Chapter Text
News always spread quickly through Mondstadt, as free as the wind. A promotion, a wedding, a death; nothing would go unheard by the masses. The death of the “Benevolent Knight” spread like wildfire through the nation, especially among those in Dornman Port. A certain couple took quite the interest in the news.
A lone house rested on the cliffside, overlooking the village below. “Dear, did you hear the news,” a woman asked as she entered the house.
The door closed gently behind her, and several servants bowed as she made her way to the living area.
A man on a couch looked at the approaching woman, “About the “Benevolent Knight?” Adorno finally passed, huh.”
Their eyes met, and they silently came to an agreement. “Let's pay our dear son a visit. Hopefully he'll listen to us now.”
The woman stood behind the man, placing her hands on his shoulders. He caressed her hand in comfort, “Don't worry, Ortrud, our son will come back to us.”
She leaned down, her long teal hair cascading, “I know, Friedrich.”
A shrill voice cut through the air over all the others and he recognized it immediately. “Lohen, Varka!” Paimon's small frame seemed even smaller as she flew past the Anemo Archon's statue with the Traveler at her side.
Lohen waved the two over and they made their way past the city folk, “Traveler, Paimon, still hanging around Mondstadt huh?”
“Leaving so abruptly after everything that happened didn't feel right so we're sticking around for just a bit longer,” The Traveler responded.
Paimon hovered around them, nosy as ever, a curious glint in her eyes, “Sooo what were y'all talking about?”
Lohen placed a finger on his lips, smirking at the flying companion, “Now that's a secret, Paimon.”
She stomped the air like a little kid, “Awwww, you're no fun!”
“Lohen!”
His eyes widened and he turned towards the voice. He hadn't heard that voice in a long time. Two figures approached, a frantic look in their eyes, “Mom, Dad?”
“Oh, Lohen!” They trapped him in a hug and he stood there motionless. They pulled away after a moment and his mother examined him closely, poking and prodding at his body, gauging his reaction to see if anything hurt.
Lohen stepped out of her reach, “I'm fine, mom,” he said, hiding the irritation in his voice.
She scoffed at his response, “Fine? No, you're far from fine.”
People around them began looking in their direction, interested in whatever seemed to be occurring. Archons, did they have to do this in public?
Varka spoke, clearly feeling the awkward tension between them, “Uh, perhaps we should—”
“Actually,” his father began, interrupting him, “we were hoping to speak with you.”
Lohen closed his eyes and huffed. Here they go…
“Grand Master Varka,” his mother began, “we formally request, no, we urge you to remove Lohen from the Knights of Favonius.”
Even the wind went silent with shock.
Varka had zero response to their bold request, stammering over his words as the reality of her words hit him.
Lohen, on the other hand, could barely contain his anger. His eyes darkened and he clenched his fist. They would dare to make such a request? And the timing being right after Adorno's death…no, this was deliberate. He didn't bother mincing his words. “You've been waiting for Adorno to be in the ground to come make that request, haven't you? Couldn't wait even a month, huh?”
His mother tried responding, reaching out for him again, “Lohen, dear, we just want what's bes—”
“What's best for me?” He laughed in her face, “You've never known what's best for me.” He remembered the time he revealed he was the mysterious adventurer that had taken care of all those monsters. His parents had no interest in the skills he displayed, all they cared about was the fact he wasn't following the path they had set out for him. “When I was younger you tried controlling what I could do, and it seems you didn't learn a thing from back then. I'm the only one that knows what's best for myself.”
Everyone was definitely looking in their direction now. His father spoke up, “Lohen, listen to your mother. We just want you to be safe. We heard about what happened in Nod-Krai with that Rächer of Solnari, you nearly died.”
His eyes widened. How did they know about that? He understood Adorno finding out, but his parents?
Varka spoke up for the first time, he had forgotten there were people other than them here. “Hey, the thing with Rerir is in the past now. Besides, not even I was able to beat that guy and Lohen certainly held his own against him.”
