Chapter Text
It took Lumine so long to finally reach Snezhnaya. The pristine snowy landscapes and tall icy peaks of the nation governed by the Archon of Love. She always found it ironic – that a god who decided to spread unrest across Teyvat and rage war against the heavens was a patron of such a beautiful and selfless emotion.
Tsaritsa, however, couldn’t be reasoned with. The woman refused to budge under Lumine’s arguments, and their encounter ended up in a predictable manner – a fight to the death.
Not with the Archon, though. When you have an army, why would you ever need to lift a finger?
The person who stood in the way of the golden-eyed Traveller was someone she knew well. An enemy at first and a comrade in arms later. The frustrating, charming, hellishly skilled warrior she wished she could someday openly call a friend; Lumi wouldn’t dare to dream of anything beyond that.
"Childe..." she whispered clenching her unsheathed golden sword.
"Lumine." He nodded, a clear sign of respect. His eyes flickered with much more than that – feelings she didn’t want to notice and name. "I told you that one day we will cross blades again, this time with everything on the line."
"You did." Yet she always hoped it would never come to that.
"I’m not the same man you fought in the Golden House all those years ago."
Lumine knew. She watched him grow stronger and push her to do the same. In her eyes, he was no longer just an evil Harbinger seeking to sow chaos and destruction – since the clash with Osial, they not only sparred against each other countless times but also battled back-to-back. Camped together in the wild, slept under the same stars, laughed, cried, bleed. Trusted though it was illogical and... hoped though it was unreasonable. Wished for a chance to one day be brave enough to cross the unspeakable line they had both drawn – because as things stood their relationship could only be that of a Harbinger and an Outlander. The villain and the hero.
Despite the longing glances and touches lingering a tad too long.
Lumine pursed her lips.
"So what now? We kill each other? Right here, in front of your crazy Archon?"
Childe’s eyes narrowed.
"If you kneel before Her Majesty, then maybe we can avoid that."
"I kneel for no one!" the girl snarled, her grip on the sword tightening, almost painful.
Water sloshed and blades of his own formed in Ajax’s hands.
"Then I guess it is fate. Let’s duel one last time comrade, and see who’s strong enough to walk out of here alive."
They lunged at the same time. Slashed with all their might. As fellow warriors, they owed each other at least that much: to not hold back and go all out. Decide the winner fair and square knowing they pulled no brakes and did their very best.
She sent out a wind blade and it grazed his arm.
He thrust a water spear and it cut her thigh.
She dove under his sword, sliced his side; he didn’t even flinch, paid her back kicking her gut.
The pair twirled around each other in a dance of elements and blood, the onslaught of sparks and gusts and droplets, both clear and red.
The two jumped back dishevelled and wounded, breathing heavily.
Lumine’s hand was numb, Electro crackling around it, her own attack turned against her. Childe was dripping wet, the Hydro whale he summoned clearly missed its mark.
It won’t take much longer to reach the conclusion of this duel, the two realised adjusting the grip on their blades. It will end right here and now, in this beautiful icy ballroom illuminated by the morning sun.
Years of pent-up feelings turned into carnage.
At least it was supposed to.
Before they were able to move, the floor began to glow.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Tsaritsa rose from her throne, startled, but even she didn’t have the power to stop what was about to happen. Magic that was older than time.
A luminous line swirled and twirled drawing a big circle underneath their feet. Filled with shapes and runes and words, signs both familiar and foreign, geometric like the work of a mathematician and artistic as if painted by a creative soul.
"Comrade?" Childe took off his mask and looked around. The world rocked to its foundations. "What did you do?"
"You’re asking me?!" Lumine snapped joining his side in an instant. Her head hurt as if someone was drilling a hole in it and judging by Ajax’s scowl, so did his. "This is the palace of your Archon, remember?"
It was almost funny how the two just tried to kill each other but immediately fell back into the familiar dynamic at the first sign of unexpected trouble.
The spell didn’t give them the time to banter, however. The next second everything flashed, and the warriors vanished without a trace along with a big chunk of the palace’s white marble floor.
*~*~*
When the man woke up the only thing he felt was cold. He was sprawled on the snow, his clothes and hair soaked, the chill biting his frost-covered cheek. Who knew how long he spent out there?
And... where was "there" in the first place?
He couldn’t remember.
Slowly rising to his knees he tried to recall something, anything, but there was a yawning abyss in place of his memories. A big wide stretch of nothing except one single word.
"Ajax..." the man whispered instinctively recognising his own name. But who was he? How did he get here? And... why was he bleeding?
The snow he slept on was unmistakably crimson. Not totally soaked, so that indicated he didn’t have any life-threatening wounds, but still red enough to cause concern.
Then there was that rubble all around. Huge chunks of marble scattered between the trees, covered in weird black symbols. As he touched the writing it left a smudge on his fingers. He rubbed them together.
"Sooth?" Ajax wondered. Did someone burn all this onto the stones? But why?
