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Chapter Text

     It was early dawn as far as Kaeya could tell, the sun barely hinting itself and the streetlamps still glowing dimly from his windowsill.

    he had intended on sleeping but the captain was writing in field reports and other important documents for Jean who had been bugging him lately on the lack of updates and promised to turn in more information, this was normal for him and with a glass or two of death after noon he was well prepared to pull a few all nighters.

    He was tasked with providing updates on the fatui, which his informants had recently updated on, especially with word from Liyue and the mess one of the harbingers had caused, nearly drowning the entire city. He shivered at the prospect of the fatui attacking Mondstadt and what they would do.

    They weren’t weak against the Fatui. In fact, many times Kaeya had abruptly stopped their actions in the behind scenes before anything serious happened and many were thankful for his quick thinking. Besides himself, he knew the Dark Knight hero would step up in a more violent manner if he so wished.

   But he'd much rather preferred if the redhead stayed out of the affairs of the knights and served drinks in the tavern where at least Huffman could keep an eye on him. Notoriously known for sneaking out and ravaging his intel was not something he wanted, many close calls were made with Diluc's meddling and he wanted him where his eye could at least watch from afar. 

     He was nearly done finishing the last of the papers when a small voice echoed behind him.

"Kaeya-gege?" Klee called tiredly, her hand rubbing her eyes and yawning while standing by the doorframe. The little girl had just woken up and wandered into the study room to greet him. 

     "Ah good morning klee bug, had a good sleep?" He casually got off his desk, abandoning the papers and scooping up the girl in his arms, she was still dressed in pyjamas.

     "Mhm, Can we have pancakes for breakfast?" She asks, gazing happily at Kaeya who was more than happy to oblige. 

     "Of course, why don't you get changed and I'll get started," he said, dropping her in front of the guest bedroom, which was in actuality Klees makeshift room with the addition of doodles and trinkets lying around to make it fit her more, which he didn't mind, in fact, he thought it was cute and even framed a few of the sketches.

     He had Klee sleepover the night before and was making his and her's favorite breakfast, pancakes and chicken skewers. He took special care to shape the pancakes into little dodocos, as requested by the spark knight, and flipped the pancake with another pan sizzling and smelling of fried chicken. Adding his own specialty to the skewers with some fruit and it was a perfect breakfast.

The sun was finally starting to show as the light casually brightened the room and he shuttered open the blinds. 

With a little clatter, Klee was already setting up the table and Kaeya hummed to himself, placing a pancake each for both of them, drizzling sweet flower syrup for her as she waited with eager eyes to dig in.

"Thanks Kaeya, you're the best!" She exclaims, digging out a bite sized piece with a knife and fork. He chuckles and ruffles her hair playfully, sitting down opposite her to dig in himself. 

Klee excitedly rambled about her adventures and fun memories of the day before, while Kaeya listened, he enjoyed her company and it was no secret they bonded quite a lot. 

She suddenly pauses, her expression wide with excitement. "Kaeya, kaeya we can go fish blasting today? .. Oh wait Jean said no more fish blasting or else more solitary confinement, Oh Klee doesn't want that " She grumbled, trying to find a solution.

"We could go fishing and throw bombs at hilichurls; Klee promises not to blow up the bay this time!" She proposed with a squeal.

     Kaeya gave a light smile "Good girl but as much as I would love to join, Captain Kaeya has important work to do today that can not be missed." He disappoints, denying her request. 

This was correct; there had been an increase in reports of fatui near Dapauga gorge and Dragonspine, which was unusual because few people ventured there, and he planned to investigate himself, not trusting anyone else but himself to get the proper details. 

Klee pouted but took a mouthful of berries instead of complaining, making her cheeks puff out more. Kaeya gave a chuckle at how cute she looked, he props a hand under his chin in amusement.

     "How about this, if you're a good girl today I’ll bring back a treasure chest I find alright?" Compromising, Klee's eyes immediately gleamed with excitement. 

     "Okay! You have fun then!" Hopping from her seat and picking up her backpack, she excitedly opened the door and turned back momentarily, "Klee will be a good girl and not cause trouble! Thanks Mister Kaeya!" She then ran out the door to who knows where before Kaeya could call her back.

Did he just get played? by a 10 year old?

     he shook his head grinning to himself, maybe he taught that child too well perhaps one day she might catchup to his antics as well. 

 now that he was alone, he quickly put the dishes away, storing the rest of the food in a cryo-made freezer from his vision and a few mist flowers growing inside. He decided he'd finish the reports later in the day when he returned to give a full report to his colleagues another time and decided to check the sightings right away so he wouldn't keep Klee waiting.

     He always made sure to have someone keep an eye on the small pyro girl, one, because of his own attachments to her and she reminded him of his younger days as a lad with her charming naivety. He supposed they had bonded quicker than most, both being foreign to Mondstadt and not born in the city.

And he couldn't help but remember a certain redhead as a young lad, before his cold personality dulled over much to his amusement.  

He quickly shrugged the thought away; the past was in the past, he shouldn't be reminiscing in a memory long gone. 

     Kaeya quickly put on his usual uniform, complete with exposed chest and a lavish thick neck floof, and began his walk out the city gates. It would have been faster on horse or teleportation, now with the help of the traveller who recently showed how they could utilize the ancient waypoints. But Master Varka had taken his whole cavalry-which included horses, and Kaeya wasn't exactly trustworthy in using the waypoints. Who knows where their power comes from and the effects? 

    Their honorary knight will probably be safe as they have a special immunity to these kinds of things, but him? It's a total mystery. Perhaps he might inquire about it to Albedo when he next sees him.

      Within 30 minutes, he had reached the big windrise tree, picking up random materials along the way, knowing his companions would be grateful for the ascension materials and took a quick stop below the tree, reaching for a small water pouch and taking a sip of water. 

    Normally he would call himself a ‘slacker’, being frozen in place after all was not his motto,   but he was waiting for an informant, Nimrod. 

    They were close enough, they were drinking buddies and Nimrod even willingly joined the treasure hoarders, ofcourse the captain wasn't so naive to know he did more than spying but the information he gathered from the man was satisfactory to leave him be. and he was good companionship in the tavern on their drinking days.  

    "I didn't keep you for long did I?" Nimrod appeared below him  

    "Not at all" Kaeya jumping up from his place, settling into a laidback shift.

    "Ah well, I do have news," Nimrod continued,

    "The treasure hoarders got a anonymous tip 2 days ago to stay away from Dapauga gorge, thought I would let you know since, y'know,  it seemed a little strange for our- I mean their kind of business." looking off to the side shrugging a nervous grin. 

     He perked up, this was news to him, an anonymous tip?

    "I see, this is useful information," he murmured, folding his arms against his chest as he absorbed the new information.

    "I did try to find out more, but treasure hoarder business doesn't really get into the 'whos' and 'where's'" frowning at his own short investigation.

    Interesting Kaeya pondered, his eyes downcast, "Now the treasure hoarders are involved?" It won't be long before the traveler catches wind and joins the mess. He would make a trip there immediately. 

    Nodding to Nimrod, he tossed a pouch of mora at him and smirked. He quickly scrambled to catch it and carefully held the pouch with a delighted gleam in his eyes. 

    "Thanks for the information, use the mora on something nice for your wife, drinks are on me tonight!", waving at him before setting off on a jog towards the gorge. 

    Kaeya slowed his pace when he arrived at the valley, keeping one hand on his sword kept at the hilt of his belt. For the abandoned land it was more deserted than normal, not a bird in sight. Even the camps where adventurers often rested were abandoned and it seemed like it was not habited in awhile judging by the ash campfire. 

        It's too quiet 

   He decided he would climb to a higher location to scout more effectively, following the path up as the air noticeably got more colder. Dragonspine was closeby after all and he could see the snowy outline from here.

    Suddenly, he sensed a strong elemental reaction, which caused him to activate his elemental sight and scan around. He immediately reached for his sword, unsheathing it, and rushed up the hill to identify the source. While running, he assessed the knowledge he knew already of who was behind this. 

    Fatui? No no, They wouldn’t plan anything after last time and recent events in liyue, the treasure hoarders were a possibility with their varying alchemists but unlikely gathered from Nimrod.

   The abyss order, he realized. He stopped in his tracks at the realization.

     It didn't make sense but was the only plausible explaination, now he had to figure out what they were planning and-

    He didn't have a chance to think more when a torrent of hydro quickly aimed his way. He stepped back but was not quick enough to dodge in time ending up being drenched in the water. 

  He flashed a look in that way, but before he could react, icy shards shattered into him; he managed to avoid one, but another was soon fired behind him. trapping his legs first, then spreading upwards swiftly. As he watched the hydro and cryo abyss mages rapidly surrounding him, he writhed in the icy prison to no avail.

      Shit. 

    He fell right into their trap. Was it planned? Who was it?

    He scrambled through a list of enemies he had made over the years, but he doesn't recall needing to be hunted by the abyss order. Still he couldn’t die here; his companions needed him, Jean, albedo, amber, lisa, klee and he daresay Diluc. Hell, he even promised Nimrod a few drinks tonight, oh how he’d love to drown in death after noon right now. It was naive of him to scout this far without backup and he was ashamed how he'd been caught this way.

Silence. 

    What? He was still frozen in place. The downside of being a cryo user is your body temperature being colder than normal, making escaping an ice prison extremely difficult to break out of.

    He glanced around with his one eye, his vision was heavily blurred by the ice and a low buzzing ringing in his ears gave him a headache How long has it been?  An ice abyss mage steadily circled around him while the others watched. He glared coldly at it in his frozen state as the creature neared his face closer to his.

    He did his best to translate when it spoke in khaenri'ahn to him "..a fool.. you khaenri'ah traitor.." It croaked in a highpitched tone.

    "You would've been better staying out of this.. Ashame.." The cryo mage made a tsk noise, or atleast it sounded like one. Then again he could only understand half of what these blimely creatures yelled.

    It motioned for the other mages to come closer and his panic began to set in, with a sharp kick he managed to break free from the ice state and quickly lodged his sword into its body killing it instantly with a last shriek from it. 

    To hell with this spy mission, he was going to end this right now. pulling the sword out he switched to a awkward attack stance and prepared for the incoming attacks, he would not fall for the same trick twice now that he wasn't off guard. 

    If he was lucky someone might've already noticed the commotion and backup was on the way. He let out an burst of heavy cryo crystals, making a border between him and the abyss mages.

    3 mages in total. two cryo and hydro, the odds were not in his favor today.

  How he would've been thankful if a pyro user were around. His bones were freezing. He suspected he’d been in the frozen state for less than 2 minutes, but he could already feel his fingertips frostbite over. He could still manage before hypothermia set in, would he be able to defeat them before then he questioned, deciding not to answer.

    "Spill his blood!" he heard one cry in their language.

    "Don't think I'll fall for that again!" He grinned dodging the firing attacks and rushed ahead of his shield.

    "Cool it!" he exclaimed, quickly impaling the nearest mage before it could raise its shield, a cryo one, and leaping forward to slash its chest with his sword. It let out a screech and Kaeya quickly jumped back, avoiding the other abyss mage torrents of cryo inches away from slamming into his chest. One of them sharply pierced his leg and he hunched over in pain, seeing the blood quickly drench the wound. With great strength he forced himself to narrowly dodge another attack from the hydro mage and limp backwards.

    He turned around and fled stumbling blindly along the rocky pathway deciding it was more valuble saving his life than going against the odds, he was closer to Dragonspine now he could feel the chill even in the rocky field the abyss mages were still on his trail the cryo shards aimed at him as he dodged afew. He mentally cursed himself for not suspecting the danger of the gorge and going alone. 

   He managed to slip away in a crevice by a hillside and used the shelter of a bush to hide behind, his breathing was ragged and he leaned forward to catch his breath. His head was pounding and his body had various wounds which were thankfully mostly numb from the sheer cold. 

    He took a moment to assess himself noticing his clothes were torn and somewhere along the way he managed to misplace the earring hanging on the side of his face. It was a attractive piece of jewelry and one of the very few gifts he treasured. Kaeya would have to return another time to find it, for now he scorned at how easily mages were able to overpower him, in different conditions they wouldn't be very lucky.

    Speaking of luck, he was running out of that.  

    The pain from the recent fight was returning to him, but Kaeya was probably farther away from Mondstadt now then before and wouldn't be able to get medical care for a while. It would be dangerous if he was discovered now and he considered the time it would take with his wounds in account to find shelter. The odds were against him, he knew, but there would be more abyss creatures out by nightfall and he didn't want to take his chances staying any longer. 

He used his sword as a support, pushing himself up with difficulty, and scanned his surrounds; seeing no creatures, he made his way towards the adventurers camp by dragonspine. If he made it there, he believed he could at least gather backup and medical care.  He was now aware of the magnitude of his leg wound; he did not dare to take the shards from it since he was wise enough to know that doing so would cause him to bleed out. but the pain experienced him to lean heavily on his sword, which was acting as a cane. 

    He was by a cliff facing dragonspine below a sea of frozen wasteland. He took a moment to gaze at the daunting mountain. The threatening aura made him uneasy, just what were the abyss doing here? 

    He couldn't tell what time it was because clouds had formed over the once-clear skies, he realized as he limped steadily that the area was also depleted of fatui which he was aware some of them were stationed here. Something wasn't adding up, infact everything that occurred today was a mix of bad luck and confusion. He was about to step forward and heard a noise from behind making him stiffen as he turned to greet the intruder.

    "Found it.. You thought you got away.. How insolent.." A shrill voice hissed behind him interrupting his thoughts. He motioned to his sword to swing at it but was blocked by a shield, he cursed stumbling back. 

    It was almost slow motion.

He was about to release his own cryo burst when the mitachurl appeared, easily outmatching his strength. It crashed into him with its shield, and he felt the force as his bones fractured. Kaeya was too weak to stop it, blocking his sword with his final effort and shouting disdainfully in pain, hoping that someone would hear, perhaps Amber or an adventurer, someone.

    His vision was dark, he could hear a hoarse scream in the distance, or was that him screaming? He couldn't tell, he felt his body being dragged by the collar, the dirt and blood smearing into him as he failed to move his limbs. His head was filling with red and he could barely process a thing now. 

   He still had things to do; was this how his life ended? 

   His life flashed before his eyes, playing in the fields as a child with Diluc to joining the knights and learning to be protect himself, the kindness in their eyes, in his eyes. his happier moments in life. He also saw his guilt, the guilt that night when he was too late. Too late to prevent Master Crepus death, the look of despair in Dilucs eyes as he revealed every secret he sworn to secrecy all out in the open. If only he had gotten there earlier, if only his first thought wasn't how fascinating as his second family crumbled into the ashes of the night. Archons he had so many regrets and not enough time, I'm sorry everyone. he choked and felt blood dripping down his face.  

   "Useless... one we captured.. wrong... "  he could hear the abyss mage in the background but barely acknowledged it, suddenly his body was lifted his head hung loosely and blood dripped to the grass under him. the mitachurl had lifted him with one arm by the collar shaking his limp body as the abyss mage gave a shrill dance in gloat. 

   "If only you were useful.. such a shame.. " it said in commontongue and he realized he was being pulled towards the cliff his panic begun to rise at the realization. He glanced at the dark debts of the ocean below, the harsh waves ripping at the rocks and he gulped. 

   "The abyss has no use for traitors.. Your death will be swift..".It told him, Kaeya screamed in horror as the mitachurl threw him over the cliff and he was falling, his vision blurred and his throat stung wretchedly.

   Klee, Jean, Amber, Rosaria, Lisa, Albedo.. all his companions.. Aether, paimon,.. Diluc. He couldn't leave them behind. Please, archons he needed to see them one last time let the gods know he atleast tried to protect them. He begged to celestia, to his archon, Barbatos. Did he even protect anyone in the end? 

             I can't leave them behind

           Don't let this be the end!

          ...

            Please..

   His mind quickly slipped into darkness as he plunged into the icy sea.

Chapter Text

      The blue haired boy was gazing off one of the balconies watching the sun rise in Liyue harbor. Normally his nose would be tucked between a book reading his literature with complete focus, but today the sun was promising and he wanted to get a view of the sunrise before he began his duties.

      Now this is what I call a ‘moment of solitude.' closing his eyes, letting the welcoming dawn warm against his face.

       He hadn't gotten a moment's rest lately, and it wasn't anyone's fault in particular. Liyue had been threatened by an ancient god known as Osial, only but a meer few weeks ago. Thankfully, with the help of the adepti and the traveller, they had defeated the deadly foe, and many admired their bravery and victory in stopping it effectively with no casualties.

      However, in the aftermath of the incident, Liyues leadership had struggled with keeping control. The Qixing is adjusting to assume complete control of the situation; although they didn't need to change much as the adepti never delved themselves into human affairs, the current Qixing, Lady Ningguang, decided to revise the old laws as most were founded when Rex lapis still ruled and it was clear that Liyue would need to upgrade their defenses to prevent future incidents. A very tedious task indeed but Xingqiu respected the Qixing and admired her dedication to her people so he had little to complain about. On the other hand it meant more work for the restoration of Liyue as it was quite damaged from the Osial Attack. 

      One of the positives of the ordeal was most Snezhayan visitors were issued to be deported back, most being Fatui but a few merchants and employees of the northland bank remained for business. Xingqiu was glad for the lack of their intrusion, he didn't particularly like them and he crossed paths with them more than once on his journeys snooping around. Another positive was one of the first issues Lady Ningguang ordered was to depart the Harbringer Tartaglia. 

      Personally, Xingqiu was happy to see that ginger harbinger out of the way. More than once, he had heard the tales of the young man's strength and he was the cause of this whole ordeal in the first place. He was much more pleased knowing the lad would be as faraway as possible from him before he could get the chance to properly meet. Plus he had a personal grudge at him for almost drowning the harbour including the Wanmin bookstore with priceless books. He grumbled at that remark of his favorite bookstore, if anything were to happen to the valuable lectures and intelligence of Liyue's library he would be swift to bring Justice. 

      He did hear Mr. Zhongli, the consultant of Wangsheng funeral parlor, go to see the harbinger off, it was quite obvious how close they had become during the harbinger's time in Liyue. It surprised Xingqiu at first how the highly esteemed man knew of the chaotic ginger in the first place. But that really was not his business, or his relationship, he was keen on restoring Liyue to its proper peace so he can return to his life in solitude, entranced in a book. 

      Xingqiu let out a tired sigh as the sunrise shifted to a blue horizon the sun now halfway visible in the sky. His clan had personally gone to help restore Liyue in any way needed and as the second heir of the Guhua clan, naturally he would help as well. The Qixing was pleasantly compliant, Lady Keqing was supervising the repairs and cleanups in the harbour and was very thorough in her work. She is hardworking and straight to the point and he felt he didn't have to put much of a facade to make it clear where he was needed. 

      Will Liyue be well now? A new hera had arisen, one without adepti or archons, and he wondered if Liyue harbor could retain its status as the fortified city of wealth now that an archon and the jade chamber were no longer present.

      Interrupting his thoughts,

He turned around just in time to find his beloved friend Chongyun walking towards him. The exorcist calmly waved a hand in greeting, a popsicle in his mouth and a relaxed expression on his face. 

      "Morning chongyun, let's say we go for breakfast together?" Xingqiu asked, bumping an elbow against Chongyun in greeting.

      Chongyun took the popsicle away from his mouth for a moment to speak "Sure, I think Xiangling has something prepared for us already, but I'm not going near her if she's in one of her 'moods. '" the word leaving his mouth distastefully. Xingqiu nodded in understanding

      'Moods' was a term he and Chongyun coined to determine whether it was safe to eat Xianglings food. Their friend's excited expressions when she used a new ingredient in a recipe usually gave off red sirens, no matter how great a chef she was. Better safe than sorry trying a dish when she was in that state.

      I mean, who thought slimes with mushroom stew were tasty... ergh, he cringed at the thought.

-- 

     Shaking his head, the two blue haired teens began walking down the alley towards the Wanmin restaurant. They chatted amongst themselves about trivial things, it somehow always lifted their moods when they had a moment to be carefree, even for a moment.

      This lasted short when a familiar face called them over halfway on their walk. 

       "Ah you two, just who I wanted to find. Could I trouble you with a task?" Dr Baizhu asked, his voice was pearly with a calming demeanor about it. Somehow, it always put Xingqiu on edge, like the herbalist was always hiding his true intentions.

      "Good morning, my liege, what can we assist you with?" Xingqiu responded politely with a short bow and his arm crested over his chest. Chongyun awkwardly dipped his head alongside him.

      "My, so polite for such young fellows. If it's alright, could I burden you with picking up a parcel at Wangshu Inn? I would normally get the adventurers guild to do it but everything is so busy nowadays. " The tall man dropped his head in a sigh, crossing his arms. 

      Xingqiu hummed to himself, his hand resting on his chin to think of what commissions he was tasked with today.

      "It wouldn’t hurt to pick it up. I'm going towards the direction later anyways," Chongyun smiles faintly, choosing for xingqiu. 

      "Ah great, In return, how about a free checkup next time at Bubu pharmacy? Oh don't give that look boys, its always good to checkup on your health. '' Baizhu chuckled and gave a calm smile, the liyuen teens weren’t as surprised by the offer. figures only Baizhu would give deals like this, with not a single mora in return.

      He wasn’t particularly bothered by it. Dr. Baizhu had helped care for Liyue for many years and saved so many people. Sure, he and Chongyun may be put off by his payment methods, but he believes the man is sincere enough.

      Xingqiu dipped his head. "Indeed, you are right, but I think we will have pass; Consider this task a mutual exchange." He says, starting to get tired now and Chongyun's stinging stare from the back of his head was beginning to irritate him. 

      "Alright, just retrieve it from the front desk in the hotel." He tells them. His snake which wrapped around his shoulders gave a shrill hiss, making its presence known. "And don't forget Qiqi, that zombie is always getting in trouble.." the snake said in a highpitched tone.  Baizhu simply chuckled "And if you see my dear Qiqi along the way, please send her back in the right direction"   A subtle reminder of Qiqi’s forgetfulness.

      "Of course, my liege, have a good day."Xingqiu nodded to him and hesitantly nodded to the snake as well,

      "We’ll be back before noon," Chongyun added with a wave. 

      The two liyuen teenagers and the green-haired herbalist parted separate ways after that.

        "Do you think Baizhu got away with free labour?" says Chongyun. As they continued walking down towards Wanmin

        "I'm afraid so," Xingqiu admitted. "But I don't think we expected a substantial payment from that man in the first place."

        "Payment? What's this about? " A new voice entered the conversation.

        Xingqiu and Chongyun jumped at the sudden appearance of Xiangling from behind,

        "Oh sorry, I'm usually the one getting spooked haha!" The girl laughed heartily

        "Hey Xiangling, Good day to you too, We were just talking about a commission from Dr. Baizhu " Xingqiu told her, while dusting his tunic.

        "Ohh.. Him, I guess the rumors about his swindling prices are true if he won't offer mora for commissions," she paused and her face brightened."I have an idea. Let me join you! I need new ingredients out of the harbor anyways! " she volunteered with an excited gleam in her eyes. 

      "Err.. You both don’t need to come, I just need to check out an abandoned home near there "Chongyun tells them, an arm lifted up, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

      "Oh c'mon it’ll be fun! We can use my cart and have breakfast on the way. I promise not to add any wacky ingredients or spices~ " Before they could even put a word in she was running down the street to the restaurant to retrieve her supplies.

      Chongyun shook his head in defeat. Xingqiu chuckled and gave his friend a pat on the shoulder and tugged him to the restaurant to help Xiangling pack.

      Before they knew it, the 3 had set off on Xianglings cart heading towards Wangshu Inn. 

      Xiangling had kept good on her promise, handing Jade parcels and a Crispy Potato shrimp platter to them, they all ate together in the cart as the sun was just midday above them.

      "Soo.." Xiangling started after a couple moments.

      "What’s going on between you two?" She smirked, her eyes glancing at back and forth between them. 

      "Me and Chongyun have been running odd jobs all week." Xingqiu huffed, taking a bite out of a Jade Parcel in hand.

      "I’ve had a total of 5 exorcisms this past month," Chongyun says. 

      "Oh come on more than that, what did you two do together? You can tell meee" Xiangling pouted at them and edged closer.

      Xingqiu and Chongyun looked back at each other completely oblivious to what she was trying to ask of them.

      "We spent yesterday cleaning the harbor with supervision from Keqing..?" Xingqiu said in a questioning tone, seeing if this would satisfy Xiangling's request. It did not. 

      She groaned in response, dropping her head in between her knees. "Oh my gods, you two are too oblivious. We’ll pick up this conversation later and I better get some tea!" 

      Chongyun just tilted his head in confusion but chose not to press further. Xingqiu decided to ignore Xiangling antics and looked outside the wagon, seeing a faint outline of the tall treehouse coming into view.

      "Look, we're almost there, maybe we should stop for lunch while at the Inn?" he said, changing the topic swiftly.

      "What about my cooking? We canpicnic in one of Liyue's magnificent scenic spots and let Chef Xiangling prepare the best dishes for her two best friends!" She said charmingly.

      Well, he couldn't argue there, especially with her addressing them with the honorifics. Xingqiu was impressed by how easily she could convince the group with just a few words. 

      "A picnic could be relaxing.." Chongyun gleamed

      silently, agreeing for Xingqiu. He liked that about them. They could always figure out what the other wanted, somewhat like a fourth sense, but Xingqiu just thought because they knew each other so well they had grown to have similar tastes for the other.

"See, see, so it's settled! Now, which location... Guhua Geek, do you have any good locations? "Looking expectantly at Xingqiu.

      All too used to the nickname to be bothered "I read that rare blue crabs show back when the tide is low at Yaoguang beach, which could make a tasty delicacy". He also may have been craving a crab dish all week but would never admit that to Xiangling, she probably would make crab dishes for weeks until he was sick of it if he told her that.

      Xiangling eyes sparkled, making Chongyun glance nervously at Xingqiu, knowing where this would lead. 

      "That's a fantastic idea! Yes, yes, and don't worry, Chongyun, I'll make sure there's no chili in it! Don't want a repeat of last time. " She teased, the exorcist cringed at the memory and agreed. 

      By the time they had figured out all the details, the group had arrived at the Inn. The tree was blooming beautifully in the sunlight and the hotel staff busily walked around.

      "I’ll stay down here, you two go up," Chongyun insisted, something about his yang energy too powerful for the common ghost that was residing here. Wanting to stay back to not frighten the spirits anymore. Wasn’t he the one who didn’t want us to come in the first place?  Xingqiu thought otherwise, he was probably too embarrassed to show his face in the Inn after an Incident that took place once.

      Xingqiu and Chongyun had gone to the inn one night for dinner and the chef mistakenly put spices in the food, unfortunately Chongyun had consumed it before he could warn him and he became tipsy and damaged quite a lot of furniture in the little stunt. The staff weren't actually upset by the incident and infact invited them another time to see Chongyun's dancing once more, Xingqiu got a good laugh out of that one for sure but Chongyun was traumatized and immediately wrote apology letters and stayed away for weeks after. His poor friend probably wanted to avoid any familiar faces mentioning the incident to avoid the embarrassment.

      So Xiangling and Xingqiu went up the elevator and received the package from Verr Goldet, who had heard they were coming beforehand and prepared the box in the foyer.

      "Heres the package, its just a couple medicines and herbs from Sumeru" She stated handing the box to him. 

      "Dr Baizhu sends his thanks." Xingqiu says taking the package carefully, testing the weight before holding it promptly. It was then he realized his companion was nowhere insight, oh gods where did Xiangling go. looking around frantically   

      A yell from downstairs answered the question for him as he heard her scream "Xingqiu! You have to see the delicacies that this place has! Sir, you must tell me what ingredients were used! " followed by a loud crash in the kitchen and many grunts.

      Xingqiu quickly apologized to Verr goldet and then dashed off to find his friend, to stop her most likely harassing the poor chef.

      "No, no! Let me go guhua geek. I swear I'll come back, Smiley Yanxiao!! " She shouted profusely as Xingqiu dragged her away.

      "Remind me never to bring you here again.." He muttered now, walking down the stairs to ground level.

      Xiangling sighed, murmuring about how she missed the opportunity of a lifetime. Xingqiu frowned, not buying into the scheme.

When they arrived at the main floor, they met Chongyun who was now shouting at someone with his claymore out in a defensive stat. 

      "Oh come on Chongyun I’m granting Qiqi the most wondrous event of her life!" "Something you exorcists wouldn't understand," exclaimed a dark-haired girl twirling a pole-arm in hand, Xingqiu recognized the familiar sight as Hu Tao, the director of the Wangsheng funeral parlor.

      Chongyun, who he now noticed was shielding the young Qiqi behind the claymore, was rigid, unlike his usual calm demeanor. "Please do not involve me being an exorcist in this. You know that has nothing to do with this." he says politely, trying not to let his anger show.

      "Hey what's going on here!? Huh Hu tao? Oh no. no no no. " Xiangling came to interrupt, realizing the situation immediately, all too familiar.

      "Xiangling! Oh how nice it is to see you, And Xingqiu my oh my. Don't tell me you all were together without me? " She pouted and continued on, "I'm just trying to seal away our little qiqi here, Hee hee!" she said cheerfully, Qiqi scowling in response.

      Xingqiu was the one to interrupt here. "Hu tao please withhold from burying Qiqi. I’m sure Baizhu must be worried about her by now." Looking over at Qiqi, who was huddled behind Chongyun and glaring at Hu tao.

      "Oh boo-hoo you're no fun. Fine, I'll withdraw from burying qiqi, but only because it's not a special burying day to bring her good fortune in the afterlife! " she said, putting away her weapon. Xingqiu just figured she realized she was outnumbered and chose to not stir anymore trouble. 

      The group frowned at the girl, Hu Tao was a fun friend to be with, but they had to constantly stop her from sealing Qiqi. It even comes to the point where Qiqi can recognize her in an instant and will immediately dash to safety despite her forgetful memory.

      Now that the situation was cleared, Qiqi had bowed her head politely at Chongyun "Qiqi is grateful for you saving me, I must return back now..", giving one glare at Hu Tao, who just smiled cheekily. 

      Qiqi turned to Xiangling and Xingqiu, her arms outstretched, "Qiqi can take the package safely back to Dr. Baizhu" she said calmly and Xingqiu handed the package to her. It was a little too big and you could only see her little hat poking overhead, but the zombie had no trouble lifting it and made her way back towards the harbor. They watched her leave their sight, incase she tripped or forgot where she was going again, that happened more than often. 

      "Yo! Afternoon! Had lunch? " Hu tao picked up the conversation immediately forgetting the incident.

      "Don’t pretend nothing happened! You shouldn’t pick on poor Qiqi. " Xiangling complained shooting a glare at her.

      "Oh that.. He-he! Well, she is a zombie and belongs in the afterlife. As the 77th director of the funeral parlor, I am only fulfilling my duty. " Hutao dotted innocently looking away from her gaze.

      "Ah, I can't with you.. Xingqiu, Chongyun since we finished the job, where should we go next? " Xiangling now focuses her attention on the two teens who decided to step back and let Xiangling quarrel with Hu Tao.

      "A delicious lunch would be wonderful, as we had planned, and of course, your cooking is very gratefully received." Xingqiu said

      "Oh right! I wanted to let you all try my Golden crab recipe. Let's go already. I can't wait!" she nods excitedly

      "I’ll come along too, of course, nothing more exciting than more company!" Hu tao proclaimed letting herself join the party.

After minimal complaints they all hop on Xianglings wagon heading towards the shore for their picnic together. What could go possibly wrong?

Chapter Text

        "♪Silly-churl, billy-churl, silly-billy hilichurl. Frilly-churl, willy-churl, frilly-willy hilichurl♪ Ah, hehe… " Hu tao chanted slowly with a creepy smile.

        Xiangling, who was now seated in the front driving the wagon with her arms wrapped around her, mumbled sorrowfully, "Oh archons, please make her stop..."

        "My my Xiangling, my songs can't be that bad, even Xinyan complimented me once!" Hu tao replied, laughing.

        "But why do they have to be so.. grim?" She frowned and looked back at the other two. "You two have been awfully quiet, anything to add?" Squinting her eyes at them.

        Xingqiu was busy reading a book he pulled out, way too focused to hear his friend, He wasn’t called Guhua geek for nothing.

        Chongyun, sitting beside him, had summoned another popsicle and began licking it.

        "Nope." Chongyun responded blankly, not helping the conversation any further.

        "Hmm.. How about another song?" Hu tao suggested, her hands intertwined, resting her chin on them.

        "Sing another tune and I’ll add qingxin with slime condensate to your plate" Xiangling threatened. She was surprisingly good at being intimidating when needed.

        "Bleugh no thank you Chef Xiangling." Hu tao obliged and stuck her tongue out leaning back against the cart.

        "What were you doing at Wangshu Inn in the first place, Hu tao?" Xingqiu looked up from his book finally, giving a questioning look to the director.

        "I’m glad you asked Master Xingqiu!" Jumping up from her spot, "Did you know on average there are 120 adventurers-casualties per year in Liyue?" Sounding awfully too cheery for this topic.

        "I was looking for potential clients for the parlor when I saw little Qiqi and met you 3, the irony! Shame the breeze today is a good day for a ritual too," she sighed disappointingly. 

        "I heard there's going to be shooting stars tonight too." Chongyun added, looking up at the clear skies.

        "Oh now you choose to speakup?!" Xiangling squawked at chongyun. "Don't give ideas to hu tao!" she theatened then her face softened into a laugh. 

        They all laughed, except Chongyun, who looked perplexed.

        The path had become too rocky for the wagon to continue, so the group took their supplies and set on foot. They were close enough to Yaoguang shore and set up a nice picnic spot by the cliffs.

        "Alright, it’s going to take awhile to set up. How about you three go bring those tasty crabs back for me?" Xiangling told them, taking a moment to envision the dish she would make with them.

        "Crabs? Oho, If it's about cooking, I'm sure my little pyro butterflies can fry them up exquisitely. " Hu Tao joked and skipped towards the shore before them.

        "Please be careful, especially with Hu tao" Xiangling whispered, glancing anxiously at the girl while unpacking the supplies they brought.

        "Don’t worry Xiangling, I’m here, remember? And our positive lightbeam too " nodding to Chongyun.

        "Positive what-" 

        Xingqiu did not let him finish, "Let’s get going yun’ We’ll be back before you know it, Xiangling!" Xingqiu grabbed his hand and they eagerly followed Hu tao down to the shore.

        Xiangling just shook her head, smiled and went back to prepping ingredients. How did i manage to get such amazing friends like them. she thought wistfully

        They fell into a quick rhythm, Chongyun freezing crabs along the way while Hu Tao tossed them into a basket held by Xingqiu, who was having far too much fun lifting and tossing the crabs into the air.

        "In you go crabby!" Now wielding her polearm, she flings the frozen creature into the air, slamming it into the basket. 

        "I think we have enough Hu tao" Xingqiu grimaces, feeling slightly sorry for the crabs.

        "Okey dokey!" twirling her pole arm around her body before it materialized back into matter.

        How is someone like her running a funeral parlor again? He said to himself, despite the fact that she was just a few months older than him, she appeared to exhibit more of the characteristics of a child. Don't be misled: the director has always dedicated herself to her job, but he thought she was a little too lighthearted when it came to death.

        Hu tao suddenly stopped ahead of them, raising a hand slowly to be quiet, not like they were talking anyways.

        "Do you see that?" Her tone dropping all enthusiasm from before as she tilted her head towards the sight. 

        Xingqiu and Chongyun stepped forward to get a closer look.

       "Fatui agents." Chongyun murmured his eyes widening.

       They had all shuffled to a quiet part of the beach using rocks as leverage to stay hidden as they got a better look.

      "No, just one, but what's that?" Xingqiu is now squinting his eyes at the sight.

        Facing the agent was a hunched over figure, who looked well beyond beaten to be standing. He looked like he had just walked out of the ocean still drenched and seaweed slapped over him or rather thats exactly what happened. The stranger held a piece of driftwood weakly pointing it towards the agent in defense. It was sloppy but clear that the man was in no state to fight any longer. 

        "Let’s go" Chongyun not hesitating a moment to help the man he equipped his claymore almost immediately. Rushing towards the agent who was taken aback by the sudden intrusion.

        Hu tao was just a heartbeat away, excited about the new challenge.

        Chongyun swiftly brought his claymore down, forcing the agent down to the ground, Hu tao taking it as an opportunity, summoning a blazing spirit to swing against the fatui agent’s open side.            

        "Time to go!"

        Chongyun shifted a nod to Hu tao in thanks. She took a step forward, swinging her polearm in preparation for the next attack.

        The fatui stumbled away but quickly regained his posture, summoning blades to swing swiftly around him.

        Xingqiu, taking this as an opportunity to join their duo battle, jumped in front of them, summoning hydro shield to combat against it. He glanced behind him

        "Make sure that person is all right! I'll take care of the agent. " He shouted at them and charged into the battle, elegantly swiping and avoiding the agents' attacks while summoning hydro and slicing him. He would fight long enough to ensure his friends had enough time to check on the injured.

        Chongyun immediately focused his attention on the injured man. fully confident in Xingqiu's abilities and hurried over to the now hunched over man.

        "Er… hello my name is Chongyun, are you alright?" He tried to maintain his calm voice as best as possible.

        The person, who he now noticed was heavily bleeding and half-covered in cryo shards, seemed to be looking right through him before the boy spoke to him and seemed to be in a trance.

        "Ah.." Chongyun was taken aback by the strangeness and turned to look at Hutao, who was a few feet behind him.

        She suddenly widened at the sight of the stranger, stopping in her tracks. 

        "Chongyun! Step back! " She shouted too late.

        Chongyun spun around to see the man charging at him, abandoning the weapon he was wielding and slamming into the boy. He immediately clenched his hands around Chongyun's throat, choking him, and he glared at him with a distant look in his one eye.

        Hu Tao was quick to kick the man off him, which required little effort, hitting against Hu Tao's foot with a satisfying "Omph!"

       "Are you alright Chongyun? Normally I wouldn’t be quick to send one to the afterlife but he seemed like he deserved it." Hu tao said. Chongyun sat up gingerly rubbing his neck which he hoped wasn't bruised.

        They turned around to see Xingqiu charging in to deliver the final blow to the agent, who appeared to be significantly weakened by their now staggering clash. He effortlessly sliced his torso with his blade and gracefully stood up, sliding his sword in its sheath.

        "Are you alright?" He called his face was full of concern for Chongyun.

        "I'm okay. I don't think he is through.." The group now turned their attention to the crouched man.

        He seemed to be hallucinating, stumbling on his knees and murmuring in an unfamiliar language whilst trembling uncontrollably. 

        The sight itself sickened them, and Xingqiu was the first to approach him with caution steps.

        "Xingqiu.." Chongyun gave a warning to him.

        "By the looks of him, I think our stranger is beyond repair. Shall I send him off with a bang? " Hu tao suggested cheerily "Kidding, haha." 

        Xingqiu and Chongyun both glared at her to shut up immediately.

        "Can you hear us, my lord? We just saved you from that fatui agent; can you stand?" Xingqiu kneeled down at his level, careful not to touch him incase he attacked like before. 

        The injured stranger was hunched over staring at the ground. He murmured something barely quiet enough for a whisper.

        Xingqiu moved closer to him in order to hear him better. "Apologies, Can you repeat that? What's your name? "

        He suddenly coughed up a splatter of blood, pausing to wipe it, and he turned his head abruptly towards Xingqiu. his pupil unnaturally small and he looked almost zombie like.  

        "Be careful, Xingqiu!" Chongyun warned and moved closer. Chongyun had just been attacked and assaulted by this man. Looking at him, it looked impossible. The stranger's whole appearance was in jeopardy. Who knows what he'd been through to get to this state? He crouched like a cornered animal. 

        In a final attempt to defend himself, the man reached to his side, seemingly looking for something. He paused and then became frantic, sitting up and looking around.

        "Where?" He said hoarsely, the word barely recognizable. He glared at the three, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

        The three looked back at each other confused. 

        "I think he's lost it," Hu tao said with a sidelong glance.

        "Hey buddy~ Yoo-hoo~" She jumped ahead, waving her arm in front of him. "Interested in our funeral parlors' special offer? Now buy 1 coffin and get 2 free! " She said cheerily easing his attention. 

        Xingqiu facepalmed and pushed her away. "Your cheery attitude is horrifying. This man needs immediate medical attention, move aside. " 

        Before he could summon his hydro, the stranger jumped up, staggering a bit and pointed a dagger at him. which he pulled from who knows where "Stay away.." He growled and coughed, talking was proving a challenge to him.

        "Oh he has a knife now- Greeat.." Hu tao comedically sighed. Lifting a hand to her hip. watching what the lad would do next.

        Xingqiu didn’t re-equip his sword and instead backed away. He now noticed the mans one eye, a beautiful lilac shade with a piercing diamond pupil. He had never seen a pupil like that before, making him pause, looking closer at him in wonder. 

        "I can knock him out and we can bring him back," Chongyun stated, procuring his claymore.

        he quickly dismissed the idea "That could cause a more severe concussion- he's clearly out of it." Signalling a hand to the man still pointing the knife towards him, his gaze was terrified and shaken. 

Before Xingqiu could calm the man, they heard an abrupt yelling splitting the air.

        "Hi-yah!" Xiangling charged out from behind the stranger and whipped her polearm at him, knocking him out and tossing the knife he was holding aside.

        "Whew!" she exclaimed as she wiped her brow. That solves one problem " then looked up at her three friends' jaws gaping at the scene which had just unfolded.

        "What?" She asked, confused. Hu tao was the first to start "Wow Xiangling! I should consider hiring you! " she chuckled leaning backwards to laugh. 

        "You... idiot.." Xingqiu had a disgusted face, frowning. He could waste time explaining the situation to Xiangling later. Instead, he quickly approached the now unconscious body lying on the beach.

        He carefully pushed him on his back, checking his pulse. Very faint but breathing, he was by no means a doctor, but his hydro vision did give decent healing qualities. He summoned a hydro shield to swirl around him, cleaning off the debris, letting him examine the wounds better.

        he sighed, this was useless without a actual doctor.

        "This is useless, we need to get a proper healer right away," he said to them

Hu Tao and Chongyun, who were explaining the situation to Xiangling in the background, approached Xingqiu and the still man unconsciously next to him.

        "Oh Archons.. He barely looks alive. I'm so so sorry. " he was feeling guilty having presumed it was an enemy attacking them and simply acted out of the best intentions

       "Don't apologize to me, save that for later." he said. 

        "I'll freeze the wounds" Chongyun sat down next to him using his cryo vision to expertly freeze the wounds. He touched his pale skin which was freezing, Dread filled him. They didn’t have much time and Xingqiu didn’t want Hu Tao to have a new customer today.

        Xingqiu and chongyun together lifted the man up as gently as possible, apparently Hu tao had gotten the wagon by that time. Even Xingqiu, who was teased for being underweight, thought the man felt light.

        Xiangling had brought the food she was making on the wagon, but they all lost their appetite. They carefully laid the stranger down, covering him in a blanket and guoba, who was sleeping in the corner, woke up to blow pyro in his way hopefully warming him up.

        "Do you think he’ll make it?" Chongyun quietly inquired, concerned.

        "I’m.. not sure. Considering his attire, he's not native to Liyue or any regions I recognize and his appearance is rather unique. " It was bad enough that they didn't know much about this guy other than the fact that he had been swept in by the swore, and they didn't know much about his previous situation. Xingqiu has never seen someone so severely injured and disoriented in his life.

        "Not to mention how he tried to murder us. Several times. " Hu tao said, glancing at Chongyun's neck, which revealed mild bruises. Looking to the side, he rubbed his arm against it gingerly.

        "It wasn't his fault, and I'm fine anyway."Chongyun dismissed

        Xingqiu looked worriedly at his friend. He was tempted to ask to heal it, but knowing Chongyun, he would tell him to use his vision on the far more injured man.

        "I also have to apologize.. I shouldn’t have jumped the gun and knocked him out, " Xiangling admitted. She was sulking from guilt, hurriedly picking up the pace of the cart towards Liyue.

        Hu tao sighed "Ah fine I apologize too. As tempting as a new client would be, it would be shameful to see this man reach the afterlife after clinging to it so desperately. " It was a half apology but appreciated all the same.

        The cart made an abrupt stop "We're at the gate now, we'll be at the pharmacy soon," Xiangling called from the front.

        Xingqiu sat up and tried to use his healing vision one final time on the unconscious man. It barely made a difference, but he noticed his complexion brighten up slightly. 

        His features were quite handsome, he took note, tan skin with dark blue hair. They covered his body in a blanket since his original clothes were ripped to shreds, but Xingqiu noticed the fabric was of high quality, potentially helping them identify him in the future.

        The injured man twitched and turned from time to time with a deep frown on his face seemingly stuck in a nightmare, Xingqiu pitying the sight of him and hoping the man would wake up soon so they could reconnect him to his homeland. 

        Hu tao hopped off the cart with a little jump. "I’m going to the funeral parlor, If Baizhu sees me, I'm sure he’ll lecture me and I’d prefer Zhongli’s lectures than that man.. Ugh.. " waving a hand off 

        "Hope your patient heals and if not, you know where to find me!" She gave a teasing wink and one last glance at xingqiu with a solemn expression before walking off, presumably back to the funeral parlor.

        Xingqiu sighed and leaned his head back, his fatigue evident. He wondered if what they were doing was right, saving a stranger from near death and bringing him to Liyue. Given how difficult it was to get him here, this man could be an enemy for all they know.

Is this right?  

"We’re doing the right thing." Chongyun told him as if reading his thoughts. He rested a hand on his shoulder with a reassuring gaze.

"We’re saving a life. Whether this stranger brings trouble or not, it was the right call." 

Xingqiu gave a small nod and smiled at Chongyun. Ofcourse his friend was right, this was what justice was in his eyes and they had helped all they could, whether it was for the good or bad he would live on with no regrets. 

As if on queue, the cart slowed to a stop in front of the pharmacy. Finally arriving at their destination. 

Chapter Text

      As soon as Baizhu heard the commotion, he hurried down the long escalade of stairs. keeping up with his coworkers who were gently lowering the stretcher containing the unconscious body up into the foyer. He put his hand on the man's chest and leaned in close to listen to his heartbeat, which was barely pulsing with a faint murmur.

     His face dripped with sweat. "Get him onto a table quickly; I'll need more bandages and antiseptic.  "He told Gui, one of the herbalists, who nodded hurriedly along. 

     They carefully lifted the man on the table prepared beforehand for cases like this. Baizhu is quick to cut off the remaining scraps of clothes and toss them aside dripping with blood. He could now see the numerous cuts and deep wounds that littered his body.

     "Archons.. What happened to this man?" He blinked rapidly, a nervous tremor in his voice. He had saved countless patients over the years in Liyue harbor, never giving up on a single one, but he couldn’t even begin to fathom what to heal first. The man looked like he was facing death's door before being fortunate enough to arrive here.

     "If there's any way we can assist, my lord?" He didn't even notice the two teenagers sneaking into the infirmary behind them to occupy themselves with examining the barely breathing corpse.

     "Boys-I don’t think this is something for you to witness." he said frankly. His back was turned to them and he was washing what blood he could see, soaking them in an unused rag.

      "Please accept our apologies, Dr. Baizhu, but we can still assist in some way."Chongyun stated, looking away guiltily from the sight of blood dripping from his arm.

     He looked up to see the shivering mess the two teens were in, both with injuries of their own and guilty, worried expressions. Remembering how they and the other teen Xiangling had been the ones who had brought this man back.

     He sighed, giving in. "Ah, whatever. You, young master, wipe the blood off while explaining the situation, You. " Raising a hand indicating to Chongyun "Get that checked out by Herbalist Gui, you're more healthy than half beaten," he said, pointing out the bruises on his neck that would worsen if not treated.

     Chongyun looked like he was about to refuse but gave a quick nod when his companion gave a reassuring nod back at him. Understanding the situation and backing away.

    Xingqiu rushed to Baizhu's side, picking up a clean rag and helping him clean the unconscious figure, which was concerningly cold.

     The young master quickly filled him in, "We found him on the shore in a disheveled state barely standing." Choosing to save mentioning the agent encounter for later.

     "Any Symptoms?" Baizhu asked, his tone sharp.

     "He was hallucinating and tried to attack us, seeing us as an enemy. Xiangling knocked him out on the head before we brought him here." His expression darkens when attacked.

     "Alright, and xiangling is fine?" choosing not to delve into the subject more as it looked like it distressed the teen more.

     "Yeah, she was pretty overwhelmed during the situation and went to return the cart."Xingqiu told him while rinsing the bloody soaked rag in a bucket before continuing.

     Baizhu sighed, recognizing that this would probably be overwhelming for any person, especially children, wondering what would happen if he didn't send them on that commission this morning if the outcome would’ve been different. Xingqiu was surprisingly calm in this situation.

     He became a doctor to prevent others witnessing such trauma. He wanted to cure people but at the same time bring smiles to others. But in this line of work, it gets increasingly more difficult for each new patient he takes on. 

     He shook the thought away for now, he could only focus on the present and right now he had a patient to save.

     "Your vision grants healing abilities correct?" He asks him while bandaging the unconscious man's arm. It was fractured. No powerful healing vision could fix it quickly. Unfortunately,

He wasn’t sure where Qiqi was at the moment, but until she returned, Xingqiu was the closest one with healing abilities which could help speed the recovery.

(I'd like to mention since we don't know what Baizhu's vision is capable of yet in canon story im choosing to make him not able to heal but instead use his dendro to help amplify medicine and analyze diseases)

     "Yes, I healed the minor wounds I could see and Chongyun used his ice to freeze the ones more serious." He stated, Baizhu was impressed. He figured if the group didn't have a healing user with them, this unfortunate soul would almost certainly be buried in a graveyard rather than an infirmary.

      Speaking of the man, he was no citizen of Liyue or any familiar region he could recognize. He had several injuries. He had a couple of broken ribs, an injury to his abdomen, a twisted ankle Probably from a fall and, of course, the concussions and brain damage they had told him about. 

     He took action on his leg, which seemed to be the cause of most of the spillage. He took up a fresh rag, one that wasn't stained with blood, and stuffed it into the man's mouth, already preparing for what was to come.

     "I’d advise you to hold him down, this might get loud." The doctor is now examining his painfully impaled leg in cryo shards, Abyss mages he recognizes providing a clue to his previous battle.

     The sudden conscious stranger rose in a painful gasp, his eye gaping painfully out, emitting a muffled scream as his jaw contorted violently, Baizhu pulling the shard out in a swift swoop. Xingqiu used his whole body strength to keep him down as Baizhu stitched the edges shut. Applying numbing salve and wrapping in bandages delicately.

      He picked up a towel, wiping the blood off his hands. Looking over at the now unconscious body, he must’ve passed out quickly after due to the pain.

     The doctor looked over at Xingqiu, who loosened his grip on the man. the tears forming on the edge of his tearducts he wiped gently away with one hand, his face solemn.

Baizhu blinked at him. When did the boy grow up so fast? It was probably Baizhu who hadn't noticed, but he had grown into a responsible young lad, one with smarts and wits. 

    "Will he live?" He sat beside the bed, looking worried at the stranger. His physique was fatigued and he noticed dark lines under his eyes.

"If he makes it through the night, I suppose there is hope. I’ll have to get Qiqi to heal the wounds further. " It wasn’t quite a reassuring remark, but it eased xingqiu a bit anyways.

     He placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, "I can take it from here, young master. Thank you. You are welcome to rest in a spare bed with your friends to recover."

Xingqiu just nodded and got up.

     He walked past the familiar small girl who entered the room calmly, her small arm reaching to tug at Baizhu’s leg.

"Qiqi is here now to help." speaking calmly. Summoning her herald of frost with an icy glow.

Klee.

     Klee was pouting guiltily in solitary confinement, although she had promised to be a good girl for Kaeya. When she had quickly rushed out of his house this morning, she accidentally tripped and dropped one of her bombs along the way, ending up exploding right in front of Huffman during his daily stroll.

     Oh she was in trouble. The bomb wasn’t particularly dangerous. In fact, it was her newest recipe with help from albedo.

     It blew up like a balloon, air exploding from within. The only added ingredient was a pepper & dandelion mixture, making anyone near the vicinity sneeze uncontrollably in a big foggy cloud.

     The good news was it worked, but Huffman wasn’t pleased after choking out sneezes for 5 minutes straight, sending her straight to solitary confinement when he finally caught his breath.

     So Klee sat in her room, swinging her legs loosely back and forth off the chair, hoping Kaeya wouldn't be too upset when he returned,

Oh, and he promised to bring back treasure for her as well. Would he be more disappointed then?

     She put a hand to her chin thoughtfully, mimicking Albedo when he was deep in thought to look more impressive.

The day wasn’t over. Maybe she could still do some good. Yes, that's it! Leave it to Sparknight Klee to redeem the day!

     She jumped up from her seat and quietly shifted open the door, peering out into the hall to see if someone was there. With no one in sight, she walked out, taking special care not to make any unwanted noise (Kaeya had taught her well).

     Klee quickly slipped out the front door of the headquarters, free to do as she pleased. She had a brilliant idea; she wasn't sure when Kaeya would return, but she wanted to prepare a special klee dish for when he did.

     The only dish she was able to create with minimal ease was Fisherman's Toast, And she knew Kaeya liked it, which made it the perfect gift. And what better way to do some good than gifting free food! (a quote she heard from the astrologist Mona once or twice)

     Klee had a steady plate of hot fisherman's toast after what had been hours. With the assistance of Sarah, at good hunter who lent her the stove and provided her with the ingredients required. 

     Klee was pleased with herself for preparing a meal on her own, even though it was just toast.

She trotted down the stone path to Kaeya's house, holding the plate safely against her chest.

     The sun had reached the halfway point of its descent, with pink and orange hues saturating the skies. It would be overtaken by the dark starry skies in just a few hours. 

     Kaeya should be back now! Klee thought happily as she approached his home.

She used her free hand to knock on his door, carefully holding the plate of toast against one arm.

     "Kaeya, Klee has a present for you!" she said through the door. 

No answer.

     Hmm.. Maybe he didn’t hear her? Placing the plate of food next to her, she reached an arm in her backpack and pulled out a metal key. Kaeya had given it to her to use if she ever needed to enter and he was too busy to hear her. 

     Clumsily turning it in the keyhole, it made a click and the door creaked open. The room was pitch black and Klee quickly turned on a switch, activating a pyro lit bulb which was quick to illuminate the room. 

     "Kaeya-?" She called out, stepping into the house and closing the door behind her. After more investigating, Kaeya was in fact not home yet. Klee frowned and set the plate on the dining table, which had gone cold now anyways.

     It was the first time she was home alone, she realized. waiting inside his living room for nearly a hour

Now fumbling her fingers on the couch. She was starting to get hungry, but she waited for him to come home for them to share the toast she made.   

      It wasn’t unusual when Kaeya returned home late. He often went drinking and arrived home late most days or none at all, choosing to crash at his office in the headquarters, but he always told Klee if he knew she was coming over that night. 

     Oh that’s right! Kaeya was probably at the tavern. He must’ve gotten held up there and was drinking. 

     She hurried out of the house and headed down the road to the tavern. It was late, she realized, and even the lamp posts were lit up in the streets, which were now bare, with nothing but the stray cats around Mond hiding in the shadows.

     She shivered against the cool breeze in the open night. She didn’t like the atmosphere and was getting an increasing appetite. She just wanted to get Kaeya and go back.

     When she arrived at the tavern, she straightened her jacket before forcing her way through the door, which rang with the chime of a bell.

     "We’re closed, Please leave." A voice responded immediately to the sound.

     The tavern owner was polishing a wine glass from behind the bar with his back turned away distracted.

     "Um.." Klee's voice stuttered out. Not expecting Master Diluc to be here, he was intimidating to Klee and she wasn’t sure how to talk to him because of his grumpy nature.

     Diluc turned to look at the child now standing at his door. Blinking rapidly when they locked gazes and making klee suddenly feel small. 

     He put down the glass he was holding, "Sparknight Klee? It’s too dark for you to be out this late. Does Jean know your here? " His voice softening but still bore the same frown.

     "Is Kaeya here?" ignoring the question with another question.

     "You mean, he’s not there?" he asked slowly, his gaze darkening almost immediately.

     Klee simply shook her head her hands fumbling together nervously, dumbfounded.

     A loud growling erupted. Her stomach making its presence known awkwardly.

     
     the Tavern master groaned frustratingly raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. 

     "Kaeya you owe me trifold." he grimaced. before sighing.

..

Chapter Text

   "You mean, he’s not there?" he asked slowly, his gaze darkening almost immediately.

     Klee simply shook her head her hands fumbling together nervously, dumbfounded 

     A loud growling erupted. Her stomach made its presence known awkwardly.  

     the Tavern master groaned frustratingly raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Kaeya you owe me trifold." he grimaced. before sighing.

--

A couple of hours earlier - Diluc

     Diluc had taken over a shift at the tavern tonight,

     The citizens of Mondstadt were used to seeing the dark clothed master serving there. Not unusual as he was the owner of the tavern, but it was the lack of a certain presence that brought attention to him tonight. Increasingly irritating him

     "Master Diluc, another death after noon." The nun beckoned to him, her hand cupped under her chin, observing him with a icy gaze.

     He reached under the counter for a new bottle, corked it open, and slid it down the bar to Rosaria, who reached for it with her unused hand, her eyes not leaving him.

     "Anything else, Sister Rosaria?" Meeting her icy stare with an irritated frown.

     "Nope, just biding time until the captain arrives." pouring herself a glass and swishing the contents around the cup instead of drinking it.

      "Apparently he’s treating Nimrod tonight and I hardly believe that." Rolling her eyes at Nimrod who was sitting 2 seats away from her.

     "He said he'd do it, Sister Rosaria, and he'd never lie about drinking! "Nimrod defended, chugging a beer in hand.

     "He even paid me saying-* Hic * to spend it on my wife, what a lad," he said half-drunk.

     "Shouldn’t you be waiting for him instead of drinking it all drunk before he even arrives." Rosaria pointed out, taking a sip from her glass.

     "It’ll be fine-* Hic * I- I need something to distract me, and-its all more boring with the tavern so empty." Nimrod airily replied and taking the refill Diluc handed him quickly. 

     Even the tone-deaf bard, who usually energises the tavern with his tunes in exchange for a shot of wine, wasn't here today. 

     Only with a few customers, it's one of the quieter nights in the tavern, making it quite boring.

     "Sir Kaeya better arrive soon if he's to pay the bill, the taverns are closing soon." Diluc remarked Looking at the clock on the wall, the arrow pointing a half hour to midnight. 

     "Probably finishing off paperwork back at the ordo, what a tedious task." Rosaria sighed, fiddling with a dagger in her palm, her displeasure clear in her voice.

     "I’m assuming he's dying for a drink about now, knowing how his day goes." Rosaria added on.

     "S’not the same in the tavern without him." Nimrod wistfully murmured, taking another chug.

     Diluc parted from their conversation before he could hear Rosaria’s sappy remark to Nimrod. He went to wipe down the tabletops and began closing the tavern, as now only the duo were drinking at the bar. Leaving him mostly to his own thoughts.

     He had to admit, it was a lot quieter when Kaeya wasn’t in the tavern. He made it a point to drink every time Diluc worked and rarely he found himself without the one eyed man making bickering remarks to him while drinking. Usually digging to get under his nerves.

     It did irritate him that the only conversation in the tavern was about the captain's lack of presence and there was the issue of treating his drinking buddy, but nowhere in sight to make due on that promise. So inefficient.  Frowning to himself.

     Not that it was concerning, but it was in fact midnight, meaning the tavern was closed. Rosaria and Nimrod were still at the counter bickering over trivial matters with no Kaeya insight.

     Maybe on another day Diluc would’ve been more concerned, but he could feel a particular headache coming on and would rather close the bar quickly.

     He didn’t have to put much thought to know the captain was probably drowning in paperwork like Rosaria stated and probably didn’t see the time.

      Still it put an unnerving feeling in Diluc he dared not show.

     No. Stop worrying about him.  Keeping his ex-brother's worries at bay.He knew he had no right to worry about his life, and neither did he. 

An unspoken vow. Built of stubbornness and pride.

     "The tavern’s closed, go home."  Folding his arms against his chest interrupting the duo.

     "So it is," She swiftly chugged the remaining glass she had and got up from the stool.

     "I guess our Sir Knight Kaeya will have to make do with treating us on another day." She sighed, sliding a pouch of mora onto the counter with a click of her tongue.

     Nimrod was half passed out with his head on the counter, Rosaria gripped the collar of his shirt to drag him out with her.

     On her way out, she waved a hand to Diluc, telling him, "Kaeya will show he can't resist a shot. He'll pay the rest. " She disappeared into the darkness of Mond's light, her aura gone, without turning to look at him.

     Diluc sighed deeply, something about her had always annoyed him.

     Her distasteful responses were one thing, but her relationship with the captain was becoming increasingly suspect. And if he had to, he couldn't deny her because of her everlooming intel. She was probably the most dangerous woman to come across in Mondstadt if you wronged her. 

     Not to mention Kaeya, who he had enough witnesses to know his ways of gaining intel.

     While we're on the subject, Diluc had planned to scour Mondstadt as the dark knight hero after the tavern closed, but something in the back of his mind made him not want to tonight. Plus, he was certain that if that cocky bastard showed his face, he wouldn't leave even if he forced him to.

     Grudgingly, he returned to behind the counter to sort out any unfinished tasks. Transaction records needing filled, mora counted, checking stock, that sort of thing.

     He had workers to do these tasks for him, but he still preferred to keep a close eye on things, occasionally noticing a few missing bottles and needing to sort them out (most likely the bards doing.)

     It had maybe been 30 minutes before he heard someone walking in. No doubt Kaeya was coming for his late drink. Diluc didn't bother any friendly greeting, facing away from him

     The tavern owner was polishing a wine glass from behind the bar with his back turned.

    "Were closed, Please leave." Diluc said, his voice having an irritable tone to it. 

     "Um.." a small voice stuttered out, making the tavern owner pause.

     This wasn’t Kaeya.  He immediately turned his attention to the newcomer. Klee stood at the threshold, her nervous eyes darting about before locking gazes with Diluc, who she seemed to have shrivelled under. 

     He put down the glass he was holding, What was Klee doing here?

     "Sparknight Klee was it? It’s too dark for you to be out this late.Does Jean know your here? " his voice hardening with a frown.

     "Is Kaeya here?" ignoring the question with another question.

     "You mean, he’s not there?" he asked slowly, his gaze darkening immediately. 

     Klee simply shook her head her hands fumbling together nervously, dumbfounded 

     A loud growling erupted. Her stomach making its presence known awkwardly.  

The tavern master groaned frustratingly, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Kaeya you owe me trifold." he grimaced. before sighing.

     It was bad enough that Kaeya was who knows where at this point, but that it was nearly 1am and with no guardian in sight, a small girl had come into his tavern, clearly distraught from all this. Diluc could already tell this would be a long night.

     He could feel his anger boiling but he would save it for later, putting his focus on the shivering mess of klee.

     "Can you explain it further? Where is Kaeya? " he asked while she still awkwardly stood in place.

     "Um.. I was at Kaeya-gege’s house waiting for him to come home! But he never did. So I thought he was at the tavern and came here " explaining the best she could, twiddling her fingers together.

     Kaeya never returned home?  Diluc felt uneasy; if he never returned or visited the tavern, could he still be at the Ordo headquarters?Or did he go out? He had many questions and if the captain was missing, he needed to-

     He then noticed Klee, who had obviously been alone for several hours, and his concern grew: "Have you eaten anything?"

     "No.. I was going to eat dinner with Kaeya. " She responded gloomily, then looked at Diluc with a tired gaze, sleep weighing in.

"Will Kaeya be back soon?" 

     He gulped, doing his best to sound calm. "I’m sure he's fine. He’s probably at the headquarters dozing off. " Half convinced himself too.

"Sit down, I’ll bring something for you to eat." he told her, turning to the kitchen to prepare a quick meal for her.

     There wasn’t much left and it wasn’t like he could go out and buy something this late at night for the child. He thankfully found a couple of frozen chicken skewers and a satisfying salad which he was quick to defrost with his pyro vision. 

     Returning back, he found Klee sitting on one of the tables, eager to eat the plate of food he placed infront of her.

"When did you last see Sir Kaeya?" He asked as she chowed down on the chicken skewer. 

"This morning he said he was going for a job and would bring back treasure for Klee!" Her energy is returning a bit.

"I see, may I ask if Kaeya is the one who looks after you?"

"Mmm.. I stay at Kaeya’s house sometimes, so I guess so. But I also sleep at jean and noelles home, Oh no what will master Jean think?" She worriedly said.

"We’ll go to her straight in the morning, don’t worry." He grimaced. 

     He had a lot to say to Jean right now, but it would be inappropriate to barge in at 1am with a child at her home. Plus, he wasn’t sure how to explain this mess yet. He was taking care of Klee, who had been starving and alone for who knows how long. 

     "I can take you to someone's house to sleep for the night. Staying up this late isn't good for a child." Diluc suggested to Klee, who finished her plate and was looking down with half lidded eyes, dozing off. And Diluc wasn't sure if he should be the one caring for her right now.

     She suddenly sniffed tears brimming in her eyes.

 "Why did Kaeya leave me?"  she gasped quietly 

"He's not gone. he'll be back." reaching a hand out in a attempt to comfort her.

"They always say that.. But leave me anyways. " Pushing his hand away to wipe her own tears.

"I don't want Kaeya to abandon me like Mommy and Albedo!" She cried out, her face flushed crimson and tears welling up.

      Oh no. She was crying, Diluc internally panicked, thinking of anything reassuring to say.

"Please don’t cry." was all he could stiffer out desperately. He gulped and knelt beside the sobbing klee.

"Did it happen because I was a bad girl? I tried my hardest, I really did! " She sobbed to herself agonizingly. Not hearing him.

     Not this... archons what did he get himself into? He reached out carefully, pulling her arm away from her face so she could look at him. Her eyes brimming with red lines, she stifled a quiet sob to stop crying. 

"Kaeya would never leave you, nor would Albedo or your mother; it might seem that way now, but they love you." Diluc told her, looking into her eyes calmly.

     Klee just nodded, still sniffling and unable to stem the flood of tears. Diluc quietly extended his hand to embrace her, and she immediately leapt into his grasp, clutching his coat closely.

     This reminded him of Kaeya when they were younger. When he would suddenly wake up from terrible nightmares writhing in terror and his father holding him tightly while he cried into his shoulder. It always hurt his younger self to witness such pain and he swore to always be there for Kaeya and protect him. Taking on the big brother persona and becoming strong enough to prove himself.

     It was funny how it all went wrong in the following years. Trails of betrayal and lingering bitterness were all that remained in their friendship, no longer brothers but enemies to strangers.

     He supposed it was a weakness in him to let it get this bad. It was his fault, I shouldn’t have pushed him away. Regrettably, he is wallowing in self-doubt.

     He couldn't help but cling to Klee even tighter, letting his guard down just this once.

     He hated how this child he barely knew had so much pain for such a young age.

     Is this what Kaeya felt?   he shuddered.

     Klee had cried herself to sleep in Diluc's arms. He gently caressed her so she was positioned comfortably against the crook of his neck and climbed upstairs in the tavern where there was a guest bedroom reserved as a break room for anyone. 

     He tucked her in the bed, gently wiping a leftover tear from her recent outburst. She sleepily opened her eyes, softly grasping his hand.

"Please don’t leave me alone," she murmured a plea in her eyes

.

     "I won’t, I’ll stay right here." Diluc softly replied, suddenly reminiscing on the big brother persona that was lost long ago. He wasn’t sure if she heard him but drifted back to sleep with a peaceful gaze on her face,  loosening her hold on Diluc's gloved hand.

     Diluc sighed,  slumping against the bed on the ground, a hand reaching to shift his bangs away from his forehead. He was tired and wanted to pass out right then and there, but he forced himself to get up and move to a more comfortable position. 

     Pulling a chair from one of the tables and moving it into the small room where Klee was sleeping. He didn’t want her to suddenly wake up to be alone after that outburst, especially after being so distraught with Kaeya gone.

     He must’ve had a close bond with her, which surprised Diluc more than anything. Then again, there was a lot he didn’t know about Kaeya and that worried him.

     It did feel relieving to let down his guard. Klee was a handful. But she was a good kid and innocent, reminding of himself when he was younger. he was such a naïve child.

     He let himself relax his stern frown now reducing to a nervous expression , and with no one watching, he wiped his swollen eyes with his gloved hand.  He didn't know how long it had been, but the tears flowing down his face told him.

He was a mess. 

     As much as he denied it he missed Kaeya, his Kaeya, not the mask and lies that he lived behind now. When they called each other brothers and father was still alive. 

For the first time, in a long time, he reached to pour himself a glass of wine. He stifled a laugh, almost in disbelief, then drank it down in a single gulp. A warm fuzzy feeling crept down his throat.

    "I'm sorry Kaeya." the words piercing the air like daggers in the quiet room. Maybe one day he would apologize, but he just sighed in his guilt and closed his eyes. Letting the darkness overtake him.

Chapter Text

      He tumbled into the unknown, his mind flashing unwanted memories and succumbing to his own unconsciousness.

      Kaeya struggled to breath, gasping loud breaths in the unforgiving cold sea. He could barely see, let alone breathe. What was happening?

      Shifting between consciousness, his body plummeted mercilessly into the darkness.

      He felt as if he was losing strength riptide after riptide, his body was weak, and he could feel himself fading.

      Is this my end?

      He suddenly found himself on his feet, his head aching with agony and his vision blurred out along the edges. He lifted his arm to clutch his concealed eye, which started throbbing and stifled a grunt. Pushing himself forward while clenching his sides.

      "Our last hope.."  A rumbling echo came from the distance. He stiffened, turned around and his eye widened.

      "Father?" Kaeya chokes out. His voice is trembling and high-pitched-far younger than what he should sound as an adult. "Father, where are you? Where did you go? " gasping in pain, he urged himself to limp forward, desperate to find the origin of his voice in the shadow of the abyss. 

     "Kaeya..." A murmur in his ear triggered him to spin around. A veiled hood and mask are in his line of sight, but he can make out an older man's slender frame.

     His father was standing before him. The night when he abandoned him.

     Infiltrate the Ragnvindrs.  Destroy Mondstadt. 

     The words echoed restlessly in his mind, 

     Repeating them to not forget his mission. I have to, he tells himself.

     I have to avenge them. I’m their last hope!

     Who?

     ..

     Kaeya tenderly held a trembling hand out into the air, reaching out to the hooded man who was becoming farther away from his vision. He couldn't think straight

     A plume of smoke pulled out from where his father stood. The dissolving figure turned his back from him, not sparing a glance and disintegrated into a blast of energy.

     Ah. That's right. He was hallucinating, this was nothing but his imagination. A nightmare of his true past.

     His father had abandoned him, leaving him in the Ragnvindr’s care. He was sent as a spy but failed. Only a traitor to his homeland now.

     Another headache spiked his thoughts, sending him on his knees. The nightmare shifted once more.

     ..

     Stop this

     ..

     Let me awake!

     ...

     He begged, knowing it was futile. He could never control his nightmares. This one was no different.

     This time he recognized the nightmare, far too familiar with this scene. He was somewhat prepared for the foreshadowing.

     Kaeya suddenly lurched for his stomach and intense pain followed and was thrown across the floor. He could taste the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, the shadowed figure which kicked him across heaved over his shadow.

     The rain pummelled overhead darkly, he breathed heavily while glancing at his surroundings. His blade strewn across the blood-splattered floor 

     His blood, he realized, raising his head to look at his foe. The man with the familiar red hair stood in front of him, his face contorted with fury.

     "You traitor!" He yelled through the rain, his voice making Kaeya flinch.

     In all his nightmares, Diluc Ragnvindr always appeared and he was forced to relive the scene over and over. 

     "Let me explain-Diluc please" his voice yelled urgently. He had no will in this nightmare, his mouth forcing the familiar words out.

     "You lied to us-You lied to me! You're no brother of mine!! " blazing Flames erupted from the red hair. They burned powerfully through the rain, raged by anger and betrayal. He could feel the air heating in the intoxicating fumes as Diluc stepped closer, holding his sword for the next assault. 

     This is it.

     He’s going to die. 

     His vision hazily blurs as Diluc lifts the sword above his head-the final blow, flames licking the metal changing to a warm hue at the tip. 

     Kaeya gave a final feeble grin and stared into Diluc's rage-filled eyes, the sword swinging down above his head and crashing down, sparking a bright light.

     A bolt of lightning struck in the distance, blinding the two men. Yet something wasn't quite accurate. Kaeya felt the blade pierce his chest. The nightmare was beginning to change. In terror, he glanced down at the sword impaled inside him. This couldn't be right; this had never happened. No, no, no! Realizing he was now caught in another nightmare.

