Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hey, kid, you’re now a wanted criminal in Inazuma, just like this brat beside me.” Beidou called out to Aether with a lackadaisical tone, one hand half waving them over before reaching to ruffle Kazuha’s already messy hair, her other arm resting her weight against the broadsword she planted on the sandy beach. Kazuha, as always, just sighed and accepted the rough treatment. One tended to get used to Captain Beidou’s mannerisms after one meeting with her. “Though I must say, you did it in record time. How long has it been? A few days?”

“Captain Beidou!” Leaving the resistance members to update Kokomi on the status of the soldiers, Paimon flew over and reached them a few seconds before Aether did, narrating their journey while the Traveler stopped to take a breath from the short sprint. Forcing himself on a run right after an intense battle was probably not a good idea.

“It was an accident! We just wanted to meet the Shogun but to do that, we had to go on errands to help people who lost their visions (Some of them went craaaazy!), but immediately after that, they captured Thoma so obviously we had to go help. To do that, we had to stop Baal from taking his vision and that really didn’t make her happy so we had to run away.”

Finally, Paimon inhaled, breathless from the continuous stream of words. Aether, who finally stood up midway from that info dump, simply nodded his head at the end in acknowledgement of the story.

Beidou opened her mouth to make a comment but their attention was captured by a soldier shuffling nervously a bit to their side, wanting to approach but too scared to interrupt. When he noticed four sets of eyes on him, he startled like a deer in headlights before gulping and moving forward to address the traveler.

“Umm... I'm sorry to interrupt you… But I wanted to thank you for your help in training us last week. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to fight for the resistance properly.” The young man gave them a deep bow, causing Aether to take a half-step back in surprise.

In light of his speechlessness, Paimon took over the conversation, waving her hands in front of her.

“It's fine. We're happy to be of help.”

“It was only one training session, I doubt I helped that much.” was Aether’s input.

“Oh, you were of tremendous help. And, actually, I wanted to give this to you when I heard about the Shogun’s order…” The soldier dug into his armor and pulled out a folded letter, placing it onto Aether's outstretched palm. “If you ever need help to leave Inazuma, request a custom order at the Chuyu Trading Company in Ritou using this.”

The suspicious wording drew the notice of Beidou and Kazuha, who were patiently waiting for the traveler to finish with the conversation. They came forward and looked curiously as Aether opened the letter, showing the details of the order along with an official stamp.

“One Vajrada Amethyst shaped like a Cor Lapis, engraved with the electro symbol .” The orange, square stamp with the word leaves completed the sentence.

Aether and Paimon looked back at the man with a confused expression, the letter providing more questions than answers. Beidou on the other hand, simply let out a thoughtful ‘hmm..’. Kazuha, though, froze and didn't take his eyes away from the note.

“What is this supposed to do?” Aether finally spoke up.

“To be honest, I don't know.” The soldier scratched his head with his now free hand. “My mom told me to use it if ever I wanted to leave Inazuma years before the Sakoku decree was passed down. I could never leave. Inazuma is my home and I will fight for it so the letter may be more useful to you than to me.”

With that, the soldier gave another bow and left them to go back to the barracks.

“What do you think this means?” Paimon asked Aether.

“Maybe it's part of a set of letters?”

“Oh, you mean like all those papers we've seen scattered around the islands? That makes sense.”

“No, it's an order with a hidden meaning.” Kazuha finally spoke up, startling the traveler and Paimon.

“You know what the meaning is then?” Beidou straightened and rested one hand against her hip.

Kazuha shook his head.

“I only recognized that seal. That's...my mother's special seal.”

“EH?!” Paimon exclaimed, the only one to enunciate the surprise also visible in the others’ faces.

“Your family’s seal, huh?” Beidou was the first to recover from the news, easily digesting the news and recalculating if this tidbit could help the situation in Inazuma. Things like these were par for the course when dealing with politicians and nobles with important names. “Was your family in any way planning to leave Inazuma?”

“Not that I’m aware of. I knew our family wasn’t as prominent as we were in the past, but there was never any discussion about leaving.”

“Huh...Oh well, so, what about it, kid? Are you still planning on staying here? We can just sail off back to Liyue any time, you know.”

