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Aether found something on his spaceship, something he thought had been destroyed long ago but was somehow still in one piece. He carried it close to his chest now after leaving Nod-Krai, cradling it somewhere it would come to no harm. No one knew he had it, no one asked what he was carrying when he returned from the moon, perhaps they felt it wasn’t their place to overstep.
“Something is the matter.” Xiao had no such qualms. Paimon was still downstairs eating her fill of dinner but Aether and Xiao had retired to the rooftop of Wangshu Inn.
“You know me too well.” Aether chuckled.
“What is it?” Xiao asked, softly. He reached out to take Aether’s hand and link their fingers together.
“I… found something. In Nod-Krai, I told you we found the spaceship Lumine and I used to get to Teyvat. But I found something on the spaceship,” Aether extracted the object from one of his pockets and held it out. It was small and round with a few buttons along the sides. “It… I haven’t mentioned this to anyone because I thought there was no point. Lumine and I have a younger brother. I could communicate with him through this device but it’s been so long and I don’t know if –”
“You’re overthinking,” Xiao poked Aether’s furrowed brows with his free hand. “There is no harm in sending a message, at least you will feel relieved that you tried.”
“Yeah?”
“Family is a precious thing. Surely he would want to know what you and your sister have been up to all these centuries.” Xiao urged.
“I – okay… okay.”
“We have an incoming,” Himeko announced one night after dinner, when everyone was gathered in the Parlour Car. “Source… Teyvat?”
“What?” Caelus inhaled sharply, standing up. “Play it. Please.”
Everyone exchanged confused looks but Himeko relented. A hologram materialised in the middle of the room and Caelus took a step back in shock, bracing himself with a hand on one of the sofa’s. In front of him was a man with long, golden hair tied back into a braid. He was dressed in dark browns, with a white scarf hanging from his neck. A gold earring hung from his ear, matching the gold detailing on his clothes and boots, and his hands were gloved. In front of him… was his brother.
“I… don’t know if this message will reach you,” Aether began and Caelus’ grip on the sofa tightened at the sound of his voice. “Lumine and I crash landed on this planet a long time ago. We tried to leave around five hundred years ago but one of the gods of this place interfered. We were separated and I only woke up six years ago. Just a few days ago I found the spaceship we used to get here and in there… was this device.
“Caelus…” A series of surprised noises came from the rest of the Express Crew. “I’m sorry it’s been so long. I would have tried to contact you sooner if I could. I’m praying this message finds you, that you’re still alive and well. Things with Lumine are complicated but I’ll tell you everything if I see you again. Seems a little risky to send that kind of information through a device I don’t even know works. Take care, Cae. Gi melin1.”
The hologram blinked out of existence and Caelus stood there, shocked. He stumbled back and collapsed on the sofa, pale and trembling.
“Caelus, hey.” Dan Heng sat beside him, placing a warm hand on his shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” March sat on his other side, nudging his shoulder with hers.
“Did you know him?” Himeko’s kind voice chimed in and he looked up to see her and Welt giving him concerned looks. Sunday hovered nearby, twisting his hands as if he wanted to help but didn’t know how to.
“That was my brother. My older brother, Aether.” Caelus murmured and Himeko’s eyes widened.
“I see.” She mused.
“You haven’t seen him in that long, huh? Oh, Caelus.” March frowned, leaning against him more in some semblance of a hug.
“I only got all my memories back after Amphoreus,” He huffed. “When I did, I didn’t think I’d ever see him again. I was supposed to follow him and Lumine to Teyvat, but I got caught up with something and by the time I was free, their signal disappeared. I had no way of tracking where they were, no way of figuring out where Teyvat even was with the mediocre technology I had.”
“And… after? With the Stellaron Hunters?” Sunday asked hesitantly, not wanting to broach the subject Caelus was always so wary when speaking about. His time with the Stellaron Hunters was something he held dear to his heart, something he didn’t divulge to the Express Crew because it didn’t feel right for some reason.
“I think we had almost locked in on the location when the script changed and they put the Stellaron in me,” Caelus hummed, rubbing a hand over his chest. “He’s alive.”
“Navigator?” Welt asked.
“Yes Welt?” Himeko asked, a knowing smile on her face.
