Chapter Text
The next morning, a groggy Diluc strolled through the hallways of their second floor, headed to a certain door. A hand still gently rubbing his eye awake, his other hand raised to knock onto it but stopped mid-way, eyes furrowing in realization as his frown deepened.
“Master Diluc,” Adelinde, who had grown used to this side of DIluc, could only look at him with a broke-hearted expression. She knows the explanation why he... developed this kind of habit, and the story behind it was both sweet and sad, “Your breakfast is served earlier than usual since you informed us you’re going somewhere first thing in the morning.”
Diluc was quiet as his arms had already dropped itself from his realization earlier, but he still doesn’t turn to her as he answered, “I see, thank you. I’ll be there soon.”
If Adelinde bowed her head to dismiss herself, Diluc didn't see but he does not care as the sound of her heels furthers. His blank stare was still glued to the door where his brother once occupied.
Kaeya, in their younger days, was not a morning person. He prefers to either be under his blankets or bed, whichever he is in the mood to sleep at, all morning until lunch when there was no important schedule to do. Diluc always wanted to eat alongside him that he takes it upon himself to wake up Kaeya after he had just woke up himself.
There were times that Diluc was just as equally tired as Kaeya that while trying to wake him up, he ends up sleeping next to him instead and slept through the entire morning. If Diluc were to force himself to look at his Father's personal paintings that he refused to even show and sell to the public, maybe he'll be able to see a painting of them peacefully sleeping.
Diluc gritted his teeth from the memories and without warning punched the wall besides the door with his bare left hand. The wood against his hand already shows signs of broken woods, already slightly splintered. Diluc composed himself for a long minute before sighing and walking away from the door.
At the same time, Kaeya had just woken up, his right eye suddenly acting up. After the Ley lines started acting up, so did his right eye since then. He could barely open his both eyes sometimes, and much to his surprise, only did it calm down when he's around Diluc and he can't decide if that's a blessing or a curse. He kind of settled with a curse since the eye was a curse itself.
An eye forced upon him when one of the Gods that Celestia 'gifted' them to help guard their land was slain by Khaenri'ah when it's real purpose was found out. The god was named Argus and was a hundred-eyed giant who was called 'the all-seeing one'. Argus was a soft spoken god, one that you wouldn't even connect to a sinister one. Which is why when the truth came out, everyone felt betrayed and with a heavy heart, they assassinated Argus after putting him to sleep with their stories.
Kaeya forced himself out of the bed and stood in front of the mirror to look at his almost mismatched eyes. His visible left eye is a pale blue with the his Khaenri'an star pupil. Where as his mostly hidden right eye is beautiful vibrant hue of blue and green looking as if there's a whole universe in it. But he shuddered when he thinks of how it would look on Argus, who literally has 100 of it on his whole body.
His ancestors were very irrational, now that he thinks about it. Because after having killed Argus, as if to spite Celestia more, they decided to pluck every eye on Argus' body and store them to have the future successors have it to treat it like a trophy. And then came the generation that decided to have it be literally be put on the successors eyes instead when one of their children suffered eye problems. It became a tradition that even Kaeya was not exempted from.
Kaeya decided that it was enough time glaring at the eye and continued on his preparation for his mission given by Jean. The eye still throbbed from time to time, but it's nothing he can't handle.
Making Diluc assist him in this mission was not an unusual occurrence, there were already times he had manipulated his decisions so that everything would fall just the way he planned, but Kaeya's eye has been throbbing intensely lately and being with Diluc on this might help. Well, not that they'll be together but it's the thought that also calms him.
Diluc easily made his way through the thick and sheer cold of Dragonspine, it was easy enough for a pyro user and someone like him. There were some monsters the traveler had told him about that regularly appear on the way to the domain, he made sure to listen then so he thought of maybe treating them some food when they get back from their commissions on Liyue.
The enemies he had encountered were full of Cryo wielders he was inwardly thankful that he was the one that took this domain instead of Kaeya. Not that he's not aware of Kaeya's strength, if ever, he's the one who really knows his full strength in fighting. They had trained together after all, and while Diluc was the best when it comes to strength, Kaeya was the best when it comes to speed. Though in contrast to this, Kaeya likes to drag the fight longer while he plays with the enemy.
He finally reached the Domain Kaeya and the traveler was talking about, and Archons it was cold down there. His vision could only barely warm him up now and again, he was reminded how thankful he is that it was him that went there instead of Kaeya.
After unconsciously tightening his left glove, he enters Domain with the intention of investigating further than what the knights could only do.
Kaeya silently passed through the groups of hilichurls as he made his way to the Cecilia Garden Domain. There're the usual group of hilichurls in front of it in both side, but Kaeya was not in the mood to fight his monster-fied people right now, so he had just skillfully avoided their lines of vision and stood near the domain. The hilichurls are somewhat very dumb and having the brain of a goldfish. They're easily distracted too so it was very easy.
