Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Entering Mondstadt was like a breath of fresh air for Tartaglia. Stepping away from Liyue Harbour’s humid climate was just what he needed, the cool Mondstad air a relief as he wandered toward the City of Freedom. 

Despite no longer being covered in snow, Mondstadt still held the familiar crisp air of home, so similar to Snezhnaya in so many ways. No wonder so many recruits jumped at a chance to be stationed there. 

Tartaglia’s mission in Liyue was nowhere near complete, but the Rite of Descension was a few months away so it was not like his presence was particularly required at the time, but if the Tsaritsa told you to go somewhere else you did not question her—you simply packed up and went. 

His new orders were simple: go to Mondstadt, make himself indispensable to the Knights of Favonius, and get rid of the Stormterror threat before the Knights could. 

That last one would be simple. Tartaglia had fought plenty of abyssal dragons in Snezhnaya when he was still just a captain. Surely, an elemental dragon would be no worse than the abyssal nest he’d taken down when he was only 17. He would treat this as a sort of vacation, taking some time to whip the troops into shape and see if he could start a few fights with the Knights. 

Walking up the stone bridge, Tartaglia took the time to pass his remaining bread ration to the boy feeding the pigeons. The bridge seemed sturdy enough, but surely someone with a Geo vision could tear it down with no trouble. Perhaps that was part of the Knight’s safety plan. With enough rations and properly trained vision holders, the city could likely hold off a siege quite well. Finding weak points for an invasion might be a fun pastime. 

Tartaglia wasn’t surprised to see a trio of Knights waiting for him at the gates. Unlike his associates, Tartaglia wasn’t the sort to hide in the shadows. He had sent plenty of notice he would be visiting Mondstadt to check on the troops, and made sure to communicate with the Acting Grand Master so they would know when to expect him. 

“Greetings, comrades!” Tartaglia grins, giving a large wave as he jogs up to them. “I take it you’re my welcoming party?”

“You could say that,” The man in the middle hums after a moment, arms crossed over his slightly revealed chest. He’s dressed significantly more casual than the men in uniform standing on either side. Dark blue hair tied in a low tail and thrown over a shoulder. His right eye is covered in a simple eyepatch, pants unreasonably tight and corset holding his looser shirt tight around his middle. “I am the Cavalry Captain Kaeya. 

Was this a honeypot? There was no way this man was a Captain, dressed like that. 

Regardless, he introduces himself with a bow. “Tartaglia, Eleventh of Her Majesty’s Fatui Harbingers. Pleasure to meet you, Captain.”

“Yes, the Vanguard,” Kaeya says. “I’m familiar with your reputation.” 

“Good things, I’m sure.”

Kaeya doesn’t respond to that. “Come with me, the Acting Grand Master is eager to meet with you.” 

“Right,” Tartaglia shoots back. “After you.”

Yeah, there was no way a man with that thin of a waist was a real captain. There was no way a man with that thin of a waist was even real! 

He needed to buy a corset before he left. 

---

Childe had never been to Mondsdat before, and as they walked through the small but busy city, he found himself fascinated by every sight. It looked as if the Adventurers’ Guild was flourishing, which was a nice sight, but most other storefronts seemed dark or shuttered. 

“Are these stores closed for the season?” He asked his guide. 

Kaeya looked back at him with a sigh. “As if you are not aware of the reason, Harbinger.” 

Ah. So the city really was suffering under the Stormterror threat. “I was aware there was a threat to the city, but I didn’t realize it was quite this bad.” 

“An unnecessary precaution by the Acting Grand Master,” Kaeya responds, motioning for Childe to keep walking. “The knights have a good handle on everything, and your presence here is both unneeded and unwanted.” 

“Wouldn’t extra hands to fight Stormterror be welcome?”

“Absolutely not. Stormterror is one of the four winds, and our Acting Grand Master would rather it not be killed.”

“And you? What would you rather be done?”

Kaeya doesn’t take the bait. “I would rather you not be here.”

“Hey, I was just a hop away in Liyue.” Childe shrugs. He’s about to go on when the wind suddenly picks up around them. Looking up at the sky, he watches it visibly darken from one second to the next. Next to him, Captain Kaeya visibly reacts, barking out orders to a few nearby knights to get people to cover. 

A whirl of air begins to form across the courtyard and Childe steps back away from it toward cover when he sees a child try and dart across to a building, the air pulls her hat off and she lunges for it, suddenly losing her balance and being pulled up into the air. 

Childe just manages to grab her around the wrist with a whip made from hydro, pulling her down into his arms. “I got you.” 

“My hat!”

“I’m sure you’ll find it after the storm is over.” 

She glares at him before a woman in red runs up to them and takes her into her arms. “Diona! Thank Barbatos you’re safe.” 

“I can walk!” 

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Childe interrupts before the woman can put Diona down. “You two get indoors where it’s safe.” The two duck inside without another word, just as a trio of Fatui arrive at his side. 

“Lord Harbinger!”

“Go make sure people are indoors!” Childe orders. “Help the locals and stay safe yourselves!” 

Ekaterina, the red-headed agent who had been at his side since he became a Harbinger, pointed up at the cathedral a few tiers above them. “Look!”

Eyes on the bright blue dragon flying high above, Childe’s dull blue eyes shine with something akin to excitement. “Wonderful!” Then immediately he was off at a run, Kaeya at his heels. 

