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** to find the music for the story swipe left on the picture at the top!**
~ ~ ~
(Y/n)'s POV
Returning to the grand hallway of Favonius headquarters I meet up with Kaeya, Aether and Paimon. The three of them appear to be talking animatedly as the Cavalry captain appears to spot me from the corner of his periwinkle eye.
"Ah, (Y/n) you've arrived." He says as the other two wave their hands in greeting.
"Oo (Y/n)! (y/n)! You'd never believe what happened earlier. Paimon will tell you all the details." The fairy exclaims as she bounces up and down excitedly.
"Easy does it Paimon." Aether begins as he gently pats the top of the small girl's head. "Right now we have a job to do, we'll tell her all about it later." He finishes. to which I nod in reply before coming to a stop in front of the group.
"So what did you want help with?" I ask the blue haired man. "Aether said that you required our assistance but not the goal in question." I reply as the four of us leave Favonius headquarters.
"I'll fill you all in on the situation. No one else among the Knights can be trusted with this information." The eyepatch wearing male says solemnly with an air of the utmost seriousness. "What I'm about to tell you is related to my past. I trust that both of you won't share this information with anyone else." Kaeya continues as he carefully observes us, waiting for a response.
"You have my word." I reply as I turn toward my other travelling companions. "Aether? Paimon?" I ask.
"Of course. You can trust us." The blond responds with sincerity. Finally, our eyes fall on the fairy as the only one left to answer is the small floating girl.
"Paimon promises that your secret will be safe with us." The white haired pixie answers.
The Cavalry Captain seems to be satisfied with our answers as he continues to explain the situation.
"My grandfather was a pirate back in his days." The taller male begins before being interrupted with an incredulous look from Paimon.
"What? You don't believe me?" Kaeya exclaims as his perrywinkle eye widens in surprise. My eyepatch was a family heirloom of his. Surely this is enough proof to convince you of my lineage." He retorts. After yesterday's conversation with the male I'm absolutely certain that this is a lie. Instead of calling it out though, I find myself more interested to see what exactly he's trying to accomplish, so I decide to stay quiet about it and simply observe.
"No, it's just surprising. Do all pirates wear eyepatches?" Aether muses to himself as the dark blue eyed pixie lets out a sigh of exasperation at the golden eyed man's question as if the answer should be an obvious yes. Kaeya on the other hand seems quite unperturbed as he continues as if there was no interruption at all.
"Yesterday I found some notes left by my grandfather regarding secret treasure." He begins which seems to peak both Aether and Paimon's interest. "According to his notes, the location of the treasure is buried in the Lost Arcadian Ruins but the location of these ruins is not somewhere I'm familiar with. Despite trying to search for them, regrettably, my efforts I'm afraid have been rather fruitless." He finishes before I ask a question of my own, playing along with what I suspect is a complete farce.
"Did your grandfather's notes leave any clues to the contents of this treasure?"
"Why yes, the treasure he buried was none other than a sword that grants the user unrivalled power. It once belonged to Celestia but fell from the heavens. Later on it was found by my grandfather and his crew." The Cavalry Captain explains. "With this sword my grandfather went on to slay a myriad of legendary creatures; however, such power would also attract those who would use the sword for nefarious means. Because of this, he decided to hide it."
"Okay, so why exactly do you want us to find this sword of yours?" Aether questions, his eyes glowing in interest at the idea of such a powerful weapon.
"Ahh, ah, ah, I was just getting to that." The taller man begins as he playfully scolds the blond for being impatient. "A gang of treasure hoarders have been very active lately. I need you to stop them before they get their hands on it." He explains.
"We'll take it." The golden eyed male replies as Paimon's navy blue eyes sparkle at the prospects of the possible rewards we'll receive.
"Great! Once again, thankyou for agreeing to help me out. I'll wait for the good news." Kaeya replies before excusing himself to take care of some other matters.
"So..." Paimon begins enthusiastically as she does a backflip mid air. "What do you guys think?" The pixie asks.
"Is it really true? Our blond companion questions with a hint of skepticism in his voice. "I agreed because the situation seemed important enough to Kaeya to ask us for help, and Kaeya is a friend, but this weapon really sounds too good to be true. The male explains.
"Well, one way or another we agreed to help. The best place to start looking for clues is the Adventurers guild." I begin.
"But (Y/n) you're an adventurer, surely you'd know where the ruins are right?" The white haired female asks.
"Yes, but I think it's better to check anyways. Remember though, do try to be discrete. We did swear to keep our purpose of inquiry a secret." I say as the two nod in response.
