Chapter Text
Ten months. That was all it had taken for the world to go to shit. The virus had escaped, some said from a testing facility in Russia, others that it had mutated from an attempt to turn the rabies virus harmless. Needless to say, the attempt had failed. The symptoms were the same as classic rabies, fear of water, hallucinations, seizures and mindless aggression.
Except now, the virus no longer killed its victims, instead allowing them to live on and infect others. And so, when an infected patient had escaped in the middle of Khanrieah, it had only been a matter of time before society had collapsed. In the ensuing chaos, only seven cities had remained standing, sometimes with entire continents in between.
The few who had survived now lived huddled together in these cities. At least, that was the case for most of the survivors. Some brave few however, volunteered to cross the wilderness, delivering the messages that kept the cities connected in an inhospitable world.
As time passed, these people came to be known as Runners, celebrated for their bravery in performing a task that was so dangerous, and yet also vital to a world gone mad.
Venti sighed, rotating his aching shoulder and tugging his tattered cloak closer to his body. He was camped under a disused underpass, the walls covered in faded graffiti, written in a language he couldn’t read. Outside, the horses champed and stirred, as a blonde haired duo fed and watered them for the night.
The campfire nearby flickered, doing its best to keep out the winter cold. He pulled out the faded map from his pocket, unfurling it. Marked on the map was a single crimson X, the end point for his message delivery and hopefully the location of a standing city. Scrawled next to it was a single word in bright red letters. Liyue.
“Remind me why we’re doing this again?” The sardonic drawl spooled out into the crisp air. “Nobody even knows if that stranger was telling the truth or not.” The voice belonged to a redhead, his face grim. At his side hung a crowbar, the piece of metal solid and sturdy, a dangerous weapon in the right hands.
Seated by the campfire, the other Runners glanced up as well, all of them looking towards the young black haired man who could have been no older than 18, expecting him to have all the answers.
Antonio glanced back at them. He still wasn’t sure what they saw in him, uncertain as to why they seemed to revere him so, and uncomfortable with the pedestal they had placed him on. He hesitated before speaking. “You saw the last broadcasts before the TV networks went down. You heard the reporters telling civilians to go to these seven refugee camps. The man claims to have originated from one of those refugee camps, as did we all. Is it really so much to believe that others have survived? Besides, we’re Runners. This is a commission and we will accomplish it to the best of our abilities.”
The man only harrumphed, clearly not satisfied by the answer, but before he could continue, a blue haired man whispered something into his ear, and he dropped the topic. With a thankful glance at Kaeya, Antonio turned instead to Venti.
“How are we doing on time?” Venti glanced over at his brother. “Pretty good I’d say. If we continue heading east at the same pace that we are going, we should be there in a few months, well before the beginning of winter. ”
He paused, then added, “We may need to hunt though.”
Antonio winced at those words. Despite the times they were living in, he was still loath to hurt any animals and living creatures unless necessary. Still, the Runners had to eat and so he gave his grudging permission. “But not until it's absolutely necessary.”
Venti gave him a grim nod. As he fell asleep that night, Antonio remembered him sitting by the fire, sharpening rocks to use as arrowheads, compound bow clutched in his hands.
Venti pulled up his horse, breath steaming in the frigid air, its bay coat shining with sweat. Behind him came the clip clopping of ten pairs of hooves. They had been travelling for months, and the air which had just been losing the last dregs of summer was now beginning to gain the bite of winter. The trees too had lost the autumn leaves that had cloaked them only a few weeks ago, and only their bare branches now stood against the winter sky. Temperatures had dropped as well, he had found the water in his waterskin near frozen just a few days before.
In front of him a palomino stood, Antonio astride its back. He had stopped in the nick of time, just avoiding a collision. He rubbed his shoulder again, the injured muscle within protesting the long periods spent held in one position.
“Antonio?” His brother held up a hand, palm out as he glanced around. “Look.”
He pointed a finger towards a gap in the trees. Far in the distance, Venti could make out the faint shape of a building, much taller than anything that had been built since The Fall. Antonio turned a questioning gaze towards him.
“Venti, is that?”
Visualising the map that he had long since memorised, Venti calculated their position. “Liyue.”
It was in almost the exact direction that the building was in. Behind him, the clopping of hooves died out as the other Runners came to a halt, all of them awestruck by what their leader had pointed out. The tower was huge, dwarfing even the Mondstadt Tower that served as “base camp” for the Runners. For some of the younger Runners, it would be the largest building they had ever seen. But, even more impressive than the tower, were the faint trails of smoke that Venti could glimpse against the steel surface, signs that humans still lived around the tower. Closer still, Venti could even make out what looked like a wall of solid metal, one without any breaches and gaps.
“Looks like he was right.” When Venti spoke, his voice was choked with hope. “We aren’t the only ones who survived.” And if others survived, then Pa… Antonio refused to complete that thought. False hope would do them no good. Instead, he sighed.
“Runners! Set up camp for tonight. We head into the city tomorrow.” He dismounted his horse, leading it off into the trees to find a stream for them to drink from.