Yet another tornado was creating chaos in the cathedral courtyard, with various locals and a nun hiding under the stone archways and holding onto the pillars to avoid being blown away. High above that flew a small figure on a glider, fighting against the dragon with bursts of anemo. 

Finally, a chance to fight something new. There were all manner of beasts and monsters in the desolate wilds of Snezhnaya—from wolves the size of a man, to Abyssal wyverns who would attack in a burst of blood and destruction. He had been hunting down everything he could since he had joined the Fatui as a child, sent into the wilds with a minder whenever Pulcinella grew tired of him acting out. 

But a proper, anemo elemental blessed dragon? One reported to have intelligence and cunning? Childe could feel the familiar giddiness already filling his chest. He reached a hand out into the air before him, summoning his bow from the ether. While he was not fond of the bow, he was confident in his ability to hit such a giant target. 

Probably. 

He knocked an arrow made from hydro to the string and pulled it back—eye tracking the dragon as it spun around the small figure high above—and shot, hitting it straight into the meat where its front, right wing met its body. The creature roars in anger and spins about rapidly to escape, tail knocking into the small figure and crumpling its glider like paper. 

Childe starts forward, but Kaeya is already there, catching the female figure before they could hit the hard ground. She looks strange, certainly a foreigner despite having the hair colour most commonly seen here in Mondstadt. Her eyes are a lovely gold which narrow as she spots Childe with the bow in hand. “I had it.” 

“Sure. You’re welcome.” 

Kaeya sets her down on her feet and steps back when a small child pops into existence next to the girl, quickly flying around her and fretting, looking for any injuries. 

“What was that thing!?” The floating child exclaims, finally finished their inspection and turning to the two men for answers. “It was so scary!” 

“That was Stormterror,” a new voice speaks out from the other side of the plaza. The tornados had dissipated with the dragon’s exit, but the sky remained grey and awful. A few citizens came out of hiding at the woman’s entrance, a small group of knights behind her darting about to bring them to the large cathedral behind them. “It is one of the four winds that protected Mondstadt, and attacking it only makes things worse.”

That’s when Kaeya steps between them. “Acting Grand Master, I would like to introduce you to Tartaglia, the 11th Fatui Harbinger.” He motions with his hand to the blonde. “Tartaglia, our Acting Grand Master, the Dandelion Knight Jean Gunnhildr.”

“A pleasure,” Childe grits out. 

“The pleasure is all mine,” Jean responds, sounding far more sincere. “We weren’t expecting you quite so soon.” 

“I was in Liyue and the weather was lovely for travelling. Seems like I was just in time.”

“While your assistance today was appreciated, I assure you the Knights of Favonius have everything under control.” 

Childe has seen his fair share of delusional people, but he can’t help but laugh. “In the few minutes I’ve been in this city, I’ve already seen a kid nearly get blown away, and watched a teenager nearly die while trying to defend themselves against a monster a good 100 feet in the air.”

“Monster?” Jean repeats, offended. “I would expect a more professional attitude from a Diplomat.” 

“If you want professionalism you can request Pedrelino. I’m the Vanguard.” Childe grins at her. “I was sent to remove the threat as soon as possible.” 

“We have denied the Fatui’s offers for assistance multiple times-”

“So you’re saying your pride matters more than the lives of your citizens?” Childe shakes his head in mock disappointment. “What a shame. I expected more from such an honourable organization.”

“That-”

“I think we should all calm down here,” says a woman in purple, interrupting the duo before they can say anything more. “Tensions are always high after a Stormterror attack, and goodness knows the Leylines being in chaos isn’t doing any favours for those of us with visions.” 

“You’re right,” Jean agrees. “Sir Tartaglia, I welcome you to Mondstadt. You are, of course, free to act as you will, but I request you listen to the beliefs of the locals before taking any action against Stormterror.” 

“Fair enough,” he agrees, crossing his arms. “Let us end this here. There is plenty for me to do besides going after a dragon anyway.”

He feels more than sees Kaeya turn to him with interest, but pays the Knights no more attention. Instead, he motions for one of his agents to come closer. “Make sure my bag is sent to my rooms, and get me the items in the list I forwarded ahead of time.”

The agent bows, and the little blonde teenager he helped earlier takes the chance to come up to him. “Hey. Thank you for your help.”

“I thought you said you had it?” He delights in the dusting of red on her face, the feeling of teasing a younger sibling coming far too easily. “I’m joking. You okay? No injuries?”

“I’m okay,” she confirms. “I’m Lumine. Have you seen a boy who looks like me?”

“Call me Childe.” He says, giving her a small wave. “And no? Who are you looking for?”

“My brother. We… I’m looking for my twin brother.”

Well, that hit him a bit harder than he was expecting. Is he getting soft? “When were you separated? What does he look like? Were you identical or fraternal?”

“Identical,” she answers. “He looks just like me, but with longer hair.” 

“I haven’t seen anything, but I’ll have my men keep an eye out too, if that’s okay with you?”

“Yes!” Her eyes light up. “Please!” 

The girl in red who was with her earlier takes that chance to approach them. “Lumine, maybe you shouldn’t. He’s Fatui and you don’t want to owe the Fatui anything.”