Aether, Paimon and I make our way towards the Adventurers Guild hall. At the entrance, I spot the Branch Master of Mondsdat, Cyrus standing out front as he checks his supplies before setting out on an adventure. The middle aged man is tall with broad shoulders and is wearing the standard guild colours, white, brown, gold, green and red. One of the physical traits that easily makes him stand out in a crowd is a monocle sat over his right eye, which is a brilliant turquoise. The male's blond spiky hair with both a moustache and beard finish off his look.
"Branch Master, we have some questions for you if you have a moment to spare." I call out, making sure my voice is loud enough for him to hear me from a distance.
"Oh, is that you (Y/n)? What can I do for you?" He asks as his eyes land on my companions. "And who are these two?" The blond asks with interest.
"This is Aether, he recently joined the guild. Paimon is our traveling companion." I explain to the bearded man.
"Nice to meet you too, Branch Master." My male companion introduces himself as he reaches out his right hand to shake.
"Lighten up young man, I'm not one who puts much stock in formalities. You're more than welcome to call me Cyrus." The turquoise eyed adventurer replies as he gently pats the blond on his shoulder.
"O-oh I see." Aether begins before asking a question. "Then why does (Y/n) call you that?"
"Ah, you see..." The male says sheepishly before continuing. "...believe me, I've tried numerous times to get the young lady to drop the title, to no avail. Eventually I just gave up trying. She's simply too polite for her own good." Cyrus finishes as he sends me a good natured smile.
"That definitely sounds like the (Y/n) we know." Paimon exclaims before she remembers the reason we came.
"Wait! We have something we want to inquire about." She says as she bobs up and down before continuing. "Oo! Oo! (Y/n), Let Paimon ask." The pixie requests. With a nod of approval from me, the dark. Blue eyed female begins. "We're looking for a sword that fell from Celestia that's really really powerful." She explains. Aether, on the other hand, looks as if he's trying to hold on to his sanity.
"Paimon, you've said way too much." The male chides her as he lets out a sigh of exasperation.
"Don't worry." The white haired female replies as she waves a hand dismissively at our male companion. It's fine as long as Paimon doesn't tell him the location right?" She says as if the fairy hadn't made a grave error. "So Cyrus, do you know where the Lost Arcadian Ruins are?" The small girl asks.
"Sorry, I don't know anything about it but thanks for the intel. If you find these ruins I'd love to see them." He replies with a boisterous laugh.
"Huh? Did I say something wrong?" Paimon asks in a confused manner as the golden eyed man looks as if he wishes to become one with the cobblestone floor beneath us.
Just as we're about to leave I hear the sound of rustling clothes nearby. Whoever was spying on us certainly wasn't doing a good job at it.
"At this point, the situation has started to become much clearer." I think to myself as I mentally breathe a small sigh of relief. In the end, it seems that playing along with Kaeya's shenanigans was the right call.
"Hey! (Y/n), you're spacing out again!" The dark blue eyed female exclaims as she shakes my shoulders with her small delicate hands. Her actions are accompanied by our male companion as Aether sends a worried glance my way. In response, I give him a small nod to tell him that I'm alright as the small fairy continues. "Paimon was just saying that we should go see that Conniving Captain again." She says as the blond finally manages to pry her fingers off my frame.
"Really, we should have asked Kaeya for more information in the first place." The golden eyed man points out as he sends a look of disapproval towards the pixie who sticks out her tongue at him in response.
"That's enough, you two." I begin as both of them cease their argument before it gets too heated. "There is no need to worry, I'd say it worked out better this way." I continue, receiving confused looks from my two companions. "Nevermind, let's go." I say as I wave farewell to the Branch Master while walking away in the direction of Favonius headquarters. "We have a Cavalry Captain to locate."
~ ☆ ~
"Welcome back!" Kaeya says with a wide smile on his face, unaware that the dark blue eyed female had revealed crucial info to uninvolved parties. "So, did you find anything?" He asks. Aether is about to answer first but Paimon, who at this point has realized she's messed up, beats him to it.
"Listen..." The white haired girl begins as she speaks with a dejected tone. "We asked around the Adventurer's Guild and couldn't find a single lead." She finishes.
"Well, that much was expected." The periwinkle eyed man replies, clearly expecting no results from us as is which doesn't seem to impress the blond.
"Now why is that?" He asks as he narrows his golden irises skeptically at the taller male, clearly not interested in going on a wild goose chase.
"Easy does it now," Kaeya begins as he senses our male companion's change in mood. "I didn't mean it like that, more so what is the fun in finding it without putting in the hard work?" He explains as I take my opportunity to speak.