Aether blinked at the abrupt change in topic. Didn’t they come here to help the resistance? He was taken aback at the nonchalant shrug received from the Crux Fleet captain.

“Inazuma’s conflict is best left to the people of Inazuma. I came because we heard of you being targeted by the Shogun. Remember, you’re part of my crew and I always protect my crewmembers.”

Aether and Paimon shared a look at her stance, not missing the soft disgruntled exhale from Kazuha. It was true that they didn’t really have a stake in the fight between the Shogun and the resistance. But...

“We can’t leave yet. We promised to help…” The comment trailed off in uncertainty. His initial goal was to meet with the Shogun and get answers then quickly leave. However, the deal made with Ayaka to help…siding with them and the resistance meant he’s getting farther and farther away from being able to reconcile with his sister. 

But could he really just ignore everyone that was suffering under the Shogun’s actions? Was this the truth Lumine wanted him to find? If he helped, would he find it? Or would he simply lose the only lead he had?

So we will meet again. Though we need not rush, brother. I have more than enough time to wait for you.

Aether took a deep breath and exhaled in a long, thin stream, feeling the resolve finally sit on his chest.

“I promised to help. Taking visions away from the people, knowing the effects, it’s not right.” Determination exuded from every word that came out of his mouth. This may not have been what he came here for. Crossing swords with the Shogun may, in the end, swerve in the opposite direction of what Lumine wanted him to learn. But if ignoring people in need was the cost of reuniting with his sister early, he’s willing to delay that reunion. At least then, he’d be able to face her with his head held high, knowing he didn’t sacrifice his principles for something as insignificant as time.

After all, we have more than enough time, right Lumine?

“And we’d be honored to have your assistance.” All four of them turned at the soft but firm voice that breezed through, intercutting against the light splashing of water as footsteps slowly walked in their direction.

It was Lady Sangonomiya and Gorou. It seemed that they had finished the debriefing with the soldiers and mercenaries. If he remembered correctly, Kazuha used to stay with the resistance. A glance to his right seeing the friendly smile on the wind-user’s face seems to prove that fact.

“Well, if that’s the case,” Beidou’s clear voice cut through the silent reunion among friends. “Then you’ll be staying here for a while. Anyway, the Alchor will still be docked off the coast for a few days so reach out to me if you need anything. Same goes with you, Kazuha.”

Just like that, Beidou turned away from them to leave with a lazy backhand wave, hollering at her crew as she made her way across the beach. Seeing walk away from them with the wind lightly blowing her hair and the inherent confidence in each stride prompted Paimon to whisper ‘so cool’, which he could only agree with.

“You were planning on leaving Inazuma?” Kokomi had turned to face the traveler while Gorou had decided to half tackle Kazuha in greeting, her question layered with a touch of disappointment.

“Nono.” Paimon was quick to clarify, “We just got a letter from one of the soldiers. Apparently, it was a way for anyone to leave Inazuma.”

“Yes, but curiously, this letter existed even before the Sakoku Decree.”

“Even before the decree?” Kokomi echoed, “May I see it?”

The paper passed from one gloved hand to the next and the priestess received it gently with both hands, her pink-blue eyes slowly reading and re-reading the one written line.

“This seal…”

“Yeah, we asked Kazuha but he didn’t recognise this letter at all.” Paimon answered the moment Kokomi turned to face Kazuha, already predicting the incoming question. The two men’s focus returned to them at the mention of one of their names, Kazuha giving a short nod in agreement.

“Still, for them to have made this letter, did they predict the upcoming events that led to the current state of Inazuma?” Kokomi adopted a pensive pose, resting her hand on her chin, index finger tapping lightly against her cheek. Everyone around her kept quiet, letting the strategist think through all the possibilities until she raised her head and asked Kazuha if he had any recollection of his parents meeting up with the Raiden Shogun.

Kazuha explained that his family didn’t even have that many connections in politics during their decline. They tended to keep to themselves, especially after the management of Ritou was transferred over to the Kujou clan. They had never even spoken about the Raiden Shogun to him.

No….wait...

“Hurry, you must leave Inazuma before the Raiden sends her people here. Don’t worry, know that the Kaedahara will never falter.”