“I think Planarcadia can wait a little. How about a change of course?”
“I was thinking the same thing. Strap in kids, we’re changing heading to Teyvat.”
“Himeko! Really?” Caelus gasped, his eyes practically twinkling.
“The Astral Express’ logs are more extensive than the Stellaron Hunters’. I vaguely recognised the name because I read it somewhere, and I know I’ll be able to plot a course without too much trouble. You’ve helped so many people, including us, Caelus. I think you should get some time to see your brother.” Himeko gave him a warm smile.
“You’re the best.” Caelus said seriously, bounding up to hug Himeko tightly.
“It’s no big deal, darling.” Himeko laughed, smoothing his hair out gently.
“I’d love to hear about your siblings, if you wouldn’t mind?” Sunday asked, and Caelus’ eyes lit up.
Aether returned to Nod-Krai to help with cleaning the nation up from all the Wild Hunt monsters remaining. It wasn’t a particularly large or taxing job, but the Lightkeepers were a little short-staffed so Aether was more than happy to step in. He was taking a break in the Curatorium of Secrets, listening to a job Nefer wanted to commission him for, when a portal opened in the middle of the room.
No one spared it a second glance, for Columbina was known to pop in occasionally but this time she walked right to Aether, leaving the portal open behind her.
“Aether.” She hummed.
“Columbina, need something?” Aether asked, sending an apologetic look to Nefer, who waved it off nonchalantly.
“I have something for you, or well… something came close to the moon so I investigated. And it turned out it was for you.” Columbina explained, vague as always.
“What?” Aether furrowed his brows.
“You may come through now.” Columbina called to the portal and Aether watched in surprise as several figures came through. The first one however, was a familiar looking person with grey hair and eyes not unlike Aether’s.
“Aether!” Caelus crowed, throwing himself at a shocked Aether. The blond almost fell over but stabilised himself and hugged Caelus back just as tight.
“Caelus?” Aether’s voice was muffled as his mouth pressed against the fabric of Aether’s shirt. He squeezed him tighter when he heard the heart thumping beneath his ear.
“Who is this?” Nefer asked.
“Not quite sure. He said he knew Aether.” Columbina replied.
“And you believed him?” Nefer sounded outraged and Aether heard the sound of her palm making contact with her forehead.
“He’s my brother.” Aether clarified, pulling away from the hug to examine Caelus. He scanned him from head to toe, noting no scarring, just a slightly tired look in his eyes that mirrored the one in Aether’s.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” Caelus breathed.
“Me neither, I…” Aether noticed something on his jacket. “You joined the Astral Express?”
“We took Caelus in a few years ago.” One of the people who came with Caelus spoke up. She had long red hair and was dressed in a white dress.
“You became a Nameless…” Aether’s grin widened. “They grow up so fast.”
“Aether,” Caelus whined. “I was so worried, when… when you and Lumi’s ship stopped sending signals.”
“I’m sorry,” Aether sighed. “I don’t know what happened. Lumi woke me up but I don’t know how long she was awake for before that. We tried to leave, and something stopped us… separated us. It sent me back to sleep for five hundred years and when I woke up I went looking for her. It’s been a long journey so far, but I can tell you the details later. For now… how are you? How have you been?”
“It hasn’t been easy but… I wandered for a while after… um… after your signal disappeared,” Caelus explained. “Eventually, I met Kafka and joined the Stellaron Hunters. Their leader, Elio, has a script of future events and I let them wipe my memory and put a Stellaron in me for the mission. It ended up as me meeting these guys. I got my memories back recently, like… really recently..”
“A Stellaron?” Aether’s eyes widened and he held a hand out to Caelus’ chest, a golden light emanating from it. “Huh… it’s stable. I suppose that would make some sense with our biology, but I never considered it.”
“It doesn’t bother me.” Caelus shook his head. “The Express Crew has been taking care of me.”
“Thank you, for watching over my brother. I know he can’t be easy to keep an eye on.” Aether directed to the Express Crew and Himeko giggled.
“That’s okay, we’re happy to have him,” She smiled, holding her hand out for him to shake. “I’m Himeko, the Navigator of the Astral Express.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Aether shook her hand. “I’m Aether, Caelus’ brother.”
“He mentioned,” Welt shook his hand next. “I’m Welt Yang.”