"You've made your point, now would you care to give us some more information?" I say calmly, hoping to defuse the situation by keeping everyone focused on our objective as my pointer finger nervously plays with a lock of my (h/l) (h/c) hair.
"Of course." The flamboyant man replies as he crosses his arms over his chest. "I sent someone to collect intel from the black market. My informant was able to find some information regarding the ruins." He states proudly.
"That's good, where can we meet this person?" Aether, who has calmed down more, asks the male curiously.
"Not so fast Aether my pal, the black market has rules that must be followed to ensure anonymity. They take their protocol very seriously. Say, you've never worked in an intelligence network have you?" The blue haired male asks curiously, to which the blond shakes his head giving a firm 'no'. "That's quite alright. It's never too late to learn right?." Kaeya adds before he continues with the important information. "They will send someone to meet us to prevent any leaks or funny business. You'll be meeting them in the Whispering Woods. When they ask for your identity, tell them that 'the sun never sets in the land of night'." The Cavalry Captain finishes.
"Well, let's go then." Paimon says as she turns to leave.
"Wait, Paimon." I begin, causing the small girl to stop in her tracks.
"Why? What's wrong (Y/n)?" She asks, clearly confused.
"Well, it won't reflect well on Kaeya if the Cavalry Captain is seen making deals with shady people that could tarnish the Knight's reputation. We will be going without him to receive it." I explain.
"Exactly (Y/n), ever the fountain of knowledge. I knew you all would be the perfect people for the job." The male says confidently. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to compensate you fairly." He adds on to appease the white haired female before slipping a small pouch of mora into my hand as he whispers something along the lines of 'mora for the informant'. Kaeya's persuasion tactics work rather effectively on the floating girl leaving her with no qualms as we make our way to the designated location.
Once we arrive it doesn't take long to notice a woman with light brown hair that's tied up in a ponytail. Her clothes are the colours of a caramel pinecone, a caffeinated beverage served at Angel's Share, and tightly fit her frame, perfect for travelling but not tight enough that they'd be inappropriate. The other thing I take notice of is the bandage around her right leg. It seems the blue eyed woman got into a scuffle doing archon knows what,
"Who are you?" She asks as our group of three comes closer to her. The female's body language is defensive as she prepares to run if she feels she's in danger.
"The sun never sets in the land of night. I'm sure you know why we're here." I reply, getting straight to the point. As soon as I say those words, her body loosens up as the brunette lets out a sigh of relief.
"Excellent, we'll get straight to it then. From the information I gathered, the location of the Arcadian Ruins is hidden behind a riddle. I will recite this for you now." She begins before adding some extra words of advice. "You may want to write this down, I won't be repeating it for secrecy's sake. Anyway... here it goes. There are three six-armed giants that reside in the city in the lake. Two guard the statue, the other? The treasure." The female explains. "Oh, and we received this map as well. I hope this proves useful for you three." The informant finishes, as I pull out the bag of mora I pocketed earlier, before handing it to the woman.
"A pleasure doing business with you." I say as Aether, Paimon and I prepare to leave.
"And you as well, may the wind lead you to your destination." The blue eyed lady replies before slipping into the shadows of the densely packed forest.
"You handled that really well." Aether praises me before continuing. "Have you done this sort of thing before?" The male asks as two pairs of eyes, one gold and the other navy blue, look at me with curiosity.
"Something like that." I reply, keeping my answer short and simple. "Come now, we have other things we should be worrying about." I say as my (e/c) eyes focus on the clues we were just given.
"Well, where do you think this riddle wants us to go?" The fairy asks the two of us as she peers at the words of the informant that I made sure to copy down.
"The only six armed objects of great size within the city of Mondstadt are the windmills." I reply as the blond nods in agreement.
"From the image provided, it seems like we'll be going to the windmill nearest the Knight's headquarters." The golden eyed male adds.
After climbing to the top we find a modest looking wooden chest.
"Well, here we are." Aether declares as we all eye the box in front of us.
"This is smaller than Paimon expected, but a legendary sword is still a legendary sword. Let's open it." The white haired girl exclaims as the blond opens the box with baited breath. Upon opening the chest, what we find is not a weapon, but two pieces of paper. "Awww, drat." She says with disappointment as I reach out to pat the small girl's head, mirroring the behaviour I've seen young children exhibit when interacting with their pets.
"Perhaps it's another clue." I suggest, which seems to make Paimon feel a bit better as our golden eyed companion begins to read the contents of the first paper aloud.