Kaeya had felt it for a while as well... He sighed as he turned a deadpanned look at the tall tree besides the domain, "You can come out now, no need to hide from dear ol' me."
There was a bead of silence but moments later, a familiar rather unique styled nun appeared from the shadows, face devoid of any emotions as usual.
"You don't have to do that sneaky thing of yours when it's just me, you know," Kaeya grumbled faking a pout, "I'll even let you join me on my investigations sometimes!"
"And let myself be manipulated by you?" Rosaria remarked, an eye brow raised and her arms crossed, "No thanks, Cavalry Captain."
Kaeya chuckled at her expected reply, "My offer still stands should you need it someday," He shrugs.
Rosaria only replied by clinking her nail guards in warning.
"You're really interesting, Sister Rosaria," Kaeya spoke as he checked over his supplies, looks like he forgot to bring some bandages... "To think that you were able to get an info about the ley lines when it was kept secret by the ordo as to not rise panic."
"Your knights are just too chatty for a knight, Sir Kaeya," Rosaria replied nonchalantly, checking over her daggers.
Kaeya slumped his shoulders to her implication. It was almost the same as to what Diluc had said, does he need to teach the knights a lesson about this again? Maybe inviting them to fight the newly sighted Cryo Hypostasis with a fake deep wound then make ice walls to trap the knights inside and pretend that it was done by the creature? Maybe... maybe...
The two Cryo users entered the domain. While walking, Kaeya had the nerve to ask, "Won't you pray first or something? To wish for our safety."
Once again, Rosaria rose a brow at his question as if it was the craziest question he had asked her, "Why would I do that?"
Kaeya shrugs, "I remember the Deaconess doing it every time."
"What do you want me to say, 'Oh, dear Barsibatos guide us well'?" Rosaria snarled at him, offended. But then quieted for a moment as she ponders about something, "Wait, was it Bartobas?"
Kaeya couldn't help but crackle up at what she had just said though. And suddenly, a huge gust of wind made it's way inside the domain and knocked him off of his feet.
Diluc gritted his teeth, ignoring the sudden taste of iron on his tongue. Damnit the travel had only told him that there were only a Metachurl and a Cryo Abyss Mage inside this damned domain every time, why is there also a freaking Ruin Grader?
With a deep inhale, he forces himself to call upon his burst just in time before the Ruin Grader activated itself again. The phoenix destroyed the Ruin Grader as well as destroying the Cryo Shield of the Abyss mage who was getting ready to release it's annoying Cryo mist.
He took his damn sweet time grabbing the Mage's head and slammed it hard to the ground and ending it with his pyro infused claymore with a satisfying move.
With deep ragged breaths, he refuse to go out out of this domain looking haggard, he made his way to the odd looking tree. He doesn't remember it looking like this.
The supposed white, and fancy tall tree was instead looking dimmed and dark, some beautifully crafted ice were circling around it from behind as well. When Diluc neared the tree, he noticed that it looks like a tail or a feather sculpture instead. How curious... There are weird looking eyes sculptured as ice as well-
"H-Help..."
Diluc stilled for a moment but quickly ran to the other side of the tree. The voice was sickeningly familiar but he hopes no one is shitting on him.
But all those thoughts dropped when he finally saw the person... no, child, that was quivering in cold behind it.
"Kaeya...?"
"WHY IS THERE A FREAKING RUIN GRADER IN THIS DOMAIN?!" Kaeya shouted as he narrowly avoided the Ruin Grader's arms aiming to crush him to death.
"Haven't you investigated this before?!" Rosaria shouted back, throwing a Cryo infused polearm to a Hydro Abyss Mage.
"We did but the no one found a Ruin Grader outside Dragonspine before!" Kaeya replied, slamming his sword hard on one of the Ruin Grader's feet, subduing him for a moment, "Why the fuck is it even all the way here?!"
Rosaria was quick to grab her weapon back from the frozen mage and used her burst with a kick aiming to the Ruin Grader's other feet. Finally deactivating it, though only for a minute but that's enough time for the two of them.
Rosaria harshly grabbed the mage by its head and threw it next to the Ruin Grader. Kaeya then activated his own burst and the two continue to damage the enemies until they left like dust.
That was a lot more harder than they thought.
"Now that that's fucking done," Kaeya icily grumbled, "Let's investigate this tree."
Rosaria wordlessly followed after him, eyes already inspecting the tree, "Say..."
Kaeya hummed in question.
"Don't you smell something smoking?"
Kaeya sniffed the air from her question, indeed, there is a smell of smoking but from where...?
But then a small hand appeared from behind the tree and the two Cryo users halted in position.
"Show yourself." Kaeya's voice was cold.
However, all hard expression left his face when the small figure finally exposed itself. It's forehead down to it's face was covered in blood that looks sickeningly the same as their hair. Their eyes squinted as if trying hard to look past the blood obscuring their vision whereas Kaeya was but a gapping fish when he recognized the child.
"Diluc...?"