"What is going on?" he groaned uncertain what to do. Glanced to the left, to the right. Then down at his clothes.
This was Snezhnaya, he knew that. Had all the information about this country and about this world, Teyvat. Could recall who ruled each nation, what the capital cities looked like, name all the trees, tell apart all kinds of fish and write down more cooking recipes than he would expect from someone in military garb.
Was I an army chef or something? But... do chefs have Visions?
Ajax had no clue. And whenever he tried to remember anything more specific than the general knowledge the ache in his head intensified.
The details kept eluding him for some reason – like whether he had a family, things he liked, things he hated or the meaning behind the insignia pinned on his chest. He should have known what it was but didn’t, as if his brain blocked access to any information that could provide a clue to his true identity.
It was frustrating like hell.
Am I just unlucky or... is this deliberate?
Was someone toying with him?
A movement caught Ajax’s eye. A painful moan reached his ear. Carefully following the sounds the man found a body lying behind one of the big chunks of stone.
Should he help? Should he hide? Hard to tell.
The stranger, a girl, was wearing a light white dress, definitely too light for this weather, and seemed to be covered in wounds similar to his. Her blonde hair had jarring red streaks and she was groaning trying to lift herself up.
Could they both be victims of the same accident? But... would a simple accident wipe your memory in such a selective way? The longer he thought about it the more unlikely it sounded.
If they travelled by horses, there were no traces of hooves anywhere. If they travelled by carriage and crashed, the vehicle left no remains.
No footprints existed showing where they came from, no luggage and not another living soul. His instincts were sharp. Ajax didn’t remember what honed them so, but he was sure – the two of them were alone. And, though it was a stupid thought, it looked as if they just... appeared here out of nowhere.
There was also another disturbing possibility explaining their injuries – she caused his wounds and he caused hers. This girl... Could she be a friend? A foe?
"You can come out, whoever you are." Her melodic but strained voice startled him. Ajax was cautious not to make any noise but she still noticed the presence lurking nearby. Whoever the blonde was, her survival skills easily matched his.
I can’t let my guard down. Cute appearance or not.
All thoughts evaporated from his mind, however, when she turned, and Ajax saw her eyes. Clear and gold like the sun slowly setting above their heads. Stunning in their beauty but also surprisingly mature. She was no kid lost in the woods, but a woman you shouldn’t underestimate.
"You’re injured," he stated, not bothering to phrase it as a question.
The girl looked Ajax up and down and sighed. "So are you," she answered in a similar fashion. "Where are we?"
"I don’t know," he admitted and came closer. Hesitantly helped her get up, his skin tingling where they touched. Felt cold and hot and ticklish. Was his body sending him a message? Remembering something his mind couldn’t? But if so, was it encouragement or warning? "Who are you?" Ajax asked clenching and unclenching his fist, shaking off the weird sensation.
"I... I’m not sure. Lumine. I think that’s my name. That’s... the only thing I remember. You?"
"Ajax. And before you ask, I don’t know anything else either, about myself or how we got here. And why."
Just that we’re stranded together in a shitty predicament.
Assuming she was speaking the truth, that is.
The girl didn’t seem to be a fan of mind games, though. She defiantly lifted her chin and crossed her arms.
"How do I know you’re not lying?" said with a refreshing directness.
Ajax’s lips twitched – a commendable attempt, but there was no way someone so small and sweet could look imposing no matter how hard she tried.
"How do I know you’re not lying?" Ajax shot back. They glared at each other, neither wanting to give in till Lumine finally groaned and turned away. Scratched her head; hissed, probably accidentally touching a sore spot.
The silence between the two quickly grew uncomfortable. They’ve reached an annoying stalemate, haven’t they? A situation where you needed to take a leap of faith – and neither seemed eager to resort to such solutions.
Ajax’s unexpected sneeze startled them both.
Still, they found themselves stranded who knows where with only each other for company and heaps of snow all around. As the sun gradually set, the temperature dropped rapidly, not to mention, staying in the woods after dark was never a good idea.
Suddenly something shiny caught the girl’s eye. She picked up the item buried in the cold white fluff.
It was a golden sword. Well-kept and polished so meticulously the blade could very well work as a mirror. Lumine scrutinised her reflection and then glanced at Ajax.
"We look nothing alike, so I guess we can't be family."
"And you don’t wear any rings"—he lifted his palms adorned with a few simple accessories—"so we can’t be married either."
"So what?" Lumine leaned closer and carefully touched the ring on his pinkie. "You think you’re married?"
"No!" He suddenly grabbed her hand and answered with a lot more force than intended. Seeing her startled expression quickly released the girl and scratched his neck in embarrassment. What came over him, for Archons’ sake?! "I mean I don’t know for sure but... I can’t be, right? I wouldn’t forget something like that."
If Lumi had her doubts, she chose not to voice them.
"Were we soldiers, then? Warriors?” she asked instead. “I don’t know how but I can feel this sword is mine."
