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There was a time when Lightkeepers accompanied travelers from distant lands who came to spend time in Nod-Krai or even decided to settle here. But this tradition faded as the Wild Hunt became more unbridled and volatile, leaving the ratniki no longer free to devote themselves to other duties. The same applied to the Ordo Favonius, knights who came from distant lands where freedom reigned, led by a Grand Master who made an unforgettable impression.
Illuga was called still young for the selfless life of a ratnik when he appeared in the city. But his comrades-in-arms could only laugh at this, because for them the captain of the reconnaissance squad was one of the strongest and most responsible Lightkeepers. But his innocent appearance really led many astray.
Because the Ordo Favonius had settled in Nod-Krai without a proper escort, Nikita often sent the captain to meet with Grand Master Varka to coordinate their actions. He believed this would help them gain experience, and Illuga himself was not opposed to the idea...
Until he met Lohen.
This time, Flins was supposed to go, as he had become better acquainted with the knights and was more suitable for an invitation to the farewell dinner the Lightkeepers were preparing for the departing people of Mondstadt, but due to the remnants of the Wild Hunt, he had to change his choice. Illuga had already studied the route to the camp, so he easily reached the entrance, where he was greeted with smiles by the knights on duty. As expected, they offered to pour the captain a drink, but he deftly declined, citing that he would be having a drink with the Master.
'It's good that Grand Master Varka never insists on me drinking.'
With a silent sigh, he was about to continue on to the Grand Master's tent when he noticed a familiar figure in the distance and froze. His footsteps seemed to stand out against the background, and the closer they got, the more panicked Illuga became. The gaze slid to the small bushes and, as if a monster were hunting him, he hid behind them, covering his mouth with his hand.
Seeing their superior, the knights greeted him.
"Vice Captain, are you planning to hunt again? I thought the Grand Master tasked you with delivering letters to Mondstadt. I'm even envious..."
"Mm," Lohen drawled lazily, looking around as if searching for something. "Did a little bird fly by here?"
"A little bird?"
The knights exchanged surprised glances. Quite a few birds had flown by during the day, so they hadn't paid any attention to them. But when the Vice Captain, who was only interested in fighting monsters or trying to defeat Varka, spoke of them, it couldn't help but arouse curiosity.
"Small, always with a serious face, and carrying a lantern."
"Ah, talking about Illuga. He just passed us. Strange you didn't cross paths."
The captain, sitting in the bushes, was ready to jump out of his flimsy hiding place in anger when Lohen described him as a little bird. But the reason he was acting so childishly was precisely because of this young and passionate knight, whom Illuga had gotten himself into trouble with in their first encounter, punching him right in the face. It would have been much better if Lohen had held a grudge against him ever since, but a strange interest sparked in the knight, causing him to pursue the Lightkeeper and ask to repeat their duel.
'It was self-defense. Self-defense.'
That day, they arrived with a detachment of ratniki to assist, but the knights of the Ordo Favonius strongly dissuaded them from engaging in battle, suggesting they sit back and wait for the situation to resolve itself. Illuga, driven by a sense of responsibility, politely declined and continued on his way, wanting to personally ascertain the situation on the battlefield.
It was then that he discovered the reason the brave knights were so hesitant to engage. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say they yielded to the Vice Captain perverse desire, realizing he could handle the situation on his own.
Amid the remains of the Wild Hunt, a short young man stood tall, deftly wielding a spear, delivering precise blows honed through training. This was definitely the fighting style of the Ordo Favonius, but there was something wild and unbridled about it, like the attack of a beast. Illuga, frozen, couldn't take a single step forward at that moment, only watching the stranger gracefully discard the last body, then raised his eyes.
They were mesmerizing, like two crimson gemstones that had lost their luster. Slightly narrowing them, the young knight muttered thoughtfully,
—Varka deceived me. There was nothing special here, he said, unafraid, throwing his spear aside, already assessing his opponent's strength.
— But perhaps you can entertain me?
Illuga's first thought was that he was facing a madman. Or perhaps it was the Wild Hunt, shapeshifting? So, without a shadow of a doubt, he drew on all his accumulated combat experience. Fortunately, the young knight was quite tired after the grueling battle, allowing himself to be thrown to the muddy ground and dealt a powerful blow to the face. The captain would forever remember how the eyes staring at him widened and, with surprise that quickly gave way to undisguised admiration, examined his face, memorizing.
Remembering Lohen's expression at that moment, he pressed his hand to his chest. His own heart was pounding loudly there. Perhaps... perhaps it was his handsome face...
"Captain, where are you?"
But hearing a voice nearby, Illuga calmed his thoughts and quietly crept to the next bush, watching the second-in-command pace the camp entrance, shamelessly calling out to him in full view of everyone. Because Lohen mentioned his rank, the knights watching him simply assumed he was looking for a superior and didn't pay much attention.
Meanwhile, the footsteps were getting closer to the bushes.
"Ah, the captain has such short legs, he couldn't run far," Lohen sighed mockingly, and Illuga, hiding in his hiding place, almost jumped up again. He didn't like it when his youth or short stature were emphasized. "Is it possible... he's avoiding me?"
'That's right. So please leave.'
In fact, it would have been much easier to agree to a second duel, except Illuga had already done so. But like a young knight who'd found a favorite practice dummy, he kept asking for encounters and challenging him to combat. The outcome was always different... The only thing that remained constant, whether defeat or victory, was the playful smile on Lohen's lips and the flush of excitement from a good duel.
Illuga had seen that expression too often, and somehow it didn't seem any more irritating. But that was precisely why he needed to hide.