His words pettered off halfway, prompting Paimon to fly in front of him and wave. His eyes seemingly looked past her, lost in the struggle to remember more. It wasn’t until Gorou had stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder that he blinked back to the present and shook his head, removing the dusty clouds of memories once forgotten.

He shared that tiny nugget of information, the only other clue was that he had been looking up to his father in that recollection so it would have happened when he was young.

“I see.” Kokomi took in the facts and mulled them over before addressing the traveler. “Would you be willing to follow this trail for us? It may give us some more clues on what it was the Shogun was after. Unfortunately, even with us all fighting together, we’re not guaranteed any sort of victory and there would be many sacrifices if we were to attack head on. Anything that would give us some advantage would be useful.”

“Even if that trail leads me outside of Inazuma?” Aether took the letter Kokomi passed back to him, pocketing it into his pants. 

“It would depend on how long it would take. We're not in any rush to set a counterattack so we could hold out for around 2 more months unless the Shogun suddenly changes direction.”

Aether accepted the commission with Kazuha commenting that he'd be joining them, considering that anything they unearth could be related to his family. Meanwhile Kokomi and Gorou would be heading back to Watatsumi Island with the rest of the resistance to regroup and prepare. Tessei would be going incognito and wait for them at the beach of Narukami island to lead them to the base whenever they get back.

Plan set, each group went their separate ways to deal with their task.

Aether and Kazuha strolled down the cobbled streets of Ritou, having changed their clothing at Komore Teahouse to blend in easier with the locals.

Kazuha had decided to go with a simple brown yukata, matching the style of the general populace and donning a brown wig. Aether, on the other hand, went with a more believable disguise, changing his clothing to one matching the Fontaine style. Considering that most of the people from Fontaine residing in Inazuma matched his colouring and foreigners are often mainly stuck in Ritou, he'd blend in pretty easily. Paimon decided to just hide in her pocket dimension the entire time since there was no way for them to hide someone as conspicuous as her.

They stopped right in front of the Chuyu Trading Company's stall, Aether patting his pants to locate the pocket before shoving one hand in to dig for the paper, the other free hand continuously adjusting the buttons of his vest, only stopping when an elbow gave a slight nudge against his side.

The stall owner, Qiuyue, received the letter and opened it. Though her gaze stayed on them for a beat longer than natural before slowly looking down at what was written. 

There was only one line, but her eyes scanned it again and again. That, coupled with the slight crinkling of paper, aroused the curiosity of her would-be customers.

Aether stepped closer to the counter, mouth opening to ask what the matter was. However, the motion startled the vendor and she addressed them before the question could even form.

“Please give me a minute while I pick up your order from the back.” There wasn't even any time to respond before she dashed behind the shelves, leaving the two young men to stare at the empty spot. They shared a glance and waited for her to come back, with Aether shifting his weight from one leg to the other and adjusting his vest again in comparison to Kazuha’s relaxed stance, the only movement coming from his hair and clothing ruffling in the wind. 

The silence lasted long enough that Aether started glancing around, meeting eyes with some passersby and then quickly turning away, prompting his current companion to sigh in exasperation. Were all travelers this antsy?

“Sorry for the wait!” Qiuyue returned from the back, planting a black box in front of them. The box looked to be of layered velvet, considering that the slam of it against the wooden counter didn’t cause a loud bang. A small, sealed envelope was also placed beside the box for them.

“So...you’ll have to...um,” She took a few heaving breaths to compose herself, unused to rushing back and forth. “This contains your order. Unfortunately, it’s incomplete. You’ll have to take this to any of the sea captains at the harbor and give them this letter. They’ll know what to do. Please keep in mind that they will only fulfill the order if the letter arrives to them fully sealed.”

Aether picked up the box and letter, thanking the vendor. Though they went on their way afterwards, neither missed the fact that Qiuyue was nervous the entire time, always looking behind them like she was hiding something.

The moment they were out of her line of sight, the two went directly to the cliffs near the beach behind Ritou, where they could still be near the city but far enough that they could remove their disguises.

When they were alone, Paimon finally popped out from wherever she hid.

