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Relieving someone’s story through a magic book was an odd thing to do. It felt slightly disconnected from reality, only it was very vivid and conjoined to the real world. When it comes to the witches in Hexenzirkel, Aether had found out, everything was pretty much possible.
Despite the bizarre situation, he couldn’t help but muffle a snicker behind his gloved hand at the sight of Wanderer in a very interesting and different body. The high pitched tone in which he showed his shock after he found out about his new cat-like form sounded alien to Aether, and perhaps, that only served to make it all more absurd. Durin merely broke into a smile, a tiny sliver of his fangs peeking through his lips while Wanderer attempted to preserve his dignity.
Before they could continue on their way, the small version of Durin flew towards them with an excited expression.
“Hello everyone!” His wings flapped energetically, his body turning in the air. “Ready for today’s adventure?”
Aether glanced at the human Durin silently, wondering absentmindedly how it must feel to watch a fairy tale version of himself play out his own story. Or guiding him through it at the very least. The narrator’s voice, Anya's, they have presumed a couple of chapters ago, chose that moment to make her appearance.
[ The story’s vines had woven themselves together into a giant tree, the boughs of which a little storyless dragon now paced, homeless among its leaves. ]
[ He had to find a way to leave this palace and set off in search of a home of his own. If he stayed, the world would erase him from its memory altogether. ]
When those words sank in, they remembered the main reason why the visit into the book world was so urgent. Those who didn’t know Durin too well, or weren’t closely related to him, forgot his existence all of a sudden. Aether felt an all too familiar sense of dread, of being the only one who remembers an event or a person. It wasn’t as severe as other instances he had seen, but if he could help it, he didn’t want Durin to go through that. He swallowed down the impervious desire to sigh out loud while he quietly observed Wanderer’s dark fur. As someone who got the whole world to forget him… What was Wanderer’s opinion in all this?
[ The little dragon felt completely lost. Just like the vines, the road ahead branched off into the different directions, twisting and turning before disappearing into the mist. ]
The narrator continued her story, not quite answering to Durin’s doubts yet trying to guide them as much as someone long dead could.
[ But as luck would have it, a prophetess waited up ahead. Perhaps she might know where each path might take him… ]
“Prophetess?” Durin’s eyes examined their surroundings, trying to take sight of said witch in the vicinity. His tail curved up suddenly, his arm raising to point to the top of a smaller tree. The giant dark blue witch hat gave away her position rather than her small, fluffy body.
“You must be the little dragon?"
Mini Durin sighed, his head dropping a little. “It’s true… My friends and I are lost.”
[ This meeting was no accident. The “prophetess” was in fact the seer-witch, here to present her promised gift. ]
“Little lost dragon, I have to come to bestow the gift I once promised―” The witch in Dodoco’s plushy form covers her face with her fluffy tail. “a prophecy.”
“A prophecy?”
“Hear me now, for my prophecy is this: one day, the dragon from beyond the castle shall be reborn, and none may avert its coming.”
Barbeloth was probably referring to how Dragonspine Durin would end up reviving eventually. The events he had gone through with Albedo at the mountain seemed to always point towards his inevitable revival if they didn’t do anything about it. Now that Dragonspine Durin and Simulanka Durin were the same being, did it mean that his destiny was still leaning towards Dragonspine Durin overwhelming him? The possibility made a shudder run down his spine, yet it must be nothing compared to how lost and anxious Durin must feel.
[ The wind took the prophecy and swept it off into the distance, and so the little dragon was shown a path to wander. ]
After that, the seer-witch fell silent, refusing ―or rather being unable to― to answer further questions or doubts they may have.
Realizing there was nothing else they could do other than advance, they continued on their way. The nature surrounding them reminded Aether very well of Sumeru’s lush green trees and the lively flora. Soon enough, they reached an intersection, but the divergence led into a dark, thorny path. The frown was collective, as the straight path up the luscious greenery seemed like the right option. The only one that stared ahead the thorn filled branches was Wanderer.
“You are not thinking about taking this path, are you?” Paimon mused, cowering slightly behind Aether’s shoulder.
“I’m merely thinking that we should exhaust all possibilities.” He answered dryly. Aether knew, beneath the cold exterior, Wanderer seemed to be preoccupied about something. Ever since Durin spoke of his troubles, about the people that were forgetting him, it seemed to resonate with the puppet.
“If you say so, I guess it doesn’t hurt to check!” Mini Durin didn’t question his friend’s decision, determined to follow him wherever he had to.
Although apprehensive, they decided to try out the path, just to give a peek to where it led to.
[ It seemed to lead away from this place, but each time he tried to follow it, the branches of the tale sent him back to the start. ]
“Huh,” Wanderer came to a halt, sitting in what little of the path was clear from thorns. “ So the author managed to work this book into the story, too. I’ll hand it to her, this book is fascinating.”