“They’re like… the Express’ parents.” Caelus said with a big smile.
“It’s true. I’m March 7th, but you can just call me March,” March waved. “This is Dan Heng, and Sunday.”
“Lovely to meet you.” Sunday greeted while Dan Heng gave a nod.
“Who’s this?” Caelus asked, pointing at Nefer and Columbina.
“This is Nefer, she’s the boss of the Curatorium of Secrets,” Aether introduced. “And Columbina, moon goddess.”
“Moon goddess?” March’s eyes sparkled. “Your dress is so pretty!”
“Thank you.” Columbina smiled gently.
“Paimon will be upset she missed this.” Nefer gave Aether a look.
“She’s the one who wanted to eat,” Aether shrugged. “Paimon is my travel companion. She’s sort of like a fairy, I think. I don’t know much about what she is, but she’s been my guide through Teyvat all these years. She’s great.”
“A fairy! We have to meet her.” Caelus said seriously.
“How long are you here? There’s so many people I’d like for you to meet, so many places to see… things to talk about…” Aether trailed off, thinking of Lumine.
“We don’t have a set schedule for anything,” Himeko shook her head. “So we have no current obligations.”
“Soooo, you can show us everything!” March nodded enthusiastically.
“This world looks fascinating. We came from the moon, didn’t we?” Dan Heng asked.
“The Frost Moon, yes,” Columbina nodded. “Teyvat is surrounded by a firmament, a false sky. You must have seen how it looks from the outside. The Frost Moon used to be on the outside of the firmament, and we had another moon, a false one, projected into our sky.”
“Long story short, we had a… crisis… of sorts, and the moon is now inside Teyvat. There used to be two others but they’re destroyed. And there used to be three moon goddesses, but they passed a long time ago and the authority of the Frost Moon passed to Columbina.” Aether explained briefly.
“Oh, wow.” Sunday blinked, “It seems this world is teeming with rich history,”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Aether chuckled.
“Where do we begin?” Welt asked.
“How are you with camping outside?” Aether cocked his head to the side consideringly. “If it’s an issue, there are inns.”
“I think that should be fine.” Caelus shrugged.
“Great. I have a friend who still has a camp further up north. It’s slowly getting smaller but there should still be some people around.” Aether beamed.
“Getting smaller? How come?” Dan Heng frowned.
“They set it up because they came here on an expedition investigation. The issue is resolved, so everyone’s packing up to go home. Grand Master Varka goes back and forth between here and Mondstadt.”
“Say hello if you see him. And remind him to come for a drink before he leaves for good.” Nefer said, crossing her legs as she flicked through a bunch of files and papers laid on her desk.
“I will,” Aether nodded. “Thanks for letting them through, Columbina.”
“It was no worry,” She nodded. “Give my greetings to Paimon.”
“You got it,” Aether waved at her before gesturing for the Express Crew to follow him. He led them out of the Curatorium and into Nasha Town. “This is Nasha Town, the largest… dwelling? In Nod-Krai.”
“It’s so… loud.” March’s eyes widened as she spun around, taking everything in. Dan Heng pulled her out of someone’s way by the elbow, tossing an apologetic look to the person.
“We’re on Lempo Isle, so we need to take a boat all the way to Piramida. From there, we can hike further up north to the Favonius Keep. Tomorrow, we can take another boat from Piramida to somewhere new, maybe Liyue or Fontaine, they’re the closest two aside from Natlan, but Natlan means we’d have to pass through Ochkanatlan first and that’s kind of dangerous…” He muttered under his breath.
“We can do dangerous.” Caelus assured him.
“You’re visiting, I should show you the nice safe things, not the ruined kingdom where there used to be a dragon and there are still a bunch of enemies camping out. Also it’s a deathtrap, there’s gaps in the roads everywhere and you could fall really far down.” Aether deadpanned.
“Sounds fun!” March chimed in.
“You don’t have gliders yet, we’re avoiding Ochkanatlan.” Aether said firmly.
“You really do give off a big brother vibe.” March giggled.
“He had to deal with Caelus for Aeons know how long,” Dan Heng sighed. “Of course he’d be good at wrangling you.”