“Rude,” he points out, “but not exactly incorrect. I wouldn’t recommend accepting things from most Fatui, but I can give you this one as a freebie.” 

“Thank you?”

“Sure. Now I do have one question for you.” He points to the little floating doll hovering next to her right side. “Where did you get that adorable floating doll, and can I buy it from you?”

“Hey! Paimon is not a doll!” Paimon screams out, not letting Lumine get a word in edgewise. “And Paimon is not for sale!” 

“Amber, what’s a lot of money?”

“Uh-”

“I can offer two million mora.” 

The girl in red, Amber, looks at Childe in wonder before shyly turning to Lumine. “Two million is a lot of mora.” 

“I’ll think about it.” 

Paimon’s scream of offended terror reminds him of home.

Chapter Text

The Goth Grand Hotel is as extravagant and gaudy as Childe expected, which is to say, it was awful. The trio of agents he had sent ahead of him were waiting in the lobby, Ekaterina holding his personal bag in her arms. “Lord Harbinger, there is a room on the second floor waiting for your approval.”

That was new. “I thought Mondstadt had a Harbinger suite ready at all times?”

“It is… occupied,” Alexei, one of his debt collectors from Liyue tells him. “The Fair Lady invites you for tea when you are available.” 

Right. He had been told Signora would be making her way to Mondstadt at some point for a mission. He supposed his mission must have been either at her request (weird), or to supplement her work as per the Tsaritsa’s orders (more likely). “Maybe later. Katya, tell my spies to keep an eye on the Knights and their movements. I’m sure they’ll be up to something now that the city knows I’m here.”

“Yes, Lord Harbinger.”

The two men disperse as Ekaterina heads for the stairs, not bothering to check if Childe was following. She gets to the bottom before turning to look over her shoulder. “Oh, and you have a letter from Liyue waiting for you.”

He most certainly does not run after her, but it is a near thing.

---

The past few days had been busy for everyone in Mondstat but him, Childe muses to himself as he glares out at the beautiful clear sky above his window. It seemed as if the Knights of Favonius barely waited for him to enter the Goth Grand Hotel before they were out causing trouble. How dare they find the force behind Stormterror’s power before he could get a fair fight? 

A knock on his door pulls him from his spiraling thoughts. “What?”

“A letter from Liyue, Lord Harbinger. I was told to bring it to you immediately?” 

Childe is at the door before the agent can even finish his sentence. His mood lifts the moment he sees the familiar handwriting on the envelope, beautifully written in common trade with loopy letters that made it almost incomprehensible. Of course, Childe has had enough practice with Zhongli’s writing to be able to read it with ease. 

He tore the envelope open as he jumped back onto his bed - thank Tsaritsa for the Goth Grand’s plush mattresses - unfolding each piece of parchment like it was a gift. 

My Dearest Childe, 

What was he? A maiden whose heart would flutter at the sight of a crush? No, this was even worse. He was swooning at words on paper. 

I was happy to learn that you arrived at your destination safely. I am well aware you are capable of protecting yourself from any foe, but we both know trouble is something you covet. 

Childe couldn’t even deny that! It should worry him that Zhongli knows him so well, but instead he feels warm at the thought of the gentleman’s concern. 

Regarding your questions, I am afraid I am not as educated in the history of Mondstadt as you may hope. The dragon Stormterror, or Dvalin, was previously known as one of the four winds of Mondstadt. Much like some of the adepti in Liyue, Dvalin was a being born, not created. An elemental dragon who in his youth was curious and daring met the newly crowned Anemo Archon. In the midst of the Archon War, an elemental dragon was a boon to the small nation, and his protection even went up against Rex Lapis during a misunderstanding caused by Barbatos. 

As Dvalin grew and matured, some historians would even go so far as to say the roles of master and child were switched between the dragon and Barbatos. In the battle against the great Abyssal Dragon Durin, Dvalin was poisoned by the Abyss and went into hibernation to await Barbatos’ return. As Stormterror has broken his vow to protect Mondstadt I doubt Barbatos has returned to heal him, and so perhaps only a blessing of pure anemo can heal the poison. I believe Barbatos’ Holy Lyre is still held in the Cathedral, perhaps if there is a sister or priest who holds an anemo vision, they could help you with your mission. 

I wish to finish my letter by requesting you stay safe and out of trouble but that would be a waste of good ink. 

I eagerly await your return, 

Zhongli 

Childe is well aware that holy relics of the gods and archons contain power for thousands of years after their owner has perished. Most of his work toward Plan B of obtaining Morax’s gnosis rests on the Sigils of Power, after all. If the Knights of Favonius used the Holy Lyre to try and purify the dragon, then he would never get his fight. 

Perhaps he should send someone to take it before the Knights could come up with the idea. 

---

There was a saying in the Zapolyarny Palace that said ‘if the 11th is bored, hell will reign’. And tonight, Childe is very bored. 

There had been little to do in Mondstadt ever since the Knights had taken care of Stormterror’s power sources. The skies were clear and the people were optimistic, which didn’t bode well for his mission. With his agents doing the infiltration and dirty work he was too well known for, it left him with nothing but time. And time and a bored Harbinger were never a good mix. 

Mondstadt was well known for their drinking culture, with a bar on every block of the city. Two in particular reigned supreme as the most popular: the Cat’s Tail and the Angel’s Share. When Childe had asked the local Fatui diplomats for a recommendation, he had quickly learned that the Fatui were unofficially banned from the Angel’s Share whenever the red-headed owner was tending the bar. 