     There was no divine intervention, not even a smidgeon of frost. Just the sound of the wind could be heard over them.

     He heard a sickening scream piercing his ears, soon realizing it was his own as he screamed through the riptide of pain, 

     Something was holding him down, making it impossible for him to move as he struggled desperately; the sword was still pierced in him, but he couldn't feel anything but his aching head.

     He yelled a blur of lines before his voice became hoarse.

     Diluc, who was standing above him, gave a dark smile of satisfaction, before he faded out of view along with the nightmare. The sword seemed to disappear alongside and leaving not a single scratch.

     Only darkness clouded his mind now, harsh cryo sparks flickering around him, and he curled on the floor, raising his hands over his head to drown out the sounds in exchange for a slimmer of silence."Stay away.. Just-stay away", murmuring to himself a prayer to whatever god was watching from above.

     He wasn't sure how much time had gone by. He could hear whispers and some identifiable words here and there jumbling through his mind.

     Many dreams have passed since then, none of which were as defined as the first ones. He could barely make out any identifiable figures and eventually they numbed down to dark emptiness, a distant buzzing still ringing through his ears.

     Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he could feel himself regaining consciousness.

     "Careful now-" 

     "-Will he make it?-" murmured a hushed voice.

     "Quiet down-... outside"

     A flurry of words rushed by, he could barely register himself. Who were they talking about? He felt like someone had sucked the life out of him and was aching everywhere. His eyes felt heavy and he considered dozing back off and ignoring the people talking.

     "Still, it’s strange, the only belongings we were able to find were an eyepatch and a few loose supplies." A much clearer voice interrupted him. The voice sounded like a young man in his teens.

     "What about his appearance? It's pretty unique for Liyue. " A feminine voice asked.

     Ah, he realized now. They were talking about him. Kaeya forced himself to slowly stretch his eyes open, staring at the ceiling above. Did they say Liyue? He groaned, feeling the weight of an increasing headache.

     There were 3 of them, 2 boys and a girl, all of them sounded around their teens. He scanned the room for other clues, quickly realizing he was in a hospital room. The strong aroma of herbs wafted through his nose.The group conversing outside seemed to have left, which gave him a moment of solitude.

     He eased a bit, he was safe at least, but everything was still a blur.

     He remembered most of what happened. He went to investigate Dapauga gorge and was ambushed by abyss mages, cursing himself mentally for not bringing backup, and then a big blur of pain and he felt so cold he might’ve frozen his toes off. It didn’t really match with how he landed here, he should’ve been dead.  Why wasn’t he dead?

     The 3 people who were standing outside had coincidentally left too, not helping his situation either.

     He flexed his hand questionably to test his strength, a jolt of pain making him tense up unexpectedly. Right, near death experience. Deciding he shouldn’t attempt to make a move for now.

     He lazily looked at his bedside, sighing defeat at being confined to his bed. A cup of water was graciously set alongside a tray. His throat felt parched now that he saw it, craving a bottle of death after noon right about now. He squinted his open eyes at the glass of water, secretly hoping this was still a dream and he would wake up once more.

     A tiny head suddenly appeared from beneath his bedside, and he recoiled in surprise, followed by a jab of pain from his side, reminding himself he was weak still.

     He didn't even hear her footsteps, and the child in question stared at him blankly with big eyes, then pointed to the tray with a puzzled look to bring it to him.

     This most definitely, wasn't a dream.

     Ignoring how strange this situation was "Uh, ye-s?" He responded hoarsely, his voice sounded barely recognizable, and he began coughing dryly. 

     The small child carefully took the glass of water, placing it on his lips.

     "Drink please, Qiqi will get Dr Baizhu." gratefully drinking the liquid, quenching his thirst. She placed the tray next to him on the bed after he finished before leaving the room, presumably to fetch the doctor.

     Now that he was alone, he let out a frustrated groan at how weak he had become, and honestly, the entire situation was strange to the cavalry captain, archons he was so lost.

     A clammer came from down the corridor, making him turn his head towards the direction. A tall green-haired man slipped into view, leaning himself against the doorframe with an assortment of herbs and papers in one arm.

     "So it’s true, you really are awake." He breathed and straightened himself, quickly, moving forward to his bedside.

     "Apologies, I couldn't believe it when little qiqi came in and said you'd awoken, ah right right."Let me help you first. " probably noticing his confused expression and helping him into a more comfortable sitting position.

     Kaeya would’ve thanked him but his voice would probably erupt into another coughing fit if he tried to speak right now.  

     "You're probably very confused at the moment. Please rest assured your safety is guaranteed here." Pulling a chair behind him to sit next to his bedside. 

     "My name is Dr Baizhu. Do you remember anything and how you arrived here?" he asked, locking gazes with him. 

     Kaeya paused for a moment, then shook his head. He looked down at his palms which bore old scars now not covered by gloves, 

     His best motive at the moment was to remain quiet and listen; revealing too many specifics could be dangerous for him, and he had little idea what had happened to him in the first place. 

     "I see.." The doctor narrowed his eyes, then nodded. He worried for a second he would press on, but the doctor seemed to have been expecting this kind of reaction.

     "Your injuries were quite grave, it's not surprising you can’t recall the events."

     "I’m sure someone else can explain the specifics better, but you are a very lucky fellow to have been brought here." he said rather grimly.

     "As for your situation, you're currently in the bubu pharmacy at Liyue Harbor. You’ve been recovering here for almost 3 days. " Baizhu stated.

3 days. And in a foreign nation.

     Kaeya gulped internally and blinked rapidly at the doctor, who smiled faintly in confirmation.

     It was true, archons.

     "I-I have to le-leave," he said hoarsely, yanking off the sheets and turning to get up, ignoring the aching pain in his chest.

     He needed to get back to Mondstadt as soon as possible.

     "Hold on sir, I highly doubt you can leave in that state." Baizhu said, holding out an arm in front of him.

     "‘s’fine." shaking him off and placing his feet on the ground.

     He grabbed the bed frame for support, lifting himself up. Staggering instinctively on his feet, Baizhu was quick to grab him and eased him quickly back on the bed. He didn't realise how he clung to the man and immediately loosened his hold.

     "Sorry, didn’t expect that" he rasped and turning his head to stare down at the ground, feeling slightly embarrassed.

     He sighed, "You're clearly going to be a handle, stay in bed, you have stitches on your leg and need rest." saying with a tone of assertiveness.

     "But-" Kaeya started

     "Whatever is so urgent can be put aside, you're no good being half dead." He interrupted, then turned away before he could interject.

     He hated to admit how right he was. It wouldn’t do any good attempting to go back now and it made him frustrated at how powerless he was. 

     The doctor shuffled through a drawer, taking out a small pill bottle and handing it to him. "Sleeping pills, take one if needed and sleep here tonight. I’ll call someone to help you tomorrow." he told him, then proceeded to shut the curtains for privacy.

He must've noticed how tired he was and wanted to hurry along.

     Kaeya nodded, taking the pill bottle in his hand, feeling it would be pointless to debate further; he needed sleep, and even without the drug, he could feel his eyes becoming heavy and how his limbs were begging for rest.

     Before the doctor left, he spoke up, "Thank you." easing his shoulders.

     "Pay it no mind, I don’t do this for every patient just so you know." He chuckled, grinning faintly.

     "Let's just say you're a special case, sir traveler," he teases the formalities.

     "Sir Kaeya, My-My name, I'm no traveler. "he scoffed with a sly grin.

     "Right, Sir Kaeya Please rest easy here at Bubu pharmacy. If you need anything, just call one of the herbalists or Qiqi. " signaling to the little girl who he had just noticed had crept into the room and stood by the door frame. 

     They both quickly exited the room after the goodbyes, leaving him alone in privacy,

     He still had a lot of questions but chose to silence them for now. At least he was in a safe place, but he was still worried about Mondstadt. Hopefully, no one had realized his disappearance, yet he didn’t want people uselessly looking for him.

     The pills he was given he put aside. It seemed irresponsible if he blindly took more drugs, even if it was from a doctor. Besides, the tingling pain he felt was probably his only confirmation he was alive and not hallucinating.

     He eased back into a comfortable sleeping position on the bed and, for now, he couldn’t help letting his eyes slowly close. His guard lifting

     He shifted, a comforting darkness filling in his worries.

     "Jean?" no response.

     "Jean." he says more forcefully, earning a grunt in response. 

     "Acting Grandmaster Jean, your attention please." She sighed, finally looking up from her paperwork at the very impatient Ragnvindr who stood across her desk.

     "I understand your concern, Master Diluc, but you should really not worry about this matter." Jean responded calmly.

     "Worry my ass, Kaeya’s been missing for 4 days and this isn’t concerning in the slightest?" Diluc growled, his attitude becoming clear he wouldn’t leave. She sighs, another long day.

     "Frankly, this concerns me because Kaeya is the second in command, but this isn't the first time he hasn't reported in for more than a week. "I also don’t think it's necessary to file a missing report with no evidence and cause panic in the city. " keeping her tone sharp, she simply frowned at the red hair piercing glare he shot at her.

     "Evidence? There's plenty of evidence. When I came to you with Klee in my arms, was that not enough? I had to take care of her the whole night when your captain didn’t show. " folding his arms against his chest, his patience growing thin. 

     "Calm your temper Diluc, I understand and, as the acting grand master, I apologize for what happened that night. But why are you so concerned about Kaeya?"

     "Last I heard, you two were at odds," she told him flatly, setting her quill down to meet his gaze with a raised eyebrow.

     To be perfectly clear, normally she wouldn’t touch the subject of their relationship; knowing fully well, Diluc avoided the subject like a plague. However, it was enough overload with Kaeya gone; she didn’t need the dark knight hero bothering her anymore and she knew by now Diluc wasn’t here to repair their severed relationship.

     "At each other's throats? Jean I-I’m just simply making it clear to not deny he's missing, at least put a commission in the adventurers guild or a search party! " placing a fist on her desk while gritting his teeth.

     "No. We're already understaffed, and there's been an increase in fatui & abyss mages recently, so sending a search party would do more harm than good." blatantly denying his request, unfazed by any of his aggression.

     She could tell the redhead was holding himself back from lashing out. But he knew she was right, there was simply not enough experienced people in mond to gather a search party right now and for all she knew, Kaeya could simply be on one of his undercover missions and staying low for a couple of days.

     He gave a displeased grumble, muttering about knights being inefficient, then folding his arms once more.

     he sighed and looked back at her.

     "What about Klee?" He asks out of the blue

     "Klee? She's doing better, I suppose, but we haven't told her anything yet." was a bit surprised at his interest, but eased herself back into her chair nonetheless.

     "What does that mean?" His expression hardening, a hint of concern in his voice.

     She didn't have the patience to go back and forth with him; more lies would only make Diluc more suspicious and raise more questions. Jean’s patience was everlasting but it was running short. really didn’t have the time for this.

     "She’s been upset, Diluc, obviously, she thinks of Kaeya as an older brother-next to Albedo, of course." Not to forget the chief alchemist.

     Diluc visibly twitched at the mention of being a brother figure, clearly just realizing the extent of their relationship now that Jean had clarified. 

     "I've gone ahead and sent a letter to Albedo to return to Mondstadt immediately; he should be returning in 3-4 days once he receives it," she continued picking up the scrambled notes on her desk and shuffling them to a neat pile next to her.

     Diluc simply nodded; he was still tense but seemed to calm down now. The news of the chief alchemist and brother of Klee must've eased him.

     He closed his eyes briefly and sighed tiredly; she could tell from his expression that he hadn't slept well, the dark underlining of his eyes visible. She was also tired; it was late in the evening and she was on her third cup of coffee for the night. She would sleep after she decided if she could get a moments alone.

     Barbatos won’t let me have one peaceful night bitterly thinking.

     (Somewhere in a bar, a half-drunk bard sneezed loudly into his drink)

     "Jean, before I leave-and I will be returning. Is there any way I can help you? With the captain's disappearance, I can only presume it's been difficult. " waving a hand at her still cluttered desk.

     "Working with the knights? Master Diluc you sure are generous today, your help would be appreciated nonetheless. Please don’t spread around the captain's disappearance, I'm sure he has his reasons for leaving. " She politely said, the tension easing away from them.

     He grunted, "Sure, mind you, I still work alone and I still despise the knights. I’m only offering because of my own suspicions, not just the captain." sternly telling her.

     "No matter the reason, the knights are always grateful for strong allies." Jean said cheerfully, actually abit happy for Diluc's open request.

     It brought comfort to Jean that the former knight wanted to work as an ally again. The last time they worked together was during the storm terror incident with the traveller and even before when they were all knights and Diluc was Cavalry Captain. 

      She hadn't expected Diluc to offer so soon; perhaps it was because of the captain's disappearance, about which she was certain he didn't want to admit his concerns, or perhaps he was tired of being a vigilante; whichever the case, it was always reassuring to have the extra support, and Diluc was still a good friend to Jean.

     She stood up from her desk to face Diluc, a faint smile on her face, reaching out a hand to him. 

     "Thank you Diluc." 

     "Likewise, Jean." Taking her hand and shaking it. He smiled slightly.

      A knock suddenly came from the door, interrupting them and the two quickly backed away.

     "Come in." she called, giving a side glance at Diluc.

     Amber walked in still in her outrider outfit, "Grandmaster Jean, sorry for bothering you. I thought you would need to hear this." she said, then noticed Diluc standing next to her.

     " Uhh... I can come back later if you're busy," Eyeing Diluc in particular. Jean realized shes probably thinking something else happening here and chose to ignore it. 

     "Not at all Amber, What happened?" she asked, ignoring her apparent confusion.

     "Oh well.. It’s about the cavalry captain you see-" twiddling her hands together awkwardly. 

     "Kaeya? What happened? " Diluc interrupted, his attention suddenly focused on the outrider and she flinched at 

     "I wanted to talk to Jean about-oh for archons sake," she sighed frustratedly, while Diluc and Jean exchanged concerned glances.

     "He’s missing isn’t he?" she asked,

      Right Jean had been busy keeping it under control. She hadn’t mentioned to anyone about his disappearance. Only Diluc, Klee and herself knew about it so far.

     "Well-" She started only for Amber to cut her off, not needing confirmation.

     "I think I know where he went." The room became dead silent and the two stared at the outrider with wide eyes.

     Diluc stepped forward immediately, his gaze intense.

     "Where is he?"

Chapter Text

 "Where is he?"

     "Err...... OK, maybe I don't know where he is in particular," she admitted quickly, avoiding his piercing gaze.

     "So you know nothing." Diluc grimaced, his brow furrowed.

     "I know more than enough about the situation before you both kick me out for the night," she said defensively, raising her arms.

     "Hold on a minute, Outrider Amber, the cavalry captain... "Let us not jump to conclusions."Jean said, leaning against her desk for support.

     "I understand Grandmaster but even you have to realize this is odd behaviour from the captain." holding a hand out to her side while she spoke.

     "I agree that we should hear what she has to say. After all, she did arrive so late." Diluc continued, recognizing himself to the outrider, who blinked, taken aback by Diluc's recognition.

     "Alright but this conversation stays between the 3 of us, understood?" She looked at Amber, hoping she wouldn't tell Eula or the other members of the adventurers' guild.

     "Understood." Diluc and Amber stated it at the same time, Amber putting her hand on her chest in a quick salute while Diluc nodded with his arms folded over his chest.

     Although Diluc had just offered to assist Jean with the knights, it seemed foreign for him to be so agreeable, but she didn’t take it negatively and, honestly, was pleased by his cooperation. Even before tonight, she had recognised the winery owner's efforts. Although subtle, when Diluc returned to Mondstadt after those 4 years, abyss mages and highland camps became sparse, and much of Mondstadt was safer for civilians than it had been for years. 

     "All right, I'll get right into it." Amber began, "I was working with Sir Kaeya to examine the increase in crimes in Mondstadt, although Sir Kaeya wanted to undertake his own investigation, so we split off and agreed to give weekly updates on locations to each other."

     "Increase crimes?" Diluc asked 

     "Fatui and Abyss' mages reported that I personally made Amber and Sir Kaeya handle the situation as they were the most reliable." Jean quickly filled in, then let Amber continue.

     "Well, I hadn't heard from him in a while, so I went to find him. I learned, after much inquiry, that the day after I gave him my report, he had not spoken to anyone and had not been spotted in any taverns. " She huffed angrily.

     "At first, I assumed he was avoiding me or doing some ridiculous act, but after two days, there was still no word," I explained, sounding somewhat disappointed.

     "So are you saying Kaeya read your report and potentially went to investigate himself?" Diluc said, putting a hand on his chin.

     "As Klee stated, he went out in the morning and never returned; clearly, he left early with the intention of checking on himself." Worrying thoughts entered Jean's mind as she agreed.

     It all added together, and the only thing left to worry about was where the captain went and what he intended to do on his morning expedition. Kaeya was powerful and quick-thinking, so she wasn't quite persuaded he was in any danger. The only way he might have been in danger was if he was-

"That idiot." Diluc heaved a heavy groan, interrupting her own train of thoughts.

     "She shouldn't jump to conclusions," she grumbled. Especially when it came to the cavalry captain, who she believed was more than reliable, although indeed an idiot for not telling others. He always had a habit of not wanting to burden others and would only tell Jean the important details until he was done. Shifting back to reality, Diluc continued onward with his own attitude.

     "Does this imply you know where he went?" It turned amber.

     "That's why I came." Amber answered, "I checked out all the other areas I'd reported to him as safely as I could and had no luck. "The final one is the Dapauga Gorge."Amber concluded, grinning in triumph. 

     "Dapauga Gorge... Amber, what were the reports there?" Jean asked quickly, her voice tinged with worry.

     "Fatui increases."  

They all looked at each other with a knowing look.

     "I’ll head there at once." Diluc got up without a moment's notice, heading to the door.

     "No, as I said, let’s not jump to conclusions." Jean said coolly, placing a hand in front of him before he could leave.

     "Let’s not assume anything yet. I agree this is serious, but rushing into the dead of the night won’t help." Taking note of the dark lines under his eyes as well, "And sleep deprivation."

Diluc opened his mouth to argue but closed it, dropping his head in defeat. "You are correct, and please accept my apologies for leaving so abruptly."They both backed away from each other calmly. 

     "That being said, don't worry...Tomorrow, Amber, you have my permission to investigate the area and take backup," she told Amber, her expression hardening at once.

     She nodded, "O-of course! Who should I bring?"

     Diluc shook his head. "No one. "I'll accompany you," he said, folding his arms against his chest.

     Jean turned to protest, but he started first, saying, "You've already declared the knights are preoccupied with the increased monster reports. I'm not a knight, and whether you command me or not, I'll travel to Dapauga Gorge myself."

Although reckless, Diluc's plan seemed adequate; much to Jean's chagrin, it appeared to be a viable option; there was no way she could go alone, and the majority of the other knights had their own responsibilities.Not to mention that Dapauga Gorge was a hiking trip that would require far too many resources for her to send a full team.With two pyro allergens and with Amber’s outriding experience and Diluc’s combat abilities combined, they would be well put off compared to a full expedition team.

     She obliged with one condition "Fine, but only after both of you have gotten a good night's sleep will you journey to the gorge." It was nearly 1 a.m., and not even the morning horizon was visible, implying that the city was pitch black without the streetlamps softly lighting it up.

     Amber gave an immediate nod, "Right, of course, I'll head to bed right away!" before turning to face the camera."Master Diluc, I hope to see you at the front gates bright and early." 

     "Just Diluc is fine, and of course, I look forward to your experience, Outrider Amber." Diluc responded kindly as she departed from the barrels for the night.

He let his shoulders slump now that it was just Jean and himself.

     "It's a little late to return to the morning winery, Diluc; you're welcome to stay in one of our spare rooms," she said, softening her voice, letting go of the formalities now that they were alone.

     "Thank you for the offer," he said, shaking his head, "but angels share have a spare room that I'm more familiar with."It also made him nostalgically bitter staying in the headquarters from his time as a knight himself but he wasn’t going to tell that to Jean.

     "I can walk you to your apartment, Jean, if you’d like", gesturing my hand towards the door. 

     "I also have to decline Sir Diluc. Although it is a very pleasant offer, I’d be happier to see you focus on yourself rather than on others." She said this while tilting her head and giving Dimass and Diluc a knowing look.

     "I see your point very well, grandmaster," he scoffed, "and goodnight, Jean." face softened into a small grin for a brief moment. 

     "Goodnight, Diluc and I wish you luck," exchanging a smile as they parted ways.

     It seemed as though they were back in time to 17, with Diluc as the cavalry captain and Jean and Kaeya by each other's sides. She had always been close to the brothers, and their friendship seemed to have remained continuous throughout the years. She was relieved that they could still exchange smiles behind the broken glass.

     She hardly knew a sliver of what transpired on that terrible night that Master Crepus died, but it appeared like both of them had changed since then. Perhaps it was just a matter of time until they would reconcile. With the development of Kaeya's absence, it was evident Diluc stubbornly cared about him more than he would accept.

     A small smile lit her face, reminiscing about the fond memories. What a long night it had been.

     She sighed to herself as she extinguished the candle in her office and carefully shut the door so as not to wake anyone. She strided out the door, locking it with her keys and letting the cool nightly breeze embrace her. Nodding her farewell to the knights guarding the doors,

     before walking down towards the town square.

     She turned to face the Barbatos statue, which could be seen from a distance even in the moonlit darkness, and peacefully extended its hands up to Celestia's gateway. She gracefully knelt down, offering a brief prayer to the statue from the stairway, clasping her hands together.

     "To the Anemo Archons, I pray that all sleep safely in their beds tonight and are blessed with peaceful dreams."

     In hushed tones, she added, barely audible to anyone but herself.

     "Please return safely, Kaeya."

The dandelion knight then stood up, nodded to the monument, and slowly turned towards the tranquil city's comfortable darkness, setting her path down the stairway, ready to return to her chambers and begin a new day.

Mondstadt's dark knight hero was not far away, observing her bowing from a cutoff alleyway, a worried expression taking over his conventional demeanor. He chuckled gently to himself, shifting his weight in the direction of the tavern.

I suppose both of them were reminiscing about their past friendships and missing someone.

Chapter Text

         Kaeya sat up with a jolt, his body drenched in sweat despite how cold the air in the room was. Immediately, thoughts from the previous days ricocheted through his mind, reminding him of his predicament.

         Nothing but a nightmare had set him on edge, simply memories that he was all too used to. Pulling his knees towards his chest, he began to slow down his breathing, aware of how heavily his lungs wheezed. He could scarcely recall the details of the previous nightmare, even if all he remembered was the scorching blaze.

         You're fine, just calm down. 

         That's right, bringing himself back to reality, he was currently in Liyue, recovering from a near-fatal accident, and pondering how he managed to recover when no one in Mondstadt knew his whereabouts.

         It didn't make him feel any better; in fact, it gave him the creeps because he was in a foreign environment.

         That doctor, for example; he seemed friendly enough, but he couldn't be sure what had conspired while he was out of it on those days.

         With little light in the room and the sun's rays hinting at the horizon sunrise, Kaeya decided it was too early to be awake. Did someone come in when he was sleeping? noticed the lit candle in his room. That troubled him, was it always lit? He didn't press on; after all, he'd probably been unconscious for days here, so it wouldn’t be common for a nurse or doctor to check up on him during the night. 

         Noting the time, he figured it would be a better time to explore his surroundings, and potentially find his belongings and other information.

         He was a lot more out of it the other day and only had a half-understanding of his condition; the doctor was kind enough to explain it to him, but it only added to his worries in his current state. With his mind cleared, he was able to concentrate on the details and digest everything more thoroughly.

         He began removing the blanket which was elaborately wrapped around him, concealing his body. He couldn’t help but stare in shock as he realized why he was covered,

         His traditional clothing was peeled away, and bandages completely covered his bare chest, while bandaged splints firmly held the leg he remembered being stabbed in. He should have praised the doctor for not killing him right away; if it had been anyone else, he doubted anyone but himself could have survived for so long.

         He did admit to feeling better now that he had slept, and he even summoned the strength to take the pain medicine that had been placed on the bedside table. 

         He experimented with his good leg on the floor, feeling much more at ease putting pressure on it than his initial try, which resulted in him collapsing pretty quickly into the arms of the doctor. To lessen the burden of that embarrassment, he'd have to make an excuse for it in hopes that the memory would never resurface. 

         He shakily stood on two feet, straining to balance midway and swinging his arms to rapidly grasp the bedside with a painful grunt. Ignoring the searing ache in his muscles, he began investigating the area, basically staggering across the furniture clumsily and leaning against the walls for support while rummaging through the drawers. 

         Kaeya didn’t hide his frustrated sigh. Of course, it wouldn’t be as easy. Finding nothing but various medical supplies scattered about in the drawers. 

He'd simply interrogate some poor lad for his items later, not that he had much value for much of it in the first place, but the vision was definitely a concern, and he could already notice the gem's missing cold presence.

Mid-huffling through a pile of papers lying on a desk with no interesting information in particular (they really should keep the rooms more organized, half the documentation and herbs seemed randomly spaced and all available to his snooping eye)

Rap, rap, rap,

         A sharp knock came from the door, making him jump in surprise, flicking some of the papers in the air while he frantically placed them back and jumped back into the bed, hiding in stinging pain in his joins from the sudden movement.

Dr Baizhu entered with ease, unphased or maybe didn’t notice Kaeya's panicked stunt. 

         "Ah, you're up already? That certainly saves time. Meet our young nobles, who were eager to meet you." He told him, sounding oddly dozy.

         Baizhu waved a hand behind him as two teens were ushered in, looking surprised when they noticed him awake.

         "A pleasure to see you awake, my liege. I’m Xingqiu". The nobleman spoke up first, bowing politely, probably a Liyuen custom, Kaeya observed. 

         "My name is Chongyun, and I'm glad to see you're recovering quickly." The other light-haired teen said, awkwardly bowing next to his friend.

         "Kaeya, it's a pleasure to meet you both." introducing himself as well as giving his best natural grin, adjusting himself to a more presentable position, and sitting up straighter.

         "Excellent, with introductions covered, I will depart. I must feed my Changsheng before she gets into a fit." He turned to face Kaeya, making a 'tsk' sound in between.v"Sir Kaeya, if you have any concerns, please ask these two to assist you." He sounded unusually detached from the entire situation, but he quickly turned to leave before he could respond.

         "How strange... "Kaeya murmured questioningly. 

         "It’s his pet snake. Don’t mind his attitude. He's not much of a morning person." Chongyun replied to him with a huff. Pet snake? What an odd man. He wondered if anything weirder was kept in this pharmacy. 

         The light-haired teen simply shook his head, concluding that it was best not to press on.

         "If you don't mind, I'd like to rebandage your wounds; I'm well-versed in hydro healing magic, so I can also relieve your pain."Xingqiu offered to change the subject quickly.

         "That would be fantastic; thank you."Kaeya nods as the lad eases himself beside him on the bed, while Chongyun stands closely behind him, watching him as he works. 

         He worked steadily, unwrapping the bandages on his arms and disposing of the dried blood that had clotted. He noticed how many stitches he had. Even healing magic had limits and, to be fair, this must be the bare leftovers of how many wounds he had inflicted.

         After a couple of minutes of gnawing silence, Kaeya decided it would be a good time to start his mini interrogation. "So, the doctor mentioned wanting to meet me?" I'm particularly interested in them.

         "Well, yes, we’ve actually been waiting for a chance to wake you up since we first brought you back." Xingqiu said, pausing in between undoing the bandages.

         "The state you were in...." His voice trailed off, not finishing the sentence. He carried on unwrapping the adhesive when he noticed he had stopped. 

         Kaeya nodded slowly in understanding, "I see. I must’ve given you both quite the fright. My memory isn’t exactly the best as of this moment." He admitted to it.

         This entire incident drew a blank on him as he squinted at them for any recognition; any events prior to the incident were meaningless to him, which unnerved him.

         "That’s alright, I’m sure the memory will come back with time and you can recall it in full detail." Xingqiu said then informs him that he is currently applying a salve to his back. A cooling sensation spread along his joints and he instantly felt relief in his weary muscles. 

         He relaxed his shoulders as he felt the hydro energy swim over his skin. It wasn’t the same efficient healing as Beacon Barbara's soothing healing, but he enjoyed the comforting nostalgia of the water. His vision slowly blurred around the edges and he felt tired all of a sudden. His mind drifted to a different environment before he knew it.

         The last grave injury he recalled was 4 years ago on the dark night of Diluc’s 18th. When Master Crepus died, he couldn’t mourn with his brother like he should have done, as the man laid there, he felt like a stranger seeing the master bleeding out in the younger heir’s arms. Later guilty-ridden, he had spilled all the secrets of his past on his now ex-brother, resulting in nothing but bonds broken and betrayal.

         The former brothers had fought fire and swords while the gods watched from above, only for the cryo vision to offer them mercy at the last second.

         That night, he imagined how different the outcome would have been if he hadn't intervened with the final blow, if he had let the flaming claymore crash down on him as the rain poured thickly above him. What would have happened if he had more time?

         If he wasn’t too late,

         How much remorse he felt for the poor timing of his failure that night.

         When the night passed and a new day dawned, they had both been injured, severing all ties between him and Diluc, but it was evident who was in worse shape and who had triumphed. He remembered lying in the church for weeks thereafter, his burn scars still visible, and refusing to say anything about the others' disappearance; after all, how could a traitor reason with himself for chasing the prized monetary heir away?

         Jean merely looked at him with guilt for not being there that night and being unable to console her friend, and because of that sorrow, she never broached the matter again until he was ready to admit the event (Manga spoiler but not manga spoiler, Collei my love.)

         He was still haunted by memories, had nightmares, and drank to forget. He couldn't get the red- the flames-out of his head no matter how hard he drank though.

          "Are you alright?" The cutting voice shook him out of it. The blue-haired boy leaned over his shoulder worriedly and even placed a hand on his head to check for a fever.

         "Ah.. I-uh.. "I'm fine, I'm fine." He quickly ushered him away with a palm covering his face. He hadn't even noticed he'd zoned out and his breathing had picked up.

         What the hell happened to him? Why was he behaving in this manner? He got more nervous the less he knew about himself. The thoughts that raced through his mind were unsettling, and his head ached from trying to piece together his recollections.

         "You're not fine. I can call the doctor back." Chongyun stood up. He made eye contact, both of them not hiding their concerned expressions and worried gestures. 

         "No no.. "I just need a second... "He paused, shaking his head, knowing that whatever was going through his mind was just his mind playing tricks on him, and that he could handle it for the sake of the two people in the room. It was one thing to have an existential mental breakdown, but it felt like two strangers were imposing on him and adding to the strain.

         "I'm fine; please don't be concerned about me. "Both of you have my thanks for saving my life. "I don't want to bother you any longer." Kaeya shakily stated, his breath ragged. Chongyun took a step closer to him. 

         "Don’t say that. It’s clear from the accident that you're not very well. What matters most is that you recover, and we want to assist you."Chongyun simply replied, immediately throwing away his attempt at shooing them away. He supposed he was going to be stuck with them for quite some time, to his displeasure.

         "How about breakfast? I'm sure you're starving and exhausted." Xingqiu suggested it, but it was more like telling him, because he left the room and returned with a palette of food. 

         He blinked warily as the young noble thrust a steaming tray of foreign cuisine into his hands.

         "Uh... What is it?" Kaeya asks. He was no longer able to hide his ignorance of Liyue customs. The captain had never been to Liyue before and had never felt the need to explore the food there. He had briefly studied the literature to make translating reports easier, but he was utterly ignorant of any customs or traditions.

         Xingqiu snapped a pair of chopsticks apart and handed them to him. "Dig in to stir-fried fish noodles from renowned chef Xiangling herself, should lighten your spirit." Xingqiu replied with a broad grin.

         "Are you sure we should feed one of Xiangling's dishes to him-? It could cause something."Chongyun said hesitantly, his gaze falling on the dish that remained in his lap.

         "Oh, Chongyun, the food is perfectly safe; it's only a danger to exorcists with too much yang energy," he dismissed with a tease, his hands on his hips for added drama. Chongyun frowned at his remark and looked away. "Still, Xiangling makes the food too spicy for my liking..."

         "Alrighty Chongyun, now try it Sir Kaeya" said Xingqiu leaning beside him enthusiastically. 

         Not holding back any longer, he clumsily handled the chopsticks and took a taste of the noodles, his eyes brightening as he spoke about the food.

         "It's... delicious, I'll admit," he said as he took another swallow of noodles, not realizing to how hungry he was. (figures, who knows the last time he properly had a meal...)

         "Compliments to the chef," he said, his face warm to the core. He would have to study local foods sometime to share them with the knights, thinking thoughtfully to himself.

         "Oh, that's great! I’ll tell Xiangling you liked the food. " Xingqiu said happily.

         “We can go there later and tell her yourself, I’m sure she would appreciate a willing food critique.” Chongyun added warmingly.

         There was one thing still on Kaeya's mind and it was prioritized among his main concerns.

         "I know I'm already indebted to you both, but could you please enlighten me on the missing details?" Kaeya asked, pausing midway through his meal to stare at them. "Specifically what happened at the incident." his gaze darkened. 

         The two nodded in unison agreeing “This requires a bit of a longer explanation, but I believe we can fulfil your request, my liege,” Xingqiu hummed in answer. He and Chongyun each pulled a chair by his bedside, while Kaeya leaned forward, attentive.

         The two teenagers spent the remainder of the time telling him what had happened before he arrived at Buu pharmacy, where they saved him from the Faiu agents and how disoriented he was on the beach, and about the other rescuers present, Hu Tao and Xiangling. He was actually grateful to the girl called Xiangling who knocked him out in the end. He wasn’t aware he could be in such a state and, with no full control or memory, the outcome could have ended up being a lot worse. 

         Kaeya also revealed his history, of course mostly being well-made lies under a careful mask but he kept a few things true to his story.  essentially summarizing that he was from Mondstadt and was travelling by sea when he went overboard. His exotic pirate garb added to the credibility of his statement. 

         Most of his belongings seemed to have been washed away by the current and were most likely lost at sea. The two agreed to return another day to see if they could find anything else, but his chances of regaining his vision faded depressingly. He knew it would come back eventually, with fate being involved, and he wasn't reliant on the elements to be powerless without it, but the realization still hit him like a punch to the chest.

         He didn't like admitting it, but that vision gave him a sense of belonging; it was both a blessing and a curse from Mondstadt's god. Without it felt like he was vulnerable to himself and others. 

         "Well, I think that covers the past week." Xingqiu huffed after giving a very compact lecture on the subject. 

         "Do you have any further questions, my lord?" He inquired.

         Kaeya blinked slowly, processing his thoughts, making eye contact with the two after a minute.

        “Why?” the words slipped out of his mouth

        "Pardon?" Chongyun expressed his confusion.

        "Why save me? a mysterious foreigner with no relation to you whatsoever; I would’ve been dead, I should have been dead." His eyes glowed darkly.

        "For justice." Xingqiu bluntly said without hesitation. "If not us, who else? When help is needed, it’s obvious one must act, no matter what your history, gender or race is. I will always help those in need," he stated solemnly in a heroic tone, and even Kaeya was taken aback by the intensity. He wondered if he was listening to the same person or if this was his true self. Chongyun hummed in agreement, confirming his question. 

        "Ah, sorry that must’ve sounded childish." He awkwardly rubbed his hand behind his head.

        "No, not at all, I think I understand you two better now," he says, raising his hand to rub his chin.

        "How so?"

        He couldn't stop himself from putting a gleaming grin on one of his illuminating masks.

        He informs them, "For one thing, our goals are similar; all I want to do is defend people who can't protect themselves, and serve justice to those who perpetrate violence."

        "I believe you are both trustworthy companions and, if you stick to your path, kindhearted men to rely on in your future." Xingqiu was awed by his well-spoken words as he spoke, while Chongyun flushed discreetly at the remark.

        "Was that a trick question?" With one eyebrow raised, Xingqiu inquired suspiciously.

        After a brief pause, Kaeya chuckled to himself. 

        "Whatever do you mean?" "I only asked for a real inquiry as to why you saved a dying man," he smirked, enjoying himself.

        The lad scowled, "I think I preferred it when you were unconscious." He then laughed heartily.

        Kaeya couldn't help but laugh along; he was feeling a lot better. These two made good company, and they got along well. He never thought he would feel right in a nation outside of Mondstadt. It was his home after all, but the new atmosphere was frightening and exciting to him; he wondered what secrets stirred in the harbor of liyue beyond this and dangers. 

        Chongyun stood up from his seat and remarked, "We should hurry out before Miss Keqing yells at us again; she's been throwing odd jobs at us all week." giving a tired look to Kaeya.

        "Recover well, we'll be sure to visit again." He said this while pulling Xingqiu up by the arm from his seat as he mumbled complaints.

        "Oh! Before we leave, a gift for you, consider it a welcome gift to Liyue. " Xingqiu exclaimed, picking up a box he hadn’t noticed before and placing it by his bedside. 

        "It contains some clothing as well as some good books. Please, please let me know how you like them so that I can bring more next time." Chongyun had to put his hand on his shoulder to calm him down as he talked excitedly. A bookworm in its natural habitat. 

        "Don't worry, I'll be sure to give my critique," he assured him. "I'm not going anywhere anyways. The least I can do is occupy myself with books," he said, referring to his bandaged torso and sutures. He was surprisingly upbeat for a man who was hospitalized in bed.

        His smile immediately faltered as the two both departed, replaced with solemn displeasure.  He couldn't just vanish one day and return to Mondstadt without more information, information obtained elsewhere. From where he sat, he could see the busy streets of the harbour below through the open windowsill.

        A familiar eerie chill in the air made him tense, and he clutched his bedsheets as he sat up. 

        What was that?  no.

        Who was that?

His mind went completely blank once more.

Chapter Text

In the well-known Funeral Parler of Liyue, the funeral consultant spent his day quietly sorting through his paperwork in a steady rhythm. He appreciated the calm task of writing numerous signatures and requests from clients. That peace was quickly interrupted when his office door slammed open, scattering the papers on his desk with the force of the breeze. He sighed and ignored his boss, shuffling the papers back into their sorted pile.

"Zhongli, you would not believe what happened today. We may even have a new client in the future." The funeral parler Director exclaimed ecstatically not bothered by the mess she caused. He cocked an eyebrow, unimpressed, but kept his gaze focused on his papers, intending to keep up his steady pace of work while she was waiting for his response.

"Oh? Did something happen? "he asked while signing a document, still not looking at her.

"Hum.. Well, it depends. I’m not sure about this one just yet. " She replied rather dimly, propping herself on Zhongli’s desk in preference to a chair, scattering more papers. 

Even though she was technically his boss, he would ordinarily scold her and order her to sit in the chair, but when he decided to look up, the director seemed distant in thought, which caught him off guard. Hutao was uncharacteristically uncertain about something, and he was even more skeptical when it came to her business. After all, she is the funeral parlor director, she wasn't in this line of work for nothing. 

He cast aside his work and leaned forward so he could face her more properly, curious to hear more from her. 

"Perhaps you could explain it to me; it might help you sort out your thoughts, and I can offer assistance if you think it's necessary." He offered her narrowing his eyes on her. The girl hopped off the desk and agreed, sliding into one of the chairs in front of his desk quickly.

Hu Tao proceeded to explain the events of the morning, about finding the delirious stranger on the beach and bringing him back to Bubu pharmacy. Zhongli couldn't help but be just as intrigued as her about the poor lad; if this was the one even Hutao couldn't see into the future, he could turn out to be quite a powerful figure, similar to the traveller. 

"You should go visit him if he does live through the ordeal. I think you would be interested in a foreigner like him." Hu Tao says after recalling the events.

"How so?" 

"He looked different, definitely not native to any nation I've seen. The best bet is that you have another victim to educate about Liyue, y'know, like a certain other foreigner. " She says, looking smugly at him when she brought up the Traveller. It appeared she was back to her teasing personality.

It was true, he had spent quite a bit of time with the travelers, showing them Liyue’s cultures and traditions as well as the land itself. But it was more to help them on their journey and for Zhongli to see if the one who fought a dragon would be capable of playing a part in his test for Rex lapis’ parting in Liyue. Of course, no one else knew this and the situation would have been quite different if another traveller had appeared like the one Hutao mentioned.

"I’m not sure what you mean, Director Hu. People love listening to folklore about Liyue’s vast past. In fact, it can be quite interesting." He noted, ignoring her previous comment bluntly.

She simply laughed and shook her head, eyes closed. "Oh Zhongli.. I’m afraid I can only agree with half of that statement." saying with a tone only she would understand, meaning he must have said something mistakenly. 

He sighed but was not offended by the comment. It seemed most young folks were like this, apparently. He decided he should continue with his work, picking up a couple of his set aside papers with a quill ink pen in hand, setting back into his work mode with ease. After a few minutes, Hu Tao became distracted by her ghost; she conjured up bouncing it playfully around like a balloon. After a few moments, the girl positioned herself comfortably on the chair so her feet were in the air, kicking the ghost. 

"Have you seen anyone with unique eyes before Zhongli?" She asked from nowhere. He froze for a moment. 

He looked up, tilting his head thoughtfully. "I have heard of different regions with unique features native to their people, but I have never personally ventured from Liyue to identify them for myself, much less met many other travellers." he answered wisely.

It was true that, even as Rex lapis, he had not visited the other regions of Teyvat in centuries. But unique eyes? Specifically speaking, the most he had travelled was to Mondstadt, since it was a close neighboring nation to Barbatos and the people there were similiar enough with Liyue with a few iconic bloodlines remaining, such as the Gunnhildr, Ragnvindr, and Lawrence clans. Certainly, most features would be lost in time from his past knowledge. 

"Aw shucks, and I was hoping you'd know anything at the very least." She sighed disappointedly and sat up, letting go of the ghost as it deflated like a popped balloon. She must have grown tired of the current discussion and began to step out.

"Aiya, Just in case we should have some paperwork ready, a funeral always comes unexpected. " She said, he recognised the serious undertone hidden beneath her words; he knew her well enough to decipher it as caution, implying that even she was uncertain about the future. He trusted her. The director had a way of sensing danger that no one else could predict. 

He nodded before she departed and he continued to re-sort his work, some of which had been scattered as he picked them up and shuffled them neatly back into his pile.

Even as a retired god who lived for a millenia with extensive knowledge, it had been some time since he was uncertain about himself. He did not doubt the group's findings, but this sudden occurrence so soon after the Osial Incident made him wary of what the future would bring. Another plan from the gods perhaps?

Hu Tao's voice echoed calling him as he closed his office door and hurried down to meet her. He scanned the foyer, finding her in the lounge.

When he approached, he noticed the other company in the room. Xingqiu and Chongyun each greeted him with a polite wave. 

"I didn’t know we were expecting company. What brought you two here?" He says as he approached.

Xingqiu motioned with his hand. "We were just passing by and wanted to tell Hu Tao the good news." Then, turning to Hu Tao, he said, "Sir Kaeya is doing well and will not be a client of yours anytime soon." "Aiya, the sea wrecked guy?" she huffed, rolling her eyes.

"He actually woke up this morning. Dr. Baizhu said he would be fine in due time." Chongyun told them brightfully.  

"Which means no funeral, Hu tao." Xingqiu added smugly.

She gasped, putting a hand over her chest, offended. "I was joking about that part, y’know! Aiya, I don’t want everyone to drop dead like flies. " She grumbled and Xingqiu shrugged, unconvinced. 

"He seems like an interesting guy, so once he's better, we're hoping to show him around Liyue." Chongyun told Zhongli while the other two were glaring at each other.

"That’s a very kind gesture. Perhaps I can give you some tea for you to brew." Zhongli offered.

"Oho-we might just take you up on the offer. Your tea is the best for any remedies." Xingqiu agreed happily.

"Speeeeaking of tea, Can you buy some? We're all out and I don’t know what stuff you normally get. " She requested eagerly handing him a large sum of mora from her pocket. 

"Please and thank you!" she smiled cheekily, giving a salute with her free hand.

"Think not of it. I’ll be back soon." Swiftly tucking the pouch into his suit and nodding farewell to the three. 

He quickly exited the funeral parlor and made his way towards the main inner market in the harbour. It was midday, so the busy rush was just approaching. Which meant he should hurry. It was a good thing to actually be sent out. With the money the director provided, he could surely stock up on more items and perhaps a gift for the two, Xingqiu & Chongyun. 

"Herbal tea is on special today! Come get it before it is out! " A merchant called and he was quick to stop and purchase the package, price in no mind with the directors' funds in hand. 

..

After a considerable time, Zhongli had gone on a shopping spree, picking up various items, some needed, some just for the value. Of course, the merchants were quick to catch him with expensive items that he could not turn a blindeye too. With two arms lugging his purchases, he figured he had acquired most of what was required. 

On a last minute thought, he decided to head towards Bubu Pharmacy before returning to his duties. He couldn’t help wanting to pick up extra violet grass for his personal taste in brewed tea, It gave a fresh aroma and helped with headaches aswell. he also wouldn’t mind catching up with the young child who took care of the pharmacy, Qiqi. He was sure the zombie had already forgotten his face, but he liked to introduce himself each time regardless. 

"Welcome to Bubu Pharmacy. I am Qiqi." A voice echoed from the receptionist, but could not be seen from the front where customers were greeted.

Zhongli had to lean forward to greet the young girl from behind the counter, "Good afternoon dear Qiqi, I’m looking to purchase some violet grass." Politely smiling

"OK, Qiqi is allowed to give that without a prescription," Qiqi says. Hopping off her stool, which didn't improve her height in the first place, and unlocking a cabinet full of herbs she reached for a bunch of the flowers and quickly hopped back on the stool and placed the violet grass stems on the desk.

"5000 mora please." she said blankly. 

He maneuvered his bags till he got to the mora bag, where he extracted the coins and placed them in front of the zombies' reach for her to evaluate. While Zhongli packed the herbs in a bag, he kept a watchful eye on the small child.

She was distractedly counting each coin to make sure it was the correct amount. Impressing Zhongli since Qiqi had expressed difficulty with memory. 

"Ah, I forgot what I counted again." With a finger on her lips, she gazed at the half-counted stack of mora. 

He chuckled and reached over to help her quickly with the mora. It was the correct amount of change he placed on the counter, but he would rather the zombie figure it out on her own with a little guidance.

A cold still breeze interrupted his movement towards Qiqi and stiffened him immediately by the unfamiliar aura. He quickly dropped his items and turned so his back was facing the desk and Qiqi protectively. It seemed the zombie also felt it. Her breathing quickened and she too stopped shaking her head in confusion to look around. 

Behind them, a window suddenly shattered with a sharp shatter of glass. He ran to the backdoor without hesitation, his attention fixed on finding the sudden intrusion. He hadn't realized Qiqi had trailed him, more cautiously wielding a sword, and that he had summoned his spear in hand subconsciously as well.

"Show yourself!" He growled, walking down the hall, examining the rooms with a quick sweep. Clutching his spear, he was ready to charge at any intruder. 

"Mister over here." Qiqi called ahead of him, now noticing her presence and quickening his pace to stand behind her.

She motioned to a patient's room, standing back to let him enter first. It was a normal Patients room, the bed was strewn about and a hospital gown was tossed to the side. The first thing he noticed was the broken window, which he assumed was the source of the noise. 

"What happened?" Herbalist Gui rushed in a moments later, who had entered the room to see the two. His eyes widened as he saw them holding their weapons.

Qiqi quickly stowed her sword and cautiously walked slowly towards the window. Zhongli quickly stopped her, holding her shoulder back. 

"Don’t go close to the glass. I'll see to it, Herbalist Gui. I'm not sure what is happening either. I just happened to be here and assumed an intruder was in haste to escape. " Zhongli replied, investigating the broken window closer now. 

Herbalist Gui gaped, "An Intruder?! I’ll get the millieth!" 

"Wait a minute, look closer at the window." He shifted his weight. "If it had been an intruder, they would have broken the window outside first and then entered, leaving shattered glass on the floor, but there was none, indicating that the person was inside first and broke it from within." Outside the window, shards could be seen from below the window, confirming his investigation.

"From within..the patient!" The herbalist realized with horror. He quickly rushed to the empty bed, scrambling for belongings. He reached for a clipboard at the foot of the bed, quickly flipping through the papers on it while Qiqi and Zhongli stood idly by.

"This is Sir Kaeya's room. His condition.." He started worriedly looking at Zhongli and Qiqi. 

"We need to find him immediately. Dr Baizhu will kill me for letting this happen." Gui panicked. 

"Qiqi will search outside the harbor!" She nodded, quickly running out. Zhongli nodded next to her, "Do not fret, we’ll find your patient." He said, hopefully calming the young man.

Gui sighed "Thank you, Mr. Zhongli; he wouldn't have made it far. He could barely stand yesterday, and now he's jumped out of a window today. I do hope he is alright.. " He murmured worriedly. Quickly shaking off himself, he ran to search for the missing patient. 

Zhongli was quick to follow, not wasting any time; their priority was to find the missing man. His guard was up and his skin pricked with unease. Something about the situation seemed tampered with and it was odd that a patient would break out a window, seemingly in a panic; did it relate to the sudden cold aura which he and Qiqi felt.

They had both reached the bottom of the staircase outside the pharmacy when the herbalist stopped. "I’ll go to the marketplace and alert the millieth. Can you look around? We’ll cover more ground that way." He asked. 

"Sounds good. I'll return if I come up short." He agreed. They nodded to each other and parted ways. Qiqi had already left to check outside the harbor. 

The zombie's decision to send herself out was a wise one. She was well-versed in the area thanks to her herb picking, and she'd be much faster on her feet. He was confident in himself in his home city, discovering a missing person. As the funeral consultant and former archon, he knew every part of Liyue, from stone to water.

He didn’t have to wander far to find a trace of the man. An eerie trail of scarlet droplets stained the path leading to a closed off corridor. His guard up, he approached the dark alleyway, his polearm gripped at his side to strike.

The air cooled as he made his way further in the narrow alley, unease pricked him. A scream was all it took for him to take action.

A bright light flashed in his view. Before he could summon a pillar, he felt his body being pulled away by an unknown force. He struggled to stay on balance, an arm in front of him in defense as he was blinded by a chilly frost.

The light had weakened after a moment and his gaze caught the sight of abyss mage traces, a sight identifiable from any familiar gaze. His fury only burned when a second later, the abyss portal vanished, only catching the creature backing into it quickly at the sight of his presence. 

Zhongli ran forward too late. They disappeared before he could do anything. 

Why was there an abyss mage in Liyue? His mind raced quizzingly.

Just as he was about to return out of the alley a cough cracked behind him and he cocked his head behind him to the sight of someone slumped on the ground. 

"Ugh-I’m getting tired of this game." Kaeya muttered through gritted teeth, blood visibly sliding down his face. 

Zhongli was quick to sheath his weapon, kneeling next to him slowly. 

"Can you tell me what happened?" His stone-cold gaze was fixed on him. The man didn't respond, instead uttering a shaky laugh that was followed by a sob, which unnerved Zhongli given the circumstances. 

Zhongli reached forward, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. He flinched but didn't flick his hand away. 

As he looked up at the other man for the first time, it seemed to bring him back to reality. His diamond-shaped pupil immediately caught his attention,

This was the estranged man that Hu Tao mentioned in the earlier conversation. Her odd remark about unique eyes came back to him as he realized who she was referring to.

He tried not to react, but his abrupt hitched breath could not be concealed.

"Who are you?" He glared, eyeing him warily. He looked definitely suspicious of him and scooted away from him. 

He took a deep breath, "I mean no harm. I'm only a funeral consultant who was passing by." He responded, but the man didn't appear happy with his statement and simply scoffed, his gaze averted. 

Kaeya propped himself against the wall to face him properly. Zhongli tried not to look him directly in the eye. 

"Tell me, funeral consultant, is that the only reason? why are you really here?" Slyly asking him, hostility etched in every word, he didn't believe him one bit.

Zhongli only narrowed his eyes, "Pardon?" 

"The Abyss mages, don’t tell me you didn't sense them here?" Kaeya spat, pulling a knee to his chest and eyeing the man closer. 

The cold air. The strange aura. It made sense. Only the abyss is capable of magic like this, alerting even the former archon. But then why was this man here? The diamond pupil was evidence enough of his same origin. Was he with them or against them?

"I did sense the aura, but I did not know what the source was until moments ago." He confessed, hoping the stranger would believe his words. 

The man stared at him uncertain for a moment, then scrunched his face, sighing. He thoughtfully remarked to himself, "How peculiar.". With his eyes still closed, he continued

"I’ll believe your story for now. It's not like I can put up much of a fight anyway." He said, wincing. He wrapped an arm around his stomach and Zhongli could truly notice the weak state he was in, the old bandages and the slight tremble in his hands shaken by the assault. Was he trying to fight the abyss order in that state?

The older man shamed himself mentally for not helping him first, quickly to do so. "Can you walk? I can carry you if needed. " 

"I’m good." Kaeya shook his head and placed two hands beside him to lift himself up, groaning as he did so. His legs wobbled in a half crouch and he clung-or fell into the wall. A quick look at his exasperated expression in his eyes made it clear he was in no shape to help himself. 

Zhongli grabbed his arm to support him; he opened his mouth to protest but then closed it; he took his silence as gratitude, even if he wouldn't confess it. The slow walk back to the pharmacy was long; they hadn't wandered far from the plaza. The staircase however they walked with greater difficulty. Zhongli helped the other the best he could without entirely carrying him. "It's much easier going downstairs than up." was all Kaeya muttered throughout the occurrence. 

Looking back, the height of the window he jumped out of appeared to be quite a greater distance than he saw, and he worried about how much damage he had taken.

..

"Mr. Zhongli? Mr. Kaeya? " Zhongli lifted his head to see Xingqiu running towards them. He didn’t waste time quickly wrapping one arm around him to help support the two. "Thank the archons, you're alright. What happened?! Wait no save it, you had everyone scared to death at your sudden disappearance- you look worse than before archons..” he said, shaking his head. Kaeya only grinned in response as they hauled him up the last steps to the foyer of the pharmacy.

“Chongyun and Hu tao volunteered to look as well, they are probably still searching.” Xingqiu told them.

“Ah, Sorry about that.” Kaeya grunted.

"No worries, as long as your alive, you can explain later." Xingqiu says, worrying more about his injuries for now. 

Qiqi had arrived ahead of them waiting at the counter, using her healing abilities to quickly heal Kaeya's new injuries. Xingqiu was busy grumbling angrily at him now that they settled down abit, while Kaeya put a hand to his chin, unfazed by the lectures.

Zhongli felt out of place now that the mission of returning their missing patient was fulfilled; he presumed it was the right time to leave.

"I should depart. Best wishes to you both." he said to them and they both paused. 

"Wait a minute, I still haven't answered your question." Kaeya said, sternly looking at him. Right, what happened with the abyss mage scuffle?

Zhongli turned, meeting his eyes, "Are you sure you want to answer right now? We can wait for a more appropriate time. " Glancing at Xingqiu, who sat idly next to Kaeya, confused at what was happening. 

"If you're referring to the kid, I think he can listen in on what happened. This regards all of Liyue." Kaeya said, his warning noticed.

Zhongli nodded, "Very well, do tell." 

Kaeya looked off to the side away from them, "I won’t sugarcoat it, there are abyss mages in Liyue Harbor and far more in Mondstadt." His eye gleamed dangerously "They are scheming something and I came too close to finding out. It almost killed me." He looked displeased at this. He hadn’t intended to be pulled this far into their schemes, now being an injured patient stuck in a bed. 

He paused, his fury clear in his eyes as he looked at them both. "If I remain much longer, I believe we'll all be in danger; you've already detected the abyssal energy; I think they've come to finish the job and prevent me from stopping them." He heaved a heavy breath as he finished. 

"This is obsurd. but how could this have happened.. I never knew.. I never even sensed it.. " Xingqiu murmured guiltily, looking down.

Zhongli cleared his throat. "Whether it's Abyss mages or Fatui, you'll be safe here. Liyue has always been strong. You're not a burden." He reassured with no doubt in his words. He turned from the two and couldn't see their reactions as he proceeded towards the shattered window, which was covered with a curtain in the meantime. 

He continued, "However, it is understandable if you desire to return to your homeland, and we will ensure your safety." He informed him, patiently waiting for his reply. Opening the curtain so the sunlight could flow in.

Kaeya looked down at his hands, "I have something to do in Liyue, for that I can not return to my homeland until it's done." He answered, his eye filled with resolve.

He must have had his doubts, but he appeared determined for the sake of his objective. Zhongli had seen similar enthusiasm in individuals before and admired his decision as an honorable quest from a child of Barbatos.

He nodded, "Very well," looking to see what the young lad who had been quiet might want to say.

"I'm still perplexed by the circumstances, but I want to help for the sake of my people and the people of Mondstadt. Please accept my invitation to join you. " Xingqiu said, his face full of determination that nobody could hardly decline. 

Kaeya huffed a laugh "Of course, of course. I was intending to come to your aid afterall. I don’t doubt your abilities, Xingqiu. " He complimented him, which seemed rare for him, and Xingqiu was surprised but pleased, smiling back at him. 

"Okay, but no more stunts like that. Abyss mages are not a valid reason for jumping out of a window." he scolded him once more, crossing his arms. 

Kaeya looked at him with a grin and raised his arms in effect, "It was quick thinking and I'm okay, see?" Xingqiu poked his chest with a finger, causing him to hiss and stare up in pain. Xingqiu merely gave him a disapproving look before melting into a giggle.

"Now that everything is settled, Sir Kaeya, Young Master Xingqiu, I would be willing to help with your mission as well. Although I can only provide what information I know. " Zhongli said, and the two nodded in appreciation. 

"Thank you," Kaeya told him earnestly. 

"With that being agreed on, please tell me everything about Liyue and don’t leave any details." He said, not wasting any time, his eyes intently on Zhongli.

"Hold on foreigner, if you want to learn everything about Liyue It is inappropriate to not do so while in an appropriate setting, for example, over a warm meal. Let’s meet again at Wanmin, where you can find your answers, and that gives us a chance to catchup Chongyun and the others. " Xingqiu said, 

Kaeya shrugged, "Fine, if you think it’s really necessary, then over dinner it is. Telling your other friends about it would be more convenient as well. " He agreed. 

Zhongli nodded. "That sounds like a good plan. Please contact me through the funeral parlor for the details. Till then, rest well both of you." He said.

Kaeya nodded and stretched out to shake his hand, which he accepted, and they said their goodbyes.

Chapter Text

-- Diluc

A sunny day with no clouds insight

The vineyard was overflowing with fruits.

Horses neighing in their stalls while workers walked and talked in the courtyard. 

It was all a familiar sight to Diluc, who gazed up watching the birds fly by. As he spent his freetime leisurely lying on a hillside, he could imagine wanting nothing more, for he had a loving father and brother with him supporting him every step of the way. 

Wait brother? The word flared in his head and came up short. He tried to recall the memories with a blurry vision, he heard a shout calling him from afar and he turned his head to the approaching voice,

"Diluc! There you are! " A younger Kaeya called. Diluc sat up from his place. Kaeya, his brother, of course, the memory of them together and smiling happily eased into his mind. 

"What?" 

"What?" Kaeya mimicked him jokingly, plopping himself next to him with ease. They had no need for formalities when together, and his brother made haste to make himself comfortable in the grass beside him, his arms pulled behind his head. 

"What happened this time Kaeya?" Diluc asked, rolling his eyes, settling back, so he laid next to him on the grass. He knew him well enough that he wouldn’t purposefully come here in the middle of the day without reason.

Kaeya looked at him offended, "You wound me, Luc. Can’t a man just come cloudwatching with his dear brother?" He said while fiddling with his ponytail, Diluc raised an eyebrow and Kaeya only sighed. He couldn’t hide his intentions.

"Fine, I snuck off patrol and hid here in the meantime." He admitted no guilt on his face what-so-ever. 

Diluc glared, "Kaeya!"

"What? It’s fine, they won’t notice anyway. " He dismisses with ease, closing his eyes and enjoying the warming sunlight on his face.

"And if Master Varka finds out?" He asks sternly

"Master Varka won’t find out." 

"What about father?" Diluc says, and Kaeya shoots up from his place, his eye widening. 

"You wouldn’t dare." he glared. Diluc sat up.

He grinned evilly and they broke off on a chase. Kaeya yelled at him from behind, quickly gaining speed on him. They were around the same height but Kaeya had longer legs, making him more agile with speed. Diluc realized this too late, however, as Kaeya was swiftly catching up to him.

They ran past workers and maids in the mansion but from their perspective it was just the two ragnvindr brothers playing so they only stood out of the way and hid their giggles as they brushed past. 

"Fathe-Ohmph!" His yell was muffled. Kaeya literally jumps on him, toppling the two into a roll. With a pant, Kaeya flopped off him after a couple moments, looking up. 

"That... was fun..." he panted. "You should really get up Diluc." He told him sitting up. 

"Let me rest a moment. You just jumped on me." He grumbled. His hair was probably matted by now. 

Kaeya couldn’t help stifling a laugh and looked down at him. He blinked the smile fading,

"No, you should really wake up Master Diluc." He murmured. Diluc looked up at him only to see his body turning white. His eyes widened seeing his brother disappear like a ghost.

"Kae-What?" 

"Wake up Master Diluc." Kaeyas' figure is no longer visible, the dream fading away with his memory of this day. 

"No.. no..kaeya?" Diluc murmured to himself in realization. This was only a dream, a figure in his memories. Was this even real? did this memory even happen?

Master Diluc!" A feminine voice rang out, which brought him back to reality.

"Master Diluc, did you hear me?" Amber called again, stopping to look back at him. 

He sighed "No, sorry. What were you saying? " He shakes his head and Amber repeats herself. Stuffing the last of his morning dreams in the back of his thoughts.

"I was wondering what your intention was with this. You know, I don’t really believe you're out here solely for Sir Kaeyas's sake." She told him, continuing to trek forward as Diluc followed. 

"How so?" He gave her a perplexed expression.

She looked back at him, tilting her head, "Uh, don’t you two hate each other? Like you fight. All the time. " She bluntly said.

Is that what we look like to others?  His face hardened. "I don’t hate Kaeya." he stifled out, surprised by his answer.

"It's complicated." he added quickly after. 

Amber kept her eyes on him for a moment, squinting her eyes searching for any lies and turned away quickly when he locked gazes with her.  

Why shouldn’t he hate him? After all, the man was truthfully a pain to him on most days and he wouldn’t deny they crossed paths multiple times, most ending with Diluc kicking him out of the tavern half drunk.

He should hate Kaeya. 

Yet.. He couldn’t bring himself to say that. Maybe the other hated him and he accepted that, but with all the past mistakes he'd made, if he hated his last remaining family, it would feel like he was shifting all the blame to Kaeya to ease himself.

"Okay then." She zipped her lips, walking quicker and he paced himself to walk next to her.

"Anything else?" He asked, by the look on her face, she was still bothered by something, holding herself back. If she was going to criticize him, he’d rather she just get out with it than hold a grudge the whole trip. 

She froze in her tracks and frowned at him, his suspicions correct.

It surprised him, as he’d never seen the outrider put on a mean face. "I do, in fact. If you don’t hate Kaeya, then what is your relationship with him? " 

"What does that have to do with this?" He questioned not hiding the annoyance in his voice.

"Just trying to understand the situation more, so what are you guys then? Friends, acquaintances, lovers? "she said, eyeing him.

"None of your business. No, and you can put those thoughts away, Outrider. " He retorts in a deadpan.
She must not have known about their past relationship, or rather, Kaeya succeeded in convincing her that their relationship was a simple rivalry, not that it mattered to Diluc to correct her that they were family when they really weren’t, atleast not anymore. 

"Then why are you here?" She shot back, narrowing her eyes.

He looked away and didn’t answer her. In all honesty, what was their relationship exactly? They had once been close, best friends. Some would even say they were joined at the hip, but that was years ago.

He could hardly read Kaeya’s persona now, and their distance grew as more time passed.

The outrider had no business being so pushy about the subject in the first place, and he should simply refuse her outright.

But there was more to her words than that; she was out here with him on the same mission, to find Kaeya, but she had a reason to look for him; they worked together every day, so she was naturally concerned about his return.

Diluc, on the other hand, was just a tavern owner and vigilante looking for the one man who always got under his skin whenever they met. 

They were just strangers. He realized with regret, castfully remembering the bitter memories. 

So why am I concerned? He's probably fine. He relies on the term "probably." for reassurance. 

Amber must have noticed the rising tension by the way she sighed in the distance, dropping the topic. "I apologize; I know I shouldn't be aggravating tensions between us, but I was just frustrated."

She came to a halt and lifted her eyes to meet his. "I've always respected Sir Kaeya and cared for him; he's incredible at his job and my superior, but because of that, he can be as reckless as Jean when it comes to work," she explained.

"I don’t really know the relationship between you two, but the way you act makes it obvious something happened. It just surprised me by how much you actually care for him. " She said, shrugging her shoulders.

"‘I’m not sure, our relationship is tense.. I won’t deny that though, but I have other suspicions about coming along. " He confessed.

He was worried about Kaeya's whereabouts first and foremost, but he also wanted crucial information from the Fatui diplomatics of Mondstadt, since it was news to him of the activity around the Dapauga gorge. Which meant something they wanted to keep hidden if even their informants hadn’t notified him. 

She nodded, acknowledging his words. "I understand, I'm sure we'll find what were looking for." she assured, then pointed a hand to the gorge in the distance.

The jutting hills came into view as they speeded along the pathway. 

They were nearly there. He would finally find out the truth. 

As they came to the narrowing path that headed down to the gorge, Amber was quick to stop him, pulling him aside into the nearby bushes. 

"All right, Master Diluc," Amber started. "I know you like working your way and teamwork not your ego, but it's important that we understand our objective."

Amber lifted a hand to halt Diluc's protests and continued while he visibly frowned, annoyed. 

"We can't afford any disputes with Fatui; this is a reconnaissance trip; let's simply scout any unusual feedback and return." She said, Diluc pursed his lips.

Was she really lecturing him? Of all people, did she truly not believe he could resist fighting a couple of fatui men? He groaned, not wanting to further complicate things, and gave a grudging nod to shorten the chit-chat.

"Alright then-hey! Where are you going?! What did I just say? " He didn’t listen, pushing past her and heading down the gorge.

He knew what she was going to talk about, but he wasn’t going to let the outrider lecture him while he stood idly by listening to a pointless ramble.

He was this close to finding the truth and he was impatient now that they had come so close. 

Master Diluc, please wait! " As she ran forward to catch up with him, she unintentionally slipped along the mud with no control. He quickly blocked an arm in front of her, narrowly preventing her from falling face forward into the pond. She clumsily stood up, embarrassed, while Diluc raised an eyebrow silently at her in a silent expression of ‘you were saying’. 

She huffed, shooting her head away from him and lightly brushed her side of dirt.

Trying not to let her embarrassment show any longer, she changed the subject quickly. "I suppose we should look for clues." she said, scanning the surroundings.

The gorge had recently changed; in the center of the gorge were two massive broken thunks leaning on each other, vines overgrown on top of them imposed beneath the graveyard of swords mounted on the soil, evidence of a past relic of war in Mondstadt.

The only difference they could tell was that the barriers that had previously protected the center display had now dissipated, leaving anyone free to interact with the artifact. There were also casual researchers who settled camp around, taking an interest in the old history. 

Perhaps the fatui increase revolved around this? He wondered. Moving on from the great view, he scanned around, not finding anything amiss. 

"You know the terrain better than I do. Where do you suggest?" he asked the outrider. She glanced around for a moment. 

"Up there should be a good vantage point, and we can avoid the hilichurl camps easily that way." She started pointing up towards a higher platform. He nodded in agreement. Good thinking. 

As they made their way around the pond towards the platform, the two couldn't help noticing a peculiar feeling creeping up on them. First, they saw how the previously mentioned researchers' camp was hollow, with only the bare tent remaining as the sole trace of human presence.

Amber was concerned after a brief inspection of the bonfire; the charcoal was ash with morning dew on it. It seems to have been abandoned quite some time ago.

They continued on, but they had to pass a hilichurl area in order to climb the cliff securely.

Amber pointed her bow at the monsters at the entrance while Diluc ascended from behind, dropping his claymore on the ones she couldn't reach, swiftly killing the creatures and not alerting the mitachurl, which was thankfully distracted in their camp. 

The knights generally avoided disturbing the gorge and the hilichurls who lived there; it was the prime location for hilichurls to live away from society without the two species being in conflict; and it was too much of a hassle to relay resources to kill them when the gorge was well away from causing danger. 

So the gorge remained relatively abandoned, a perfect place to hide crimes. Diluc thought grimly.

If the Cavalry captain came here alone, he might easily be the target of a surprise attack from above, or worse. Diluc's blood began to boil at the notion.

"We’re here! at last! " Amber brightened up when they stood over the cliff. They had a clear view of the gorge and you could even see the birds in the water. She crouched on the edge, scanning the land. 

"There are hilichurls, birds, oh what’s that? -oh wait, that's just a rock.. " She muttered to herself while Diluc promptly ignored her scanning along the hedges. 

"I don’t think there's anything amiss with Master Diluc." She concluded, sighing. "What now?"

"This can't be it; there must be something else." Diluc persevered, unconvinced. looking at the sky, the cliff, the rocks, or anything else that caught his sight.

But the gorge was empty. If Kaeya had come here for fatui, there were none in sight and nothing to gain from this land. 

"It's been almost a week.. Perhaps rain washed away whatever clues there were. " Amber points out, looking down.

"There must be something hidden that our eyes can’t see." Diluc muttered, pacing back and forth. They couldn’t be at a dead end. They had just arrived! Damn this luck. 

"I’m going down to look at myself." He then jumped off with a glider, ignoring the urgent call from the outrider, who yelled in protest.

--Amber

"Master Diluc!" She yelled profusely. She gave up once the man had already glided a ways away, out of earshot.

The only reason she didn't follow was so they could still check ahead from above. As an outrider and bow user, being high above in a ranged region was more efficient for any danger.

She had to accept the fact that Diluc was not a knight and would not contribute much to her enlightenment.

Just as when we started to get along, he goes off! She huffed,

That tavern master was a stern face, through and through. She wondered what he was like when he was a knight, if he was like this as well. Although.. Jean did have high respect for him.. She was veering off topic, shrugging it off.

Oh well, they would split up from here. She was used to working alone anyway, since most jobs she did with Captain Kaeya resulted in solo trips and being the only outrider, she might be better with her own knowledge of the land in favor. 

..

it had been perhaps a hour since they parted ways

She had investigated most of the upper areas with no luck. She noted the usual fatui camps, steering clear of them after confirming they were of no suspicion, and the various hilichurls and slimes which wandered with no sign of anything.

C’mon Amber, think! 

Her vision flickered with energy, casting her eyes aside, as if a sign from the gods.

vision.. Aha! That was it! 

Suddenly, recalling the brief words of Master Diluc, ‘hidden our eyes can’t see', she activated her elemental sight. She would facepalm herself for forgetting this crucial advantage, but that was not the time. 

If there were no physical changes, then there might be elemental particles remaining from any activity.

No wind or rain could easily tamper with that. Her point being proved when she spotted elemental traces almost immediately.

She quickly shot off a flaming arrow into the air, hoping that her companion got the signal and came quickly; she couldn’t let this go now that she had a clue. Outrider Amber is on the case! 

Without wasting time, she was quick to follow the traces. No doubt evidence of Kaeya’s cryo lingered. Excitement burst from her, they were getting closer to the truth of it all finally! She could report back to Master Jean and ease her stress a little more.

She had turned the corner to a more secluded spot with an open view of the horizon.

What set her aback was the horrid smell. She didn’t have the keen sense like Razor, but the air was clouded heavily with the stench of a battle. Blood? 

Amber quickly equipped her bow, ready with an arrow lowered at her hip as she proceeded with more caution.

The chilly breeze of Dragonspine could be felt from even this far away and she shivered with cold unease. 

She wanted to desperately stop and think about Kaeya’s intentions.

If it was a simple scouting mission, why didn’t he come back? Why did he go alone? Was he captured by an enemy, or worse? She shook her head. These questions had to be put aside for now, no matter how urgently she wanted to know. 

She almost shot Diluc in the leg when he suddenly appeared behind her. She thankfully recognized him at the last minute before any harm could be done, but was still shaken. 

"I saw the arrow. What happened? What did you find?” Looking urgently at her.

"I’ve been tracking Kaeya’s elemental traces. The trail heads further along, but the smell.." When she couldn’t finish, Diluc wrinkled his nose in acknowledgement and shook his head.

"Did you find anything?" she asked after a moment.

He shook his head. "It seems the only thing in the gorge is just Hilichurls and ruins," he replied. He looked ahead

"Good tracking. Let's follow the trail while we still have it." Diluc said, and they both cautiously walked, using elemental sight to guide them, leading them further away from the gorge and closer to the dragonspine.

Diluc suddenly stopped, looking down examining a scattered cryo attack.