“Caelus and Lumine. That’s my twin sister. She wasn’t as bad as Caelus but it’s safe to say I felt like the only sane person a lot of the time,” Aether chuckled. “Come on, we should go so we can pick Paimon up. I don’t want to be hiking through when it’s dark.”
Aether led them across the town, waving to people who called his name. The Express Crew exchanged curious looks, surprised by how many people seemed to know Caelus’ brother. Finally, they arrived at a downward slope that led to a pub called the Flagship. It was dark inside, but Aether beelined for the bar where he could see Paimon polishing off a dish, alongside the many other empty ones in front of her.
“Paimon!” Aether called when they got close, waving when the fairy turned to look at them. She brightened at the sight of Aether and floated over.
“Traveler!” She beamed. “Who are these guys?”
“Remember I told you about the communication device I found in the spaceship? The one I used to send a message to my brother?” Aether asked, pointing at Caelus. “This is my brother, Caelus.”
“Wow!” Paimon gasped, eyes sparkling. “It’s great to meet you! Paimon is Paimon, she’s the Traveler’s guide!”
“Hi Paimon, thank you for guiding my brother.” Caelus beamed back at her.
“These are Caelus’ friends.” Aether introduced each member of the Express Crew one by one and Paimon smiled at them all.
“So, are we going somewhere? You wouldn’t have come to get Paimon otherwise.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“We’re heading to the Favonius Keep to camp there for the night. Then, tomorrow we can take a boat from Piramida to Fontaine or Liyue.” Aether explained.
“Fun! Will Varka be there?” Paimon cocked her head.
“Maybe, I’m not sure how his schedule works. I think he comes here when he wants to get away from the paperwork Jean foists on him. Stay here a second while I pay for your food, Paimon.” Aether disappeared to speak with Demyan.
“Paimon never thought the Traveler had another sibling. We’ve been looking for his sister for so long.”
“I heard,” Caelus sighed. “Hey, why do you not call him by name?”
“The Traveler prefers not to use his name in public areas. It’s fine if it’s just friends though.” Paimon replied dutifully.
“Columbina and Nefer used it earlier.” Himeko reminded them.
“Oh, you met them? Nefer’s scaryyyy, she knows a lot about everyone.” Paimon shuddered.
“She looks very cool,” March nodded. “I loved her and Columbina’s styles.”
“Paid for. Paimon, you’re going to clean out my funds one day.” Aether huffed, returning with his hands on his hips.
“Paimon’s still growing! She needs to eat!” Paimon defended herself.
“Right, right, of course,” Aether sighed, turning to the Express crew. “Shall we?”
“Where’s the boat?” Dan Heng asked when they left the Flagship.
“Just a bit further,” Aether pointed to where the sea could be seen. “I thought it would be easier to get a boat from here to go north, instead of hiking to the port just past Nothing Passage. It’d be way longer that way, so this is more convenient. The boat should take us to Piramida and then we can hike to the Keep.”
“Sounds like a plan!” Caelus cheered. Aether found them a boat, and ushered them all onto it just in time for it to set off.
“You mentioned two places we could go after this…” Welt brought up when they all settled in one of the cabins below the deck, the sunlight streaming in through several round windows to the side. They were gathered around a table as Paimon floated around, passing steaming cups of tea from a kettle in the corner.
“Fontaine and Liyue, right?” Sunday asked.
“Yeah, Fontaine and Liyue. Considering… you know… we’re avoiding Natlan for safety’s sake.” Aether nodded.
“Mind telling us about them?” Himeko crossed her legs, sipping from her teacup delicately. “It might help us decide which one to go for.”
“Sure. Fontaine is the Nation of Hydro. It’s got incredible aquabus lines throughout, and is raised higher on a giant… thing? of water, it’s very cool. The Iudex Neuvillette is the supreme authority after the Archon Furina stepped down following a serious incident. It’s complicated so I won’t bore you with the details, but The Court of Fontaine is the largest area where people live, and there’s the Opera Epiclese on the other side of the nation where some friends of ours perform magic shows.” Aether explained.
“Archon… from the implications, it sounds like a powerful person.” Dan Heng mused.