Childe had been looking forward to a sequel to his fight with Diluc Ragnvindr ever since the man narrowly escaped him in Natlan. After assuring Ekaterina he would meet her at the Cat’s Tail for their alibi, he turned directly toward the Angel’s Share and walked right in. 

The bar was as packed as he’d expected, every chair filled with a raucous crowd, no doubt celebrating the latest development in the Stormterror saga. Only one figure turned to look at him, a greeting on the bartender’s lips which died upon seeing Childe in the doorway. 

Diluc Ragnvindr hasn't changed much since their face off only a few years ago. His hair was certainly cleaner and he looked more well kept, but no one looked their best on a battlefield. Childe takes a seat at the bar and clears his throat, grin growing to an astronomical size when the recognition hits Diluc’s face. 

“A bottle of your best Fire-Whiskey.” 

Diluc’s face doesn’t move an inch, but he sets the glass in his hand down ever so gently. Another man comes out from the door behind the bar and neither of them even look to acknowledge him. 

“Charles, let everyone know we’re closing early.” 

The other man, Charles, quickly darts away and the sounds of chairs scraping against the wooden floor and feet moving fills the air until there is silence once again. 

“So, how about that whiskey-”

Diluc’s fist is literally on fire when it punches toward his face, and Chide narrowly manages to avoid it by falling backward and rolling back onto his feet. He rolls his wrists as hydro daggers form at his palms, and has them ready as Diluc emerges back from below the bar with a claymore. 

Talk about overkill. 

Diluc rushes him and Childe side steps away, slipping under Diluc’s left arm and leaving a clean cut through his clothing that unfortunately doesn’t spill blood. A table becomes a casualty of their fight as Diluc’s claymore halves it, and a chair is destroyed when Childe is tackled over it. 

They fall to the ground together, with Diluc’s claymore narrowly avoiding Childe’s neck, and Childe’s own dagger pressed sharply against Diluc’s gut. 

They both freeze as the door to the bar slams open and a young trio practically fall inside. Childe recognizes them as Lumine and her not-a-toy companion, but the third-

“Oh my, are we interrupting something Master Diluc?”

The third one can die a slow and painful death. 

Diluc seems to be in agreement as he quickly pushes himself up to his feet and lifts his claymore like it's a single handed weapon. “Get out, Venti. Bar’s closed.”

“Also, aren’t you three a little young to be in here anyway?” Childe quips unhelpfully. 

Venti opens his mouth to speak but Paimon beats him to it “You! You’re the Fatui Harbinger guy! You stole the Holy Lyre der Himmel!” 

Ah right, so that’s why Ekaterina wanted him to have a public alibi tonight. “The what? What are you even talking about? When was the theft announced? I didn’t hear anything on my walk over here.” 

Lumine freezes and Paimon bursts into tears almost immediately. “Paimon can’t go to jail! She’s too young!” 

Childe watches in amusement as Lumine awkwardly tries to comfort her floating companion, and the bard seems to have a silent conversation with Diluc. Finally the redhead sighs and motions toward the stairwell. “Fine. Just go upstairs for a bit. I’ll take care of this. As for you-” Here Diluc turns back toward Childe and lets out a world weary sigh. “Get off the floor.” 

“But we were in the middle of something! Don’t blue ball me like this...” 

Diluc mumbles something under his breath about there being two of them as Childe gets back to his feet, fixing his clothing, and washing out a cut along his neck with his vision. He tosses the filthy water onto the floor the second Diluc’s attention is away from him. “So, about that fire whiskey-”

Before Diluc can grab his claymore, the door pushes open once again, two knights entering and freezing at the sight of the two men staring each other down. “Uh… Master Diluc! We are looking for a suspicious individual. Have you, or, either of you, seen someone?”

Diluc lifts a finger toward the Harbinger, and after a moment, Childe lifts a finger back toward him. Perhaps the Knights of Favonius were smarter than Childe gives them credit for, because the two knights left without another word, the taller one shaking his head as they went. 

“Are they gone?” Paimon’s voice asks from above, and Childe breaks the staring contest to look up at them. 

“Yeah. It’s safe now.” 

“Not with you still here,” Diluc states. “I’ll give you one more chance to get the hell out.” 

“Oh come on! I’m curious about this stolen Lyre thing!” 

Lumine scoffs at him as the trio come down the stairs. “It was one of your people-”

“Not yet.” Diluc stops her, eyes on Childe. “Not while he’s still here.” 

“You know, I’m feeling very unwanted right now.”

“You are. Unwanted.” 

Childe looks around at the group, eyes lingering momentarily on the bard, the only one he knew nothing about. “Fine. I know when I’m being dismissed. I look forward to our rematch, Master Diluc.” 

Chapter Text

My dear Tonia, 

Greetings from Mondstadt! Do you remember the stories father told us of the rolling fields, green and full? The nation of Freedom is as beautiful as they say. Of course, nothing comes close to the elegant beauty of the Snezhnayan winter, but Mondstadt is a distant second. 

The capital is the only city of note, although the rich and noble classes seem to live in their own estates just like home. I walked through a small hunting town as well, named for a supposedly magic spring in its centre. Perhaps I can send back some storybooks for you and Anton. 