“So we didn’t get any information? What’s in the letter?”

Aether shrugged. After all, if they want to get to the bottom of this, they shouldn’t open the letter. But Qiuyue never said anything about the box, so he unlatched the lock and tilted the lid open.

There, sitting in a bed of red silk, was a lump of Vajrada Amethyst shaped like a Cor Lapis, just like what was listed in the order. The stone didn’t even seem that expensive, he’d seen shinier variants before. Maybe the order really was just an order. Were they being led on a wild goose chase? But why would the soldier say it can take them out of Inazuma?

“We should go to Captain Beidou.” Kazuha interrupted Aether’s thoughts, hand twisting the letter back and forth while he was too busy looking at the amethyst. “She’s one of the sea captains who operate in the Inazuma harbor so maybe she’ll be able to shed some light on this.”

“That’s right! Plus, she’d show us the contents too because we’re part of her crew.” Paimon was excited at having a lead, Aether simply nodding along with her.

They then followed Kazuha as he led them to a small boat that they would use to get onto the Alchor.

“You guys changed your mind pretty quickly. I was expecting to wait for a couple more days.” 

That was the cheerful greeting they got the moment Kazuha lightly stepped on the deck of the Alchor, bypassing the need to climb through the use of his anemo abilities. Aether, on the other hand, was still being assisted back up by one of the ship’s crew members.

Instead of responding immediately, the samurai simply waited for the traveler and Paimon to join them, allowing Paimon to completely take over the conversation and explain everything to Beidou without him even needing to say a word. All he had to do was hand over the letter for her perusal.

Halfway through the story, an interested glint had entered the pirate’s eyes and a smirk was building on her face. She unceremoniously opened the seal and pulled out the card that was inside with Paimon reading out loud over her shoulder.

On it was one line.

The package must be taken to Jade Mystery for further processing. All expenses will be settled there. They must arrive in mint condition else the order would be considered null and void.

It was a fairly standard line, except Beidou suddenly let out a boisterous laugh, settling into a grin when she was finished.

“It seems that we’re going back to Liyue with our ‘packages’.” 

She immediately shouted orders to the crew members, getting them ready to set sail, only tapping a finger to her smirking lips when the three confused people were about to ask for clarification.

The four of them reconvened at the Captain’s cabin as the ship sailed to Liyue. Beidou strode in and turned to face their direction, resting her hip against the large mahogany desk that had a messy assortment of papers, pens, and navigation materials. In her hand was the card, which she was twirling around and absently tapping against her lip.

Paimon was flitting about uncontrollably until Aether grunted and pulled the thick wooden door shut. Then her impatience at being kept out of the loop exploded.

“What does the letter mean? Why are we suddenly going to Liyue? WHAT WAS SO FUNNY? ”

 The captain let out another laugh before answering the question with a history lesson.

“Hundreds of years ago, Liyue, ruled by Rex Lapis for a continuous two thousand years, thrived when all the other nations suffered through infighting, revolutions, and war. Gods fighting amongst each other for the archon seat, uncaring of the repercussions to the common people. During that time, many people were desperate to leave their homeland to flee the disasters. And so, they looked to those who could brave the treacherous waters, oftentimes giving everything they had for a chance of peace. 

Many made it to Liyue, but not in the condition they expected. The Jade Mystery controlled the harbor and received packages that they then contracted out to businesses needing extra hands, tying those who arrived in a lifetime of debt that they could not repay.”

By this time, Paimon and Aether looked horrified at the story while Kazuha stood frozen, one hand fisting against the hilt of his sword. Why would his family be involved in such a thing?

“But…” Beidou continued on, noting their reactions and immediately clarified everything to calm them down. “Nothing of this nature could last long in Liyue with their Archon and the Qixing watching. So they were struck down and punished a few years after they grew into prominence. The only reason I had to tell you all this is because the Jade Mystery story had been all but lost to history except those who live on the sea, passed on as a warning to not do anything that would bring Rex Lapis’s wrath down on whoever wants to still continue doing business in Liyue.”

“Soooo…why are we going to Liyue then? If it’s just a story.”