Some of the shards had not even melted because of how cold the temperature was. "The cryo traces.. If you look closer, he was running away from something." Locking eyes with Amber before they moved on, worry ebbed her.

All they could do was follow the trail and hope it led on to something more. 

She tried to imagine what scene played out, how Kaeya acted and moved. She noted the adventurers' camp nearby. Kaeya would be smart to go there first if he was being followed,

"Diluc, I’m not sure about this." She swallowed nervously, getting rid of formalities. 

Diluc freezes in his tracks looking ahead. He was infront of her, making Amber shift behind him. His breathing became fixed as his eyes were locked ahead, still frozen in place, ignoring her previous inquiry.

"What is that?" then runs ahead without her.

Amber was already too used to yelling at him for his sudden movement and quickly ran after him, also curious to see what he had spotted. He had dropped to his knees ahead.

They were far enough that the grass had a light drizzle of frost, and the air was chilly. Amber walked closer to see what he was picking up.

He carefully lifted a shiny piece of jewelry in his hands, using one hand to hold it in between his fingers, letting them both have a closer look at it. 

Amber's eyes widened as they both recognised the item as a common piece of jewellery their beloved captain wore on his ear, an earring with no pair that he never removed.

Dilucs's gaze only burned into it; he let out a shaky breath then closed his eyes, still for a moment while his anger only flowed.

"I’ll kill those bastards for what they’ve done." He finally said, spite and hatred in every word. Amber was quick to calm the situation, resting her hand gently on his shoulder. 

"We can’t assume anything yet, let’s just remain hopeful he only misplaced it." 

He only looked at her with fury in his expression. She understood it wasn't directed at her, but rather at whoever the wine owner suspected was behind this. He kept his cool and stood up, clutching the earring in one hand.

"Right, let’s keep going." he paced quicker, putting the earring away in his coat for safekeeping.

It wasn’t long before they stumbled on the source of the distasteful scent. Blood littered the ground, evidence of a past battle since the blood was mostly dry now, no creatures in sight.

Kaeya must have fought with something. She gulped dryly at the blood, hoping it wasn’t his. 

Diluc waved a hand over to come closer and he picked up a piece of a cryo shard that was embedded in one of the trees. Flipping it over to look at it more closely.

"It seems like it was quite a scuffle." he grimaced, and she nodded. "If Fatui were attacking, I’m sure Sir Kaeya would have had a tough battle with them." She added.

He stiffened. ”No, this isn’t Fatui, your intel was wrong.” He said slowly, looking up to her and held his hand out so she could examine the ice herself.

This was one of the kaeyas ice crystals, nothing that stood out to her. She quizzesly looks up.

"Abyss mages. Kaeya’s vision is similar, but it's not the same." He tells her tossing the shard to the side.

Amber flinches. Abyss Mages?! Then if this was from an abyss mage.. Sir Kaeya was fighting- 

The realization hit her. He was fighting cryo mages. 

She blinks rapidly at Diluc, who only scowls, shocked and unhappy about this new discovery as well. She places a hand on her chest, suddenly feeling cold even with a pyro vision at hand. 

"What do we do now?" She croaks softly, looking at him for his reply, the question puzzling them both as Diluc grits his teeth. 

"Go back and tell Jean I’ll stay here and look for anything else." He says grimly. 

"What? No, If you're not coming, then I’m not leaving." she replies.

"Don't play games, it's too dangerous; it's best if I continue alone." He grunts and folds his arms across his chest.

"I’m a knight of Favonius. I think I can handle a couple abyss mages, master Diluc. " She retorts, folding her arms as well. 

"That's not the-" he pauses, scratching the bridge of his nose with his fingers before continuing.

"One of us needs to inform the grandmaster about what we found here, and frankly, I want to tear any abyss mage of what they know right now," he grumbles, not hiding his anger.

She narrows her eyes. It would be stupid if she went alone, leaving him behind. If something happened to the tavern owner as well, and Amber was not here because of that, let's just say Diluc wouldn’t be the only person wanting to rip an abyss mage to pieces today.

She shook her head stubbornly, her feet staying in place. 

"Listen-I’m serious Amber, we don’t know where Kaeya is. I can track his trail while you can inform the grandmaster. " He reasoned her once more, his patience growing thin.

"And I'm dead serious as well, Diluc. How would Jean react if I returned alone? She'd be putting missing posters up for you and Kaeya, I'm going with you. This is my mission after all. " She said in final. Hoping to put a end to the debate. 

if that ex knight felt he was so good he didn't need her aid, she'd just have to prove him wrong. This guy was more grudging than Sir Kaeya, Archons, and he was unpleasant. She thought to herself.

He widened his eyes for a moment, then scoffed, looking away. Finally, giving in seeing as the conversation was going nowhere.

“Fine, but if something goes wrong, you can do the explaining as to why we didn’t report back." He tells her and she only smirks in reply, feeling satisfied she had won.

She quickly stumbles off guard when a screech from above makes her duck for the ground. 

The swooping of a hawk almost beheads her and then it quickly flies back into the air. She aimed her bow at it immediately to shoot the angry bird. A hand was quick to block her arrow, pulling her bow down.

"Hold on." Diluc says nonchalantly. putting his hand to his mouth, whistling a call and the hawk turns in his direction, flying down, much more slowly this time, and landing on Diluc’s open arm, chirping eagerly. His face softens into a chuckle.

"She must have been looking for us, good girl." Praising the bird and reaching behind his pockets for a scrap of dried jerky, he gave it to the hawk.

Amber was only mildly engrossed and surprised at the whole ordeal. He's a bird enthusiast, I guess.. Another surprise for the day.

"Wait, then we can send a message to Jean this way. That's great!" She says, quickly pulling out a sheet of paper and pen from her bag slung behind her.

She sat on a nearby rock quickly scribbling the details of a report. Mostly explaining how the intel of Fatui was incorrect (for what reason though, perplexed her) and what they planned to do, while Diluc stood idly by watching her write and tending to his bird, petting its chin, comforting his nerves at least. 

She folded the letter neatly when finished, and Diluc tied it around the hawk's foot with a string, quickly double checking if it would hold.

He pushed the bird off and it flew a short lap around them before flying out of view and heading towards Mondstadt. The letter put Amber’s mind at ease, knowing Jean would see it and not worry.

”Now then, let’s continue.”

Chapter Text

"Diluc, can we rest a bit?" Amber asked tiredly, her shoulders slouching.

They had been travelling nonstop for an hour? Two hours? Diluc wasn’t sure. They decided to do a full lap of the gorge from above, gliding between the large platforms for more clues using elemental sight. 

The trail to Kaeya suddenly stopped after they figured out it was abyss mages behind the charade. He was rather displeased with how no elemental tracking could be picked up, like the abyss mages had covered their tracks knowing they would show. 

Amber had suggested halfway they go to the adventurers camp nearby in hopes the captain might have passed by there, but with little success, when they arrived they were informed from the adventurers living there that they were not venturing out because of the increased monster warnings, which also explained why the gorge had no researchers in camp. They quickly left the area after that not wanting to rest.

Sadly, it seemed like their trail had gone cold and with that hope of Kaeya’s search as well. The only evidence he had was the earring they had found. 

He recognized the earring almost immediately. It had been one of his father's gifts to Kaeya when he turned 17, and one of the only gifts he had ever kept from his father. It was made of fine Shivada Jade, which complimented his daily outfit quite nicely. Now that he thinks back, it must have been the last gift from Crepus to Kaeya, making it even more sentimental for him as well.

He couldn’t help sighing out loud, remembering that, holding onto the earring that was hidden safely in his pocket. He looked over at Amber. 

"I suppose we can rest a bit." He agreed, feeling tired himself, although he wouldn’t admit it. 

Amber sighed in relief and sat down on a smooth rock, her eyes closed, leaning her head against it. He felt bad for a moment if he pushed her too hard. They had been travelling nonstop since the morning, after all.

She cocked one eye after a breath, as if noticing he was watching her, and she sat up, gesturing a hand silently for him to sit across her. He complied, sitting awkwardly while she rummaged through her back pocket, pulling out a wrapped package.

"Lunchbreak, enjoy." She said, unwrapping the Mushroom Chicken Skewers she had packed and handing him one. He didn’t refuse the skewer and eyed it warily for a moment before eating it. 

"Did you make these?" He asked after noticing how they tasted fresh despite being packed for so long. The meat was full of juices that warmed his taste buds instantly.

She chuckled, "Hah! As if, Noelle made them! If I try cooking, it mostly ends in burnt bits. " 

"Perhaps that explains why they taste so good." He said. She smothered a laugh and smiled softly, not insulted in the least.

"If you think these are good, you should try Sir Kaeya’s. He makes these so often I wonder if it's the only thing he eats." She replied, finishing her skewer and tossing the wood piece aside. 

"Kaeya cooks?" he says disbelievingly, setting aside the skewer.

"Of course he does. You wouldn’t believe it, but sometimes he’ll even cook all of us meals at the start of the day." She says cheerfully then turns solemn. 

Diluc tilted his head. It seemed like Kaeya had really changed these last few years.

When they were still preparing to be knights, he recalled a fond memory of Kaeya coming one day and insisting on Diluc trying his new dish, which looked green and poisonous. He somehow convinced him to try it, distastefully remembering how he ‘wouldn’t leave the bathroom’ after that. He later discovered that it was Kaeya's attempt at Mint Jelly, and used cryo slime as the main ingredient.

He shook his head in loathing as he remembered the incident, but at least he learned to cook instead of serving slime. It got him to wonder how much more the knight had changed in the past years.

"I’ll have to try it sometime then." 

It was evening now, and the two had set up camp above the gorge to see if the abyss mages would return, when Amber noticed a dark smoke coming from the hills just as the sunset horizon set over the area.

They initially assumed it was one of the adventurers camping out for the night and setting up a bonfire, but Amber suggested they check it out anyway incase it was a hilichurl camp they needed to extinguish. the location of it was distantly near the adventurers camp so they decided it would be a refuge point if it was something fatal.

Diluc and Amber hurriedly descended from their ledge, using the darkness to their advantage to remain unseen, and made their way down the steep route to the location. 

Diluc suddenly pulled Amber down as they approached the corner. She turned to look at him, bewildered and surprised, but he looked ahead and put a finger in his mouth as a signal to stay quiet.

She soon realised what he was talking about as she felt the ground tremble beneath them, followed by a loud crack in the distance and the earth stilled. They both flinched as they heard the inhuman sound emitted by the crack.

What the hell was that?

She moved ahead without looking back at Diluc, bow at hand below her as she crouched behind a bush for a better view. Her eyes widened in shock at what lay in stow.

In the clearing before her stood a hilichurl camp with a Mitachurl, as well as 2 abyss mages, one pyro and the other cryo, standing in the center of the scene where a limp body lay beaten. 

Albedo lay out cold by the creatures and was being lifted upside down by the Mitachurl, sniffing his beaten body to make sure he was out and looking expectantly at the abyss mages yapping in their foreign language rapidly. 

She was furious. The tremors she felt before must have been Albedo’s geo crystals in a last defense. She didn’t have time to think about why he was here. All that mattered was rescuing him quickly.

She scowled quietly as she aimed her bow at the hilichurl wielding a bow. Forming a plan midway, she could easily take out the hilichurls and, using a baron bunny, she could break the cryo mages shield. All that would be left was the pyro mage and the mitachurl who lugged albedo on its back like a hunted carcass. She couldn't launch a full ambush of arrows

Diluc was probably close to watching the scene as well and could have knocked out the mitachurl but the pyro mage shield.. She tried not to get frustrated. She needed to focus on saving the alchemist.

As if a gift from celestia a loud thud sounded across the clearing and a speeding polearm crashed into the center dealing a wave of icy shards creating a opening. The creatures jumped back in surprise, not expecting that. Surprising Amber as well.

She didn't waste any time in taking this opportunity and launching herself into battle. She dived as Diluc followed through, launching a fiery phoenix overhead and ripping his claymore through the cryo mages shield, the shield shattering as it cried in terror and being severed before it could utter a single word.

She threw her original plan out. She would focus solely on rescuing Albedo. She turned to face the mitachurl, sprinting up to it and kicking it in the side, throwing it off balance and rapidly shooting its legs. 

Tugging Albedo's torso off from it with all her strength before it fell and pulling his body such that it leaned on her, effectively carrying his deadweight. She shook him urgently but the man was throughly knocked out, did they do something to him?  

The mitachurl stomped towards her, unmoved by her strikes, shuddering in rage. She stepped backwards in fright to aim her bow, but the beast roared, slamming it away, and she tripped backwards under the weight of her companion she was holding.

The monster lifted its arms to smash them now that it had destroyed her weapon. She jerked in fear, pushing albedo behind her and lifting her arms over her head, desperate to resist the impact.

She braced herself for the hit, the searing pain that would follow, but it never came. Instead, she heard the clanging of fists and metal stopping the attack. When she opened her eyes to look up, she saw a figure veiled in darkness pushing their weapon against the beast's hands. 

Sister Rosaria had joined the scene, defending them with her polearm in one hand; as she pushed back the beast's fists, she threw daggers at its exposed areas, lessening the beast's onslaught. She wasted no time in dodging its swinging axe and slicing it from behind with a cold stroke.

After it collapsed, she stood over it prodding its flesh to make sure it had perished, pulling the daggers from it, now covered in a dark scarlet colour, staining her pale skin in comparison. 

Amber sat stunned as the scene unfolded, questioning where her sister Rosaria had come from. She was even more impressed by how fast she slaughtered the beast with a rapid death slash and grateful for saving her life. 

She whipped her head to her, eyeing her for a moment in silence, then looked beside her.

"Is he alive?" she asked, icily gesturing to Albedo, who was still unconscious behind her.

"I-yes, he’s okay, thanks to you." The words came out clumsily. Rosaria didn't seem pleased with the compliment. 

Flitting her gaze to Diluc, who was almost finished with the abyss mages, the last one under him as he lifted his claymore for the final blow, and her gaze barely lingered on him for another instant before she stormed over to him.

"Idiot, don't kill them yet unless you want all your information to die away!" He glanced up startled by her appearance, awkwardly slamming his claymore beside the mages' head as it shrieked beneath his foot. 

"Sister Rosaria, what are you doing here?" He asked, as shocked as Amber,

It wasn’t an unpleasant sight to see Rosaria, just uncommon as she preferred to stay distant and not interact with others while on the job. Seeing her here in action only meant it was business related.

She scowled, "Same as you now step aside," 

Pulling the abyss mage up in the air, she prodded a dagger into its throat. "You, what did you do to Kaeya Alberich? Speak before I slit your throat. I don’t have all day." She said menacingly. 

The mage gave a gargled laugh, blood spewing from under its mask. "Useless.. The abyss never spills." It muttered

She curled her lips in a snarl, poking the dagger into her throat, drawing blood. "Speak. Or I’ll make your death even worse than this. " She threatened him mercilessly. 

It cried in pain and then glared at her with little strength left.

"Foolish human.. The one you're looking for has already passed...Only a traitor to his kind... " It continued to shrill laugh as she sliced its throat, cutting its voice and tossing its lifeless body aside so she wouldn't have to look at it anymore.

Amber hid her gasp at her threatening aura making her shiver while Diluc narrowed his eyes in silence. She watched in dismay at how merciless the nun was towards her victims. Sure, it was deserved, but it unnerved her that a person from the holy church could be so ruthless. (Then again, it was sister Rosaria afterall)

She gave a side look at them, then rolled her eyes. "There’s your information, now you know." she said, cleaning the dagger with a handkerchief. 

Diluc stepped forward. "What? Kaeya isn’t-" He gulped, breathing in, trying to control his temper. "How do you know it was telling the truth and not just another lie?" 

She looked at him nonchalantly, then shrugged. "You heard its dying words. No use wasting time when the abyss killed him off." She said with no remorse and Diluc looked enraged.

"What the hell? How dare you-" 

"Master Diluc! Please! " Amber shouted a plea, and he jerked his head beside him. 

It knocked out all anger from him looking at her eyes, the very same expression of terror on that night he recalled, fear and solemn, two emotions he never wanted to see in another pairs eyes. Her eyes were wide and she hoisted herself awkwardly beside her. She looked as pale as a blanket, but she still had the courage to stay calm.

He lowered his sword guiltily, looking downwards. He shouldn’t overreact in front of her. Rosaria hovered between the two, pacing towards Amber. She lay on the ground with Albedo’s head on her lap.

Rosaria sighed. "It seems there's some misinformation here that needs to be addressed." pulling out a cigar from behind. Raising it to her mouth and lighting it.

"And what is that?" Diluc questioned her calmly, although still glaring at her from the previous remark. 

"Fatui. I was sent out here to remove some fatui camps and all I got was some hillichurls and a kidnapped Alchemist. " She complained, puffing out a plume of smoke. 

"But you said you were here for the same reason as us?" 

She scowled to herself, "That’s overtime. You knights were too quiet for my liking. It seems you’ve aligned yourself with them, tavern master. " She remarks, eyeing Diluc as he grumbles. 

"It’s only until we find the cavalry captain." He huffs. Amber speaks up from her silent post.

"About Fatui." She asks lightly and they turn to her.

"If there are no fatui camps here, it means Snezhnaya and the tsaritsa have called them away from Mondstadt, but that raises suspicion, no?" She says, raising a hand to her chin.

"It does, but that doesn’t explain why no one knew of it." 

"Someone spread false information to not attract any people to this area, but why?" She looks up at them.

"You don’t think-" Diluc sharply breathes in, Realizing she was refering to Kaeyas' case. Their thinking wouldn't be off since it was likely he was involved in this as well.

She nods "Yeah, it's a start, but we’ll have to wait for confirmation. But I think the abyss is more involved than we’d like. " She grimaces.

Rosaria only blows a plume of smoke from her cigar in acknowledgement, "and confirmation?" Her tone was wavering.

Amber looks over at Albedo’s faint form, whose body is eerily still if not for the small heaving of his chest and a noticeable drip of dried blood from his face where he presumably got hit. 

"Hm.. I suppose you're right, the alchemist wouldn’t wander far from his lab and be caught, no less, for a specific reason, I wonder what he'll have to say when he awakes." She remarked, frowning at his solemn face.

"We should campout somewhere. This place will be crawling with abyss mages soon." Diluc said, looking up at the orange horizon, nightfall would be soon and they wouldn’t be able to return to the city until the next day. 

Rosaria shook her head. "I’m leaving. I still have my night rounds to do, I’d prefer to work alone."  she says grimly.

She then looked at Diluc, with a sudden interest. "A word from Master Diluc, in private." He glanced at Amber and the unconscious Albedo to see if they would be alright before following her to a secluded place.

"What is this about?" He asked when they were out of earshot. He was curious about what the sister had to say without the outrider listening in.

"I wanted to say it away from prying eyes." She started leaning against a tree while Diluc faced her. 

"Diluc, your intention on this trip, don’t get your hopes up." 

He frowned, "If you're still intending on convincing me he’s dead, I won’t believe it unless I see a body." He says. He would stay stubborn about those words even if it hurt him in the end. 

She shook her head, "Oh I already know that, you and your stubborn dark knight persona." taking a pause to puff out smoke "No, I wanted to tell you this as someone who is a friend of Kaeya." Her tone is serious. 

She sighed, suddenly looking a lot more tired than he first noticed. She was worried about Kaeya too, evident from her presence, but something more. He knew they were drinking buddies, but with what little he actually knew, he guessed Rosaria knew a lot about Kaeyas's past by the way she purposely pulled him aside. 

She shifted, rubbing her arms uncomfortably, as if the next words she spoke were difficult to say. "He once told me while sober that if he ever disappeared without a word, it probably meant he wanted it to happen. Bullshit to that, I say. He also told me to watch over you if he were gone."

Although it seemed unlikely Kaeya would ever request something as such and, moreover, to sister Rosaria. She rarely lied about such knowledge and, considering she did not make friends with most, Diluc dreadfully gulped at her words.

"Why?" lost for words in truth, for what reason would Kaeya even say such a thing he could not understand?

She shrugged, "Archons, know, your brother complex makes me hurl, but you could say he cares for you dearly, and so it seems.. You do too. " She said earnestly, looking at him slowly, then her face steeled quickly back to its hardened expression.

"Just.. don’t die. That man would probably haunt me forever if that happened." She huffed, throwing her cigar to the ground and crushing it with her heel. 

"I won’t, and thank you. You're a good friend to Kaeya. " He said it gratefully, meaning it fully. He had a lot of respect for the sister and she was a good ally when she was on her good side. His anger from before subsided completely. He realized she was just trying to help him if things didn’t go the way he hoped. 

She nodded and before she left, she handed him the backside of the small dagger she carried. "A keepsake, stab that idiot drunk when you find him for me. He owes me drinks. " He couldn’t help the crook of a smile on his face watching her slip back into the darkness.

Somewhere on the border of Liyue

"Sir the Tsaritsa has requested a new task for you." 

"Oh? Please don’t tell me it's another one of those cleanup missions for what happened in Liyue. I already paid for that incident. " The ginger complained while walking over to the Fatui agent. He spun his hydro weapons out of sight after just recently conflicting in a battle with any ruin guard he could find in sight. 

The familiar heat of Liyue eased his mind and made for a perfect fighting environment afterall too good for him to miss out on.

The agent only softly sighed, nodding, "It is part of that, This one might be of interest to you though. It is, after all, located in a place you're familiar with." She says while handing him a sheet of the report.

He snatched it, skimming over it eagerly. His eyes brightened. "My, my, The Tsaritsa asked this of me? Well, it does raise concerns, but I'm more than happy to return to Liyue for the time being. " He then pocketed the report, flexing his hands in anticipation. 

"I can not wait, Ekatrina. When do we leave?"

"Whenever you are ready, sir."

His eyes glinted dangerously in approval. "Xiang sheng, I hope you're ready for that fight, because I will not lose." He says, looking over the mountains of Liyue, seeing the distant outline of the harbour in a pale shade. 

The Harbinger Tartaglia was tasked with a mission by his utmost god, the Tsaritsa, and he would dare not disappoint her. 

Chapter Text

Kaeya woke up from another restless night. 

The dream was hazy. He generally only remembers vague and flickering details from the combination of waking and sleeping nightmares that have come to characterise his past roots. Kaeya is aware that he dreamed about someone attempting to kill him. But there was something pleasant about the dream; he felt comforted. If only he could recall, then he could remember why he felt so.

It was nights like these that he wished he didn’t have dreams. Generally speaking, it wasn’t often the man would have nightmares. Compared to his childhood, he got nightmares rarely and he knew how to prevent them most of the time. 

I really need a drink. 

He groaned internally from being sober for a week. How had he stayed in this city for a week, He did not know. It felt like he had been here for longer.

He would see if he could sneak a wine into the infirmary. Maybe they imported some of Dawn Winery’s drinks into Liyue that he could buy, although unlikely since he still had yet to find his items. 

Speaking of items, Most of it had been swept away by the sea, from what he recalled, his thoughts still hazy from the clash.

The young noble, Xingqiu, had actually left a while back, leaving Kaeya to his own devices. He still had yet to put a word in about his lost possessions, more so if his vision was around. 

He regretted losing it. He wasn't as concerned when he initially realised it had vanished because he wasn't as dependent on it as other vision bearers. Or convinced himself he didn’t need it to live, but with his injuries and the scuffle of pursuing the Abyss mages, he quickly realised his swordplay skills might not be adequate to protect himself.

Another concern was his daggers, which were hidden in his undercoat, were missing. He had suspicions the doctor had taken them for safe keeping, but still, he felt vulnerable with no vision nor weapon. 

Shamefully, he was useless. Hah, if only the knights could see him now. 

He sat up sifting a hand through his messy hair. He reached over to the side table to grab a hair tie, pulling his hair back into a side ponytail. At least he could look the part of being fine. 

He moved his gaze to the little girl curled up on the cushioned couch next to his bed, her head on top of her knees. Qiqi was sleeping softly, and he was struck by how motionless she appeared. Then he remembered someone saying she was a zombie, making sense of her stillness.

He didn’t realize she was a zombie at first, although with a second glance she did seem different from normal children, definitely unlike children in Mondstadt. He supposed this is what Chongyun meant by ‘anything weirder in the pharmacy’. Definitely nothing he’d ever seen before and he wondered how the zombie was able to remain alive. The odd sigils littered on her body were a part of it, he examined. 

He shook out the thought it might be better to not know the specifics. He leaned forward still on the bed, eyeing her for a moment to make sure she was asleep, then eased himself off the bed. Gradually, of course, since it still hurts to make any fast movements at the moment. 

The bed gave a loud creak and he stiffened, slowly turning his head towards the zombie.

Her eyes flickered slowly and she uncurled herself in a stretch. He stood up and gave a faint smile in greeting when she looked up at him in a daze, realizing someone was watching her. 

"Hello, Oh, why was Qiqi here again?" She asked softly, her voice tinged with drowsiness from having just awoken.

"You fell asleep after healing me. Sorry for waking you. You can go back to sleep if you’d like." He said gently, eyeing the door. He wouldn’t want that doctor to jump in at any second. 

"That’s okay, Qiqi has to do stretches anyway." She says nonchalantly, without waiting for Kaeya to answer. She slid off the chair and proceeded to stretch her arms while counting to herself after each stretch. 

Ah,

He was perplexed. He hadn't expected her to start stretching right in front of him; she saw his confusion and shifted. "I stretch daily to help maintain the same range of movement as a normal human being, but if I stop doing them, the rigor mortis starts to set in again and my body becomes stiff." She explains while stretching her arms above her. 

"Oh I see, so sleeping makes your body stiff?" He asks curiously and she nods. Perhaps Qiqi being here could be of use to him. 

He steps closer to her. 

"Interesting. I don’t suppose I could trouble you with something Qiqi?" He asked, kneeling down to her level. 

She paused her stretching for a moment, then looked blankly at him. "Qiqi will help you, if you help Qiqi, of course." she replied.

So the zombie wants an equal exchange? Oh well, he wasn't expecting it, but he wasn't surprised. It was no trouble for a skilled swindler to handle.

"Of course, of course, as long as it's not too much of a price." He couldn’t help grinning, figuring she would probably ask for something like a toy or food, like most children, easily obtainable to him. 

She nodded, "Qiqi wants cocogoat milk." looking brightly at him.

In all honesty, that was the last thing he would have thought of, but he agreed if it meant she would help him. Naive of him to think she had desires like normal children when she wasn't. 

"I will see it done. One glass of ‘cocogoat’ milk shouldn’t be too hard eh?" He says, Oh how he hoped that wouldn’t bite him in the back for bargaining with a child, but he agreed nonetheless, so he’d figure out what this cocogoat was later. 

"Ok deal, what do you need?" stop her stretching to face him properly.

"I need a list of items, but please don’t tell anyone about this matter. It’s for a confidential matter, between you and me alright?" 

"Of course, Qiqi won’t tell a soul." 

This actually worked out better than he hoped. If the zombie could run errands for him, he could at least be at the pharmacy without any suspicious eyes. 

"Alright, here's what I need." Leaning close to her to whisper in her ear.

Timeskip to evening Liyue harbour

When compared to the daytime, the port at night was a spectacle; the streets were lit in lovely colours of orange and yellow, and people strolled the streets for the thrill of spending time outside with each other. 

As the skies darkened, the boats slowed and the harbour became quiet.

Kaeya was more than impressed with the luxury sight. Liyue Harbor was truly a formidable city and lived up to its rich reputation. The calm atmosphere and friends chatting reminded him of the calm atmosphere in Mondstadt.

He was accompanied by Xingqiu and Chongyun. He had managed to find a spare set of crutches beforehand, so at least mobility wasn’t an issue until his leg healed enough to put pressure on it. He insisted he would be fine without it, but after the stunt on the last day, the young noble Xingqiu became more insistent on his health, almost like he was his caretaker. (Irony.) 

One thing Liyue harbour and Mondstadt had in common was stairs. He did not miss that part. They had taken it slowly because using crutches on stairs was not easy, especially in the dark, and he was grateful for assistance after almost tumbling down the steps of Bubu Pharmacy. 

He played himself well for the most part, even grudgingly taking pain medication from the doctor or he would probably have keeled over by now. Most of his wounds had healed for the most part with Qiqi’s ability, but the bigger cuts on his leg and chest were still painful to touch. 

"We can stop if you're really not up to it. Don’t push yourself." Chongyun said, but he briskly shook his head. He had come too long and, frankly, waiting in the pharmacy was all he spent his days doing, and he hated staying in one place being of no use to himself nor others.

"I can keep going. Don't worry about me." He reassured her through gritted teeth. He was a knight. If he couldn’t handle a simple stroll, how could he possibly stand up to another foe? No, stubborn reassurance was all he would be taking tonight. 

Xingqiu had met with Chongyun earlier in the day and explained the situation; he joined quickly, though he still seemed skeptical; news of any threat to the city after the recent osial incident could stir anyone after all.

He glanced worriedly between the two but wouldn’t say much after that. The walk to Wanmin had been much more pleasant once the stairs were no more, and soon they arrived at the restaurant to the hot smell of sizzling food. 

He noticed the bustling stream of customers in the front while a young girl managed them. Her companion-(bear? Panda? He wasn’t too sure) sitting behind her while blowing a hot stream of fire into the furnace. 

"Your order sir! Oh hey guys! It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Kaeya! " Xiangling piped up behind the counter, enthusiastic as ever despite multitasking heavily. 

"Pleased to meet you too, hardworking i see?" Kaeya said cheerily back. She was friendly and much younger than Kaeya expected, this being their first formal greeting. 

"I am trying my best! And just call me Xiangling. It feels weird being addressed that way,"she says.

"Alright Xiangling, a pleasure to meet you too and feel free to call me without formalities as well." 

"Oh okay!" She paused her cooking for a moment to face them properly, shaking Kaeya’s hand quickly. 

"Sorry about this. I would’ve met you in the pharmacy, but it's been way too busy in the restaurant lately. If only I had some help." glancing at Xingqiu and Chongyun, who innocently avoided her gaze. They’d rather be stuck cleaning than become taste testers for the girl.

She sighed, her eyes rolling. Then looking back to kaeya 

"Well anyway, I set up a private table in the back as requested. Mr. Zhongli is already waiting there. I’ll bring more food shortly." She tells them and Xingqiu nods.

"Thanks Xiangling." 

"We’ll see you later then!" 

The three went through the back door to a more private area at the rear of the restaurant. It was more of a storage area behind the shop than anything else, but there was a clear space with a lighted table and chairs waiting for them. Any talk could not be heard from the main road or from curious customers.

As said, the funeral consultant waiting for us rose politely to welcome us; it appeared he had already ordered quite a bit of food, as hot plates were stacked on the table.

"Greetings, please sit." nodding to them, they all sat around the circular table, Kaeya and Zhongli facing each other, while Chongyun and Xingqiu sat together beside them. 

"This is quite a change in scenery from our first meeting. What do you think of Liyue so far?" Zhongli asks modestly, a kind gesture. 

Kaeya leans back, "It’s beautiful." I see what you mean about Liyue at night. It is quite lovely,” he comments.

He agrees, "The port takes on a new ambiance at night, which most people love, and it becomes a time for connecting."

Zhongli clears his throat abruptly, "It’s good you enjoy Liyue. Now that we are all here, we should establish the terms of our contract." He says.

"Contract?" 

"It’s Mr. Zhongli’s way of doing a deal, to establish trust between the two parties and avoid confusion." Xingqiu explains, and Zhongli nods in agreement. 

"Indeed, I did say previously that I would provide information over this meal on Liyue," he states. Kaeya focuses his eyes intently on the man. 

"-But I will state nothing more." He finishes, sweeping his gaze over them. 

That meant he wouldn't divulge anything that wasn't common knowledge, much to their dismay. Kaeya would have assumed from the expression on the consultant's face the day before that he knew more than he let on, but the consultant held no signs of the past day and kept a straight face. 

Xingqiu was about to open his mouth to negotiate, but Kaeya spoke before him. "I agree to these terms." he replied, looking at Xingqiu reassuringly.

"I must admit I’m not situated in Liyue. Any knowledge would be helpful." He pauses, "I’m already indebted to you as well. What price are you asking for information?" lifting an eyebrow questioningly. 

He wasn’t naive when it came to negotiations. It was partly his job to negotiate with different parties in the order. All information comes at a price. Even in Mondstadt, the city of freedom, everything comes at a cost. 

Zhongli chuckles, "I do not need compensation for sharing knowledge with people who wish to learn, but I enjoy listening to travellers' stories, so I must ask, what brought you to Liyue?" He asks curiously. The question is simple. 

Kaeya is still and Chongyun and Xingqiu can’t help looking at him curiously as well. 

He simply forces a smile, easing off the topic, "Ah, I believe we should wait until food arrives until then."

He turns his head towards the side, looking towards the corner of the shop.

"And no prying eavesdroppers are here." he added louder raising a hand to his mouth for effect.

Is someone listening in? They all looked shocked on immediate alert, except Kaeya, who tilted his head back, looking more bored than upset of the intruder.

"Aiya, and I was being careful too."

A mutter came from behind the corner and she shuffled awkwardly to their table, now that her cover was blown. Hu Tao made her presence known. 

"Hello everyone! Don’t mind me joining in. " She plopped herself on one of the vacant seats. 

"Hu tao? What are you doing here? " Xingqiu mutters furiously to her. He hadn’t told her about tonight, so he was surprised she would eavesdrop. 

She grins innocently "What? I can’t be part of Mr. Zhongli's lectures too? "

"That’s not-" 

"It’s alright to let her stay. Hu tao right? Pleased to meet you formally, I almost didn’t hear you around the corner. " Kaeya says, not bothered by the interruption at all. Xingqiu only narrowed his eyes and passively ate his jade parcels in silence. He didn’t object at least. 

Hu tao looks pleased with herself that shes allowed to stay and leans towards kaeya with a bright grin,

"You have a sharp ear, mister! I should offer you some discounts at the funeral parlor, half off for your next coffin! " She cheers. 

Zhongli clears his throat again intending to cut her off, "Now that Director Hu has joined, I see no reason to stop this discussion. If we’re all in agreement, I can begin." They all nodded, letting the funeral consultant continue.

..

They saved the question of Kaeya’s story for later on. For the most part, the dinner went smoothly with no further interruptions. Zhongli spent most of the evening recounting events in Liyue, old and new. Kaeya only sat back listening intently to the older man, taking in his speeches of fine history. 

"I have a question," he says when Zhongli is recounting the Osial incident, the most recent incident in Liyue. He paused in his sentence to glance at him, and the others awoke too. Hu Tao was clearly half asleep from the lectures, the only indication of consciousness being her half-lidded eyelids and she lazily dropped food into her mouth.

"The Fatui were the ones who summoned Osial. They must have extensive information if they were able to locate the sigils right? " he narrows his one eye to the table pensively. 

"Those nasty Fatui, I bet they just bought it off some poor researcher. They have the funds to cover things up too with the Northland Bank and debt collectors." Xingqiu mutters, he didn’t like the fatui before and even more now. 

The knight only looked to the side, thinking to himself quietly, "You mean they still reside in Liyue?" questioningly looking at Xingqiu. 

He nods, "They have a bank situated on the Feiyun Slope. It’s mostly for loans and a meeting place for fatui diplomats. " 

"After the Osial incident, we haven’t seen many of them around since Lady Ningguang’s new laws were put in place, but a couple of them work there to keep up the business." Chongyun added.

Zhongli nodded in agreement, verifying these claims. Kaeya merely grunted, "How irritating, but they do have information..." he mumbled before sitting up to look at Zhongli in the face, his single eye blinking at him slowly.

"You've fulfilled your side of the agreement; it's only right that I fulfill mine," he states as he gets up from his chair for emphasis, as they sit gazing directly at him.

If he was going to be working with this group, he thought it would be best if he maintained no ties with them. When he first came to Liyue, he was apprehensive for good reason, but now that he felt ready to steady himself, he wanted to return to his previous position, no longer one of a sick stranger washed ashore. 

"I have previously introduced myself, but I believe another is in order. My name is Kaeya Alberich, and I am the Cavalry Captain and Quartermaster of the Knights of Favonious. " He informs them, and Xingqiu sputters from a glass he was drinking from, evidently shocked. Chongyun and Hu tao exchanged astonished expressions and blinked, not expecting that in the slightest. 

The tales of Mondstadts knights were common knowledge in Liyue, a knight being seen as a equivalent of a member in the counsel of qixing. In summary, a powerful representative of Mondstadt.

"A captain of the Favonius Knights- You didn't think to bring it up earlier? " Xingqiu exclaims, rising from his seat to meet him at eye level.

"Calm down, Xingqiu." Chongyun quickly rose as well, grabbing his friend's shoulder.

He slouches his shoulders but does not take his attention away from Kaeya, sighing, "Apologies, I didn't realise you were a member of the knights, let alone a second in command." He says, still astonished, while sitting back down, kaeya rubs the back of his head.

"Aye well, there aren't exactly a lot of knights to go around." He jokes blatantly.

Zhongli speaks up from being silent, "The Knights of Favonius are the knights that protect Mondstadt. Founded 1,000 years ago by Vennessa with the aid of Barbatos, now being the main protectors and law upholders in Mondstadt, a respectable position in Mondstadt. "he says, essay like. 

"I suppose we should address you more formally than, Captain Alberich." Hu Tao inquires, tilting her head at him.

"Please don’t. Kaeya is fine-and I suppose I’m technically on medical leave or off duty." He smiles faintly to hide the bitterness in his voice, It felt somewhat wrong to say that. He couldn’t explain it, but guilt weighed down on him for his actions leading to Liyue. He wanted to change it at most, at least for less paperwork for him to file. 

"Well, it is a surprise that a high-ranking knight would be this far out. Surely you're needed back in Mondstadt?" Zhongli questions

"That is true, but as I said, I can’t go back yet till I’ve done my mission, even if it means leaving Mondstadt behind for now." He said, lowering his gaze to his hands. A moment of silence ensued afterwards.

"Your mission, the abyss mages-right?" Chongyun speaks up in a questioning tone when the silence becomes too irritable for the burning questions.

"Yes, and more," he says, "but I need more time to understand exactly what I'm up against." He tells them he is slightly uncertain himself and lifts his hand to rub his temple.

"That’s why I can’t do this alone. Physically and mentally, I’m quite weak in this state, as you can tell." Gesturing to the visible bandages he still bore as well as the crutches sitting under the table. 

"That’s an understatement considering all you’ve been through. I don’t think anyone here thinks you're weak, quite the opposite in fact." Hu Tao said suddenly, she had previously been dozing off, but came too and was listening in to the conversation intently. 

Kaeya chuckled lightly, but when he looked around the table, everyone felt the same about Hu Tao’s words. Xingqiu and Chongyun nodded in agreement when he looked at them. He felt a weight of relief being lifted that he didn’t know was there. He could only smile nervously, all eyes on him, 

"Alright, alright-enough with the sentimental compliments. Why not focus on giving this injured man some wine? Liyue does have wine, right? " He couldn’t help smirking as he leaned against the table, distantly listening to Zhongli talk about Osmanthus Wine while the other three only groaned at another lecture, making him laugh more. 

The night went by with ease after that. They did, in the end, refuse to serve Kaeya any alcoholic beverages. Zhongli was more than willing to prepare a tea for them all, which was pleasantly good for Kaeya's tastes and even comparable to Lisa's brews during tea breaks. 

He felt at peace here, as if he were back at the tavern in Mondstadt with his buddies, a quiet party with everyone present, and he felt most at ease with fewer restrictions on formalities.

He shifted to place his hand on his hip, then realized he was gravitating towards the vision always at his side, now feeling oddly empty without its presence. 

"Is something wrong?" Zhongli asks, noticing the man's solemn expression. He looks up surprised for a moment, then relaxes, rubbing his head awkwardly. 

"I have one more thing to reveal, although it's more of my selfishness than anything else." He says sheepishly. He breathes in before continuing.

"I was unconscious for several days when I was brought to Liyue, and I also lost a lot of belongings in that accident, one of which was a vision." He says this while holding his breath. He didn't like admitting he missed the vision, but it felt pointless to deny the reality any longer, since visions were linked with people, they identified with them as well. When a vision user parts with their vision, you can feel that, and it only worsens the more he ignores the loss of energy he feels.

"That’s awful. You should have brought it up." Xingqiu says, looking at him with concern, obviously for hiding such an important detail from them. 

He shrugs, "I should have, but it didn't feel necessary to bring it up with everything going on." 

"But a vision.. What was it? Pyro, Anemo? " 

"A cryo one, but don’t worry, I’m still able to fight without it." He quickly adds, half assuring himself as well.

"You've been without it for a week, right?" Zhongli asks. He nods, and the man only narrows his eyes, gazing down. 

"You should find it as soon as possible." He tells him, warily not meeting his gaze. 

"It’s not an urgent concern. I know of someone similar who survived without their vision for years. It'll turn up eventually. " He says reassuringly. Zhongli gazes down with a unreadable expression like he was going to say something but held back, instead lifting his cup of tea to take a sip.

"Oh oh! That explains that weird thing you were doing while trying to attack us when we first met! " Hu Tao exclaims, mimicking his frostgnaw, holding an arm up.

He shifted his gaze from the consultant to hutao awkwardly watching the representation; he did not remember that at all and that made him wonder about the other embarrassing things he did while in that state..

"I see." all he could say without partially offending himself by how ridiculous that looked, was that how he always looked when he used his cryo skill? oh gods. 

"I’m really sorry we couldn’t find it though. I’ll be sure to look out for a vision between the milleithe and markets." Xingqiu says.

"I’ll help too. If it falls into the sea, I could ask Beidou if anything has come on the docks recently." Chongyun offers too. 

He looks gratefully at them, "I appreciate it, and don’t beat yourself up about it. I’m the fool who lost it in the first place." He says with a huff. 

It was a shame he would have to live without a vision, but he wouldn’t slack himself off because of it. His goal wasn’t to find it and, honestly, a couple elements weren’t going to stop him from killing those mages. They messed too much with this and he wanted some payback. If they were planning another attack on Mondstadt, he needed to find out and it seemed Liyue had the answers. 

After this dinner, he had a partial idea of his next plan in mind; Zhongli's lectures, while mostly intended to familiarise him with the region, did provide him with some insight into Liyue's legal system. He quickly learned Zhongli was more knowledgeable than his reputation as a funeral consultant, knowing things most did not. He did wonder how he spoke like he had seen through these events himself, even the little details the Liyuen teens didn’t know about. He quickly proved to have been a good choice to form a contract with the man. 

"Be careful all of you and I hope you find what you are looking for." Zhongli says while getting up to leave, looking at Kaeya for a moment before nodding with a smile.

He tapped the director's shoulder, who had fallen asleep, presumably from his lectures, shaking her awake gently. 

She yawned, jumping up from her spot and waving politely. "Nice chatting, if you need a place to hide a body, you know where to find me" She cheerily tells them, a little too seriously if she intended for it to be a joke. 

"You should watch yourselves. I wouldn’t want an overflow of new clients." She said before taking off after Zhongli, who went to settle the bill with presumably Hu Tao’s funds. 

"Wow, Hu Tao can say nice things." Xingqiu muses, resting his chin on the top of one hand lazily. 

"You can tell? It just sounds like classic Hutao." Chongyun frowns, shrugging and getting up from the table. 

"We should head back. Tonight was nice. I look forward to more nights like this. " Chongyun murmurs, Xingqiu and Kaeya nod in agreement and steadily get up to leave as well. 

"I’ve already said this, but I’m truly indebted to you both. Thanks,  I will be sure to repay your kindness when this whole mess is over." Kaeya said, standing up to face them both. Intending on keeping this oath. 

Chongyun nods, "No problem. In truth, you’ve been a good friend to us and I think we can both say we're more than happy to help." 

Chongyun was a quiet kid, that was for sure, but he never lied once in his presence, he knew he wasn't just simply saying that. Kaeya only chuckled then grinned, "alright goodnight you two, I’ll see you later." He couldn’t help ruffling both their heads after that, earning two annoyed groans which made him grin brighter. 

They were both truthfully only a couple years younger than him, but he would say they were mature for their age and kind. A trait that was rare as time grew.

He sighed wistfully in youth and made his slow walk back to the pharmacy which he was currently occupying. 

a shadow entered the scene when they had all left, unbeknownst to them. the only evidence of the watcher was the shielded mask which adorned their face and foreign uniform. 
They were quick to shuffle to the streets to blend with the crowd after they heard enough to satisfy their master, eager to tell the information they captured.

Kaeya Alberich slicked off his tongue with a curious flash and they only smirked under the mask cruelly on what was in store.

Chapter Text

Liyue

"Kaeya! I brought you jade parcels! " Xingqiu called, strolling inside Bubu Pharmacy with ease. The routine of him going to the pharmacy was now second nature, and even the herbalist didn't notice as he strode past, a bag of hot jade packets in one hand.

This morning was buzzing with excitement in Liyue Harbor. Chongyun was busy with a job, so Xingqiu decided to deliver some food to their infamous guest. 

"Xingqiu, come on in. I’m teaching Qiqi here how to fold a paper ludi harpastrum.” Kaeya calls down the hall. He walks in to see Kaeya and Qiqi sitting across each other on the bed, both busily folding paper laid out on the bed.

Xingqiu placed the bag of food on the table bedside and pulled a chair next to them. 

"Like the ones during the mondstadt festival?" He asked, watching Kaeya fold one of his own expertly. The orange paper ball looked like a replica of the Mondstadt Harpastrums made during the festival. 

"Yeah, I thought I’d pass the time by making some. Kids love them, so I thought Qiqi might enjoy it. " He said cheerily, tossing the paper ball he made in the air, then dropping it into Xingqius's palm for him to catch. 

"It’s not the best, but feel free to keep it." He says as Xingqiu holds the ball up to his face to examine the fine details, impressed by the skill he can make with just paper.

"It’s beautiful. I didn’t know you had such a fine craft for art, "he tells him, surprised. 

Kaeya chuckles, shaking his head, "Nah, to be perfectly honest, this is the only thing I can do. It's a tradition for every mondstadter to know how to make a harpastrum. Similar to your festival in Liyue; the lantern rite. " He tells him, focusing on Qiqi in front of him, who is folding a harpastum of her own, not nearly as intricate as Kaeya’s but still looking pretty well made under his guidance.

"Yes, that is correct-the locals will soon begin preparing for the lantern rite," Xingqiu nods. He leans against the bed between them.

That reminded him; The lantern rite was coming, in just a few weeks, the streets would be filled with floating lanterns and activities. Xingqiu was looking forward to it. 

"Ah, that’s right, I almost forgot about it." Kaeya says, meeting his gaze for a moment, then turning to Qiqi, who's beside them quietly. 

"Well then Qiqi, we’ll continue this another time and try not to forget." He says softly to her, who nods. "I’ll write it in my notebook. Don't worry, Mr. Kaeya. " She replies, pulling her notebook out beside her and sliding off the bed. 

"Bye bye." Waving politely at them and leaving them alone. Kaeya waves back with her eyes closed until she leaves.

Kaeya couldn’t help falling back into bed dramatically with a whine after she had left, covering his face. Xingqiu moves closer to him in concern. 

"Xingqiu, you got to help me." He says with a hand over his head. 

"With..?" Raising his eyebrows.

"What the hell is a coco goat and how do I make Qiqi forget about them?" He mutters while sitting back up. 

Xingqiu couldn’t help bursting into laughter, and Kaeya frowned at him, unappeased. 

"Sorry, sorry-a cocogoat is a fictional adepti beast. It doesn’t exist. " He explains it once he catches his breath. 

"Oh." Kaeya looks down, realizing how stupid he must feel. 

"If it’s for Qiqi, I think she meant coconut milk. I’m surprised she hasn’t written that down in her notebook yet." 

"Yeah, that makes more sense, but still a cocogoat. Maybe she’ll hopefully forget about it then.”Kaeya shakes his head. He sits up.

He glances at the bag, "You brought jade parcels?" licking his lips, hopefully at the bag. 

Xingqiu takes the bag, pulling out the box of jade parcels and handing them to Kaeya, who greedily takes them without another word, wanting to eat them as soon as possible. 

"These are good! They need some wine though, next time..? " glancing an eye hopefully at him.

He shook his head, as if he’d fall for that. Kaeya shrugged and continued savouring the parcels. 

His curiosity intrigued and Xingqiu wanted to ask something.

"So just wondering, you haven’t mentioned anything about contacting Mondstadt. Do you want to let the knights know you're here?" He asks, changing the subject.

Kaeya sighs, "I wouldn’t want to trouble them, but don’t worry, they’ll be fine in the meantime without me." He reassures him confidently and Xingqiu looks unimpressed. 

"That seems reckless. What about your family? I don’t mind sending a letter. " 

This made him stop chewing on a parcel for a moment, like the thought hadn’t come across till now. 

"They must care if you’ve been gone for so long, right?" He says it again and that fazes Kaeya out of it, shaking his head. 

"Don't worry about it; they're probably having a better time with me gone." Kaeya lowered his head as he delivered the final bit in a cheery tone, but his expression did not match the enthusiasm. 

Xingqiu tilted his head, perplexed. Did he not get along with his family? He didn’t want to pry. 

"You sure?" He asked again, more worried about whether Kaeya could tell. 

"Mhmm." Kaeya hummed distractedly in assumed confirmation. Avoiding the topic, Xingqiu just nodded, unsure if it was right to press on. He was glad when he gazed back at him. His expression changed to back to a grin.

"Say Xingqiu, do you have a map of Liyue?" He asked, wanting to change the subject. 

"Oh sure," he says, fumbling through his back pocket for the map, handing it to him.

Kaeya unraveled it. He lifted an eyebrow curiously after he laid the map over the bed.

"Are you interested in sightseeing?" He asks out of curiosity.

He turns his head to face him. "Ah, if only, alas, maybe after this whole mission blows over, but for now, this is work related." He said softly, his eyes focused on a part of the map.

He starts marking sections of the map, spaced out outside Liyue Harbour, not saying a word as Xingqiu watches him work, still unsure of what he's planning. 

The dots with no connection as far as he could tell and could only stare with squinted eyes wondering what the knight was planning. 

"I think that's all. Still confused? "he concludes, sitting back. 

"Yes, please explain." Kaeya couldn’t help grinning. He was having too much fun with this. 

"These." gesturing a hand over the points marked out. "-are the fatui’s recent movements around Liyue." He tells him, crossing his arms. 

"Fatui? I don’t get it. Aren't you hunting abyss mages? " Xingqiu asks quizzingly, frowning. 

"Hm, yes I am doing that, but I think the fatui might have some information that would be interesting in this case." He says slyly, Xingqiu was getting a bad feeling about this already. 

"And how did you get this information?" still looking at him with one eyebrow cocked. He was more perplexed than impressed, to be honest. Even though he didn’t know about most of the fatui camps in Liyue, it was suspicious how Kaeya could acquire them all. 

Kaeya shrugged, "You’d be surprised how easy it is to acquire information if you find the right people." He says vaguely, not answering his question. 

Xingqiu frowns at him. He frowns back. 

"So.. what now?" Xingqiu starts.

"So I have a question for you," he grins and pauses for effect. He leans forward, so they are mere inches away from each other.

"How good of a liar are you Xingqiu?" his eyes gleaming mischievously. 

Xingqiu blinked slowly then raised his eyebrows, not exactly what he was expecting, but he didn’t question it this time, only grinned lightly, matching his enthusiasm.

"Only the best," he answered.

In this scenario, calm would be an understatement; in fact, it only prompted Diluc to grit his teeth more while sharpening his claymore in an attempt to divert his anxieties.

Amber, Diluc, and the unconscious Albedo remained in the Dapauga Gorge; once the sisters had left, they settled into a camp in a nearby gully where they could light a fire undetected.

To be honest, the darkness made him feel even more on edge, which was ironic considering his vigilante nickname was "Dark Knight Hero". You would think he would be used to the dark considering that title. 

He had many nights when he journeyed out of mondstadt camping in the wilderness, this was no different. 


He shifted to the side. He couldn't sleep. 

Or, at the very least, he attempted to sleep, which resulted in a presumptuous nightmare. So he sat awake sharpening his blade, listening to the crickets buzzing into the night.

Diluc couldn't help but to think dark thoughts about his ex-brother; he wasn't blind to the fact that the man could well be dead already-it seemed like everyone looked at him as if he was the one who was unaware of the possibility. Like they were chasing thin strings of hope. 

Or perhaps he was too stubborn to consider that, looking only ahead with no clear goal set. 

He groaned.

Sitting against a tree facing their camp, Amber was asleep with her back to him, her gentle snoring notifying him of her presence, a baron bunny toy placed beneath her she had used as a pillow. He was afraid it might explode, but the outrider reassured him that it was not laden with explosives, which was good.

He did worry about the alchemist, though, keeping an eye on him. 

Albedo's sleeping form was still knocked out cold; he was sleeping next to the campfire. He hadn't moved an inch since they'd laid him there, and Diluc had to check on him a few times to be sure he was still alive. Diluc gave his coat to cover him, best acting as a makeshift bed.

Luckily, they had some bandages, so Amber cleaned up any apparent wounds on his face. 

It was the most they could both do. It was the dark of night and away from any civilization. They couldn’t get any actual medical help. He just hoped Albedo hadn’t suffered a severe concussion or they might be in trouble. 

He hoped that whatever the abyss was planning for albedo was not connected to Kaeya, but knowing him, it probably was. 

He stopped sharpening his claymore, looking down at the ground. Clenching his hands into a fist. 

Why was he still here? 

The burning question ebbed in his mind and the silence that followed felt like it could blow him away in a frozen storm in dragonspine. 

He didn't hate Kaeya, but he had no incentive to remain other than the fatui. He could depart in the morning without saying anything and call the mission off; the task was technically completed; they simply wanted to find out what happened in the Dapauga Gorge and they did.

Kaeya isn’t here.

His head ached familiarly of a migraine and he held himself back, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

Amber was right, he had no business being involved in this. But the helplessness he felt worsened. He felt like he was losing his family all over again, and he hated that. 

He hated caring, being hopeful-this whole situation angered him with despair.

Kaeya left them without a word, and only the knight and ex brother had to search for him. He was probably the last person Kaeya wanted to see and he wouldn’t be surprised if he was the reason he was gone. After all, there was a time when Diluc would’ve brought his sword on him and ended him right there. 

the bitter thoughts never ending his guilty mind.

So much regret. 

In the years since his 18th birthday, he saw Kaeya as nothing more than a stranger, a thorn in his side. He scorned him unintentionally for staying-for becoming a captain in the knights. But that was only his anger at first. When it subsided, then only did he regret it-it was lonely. 

Leaving Mondstadt was the most lonely he'd ever felt; armed only with a delusion and the clothing on his back, grieving his father as he headed off in search of answers, with plenty of time to reflect on those long treks.

At times, he felt like his mind was ebbing away with the scornful delusion that brought only vengeance.

It wasn't until he returned to Mondstadt that he felt himself settling again; being able to settle in the comforts of the winery calmed him as he could resume what he had left behind. Even without his family. 

He redirected his focus to the camp, not wanting to pry into old memories any longer, and after a short check on the two sleeping across from him, figured they would be safe for the night. 

He got into a lying position with one knee bent up and another arm curled under his head.

The shivada jade earring in his pocket, the only scrap of evidence of Kaeya's presence, shone a low purple colour from the warm tone of the fire reflecting off of it.

He almost feared he would break it, delicately examining it with his bare hand. The cold of the Shivada fragment embedded cooled his hand from the familiar warmth. 

Diluc put the earring in his pocket safely after that, the sight of it sending a gentle reminder of his mission. 

Without waking the others, he shifted to a resting position, closing his eyes and hoping to let the darkness envelope him, letting his fears rest. Those amber eyes closed and the sound of crickets was the last sound he heard when he drifted to sleep. 

Diluc wasn’t expecting when he first woke up to find a figure leaning over him, peering at him at the crack of dawn.

He gave out a startled cry and instantly backed up.

"What the hell?!" He did not expect to be woken so abruptly and off guard at that. 

"Ah, apologies. I thought you would be asleep for longer. " Albedo murmurs back. Diluc is still hazy from sleep and can only glare at him in perplexed confusion. 

"Wha- the ruckus?" Amber calls half awake, it seemed Diluc accidentally woke everyone up. He gets up, shaking off any will to go back to sleep. 

"Albedo-Oh my god Albedo, you're awake. Are you okay?" Amber leaps up, rushing to him, and Albedo kindly puts a hand up to prevent her from crashing over him at a rapid pace. He, like Diluc, appears to be taken aback by the situation. 

"I appear to be fine, but my memory is still hazy. I was hoping you two could fill me in on the specifics." He states looking off to the side, scanning the camp they’ve made. Amber steps back, a little embarrassed by her hasty entry, and nods.

"Right! Sorry-you are probably really confused, Uh Diluc? " Looking at him hopefully. He sighs, nodding his head.

"I'll make breakfast and explain to Albedo, it's good to see you're healthy and well." He says flatly, walking up to their half-burned-out campfire, intending to refuel it so they may sit comfortably around it. The conversation that will take place will probably be confusing and not a delight for Diluc.

***

"Kaeya’s missing?" was the first thing Albedo said, surprise in his tone. He took a bite of the sandwich Diluc made. 

"Yeah, we’re out here finding out where he possibly went, or if he was taken." Amber explains, keeping her voice steady. 

"Interesting... Any progress? "he asks.

Diluc grunts in displeasure, then rummages in his pocket, looking for the piece, and hands Albedo the jewel they found in his palm. 

He inspects it slowly, his demeanour unchanged with no hint of a reaction, and returns his gaze to them after a moment. 

"I see, so the search continues." He concludes and Diluc nods, not wanting to admit in words the lack of evidence. 

"What about you, Albedo? Why were you taken by the abyss? " interested in what the alchemist was involved in. 

Albedo thinks for a moment, carefully putting his next words in place. "I’m not sure why yet, although I was ambushed by them not far from my camp in Dragonspine, when I came to the opportunity, I took my chances and fought when I presumed you two stepped in and saved me." He summarizes. 

They nodded. The story seemed about right. They decided not to tell Albedo about Rosaria's appearance. She probably didn’t want her name passed around Albedo and it didn’t seem that important for her gaining recognition.

Albedo remains troubled, doubtful of a critical question in his mind. "But if all of this had happened in the last week, certainly I would have heard, What about Klee? How is she doing?" He inquired, his voice anxious when it came to Klee, his sister.

Amber looked to the side, "Klee is alright. She's been told Kaeya went on a long mission and won’t be back for awhile, but she's still upset and confused by the whole situation." She said with a sigh. 

"I see." He lowers his head with a hand under his chin. 

That’s when Diluc remembers the past conversation with Jean, in realization. "Jean sent a letter. Did you not receive it? " 

He shook his head. No knowledge of the past events had ever reached Albedo, and that meant no letter arrived-Did Jean lie or did someone intercept the message? He would have to confirm with Jean, but the fact that Albedo was oblivious and recently captured by the abyss seemed too much of a coincidence. 

Albedo closed his eyes and blinked slowly, as if he was carefully considering his next move in a line of thought. "I'd like to make a suggestion." After a little pause, he speaks up and turns to face both of them, who have their gaze fixed on him.

He continues, "Let us go to my camp in Dragonspine. Perhaps I can help you and you can both help me recover what was damaged by the abyss mages." 

Now, the thought of dragonspine was not the first thing to cross their minds. It was close to the gorge after all, but Diluc generally wanted to avoid it entirely. He was not naive to the cold terrain and harsher climate in Dragonspine, and he knew of the dangers it posed. He abruptly didn’t want to go, even as a pyro user, dragonspine was harsh with no prior experience of the terrain. 

But the coincidence was too strong. He didn’t want to pressure it, but Albedo looked off about it too. He would glance warily around every few minutes like something was watching them. 

Diluc wasn't sure if it was because he had just been captured by the abyss or if he was hiding something, but he was keen to find out.

"Are you hiding something up there?" He asks directly, unintentionally speaking with an edge. Amber shoots Diluc a puzzled glare, but he doesn’t look back, staring at Albedo intently for his answer. 

"I simply need to be sure of something, and it might help you both in your mission as well," Albedo says obscurely, looking aside. He is not refuting Dilucs' question, but just half-answering it.

One thing was for sure, he didn’t like the sound of that.

Diluc's eyes narrow, whereas Amber appears more intrigued and trusting of Albedo than Diluc is.

"Let’s do it. Let’s go to Dragonspine." She agrees. Diluc sharply turns his head, his mouth already open in protest, but she lifts a hand at him, ignoring him. 

"And if Master Diluc disagrees, he can just return to Mondstadt and report to Jean." With glitter in her eyes, she says with a smile.

Diluc narrows his eyes and scowls in his own frustration. "You-" turning to her in frustration. 

She cuts him off "You-what? You said it before, one should go back anyways. " She argues, innocently turning away, her decision was made up. 

Albedo watched their interaction with curious entertainment, turning away before Diluc could notice him watching, and he went off to pack the supplies in the camp to prepare for the journey. 

Amber also assists, and they are quickly ready to depart. Diluc stands behind them, still unhappy, but has made no move to leave, so he reluctantly agrees to follow along without further complaint. He tightens his coat, preparing himself for the impending cold.

Before they leave, Amber approaches Diluc while Albedo is off elsewhere, assuming he is picking up any herbs or supplies they might need. 

"Hey Diluc." She shifts closer to him, her arms turned behind her back. 

"What?" He answered coldly, not wanting to be rude, but he was more annoyed at being in the middle of a conversation right now. 

"Aww, don’t be grouchy like that-" She complains, looking up at him with a huff.

She softens. "I just wanted to come by to say thanks. I’ve really enjoyed working with you and I’m kind of relieved you haven’t left by now. " She says quietly, her words are earnest and take Diluc by surprise.

He clears his throat, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I see-it's no problem. I just want to get Kaeya back." He says sheepishly, suddenly feeling much younger and caught off guard by Amber’s thanks.

"So you’ll come to Dragonspine?" Hope flared in her tone. 

He huffs, "Yes i’ll come, I’m not going back to face Jean alone." Amber stifles a laugh in agreement. 

"We’ll bring him home." She says finally. Diluc shares a light smile with her. The outrider was a stubborn person, but she meant well and dedicated herself to helping others. He could forgive her for her quick decisions for now. 

We’ll bring Kaeya home. 

They followed Albedo to the snowy region of Dragonspine, their spirits high and their focus unwavering. They'd have to deal with whatever was in Stow. Amber’s fiery arrows and Diluc’s everblazing phoenix would face it. After all, they were on a mission and both intended to carry it out. 

One of the Outrider, intending to find her superior and friend, and the other a Vigilante, wanting to rekindle a broken relationship with his brother.

Chapter Text

Diluc, Amber & Albedo are currently travelling through Dragonspine. With the few supplies they had, they trekked through, leading up a winding path taking them up the mountain. 

The bitter cold assaulted them from all sides, and the wind howled in their ears. The cold was harsh, and the frost freezing into their visible clothes. A startling comparison to the gorge they were in hours ago. 

Diluc had a hard time believing anybody would choose to live here willingly, but the Alchemist was an exception; undoubtedly, he was unconcerned with the severe weather, trekking along the path without a moment's hesitation.

Albedo led steadily, even when the snowy fog grew thick. Accustomed to the mountain's territory and knowing the route helped him, wading through the snowy path, making new trails for them to follow. 

Diluc and Amber, being less accustomed to the mountain, slowed behind him, Diluc using his vision to warm himself while Amber followed suit, her teeth chattering slightly even with the vision combined. Even though they were both pyro users, they were as vulnerable to the cold as any other without the proper guidance. He was actually grateful Albedo would slow down for them and tell them signs when they neared a certain location. 

As he thinks that Albedo is slowing down, he turns to them. 

"There's a cave ahead. We can rest there." Albedo points to the crook in the snow and heads there without waiting for a reply.

Relieved they could all rest, they followed him quickly behind him, entering the cave. The snowy cavern littered with sparkly crystals shielded them from the wind for a moment's rest. 

"I-I-It’s F-Freez-ing! " Amber chattered, rubbing her arms. There were icicles forming on the bow of her head, making the bunny shaped bow flop. 

"I have a warming potion but I’d rather not use it now. We still have a while to go to the campsite. Sorry Amber. " Albedo says apologetically. She shakes her head, some icicles falling off her head in the process.

"I-It’s‘ Kay Albedo, I don’t need it." She reassures him while stuttering, which is not convincing in the slightest.

"Seriously, why did you come here if you didn't have any proper attire?" Diluc grumbles as he pulls his coat off to drape over Amber; she doesn't respond, likely because the cold has swept up with her, and just wraps the coat tightly around her in appreciation without another word.

Compared to Albedo and Diluc, Amber was the one with the least amount of coverings. Her red coat, now covered in frost, wasn’t helping her in this climate. He was worried she would actually freeze herself if he didn’t notice. 

"So what are we going up there for anyway?" Dilucs asks after Amber’s chattering stops. The thick coat helps considerably in warming her. 

With his back still facing away from them, Albedo answers.

"I plan on going back to Mondstadt after I make sure my research wasn’t ransacked completely by the abyss." He replies, his voice nonchalant even in the cold.

"Is that all?" Feelings like this had nothing to do with their mission, as Albedo mentioned. 

As if reading his thoughts, Albedo sighs, "I have something that’s important to my research up there. It also has the possibility of interesting you two as well." He does tell him vaguely, raising an eyebrow at Diluc. 

Diluc narrows his eyes, "What kind would that be?"

"It’s.. hard to explain. You’ll see soon enough." He pauses to look at them both. 

Diluc grumbles; he had never personally chatted the Chief Alchemist before, but he was said to be highly intelligent and passionate about his work. He wasn't giving him any hints as to what he was concealing up there, contrary to those statements. He did seem intent on going up the mountain though, unbeknownst to the weather. 

Amber wasn't much help either, shrugging tiredly, which Diluc assumed meant 'typical' Albedo behavior; did the knights truly trust him? He criticized his efficiency, while following them slowly behind.

"Have either of you heard of any legends about Dragonspine?" Albedo asked suddenly. They had been silent for a bit. Diluc and Amber think for a moment about his question. It was better than thinking about how they were going to freeze any moment. 

"Lisa likes to tell stories about the treasures in Dragonspine." Amber murmurs, Albedo nods, relieved of any knowledge being passed on. 

"The ancient civilization that used to live on the mountain held many treasures. Before the catastrophe of durin occurred, the Skyfrost Nail fell and shattered the mountain's ley line tree, causing the ecosystem to change from verdant to frostbitten. "Continuing with fascination, he added, "It brought plagues to the humans who lived there and they were decimated by an eternal winter." Wringing his hands, he briefs the legend. 

"This is the summary of Dragonspines' creation. Of course, there is still much to learn about the tragedy with the evidence left behind, treasures included." He adds keenly.

"I was studying the remnants of dragonspine, unlocking the mysteries and breaking them down." He tells them afterward. 

Many studied dragonspine for its history because it had so much of it unexplored. Albedo was the same. He settled into a camp just for that. Unlocking the secrets behind the snowy mountains is one of the most important tasks he's been doing for months. To be honest, even Diluc was curious on what he discovered as to be so important it couldn't be explained briefly. 

They stayed silent, waiting for Albedo to continue on.

He prods at a frozen ice shard hanging off the ceiling. The ice is quick to shake and fall, shattering it on impact with the floor. Amber flinches at the sound but quickly relaxes, both watching in curiosity.

"I have yet to discover the mysteries of dragonspine." He says softly, moving the broken ice pieces with his foot. He looked disappointed. His eyes narrowed at the floor in a thoughtful manner.

He looked up sharply.

"Let’s move. Dragonspine is dangerous and there are hostile camps nearby." He tells them, his expression back to an unreadable look. They get up, oddly perplexed at Albedo's actions, but neither bring it up, so the topic dulls. 

They finally made it up to Albedo's encampment with just minor mishaps; the majority of the hilichurl camps they saw were easy to demolish, and they dodged any serious opponents. If they had to guess, it was approximately midday, but they couldn't be sure because of the gloomy clouds that hung over the mountain.

Diluc, in his thick undercoat, had flakes of snow settling on his red hair and eyelashes. Glad they finally made it to the camp.

As Albedo expected, the campsite looked like an absolute wreckage. The abyss had made sure to check thoroughly through everything, with books lying on the ground spread open and potions and supplies scattered alongside them. 

Albedo sighs but is not surprised. He had been kidnapped by them after all.

"I’m really sorry about your campsite Albedo. Is anything salvageable?" Amber asks sympathetically with a wheeze, still using Diluc’s coat, the outrider's nose and cheeks blushing red from the cold. 

He shakes his head, "It’s alright. I think most of it can be replaced." He reassures her. Starting to look through the scattered supplies for anything amiss. 

"What do you think the abyss wanted?" Diluc questions

Albedo shrugs, not looking up. "Who knows what follicle plans they came up with? It seems they were desperate for information to try to kidnap me. Thank you for rescuing me, by the way." He raised his head at him to thank him eye to eye, he didn't even realize albedo had yet to thank them properly.  

Diluc dipped his head. "No need for thanks, is anything missing?" Crouching down next to him after Albedo had gathered what supplies were not damaged. 

"I don’t think so. There is one last thing I have to check if you don’t mind being left alone for a time." glancing at Amber, then Diluc in a questioning manner if they could manage without him. 

"Sure."

Amber is huddled by one of the campfires while Albedo left to retrieve the item. It appears to be held in a more secluded place that isn’t a part of the caved-in campsite. Diluc watches him leave, then sits next to Amber, sighing as he plops down. Glad they could have a moment without the Alchemists nonchalant attitude.

"How come you're not getting a cold?" Amber sneezes and rubs her nose. Diluc had been travelling without his coat for the majority of the time, but despite the fact that he was chilly, it seemed like she needed it more. regardless he had never asked Amber for it back so she kept it on her person, slouching under the thick coat.

He shrugged, "I can handle it. How are you?" his attention to Amber. Since they started the trip, Amber had been acting differently. She acted more tired and strangely cold, which he couldn’t help being concerned about because she was a pyro user like him, but seemed to be the one faring the worst. 

She shivered, "Uncomfortable." 

It would have come out in a joking manner, laughing at the end if she wasn’t curled up looking like she dreaded every second here. Diluc frowned worriedly at her, the snowy tundra not faring well for her. 

"Are you still cold?" He asked quietly, concerned.

She hums in response, not bothering to nod. He shifts closer to her, taking off his glove and placing his bare hand on her forehead. She didn’t protest the sudden action as he felt her temperature, 

Diluc felt she was burning hot. 

"You're ill." He says it with realization. 

"We should-" "No, I’m fine." Amber cuts him off, straightening up to look bold. He narrows his eyes, unimpressed. "You're not, you need to rest." He persists.

She shrugs, "Like I said, I’ll be fine." gritting her teeth in a glare. not looking in the mood to argue back and forth between them.

"Here, I don't need it." She takes off the coat he lent in that statement and hands it to him, returning it. He doesn’t take it from her, stepping back. "Keep it, you need it more than me." He firmly replies.

He wasn’t about to let her get worse in this condition. Dragonspine sickness worsened considerably in this climate afterall.

She stands still for a moment, deciding whether to take the coat or not, but ultimately puts it back on, ignoring Diluc's gaze boring into her as she did so. 

After another tense moment she sighs heavily, "Master Diluc, I appreciate your concern, but please stop caring." She says it softly, almost like a plea. 

He opens his mouth in protest, "I’m only trying to-" to help. not being able to finish it. 

Why did he care about her? The question made him pause in mid-sentence.

Amber was mature enough to take care of herself, and frankly, Diluc hadn’t cared about anyone much before. He wasn’t even sure how he could help. Sickness in Dragonspine? It would have been better to send her home and abandon the mission altogether, if not for his desire to return Kaeya back home. He wouldn’t break that promise. That was for sure. 

Then he remembered Jean, the worried look she gave him the last time they met. He couldn’t face her if something happened to Amber and he could have prevented it. He wouldn't let Mondstadt lose another person. 

He sighs deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his two fingers.

"Fine, but you're not leaving until Albedo checks your condition." He finally says, finally, compromise. If he couldn’t reason with her, then Albedo could. Although he doubted that considering Amber's ambitions on this mission as well. 

She huffs but doesn’t argue, curling back into her cozy position by the fire in silence. They ended their dispute. 

He made a mental note to have a long discussion with Jean about this later. 

Albedo walks in shortly after, saving them from awkward tension. He hauled back what looked like a big rock, bigger than his head, tightly wound up in a cloth and pulled by rope. Diluc stood up, sirens firing in his head immediately at what the Alchemist was keeping hidden away.

He decided to ask to check Amber's condition later. 

"What is this?" Dilucs asked, awaiting his reply when he pushed it up onto the lab table with slight difficulty. 

Albedo walks around the table to better face Diluc, so they are on either side of the mysterious item. 

"I’m not sure to be perfectly honest. I found it a couple of days before this incident by the shore. What made me interested in it was this. " He said, pulling the cloth covering it and it glowed brightly. He had to step back to shield his eyes momentarily from the contrast.