While the young captain was lost in his own complex thoughts, the footsteps drew ever closer.
"Mm, should I catch him and ask him why then? Sounds rather amusing, haha."
Slightly narrowed scarlet eyes watched as the light-colored head peeked out from behind the bushes and moved into the next thicket. It should be noted that this was done so silently that Lohen couldn't hear it; it was a shame the local vegetation wasn't conducive to hiding. He had noticed Illuga hiding from the very beginning, and at first considered approaching him and asking him directly what he was doing, imagining the shocked expression on the young captain's face...
'But that's not so interesting.'
The captain of ratniki turned out to be a serious figure, as befitted his status. Lohen usually found such formalists tedious; it was no wonder he followed the Grand Master. But for some reason, whatever Illuga did, it was never boring to watch, and the young knight couldn't resist his inner curiosity.
For example, when he first came to the Piramida after being knocked to the ground, he encountered a young captain, who, with an inscrutable face, was reciting the warriors' oath in front of a crowd of grown men and raising their morale. Lohen would never have mocked him for his age, having assumed his position at a young age. The reason he burst out laughing that day was because Illuga, after his fiery speech, noticed the intruder and grimaced.
One would think the young knight should have concluded that he was hated? But as if his irritation at their encounters was feigned, Illuga took advantage of his status and stayed informed of all Ordo Favonius missions, making time to visit Lohen. He always carried a pouch, and if the knight was wounded, the captain would pull out medicine and bandages, and if not, he would simply carry them away, as if it were no burden.
When they encountered the Wild Hunt, Illuga fearlessly marched in the forefront, covering his comrades' backs. But as soon as Lohen plunged into the heat of battle, Illuga would suddenly appear beside him and scold him for his recklessness, as if he hadn't noticed such a habit in himself.
The young captain was sometimes contradictory, but not at all boring. And even such a pastime as simple hide-and-seek brought the young knight incredible pleasure.
"One, two, three, and I found it..."
Excited by the impending encounter with the fledgling, Lohen didn't notice how he'd gotten too close. Stepping boldly into the bushes, he tripped over someone else's foot—a small thing that wouldn't have thrown him off balance, but Illuga reflexively kicked him.
Boom..!
Lohen fell right on top of the young captain, spreading his arms out to his sides just in time. His gaze fell upon a neat ear, which glowed red, betraying all the feelings of its owner. The sight awakened a slight playfulness in him, and the knight leaned a little closer, whispering,
"I think I found the little bird~"
"You again..."
Before Illuga could protest, the hood was pulled over him. Shamelessly pressing his hand against the ratnik's head, Lohen didn't rise and stared straight up. The heavy, confident footsteps approaching were easily recognizable among all the knights of the Ordo Favonius.
Peeping into the bushes, Varka's eyes widened in surprise and he whistled.
"What's that noise? Ah, I thought you'd already left, but it turns out you're still enjoying yourself, Lohen. The Lightkeepers won't send me a letter of complaint for mocking our guest, will they?"
"You know I'll deal with this."
"That's exactly why I'm worried," Varka sighed. That young and obnoxious knight didn't understand the full weight of his feelings. "Okay, just don't overdo it... And be sure to deliver the letters on time!"
The Grand Master had already gotten used to the two youths constantly rushing into battle whenever they met. He found Lohen difficult to handle, due to his unusual outlook on things: for example, where ordinary people sought glory or fortune, he enjoyed the process of combat itself. It was difficult to interest him, but if you got the gist of it, Lohen became very loyal and open with his feelings.
'But is that normal?'
Sometimes, Varka found this excessive interest in the young captain of ratniki particularly odd. But they were young men; perhaps they found common ground.
When the Grand Master finally left, Lohen withdrew his hand, but Illuga was in no hurry to raise his head. He would have remained huddled in the ground if his hood hadn't been pulled back.
"Shouldn't I be thanked for keeping that expression on the captain's face a secret from everyone?"
"You, you're the reason for this. So why are you so pleased?"
Knowing it was futile to fight this mad knight, he simply gave in. But a slight resentment still clung to his heart, so he couldn't bring himself to express gratitude for the fact that Ordo Master Favonius had seen him sprawled on the grass. Especially when Lohen was sitting on him, pleased with the situation.
Suddenly, Illuga's eyes widened as the weight fell upon him. No longer supporting his own weight, the young knight lay on top of him and, unabashed, began to complain,
"I look at the little bird and I really don't want to leave."
"You... Call me a nightingale!" Illuga cried out helplessly, and then, realizing something, asked doubtfully: "Don't you miss home..?"
"That's precisely why it's so important that I want to stay here, because of you."
Stirred by the stranger's words, the young captain involuntarily turned his head and found himself confronted by familiar eyes of a captivating crimson, intoxicating more than wine due to their owner's direct gaze. Their noses barely touched, and a few strands of dark green hair fell across the ratnik's snow-white forehead, tickling it slightly. Utterly satisfied with the expression he saw, Lohen whispered almost to his lips, so that only they could hear.
"If I return with the first group of knights that comes to relieve them, you will meet me, yes?"
Even though the answer wasn't given, the stubbornly pursed line of Illuga's lips already told the whole story. And even such a trivial detail sent his heart into a frenzied dance, as if old Boreas had once again flung him against the wall with his clawed paw. No, this feeling tickled his heart even more. Snuggling close to the young captain, who no longer resisted, Lohen cuddled him to his heart's content before heading back to Mondstadt.
And when the group of knights once again encounters the familiar landscapes of Nod-Krai, they will be greeted by the lantern of a young ratnik glowing in the fog, who will happily show them the way home.