“Because...the person who made you go on a wild goose chase most likely knows about this story and used it as a code to get people out of Inazuma without any authorities realising what was happening. And, this person may also have some connection with Kazuha’s family. Wasn’t there a Jade Mystery store back in Liyue? I think I remember them selling some sort of stone.”

“Yes, near one of the tea houses.” Aether answered in a subdued tone of voice, still digesting the serious history that was disclosed. “He mainly sells noctilucous jade.”

“I see. Well, we’ll have to pay him a visit then, and maybe drag him off to the Qixing if he’s doing anything shady. Don’t worry about it. Ningguang has the city at the palm of her hand. Plus Ganyu and Keqing live and breathe work. Besides, this happened at least 5 generations ago, I doubt something of this nature is still ongoing.”

Aether and Paimon let out a sigh of relief at Beidou’s comment, with Paimon commenting that since they were going to visit Liyue again, they should try some more of Liyue’s cuisine before coming back to Inazuma. Beidou gave a laughing agreement and started listing the dishes that the travelers could try while there.

In the lightened atmosphere, Kazuha simply gave a shrug and a passing smile when they tried to drag him into the conversation, his thoughts already miles away. It seems that the winds keep pulling him back to Liyue Harbour. Even back when he was sure that the traveler could be the answer to Inazuma’s problems, something within him was telling him that there was something else in Liyue waiting for him.

Would stepping onto the harbour finally give him the answer?

Chapter Text

The Alchor, as always, anchored off the coast of Guyun Stone Forest. While the rest of the crew was tasked with replenishing supplies and were given leave to do with their time as they will so long as they would come back in two weeks, Kazuha and Aether followed Beidou’s determined stride towards the harbour. 

“So, where is this Jade Mystery?” The captain asked casually as they walked across the wooden bridge to enter Liyue, giving a careless wave to the Millelith stationed at the entrance.

Paimon and Aether tag-teamed in answering her, with the fairy giving out directions based on the eateries that they would pass by on the way there while Aether simply mentioned going to the highest mountain and gliding down to land on the upper pavilion with Beidou letting out a loud laugh at the mish-mash of information.

The trio were so focused in their conversation that no one noticed Kazuha’s gradual inattentiveness. The anemo samurai was well known to be a rather quiet individual so his silence wasn’t new, but whereas he could be expected to give a light sigh or smile - little reactions that show his presence - now, he had completely blocked out the entire thing.

Because the closer they got to Liyue, the more this niggling at the back of his head grew even fiercer. There was something for him here, something important and he fell into step behind them simply because the feeling inside him was pointing him in the same direction. The moment they reached the top of the stone staircase and turned left was when Kazuha turned right on instinct. Wherever Aether was leading them, it wasn’t where he was supposed to go.

A few steps was all he managed to make before Beidou called out to him and he blinked to get his bearings. What was happening? He turned back around to follow the other three, shrugging it off when they asked him if he was alright. And even then, for every step he took, the wind around him seems to be pulling him back, whispering that he’s going off-track.

They continued on till they were in front of The Jade Mystery, with Shitou pausing in his peddling to address potential curious customers.

“Would you like to try your hand at… Oh, it's you.” The pitch was cut off halfway when the salesman noticed the flying companion. Blonde young travelers are a dime a dozen but a tiny flying fairy, that was one thing you don't see every day. “How can I help you?”

“Oh, we’re just here to deliver some ores.” Paimon said in her flighty voice while Aether took out the box, opened it, and offered it to Shitou. 

Outside of Kazuha who was still distracted with the silent call to the northwest, everyone else was so focused on the ore salesman’s expression that the widening of his eyes, his sharp inhale, and the sudden fidgeting of his hands were an obvious signal that he knew what this object symbolised.

“So…” Beidou crossed her arms, not needing further verbal confirmation, “I didn't realize that human trafficking was still happening in Liyue. I'm sure Ningguang would be so happy to hear about this.”

“Human Trafficking?! What?!” Shitou exclaimed in a whisper-shout, head turning left and right to make sure no one was listening in. “I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just a messenger whenever a specific refugee from Inazuma arrives.”

“You mean anyone from the Kaedahara clan?” Kazuha, who had returned to the present the moment Beidou mentioned ‘human trafficking’, took a threatening step forward and was halfway to summoning his sword. His parents’ involvement aside, if the people who were supposed to be under their family's protection were harmed...