Albedo eyes it closer, his eyes shining off it. "Magnificent right? I’ve never seen ice glow like this before. " I was fascinated by the discovery. 

"More like an eyesore-this is what was so important to you?" He said unsympathetically, not impressed. 

Albedo tilts his head, "I suppose the issue is what’s inside. If you don’t mind assisting me with this. " He gestures Diluc over to the ice chunk with a wave of his hand. 

He wanted to deny helping. This seemed like an utter waste of time, but he had a small curiosity about the glowing chunk that drew him in.

The blue aura reminded him of something. Enough to give in to his curiosity.

Diluc adjusts his gloves before placing one gently on the surface of the ice. Albedo picking up a clipboard and stepping back, wanting to document this while watching the progress. 

He holds his breath as he touches it. Letting his pyro vision alight to begin melting it.

The ice wasn’t normal, that was for sure. After moments of his flame, it left no change.

Frustrated, he concentrated more heat on it, swirling the pyro around it until it looked like it was cracking. 

He added more pressure, determined to see what was inside. It also seemed to be glowing brighter in response as he concentrated on seeing it crack further. 

Almost..almost-there! It’s breakin-

The short cry of a warning was all he got when he felt himself being thrown back by the sudden force, his eyes blinded for moments by the explosion. He felt himself spinning, dizzy from the impact.

"What happened?? Is everyone okay?"

He could hear Amber's call. Luckily, she missed the explosion entirely and was unharmed, moving from the fire to see if they were alright. 

"I’m fine!" He replies, groaning as he sits up, feeling a massive headache on its way. He could hear Albedos grunt across as well. He landed on a pile of books, scattering them. 

When Albedo discovered the ice or crystal had been broken through, he rushed to find the thing contained within. Diluc sat back, still digesting what had just transpired while his mind whirled. Albedo stills his voice calling to him after a hushed shock.

"Y-You should see this.." He calls. Albedo's voice seems strained, which is unusual for him. It immediately frightens him, and he hurries to get up to see what he had discovered. not caring as he stumbled over to him. 

Amber also edged closer, widening her eyes as she did so.

Albedo is crouching in the centre of the camp, holding out the object in his palms for them to see clearly. Diluc’s breath quickens as he sees it, immediately recognising it. All his thoughts emptied and only silence ensued. 

He drops down to the ground next to him to clasp it, not caring how bewildered he must appear, simply looking at the orb as it dims. Albedo lets him and he takes it silently to look at it closer to be sure. 

A cryo vision.

Kaeya’s Vision. 

He had a rush of emotions. Surprise, relief, but quickly overtaken by fear. fear for his brother's life. 

Before an overwhelming wave of exhaustion flitted over his person and before even having time to react he felt himself hitting the ground. 

"Diluc? Diluc?! Please answer! " He heard the overwhelming shouts from a frightened voice, realizing it was Amber’s voice calling him back awake.

His vision cleared when he came too. Amber was sitting in front of him, a panic-stricken face watching him for any response. He blinked, taken aback by the scene. 

"... Amber?" he says slowly, still processing what was happening. 

"Diluc!" she sounds relieved, wiping the corner of her tear ducts.

"Albedo, he’s back! Come quick!" She turns her head to tell Albedo the good news, but she doesn’t move from her position. Still sitting by Diluc to check him over.

He realizes he’s on the floor. He must have blacked out after what happened.. The ice.. burst? 

What- the vision! Remembering all too quickly. He sits up in a panic, his head spinning but focusing all his strength on pushing through it. 

Kaeya’s vision. Where was it?

He looked around frantically for it. Amber must have realized what he was searching for and quickly told him, "You're holding his vision in your hand still. Don’t worry." She reassured him.

He looked down, opening his palm slowly to gaze at the vision in open awe. 

There the vision lay, glowing the familiar blue that once sat on the cavalry captain's hip. Thank archons it still glowed, he silently thanked. 

Kaeya was alive. 

"Amber-" He began, but it exploded into a bout of coughing, not aware of how parched he felt. He wished he could ask her about her condition, but he couldn't. She did appear to be better, at least better than Diluc. How long was he unconscious?

She immediately reaches her hand out. "It’s okay, Albedo’s coming with tea. Just hold on a moment." She says timidly. 

Albedo returned into view quickly after, carefully handing him a steaming cup of tea, which he thankfully took in one hand, not willing to part with the vision yet. 

He drank quietly as Amber eyed him hesitantly and sat back when Albedo reappeared, whom he had forgotten had left again. The uncomfortable tension grew as he sat next to them.

Amber cleared her throat, "Well, at least we know Kaeya’s alive." She says cheerfully, hoping to alleviate some of the tension. 

Diluc couldn’t hide his mood. The news did bring him relief and hope that he was alive, but more worrying questions appeared now. Kaeya’s vision is here.. Why is it here? Where is he then? Is he safe? Each question plagued his thoughts more and he hated thinking about them.

Albedo nods. He had been the most nonchalant, unsurprisingly, at this whole event. "This does beg the question of how he came to be here and where he is now." reading Dilucs' thoughts again. 

He pulls out a map, spreading it in the middle of them to see, recounting as he retraced the locations with his finger. "You mentioned previously that Kaeya had gone to Dapauga Gorge, if his vision arrived along the shores of Dragonspine.. Then it was clear an accident had occurred. " He states. 

Amber huffs, "Of course, Sir Kaeya isn’t that clumsy to lose his vision on purpose." 

"I do hope he’s okay without it though." She adds worriedly, thinking about what he must be doing then. 

Albedo's eyes flickered darkly at the ground, "I fear this might have been my fault." He admits quietly. 

"What?" Dilucs burning gaze on him to answer.

"I haven’t been very truthful since the start. I will correct that starting now." He says he is sitting up, putting his hands on his lap. Diluc narrowed his eyes. He suspected he was hiding something, but how much was he lying about? 

He rubs his neck awkwardly from Diluc’s prying gaze, "To begin with, I knew the abyss was after me. many days beforehand as well. They had been laying traps around dragonspine to lure me into capture until they eventually succeeded. " He tells them, not meeting their gazes. Diluc and Amber look shocked.

"But why? Why would the abyss want you, Albedo? " Amber questions

He hesitates before answering, choosing his words carefully, "My work is known for its specialty in the arts of Khemia. My assumption is that they wanted to use that for corrupting another being, like Dvalin." They couldn’t help shivering remembering the great dragon. He had been corrupted by the abyss order and had been attacking the city for weeks before they put a stop to the corruption. 

"I can't get into details, but I believe what they had planned for me to do would harm, if not destroy, Mondstadt." He swallows the final words as though he could see them in great detail. Diluc was unhappy with that knowledge, but it was another epiphany that propelled him forward.

"Then what did they want with Kaeya?" 

He stills, then looks away. "It’s not my place to say. But the abyss has no use for Kaeya at this moment. Why is the vision here? I can only speculate that the fight he had with them was not a pleasant one. " He sounds worried, just as worried as Amber and Diluc. He didn’t feel comforted knowing that Kaeya could be anywhere in Teyvat on his own. 

"I don’t get it. If the abyss was after you Albedo, you should have come back to Mondstadt or sent a letter at least! Jean would have sent an escort, at least for your safety. " Amber reasons. 

He sighs, looking disappointed, like the thought had also come to him. "Another plan of the abyss. Recall when I did not receive any letters from Jean? I believe they were a part of intercepting that message as well, to keep me here. "

Amber and Diluc are shocked by this news. First the abyss targeting Albedo and now letters are being intercepted? Who knows how long the abyss has been doing this and the amount of information gained this way?

Diluc clenches his fists, feeling the burn from them, "Those abyss scum.. I’ll burn any I see in sight." He solemnly swears. Outraged that they could be conniving such plots right under their noses. 

"Do you think the message we sent to Jean was intercepted as well?" Amber quickly asks Diluc. He frowns. "They shouldn’t be able to, and the bird only responds to me and the sender." He trusts that the message arrived to Jean. She sighs in relief, glad to hear it. 

They sit around quiet, everything laid out now from their previous knowledge. The Abyss was plotting to kidnap Albedo, and Kaeya had been caught in the crossfire, it seemed. 

"If Kaeya isn’t of use to the abyss, where do you suppose he's located right now?" When Diluc questions him, he genuinely doesn’t know himself, and knowing his background with Khaenri'ah, it's a possibility that Kaeya was taken hostage or joined them. He hoped that wasn’t the case. The cavalry captain looked lazy at times, but he was no fool. He wouldn’t be caught without reason and definitely wouldn’t become a traitor now. 

Albedo frowns, thinking of any suggestions, but in the end, shrugs, as stumped as the rest of them. "If Kaeya was taken hostage, they would have used him as blackmail to get me to join them, which isn’t the case since it never happened. The vision is proof he was alive, so clearly they didn’t kill him. " Pointing to the vision in Dilucs's hand. 

"Wait-wait wait wait wait. I’m not a genius, but this seems to me that Kaeya willingly is missing then, out of his own choice, that is. " Amber suggests, and they all share a widened glance. It did seem odd how a week went by with no word, no messages for blackmail or news on Kaeya, was he doing this on purpose? 

Albedo is the first to make a noise, stifling a chuckle he’s trying to hold back. It was out of character from what they’ve seen so far, and they watched him in confused shock. 

"Apologies-It’s just.. That does sound exactly like something Sir Kaeya would do, although the circumstances are a bit different now. " He says. Unfortunately, it does not help their ease considering the situation. 

"I can’t believe this." Diluc mutters to himself, disbelieving. He knew the man was known to disappear for the sake of a mission, but this couldn’t be the same. He wasn’t overreacting, rather upset. Kaeya willingly did not return, which meant he purposely had not tried to contact them, causing this whole mission to start. 

He stands up, walking away to retrieve his coat, which Amber had put away to the side. He pulled it on quickly and picked up his weapon. 

"Hey, where are you going?" Amber shouts at him and he continues packing, too frustrated to glance back at her. 

"I’m going to get my idiot brother back here, by force if I have to." He replies sternly, pulling a pack over his shoulder. 

"Well-I’m coming!" She quickly says and he blocks her, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

He shakes his head. "No, stay here and accompany Albedo. I’ll go alone. "denying her request.

She blinks at him, surprised by his answer, then quickly changes to anger, crossing her arms. "What?! Diluc, no. I should come with you-" She says mid-way getting cut off, flustered. 

"I think he should go." Albedo interrupts, and they both whip their heads at him surprisingly. 

He clears his throat, "I agree with Master Diluc’s choice. It would be wiser if he went ahead to find Sir Kaeya. " He rephrases, nodding to Diluc. He nods gratefully back, thankful for the acknowledgement. 

"But-" began her protest. "Amber." Diluc replies softly but firm. She raises her head to him. looking annoyed, but listening to him out anyways. 

"You're sick and you’ve done more than enough. Go back to Mondstadt and warn them of the abyss. You're the only one capable of that. I’ll find Kaeya and come back soon. " He tells her as genuinely as he can muster, hoping she would trust his words and be convinced. 

She steps back, looking away momentarily, then sighs, dropping her arms. "Fine." she accepts grudgingly. Surprised she accepted so willingingly, maybe being sick put a toll on her he wondered. 

She sharply looks at him, pointing a finger at him threateningly, "But when I get back to Mondstadt, I’ll make sure to tell Jean about this." She warns then softens. 

He nods, already suspecting the grandmaster's frustration. "I’ll take all the blame. Don't worry." 

She eyerolls but smiles faintly, "Alright-I guess this is where we part, for now." She adds cheekily. 

Diluc agrees, "Thank you for everything Amber. Visit the winery if you need anything in the future. I’ll be sure to help." He tells her, meaning every word. He turns to Albedo,

"Stay safe. If you need to contact me, my bird should act as a messenger." He advises him. 

"Same to you. In case of an emergency, I want you to have this." Albedo gives him a bag that is big enough to fit in his coat. Lifting the item he couldnt tell what was inside other then the shifting of items inside.

He takes it gratefully nonetheless, an eyebrow raised to albedo as a question to what it was.

"It’s a prototype. If you are in trouble, activate the mechanism and it should send a alert to the knights. " He explains to Diluc, who puts it soundly in his bag before thanking him. deeming it handy in the future. 

"Goodluck Diluc." He says finally, a quick nod shared between them.

With a wave goodbye, he sets off, exiting the cave where they camped and heading down the treacherous path to the dragonspine. He wasn’t sure where he would start, but he was intent on finding his brother to bring him home. 

He was nearly yelling as the wind blasted fiercely against him, pulling his ponytail and sending it flying in all directions, but he was unafraid because he was burning hotter than he had ever felt.

The pyro vigilante continues on his quest to find his missing brother, an unknown fire burning within him of resolve, his pyro vision dangling loosely and the cryo vision securely tucked in his pocket. Confirmation of his objective and that he was alive. 

He wouldn’t return to Mondstadt without him. 

'Kaeya, I'm not sure why you're hiding yourself, but I'm going to find out.' He swears at the wind silently.

Chapter Text

When Kaeya planned this mission, he wasn’t expecting it to go like this. In fact, this was the worst scenario possible-lost in Liyue Harbor without a clue where he was running, just knowing he had to keep going.

Oh, archons, it hurts. 

Biting back a curse as he stumbled on his feet, he kept dragging on, even sliding through the alleys desperate to escape. What was he running from exactly, though? 

They were close on his trail; he could see the Fatui’s hoodies in the crowds scanning for him, but he ducked out of sight, moving into a crowd for refuge, hoping to disguise himself among them. 

Frantically, he twisted and turned in the crowd, urgently looking for someone, anything, anyone familiar.
He needed an escape-a way out now . 

His eye was drawn to a familiar sight, Xingqiu's cyan hair glinting in the corner of his vision, and he pushed himself through the mob, stretching out a hand to him.

"Xingqiu!" He half cried-half shouted, he faltered just as the teen turned, unable to stop his stumbling attempt as his legs finally gave out. 

Like a clash, his front skidded into another, facing forward into a random stranger. Shit. His legs were wobbling. 

This wasn’t good. Biting back a whimper, he felt someone was steadying him, pulling him away from the stranger he had bumped into. The person was Xingqiu, immediately at his side, hackles raised next to him, looking ahead defensively with his sword drawn. 

He mouthed something to him but Kaeya couldn’t understand. He regained his balance, then heard a string of words that made him tense, almost made him stumble again. Xingqiu muttered under his breath, the enemy clear.

 "Harbinger." 

His blood felt like it was being chilled; silence overtook him. 

He had just fled from them and landed right back to a even worse scenario. 

He slowly raised his head to watch the man turn, dressed in the recognisable Fatui attire with ginger hair and soulless eyes, with a hydro vision and Fatui delusion on his person.

 He assumed he'd never have to meet him, but there he was, Harbinger Tartaglia in front of them, leaning his head and looking down on them with cold eyes.

He swallowed. Nothing prepared him for this sudden encounter. 

**Hours ago** 

"How good a liar are you, Xingqiu?" he asked, his eyes mischievously gleaming.

Xingqiu blinked slowly then raised his eyebrows, not exactly what he was expecting, but he didn’t question it this time, only grinned lightly, matching his enthusiasm.

"Only the best," he answered.

Kaeya smirked, pleased by his answer. "Good, alright, take these and let’s get going." He says, passing a bundle of papers. He gets up and walks out the door without hesitation because he doesn't have any more information.

Xingqiu stared blankly at the papers as he took a moment to process, his eyebrows pinching together as he sat up,

"Wait Kaeya! What?!" he yelled, trailing behind him in the halls as Kaeya led him until they exited the pharmacy. 

He’s very confused at this moment. One. Kaeya is walking perfectly fine without crutches. Two. Where were they going?? And what did this have to do with lying? 

He rushed beside Kaeya, signalling urgently to explain. 

Kaeya slows his pace but doesn’t stop. Heading down the path with him, he pulls an arm over Xingqiu’s shoulder casually, his smile firm.

 He leans closer to him, "Xingqiu, buddy. Have you ever done any business deals with fatui before?" He asks mildly, the answer to what was in store slowly coming together.

"Kaeya, please just tell me what your plans are." He replies confusedly, Sir Kaeya’s riddles were getting out of pace for him, and he was still confused as to what was going on."

He was pretty clueless about what was being planned, and for some reason, he felt like Kaeya was hesitant to tell him for a reason.

Kaeya sighs and eases away from him, coming to a halt. 

They've walked to the pond, a quiet spotoverlooking the port; he leans on the balcony, staring down, and sighs; obligingly, he lifts a hand, ready to talk. 

"Alright, alright. I’ll explain. The map of the fatui camp locations around Liyue we looked at, it had one thing out of place that forged this whole plan."He reminds him, hopefully, and as Xingqiu approaches, his curiosity is piqued as he anticipated.

"And that is?"

"Northland Bank, the Fatui's only firm base, conveniently established just down the street."He says it casually, He breathes in, the air hesitant as he continues. 

"So, as it is a bank, I think it’s only fitting to rob it ." He states bluntly, almost too calmly, if not for what he just suggested.

Xingqiu backs up, gaping at him, robbing a bank?! Was he mad?

He raises an eyebrow, then groans when he realises he is completely serious in his words.

He takes a deep breath in. “You want to rob a bank? Sir Kaeya, if you need mora, you could’ve just asked. Looking at him oddly, he did know that mora wasn’t an issue. It needed to be stolen, right? 

"Oh no, no, no. We’re not taking mora, we're stealing their information. The harbinger Tartaglia has an office there, I would love to snatch what information he left." Kaeya corrects him, twisting his head in the direction of the bank. 

So he really did want to rob the bank then. 

Totally mad. 

"And not to mention getting the upperhand in whatever they are scheming behind those masks." He muttered, tapping his chin. He tilts his head to Xingqiu, waiting for his response. He must’ve suspected his reaction because his expression turns dull, almost guilty for not telling him till now. 

He admitted he did agree to whatever Kaeya had planned, but robbing a bank? The statement alone was a bit threatening, and it wasn’t any normal bank, it was a bank run by fatui. Which meant if they were caught, especially with their status, Liyue and Mondstadt could possibly start a dispute with Snezhaya. And a war with the Tsaritsa would not be in favour of them.  

Xingqiu scratches his head absently,"... I’m not sure about this. This seems like it could end terribly-and you're injured, you’re supposed to take it easy.." Xingqiu murmurs nervously. 

Kaeya pouts softly, and he stops leaning on the rail to face him.
"Hey, don’t worry about me. I'm fine, see? Walking without a crutch and everything, and don’t worry about the diplomatic consequences if we’re caught. I have a foolproof plan. " He assured them, even lifting a leg to show he was in good health and prepared.

He knows he should trust him, but everything felt too fast-paced and there were too many questions to be answered at once. Is it really necessary for them to do it just the two of them?There were flaws, of course, but that was a risk always taken. 

One thing for sure was that if he didn’t agree, he was sure the other would go without him, and he couldn’t let him go into an enemy base all alone and sick, even if he wouldn’t admit it. 

He would see Kaeya's troubled expression when he thought no one was looking, but Xingqiu did. Which troubled him because he had put his health on hold for the sake of this.

He didn't want to see him harm himself any further, especially after the day they met. Even though it was just a few weeks ago, he remembered the event like it was yesterday.

Kaeya trusted him and valued his capabilities too, which was something not many people did for him; it felt good to meet someone who valued him for his skills rather than his status. 

This entire idea looked ludicrous, but he would be there to assist him since he felt they could pull it off.

"OK," he says, raising his head and locking gazes with him. "What's your plan?" reluctantly gives.

Kaeya smiles and gently leads him along the route to explain while no one else is listening. "I'll enter through the back door and go through the files; all you have to do is stall for me." 

"What? I can’t let you go alone." 

"Trust me, I can do this better. We just need a good distraction, and as you stated, only the best liar is here. " slyly bringing up the earlier conversation. He cursed under his breath at that, shaking his head while agreeing.

"Fine. take no less than 10 minutes, alright?" looking straight at him.

He pats his back, "Make it 15; if anything goes wrong or they go upstairs, leave the bank and we’ll find each other." 

"Got it. Good luck Kaeya." He replies earnestly.

He nods. "Goodluck, let’s do this." He was heading toward the opposite direction, trying to slip through from behind a last wave he gave before he was out of eyesight.

Xingqiu gulps, hardening his expression before heading up the balcony to the entrance of Northland bank. He was kind of relieved Chongyun was busy today. He definitely, definitely would not approve of what he was about to do. 

He couldn’t help a playful expression before pushing through the doors of the bank, ignoring the guards outside. He admits that Kaeya chooses his allies wisely, and who better to choose as a decoy than the famous second son of the Feiyun commerce guild?

This would be fun. 

Stepping through the doors with utmost confidence, a plan in mind to buy time for his partner on the other side. He couldn’t fail. 

' '

"A request for a loan?" The female receptionist clarified behind the desk. 

"Yes, that is what this bank is for, right?" The teen replied, annoyance in his tone. 

The Fatui agent nodded, "Of course, sir, right away. I just need your clarification of the sum of money with proof of identification and we can get started on the paperwork." 

Xingqiu looked off to the side, a side glance upstairs, debating how long he should keep up this charade. 

He hummed, "Hmm, how about 10 million mora?" He cheekily suggests knowing the price range would surely stagger them. 

She stifles a gasp, straightening up behind the desk.
"1-10 million mora? "Are you mistaken sir? " She asked nervously, He wished they didn’t have masks. He would have liked to witness the look of her face behind it.

"Of course I’m sure! I wouldn’t have come to the bank if not for such an amount!" He snapped, after observing his father in business contracts it had taught him how to act, which made him a very good actor when needed.

Making himself seem bolder and more respectful was child’s play.

"Of course, sir," she says as she shuffles the papers on her desk, "we will be more than happy to provide it as long as you have a reputable status of identification."

He narrows his eyes, flicking his wrists, "You mean you don’t know who I am?!" Offended, he dramatically puts a hand on his chest and turns his back enough to see his companion upstairs shuffling through the halls. Hurry up Kaeya. He silently begs. 

"Afraid not, Sir. I’m sorry for any inconvenience." She replies. 

He turns back to her, "Fatui.." He mutters, shaking his head. 

He raises his head. “You're in the presence of the second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. You should know our status if you're living here at least.” Xingqiu says, his voice etched with contempt. All acted, of course, but it did feel good to cut back on the Fatui. 

The receptionist tries to keep her composure calm, realising his status immediately after that. Of course, many ordinary folk have heard of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. It was one of the biggest trading corporations in Liyue and highly respected. They even had deals directly with Snezhnaya.

Only an outlander would not have heard of them. He was actually chuckling at his well-born status for being used like this.

He did debate over an identity, but the only one that would actually work was his own. It wouldn’t matter anyways since his father and brother don’t associate with the fatui and would never hear of this. That is, if this goes well. Still unsure of Kaeya's confidence in his plan, he hoped he had gathered enough of interest by now to make it worthwhile.

"My apologies, Sir. I will get your documents right away." She tells him apologetically. 

He frowns, "Do make it quick, I don’t have the time for more hindrances. I have places to be." Lying at its finest, sounding so convincing that even he would be taken in.

"Of course sir, I’ll just need to run up to get more documents. It will only take a moment." She murmurs sliding off the desk to go up the staircase. 

His body tensed, turning blank-he couldn’t let her up there, Kaeya was still up there- 

"W-Wait!" He stumbled. She twisted her head back to him. "Yes?"

"Uh-shouldn’t you explain how the contract will go first? I have to be sure this isn’t some fatui scam to lure me in, y'know? " Regaining his stern tone quickly, hopefully she didn’t notice his moment of panic. 

"I can assure you it is 100% safe and we do have a policy on the required debt I would be happy to go over with." She says she is not moving from her place. 

"Yes, yes if you could explain that please-" He was hoping she would step away from the flight of stairs. He didn’t care about the commotion he caused. He just wanted her distracted from going upstairs. 

She pauses a moment then nods, "..Okay, I’ll explain it quickly and then get the documents if you’re still interested." Stepping down to get back behind her desk, he let out an inaudible sigh of relief. 

"Thank you-" His voice quickly cut off,

An audible shatter that echoed off the walls came from above and he stiffened. Drats, and he was so close too-

"What was that?" turning herself towards the flight of stairs and climbing them steadily to investigate the noise.

He widened his eyes, a distraction quick-"Wai-"

"One moment, I’ll see the commotion and be right with you."  She interrupted, her attention focused upstairs, Fatui guards following behind her. 

He cursed silently that there was nothing he could do-She would go upstairs and catch him alerting the guards. The plan becomes more nefarious by the second, and his mind goes blank thinking of anything to stop her.

He hoped Kaeya had left. He was undoubtedly the source of the noise. Hopefully, he was able to crawl out with what he needed.

He just prayed it was worth it. 

~~ Kaeya

The fatui must have felt confident in leaving windows open in a bank. Better for him, this made his job of slipping in much easier. 

He crouched down, silently stepping forward from behind the desk, hopping behind it. He seemed to be in a storage room, not anything of use besides bank transactions. He kept going, stepping out into the hall carefully after seeing no one in the hall. He checks each corner before moving though just in case. 

They weren’t lying when they ordered most of the fatui back to Snezhnaya; there were only 3-4 visible fatui guards in the bank; he could easily slip by them with this security. 

Keeping his guard, he paced down the hallway, checking each door if it looked important. He could hear Xingqiu downstairs, his voice booming with an alibi, glad he was distracting the downstairs receptionist enough. 

He finally arrived at the end of the hall and noticed a fancy wooden door with elaborate carvings engraved in it; this had to be the harbinger's office. Slowly twisting the handle and entering, he closed the door, letting out a breath of relief behind him before turning to survey the room. 

It was a large office, undoubtedly used for their most important client meetings, with opulent furniture suitable for royalty. This was definitely a Harbingers office, and from the looks of it, the man had a taste for pricey goods. 

Shaking off the décor options, he pushed through it to behind his desk, where he required the cabinets the most. 

Locked. 

He expected this would be the case because he was stooping down to remove a hairpin.

Lockpicking was a piece of cake for him, a certain hobby he picked up in his youth for causing a little mischief. Certainly, being put to good use now. 

He heard the latch click open after some jumbling and immediately pulled open the drawer, revealing the contents of letters within. He read the first few, which were strewn around inside and all written in Snezhayan, slipping them into his pockets. Anything he could get his hands on would be useful.

They were all addressed to Tartaglia, with the emblem recognising the Zapolyarny Palace symbol waxed on some, while others seemed more personalized. How to decipher which ones were important though was the question. 

Oh, forget it. He would take it all. He could find a translator later and any information of a harbinger would be useful.

He propped up examining anything else. He could hear shuffling outside the door, queueing to hurry up. Xingqiu was doing a remarkable job, he admitted. But it was clear he was running out of time. 

The desk had some documents laying on top. He was about to leave it be until he noticed a document in common writing. He picked it up to read it.

To the harbinger Tartaglia,

Your next mission requested from the Tsaritsa is provided in the clipped document, located in the districts between Liyue and Mondstadt. Do not associate with anyone on this mission of this document or consequences will be taken. We hope you will meet her excellency's expectations on this mission.

''

The next piece of documentation made him freeze. His eyes were wide and he felt like his head was spinning. The recognisable image of himself was plastered on the paper as he quickly read through it. 

Find out anything you can about Kaeya Alberich, Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonious.

Last whereabouts: Dapauga Gorge, Mondstadt

Origin: Mondstadt and unknown

possesses Cryo Vision

Unknown

Report any updates directly to the Zapolyarny Palace, don't let any information slip, after gathering what is needed, dispose of him how you see fit. Leave no trace

‘Leave no trace’  

What in the world was this? He almost broke out laughing as he crumpled the paper in his palm. Wanting to destroy it immediately, he suspected the fatui were after him, that they had their sights set on him, but this? That's hilarious.

But this was no joke; the threat was serious; they were after him. First the Abyss tried to kill him off, and now the Fatui. Not what he expected. 

The awful timing of it all was just tremendous.

Did they notice the abyss attacking him and decide to join in? Or was it his status alone and they wanted to use him for the knights now that he was isolated?

Whatever was at stake, he concluded, this place was a trap, and he needed to get out.

The harbinger wasn’t in Snezhnaya; this meant he must still be roaming Liyue or Mondstadt. Hell, he could even know where he was right now. He didn’t like that thought. 

When he stumbled to the ground, his moving thoughts halted. The impact was mild, but he let out a hiss when he hit his injured leg. The only reason he could walk without a crutch was because of the medications he was taking, as well as Qiqi's healing abilities, which allowed him to recuperate faster than usual. However healing magic had its limits.

This did not mean he was invincible, and it arrived at an inconvenient time.

Ignoring the pain, he sprang to his feet and dragged himself to the door, which he roughly opened. Xingqiu should be nearly finished. He'd be found in an instant if he stayed any longer.

His eyesight got increasingly blurry as he pushed through; the guards hadn't seen him yet, and he grasped the paperwork in his hand.
He was getting close to the corner window, his hand on the wall guiding him now, when he heard a clash.

His eyes widened as he turned to see the vase falling in slow motion. His foot had accidentally caught on the table and was shaking off the fragile decoration. The sound echoes and any attempts at an easy getaway are gone. 

Footsteps follow as the fatui agents come to the location, without looking back he leaps out the window, landing on another rooftop and clumsily regaining his footing as the agents rushed after him.

  "Thief! We've been robbed! Don’t let him escape!" He heard one shout from above following the other thumps behind him as the agents followed him onto the rooftop.

Kaeya jumped down the roof, rushing through an alleyway, not knowing which way to go but simply running; there were two fatui men on his tail, and he could barely avoid the few who crossed his path; throwing a quick punch or knife was all he could do in his current state of panic.

He heard one clash against the wall, effectively knocking them out, while the other staggered, aiming a blade at him. 

He ducked the blade narrowly slicing his shoulder and kicked a barrel behind him, continuing his flight. 

He admitted that even after living in Liyue, he was lost. Which way was the bank or the Bubu pharmacy? Every corner looked the same to him and his vision was only getting worse. It wouldn’t be long until he felt like passing out. 

He just hoped he could get out of this situation before then. 

Xingqiu sprinted out of the bank immediately, hopping over the railing to the main level. Kaeya, you idiot! He had to catch up with him somehow. There was no way he could fend off those agents alone. 

But where were they? With no luck, he ran down the alleys.

This was getting worse by the second, and he was panicking.

"Kaeya!" He shouted through the crowd. Oh, archons, pray he is fine right now. Please let this not be a mistake in agreeing to this plan. 

Like a sign, he heard Kaeya in the crowds turning back to see him running to him but then stopped midway, recognising the figure behind him. 

He was quick to respond, reaching through to grab Kaeya's collar and pulling him away before he slipped to the ground, disregarding how he flailed against the motion. Xingqiu drew out his blade, steadying Kaeya behind him.

He just uttered one word as he peered at the stranger in front of them.

"Harbinger." with so much hatred and spite, it surprised him.

The man in question turned around, seemingly caught off guard by the words, and even looked surprised at the recognition.

 He didn’t look that intimidating at first glance, although the recognisable fatui emblem and cold eyes quickly diminished that, and Xingqiu couldn’t help but swallow a gulp at who he would be facing. 

"Ah, you’ve heard of me? Sorry I can’t spar today, although if you're looking for a fight, feel free to find me later. " Childe said, with ease in his tone. Xingqiu didn’t budge his weapon and glared at him further. What game the harbinger was playing wouldn’t work on him. 

He knew of the Fatui’s evil plots and each harbinger’s various crimes. Some even experimented on children, and others killed the weak just for fun, luring them into their mind games. He wasn’t naive enough to fall for them, knowing this.

Childe cast a sidelong glance at him, seeing the weapon, and sighed as he lifted his head to toss his hair. "Look kid, I didn’t want to admit this, but I don’t like fighting weaker opponents." He says this, annoyed. 

This time he looks at him, perplexed. What in the world was he talking about? 

He glanced back at Kaeya, who seemed almost out of it, breathing heavily from the presumed getaway he had just pulled off. There would be another time to assess his condition later, but they had to get out of this quickly before the harbinger caught on. 

He slowly lowered his weapon, still glaring at him.

"Apologies, it caught me off guard to see a harbinger roaming the streets once more. I thought the Qixing were clear of the new restrictions." He questioned him with full hostility in his voice, making it clear where he stood. 

He couldn't ignore how a harbinger was in Liyue harbour, the same one that nearly flooded the city a few weeks before. Seeing him back here infuriated him, and he wanted to know why he had returned.

The harbinger raised a hand, about to answer, then suddenly stopped, widening his eyes when he spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

"There you are, Zhongli!" He exclaims, drawing the man's attention.

Xingqiu moves quickly to create distance between them, clutching Kaeya's arm to keep him stable. A brief look behind and he noticed how pale he looked, as if he had seen a ghost, and what had happened to him was terrifying. 

He wanted to ask him, but this wasn't the time. They needed to figure out how they were going to get out of this situation in the first place. 

"Childe," Zhongli responds coolly. He approaches warily, not expecting to see him. 

He stops when he notices Xingqiu practically begging for rescue with his eyes, desperately hoping he understood. Nodding slowly as he realises the situation, he turns back to Childe with a small smile. 

"It's... nice to see you; I wasn't expecting you to come back so soon." He moves forward, in front of Xingqiu and Kaeya, distracting the harbinger quickly. 

 "Go." He whispers urgently to him, and with a brief thank you, Xingqiu rushes out of sight, dragging Kaeya with him. 

He didn't have time to ponder why the funeral parlour consultant was associated with a harbinger; that would come another time. He was only lucky enough to have someone interrupt him, and with a wise eye like Zhongli's, he immediately understood the dire situation without a moment to think. 

They ran quickly out of sight to a secluded alley. Kaeya was strangely silent behind him the whole time, but he was too shocked to ask about it till now. If Zhongli had not been there, he wouldn’t have known what to have done. Thank the archons, it ended with less calamity. 

"Phew… I'd think we handled that pretty poorly…” Xingqiu exclaimed, out of breath. He slouched against the wall as Kaeya bent down beside him, breathing as heavily as him.

He had a moment to assess him now that they were in a safer area. He didn’t look that beat up. He had a couple of random cuts from escaping, but overall he looked okay. 

Finally, Kaeya raised his head to see him, a tired but relieved face in his expression. It didn’t last long though.  

"Xingqiu... I-" As he crumpled to the ground, holding himself, Xingqiu stiffened. 

Kaeya suddenly flings his hand to his lips and gags. When he looks down, leaning heavily on his shoulder, he slowly raises his head, eyes petrified, and lifts the gagged hand up for the other to see.

Only utter fear was ensured as the vivid colour of blood flowed down his palm. 

Chapter Text

The blood...

His thoughts crumpled as he lurched forward to vomit another sickening heap of it. His headache was getting worse and everything was getting fuzzier. He vaguely felt Xingqiu was holding him upright, but the words he said were jumbled and all he wanted to do right now was rest.. 

Sleep. That would be nice about now. 

"Kaeya! Can you hear me?” Xingqiu’s voice urgently rang, Xingqiu? Why was he shouting?  

he shut his eyes, blocking out the sounds and wanting to curl up back to sleep. 

He tried murmuring to leave him alone, his voice slurred and weary, but Xingqiu persisted, shaking his shoulders furiously to keep his eye from closing.

Then it came back to him, the brief recollection, the fatui-they were after him! They were in danger. He had to leave, but his body betrayed his actions, and he felt too tired to even stand. The bile taste of blood in the back of his throat made him choke upright. Coughing fits erupt once more. 

He pushed through, grasping Xingqius's clothing, terrified that if he shut his eyes again he would lose himself once more. 

"Xingqiu, hurry.."He desperately urged, the paper of the fatui’s report still clutched in his hand. He pushed him away with what strength he had, the crumpled document given to him.  He needed Xingqiu to understand the situation somehow.

 He was smart, he could decipher it. it was better to leave him before the fatui took both of them. 

As he kneeled over, Kaeya couldn’t control his actions anymore. Helplessly shrouded in darkness as an intense ringing buzzed in his ears. He wanted to yell at the force, but found no recognition of his own already doing so. 

like the day he was attacked by the abyss mages and fell into the sea. The nightmare replaced his vision and he had no control over being swept into it. 

He blinked slowly, a final plea as his voice slurred, "... sorry... a painful smile he forced, to ease Xingqiu’s worries. He didn’t want him to be here. 

The voices became louder, almost shouting. He twisted his head away.

They were becoming too overbearing and loud; he felt like his eardrums were going to burst, the pain overwhelmingly so.

He didn't want the teen to see him in this state, but was helpless as the last blurry image of Xingqiu's terrified face blanked out, yelling but could not be heard.  

Replaced by sorrowful memories as they crept in, the ones he hid in the deepest parts of his memory, locked away under the mask, now resurfacing to replace his vision.

The familiar rainy night stormed above him as he threaded the darkness, leading his cavalry squad. A younger version of his youth, just barely in the Knights. 

The voices echoed faintly, recognising it immediately as he approached the scene-the all too familiar memory. 

"Diluc." He let out a shallow breath. The rain was pouring down, making him shiver slightly. Completely immersed in this past event, he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword but not drawing it out. 

Heading down the windy road after hearing the beast's roar. Terror and bloodshed along the path as he headed to what seemed like certain doom. 

Chains wrapped around the beast as it roared, burning brightly into its flesh as it slowly came to a stop. It died quickly, but the consequences ran deep and he was too late to realize the extent of the damage until he was there.

" Father is dead." 

Diluc uttered with a helpless expression as he laid his father to rest, blood staining his uniform but none of it his. Kaeya felt his insides freeze, like a part of his soul had shattered with the news. He couldn’t bring himself to see the mangled body of his late father. 

He was too late. He scorned regretfully. 

If only the road wasn’t blocked, if only they left quicker, the excuses piled up, then he wouldn’t be dead .  

Then his family would still be together . It wouldn’t have ended like this. 

He remained there, the rain still falling, as his brother cradled his father's body on his lap. He raised his head when he saw Kaeya, desperately in need of comfort from another. But Kaeya couldn't offer it to him. Instead, he turned aside, a chilly smirk of disbelief fluttering over his face as his face cracked. 

The hopeless expression in his brother's eyes burned into him. He scrunched up his eyes, refusing to look a second longer and ran his sword into the ground. I felt ever so cold and burdened with guilt and grief. 

Xingqiu was shaking Kaeya now, worried about him after he stopped responding to him."Kaeya! Wake up, we need to get out of here!" He urgently shouted.

Kaeya suddenly lurched forward, grasping his shirt before slipping back to the ground, the sudden movement knocking Xingqiu back with him. He writhed on the ground, and Xingqiu averted his gaze as he coughed up more blood, which had already stained the alleyway they were hiding in.

After it subsided, he carefully took a second to steady Kaeya, pulling his head up to push his bangs away from his face, not like it would help, but atleast it might ease him.

Then, looking at what the man had handed him, carefully uncrumpling the document, he gasped when he read it, a nervous back and forth glance from Kaeya to the wanted papers. 

"What in the archons is this ?" He murmurs dreadfully, his expression darkens as he realises this was no joke. He crumples the note in his pocket, anger boiling in him. 

The Fatui wanted Kaeya. Did the Harbinger return for that reason, to assassinate him? He couldn’t let that happen. No, he wouldn’t let that happen. 

“I’ll get both of us out of this mess, don't worry, Kaeya.” He reassures despite the nervous situation.

Focus Xingqiu he had to help Kaeya first, or the Fatui might not even need an assassin. 

He crouched next to him. What the heck happened while they were separated? Of course, when he needed answers, the man would be unresponsive, which terrified him, not knowing how to help. His thoughts raced, 

A doctor! They needed to get to the pharmacy urgently. He could help with whatever was affecting him now. 

He inhaled sharply, mentally preparing himself and forcing himself to not look at Kaeya’s hollow expression. so far from life and the colour draining from him. He looked nothing like before and it scared him. 

He swore he would never see another person like this again after first meeting him, but was helpless to protect him when he could have prevented it. He would find the cause-be it poison or a curse. It terrified him to death when he saw a friend in such pain. 

"Kaeya-can you walk? We have to get to Bubu pharmacy. " He gently touched his shoulder but got no response. He looked to his face but with no response, his eyes were dull and he was feeling more helpless by the second.

He couldn’t dally on this-he needed to get help now. With what elemental energy he had, he summoned a temporary hydro shield around him, hoping it would give him strength until Qiqi or Baizhu could help him properly. The effect would be temporary but he needed what healing was possible.

With much difficulty, he slung his arm quickly over him and slowly raised the both of them on their feet, supporting Kaeya clumsily. 

Managing to only wobble but still able to walk under Kaeya’s weight, it didn’t matter if he couldn’t handle it, he needed to. He was the only one who could save him as of now and he wasn’t going to leave him. Not after seeing that wanted poster and the fatui still searching for them. 

He pushed onwards, step by step, Kaeya’s limp form slumped on top of him but not stopping under the weight, his breaths getting more shallow.

 He wouldn’t let him die here. He pushed harder. 

They were walking through the back alleys of Liyue to avoid being spotted by the Fatui, but it also meant no one could help them until they got closer to the pharmacy. He kind of regretted this decision as hauling a grown man under his shorter height with no help was increasingly difficult. 

He was already tired from sprinting from the bank, but carrying Kaeya’s deadweight under his smaller frame made him exhausted. Suddenly, his foot tripped on the path and he fell forward, Kaeya sliding off him like a sack of potatoes to the ground. Xingqiu groaned on impact, his face twisting in pain. Scraping his knee but quickly brushed it off, more concerned for the other. 

He skidded to him, Kaeya flinching when he touched his shoulder but quickly relaxed. His breathing ragged and lay on the ground awkwardly. 

"Sorry, we’re almost there, Kaeya. Hold on." Xingqiu urged, taking a arm to lift him back up roughly. 

He raised his head, groggily opening his eyes slightly, and murmured softly in his semi-conscious state, seemingly still in his lucid state, "...Luc?"

 "What?" Xingqiu quizzingly looked at him, the first word Kaeya said since he lapsed into that state. 

He lightly shook his shoulders as he whispered once more, barely a whisper. "Diluc... I'm-sorry," he whimpered, closing his eyes and shaking fiercely. 

The teen's eyes widened, unaccustomed to seeing him in this light, he felt sympathetic to him unsure how to handle this.

He hesitantly reached out and gently rested his palm on his back. When he didn’t flinch the teen slowly drew closer. closing the awkward space.  

He sank into him quickly and wrapped a reassuring embrace around him. hugging him comfortingly. 

“It’s okay.. You’ll be okay.” Xingqiu softly murmured trying not to be awkward. 

He didn't know much about Kaeya, and to be honest, the man was adamant about not exposing his past, so this situation came as a surprise to him. But even in his short acquaintance with him, he saw small moments of sorrow in him and wanted to console him for the suffering he was feeling. He wanted to help him in his own way, however small. 

After a few long moments he eased off him, wiping his own tears which he didn’t know he had shed. Ah, how embarrassing. He turned to the other who drew a shaky breath and shook his head timidly.

"Save the apologies after we get you out of this mess, shall we?" He says with a small grin, gripping his arm to pull him back up. Kaeya looked up to him confused, his movements relaxing. Did he hear him and the words calmed him? It was a good sign, anyway, that he was responsive. Whatever hallucination he was experiencing seemed to be weakening and seemed to regain his sense of consciousness.

But he did wonder about the person he was hallucinating about...De-luc? His random whispers of the name did make him curious, but he chose to ignore it. It seemed Kaeya had a lot of history. He didn’t want to intrude on it in case it was a touchy subject for him. Furthermore, he needed to get back to normal before he could start asking those questions. 

He pulled him forward, continuing to the pharmacy now that they had a decent break. Remembering the fatui agents presumably still looking for them from the bank. 

When they were finally approaching Bubu, Kaeya was still murmuring random words, seemingly from whatever sickness this was causing him. He limply shook against him, and he feared they might fall straight into the koi pond if he wasn’t careful. Wet and hallucinating did not seem like a good combination. 

A millieth soldier thankfully saw the struggle and called for a stretcher to help the two up the stairs. There was no need to explain to him what had happened; the guard posted there was more than used to seeing odd cases coming into the pharmacy. 

Xingqiu was just glad to come back alive, too exhausted and worried to catch the eyes of other onlookers keeping their distance but watching as they rushed the knight back to the clinic. 

Bracing himself for the commotion about to happen, he followed them through the door. 

"Archons, do I even want to ask what happened?" Baizhu’s distinguished sigh was heard as he stepped into the foyer, probably alerted by the herbalist of what happened and already on scene.

"Apologies to Dr Baizhu- I promise I’ll explain. Just please help Kaeya first. " Xingqiu pleas, putting his palms together apologetically. He would most definitely have to explain, but in the current situation, they needed to get Kaeya out of whatever pain he was facing and he didn't want to wait on it.  

He tsked, brushing past him to examine the unconscious man. Kaeya laid silently but with a pained expression on his face, clearly still under what was causing him pain. 

"Oh boy, he looks rough.." Changsheng, the white snake curled around his neck, slithered further to see, her nostrils flaring when she recognised the scent of blood and backed away quickly. "Gods he reeks!" She hisses. 

Ignoring the snake's comment, Baizhu lowers his head solemnly, unlike his usual mood. 

He grimaces, "I’ll see what I can do.. Move him to the back." He requests the millieth guard standing by with a nod, and they move the stretcher carefully down the hall. 

Xingqiu hurries along only to be stopped by Baizhu himself at the doorway. "Young noble, rest assured I can take it from here. You’ve done enough." He reassures him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. 

"But I can-" He starts to protest but realises how pointless it is to suggest he can help more. 

He probably looked like a mess, exhausted and covered in dirt. He wasn’t even sure how he could help. He felt sweaty and most of his elemental energy went to healing Kaeya, so he was already drained. 

Baizhu didn’t give any sarcastic remarks, just giving a nod of understanding and continuing. "Rest, I’m sure you’ll need it for the long explanation of why you took my patient out." He gave him a knowing look, then turned quickly to exit the hall, leaving Xingqiu alone in the foyer to slip into his own thoughts. 

He slumped against the wall, folding his legs and leaning his head awkwardly on one knee.

He didn’t even realise it when he easily slipped into slumber. His head nodded off almost instantly from the unexpected drowsiness. 

one hour...

two hours.

Three hours went by without any updates. 

Only in the 5th hour did someone shake his shoulder to wake him up. Xingqiu groggily lifted his head, not realising who it was at first. Blinking slowly upwards to the person waking him.

"Young master Xingqiu?" The funeral consultant softly said, tapping his shoulder gently. He looked concerned, but when he met his gaze, he saw relief flood into him. Xingqiu immediately sat up, drowsiness fading as he heard Zhongli.

"Mr. Zhongli! What happened-where's the harbinger? How’s Kaeya?" He rushed for answers. Zhongli blinked slowly, stopped momentarily to think, and answered each one patiently. 

"You fell asleep, It’s been a few hours since we met in the plaza. I arrived here as soon as I could. Tartaglia was called to the bank for an emergency, so do not fret; he won’t come here anytime soon until that’s resolved. " Xingqiu sighed in relief, although he had an idea of what emergency he was called back for, but had more pressing matters. 

"And Kaeya?" He asked, worry tinged in his voice. 

He fell asleep in worry and hadn’t had a single update. He was nervous about his earlier symptoms, if they had worsened while he was asleep. Afterall only Baizhu and Qiqi were the ones looking at him right now.

Zhongli shrugged, "Apologies for no good news. He's been in the same room with Doctor Baizhu and Miss Qiqi since before I arrived." He says, apologetically, that he was not able to calm his worries. 

He could tell the man was also worried about him, although he kept his emotions in check, if not for the occasional nervous glint in his eye.

Zhongli had always looked out for others. He was a person Xingqiu and the others could ask for advice and favors, and he had lots of experience. He was thankful he was giving Xingqiu his space and not asking about the bank incident. He honestly didn't know what would have happened if the man wasn't here.

Xingqiu nodded, taking the information in. Were they still busy? Not wanting to wait another moment, he got up, walking past the foyer to the room the knight stayed in, 

He gestured for Zhongli to follow him. suddenly feeling nervous. 

With a quick gulp he knocked quickly, "May I come in?" He asked through the door, and he could hear hushed voices on the other side, followed by footsteps as Baizhu slowly opened the door. His eyes shone tiredly, and he looked tense, the last few hours being evidence of that.

He did brighten up when he saw them through, giving a light smile to them both in a pleased manner. "Young master, Mr. Zhongli, please come in but be quiet. I'm not sure how strong the anaesthetic is and I don’t want to wake him or Qiqi. " He warned them in a hushed voice. 

They nodded, stepping into the room to join him. Xingqiu brushed past them quickly to the bedside while Zhongli stood back, keeping his watchful gaze on them. 

Qiqi was sitting next to the bed, her head dropped on the bed and seemingly deep in sleep. She must have used a lot of her elemental energy to heal Kaeya, which exhausted her. 

Kaeya was fortunately looking fine. Whatever sickness he was affected by had passed and he slept peacefully, with no sign of the past few hours ever occurring. It calmed Xingqiu to know his friend was alright. 

Changsheng, the snake coiled around Baizhu’s neck, let out an abrupt hiss, "What in rex lapis did you two do to end up like this?! This guy had internal bleeding and two broken ribs, not easy to heal by the way!" she complained, coiling loosely to look Xingqiu in the eye. 

Baizhu batted her gently away, "Hush, Changsheng. But she is right, do explain how my almost recovered patient is now back to recovering." He turned to face them, an annoyed look on his face.

Xingqiu glanced from the bed, just relieved Kaeya was okay and well-Compared to earlier in the day, he was terrified it would be worse. Baizhu’s much needed explanation could come next. 

"Right.. an explanation." Nervously fixing his sleeves, he nodded to them both.

He quickly briefed them on the plan Kaeya had come up with involving robbing the bank and getting the information that he wanted, which almost ended in their getting caught if not for Zhongli strolling past. As well as Xingqiu rushing back here while he acted unusually faint. 

The doctor let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples when he was finished. but didn’t look surprised at the explanation. 

"I was naive to think the man would simply just rest like any normal patient.." He muttered while looking up. 

"And to rope you in along with him, I hope you did at least make it worthwhile." He didn’t seem upset about doing a crime and more annoyed they went behind his back. Xingqiu ignored his curious gaze, looking below at his palms instead.

He nodded, "I think it’s best to wait for Kaeya to wake up for that, speaking of; what happened when we arrived back here?" Xingqiu asks while dodging the question swiftly.

Changsheng speaks up, "You mean the weird muttering and nightmare spasms?" She pulls her head back, coiling behind Baizhu’s neck. 

Baizhu agreed, puzzled at the inquiry. "It is rather unusual. I thought at first it was just a concussion from the first incident, but it’s happened twice now. I’ll have to look into it. Until then, the only reliever is a sedative which seems to calm him down well enough. " He states uncertainty in his voice, like this solution wouldn’t last long.

Medicine was his specialty, but this didn’t seem like any normal illness as far as Xingqiu could tell. 

"What about Qiqi’s healing? If it is any normal sickness, a healer can easily deal with it. " Zhongli quickly brings up, Xingqiu is caught off guard, forgetting the man is in the room, standing behind him silently following their conversation.

The doctor closes his eyes and simply shakes his head. Changsheng takes a moment to speak to him when he doesn’t reply. 

"It doesn’t work. The zombie girl has been trying, but she can only heal the physical wounds." She explains, hissing slightly. 

"I see." Zhongli states, thinking deeply with his gaze fixed on the ground. Xingqiu has the impression that he is missing some of what the other is thinking.He feels like a thick cloud has formed above them, wallowing in the bad news and his throat feels dry. 

"... So you're saying that Sir Kaeya is being affected by something that can’t be healed?" Xingqiu finally asks, looking up to Baizhu. 

"Unfortunately, that is the case." Baizhu confirms, sighing softly and taking off his glasses momentarily to rub his temples. "I’ll have to research some more to see if there are any similarities, but there’s not much I can do until I have a proper diagnosis." 

Despite the less reassuring statement, he smiled faintly. He could tell the doctor had a determined look in his eye despite being tired. He stretched with a yawn, ready to leave them. 

"I’m going to search our archives now. Hopefully it will have something. I trust you can handle yourselves." sweeping a gaze over them. Especially Xingqiu, who nods reassuringly.

Zhongli promptly steps forward, "If I may join you, Dr. Baizhu, I’m sure to be of assistance. Let me take Qiqi to her quarters and I will join you promptly. " Zhongli requests but leaves no room for Baizhu to reject. He doesn’t mind though, and simply waves him appreciatively as he leaves the room first, leaving Zhongli and Xingqiu alone with Kaeya and Qiqi.

"I fear the doctor may be at his limit. I’ll stay with him for now." Zhongli adds to Xingqiu quietly, giving his real concern for helping.

He recalls briefly Baizhu’s sickness. It wasn’t a severe one, but because of it he had to rely on others like Qiqi and the herbalist to gather supplies and run errands. He was always at the pharmacy for that reason, but it never slowed him down from helping others. He admired him for that, even if his prices were contradictory. 

He looks over to Qiqi, the girl resting on the end of the bed, using Kaeya’s legs as a pillow while she slept. She snored quietly, probably fell asleep after healing any of his physical wounds. He was kind of relieved to see her sleeping peacefully. It calmed his nerves at least. 

Slowly, Zhongli takes this moment to approach the bedside and gently lifts the girl from her place to comfortably resting between his arms. 

A small smile lifts on his face as she gently squirms from being moved but doesn’t awake. "I’ll be off then," he says softly, and he turns to leave.

"U-uh Mr. Zhongli?" Xingqiu asks hesitantly, before he can leave through the door. 

He tilts his head curiously back to Xingqiu but doesn’t move his position. Standing still, holding the young girl in his arms. "Yes?" 

He fidgets his fingers, "I didn’t get to thank you today. I’ll be sure to repay your kindness greatly." Xingqiu expresses gratitude with sincerity in his tone. If Zhongli had not been there at that time and helped, this would have ended much worse than now. Thanks to him, the fatui were at least somewhat off their backs.

The man turns slightly so his face is in view of him and chuckles warmly, "It was no trouble. I simply saw and helped. Anyone else would have done the same." He replies earnestly. Then his expression solemnizes.

"Take it easy and don’t guilt yourself; none of this could have been prevented by yourself." He reminds him, almost reading his thoughts and responding accordingly, another trait of the consultants which worked in both good and bad ways.  

Xingqiu nodded, acknowledging him, "I know, thanks." 

Zhongli smiled warmly and, with no more words, stepped out, leaving him alone in the room with the knight, who was sleeping soundly in the bed. 

He closes the door when he leaves and slumps into the chair next to the bed, peeking a look at the sleeping Kaeya, then dropping his head back against the chair, exhaling loudly. Letting his aching muscles rest. 

Today was so hectic; it went by so quickly too. 

Chongyun might collapse when he comes back from hearing the news, currently on a job request for a couple of days on the outskirts of Liyue. He wished he was here but understood his responsibility to his job. Who knew babysitting their foreign companion would be like this?

He curled his knees towards him so he could rest his chin on them, watching the steady breathing of the man as he slept in the patient bed.

He closed his eyes after a couple of moments, wanting to just blank out for a moment, shutting the surroundings out. Fatigue wore him out as he felt the comforting darkness of sleep take over yet again.

It was past noon and the orange horizons of the sun's rays were glowing over Liyue before it fell into the calming night. 

He was considering heading back inside, after waiting for longer than he had said outside. Director Hu would be suspicious if he was waiting out here for this long. 

Just as he decided he would return to the parlor, the other arrived, waving his arm in greeting, "I’m not late, am I?" The Ginger muses, grinning at the consultant. 

Zhongli turns to him, putting a polite smile on his face. "Almost but the wait wasn't too boring, now that you're here let us go together then?" He asks and Childe smiles, nodding. 

 "Alright, I’ve been looking forward to this all day, Morax ." His eyes glittered darkly in bemused delight. The name bringing up the past incident, and the old god was immediately stiffening.  

He narrowed his eyes, huffing.  "your request will be fulfilled, Harbinger, but know that I will not hold back ." He solemnly warns. “Good, I wouldn't want to be fighting a weaker opponent.” He replies cheerfully, not swayed by the warning.

Zhongli doesn't reply and turns away tilting his head to follow him as he heads down the harbor away from the city. Childe followed steps behind, watching him intently. 

He was more than prepared for this encounter and expected it to be only a contract worthy of the harbinger himself. Ever since the day they met he knew this day was coming and he was prepared for the outcome.

The old god stops when they're far enough away from civilization and monsters. He silently summons his spear, his eyes glowing faintly in the dark, reminding the other of his godhood. He twirls the spear with ease, evidence of age and mastered skill ingrained in his memory, and dutifully slams the end of it into the ground. 

The other who faced him crouched across from him in a ready battle position, eyes lingering in excitement. lustful for a battle.  

He grins widely, readying his bow.

"Well then, amuse me.” 

Chapter Text

The fight begins quickly, the moon just coming into view and the starlight skies overbearing them clearly overhead. Too far from civilization to be heard with only the mountains nearby. 

Without missing a beat, the harbinger makes his move, drawing back the string on his bow and firing arrows at the other.

Zhongli swerves his head to sidestep the first one, and he can easily avoid the approaching arrows hastily shooting past him.

In reaction, he conjures a pillar, and the geo shield deflects any incoming arrows against it and it pitifully lands on the grass as he sees Childe shoot his final arrow with his bare fist, abandoning the bow he used to aim.  

Zhongli couldn’t help but make a remark, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Tired of the bow?" he muses.
Childe huffs, ignoring the amusing glint in his eye. "I just need a change of pace, that's all." he replies while forming two hydro daggers in each hand.

Now the position has shifted, with the Geo God scarcely moving a step and the harbinger circling around him, planning his next move carefully.

He was taken aback when he surged forth in a stream of water, barely an inch from slashing his chest if not for summoning his pole arm in time to shove him back. He pushed back his blades pushing against him in a power hungry fight to overpower the other. He grinned, although a bead of sweat trailed down his face. 

He backs off suddenly, and Zhongli stabilises himself, pointing his weapon at him while keeping a distance. 

Then something begins to change. The air thickens, and sparks start to come off of the harbinger.

"No use holding back now." he murmurs, then waves of hydro begin to circle around him, enveloping him in a shield, then suddenly burst, electricity sparking through the air as Childe takes hold of his delusion.

Zhongli had heard of Childes' fatui delusion but never had the chance to see it in person, until now, that is. He would not want to see him in his foul legacy form that was for certain.

Childe spun his weapon, a polearm this time, and smiled at him under the fatui mask. His outfit changed with the delusion into a black uniform and mask, looking more like a fatui agent.  

"Now the fun really begins.” He slowly starts, running straight at him this time. 

He grimaces and tightens his grip. Shifting his weight, he runs forward intending to face him headon in a clash, but before he can land a hit, Childe vanishes, electro bursting into shards and he stands stunned for a second. He twisted his head rapidly, unsure of where he would next appear. 

Taking advantage of the disarray, Childe reappears a distance away,  aiming a bow at his head, and he ducks in time to dodge the surge of water being lashed at him.

His eyes widen as he realises what the harbinger was summoning next, and he barely has time to raise his shield before a nautical call echoes through the valley. awed and shocked by the might that he saw before him.

A whale crashed headfirst into him as he braced himself to face it head on. 

*** 

Zhongli was out on his leisure walks in the harbor, enjoying the daily scenery and taking a break from the director’s antics. Normally, he would enjoy these walks and take the time to greet others, if it weren't for the rather situation.

A familiar companion accompanied him, or as he is better known as a fatui diplomat,

Tartaglia, a fatui Harbinger who was recently exiled from the harbour for summoning a god upon the city.

It felt like an eternity had passed since the attack and he had feigned the death of Rex Lapis, but he knew it had only been a few weeks; after all, times change quickly in Liyue especially for a god like himself.

He first saw the young lad Xingqiu talking to him in the plaza but quickly realised something was off. A quick glance assessed the situation and he was surprised to see Kaeya behind him. He couldn’t see his face, but seeing the young noble worked up with the harbinger was enough for Zhongli to step into the scene, greeting Childe while Xingqiu uttered his thanks and rushed to pull his companion quickly away. Avoiding any further conflict.

Odd, He would have to meet him later to find out what happened, but for now he was accompanying the harbinger. Strolling in the opposite direction, he followed through the busy market streets of Liyue, with Childe eagerly following behind. 

It did make him suspicious why he was back, idly walking beside him with a light smile on his face as he eyed the consultant carefully. To see him again after all that had happened was a shock, especially since Zhongli had personally watched the harbinger leave for Snezhnaya on a boat as well. He had thought the man was back home by now, enjoying the cold weather back in Snezhnaya. 

He sighed quietly, knowing full well what this possibility meant. For now, he could only accompany him and listen. Childe walked next to him, pointing out the shops like they used to. 

 "Ah, Zhongli, look here!" The ginger pulled his arm to follow him to a nearby shop, an ore stall, and picked up a gem for the consultant to examine. 

"It matches your eyes, don’t you think?" Handing him the Cor lapis on display. He lifts the gem to his face for a moment, finding the value to be exceptional given the quality of the lapis.

He agrees, "I suppose it does, the quality of it is good too." I chose to be oblivious to what the harbinger was scheming with this. No outright suspicion yet. 

Childe nods, "I’ll buy it then, consider it a returning gift." He says, handing the pouch of mora to the salesperson before he could say another word and slipping the jewel in the man’s pocket, safely tucking it in his possession before he can refuse. He eyes it, but gives Childe a look of appreciation for buying it nonetheless. 

They continue walking down the street and a quiet stillness remains between them, as Childe remains silent, simply eyeing him with a curious gaze, wanting to say something but holding back. It was odd, as he had known the harbinger to speak his mind. Perhaps some boundaries had gone up in their time apart, and he was being wary of the archon. 

Noting the situation Zhongli makes a right to a familiar spot, by the terrace overlooking the harbour where they can talk privately. Now with the two of them alone he turns to childe,

"Childe, I must ask, why have you returned to Liyue?" He asks suddenly, forcing the harbinger to no longer stay silent.  

He looks at him and tilts his head, feigning ignorance, "What? Can’t I visit a friend once in a while, or was our friendship just another part of your disguise? Morax?"In an instant, the humour in his tone was replaced with hostility, showing his actual intentions towards him.

It seemed like past occurrences were still grudges between them. During the osial incident when his god's identity had been revealed, Childe hadn’t reacted well to being manipulated, as such, leaving their relationship a bit awkward. He did feel bad for not telling him sooner, but knew it was better for the plan in store to feign ignorance of the harbinger. 

He wills himself not to react to the name since he was attempting to evoke him and he would not fall for such a ruse.

"Was that your true intention, revenge?" He replies angrily, his arms crossed. The atmosphere darkens suddenly.

Childe laughs, but his expression doesn’t match the amusement. "Well, sort of. I can never pass on an opportunity to test my limits." He says this with a glint in his eye, making Zhongli uneasy. 

"What do you mean, Childe?" He snaps, and Childe's smile becomes menacing.

He lays his hands at his side and stares at Zhongli for a moment before answering finally. 

"Fight me." He simply lifts his chin. 

"No." An instant reply comes from him. 

Childe droops his shoulders, and ruffles his own hair to mask a chuckle. "Of course you would say that, no surprise there. How about a bet then?" He suggests wringing a hand up. 

Zhongli shakes his head, "I wish not to hurt you, Childe. Even after what happened during the osial attack, I still consider you a good friend and I wish not to tarnish our friendship."

This was not the first time Childe had asked Zhongli this subject; when he learned Zhongli had a geo vision when they first met, he wanted to duel. However, it was simpler than presently, and the consultant just lied, stating he preferred not to quarrel, so the topic was avoided for a while.

Only after the encounter did Childe realise the truth and realise that no lies could keep him from facing an archon; the opportunity was too wonderful to pass up, and Tartaglia sought bloodlust, so passing up a combat against an archon was too good.

Childes' smile quickly vanishes into a glare, "If only I felt the same." He replies bitterly, the coldness in his voice apparent. He hadn’t realised the betrayal of his identity during osial affected their relationship.  

He stepped close to him so they were inches apart.

"You lied to me, and used me to summon Osial for your ‘test’. You really are dense if you thought I would forget about it." He scornfully remarks, crossing his arms. 

"It was my decision to summon that god and to not tell you the truth," Zhongli says, looking away. He shakes his head vigorously before raising his gaze to meet the other's, his expression changing.

"But I don't regret the decisions I've made; what occurred is engraved in stone; all I can ask now is forgiveness," he replies, waiting for his response.

Childe stays silent, his lips pursed in a thin line as he thinks. His brows stay focused together, then he gets frustrated, sighing finally to himself. 

"Fight me this one time, Xiansheng, and I'll consider it." he says, a trail of weariness in his voice, tired of arguing. Zhongli wonders what had occurred with the harbinger during the previous few weeks. Still, he didn’t want to lose this, but it also went against his morals to hurt the harbinger. 

"I can’t, I don’t want to hurt you." Zhongli insists on, stepping back. 

Childe looks up. "Then don’t think of it that way, think of it as a friendly battle, one where I test my strength against a god himself." He tells him, adding "We can stop before anyone actually dies, of course." 

He tries to disagree, but something draws him in to hear him out. Childe was the sort of person who would fight for something he was passionate about. He was also the type of person who would not break a promise. So he trusted him at the very least and forced himself to be calm. For the sake of Zhongli’s redemption, the guilt also weighed on him. 

He also needed to know what the harbinger was doing back in Liyue. It's too naive to assume he was here just for a fight with the Archon. He couldn’t let him leave knowing he could be plotting something with the fatui, even knowing his true nature.

He breathes deeply, closing his eyes. "If I agree, we will have terms in place of the duel." he states, glancing at him as he focuses on the scenery while he explains. 

"I forbid you to use your foul legacy form. As you're aware, it takes a considerable toll on your body and I refuse to partake in any arguments against it." He tells him flatout, crossing his arms. 

Childe nods, "Okay, but I’ll still use my delusion to make it fair against your strength." He bargains. Zhongli grudgingly lets it slide.

"As long as it doesn’t incapacitate you, I will allow it." He smiles at the approval, delighted by this obligation to at least use some power. 

"Secondly, this duel will be held away from the harbor. I wish not for anyone to see us and to hurt any bystanders." The rule was simple enough and Childe agreed with no comments. 

The final and most crucial term.

"Moreover, I have the option to withdraw from the battle at any time. Please keep in mind that I will only do this if it is absolutely necessary." He advises, making certain the harbinger understands. In any case, fighting a god shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

"It won’t come to that, I swear." Childe says, placing a palm on his chest for goodwill. 

Now that he had said that, it was like a tension of worry lifted from him, and Zhongli relaxed with a small breath he was holding back. 

"May I add something? A few terms of my own." Childe asks, wringing a hand up questionably.  

He obliges, hearing him out. 

"I think we should have a prize for the winner, like a bet I suppose, to make it more interesting." 

"And what would you like then?" Childe chuckles, twisting his head to the side, "How about-any secret information on Liyue I want?" Zhongli looks at him, questionably intrigued by his award. What was the harbinger planning? 

"What kind of information?" he queries. 

"You'll see, now what do you want in return?" Childe's smile seemed to grow larger, but he didn't say anything else.

He stays silent for a moment, thinking briefly, then smiles to himself, knowing exactly what he wants. "A meal at Wanmin Restaurant will suffice." He says it simply. 

Childe stifles a chuckle and nods, "Alright, you can count on that," this time genuinely smiling at him. He wants to speak more, but a fatui agent arrives soon, talking rapidly in the harbinger's ear in a frantic tone, and the smile fades to irritation.

"Fine, I'll be there shortly." He tells the agent, then gives an apologetic glance at Zhongli.

"I’ll have to cut it short sadly. An emergency has happened that needs a harbinger to investigate. I’ll meet you tonight at the funeral parlour and we’ll settle our fight." 

He nods, "Okay, I’ll wait." 

With a quick wave, the harbinger disappeared. Whatever emergency the fatui were dealing with, it seemed urgent that the harbinger was speeding back. He grimaced, heading down the path towards the pharmacy.

He just hoped the harbinger was prepared to face an archon.

*** 

Childe bit back a choke, battling the tight grip that was keeping him down under his weight.

He struggles and eventually kicks hard enough to break Zhongli's grasp on him, rolling away on the dirt, putting distance between them so he can regain his breath.

He anticipated a god to be powerful, but not powerful enough to avoid his Nautical whale—no, he hadn’t avoided it, he had walked straight through it! No one had ever managed that before.
He unleashed the wave of hydro, and the next thing he knew, Zhongli had jumped straight through it like it was nothing and rushed for his throat, pinning him on the ground.

It truly showed how powerful the deity was to not underestimate him. 

He hit him off immediately and scrambled up, rubbing his neck gingerly before conjuring a twin bladed hydro knife. A splatter of water and electro encircled him as he didn’t waste another second in launching back into battle.

Cutting away at the archon's shield while pushing him back, strength regaining at him with every hit. 

"Fight back!" As Zhongli grunted, he exclaimed, leaning in close. I'm pushing him away, good. 

Zhongli suddenly twists away, putting himself in a combat stance with a foot forwards to charge; he appears to have listened and is giving Childe precisely what he wants. He couldn't be happier with the worthy opponent.

"Good, good. Are we going to spar now?" He taunts, riling himself up. 

"It would be best to hold your tongue." Zhongli responds, furrowing his brows as he advances with his spear.

He dodges his attacker's assault, spinning to slash his back, but the man flips to grab his waist and slams him to the ground. He manages to flip him alongside and they brawl on the ground, each trying to pin the other. The archon eventually gets a strike on Childe's arm, slicing it and drawing blood, and the fragrance quickly wafts through the air as it stains the ground beneath them. 

He forces himself not to clutch over in pain and kicks his polearm out of his hand. It flies in the air, landing too far away for Zhongli to retrieve it without him intervening. 

He gets a good punch in his face while on the ground, revenge for getting his arm. He leaps to his feet, holding his injured arm and experiencing a sharp bolt of pain.

He tries to move his arm to make sure nothing is broken and then regains his battle posture, wanting to jump straight back into the duel. 

He looks up at Zhongli, who is idly standing across from him. His breathing is ragged and his suit disheveled, looking messy and covered in dirt. Very different from his usual regal style.
The punch he threw at him seemed to work as a mark formed at the side of his face. 

"I’m fine—let’s continue." Childe says it quickly, noticing the hesitancy in his eyes. looking at the wound he inflicted on his arm. Was he feeling guilty? He didn’t need his pity. 

He had gotten far worse battle wounds than this. He wouldn’t back down from this fight after one slash. 

Zhongli nods, but still looks uncertain. Nonetheless, he regains his battle stance and crouches forward, He battled barehanded, his palms clenched into fists, for he lacked a weapon.

He grins, throwing his weapons aside too. This would be interesting for sure.

They draw closer together, both putting their arms up protectively in a slow circle, and Zhongli makes the initial move, aiming at his side as Childe rotates to sidestep, kicking his knee again towards his chest, which Zhongli quickly deflects, earning a blow directly to his chest, knocking the air out.

His eyes enraged, he truly looked frightening, the golden hue illuminating him and making him look like a person not to mess with, an archon in the flesh. 

Childe's bones ache, begging him to stop, but pushes harder; he aims another swing at his head. This time the archon grabs his arm and locks it tightly. When he realises he's hooked, he attempts to twist free, but his grip is stronger than his, and he twists his arm so much that if he moves any more, it would fracture.

"Do you yield?" He yells at him, seizing his other arm and pinning him in place while he still holds a hydro-formed knife to his head.

Childe grits his teeth through the force, twisting his free leg and knocking them both to the ground, twisting to escape while randomly thrusting at him with his remaining knife. Zhongli, on the other hand, quickly dodges the onslaught and traps his legs, effectively pinning him on his stomach.

"Do you yield?" He repeats, more strained this time with a bead of sweat dripping down his face. 

Not yet-he flips around, gripping his knife to slash at his throat, but Zhongli catches it, pushing his arm back against his chest as the force slowly forces the knife to press against his throat, a power struggle he realizes can't win as Zhongli adds more pressure, digging into his side until he feels the blade brushing his throat.

 He grits his teeth, dropping his head against the ground in defeat. 

"I yield! I yield-you win! " gasping for air when Zhongli eases his pressure, taking his weight off him and slumping next to him on the ground. Both are covered in sweat and dirt after the duel and are equally drained. 

"... That was good. Fight.. " Childe gasps when he catches his breath, closing his eyes. 

Zhongli huffs, twisting his head at him, "Shouldn’t you be angry? You lost against me." He says this quizzlingly, and Childe chuckles softly. 

He steadies his breathing before answering "Sure I did lose, but I enjoyed the battle and you didn’t hold back. That makes this a good battle in my eyes." He tells him, sitting up slowly. 

