Chapter Text
Kaeya was silent as Father’s large hand pulled him roughly down the path, very nearly tearing his arm out of the socket.
Father was muttering to himself, cursing Mondstat and their archons, and Mama for trying to stop him from taking Kaeya to wherever they were going. Kaeya missed Mama, she gave the best hugs when he was scared.
“Father, where we goin’? Is it an adventure?” Kaeya finally asked Father breathlessly as their pace quickened even more. They’d been walking for days, and his small legs couldn’t keep up with Father’s long and quick steps. He was tired, and Father hadn’t stop to give him anything to eat either. Kaeya had seen him eating a sandwich though, wondering to himself why Father didn’t share. He was hungry too.
“Shut up Kaeya,” Father grumbled as he shoved Kaeya in front of him. “Look down below us, Boy.”
Kaeya looked. Bright green meadows and trees, so many he’d never be able to count them all. A city with windmills rising above it, small with how far away it was, twinkled like stars as a huge mountain rose up behind it.
“That’s Mondstat, Kaeya. You must go there and find out how to defeat the archons and this blasted curse. You are Khaenri’ah’s last hope. You will learn all there is to know about their gods and their weaknesses, and when the time comes- you will be the death bell for the age of archons,” Father’s eyes were practically glowing with hatred for the archons, and hope for Khaenri’ah. Bright and shiny like the liquid in Mama’s thermometer.
“What- what if I don’t wanna?” Kaeya asked softly, looking at the land below them. It looked peaceful, so different from the screams and anger of Khaenri’ah. He didn’t wanna destroy it.
“You, and all of our people, will die,” Father told him harshly, “do not fail us, Kaeya. Maybe someday you will finally be worthwhile to call my son.”
Father shoved him forward, causing Kaeya to fall and hit his face in the dirt path.
“Go to the winery. The owner has a son your age, or so that useless informant told me. He’d be more merciful than I would.”
Kaeya scrambled to his feet. Father had turned away, going through the fog in the direction they had come from. Towards home.
“Father! Don’t leave me here! Please- don’t leave me!” Kaeya cried out into the darkness. Too afraid of Father’s anger to chase after him, to scared of what he’d do to Mama if Kaeya trailed behind. She always got blamed for how weak Kaeya was.
“Papa… don’t leave me,” Kaeya whispered as a wind made his hair go into his eyes. “I wanna see Mama ‘gain. I- I want to go home.”
Kaeya stood on the road, crying softly as his father abandoned him to the winds.
Maybe , Kaeya thought as he turned away from where he had come, the wind will know I don’t belong.