“Archons are the governing gods of each nation in Teyvat. There was a war over who got to be the Archons a long time ago, and not all of the original Archons still live today. Mondstadt’s Archon is Barbatos, the same one from the beginning. Liyue’s Archon was Morax, and he was the original and eldest of the Archons but he’s since passed. Inazuma’s Archon is the Raiden Shogun Ei, the twin sister of the previous Archon Makoto, Sumeru’s Archon is Nahida, also the only archon they have had,” Aether said, trying to keep as much information private as he could yet inform them without revealing too much. It wasn’t his right to tell them everything without asking the Archons prior. “I just mentioned Furina, but Natlan’s Archon is Mavuika. Natlan’s Archons change frequently and are chosen from the people. Nod-Krai doesn’t have an Archon, but it used to be part of Snezhnaya, which is ruled by the Cryo Archon the Tsaritsa. It’s the one place I have yet to reach.”
“Wow!” March’s eyes widened. “That’s so cool!”
“How fascinating.” Sunday murmured.
“You were talking about Fontaine and Liyue before?” Caelus urged. “Keep going.”
“Liyue is the Nation of Geo. Since Morax’s death, it is now completed governed by humans. The Adepti, illuminated beasts that is, are still around but they don’t interfere much.”
“Aether likes Liyue,” Paimon giggled, teasing. “It’s special.”
”Oh?” Himeko raised an eyebrow.
“It’s…” Aether chuckled. “My partner is from Liyue, so of course I hold it dearly. I go there as much as I can, but I don’t see him as often as I would like to.”
“Your partner? As in…?” Caelus’ eyes widened.
“My lover, my significant other… whatever you want to call it.” Aether nodded.
“He’s an Adeptus.” Paimon said meaningfully.
“Why are you boasting about him more than I am?” Aether burst into laughter. “Sure, yes, he’s an Adeptus. The Vigilant Yaksha, the Conqueror of Demons…”
“Mighty impressive sounding titles.” Welt commented, looking impressed.
“Well, we have to go to Liyue now!” March insisted.
“I’ll take you to Mondstadt after, you’ll like it there,” Aether said with a fond smile. “The first place I ever visited here was Mondstadt, so it’s special that way. Maybe if we’re lucky, Varka will be at the Keep and we can take him back with us.”
Aether heard Varka before he saw him. By the time they hiked all the way to the Favonius Keep, the sun was setting and they were greeted with a gorgeous view of Amsvartnir.
“Another one!” Varka’s booming voice echoed through the lingering tents and Aether let out a deep sigh.
“Grandmaster!” The blond called.
“Traveler!” The same voice replied and the Express crew exchanged looks of alarm. “What brings you here?”
“I have some friends who’d like to spend the night before we head off to Liyue in the morning, that alright?” Aether led them through the tents until they stopped in front of the largest one, one side open to reveal Varka inside with a flagon of some alcoholic drink and Lohen perched on the table beside him, twirling a knife in his hand. “Lohen, good to see you.”
“Traveler,” Lohen inclined his head, a grin curling his lips up. “Who’re your friends?”
“Interastral visitors,” Aether explained. “This is my brother actually, and these are the Astral Express crew.” He introduced them one-by-one.
“Brother you say!” Varka beamed, getting to his feet to clap Caelus on the shoulder. “I see the family resemblance. Of course you can stay here.”
“Coming back to Mond soon, the two of you?” Paimon asked. ”The Traveler says we’ll be there after we visit Liyue for a bit.”
“We’ll probably be there around then too. Just a couple errands left here then we’re heading home for some time.” Varka nodded.
“I don’t see why I can’t just stay here.” Lohen grumbled.
“Because, Vice-Captain Lohen, you have duties in Dornman Port. I said I was going to work you to the bone, so no more Wild Hunt.” Varka ruffled his hair and Lohen scowled, batting his hand away.
“You suck, I’m going to the Lightkeepers for the night,” Lohen stood. “Traveler, let’s spar some time soon.”
“Just let me know when,” Aether nodded with a smile. “I’ll be there.”
“Don’t stay up too late!” Varka called behind him.
“Trust me, I’ll make great use of my time!” Lohen waved with one hand before he disappeared.
“Right, let’s get you settled in. Dinner’s cooking, one of the guys caught a wild boar so we’re roasting it over the fires. We got lots of mead and a shipment of Dandelion Wine we need to get through before we leave.”