"I suppose you are right. I wanted to go easy, but I realised holding back would just make it worse." he admits, sitting up too and concerningly checking him over.  "How’s your arm? Does it need to be treated?"

He lifts the bleeding arm up nonchalantly, looking it over. "I’ll probably need stitches, but it’s nothing I can’t handle." He says this reassuringly.
In the meantime, he ripped his bottom pants in half and tied them around his arm.

Zhongli tsks while shaking his head. "Please treat it when you return, but before that I believe I owe you an apology. I previously said I didn’t want to hurt you and I’ve betrayed that." He furrowed his brow frustratingly, which made chide frown, especially since he was the one who had asked him to fight. He shouldn’t feel guilty for only following the duel. 

He waves his good hand, "Stop Zhongli, I asked you to fight me and it wouldn’t be fair if you held back. As for the arm, I already said I’m fine, so quit wallowing about it." He tells him flat out to stand up to stretch his aching muscles.

Zhongli stands next to him."As the victor of this fight, I will feel guilty, and I feel it is only right that I compensate you in some way for the inconvenience." He insists. 

"You?" smirks Childe, cocking his brow. "You can't even afford a dinner, let alone repaying me for a medical bill, Zhongli." He professes, putting a hand on his hip.

Zhongli nods, confirming "That is true." This man had no shame when it came to his bank account being dry.  

He quickly adds "However, by any means other than mora I can provide, I’ll answer any question you think values what I owe." Knowing that the man would probably not be backed out of this easily, he sighs. 

He scratches his head, thinking it over carefully.

Any questions he wanted to ask? He sighs, looking out over the mountain valley and the moonlight sky, illuminating them both. 

"Alright, I’ll ask you this." Turning to him to lock eyes with him, jade to cobalt. No matter what the question was, he couldn't lie to his face.

Zhongli nods, pleased that he accepted the offer. 

he debated to go back and say something else but his mind had been tormenting this question for weeks. If he couldn’t ask this now there would be no other opportunity.

He gulps, letting out a shaky breath.."..Was all those months we spent together a lie? Did you genuinely want to be friends with me or were they all made up so you could use me in the end?" The question cut deep for them both and he had avoided for so long, mostly denial and fear letting him scramble for an answer.

He had known Zhongli for months, yet he barely knew anything about him. Even now, as he stood silent, he couldn’t tell what he was thinking. It made him question if it was really a ploy.

Zhongli places a hand on his shoulder. Softening, "No, I truly consider you as a good friend and I hope to continue doing so.'' Zhongli replies immediately, sincerely meaning it.

"Although I wish that you asked this before this duel." He adds, smiling for the first time that night.  

Ah, good point. That would debate the need for a fight in the first place, but he probably would have gone with a fight in the end, still savouring the chance to fight a god.

"My bad, maybe we can settle it over another duel sometime?" He suggests cheekily, "Absolutely not." Denied quickly. 

Childe hums, seemingly disappointed by his reply and pouts. "You’re no fun, Xiansheng. Atleast let me be optimistic."

He chuckles, and closes his eyes softly. "I think I’ve missed this company. It was a surprise when I saw you back in Liyue and not in Snezhnaya. I assume the Tsaritsa is punishing you accordingly?" gazing at him with a knowing glint in his eye. 

He cursed under his breath that he couldn’t lie to a god; he seemed to know everything from even the slightest detail.

"You're correct, another bank mission. Although I’d much rather be in Snezhnaya with my siblings. " He answers with a sigh. 

He continues sitting up, "I’m hoping you can help me with some information, being a consultant and everything. I don’t exactly trust anyone more and I can’t exactly ask anyone else." He continues, rubbing his cheek awkwardly. He was still an unwelcome Snezhayan diplomat in Liyue. If the Tianqing or Yuhung caught him, he would suspect a hefty fine was in order.

Zhongli nods, knowing full well of the consequences. "Alright, I’ll help as I can." Giving him permission to continue, as nothing would leave his lips from now on.

He wrings his hands, "I’m looking for a Mondstadt diplomat, apparently pretty important from there and who is quartermaster of the knights of Favonius." He told him, stepping back. The smile faded as he explained.

Zhongli tensed, but quickly relaxed, keeping his emotions at bay before Childe could notice. Was Childe on a mission to find the man dwelling in Bubu Pharmacy? It was suspicious but he remained calm, acting normal before landing both him and potentially the other in trouble too.  

"Why is the fatui hunting down someone that important?" lifting one brow questioningly.

Childe shrugs, "I’m usually assigned to assassin jobs, but all I can do is guess what the Tsaritsa is planning." picking up his bow from the ground.

"I see.. But wouldn’t it be more common sense to look in Mondstadt first?" He asks, his tone even. 

It didn’t help that he was working with said wanted a knight and knew exactly where he was staying. But the fatui should at least not be able to track him in Liyue; it hadn’t even been that long since he had arrived. 

"According to my Fatui agent, he’s most definitely hiding in Liyue, and has stolen multiple possessions from the bank-we’re setting up a bounty for him though, so he can’t hide for long." He explains quickly, frowning at the mention of stolen possessions, some of which are undoubtedly his. This probably explained what exactly happened at the bank earlier.  

Of course, that was what happened. At least it seemed Xingqiu was able to hide that information from the harbinger before he noticed. It also explains the mad rush to leave. If Kaeya was wanted by a harbinger, anyone would be running to get away. He was glad he assessed that situation right as a decoy for them at least, even if he was unknowingly helping them.

He breathes in, and shrugs, "Sorry, I haven’t seen anyone from Mondstadt recently." He lied shortly, intending to keep the knight's identity a closed secret. 

Childes' eyes wander on him for a moment, then he sighs, looking bummed by the news. "Well, I won't put any pressure on you, but if you see anything, please let me know."He tells him. 

"I..Of course." 

He gives one last smile and leans forwards. "Well-I better get going. You technically did win, so you get your free meal tomorrow. The usual?" giving him a knowing side glance. Zhongli eases his shoulders. "Yes, I look forward to it." 

Childe nods and steps back, "Alright-I’ll go on ahead. See you." He waves and breezes past him, walking with a slight hunch because of the arm. 

"Goodnight Childe." He calls, although worries started to gather when he left. Immediately turning to sprint down the opposite path, he knew of one thing for certain, and that was to warn others of this development.

Liyue harbour was going to stir in a dangerous way with the fatui involved, he just hoped it wouldn’t end in tragedy. 

Chapter Text

Xingqiu's eyelids fluttered open unexpectedly in the middle of the night, immersed in darkness. His gaze flitted about the dark room, still waking up from a subconscious sleep.

A groan across him caused him to straighten up from his reclining position, immediately recognising the situation as he strained his eyes through the darkness.

It was Kaeya, who had mistakenly awakened Xingqiu in what seemed like a nightmare.

He fumbled around the table desk, finally lighting the lamp on the side to see easier. As he got closer to the bed, he saw Kaeya's breathing was agitated and murmuring thoughtless words from his slumber. 

The majority of it was too quiet and mumbled to understand. Xingqiu could only make out the words " please no" and unrecognisable names being murmured.  

He recognised enough to make the hair on his skin lift with worry. 

Baizhu assured them that nightmares would not hurt them and that it was better to let them run their course, but Xingqiu still wanted to interfere and was getting closer to waking up Kaeya himself. He was most likely stuck in his own memories, going through whatever horrible nightmare he had in his dreams.

It made him really question what the knight had gone through in his homeland and if there was more he let on to the teen. 

He was compelled to go straight to Baizhu’s quarters but then thought better of it. The doctor had stayed up most of the night searching in the archive with no luck. He wouldn't be in the best of moods waking him up at this hour, and thus wouldn't have the finest solutions.

He thought of Qiqi next, then scratched that out, also remembering how nightmares did nothing with healing magic, and Qiqi wasn’t exactly skilled in herbal medicine to be of help with her memory. 

The nervous thought crossed his mind that he was the only one.

He knelt, trying not to worry and let his anxiety show, and reached out to gently shake Kaeya's shoulder, hoping to jolt him out of it quickly.

Kaeya awoke with a start, throwing his closed fist out immediately before his eye even opened. Xingqiu instantly seized a fist and just managed to hold him steady. Perhaps he should have called Baizhu now, having second thoughts on whether this was normal nightmare waking symptoms or not. 

"Kaeya, it’s okay," He quickly said, "You’re safe-it’s me Xingqiu." 

Kaeya's gaze lifted to him slowly, his chest heaving beneath the hospital shirt. When his sight cleared and he appeared to register reality, he relaxed, but the fear in his eye persisted, if anything, becoming more intense.

"Xingqiu." He spoke, his voice shaking ever so slightly, "let go of me." 

He released his arm, stepping back to give him space. 

"Are you okay? I can get Dr. Baizhu-" He offers, wanting to get the doctor more than anything right now. 

"No!" Kaeya stops him midway. He clears his throat awkwardly, "No, don’t get him-I’m fine." This time, he adds more softly.

"Okay." Sitting back in the chair, he wants to break the tension, wanting to go back to Dr. Baizhu but staying still, honouring Kaeya’s wishes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" All he can think of saying in this situation.

Kaeya sighs, shaking his head while subconsciously combing through his loose hair. "Nothing of importance, pay it no mind." He says it sounds more stable now, but it still left Xingqiu unsure.

He looks up to him, changing the subject quickly. "What happened? My mind is still hazy and I can’t recall anything but a few blurry memories." 

Xingqiu frowns.  "What do you remember last?" 

Kaeya pauses, tilting his head, attempting to recall something."Last I remember, I jumped out the window of the bank and it all went fuzzy and dark." He then frowns and pushes a hand through his hair. “Wait, that's not it..” muttering to himself, unsure. 

"Is that all you remember?" Xingqiu asks nervously, shifting forwards. 

"I believe so.. Why? What happened?" Quizzically looking at him, recalling the past occurrence where he had hugged him like a lifeline in the middle of that hallucination, thinking back it was probably a buildup of emotions, recalling it now would only make the two of them embarrassed so he pushed it away quickly.

 "N-nothing." He quickly says, coughing awkwardly to change the subject. 

"You seem to remember most of it anyways. Up until the end, it was mostly chaos and desperation in me trying to drag us both back without getting caught by angry Fatui." He mutters and continues to explain the situation in more depth, avoiding how Kaeya went unresponsive and talking in a confused state. 

It was a bit awkward to remember now that the moment had passed, and it was definitely a bit embarrassing that he had clung onto him in desperation, he spared him the knowledge nonetheless. 

Kaeya seemed to not want to bring that up either, even if he wasn’t aware, because he quickly shifted his attention slowly recounting the event in his head. 

"Tartaglia Harbinger? I think I remember it now. He was on a mission to apprehend me for whatever reason." He mutters a hand under his chin, and Kaeya pauses, his eye widened. 

Suddenly his hands fly up, rapidly patting down his chest looking for something and then looks back at Xingqiu hurriedly.

“My shirt-where is it?" Looking around the room urgently.

He got up, searching around the room until he found the discarded pile. Someone must have changed his tophalf for obvious reasons and had the sense to leave it nearby. 

He tosses the shirt back at him, now no more than a shredded shirt, a few seams loose and fabric cuts. . 

He’s not even surprised when Kaeya tears it in half impatiently, not even wearable anymore, revealing an inner pocket seemingly spewing with letters and he couldn’t help but be dumbfounded for not checking it before. None of them even thought to search him in the urgency of returning to Bubu. At least it meant the bank robbery had some success. 

"This is what I managed to get from the harbingers office, now we just need a translator." Brisking through the foreign letters with a hand as he lay it over the bed spread out. 

"Amazing, all of these files-some are even branded by the Zapolyane Palace." Picking out the wax seal on some of the more refined papers. 

"Whether it's useful or not is the question." Kaeya murmurs, picking up a paper and frowning at the foreign writing. 

Xingqiu picks up a letter then pauses, inquiring of Kaeya, "We should wait for the others. This is too much information." He begins, and then the door flaps open just on point.

Baizhu steps in, a tired look in his eyes as he enters. "No need, it appears we arrived just on time."  Totally ignoring how it was the middle of the night.

Zhongli follows quickly behind. He looks different from when Xingqiu saw him last. His hair was tousled and his suit was creased with dirt. Something had definitely just happened, from what Xingqiu could tell.

 "Apologies for waking you, Dr. Baizhu, but I had a feeling some scheming was in place." side eyeing the two by the bed. He looks away readily. 

Xingqiu thought it would be better not to bring up the earlier nightmare that awakened Kaeya for now, seeing as they were all calm right now. 

Baizhu slouches into an empty seat, his eyes lazily staring at Kaeya. Presumably too exhausted to make a renouncing comment, he tiredly replies, "I’m up now, besides now I can actually question my favourite patient." he sarcastically enlightens. 

"Oh please, you like him because you're getting paid and he's charming." Changsheng retorts, slowly coiling around the Doctor's left hand. Baizhu huffs, but doesn’t deny or make any further comments.  

"Well, good morning to you both as well." Kaeya dryly calls, tilting his head with a small grin lighting his face, probably amused by the snake's comment. 

Baizhu stirred, slouching forward in his chair with his head resting on one hand and the other on his knee, where Changsheng sat attentively. 

"Pleasantries out of the way. I'm not exactly in the brightest mood for being awoken this early. Mind sharing your research project? " He asks, eyeing the papers scattered about, not exactly the happiest to be awoken this early. 

It’s the loot I scored from the bank. All personal letters are addressed to the harbinger. " Kaeya replies, proud of his own achievement. 

"To the harbinger, you say?" Zhongli asks inquisitively, then approaches the bedside hesitantly, picking up the letters to examine. 

They watch him silently, not exactly sure what the consultant is looking for. It did seem strange that he would be interested in something like this, but Xingqiu wouldn’t comment on it. The consultant was known to have knowledge no one else had in Liyue.

"Can you read it?" Kaeya asks curiously.

 "Abit, but only a few verses. I’m far from an expert." He replies while furrowing his brows, shuffling the papers. 

He shakes his head. A worried look washes over him. "This isn’t good news for both of us." 

"What do you mean?" Xingqiu asks him, stepping closer to look at the letters he's holding and even Baizhu looks up from his seat. Their attention immediately focused on him and what the consultant had to say. 

"If you have this, then I fear I underestimated Childe’s ambition. Although I cannot read Snezhayan literature, I can say with certainty that most of these letters are from his family." He explains that Xingqiu and Kaeya share a confused moment.

So the letters they stole were just handwritten letters from his family? I felt quite dumbfounded and at a loss for words at that. In all honesty, Xingqiu was more shocked that a harbinger would have a family to even communicate with.

Zhongli grimaces, "I don’t know how you got these but I can say that the harbinger will be very upset once he learns of this and will only try harder to find you." Folding the letter in his hand carefully. 

"What exactly is the harbinger planning, Zhongli?" Kaeya’s sharp tone cuts. He was uninterested in the consultant's lengthy explanation.

Zhongli pats the dust off his suit while turning to Kaeya and the others, making himself look more presentable. 

Clearing his throat he begins. "I came to warn you, all of you. The Fatui plan on commissioning a wanted warrant for your arrest later today. I thought perhaps we would have more time, but now I realise we might not have that. "he admits nervously.

Immediately, Kaeya straightens up while Xingqiu and Baizhu look at Zhongli with widened eyes. The words put them in absolute shock, followed by anger. 

"Absurd! The fatui aren’t even supposed to be in the city in the first place." Xingqiu angrily shouts and Changsheng nods. "No way I want those nasty fatui up here. Eugh, I hate trouble." coiling tightly around Baizhu as his eyebrows furrow, just as troubled.
Though they did not know Kaeya for long he had been under their roof for more than enough time to say they had grown to concern over him, and Baizhu wasn’t someone to let harm to his patients either.

"Indeed it is troublesome.. How much time do you predict Zhongli? " Baizhu asks him, and he pauses a moment to look out the window to see the rising sun. 

"A few hours at best, a day if we’re lucky."

Xingqiu gulps. That was barely any time at all

They would have to think of a way to stay low, and Xingqiu was included as he was an associate. Kaeya could probably take on a fake identity until he recovers enough, and they could hideout in one of his guild warehouses. Chongyun could help them when he gets back and-

"It’s fine, I’ll leave." He abruptly cuts, causing an immediate backlash from all of them. He simply folds his hands together, a flat look on his face to indicate the decision he has already made. 

"Kaeya, you can’t leave. Your mission? For Mondstadt? " Xingqiu says, urgently trying to sway him. 

"There's nothing in Liyue. My only lead was the fatui, and all I've gotten is a few loose trails to go off of." He answers.

Baizhu raises his voice. "Then your condition is enough. You may try to hide it, but we’ve all seen it. Try as you might, you’ll die sooner if you leave now." He chillingly says, there was truth to his words.

Xingqiu nodded silently to that, reminding himself of what had recently happened with Kaeya. He fully agreed with the doctor's reasoning, although his advice was blunt. Kaeya was more reluctant and folded his arms crossly. 

He scoffs, reflecting back at the doctor with such intensity that he becomes frightened.

"Then so be it. I’d rather die on my own terms than wait here for someone else to finish the job. " He challenges him, not a hint of emotion on his face.

Suddenly, Baizhu leaps from his seat, pacing quickly towards the man, ready to thrash him, but Zhongli rushes in between them, holding Baizhu back with an arm while he faces the man. 

"Do you not realize we’re trying to help- This is the kind of foolishness that will make you regret it!" Baizhu shouts against Zhongli's restraint.

"Oh, believe me, I have more than enough to regret." He repels, returning his glare with his shoulders raised. 

Xingqiu is shocked, frozen in place. He had never seen the doctor so worked up or Kaeya acting so selflessively about his own life. But then again, he was beginning to only just understand the way the captain worked, and it made him frightened about what more there was he was hiding. 

Baizhu was just acting in anger. Everyone was tense from the previous day, and the doctor was at his wits' end.

"Hey-hey, what’s gotten into you two?! This is a hospital, not a place to start fights. " Changsheng intercepts being the voice of reason and pulling at Baizhu’s neck.

Baizhu takes a step back, a flash of immediate embarrassment in his eyes, and turns away, fixing his glasses while calming his emotions. 

As the situation calms down, Zhongli gradually releases his grip, and Xingqiu lets out a relieved sigh, releasing his unintentionally held breath in the blur of the moment. 

"You’re right, as a doctor, I shouldn't have raised my voice like that." He finally says with a sigh, petting the snake’s head appreciatively. 

He raised his head to the others, making sure Kaeya's gaze was on him. "However, I stand by what I stated, and as your doctor, I strongly advise you to follow my advice." He advises more calmly now. 

Kaeya averts his gaze to conceal his emotion, but Xingqiu could tell he was conflicted by his remarks.

"I think it's best if we go back to our own rooms; it's been a long day, and everyone is tired." Zhongli suggests when there was a lengthy stillness between them all, and Xingqiu couldn't agree more.

"Until then, no choices will be made until daylight—is that clear?" Looking intently at Kaeya, likely anticipating another window leap. 

Kaeya grumbles, giving in and nodding his consent before wrapping the covers of his bed over himself and burying himself in them. His body was turned away from them and he looked like he was in a cocoon. 

Zhongli lets his gaze linger on the bed for a moment longer, and turns to leave silently.

 He places a hand on Xingqiu’s shoulder reassuringly before he leaves and leads Baizhu and Changsheng out the door, closing the door behind them and leaving the teen in the room. 

Xingqiu tenses as they leave, slowly returning to Kaeya’s bedside now that the two men had left. He lightly taps his blanket, crouching to be level with the bed now that they are alone. 

Over the past few days, he had been worried about the captain, even staying outside the room and bringing food from Wanmin over to the pharmacy. To say he didn’t care was an understatement, and he didn’t like his friend's attitude either. Be it the night crankiness or the change of mood, he wasn’t convinced. 

"Are you okay?" He softly asks, the question bearing too heavily on his mind to ask it a second time that day. 

He was acting differently from earlier in the day. Maybe something from the bank had changed him or something more. He wanted to know if he could still put his faith in the knight now that the current events had conspired. 

"Mnhph’ m’ ine." An incoherent mumble came from under the blankets.

He frowned, pulling the covers off him while he protested his complaints.

"Xingqiu, I’m fine. Call off it." He groans, warningly and swiftly pulling the blankets back over his chest, leaving only his head sticking out to glare at him with half-lidded eyes. 

"You're not fine—I can tell some things off." Xingqiu informs him with suspicion, crossing his arms as he lets go of the blanket. 

"Maybe I’m just tired." He argues. 

"Maybe, but it doesn’t explain the other things going on." 

"I’m fine Xingqiu, there's nothing wrong." he reassures, his teeth gritting slightly more forcefully.

He sighs, wringing his hands. “the injuries, the ambitious plans? I’ve sat by and helped you but It’s getting nowhere; not the mention your nightmares you mutter abou-“ He stopped himself short, a notion in his brain to end it there, speaking past nessessary but-

But he couldn't think of a better thing to say to convince him to confess that something was clearly wrong with himself. 

His curiosity is getting the best of him, and he steadily shifts his sight to Kaeya.

"What?" Kaeya barks, looking expectantly at him when he stood silent. 

Xingqiu takes a deep breath, knowing he's going to regret asking, but does it anyway. 

"Who is Diluc?" he asks tentatively, pausing for a lengthy gap.

Kaeya widens his eyes, a mix of emotions crossing over his face, and his face becomes noticeably pale.

"How much do you know?" He immediately asks, his voice becoming noticeably quieter with each shallow breath. 

"You said it a couple times in your sleep, and when I brought you back to the pharmacy, you had a particular reaction to it," Xingqiu says, looking down at his feet."He seems like he means a lot to you, right?" he shifts uncomfortably.

An awkward pause ensures.

Kaeya stayed silent, his hair stood on edge, like a metaphorical wall collapsing in his mind, and he felt flatout exposed. The panicking thoughts filled his mind, 

But all he could think of was that familiar crimson hair. He had done so well to keep it off his mind but now that it had been brought out with no choice but to confront it he felt scared. The bitterness eating at him was overwhelming. He suddenly felt colder, like a draught in the air.

He exhales a trembling breath. Not being able to deal with the unexpected incursion while controlling his emotions.

"I'm sorry." Shaking his head, it becomes apparent he's not apologising to Xingqiu but something else and frustratingly raising a hand to his temples. 

"Kaeya, please," Xingqiu urges anxiously. Looking at him worriedly now, a frantic expression in his eyes, Kaeya knows it, a face that reminds him of the very other. Please tell me I can trust you. He can practically read in his eyes.

What terrible timing for this, for everything-he was so tired. tired of pretending and acting like everything was okay. His mind felt in a fog, like it was always clouded by other thoughts, and his actions had certainly become bolder than before.

 But now it felt empty, and all he could think of was his past mistakes. 

He takes a deep breath and reconciles with himself. "You just happened to catch me at a bad time." As he rubbed his dry eye, he sat up. 

The fragile mask that was carefully built up broke as he looked down at his palms. They still held scars from that day. He needed to do it, though, because he had gone far too long without confiding in anyone.Clearly, this talk was long overdue. He just hoped it would go better than last time. 

"So who is he?" Xingqiu asks, regaining his posture. 

He sighs, combing through his hair idly as the words come tumbling out, "He was my closest friend, as close as two brothers can be." He starts simply, a sad smile lining his face. "someone I thought knew me like no one else, and we would be brothers together till the end." 

Xingqiu nods his head, but looks at him doubtfully, predicting where this was going. "and what happened?"  He asks.

His gaze darkens, looking away "But I betrayed him, it’s all my fault to live with the burden of it.” He grimaces “I’ll drink my days away in the meanwhile as he scorns me for it." He chuckles at the last bit, a nostalgic memory of angels share in his head. He would never admit his actual intentions for such a keen interest in the tavern after work. 

"It's fascinating what the mind chooses to replay while we're sleeping; I suppose it's my deepest regrets for me." He finishes bitterly, rubbing the bridge of his nose absently. 

He’s surprised when he looks up at the teens' solemn face. He looked apologetic, "I’m sorry." His turn for the unrequited apology.

"Please don't be; I don't like it when other people feel sorry for me."

"No, no Kaeya. You shouldn’t have to live like this-no one should be facing this. You’re essentially living through a nightmare everyday. I can’t imagine how many burdens you carry.” Xingqiu tells him. 

He never really dwelled much on it. What was there to dwell on? His only father figure had died and he was overcome with grief and guilt for not being able to stop it. He told all his lies to his closest companion, his brother. Of course, it ended terribly, but he expected that-no. He wanted that. Later, regretting it in his coming years,

He shrugs, unsure what to tell him. "I’ve kept myself alive all this time. I suppose alcohol does soften the blow.” Huffing he replies.

The teen looks at his palms, "I’m thankful you trust me enough to let me indulge in them. I’ll keep it a secret too and I’ll help you, I promise." He swears, a hand placed on his chest for the sake of it. 

He smiles back but doesn’t match the enthusiasm, his eyes feeling heavy and feeling the exhaustion creeping up on him. "Thank you, you should go now and tell Baizhu my apologies. I was a bit rude to him earlier.” He adds sheepishly, guilt coming back to him from the skirmish with the doctor. 

Xingqiu nods knowingly, dimming the oil-lamp on his desk. "That’s a hard request, but I’ll try, rest well." One last glance and he's out the door.

It isn't long until Kaeya feels sleep overtaking him. He thought he would stay awake longer, at least to see the sunrise, and with the thought of his ex brother weighing on him after that conversation. It had been a long time since he addressed that day to someone else. 

But he felt more at ease somewhat, like a weight being lifted and someone finally acknowledging him. It felt good to take one burden off. Perhaps with time, he would be able to confront his past troubles head-on, but till then he would bide his time.

He let sleep overtake him as he closed his eyes. 

Diluc opened his eyes, his immediate dream dissolving as the waking sun burned brightly above him.He sighed, sitting up to stretch his muscles.  

He had been travelling for days with no luck until he landed in a small valley in the middle of Liyue, essentially lost.

It was dumbfounding of him to enter a nation with no sense of direction, but worse that he was now wandering aimlessly around the land, running low on supplies. The mission to find the cavalry captain is on hold. 

He hoped Amber and Albedo had returned safely and that the Abyss would refrain from fighting. Jean would surely kill him if she found him now; more upset for leaving without anyone and a plan than coming back with them. he also believed his falcon had returned to the winery as he hadn’t spotted the familiar companion since the last letter before dragonspine, he concluded he would be on his own for the next while.

A shame, but not an unfamiliar situation to him. 

Travelling alone like this reminded him of the years before. He spent 3 years living outdoors on the run, tracking fatui and spying on them for information while wielding his father's delusion. He had grown used to camping alone in desolate places and keeping food rations during that time. It was a shame he was back in this scenario under these circumstances. 

While in Liyue, he wanted to start by going to Liyue Harbor right away, but then quickly realised a travel permit would have to be administered to enter the city. With the recent osial incident, they had decided to be strict on the visitor policy, allowing only certain travellers inside. 

only to inconveniently further his enlightenment.

He unfortunately didn’t have the time to contact the acting grandmaster for assistance or even know where to begin to file one, so he looked for different options in the meantime. 

scouring abandoned domains and caverns for any fatui or abyss mage, or anything else useful. There was always the possibility Kaeya had been there and he wouldn’t rule out the possibility, though unlikely.

It must have been 2-3 days when he realised he strayed too far from the main path and now was lost, only broken machinery and monsters in sight, surrounded by mountainview. 

With the food he had on him he decided to camp about until he met a traveller or found his way back. Finding more luck in that option. 

He rested on a cliffside point in the meanwhile as his current camp, eating a cooked egg for breakfast from a bird's nest nearby. He was just considering turning to pack up and move on when he heard footsteps approaching. 

There were people coming. 

Diluc slowly reached for his greatsword’s handle, determining a group of 4-5 were approaching by the sound of their footsteps. Friend or foe, he slipped behind a hidden crevice that wouldn’t give him away.

A faster set of footsteps sped past him followed by the group, their gear clunking awkwardly as they raced after the first one. 

"You're not going anywhere!" A voice shouted angrily. He recognised the accent. It was all too familiar as he gripped his claymore at his side, keeping his presence hidden. 

A squadron of fatui ganged together and were just at the rear of his camp. Only a wall separated their view of noticing him. 

He quickly realised they weren’t looking at him. They hadn’t realised someone else was here. He could slip away before they noticed. He glanced towards the person they had their attention on. He was facing them, his claymore out and in a defensive statue backed against the mountainside. 

"You’re cornered now, kid. This should be fun." One of them says, a hydrogunner he recognises by the uniform as he loads his gun. 

Wait -that's a kid! He tensed, poking his head out further to view the scene. A cyan-haired boy stood there. A foolish idiot to think he could fight them one on one.

The teen had no concerns about facing them, his teal-colored eyes calmly glancing at them as he charged at them head on.

"From whence you came!" Chongyun yells, summoning great swords and aiming for the group of skirmishers. 

The light-haired boy swiftly dodged the attacks of bullets and began summoning more icy swords to impale them. The damage required minimal effort, but it slowed them down nonetheless. 

Diluc was in a state of awe and admiration for his skills, but he shook it off. As good as the teen was, he quickly realised he was bidding time, aiming his attacks skillfully to slow them down but not directly hitting them. He was no match alone. 

He decided he would help him, no more stalling from behind his hiding place. 

