Say My Name and I'll Be There

Chapter 9

"Mm." The yaksha nodded.

You didn't know what to expect when it came to getting to the base of the cliff, but you sure didn't expect Xiao to carry you bridal-style as he leapt from rock to rock.  He landed near some bushes before you had time to react.

"We'll approach last," Xiao watched the group of mages around the fire.  They were chanting something in their native language.  "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Life happens whether you're ready or not," you answered.  "I'd rather throw myself into the fire now than sit in a slowly-heating pot for forever."

Still as strange as ever.  Xiao stood.  "Let's move."

Xiao made sure you were far enough away from the dendro mages at all times.  While their stupid vines hurt, they were more infuriating than painful.  He'd rather not have you lose to agitation like you do with Childe every day.  The abyss mages were scattered across the grass with a few shields already broken.

You were fighting at the edge of the battle, with Xiao watching you at a distance.  He wasn't going to intervene unless you were finding yourself overwhelmed.  Luckily, you were handling the chaos pretty well.  That was until one of the mages sent a fireball your way when you let your guard down.  Xiao grabbed ahold of you before you got hit and landed a few feet out of it's reach.

"Pay attention," he scolded and stepped away from you.

"Sorry!"  You looked back to the battle.  Two mages were recovering from their shields being broken.  You ran for those, noting the positions of all other enemies along the way.  

While you knew everyone's positions, you hadn't noticed when they had begun to surround you.  Childe, Zhongli, and Aether were finishing off the two dendro mages after several minutes of being taunted by them.  Six pyro mages surrounded you, and Xiao continued to watch from the sidelines.  Contrary to the appearance of the mob, you were handling yourself just fine.  You were about to deal the finishing blow to one of the mages when something inside of you clicked.

"Momma!" You ran as fast as you could with your chubby little legs into the village.  "Is there a party today?"   Small fingers tugged on your mother's summer dress.

"Party? There's no party, sweetie.  We're going to have lunch at your grandma's today."

You shook your head wildly.  "Party!"

"Sure, sweetie.  It's a party," your mother sighed in resignation with a smile.  "Come on.  I've got the ingredients for lunch now.  Want to help me cook?"

"But--"

"It's for the party," she sung to get you excited.  She grabbed your hand and began to take you back to your home.  You glanced back in the direction you came with a conflicted look on your face.

"Momma?"  You gasped without realizing you were in the present moment.  Your sword was still in mid-swing.

"Hey!"  Someone's voice failed to reach you.

"Hey! Momma!  The party is here!"  You jumped up and down on the porch of your house.  "The party is here!  The party is here!"

"Sweetie, how many times do I have to tell you--"  Your mother came out of the house with a plate of snacks that were immediately dropped onto the floor.  The crash caught your attention and you looked back at her.  She had wide eyes and was as pale as a ghost.  "G-Gerald!" She called back into the house without removing her gaze from the tens of abyss mages making their way towards your house and the rest of the village.

"What?"  Your father exited the house and froze.  "Get...get her out of here and run.  I'll warn the others."

"But--!"

"Just go!  I'll stay and defend the village!"

"Momma...?"  You were beginning to get worried over their panic.  Why were they panicking? It was just a party...

"Hey!  What're you doing? Get back!"  A faint voice interrupted your memory.

"Where'd everyone go? There's a party!"  You coughed and walked around the deserted village square.  Before you knew it you were lying on your back, completely unaware of the fatal injury to your side and the warm blood soaking into your clothes.  "There's a...party..."  Momma's lullaby sprang to mind, and you began to hum it in hopes that everyone would come back to join you for the celebration.  You were getting sleepy now, but you forced yourself to stay awake so you could welcome everyone back.

"I said get back!"  Xiao pushed you out of the way and yanked you out of your memories.  He spun his lance and dove into the earth, sending a mini shockwave into the abyss mages.  He was holding back immensely, but he killed all six in one blow.  His lance disappeared from his hand as he stood with his back to you.  He let out an exasperated sigh.  "If you cannot bring yourself to kill, speak my name."

You didn't answer, but your eyes widened for a split second.  'Speak my name.'  He was there when it happened.  He was the one who saved me.  Your gaze rose to the back of his head.

Xiao turned around only to find your face streaked with tears.  It wasn't what he expected, and his eyes widened as he searched for any obvious injuries on you.  "Did I...?"  A small shake of your head eased the tension in his shoulders.  He knelt in front of you and wondered how to proceed.  None of the abyss mages had hurt you, but they were about to when he intervened.  

"Nice hit, comrade!  Those mages were troublesome."  Childe's voice rang out in the now-silent landscape.  He and Aether high-fived as they approached with Zhongli in tow.  Their happiness over the victory were soon quelled when they saw your face.

"What happened?  Are you hurt?"  Aether ran until he was behind Xiao.

"An injury? You were handling them well, I thought."  Childe joined the traveler at his side.

Zhongli approached last, and was the only one that noticed the distinct familiarity in which you regarded the yaksha kneeling before you.