Aether crossed his arm at the cryptic comment. Durin was the first to intervene and show his confusion.
“What’s going on here…?” Durin frowned slightly, his gaze falling onto the cat.
Wanderer sighed. “When I first realized you were being forgotten by the world, I thought it might be because you’d spent too much time with me.” He made a small pause, the air abruptly feeling tense. “In which case, the only hope of a cure… would be to cut ties for good.”
Durin stance faltered. His shock was evident, yet his turmoil was even greater. “What makes you think that?”
[ Once upon a time, ] before more words could be exchanged among them, Anya’s voice resounded from somewhere far in the sky, [ the stray tore apart his own story and was forgotten by the world beyond the castle. ]
The implications of the narration made Aether look up for some brief seconds. Was fate so twisted that even Wanderer’s attempt at erasing himself from Irminsul was meant to happen? For that short moment in time, Aether understood Wanderer’s anger towards how destiny works in Teyvat. To think you have hold of your own fate for a split second only to be shown otherwise…
[ He believed the story had cursed him, and that his misfortune had rubbed off upon the little dragon. ]
So he thought, the fact that he was forgotten… affected Durin too. While Aether understood that line of thought, it felt extreme to try and cut ties with Durin altogether.
“It was just a suspicion before, but now I think it’s something we have to try.”
“Wait.” Paimon shook her head, not following at all what Wanderer was trying to imply. “What do you mean? Try what?”
“One of the story’s branches is a path I can’t take.” The cat-like eyes look towards Durin. It was hard to read what Wanderer was thinking normally, but with his current form, it was honestly indescribable. Aether’s unease grew. “If you follow it out of here, I won’t be part of your story anymore.” His eyes shift away as he moves out of the way, sitting at the edge of the path. “Considering what the strange magic in this book is capable of, making that choice could cut our connection once and for all.”
Why, why are you doing this again? The traveler clenched his fists, feeling a fiery sense of anger expanding through his body. It wasn’t the moment or the place to voice his opinion, this was Durin’s decision after all. Getting caught in his own feelings, he didn’t realize he had talked out loud. He raised a hand to surreptitiously cover his mouth, but Wanderer solely gazed at him.
“As long as there’s a chance it might work, it’s worth a try.” He didn’t keep his eyes on Aether for too long, instead, he lowered his head, his voice almost faltering. “He’s not like me. He deserves the world to remember him.”
Acting like the sacrificing lamb as if his own opinions and feelings didn’t matter… Why did he even remotely consider that this would be the best outcome?
“What do you think, Durin?”
Durin flinched. He looked startled, the idea of having to say goodbye to his friend obviously weighting on his mind. “Well, maybe Hat Guy has his reasons for thinking that way, but that’s not the kind of decision I can make so easily.”
The tension was asphyxiating. Durin and Mini Durin both looked reluctant to even consider that as a possible outcome. There was no way this was going to make things better. Even if by some chance Durin’s problem was solved just by cutting Wanderer out of his life, wouldn’t that make them both sad? Wanderer was Durin’s first friend, he considered Wanderer to be his best friend even. The opposite could also be said, Durin might have actually been the first individual the puppet ever willingly opened his heart towards in hundreds of years.
“Isn’t it worth a shot?” Wanderer pressed, but the determination behind his words failed.
Aether could not keep himself quiet this time. He tried to lever his voice, to not show how upset he was. “That won’t solve anything.”
Before Wanderer could bark back something else to refute him, Paimon spoke first. “Yeah, you’re Durin’s best friend! His memories of you are extremely important to him.”
The indigo eyes looked awry at Durin. The expression on the dragon’s face was obviously one of sadness, his fist clenched close to where his heart is. Between having everyone forget him and having to forget his best friend… Wasn’t there another option? He could not choose to forget Hat Guy after all they’ve been through.
“W-what Paimon is trying to say is… if Durin forgets you, wouldn’t he feel like something is missing the rest of his life?”
‘Paimon…’ A small smile broke through Aether’s tense posture. Paimon’s innocent but powerful remark seemed to settle in, making Durin and Wanderer look away from the thorny path and towards the light filled one instead.
“Fair enough,” Wanderer conceded in the end. Despite his actions and words, he undoubtedly wanted Durin’s happiness first and foremost.
“Then let’s take the other path!” Mini Durin nodded with enthusiasm, floating back to the main road where they started. Paimon followed suit, crying out that he shouldn’t go too far by himself.
The dragon’s tense shoulders dropped, if for a little, and started the way back behind their floating companions. If Durin had anything to say about what just transpired, he didn’t voice it. Or perhaps, he didn’t know how to express himself yet. Aether knew that more complex feelings were hard to describe, and for the dragon even more so.