He ran at the group from behind, a giant fiery phoenix forming behind him that he unleashed with one swoop, eliciting a surprised grunt from the skirmishers firing at the teen. Rushing into the battle without a second hesitation. 

~~~

"Are you alright?" Diluc calls to him after they have both fended off the skirmishers successfully, Diluc doing the last hit, sending a pyro slinger down the ledge as the other flies icy swords in the direction of the ones who fled. 

He nods "Yes, thank you for helping me, Mister; I really appreciate it." He thanks him, putting away his claymore as he huffs in relief. 

"It was no problem, I’m just glad you were uninjured." He says genuinely, if he had left right away, he imagined this would have played out much differently than in these circumstances. He was glad he stayed to help this kid. 

"Me too, I'll be off now, safe travels sir." He says this politely, dipping his head and slinging a bag over his shoulder. 

"Wait." Diluc calls out before he can look aside, his lips pursed.

"You’re going alone?" 

He nods in reply.

The man frowns, "Did you not just see the fatui? They will most definitely send reinforcements back here." He tells him. 

"I know the area, I’ll be careful so it will be no problem." He thinks for a moment before turning his back on him and beginning to pace down the road.

"What if you get ambushed?" Diluc asks, unconvinced, more concerned about leaving this boy in the mountains alone. 

He called back, turning back momentarily to answer him, "I’m an exorcist, I need to be able to protect myself in any environment, thanks for the concern though." Nonchalantly replying before continuing down the path. 

This kid-was it sheer skill or luck that had managed him without a scratch, he wondered. Still, it didn’t feel right to leave a kid alone in the middle of the mountains. Even if he was an 'exorcist', it made him uneasy. 

Diluc drops his head. He can’t believe he's doing this. He lets out a loud groan, rubbing his forehead momentarily before catching up to the teen, trailing behind him.

"I’ll come with you, to be sure." He says, and Chongyun looks surprised but returns a smile. "You really don’t have to, I’ll be okay." He insists, but Diluc shakes his head.

"It would be irresponsible to abandon you, and it’s no trouble." He replies to him.  

The teal haired boy shrugs, but doesn’t argue. In fact, he looks more than happy to let Diluc join him as a travelling companion. “Okay mister, if you’re joining me, we should at least acquaint ourselves. I’m Chongyun, an exorcist in Liyue. " He introduces himself, looking to Diluc expectantly for his introduction. 

"Diluc." He replies simply, "And you can stop with the formalities," he adds, starting to get peeved by the abbreviations. 

He nods, taking it into account. "Pleasure to meet you, Diluc. I hope you like exorcising." He ignores the raised eyebrows from Diluc, simply smiling as he leads the way. Explaining vaguely what an exorcist is to the most obvious foreign visitor, he strangely enjoyed the small talk with him.

Strangely, this wasn't his worst decision yet. Still, he pondered what he had gotten himself into and whether he was any closer to finding Kaeya in the city of Liyue.

Chapter Text

A gentle breeze rustled through the windows, spreading paperwork across the desk in a messy clutter to the already disoriented room. 

Jean sighed quietly, ignoring the inconvenience and continuing to write out the report on her desk. 

Because the knights were so short-staffed, the acting grandmaster had more responsibilities, and she couldn't dodge and pick up the slack even for a few minutes. Even her office had started looking more like Sucrose’s lab room rather than a proper meeting room with the piles stacked around the room. 

Lisa propped her hip on the desk as a faint aroma drifted into the room along with her.

 "Jean, dear, please take a break; I've made some tea for both of us." She politely requests, but there's no room for rejection as she gently pushes a cup towards her, the source of the aroma from the brew. She holds a matching teacup in her palm and sternly stares at her.

She pauses for a moment, then sets her quill down and obliges, soothing herself with a steamy cup of the brew. She couldn’t say no to the librarian.

"That’s it, isn’t it nice?" She soothes, moving some of the stacked books to lean on the table properly to face her. 

"I suppose I have been hard on myself these past few weeks.." Jean softly murmurs, raising the tea to her lips.

"You’ve been overworking yourself too much, you know the rest of us are happy to cover for you." Lisa says, worried for her and She takes a swig of her tea in turn.

Since her cavalry captain had gone missing in action without a warning, she had unanimously agreed to take on his responsibilities as well. With the amount of work piling up on her desk, she didn't have time to worry about her missing companion, and it seems Lisa and the others had noticed as well. Keeping the peace as long as possible seemed for her sake.

She sighed, shaking her head, "It’s fine I’ll manage, thank you for the tea Lisa." 

She frowns back, displeased by her positive work attitude as always but she doesn’t give up. Setting her cup on the table and walking over to the open window behind her desk. 

A smile lights her face and she chuckles.  "Jean, come see." She beckons her to the window, and she gets up, setting her cup on the desk before looking at what the librarian is peering at.

She softens when she sees who's outside the window. Klee is playing outside, Albedo quietly on a bench sketching while she's running around the small garden. It looked like nothing had changed. She kept her gaze on her with a small smile. 

Lisa shoots a grin and bumps her teasingly, "Go on, I’ll cover for you just this once." already reading her thoughts as clear as day. 

Jean doubtfully casts a glance, "Oh Lisa I couldn’t." 

She scoffs, gently placing her hands on her shoulders. "Jean, Don't worry, have a good time with her, and I'll cover that lousy captain's work for leaving you like this." She insists, putting Kaeya to shame, even though she knows it's probably not his fault he's been Absent.

"Any news on them?" she asks with a sigh. 

Her smile fades, folding her arms.

 "None, and Diluc is off the radar as well." She tells her, the news not bringing favor in their situation. 

"Eula and Amber have taken up most of the investigating in Mondstadt territory." She adds. 

It ached knowing the brothers were somewhere out there alone and she was obliged to stay to handle Mondstadt. Kaeya was a slacker, but she had no idea how much he actually accomplished behind the scenes, so Jean felt overwhelmed and struggled to pick up what he left. 

Lisa, she can tell, is likewise trying not to think about it since it troubles her too.

She missed her friend. 

Kaeya always checked up on them, making sure she never overworked herself and as quartermaster took responsibility for mondstadt just as she did. To have her right hand man suddenly gone left mondstadt quite weakened, it didn’t help that their dark knight vigilante was also away. The folk were starting to get suspicious at the tavern to add to the missing master’s presence.

She wondered how long the two of them could handle it before one of them cracks. They couldn’t keep their cover story for long she knew.

She grimaces, "Maybe I should do more work before I leave.." backing away from the window to sit back at her seat. Pulling away from the librarian. 

Lisa grabs her arm before she could complain and pulls her to the door.

She waves a hand "Oh no you don't, Acting Grandmaster, you are formally relieved of your duties for the day, and Acting, Acting Grandmaster Lisa will be replacing in the meantime." She declared in a dignified voice without a chance for Jean to argue.

Her gaze softens as she lets go of her arm. "Go spend the day with Klee, Don’t worry about me." she added with a wink before slamming the door on her not so much in a gentle manner. 

She forgets how bold Lisa is sometimes but she wasn’t about to march back demanding to do paperwork, she relents, taking her free day she goes out to join the spark knight. 

Klee had been wanting to go out fish blasting afterall.

 As Lisa said, She needed to not worry about the troubles for a day, and trusted her peers to handle themselves. 

-Liyue

For the past hour, the young exorcist and dark knight vigilante had been travelling together, roughly ascending mountains while Diluc kept his pace with him, the teen was amazingly light on his feet for carrying such a large weapon. 

He was struggling admittedly to keep up, unused to the quick pace.

"How far is it exactly?" Diluc asks in between gasping breaths. No longer able to keep his pace as he slowed his gait. 

 After he had shortly joined the young exorcist he decided to lead them both straight over a mountain, claiming it was the fastest route to his next job- what job it was pray tell. 

"Not far, we should be able to see it in a moment." Chongyun responds, not as affected as Diluc is from the adventure. 

Yes, but see what exactly? He wanted to ask but chose to bite his tongue and followed along the trail. He had explained briefly that he was on a job to exorcise a couple spirits but that was all Diluc comprehended after he went into the linguistics of breaking it down to the fine arts. 

He was sure it was good knowledge but his mind couldn’t focus at that moment, too easy to block out the chatter and instead fill his head with worries. 

He still hadn’t heard of Kaeya, and the thought of him being who knows where nerved him. It just reminded him to keep going with this journey, fueling his strength

The exorcist slows down, turning to him. "We should take a break, say, What brings you to Liyue?" Chongyun asks curiously out of nowhere. Trying to start a conversation between them.  

Diluc pauses in his thoughts, unsure how to respond to this inquiry. He can't openly state he's on a quest to find Mondstadt's cavalry captain, aka his ex brother, because that would draw too much unwelcome attention, especially since the captain hasn't been declared missing publicly yet.  

He can thank the knight’s inefficiency for that, it just made his search all the more difficult.

"I’m.. Looking for someone." He says vaguely, hoping it doesn’t sound too suspicious. 

He hums, understandably "Oh I see, you must care about them a lot to search them out in Liyue." Chongyun replies seemingly understanding the situation and assuming it as well. 

He nods then shakes his head, "Yes-- no!- It's complicated." He slips out quickly denying the allegation. Archon's this was going great, he wondered if the exorcist was going to question it but he walked calmly beside him, not a reaction in the slightest. 

"Well, whatever the case, I hope you find them soon. If you want I’ll be happy to help you with missing posters later." He offers kindly. 

He relaxes, "Thank you, I'll consider it."

Feeling awkward with the sudden silence now, it was strange talking about his ex brother in this manner, he changes the subject quickly.

"Where’s your job allocated? If I may ask Chongyun?" He inquired, now that they seemed to be getting closer to this destination. Getting more on topic now.

"Oh—" Chongyun raises his eyebrows, surprised. He quickly shifts his glance, a bit embarrassed "Please accept my apologies for not telling you anything since you've kindly joined me." He quickly exclaimed, "I have an exorcism request from Smiley Yanxiao at Wangshu Inn." He explains, filling in the blanks. 

"Apparently the kitchen is haunted and the poor cook is terrified." He adds. Diluc chuckles softly, raising an eyebrow.

He vaguely recalled the giant tree in Dihua Marsh, his father used to stay there when he travelled for business in Liyue and sometimes brought him along when he was younger. He doesn’t remember much, only the good memories he had watching the sunset. Definitely no ghosts when he visited.  

"Ah that is troublesome, do you need my help, it seems like it’s more in your specialty." Diluc says, unsure how he can exactly help with a ghost problem. He’d never even seen a ghost before, let alone exorcise one. 

Chongyun nods eagerly "Absolutely, and I'm actually relieved that someone else is here." He exclaims, "You see, I have a condition that causes me to have an excess of Yang energy, which repels any spirits that come into contact with me." He explains, and begins slowly pacing. "The problem is I can't determine if they're good or bad spirits, which is important in exorcism; I don't want to mistakenly exorcise a good ghost; if it doesn't cause any harm, there's no reason to let it depart the realm of the living just yet." So I need to find out if they're dangerous spirits first." He explains the issue with such fervor.

Diluc feels a headache from thinking about it, but he understands what he's saying: 

"So, in conclusion, you need someone to actually see the ghost for you?"

Chongyun nods, "Yes, if you could identify the ghost and tell if it brings any evil aura then I can approach it and exorcise it. And I promise I’ll reward you for this." He adds, which intrigues Diluc nonetheless. 

He obliges, nodding. "Alright, it seems straightforward enough. Although I doubt I’ll find it, let alone identify it." This reward could just get him into Liyue harbor, an opportunity he would take. 

Chongyun chuckles lightly, "We’ll see about that." 

He turns, jogging lightly to the turn in the path briefly stopping to let the man catchup,

"we’re almost there. C’mon mister!" He calls, quickening his pace down the path once he sees the big tree in the distance.

He hurries along, reminding himself to search along for the captain’s whereabouts when he gets to the hotel.

Back in Liyue harbor (Present time) 

It wasn’t often Kaeya had gotten a full rest but when he did he was surprised with himself as he lazily stretched out of the bed with the bright sunlight streaming through the room. He had an uneventful sleep despite the anxieties from early in the morning, and it seemed like no one was awaiting him when he got up.

It was a relieving surprise; oddly enough, Xingqiu, the young noble, was enthusiastic but Kaeya had enough surprises and doubts for one day. He did miss the breakfasts provided by Xiangling and was disappointed with no tray on his side. 

He brushed it off, swinging off the bed. He was becoming too accustomed to this routine and it was gnawing at him. It didn’t matter for the lack of breakfast he needed a change of pace. He relied too heavily on these teenagers when he should be relying more on himself.

After stretching he slipped on a loose robe and sauntered out to the main hall out of his room. He almost doubled back in surprise to the doctor awaiting him outside his door, leaning against the wall on his blind side with a fixed grin. 

He jumps back in surprise, when he realizes it's just Baizhu he relaxes but still is on alert.

"Doctor." He says smoothly and leans against his door. "What can I do for you?"  

"I was just about to wake up your sleeping heinous but it seems it’s not needed." Baizhu replies tilting his head, "Had a good sleep?" He asks. 

He still couldn’t tell if the doctor was upset about last night or not, surely Xingqiu had said something to him. He forced himself to relax and put on a tight smile, 

He nodded, "Just fine, thank you. And you?" He inquires. 

He shrugs, "Could be better." Avoiding his glance. The snake around his neck isn’t there oddly, he wonders where she is but a bit glad her comments aren’t here to disrupt them. 

Kaeya sucks in a breath, preparing the mental speech in his mind 

"About last night-"

"-Here, drink this." He interrupts quickly, the request being more forceful as he gives him a cup of the beverage. The knight lifts a eyebrow questioningly glancing from the cup and the doctor before taking a whiff of the dull coloured liquid. 

He immediately regrets it and overcomes the temptation to vomit, swiftly withdrawing the cup to pinch his nose, he turns his head to find the other holding back a stifled snicker.

  He's enjoying this!

Kaeya briefly considered this being his punishment for last night, perhaps a poison or a potion with weird side effects, whatever it was it did not look safe to eat. 

The doctor was definitely trying to kill him with this. 

Baizhu waves a hand, insisting. "Go on." urging him and leaving him no other option than to swallow whatever concoction this was. 

He gulps, admitting defeat. 

Slowly he lifts the cup to his mouth, accepting his fate and drinks it like a shot. Might as well finish it quickly, no?

 Immediately turning to a gagging fit as he swallowed the awful bile. It tasted like something straight out of a hillichurls campfire with medicinal herbs strongly mixed in it. The tangy taste was unmistakable and it chilled his throat. 

Baizhu bursts out laughing. He glares at him about what's so funny- Oh celestia pray he wouldn’t turn a different shade. 

"Oh the look on your face! You should’ve seen it!" Baizhu chuckles as Kaeya suffers, then hands him a glass of water. He snatches it quickly, glugging it to get the awful taste out of his mouth. 

"What was that bile?" He coughs out after finishing the glass quickly. 

"Don't worry, it was just medicine, but think of it as an apology for last night." Baizhu enlightens, relief sweeping over him that he won't develop into something nefarious.

"That was foul, I admit." Kaeya says, shaking his head. Baizhu can only smile, his mood lifted seemingly. 

"I can’t actually make medicine taste good unfortunately, hopefully that will die down your symptoms for a while." He murmurs. Symptoms? Ah, reminding himself, the nightmares. 

They determined the nightmares were not something of normality; it seemed the doctor was trying to help him with it which he appreciated. He might even find the route source of it, he would be pleased to not crutch over every time he left the pharmacy.

Jean would definitely freak out if she saw her quartermaster behaving like this. 

Baizhu pats his shoulder leading him down the hall to the lobby where a waiting table of food is there, He takes his seat across from the man. 

There was no one else in the pharmacy, making him a little worried, "Have you heard from the others yet?" He asks. It was odd not seeing the Liyuan teens tailing him every moment. 

He nods, "You might be surprised but it's actually midday, you overslept half the day." informing him. 

"You should have woken me, I would have stayed up." Kaeya tells him as he huffs, serving himself the cut pieces of meat on the table. 

Baizhu looks up, "Not a millennial, now do you want the good news or bad news?" He asks while munching his food.

Normally when a doctor says that it doesn’t mean good in both ways, he sighs slouching into his seat.

"Bad news I suppose." He answers, digging into his plate of food. The taste bland and not helping the mood.

"I have no idea what's wrong with you, and no way to cure you." He states, the nonchalant face he bore made Kaeya more puzzled. 

"That’s.. not good, I have a feeling this isn’t the worst news however?" 

He nods softly, "Very observant, the other bad news is you’re officially a wanted fugitive by the fatui for approximately 3 million mora." 

He drops his fork in hand, his jaw agape. 3 million mora?!  He already knew the fatui would put a warrant for his arrest but he hadn't realized how badly they wanted him. he realized stealing the harbingers possessions wasn't the best way to remain hidden. 

Not even as his status in Mondstadt would earn him enough for that kind of mora, the fatui were not joking around. 

"..That's also not good." the only thing he can muster to say in the shock.

"Mhm.." Baizhu hums, eating his plate of diced meat which is starting to look more like reptile food than human food. 

"You seem to be very calm about this?" He leans on the table resting a hand across his face, his nerves kicking in.

He didn’t know what to make of it, he always thought ahead in plans back in mondstadt, always thinking twice for any possibilities but this wasn’t mondstadt and these were different circumstances. 

He was vulnerable, alone, and disoriented in the absence of familiar faces. He had no idea what was happening to him, but his nightmares were getting worse, and he still had no idea why on archons the fatui wanted him.

Baizhu looks at him, awaiting his impending collapse, and chuckles softly, "don't worry sir Kaeya, this isn't the first time I've been involved in something like this." He says calmly, the reassurance calming him a little but also raising new doubts about what dubious business a doctor could be involved in, which he will save for another time.

"Infact," he adds, pitching his attention. "There is a plan, although I’m not sure I'm the one who's supposed to explain it." 

Kaeya sighs. "Surely you can indulge me, doctor," he murmurs, leaning closer.

 Baizhu shakes his head, "That would kill the fun," he says flatly.

"You don't know, do you?" He flatpans. The doctor simply chuckles without answering.

he folds his arms and leans back. So far, the doctor had just fed him weird concoctions and informed him of his criminal status, not the ideal start.

"Alright alright, so I assume right now I should stay here?" laments the captain boredly. 

"Ah yes, I do know Mr. Zhongli will be coming shortly to explain, until then-"   

Baizhu sits up, picks up an old book and plops it on the table between them, a plume of dust scattering showing the age of the book. He glances up suspiciously at Baizhu wondering what he had planned.

"Tell me all your symptoms, allergies, medical records- everything," he intertwined his hands and grins at the captain. "We have plenty of time to dig into this in depth." He informs him, and Kaeya has a feeling he won't like it.

He reaches for the coffee pot, already dreading this as Baizhu smiles getting a notebook. 

Back at Wangshu Inn the two had just arrived near the base and already Chongyun seemed nervous. He stopped shortly, turning to Diluc just before entering the Inn.

He clasps his hands together, dipping his head apologetically. "My humblest apologies, I can’t enter with you." 

"Why not?" quizzingly looking at him. 

"If I enter the ghost might get spooked and leave, I have that sort of effect on them. It would be better for you to investigate alone and report back to me." He concludes, lifting his head. 

He hums, obliging. "Alright I get it, I’ll be back soon then."

 They split apart going in opposite directions and he heads to the elevator while Chongyun finds a place to sit and wait. 

He felt a bit bad for taking over his job but Chongyun was very clear he couldn’t do it himself. It made him wonder what would have happened if they didn’t meet, there were many flaws in the teens' thinking. He didn’t dwell on it for long, the elevator ride taking his mind off of the teen and more on the immaculate view. 

He reached the top floor of the Inn, the view was stunning and he could see almost everything in Liyue. From the mountainscapes to the city in the distance, he could tell this was a stunning place. 

He walks down the deck entering the reception hall, greeted by a lady standing by the desk with a cat snoozing beside her. 

She puts on a bright smile, welcoming him in. "Hello, welcome to wangshu Inn, are you looking to book a room?" 

"I’m actually here for a job for a.. ghost problem. Apparently it's haunting the kitchen?" Diluc explains the situation to her and she lets out a sigh when he finishes. 

"Sorry for this, the ghost is actually named Dusky ming, she’s a resident here believe it or not- she tends to pull tricks on the customers and unfortunately poor Smiley Yanxiao is the recent victim of them." She murmured, raising a hand to her head, "I’ll talk to her about it, sorry you both were sent so far to be told this. You’re welcome to a free meal at the Inn for the inconvenience." she counsels, pointing a hand over by the kitchen. 

He nods, "Thank you, I’ll go down then to inform Chongyun." He turns to leave then pauses, sweeping his gaze back on her. 

He had another question for her. 

"By any chance have you seen a man with an eyepatch pass here?" He asks curiously, she looks down with a hand raised to her chin. 

"Hmm... I don't think so, I’ll let you know if I do." She expresses her inconvenience to Diluc. He slouches his shoulders at the disappointment but gives him his thanks, taking his leave and opting for the Inn's stairs rather than the elevator.

So Kaeya hadn’t been through here, it made sense, afterall by the theories they concluded he disappeared around dapauga gorge, if he was heading to Liyue harbor he wouldn’t even pass by the hotel. Still it felt disappointing to him that no news of his whereabouts were around. 

He still had his vision, which he kept hidden in his inner pocket. He also carried Albedo's gift, which he was to use in an emergency. He'd rather not take any of them out, and because he suspected Albedo's gift was an experimental bomb, he was extra cautious not to disturb it.

He did wonder what Albedo had created for him though, if it truly was to help him in an emergency. He hoped he wouldn’t get to find out. 

Diluc reaches the end of the steps and looks around for the cyan haired boy, finally spotting him at the edge of the clearing.

Chongyun avoids his gaze which makes him instantly perplexed and he scans the surroundings for what's keeping him on edge. 

He spots what the other has seen. his eyebrows furrow. 

A squadron of fatui had entered the grounds, talking to a staff member and speaking quickly before moving to the next person. He narrowed his eyes, tempted to brawl with them here and now for information but steered away to the teen. 

As much as he’d like that he knew it was reckless and no way he would do that in broad daylight without a solid reason. He nudges the teen, making his presence known to the other. 

"What's going on?" He frantically asks Chongyun, who blinks back at him and coyly points over to the group.

"They just arrived, and I think they're looking for someone.  What about the ghost?" he asks back. 

Diluc shakes his head, staring at the fatui "The ghost isn’t a threat, the receptionist promised to handle the situation." He explains and Chongyun gives a relieved sigh, "That’s good news, thanks for handling that even if you didn’t see a ghost." He adds, grateful for his help. 

"It was no trouble, I did agree to help after all." He says, then his expression darkens when he glances back at the fatui. 

Something was odd with them, and he had a feeling it wasn’t for the usual fatui trouble. 

The fatui squadron, which consisted of a pyro agent, a geochanter, cryogunner and a Electric Hammer Vanguard stood poised a few yards away from them, They don't spare a second glance at them as the skirmishers brushed past them leaving the Inn property quickly. 

Chongyun tilts his head at Diluc, "I think they posted something on the bulletin, we should go look." Pointing to the board. 

They walk over to it, Diluc scans the board slowly, covered in a fair share of letters and reviews to the staff and also photographs. He looks to see what the skirmishers had put up but just as he did Chongyun snatched the poster off the board, the teens faces etched with worry and panic. 

"What is it?" Leaning closer to him, wondering what he saw to snatch the paper off.  

Chongyun is shaking his head frustratingly, "This isn’t good, Xingqiu what did you do.." He mutters absently. 

"Let me see it." Diluc says again, more forcefully this time because of his impatience to see what's troubling him.

He slowly looks up then gives a hesitant nod, passing it wordlessly for him to see it. 

This is-!

He drops the paper, then scrambles to pick it up needing to make sure. 

It wasn’t an illusion- it was real. Thinking it was a fake at first. 

"Kaeya.." Diluc swallows, the bolded wanted poster with a black and white photo of the eyepatched man plasted on it  scrunched in his hand as he crumpled it. 

He hoped he would have found his brother in different circumstances but this was beyond his expectation. His first thought was what an idiot he was and secondly how on teyvat he managed to anger the fatui in a few short weeks of being absent to being a wanted fugitive in this nation. 

He was seething with a headache. 

Chongyun whips his head to him, raising an eyebrow at the mention of the name.

"You know him?"  

Diluc groans, rubbing the bridge of his nose, which is an sufficient answer for the exorcist.

He moves in front of Diluc, his brow furrowed, a fearsome glint in his eye as he moves closer to him. " What is your true reason for coming here and what does it have to do with Sir Kaeya?" He queries a warning tension in his tone that does not go unnoticed by Diluc.

He knows something, Diluc realizes in that moment. But he still didn’t understand what exactly, he looked at Chongyun, blinking slowly thinking over his response. 

"I’m not here to hurt him if that’s what you’re implying." he finally says,  hoping to calm down the boy. 

"Kaeya Alberich is the person I'm looking for, I’ve been trying to find him and ensure his safe return to Mondstadt." He tells him the truth, no longer feeling the need to hide it any longer. His identity already exposed around Liyue to much to cover it as a cover mission.  

The teen's eyes widen, and he runs his hand through his hair, furrowing his brows even more. He begins muttering absentmindedly pensive thoughts.

 "Do you know where he is?" Diluc asks, leaning closer. This was the most information he had gotten since entering the nation, he was desperate to know.  

"Yes, but.." 

He raises his head, his blue eyes held in place. "I-If the fatui are pursuing them, it means they did something stupid for that mission, and they're most likely after my friends as well." He says, worried. 

Mission? They? What the hell was going on, Diluc’s mind spiralled. 

The captain would have a lot to explain when he finally did find him. And he would take the measures to drag him back to mondstadt personally for becoming a target of the fatui.  

Chongyun puts his hands together, "Right, you should head back to the harbour with me, I’ll explain to you everything as we-" He stops mid second before a voice interrupts them. 

"Pardon the intrusion, but you both need to come with us per the fatui's orders." A man yells coyly and Diluc spins around to face the unexpected intruder.

The geochanter takes a step back from him. The mask hides most of his features, but it's evident that he has a cunning smile hidden beneath it. He pulls out his sceptre threateningly. 

"Like hell I would come with you." Diluc yelled back, stepping closer to Chongyun as the chanter snickered. 

"I was hoping you would choose that." 

More skirmishers close in around them, and he readies his claymore as the exorcist does the same, turning back to back as they were cornered.

A gleam of sweat trails down his face as he comes to realise their escape is closing in, with no other option than to fight. 

He tightens his grip on his weapon, his heartbeat quickening as he charges towards the skirmisher, a fiery bird enveloping him as he roars. 

Chapter Text

Baizhu and Kaeya resumed in an empty corner of the pharmacy, the blue-haired man sitting cross-legged on the ground across from Baizhu, who stood opposite him with a notebook and quill, intensely focusing on the man and spewing questions at him. 

After they finished their meals, he quickly went right into his interrogation, although he denied it was one. Of course, asking personal questions while keeping him stuck in place was not considered an interrogation to him and he was starting to understand why many never stayed long at the pharmacy. He was bombarded with random questions that made no sense to him and what this related too.

The captain withheld at first, but after considerable nagging, simply slouched his shoulders, out of excuses and forced to participate after being dragged into it. 

"Name?"

"Kaeya Alberich." 

"Native land?"

"Mondstadt," he replies blankly. 

"Hm, Last time you drinked?" 

"Since before I came to Liyue, I don’t suppose you have some around-" 

He rolls his eyes, ignoring him, and continues without changing the topic. "Age?"  raising an eyebrow.

he smiled, "My my, don’t you know it’s rude to ask a gentleman his age?" He sarcastically replies, the drinking question already making him frown.

Baizhu was definitely focused on slipping any details through him. It’s a shame he was only getting the most realistic ones out of him, and he hadn’t picked up any lies yet. 

"Fine then, any known relatives?" He asks. 

If he wasn’t his doctor he might have considered enlisting him with the knights for his interrogation skills. 

"Doctor, what does this have to do with the 'curse' I have?" He queries, his breath hitching instinctively, but he suppresses that from Baizhu. The irritation in his voice is obvious.

“Well, since you asked so politely, the only way to understand is to get a proper diagnosis of all the variables. No possibilities left unchecked. " He says firmly.

He was still unsure of what curse he had and just believed what the doctor had said without a proper conclusion. Frankly, he was getting antsy answering his questions. How did these even relate to his injuries? Did Baizhu get enough sleep last night or is there something he doesn’t understand about the situation?

Baizhu adjusts his glasses, his eyes fixed on his written paper.

"I’m just taking what facts there are. Now will you answer my questions or not?" He replies, flicking his quill impatiently. 

Kaeya lets out a groan, falling to his back.

"This seems like a waste of time. I’m a wanted fugitive, for archon’s sake; shouldn’t I be preparing to flee the nation or filing a fake identity?" He grumbles. Coming up with a plan of action seemed the most convenient, and he was sick of these questions. 

The green-haired man lets out a dry laugh, finding it amusing and skirting the subject with a retort. "You're sounding like a workaholic. Is everyone in Mondstadt like this?" He asks wryly, and Kaeya lets out a sigh. 

"Only the ones who care too much." He replies, sitting back up. 

"Then I suppose you have a lot of people you care for then." He comments back fondly.

Putting down his quill to lean across the table, a glorified grin as Kaeya narrows his eyes unamused. 

He leans forward, matching him. "Do you enjoy prying into people’s lives, Doctor Baizhu?" He fires back.

He was being extremely nosy today, which could be because Fatui could storm in at any time and arrest them, or it could be because he simply wanted to get under his skin, the latter option being more advantageous to him.

"It’s simply in my job requirements, Sir Kaeya," he says, with no further comment, as he flicks back through a page in his notebook, his focus shifting away from the current debate. Kaeya huffs, sitting back. 

He really couldn’t understand his thought process; the doctor was definitely a strange character to him. But he had no other option to stay with him.

 One step out of the pharmacy and he would definitely get arrested-not even jumping out of a window would save his cover this time. Liyue didn’t have sparse security like Mondstadt, and almost every street had a milleith guard, a blessing and a curse for their thorough security. 

He wasn’t sure where the others were, even Qiqi was out. The little pharmacist was on a herb gathering mission since he hadn’t seen her all day and Baizhu made no comments about her. It's probably better that way, he wouldn’t want a child here right now. 

The doctor shuts his book closed, looking up to Kaeya, "I think our guests are soon to come, why don’t we take a break and I can treat any leftover injuries; I think it’s about time to remove those bandages." He says this while smiling at him.

He sags, then gets up, obliging. Relieved to get out of this situation at last. 

~

in a separate room, He begins taking off his shirt, which was simply a light coverup for the bandages underneath; it made little difference to his bareskin.

The majority of his chest was heavily bandaged from previous injuries. He still opted to wear clothes concealing it in order to appear decent and conceal the fact that he was hurt.

He honestly forgot about the injuries he had endured. He wasn’t one to be so careless about his health, but in recent times there wasn’t really a slow time to focus on it. 

Peering into a mirror now, he first realised how he had changed,

looking thinner than he was used to, and his chest being covered up was obviously a shift from his regal image back in Mondstadt.

It caught him by surprise to view himself in this manner; he looked... sickly . not fit the appearance of a cavalry captain. Had he always been this self-conscious of his image? 

When he heard Baizhu call him over, he looked away quickly. unable to stand another second in front of the mirror. 

"Are you okay?" Baizhu asks softly when he returns and sits on the bed alongside him. He sets down a metal tray beside him.

He sighs, shaking his head lightly, "I’m fine. Let’s just get this over with." Feeling relieved to get rid of the bandages finally. Taking his mind off the reflection in the mirror and the image of himself, he leaned so his back faced the other to work. 

He nodded, slowly unwrapping the bandages expertly, taking care to encircle them around his body without tugging. His injuries were still sore and he tried his best not to make the process any more uncomfortable.

When the last bandage was unwrapped, he heaved a sigh of relief.

"It's done. How do you feel?" Baizhu asked, leaning back and discarding all the leftover wrap on the tray. 

Kaeya gingerly touched his bicep, feeling a scrap. It left a scar which was unpleasant to look at, but overall he couldn't feel it.

"I feel great," he replies, easing his hand slowly to prod the other various scars. His hand eventually reaches an older scar on his lower torso, and his hand stops to rest on it. 

Does it hurt? That’s not a recent scar, I believe. " Baizhu said, not hiding his curiosity as he was sitting right next to him. 

Kaeya shakes his head softly. He couldn't hide anything from that doctor. "It's not one I like to look back on; all bad memories I suppose." He muttered. 

Of all the scars, it was a burn scar from that time, when he had fought with Diluc all those years ago. It left a deep graze that never properly healed, even after time had passed and he’d always worn any attire to cover it up. 

 “Some scars are better left unseen.” he adds, His pained grimace barely visible as he remembers the memory.

The herbalist fixed his sight on him for a moment and took a significant inhale. He softened as he gently placed a palm on his shoulder. 

"There is a limit to how far healing can go. Wounds are merely memories that indicate you survived. Be it difficult to recall, I think you're a strong man for everything you've endured." Baizhu told him in a sincere tone, and Kaeya was taken aback; he wasn't the type of guy to give comfort and compliments, so he was taken by surprise for a moment.

“Thank you; I don’t like to show off scars that often. They've been more burdens to my life than anything. Scars aren’t exactly the prettiest things in the world. " He says he's already thinking of a new attire that can cover this from prying eyes and change the subject.

Baizhu's eyes were cast downward, and he said, "I am a doctor, so you could say I’ve seen my fair share of scars." 

He grins lightly. “If you want, I'll give you a free treatment pass the next time you visit Liyue." He adds, implying that to come visit, he knew not to take his invitation lightly. 

Kaeya returned a light smile and couldn't help grinning. "Sure, and next time we can go for a drink afterwards." He patted his back teasingly. 

He leans away from his touch and says politely, "Not a chance, but thank you for the offer." He declines, but its not rudely and makes him chuckle.

Okay, maybe the doctor wasn't so dreadful, and he could see why the people of Liyue admired him so much. He genuinely cared about and prioritised every life.

He admitted that Baizhu was enjoyable to be around when you weren’t a patient of his. He would consider returning to Liyue after all this, and he would love to have company next time. 

After the conversation ends, Baizhu straightens, checks the clock, then gets up, gesturing for Kaeya to do the same. He pulls his shirt back on quickly, and they leave for the foyer.

Changsheng is quick to slither out of her hiding place and crawl up to the doctor's shoulder. 

What have you been up to? They've just arrived, so hurry! " Her beady eyes narrowed as she snarled in his ear.

"Who’s arrived?" Kaeya asks, and Baizhu turns around to answer, but stops as he notices the two people climbing up the steps before any words come out. 

Xingqiu is quick to be recognised as he waves to them, and behind him is an unfamiliar woman, her blue wavy hair and formal clothes contrasting with their attire. He quickly notices the horns on her head and cryo vision at her side. 

Baizhu bows in greeting, "Miss Ganyu, it's a pleasure to have you." Kaeya stands up but doesn’t step closer to them. The name of the lady was distantly familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. 

She smiles sheepishly and dips her head, then pauses to look around, noticing Kaeya from behind. They have a moment where their eyes meet, and she gasps, tensing immediately as she steps back. 

"Y-You’re-!" 

Xingqiu intercepts quickly, stepping in between them. "Yes, yes, he is the criminal the milleith has posted around Miss Ganyu. Please just let us explain first."

She straightens, letting her hands drop to her sides. She raises her head to Baizhu, "What’s going on? Why are you harbouring a fugitive doctor? " with a perplexed look on her face. 

He averts her gaze, sheepishly wiping his forehead. "I'm afraid it's a long story."

Kaeya only looks, puzzled by what's going on; who is this woman? And why does she have horns protruding from her head?

It’s obvious he was left out of whatever plan they had formed and so had she, by the way she reacted, they were both in the dark.

Changsheng slithers over to him while he's lost in thought, hissing at him, "You idiot, she's the emissary and secretary for the Liyue Qixing. You're so royally screwed if you don't say something!"

Oh-ohhh noo. 

That was where he recalled her, the adeptus secretary of the Qixing. She had quite an underwhelming reputation for an immortal. But Considering he’s a wanted fugitive in her eyes, he should tread lightly if he wants to live.
He had heard rumours of adepti powers being nothing like a human or vision bearer, and he most certainly would not like to be an enemy of one. 

He quickly smooths a bow at her and says, "Pleased to meet you. I’m Kaeya, cavalry captain of the knights of Favonious." He pleasantly pulled out his best introduction, stretching a hand to her.

She doesn’t take his hand, making it awkward for him, and he pulls it back sheepishly. 

"One of you please explain why I shouldn't arrest you all right now," she says furiously as she wipes her brow. She's bewildered and on the lookout for the reason she's been sent here, and it's clear her threats are not to be taken lightly. 

The tactic of being friendly and charming definitely isn't working for her.

Xingqiu nods, ready to talk her way out of her threats. "Of course, my liege, I"

“I asked him to bring you. I wish I had arrived sooner though. The consultant interrupts the teen and enters the foyer behind the group. 

"R-Rex-Lapis-" She stutters and spins around to face him, the colour draining from her face as she appears to be having an existential mental breakdown.

He gives a light nod to her. “I apologise for not greeting you personally, Miss Ganyu. But I couldn't think of a better person to call. " 

She instantly bows, her hands clenched at her sides. "N-no, there's no need to apologise! I would be pleased to assist you, sir! "exclaims the secretary, enthusiastically greeting him. Her hostile demeanour had entirely reversed, and she smiled shyly at him.

"No need to be so formal, you're in your right to be suspicious, after all," Zhongli chuckles at her enthusiasm.He tells her, and she nods apologetically, like a scolded child. 

Kaeya raises an eyebrow, and Baizhu shakes his hand with him, probably not to comment further on it. He could tell that the secretary thought of Zhongli as someone much more important from the way she greeted him when he entered the room.

Just what relationship did he have with an adepti? Curious. 

Zhongli raises his head to all of them and says, "It’s good to see you all again in daylight. I’ll be sure to explain everything and why you're all gathered here." He smooths them out reassuringly and leads them into the pharmacy. 

~Zhongli 

Ganyu was especially twitchy, nervously fumbling her fingers and looking around, and he suspects his own presence had startled her.It had been a rough few weeks since 

Zhongli, who was also sitting in the middle seat, gave a small smile. It was nice to see the adeptus outside of work, and he hadn't greeted her in a long time. She had grown into a respected figure during his absence, and he couldn't be more impressed by her.

Baizhu comes and serves them tea, pouring everyone a cup, and decides to sit behind the reception desk instead of joining them, but he can still hear their conversation through the doorway without speaking to them. He gives a bit of confidentiality, but he decides to leave him be. He had a right to hear for letting them into the pharmacy so willingly. 

"I apologise if I interrupted any work you had done Lady Ganyu." He speaks up first. She lifts her palms and waves them profusely. 

"N-Not at all! A-Anything you request will be nothing in comparison to what you’ve done for me. I’m always happy to meet your requests.” She stammers quickly. 

He could hear Kaeya murmur quietly to himself, but he brought his own cup of tea to his mouth when he caught his gaze. Xingqiu also looked over anxiously to him.

"Good, in that case, I'd like to ask for a favor," he clears his throat, interrupting Kaeya's thoughts.

Getting straight to the point, he continued, "Mr. Alberich, as you know, is currently a fugitive in Liyue; I wish to provide safe passage for him and anyone who wishes to join him out of Liyue undetected. If you agree to be their guide, I would be immensely thankful." He turned to face Ganyu, knowing that what he was asking was a bit of a stretch, but he hoped the adepti would at least consider it.

She stares down at her hands, her lashes flutter, and she sighs softly. "Re-Mr. Zhongli," Catching her breath this time, she continues, "You're suggesting that I betray my duty as a secretary at the Qixing to help, a criminal?”shifting at the blue-haired man suspiciously.

He could tell she was still wary of him and wasn’t keen on trusting a foreigner.

“Now, now, before you identify me as a criminal, I'm the quartermaster of the knights of Favonious, and specifically speaking, it was the fatui who labelled me as a criminal," he argues back, justifying his actions.

“Right, my apologies. But if I am caught, I would be wavering about my status as a duty upholder in Liyue, something that even Rex Lapis would disapprove. " she flashed a knowing glint towards Zhongli. 

She didn’t like the idea, and it made her nervous that her former leader was requesting something like this. That was clear. He wished he had more time to explain everything, but they were running out of it. 

He clasps his hands together on the table, almost pleadingly. “Surely you can make an exception. It is partly my fault he is in this predicament, and I wish to send him back safely to Mondstadt before it’s too late.” He explains, referring to if the fatui captured him. Who knows what would happen to the man, but if the fatui wanted something, it always spelled trouble. 

She hesitates still, twisting her fingers gently. "I understand, but still, is there no other option? What does the fatui even want you for? " She asks Kaeya, who has been keeping silent all this while. 

Kaeya perks up with the sudden interest and lifts his chin with one hand, questionably, narrowing his eyes. He could tell Kaeya was going over any predictions in his head, trying to come up with something that would tip the scales in their favor.

It was also concerning on that part. It wasn’t common for an important captain to be gone from Mondstadt. If the Fatui plotted now, they could very well succeed. 

In the end, they were almost successful in Liyue if not for the people of Liyue and the traveller who stopped Osial before it thrashed their city. Even he was nervous as he signed that contract with Signora.

Ganyu nods thoughtfully, her hands clasping the teacup in her palms, and she takes a slow breath. 

“I don’t like to do this, and I have never been faced with a decision like this. It is not something done lightly.” She tells them, slowly raising her head. 

“I will help you, but only because Mr. Zhongli has asked this of me personally.” She agrees. 

Zhongli gives a small smile, probably just as relieved as the others about her acceptance. 

Having the adepti as an ally would ensure nothing disastrous would happen and he knew she could be trusted.

The knight smiles and says, "Thank you for helping me despite the circumstances, and I apologise for causing the trouble." He says, letting his gaze wander around the table. 

She nods, "I don’t know the specifics, but I know you are sincere in your words, and I also would like this to end without bloodshed. I’ll return shortly, and we’ll leave right away. The sooner the better. R-Mr. Zhongli, are you going to accompany us? " She catches herself again and sends a wistful glance at him.

He shakes his head, "I’m sorry. I promised the harbinger I would accompany him for dinner. It would be best to leave during that time while I’m with him. " He replies,

"Don’t worry. I’ll look forward to meeting you afterwards." He adds, and her eyes light up with a hopeful glimmer. 

She still held so much respect for him even after decades. He felt guilty for not accepting her, but knew this wouldn’t be the last time they would part ways. 

"O-Of course! Well, I’ll be off, Sir Kaeya and Master Xingqiu. I will come back when the time is right.” Nodding to each of them in turn and quickly leaving, she said goodbye to Baizhu and quickly departed, rushing down the flight of steps without another glance. 

He chuckled to himself absently, with a smile. The half-adeptus was bold but still quick to rush out of a scene. She even forgot to ask for compensation, not that he had any either way, but he was grateful for her help. 

~Kaeya

Kaeya slides a hand on the table, looking at Zhongli with a sidelong expression, waiting to speak once he sees that Ganyu has left. 

He already had a ready thought to say, grinning lightly as he grabbed Zhongli’s attention.

So, when were you going to say you’re a former archon?" He blurts out and as he says that Zhongli and Xingqiu, who were both drinking their beverages, spewed immediately. He could even see Baizhu perking up from outside and staring at them if he had heard that right.

Zhongli's eyes flashed in surprise, his gaze looking over him and Kaeya was prepared for the thoughtful cover story from the archon, but he quickly returned to his usual stoic face and released a short sigh to his surprise.

"Yes, I was once Rex Lapis or Morax, the Geo Archon." He confirms it, holding his gaze with him. Xingqiu lets out a gasp and looks at Zhongli with newfound curiousity; he doesn’t look towards Baizhu’s direction but he presumes its something similar.

He’s surprised he's so forward about it but remains composed, leaning back. "I had my suspicions, but after the way the secretary of the Qixing reacted, it was obvious you weren’t who you claimed you were," he explains. 

"Ganyu is still one of Rex Lapis' worshippers, and her respect for me never wavers, even after such a long time since my reign," the former archon dismisses.He murmurs absently about the half adepti. It was clear from the introduction that she still saw him as her leader and tried her best to remain composed about his identity. 

Xingqiu gapes at him, wide-eyed. "Oh wow, Mr. Zhongli, wait, Rex Lapis died. How is it you’re alive?" He asks. 

"I faked my death and took the form of a human. Now I simply go by Zhongli and prefer it that way." He explains briefly.

Baizhu whistles from across them, padding over to them. “I admit I was fooled, though it is starting to explain why you come to my pharmacy to simply buy tea ingredients now.” He chuckles lightly as he cleans up the table for them. 

He was the only customer who came into the pharmacy to buy tea ingredients instead of medicine. It was common knowledge about adepti and immortals that they did not get sick easily, and he had a particularly high resistance to sickness and allergies, making it unnecessary to worry about his health. 

Even though he lived in Mondstadt, Kaeya had heard of the incident in Liyue, and the city was still trying to uphold authority with the new leadership passed to them. 

Xingqiu is still astounded by this news and is right in front of Zhongli, excited at the newfound discovery. “Oh my gods! Mr. Zhongli, you must allow me to interview you soon and retell the Liyuen history in detail; wait till I tell Chongyun! " He exclaims. 

"Yes, yes, you should pipe down before someone other than Chongyun hears." Kaeya adds, leaning his head against one hand. 

He snaps a hand to his jaw immediately, "Apologies! Okay, no more of this, Mr. Zhongli--or Mr. Lapis--please proceed. "He says it quickly, skipping over his words.

Kaeya can't help but chuckle at this, but was it really surprising? It wasn't every day that you got to meet your saviour in person, so his enthusiasm was understandable.

Zhongli nods with an equally amused look and says, "I’m sure you’ll have an eternity to ask me all you like, young master, but for now I will have to ask to speak to Kaeya alone before I leave." He tells him, and Kaeya perks up. 

Xingqiu gives a disappointed pout but nods, standing up. “Of course, I’ll go out then- Perhaps I'll do some shopping for supplies.” He says, and Zhongli nods with a smile. He waves to them, then leaves, shutting the door. 

Unease rises in Kaeya as he realises he is now alone with an archon.

His eye can’t help drawing attention to him, now feeling a sense of hostility and mild nervousness. It was different knowing he was a 6000 year old god, and it wasn’t a far cry that rex lapis was once known for killing gods. He gulps, ignoring the fact and glances at him.

How much does he know? The question lingers in his mind as he uneasily faces it. 

Zhongli clears his throat, "I assume you may have a lot of questions that would be more appropriate to speak about alone." 

His hands were clenched into fists, “You know what I’ll ask, just pray you’ll answer truthfully.” 

"You want to know why I helped you despite knowing your past, right?" He resumes, his expression blank.   

He nodded silently. He wasn’t a fool to think he helped because of goodwill; there was always something behind it, even if he didn’t admit it at first.

His eye was a clear giveaway to his heritage, and a god as old as him would recognise it immediately. He knew all along he was a traitor but said nothing, and it unnerved him as to why.

Zhongli lets out an uneasy sigh, fixing his neck collar and avoiding his gaze. 

"I was aware of your ancestry from the start, but I only did what was absolutely necessary to assist you, out of concern for where your path would lead." He states.

“At the time I didn’t know what was to come and I formed a contract with you all to make sure I would not involve myself further.” He adds.  

"So, in other words, you took an interest in me because I could be a potential threat to Liyue?" Kaeya sums it up, his tone flat. 

He hums, mildly perplexed "I would say more curiosity than anything. You were more of a threat to yourself to cause any actual damage, speaking truthfully since meeting you." He responds bluntly. 

He scoffs, "You underestimate me,  I robbed a bank, remember?" 

“I suppose so, but you narrowly escaped without Xingqiu, if I recall." He reminds him.

He huffs, crossing his arms, then his gaze falters, casting a gaze down to his palms. He had grown weaker; he knew that but the realization was still hard to swallow, even the consultant had to step in because he knew he couldn’t fight his way out of a battle.

He sighs, tousling his hair, “As an outsider, you’ve been very kind to someone like me. If I were in your shoes, I think I would have just left myself for dead.” He admits.  

"You may say that, but you know where your loyalties lie and barbatos doesn’t choose his people lightly." Zhongli tells him, grabbing his attention, and he smiles calmly when their eyes meet. 

Though he was without a vision as of right now, he knew that he was a child of mondstadt, and that was enough for him to believe the archon had no ill intentions towards him. It seemed silly to doubt him now after all that had happened. 

Zhongli gets his attention, "May you find peace, Sir Alberich, as an archon and acquaintance, and that you resolve what troubles you before it’s too late." he adds wisely. Kaeya stills momentarily, doubling back on what he said. 

"What does that mean?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. Was he referring to something he didn’t know?  

The funeral consultant smiles, and looks off to the side."This nation has grown strong, and several new faces come and go from the harbor to find meaning." Cited Zhongli, who couldn’t help another lecture.

“I’ve seen and met many new faces as an immortal being and it’s become easier to read as the years pass.” 

Kaeya props his chin on one hand, wringing the other hand to Zhongli “This is nice, really, but the point please, Mr. Zhongli." Kaeya cuts off, interrupting his lecture. 

He nods softly, looking straight at him with a simple expression. “I think it was fate that brought you here and fate taking you back to Mondstadt. I will say this.” He pauses and Kaeya leans closer, intrigued. "It’s not hard to notice someone who is swept up in their guilt." Zhongli states softly.  

Immediately he perks up, the statement catching him off guard and leaving him speechless. 

He gulps. Has it really been so obvious? To name the regrets he had immediately, the built-up mistakes over the years, and the ones now kept under a careful mask. 

He had his regrets, yes, but wasn’t burdened by these, surely. It was only human to live with guilt even if he had so much. 

For once in his life, he felt glad he didn’t have the vision on him; it would have made his skin ice cold to the touch, and he would be tempted to freeze his body to a cold exterior right then and there. 

He didn’t want to think of them right now, but the archon was not a person to speak of such foolishness. It was a warning, and something that even he noticed from the start of meeting him. 

Kaeya stays silent, his eyes cast down, and he lets out a shaky breath, sounding a lot more quiet as he looks up.

"Why are you telling me this?" 

Zhongli exhales, slowly finding his words and saying finally,

"Mortals’ lives are very short. What I've seen is that many are filled with burdens left unresolved. Too much guilt can be dangerous and can lead some towards a darker path.” He states, then his expression darkens and he looks directly at him but it’s like he’s speaking to someone else past him that he cannot see.

“I too have many regrets that I wish I had the chance to redo. If only I could have had one final conversation, one chance to talk to them-" He reaches a hand out, almost like he’s reaching out to a person not there.

 A flicker of pain flashes through him and he shakes his head, withdrawing his arm quickly with realization.

He can’t help feeling sympathetic towards him and he can tell living an immortal life has not been easy. 

“Kaeya Alberich, I hope you do not be swayed to the wrong path.” He says finally, and looks at him. He shares the same guilty expression, and even as an archon, he could tell he had a past that led to more than he showed. 

He takes his words to heart. Although he feels his chest tightening and goosebumps along his spine, he knows deep down what he is referring to. 

"I understand. That won’t happen." Kaeya firmly replies, too drained from the heavy conversation to put on a charming attitude. 

Zhongli doesn’t nod, but he understands. He’s said all he came for and gets up from his chair. Kaeya doesn’t try to move and stays in place hearing his footsteps leave. 

Zhongli stops when he opens the door, looking over his shoulder at him.

 “I’ll hold off on Tartaglia for as long as I can to let you leave the harbour safely. I trust you to watch after the young feiyun master and stay out of sight.” 

“Of course,  stay safe Zhongli, may we meet again on better terms next time.” He says earnestly. He still had so much to ask him but he felt satisfied with what he had been told, still absorbing what he had said. 

He chuckles lightly, turning back. “I wish the same, and goodluck.”

He immediately slumps on the table once he hears the door close, his hair messily tousled over his face but too dazed to care. What he said still lingered in his mind, but he didn’t want to focus on it for too long. Instead shifting his thoughts to the city of freedom as a way of comfort.

He missed the atmosphere in mondstadt, it would be a relief to be back- not so thrilling for all the overdue paperwork in store.

Jean, Lisa, Amber- the knights; they probably thought he was dead by now. Suddenly guilty for not telling them anything but after being attacked by the abyss and nearly dying he had been too exhausted to even think of what to say to them.

It was mostly the fear of confrontation that left him away for so long, he would return as a captain with no vision and injured no less, only some knowledge of the fatui that seemed useful enough. Would they look at him differently after being away for so long?

~
He sits there for awhile alone, reminiscing on random memories and thoughts to himself now that he had a quiet time to just reflect.

it still troubled him of his nightmares but he unlike a nightmare he had the control to remember what he pleased and remembered the happier moments in his life that he treasured. Some of which were now from Liyue too. 

It was funny how much he had achieved in 4 years, after master Crepu’s death he thought his life would be over but it surprisingly helped him grow,

although his relation with Diluc was still questionable; he was beginning to let go of the hard times. And maybe one day find forgiveness in himself for what happened.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door open and he turned to greet whoever entered.

“Kaeya! C’mon miss Ganyu said she wishes to meet us by the dock at feiyun slope, we should hurry while it’s sunset.” Xingqiu calls excitedly.

“Coming!” He stretches his arms then stands up from the table walking towards him. 

He hands him a couple bags to sling on before they leave, “Dr Baizhu included some medicine for you and notes that you should look into, I also packed some treats from Xiangling while you were talking with Morax. ” He adds with a hushed excitement at mentioning the god’s name, now that he knew it would be hard to contain his amusement. 

Kaeya slings the bag over his shoulder and rolls an eye playfully, “Thanks, let’s get going then.” Giving a reassuring nod as he pulls a hood over his head, a somewhat disguise in the city. 

Baizhu approaches them before they leave, he tsks, shaking his head “To think I’d finally see the day when you would leave, I must say i’m quite happy and also sad to see you go.” He says, folding his arms. 

“Thank you for your hospitality Baizhu and the medicine, I will always be grateful to you for helping me.” 

He chuckles in turn, “You’re very much welcome, do come visit sometime.” “and bring back some tasty treats too!” Changsheng adds, slithering eagerly around Baizhu's neck.

Kaeya hesitantly pets her head and grins, “If I get another near death experience I’ll know where to go.” He jokes and turns to Xingqiu finally, 

“Thank you for sticking with my antics till now.” He tells him.

Xingqiu laughs, “It was an honour to join you, my liege, and it’ll make an interesting story one day.” he’s not sure if he’s serious or not but smiles anyway.

They share a reassuring nod to each other and head down the steps without another glance back. 

Nightfall was approaching and they would use the cover of darkness to leave the city of Liyue finally. 

Chapter Text

With the darkness of the night sky it masked their departure from the harbor seamlessly, and before they knew it the group had made it out of Liyue and were following the main road towards Mondstadt; the Adeptus Qixing being their guide under the luminescent glow of the nightshade as she led them through the darkness with ease. 

“The scenery is just beautiful at night don’t you think?” Ganyu commented with a dreamy sigh, her head raised to look at the starry sky as they walked along. 

The weather looked to be on their side, with only gentle winds brushing against them, and the echo of crickets and fireflies being the only thing heard for miles. It reminded him of Mondstadt, although this lacked the broad grass fields and small lamp grass patches that made it so distinctive. 

He found himself agreeing with the adepti, and she looked much more relaxed being outside than the first time they met before. It was a pleasant change knowing she didn’t hate him as suspected. 

Besides him Xingqiu chugged beside him, squinting his eyes forwards on the road ahead, as he held a lit light towards the path. 

“To be quite honest I can’t see a thing, Ms. Ganyu can you really see ahead?” He raises his voice to get her attention and she directs her attention from the sky to him momentarily. 

She reassures, “Don’t worry, I know these paths very well, we're going the right way- oh! Look!” Stopping suddenly to point to somewhere in the distance, before Kaeya and Xingqiu can materialize what she's pointing too, she dashes off towards the direction, leaving them behind. 

“W-Wait! Ganyu! Where are you going?!” Xingqiu cried after her but she's already gone. They both stare at each other confusedly, blankly wondering what just happened.  

“Does she realize we don’t have special night vision like her?” Kaeya asks, squinting his eye in the direction she went too, deciding between staying put or attempting to follow her. 

Xingqiu shakes his head, “Probably not, we should follow her.”

“I don’t think we have much of a choice” Kaeya replies,  starting to head in the direction where she went too. 

He found this out quickly but as an adepti they had many abilities, one being better vision in the night and above average stretch, Ganyu being a half- adepti possessed these and she had no trouble directing them in the dead of night. Probably a good reason for Zhongli asking her to help him out of all people. It was useful having someone who could see things they couldn't. 

Although their guide abandoning them was not the plan. He really did not want to get lost in an unfamiliar land without a clue to go too. 

"Any chance you know the way, Xingqiu?" 

"Afraid not, I only travel during the day and everything looks a lot different in pitch darkness." He replies doubtfully, making it more urgent to find Ganyu or they might just get lost themselves. 

They both tread carefully out of the path heading towards the direction she went too, hoping to find her quickly. 

Xingqiu calls out for the secretary and after moments of waiting a rustling is heard beside them and she appears suddenly, looking a lot more messy with twigs and flowers tangled on her.

“Sorry for leaving, I’m back now.” She says, a little out of breath as she dusts off the debris on herself but overall she looks fine. 

He raises an eyebrow, looking her up and down. “Did you find something? And what happened to you?” He asks questioningly for giving them scare like that. 

“O-Oh! Don’t worry about that, I just saw something that caught my eye and needed to tas - examine it!” She replies with a stutter, avoiding eye contact with a nervous smile. 

“Ms. Ganyu, you have flower petals on your face.” Xingqiu tells her pointing to his visage and she gasps with horror, quickly wiping them off her face to hide any evidence.

“Oh archons- Pardon me, please don’t tell anyone!” She quickly pleads, nervously shuffling her hands together. 

Okaay. Not the weirdest thing he's seen truthfully... interesting. She seemed rather embarrassed about it though and he had a feeling it was something that wasn’t to be public knowledge.

He digressed, thinking about people's habits. “Don’t worry we didn’t see anything.” He replies reassuringly, her secret well kept.

She lets out a sigh of relief, “thank goodness, if morax found out the real reason for the decrease in glaze lilies i would be- oh no i’m talking too much am i? Please don’t tell anyone, especially him!” Frantically turning once more to them, more pleading than threatening.

He raises his hands, “Calm down, I’m sure Morax wouldn't be upset by.. er.. the decreasing flower population, and i wouldn’t tell him anyway.” He tells her, strangely trying to calm her down and it worked as her shoulders slouched. It was the truth anyways, not like he could go back there and tell Zhongli that Ganyu is eating all the glaze lilies in Liyue harbor. 

She breathes a sigh of relief, “Okay, thank you. They're more of a treat in all honesty. It's hard to contain myself when I see one. I'll do better next time.” she murmurs, he really didn’t get the appeal but adepti were part goat he guessed and she was a bit more peculiar than the others he met in the harbor, it really was none of his business to dwell on it. 

Xingqiu tugs on his shoulder hesitantly, “we should get moving, I’d like to reach at least Wangshu inn before dawn.” He says, changing the topic.

“We’re going to Wangshu Inn?”

“Yes but not to stay, there's a warehouse my clan owns in Qingxin village. It’s the perfect place to hide out until this whole thing dies over and no one bothers to check it.” Xingqiu tells him, the plan sounding reassuring

Ganyu stifles a yawn, turning her head to scan the surroundings. “Hm, I think the inn is only an hour's walk from here. That should be plenty of time. However, on those injuries we’ll need to take a break halfway.” She advises, looking to the knight.

He chuckles lightly to hide his discomfort, realizing she caught on too quick.

 He had tried to hide it from her for most of the way but to be truthful he still felt twinges of pain when he walked, surviving being thrown into an icy ocean really put a toll on your body, still he thought she would be too focused to notice his covered limp. 

He thought wrong however, undermining her skills and knew the jig was up.

“It’s fine, I’ll push through.” He insists. Not wanting to be the burden on this trip for holding them back.

Xingqiu gave him a flat look. “It’d be best to take it easy, We’ll take a couple breaks, you're not getting special healing treatment anymore after all.” Ignoring his comment and Ganyu agreed, although she looks like she's about to fall asleep and willing to do anything for a small break.

He sighs, giving in without a fuss. It was also the dead of night and he could tell they were all pretty tired nonetheless. It'd be good to take a break. 

Ganyu is the first to speak up, “I’m going to take a nap if you don’t mind, no one travels by here for afew hours so we should be fine.” She says, before walking over to curl up on a soft hill of grass.

“I’ll keep watching, go ahead and rest Xingqiu.” Kaeya tells the teen, not feeling tired enough to sleep off.

“Are you certain? I don’t mind staying up instead.” He asks hesitantly, uneasy to let him awake since technically he was the one still recovering. 

He waves a hand reassuringly, “Don’t worry; I don’t sleep that much anyways, I'll be up either way.” he reasons without another argument. He didn’t want another person to let him rest now thinking he was weak, Even if Xingqiu was just being friendly, he wanted to prove himself to be dependable as before.

Ganyu quiet snores interrupts them, the secretary already in a deep sleep. They take it as a sign to quiet down and Xingqiu stares at him for a hushed moment then finally grumbles, giving in. 

“Alright, don’t hesitate to wake me if anything happens.” He whispers. 

“No problem, boss.” Giving a quick salute to the lad as he pads over to lean against a tree, taking shelter under the great trunk as Kaeya plops down a few feet from where Ganyu is napping.

He leans back, drawing a sigh as he stares up at the stars. The blue shades of moonlight glowing ever so faintly over their silhouettes just enough to see, it was a relief knowing the two were still nearby but an unease prickled him anyway. It sure would be nice to be gifted with night vision like adepti or the Kätzlein bloodline like Diona. Finding it pointless to try sightseeing with one eye he slouches back, feeling the cold breeze of the night shiver against him.

A fire couldn't hurt.. He thought already getting up to busy himself. Already tired of sitting around and getting up to see himself a campfire. 

~

After about 15 minutes, he had a small fire burning and was able to see much better with the added heat source. He could clearly see the clearing they were in and the contour of the harbour from a distance. He was proud of himself and managed to light it using an old lighter found in one of the satchels. 

Just as he was about to relax by the campfire he heard a rustle behind him, instinctively reaching for a knife in his pocket but relaxed when he saw the familiar face. 

Xingqiu plopped down beside him quietly, resting his chin on one hand and giving an exasperated sigh. He lifted an eyebrow but said nothing, slowly approaching the greet him again. 

Oh boy , he stared at him for a moment. He was no expert but it looked like the boy was troubled by something. He was never the type to comfort others but after the years he could read someone within a blink of an eye; it became easier to console others and right now, Xingqiu needed that someone.

“Can’t sleep?” 

Sitting next to him while throwing a piece of wood into the fire to keep it going. 

The teen shakes his head and draws his knees to his chest, his eyes troubled. 

“I’m worried.” He murmurs softly. 

Kaeya looks down at his feet,  “It's not too late to turn back if your worried its too dangerous, I know it's been hard.”  he wasn't too late to turn around back to the harbour and he and ganyu could make it to mondstadt in a day or two. 

Xingqiu straightens, shaking his head. “No, No. It’s not about that, I’m worried about Chongyun.. He usually comes back from an exorcising job in a couple days but it’s been far too long without a word.” He tells him, looking at him anxiously. He chuckles softly, ofcourse the young master was worried about someone else. He knew anyways that Xingqiu wouldn't back out from an adventure on a whim. 

“I’m sure he’s fine, he can handle himself after all.” he says optimistically confident. 

Now that he recalls when was the last time he saw the light haired boy? A couple days at least, he tried not to worry much to not distress Xingqiu right now. 

“You’re right, I have no doubt in his capabilities but I still worry. He’s my best friend after all.” he says, then tilts his head to the other. “What about you Kaeya? Anyone you particularly miss?” He asks curiously, drawing the attention away from him. 

As the thought remained, the man paused for a moment, gazing at the starry sky. 

"In fact, I do." He speaks up, returning his focus to the boy. "However, I know they're safe and have somebody to care for them while I'm here." Thinking about his friends in Mondstadt made him nostalgic, and he wondered briefly if Lisa had nagged Jean off her work by now. Or Sucrose had managed to pull Albedo from his mountain for a proper meal. The things he used to worry over himself. 

He’d really have to pull overtime once he got back, and douse himself in angel's share after this sober adventure. 

“And hey,” he adds “We’re going to be fine, I'm sure Chongyun has someone watching over him right now and will come find us as soon as he’s not busy.” He reassures with a comforting smile. 

Xingqiu smiles a little, he can tell his words helped him relax and they both talk more. Easing the conversation into neutral topics to spend the night while they rest since none of them can sleep, 

After a while, the discussion becomes dull, and the fire goes out abruptly because the wood is nothing more than chalky particles of ash. It's a good time to take a break from the nightly ranting.

 “I’ll go get more wood, and be right back.” He says, stretching before getting up. 

“I’ll come with you.” Xingqiu volunteers and he lets him, taking a stroll would let them relax a bit.  Before they leave he checks Ganyu, who is surprisingly still sound asleep, he’s about to wake her when Xingqiu pulls him back. 

“No need to wake her, I heard her job as a secretary makes it hard to find time to rest; let’s leave her be.” he whispers to him and he backs off slowly, nodding to him as they turn away. 

Wondering curiously how much the qixing really overworked her, considering Jean being the most overworked person he knew. He was sure Ganyu would be fine anyhow, she didn't seem like the type of character to sleep off in the sight of danger.  

~

It is a bit strange to be walking around late at night, their only company being the crickets chirping around. 

He wonders exactly what they’ll do once daylight strikes and how much of his cover is blown thanks to the fatui, it definitely wouldn’t be easy to slip past milleith guards. 

“It’d be nice if we had a pyro user, a shame we couldn’t invite Xiangling or Hu tao.” Xingqiu speaks up, holding a stick with a poorly lit flame. He couldn’t help agreeing, it sure would solve the light source problem. He had to carefully hold it near his chest as the winds were picking up. 

“Why couldn’t they join?” Curiously asking back. 

He huffs, “They decided to stay along to spy on the 11th harbinger and Mr. Zhongli’s dinner, not sure what Hu tao was planning but by her devilish grin I can suspect it’s not something good.” He states with a shiver at the mention of Hu tao. 

He lets a low chuckle, “That sounds like quite the fun event, I would love it if Xiangling decides to spice up the dishes with a little concoction while she’s at it.” He mused, he had no care for a harbinger and one particularly hunting him down, it would be quite a tale if he died by a liyue girl’s cooking. 

"No need to explain more, she's an expert at enticing people to try new meals, bad dishes, to be exact," Xingqiu says as he shuts his eyes.

He was about to smugly reply to him but cut short, hearing something in the distance and instantly on alert, his smile fading away as he looked onward. Xingqiu heard it too and looked over in the direction. 

Silently signalling to Xingqiu he blows out the light leaving them in pitch darkness. “That was a person right?” he mutters to Kaeya and he shrugs before realizing he can’t see then whispers back.

 “To be safe, let’s return to where Ganyu is and quickly.” A sense of urgency in his voice, not taking chances. He wouldnt leave the secretary alone if fatui were on their tail.

They retrace their steps in the dark, keeping close together in the dark as their eyes adjusted luckily not wandering far from where they went. They see Ganyu sitting up, yawning as if she just awoke and he’s relieved by her presence. 

“I was worried for a second, where did you go?” She calls them. 

“Just gathering wood, but we heard something so we came back.” Xingqiu explains calmly. Doing best not to sound shaken up. 

“A noise? Where?” Perking up immediately. 

“By the trees over there, it was probably an animal scurrying around to be frank.” Kaeya points, a little intimidated at how quickly she reacted but answers her quickly. 

Ganyu gets up and gestures to them to follow her carefully, “Just to be sure,” She pauses, her eyebrows furrowing slightly and leans to grab her bow at her side. They both follow her, she carefully treads ahead while scouting the area. 

An echo in the distance makes them all jump and they wildly look around through the dark, 

She looks back to them whispering, “There’s someone here, be on alert." and gestures a finger to her mouth then ahead of them. He pulls out a dagger and grips it in his hand while Xingqiu equips his sword, Ganyu in the lead with her bow poised. 

“Who’s there?” She calls out, raising her voice. Then waits as she hears more movement ahead followed by a voice. 

“Is that-?” Xingqiu hushed and pushes ahead, but the adeptus stops him, glaring ahead cautiously. “It might be fatui, don’t make any rash moves.” She warns, stepping closer ready to let her arrow rush forward in an instant need be. 

They were near the main road and a lamp lit it overhead, he could make out the shadow in the distance which approached slowly, still unclear who it was. Perhaps a lone guard or a passerby? 

But why at this time of the night, did someone track them already? 

anxiety ceases over him suddenly, how did they find them so quickly? 

Ganyu raises her bow, aiming it at the figure intending to stop it as cryo charged in her arrow. 

“Wait- Ms. Ganyu, I don’t think that's Fatui.” Xingqiu suddenly interrupts and darts ahead before he could grab his hand. He snatches his hand out at air instead and curses silently.   

“Xingqiu, careful!” He hisses, while Ganyu narrows her eyes and silently steps closer, her bow still aimed at the figure. Now looking a lot more human and less like a threat. 

As it approached he realized it was one person and they were walking slowly on a limp, like they were injured. Was it a stray treasure hoarder they came across? Ganyu suddenly halts and yells at the boy "I just said no rash moves! Xingqiu come back!" she couldn't get a good shot which Xingqiu in the front but it didn't matter anyways. 

The teen suddenly stops, his sword drops and it clamors to the ground ignoring her words, a stunned realization, and he starts to run. He doesn’t waste a second to run to him in the dark as Kaeya's about to yell at him he’s cut off. 

“Chongyun!” 

The boy looks up, a face of recognition and he washes over in relief at the sight of the group, limping awkwardly forward as Xingqiu rushes forwards to hug him. He winces but is too happy to care, finally finding a familiar face. 

 He’s surprised but more relieved than anything, relaxing into his grip and noticing behind him Kaeya and Ganyu quickly padding over to them.  The light luminating them clearly as they came into view.

“Chongyun, what a relief you scared us for a second there." He then pauses, his eye taking a brief second to scan him and immediately darken. "What happened- who did this to you?” coming next to his side as they both take each of his arms to support him.  He realizes he must look terrible right now, he already knew he had a nasty bruise on his face that probably looked more worse than it felt. 

He shakes his head, ignoring the dizziness he felt and urgently finding the words. 

“We need to go- there’s no time.” He breathes in rasps, finding his voice surprisingly difficult to put in words. 

“What in the world do you mean? Go where Chongyun?” Xingqiu worriedly looks over him, leaning to him as he catches his breath, Kaeya hands him his flask of water and he gratefully takes it, pulling his head back to swallow every last drop of it. 

He breathes, feeling refreshed and a newfound energy within him. He looks back to the group.  

"The fatui.. We were attacked, and there were too many to handle, so I left to get help. I fear something bad happened." He wanted to sprint back as fast as he could, darting his gaze back and forth between the group as he read their expressions.

He can see Kaeya analyzing what he just said and his lips tighten, meanwhile the adeptus takes out her bow and loads it then twists to the group.

“The fatui..Were you followed?” She questions quickly, he shakes his head slowly, still shaken and determined to take them back. 

"I'll inspect the surroundings just in case," she says hastily to the group, "please make sure he's cared for." She tells them and sighs before averting her attention from him and running away in the direction Chongyun came from.

Kaeya nods, “Right, you can explain later, let's get you patched up.” Pulling his arm loosely over his shoulder for support. 

Chongyun refuses, pushing him back with his palm. There were more pressing matters then his injuries-  he backs away and supports himself awkwardly. 

“No, there's no time, Wangshu Inn, we must head there before it’s too late.” He says more desperately now. 

Xingqiu and Kaeya share a confused glance at each other,  Xingqiu hesitantly stepping up cautiously to rest a hand on his friend's cheek. A comforting wave of hydro being washed on his skin healing it from its bruise as he tries to calm him. 

He looks him in the eye. “We understand and we’ll go there but you have to tell us what happened first.”

“And who were you with? You said ‘we’ before.” Kaeya gazing intently at him, keen to know more. 

He nods, His past conversation with the man was brief but he remembers it vividly. 

"Kaeya Alberich is the person I'm looking for, I’ve been trying to find him and ensure his safe return to Mondstadt." The redhead told him quickly, a sense of urgency in his tone as if he wanted to say more but hesitated. 

..

“Go!” He yelled to him lastly as he obliged and ran, he called back reassuring he would bring backup but doubted he heard. Guilt sprawled in him but he was determined to not let this opportunity go to waste. 

He sharply looks up at Kaeya, who is startled by the situation and he grimaces looking down. Xingqiu was already back at his side holding him up, ready at his side to patiently wait for his response.

He shakily breathes out, “Diluc- his name is Diluc, he’s in trouble and I fear the fatui captured him or worse..” He croaks out, trying to remember any details. “He said he was looking for you..” he tells him softly.

He watches Kaeya’s expression widen and then turns blank, he looks to his palms with a slow realization at his words and he returns a glare so intense it frightens him. 

"That's not possible."

The first thing he felt as his eyes flickered open was pain, an overwhelming intensity in his head and it felt worse than any migraine he had; questioning if he was dead yet. 

Then he realized that he couldn’t move, chains clinking behind him firmly holding him in place and could only wince from the movement, his whole body sore.

Damn it. Diluc cursed, letting out a groan as he let himself go limp, the dried blood caking on his body, no doubt coming from the source of his pain as he tried to ignore it. 

Slowly he recalled how he came to this predicament. 

“Go!” He remembered screaming, twisting away to clash into an electric hammer aiming for him. Sparks of electro and pyro overlapping the surroundings in a blind hurtle as he pushed his claymore against the metal, gritting his teeth as he held his ground against the heftier fatui vanguard.

He had no time to look back to see if the boy had left and decided to worry about himself. Hoping he listened and escaped while he could. He looked injured enough so it was hopeful the boy had the sense to run. 

After the initial assault with Chongyun he expected to knock them out with one fell swoop but it backfired, the fatui overriding with numbers as nearby squadrons joined the battle. 

Together he and Chongyun managed to defeat 5 of them but as they were near knocking down the pyro gunner of the group another squadron pulled in their rear, cornering them and ready to fire. 

It caught them off guard as he narrowly dodged the onslaught and could tell Chongyun was tiring. A dirty play on the fatui’s part for ambushing them in broad daylight. He had always scorned to take revenge on them but even he was tiring. 

As he held off the electro vanguard the weakened pyro gunner from before shifted up and aimed his rifle at him, just barely dodging his fire to graze the bullet in time. 

He jumped away, ignoring the graze it put in his arm and steadied his weapon at his side. Breathing heavily as already worn out. Feeling the adrenaline running out quickly. 

Whether they were expecting him or not, they had enough backup for him to predict how it would end. 

Then it went blurry. And he landed sideways on the ground too quick to react as his face met dirt and blots were forming in his vision. He must have been hit by one of their hammers, the damn-

“Not so tough now are ye’ Dark Knight hero?” He heard barely comprehending as a rough hand pulled him upwards by his hair, letting out an anguished grunt at the discomfort. 

“Go to hell!” He screamed, spitting out blood.

“Knock him out.” The fatui member told one of the men, unphased. 

He realised he was defeated at the time, but with the little energy rebounded and he was still straining with the grip to fight back. Reaching for his claymore to slice right through one of them. 

He’ll be damned if he was tak-

SLAM 

..

He groggled, the details coming back with utmost annoyance and he could only let out a deep sigh at how stupid he had been. Not much of a point to dwell on it since he's been captured. 

How he would love to burn through this place if he had the chance.  besides that, he would first have to save his own skin before thinking about finding his brother. He just hoped Kaeya wouldn’t have landed in the same placement as him by now. Although it looked like he was alone here so there was a brightside that he was the only victim. 

Where did they take him? And how long had it been?

Slowly lifting his head he scanned the surroundings, a dark pitched, solitary room. With himself chained to the middle by a steel pole. There was no door but an entrance leading out and it looked like they kept him in some underground cellar with tunnels leading out. 

Great, another obstacle.

He dropped his head against the pole frustratingly, he could be anywhere at this point the only option to wait it out and get some information out of why he was kept alive. And why Kaeya is somehow involved in this, no doubt already hypotatising what the hell the fatui had planned. 

Footsteps erupted at him, and stopped as it neared the entrance. “What a joy to finally meet Mondstadt’s dark knight in person and a pain in the ass.” A voice sneered haughtily making him snap back to reality, immediately glaring at the man dressed in the fatui uniform. 

He smiled sinisterly, the mask covering most of his face but still easy to recognize he was enjoying every bit of it. Reminding him that he was caught by his own enemies. 

About to snap back a curse at him he momentarily froze, noticing when he flicked an item in his free hand to flaunt in front of him. 

Two visions. Pyro and Cryo jiggled playfully in his palm. Each glowing brightly. 

The Bastard. He fought against the chains pulling him back feeling all the rage returning to him. He chuckled darkly watching his reaction, intentionally waving the two visions and then slipping them back into his back pocket. 

He swore he would rip this man to pieces first thing when he got out, then let his fire flicker and watch him burn. It didn't matter if he was fatui or not, those visions were not his and he would get them back.  

He crouched in front of him, staring him down at his pathetic situation. “Well then, time to make use of you.” 

Diluc curled his lips and spat at him. "You can damn well try," he replies with a snarl. 

He didn't know what the fatui wanted from him, but he'd prefer to die than answer them. He'd figure out why they wanted Kaeya and then raze the place to the ground. He would not be fooled again.

Chapter Text

“That’s not possible.” Kaeya feigns, staring hard at Chongyun. He shook his head furiously, “You’re mistaken, it must have been someone else, there’s- there’s no way.” 

He turns away frustratingly, pushing back his bangs back as he steps away. 

It isn’t possible right? Diluc could never be in Liyue without reason and there’s no way he would leave Mondstadt again so soon, it could be someone else and the boy was just delusional. 

Chongyun looks too shocked and confused to find the right words and looks to Xingqiu for reason, confused at his reaction and undoubtedly perplexed, Xingqiu glances nervously at him and sighs. 

“Chongyun, are you sure the person captured is named Diluc?” He asks for confirmation. 

He suddenly recalled only briefly mentioning to Xingqiu of Diluc’s existence and that was so vague it could be counted as another delusional episode, could it be a trick then? Slowly turning his gaze to Chongyun with a narrowed eye. 

Chongyun nods without a second glance, “Yes, he had red hair and a pyro vision..  He’s saved me twice from the fatui, I wouldn’t forget someone like that.” He also admits. 

It was an unlikely possibility that could be a different Diluc from that description and Kaeya has no choice but to be defeated by the reality that his ex brother is in fact in Liyue.

He pinches the bridge of his nose, a frown already ceasing on his face, “That does sound like him alright..” He mutters, keeping his emotions at bay from spiralling.

“Does that mean Sir Diluc came to Liyue to look for you, Kaeya?” Xingqiu asks.

He almost stifles a laugh at the question, breaking out a sly grin. “I think Master Diluc would rather eat a cryo slime than get caught up in my affairs..” He tells him amusingly, although still a doubtful expression wavers on his face. 

It couldn’t be that… right? 

“Actually…” Chongyun speaks up, looking away awkwardly as he turns his head to the other. 

“One of the last things he told me was he was looking for you, specifically .” He says, smiling nervously and Kaeya stares still for a moment dumbstruck, blinking rapidly. 

Him? Looking for me? Now that’s a strange thought.. He frowns, intrigued by the situation as he turns his attention to Chongyun. 

“Really? Did he mention anything else I should know about?” cocking an eyebrow at the boy.  

Chongyun shuffles, “No, he was very keen to keep to himself but seemed intent to enter the harbour.” he replies with a light tone, conveying that was all he knew about the man. That was so like Diluc, he had to admit.  

Okay, okay. Either his sworn ex brother is hooked on revenge for leaving on the fly or he was put up to this. Now that he realises this, it made odd sense that Diluc out of all people would look for him. 

Although it completely took him from surprise, he suspected Amber would at least catch his slacking by now. Nevertheless they were stuck in this situation now and he couldn’t particularly avoid it. As much as he wished to. 

Kaeya breathes slowly, keeping his expression calm after the situation that just occurred.  

Looking around in the dim light at the two teenagers. "Would you please recount Ganyu when she returns the details, I'm going to clear my head." He says to both of them, needing some time to just process the thoughts in his head.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Xingqiu asks concerned, stepping forward hesitantly. 

He shook his head, despite an appreciative notion. He didn't want to talk about his feelings, especially with everything going on. He simply needed some time alone with no one on his back. 

“Why don’t you help Chongyun out and catch up, I’m sure you two have much to say.” He suggests instead, evading his request. Also noting the boy’s injuries, it would be good to patch them up considering the situation at hand. He was sure they had a med kid stashed away somewhere. 

It seems to work because Xingqiu brightens and gives Chongyun a wicked look. 

"Oh dear Chongyun, I’ve realised you have a lot to catch up on." He chuckles, and he’s relieved when he easily slips away unnoticed, already pushing through the bushes to look for a quiet place to sit. 

He wanted to clear his head but found he could do nothing but that now alone,

 questions firing in his head and more importantly anxiety, dread. Fear.  

Diluc was captured by the fatui. His brother- ex brother taken by them, it was news to him. 

hell he could even be dead by now and he had no idea where to even look for his whereabouts. Such a predicament he’d never imagine, much less while in Liyue. 

Just what happened while he was gone, how did it come to this? 

Whatever the case he couldn’t help feeling riddled with guilt, as much as he proved he disliked the man he couldn’t deny he still cared for him although he couldn’t say the other felt the same. His heart saddened for a second dwelling on the memory from long ago, nostalgic yet so vivid.

 Diluc had no reason to care for him.. So why was he here? It didn’t make sense to him. 

“I’ll be there to look out for you so don’t worry Kae.” A young Diluc calmly said, beaming brightly to his younger brother as they sat in the Ragvindr mansion, their childhood home. 

He extended an arm around his shoulder in a friendly manner, the younger boy squirmed but didn’t push away. 

He remembered being particularly nervous about that day, Master Crepus telling him they were going to the city for the first time and it had only been a few months since with the Ragnvindrs. He was scared he might be judged because of his one eye or odd appearance. He stood out as an outsider and was nervous something might happen. 

“What about you?” Kaeya asked, lifting his head to look at the redhead. 

Diluc rolled his eyes, “I’ll be fine, I’m your big brother after all. ” He replies confidently. “The city is great! And you’ll get to meet Jean, she's really nice so don’t worry.” He assures. 

He eases, “Okay.” a shy smile lifting on his face. He was nervous but if Diluc was there, he thought he could be brave. after all he would be there for him. 

He shuffled closer and reached out his hand, both the boys eagerly linking pinkies. “There, now it’s a promise. Don’t forget we’re brothers now, we protect eachother,” He tells him firmly, and Kaeya nods. 

“Of course, thanks Luc.”

A warm feeling came to his palms as he bunched them up, Unless he did care. The thought made him stiffen looking down, Immediately shoving the nostalgic memory away. 

Such a innocent promise he remembered, it would be impossible that the redhead would even remember it by now.

Enough of childhood promises, he wouldn’t know for sure until he found him, but he would be damn sure he wasn’t returning to Mondstadt without him.

 The knights could manage without their cavalry captain but Diluc? Out of question. 

He was Mondstadt’s uncrowned heir, he was someone much more powerful and the city would be devastated, he would be too. He was their perfect golden child and never admitted it but did many great things for Mondstadt. A dark knight vigilante being one way to show his protection. 

He also knew the man to be stubborn as hell, and if fatui could get him.. Did he even stand a chance? He didn’t even have half a way to defend himself, with his vision gone as well.

Diluc could be dead for all he knows. He felt an unsettling shudder pass through him.

He fought back but felt his eye brimming with tears frustratingly emotional, his lip curling back thinking of possibilities, it was rare he didn’t have a plan but the situation was so   self-hazardous and risky.

Kaeya pauses and straightens, calming his nerves as he settles it out. 

He wouldn't cry or grieve for someone until he'd given everything he had, and he'd never let Diluc die by Fatui if he had a voice in the matter. Still his heart ached, even as he steeled his emotions. 

He wouldn’t let a curse or nightmare control him anymore, let weakness overbear him. 

Be it stubbornness or just sheer will; Kaeya just couldn’t let his brother die. No matter what.  

He comes back to Xingqiu and Chongyun. Both looking surprised at his return, Ganyu sitting beside them with a solemn look in her gaze. Presumably already caught up with the situation. 

He starts, “I’m going to find Diluc, be him dead or not. I can't return to Mondstadt with things left unfinished like this and I can’t abandon him.” He states, then sweeps his gaze over each of them, letting himself be surprised as none of them argued with him. It seemed they were all expecting it. 

He says to them, his voice low and shaky. “Will you help me?” 

Zhongli peered out along the harbour, pulling out a handwatch briefly to check the time. 

They should be far from Liyue by now, he thinks, and Ganyu wouldn’t go back on her word to help them. He just hoped no other third party would intervene. 

“Zhooonglii~ C’mon you’ve been staring outside for like, 10 minutes, their probably long gone by now!” The director whines, forcing him to shift away from his gaze to respond to her. 

“Don’t worry Director Hu, I’m simply checking just for reassurance.” He says and she frowns doing an eyeroll. 

“For a god who faked his death to avoid responsibility you put way too much stress over them, relax old man.” Hu tao says coolly, “Guhua geek and the adepti goat have got it covered, now what about the ginger?” Bringing up the topic of the dinner with zhongli. 

“Childe will be distracted by me so we don’t have to worry and please refrain from using nicknames Hu tao.” He replies, giving her a look. He was already thinking back on how exactly Hu tao got caught up in this matter. 

She huffs, ignoring his scolding and taking interest in the harbinger. “How fun! Perhaps I could interest him in some funeral parlour deals, he’ll probably be interested too.” She murmurs, thinking about the business once more. 

Before he could tell her otherwise he realises it’s almost time, Childe would be waiting by now. He straightens, “Apologies, director, I have to go now.” getting ready to depart quickly. 

“Oh boo~ make sure you watch your words old man, don’t wanna start another fight again.” She mentions teasingly. He grunts but isn’t offended by her words. 

"I'm always polite to others, so I think I'll be good director.  Moreover, thank you for the reminder." He reassures her nonchalantly, and she throws him another frown and sighs, waving her hand away.

"I meant you're too direct, but whatever, just don't make him so irritated that he decides to make the parlour pay for all of your costs." She mumbles, implying don't screw this up, which was simple enough for him.

He nods, turning to leave quickly to meet the harbinger in Wanmin as planned. He just had to keep Childe in the harbour for as long as possible.

