-"The next story is called: "What Faith Truly Means, When You Were Born Godless?"
Albedo, Kaeya and Dainsleif look away from the screen.
Kaeya pays no heed to the cold of the accursed mountain, nor does he regard its furious blizzard as he screams amidst the howling winds.
He chucks, one, two, then a dozen more ancient vases and trinkets of whatever civilisation that had resided in Dragonspine on to the mountain's Statue of the Seven, that is, Barbatos'.
He screams again, and again, and again, in anger, mourning, disappointment, shame, and Archons know whatever else he feels.
He hates it all.
-Oh.... -Kaeya realizes what this is going to be.
Zhongli looks at Venti who smiles knowingly.
Kaeya never asked to go to Monstadt, he never requested to infiltrated the city, he never wanted to leave his ... progenitor, for he could not call him father, but...
... But, he never wished to lose Fathe—, no, Master Crepus, nor did he ever wish for Diluc to go.
That was why he came clean, that was why he confessed to Diluc; he loved them, he really do, yet...
"IT WAS ALL FOR NOTHING!"
Diluc looks down at the floor.
-Wait! Mr.Kaeya is not from Monstadt? - Noelle looks suprised.
-Yeah... I'm not from here -Kaeya chukles.
Kaeya's shrieks have gone hoarse and he rages again, the Archon-given Vision used to desecrate a fellow Archon. The Statue chips, but the young Alberich's fury abates not, yet.
"YOU SAID MONDSTADT WAS THE CITY OF FREEDOM, DIDN'T YOU?! THEN WHY, WHY BARBATOS HAVE YOU FORSAKEN US, FORSAKEN ME?!"
His legs collapse and Kaeya falls, kneeling in front of the frozen Statue. He whimpers,
"He... he said that you bestow your blessings, your o-oath to freedom to everyone, even ... me," The blunette sobs openly now, fists banging on the feet of the Statue.
Barbara almost says something but Rosaria puts a hand on her shoulder and stops her.
If-if so, should we not have freedom from danger? If he's right...," whispers Kaeya now, almost silent as he weeps for his foster father, voice swallowed by the unforgiving winds of Dragonspine, "Why... why must he die?"
The Knight cries into his palms, rage smothered by the outpouring of grief and loss, sobbing for seemed like hours.
Nevertheless, time marches on, and Kaeya eventually stops. Willing the frozen tears on his face to melt, he composes himself, interrupted only by the occasional sniffle while he prepares to trek down the mountain.
Yet, before he could leave, something stirs; the knight feels that the atmosphere has changed somehow. He looks around to no avail, and it is then that he recognises the winds dying down. His divided attention is also why he barely misses the sudden glow of the Statue of Barbatos.
-Wait? What?! -The Sumeru schoolars says.
-I never seen something like that -Sara mutters.
Zhongli looks at Venti like he has just seen a ghost.
Kaeya steps back, then a couple more. Had... had the God of Anemo truly heard him? An Archon would not pay attention to such blasphemous and insincere demands, right?
An imperceptibly long moment passes between his thoughts and the whistling noise of a gentle breeze in the ethereal, alien, and downright unnatural calm of Dragonspine.
Then, Kaeya hears a voice, like a whisper in the breeze, and yet clear, as the rushing winds in a hurricane,
"He is not wrong, o Kaeya of Khaenri'ah; you are also a child of the wind, one amongst the countless inhabitants of this land, and freedom is an ideal you have now believed in too,"
-Khaenri'ah? What is that? -Charlotte asks.
-It was a nation that got distroyed by Celestia 500 years ago -Zhongli says.
-Zhongli the all knowing -Hu tao jokes.
The Khaenri'ahn gasps in fear of the seemingly impending descent of divinity, "N-no, I di—" "... just like your father, Crepus,"
"He is n—"
"... is your father, as you have so decided in your heart, did you not?"
"..."
"Then, surely you realise he has chosen to fight the drake, did he n—"
"THAT COSTED HIM HIS LIFE!"
"... but was it not his to choose, just as it was Ursa's choice to threaten you all?" "But-but—"
"All of them had a choice, a choice they can act on because they have the freedom to." "ARE YOU SAYING THAT FATHER'S DEATH IS HIS CHOICE?!"
"Yes, and no. Would he have died if, say, Grandmaster Varka, Jean Gunnhildr, and Eula Lawrence was there as well, so that he does not have to use his, ah, Delusion? Would he have died, if Ursa the Drake never attacked?"