His mother gasped before quickly recovering, “That just proves our point more!” She placed her hand on Lohen's shoulder, “Lohen is small and weak compared to you. He's practically powerless!”
Lohen froze. Small, weak, powerless….mortal. He heard the final word in the Rächer of Solnari's cold voice, and he was on his knees, bleeding out on Nod-Krai soil once again.
Varka noticed his shift and stepped in between him and his parents. “That's enough,” he said, his voice somewhat hardening. “I'll have to ask you two to leave, please come back another time when you're in better spirits.”
They left without another argument; Lohen could hear whispers of ensuring he'd be off the Knights as they left. Varka gently placed his hand on his shoulder, his voice soft, “Lohen, you alright?”
He remained silent for a moment before forcing a smile, “Of course, why wouldn't I be?”
“Lohen…” Paimon voiced her concern. So she was capable of being quiet.
“Lohen,” Varka began again, “you know you can talk to me and I'll listen.”
The last thing he wanted to do was talk about what just happened. He brushed Varka off, “Don't worry, nothing to talk about. I'll be heading off now, goodbye!” He left before Varka could argue. He sighed deeply, he needed something to beat up. Luckily, he had just copied Mika's latest map.
Varka, Paimon, and the Traveler all looked at each other.
“Well that was—”
“No need to say it, Paimon,” Varka said.
“His parents really just asked you to kick him off the Knights right in front of him…how could they do such a thing?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, “Lohen's parents have never been supportive of his…passion for fighting. They tried stopping him from being an adventurer after he told them, and they never truly approved of him joining the Knights. Adorno's the one that got him to join, so perhaps they saw his death as a chance to convince him to leave.”
Paimon clutched at her tiny chest, pain painting her features, “Oh, that's awful. Adorno meant so much to Lohen. He wouldn't leave the Knights now of all times.”
Varka scratched the back of his head, “Exactly. People like that think it's their way or the highway, but maybe this was the wake up call they needed to see how serious Lohen is about all of this.”
Paimon looked off to the distance and the Traveler followed her gaze, “And is Lohen going to be alright?”
“He probably went off to fight something. That's how he tends to deal with things. I figured he wasn't going to talk things out, but it didn't hurt to try. Don't worry, he'll be back later.” Lohen had become quite closed off after Adorno's death. It was a step back, but he knew he just needed some time before he was ready to open up again. He'd be here for him whenever that time was.
They watched as Lohen walked out the city gates, hidden behind some bushes.
“Look at that! He's leaving by himself. Still he goes to endanger himself. Why won't he listen!”
Friedrich hushed his wife as Lohen disappeared into the woods, “He's too stubborn. It's clear we're going to have to resort to extreme methods to get him off the Knights like we thought.”
Her gaze hardened, “Did you ever find that man you heard about?”
He nodded, “I did. It seems it's time to give him a call.”
Lohen sat on the steps of the encampment, blowing bubbles with his gum as he examined the map. He had just finished up his second hilichurl camp. Hilichurls never posed a serious threat, but they were great cannon fodder for when he wanted something to beat up.
The bubble popped cleanly and he looked up at the sky. Powerless…the word stuck in his mind like a rotten weed. Nothing he did would be right to them. He could take out enemy after enemy without a scratch, and all they'd focus on was what if he got hurt. And if he did get injured? Utter hell. One time, they locked him in his room, expecting that to deter him. He just went out the window instead.
And even now, years later, they were still determined to stop him. He could take on a fatui harbinger and they'd still find a way to nag at him. They'd lecture him on how much safer the life of a bowmaker was. His eyes narrowed as he thought about that monotonous life. That life wasn't for him. Never.
He was the arrow, not the bow.
He closed the book as smoke went up in the distance, signaling his next target. Time for some more action.
Days passed and Mondstadt quieted back down. Then, out of the blue, Varka received an unexpected letter. After reading its contents, he set out to find Lohen, assuring Jean it was important business he needed to step away from his desk for. He found him just finishing up a hilichurl camp near Wolvendom. “Lohen!”
He turned, wiping off some blood from his face, his polearm still stuck in a mitachurl. “Come to fetch me, have you?”