“Goodevening you two! Oh Mr. Zhongli, how nice to see you again! And Mr. Childe, do you want your usual seating?” Xiangling greets them both, already setting up their usual table like nothing had changed. 

“Hm, just like old times, right Zhongli?” The harbinger says casually, sitting down at the table his eyes slightly narrowed. He looked normal after not seeing eachother for a day, neither showing evidence of brawling it out a day ago. 

He nods, ignoring the awkward tension, “I do think it’s a pleasant recurrence.” He replies, taking a menu from the young girl politely. 

In particular it had been about 2-3 months since the two of them had properly shared a meal like this. After the osial incident and his plan of the test for Liyue being unfoiled in the bank Childe swiftly left, avoiding him without a second thought. 

It was understandable, having felt betrayed by what he thought was a close friend he made in Liyue. He just hoped the man would still be open to speaking terms. 

“Would you two like the usual? Or I can make something new to try, it’s always a surprise here and sure to be delicious!” Xiangling says enthusiastically. 

“I don’t mind surprises, it always adds a sense of entertainment to any battle.” Childe muses thoughtfully, nodding to the girl. 

“Just the usual for me please, Miss Xiangling.” Zhongli replies simply. 

She quickly scribbles down the order and smiles, “Alrighty, be back in a jiffy with your dinner!” 

The silence that ensues makes it awkward, not finding a good place to start. 

Childe taps his fingers against the table absently, volunteering first. “So.. I assume things have been going well? Well as good as a normal citizen goes.” 

He clears his throat, “Yes, I’ve managed, being a mortal now has its track of being constantly busy.” he murmurs. 

Childe nods, although glances away still being distant. “I didn’t think I would be back here, with you.” He says, tilting his head back lazily. 

Zhongli glances up, putting his palms together. “Neither would I, are you doing well after our duel?” he asks, a worried concern evident. 

Childe shifts, grinning all the same. “Nothing I can’t handle, although your presence makes it all the more amusing..” He murmurs, his eyes flicking up to meet him. 

“Did you mean it? Just wondering, not a lot of people openly say they want to be friends with a harbinger, especially one that almost drowned a city.” He lightens, almost jokingly. 

“I did, and I enjoyed the time in Liyue with you. Although you are a rascal at causing trouble.” He admits, huffing amusingly. 

He lets himself grin, “Oh? I’m a rascal now? Is that what people in Liyue are calling me?” 

“Just the ones with enough sense to not mess with fatui affairs.” He replies. 

He gapes his mouth offended, “First off- I think we both know who was behind the Osial accident and I’m a very serious threat, murder is in my nature afterall.” To demonstrate he even swipes a hydro blade between his fingers, letting himself grip it and then dissolving back into nothing.

Zhongli nods, “I have no doubt in your skills, however you still have improvement if you are to defeat a god.” he says, his eyes glowing lightly. 

Childe narrows his eyes with a smile, already accepting the challenge. He opens his mouth to retort back but is interrupted, a single fatui catching his attention as the woman impatiently runs to their table. 

“Trouble I assume?” He inquires.

 Childe just makes a noise, setting his blades back as his smile fades when she comes to his ear and leans over his ear. His annoyance at being interrupted fades quickly, a sudden spark of interest as he hears her through, Zhongli strains to listen in but the conversation ends quickly. 

He perks up, a surprised glance at her that quickly dissipates. “Is that so? Alright then.” 

“Is this urgent?” Zhongli asks, curious in what has the harbinger off put like this. It was rare even before that the ginger was pleased to be interrupted by work, especially if it was fatui affairs. 

He shakes his head, “Nothing to be concerned about. Ekatrina, handle it accordingly until I’m finished.” He orders her and she dips her head acknowledging and leaves without another glance.  

As she walks away, he lets out a low chuckle and leans back in his chair. “Whew, I suppose I didn’t need to consult you after all, how joyous!” He cheers.

“Did you need something from me previously?” Still confused as to the man's sudden excitement. He was worried about what he was up to. 

 He waves a hand, “I suppose it’s no harm in saying, besides fighting you I needed to hunt that rogue captain from Mondstadt, a pain in the ass since it’s like he’s been constantly slipping through everytime.” He mutters and continues his voice lightening. 

“We’ve gotten a lead though that will have him and all his companions in our possession soon enough though. So I don’t have to scour all of Liyue at least.” He adds with a relieved sigh. 

He could feel his panic shooting through him, instantly regretting his decisions as he already worries about the group. It had barely been any time, how did the fatui catch wind of their plan? 

Childe looks up, stopping momentarily when the consultant doesn’t respond. “Zhongli?” 

Don’t rush, he still hasn’t caught on that he had a part that helped them escape. He could use the time to know exactly what they found out and if anyone has been captured yet. 

He jolts up sharply, then forces himself to relax in order to neutralize his emotions. "I'm fine; you should be happy since you're almost done with your task." He replies.

He shrugs, “I’d prefer a more enticing mission, more bloodshed would really make this enjoyable.” He reflects, spite of the fact it sends a terrible notion to Zhongli's mind, the harbinger's words were all true, and he knew he would show little leniency in front of an opponent, as much as he laughed lightheartedly.

He blinks twice, his expression serious. "Childe, what are you planning?" he asks. He inquires, his stony stare revealing a glimmer of bafflement in the harbinger's eyes.

“Nothing that concerns Liyue’s affairs, the Tsaritsa is done with your nation Zhongli.” he tells him quickly and turns away. Leaving him with no more answers. 

His face twists frustratingly and he leans forwards, “What-”

“Food’s ready!” Xiangling busies herself and sets the plates down, hesitantly leans back into his seat with a sigh. 

After that the conversation went nowhere, Childe not saying anymore as the conversation already passed, he couldn’t press on or he might become suspicious. His nervousness prickled uneasily, worried about the group. 

Ganyu was capable, he trusted her absolutely. She wouldn’t be careless to let them be seen.. Unless they had something else planned.

He looks up cautiously to the ginger across him, Childe pauses, currently a face full of noodles as he muffles questionably to Zhongli.

"What's wrong?" he asks again, more clearly after swallowing. Observing how the consultant had not touched his plate and was instead keenly sipping his tea.

It wouldn’t take a genius to see something had changed in the conversation and he lets out a sigh, with a low whistle and props his chin against his hand on the table. 

“I- Nothing, just thinking.” He vaguely responds, Childes blank eyes waver over him for a moment and he shrugs, skewering back into his meal. 

He sighs, perplexed by the situation. It hadn’t been that long since the others had parted, if the fatui were to capture them they would probably wait until they knew an exact location and Childe most definitely would not sit around having a meal then in a fight. 

They must have a bargaining chip, something to use. He was determined, although unsure what it was. He’d just have to trust them to be safe, Ganyu did have a way to send for help if needed. 

“Zhongli?” the other asks, pausing.

“Hm?” 

“You’re not still thinking of my mission right? I said already, it’s none of Liyue's concern.” he says even though it is blatantly wrong, he had more reason to be concerned and what repercussions this meant for the others. 

“Was it necessary to put up a wanted bounty over his head though? That involved the milleith and even the qixings attention.” He inquires nonetheless, and Childe frowns, disapproving. 

“He’s a thief, I want what was stolen back from me whether I'm going overboard or not.” He growls. 

The letters.  He realises with a jolt, what Kaeya had taken from the bank. It slipped his mind that Childe had another intention to this and that he wanted those letters from his siblings back. 

It was proven useless towards Kaeya and Xingqiu but to the harbinger they were probably the most valuable things to be stolen from his office. 

“So in conclusion, you wish to get back your items?” he asked while remaining unsuspicious to knowing his plan.

He nods, clenching his fists. “I’m not leaving Liyue without those, and I’ll make sure they get what’s coming.” He adds with a cold tone. 

Zhongli slowly reaches for the pocket in his tunic but keeps his hand on top of it. He looks down, “If.. if you got those letters back, would you stop your mission?” He asks slowly. 

Childe looks up, pondering for a second before replying. “I suppose so, I have no other reason but Zhongli why are you saying that?” tilting his head curiously. 

He doesn’t respond, instead taking out the pack of notes in his pocket. Placing them on the table to the harbinger. His eyes widened slightly then narrowed. 

It was the letters. He hadn't informed anybody, but he had quietly put them away while the rest of the party was distracted; it didn't matter, because he was going to return them regardless.

"Are those-?" he starts, casting a pointed gaze at Zhongli after peering at the bundle for a moment, taken aback.

He gives a quick reassuring nod and immediately takes it, hastily shuffling the papers and exhaling a sigh of relief before slipping them into his pocket.

Then he takes a breath and squints at him, his face shifting from relieved to tense. He inquires, "Why do you have these?"

“I’ve had them for a while, I was waiting for the moment to return them.” 

The man's face does not relax; instead, he moves in closer, his brows furrowing.

“That doesn’t answer my question, how did you get these?.” He asks again, more forcefully this time.  

The consultant doesn’t respond, his eyes downcast looking away. He begins to reason, “Childe-” 

He’s interrupted by a low laughter, the ginger lets out a laugh disbelieving, “You were lying to me when you said you didn’t know anything that night, weren’t you?” He rises up without waiting for him to respond, his chair screeching at the sudden force. He didn’t need Zhongli to know it was the truth. 

“You were trying to manipulate me again, to what- save them? Protect them from the bad guy?” He barks, a crazed scowl on his face. 

He slams his hands on the table, “I did no such thing. Yes I lied, but I wasn’t about to let an innocent man be taken by the fatui.” He replies, glaring back at him. Childe stiffens at the mention of fatui and quickly turns away, clenching his fists tightly. 

 There were heads turning in their direction from the commotion and he realised he couldn’t let the situation escalate from here. The quiet dinner had turned to chaos, and the harbinger looked ready to summon foul legacy right there. 

Zhongli then notices the two girls in the background, Hu tao and Xiangling stood back probably realising what was happening and were silently looking to Zhongli for reassurance. 

He stands up from his chair calmly, breathing slow. “I’m sorry for not telling the truth.” he says quietly and the man scoffs looking away, holding his aggression at bay. 

“I’m leaving, we’re done here.” 

“Let me explain, you don’t have to do this Childe.” he says, taking a step towards him. 

He takes a step back, putting some distance both himself and Zhongli while glaring at him. "You've made it clear where you and I stand."  He snarls bitterly, "I don't know why you're sheltering a mondstadtian, but it won't change my decision."

He couldn’t let him leave now, he knew that.  Regrettably he had made a mistake, and now the situation had turned drastic. 

Childe begins to walk away but as Zhongli begins to chase him he realises the man suddenly starts to sway, his expression gone from anger to confused as he grips a random table to stabilise. Turning to Zhongli with a confused expression.  

“What the hell did you do to me?” he huffs, seemingly having difficulty in holding himself together. 

"I-I didn't do anything." He replies, too surprised as he watches the ginger lock eyes with him one last time, a last flicker of fear in his eyes as they shut, and he just has moments to catch him and keep him upright. 

Tartaglia mutters something distantly in snezhayan, most likely a curse, before collapsing and turning limp as he shakes him vigorously.

“Childe? Childe!” trying to shake the man awake, while easing him onto the table to check his vitals.  

“He’s fine, though if you count drugs as okay.” the director interrupts calmly, coming over to the table after watching the whole situation with Xiangling. 

He turns to the girl, angered. "You drugged him?" He hisses, more outraged than impressed. She raises her hands defensively and Xiangling steps in front of her. 

“Please don’t be mad Mr. Zhongli, we just wanted to take precautions.” Xiangling tells him nervously, although she looks much more guiltier than Hu tao at drugging the harbinger.  

He shakes his head, “I had it covered, there was no need.”  He was against this, and it outright felt wrong to take advantage of him like this. 

Hu tao gives him a look, crossing her arms dismissively. “This is why I didn’t tell you beforehand, there was no way he was going to stay here all night.” she replies knowingly then gestures to her side. 

“We have to go before any fatui wanders by, you can carry him right?” 

He sighs, wanting to scold her for this behaviour but knowing she was right, grudgingly agreed and they couldn’t be seen with an unconscious harbinger or it wouldn’t end well. They needed to hide him quickly. 

“We’ll discuss this later.” He said firmly, giving her a meaningful look that he would in fact be discussing her tactics in the future, now however was not the time .

Xiangling glances down the alley and turns back “Uhm, guys, where are you planning on hiding him?” she asks, gesturing at the sleeping tartaglia.  

Hu tao stands, thoughtfully lifting her finger to her face. She murmurs, "We do have spare coffins..." 

He already denies her suggestion, they were not putting him in a coffin. He was now faced with dealing with an unconscious Childe and the director, something he was dreading.

He casts an apologetic glance at the stirring Childe, “Apologies Childe..” He mutters while pulling him upwards and slinging him over his shoulder. If anyone were to look now they would simply think he was too drunk and passed out. 

 He hoped in this manner, Ganyu and the others were having a better time getting to Mondstadt.

Chapter Text

He didn’t foresee when he proposed another difficult question that it would actually be agreed upon. No, Kaeya Alberich did not know if they would even consider the idea. 

Instead of avoiding fatui his plan was to outright ambush them to save a person they’ve never met.. It was rash and idiotic, not one of his most phosisticated plans he'll admit.

It was stupid if anyone else proposed the idea, it was him who did. 

Xingqiu and Chongyun, both boys smiled lightly, nodding to eachother in assurance as he asked for their help, a look of understanding and determination in them both.

 “Need’th ask, I think you already know the answer.” The navy haired boy answers, a chivalrous grin breaking out and his companion nodded next to him. 

“I owe it to Mr. Diluc.” Chongyun remarks, intertwining his hands together. 

He nods softly, grateful for the help, then looks to the last member of their little group. 

Ganyu still sat quietly looking to the ground, although her eyebrows furrowed softly as she was deep in thought. Unlike Xingqiu and Chongyun, who he had time to introduce himself to, he barely knew the secretary of the Qixing. 

He knew it was a stretch asking for her help, she was here out of a favour from her old god and it didn’t follow her contract to go along with this plan. As she looked up to meet his eyes he was ready to tell her it was okay and he understood her choice but her reaction shone differently, she looked determined and daresay excited. 

“I’ll do it.” She gleams. 

“R-Really?” a bit taken aback at her sudden decision. 

She nods enthusiastically then softens, “My job is to honour my contract with Rex Lapis by looking out for the interests of all living things in Liyue, it would be against my duty to ignore this.” She murmurs then pauses looking a bit embarrassed to say it, “I..also would like to help personally, it’s been quite some time since I’ve been outside.” Ganyu admitted, quickly changing the subject.  

She clears her throat, regaining her composure “Of course this will also benefit Liyue, the fatui have gone too far unchecked.” she conveys.

“I'm sure the Millieth and the Qixing will be pleased to see them behind bars.” He replies, sharing a grin with her as he sighs a breath of relief in her approval. 

Now that they all shared the same goal there was another issue, the tricky part. 

How to find their base and where they were keeping Diluc, all on the assumption he was still alive of course. He wouldn’t think of the possibility he wasn’t because in all honesty he couldn’t handle that mental image, not after so much violence..

He remained as optimistic as he could for now. 

Chongyun spoke up, “We should go back to Wangshu Inn, they might still be there.” he suggested, referring to the group of fatui he and Diluc had fought beforehand. 

They agreed, figuring it was the best resort for now. It was still an issue that the fatui were currently hunting them down and he was aware they were probably doing exactly what they wanted. But they were going straight to their base, at least he’ll find out why they're so desperate for him. 

He looks up, noticing the group’s anxious expressions. Xingqiu was still patting down Chongyun’s injuries, a damp clothe being held against his face while a low glow of hydro energy swirled around, he had to admit, Xingqiu’s healing capabilities were useful but if they we’re going against a whole base of fatui members it might be too naive to trust his abilities. He knew the lad could only heal so much and it used a lot of concentration and energy. 

On the other hand, he was unsure of Chongyun's fighting skills, after just fighting fatui and coming here he could only ask how he felt. 

Ganyu seemed to be the other of the group contemplating this, her appearance looked young but in no way could you hide the wisdom behind her gaze, he wanted her advice in all this. 

“What do you think?” he asks her and she perks up, caught off-focused. “H-Huh?” 

“Do you think we have a chance against a fatui camp?” He rewords the question, this time she pondered the question, resting a hand against her jawline perceptively. 

“It’s difficult to say.. I’m not exactly one who is used to fighting and strategy.” She admits, “N-Not that I can’t fight! It just seemed unnecessary for me since the archon war many centuries ago.” She murmurs, putting her hands together. 

He nods, “You’re a secretary now, I understand. I’m sorry for roping you in this, however I doubt you would’ve watched from the sidelines.” He says to her.  

She nods, “You’re right I wouldn’t sit back and watch mortals fight like this, I’m more than prepared to fight a fatui camp and win.” Confidently responds then adds, “however I strongly discourage you all to do the same.” She tells them all, looking towards the two boys particularly. 

Xingqiu frowns, momentarily stopping healing Chongyun to answer her. “Miss Ganyu I can hold my own against any foe.” 

“I can still fight, I’ll be fine in no time please don’t worry about us.” Chongyun says, adding to him. 

She shakes her head with a sigh, “You’re both still so young, yet so confident for your age.” She says but she doesn’t argue with them, probably finding no reason too than just stating her opinion. 

“You two I’m sure can watch for each other, however.” Pausing and tilting her head to the knight. “Sir Kaeya, I ask you to step back from this.” 

He cocks his head, surprised at her request “Pardon my rudeness, but I can handle myself on the battlefield just fine with or without a vision.” He retorts, a bit annoyed at the adepti thinking he can’t fight because he’s been on bedrest since now. 

She glances down apologetically, “Apologies I am fully confident you can fight, your reputable status as a captain in Mondstadt is proof, But for your safety and the recent events I think it would be safest if you withdrew from fighting.” 

He understands where she’s coming from, for one she swore to Zhongli to journey with him while he's uninjured and if something were to happen to him.. He wasn’t sure how it would play out. He definitely couldn't go back to Mondstadt looking half dead nor visit Bubu pharmacy after though.   

Kaeya sits up to look straighter, shaking away the thought as he frowns and can’t hide the irritation in his voice “I can do what I please, I’m fighting Ganyu.” It was ridiculous. He wasn’t going to suggest rescuing his brother, then not actually do it. Diluc was his problem, he needn’t burden others to do all the work while he sits back. 

He looks around to Xingqiu and Chongyun, hoping to find approval but Chongyun looks away not responding while Xingqiu has a doubtful expression. 

“..Kaeya, I think she’s right.” Xingqiu admits agreeing with the secretary, and he looks guilty to be picking sides against his judgement. 

Kaeya's eyebrows raise but he says nothing, simply glowering at the boy in disbelief.

“It’s just, you're still healing and the nightmares..” His voice fades and he casts downwards, a dark expression on his face. 

He understood, Xingqiu was afraid he would go back into one of those states again, like at the bank. He was scared to see him like that again, he was the only one who actually was fully present back then and even now he was unsure what caused it. 

Ganyu silently stands up and gestures a hand to him gently, “Don’t consider yourself useless, there's still many ways in which you can help but for the fighting please let us handle it.” she says and he slowly takes her hand, pulling him up as they all agree in unison. He grudgingly listens to them, agreeing. 

“Alright, but that doesn’t mean I’ll sit back if you’re all losing.” He replies and the navy haired teen can’t help eye rolling, “I'm glad you have so much faith in us then.” then grins lightly, a relief as Kaeya relents to not fight.

He just hopes they really can beat a fatui camp in one piece. 

~~

By the morning hues of the sunrise they all make it to Wangshu Inn with barely any difficulty, Chongyun turning out to be better than when he first looked after getting the injuries cleaned up properly, all pretty minor in the end which was good. It meant he could fight with no difficulty, a relief to them all. 

Out of everyone in the group Kaeya was the most worried for him. 

Being the one to warn them and even with the redhead before fleeing, he had no doubt the boy wasn’t going to hesitate again in fighting the fatui squadron and most surely rescue Diluc. 

The captain was still on edge from Ganyu and Xingqiu firmly not allowing him to fight but he realised it was probably for the better considering the crazy past weeks he's been having. It did bug him about being a burden to them even if they didn’t say. He could tell he was lagging behind the group, every now and then a sprig of pain came from him that he suppressed as he walked. 

He sighed, wondering briefly if having his vision would change the outcome. A shame even after all this while he was still visionless, it wasn’t a heavy bother but it felt like something was missing. Fighting felt more difficult to him without the ease of cryo from his fingertips. The familiar coldness replaced with Liyue's heat rays, abit disappointed he couldn't radiate his own temperature with cold. 

“The inn is just over the bridge, for everyone’s safety please let me handle the situation.” Ganyu advises, leaving no room to argue, not like he would. It seemed acceptable for a Qixing member to investigate the situation first.

She waited for someone to object, but the three had nothing to say and she bobbed a tight smile, turning away and drawing in a deep breath as she forced herself to stroll boldly into the square beneath the undergrowth of the large tree.

Immediately they were recognized, and the Innkeepers came quickly to greet her. 

“Miss Ganyu! We didn’t expect you to come, we only sent for the milleith to resolve the situation.” A lady in red greets her apologetically, she looks vaguely Mondstadtian which caught him off guard for owning a Inn in Liyue. 

Her assumed husband was next to her and nodded nervously.

 “We have the incident settled now, I’m sorry they made you come all the way out here for the Inn.” He spoke, assuming that she was representing the Qixings report on the matter. 

Kaeya surveyed the situation in the area. Meanwhile, the plaza appeared to be relatively normal, despite the presence of many moving bodies of workers frantically shuffling boxes. They must have arrived just after the conflict, and there were no longer any signs of fatui. Just workers trying to clean up the mess.

He glances at Chongyun if anything is out of place and is disappointed as he looks just as puzzled, the seemingly chaotic ambush he fought here dissipated, no signs of the familiar redhead in the scene. 

"Please don't be concerned," Ganyu says, raising her hand to the pair and shaking her head. "I'm not here on behalf of the Qixing, but I will ask for information as to what happened." She inquires gently. 

The duo exchanged surprised looks before slouching in relief and relaxing at the news. "Of course, you have every right to know," says Verr Goldet, who returns to a polite smile. 

“Can we do it somewhere more private, if you don’t mind?” Ganyu requests and gestures to the others with her, undoubtedly sticking out in a group this big in the plaza. It wouldn’t be too long until someone recognized their identities. 

She glances at the group and gasps quietly. Noticing the group and Chongyun’s presence she compromises quickly, “We can talk in the woods, I don’t think anyone will see us there.” she adds hushed. Gesturing away from the Inn and the workers there. 

Nodding to her husband she parts with him to take care of the Inn while she leads them elsewhere and they quickly follow her out of the property,

she quickly makes sure no prying eyes are watching them then breaks out into a small grin, sitting on a tree stump. 

“When I heard a visitor looking for an eyepatched foreigner I wasn’t expecting him to be here within hours of the Inn being notified.” Kaeya tenses for a moment debating to bolt right now if its a trap but she quickly tells him with a hushed wink, 

 “Oh please don’t panic, don’t worry I won’t tell. We weren’t going to say anything to the fatui anyways, my employees are more loyal to me than anyone else.” She reassures him and he forces himself to . 

she clears her throat briefly, “I’m assuming you're all here for the red haired fellow?” She questions and when they all stood surprised she smiles knowingly. 

Kaeya and Chongyun both rush forward simultaneously blurting questions.

“Is he okay?” 

“Do you know where he is?” 

She raises her hands in surprise but settles with a sad smile, patiently tilting her head.

Chongyun kneels before her, looking up to her. “We were fighting a fatui squadron, do you know what happened Miss Goldet?” 

She nods lightly, resting her hands together, “We heard the commotion from the upper decks but when the millieth came it was only the aftermath of the fight.” She recalls then looks guiltily down, she adds

 “I did see them taking the redheaded gentleman with them, I’m glad you boys weren’t amongst them.” Looking over to the light haired boy, relieved Chongyun was safe at least. 

"What about Diluc? When you saw him being taken, how did he look?" Kaeya asserts back into the conversation with a troubled tone, urgently wanting to know more about what happened to him. Trying to be calm despite knowing what they did to the redhead, frustration boiling because they were too late to prevent his kidnap. 

She turns to him, “Definitely injured but nothing serious as far as i could tell, they were in a rush to leave.” She responds to him vaguely, trying not to sound doubtful. 

He breathes out in relief nonetheless, dipping his head in thanks. At least Diluc was alive was the good part. And that they took him as a prisoner for some reason. 

Ganyu gently places a hand on his shoulder and turns to Verr Goldet, “Thank you for the information, do you know which direction they were headed?” 

“Beyond stonegate is the direction they went, are you going after them?” She asks after a moment, curious to their intentions. 

“Yes, I need to rescue my brother back from them quickly.” He replies firmly, not realizing this was the first time he let brother slip by so naturally until the receptionist replied on it.

She raises her eyebrows and softens, “Ah, family. Best of luck then.” She wishes and stands up from her place bowing politely to the group. 

“I must return to the Inn, I assume this will be kept between us?” 

“Yes please.” Ganyu answers quickly, while Chongyun and Xingqiu thank her, “Thanks Ms. Goldet, we’ll come for a meal sometime!” 

She laughs lightly, “Of course, We’ll open when this situation is over with.” 

“Thank you, truly.” Kaeya stands to shake her hand briefly, grateful for the innkeeper's help. 

She sighs whimsily, “If only I could do more, be safe you lot.” she says one last time and heads back to the inn. 

The others stay quietly for a moment, the innkeeper gone and with information on where next to go; Kaeya felt relieved, although he could feel 3 pairs of eyes on him simultaneously watching him making him tense up and slowly look back to them.   

“You never mentioned you are brothers.” Ganyu relays with some hesitance, both surprised and curious. 

Right, he somehow had avoided the topic of his relationship with the Ragvindr and coincidentally revealed it all the same, there goes getting into details.. 

He sighs, rubbing his head awkwardly, “I was adopted into the Ragnvindr household and grew up with Diluc.. We aren’t close anymore you could phrase.” then tilts his head at the adepti, narrowing his eye slightly.  Determined not to say more. 

“Is that a problem?” 

She shakes her head, smiling lightly. “Not at all, I suppose it makes more sense now that I think of it.” 

He sweeped a hair behind his ear trying not to show his discomfort. “Well, I still care for him, even if he despises the sight of me.” He points out harshly, although with no malice in his words. Already accepted that type of mutual understanding between him and the tavern owner. Right, he was simply rescuing him because it was his fault in the first place for coming here. They would return to their daily lives afterwards with no change. 

“You should really fix that, yknow.” Xingqiu comments nonchalantly,  and he sends a glare in his direction. 

“Yes, well. I seem to recall the situation at hand.. We should get going.” Gesturing to the pathway and expertly avoiding the topic. 

With that they pack up quickly and set off, Chongyun takes the lead, following Verr Goldets advice and pacing down the path towards the distant outlines of stone gate, they followed swiftly behind. No one seemed that bothered by the real intent for Kaeya wanting to rescue Diluc, infact they seemed more determined with the knowledge. 

he feels a sense of relief at that, not being pressured for any answers more and they were all onboard no matter what. 

He eyes the rocky mountain, supposedly Diluc was held there and he was hellbent on getting some revenge.

 The 4 of them prepared to end this rampage once and for all. 

..Ah, archons that hurt.. 

Diluc awoke startled with a pained grunt, his vision getting exceedingly more challenging and he was sure he had a concussion by now. 

The fatui base they were keeping him in was far from comforting and he quickly realised they had no intentions of keeping him alive, to his luck. 

No, what he found was much more dark in his short time here. His patience running thin as he continuously fiddled with the locks on his chains to no avail. a distant sound of rumbling coming from above.

~~ 

“What the hell do you need me for?” Diluc hissed to the man, his eyes narrowing.

He tilts his head in a mocking manner, “Patience, boy. You should already have an idea by now.” Then eyerolls, pulling a chair in front of him. 

he bit back a scowl at his attitude but was intrigued nonetheless. 

Diluc frowns, “And what would that be?” He asks, unconvinced of his plans. If the fatui agent was going to act cocky like this he should probably play along and hope he slips something useful. 

The agent sighs, wringing one hand at him, 

“You- are the heir of the Ragnvindr clan, and one of the most powerful representatives of mondstadt. Surely you can see how this favours us?” He says, and pauses to let him reply. 

He furrowed his eyebrows, a cold feeling creeping down his chest as he reflected. 

He recalled months prior, the Dvalin incident when the fatui were trying to take control of the city to defeat the dragon in return for power. Jean refused easily, seeing how it was only a ploy to manipulate mondstadt but they never stopped in their pursuit to take control of the city. 

The only real reason it never succeeded was the traveller and venti curing the mighty beast before the fatui could make a move. He thought they would give up after Signora took the gnosis though. 

Is this their second attempt at controlling the city of freedom?  To kidnap a noble of Mondstadt to use to their advantage? 

He swallowed hard as he realised what was about to happen. “Blackmail. You intend to use me to seize control of the city," his voice seething he shakes his head. 

“That won’t work, Grandmaster Jean wouldn’t give in to those threats.” he declares, raising his head to look down on the agent. 

The agent flicks his fingers absently, then raises one and shakes it in front of him. “Not bad, although we’ve already thought it through on that.” He pauses, slowly pulling out a small knife to trace over with one hand, making sure the other watches him.

“No, we’re not planning on blackmail, our people are more aware of the grandmaster's actions, although the people of mondstadt might reconsider our offer if a powerful noble suddenly was found in an tragic accident..” He lingers and stops playing with his blade to gaze at Diluc. 

He squirms uncomfortably at his gaze. his eyes widening.

"No.."  

He was foolish to think the Fatui would continue to taunting games after realising how badly he had screwed up, and now he was naively ensnared in their trap.

They were going to kill him, and play it an accident- forcing the knights to look unreliable and put distrust between the citizens. 

like all those years ago. 

The fatui were planning to destroy the city from the inside then heroically sweep in to clean the damage. It was almost so absurd that it made it believable. 

He remembered his father at that moment, withering away after slaughtering the demonic beast due to the pyro delusion he wielded; he knew the beast was related to the fatui as well. It was no accident on that day. 

The only reason that never succeeded was because the knights covered it up to keep their reputation but that was under Grandmaster Varka’s commands then. 

Jean would never do the same and cover up his death that way, she was too justified and honest.           

Then he realised something, suddenly feeling sick like a chill ran through him.  

Kaeya. 

Is this why they were trying to get him? A mondstadt captain who disappeared for weeks, a perfect setup for an accident. 

no one would suspect it being plotted by the fatui. Hell, even he would be fooled if something like that happened. 

It made sense, a way to silence a high ranking member and he knew the man was a thorn in thrashing any devious plots towards the city, too good an opportunity to rid an obstacle. 

The fatui had thought it better than he envisioned. Except now he was being used as the subject since Kaeya is still not captured. He might have even envisioned something like this happening, is this why he didn't return to Mondstadt? 

Too many possibilities, and he could feel himself getting a migraine.

Oh god.. This is a nightmare. 

A nightmare he needed to get out of. 

Back to now. They were going to kill him in a scenario just like his father. And it furiated him to his core. Who knows what would happen if the captain was caught in this first. 

"That will never work!” He shouts angrily, twisting in his chains. The man jumps from his chair and steps back, enjoying his panic at the commotion. 

his intent was clear in telling him their plans, he would die before he got the chance to rebel, it put fear into him. 

“We’ll see.” is all he replies, squinting his eyes as he slowly beckons an electro cicin mage in the room, and stepping out slowly. 

“Bastard-” 

"Don't kill him just yet; we have to let the harbinger come see first, just do enough to silence him." He gives the order to the mage, who is more than happy to torment someone. As her gaze focuses on him, he recoils uncomfortably.

“Your boss is a fool to think this will work!” He raises his voice, shouting at the agent as he leaves the dingy cellar, already out of earshot as he continues to curse at him. 

The mage lets out a shrill ear piercing laugh and glows with a charged electro pulse coming from her fingers, his retorts meaningless to her.

Pyro and electro were never a good match.

 He felt helpless now that he didn't have a claymore or vision. 

He felt afraid . And feared for his life at this moment. 

Is this how it comes too? 

his thoughts blanking out with the force of electricity sparking through him, the uncontrollable piercing scream coming from him.

~Kaeya

After getting the info from Verr Goldet they made their way to Stonegate which turned out handy since Chongyun was familiar with the area. He could easily direct them through the woods and had an idea of where to find a local fatui member to interrogate. 

How they found the base wasn't so tricky afterall, they must have been confident because a pyrogunner was patrolling around, caught off guard when he saw the group charging at him.

Ganyu was quick to apprehend him, holding a bow to his head as they tied him up and interrogated him. 

"B-By the valley.. over there.." he pointed miserably after Kaeya had twisted his arm after still not letting up. Fearing they might be running out of time, 

The basecamp was seemingly just any ordinary fatui camp, except that it was built over ruins used during the archon war. Now nothing more than empty cells of tunnels worked underground.

"If the fatui are holding him captive, he'll almost certainly be held underground." As they plotted their ambush, Ganyu spoke to him.

"we’ll need a distraction.." Xingqiu murmured, crossing his arms.

"I could cause a scene and run." Chongyun suggested, shrugging. 

"We're not separating, you've already seen what that's done." reminding him of the mission at hand, as Kaeya paced in a slow circle.

There were at least 5 fatui in a squadron on the outside of the camp, but there could be more hiding behind the ruins and underneath. The pyrogunner and electric hammer would be easy for them to deal with due to the elements they wielded, but the cryogunner would be more problematic. They based between some old ruins, crumbling and visibly unstable, there was probably a cellar or tunnel leading to their main hideout. 

He turned to Xingqiu after some fast thinking, 

"Dr. Baizhu gave some herbs right?" he asks abruptly.

the boy cocks his head suspiciously in his direction.

…

With some work, he fiddled around while the others watched over his back intrigued. A mutual silence over them as they watched the knight work, he had an assortment of materials and was wrapping them in small crafted bags. Cutting various items with a dagger and his creation looking more recognizable as he screwed it shut. 

"Is this safe?" Ganyu timidly asks.

“Nope.” he grins, holding up his crafted mechanism.

 "but any luck and we have a pretty decent bomb." He says, proudly showing off his version of a klee bomb. 

He wasn't a pro, nothing compared to the spark knight, but he'd picked up a few tricks from watching her and Albedo make them on a regular basis. Although his looked more like poorly tied together rocks than a colourful dodoco bomb. 

A little gunpowder involved and anything could be made a bomb. 

“Don’t you need those herbs from the doctor though?” Chongyun asks, frowning.

He shrugs, “I’ll make due, it’s much more useful to us this way anyways.” He replies, he wasn’t sure how exactly Baizhu’s herbs helped but it was sure to cause a reaction that would leave someone gagging, better them than him. getting rid of the medicine was just another bonus for him.  

Xingqiu shakes his head, smiling, probably the most excited about this. “When shall we start then?” 

Ganyu answered this time, her head held high, “Now.” 

What ensued was what he could describe as pure chaos, hand crafted bombs being thrown about and the ground shook beneath them after each explosion. 

There were people running, men shooting blindly and particles shooting from every direction covering their vision. 

Pure madness, putting them at an advantage. 

That was the plan, catch them off guard. 

Without causing a scene he carefully snuck by the firing of arrows and waves of ice from Ganyu and Chongyun, each doing formidable damage and he was surprised by how powerful their visions made them. 

A completely different aura overtaking them when they were fighting. 

He felt a twinge of envy for his missing vision but he can’t focus on it, he had another task right now. 

Xingqiu was on his tail, following behind with a burst forth of hydro, swiftly piercing hydro swords at enemies and letting them move deeper in the fatui base they built up. Chongyun and Ganyu both making the bigger scene so they could stay relatively hidden. 

“Kaeya, down there!” He yells back, pointing to a cave entrance, he turns, equipping a dagger and racing over to the tunnel with him. 

There were cracks running along the ceiling that were evident from the explosions and he had a feeling this place would crumble any moment, they needed to hurry. 

As soon as they entered a cicin mage snuck around the corner, madly flashing electro energy and summoning bats, one of the fatui behind her yelled,

“Where is Lord Harbinger?! We’re under attack!” 

He braced himself to lunge at the mage, a grin forming on his lips but Xingqiu pulled him back by the shoulder before he could move, holding him back.

“I’ll handle it my liege, find Sir Diluc and get out of here.” He says, already aiming swords to launch at the mage.

With no time to argue he grudgingly nods, patting his shoulder in assurance “Be safe.” he returns a grin before blocking off a spark of electro. 

“Keep moving!” he yells as Kaeya speeds down the hall, crashing into a fatui guard and slamming into the wall. He silently prays for the boy, to barbatos or whatever god is watching upon them, to let them all leave alive. 

He tunes out the rest when he hears a cry. A familiarity to it as he turns to its direction and he speeds up. 

~~Diluc

Thump. Thump. 

An electrified jolt springed from his chains keeping him in place, immediately shaking him. 

He shakily squinted his eyes awake, glancing around in the darkness. 

He must have passed out, groggily recalling the inducing pain now increasing. He didn’t want to look down, whatever stung probably looked worse than how it felt right now. 

Thump.. Thump.. 

An echo in the background, he winced looking up too sharply, his head still in a foggy state but he was sure he heard something. 

What were they doing? He was in a secret fatui base, with this much racket it would alert someone for sure. 

His body ached the will to investigate, slouching against his demise as he could feel the ghostly presence of electrified twinges of pain still lingering. 

he wasn't giving in to them, but he was so tired. every part of his body aching. 

The mage knew where it hurt, that was for sure. He wondered when she left, not remembering much after the initial assault. Only the aching of his head reminding him he was still conscious. 

Rrrrrrrrrr……. Br.. thump.. .. thump.. 

Okay, What the hell was that? Forcing his mind to stay focused to concentrate on the noise. 

Loud noises came from above him and the ceiling looked just about to crash with each tremor shaking dust and debris around the room. 

Men shouting.. And an explosion? His eyes widening in a shocked silence and the low rumbling continued getting closer. 

This was his chance- A voice-  he needed to get out of here. 

“H-Help..” a low groan escaped him, he gulped, trying again while his throat burned from suddenly speaking. 

If only he had some water- 

“Help! W-Whoever’s there!” He shouted stronger, relieved he still had some voice. 

Suddenly, a crash came from so close to him and he strained against the pole he was chained too to shelter himself, dust scattering from above him with the age of the old cell. 

A rush of footsteps, seemingly a large group who’ve just broken in the entrance of wherever he was kept in, just entered. 

A raid.

He just hoped they were friendly. 

“Keep moving!” 

A flurry of battle erupting just out his vision but he could sense by the sound of yells and swords clashing that it was intense. 

Then he saw him, his head was pounding but he could recognize him anywhere. Definitely looking much different than he remembered but it was still him; he was here. 

“Kaeya..” he whispered, shocked to see him in the flesh.  Those days he spent looking weren’t in vain, and his brother was still fighting not sparing a second of his life in calm.

 He felt an overwhelming emotion, almost feeling like he was going to break down at any moment, never more relieved to see his face at the sight of danger. 

The blue haired man rushed forward, slamming a fatui against the wall and elbowing him hard in the head. He was wielding no sword but instead held a dagger, but as he heard the call of his name he turned to his direction, both immediately meeting gazes.

“Diluc?” He said hesitantly , approaching him slowly until he stopped, he could tell he bore the same expression as him, both relieved and oh, so frightened . 

He only had a moment glance at the poor sight of the redhead to confirm one thing.

He wasn’t going to show mercy to these people any longer. 

Without missing a beat Kaeya rushed for the throat of another fatui running down the corridor after seeing him slam the other one unconscious, he grudgingly directed his attention away from Diluc to attack the man.

With no hesitancy he slammed his gun away and pinned him, his dagger meeting the throat and giving him a swift death as blade met flesh. A surge of energy returned to him as he let the body drop and rushed past to the cell Diluc was locked in. 

They were lucky to find the base so soon, archons knew what would have happened if they came any later. 

Diluc looked worse than he’d ever imagined and he was scared of what they did to him.

"You're here.. your-" he rasped weakly, coughing as dust cleared the room. 

He rushed to his side, quickly looking to unlock him from his confinement. He split the bonds quickly and he sighed as he leaned against the wall, fatigue aching him. 

"You look like you've seen hell." Kaeya says, coming to his front end. 

The redhead doesn't respond, simply leaning back with his eyes closed. 

He was worried now, expecting the man to react with a glare at least. 

"Diluc, hey Diluc? We need to get out, can you hear me?" he anxiously asks, hesitantly reaching his chest to check his heartbeat since the man stopped moving.

A mistake he realized because Diluc immediately flinches back, glaring at him like he was an enemy then immediately turns guilty after realizing who it was. He didn't even realize he was pushing him away. 

"Can you walk?" is all he can quietly muster without reacting. 

Diluc silently nods, looking away awkwardly. 

They really did a number on him for him to act this way, Diluc never showed weakness, it was rare to see him act this way he felt bad to be the one to witness it. 

He let it go past him, Diluc was sleep deprived and probably not thinking straight, he knew not to do anything to trigger anything. 

Kaeya starts to rip his pant leggings, tying them around the man's wounds that were currently bleeding. 

Diluc scrunched his face but didn't push him away this time which was good, using the cloth to soak up blood. 

he just hoped he had enough energy to move after being tied down like that for so long.

“..Why are you here?” He mutters, gingerly touching his wrists where they were tied. 

Kaeya looks up, a bit stunned that he could talk, probably recognizing more on the situation now. 

He huffs, tying a cloth around his shoulder tightly, “Who else would save you, Master Diluc?” He replies. 

He makes a noise, sounding more like a groan than a chuckle as he sits up to get a better angle on him; He doesn’t meet his gaze though. 

“You should leave me here, Kaeya.” He says, ignoring titles while he frowns.

“That won’t happen.” He tells him, while lifting one of his arms gently over his. 

“No, get out of here. I’m serious.” pulling his arm away and holding it close to his chest. 

He was becoming irritated now; was it stubbornness or sheer will that this man wanted to do everything on his own? 

He scowled at him, “Are you an idiot? You can barely move as it is, don’t be a hero.” 

He shakes his head, ignoring him, “Y-You don’t understand, it’s a ploy- The fatui-”In that moment, he looks up to Kaeya with a desperate pleading face, and his eyes widen as he looks past him.

His eyes sharpen and he looks past him with a scared expression.

Diluc shouts, attempting to warn him in time but he reacts quicker. 

Kaeya twists his head to the intruder, behind them shadowed in the darkness a man stands, leaning on the wall with a gun pointed straight at them. His hand on the trigger and ready to kill. 

No, no, no.. 

Without another moment the gun fires, heading towards Diluc and Kaeya. And he knew it wouldn’t miss. 

He only has seconds as he turns back to Diluc and squeezes him, shielding him with his body before the bullet hits.  

Helpless to stop as it propels to his back and he feels an overwhelming jolt of pain. 

A piercing scream is the only thing that rings in the room, he wonders who’s screaming, him or Diluc? 

Chapter Text

The bullet that pierces his back feels burning, almost scorching as it hits his skin. Biting back a scream, he curls over, struggling to hold himself upwards as he fights through the pain. 

Ringing , his ears were ringing. And his vision was getting spotty too,

He had a moment's consideration if this was what dying felt like. 

But it was too soon, and he could definitely still feel pain. A bullet was something he could bite back. 

There was screaming.. Diluc? Barely looking down to realise he’s practically toppled over the other, his attempt at shielding him worked but now was using him as a cushioner. 

His brother tense with shock at him hunched over his chest, he couldn’t help flinching when he heard him scream as the gun shot out. 

He gulped, feeling weak and a sense of burning dread. 

It wasn’t supposed to go this way.

It couldn’t end like this. 

He wasn’t finished, he still had to kill the bastard who shot him. 

With heavy effort he shakily raised himself, he could see Diluc was trembling uncontrollably, a terrorized expression ridden his face and the redhead reaches for the dagger lying unattended. 

Realising what he was going to do he shook his head, snatching it from him before he could properly hold it. 

If he was going to die, he would die honourably, one of them had to make it out unscathed. 

“Kaeya, don’t..” He hears Diluc weakly warn him with a cough but he's already staggering back on his feet, twisting around to the fatui who shot him with a pained grin. 

He forced himself to lean straight, ignoring the scorching sensation on his back from the gunshot, imagining ice had been sealed over it, attempting to hide the pain as he puts on a brave face.

He glares at the fatui holding the gun, still poised in their direction but this time aimed at Kaeya specifically. 

He wasn't underestimating him; rather, he was surprised he was even standing there, nervously fumbling the trigger and preparing his rounds.

 Kaeya clenches his teeth and raises his head, slightly crouching to slow the bleeding and ready to dodge his shots.

He fires. 

One shot.

He swerved out of the way, the bullet passing over his head.

A second shot. 

Rolling forward, anticipating the next blast to his head. He rushed up to the man, grinning.

He fires again, but this time the gun clicks, he's out of ammo and luck it seemed. He shoves it in front of him, blocking Kaeya, and both wrestle it as they try to shove each other.

At this point, he was running on pure adrenaline, digging his heels into the ground and headbutting the man shaking him off. He didn’t need to think, just needed to kill this guy to get out of here. 

He spits out blood, leaning forwards as he catches his grip, controlling his breathing as he regains his balance. 

“His belt! Get his belt!” Diluc yells to him, and he glances to where he's pointing; he notices it right away and rushes forwards to grab it.

The agent swerves away, pulling out his own blade and pointing it out threateningly as they slowly circle each other, blades drawn and aimed at each other.

“Recognize something familiar?” Speaking to him for the first time, he reproaches with a sneer.

He knows it all right, it's his damn vision. But what furiates him is how a fatui managed to get their hands on it.  

he noticed the other vision hanging beside it, a pyro one not too unrecognizable, he could guess how that happened. Ah, an idea forming in his head. 

This could be a gamechanger if he played his cards right. 

“Collecting trophies now?” He replies coolly, keeping his tone sharp. 

As soon as he sees an opening he lunges at him but he hops back in time, predicting his move and dodging intime. 

“You should worry about yourself, can’t act like a hero forever.” He answers, flipping his knife in his hand, and suddenly falls back then swoops forwards to lunge right at his gut, knocking him backwards off guard. 

He catches the following lunge, his arm held back as he tries to regain his balance.

In the corner of his eye he sees Diluc helplessly watching, his face contorted with anger as he yells powerless to stop. 

Kaeya turns away, not wanting to look at his expression a moment longer, and remembers what he needs to do; he kicks the man off him, landing on his back with a piercing crack at the sudden lesson of pressure.

He can’t bite back a whelp as he whimpers from the jolting pain, adrenaline quickly wearing off as the sharp jolt where the bullet still lodged in his back fidgets and he can taste the blood swelling in his mouth.  

Just a little longer.. He can manage a little more. He wouldn’t let go yet.

As he regains his posture, heavily breathing this time the man takes the chance to attack him. 

"You're done!" The man screeches, knocking him against the ruin wall and pulling the collar of his shirt aggressively, he’s about to lunge another kick but freezes; instead he can feel the cold metal under his throat.

He was pinned.

Panic sets in as he realises he’s been caught, tensing against the man's grip. 

“LET HIM GO!” Diluc roars, stumbling to get up but is stopped as the blade digs deeper in Kaeya’s skin. 

“Not another step, or he dies.” He warns, meaning every word.

He gulps, not focusing on the blade nor the pain but forces to make eye contact with the redhead, Diluc stands hesitantly away, no weapon in hand but desperately wanting to intervene. 

“Leave me, save yourself.” Kaeya whispers simply, he blinks then his eyes narrow. 

“No way in hell.” He replies forcefully, intending to stay. 

He forces his eyes shut, relaxing his body against the fatui holding him, “You need one of us don’t you? Take me and let him leave.” He tells him. 

He sneers, “You're in no position to bargain, neither of you will leave this place alive.” 

Kaeya shakes his head briskly, then glares at him, “Only one of us will die tonight, now! ” Quickly, he elbows him hard against the gut, Kaeya reaches for the belt and tosses the glowing orb. 

Diluc grabs his vision, a growing energy coming back to him as he strengthens. 

Immediately fire enlightens the room as he pulls all his anger into his burst, a glowing phoenix rises and the flames become scorching. He smiles at the return of the familiar power, 

He’s filled with so much hatred, for the fatui, for the agent, for Kaeya trying to sacrifice himself for him, and him being helpless to stop it. 

Now that he has his power back he feels invincible. 

The fatui agent, realising he's screwed, backs up away from the heat but still lifts his head up defiantly. 

“This isn’t over! Lord Harbinger will be coming and he’ll make sure you're dead!” He yells, spitting anything at this point to scare him. 

He doesn’t waver, confident in his strides and he rushes to the agent, kicking him hard and letting the pyro sizzle into his skin. 

The agent tries to back away but is stuck in his grip, the flames burning hotter and he lets a scream out, 

Just before he can move through, Diluc stabs him. 

Straight through his throat and he makes sure he can lock gazes with him as the scene unfolds, clenching his teeth until he tastes the metallic sting. 

A gurgling piercing scream masked by blood comes out and goes silent, the taunting agent going limp and with it the fire leaving an ashy pile around the room. 

He backs away immediately, heaving a heavy sigh seeing the ash around the room, he lets his hand relax and the vision he held drops to the ground with a thud. 

Kaeya!

Glancing around the room he sees him. Lying on the ground as blood pools around him, he looked terrible. 

“No, no, no, Kae..” In an instant he's at his side, turning him over so he’s not drowning in his own blood as the wound bleeds more. 

Kaeya opens his eye, tears forming around his eyelids as he forces a smile. 

“Thank archons..” The blue-haired man breathes, his breaths shallow but visible.

“You’re going to be okay, w-we’ll get you to a healer..” Diluc couldn't control the tremor in his voice and he desperately tries to stop the bleeding by applying pressure. 

It was hard seeing him like this.. So weak , vulnerable. After he just saved his life and now he might lose him.

not yet. 

This was his brother! 

He couldn’t let him die in front of him. Not like this.. They hadn’t even talked yet! 

Kaeya does a heartwhelching cough, coming out as a splattered mess of blood. He has a sad smile on his face that’s scarily void of emotion.  

“..I-I’m sorry.” he mutters, his voice cracking. 

He moves Kaeya's head to rest on his knee as he’s trying to salvage cloth to stop the bleeding. 

It’s so much blood.. 

Kaeya gently reaches a hand to his, soaked in red and stops him. His gaze casts downward, “I need to- t-tell you..Luc-” he gasps, cutting off. 

“Save your strength, just please..live.” Diluc replies desperately, his vision cloudy with tears he hadn’t even realized were coming as he started to overcome with emotion.  

He closes his eye, a sigh escaping him as the effects of his injuries become apparent. Kaeya listens and stops trying to talk for now. 

It would have relieved him but it made him more nervous without his usual backhand replies. 

Kaeya looked so weak.. And his colour was starting to pale, the only indication of life was the shallow rising of his chest. 

The night of his birthday, the night his father died in his arms.. It couldn’t happen again, No… Not again-

He needed to get him out of here, there could be more fatui coming and he didn’t want the roof to crumble above them. 

There was a commotion coming from down the hall, and footsteps rushing towards them. Suddenly Diluc is alert as he lifts his head, overcome with the urge to protect him as Kaeya did for him. 

He reaches for the dagger at his side, abandoned and dripping with ooze. It doesn’t matter, gripping it and waiting for the intruders to come. 

Let the fatui come. He had his vision now and knew that his fire was more powerful than their weapons. He could beat them. 

Diluc tightens his grip against Kaeya, gulping, bracing for it.

They were coming. 

Down the hall, the footsteps quickened and he tensed when he made eye contact. A wave of confusion washes over him as he lets his vision flicker out. 

he's surprised, Instead of a fatui squadron he sees a boy, and another boy behind him who looked familiar. 

They both tense as soon as they see each other, and then the cyan- haired boy drops his sword, the metal clambering and he rushes forwards towards them immediately.

“Kaeya!” He screams in terror at the sight of them. Diluc instinctively pulls Kaeya closer to him, covering him; the boy doesn't sway, falling to his knees, his hands tentatively reaching to the man's motionless form.

“I can heal him- please.” he tells him urgently, and Diluc hesitantly lifts his body to the boy who immediately starts to heal the visible cuts. 

“What happened?” Chongyun asks quietly, stunned at the sight of his friend like this. His throat feels dry to reply, too many emotions overcoming him as he realizes hes still crying. 

He swallows hard instead, shaking his head, “H-he was shot..” He explains weakly and the boy doesn't know the name of trembles, his hands curling.

“You blundering fool..” He mutters at Kaeya whose face is scrunched in pain, no longer able to mask his own pain. He was probably already unconscious and by the way he didn’t react. Diluc didn’t know how much time they had. 

“Can you save him?"

The boy hunches over, sweat beading down his face as he concentrates on healing him, his hands visibly trembling as the hydro from his vision swirls from his hands and concentrates on the mass blood wounds. some small scratches are already visibly disappearing. 

Chongyun kneels next to him, resting a hand on his shoulder and worriedly looking at his friend, 

“Xingqiu don’t strain yourself.” 

He shakes his head. “I can’t, I can’t let him die.” 

Then his face panics, his eyes widening, and his hands start to dimmer with less glowing. 

“H-He’s fading, my healing abilities aren’t strong enough..” 

He looks up to Diluc, and now he can really see the fear in his eyes. These were just kids , he realises, too young to be seeing this and they were overcome with despair. 

He gulps, dropping next to him and looks to his brother’s fading body. 

 “What do I need to do?” 

They lay Kaeya as gently as possible on his side, the bullet wound has stopped bleeding but still oozes a sickly dark colour, just looking at it makes his guts twist. 

He needs to do this, or Kaeya will die. 

“I-I could possibly heal his major injuries if we remove the bullet.” 

Xingqiu said, although doubtful whether it would work. 

“What happens if we leave the bullet in?” Diluc asks, trying not to show his anxiety besides his strained efforts to keep the pressure on Kaeya strong. 

Xingqiu turns away, enough to answer what that means. 

Chongyun, gently kneels down next to his friend and holds out a popsicle, offering it to him. He doesn’t take it, instead stretches his arms out to hug him, his back shaking as he holds on to Chongyun. 

The other wordlessly embraces him back and eases him up to stand. 

He sympathetically looks to Diluc then slowly pats Xingqiu’s back comfortingly. 

Diluc was.. Taken aback, he was emotional too, already crying in front of Kaeya and clung desperately to the hope he would live.

"We'll step out for a while, we want him to live as well, but it's painful to see him like this." Chongyun admitted, respectfully turning away to escort Xingqiu, who was crushed with anguish, outside. They released what was at stake and weren't taking it to it well. 

Kaeya had made more acquaintances in his time missing and it was clear they all cared for his well being, including himself.

I’m sorry. He wanted to tell them, guilt bubbling at him. Kaeya had sacrificed himself for him, how could he hold kids the weight of keeping him alive? 

No, this was his responsibility alone. And he had no intention of coming back to Mondstadt for a funeral.  

Kaeya, please stay strong. 

And gulps, hesitantly picking up the dagger.

~~

With careful preparations, and mental encouragement he felt ready. 

Putting a clean cloth in Kaeya’s mouth and adding some of his precautionary weight on him to keep him still for what was to come. 

He took a deep inhale, 30 seconds is all it would take. He could do this.  

He made sure to clean off the knife and the two boys were outside the room, he insisted they stay out there. they didn't need to see this. no one should, to be perfectly honest. But he needed to get that bullet out, and deep down he knew he was the only one who could do it. 

With that he began to cut open where the bullet pierced, to get it out of his body.

It was horrid,  

Kaeya immediately awoke, the cloth muffling his agonising screams as he struggled to get away from his grip. His eye widened as it wildly looked around. 

All he wanted was to speed up, to stop his pain from his expression. 

Whether he was fully conscious or it was a response he still had the strength to move and he had to force his whole strength on the man to keep him still. 

“Shh-hh.. Kae I’m almost done.” shakily trying to sooth the younger as the screams get more violent. 

21, 20, 19 

He starts to count the seconds. 

I’m sorry, i’m sorry, i’m sorry

He had basic medical experience, nothing too complex and he had only used it on himself to stitch cuts but never this. He could only hope this was the best option and put faith that this was right. 

Then he feels it, the bullet. It wasn't lodged too deep and didn't hit any major organs thankfully. 

10, 9, 8..

He picks it out digging his hands in to wretch the metal out, ignoring everything screeching at him to stop. 

Kaeya falls back limp, his face streaked with tears and sweat from the ordeal.

4, 3, 2.. 

One. 

He slouches his shoulders in relief, he did it. He chucks the metal piece to the side and exhales.

Unconsciously he had been holding his breath and it felt good to let oxygen cycle in his lungs. 

He can rest now, Kaeya would be okay. 

Letting his eyes rest as he falls back, laying across from him. too weak to move. 

Unknowingly he blanks out, letting himself be swept by the comforting cloud of sleep.

He doesn’t even realise until his peaceful darkness is interrupted, movement flinching around him in colours as he dazily opens an eye. 

“I can’t..” 

There’s wailing, terror and panic in the room and Diluc quickly picks himself up to confront the commotion. 

He doesn’t even know what to think, but he immediately realises once he recognizes what’s happening. 

In front of him, the blurry vision of Xingqiu is crouched over Kaeya.

his face blurred with streaks and beside him is Chongyun also in a similar state, his shaken form unlike his calm demeanor. 

They all stare right at the limp body in front of them and he's stopped healing him. 

“H-He’s not breathing.. It can’t be..” 

He widens his eyes, turning to Kaeya, his skin pale and devoid of any movement. He looks like a corpse. 

This isn’t real, he took out the bullet- 

Rushing to them he’s overwhelmed with emotion, immediately stretching his head to see if it was true, disbelieving the fact. 

His brother couldn’t be dead.

He took out the bullet- this wasn’t supposed to happen.  But his pulse was dead and devoid of movement. 

They had watched each other grow,

He killed the agent- getting back their visions.

Looked out for each other and had disputes. 

He was Mondstadt’s Cavalry Captain. 

The second in command. 

He couldn’t be gone. 

Mondstadt still needed him, he needed him. 

All of a sudden the room is enveloped in heat, his vision sparking to life as the tears come rushing out, boiling down his face but he barely feels it. 

Something cracks, the flames licking every corner of the room but the corpse that was now his brother. Afraid to even touch near where he lay.

A sob escapes him, then another as he curls on himself pounding the ground with his fists until bloody. 

Filled with grief, he can barely even control himself. 

He doesn’t even realise someone is trying to shake him up until he’s nearly splashed with water. He looks up, focusing his blurry vision. 

His flames were being extinguished by a wave of hydro by the young noble’s blade. 

Xingqiu, though, doesn’t shake him because of the flames, he has another look in his eyes as he wipes them from his own tears. 

He softly touches his shoulder in a comforting manner then silently gestures behind him, a silence ensues and a lengthy pause. 

He follows his gaze, although hesitantly, he doesn’t want to look to where Kaeya’s body lies but the boy isn’t looking there thankfully, instead he looks to where he killed the fatui agent. 

He squinted his eyes. There were still small flames flicking the walls from his eruption but in a small pile of rubble a soft glow emanated where no flames touched. 

It couldn’t be- right ?

With wobbly legs he scrambles over and his eyes widen at the pile of rubble, disbelieving.

 He couldn’t get his hopes up, Kaeya was still dead- but this was different. 

He quickly flicked the rubble away, revealing the glowing orb in the centre, it glowed a faint blue but still had life. Kaeya’s vision hadn’t faded. 

“H-he’s alive..” He whispers barely audible but Xingqiu and Chongyun perk up. 

“What?” 

He picks up the vision, undeniable proof, and regains his footing this time more confidently walking to them. 

“His vision, it’s still glowing.” Showing them the glowing cryo vision, it even had the unique two wings instead of three on the rim. 

Their eyes widened in shock and amazement. “But when the user dies, it’s supposed to fade.” 

He gazes at the vision in his hand, the chilling cold emanating from it stings and he realises he has a chance, his brother could still live. 

“I think- It’s time to return to its owner.” He says slowly, grimacing as he takes the step towards Kaeya. 

He didn’t even know what would happen. He had never seen something like this, A vision glowing despite the user perishing? His only hope was it could bring back a fragment of life to see him awake. 

He would take back even a minute to have that chance. 

Kaeya’s skin is cold to the touch, pale and unmoving, Diluc gently puts the vision on his chest and covers it with each of his own hands. Now he really looked like a corpse.

The three of them gathered around him slowly, and with a pregnant pause, Xingqiu starts to speak to Kaeya. 

“Although we shared a brief few weeks together I truly see ourselves as friends. Thank you, for seeing me as who I am and letting me join you.” He murmurs to him, wiping his tears. 

Chongyun lowered his head, nodding softly. “I didn’t know you well sir Kaeya but I could tell you were genuine about every action, probably the most courageous person in the harbour.” he adds lightly, holding his palms together. 

Diluc stifled a sob as he sat close to his body, his hands folded together. He didn’t want to speak, he didn’t even know what to say, too much to tell.

But the words started to come out that he couldn’t control, needing to be said and a buildup of the years crumbling down.  

"I'm sorry," he says quietly, shaking his head, "I shouldn't have pushed you away and ran away that night, gods- I wish we hadn't fought but I was so... angry ."

“I know it’s too late but-” He holds back a sob, tears brimming. “But I care for you, I never stopped caring and I wish I could t-tell you that, truly.”

“Please, come back to Mondstadt with me Kaeya.”

He looks up slowly, at first he sees no difference in appearance but then frost starts to spread from his hands, the delicate designs etching along his skin and then glows. 

An overwhelming white that's blinding, his instinct kicks in and he scrambles away in time, almost falling over the liyuen boys who share the same startled panic as him. 

“What in gods-” Is all he can muffle before an icy spark unleashes across the room sending them backwards. 

When the dust settles and he can start to see clearer, his body tenses, frozen in place. 

Kaeya gasps awake, clutching his chest and vision as his chest heaves to catch breath. He’s so overcome he races to him and falls into his arms, squeezing him tight. 

He felt him tense under his grasp but he didn’t resist, he was too overwhelmed with what just happened and overjoyed he had come back somehow. 

He’s not the only one, Xingqiu and Chongyun come too and he can’t help sobbing into him, unrelenting wails of relief and grief for him to be alive right now. 

“Uh- You’re squeezing me guys, I can’t breath-!” Kaeya struggles and they all simultaneously jump back, a little hesitant but he can’t stop the happiness he feels. 

Kaeya looks around, a bit lost for words and a mixture of confusion, “..I feel like I missed something here.” 

Xingqiu lets out a laugh, wiping his tears. “We’re just glad you're alive.” He replies. 

He tilts his head questionable, then shivers, “Oo-kay, it suddenly got very chilly- and my hands have frostbite ! Is anyone else feeling like they walked through dragonspine-” rubbing his hands together and could see the blue fading to his fingertips. 

“Oh please be quiet for a minute,” Diluc shuts him up, no malice behind his words and even his smile was noticeable as he grabs Kaeya’s hands to warm up. 

Kaeya hums, his eyes closing softly as he warms up, he didn’t flinch when Kaeya leaned into him for more heat, his head dozing on his shoulder.

The feeling was surprisingly comforting.. And he let the heat from his vision glow hotter for him.  

“I wonder how you're alive.. I was sure you had passed..” Xingqiu murmurs, a hand to his chin. 

Diluc nods, “Even I checked, you had no pulse Kaeya, you were dead and somehow revived..”

Kaeya stills, and then shrugs, “I don’t know myself, but I think the frost is sort of numbing my pain for the time being.” He says while yawning. 

“I think I might.. Close my eyes..” and without another word he passes out, Diluc stabilizing him against his shoulder before he falls. As anticlimactic as can be just like that Kaeya had fallen asleep. 

He checks him in case it's actually serious but he thinks he just exhausted himself, concerned either way. 

Chongyun says inquisitively, “Perhaps..It had something to do with receiving his vision?” 

Now that he points that out, it does make a good explanation but still confuses him. 

"I'm not sure; from what I've seen, it's never done this." Perhaps it was something new? Or only in dire circumstances could he save himself from death. He wasn't even sure whether Kaeya was aware of what was going on. He would save the question for when he awoke, figuring Kaeya would know more about his own vision than he knew atleast. 

Nevertheless, they were still in an underground fatui base. They would have to question this after and he technically was still getting rescued, although he thought it was directed to Kaeya now after that deathly experience. 

Gently repositions him so he can pick him up without disturbing him, he avoided the spot where the bullet wound was, in case it opened up accidentally. 

“Fascinating, the injury isn’t completely healed but whatever remains is sealed with ice..” Xingqiu observes. 

He carefully angles to look at his back himself and worriedly looks back to Xingqiu, “That means the ice is a placeholder, on instinct he.. Saved himself.” He states, frowning slightly. 

His brow twitches, perplexed by the discovery but it does explain why he’s freezing. 

“I see, then we should return to a healer at once, for Kaeya and for you, Sir Diluc.” He replies, his eyes casting on his stained outfit. 

He pretends not to worry, shaking his head. “Kaeya needs treatment more, I’ll be fine.” He says firmly. He knew deep down his joints were aching and he wanted to tire, however after this ordeal he doesn’t want to rest for at least a couple hours. Still tense after being kept in this place and tortured. 

 “If you say so, my liege.” Xingqiu nods although hesitantly complying with his wishes.

With that Chongyun calls them from ahead, already checking if any stragglers were still in the tunnels. He confirms and leads them down to the exit.

Diluc grudgingly insists on carrying Kaeya the whole time not wanting to let him out of his sight after that and keeping both his and Kaeya’s Vision in his pocket for safekeeping. 

It was strange to see the confinements of his prison, thinking it was a lot darker than in reality was a crumbling ruin that happened to make the perfect Fatui location.

He feels ashamed he was outnumbered to a camp like this and was even going to be used in one of their ploys. That agent really riled him up as well. 

 He did feel smug walking by the dead bodies spread underground, each member deserving what punishment they got. Feeling a bit better that they wouldn’t cause any more harm. 

When they step out of the dingy basement he’s immediately blinded by sunlight and there's a moment where he almost stumbles at the bright rays, regaining his balance intime before almost stumbling with an unconscious Kaeya. 

Xingqiu hurries forward, greeting the first person who comes charging at them, her bow in hand as she nervously greets them.

“I was worried if something had happened.” Ganyu breathes a sigh, her hair messily cascading over her shoulders in disarray. 

“We’re fine for the most part, some things did happen though..” Xingqiu motions to Diluc and he feels her gaze move intently on them, widening slightly.  

“What on gods happened?” she exclaims, noticing Kaeya and the state of Diluc. 

He shifts uncomfortably, unknown where to start and tries to not meet her gaze awkwardly.  

“He’s fine, for now- he needs a healer immediately though.” He replies. 

She sighs and nods lightly, calming her emotions. “That can be arranged, I’m glad you’re safe and alive Master Diluc.” she said, greeting him personally. 

“Might I ask who you are?” tilting his head slightly to the woman, she was unfamiliar to him but could tell she was someone of higher power.  

She perks up, raising her hand lightly to her chest, “My apologies, I’m Ganyu, secretary of the Liyue Qixing and one of Rex lapis adepti.” She introduces herself kindly. 

Chongyun interrupts nervously looking at the company ahead of them, “Miss Ganyu.. What’s with the extra company might I ask?” 

She turns, waving at some men and turns back. "I alerted the Milliethe to arrest any survivors and to conduct an investigation into the fatui." She explains calmly.

He noticed the group of guards standing by and arresting the fatui agents which survived the initial attack, a bit taken aback by how quickly they had arrived. 

“Aren’t we all still wanted criminals under the Millieth though?” Xingqiu asks, noticing how some of the men were staring at them perplexed by the group. Diluc also recalled the warrant from Wangshu Inn. 

"Regarding that... I requested that the warrant be lifted since I believe you were all justified in your actions." "However, that doesn't clear you entirely, I merely used my power to stop them from instantly arresting you all," she says, as Xingqiu and Chongyun light up. 

Still, it was reassurance, and they would take it.

He looks down to Kaeya, narrowing his eyes slightly. They definitely would be having a conversation later about this, he would like to know what he had been doing instead of coming back all this while. And what exact crimes he had done in this foreign nation. 

Ganyu calls a couple guards while they were busy, then bringing a stretcher for Kaeya that he grudgingly agrees to and only because his arms were starting to feel numb.

 He definitely wasn’t going to let him out of his sight though, not after tracking him down all this time. 

“We’ll have to go back to Wangshu Inn for now, I can send a message to get a healer to come by tomorrow.” She informs the group, and already the Milleith were clearing out of the camp with them. 

She turns to Diluc, “I can also send word to Mondstadt if you wish.” She kindly offers. 

He contemplates for a second then shakes his head, “No need, but thank you.” He replies, kindly refusing her offer. 

It did cross his mind for a moment but he figured if a letter was sent of what happened right now, he can be sure a handful of knights including Jean would come marching here and wouldn’t let him nor Kaeya hear the end of it. A headache for sure and something Diluc would like to avoid, especially the delaying wrath of the acting grandmaster. 

Also concerned about their condition, he could tell there was something they were hiding from him. Although unsure what exactly. 

He knew something had changed in the past few weeks, and his mind needed time to process it in detail. He just hoped it would all go smoothly now that he had finally found his brother and that they were safe now. He could finally begin to get some answers. 

Chapter Text

The situation was rather tense, it had currently been a couple hours since Diluc was rescued from the fatui camp and they arrived at Wangshu Inn. 

and he was currently trying to calm down from the events that just unfolded. 

The healer hadn’t arrived yet but he wasn’t bothered, already insisting Kaeya to be the main priority and didn't feel urgent enough to seek a healer as of now. 

Since it was daylight they all agreed to let Kaeya rest in one of the rooms for now. agreeing not to wake him up after that rollarcoaster event, nearly dying and sending them all into panic. 

Diluc had planned to stay in the same room next to his bedside, hopefully until he woke up but found it incredibly unbearable and made him nervous as he watched the slow rising breaths as Kaeya was deep in sleep. After hours he was tired of it. 

He needed to take a break from it, for himself, and he could use a good drink to keep him awake. 

with a tired expression and probably dark lines under his eyes he finds a quiet table down in the Inn patio to spend the next few hours. 

That's when he met the young Noble who was with them. 

Xingqiu, remembering his name from before, suddenly appears and invites himself to the table, plopping down on one of the vacant chairs uninvited. 

Diluc doesn't seem bothered by it though, figuring this would be a good time to get acquainted with the boy who helped him escape and save Kaeyas life. 

He motions to the teapot, “May I pour you a glass?” 

“If you would be so kind.” lifting an empty teacup to fill, accepting the offer all too pleased.

He pours him a cup of tea, Xingqiu acts polite, like someone of a high esteemed guild, he supposed. He realized he never had the chance to formally see him alone and only saw him during the whole ‘Kaeya dying’ event. 

Not the best introduction. trying to ease a conversation casually, and to stop thinking of that. 

“Is Chongyun not with you?” He asks, curious himself where the young exorcist ran off to. 

The lad shrugged, tapping his fingers absently on the table. “He took a stroll down the path, I’m just here waiting for him.” 

“Why didn't you join him?” 

He huffs, leaning back into his chair with crossed arms. “Oh believe me I tried, but he said Miss Ganyu tasked him with something urgent, and insisted he would be quick to return.” he sighs, letting his arms drop. "Can't be helped I suppose."

The secretary? Now that he realizes he hadn’t seen much of her since they arrived at the Inn, he’d assume she would be the main organizer around here. 

He was a bit curious about her, remembering briefly from his knowledge that the Secretary was known to not show face around the city, preferring to stay indoors and work. Perhaps the rumours were wrong, or there was another reason she was out here. 

Diluc tilts his head, “Where is Miss Ganyu? I would like to ask her some questions.” 

Xingqiu pauses, looking up thoughtfully gazing at the big tree overhead. “Last I saw she was up the tree, what do you need to ask her?” 

He shakes his head absently, keeping his gaze on the table.

“I would have liked to discuss the details of that warrant , and whatever Captain Kaeya has scrounged into these past weeks.” There was a strange softness in his voice speaking of kaeya in such context, it felt almost unnatural but he passed it off as just another nerve. 

To be honest, he was glad he finally found his missing brother although learning what he’d been up to in his leave did not seem the most positive. It would be probably best to narrow down what exactly happened and save it to a report to Jean and the knights.

“Ah.” the teen straightens, suddenly becoming more rigid in his posture and rubbing his face. 

Diluc raises an eyebrow, and Xingqiu awkwardly turns his head, his lips tight.

“Unless, you know what happened, I assume yes from your response.” staring more intently at the boy now, Xingqiu’s guilty expression was clear as day. 

"Spill." narrowing his eyes at the boy.

xingqiu raises his hands defensively, starting to explain while avoiding his intent staredown. “Well… Me, Chongyun, Xiangling and Hu tao were the first to find him and bring him back to recover.” he starts, his eyes looking everywhere but diluc. 

“Recover? What happened?” he leaned closer, more concerned now. 

“He- um, was in an accident and fell into the ocean and then we found him around Yaoguang Shorl. D-Don’t worry! Doctor Baizhu saved him, and he was recovering okay in the pharmacy..” his voice trails, finally meeting his gaze with the redhead who’s in shocked silence. 

Kaeya was in an accident? A knot in his throat thinking about it, from his search with Amber back at Cape oath that does explain what happened in their missing search and why the trail simply vanished , if only they thought of that possibility at the time. 

His vision must have separated and landed up in dragonspine where Albedo found it, filling in the bits. 

“Was.. he okay?” He asks hesitantly, his concern over Kaeya obvious but he still was withdrawn from showing it, reluctant if he was even allowed to. 

Xingqiu curls his hands, his eyes flicking down as he reaches for his teacup, absently stirring it. 

“I’m.. not sure, entirely. Apologies for the disappointing news however it's the truth, even Baizhu was confused.”  He admits, sipping his tea. 

He frowns puzzled, noting for the future. there was something he was avoiding and he was beginning to become frustrated at the rough answers. It had only been a few weeks, what possibly happened to his younger brother? 

It didn't help that he was currently incapacitated in a bed, which was even more frightening if this wasn't the first time it happened. having fatal injuries only a few weeks apart could be disastrous even for a vision user.

He takes a deep breath before leaning to the boy, his eyes narrowed. 

“I trust you to be forward with this question, what happened to Kaeya Alberich that prevented him from returning to Mondstadt?” he asks, a little blunt but needing an answer. something to justify his disappearance like that.

A simple answer would be he was injured, but Diluc was no fool and Kaeya was no damsel in distress. His brother probably had an alternative reason for not returning and he wanted to know why. Atleast for the people waiting in Mondstadt for him. 

At this, Xingqiu gulps, the question surprised him and he seems reluctant to answer. 

"I don't know," he replies, pausing until he meets his gaze. He looks perplexed, wondering the same. 

“I’ve known Kaeya for a short time but I think if you asked him, he would blur the truth to not worry you.” He says finally, his hands clasping together on the table. 

“I also think he would definitely want to prevent you from having this .” He pulls a booklet from his inner pocket and hands it to him. Almost like a bargaining chip for his lack of responses.

Diluc carefully lays it on the table reading the title, ‘Kaeya Alberich Doctor’s notes- I hope these will find itself useful in another's hands- Baizhu’

“Why do you have this?” he asks while opening to the first page, filled with detailed times dating from around when he stayed at Bubu. 

Xingqiu winks, “If he gave it to Kaeya to hold on- it would probably be in a bomb by now, so he entrusted it to me.” He proudly states.

"It's not the best but perhaps you could find use in it." he adds. 

He doesn’t know what to say, taken back by him giving this. He knew this was definitely something he shouldn’t have especially to Kaeya but the noble entrusted it to him nonetheless. 

“Thank you.” He tells him, meaning it. 

“You’re welcome, I hope you find use in it.” grinning back at him.

He nods, folding it closed and putting it in his jacket. Maybe he could atleast know what happened and work it out from there. 

Just as their interaction ended he heard a voice call them, evading his attention from the book to see what the commotion was about. 

Xingqiu was hesitant to give the notebook, wondering if he really should. But ultimately he knew he had to give it to someone Kaeya knew. 

Be it Diluc he wasn’t sure, but he figured the book would do a better time explaining than he ever could. Honestly, how could he even begin to explain the extreme measures the captain had done while in the harbour to Diluc. 

He’d leave it to the notebook to fill in,  Baizhu did take good notes for all his patients, leaving no detail unchecked. 

He couldn’t help a small smile when he handed it, hopefully, he wouldn’t regret that choice. Thinking back about it a lot had happened in their time at Liyue with the knight, be it good or bad, it was enough to write a good novel out of it. 

He shook his head lightly, turning his attention to the half-Adeptus who was speeding their way in a panic. 

“Oh, thank goodness you two are out here!” 

She rushes to the table and sets down a plate of food. “Has Chongyun returned yet?” 

“Apologies, he’s still gone,” Xingqiu replies, eyeing the plate she brought curiously. 

Ganyu sighs, shaking frustratingly. 

“Is something wrong?” Diluc asks her. Conflicted by her distress.

She sighs, “I’m trying to make Almond Tofu but unfortunately the kitchen ran out of almonds so I asked Chongyun if he could fetch some for me, but he’s not back.” She explains, gesturing to the plate of tofu she brought along, looking already beautifully done. 

so thats what was so important Chongyun insisted on going alone, mentally shaking his head. 

“I’m sure he’ll be back soon, there's no hurry right?” Xingqiu tries to comfort her but she starts to pace around nervously, her arms folded. 

“I know Xiao will be back anytime, I just hope he comes before Chongyun arrives… Oh, this tofu has to be perfect..” She mutters, not hearing him. 

While she fumbles in her muttered panic Diluc leans over to him confused, whispering, 

“Might I ask who Xiao is?” 

Before he can answer, A cold voice interrupts behind them, answering for him. 

“Did someone call for me?” 

all three of them jump back in surprise, Ganyu gasping in horror and quickly snatching the plate of tofu behind her before the adeptus can see. 

Behind them appears a small man dressed in mismatched attire who is no taller than him. he doesn't look that powerful unless you take into account the spear he wields and his cold expression.

With a defiant frown on his face, he quickly realizes he is not alone and drops two people in front of him, crossing his arms.

“I believe you were looking for these two, Ganyu?” He says, eyeing her with narrowed eyes as he gestures to them on the ground. 

The two people in question were a surprise to him. Chongyun and Qiqi, oddly enough. 

“I found the zombie girl out in guili plans lost, apparently sent here and the exorcist boy was not far,” Xiao explains before they could ask. 

“..I got the almonds, miss Ganyu..” Chongyun awkwardly says, his shoulders tense with Xiao still leaning over his shoulder with a stern glare. 

Ganyu stumbles upright, trying to not look alarmed, “Y-Yes! Thank you Chongyun and thank you Xiao for bringing them here so swiftly.” Dipping her head as he acknowledges her. 

he nods but doesn't blink another second of attention on her, his gaze trailing to him and Diluc. 

He raises an eyebrow, "I see you've brought company." 

"I hope you don't mind, I was also making almond tofu if you would like to have some," she says, revealing the plate she hid behind her and now setting the almonds Chongyun brought beside it. 

His eyes lit up for a moment that he quickly shakes away, replaced by his usual stern expression. "It is of no concern to me who you bring, although the dish is a kind gesture," he says, clearing his throat. 

Chongyun sulks next to him, unwrapping a popsicle as he breathes out slowly. 

 “Adeptus Xiao’s teleportation with wind caught me off guard.” he mutters tiredly, but there was a glimmer of curiosity as he watched Xiao start to idly pick up his plate of almond tofu while talking with Ganyu.

While the exorcist calms down, Qiqi quietly walks over to Ganyu tugging her side gently.

 “Qiqi is here to heal the patient you requested, Miss cocogoat.” straightforwardly announcing her presence.

did she just call her a cocogoat..? 

Ganyu tilts her head, crouching lower to pat the younger girl’s head appreciatively unaffected by the nickname. “Of course! Qiqi, is Dr. Baizhu coming as well?” she asks. 

Shaking her head she answers, “He gave Qiqi this note and said it was okay.” She hands the note to the secretary who looks over it briefly reading the envelope addressed and slides it on the table. 

She then stands up, picking up the zombie with her and nestling her in her arms and turns to the group with a warm smile.

 He had never noticed it before but Ganyu was one of the few people in Liyue who treated Qiqi like any other child. and even allowed her to call her nicknames, probably because of the childs short memory but it was cute in a way. 

Most citizens treated the small child as a healer or found her blank stares unnerving, although he always tried to be polite to the zombie even if she forgot him. 

Diluc is the one to take the envelope the doctor gave, looking up questionably, “This was the doctor that saved Kaeya?” reading the front envelope signed doctor Baizhu himself.

Xingqiu nodded in confirmation and the redhead face grimaces, holding the envelope tighter as he considers opening it. 

He had another goal though, and was eager to meet a certain someone right about now, Xingqiu taps Chongyun getting his attention and turning to everyone else around the table. 

“Now that Qiqi is here I don’t suppose we can go check on Kaeya now?” eagerly asked. 

“Right, that should be your main priority, pardon me for not taking everyone immediately. Qiqi, you remember sir Kaeya?” Ganyu sweetly asks the girl who thinks for a moment and recalls, 

“The eyepatch man who jumped out a window?” She innocently responds, her eyes big. 

Xingqiu cuts in before anyone can answer clearing his throat loudly ignoring the two pairs of eyes glaring at him, 

He suddenly wishes Qiqi remembered anything but that, hoping that master diluc wasn't going to corner him for a detailed summary.

“Why don’t we just go heal Kaeya first, then ask questions.” He suggests, standing up from his seat to motion the group to the elevator. 

“I’ll be on the roof.” Xiao turns away quickly with a huff and disappears taking his almond tofu with him. Ganyu shifted awkwardly, sighing lightly but seemed used to it. 

“I’ll be joining Adeptus Xiao on the roof, um- could you-?” She motions to Diluc, making him extend his arms as she passes Qiqi to him. 

Diluc was reluctant and tries to refuse but she insists and lets Diluc hold the girl in his arms. 

she gives a light smile, “If anything happens don’t be afraid to call me and don’t cause any ruckus if possible.” She glances at Xingqiu and he tries not to mock his offence at calling him out. 

“I’ll be there, Miss Ganyu, don’t worry,” Chongyun responds nonchalantly and now he shoves him gently in the side, annoyed at this betrayal. 

Just because he was known to be a prankster and followed in Kaeya’s plans he was untrustworthy, he shakes his head annoyed. 

But he was still excited. He wanted to see his friend awake again and hopefully be in better shape. Not to mention Kaeya had a lot to explain to them all about what had happened back there, and a lot to unload to his brother. 

He's about to tell Diluc just that but when he turns around he stops himself,

Unlike the others, Diluc's face was grim and reluctant.

it caught him by surprise, for someone who cared a lot for his safety he looked the most hesitant to see him.

guilt, his expression clear and yet Xingqius’s mouth was dry with words and he couldn't find the words of comfort until they were in front of the door. 

What could he even say to ease the guilt of someone almost dying for them? Much less family, he doubted his brother would be that protective. 

Instead, he watches him as they head to the elevator silently, His face turned stone to a usual frown and Xingqiu notices his shoulders were tense. 

~

Diluc draws to a halt just a few metres from the door in front of Kaeya's room. He was still carrying Qiqi in his arms, but his face became strained, and he looked down at the floor.

Chongyun and Xingqiu both looked back at him and he had to stop him at this point, not being able to hold back his voice. 

"Hey!" Xingqiu grabs his attention. 

"you came here looking for him, right?" 

Diluc looks up slowly, shaking his head. "He probably doesn't want to see me, I should just wait here." he gently puts qiqi down who raises her head to him a bit confused to be placed down. 

"That's silly, you're his brother ,"  Xingqiu replies nonchalantly.

His shoulders droop, catching a twinge of a reaction. "We haven't called each other that in years, I’m probably the last person he’d want near him," he admits, stepping back from the door. this was better.. to watch at a distance.

Chongyun steps behind him, "Don't say that Master Diluc, you’re probably denying it but he must care for you as well." he says, soft-spoken and truthful. 

Xingqiu nods in agreement, "You're the only familiar face to him, don't walk away from this." 

He knows very little about what went on between them to cause such a rift, enough to disown each other in the end but each of them still cared for each other without admitting it.

“He also sacrificed his safety just to rescue you.” He adds dryly. Intently staring at him. 

Diluc lets a sigh out and looks up. eventually nodding in agreement. 

 "You're right, I'm just a bit embarrassed that a child has to point it out to me to convince myself." he lets a dry chuckle out, his face softening as he takes his defeat to join them.

He gently reaches to grab Qiqi’s hand and walks to the door, knocking on the door then opening the doorknob with a slight creak. 

"Kaeya?" 

~~

in a heartbeat, Kaeya awakes, the excruciating pain reacting over his body the first thought in his head. It felt like a hangover but was getting worse as he forced himself to move. 

He realized quickly he wouldn’t be able to, his muscles burning otherwise and fighting between a cold and hot fusion that brought flickers of electricity shocking his nerves. 

“Great..” he muttered, relaxing against the soft bed that was enveloping him. He was coming used to this scene, and after all these weeks hoped it’d be the last. 

He raised his hand stiffly to feel his face, a light sigh escaping him when he felt his eyepatch still on his face. At Least he didn’t have to reach over the bedside for one, saving one less problem. 

As he lay down, he tried to recall what had happened, the fuzzy images coming back to him. 

Xingqiu, Chongyun and Ganyu… they were at a campsite, suspicious men were nearby and they were readying an ambush. 

That didn’t make sense… Why were they planning an ambush? 

His headache became overwhelming in that moment, his face scrunching forcibly being pulled into the memory.  

“You’re going to be okay, w-we’ll get you to a healer..” a shallow whisper echoed as he focused away from the pain. It was such a familiar voice too, the soft tone of it feeling wrong. 

His eye wasn’t cooperating and willed to stay shut, just the blur of red casting over his vision.

Movement wafting in his memories as blurry images come to pass.  

He tried to reach out to voice but his throat was blocked, was this his body giving up? Succumbing back to an endless void. 

 “-please..live, Kae.” 

Diluc- ? His eyes widened recognizing the nickname, he was going to die if he didn’t say anything-

Diluc-! 

He twisted to see him, to see the face of his sworn brother one last time. His body willed on its own though refusing to do so, only the blur of red and black overtaking his blurry vision. 

He realized then, it was fading, he was fading.

 -slipping into the void without another word. 

the last sight of his brother and he was dying, the taunting beasts tuning his mind as rushes of icy swirls enveloped him as he fought against it, no longer composed in the limbless body in his arms. 

He looks back in wonder but it’s dark, a black nothingness. 

He shuttered a shaky breath, sharply sitting up and his eye crazily looked around. The nightmare comes to an end as he realizes what had happened.  

This was familiar, and this time he cursed for real, in fear and in stupidity. 

He died, but now he was alive. It made no sense but Diluc was there, no doubt, where were they now? And where was he..?

Kaeya doesn’t linger the thought for long, feeling a familiar pressure behind his throat as he holds back from choking in a panic. 

With a clatter, he falls into the floor off his bed, racing to the bathroom.

 Ignoring the once-imposed constraint to allow his wailing limbs to rest, the overcoming urge to overfill reaching its limit.

He arrives at the sink just in time, hurling himself over it as he violently vomits. A sickening wretched moans echos and succumbs to his illness as he empties the contents.

That was disgusting.. He shivers.