“Kadae-what?” The mention of a name caused the nervous man to immediately stop in his fervent defense of his cause. “As I said, I have no idea what you're talking about. I've never even heard of that strange name. I was just informed to pass on a message if I ever see an Amethyst formed in the shape of a Cor Lapis.”

“Then why did you look so nervous when we showed it to you, huh?” Paimon wasn't just about to believe any excuse they would be given.

“Because the last time this happened, I was just watching my father do it. I didn't expect this to happen to me.” Shitou took a deep breath, calming himself down after the scare. “I was just told to give directions to the Yunlai family’s compound, but to never talk about this to anyone who didn't have the gem. Nothing else.”

Aether mouthed the word “Yunlai” in silent question, Paimon doing the same except voiced, not noticing Beidou’s eyes narrowing in recognition. If it was an order from the Yunlai family, then the current Qixing knew about this or it managed to get buried through some back channels. Either way, she'd have to find a way to meet Ningguang without anyone knowing, which was going to be tough since their next scheduled bout wasn't till three months later. Also, someone needs to follow this trail to its conclusion.

“If it's the Yunlai, then there shouldn't be any issues.” Beidou placated the stressed salesman and dragged the two young men along, ignoring the questions of one and the silent protest of the other. Shitou breathed a sigh of relief at Beidou's farewell nod and at the group slowly disappearing out of sight.

Back in front of the bulletin board, Beidou finally released her grip on Aether and Kazuha, dispensing her orders before either of them could get a word in.

“I'm going to need to double check this with Ningguang. You three follow the trail to the Yunlai family. Give me your map and I'll mark it. Find out as much as you can. If you're lucky, Keqing should be there to ease any conflicts. Once you're done, you can do whatever you want so long as we meet again at Guyun Stone Forest in a week’s time. Kazuha, I'm sure that would be enough time for you to resolve whatever is causing your mind to wander.”

Throughout her spiel, Beidou had managed to request for their map with a beckoning hand gesture, open up the map, pull out a pen, mark a location, and use the pen to point at her crew member to instill the weight of her orders. The concise and effortless manner in which she mentally collated everything that's happened, devise a plan of attack, and disseminated her instructions left Paimon and Aether speechless, no wonder everyone praised the Crux Fleet captain so much. She exuded a firmness and confidence that very few could boast of, reminding them of a steadfast ship cutting through tumultuous waters.

They were so deep in their awe that they only realised that they actually had questions about who exactly the Yunlai and how Keqing would be able to help was when Beidou had already left them. And a look to their right where Kazuha was supposed to be was an empty space, his shadow already disappearing into the horizon.

“Kazu-Wait! Aether, hurry, we have to go after him!”

Aether dashed forward to try to catch up with the samurai, avoiding the milling crowds and shouting apologies when he accidentally bumped into anyone, only managing to fall into step after a quick glide off of the Bubu Pharmacy. 

“What's up with leaving us there, huh?!” Paimon was very quick to demand answers and even Aether pulled at Kazuha's arm to stop him from just ignoring them. It was obvious that he'd been out of it the moment they stepped foot in Liyue. And they needed to clear this out in case anything dangerous was waiting for them at their destination.

Red eyes blinked at them in confusion before they cleared and focused on Aether’s concerned expression. 

“I'm sorry. I'm not quite sure what it is but something's guiding me towards the northwest.” 

“Something? Is this related to the inactive vision?” Paimon flew over and tapped the greyed out Inazuma orb hanging from the samurai’s back. Kazuha then reached back to unclip it, closing his eyes to see if he could sense anything from the tiny object.

His brows furrowed in concentration but the whispers within him didn't seem to originate from the vision so he opened his eyes and shook his head at their silent question. 

“Oh well, hopefully this Yunlai thing finishes fast so you'll have more time to follow that trail.”

“We'll help.”

A grateful smile was directed at the two for their understanding and, with everything cleared, they continued following the path to the location Beidou marked for them, only having to tap Kazuha from time to time when he seemed about to go off on his own. 

