Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I

Summer in Liyue always finishes with the end of hot days and the onset of torrential storms, or so the locals say, but for Childe, that point between seasons is always marked by Miss  Ming's tanghulu, a traditional sweet that consists of a skewer of caramel fruits. His favorites were those made with shān zhā berries, which Zhongli told him are only eaten at this time of year.

Childe had not been in the nation of geo for many days when one fruitful evening he and his consultant passed in front of Miss Ming's candy stand, the tanghulu were the first thing that caught his attention, and after hearing an extensive story of the origin of the tanghulu from the consultant, Childe decided to try the classic shān zhā. The acidity of the fruit juice and the sweet caramel made his taste buds explode, and from that moment on he decided to make it an annual tradition to return to that stall, buy his favorite tanghulu and celebrate the beginning of autumn by going on a special date with his now boyfriend Zhongli. 

This year's special date was a romantic evening dining at Liuli Pavilion— leader in the Li dining style. Childe could almost taste the matsutake-cured beef and the juicy strips of spice-fried meat—but not before enjoying Liyue's most famous opera in first-class seats. The tickets had cost him an eye from the head and a favor for Yun Jin, but he had already resigned himself to doing anything for his beloved.

Yep, everything indicated that it would be a dazzling night, and in the not-so-deep bottom of his mind he hoped that after their date the adventure would continue in the privacy of their home, preferably in their room, under the covers... Okay! Okay! He needs to stop thinking that kind of thing in public... But, could you blame him? What else is supposed to occupy Childe's fanciful mind if not those beautiful ; bright; warm golden eyes?

Usually he didn't have to wait that long to make his plans with Zhongli, this was a date he had had in mind for several weeks. 

«We were supposed to go today» he thought bitterly. 

If he could, he would give his entire salary as long as the date of the opera was brought forward and he wouldn’t have to wait until next week, but there are things that even money cannot achieve, so he would have to use all his mental faculties not to die of impatience. For now, it seems that the excitement of announcing Zhongli his plans will have to be enough, and with two tanghulu in hand and two golden tickets in his pocket, he walked into Wansheng’s Funeral Parlor.

The pine planks creaked as he entered the reception area, and it only took him one step inside the premises for the strong and familiar aroma of myrrh incense filled his nostrils; but something much more pleasant caught his attention, and that was that Zhongli was just leaving his office. As soon as he saw him, a smile graced the consultant's smooth face.

"Childe, what a nice surprise, I was just about to go out to find you for our lunch."

"There wasn't much to do at the bank today, so I left early." He didn't mention that he preferred to distract himself from a certain situation that he could do nothing but wait for. "And ta-da! I brought tanghulus and one more surprise!"

"Hmm, so the day has finally arrived. Very well, in that case lunch can wait. Come, let's sit down."

The funeral parlor had a sitting area normally used by customers when they had to wait a long time, but luckily today it was empty, so they were free to make themselves comfortable on the couch.

“Here you go,” Childe handed him the fruit stick, “And I made sure they were the freshest berries in the entire stand, Ming herself told me so.”

“I appreciate it,” but before he could take the first bite Childe interrupted him.

“Wait! First the other surprise, then we can eat the tanghulu on the way to Warmin.”

“Very well,” he put down the tanghulu, his smile seeming to grow wider, “I’m ready.”

“First close your eyes! And no cheating!”

Zhongli obeyed, but his smile revealed that beneath that apparent calmness was hidden the enthusiasm of a dragon.

Zhongli always deeply treasured all the gifts Childe courted him with, but when they were in the safety of their home and Zhongli let his draconic features like his soft tail and horns slip, Childe would go three times as hard to please his partner, anything to see that beautiful tail sway back and forth like a happy puppy. Childe loved it, and he knew that if Zhongli was in his half-dragon form, his tail would probably be dancing in happiness right now.

“Okay, you can see now.”

Although the tickets could never reach the bright gold of Zhongli’s eyes, the colors came very close, and when they saw themselves reflected in them, the former Archon’s geometric pupils dilated three times their size.