He wipes his chin with a low moan, nearly topples over the sink as he wobbles to balance against the counter, shakily trying to compose himself. 

“Snap out of it… Calm down Kaeya..” counselled himself as he slides to the bathroom floor, leaning his back on the door and letting the weight push him down to the ground with a plop.  

The doctor's booming words reflect back at him, and what he told him comes back to ridicule him.

“The medicine is only to lower your symptoms so take it frequently.”  

Damn it, maybe he shouldn’t have combined them into a bomb before remembering that. 

Idiiioot.. He hissed in pain. 

There was no way he could get that medicine now, was there? Too exhausted to even complain. 

As he suffered the consequences pulling him apart, the effects unmistakably ran out. As a million things raced through his mind, Shakily took a deep breath as he feels another hallucination taking control over his head.

“Leave me.. Save yourself.” his own words reflect back to him as the scene of fighting the agent scarily reappears, but it doesn’t look right as the agent is already stabbed through and mask broken in half, leaving a dark void in its cracks. 

The blood dripping down his coat as he stumbled back, It swings a knife past his chest- 

“No-!” A wave of screaming all at once echoes from all angles, shattering his stance as he steps into the darkness. The scream felt like it was lasting an eternity, shattering glass and ice in its radius. 

The deafening sound making him hold the sides of his head tight. 

It’s not real, it’s an illusion- he tries to lucidly tell himself but it’s his own mind fighting against him. 

A rattling doorknob jolted him back awake, his one eye flaring and jerking his head to the door, panic overtaking him and quickly slamming the bathroom door shut before anyone could notice. 

His chest was pounding, overridden with fear and he wonders who entered the suite.

An intruder? He thought, nervously realizing he had nothing to defend himself with, much less be able to stand.  

“Kaeya?” a voice faintly says on the other side, confusion overtaking it as there's rapid shuffling he can hear going on, wondering where he had gone. 

He closes his eyes, focusing it out then going back to control his breathing, coming out more shakily as he curls into himself on the floor. He could ignore them, not like they could open the door anyways. 

A sharp rap of the bathroom door sends his whole backfilled with vibrations as he jumps in surprise. 

“Kaeya? Are you in there?” He knows that voice. His shoulders sagged hearing Xingqiu’s familiar voice on the other side. 

He gulps, rising to his feet and tries his hardest to not stutter. 

“Give me a minute..” He chimes back, hopefully buying himself some time. 

Quickly he turns on the sink, splashing his face with water. He had to hide this from him, swiping his hair to look less tangled and not like he was having a full-out nightmare. 

He stumbled on his foot, knocking over the objects on the counter with a clattered noise. Silently cursing and rushes to pick back the items with no time to spare. 

Another knock on the door, more rushed this time. “Is everything alright my liege?” Xingqiu worriedly calls, hearing the disturbance on the other side. 

Setting back on balance after cleaning that mess, “yep- doing fine!” He bites back a whimper. God his head was killing him-

His vision was getting more blurry in his one eye as he stalled, terror running through him as he makes sure there was no evidence that something could be wrong. 

Before another rap on the door can be heard by Xingqiu he swings it open, masking a grin as he leaned against the door smoothly with one arm. 

“What can I do for you?” 

The boy pauses, his eyes widening slightly as he intently stares at him.

“Are you alright? You were in there for a while, I was worried something had happened.” He tries to lean into the bathroom for a better look but Kaeya blocks his view with a side shuffle, closing the door behind him quickly.

For all he knew the bathroom still stank of fresh puke, hoping Xingqiu’s senses weren’t that strong.  

“I’m fine, never better.” He smoothes with a slight smile, It’s funny how his lies can slip out so easily, almost second nature to him.  

Xingqiu raises an eyebrow, tilting his head, “It’s alright to admit you're not well, I think it’s become a pattern at this point.” He muses with a worried smile, although Kaeya just frowns- the only way to hide his discomfort from forcing himself to stand right. 

He doesn’t stall though, “Qiqi’s in the next room with the others, so don’t worry.” He says, his expression softly.

Kaeya lets himself sigh in relief, appreciative that Qiqi was nearby. 

He nods to him “That’s good.” 

He makes sure Xingqiu walks ahead of him as he follows, it’s only around the corner but he still lightly trails his hand on the wall for support.

The headache he was feeling was painstaking at this point, trying to suppress any hallucination and whatever curse felt like was exhausting his mind and body and he wanted to get healed and drop to the bed as soon as possible. 

Kaeya almost feels relieved as he turns the corner successfully, but his moment of triumph fades as his gaze trails the room.

 He stiffens- a chill running along his spine suddenly and he meets gaze with the person across him. 

The flaming red crimson flicks through his vision, fire and rain overlapping as the scene drills in his memory with a distinct familiarity. 

“Kaeya.” Diluc greets slowly, standing up from his seat to come to him but the blue-haired man already stopped moving at the sound of his voice, his legs refusing to move another step. 

So instead he meets his eyes, immediately breaking contact as soon as he saw him, thoughts whirling as the hallucinative symptom fights back his control. 

Cold crimson red eyes glared at him, spitting with fury from that day as he crosses him with his broadsword in hand. 

“Kaeya?” The cold glare replaced with a soft gaze as Diluc hesitantly steps closer to him. 

“Traitor.”

He didn’t react, his eye staring at the man frozen in place, trying to keep the picture of the Diluc in front of him. 

“Scum.”  He spits, shifting his claymore readying to strike him again, the fire lighting along where the blade ends without hesitation.

All those years avoiding confrontation coming back to him, reacting at seeing the one who always was in them. 

“You’re no brother of mine.” 

He flinches back from Diluc’s grasp, almost instinctually as if he was going to attack him. His back hits the wall, not even aware of what he was doing until he curled himself defensively with his back to the wall.

“Don’t come closer!” He hissed on instinct, probably looking crazy but he didn’t care, his head was pounding trying to still recognize what was real or not. 

He looked up hesitantly to Diluc’s face, expecting to see nothing but hatred for him but instead he flashes a look of pain,

Diluc looked hurt and he steps back looking at his palms, probably realizing what he’d done.  

Kaeya grips his head with both hands, groaning. He shuts his eye tightly. Willing to not focus on anything but the present. 

“Sorry, I didn’t- just give me a minute.. To get my head straight..” He strains, gritting his teeth and leaning on the wall heavily. 

It isn’t like last time, Diluc was here not to kill him. 

The redhead recoils uncomfortably, “I’ll wait outside..” He says softly, flickering in guilt. 

“No!” He screams, beckoning his head flaring to the redhead.

"Stay- before I lose focus of what's real or not.." he says in a half-slurred tone, firmly keeping him in place, and he nods slowly not moving from his place. 

“Okay.” 

God- this was going horribly, he didn’t want to let him leave like that. Diluc didn’t do anything wrong to feel guilty, he needed to calm down.

Meanwhile Diluc looked to the young noble and exorcist, confusion overtaking him as he was too stunned to make of the situation. 

Xingqiu was far ahead, immediately realizing what was happening. 

“Qiqi- please help, did Doctor Baizhu give any medicine?” The noble urges the little pharmacist, her eyes focus nodding and rummaging in her bag, immediately put to work. 

He was having a hallucination like at the bank, something he remembered far too clearly. It was awful timing it had to be when things were turning up but they needed to stop whatever was happening to Kaeya quickly before something happened. 

He should’ve noticed when he was taking so long in the bathroom, Kaeya woke up alone with no one here, there was no telling what had happened. Worry edged him but he shook it off, The captain was strong this would be easy for him to get over. 

Hopefully. 

Regrettably he did have doubts, and there wasn’t Baizhu here to come up with a magical cure this time. 

Qiqi stops rummaging in her bag, taking out a small sealed vial of a dull-looking liquid.

“Qiqi needs Kaeya to drink this, Dr. Baizhu had made it.” 

“And it’ll help?” He asks, shifting his gaze to Kaeya who looked worse for wear and still looking terrified at the situation he was cornered in. His eye was flickering intensely but he was still holding onto consciousness. 

She nods and gives it to him. Chongyun looks over to the two, questionably. 

“What happened to mr. Kaeya? I thought he was doing better?!” He whispers urgently, confused in the matter. 

“I did too but apparently not, it’s unfortunate we weren’t here when he awoke,” he says glumly, his shoulders sagging a little.  

Chongyun looks down, pensively “I’m going to get Ganyu and Xiao, this could end up worse than we’d expect.” He says, glancing to the others. 

“Alright, please be quick Chongyun.” He urges, unsure how to handle the situation himself but trusts Chongyuns judgement. 

Chongyun nodded, deciding that instead of hurrying to the door, he would just leap out the window and climb to the rooftop directly. Taking his glider and drifting to the surrounding tree branches.

Xingqiu watched out the window in a mix of surprise and amazement for his friend but quickly turned away once he was out of view. His attention elsewhere. 

He takes a breath clutching the bottle and slowly approaches Diluc and Kaeya. Diluc currently stood a couple of feet from Kaeya with his arms raised, it almost looked like Kaeya was a cornered dog and he felt bad as to what his mind must be hallucinating.  

Taking precautionary slow steps towards the blue-haired man he finally comes close enough to crouch next to him, noticing his chest was rapidly gasping for air as he groans uncomfortably even biting down on his lip. 

 “Kaeya, it’s okay, you’re safe here- just breath..” He murmurs encouragingly to him slowly uncapping the vial on one knee. 

Diluc hesitantly comes closer but still keeps distance in case Kaeya flinches again. 

“What is that?” He ask, gesturing to the vial, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. 

“It’s a remedy, hopefully.” Trying not to sound doubtful, in honesty he had no idea what it would do but there weren't any other options to help him quickly, Betting on whatever this was to help him. 

“Can you hold his mouth open?” His gaze flickers to the redhead, he gulps but raises his hands readily. 

Kaeya's upper body was propped up against the wall, his lips were softly murmuring something incorrigible and looking past them.

 Diluc cautiously moves his arm behind his back and adjust shim so they can tilt his chin back, which was easy because Kaeya was already weak from the injuries he sustained and held no resistance. 

“Down the hatch, it goes..” Tilting the vial to his lips and letting the liquid slither down his throat. 

his eye flickers open in surprise and he starts to resist turning his head but Diluc keeps his chin firm while he squirms. 

“You’re doing great Kae, just another moment.” He tries to say encouragingly, to calm him down. 

They wait a moment before letting him go, making sure he swallowed it all and immediately a string of coughs erupts from him.

Diluc gently rubs his back as he lets it out of his system. 

“Archons that tasted vile..” He mutters finally with a wheeze when he can get a breath in. 

He exhales heavily, wiping his forehead off of sweat and leans back against the wall. 

“How do you feel?” Xingqiu questions nervously, a little relieved he was responding. 

“Like I was just forced to swallow a dendro slime.” Kaeya spits out, falling back exhausted. 

Besides the specific comment at least he was calming down which meant the medicine was somewhat working, although he wasn’t sure how to comfort him for the taste it included.

Diluc furrows his brow, sitting back. “What the hell just happened?” 

Kaeya sighs closing his eye, almost sounding relieved as the medicine did its work. 

“It’s a long story but it’s happened a few times now. I think this is the second time it’s happened this badly..” Xingqiu replies his voice trailing. 

He can tell the other starts to become annoyed, “And this wasn’t something concerning to be addressed?” he turns his head to Kaeya, waiting for his reply. 

“No. It isn’t,” he replies firmly. His eyes open slowly but coldly reflect back to him, regaining his composure to at least do that. 

Diluc sits up, scowling furiously, “If you all knew why the hell did you still fight, knowing your health was at risk from the start?!” 

“If it is of concern we did advice Kaeya to not fight-” Xingqiu starts but Kaeya interrupts, raising a hand. 

“It was my decision. No one forced me.” Kaeya says firmly, but that didn’t mean it was right.

Diluc hunches up, crossing his arms crossly. “It was still reckless, you could’ve died, you did die! I just don’t understand why you would risk so much.”  

"Because it was you, Diluc!" He responds aggressively, raising his voice. Diluc flinches reluctantly, all rage diminishing as a wave of bewilderment washes over him.

“Bullshit.” He states, disbelieving. “I don’t understand.” 

Kaeya sighs deeply before replying, an edge to his tone, “I wasn’t going to sit back and let those bastards get away with hurting you, much less let that agent have his way.” He states, raising his gaze to meet Dilucs. 

“So you risked your life?” He cuts in, unbeknownst raising his voice as his anger sets in.

Kaeya pauses his sentence, presumably thinking carefully of his response but he notices his lip quivering ever so slightly. 

“I couldn’t bear to watch you die.” He admits, pushing his bangs in front of his face as to not see his eye was glistening. 

Diluc’s gaze lingers on him for a long time, then scowls, regrettably realizing he had overstepped too late. Guilt waving over him. 

He turns away ruffling his loose hair while letting a long sigh out.

He knew he overstepped and he had to make this right.

Chapter Text

"Kaeya I'm-"

"No. Master Diluc, please accept my apologies for speaking out of line," Kaeya replies coldly, finishing his sentence without even glancing at him, but he can tell he was barely keeping it together.

the cold, emotionless persona of his covering what little emotions he had incheck. 

A part of him hurt inside from Kaeya addressing him with formalities, a barrier drifting them apart. 

"I was wrong to lie, but surely you understand my intentions." he continued after a short pause, noticing his jaw twitching from where he stood.

He sighed, he was never good at confrontation, but this was going in all the wrong directions. Why was he even upset at him? He should be worrying about his health after that outburst. 

But what could he even say to him to comfort him? he was a terrible brother, not even deserving to be called family yet here he was, worrying over his estranged sibling and feeling guilt for causing this whole scene. 

“It seems I was the fool all along..” Diluc murmurs quietly, his fists curling together at his side.

He was gone for 4 years travelling Teyvat in search of the source of his father's demise, but the friendships he left in Mondstadt, the people he loved were no longer the same and had grown from his time there. 

Kaeya was even more unreadable of his thoughts. The line drawing them apart seemed further than ever but he still wanted to make things right. 

he lets a sigh out, slowly drawing his gaze to him. “I.. became worried when you had gone missing, it was a strange reaction. But when everyone thought the worst. I-I couldn’t bring myself to accept it.” He was forced to turn to his brother, who looked at him silently, his starry eye focused on him, silent to hear him out.

“What I’m saying is I didn’t want to believe you were gone and when- when you were nearly killed I-” His eyes darken. “I thought it was like that night all over again.” He lets out a shaky sigh, cupping his hands together. 

Kaeya looks to his own palms, then grits his teeth frustratingly. “If only it was easy to forget.” he says wistfully. Stirring occasionally. 

“What happened that night will never happen again Diluc.” He swears, they share eye contact for a brief moment. 

Hurt, sadness, grief. As both the brothers who were separated finally reunite, a mutual understanding between them. 

He nods softly to his words, finding comfort in them. 

He doesn't see Kaeya wipe his eye dryly behind him or sitting upright. 

"Are you going to leave?" Kaeya asks, noticing him shifting to the door. 

He sucks in a breath, "Only if you want me to." He replies, turning back. Letting Kaeya decide if he wanted him to stay, although he felt hesitant to make the decision himself.

his eye widened slightly in surprise then quickly looked away, murmuring softly almost embarrassingly, "I'd like it if you stayed." he answered quietly.

So he stayed. a mix of new feelings between them. 

Not another minute later, the rest of the group comes rushing in, the door slamming open so hard as he realizes Ganyu has kicked it forcefully without a second's hesitation. 

The brothers quickly split, awkwardly glancing separate directions as the rest of the group entered. 

“What happened?! Is everyone alright?” Ganyu rushes in and sighs in relief seeing them all looking relatively okay. 

Shes slumps her shoulders relieved when she sees them, “Phew, thank goodness. if Rex lapis found out something had happened-” 

“-Then be pleased he’s not here.” Xiao replies short, stepping from behind her and squinting his eyes at the group. 

“Ganyu informed me of the situation, although i find little reason as to why morax is interested in a mortals.” He says shortly to Kaeya, although not in the nicest terms as he huffs, turning his back just as Chongyun steps by. 

“Did Baizhu’s medicine work?” Chongyun asks. 

Xingqiu nods firmly, “Thankfully, hopefully no more of that.” looking to Kaeya who squirms nervously, agreeing with him.

Also exchanging a look to keep the previous conversation a hush. which xingqiu already obliged regardless, being a witness to their dispute. 

He wobbly steps up, a hand supporting his hip and his knees swaying subtly. 

He scowls "Remind me not to do reckless stunts like that again." feeling the aftereffects of his injuries as he reaches a hand to lean on the wall. 

"How about you start by not doing them?" Xingqiu suggests, wordlessly coming to his side to bring him back to the bed.

Groaning as he hit the soft cushion, which unsettles Diluc who's been trying not to let his concern grow.

It was a strange sight to see the redhead here but he was welcoming it all the same, strangely acting more compassionate this time around. 

At least he wasn't ratting him out to Jean which was a positive. And was a lot nicer, it reminded him of when they were younger, although that was a long time ago.  

It was nice to see he could still be the protective older brother Kaeya grew to trust. remembering those days from before. 

He almost fell back on the floor when a small head popped behind him, startling his thoughts with a yelp. 

Sighing a breath of relief when it was just Qiqi, the young pharmacist from bubu.

 She poked her head from behind him and shuffled to sit next to him. 

"Hey kiddo, good to see you again." he greets her, patting her head softly which she squirms out of reach. 

"Dr. Baizhu gave strict orders for Qiqi to follow… He wants you to read the letter first," she explains shortly with no further greeting, a serious expression on her face that looked more cute then menacing. 

He stifles a small laugh for the first time, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, let’s see what he’s written." A little surprised the doctor would even write to him, perhaps it was a breakthrough or something important to note. 

"Oh, I nearly forgot." Diluc shuffles to his bed and hands him an envelope, still sealed neatly without a crease.

He takes it questionably looking around before opening the letter. noticing the group watching him to know as well. 

This should be good…

To Kaeya Alberich, or whoever is taking care of him at this moment…. blah blah.. hope you're doing well…

delays… boring things, something about his snake,

oh archons no… Qiqi….

more details about herbs bleugh... 

Wait, this is important... 

almost forgot to include this, please be sure to pay the corresponding funds from staying at Bubu Pharmacy- Please provide:  

A bill of 3 million mora in medical services and herbs?!?

His jaw drops, scrambling to reread the end of the paper to see if this was true. 

Failure of payment results in immediate contact of the patient's employer and company to settle an appropriate loan amount needed. Please reply as soon as possible with funds, details are below. 

 Sincerely Doctor Baizhu. 

He flatly throws the paper away, scoffing while simultaneously deciding to be impressed or outraged. 

Xingqiu snatches the paper quickly off the ground while the others shift over his shoulder to read, Ganyu, Chongyun and Diluc all widening their eyes while looking to Kaeya then back to the paper with stunned expressions.

He crosses his arms, scowling, "Don't look at me like that, how was I supposed to know it would be this expensive?!" deadpanning them. 

"3 million mora…" 

"What in god's name happened in that pharmacy?" Diluc asks, taking hold of the paper. Even he was stunned by the amount. 

he ignores him, turning to Qiqi "And when am I supposed to pay?" he asks.

"mm…Tomorrow." she replies while pointing to the letter with more details.

he lets out a groan, falling back on the bed covering his face. He had been fooled into thinking this was a safe getaway.  

Xingqiu looks over at him, "Well, the doctor has been pretty lenient these past few weeks.. I'm surprised only now he's acting." Shrugging.

"To think he was simply an innocent doctor is a fool's demise." he mutters.

"Well you could still pay..?" Xingqiu queries. 

kaeya deadpans him, gesturing to his empty pockets that were mora-less. He had been essentially broke since arriving at Liyue, his belongings lost to sea.

"What about a loan? I'm sure the doctor would be open for a reasonable negotiation." Ganyu suggests, trying to sound hopeful.

He sits up, "That would mean contacting Jean, then she would know about all this. which I'd like to at least tell her first before being slammed with a big bill of expenses." He sighs, looking up at the ceiling awaiting his doom.

"We could delay it, surely until you get back to Mondstadt and recover your items?" 

It wasn't a bad idea but to be honest he wasn't even sure he had that much mora and even if he did he would be broke with the knights small income. Baizhu really was a trickster, taking advantage of his injury although the price seemed greatly exaggerated.

There goes favourite customer.. 

He’d probably be going into debt before too long and resulting in scrounging meals like Mona Megistus. 

Already imagining it made him exhausted, rolling to the side of the bed to muffle into the pillow frustratingly. 

The pillow acting as the one sole discretion to not let him rip the paper up right then and there and run off. the thought too tempting. 

Diluc's loud sigh interrupts them, rolling his eyes. "Oh enough of your mourning, give it here." quickly snatching the letter and scribbling something then handing it to the girl. 

Qiqi looks over it and folds it neatly into her bag. 

"This will do..thank you for your payment." she replies with a soft smile. 

"What? What did you just do?" Kaeya scrambles up, staring at him jawstruck. 

"I paid for it, obviously." he replies nonchalantly.

his jaw falls for the second time that day, then immediately slackens as he struggles out of bed to face him. 

"Is this a joke? You're serious?" he asks and Diluc frowns motioning to Qiqi whos already taken the payment. 

"Is it really that surprising?" he asks, raising his eyebrow. 

"Yes! Yes it is." He shouts, "I- i don't even know what to say.. Why?" hes stunned to ask, because really, why would the tycoon master pay such a fund so willingly? 

He shrugs, "Consider it a debt owed, and I have more than enough money to spare." he replies, knowing that he was the owner of a wine tycoon.

"I'll pay the sum as soon as I can," Kaeya promises. insisting to not let this be a debt owed, even he knew the winery wasn't made of riches, this was too much mora. 

"that's not necessary."

"I insist. and ill pay double the fare for drinks from now on." he insists turning to him. 

"Kaeya, I already said no need." frowning as he crosses his arms. 

“You really expect me to just forgo 3 million mora? It’s this or I refuse you to pay for me.” He raises his chin indefinitely, folding his arms to match his posture. 

Diluc shakes his head absently ignoring him and looks to the zombie, “I’ve paid right? So can you heal him without any more issues?” 

Qiqi nods, “Yes, Qiqi will get straight to healing… if you could take off your shirt Mr. Kaeya.” He tells him politely. 

he sighs just before sending a glare at Diluc, meaning back on his words to repay him indefinitely. 

“Will do, do you mind leaving- I don’t want anyone seeing, no offense.” He says to the group. 

“Right, we should step out.” Xingqiu agrees, stretching to stand, “Shall we bring a few meals, my liege?” 

“No need, I'm too tired to be hungry." he kindly rejects.

 "I’ll see you all later then.” Waving them off as the big group steps out to give Kaeya some privacy. 

Diluc was the last one outside the door, closing it with a creak. his hand still lingered on the doorknob before Chongyun called him, noticing he wasn't following. 

He stood shortly before him, "Mr. Diluc, you should rest, Sir Kaeya should be fine now and your health is a priority." he points out, probably noticing how his fatigue was catching up with him.

he lets go of the doorknob, yet an uneasy feeling still lingers. Could he really just leave Kaeya alone like that?

sure he was with Qiqi but it still unnerved him, feeling like he might just lose him again if he turned away.

he just got his brother back and didn't want to lose that. 

He turns to the boy, lightly shaking his head, and replies, "Rest assured, I'll take care of myself, thank you." He's a little too hasty with his responses. Without complaint, the light-haired boy frowns not seeing through his act and drags his arm along the hall.

He stops in front of a door, handing him the keys. "Its a single room, no one will bother you.. um, just try to rest I think we'd all be comforted by it." He adds, shifting his gaze awkwardly. 

Was he trying to help him? or could he tell he was worn out from the days on edge. eitherway he couldn't refuse. 

"Alright." Taking his offer and turning the key into the lock, Chongyun smiled appreciatively.

"Chongyun we’re getting shrimp balls! Are you coming?" Xingqiu called poking his head from the end of the hall, tilting his head to the two. 

He quickly waved him back "Ah- Coming!" turning back to Diluc momentarily.

"We'll be helping the staff, just give a holler if you need anything," he says and like that he's off, racing after his friend hastily. 

He lets his shoulders relax as he darts out of sight, even the two Adepti walked downstairs to the kitchen so he was left to his own devices. 

It was such a stark difference to Mondstadt, unfamiliar faces and terrain he wondered what kept Kaeya here for so long. The friendly faces that these strangers bore would’ve tired him relentlessly, maybe it was his charm that got him such company.  

Although.. It still worried him what happened, hallucinations? Nightmares? 

When they were younger Kaeya did have nightmares but they weren’t as bad as these. But he also didn’t have anyone of comfort like before, Master Crepus was always the one to stay awake for him and comfort any bad nightmare. 

a twinge of envy sparked him, feeling like he was left in the dark while Kaeya fought through this alone. 

Did he continue to have nightmares after leaving the winery? He wondered. 

He pushed open the door, stepping into the small hotel room and immediately falling back into the bed, letting the comforter absorb him.

He doesn’t lay there long though, rolling over to his side and taking out the booklet Xingqiu had given him. Not wanting to stall any longer. 

It intrigued him, to say the least, if a book could hold so many answers why was he given it? He digressed, flipping through the pages briefly before delving into the first pages. 

The booklet wasn’t anything fancy, he noticed quickly.

wound together with a string and bound by mismatched papers ripped elsewhere and sewn together. The cover was as plain and normal as any book with no indication of something secretive. 

Inside though, he was mistaken. It included notes from progression and symptoms as well as ingredients provided for the medicine that was to help with his nightmares. like a scientific research paper, realizing this was probably intended for another doctor or alchemist.

Some of it made him guilty his brother had to go through this alone and prickled him with relentless nervousness. 

the symptoms and timing... it scared him. worried about his brothers condition.

Understanding a bit better why he wouldn’t come back, it was because he couldn’t. hes surprised he can even walk.

 The book did help pinpoint exactly what happened during the past weeks and after cross-referencing most of it made sense. 

Whoever Doctor Baizhu was, he really did have his gratitude and felt a little better knowing where his 3 million mora was going. He did wish in the back of his mind that Kaeya could tell him himself but it would take considerable courage to even bring up such a topic.

How could he tell someone he was plagued with nightmares and nearly died because of it?

Kaeya was always someone who put others before himself, he probably doesn’t even see this as a concern for someone like Diluc. 

He hated how painfully truthful that statement was.

He sat up from his bed with a determined expression, and willed a plan for the night.

Kaeya tried to relax against the bed despite Qiqi's mild protests at his squirming, but he couldn't control slight tremors in his back as the cooling hands of the girl's vision worked to heal his scars.

"Does it hurt? Qiqi can slow down." she asks while he squirms at her palms resting near the most fatal injuries. 

The wound where the bullet pierced in question was almost healed, his vision and qiqi's healing effectively numbing it but it left a cold chill in his system and goosebumps along his skin. 

"No, please continue." he reassures, forcing his shoulders to relax, propping his head over his arms.

he could manage this cold if it meant healing quicker.

To be honest, it felt comforting to have someone here and Qiqi was one of the least judgemental people he had come to discover, she had no opinions on his appearance whatsoever.

So he was a bit comforted by her presence, and his scars could be left a topic unattended. 

He couldn't lie and say he still had discomforts letting people see his scars, burn scars and other injuries that littered his body.

So Kaeya was pleased to send everyone away while he could have some peace of mind.

"Hmm.. I think I'm almost done." Qiqi announces, gently soothing her hands down his back.

"Ah, that's enough then." slowly stretching from his arrangement to lie with his back on the bed. 

"Are you sure? I can still go on." she asks, tilting her head. If she continued any longer he might turn into a human popsicle with the numbness he felt along his spine. 

he shakes his head appreciatively, "You've done great, thanks Qiqi." she shyly hides her arms behind her back at his praise, almost embarrassed.

"Qiqi only did her job, it was nothing." she replies shyly. Oh darn, he definitely had a soft spot for kids. 

he pats her head gently, sitting up from his bed to sway his legs to the side, "Nonsense, Dr. Baizhu will be proud, now get some rest alright?" leaning to her face with a smile.

She bows lightly, nodding "Qiqi will go then.. take it easy Mr. Kaeya, I'll leave more medicine before I go." she said and quietly left the room a moment afterwards.

He sags with a sigh when she leaves, a little relieved to be alone without the chaos of others at his side. Was it even equal if he felt like he was being babysat right now?

barely having a moment alone, and waking up in a terrible mess to begin with. probably deserved with his reckless stunts. 

he stretched, deciding to shower. He didn't have a shirt on right now, but Qiqi bandaged his chest so he had a bit of coverage. 

his palms felt stiff, cold to the touch. either from the zombies healing or his vision, the light marks littered on them indicate burn scars and he remorsefully looked away.

instead standing up to go to the bathroom, needing a well established shower.

he let the hot water rushing through distract his senses, briefly taking off his eyepatch and letting the sounds familiarize over his senses. 

"Hello?" knocking on the door softly Diluc didn't want to intrude or seem impolite,

he was knocking on Kaeya’s door late at night hoping they could talk it out.

Feeling leftover guilt from hours prior, he wanted to tell him himself his apologies and to hopefully come to a understanding with his brother. He knew he had paid for his debt but things still felt unfinished between them. 

He wanted to atleast explain more about what had happened and talk it out. 

This was all hopeful thinking though, if he opened the door firstly. 

"Kaeya, I know you're in there." he called, making sure he heard him.

he knocked again, hoping he wasn't stirring him awake. 

No reply. Now this was odd.

"Alright I'm leaving-" "..." he paused, his hand pushing the door ever so slightly and it surprisingly opened just as easy. 

Why wasn’t his door locked? 

Worry crept, fighting against the urge to walk back to his room he had to check if he was atleast in the room, 

he wouldn't be mad right? Just making sure he was okay first.

Glancing down the hall before stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. 

"Hello?"  He calls again, stepping slowly into the room. 

he stopped at the end of the bedroom hall, noticing that the lights were on yet no one was here. The bed was left unkept and felt like it wasn’t long since someones been here. 

In the middle of his investigation a click of a door was suddenly heard behind him and he turned behind, his eyes widening in surprise. 

The wooden door swung open and with it a stunned Kaeya, a towel wrapped around his lower waist while his tophalf was naked- 

When their gazes met, they both paused, his eyes unwittingly travelling down his body and his brows furrowing together.

Diluc quickly recognised his scarring, and he could feel himself strain beneath him, his old scars visible to everyone.

Kaeya's eyes widened, and he tripped, caught off guard by his brother, who was standing just outside the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" He shouted, but he was also trying to hide, shown by him swiftly sliding on his eyepatch and tightening the towel around himself.

"I-um.." his mouth was dry, surprised at seeing Kaeya like this.. he looked- different. 

Gulping when he couldn't take his eyes off his hands, the burn scars. They were so obvious yet subtle, knowing he had done that.

He quickly raised his hand to cover his eyes respectfully averting his gaze while the other man collected himself. 

“I wanted to talk to you.” He says while staring at the wall, his voice subtly heightening. 

"..Talk?" Kaeya stopped midway and eyed him suspiciously. For a moment he feared Kaeya might just attack him with the look he gave, realizing his poor timing in this.  

he raises his hands in defense, "Yes, there's a lot to catch up on- and It's just the two of us. If you want of course." he adds, there's a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

 Trying his best not to look at kaeya and his scars became challenging.

"Oh." is all he says atfirst, then gulps "Alright, um give me a second and I'll be out then." slamming the door just as quickly as his response. 

Oh archons, Oh gods above- end him now.

Out of everyone to see him tonight it had to be his estranged brother- Diluc.

and worst of all he had seen what Kaeya desperately wanted him to never see. 

He felt sick. 

He quickly pulled on a shirt, buttoning up his chest and putting on his gloves while simultaneously freaking out at how much Diluc had seen.

How did he even get inside? Oh-

Facepalming mentally realizing he hadn't checked if Qiqi closed the door.

He hadn't seen it- right? No, by his reaction he most definitely saw the injury and the scars that littered his body. 

Now he wasn’t someone particularly fond of old scars but he never liked to show them off himself, expertly picking out clothing to hide any evidence he even had a scar but Diluc.. Oh Diluc, how could he even begin a conversation like this?

‘Hey, yeah, these are when you tried to kill me!’  

oh he felt dreadful right now, wanting nothing more then to curl up in bed with a bottle of dandelion wine. 

But diluc was waiting for him, and heavens above he's going to talk about what he saw and what Kaeya exactly wants to avoid. 

He couldn't refuse him, but he also couldn't be truthful so it was stuck as this. 

Diluc was no idiot but he was also incredibly troubling to him, he gulped ignoring the way his hands trembled slightly as he took the doorknob. Forcing his shoulders to straighten and hide what weakness was left. 

Sucking in a deep breath, he flings the door open once more, raising his chin high and meets Diluc’s gaze, then without a word steps towards him, putting on his seamless mask of emotions.

"Well?" he asks, forcing a light smile as he gestures to the small round table with chairs. 

Diluc doesn't look him in the eye, trying to look anywhere but him but still sits without a word. a flicker of guilt in his eyes darken.

kaeya sighs quietly, and props a hand under his chin while staring out the window. He was always the more talkative of the two, even from a young age he had a way with words. But he had nothing to say this time, letting the redhead take his time to start. 

He inhaled deeply, his hands crawling to readjust his shirt.

“I apologize for before.. But I need to know-”

"The scars. you saw them." he states, having no need to confirm thats what he was going to mention. and by his expression he was spot on, easily read by his guilty expression. 

"Is it.. ugly?"He questions softly, his gaze grabbing immediately.

"N-No!" Diluc exclaims as he sits up. That wasn't true, "I was taken aback and..." His voice trails off, and he groans, raising his hand to irritably pinch the bridge of his nose.

"This isn't how I had hoped it would turn out. If you believe that, it appears that I am still lacking in choice of words." he says as he rubs his face lightly before continuing. 

"Please accept my sincere apologies."

Kaeya widened his eyes, taken aback and astonished by this. 

He expected Diluc to lecture him or call him out for one of his numerous lies, maybe to get the situation sorted out of their future plans but Diluc apologizing… he didn't even consider!

Hearing Diluc apologize in what was years felt unheard of. 

"For what?" he questions, squinting in confusion. It didn’t make sense to him that he couldn’t understand why he of all people would apologize to him. 

"I know you’ve suffered your own battles alone, it was unright of me to yell at you before nor settle your bills without permission." he lowers his gaze to kaeyas hands which he fumbles under the gloves awkwardly. “I also apologize for walking in earlier.. I know you didn’t want me to see that.” He adds guiltily. 

“Please don’t apologize because you feel guilty of that, i should have never hid myself of that in the first place and I’ve been neglecting many things since my disappearance..” He murmurs, sighing. 

"You were wounded, it wasn't your fault, and I do feel guilty, but not just because of this." He responds firmly, not letting him takeover his guilt.

“So.. you know what happened then?” His eyebrows furrowing slightly, wondering what else the redhead had learned. 

Is that why he was being nice, or was it genuine? 

Diluc shook his head, “Not in the way you’re thinking.. I know the vague details, but i was hoping to talk to you personally. A lot has changed the past few weeks.” He says, theres a hopeful tone to his words as an invitation. He takes it as a chance and takes it gladly. 

Kaeya nods lightly, “I suppose it is time to explain.” He agrees and begins to explain his side of the story. 

From when he was attacked at the gorge to arriving in Liyue harbour and recovering, he treaded lightly when it came to the hard details hoping the tycoon master wouldn’t react badly, but surprisingly his brother sat quietly and listened, the only indication was his expression hardening when mention of fatui but Diluc complied and listened to the captains words. 

it was relieving to vent to someone else, tired of lies and finding this opportunity truly a rare time. 

He turns his head to him when hes finished, “this is why you didn’t contact anyone..” he murmurs softly, processing what information hes been told. Kaeya nods slowly, leaning into his chair. 

“What about Mondstadt?” He asks, tilting his head. 

“Hm?” 

“You made no attempts in contacting anyone, not even a letter.” He mentions. 

“Did you know how many people were worried about you? some even thinking you might be dead?" he says quietly, looking up for answers.  

"I- I had no choice! The abyss was after me and they infiltrated the letters, i needed to lie low and even if i did come back I would be nothing more then a burden.” He argues, raising his voice to justify his reason. 

Something in Diluc clicks and he sits up, his face scrunching. “Your not a burden, You’re Mondstadt’s cavalry captain and you have a duty to Mondstadt.” He states firmly. 

He rubs his forehead gently, soothing an approaching headache. “If it wasn’t for the kid walking into my bar that night-”

"What?" Kaeya interrupts, looking confused as to what he was saying. his head spiralling with questions. 

"The night you went missing.. Do- you not remember?” By the tone of his voice he realized something definitely happened that night, something he didn't know. 

His stare deepens, shaking his head. "Tell me." 

he groans lightly, his eyebrows twitching and realizing the man truly didn’t know, completely confused at what he was saying.

He thinks back that night, feeling anger boil back in the thought. Him cleaning the tavern while secretly waiting for him to come bicker him a drink, turning late at night when the young girl came instead. 

 "The sparkknight? Klee? She waited for you all night and you never showed up." His tone becomes more condescending as he continues and his jaw tightens. 

Kaeya doesn't say anything, recalling slowly. 

“You left her!” 

Kaeyas eye widens, opening his mouth to say something but he cuts him off. 

"By the time she wandered into my tavern to find you, the girl was practically in tears realizing you weren't there." He yells angrily, his anger spilling.

The blue haired man gulps, his eye wide.

 "N-No I didn't mean that.. Did she- was she okay?" He asks urgently, no longer masking his concealed content look and was panicking, clear distress on his face. 

"What do you think?" he replies. 

He almost felt bad but was too worked up to be sympathetic to him. 

Kaeya traces his face slowly, his hand covering his mouth as he looks down. 

"Klee.. I nearly forgot. What about Jean? Rosaria?" he asks sharply, Diluc huffs crossing his arms.

"Whatever plans you had the following day were left unfinished. Jean is presumably covering up for your disappearance and Rosaria is scouring the bar and lands for you." he replies. Although it still doesn't make up for the spark knight.

he lets his shoulders relax at that, finding a little comfort in knowing everyone was mostly okay, still Klee.. Poor Klee, he would have to make up for it to her and owed a lot of apologies. 

Kaeya takes a glass, filling it with water and drinking it. Feeling no need for alcohol but He couldn’t control the shiver that escaped him, still feeling absolutely wrecked at remembering that. 

"How about this, if you're a good girl today I’ll bring back a treasure chest I find alright?"

"Okay! You have fun then!" the sparkknight laughed, and quickly hurried away.

He didn’t even say goodbye to her. Regretting not chasing after her and abandoning his work.

Groaning as he slammed his head on the table. He was just so.. Disappointed in himself and mad something like that slipped his mind. He hadn’t even considered how everyone in mondstadt was, no he refused to think of it. 

He neglected so many things. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder, Diluc letting a light sigh out as he turns to look up at him. He shared a mix of emotions, no longer angry but looked sympathetically to him. 

“It’s okay.”

 A pang of emotions came from those two simple words, almost as a switch to allow himself to stop pretending he was alright, because he wasn't and he felt terrible. 

It’s okay.

He sniffed and got up shakily in front of his brother, his eye starting to water as he tried to hide the fact.

Diluc said nothing and slowly raised his arms, embracing him in a hug, allowing himself to sink into his arms. As more came, a silent tear streamed down his cheek.

“I’m sorry-” He stuttered into his shoulder, trembling.  Embarrassing enough he was the one apologizing this time, as a emotional mess. 

He hugged him tighter, “I’m sorry too.” 

Diluc noticed his hands clenching his coat tighter, he could imagine the scars sticking through, a burning reminder and he tightened his grip on him. 

Chapter Text

“Gods, I feel terrible.” Kaeya blurted out with a groan, while sitting at the table. Feeling the aftermath of the night's events. 

He burrowed his face into his palms frustrated. 

“Do you want me to fetch the healer?” Diluc asks kindly, currently in the middle of cleaning the small hotel apartment, setting the bed properly while Kaeya sits at the table. 

It was the next morning after that whole charade, it was honestly just a mix of mental relief and built up from his outburst with his brother. After they had recovered feelings though they spent the rest of the night talking through about what had happened. 

He felt, guilty. learning what he'd left and even so doubting his past decisions.

Mondstadt, Liyue, abyss mages- so much troublesome behaviour over the last few weeks. It bothered him to learn of Mondstadt’s status. He was glad he was caught up but more worries approached him, now wondering how they could settle it.

He sighed, sprawling his upper half over the table admitting defeat.  “No need, I doubt Qiqi could heal anymore,” he replies doubtfully, denying his request. He felt fine physically, but mentally exhausted. The little zombie girl would do no help besides a cold massage. 

Light footsteps approach and he lets Diluc lean over him, frowning slightly as he pulls him gently off the table to sit up proper despite his mild protests. 

“Don’t push yourself,” he says simply giving him a look, a meaningful full worried look dictating what’s really going on?  Truly, the big brother persona is taking over as he worries over him. 

Not to mention, He had come not a minute late after dawn, waiting at his door after their discussion after they separated to sleep the rest of the night. Either stubbornness or commitment it seemed his brother had no intention of letting him out of his sight.

Which was supposedly nice for Kaeya, if he wasn’t questioning every little detail. 

He grumbled in response. 

More worrying, Neither had spoken about the plan to get back to Mondstadt nor what to do about the people still on Kaeya’s back. That was probably the most worrisome in his eye, unsure if Diluc would agree with his thinking. Still deciding if he liked this protective side of his back. 

“I’ll manage Diluc, don’t fret so much. Say, how are you?” He wants to know, leaning to get a good look at his brother while perfectly distracting his thoughts. Shifting his stance to 

After all, he had been the one kidnapped by fatui, although the dark knight claimed he was fine; he knew well it was probably just for Kaeya’s sake since his injuries were far more grave. 

Diluc shifts his tie awkwardly, avoiding his watch. “Nothing but a few scrapes, I’ll live.” He huffs indignantly, not wanting to press further. He's a bit relieved he doesn’t ask how Kaeya is, but he probably already knows it's pointless to ask. 

He pauses while staring at him, his unresolved crimson eyes squinted on him in thought. He suddenly breaks out of it and clicks his tongue, turning away quickly. Leaving him alone in the room with no warning.

Kaeya sits perplexed by the situation but is enthralled to wait and see what he comes back with, Letting whatever fascination Diluc had to distract him for a moment.

He also didn't want to admit, he'd rather not move carelessly with all the extra wounds aching at him.

Diluc comes back shortly enough, bringing with him an item this time and with realization, Kaeya figures out what had initiated such an idea. 

Still, he lets Diluc pass him the wooden stick as he takes it from his palm without a word.

“I saw it as I came in, figured it should save some hassle,” he explains, looking down at the cane while avoiding his gaze, not wanting Kaeya to see his anticipation with it. 

Ah right, he was still stiff with his legs. Recalling almost falling in front of Diluc at least more than a few times. No wonder he had noticed it. Perhaps this was his nice way of saying he needed to worry about himself.

Always fretting over others, tsk.

Nonetheless, he grips the walking cane in one hand and rises from his seat, hesitantly testing the weight it could handle and walking a few steps.

It definitely helped, wow.

Noticing the difference immediately and a lessened strain on his joints. 

Diluc stares at him anxiously, waiting for his input. 

“Good eye.” He thanks him shortly once he notices he was waiting, appreciating the gift. 

He returns a calm smile, “It was obvious you were struggling.” He says, shooting a knowing glint to him which he eyerolls too. 

"Don't get cocky now, I'm plenty fine. Now get a move on or I'll leave you behind." He teases, opening the door and darting out before he could hear his reply. 

He held back a snicker as he leisurely walked down the hall and heard a distant shut of the door behind him as the redhead made sure to lock up before catching up. He couldn't feel much pain from Qiqi's extensive healing session thankfully, so small bursts of movement he could easily recover from. Although, it was only a small positive to the numbing pain, he knew he was far from fighting condition. 

As they walk, Kaeya is just lagging behind the other before he could notice, if he did notice, however, Diluc chose not to say.

He appreciated the sentiment of the cane nonetheless, finding it useful. 

They both reach the foyer and head down to the kitchen, immediately greeted by the two liyuen teens. Both are already sitting at a table and having breakfast. 

"Yohoo~" he calls from above the stairwell as he steps down to the kitchen platform to greet them. 

"Ah, good morning! Feeling well?" Xingqiu perks up, smiling back at him. 

"Doing well, thanks." He slides on an empty seat, resting the cane against the table. 

Xingqiu nods silently and returns to reading from his book quietly, meanwhile Chongyun finishes serving himself a plate and greets them both. 

"Goodmorning!" 

Chongyun looks to Diluc who joins them more hesitantly, "Did you both have time to catch up?" he asks as the other man sits down.

He pours himself a cup of tea while answering, "Yes, although much disappointing, I'm afraid." Diluc says.

Kaeya scoffs in response, placing a hand on his chest as if the words offended him. 

"Agree to disagree, I for one found it very enlightening," Kaeya replies tilting his chin up. 

Xingqiu looks up from his book momentarily, "Ah, so you told him about the bank robbery at last?" he says. 

"Wait, what?" There's an embarrassing silence which he pauses too, and Kaeya averts his gaze from his brother. 

Diluc's slow, questioning gaze lingers between the two, looking for an explanation.

Seeing no way to evade it he resigns, chuckling softly "I wouldn't call it a bank robbery.." he side-eyes Xingqiu sending a glare at the boy who slowly lowers himself in his seat, seemingly burying himself in his book from his gaze.

Oh, I am so not forgetting about this betrayal-

For the time being, he ignores him, sliding his fingers gently across the table, "It was more.. sneaking in a fatui headquarters that also happened to be a bank." He rewords cheerfully to Diluc. 

He gives an unamused stare, shaking his head with a sight. "Never a dull moment.." he mutters. “Should I even be mad?” 

"If it's any consolation, I was also excluded from this," Chongyun mentions, side-glancing Xingqiu, who raises his book even higher to his face, determined not to say anything else. Kaeya hides a smirk, being amused by the situation. 

"I'm assuming none of you will provide any additional context on this topic, correct?" Diluc wonders aloud, knowing well that the answer is yes, but yet inquiring.

Okay sure, he may have glossed over some things while explaining to him, but he couldn't stop the inevitable.

Diluc, knowing his methods of acquiring information, would most likely find out eventually. He was only... Yes, this is.. prolonging the worst. 

He clears his throat. 

"It wouldn't change that what I found was near nothing but a few wanted posters, which I already told you about," he tells him truthfully. Not telling anything else, especially not letting Xingqiu run his mouth with more details and be perpetually killed by Diluc’s reign. 

"Anyway, let's switch topics, shall we?" He lightens the mood, grinning to the redhead mischievously. Diluc just frowned back suspiciously, guessing that whatever was in store for him would not be in his favour. Neither was the information Kaeya hid from him. 

"What valuables do you have, Diluc?" He asks, a bit too fast, with a big grin on his face and a slight inclination of his head.

His brow twitches, and he narrows his eyes at him. "...Why?" he warily replies back.

"Mora? Gems? Any gifted items of use?" raising his eyebrows lightly. 

He finally catches the hint, almost forgetting himself, but scurries his side pocket and pulls a tiny cloth bag to the table.

"What's in it?" Chongyun asks curiously, leaning on the table. 

"It's a few items from Dragonspine, although there should be Albedo's package as well." he explains briefly, nodding to Kaeya as he unravels the twine holding it together and leaving the items scattered on the table. 

Kaeyas eye sparkles in interest, grinning lightly. He knew him well to find a way to catch his interest. 

"Here," Diluc gestures, picking up an item and placing it into his palm.

"My earring.." He murmurs in disbelief, a hand raised to check his ear, he hadn't even realized it was missing but now he could notice the difference in weight in his side without the familiar object. 

He nods, "I found it when we were investigating.. I held on to it for you." 

Kaeya doesn't hesitate to clasp the jewel back on, feeling comfort at the familiar item, he lets his shoulders drop admiring the look it kept on his figure. His enthusiasm was shown with his gleaming expression at having a piece of his familiar attire back. 

"Any chance my fur scarf is in your jacket as well?" 

his face twists in disgust, "that scalped abyss abomination? Don’t push your luck."  

Kaeya rolls his eye with a scoff but turns his attention back to the other items, wondering what else Diluc managed to stuff into his pockets.

In any case, how much did this man carry in his coat? He had amassed enough supplies to last him for a few weeks on his own. Actually, he takes that back. He’d rather save that question for another day.  

He reaches for a small wrapped package, looking too dainty to be special but fancy enough it held enough effort to call it a gift. 

"Is this the item Albedo gave you?" He asks, flicking back to his gaze warily.

"Mr. Kreideprince?" Xingqiu asks, surprised as he puts down his book. recognizing Albedo's name. 

"Er.. Yes, do you know him, Xingqiu?" or, how did he know him? a little surprised by him recognizing the alchemist.

"Oh! Yes, I commissioned him to draw artworks for my novels and we're good penpals," he exclaims. his eyebrows furrow after a moment. 

"Has something happened to him?"

Ah, how does he put it gently..

"Hm, for now no.." 

"-But he is involved with the abyss mages." Diluc finishes for him, not adding more as he reaches for the Small Package.

"He said to use it when in danger, however, I doubt it actually is something for combat. He wouldn't arm me with something as dangerous." Diluc assures Kaeya although his tone of voice makes it seem like he’s just assuring himself. 

he hoped it wasn't a Klee bomb in surprise and would blow in their faces he carefully unstruck the cord, letting the cloth come undone.

There's gasps in the room and Kaeya tilts his head in wonder but soon disappointed.

“It's.. a crystalfly.” he deadpans, confused. 

a crystalfly.

"Are you sure he meant to give you this?" he asks Diluc doubtfully. He actually was kind of hoping it was rather an elaborate Klee bomb this time, this was a little more disappointing in his eye. 

"It looks like a mechanism, although I'm not sure what it's activated by.." Xingqiu hums, carefully lifting one of its wings as it lay motionless. 

The crystalfly in question was beautiful, a perfect replica to an actual one if not the real thing. He suspected it long before the others of what its properties were. 

Khemia. 

He knew Albedo was capable of life but something to help during danger? It would've been no use to them if Diluc remembered it during the Fatui attack. 

"Perhaps.. it's meant to send a warning?" Diluc suggests, looking closer at it.

"Oh, like a messenger!" Chongyun says.

He looks closer to it, thinking aloud. “Probably pinpoints your location and sends it to Albedo directly.. I'm impressed." 

Albedo's work was nothing less than impressive, and it always fascinated him. If he created this as a messenger, it could be useful to send their location to the knights.

Diluc seemed to be thinking the same thing, but he stayed quiet still in thought. He flicks back to Xingqiu who is examining the khemia created crystal fly with great interest. 

"A-ha! found it!" he victors, pointing to a symbol on its underside.

"It's triggered like a mechanism, I believe all it takes is a vision to activate and it'll come to life," the boy explains. The remainder of the oo's and ah's gathering around them, Xingqiu’s explanation making sense. 

Now the final question,

"Should we activate it?"

There is a brief pause as everyone's minds are drawn to that notion.

Kaeya shakes his head finally, "I don't think it's wise, if Albedo receives it he'll probably send reinforcements in case we're actually in danger." He points out. 

“Would be helpful to send some message to Mondstadt..” Diluc murmurs, grudgingly. 

“We could request Lady Ganyu to send a message quickly, I’m sure she’d be willing to spare a few messengers.” Xingqiu helpfully suggests. 

“You’ll probably have to stay here for a bit anyway until you’re both recovered at least.” He adds. 

He grumbles but takes no offence. The truth of him being nothing more than a sitting duck is blatantly obvious that he had gone used to the critique. He sees no issues with the plan though and actually thinks it's a solid one. 

“Where are those two anyways?” He asks, noticing how it had been some time since he’d seen Ganyu or the yaksha, Xiao.

Chongyun and Xingqiu both shrug, continuing to eat their breakfast. “Last I saw of Lady Ganyu, she was going to report to the Qixing of her findings regarding the fatui.” 

He hums, that wouldn’t be long ago..? Whereas where is the Yaksha Xiao hiding? 

Right on cue, his thought was answered. 

When a familiar burst of shadows appears in front of the table, he nearly shouts in fear and bewilderment. It seems like his appearance never falls short of a surprise. 

Xiao bursts from thin air, only then does he notice he's wearing his mask as he takes it off before greeting them.

“Good, you’re all here.” he huffs after a moment, catching his breath. 

He doesn’t give a moment to spare, disappearing once more and leaving them thoroughly confused. 

Xiao comes back quicker this time and he's not alone.  

“Mr. Zhongli?!” 

Kaeya widens his eye, along with does the rest of the table as the familiar man greets them. 

It was impossible, yet he was here- The yakshas teleportation had transported the consultant straight from thin air. He could do that?!

Much more, It was Zhongli of all visitors. he was stunned by his presence, not expecting to meet again so soon.

"It's good to see you all doing well, even if not on the best of terms." He says while brushing off his suit. He stands alone, nodding gently to Xiao as he turns away, squarely distancing himself to lounge in the kitchen.

“Wait, shouldn’t Ganyu be here? What’s going on Mr. Zhongli?” 

"Ganyu won't be joining us; she's retreated to Liyue in case the fatui start threatening the harbour," He informs them.

Fatui- doing what?! 

“If the Fatui are acting hostile why are you here and not in your city?” Kaeya asks quickly, leaning to the man to hear him. 

"I trust the Qixing to keep the city safe as always, so there is no need for me to stay," he explains briefly before shifting his gaze and glancing down.

Unlike his usual stoic demeanour, his face was filled with guilt and bitterness. "I've done everything I can to stall, but I'm afraid we're all in danger now." Looking up at them, he murmurs.

 “We must act quickly. The harbinger has vanished, and it's only a matter of time before he arrives to assassinate you." He informs them, meeting his gaze with Kaeya intently. 

The words bring chills to him as they realize what has happened.. How- Is fate so cruel, he wonders in the moment.

He grabs ahold of his vision and cane with not a moment to spare. 

 ~~ The night before

On any usual night, The yaksha, Xiao would be prowling the lands for infested beings but tonight he stayed vigilant. A source of dark matter glinting in the Inn ever so noticeable. 

Xiao watches, from his perch on the balcony as the leaves fall with the rustling of the wind. 

He can see everything in the far distance from this height, including the window of the blue-haired man that arrived that evening. 

And as he begins to observe and see the growth of the situation, he becomes anxious.

Enough so that in the darkness of night, where not a creature stirred in the surroundings does he disappear to the familiar city of Liyue, 

looking for answers from the only one he could rely on. 

“Morax.” He calls, appearing beside a tall dark-haired man, creeping out of the shadows. 

Zhongli looks back in his direction, surprised by his presence, but recognizes him quickly enough as he steps out to the light.

“Xiao, what brings you here?” he asks hesitantly. A skeptic look on his face. 

He rids the small talk, coming out with it, “Why have you taken interest in a mortal, Morax?” Bluntly asking the older man. As he could not contend to this, and he had restrained himself long enough of wondering. 

“Ah, You’ve met him then I assume? It is but a selfish request on my part of the contract I’ll admit.” Zhongli answers, his gaze stoic and calm as ever. 

He frowns, crossing his arms. “I have seen him, it’s not normal,” he informs him, tilting his head with a narrowed look.

The man's eyes displays a spark of surprise, that quickly turns to fascination. “I didn’t know you could sense it as well, but considering your history, it is only natural.” his eyes flicker to the yaksha. 

He nods, “The dark energy. It flickers over that mortal's being from time to time, I have only withheld because you have protected him but it confuses me as too why knowing the dangers.” He turns to him questionably, anxiously returning his gaze.

 He couldn’t understand his thoughts behind this, including roping Ganyu into this as well. 

Zhongli shakes his head lightly, “Do not be concerned, I’ve already determined he is of no threat..yet.” He asserts to the yaksha. 

Although he did not say, Xiao knew he was also unsure of the result this mortal would pose to the world. 

He narrows his eyes, “What do you wish me to do?”

This mortal was a potential threat to him, and he thought no other option than to vanquish it like other demons he’s met in the past but he valued Morax’s wishes.

And Morax wasn’t a fool, he wouldn’t let a curse out to spell danger. 

He lets out a long sigh. 

His amber gaze softens when he looks back to Xiao, startling him. “I’m no longer your master, Xiao, I can only advise things to you as a mortal, Zhongli. Your judgement is what you would value.” He tells him.

He scoffs back but understands, he’s.. Still not used to addressing Morax as another mortal. Much less having the will to choose his path.. It is simply, unrecognizable to his thoughts. 

He sighs once more, shifting his gaze and relaxing his shoulders. “How is Ganyu?” He asks.  

Xiao huffs indignantly, “Eager to impress, but other than that is following your orders and controlling the situation nicely.” He conveys, speaking rare praises of the half-adepti. 

He nods, “That’s good, I was afraid shouldering this responsibility on her would be too much.” He admits quietly. The yaksha looks to him puzzled, unnerved by the doubt the god showed.

Was he hiding something else?

“Is.. something bothering you, my lord?” he asks straightforward, tilting his head to the archon to listen. 

He pauses, shaking his head. “I fear trouble is coming to the harbour, I only hope this situation resolves itself peacefully with the fatui,” he murmurs, walking to the balcony and leaning against the railing. 

Xiao slowly follows although he keeps his distance. Hesitant to ask more. 

He was interested by the news of fatui, he had heard of the invasion transpired by Ganyu and those other mortals had done nearby. They had rescued the red-haired man that had ties to the blue mortal.

 Was it related? And did it bring danger to Liyue...

His thoughts were left unfinished as he hears a rustling behind them, immediately on alert of the eavesdropper he reaches for his spear. Zhongli intervenes, softly patting his shoulder to ease before brushing past him.

“Excuse me for a moment, Xiao.” He apologizes. 

He turns back to see him confronting a woman who looks frantic, quickly letting his polearm dissipate before she could notice. 

“I’m sorry Mr. Zhongli.. I swear it was an accident!” She nervously tells him, he calmly pats her shoulder reassuring her,

“It’s alright, tell me what has happened.” 

She sucks in a breath, “I-I turned my back for a second and he disappeared just like that! I truly am sorry.” She apologetically mutters to him, dipping her head remorsefully. 

Xiao walks closer and notices the god’s expression darkens, his brows formed together. He doesn’t even notice the yaksha approaching them. 

“No need to apologize, this was…expected. Please alert the others immediately.” He tells her as she nods and quickly rushes off. 

“I was naive to leave him unattended, I’m afraid this could spell trouble.” He mutters to himself, worriedly thinking to himself.

Zhongli slowly looks back to Xiao, unlike his usual calm demeanour his amber gaze was tense, and his shoulders had straightened and were on alert. 

“Xiao.” He blinks, addressing the adepti. "I need your help." He requests, and the yaksha readily complies, bowing humbly to take an order from his archon.

“Of course my lord, I shall see to it.” 

“Thank you... Tartaglia has left Liyue harbour, we must exercise caution." He warns his face hidden as he looks below the harbour balcony.

He frowns, he knew of Tartaglia as the Harbinger who summoned Osial, this man was known to cause trouble in the harbour and its people. "I could bring him back here if you wish." He offers. 

Zhongli shakes his head briefly, "Don't waste your energy Xiao, Childe won't let himself be revealed until he chooses, it's best to sit and wait." He denies, replying to him knowingly. 

"Use your energy to bring Ganyu back to Liyue Harbor, she will be needed here." He voices, mentioning the half-adepti.  

Xiao relents, obeying Morax above all. "Okay, I'll be quick." He replies, standing up and disappearing without a moment's hesitance.

He could tell this was dangerous, enough to make his archon tense of worry. 

Trouble was stirring, and he didn’t like the changes coming to Liyue. 

The last thing he saw before shifting back into the shadows was the worried crease on Zhongli as he turns back to the funeral parlour to begin preparations. 

“We must leave, now,” Zhongli says finally, telling the group. 

Diluc straightens, “Absolutely not.” sitting up he begins, “We’re in no condition to leave, not with Kaeya’s condition being at stake. If a harbinger is coming for him, I fail to see how fleeing would be of any help.” He says, staring back at Zhongli fiercely. 

“Confronting him yourself is unwise, your chances of safety are much higher somewhere more secure. In mondstadt for example.” He reasons, shaking his head. 

“No. I’m not going to Mondstadt." Kaeya asserts loudly, exchanging glances with both of them as he continues.

"For once, I agree with my estranged brother," he exclaims, lifting an arm. " Running will do no good, we end this now.” He states, nonchalantly nodding to Diluc as he says so. Diluc shows a skeptical look but nods gratefully back. 

Zhongli narrows his eyes, casting downward. “He’s a harbinger, and unpredictable. I’m warning you now as I know him personally, you won’t win in your condition.” 

"I'm well aware," Kaeya chuckles, "but it's too late to flee, isn't it?  He'll catch up until we put a stop to it, and to be honest, I'm tired of this long game," he says, already aware of the dangers.

The god stirs, but inevitably has no reservations, instead asking him after a moment, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Kaeya nods, “Yes.” 

He couldn’t run now, why try? He could think of better options than going with their tails between their legs to Mondstadt and causing an even bigger hoax with the fatui there.  

No, he’s chosen this fate. No more running, if the harbinger wants him then he can sure try. He survived his fair share of Fatui attacks, he could live through this. 

As the redhead turns his attention to Kaeya, a sigh escapes from across the table. He clears his throat and rises from his seat. 

"May I speak to you alone, Kaeya?" Diluc asks, and Kaeya returns a fleeting glance to Zhongli and the others, who nodded, so he stands up to accompany him to a corridor.

When their alone Diluc leans against the wall with his arms folded, letting a sigh escape him. 

“Are you out of your mind?” He hissed, looking at Kaeya. 

He shakes his head, “It’s better this way, I can cause less trouble.” He replies, leaning against the wall with a sigh. 

“A harbinger Kaeya, not the abyss mages or fatui lackeys you deal with.” He tells him, eyebrows furrowing.

“If he sees you, he will kill you.” Coldly stating without hesitancy. Knowing the truth behind his words, after all, he couldn’t forget Diluc had hunted the fatui for nearly 4 years and nearly died before coming back. 

He bites his lip. 

To say he wasn’t scared was an understatement, he was terrified. But if it meant ending this, ending whatever chaos he caused here to trail back to Mondstadt- he was willing to see it through. 

“I know, but this is my duty to Mondstadt. I can’t go back without letting this be the last peace in my mind.” He murmurs, looking to his palms. 

His brother sighs, "You knights.." He mutters absently before he turns to face him. 

“Fine.” 

Kaeya widens his eye, twisting his head to him in shock. He didn’t expect him to be so compliant. 

“That’s it? No more retorts nor big brother talk down?” Asking disbelieving. 

He shakes his head once more.

“I’m going to trust you to know what you’re doing, so I’ll stand by you.” He announces slowly, exchanging a nervous glance with him. 

“And I know it’s too late to ask for forgiveness, not after I left you without a word for 4 years. But I won’t leave this time, I won’t lose my family again.” He promises, his voice lowering to be ever so soft as he finishes. 

It elicits a reaction, and Kaeya appears astonished, a slew of emotions enveloping him as he attempts to find his words. "Thank you, Diluc." His response was terse.

He found comfort in his words, ‘I won’t lose my family again’ .. did that mean he and him were brothers once more?

 Did he even deserve that, after all, it had been so long...

They had changed so much... Could they ever go back?

But Diluc shone back a rare smile, and it reminded him of how much he missed that familiarity between them. Almost like they were back in the knights, both ending off a bickered argument. 

His expression hardens quickly, sternly looking at him. 

“If anything goes wrong... If ever you feel like our chances are too low, activate albedo’s messenger and we’ll hide somewhere till it’s over.” Diluc explains carefully, meaning every word as he pulls out the small bag to let him hold over.

He nods, “I understand, Luc.” the nickname coming out so naturally he tensed realizing. He was about to apologize, realizing he probably spoke too soon. 

There's a pause, but the redhead's expression remains unclear as he turns away. He doesn’t point out the name but acknowledges it silently. 

“Good, let’s go back.”  

Zhongli watches the pair leave, there's a tense awkwardness between them he can sense. Although he doesn’t know the redhead personally he suspects it involves far too much into Kaeya’s history to delve into. 

Still, his gaze lingers on the empty stairwell until Xiao grabs his attention. 

“Shall I follow them?” Xiao queries, glancing up to where the two men had disappeared from. 

He shook his head lightly, “No need, I’m sure they need some time to resolve it themselves.” He reassures, turning away to meet his gaze with the Yaksha. 

“Then.. My lord, what are you going to do now?” He asks quietly, stepping out from the corner to stand beside him. 

“A good question, what shall I do..” He ticks, slowly pacing around the room. He knows any of his options aren’t good. 

He could return to the harbour and continue his duties as a mortal but would eventually be caught in between the fatui’s affairs once more for interfering. 

On the other hand, if he stayed here- No doubt would he have to spar against the harbinger once more and could very well end any relations with Tartaglia and fatui. 

He didn’t want to fight him, he was once past the centuries of bloodshed and violence. But if he left, that would fall all responsibility to this small group. 

Kaeya, Xingqiu, Chongyun and Diluc would have to duel against him. It was Suicide. He concluded.

The Ragnvindr could probably hold his own but the other 3.. It was far too much risk. 

“Xingqiu?” He calls, pausing momentarily to look to the young noble. He perked up, lifting his head. 

“Y-Yes my liege?” 

“How fast can you assemble a cart and horses here?” He asks, to which the young boy hums, thoughtfully thinking. 

“2 hours should do, but if I’m not mistaken we’re going to stay at the inn?” He remarks, perplexed by the need for transport. 

“I know, however as a precaution. Just in case.” He responds hastily, he didn’t doubt them but it was a fool’s idea to have no backup. Better an escape plan if things go south. 

“In that case we should find Qiqi, I’m sure she’ll be around here.” Xingqiu suggests, mentioning the healer zombie. 

He nods, “How quick can you find her?” 

Chongyun and Xingqiu exchange glances, then look back to him. “I’ll check the Inn for her.” Xingqiu says standing up. 

“I can find a couple horses in the meantime.” Chongyun adds, standing up with him. 

“Alright, any trouble and come back.” He advises as they both nod, splitting off from him and Xiao quickly. 

“I’ll be on the rooftop, watching,” Xiao informs him. He showed no disproval of what was to happen, merely taking the role of spectator as was his will. 

He had asked enough of the adepti that he was relieved he had helped thus far. “Thank you, Xiao.” He nods to him. 

Xiao pauses, his eyes widening for a second as he glowed at the compliment, he clears his throat brushing it off. “I wish you good luck, Morax.” Disappearing before he could respond. 

He sighs, stepping out onto the balcony to watch the skies as he thoughtfully waited. 

“Barbatos.. You really owe me this time..” He mutters under his breath as he leans on the railing. 

The harbinger would be here anytime, he just hoped his presence had warned the group enough to prepare. 

And to prepare himself, for what was to come. 

Chapter Text

It was a fast pace for the two brothers, currently in their hotel room at Wangshu inn packing. As Diluc hurried to gather what little belongings they had.

Kaeya on the other hand was too stressed to busy himself with it. Leaning against the table watching his brother pack with a dazed expression, not helping the troubled thoughts flowing through his head. 

Tartaglia, the 11th harbinger. Was coming any moment to an assumed assassination of Kaeya for who knows why. 

And, given his current situation, he had every reason to be concerned.

He wasn’t the only one on tight nerves though, 

he even noticed Diluc, who if it wasn’t already possible- had become even more protective of Kaeya to now he had his own personal bodyguard to fight any threats. 

He wasn’t particularly upset about Dilucs assertive presence, especially after being blatantly strangers for essentially 4 years and suddenly he has his brother back. In fact, it should be a good thing for him. 

But...

Kaeya couldn’t lie to say the redhead's questions were enough forward to be considered interrogation, and after staying at that barbaric pharmacy he had his fair share of people prying into his detailed life. He couldn't keep up his charade of sarcastic replies for long. 

He focuses on Diluc rummaging through his bag, then taking out the herbs and medicine provided by the pharmacy when Qiqi visited. 

"Have you taken the medicine yet?" he asks mildly, pushing his bangs back to look up at him. 

“No,” he confesses, grudgingly he catches the bottle from Diluc’s throw. 

Kaeya shows back a look of disgust, a queasy feeling already rising in his stomach but he pushes it aside. 

he clasps it in his hand and uncaps it, a quick breath in before he swings the whole thing one breath. 

He manages not to kneel over like last time, though his eye watered as he held back a gag. He tries not to let his emotions show as Diluc stares at him the whole time and holds back a chuckle, the sly devil. 

Kaeya snaps his head back to glare at him but he turns away innocently,  at least he knew better than to bicker with him on that subject.

He scoffs anyway. His shoulders relax into the chair as he calms down. He plays with a coin in one hand, flicking it into the air every now and then to cure his boredom. 

“Anything of note you want to bring up sooner than later?" Diluc asks absently, looking over his bed while he's packing Kaeya’s things. Which right now was the random assortment of herbs Baizhu had also supplied. 

He hums, "Depends, I'd rather keep this on a need-to-know basis.” He replies, still tossing the coin absently in the air and seeing his brother look back at him with a frown.

"If you want to be like that then I’ll cut straight to the point," Diluc answered, leaning over the bed, 

"Why is a harbinger after you?" he demanded. 

Kaeya pauses, stopping his coin-toss to think but ultimately shrugs at his question. unable to give a clear answer.

He still had very little knowledge as to why the fatui would be so infatuated to make sure the captain doesn’t make it back to Mondstadt alive. 

If he had to guess, the temptation of getting rid of a high-ranking captain was something the Fatui were just looking for.

 No one would have to dig too far into the knights to see he was a valuable asset to them, he was a brilliant schemer and Jean’s right hand. He wasn’t sure what would happen if he was permanently away from the knights but he knew it wouldn’t be good. 

And considering the Dvalin incident with fatui trying to take over mondstadt, he concluded it was a good plot from the devilish group.

But it would be pointless to tell Diluc that, his brother was dull but not dumb by any means. He was probably rationalizing a bunch of possibilities as they speak to conclude the question at hand. 

Even so, he figured after ruffling up with the fatui and rescuing Diluc would have to make them admit defeat. 

Clearly not, apparently. 

Maybe it's the fact this was no ordinary fatui, it was a harbinger. And one that was skilled in fighting as well. 

Oh, how he wished trouble stopped finding him. 

Harbinger Tartaglia.. The name rolled off the tip of his tongue, he knew of the Osial attack where the harbinger had summoned the mighty god from the seas and even the rumours of his bloodthirsty nature. 

Yet he didn’t understand his true intentions, it was unclear whether he craved the bloodshed around him or there was a meticulous plot behind his actions with reason. 

He knew one thing for certain. He wasn't bringing someone like that near Mondstadt, certainly not risking others' lives over himself either. 

He rolls his head back, admitting a deep sigh. 

“I’m always one for optimism but Master Diluc, the odds are not in our favour.” He relents, tapping his knuckles against the wood of the table.

Fighting a harbinger would be difficult but he's sure with their element of surprise they can at least catch him off guard and flee without shedding blood.

Diluc huffs, standing up with a bag in one hand.  “Well, it's a good thing you won’t be participating in it.” he asserts. 

He immediately snapped his head back to him, his thoughts abrupt. “Uh- Pardon?” bewildered, to say the least of what Diluc just said. 

Diluc walked to the table, placing the bag down and looking at him deadpanned. “You really think you can fight a harbinger, in your condition?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. 

“Of Course not.” 

“Good, you can stay in the room then.” He tells him rather than asking. As if the decision was already made up for him. 

“You cannot be serious Diluc, I’m coming with you.” Kaeya retorts back stubbornly, raising his chin up to him. He wasn’t giving in to his authority, he wasn’t a little kid anymore to be told what to do. 

“Absolutely not.” He objected a little too loudly that Kaeya straightened in surprise at his tone. 

He twitches, a sigh escaping as he raises his hand to touch the bridge of his nose. 

He murmurs in a calmer voice, his voice wavering. "Heed my words for once, we need you alive and you're exactly what they are after. The harbinger is expecting you here and you've never dealt with the fatui as I have," he warns, his tone sharp and he knows Diluc is completely serious in this matter. 

He knew his brother was right, he also had experience with the fatui Kaeya couldn't even fathom to think of but he held onto his judgement. 

He was a cavalry captain like Diluc once was, and he had the experience of threats to his life and others. this was just one of the menial things he's subjected himself to. 

"You have no right to say what I can or cannot handle." he snaps back, still holding his authority in the conversation. "Don't treat me like a helpless Child Diluc." He adds, narrowing his eye.

Diluc stills, an unrecognizable emotion flashed through his eyes as he looked down, was it hurt? he didn't have time to ponder.

“Then I’ll treat you like an injured patient, whether you can fight or not. I can't see myself to let you fight a harbinger like... This ." his pitying gaze drifts to him briefly and Kaeya coldly gazes back at him, recognizing what he was meaning. 

He knows it shouldn’t come off as offending and Diluc means well but Kaeya was not one to recognize himself as weak, much less let others pity him. 

At least not publicly, he would march up dragonspine with the flu and still not admit feeling cold if need be. 

But if Diluc, a powerful vision bearer and ally of mondstadt could tell he was struggling to match his pace, then it was foolish to think positively of a hopeful ending. 

and that conclusion shattered him. Not only for the sake of himself, thinking about others worried him. 

He couldn’t let people he knew and trusted sacrifice themselves for him without lifting a finger. It felt like weakness and agreeing to him was admitted to that weakness. Maybe that was the messed up way of thinking but he didn’t want to let anyone else deal with his problems alone. 

His hands curl into fists as he stands up, matching eye length with the man's gaze. 

“I’m coming.”  

Staring boringly at his piercing red eyes as Diluc's unreadable expression becomes more perplexed, he then sighs rubbing his temples with his fingers. 

He sighs, fatigued from putting up with the other's smart remarks after a long day.

“Let's not fight, I refuse to answer you when you act this way.” gesturing with a hand to him before walking to the door. 

“What does that mean?” He hissed, stepping ahead to follow him but Diluc is quick to stop and raise his hand at him. 

he points to him. “It means, you stay here. Until things are resolved and everything’s safe.” He concludes, shutting the door before Kaeya could reach after him, unable to prevent it as he heard the click of the lock shutting him inside.

 He cursed out loud. 

“Diluc! Let me out this instant!” He shouts angrily, knocking on the door with one hand while the other rattles the doorknob. It was futile to try to prevent what he was doing.

He really locked him in! 

As his attempts to unlock the door get more desperate, he hears his footsteps leaving.

His eye widened with panic, not anger, as he realized his brother truly intended his actions. 

Don't leave me here .

Diluc responds for the final time. "Remain here; it's for your own good." I'll apologise when it's all over, but you know I can't let you hurt yourself like this." He repeated himself; Kaeya couldn't see his face through the door, but Diluc was certainly as guilty as his actions.

“Open the door Diluc!” He demands, not stopping his attempts at unscrewing the doorknob open. 

He hears a sigh from the other side of the door, then Diluc steps back “I’ll let you out once this is over, I promise Kae.” 

Kaeya recoils back in time, already knowing what was happening but yells at him nonetheless. 

Diluc's pyro vision effectively sealed the door before he departed, as the doorknob glowed brightly and melted shut. There was now only one way out, and that was to break the entire door down.

He continues punching the door nonetheless, mostly angry at what he had just done and essentially holding him hostage in his own room. 

“Diluc!” He angrily screams, cursing when he no longer hears footsteps.

 He finally relents, pushing his head against the board of the door, defeated.

“Damn you Luc...” He mutters frustratingly. 

Angrily curling his fists and punching the wood one final time, letting his hand rest against the grain. His knuckles were scratched and sore from the assault but he hardly felt the pain. 

He knew Diluc only had good intentions for him but it still hurt. 

And he couldn't stop the feeling of being betrayed. that he had let him down somehow, not being able to protect himself to be put here forcefully.  

He relents from trying to break down the door, instead of pausing as the silence is filled with a distant noise, was a fight already beginning?  

He needed to get out of here. And quickly. 

He marches back to the table, a plan drafting in his head as he reaches for the crystal fly package. A plan stirring in his mind. 

Diluc marched down the corridor ignoring the protest in his mind to go back. 

It felt wrong to do this but he was too late to turn back to Kaeya. Even despite the yelling of protests coming from the door making him regret leaving his brother behind. 

Stop this, don’t do this. 

He stopped where he stood, his hands clenched at his side as he debated it one last time. 

Diluc would admit at this moment, he knew Kaeya best- or should he say his younger brother best. Although the years had changed he recognized that look in his eye before they went on an expedition or a dangerous task ahead. 

He was willing to do what it takes to keep his pride. 

Kaeya was the type to uphold duty, not for the sake of others’ lives but to give value to his own, if it meant finding praise in himself to see as useful and not burdensome he would take it. That was just how he was, and he doubted Diluc would ever think differently of him. 

Because if not for the people of Mondstadt he knew well Kaeya would have long sacrificed himself to the gods. 

It hurt him more knowing he stood silently watching it all, even playing a role in proving it right. On that damned night, something he regretted more than he cared to admit. 

But he wasn’t willing to let Kaeya be killed because of something like this, he knew very well the risks here and if it meant locking him up for his own protection, then it is what he must do. 

So he’ll ask for forgiveness afterwards. 

As he continues down the hallway he hears the pounding of Kaeya’s door become quiet, fighting back every urge to check back on him he steps into the foyer of the Inn to not give himself the consideration. 

He’s interrupted almost immediately by yelling, as workers of the Inn come rushing past him, fleeing from whatever was ahead.

 The panic of the scene makes him break into a run, fear building in him as he heads the opposite direction to where they were all running from.

Summoning his claymore in hand as he steps out into the balcony of the giant tree. Cautiously walking and expecting to find fatui that caused the stirrup. 

A blur of a person flashes past him, he steps back in surprise and a whole lot of confusion. 

Before he can make sense of the scene, another person is tossed at him in mid-air. This time, he doesn't think twice about catching them. As he kneels over the person he just saved midair, he breaks into fall onto the ground.

“Are you okay?” He manages to ask, sitting upright and widens his eyes in surprise. 

He's faced in front of Qiqi, the little pharmacist who he thought had left by now. She seems to recognize him as she nods quietly, her eyes wide with surprise than fear. 

Okay, so Qiqi just got thrown at him and who else got thrown-

His thought is answered as a loud groan erupts and he looks towards the opposite direction and sees Chongyun climbing out of the boxes that broke his crash landing.  

He steadies on his legs with one hand clutching his head and the other hand loosely holding his claymore in a defensive manner, which was now being used as support to keep himself upright. 

Diluc’s first reaction is to prioritize their safety but as soon as the exorcist notices him his expression turns to fear, yelling to Diluc, “Quick! He’s here!” 

He doesn’t have to ask to already know who he's talking about and gets up immediately to hold his greatsword in front of them.

Anger furies in him, but he holds calm as he turns back to the children. 

 “How many are there?” 

“I only saw the harbinger,” Chongyun answers, out of breath. 

Diluc nods back “Take the stairs, get down to the ground floor and stay there.” He commands them and they both nod too, their eyes wide. 

“What about you?” Chongyun asks after a moment, his worried gaze flitting over him. 

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll take care of it.” He hopes he sounds reassuring enough to the boy hoping he’ll heed his words and take safety.

“Go!” he yells more urgently afterwards to get the message. 

 Chongyuns gaze lingers on him for a moment before he obliges, picking up Qiqi in his arms and turning around as he runs for the stairwell. 

He lets out a sigh of relief but knows this is only one step to saving their skins. The hard part was just beginning.  

How was the harbinger already here? It had been less than a day since they were made aware he knew their location. It would take a whole day at least to walk undetected to the Inn and it's guarded too, it would be nearly impossible to be unseen. 

If it wasn’t a harbinger coming, he would have been surprised. Maybe impressed even, 

His thoughts are interrupted when he spots him, plain as day and he halts in his spot poised with alert. 

The man in front of him clutches the collar of an innocent bygone, whos trembling in his knees fearfully as the man looks down on him with a frown. 

The fatui emblem blemished next to his hydro vision a giveaway of his true intentions. 

He looks more annoyed than a brute assassin as he continues to question the shivering man. 

 “All I’m asking is if you’ve seen a tall man with blue hair check in here,” Tartaglia asks, tired of the lack of response. 

The man trembles, clearly so since the harbinger is holding him by his collar lifting him off the ground. 

The ginger groans when the man gives no words, he has a feeling this was a similar reaction the harbinger has seen before.

“Gods, I thought you liyuen people we’re more talkative than this.” He sighs, dropping him on the ground and the man rushes to catch a breath, holding his neck sorely. 

Diluc walks slowly to him, on alert after witnessing this unfold. 

Without stalling he stops a few feet away, slamming his greatsword in the wood of the balcony to make his presence known. 

The harbinger immediately spots him, meeting his gaze with the redhead. 

Cerulean eyes reflected back at him with keen interest, they looked as empty and dark as the abyss, creeping a chill out of him. He smiles at the sight of him, which makes him tense more. 

“Huh, someone brave enough to face me. You don’t look like you're from Liyue either.” He tilts his head then pushes the other man on the floor, turning to have his full attention to Diluc. 

He shifts his sword to his side, glaring at him. “You're not welcome here, Fatui scum.” He seethes out, curling tighter on the hold of his weapon, ready to defend himself. 

The harbinger's brows shoot up in surprise, surprised someone has chosen to answer him with hostility.

He laughs, his hands twirling to unsheath small hydro daggers. 

“Oh-ho a tough man, I would spare you a worthy duel but I’m a bit on a tight schedule at the moment.” He relays but doesn’t shift to put away his weapon. 

“I just need some questions answered, that's all,” He assured him calmly. Although he doubted that was all, considering Qiqi and Chongyun being thrown and the fearful rush of civilians before. 

“I’m looking for the Mondstadter on the wanted posters, You’ve seen him here haven’t you?” 

Diluc doesn’t reply, raising his shoulders to stay his ground. “I have no reason to answer you, leave this place and stop harassing the people.” 

There's a silence, his stare deepening on the redhead and he suddenly laughs. Grinning as he ignores his threats.

 He shakes his head, “You know what, I’ve changed my mind. I’ll fight you first and then get my answers.” 

His hands clasp together, the hydro swords he once held disappear in a blur and he suddenly has a bow in replacement, there's not a single hesitancy and Diluc braces in time for the turret of arrows oncoming. 

Tartaglia readies his bow and starts to quickly fire straight at the man. the hydro-infused arrows ricochet straight at him. 

Most missed, but a couple hit against his sword with a clang. 

He grits his teeth, calculating his approach swiftly and dashes forwards just when there's a gap in his accuracy.

Diluc swings his claymore in an upwards motion, pyro circling around it and he jumps to swing it straight at his chest. There's a clang of particles, the bow being used as a shield against the blow and a low chuckle escapes him.

He looks down to see what's amusing and is met by the look of excitement flashing in his eyes. It unnerves him all the more. 

“I was right to fight you, you put up a good fight.” He yells, suddenly disappearing from view and quickly he's behind him, a spur of hydro gathering at his feet dampening the surroundings. 

He widens his eyes, then quickly steels his expression. Gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands as he turns to face him once more. 

“Shut up.” he snarls back, his face darkening. The water around him turned into the mist with the addition of his pyro vision. 

This felt too simple like he was toying with him more than actually trying to kill him. He found it odd a harbinger was making more comments than trying to rip him to shreds. 

Then again, the 11th most definitely had confidence in winning. 

The ginger takes his time slowly walking around him, eyeing him carefully but also with a smirk on his face, irritating him more. 

“You're not very polite, I’m just playing jest. Although... Could it be you already knew I would come?” He rushes in front of him, knocking him back, appearing quicker than he can react and swinging his leg to hit against his chest, sending him flying backwards with the wind knocked out of his gut. 

Diluc coughs, stepping back with an arm wrapped around his chest as he gets back to his stance. 

Tartaglia was smarter than he originally thought, but by his reaction, Diluc knew all he needed to figure the rest to victory. 

Diluc’s plan was simple, draw him as far from the Inn as possible. Until someone else could subdue the harbinger with him, be it the Adeptus or Zhongli. 

He wondered where they were, they were making too much commotion to be unnoticed by now.

He could only stall for so long before he too would wear out. 

As he prepares for another attack, Diluc catches a sight from behind the harbinger. Quickly looking up in time to the intruder joining in. 

There's a clang of metal, hydro bursting in front of him as he recoils to avoid being splashed. he yells, stepping back from the blast. 

When the waves abolish he sees the young nobleman against him. 

Xingqiu’s sword pushes against the harbinger's twin swords, the boy glances back at Diluc, his teeth strained into a smile. 

“I hope I’m not intruding.” He yells, jumping back to step in line with the pyro allogene. Now two verses one. 

Tartaglia cocks his head, eyes widening “I recognize you- you’re that liyuen boy from the harbour!” he realizes, pointing a finger at him questioning. He didn’t understand what he meant but the two seemed to recognize each other, Xingqiu looking visibly uncomfortable at the remark.

Xingqiu gulps, his eyes widening to Diluc. “Shall we run, my liege?” 

He shifts his gaze between the two of them before twisting to grab Xingqiu’s arm, quickly pulling him to run. 

The harbinger is quick to follow, running after them through the Inn. “Hey- Come back! I’m not finished with this!” he yells after them but they ignore him, pushing harder to getaway. 

Unfortunately for them, they lead into a dead end, only the balcony with a railing cutting them off.

Xingqiu looks back urgently, “What now?!” the harbinger was right on their tail, any moment and he would have the upper hand. 

He grimaces, pausing a moment. Then his face darkens, looking down. 

“We jump.” 

The teen screams, a deathly grip on Diluc's arm as they jump off the balcony.

 Gravity seemed to be pulling them faster, the ground swirling beneath them and he panicked with no wind glider to open he braced to hit the ground roughly. 

As the ground becomes closer he starts thinking they won’t make it- it is getting closer and there's a moment where he’s not confident to land. 

He grips the teen closer around him, bracing to shield him if need be praying to gods they don't die from jumping off a tree. 

Their screams cut off inches from crashing into the ground. 

He closes his eyes, a soft breeze envelopes him and for a moment he thinks this is it, this was his end. 

But the clouds brighten and when he opens his eyes he's on the floor. 

Exhausted, but alive. 

"Are you uninjured?" a rough voice asks, his eyes wander to find the source and then he scrambles upwards in surprise. 

Adeptus Xiao looked towards them both, his polearm clutched to his side as he stood over them. 

Diluc scrambles to get up as does Xingqiu. "Yes, Thank you... um what was that?" he curiously replies, out of breath. One moment they were falling to their death and the next they were safely on the ground, uninjured. 

Xiao's eyes reflect back with a faint glow. "You should be more concerned about yourselves.. you humans neglect to see the urgency of the situation," he replies back, not answering his question. 

Xingqiu picks up his sword quickly, "The harbinger! Where is he?!" 

Xiao blinks, calculating his answer "He'll be here soon. I've spared you a few minutes." he answers roughly then narrows his eyes. 

"Where is the blue mortal?" he asks them back in turn. 

Blue mortal? Ah. "He's safe and hidden. rest assured," he answers back to which the Adeptus raises an eyebrow at him.

" Alone? Hmph.. you mortals and your ways," he mutters quietly shaking his head briskly turning his head to them. "No matter, you can both defeat the harbinger alone right?" 

Xingqiu and Diluc exchange uneasy looks with each other. It's clear both of them have no positive outlooks on the situation.

Diluc was sure they could distract enough time to let the others escape but by no means defeat him, especially if he goes into his delusional state. Which would be more difficult to tame. 

"We could certainly try but.. it wouldn't last." Xingqiu answers finally. glancing back to the yaksha's tense expression.

he only nods, understandingly. "Try for the sake of your mortal friend. I cannot help you kill him but I can be of other assistance if need be," he explains, Answering to Diluc before he can ask. 

"I don't know where Morax has gone, so please stall until he returns."