The Winds Bring with them Change (Volume 1)

8: An Emergency in Another Nation

Though Xiao had said he would start learning of freedom from the two men who intrigued him the most, he continued to find himself at a loss for words when inquiring where Aether would be going next. Every time he did such a thing, his giving up only discouraged him further, and he would make his way to what he now knew as Windrise to pout to Venti and smile secretly at the other man's laughter. He had continued to protect Liyue, though his Lord strongly protested whenever he caught him out fighting. He had nothing better to do, no other purpose he could think of. No use outside of fighting off evil.

A week after being 'set free' he was walking to visit Ganyu in her residence when Venti appeared out of nowhere at his side, voice frantic and hands shaking when he gripped Xiao's arm.

"Alatus, Xiao, something is wrong!" Though his voice came out as nothing more than a whisper, the shaking in his hands and voice, the wind swirling viciously around them both was more than enough to convince him that there was an actual threat. Nodding, he held the ex-Archon loosely, allowing him to move them both so fast it probably seemed as if they simply disappeared.

His hair whipped around his face, his curse screaming at him when the man in his arms bumped into a tree in Inazuma and sent them both flying. He hit the ground hard, a sound escaping his lips that he would deny if any who knew him had heard it. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt nearly as badly as Venti was, his body still on the ground next to the tree they had hit in his urgency. Xiao was thankful his abilities did not work in that same way, if they did he would have injured himself much more than he did.

The man in braids was groaning now, his hand reaching up to touch gingerly at the side of his head, and Xiao lifted him to his feet carefully as he marveled at the crimson staining his fingers.

"I haven't bled in so long." He seemed quite dazed, simply standing there, looking at his own blood and leaning on him. Xiao turned his head slowly, checking to make sure that his pupils weren't dilated. They were, and the man sat down slowly, speaking finally in a wondering tone.

"You need to go find Aether. If you go to the teahouse, they'll know where he is." And he leaned his head back with a slight sound of discomfort, no further words directed at Xiao, simply an order to obey. He was good at that. Obeying. He took off in a mad dash, finding a sign on a street corner advertising the 'Komore Teahouse.' He figured that was the one, as Aether had spoken of it many a time in relation to the Kamisato family. They had to have been in some way connected to all this. They were connected to everything Aether had spoken of, so it wasn't a far reach to assume they were involved in this as well.

He came to a stop before the doors, wondering at whether or not he was to knock when the door was opened anyway. He bowed low to the man with red hair who opened the door, glad that there were no people in the shop at this time, and entered. Initially he was surprised at seeing a dog on the counter of the shop. But then the red haired man stepped in with a smile and laughter in his voice.

"My name is Thoma, welcome to the Komore teahouse stranger." After a moments pause, his clever eyes flicking from Xiao's clothing to his hair, to the way he held himself, Thoma continued to speak with a glint in his eyes. "You aren't from Inazuma, rather, you look to be from Liyue if I'm correct." Xiao willed his surprise at being correctly profiled to not show on his face, only nodding and asking the question he came here for.

"Aether. Where is he?" He could tell that the young man was as suspicious of him as he was of him, but only gripped his weapon in its place between realms, causing it to materialize only enough to shimmer behind his back menacingly enough. The boy, for he was but a boy, let out a tense laugh, his hands going up in a peaceful manner, as if calming an angry animal. But Xiao was no animal, and he worried for his friend, so he left his weapon right where it was. A cool voice drifted in from one of the separate rooms, tone serious but calm.

"Thoma, please tell the outlander to confirm his friendship, and if he does so, you may inform him." Xiao was frozen, he didn't have time for this, Venti was frantic when he came to get him merely minutes ago and the time just kept slipping. Though when he noticed a mark on Thoma's hand, he knew exactly what to say.

"This." He pulled his glove away from his wrist, showing the mark Aether had left to allow him into the teapot should he be so inclined. The instant recognition on the red heads face would have been amusing if he didn't feel so impatient. If Aether were to get seriously hurt without his assistance, then the only friends he had found would leave him behind. Aether for not getting to him fast enough, and Venti for not protecting their friend. He needed to hurry, it couldn't happen again. Not before he requested to travel with him.

Thoma was quick to point to the map on the wall, showing him a place high above the rest of the city. He said that a lady who worked for the police had rushed there and that Aether had followed after hearing of a Harbinger. Xiao briefly wondered if that was why Venti had looked so freaked out when he reached him, why he was shaking so hard, and why he had slammed into a tree. He got over the crest of the hill in time to see ash raining down, and Aether stepping dazedly towards a group of people.

A woman appeared behind him, her weapon flashing in her hands as she brought it down towards his friends head. He was frozen, images of people who were not Aether dying in a similar fashion as he could only stand there. His mask formed up over his face subconsciously, hands clenching at his sides as he urged himself to move. The flash of electricity grew brighter in his vision before a man stood in front of it, electro flashing around him, but the clear trail of anemo energy in the air behind him. He held her weapon steady, staring her dead in the eyes.

Xiao had never felt more pathetic in so long. He was an Adepti, a Yaksha, but this mortal was in danger, his friend was in danger, and he couldn't move from sheer terror. The mortal was thrown back and he regained his movements, catching him out of the air before he could hit his head hard against the ground. He stood before the small group, reaching out to grab Aether, but he was just gone. No flicker of his energies left where he was standing, and the woman who had to have been an Archon was gone as well.

His mask disappeared off his face, and he glared at his hands as corruption radiated off of him. Too fucking slow. He cursed at the ground, turning to face the group, making brief eye contact to ensure he didn't harm any of them before he took off back to where he left Venti.

Though he had no idea where the traveler was, and he had failed to protect him, he still had to get the ex-Archon somewhere safe. He was undeniably pretty, and in his dazed state, Xiao knew he could get taken advantage of. The first and only safe place he could think of near to where he left him was the teahouse, where he took Venti's now limp body.

He cursed his own slowness on the trek back, his steps heavier, more burdened than they had been in years. If something were to happen to the traveler because he was too slow to pull him from danger, he was unsure how he'd be fit to continue to call himself the protector of Liyue.