The Doctor merely clicked his tongue once more, his sharp teeth even more disdainfully prominent. "Just when I was on a roll.." He muttered in annoyance before waving away his hand to the Fatui Agent, "Prepare the stocks and gather the rest in the tunnels, we leave at midnight." The harbinger ordered.
Once the hurried steps of the agent disappeared in echoes, Dottore faced Nine again, only to freeze at the sight of a perfectly uninjured child. Clueless, Nine blinked. "Mister, that hurt a lot.." They complained meekly, not sure if such complaint would warrant another scolding or not.
But the words went through one ear and out the other as Dottore tried to make sense of this; sure, healing does exist in the world of Teyvat but it would either require a vision or even a Statue of the Seven. . . This child had nothing but a naive mind and strange markings on their body.
Feeling a pounding headache coming in, Dottore went up to Nine and grabbed their shoulders. "What did you do."
Nine tensed up subconsciously, ".. I didn't-"
"What did you do!" He cuts them off aggressively, his grip tightening by each minute his questioning goes unanswered.
Feeling tears well up in their eyes, Nine spoke up again, albeit more afraid. "D.. Didn't like the pain.. It hurt.." The child squeaked out, trying to hold back their shaky breath.
Unfortunately that answer didn't satisfy Dottore, "You stupid child!- Answer!" He shouted abruptly, his anger boiling over, resulting in him raising his hand, as if to strike with all of his might.
Suddenly, everything came to a stop as a crash echoed from outside the room, and then the sound of shouts and of weapons clashing.
"I- Intruder!-"
"Head to the tunnels!"
"Mo- Monster!!"
The Doctor sighed, seeming unfazed that his underlings were undoubtedly getting massacred just outside this room. Well, he never really cared in the first place.
"Get up." He ordered and yanked Nine's arm, resulting in them half-falling off the operating table. Nine only sniffled in pain.
Without another word, Dottore led them to the nearby bookshelf and pulled out a book. A click resounded and then the sound of something large moved.
A secret passageway. Probably reserved for harbingers to get out of danger, a piece of information that obviously wasn't passed down to the lower titles in the Fatui.
The harbinger promptly went forward, dragging Nine with him. "I cannot lose such a precious subject." Dottore simply said, the bluntness concealing the tinge of desperation in his voice.
Wincing from the forceful pull of the other, Nine could barely keep up, added with the tiny rubble on the floor digging into their feet with each hurried step. They really wanted to cry.
▷ [ New Character Detected: Diluc the Master of the Dawn Winery ]
一一一
It didn't take long for Dottore and Nine to exit the passageway and once they emerged into the cold snow and tree lines, the wind picked up immensely as if it sensed a disturbance.
Instantly, Nine was shivering; wearing nothing but a large brown rag to cover themself. Dottore ignored the sight.
In the distance, Fatui Skirmishers stood waiting for the harbinger, as per order, to head back to the main quarters.
Before Dottore could even utter another order, a screech of a bird of prey peirced through the sky and then the sight of flames barreled towards the group. Swiftly, they all moved away as quick as they can but the seering heat forced The Doctor to release Nine's arm.
"Damnit..!" He blurted out through gritted teeth and scrambled to grasp the child again.
But he was intercepted again as a claymore sheathed itself firmly into the snowy ground; a mere few inches away from his hand, the heat emanating intensely. Pulling away with a hiss, Dottore's eyes flickered up to meet with another gaze, a gaze devoid of everything but hatred and agony.
For once, Dottore felt a shiver go up his spine.
".. Bastard..." The owner of the menacing gaze seethed, his hand grasping the hilt of his weapon tight. "You damned bastard!"
The Skirmishers swiftly deflected the devastating swing aimed at the harbinger一Dottore retreated back.
Once the fight started, it soon became one-sided. The claymore user immediately obliterated the Fatui Skirmishers and Dottore was now nowhere to be seen. . .
Nine didn't want to be next.
Naturally, they fled in the opposite direction, stumbling and tripping even more so when their numbed feet couldn't even feel the ground they treaded on一
Footsteps crunched on the snow behind them. . .
一一一
Diluc stared at the unconscious figure of the child; they passed out from exhaustion after running for a while. His eyes squinted distastefully at the star markings on their wrists.
It reminded him of a certain memory, 'Feels like the day Father found him..' The red head thought for a moment.
Not wanting to leave the child behind in the cold, he gently picked them, cradling them in his arms- even if it looked a little uncomfortable. ".. You are way too light." Diluc scorned in concern.
The red head really didn't expect to pick up a child during this four year long mission, but here he was. Carefully, he took off his furred cloak and swaddled the kid as best he could.
"Maybe I should return home." Diluc murmured out loud as he continued to trudge down the trail, feeling himself shiver slightly once the wind picked up again.
'Archons.. Why me?'
▷ [ Achievement Unlocked: A Star Burns Bright - Meet Diluc ]
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一 To Live A Thousand Lives Of Karma! Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
Fanfiction: ̗̀➛ A simple sinner holding onto the way of salvation. ╰┈➤ But with divinity's interference, life doesn't seem to end. ▷ [ Welcome to your first life of many. ] → Or in which (Y/N) finds themself in a never-ending cycle. → GN! Reader bc I never se...