"She doesn't love him at all. The passion rushing through the clear spring is just a front. When she's cold and alone, her true heart is revealed." He recites.
"Huh, what does that have to do with the last poem? Paimon is confused. Paimon is all out of brain juice (Y/n)!" The dark blue eyed pixie exclaims as she rubs her temple in frustration.
"Don't worry." The blond reassures her as he picks up another piece of paper before carefully unfolding it. "Whoever left this here was kind enough to provide a map." Our male companion explains as he points to a red 'X' on the map. "Uhmm, I don't really know Mondstadt too well. Do you know where this location is (Y/n)?" Aether asks.
"Don't worry, I easily recognize this place. It seems that we shall be taking another trip to Springvale. Thankfully this time it's not to retrieve any lost items of mine." I reply.
On our way to Springvale the three of us make sure to enjoy our walk as Paimon decides it's finally time to bring up their adventures with Amber.
"(Y/n), you wouldn't believe what happened." The white haired female begins as she bounces from side to side, catching my interest.
"Are you referring to how your gliding exam was interrupted by a thief? I heard that the three of you were tasked with hunting them down." I reply.
"W-wait? How do you know!?" The small girl asks with surprise before she remembers my powers.
"Ohhh. Paimon knows how, you used your skills as a diviner didn't you (Y/n)." She exclaims proudly.
"Actually, that wasn't the case this time. Amber and I met up with each other for lunch." I explain as I anticipate the dejected look from our floating companion. Sure enough, I'm proven correct as the pixie's expression falls and a pout paints her lips.
As the white haired girl pouts, Aether and I share a silent conversation. The two of us negotiate over who should comfort our floating friend with a few raised eyebrows and widened or squinting of the eyes. Unlike our duel with our blades, this time the blond emerges victorious as I gently reach out for the little girl. As soon as I do so, she launches herself into my arms. The look on the golden eyed male's face is one of amusement as he lets out a chuckle.
"What is it that you find so amusing?" I ask as Paimon buries her face in the crook Of my neck.
"You look adorable." Aether responds before realizing exactly what he just said. Vaguely I notice his face flush a deep crimson as desperately tries to explain that he meant it as in a mother holding her daughter. Said 'daughter' finds the blond's predicament absolutely hilarious as she snickers at the man's face. I, on the other hand, just nod my head absentmindedly as my thoughts are focused on the possibilities of how the steps before this mission's grand conclusion will play out.
From there, I carry the female as we go past the village settlement to the small pond, only stopping right before climbing the cliffs. With a nod of understanding, the pixie returns to floating in order for us to reach our next destination.
"Finally the next treasure chest. Paimon is exhausted." The fairy exclaims as she tries to catch her breath.
"You do realize that only (Y/n) and I were the ones climbing." The golden eyed man points out to the floating girl.
"So? Paimon feels tired just from watching you two." The white haired female replies as the blond takes out the clue.
"It seems that this time, there is no riddle. We simply have to follow the map to the destination at the edge of Falcon Cove" I muse as my two companions nod in agreement.
~ ☆ ~
"Well, we have arrived at our destination." Aether announces as he double checks the map.
"Wait...there's nothing here but a small crevice in the rock. Is this a scam?" The fairy exclaims in horror at the thought of this being a complete wild goose chase.
"No Paimon, it was probably hidden behind wherever this small passageway leads to."The golden eyed male reassures her.
"Thank the Archons, Paimon hopes this will be over soon, this treasure better be worth it in the end." She says as we enter.
Once we're inside the three of us carefully navigate around the traps left by whoever built this place as well as the slimes infesting the ruins. Once we reach the second chamber, the dark blue eyed female goes into treasure hunting mode as she scours the area for anything of value.
"Treasure treasure, where are you?" She asks.
"Certainly not in your hands." A voice replies which shocks the poor pixie, causing her to hit her head on the side of the wall.
"Ow! That hurt, it's all your fault!" The small girl complains as she glares at the owner of the mysterious voice, a man who had now revealed himself to be decorated in treasure hoarder clothes. Beside me, Our blond companion's body stiffens as he moves into a defensive position, ready to summon his sword at a moment's notice if the man across from us decides to attack.
"That doesn't concern me." The treasure hoarder begins with a shrug. " Really, I should be thanking you, you made my work soo much easier. All I had to do was follow." He explains. At this point it's evident who was evesdropping when the three of us were talking to Branch Master Cyrus.
"Now that we're here though, you've fulfilled your purpose. I'll be taking the sword, you three can just scram." The convict replies.
"I'm sorry, but we won't let that happen." Aether replies as he manifests his blade.