There was something alluring about the way Lohen looked after finishing a battle. Depending on how things went, his gaze would differ. If he got what he wanted, satisfaction would sparkle in his eyes. If not, his eyes would shake with the desire for more. But no matter what, there'd be a smile on his face. Right now, satisfaction was pooling from the depths of his gaze.
A shame he was about to upset that lovely gaze. “We've been summoned to a dinner. Your parents have requested we attend along with the Traveler and Paimon.”
Lohen glared, and Varka would be lying if he said he didn't also find his glares attractive. He gave the mitachurl an extra stab, “Is that their attempt at an apology? Well they can forget it.”
Varka sighed, he figured that would be Lohen's response. “Lohen, I know your relationship with your parents is…rough to say the least. I got into it plenty of times with my folks. But I think they want to do better after what happened.”
Lohen stayed silent, pretending to ignore him, but he knew he was listening and thinking over his words.
“You made it clear you were serious about this. You didn't hold back your feelings and I think that was the wake up call they needed.” He placed his hand on Lohen's shoulder and he finally looked at him, his gaze more neutral. “I know it might be awkward, but going to this dinner could be a step in the right direction for all of you. Give it a try at least, and I'll be there for you the whole time.”
His eyes shifted and he let out a sigh, the tension in his body noticeably lessening. “Fine.”
What was he thinking agreeing to this? He knocked on the door, the other three standing behind him. He silently hoped it wouldn't open. It did.
One of the many servants let them in, bowing to him, “Master Lohen, a pleasure to see you.”
The atmosphere felt stifling already. “Just my name is fine…”
Paimon flew up next to him to whisper in his ear as they entered, “Paimon didn't know you were rich?”
“My family is rich. People will pay good money for handmade bows. I have nothing to do with any of that anymore.”
“Paimon,” the Traveler spoke, beckoning her over with his eyes. She gave a quick apology and went back to the Traveler's side.
The table was already set, a mountain of food ready for them. His parents stood at the head of the table and bowed towards them. “We sincerely apologize for our behavior the other day. Please accept this as our apology.”
Lohen crossed his arms, “Yeah, sure.”
He could see his parents’ lips twitch in response and he let a small smirk grace his lips.
Varka nudged him slightly, “Lohen…”
He looked up at him, amusement twinkling in his gaze. He had only agreed to come…not to behave.
Varka sighed, getting to see him squirm too wasn't so bad. “We humbly accept. Why don't we dig in?”
They sat down, Varka on his left and his parents on his right. As food was passed around, his mother spoke up, “We bought the best Dandelion Wine for tonight and got some delicious wine from Nod-Krai for you, Lohen.”
“Hate to disappoint, which I know I do so often, but I don't drink. I'll take your finest apple cider instead if you don't mind.” He gestured at Varka, “Varka here will probably take a jug of both.”
Varka laughed him off, but didn't deny it. His father ushered a servant over to whisper something to him before sending him off. Soon, he came back with pitchers and bottles. He started at the end with Traveler and Paimon, pouring a glass of wine and cider for each respectively. As he suggested, Varka was given a jug of each wine. He clinked cups with the Traveler before guzzling one down.
“Ah the taste of freedom. Never gets old.”
“And for you, Master Lohen,” the servant filled his glass to the brim and he was met with the sweet aroma of apple cider, “the finest apple cider.” He took a sip, and it certainly was the finest apple cider he had ever had before. It went down smoothly, a deliciously sweet aftertaste on his tongue.
“There's plenty more where that came from,” his mother commented, watching his reaction.
Conversation was light as the meal went on. Varka drank away as he expected, putting down six jugs and he was starting to feel the effects. Varka was an overly affectionate drunk, and Lohen always seemed to be his target to cling to. He wrapped his arm around his back, placing it on his shoulder. His fingers slowly moved, massaging Lohen's shoulder. He met his eyes, Varka already looking in his direction. He wasn't completely inebriated, still there enough to be competent. He would just be more…open. His other hand came to lay on his thigh, his fingers slipping under the collar of his boot. Lohen looked down briefly at his hand before returning his gaze to the older man. He spoke softly, a slight warning in his voice, “Varka…”
His father cleared his throat and he turned his attention towards his parents, pretending nothing was happening. “So, Lohen, tell us about your time in Nod-Krai.”