"If that's the case, then where’s the rest of the army?"
Neither of them mentioned it aloud, but it was clear from their attire – hers white, his dark – that if such was the truth, they were most certainly not fighting on the same side.
"Pieprzone zagadki," the man swore under his breath.
The two were surrounded by so many unknowns and provided so little answers...
Ajax sneezed again. Felt the shivers gradually intensifying.
His condition was rapidly deteriorating, which wasn't surprising given that he had stayed outside in this weather wearing wet clothes for gods only knew how long. It wasn't a conscious choice, yes, but whether he liked it or not, now Ajax had to deal with the consequences.
They needed a warm shelter or pneumonia would kill him faster than this girl of unknown origins could even try, that was the sad reality.
He let out a sigh and extended his hand. Made sure to look sincere and not sway on his feet despite the growing fever.
"Let’s join forces, girlie, at least for tonight. And we can figure out what to do next tomorrow, preferably after finding some decent shelter."
*~*~*
Lumine had no clue what to think of her new companion. She generally had no clue what was going on since someone conveniently wiped her memory (that’s the only way she could explain the selectiveness of it) but Ajax turned out to be the biggest enigma.
Was he lying or was he telling the truth?
Was he an ally caught up in the same unfortunate predicament or an enemy just waiting for a good opportunity to strike?
She didn’t know. Couldn’t know. The only thing left to do was hope everything will somehow work out.
A tired sigh escaped her lips and Lumi glanced to the side. Well, the guy for sure lied at least about one thing – when she asked how he felt Ajax answered with a curt "fine," but even a child could tell he was anything but.
As they temporarily joined forces, the two decided to walk downhill hoping to stumble across some human settlement, but Ajax was getting slower and slower with each passing minute. His breath became ragged, his steps heavy and the guy couldn’t hide the shivers anymore but sure. He was fine.
It annoyed her for some reason – that he didn’t take proper care of himself.
Was being overly worried her thing? Or was it being overly worried about this man?
Who are you? And who am I?
Similar thoughts tormented her mind as the sun hid beneath the horizon, plunging the forest into darkness. The first howls of wolves echoed between the trees just as the first stars blinked to life in the sky. Hunger, thirst, exhaustion – everything was catching up with them.
A sudden thud snapped her back to reality.
"Wha... Shit!" A cold shiver ran up her spine.
Ajax was lying in the snow, struggling to get up with trembling arms, but his efforts were in vain. She clenched her teeth in frustration.
"You are soooo fine, right?" Lumine nagged angrily as she threw his arm over her shoulders and helped him up. The girl grunted with effort, he was surprisingly heavy. Looked tall and lanky but was probably quite muscular under these wet frosty clothes. And their bodies... She didn’t want to notice how they naturally leaned towards each other, but she did.
Who are we? Lumine wondered for the thousandth time that day.
"I... am... fine..." Ajax argued back weakly.
"Of course you are you stubborn mule."
She clicked her tongue but smiled. Good to know he at least had some fight left in him.
*~*~*
Eventually, a miracle happened. Lumine couldn’t call it by any other name.
After stumbling through the dark in a painfully empty forest for who knew how long, a flash caught her eye. The girl's hope of finding shelter was quickly fading – there were no signs of any human activity nearby, and to make matters worse, Ajax had lost consciousness some time ago and she had to drag him with her (or just leave in the snow but somehow that didn't sit right with Lumi). Truthfully? She was on the brink of collapsing from exhaustion.
They were at the end of their rope. And quite possibly at the end of their lives too.
But that flash... Pressing on with the last bit of energy, Lumine trudged forward and five minutes later finally came across the source of the strange light. Overwhelmed with emotion, she wanted to drop to her knees and cry.
It was moonlight reflected on a window.
A window of a wooden cabin.
"A house..." It looked quite big and slightly fancy. Not like a simple hunter’s refuge but a retreat of some noble family. However, it was also tarnished by time and probably didn’t see any visitors in a long while. The wooden walls were rotten and cracked in places, and the door barely hung on its hinges. Lumine wouldn’t be surprised if the roof leaked either, but it didn’t matter to her now – in her eyes, this dilapidated house was like a royal estate. The salvation they so desperately needed.
Her legs trembled but she climbed the small stairs leading to a tiny porch and dragged Ajax along. Then carefully leaned her companion against the wall and kicked the door open—
—But that was also the moment her body decided to say "enough." No more physical exertion, no more!
As Lumi tried to pull the man inside, her knees suddenly buckled and her vision went black. The girl had no chance to cover the destroyed entrance or at least light a fire, do anything that would help them survive. Expecting otherwise was naive to begin with; she was only human after all, not a superhero.
The blonde grasped at her consciousness, determined to hold on, but it was a losing battle.
The two fell to the wooden floor a second later, but they didn’t even feel the impact already swallowed by the dark, too exhausted to dream.
That’s how their new lives began.