form of primitive record or totem of worship.
It looked somewhat primitive; it was uncertain if the people inside could communicate.
After a moment of hesitation, Coppelia pointed to the cave and said to Columbina, "That's the place. Let's go down."
The two landed in the open space in front of the cave. Their arrival clearly alarmed the residents inside.
Soon, several figures walked cautiously out of the dim cave entrance. There were about seven or eight of them, both men and women. Their skin was a light brown from long-term exposure to the wind and sun, covered in fine wrinkles and scars. Their hair was messy and matted.
Wearing crude animal skins that barely covered their bodies, they tightly gripped spears, stone axes, and broken rocks in their hands, staring intently at these two uninvited guests who were dressed 'strangely' and had descended from the sky.
Coppelia took a step forward, attempting to communicate.
She tried to make her expression appear friendly and harmless, speaking slowly, "Hello. We are travelers from afar and mean no harm. We just want to ask you about something. Have you seen any particularly bright points of light falling from the sky recently, like meteors? Or, have you found any strange stones that emit white light on their own in the nearby mountains or by the water?"
The primitive people looked at each other, evidently completely unable to understand her words. They whispered among themselves; judging by the sounds, they possessed language, but Coppelia could not understand it.
Immediately afterward, hostility appeared on the faces of several primitives. One strong male roared a sentence, and the rest immediately sprang into action, quickly spreading out to form a crude semi-encirclement formation, aiming their spears and stone axes at the pair.
Coppelia's heart tightened. she hurriedly took a step back while shielding Columbina behind her, attempting to communicate again, "Wait! We are not enemies! We are just asking for directions! Please do not attack!"
However, the leader let out another sharp shout. Almost simultaneously, all the primitives in the formation holding spears exerted force and hurled them at the two!
Although their throwing technique was rough and their strength limited, the quantity was significant. After throwing the spears, they immediately bent down to pick up stones from the ground and continued to smash them toward the girls in a barrage!
"Run!" Coppelia decided promptly. These people were impossible to communicate with.
Columbina immediately mobilized her power, pulling Coppelia up as they soared into the air, rapidly gaining altitude. Several crooked spears and stones dangerously grazed past their feet.
The two deftly maneuvered in the air, quickly flying over the ridge ahead and leaving that hostile cave and the primitives, who were still shouting and throwing stones, far behind.
They landed on a relatively flat area on the other side of the slope where dead wood lay fallen, sitting on a thick tree trunk to catch their breath.
Coppelia sighed, feeling somewhat helpless. "This place is too primitive... We can't get any clues like this."
Columbina, however, felt confused. "Why are the people here so different from those we saw in Mondstadt and Chenyu Vale before? They seem to completely misunderstand what you're saying, and their reactions are strange."
Coppelia tried hard to recall the parts of ancient Fontaine history she knew, but the records were vague and difficult to fully correspond with the scene before her eyes.
She could only offer a conjecture based on the current situation. "Probably... because there has been a long-term lack of leadership and education here."
Columbina thought of the massive waterfalls surrounding Fontaine and the traces of flooding they saw on their way in. "You mean, because it's hard for outsiders to get in through those surrounding waterfalls, and hard for people inside to get out, this place became closed off, and no one taught them anything?"
"That is part of it," Coppelia nodded. "There is also a key point: on this land, there seems to be no resident 'Archon' present. The ruins we saw earlier prove that an advanced civilization once existed here. But a great catastrophe—likely the flood traces we saw—destroyed that civilization, and the few survivors degenerated into a primitive state."
Columbina seemed to understand but was still puzzled. "The god here... doesn't care about them?"
Remus probably hasn't arrived yet, and as for Egeria...
"There is indeed a god-level existence here, Egeria. But I estimate... even if she wanted to manage things, she likely lacks the ability right now."
After all, according to the 'plot,' Egeria was most likely still soaking in the primitive waters of the Primordial Sea at this moment, watched over by a Dragon Prince, and had no way to govern this group of degenerated humans on the surface.
Coppelia rubbed her brow, considering other possible sources of information. "Perhaps... we could try looking for 'Oceanids'?"
The Oceanids were familiars of the Hydro Archon, possessing wisdom and the ability to communicate; perhaps they might know something.
But she quickly rejected this idea herself.
The meteor fragments likely fell on land, while Oceanids relied on water bodies and had limited mobility on land.
Even if fragments had fallen into the water, those stones containing primordial elemental energy would likely be highly contaminating to Oceanids, who were composed of pure water. They might not necessarily approach them. Whether they could provide clues remained in doubt.
Did they really have to resort to the worst-case scenario she had envisioned earlier—using the dumbest method of aerial scanning combined with ground searches, area by area?
Just as she was frowning in worry, Columbina's curious voice rang out, "What are 'Oceanids'?"
Coppelia explained, "They are the familiar creatures of Egeria. You can think of them as special elemental lifeforms that have obtained a portion of the god's power."
"Familiars?" Columbina felt the term was fresh.
"Yes. Generally speaking, around powerful gods, there will always be some special lifeforms gathered that are influenced by their power. These are familiars. Their relationship with the god... well, it's a bit like more intimate, special-status 'partners' or 'followers'." Coppelia tried to describe it using simple, easy-to-understand vocabulary.
"Partners? Friends?" A glimmer of surprise flashed in Columbina's eyes.
"You could understand it that way." Coppelia looked at her and suddenly thought of a point. "By the way, speaking of which, as the God of the Moon a long time ago, you should have also possessed your own familiar race. I recall they were called 'Moon Spirits'."
"I also had familiars? Moon Spirits..." Columbina furrowed her brows, trying hard to search through those memories that remained fragmented and blurry.
However, her memory was still hazy. The return of the power fragments had not restored her past memories.
"I have no impression... I can't remember."
Seeing her look somewhat troubled, Coppelia comforted her, "If you can't remember, just let it go for now. When you have retrieved all the fragments of power and restored your complete divinity, it won't be too late to think about the 'Moon Spirits'."
She looked up at the sky; the setting sun had already begun to rim the distant mountains with gold, and the light was gradually dimming.
"It's getting late. let's find a safe place to spend the night."
____
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