He thought back to his time in Nod-Krai. Most of it he spent killing hordes of the Wild Hunt. When he wasn't doing that, he was training the knights at camp or dealing with the drunkards from the night before. “Basically was battle after battle. I cleared out several Wild Hunt hordes all by myself. It was a meatbag punching ground over there.”
His parents made a slight face at the mention of him taking on hordes all by himself, before Varka joined in on the conversation, “Lohen was truly a force to be reckoned with. The Wild Hunt didn't stand a chance against him. He was truly our best soldier.”
Drinks were refilled and small conversation was made. He had lost count of how many cups of cider he had. Lohen had to admit, he wasn't hating his time there. But it had been several hours already, and he was starting to feel drained, tiredness beginning to set in.
His parents stood from the table, “How about a dance?”
Oh Archons, anything but that. Varka, however, had other plans. His mother clearly intended to be the one to dance with him, but Varka was already dragging him from the table. His mother seemed annoyed, but she hid it by gesturing to the servants to start the music.
Lohen was forced to learn to dance when he was younger, told it was a great way to woo any young women. He had zero interest in that sort of thing though. Varka also had some training, forced by Jean to learn the basics for any events the Knights held. Their difference in height led them to adopting a different method to the typical one. They put their hands on each other's waist, both of them capable of reaching the others. The music was slow, making it even more difficult for him to stay awake, and he found himself leaning into Varka. He wrapped his hands around Lohen's waist tighter, pulling him closer to him.
He looked at the others. The Traveler and Paimon playfully danced together, while his parents paired up, watching him and Varka like hawks.
He looked back at Varka, and he had eyes only for him. His icy blue eyes stared intensely at him, and he cupped his cheek, his thumb caressing him right underneath his beauty mark. Lohen felt himself being lifted off the ground, and Varka started leaning in. His heart beat a mile a minute and he so desperately wanted to lean in. But it couldn't happen like this. “Varka…not here…not now.”
Varka placed him back down, smiling as he placed a hand on his shoulder. “Right, it's getting late. We should head back to the city.”
Lohen nodded and the two parted. Tomorrow. When he sobered up, he'd get his answer then.
His parents led them to the door and they prepared to leave, but before they could exit they made one last request. “Lohen, stay a bit longer won't you? We'd like to catch up some more, it's been so long.”
He looked at Varka before looking at his parents, “Alright, but just a little longer.”
He saw Varka and the others off, and a servant closed the door behind him as he re-entered. He began walking towards the common area, but stumbled as he did so. He barely caught himself on the side table and the room began swirling around him. He placed his hand on his head, Archons he could barely think.
His parents approached him, swirling together with the rest of the room. Their voices grew fuzzy, and he could just barely make them out. “Finally, was worried it wouldn't be strong enough.”
“We put three doses in his cider just to make sure. I was worried it'd be too much and he'd pass out in the middle of dinner.”
Lohen's blood went cold as he registered those words. His parents had drugged him, somehow were aware of his poison resistance and made sure the dosage was high enough to affect him. He slipped his knife out from his sleeve as his parents got closer, but he couldn't hold it and it clattered to the floor. Lohen collapsed to the ground after, glaring daggers at his parents. “This was all just a ruse…all to get me here…”
His mother spoke first, “Oh don't look at us like that. We're only doing what's best for you, Lohen.”
Lohen looked back at the door, if he could just get there the others wouldn't be too far yet. He didn't have the strength to stand so he crawled towards the door. His father barred his path, and the servants swarmed him, taking all his weapons off of him, as well as his vision.
“Forget about the Knights, Lohen. You won't ever have to fight a battle again.”
He tried to fight it off, but the drug was fully in his system now and the dark welcomed him into its embrace.