"Really? You don't scare me. My men far outnumber you three." He retorts with a sneer as the treasure hoarder moves to call in backup.
"That would be incorrect." Says another voice as the Cavalry Captain saunters into view with a few of his fellow knights in tow. If I hadn't had an idea how this was going to end, I may have been surprised at his appearance. "So sorry to spoil the fun, but I'm afraid your gang won't be joining you." The periwinkle eyed man continues.
"And why is that huh?" The male replies with a snarl.
"If you'd like to know, be my guest. I'm sure they can explain to you in detail what happened from Mondstadt's prison." Kaeya explains.
"Kaeya, perfect timing! This guy is trying to steal the treasure." Paimon exclaims as she points an accusatory finger at the brunette treasure hoarder across from us.
"Well, lucky for us there was no treasure to begin with." The Cavalry Captain shrugs before continuing. "You came all the way here for nothing."
"Wait- Kaeya, is that true?" Aether asks the eyepatch wearing male. There is no response as he's clearly occupied with the criminal in front of him.
"Well, you got me. I didn't think the Knights would stoop so low. Sadly for you I have no interest in being captured." The man replies as he runs to open up a door to escape through.
Unfortunately, said convict ought to have some of the worst luck ever today, as the ruin guard that had been lying dormant behind the wall suddenly whirs to life. Within the next second or two, the treasure hoarder immediately changes his tune, shedding the hostile growl for a whimper as he pleads for the Cavalry Captain to save him.
"Very well, I'll save you then." The navy blue haired man replies nonchalauntly as he moves to take out the ruin guard. "(Y/n), Aether? Care to join me in saving this foolish individual?" He asks.
"Sure thing." The blond replies as I waste no time before joining the fray.
Kaeya and Aether keep the ruin guard's attention as they hack and slash at it while avoiding its various attacks. The automaton is rather slow, broadcasting it's movements which makes it much easier to dodge. The only moves they really need to worry about are it's homing missiles and spinning attack. The air begins to get colder from both of their powers in action as both cryo and anemo swirl together as from the perifreil of my line of sight, I notice the non vision bearers starting to shiver from the rapid change in temperature. With the ruin guard's focus not on me, I figure that it's fairly safe to use a more powerful attack. Spinning around, I draw (f/e) out of the air around us as it coalesces into a large lotus with a (f/e/c) hue. As soon as I release it, each petal of the flower breaks apart as they hurl towards the ruin guard's glowing eye. Their placement was rather effective as it begins to stagger around in an abnormal fashion due to the insides of the machine becoming damaged. With a few more well placed blows from the three of us, the enemy falls in no time as peace is restored to the chamber.
"How embarrassing, to think I'd have to be rescued by a Knight." The treasure hoarder grumbles as Kaeya's colleagues grab onto both of his arms.
"Come on, there's a nice cell in the dungeons just waiting for you." The Cavalry Captain replies as they ready themselves to leave.
"Wait Sir Kaeya, do you want us to apprehend those three as well?" Asks one of the eyepatch wearing man's colleagues.
"No, of course not." The blue haired male replies immediately as his periwinkle eye meets my (e/c) ones before sending me a wink. "They are the reason this whole operation turned out successfully. After all, if it weren't for them spreading our fabricated intel, we wouldn't have been able to catch anyone up to no good." As he sends us a look of approval. Satisfied with his answer, the knights leave with the treasure hoarder leaving their Captain with us. As soon as they're gone, Aether decides to speak up.
"Kaeya, you owe us an explanation." Aether demands, far from thrilled at the taller male's deception.
"See? You're totally up to no good! Paimon was right when Paimon gave you that ugly nickname Mr. Conniving Captain!" The blue eyed girl chimes in.
"Well, it wouldn't have been quite as believable if you had known. As far as I'm aware, none of you have a career in acting." He answers. Before turning to me. "I must commend you though (Y/n), I'm sure it didn't take you long enough to figure out what was going on. I'm glad you trusted me enough to go along with my plans." Kaeya says as the attention of my companions turns from him to me.
"What you're saying does make sense. But If (Y/n) knew, why would she not speak up about it?" Aether asks.
"Earlier when we were searching for clues to find the Arcadian Ruins, I heard someone spying on us. It was just a hunch at the time, but with how things played out, I was indeed correct. If I had told you in the moment what was going on, we could have tipped them off. At that point there are no guarantees that the person would show up again. I also figured that what Kaeya was doing posed no threat to any of us. If it did, there is no way I would have simply let it slide." I explain, my tone absolutely serious as the Cavalry Captain nods in agreement.