Aether watched his back, his tail swishing side to side along with his stride. Durin was socially awkward, it reminded him of when he first met Albedo, too. Integrating among humans was not an easy task, everyone was their own complex being. Aside from Albedo now, Wanderer was his first friend, his pillar. Not the best example when it came to interacting with people, yet from what he had heard from Durin himself, Wanderer did actually give out fair advice. Advice for everyone and none for himself, huh.
“Ren,” the soft-spoken name, made the cat stop dead on his tracks just as he was about to follow the group. “We have to talk later.”
Aether thought that if he didn’t voice his thoughts, he was going to combust. It was so brief that Aether might have imagined it, but Wanderer’s cat ears dropped for a second.
“Do whatever you want.” he responded in his usual unattached way. He didn’t outright refuse him, which might be a good thing.
It wasn’t as if Aether wanted to have this conversation either.
Once they exited the magic book, silence fell upon the group. Paimon, who usually didn’t deal well with this type of situation, was awkwardly fiddling with her fingers while she floated close to Aether.
He usually didn't do this, but…
“Paimon, why don't you go to the Bazaar and get something to eat?” The blond gently grabbed Paimon’s small hand, reassuring him that it was alright and that the tension was nothing she should be concerned about. “Maybe Nilou will be there, too.”
“B-but…” she stuttered out, unsure, always reluctant to leave Aether's side. Her eyes shifted between Aether and Wanderer, feeling the pressure of how serious they both looked. She ended up conceding with a curt nod. “Okay! Paimon will get us something delicious.”
“Durin, can you accompany her?” Wanderer put a hand on Durin's back and pushed him slightly in the fairy's direction. “Make sure she doesn't get lost.” he added with a smirk.
“Hey! Paimon is the guide here!” Paimon kicked the air in a fit, pouting about why he would doubt her abilities.
“I…” Durin wanted to refuse, yet despite his social inexperience, he could sense the traveler and his best friend needed to sort something out. “Alright. Will you join us later?”
All he received as an answer was shrug, which by Wanderer's standards meant 'who knows.’ Durin gently shook his head and accompanied Paimon out of Daena House.
As he was left alone with Wanderer, Aether felt anxiety eating at his insides. He felt light headed, his heart pounding. He absolutely did not want to have this conversation. At the same time, he could not let it be.
They agreed taciturnly to exit the library first. They left through the secondary exit leading to the rooftop, or rather, the treetop. They stopped close to the Surasthana Sanctuary, but not so close that a certain archon would find them immediately if she were to be around. Aether could greet her later, this was a bit more pressing.
He sat down at the edge of the branch, his feet dangling off in the air, probably at least a thousand meters away from immediate ground. He felt like an odd one. Instead of exacerbating his anxiety, being so close to the edge made him feel more at ease.
Wanderer stood there next to him, just a couple of steps behind, clearly not about to get comfortable in any form.
“Then, what did you want to talk about?” The question was simple enough, an undertone of annoyance making it to his voice. Something told Aether that Wanderer didn't feel comfortable with this. Good. He shouldn't be.
Aether was still putting his thoughts in order. How should he word it? He was never the most talkative one of the bunch and finding the words to express himself sometimes didn't come easily. When it was such a delicate topic, it felt even harder to get them through.
He could almost feel the piercing gaze of those indigo eyes on the back of his neck, impatiently waiting for an answer. He might as well be straightforward, he was the first one to despise when people spoke in riddles and went in circles.
“Why is it that you keep trying to sabotage yourself?” Aether made sure to speak loud enough, but it came slightly strangled.
Wanderer's irritation was felt even when his back was turned to him. The traveler somewhat understood. If someone knew his whole past, even the painful parts and the ones that he tried to hide, he would also feel bitter. Whether Wanderer liked it or not, Aether was the only one who remembered now.
“Why does it matter to you?” The strain to sound calm and leveraged was noticeable. The gruff of underlying anger was there, sizzling.
Aether should be careful with his words, it was a touchy topic. What should he say? That Wanderer actually mattered to him?
Aether's gloved hands scratched the surface of the bark, tensing.
“It matters,” the blond ended up sighing. “To Durin too. For better or worse, he doesn't understand social cues yet and he doesn't feel deterred when you push him away.”
Wanderer clicked his tongue, mumbling something that sounded like ‘that idiot should keep it to himself’.
“Did you ever consider how he felt?” That came out harsher than he intended, inner resentments coming through.
The puppet took a step closer, standing closer to Aether's side. What expression would he see on the puppet if he looked up? Did he dare to?
“I already told you. He's not like me. If forgetting about me made things better for him, I would have done so without a second thought.” It was hard to tell, and it might be wishful thinking on Aether's part, but Wanderer sounded... vulnerable.