That reminds me, I will look into purchasing gliders for you all, but the city is very strict on access to them as they require licensing to be used. There is nothing money cannot solve, but I will not make any promises just yet. 

How is the academy treating you? You should have received your latest grades by now, yes? You must let me know how you’ve done. I know how bright you are, and I hope you understand how lucky you are to be able to focus on your education like this. In Mondstadt, there doesn’t seem to be any laws against children being employed. There is a young girl who runs a busy flower shop right by the main gate, and a bartender at one of the bars cannot be older than Teucer. 

I suppose the city of Freedom has no use for child labour laws, but I do find it a bit two-faced considering how highly the whole city seems to think of themselves. 

Childe stops for a moment, setting his page aside to dry. It had been another quiet day in the city, and Ekaterina had him under unofficial lockdown after his incident in the Angel’s Share. He had accidentally come across some decent intel as the infiltrating agent hadn’t recognized the Traveller, but that hadn’t been enough for his team to forgive him for ditching them. 

How was it that his team had lost all fear of him? Even when he threatened Alexei after a fuck up in Liyue, he merely sulked over disappointing his Harbinger rather than cower in fear for his life. 

When had he grown so soft? How disappointing. Maybe he should make one of them hike back to Liyue to pick something up for him. 

A knock surprises him out of his thoughts, Alexei entering the room with a bow. “Lord Harbinger, there is movement outside of the stronghold near Springvale. Shall I call in the reinforcements?” 

Finally! “No. I’ll take care of this myself.” 

---

“I-I’m not scared of you. An agent will come to my aid!” 

“Are you sure about that?” Lumine asks, holding her sword to the Fatui man’s throat. “What makes you think you’re worth their time?”

“Um… ah… “

“Any day now,” Paimon giggles from the side. 

“I have the key! That’s why they’ll come for me!”

The travelling duo share a glance and Lumine grins. “Why don’t you hand over that key and I’ll let you go with only a warning shot.”

“No way! The Harbinger might kill me!” 

“He isn’t here, so I’m the one you should be afraid of right now.” 

“Okay. Okay! Here,” the man pulls a large brass key out of a pocket, tossing it at Paimon with a shaking arm, “now let me go!”

Lumine drops her sword and the man rushes to the door, slamming head first into Tartaglia’s chest. The man takes one look at the masked Harbinger and promptly passee out. 

“Now, now, now… it seems we have a little rat here. Is this how you repay someone for rescuing you, miss Lumine?”

“Hey!” Paimon gasps. “How did you know it was us? We’re wearing masks!”

Tartaglia pauses and stares at her. “You are literally a flying child, and really? You call those masks?” He points at his own mask covering his entire face. “This is a mask. Covers the entire face.” 

“These are Fatui masks!”

“And regular agents wear matching uniforms to add to that disguise. You have a very obvious outfit.”

Lumine makes a face at that before pulling her mask off and tossing it on the ground. She points her sword at him. “It’s called style!”

“Whatever you say, girlie.” 

Lumine swipes at him with a lunge which he jumps away from, a whip of hydro stopping her second swipe. Unfortunately, this means that he just misses her with a spear jab. 

He blocks her next attack, his spear breaking upon impact into two hydro daggers—

“Hey!” Paimon screams. “That’s cheating!” 

—which he uses to swipe at her one after another. He just manages to splash her with one hit and jumps back, channeling his delusion as she watches him with concern. 

He sends an electric shock along the wet ground between them. Lumine shouts out in pain as the electro shocks her, and she drops down to one knee as the sparks continue to dance around her. 

“Don’t take this personally,” he tells her, twirling a dagger in one hand, “but I never said I’d go easy on you just because you’re a kid.”

“I am NOT a kid!” From her knee, she barrages him with a blast of anemo which destroys his weapons and dries up the surrounding arena. His feet skid along the ground, but he manages to keep his footing. He looks back at her just in time to receive a punch full on to the face. 

To his surprise, he tastes blood. He turns to her with a wide grin. “Well, now I don’t feel so bad about this.” He speeds around behind her, catching her off balance as she spins to face him, and pushes her back against the hole in the centre of the room. Despite her small stature, she was surprisingly strong, able to withstand his push even with the added strength of his delusion. 

So, he steps back and kicks her in the stomach. This time she lurches and loses her balance, falling right into the hole, landing hard on her back a story below. Paimon is at her side in a heartbeat, buzzing back and forth in a tizzy. When Tartaglia jumps down after them, Paimon hovers in front of Lumine, arms outstretched like she could stop him. “D-Don’t come any closer! We need to save Dvalin from the Abyss!” 

Now that does stop him. He tilts his head to the side a bit, holding a dagger up to Paimon’s face. “Repeat that.” 

“We, uh- we n-need to save Dvalin?” 

“From?”

“From the Abyss!” With this Paimon puffs her chest up a little, putting on a brave face even if her lower lip is quivering. “And we won’t let you stop us! No way, no how!” 

Tartaglia bursts out in laughter, a deep chuckle that comes from his belly. “Ah… how unexpected. But you are right about one thing, I won’t stop you.” 

He backs off, letting Lumine get back to her feet. The two ladies exchange a confused glance, and he waits for their attention to return to him. 