The night was chaotic but enjoyable, as it always was with the Knights of Favonius. They were as hospitable as ever, especially when they found out it was their Honorary Knight’s brother visiting, then they truly pulled out all the spots. Aether’s chest felt so warm when he curled up in a sleeping bag that night, a smile on his face and his cheeks aching from how long he’d been holding it up. The following morning, after a hearty breakfast, they bade goodbye to the Knights and Aether led them back to Piramida, where he found a boat that would take them to Liyue.
“Journey will be a bit longer, but I’ll speed it up and they have a lot of Anemo and Hydro Vision bearers on longer journeys like this so we should be fine,” Aether explained as they all boarded the ship. “I’d have preferred to go through Fontaine but it seems they don’t have those higher tech ships that can change elevation, because Fontaine is elevated, so we have to go down and through the gap between Natlan and Sumeru, then continue to Liyue after that.”
“Sounds complicated.” March commented.
“It’s not so bad!” Paimon giggled. “Paimon and the Traveler have had to complete many of these trips, haven’t we?”
“Too many.” Aether nodded.
“We’re seasoned veterans when it comes to boating now!”
“Impressive,” Dan Heng nodded. “Is that the main method of transportation in this world?”
“Walking and boats, yeah. Some of the richer folks will use horses for shorter distances on land, and of course you can hire carriages, but yes, boats. Nations like Fontaine use boats in a lot more abundance because of the aquabus lines, and the sheer amount of water in the nation. Natlan has its own transport methods unique to them related to Nightsoul and phlogiston,” Aether said. “So unless you tap into the phlogiston there, then I don’t think they’re for you.”
“Awww.” Caelus pouted. They found ways to entertain themselves as the boat set off. Aether spent as much time with them as he could, but being the Traveler, he was roped into a lot of the tasks on the ship and asked to fix things or dive into the sea for this or that as they continued on their journey. He did, however, find some time one quiet night to take Caelus onto the deck and tell him what had happened with Lumine. The conversation ended with both of them in tears, but Caelus was determined to stay until he could see her for himself, maybe it would convince her to come back to them.
“I don’t think it will, she’s stubborn. But sure, can’t hurt to try.” Aether sighed in response.
By the time they got to Liyue Harbour, March had declared she never wanted to be on a boat ever again.
“I’ll try to avoid it for your sake,” Aether chuckled. “Good thing is there’s no boats between Liyue and Mondstadt, so…”
“Small mercies.” March sighed as she took her first step onto the wooden planks of the docks, nearly falling to her knees as she adjusted to the change.
“Just when she’d found her sea legs…” Himeko giggled.
“Where to now?” Welt asked. Aether bit back a smile as he watched Dan Heng haul March to her feet, Sunday offering her a minty candy of sorts for the nausea.
“Food?”
“YES!” Caelus cheered. “Please!”
“Come on, Xiangling will have me for dinner if I don’t bring you to Wanmin.” Aether laughed.
“Wanmin!” Paimon cheered. “You guys will love it! It’s the best place for food around here.”
“Paimon’ll say that about every place, but she’s right about this one. I’d say Wangshu Inn is second only to Wanmin.”
“You’re biased.” Paimon grumbled.
“Am not! Xiao doesn’t cook the food there, does he?” Aether gave her a look.
“Are we staying at this Inn?” Dan Heng asked.
“Yes! Well, even if you weren’t and there was a better place, which there isn’t, we’d be going there anyways because Xiao lives there. It’s his rest stop while he hunts monsters and keeps Liyue safe,” Aether explained. “The owner of the Inn and Xiao have an agreement and she’s very glad to host him there.”
“Being the Vigilant Yaksha sure gets people to agree to anything, huh?” Paimon mumbled as they walked through the streets, getting closer to Wanmin Restaurant.
“Verr Goldet is nice regardless, Paimon. You just empty her kitchens.”
“I sense this is a recurring argument.” Sunday mused.
“Reminds me of a certain duo…” Himeko hummed, nudging Sunday and gesturing to March and Caelus. He let out a soft chuckle just as they stopped in front of a restaurant.
“Xiangling!” Paimon called.
“Ni hao, Chef Mao.” Aether waved.
“Aether! Long time no see.” Chef Mao beamed.