Half a day had passed and the sun was setting on the horizon, it’s hues showering the entire area in orange, when they reached the front of a sprawling fenced abode built almost at the edge of a cliff. Beyond the area was an unobstructed panoramic view of Liyue, from the mystical beauty of Mt. Aozang, the shimmering blue green waters of Luhua, the bright star-like glimmering lights of Liyue Harbour, ending with the haunting combination of waterfalls and ruins of Lisha.

Paimon let out an awed ‘wow’ at the view and even Aether couldn't find the words to describe the scenery. Kazuha, on the other hand, was unmoved by the spectacular display. It was here, whatever it was that was calling him, those soft nudges turning into an almost deafening symphony, blindly luring him in like a pirate hypnotised by a siren's song.

He'd mindlessly reached out to the large metal gate, hand curling against one of the bars. The compound seemed to have a mini garden courtyard, the dirt path from the gate towards the house was framed by a mix of artfully planted Sandbearer, Cedar, and Fir with seating areas liberally peppering the open spaces between the trees. Even then, the breeze brought to him the familiar scent of maple, but he was unable to find any sign of it's distinct form.

His two companions finished taking in the view and were asking him if he'd seen anyone they could talk to - he didn't - when the main door opened and a figure came out from the house. It was a fairly old man, with a slight hunch in his shoulders that spoke of age rather than bad posture, ambling towards them. The most curious thing about the man was his mode of dress. Instead of wearing the typical Liyue garb, he donned a simple yukata that wouldn't look amiss in the middle of the streets in Ritou. 

The closer he got to them, the wider Kazuha's eyes became. Impossible! What was he doing here?!

Aether laid a questioning hand against Kazuha's shoulder, concerned present in the knit of his eyebrows at the Anemo user’s tightening grip on the bar. When he received no response, he locked eyes with the old man closing in to them, finally clear enough for them to make out the calm, slightly wrinkled face that gradually grew more animated and warm upon alighting on the samurai beside him.

“It's been a while, Young Master Kazuha.” The formal greeting was filled with fatherly affection, unhindered by the slight squeaking sound of the door opening to allow them through.

None of them made a move though since Kazuha was still stuck in place and Aether and Paimon were not sure what to do in this situation. The old man, however, looked like he expected this and patiently waited for them to get their bearings, even the gentle breeze against his long, graying, tied back ponytail exuded serenity.

“How…” The word was strangled out of Kazuha's mouth after more than a minute of silence. It was true that he didn't really follow up on the family retainers after they'd been let go, but he didn't expect any of them to leave Inazuma. Coupled with the fact that his parents seemed to be part of some secret plot happening behind the scenes in two countries only increased their culpability.

“The Kaedahara and the Yunlai family have had close ties across generations. Much of it even I was unaware of until I arrived here. I'm sure the Yunlai head would be more than happy to explain it to you in detail.” He held out an arm pointing towards the house.

Kazuha frowned at his family's previous retainer and entered the compound with a slight hesitation in his step, Aether falling into place beside him and Paimon floating uncertainly around them.

On the way towards the double doors, the old man filled the air by conversing with Aether and Paimon, introducing himself as Maeno, previously the head retainer for the Kaedahara clan and now just a humble butler serving the Yunlai family.

“Oh, so you knew Kazuha before…” 

“Yes, in fact, I was in charge of some of his studies as a child.” Dark eyes gleamed proudly at the back of his previous charge. It has been years, but it warmed his heart that the young man was well. The straight set of his shoulders, even gait, and two visions clinking at his back showed that although life marred him with hardship, he still had grown stronger in the face of it. And the maple patterned red ensemble showed that he did not completely let go of his roots the way he discarded his family home.

“Wow, that means you have a lot of stories about him then?” Paimon quickly warmed up to the accommodating butler, especially sensing the source of some interesting tales.

Aether shared a smirk with his travel companion and tried to catch Kazuha's eye to hint at teasing when he noticed that the red eyes were glazed over, similar to what happened in Liyue Harbour. Kazuha simply continued forward and probably would have smacked against the door if the butler wasn't in front of them and had already opened it for them.