“While our little battle was quite entertaining, I don’t find much delight in bullying those weaker than me.” With a flourish he removes his mask, dropping his daggers into the air, and ignoring them as they dissipate into a hydro mist mid-air. “This entire situation could have been avoided if your benefactors had mentioned the Abyss in the first place. After all, you will find that the Abyss Order is as much an enemy to the Fatui as they are to you. And I have a bit of a personal grudge against them.”

“So you’re going to give us the lyre?” Paimon asks. 

“Even better. I, Tartaglia, the 11th of Her Majesty's Harbingers, am going to personally help you.”

Chapter Text

The atmosphere in the Angel’s Share is oppressively uncomfortable. Only Childe seems relaxed, leaning back against the bar with his elbows on the counter. The rest of the group stand in a broken circle around the lyre, Diluc making sure to stand between the Harbinger and the rest of the group. 

Finally, Jean clears her throat. I would like to thank you for your assistance in returning the Holy Lyre der Himmel-”

“Don’t thank him,” Diluc interrupts. “His people stole it in the first place.”

“Now, you can’t prove that,” Childe shoots back. “I just happened to run into our mutual comrade here while checking out some domains.”

“Do you think we were born yesterday?”

“Well, I can’t speak for maturity…” 

“He’s telling the truth,” Lumine says from her seat on a barstool, Paimon sitting on her lap. “Scared me when he popped up, but we talked, and when we told him about the Abyss Order he said he wanted to help. I trust him.” 

“Terrible idea,” Diluc points out. 

“Now, normally I would agree with the angry red-head,” Childe says, “but in this case, our goals align. My orders were to make myself indispensable to the Knights, and get rid of the Stormterror threat. Helping your little rebel group here is following my orders a lot better than my previous plan. Plus, I would eat my own mask if I did anything that even remotely helped the Abyss Order.” 

The bard seems to light up at his words, attention successfully stolen from the lyre in his hands. “Oooh? I sense a good story here. Was it a harrowing adventure? A battle with a great beast?” 

“You will never get me drunk enough to talk about it,” Childe shoots back kindly. 

“I bet I could.” 

“Focus, Venti,” Jean interrupts. “How’s the lyre?” 

The bard sticks his tongue out at the Harbinger, but does turn his attention back to the lyre. “Hmm… well, it is the real deal, but I don’t know how helpful it's going to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“The anemo energy that the Anemo Archon infused it with has faded through the years. I can barely sense any of it left. In this condition, you couldn’t play music fit for even Diluc’s tavern with it..” 

“Bards fight to get on the stage of my tavern!” Diluc shoots back, affronted. “Don’t make assumptions.” 

Paimon looks between the two with something akin to disappointment. “Is this really important now, Master Diluc? And you-” 

“So if it's lacking anemo energy, can’t we just refill it somehow?” Childe interrupts. “Isn’t our acting grand master gifted with an anemo vision after all?” 

“Not a bad idea!” The Bard says with a grin. “You’re not as dumb as you look!” 

“I know so many ways to make you wish you were dead. Wouldn’t even leave a mark on that body, assuming you were ever found-”

“So, Outlander!” Venti continues without missing a beat, “You’re up! Do you still have Dvalin’s Tear with you?” 

Lumine nods, standing from the stool to rummage in her bag. When she lifts the crystal up for everyone to see, it hovers for a moment before shooting into the lyre with a short burst of light. 

“As expected!” Venti grins. “Thanks to our dear traveller having purified the crystal, the Holy Lyre won’t continue to lose power.”

“But losing more power isn’t really the problem here, is it?” Diluc points out. 

“You’re right. It’d be great if we could get more tears.” 

“So are we going to get to make a dragon cry?” Childe asks. 

Once again, Venti ignores him. “I can surmise that Dvalin will already be crying, suffering alone in some deserted place… ” 

The group falls silent, even Childe looking ashamed at his earlier excitement. 

“I will mobilize the rest of the knights to assist,” Jean decides at last. “Lord Tartaglia, would you be able to add any manpower?”

Diluc turns to her with a frown, but says nothing. 

“Shouldn’t be an issue,” Childe agrees. “Tell me when and where you want them and they’ll be there.” 

“Perfect. When we get the teardrops please let the traveller perform the purification process.”

“Yes,” Lumine says. “Leave that part to me.”

“Wonderful!” Venti exclaims, strumming a few notes on the Holy Lyre. “Heroes supporting each other and setting out on an epic journey together… How exciting! I should come up with a song for you!”

“Wait, is that all you’re going to do?” Paimon asks. “Sit here and sing? With the Holy Lyre?” 

Venti just lets out a short giggle which leaves the little floating fairy screaming. 

---

Childe knew that Signora was in Mondstadt. She’d taken the Harbinger suite on purpose, after all, forcing him to take a significantly smaller room. Not that he cared, happy enough to have a warm bed to sleep on and a roof over his head. He also saw evidence of her all over the city, from the presence of her special squad of cicin mages to the sense of dread that filled the hotel. 

All that said, he was not expecting to see her sitting at a table in his room, sipping from a cup of tea. 

“Wonderful of you to finally join me, Tartaglia.”

“If I’d known you were waiting I would have stayed out later.” He flops down in the seat across from her, pours himself a cup, and sets it down in front of her. “If we’re going to do this, I’m going to need something stronger than just tea.” 