"Exactly. But I'm afraid to say that your intentions weren't completely pure either. Weren't you just as interested in the sword?" The periwinkle eyed male asks the fairy with one eyebrow raised.
"W-well, that's besides the point! You still lied to us. B-but I suppose if (Y/n) didn't see a reason to worry, then I guess you're off the hook" Paimon retorts as she pouts in discontent.
"Regardless, you did help, thus you deserve a reward. Instead of a sword however, I figured compensation in mora would be much more preferable. After all, (Y/n) so kindly gifted you a sword that's in perfectly good use. Does that redeem me in your eyes?" He asks both of my traveling companions as he hands Aether a pouch full of mora.
"Fine, Paimon will forgive you, but don't ever do something like this again. You understand Paimon?" The female responds.
"Of course, you have my word. I won't use the same method twice." He replies.
"Good..." The dark blue eyed girl says, glad to have reached an understanding with the male when she realizes the exact words in his response. "... oh wait a second... Hey! Kaeya, come back here!" She yells as the Cavalry Captain sends us a friendly wave before departing with his subordinates.
"Hmph, that Kaeya. You can never trust him. Don't you agree (Y/n)? Aether?" The pixie asks?
"I think that Kaeya likes to pull your leg. I don't think he's really a bad guy, his methods are just a bit unorthodox, that's all." The golden eyed male replies.
"I'd have to agree with Aether's statement." I answer as a look of horror sprouts on the white haired female's face.
"You two...ugh. Paimon is tired now. Paimon wants to head back now and go to bed." The little girl exclaims as she leaves the ruins with both of us not far behind her.
~ ☆ ~
The rest of the day passed by relatively quickly. Once we got back to Mondstadt, Paimon ate at least five of every dish Good Hunter had to offer before disappearing into her own pocket dimension for the remainder of the evening. Aether was the next to leave, as he was also tired and wanted to go to bed early. I, on the other hand, was still wide awake and felt that it would be a perfect time for a late night walk around the empty streets of Mond. It was a habit I'd picked up from a very dear friend of mine, though this place is far quieter than the bustling streets in the harbour at all hours. If one were to peer out their window and see me here, it would be quite the oddity indeed.
Just as I'm about to leave the walls of the city, I hear the clack of boots on the rooftops above me as a dark blur streaks across my field of vision before hurling itself over the stone walls.
"Hmm..." I muse to myself, abandoning my plans to have a peaceful evening walk in order to follow the mysterious figure into the night.
After leaving the light of the city, it takes a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the lower light levels. Under normal circumstances I would likely have to use elemental sight to track them however, the whoosh of a heavy blade cutting the air followed by an inhuman scream is the only clue I need. Carefully I sneak my way towards the sounds of fighting as occasionally bright orange flames light up the night. As I get closer to them I can see who or what is being slaughtered. A few meters in front of me, a rather distraught cryo abyss mage is struggling to stay alive. It's cepter lays upon the ground, having likely been knocked out of it's hands during the fight. Looking around, I realize it's the last one left as the remains of its companions lay strewn on the singed grass. However, it would likely not be long before it joined the rest, if not for a rather angry figure lifting it up by its neck.
"Tell me, what are you doing here?" A male voice growls at the small creature. Dizzily, the mage chokes out a reply with a voice that grates like sandpaper.
"W-why would I tell you the plans of the abyss." It replies before coughing from a lack of airflow. It doesn't take the man too long to notice this as a black gloved hand loosens its grip so the mage can speak. From the corner of my eye, I notice a small fox looking on in curiosity as it's blue eyes observe the scene before it.
"It seems you need some more persuasion." The male replies as flames flicker menacingly in his opposite hand.
"N-nooooo! Please...I'll talk! I'll talk." The furry little creature screams as it tries desperately to prevent itself from being burnt like the rest. Unfortunately for the interrogator, in a twist of fate, the sound of a twig snaps causing the man to let go as he looks around for the source of the noise. The abyss mage takes its last chance to escape as it grabs its fallen cepter before chanting some words in a long forgotten language. Upon completing the spell, it disappears leaving no indication to the naked eye that the creature had ever been there.
With a grunt of frustration, the man begins to search the area to figure out what was responsible for him to lose potentially valuable new information. The fox however is long gone, having been frightened at the sight of the flames. At this rate the only living being he'll find is me. Running away is also not an option as the male will clearly chase after me at the sound of any noise.
"Who's there?" He calls out into the night as he comes closer and closer to where I'm hiding. At this point, it's better to just reveal myself to avoid any misunderstandings.