“Is Xiangling in? She’d have killed me if I stopped by and didn’t say hello.”
“Ling-er!” He called over his shoulder. “She’s serving customers, just go around the back and she’ll come take your order.”
“Come on.” Aether gestured for them to follow him to the seating around the back. Once Xiangling saw him, she squealed and tugged him and Paimon into a tight hug.
“My favourite testers!” She beamed. “And you’ve brought us more customers today!”
”This is my brother, and his friends.” Aether introduced.
“Wow! An honour! I’ll give you the family and friends discount, seeing as you’re with Aether. Anything you’re craving in particular?”
“Go wild.” Aether shook his head.
“Reminds me of the Xianzhou.” Dan Heng commented.
“Really?” Caelus’ eyes widened.
“The language is quite similar, I’m realising. I haven’t tried any of the foods, but the smells… they’re nostalgic.” Dan Heng nodded.
“Well, the food is always good so I hope it reminds you of happy memories.” Aether smiled.
When the food came out, plates and bowls laden with steaming food, Dan Heng’s eyes shone. He took one bite and closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.
“That’s what a happy Dan Heng looks like.” March said in a stage-whisper.
“It tastes like the food from back there,” Dan Heng opened his eyes, a small smile on his face. “I think… I will like this Liyue place.”
“I’m glad,” Aether beamed. “If any of you has food you want to taste, let me know and I’ll see if there’s anywhere that does something similar.”
“I don’t think we’ll find food from back home here, will we?” Caelus chuckled, a little forlorn.
“No,” Aether shook his head. “I’ll cook you something though, when we find some time and I have the ingredients.”
“It’s a deal.”
“Do you know if there’s somewhere that does onigiri, or… ramen or gyoza. Even dango?” Himeko asked, hesitant. “It’s been a while since I’ve been home.”
“Lucky for you,” Aether nodded. “Inazuma has some of those. It’s a bit far, but I’d be happy to find you a boat there.”
“I’d really appreciate it!” Himeko seemed to sag in relief. “In a few days maybe.”
“The Alcor might be back then. If she is, I’ll see if Beidou is heading there next. You’ll like sailing with her, she’s great fun.”
“I trust your word.”
After they ate and paid, Aether slipping several gold coins underneath the napkins other than what they paid, they got up and left the restaurant with a wave goodbye to Xiangling and her father. Aether led them through the streets until they passed beneath the gates of the city and were out of it. Before them lay plains of grass, surrounded by spiking mountains that Aether had spent much of his time climbing. But this was not the time for that now, so he gestured for them to follow.
“See that?” He pointed once they were close enough to see a towering structure in the middle of the flatness. “Wangshu Inn.”
“Quite… out in the open, no?” Welt furrowed his brows.
“I suppose so. But Xiao knows when a monster is within the vicinity, and the people who work here aren’t incapable either,” Aether explained, before he turned to the side and pointed at a massive snow-capped mountain, with a Celestial Nail hovering above it. “That is Dragonspine.”
“Looks cold.” Caelus shuddered.
“Can we go?” March’s eyes twinkled.
“Perhaps not. There’s a Celestial Nail above Dragonspine, it’s the reason the region is in a perpetual cold. It’s not the only Nail in Teyvat but we’re not near the others at the moment. It’s very easy to freeze in Dragonspine if you’re not prepared. So maybe after I sit you down for a lecture with Albedo and Kaeya, we can think about going into Dragonspine.
“Ni hao,” Aether smiled at Verr Goldet. “Got empty rooms?”
“Aether-sanren2, it’s been some time. I haven’t seen you since Lantern Rite.” She gave him a look.
“Busy wrapping things up in Nod-Krai, then I helped the Dendro Archon in Sumeru. I’ll come by more often before the next Lantern Rite.” He promised.
“Good. Taking breaks is important. We do have rooms, but what for? Your place is always booked.” She furrowed her eyebrows.
“No, no, for my friends,” Aether gestured to the group behind him. “They’re new to these parts, so I wanted to find them somewhere to stay.”
“Good boy, I’ll find them rooms. Your Adeptus is on watch upstairs. Let your friends have some tea and I’ll get you the keys after.”
“Thank you.” Aether smiled.