She stares down at the cup for a moment, then lifts a hand. An electro cicin mage steps forward to pour a generous amount of fire whiskey into Childe’s cup. 

“Does that appease you?” 

“It’s a start.” He’s careful not to show how pleased he really is. Signora only ever spikes her drinks with the very best. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“A little birdie tells me our men have been mobilised to help the Knights of Favonius.” 

“Yeah, that’s right.” 

“I’m surprised,” she says. “You're not the type to play nice with the locals.” 

“It’s something new I’m trying.” 

“Interesting. I expected you to be out hunting down the dragon to slay yourself. Is the Vanguard losing his touch?”

Ah. So that’s what this is all about. “I’ve already slayed plenty of dragons. Are you jealous I gave the hide to Sandrone and not you?” 

She gives him a dry look. “Your task is to kill Stormterror-”

“Actually, it’s not,” he interrupts. “I would tell you my actual orders but I don't want to. You will have to trust that I know what I’m doing.” 

“You are being too laissez-faire, Tartaglia. Our every move must aid the Tsaritsa in her plans. We have no time for self discovery while on the job. Are you trying to delay returning to Liyue for some reason?” 

“I understand this may be a surprise to you, but I am fully capable of completing any task given to me. The Tsaritsa has given her orders, and I will follow them to the letter. You don’t need to look for a deeper motive in what I do. When Stormterror has been dealt with, I will be out of your hair. Until then, kindly fuck off.” 

Signora watches him for a long moment, then tosses back her tea like it was a shot of hard Natlan liquor. “I expect you to leave the second your task is completed.” 

“As you wish,” he promises. “Now get out.”

---

The invitation to the Dawn Winery comes as an unexpected surprise. Childe had fully expected the Dvalin Protection Squad (Paimon’s idea) to leave him in the dark. Instead, Alexei had returned from patrol with a letter of invitation signed by Diluc Ragnvindr himself. 

An even bigger surprise is the lack of traps or mercenaries waiting in the wings. Sure, a few men working out in the vineyard give him dirty looks as he walks by, but that was pretty normal for him. No one even stops him from entering the property itself. 

The sweet tones of a lyre leads him around to the side of the building where the bard sits on a wine barrel, strumming the strings of the Holy Lyre. 

To think a man so cruel and cold

Who ruled so long, and lived so lonely

Could grow a pair and be so bold

To put a claim on a man so... homely

Despite knowing the rhyme wasn’t about him, Childe felt insulted. “Not your best work, bard.” 

“Eh, the subject of this particular rhyme has no patience for the arts, so my best work is wasted on him.” 

“Sounds like a real tool.” 

“Something like that,” Venti says with a giggle. “Still, a good friend. He’s from Liyue actually, I wonder if you’ve met him?” 

“Not many locals really want to be associated with a Harbinger, believe it or not. I mean, the merchants are always happy enough to take my money, but that’s about it.”

Venti watches him with a grin before focusing on something over his shoulder. “Hey! Traveller! Over here!” 

Sure enough, Lumine waves at the duo, joining them with Diluc and Jean at her heels. Jean gives them both a nod, but Diluc regards Childe with a scoff. “I knew I shouldn’t have sent that damn invitation.” 

“But you did,” Childe teases. 

“I regret it immensely.” 

“We have the rest of the tears!” Paimon interrupts. “We can fix the lyre now!” 

Venti’s grin widens as he jumps to his feet. “Great! All that’s left is to go someplace where the winds will spread the song far and wide.”

Childe hums to himself as he thinks. “So someplace with good acoustics, spacious, maybe high up? A cliff perhaps? Oh! There’s a cliff by the sea that should work really well. ” 

All eyes turn to him in disbelief. 

Venti nods. “That’s… yeah, Starsnatch Cliff would be perfect. Will wonders never cease.” 

“No one would ever find your body,” Childe tells him. “Not even Diluc.” 

For the first and last time, Diluc nods in agreement. “With the tab you owe, I probably wouldn’t even bother to look.”

As they walk toward Starsnatch cliff, Venti is careful to keep Jean between him and the other men.

Chapter Text

“No, no. The vision itself is a catalyst,” Childe insists, turning as they walk to face Lumine. “Vision holders can only use their element if their vision is nearby, but the power itself doesn’t come from the vision. It’s inside of you, the vision just helps you channel your energy outwards.”

Lumine hums, considering. “But Amber told me that elemental power is stored in the vision, and it’s the weapon that acts as a catalyst.” 

“That’s what we’re taught in Mondsdadt,” Jean agrees. “Although, who really knows what the truth is.”

Childe shrugs before looking at the rest of their party. “Either of you want to weigh in?”

Diluc ignores him, but Venti tilts his head in thought. “I think both your theories are very interesting.”

“I still think Snehznaya might be onto something,” Childe insists. He pulls at the energy in him until two, solid, hydro knives sit in his hands. “I have my bow, sure, but I’m not using it.” 

Diluc steps closer with interest and Childe hands him one of the knives hilt first. As soon as Diluc takes it, the knife falls apart and splashes all over his shirt. He sighs as Childe bursts out in laughter. “I don’t know what I was expecting.” 

“But what Childe was saying makes sense for your elemental powers,” Paimon agrees, floating over Lumine’s shoulder. “Since you don’t have a vision.” 