Kazuha froze after walking past the doorway, making Aether having to slide around him to enter. The air in this house....was layered with little currents, almost like electricity against his tongue whenever he breathed in. ‘What took you so long?’ He could almost hear the sighs in the wind, admonishing him for his delay.

“I'm here...where..are you?” He mumbled, gaze darting to and fro before settling on a door at the far side of the foyer. There. He strode towards that beckoning doorway, ignoring Aether and Paimon calling out after him.

Aether dashed forward to grab the wandering samurai by the shoulder when an arm suddenly blocked his way. Trailing his gaze up the exquisitely embroidered silk sleeve up to its owner showed a fairly slim man that had an arresting aura, dark purple hair swept back with a few strands framing the sides of his face, emphasizing the ice blue of his eyes that warmed for a second to gave him a polite smile at him before turning to pensively level his gaze at the inadvertent guest’s back. 

“Wha--” Paimon was cut off when a rather buxom woman blocked her sight and poked her cheek. The woman gave the fairy a joyful smile, the bright red of her lipstick standing out against the lighter red of her eyes and the silver hair that was artfully tied up in a loose bun. 

“Interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a creature like this in my entire life and the sea was always full of strange creatures.”

“I’m not-- Wait, sorry, we need to get our friend! Don’t want to anger the owners of this house!” Paimon tried flitting around the pair that had just shown up out of nowhere, but the way the woman turned to address the man made her pause.

“Would they be fine?” The sentence was spoken with concern, but in each word lined a hint of readiness to whatever the outcome may be.

“There shouldn’t be any issue so long as we don’t startle them.” The man pulled back his outstretched arm, his other hand, coming up to smoothen the sleeve while moving to follow in Kazuha’s trail, the woman going up and curling a manicured hand against his elbow. He only gave one small glance back with the word ‘Come’ at the travelers, the soft spoken order carried with it the air of one who was used to being followed without question.

Aether and Paimon looked at each other and then turned a questioning glance at Maeno, who subtly signaled to them to just follow the couple.

Kazuha did not notice a single thing behind him, all that mattered was moving forward. What he’s been looking for...for almost his entire life, was within reach. Carelessly opening the door and squinting his eyes against the remaining rays of the almost gone sun, he made his way towards a well-kept yard that felt more of an enchanted forest than a regular backyard.

There was a walkway with smooth, polished stone buried in the dirt path that led to split into multiple directions as one went along, imitating the branches of a tree. All around him were different plants and shrubbery evenly placed against each other, giving the large, towering trees enough space to show their majesty while being decorated artfully with complementing flowers. And it wasn’t just the sight of them that was done well, every inhale came with the combined scents of wood, petals, and leaves, neither overpowering nor at odds with each other, just enough to tickle your nose in interest.

Were he not being tugged along by a mysterious force, he would have enjoyed slowly exploring the area, reminding him oh-so-subtly of his once well-loved family home, cedar, cypress, and pine all coming together to signify strength, stability, and comfort, with giant maple trees spread all around to emphasize the long history of the Kaedahara.

It was with this memory of his family’s icon that he saw superimposed on the scene in front of him. While regular maple trees typically had thin trunks that brought more attention to their colorful leaves, the breed that the Kaedahara had proudly showcased had wider rings, often growing to be as large as the cypress. It was this same breed that was currently in his sights, one who’s bright red, pinnate leaves were gently rustling against the darkening sky. Some of the leaves had foregone their hold on the branches, swaying slowly downwards to land on light lavender strands.

A young lady was sitting on the ground, legs tucked under her long, light blue dress, her untied hair draping over her shoulders, strands resting on her lap. Her face was peaceful in sleep, head resting against the large trunk only jostling a little bit whenever she breathed in and out.

He didn’t know her and did at the same time. Her features seemed familiar, but more than how she looked, his soul cried out for her, finally giving him a sense of peace now that she was within arm’s reach. But why did she look so troubled? Her once calm sleep now changed as her brow knitted and mouth twisted in discomfort.

Before he realised it, he had already knelt down beside her and had one hand almost to her cheek, only stopping a few inches before touching her. He retreated back a bit just as she woke up, eyelids fluttering open to grace him with her eyes, shining brighter than any amethyst he’d ever seen.