"We meet again Mr. Dark Knight Hero." I say as I step out from my hiding place.
"Still using that stupid name? Are you sure you didn't come up with that name yourself (Y/n)?" Diluc grumbles back in distaste.
"Of course I didn't, the people of Mond are the ones responsible for the nickname." I reply as a small smile of amusement flickers across my face. "The perpetrator you're looking for is long gone." I inform him as I gesture with my (d/h) towards the forest around us. "The fox was a rather pretty one too." I muse to myself as the red haired male heaves out a sigh.
"Well, I suppose there's nothing I can do about that, but I'm curious to know what you're doing here." The wine tycoon responds as he waits patiently for me to answer his question.
"I was out for a midnight stroll when I saw you hop over the wall. I decided to follow, and the rest is fairly evident." I respond as I wait to see his reaction.
"I suppose it was to be expected." Diluc begins as he brushes off his gloved hands before continuing. "It's not exactly the first time this has happened. Care to join me then?" The taller male asks.
"Of course." I reply as the two of us hunt for any more signs of the Abyss Order.
After a few hours it becomes evident that no more abyssal creatures shall be making an appearance tonight.
"It appears the trail has gone cold, it seems we will have to call it a night." Diluc says as we near Springvale. "Where are you staying? With the knights?" He asks.
"Yes. They were kind enough to offer room and board during our stay." I explain. Despite the look of contempt for the organization swimming within his ruby like irises, the male refrains from commenting on the matter as he continues. "There is no doubt that the knights are asleep by now and the doors will be locked." The red eyed man comments as we continue down the path.
"That would make sense. I didn't expect to be out quite so late however, what is your point Diluc?" I question as my (e/c) eyes meet his.
"I'm not leaving you to sleep out here. You can sleep at the winery tonight. There are more than enough guest rooms for you to choose from. He explains. I'm about to politely refuse the red head's offer as my stomach begins to growl. Looking away awkwardly, I hope that my male companion didn't hear a thing.
"Are you hungry? Did you forget to eat dinner (Y/n)?" The ruby eyed man questions as he quickens his pace.
"So he did hear it." I think to myself as I try to hide my embarrassment.
"No, I did eat a bit." I begin to explain while I think to myself how fortunate I am that the dark sky hides my faint blush. "Paimon, the small floating girl I travel with..." I explain as Diluc nods in understanding.
"She has quite a large appetite." He comments.
"Yes. She was also pretty exhausted from today so she ate extra. I was able to have a bite here and there but ultimately, the majority was consumed by her." I finish as my stomach helpfully reminds me of my predicament by growling again.
"Let's hurry then. I'll get the head maid Adeline to cook you something." The wine tycoon promises as we exit the open plains, entering the low lying fields of the finest grapes in Mondstadt.
"Okay." I agree, following the red eyed male towards the elegant mansion.
The dirt path gives way to cobblestone as we reach the heavy wooden double doors. Diluc's large gloved hand opens one of them as he ushers me through. Contrary to his promise, no maids are awake to greet us, having long since gone to sleep. Realization hits my companion as he quietly curses for forgetting such an obvious thing.
"Apologies (Y/n), I forgot that the maids are usually asleep by now." He says before pulling up a chair at a very long dining table. "Please wait here. Do feel free to make yourself comfortable." The red head says as he quietly excuses himself, heading towards the kitchen. As the smell of pancakes and melted cheese begins to permeate the air, my mind drifts elsewhere. They say food is the doorway to one's soul, but I personally think it's one of the keys that unlocks memories. The day I tried the fluffy dish was a sunny one spent with friends. The youngest of us had said rather enthusiastically that I simply must have them because the texture was to die for. Curious to know what it was, I tried them and indeed they were rather delicious, though I wish it had more flavour to it like the dishes of Li style cuisine or the unique flavours from Natlan. In the end, the whole group shared the pancakes as we conversed about the events that had transpired in our busy lives between the time of our last meeting.
I'm interrupted from my revelry as Diluc returns to the dining room with a small plate of pancakes. Carefully, he sets them down in front of me before seating himself in the chair across from me. Next he pours both of us a glass of, what on further inspection, appears to be grape juice.
"Aren't you going to have some?" I ask out of curiosity as my male companion's eyes bounce from my plate to me.
"No, I already had dinner earlier." The wine tycoon replies as he waits patiently for me to take my first bite. Not wanting to be rude and with one last rumble of encouragement from my empty stomach, I take a bite of my meal. The light texture mixed with the rich flavour of the cheese definitely made the pancakes taste much better than the ones I had back then.