Aether understood, he really did. Because if he were to be in the same position and with someone that was truly important to him, he would have taken the leap too. But only as the last resort. What bothered Aether was that Wanderer didn't even consider other options. It angered him.
Wanderer really cared for Durin, enough to give away his memory of him so Durin could have a peaceful life. That didn't mean it sat well with Aether.
“Why… Why do you even remotely think that would make things better?” Aether's shoulders trembled, his hands balling into fists. Bear it, he told himself, it’s not your place to get angry.
“What is wrong with you?” Wanderer spat, his stance growing just as tense, even though he tried to appear nonchalant. “It didn't happen, he took his decision. Why are you making a fuss over this?”
“Because I know you would just do it again, Ren!” Aether jerkily turned his head towards Wanderer as he cried out, his golden irises reflecting a complex myriad of emotions. Anger, worry, guilt. “Do you want to disappear that badly?!”
The air felt thick, like a knife was hovering over their heads. Aether's breath stuttered and Wanderer was taken aback by the outburst, even if for just a second. There was a tremble on Wanderer's lip, the seriousness of the conversation seeping through his skin. The name Aether gave him, his name, resonated in his skull.
A frown marred Aether's face, yet anguish was more predominant than his anger. His eyes glazed over with tears that threatened to spill, but he didn't allow himself to do so. He simply squeezed them shut and blinked them away.
“Do you still want to do that?” That question came in a smaller voice, a strong contrast to the shout he let out previously. He turned his head away, ashamed of his own outburst.
There was no answer for a long stretch of time. He might as well take that as a yes. Aether felt sick, as if the mouth to his stomach twisted into an uncomfortable knot. He sagged forward, a metaphorical weight made him unable to sit straight. The traveler was trying to gaslight himself into thinking that he didn't care about Wanderer enough to meddle in his life.
“Does it really matter to you or is it your stupid hero complex talking?” The question was poised with no bite behind it, which was odd to begin with. Their relationship was a rocky one, but things had mellowed between them in the last couple of years. It would be nice if distrust could be healed easily.
Aether let out a dry chuckle. He wished he could answer. It was hard to know how to respond when he didn't even know where they stood.
Friends?
Acquaintances?
Rivals?
“Both, perhaps.” Aether scooted back from the edge, letting his feet rest on the solid wood. An uncomfortable itch shot up from his feet to his knees. “This isn't about how I feel about it.”
“Huh?”
“Your life isn’t just yours when you start making meaningful connections with others.” The traveler hugged his knees, his arms on top and his chin resting on them. “It might sound selfish, but think about how others would feel if you suddenly were gone, you idiot.”
Wanderer let out a deep sigh. Without saying a word, there was an underlying understanding between them for that fraction of time. Durin was the first individual he ever willingly wanted to be around and be friends with. What he wanted to do with the other people he had been meeting as of recently was still unclear. His past had left deep wounds that had taken hundreds of years to close… and now those scars were starting to heal very slowly.
Not able to put up with the sappy atmosphere any longer, Wanderer let out a teasing chuckle. “What? Does that mean you would miss me if I was gone for good? I don’t know if you are too good or just plainly stupid.”
“Hey,” Aether’s lips curved into a smile, even if just a little. “Don’t push your luck. It’s not that easy putting up with you, you know.”
Golden irises captured the last rays of the sun setting in the distance as they gazed into the indigo ones. Too much was left unsaid, unresolved feelings and unspoken regrets, yet none of them was good at speaking their minds out or baring their feelings in the open. Aether might look like the type of person to carry his heart on his sleeve, but hid a lot more than he let on. On the opposite side, Wanderer wasn’t as closed off as he would like to pretend.
“As long as you understand what I was trying to say, Ren… Then you are free to go. Your friend probably wants to speak to you too.”
“Ugh, probably.” Wanderer stuck his tongue out, shrugging his shoulders dramatically. “At least Durin is a little more honest about his feelings.”
“Shocking,” Aether snickered in response. “Considering he had been taking you as one of his role models.”
Aether’s gaze went back to losing itself in the horizon and in the sun setting behind the mountains. Taking that as his cue to leave, Wanderer grabbed the rim of his hat and turned around, ready to start his descent down the tree.
“Ren,” he called very softly, almost inaudible if it weren’t for the silence they got to enjoy so high up into the great tree. “Live.”
Wanderer stopped in his tracks if only for a second. The wish traveled through the breeze and reached him. That idiot… “Pushing your selfish wishes onto me, huh?” there was no annoyance behind his tone for once, if anything, his rough exterior crumbled for a second. Because the traveler, in his reverie, saw through him and the person he had wanted to become. Perhaps four hundred years was too late to pick up that wish, but there was now someone that looked up to him and people that cared for him, whether he liked that or not.
“You better not die before me, then. You and your dumb hero complex.”