"..."
"Kaeya Alberich, your father chose to protect you, and Diluc, because he loved, nay, loves you; have faith that he does not regret such a choice the slightest. He would die for you, over and over again, if he could,"
-Did- did you just have a fight whit Barbatos? -Sara asks shocked.
-I guess? - Kaeya looks away.
The mortal finds his tongue tied, unable to respond to the revelation he has always known in his heart. Kaeya glances to the Statue's figure, finding the orb in the Barbatos' hand glowing. As the light spreads throughout the figure of the Lord of Anemo, the Knight takes a step back, in wary and fear, upon seeing the glowing silhouette move.
In an action the Favonius Knight did not expect, the Anemo Archon, now visible to the unbeliever, in pale white attire, jumps down faster than Kaeya could perceive, before extending his hand, smiling, to the now trembling blunette.
"The freedom to act does not entail a freedom from consequences, Knight Kaeya, that much I can guarantee,"
Kaeya does not respond, either in fright or something else entirely. The Archon merely shakes his head, and his smile takes a wistful form.
"I understand loss, Khaenri'ahn, I do, that too I can assure you. Mourn, but know and remember what you still have; have hope, and do not let despair take thee, Kaeya Ragnvindr,"
Diluc looks at Venti who is sipping wine. Venti just giggles and gives Diluc a wink.
The Knights stifles a sob as his tears flow once again. Weeping in front of an Archon, how has a Khaenri'ahn fallen, thought Kaeya, a shadow of a grin visible to the observant God. Barbatos patiently waits for Kaeya to compose himself, and yet the Archon does not speak, looking at the latter in expectation. Kaeya finds himself at a loss before connecting the dots and daring himself to plead,
"I... I have never had faith in the Archons, Barbatos-"
"My pledge of freedom extends to all within this land of the wind, even to a Khaenri'ahn," "Per-perhaps, but ..."
"Yes?"
"Please, please tell me, is Diluc safe?!" chokes out the adopted brother of the missing Ragnvindr heir, desperation clear as the knight uncharacteristically bows.
Tears form in both of the Ragbros eyes. The people whit siblings also got emotional.
The Archon smile widens, if a little, in return, grabbing Kaeya's shoulders to straighten the taller mortal back to his standing height with the latter's shock palpable, not anticipating an Archon, a divine being, to be capable of being oh-so human.
"There is no need for that, Kaeya, we are not in Inazuma. Diluc Ragnvindr is alright, for now, though you wish for his safety, do you not?"
The Khaenri'ahn nods, feeling the Archon's hands — pleasant, not cold and not warm, he thinks — leave his shoulders, seeing him adopting his previous posture, a right hand extended to the mortal, which the latter now perceive correctly as an invitation to a handshake.
"I am not the God of Contracts, for I am not and never will be Morax, but know this: the winds shall watch over him, and in time, shall guide him back to Mondstadt. Will this suffice?"
Zhongli gives Venti an amused smile while Venti just smirks.
Hesitating for a second, then two, before grasping the Archon's hand with both of his own, Kaeya thanks the God in half-disbelief ti the offer, "Th-thank you, Lord—"
"Do not force yourself to call me with a title you feel unfit for such a, as Morax puts it, lazy god such as I," cut Barbatos, his smile now a smirk. "The winds shall be with you as they will also guide Diluc, child of Khaenri'ah, but... tell me, are you not, in heart, a true Mondstadter, Kaeya Ragnvindr?"
The Anemo Archon lets Kaeya's hands go, before vanishing into thin air with a twinkle in his eye. The knight trembles at the disappearance of the divine, but before he can move, the breeze speaks again,
"Now return to Mondstadt, o Knight, and please, have faith: not in me, but in your brother, for he will return."
-I took him 5 years but he returned - Jean jokes as te Monstadters smile.
-Well that is it i guess? - Nilou ask
-"Well we have something whit this"
The night of Knight Alberich's return, the records of Captain Albedo would later note, coincide with the warmest night Dragonspine had ever experienced in recent history.
As for Diluc? He would, every so often, feel the winds around him blowing towards Mondstadt, calling for him to come home.
-Ah.. So thats why -Albedo says.
Kaeya looks at Diluc shocked while Diluc just looks at Venti amused.
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Hope you enjoyed this! This was shorter than the last one sorry😅🥲
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