"This is one of the dishes Paimon had yesterday." I observe as I take another bite before chewing delicately. "It tastes very good." I muse to myself as I can't help but smile. The red haired male who had been waiting with baited breath releases a sigh of relief.
"That's good, I'm glad you enjoy them." He replies as a small smile paints his own lips.
"I know you're not one for small talk..." I begin slowly as I gauge the man's reaction. "...but how are you feeling mentally? I would imagine it's rather stressful considering the circumstances" I say. Thankfully the wine tycoon doesn't seem annoyed by my question as he chooses to answer it.
"You're right, but things like this are commonplace for me. You could say I've become used to it. I will be fine, I'm more worried for the people of Mond." He replies before continuing on. "However, it seems there is a new competitor looking to enter the market within the past few weeks from Snezhnaya." Diluc reveals as he takes a sip of his drink.
"Snezhnaya huh? what do you think their purpose is, setting up their own establishments here?" I question my companion as the golden candle light flickers in the ruby red eyes across from me.
"It's no doubt, the Fatui's work." He begins, saying the name of the Snezhnayan organization in the same way that one would scrunch up their nose after smelling something rather unpleasant. "They effectively became the biggest creditors in the land of commerce and Archons know what else within the other nations. Their objective here is quite obvious, not to mention they chose a rather opportune moment considering, we are receiving the brunt of the dragon's wrath. No doubt, they wish to have control over Mondstadt's biggest economic resource." The man explains.
"And what will you do about it?" I question the male, my (e/c) eyes glimmering with interest.
"Of course I'll fight back, lest the Fatui gain more traction in Mondstadt than they already have." He responds matter of factly, the confidence in his voice showing no hesitation, no crack in his resolve.
"Rather confident aren't you." I murmur to myself as I finish up the last bite of my meal.
"Hmm? Did you say something?" Diluc asks as the red haired man looks on with interest.
"Nothing." I answer smoothly before stifling a yawn. "Thankyou for the meal and a warm place to stay this evening. I think I'll be going off to bed." I say as I stand up, about to pick up my plate.
"Don't worry about that, I'll deal with it." The wine tycoon replies as he swiftly sweeps the plate and utensils off the table. "Pardon me, please wait a moment and I'll lead you to your room." He says as he disappears into the kitchen.
A moment later the male returns as the two of us ascend the stairs to the upper floor of the mansion. There are four rooms on the top floor. We pass by the first one, turning the corner twice before arriving at the second door.
"This is your room." Diluc informs me as he opens the door. "Mine is the one by the stairs. If you need anything just knock." He explains before leaving the room. As soon as he leaves I close the door before undressing and getting under the covers to sleep. As I drift off, one thought lingers in my head
"Tomorrow will be a big day. I wonder what's in store?"
Third POV
Contrary to (Y/n)'s belief, the red haired man was still outside her door, his head gently resting on the expensive wood. As he hears her soft, peaceful breaths, he comes to terms with what he has just gotten himself into. While this isn't the first time (Y/n) had joined him on his late night escapades to protect the city he holds dear, it was the first time she had stayed the night at the winery. Diluc couldn't help but think of the surprise that his maid staff Adeline, Hillie and Moco would have upon waking. While Adeline was the type to keep things professional, the male had heard the other two gossiping on occasion about romance and by the archons, he doesn't want them discussing his love life, or current lack thereof.
As a matter of fact, he'd never brought any girl back to his mansion for any reason, let alone this late at night. Despite that, under no circumstances would he turn (Y/n) away if she needed somewhere to stay, though he had the feeling she was about to refuse as not to trouble him. While he may not be as personable as others, he certainly wasn't heartless. However, he doubted that those around him would see the situation for what it was. The last thing the wine tycoon needed were any misunderstandings or even worse, Kaeya, finding out about it. Though, the male is fairly certain that the periwinkle eyed Captain would be rather miffed if he did. The red eyed man knew that he would have to explain the (h/c) haired woman's appearance come dawn, but right now he simply felt too tired as his eyelids slowly flutter shut. If only Diluc knew what awaited him upon his awakening, perhaps he would have made the effort to return to his bedroom to sleep.
~ ~ ~
(Writing this chapter reminded me how much I didn't want to deal with riddles so I just went to see Kaeya for more dialogue instead of finding the windmill myself. Buut, back on topic. Our friendly third person narrator seems to think our favourite grape juice drinking wine tycoon will regret his choices today in the next chapter. What do you think will happen to him? Let me know in the comments.)
Word Count: 7740
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~Foxfire-chan