“Right! But our dear Traveller isn’t exactly from around here,” Venti says. “An Outlander from the stars!” 

That reminds Childe: “Hey Lumine, if you meet a Harbinger with blue hair and a white mask, make sure you stay far away from him.” 

“Dottore?” Diluc asks. Child nods and Diluc grumbles.

“Who is Dottore?” Lumine asks. 

“Another Harbinger. He’s a bit of an odd duck,” Childe says. 

Diluc scoffs and rolls his eyes. “You mean a homicidal maniac.” 

Childe grins. “Aren’t we all?”

“Some more than others.” 

“Are you talking about me, Master Ragnvindr? That’s so sweet.” 

“How about I-” 

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Jean interrupts, completely unapologetically, “but we’ve arrived.” 

The view from Starsnatch Cliff is incredible, Childe realizes, walking toward the upper ledge. He can see almost the entirety of Mondstadt. Cider Lake and the walled city are front and centre, but everything from Dragonspine to the cliffs surrounding old Mondstadt are crystal clear. “Wow… we have plenty of mountains in Snezhnaya, but with the storms and snow, you don’t get a view like this.” 

“One of the many blessings of the anemo God, Barbatos,” Jean says, sounding proud. 

“Lovely for a fated reunion, isn’t it?” Venti giggles. “Now, is everyone prepared for a fight?” 

“Naturally,” Childe agrees, pulling himself from the view. The others nod and Venti steps up to the cliff, almost dangerously close to the edge. “Now, I, the best wandering bard of the mortal world, shall begin my performance with the Holy Lyre.” 

Childe bites back a comment as the bard begins his tune. A smooth, almost bell-like song rings out from the lyre, a comforting sound that fills the team with calmness. 

It’s possibly the only thing that stops them all from rushing forward when Stormterror appears suddenly from the cliff’s face, jaw agape and showing its sharp teeth and claws, nearly on top of the bard in its rage. 

“What has been done cannot be undone.”

The dragon’s voice doesn’t echo in the air, but instead pierces their minds with anguish and rage. 

“Then why do I see sadness in your eyes!?” Venti calls back. “Sadness that speaks for your yearning for this song?” 

As Venti takes a step closer, a beam of lights blast from behind Dvalin, striking the Lyre and shattering it in the bard’s hands. 

“No!” Paimon screams as the group rushes forward. Jean pulls Venti to her as Diluc and Childe stand between the bard and the dragon, weapons ready. 

“Do not be fooled, dear dragon.” The high pitched, nasally voice of an Abyss mage says, coming into view. “He left you to rot, alone! And now he attempts to deceive you once more…” 

”Barbatos…” Dvalin growls. 

“Mondstadt has already turned its back on you! And look at him! He has brought warriors with him!” 

”You!” Dvalin shrieks. “Were you planning this all along? To have me slain by them?!”

“No!” Venti cries out, trying to break free of Jean’s hold. Lumine jumps in front of him instead, positioning herself like a shield for him. “You’re wrong! It’s not like that!”

“The time has come for the dragon to serve its true master!” The Abyss mage shrieks once again, arms raised in triumph. “While you bewail your pathetic selves and watch the world tremble with fear!” 

Childe pulls back on his bow, shooting an arrow directly at the mage, who brings its shield up only just in time. It giggles in glee as it and Dvalin shoot off into the sky, leaving the group behind in cursed silence. 

Jean breaks it first. “Barba- I mean, Venti, are you okay?” 

“I suppose the cat is out of the bag,” Venti sighs, smiling up at Jean. “Though I do thank you for continuing to use the name Venti.” 

“How’s the Lyre?” Diluc asks, changing the subject. “Does it need to be repaired?”

“Uh…” Venti trails off, looking down at what remains of his old relic. “I think the Lyre is at the end of its life. It won’t be of any help to us anymore.” 

Childe sighs. “What’s our plan then? If we can’t call Dvalin to us, how do we go after the Abyss Order?”

“I can call upon Outrider Amber to track down the Abyss Mage,” Jean says. “It may take some time, but-”

Diluc shakes his head. “There is no need. A while back I questioned and took down an Abyss Mage in one of the Four Winds Temples.” 

“What? When?” 

“My contacts tracked its movements from Old Mondstadt. I’m guessing our best bet would be to go there next.” 

Childe looks downright delighted. “Since the Abyss Order seems to have a lot riding on this, I’m betting we will have a battle waiting for us there!”

“You sure seem to be taking all this well, by the way,” Paimon points out, poking Childe’s mask. “Aren’t the Fatui trying to hunt down Barbatos’ power or something?” 

“Maybe,” Childe shrugs, “but that’s not my mission. In fact, wouldn’t betraying our little group to attack our dear bard be counterintuitive to making the Knights rely on me?” 

“Looks like someone has had a lot of experience with the spirit of contracts in Liyue,” Venti teases, inching forward despite Diluc’s attempts to keep him back. “Finding loopholes to keep doing as you please.” 

Childe flicks him in the forehead, grinning when Venti flinches back. “I can always change my mind.” 

“I trust you won’t,” Venti says with a grin, running past him down the hill. “Now come on! Let’s go save Dvalin! There’s no time to lose!” 

Childe isn’t quite sure what to call the feeling that being trusted gives him. 

It’s quite nice though.