“So?” Paimon asked when he returned. “Are they fully booked? Paimon doesn’t mind sharing.”
“No, no, it’s okay. Thanks for offering though,” Aether shook his head. “She said to have some tea and she’ll get us the keys. Want to meet Xiao first though? He’s upstairs.”
“Do we!” Caelus’ eyes widened and he straightened. “Take me to this man!”
“Would he be called a man if he’s not human?” Aether mumbled. “He’s an Adeptus.”
“Take me to this Adeptus.” Caelus corrected, a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Wait here a sec, let me see him first, alright?” Aether placed a hand on Caelus’ arm, stopping him in his tracks just at the top of the stairs.
“Take your time.” Himeko urged with a warm, encouraging expression. Aether gave her a thankful look and walked out onto the balcony. Just as he was two steps away from the railing, Xiao materialised in front of him, folding him closer.
“A-Xiao,” Aether breathed, melting against him. “Melethronen3.”
“Xinjian4.” Xiao pressed a kiss to Aether’s temple, tender. The last time they had seen each other was only a week ago, but it had been a short reunion amidst Aether’s busy schedule running back and forth between Sumeru and Nod-Krai. He only managed to get some time away to see Xiao before he returned to Nod-Krai.
“I missed you.” Aether murmured, nuzzling against Xiao’s neck, lips flush against the colder skin beneath them. Xiao always did run cold, especially in comparison with Aether.
“And I, you,” Xiao pulled away, cupping Aether’s face with his hand, and brushing gloved fingers over his cheeks. “You look tired.”
“Well, I did come here all the way from Nod-Krai.” Aether teased.
“Hm,” Xiao hummed, leaning in to kiss Aether, long and deep. He didn’t press his mouth open with his tongue like he normally would have had they been alone, but he stayed there a while. One hand on Aether’s cheek and the other heavy on Aether’s waist, the grip tight enough to send a shudder down the blond’s spine but not tight enough to be painful (even if Aether did like it that way sometimes). “You need rest.”
“I will now that I’m here.” Aether spoke against his lips, breath fanning against Xiao’s face. When he blinked, his eyelashes brushed Xiao’s cheek.
“Where is your companion?”
“Here,” Aether pulled away a little. “I… have some others I want you to meet. Remember the message I sent, to my brother? He received it?”
“Wonderful news.” Xiao brushed a kiss to Aether’s cheek.
“He came, with his friends. I… told them to wait so I could see you first, but would you like to meet them?”
“Qin’ai de5, this is your family… of course.” Xiao nodded in assent.
“I’ve already told them a lot about you, although Paimon especially took pleasure in boasting about you.” Aether smiled.
“Pesky little thing.” Xiao grumbled light-heartedly.
“Paimon heard that!” The little fairy floated out, arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrows furrowed.
“I did not try to say it quietly.” Xiao crossed his arms too, cocking his head at her in a way awfully reminiscent way of a bird.
“Alright, alright, no fighting.” Aether said hastily.
“So she picks fights with everyone? Or is your Adeptus a special case?” Caelus asked, and Xiao visibly preened at being referred to as ‘Aether’s Adeptus’.
“With everyone,” Aether chuckled. “Caelus, this is my partner Xiao. A-Xiao, this is my little brother Caelus.”
“We’ve heard so much about you!” Caelus beamed, holding his hand out to a bemused Xiao.
“You shake the hand.” Aether informed him and Xiao took it gingerly, shook once and let go.
“Mortal customs are still bizarre, even outside of Teyvat,” He mused. “I’m glad Aether managed to contact you, that you came. It did him some good, I think,”
“I agree!” Caelus nodded. “Oh, these are my friends. The Astral Express Crew! Himeko, Mr. Yang, March, Dan Heng, Sunday and well… the conductor is still on the train but they’re greeting you in spirit.”
“Send our greetings back to them then.” Aether stifled a laugh.
“Lovely to meet you, Adeptus Xiao.” Himeko smiled warmly.
“You as well.”
“Come on, come on. Tea downstairs, then you can all get settled into your rooms! Archons know I would kill for a bed right now.” Aether ushered them all out of the balcony, stopping by the doorway and reaching his hand out for Xiao to take. The adeptus grasped it, letting Aether lead him away.