It was no secret that Zhongli loved opera, Childe did too, battle stories were very entertaining, but there was no one who loved them as much in the entire port as Zhongli himself. Acting, acrobatics, martial arts, fine arts, music and poetry combined. As Zhongli once told him, that was proof of his people's evolution; it didn't surprise him that he looked at each one of them like a proud father.

"The Liyue Opera." He carefully took the tickets and ran his fingers over the textured paper. "It has gained prestige in the last year, after all Yun Jin puts on a performance of the highest quality, and the musicalization is considered to be among the best of recent times." If looks could melt hearts, Ajax's would have been gone long ago. "I imagine it wasn't easy to get them; thank you very much, I'm sure it will be a fantastic night."

No matter how many times Zhongli saw him with those little eyes full of unconditional love - the same ones he always put on every time he gave him the smallest detail, woke up with his hair disheveled, or did something stupid - Ajax's heart never failed to skip a beat that left him with a tangle of warm and incomprehensible feelings.

He and Zhongli had been dating for almost two years. It's very curious, of course it wasn't the first time he was attracted to a person, but he had never had such a... long-lasting relationship . His adolescence had been spent entirely in the fatui, and by the time he had regained an acceptable mental balance and began to notice his peers, Childe already had a reputation as a bloodthirsty madman; people his age were afraid of him; and older people, mistrusted him. After that, he went from mission to mission, never staying too long in any  place, and although on many of those trips there were people who caught his attention, the short time he knew them was not enough to even establish a friendly relationship, and the thing is that nobody became friends with a damned fatui, much less a herald.

He did not believe that his first time in the trading nation three years ago would be different. Yes, by the nature of the mission he knew it would last longer than usual, after all stealing the gnosis of the oldest Archon of Teyvat would not be easy. For several months he prepared for the day of the Rite of Descent, taking care to learn as much as he could about Liyue, both for his strategic advantage and to remember in his heart, because he knew that after this mission it was likely that he would never set foot on these lands again.

The Northland Bank hired him a consultant, very well versed in everything that had to do with history and culture. Zhongli was very handsome, anyone could tell, but although Childe did not consider himself a lover of long and tedious monologues, he discovered that Zhongli's voice had the perfect tone, he spoke with complete confidence, and although his voice sounded somewhat monotonous, it was always loaded with some kind of emotion behind it that Childe could not decipher. For the first time in a long time, Childe felt like an eight-year-old boy again, mesmerized by the tales of heroes and adventures that his father told him while they were fishing.

Childe quickly discovered that he really liked Zhongli's company, he was an enigmatic person who seemed to be out of this world, he felt unreal. It wasn't until Childe accompanied him for the first time on a stroll through the market that he witnessed the seemingly most refined person in all of Teyvat blush when he realized he didn't bring his wallet. It was the most tender and human thing Childe had ever seen Zhongli do, and since it made him laugh out loud, he decided to pay for it. That was only the first of many times.

Zhongli often forgot his wallet, frowned when someone contradicted one of his stories, turned green when he saw seafood dishes, and his eyes sparkled like the sun when he saw something he liked. Zhongli found value in everything, from the simplest things like a peculiarly shaped ginkgo leaf to the most expensive noctilucous jade on the market. Zhongli felt, and he felt in such a contradictory and vivid way that Childe often failed to understand, because the man had the knowledge of twenty libraries together, but failed to understand many social situations; he liked being alone, but he didn't like loneliness; He liked the more expensive plays, but he enjoyed watching the children at the port playing with wooden swords.

Childe supposes that it was in one of these moments that he fell in love with Zhongli. But he realized that he would have to swallow his feelings, because whatever was between the two of them would end the day Childe ripped the gnosis from his god's ribs.

Then came the revelation, and Childe realized that he had never actually had his heart broken before. He believed that past hurts would be difficult to overcome, but this betrayal was a different kind of pain. He was so clouded with anger that he was about to get on a ship and never look back at the nation that had been his home for the past few months, but a certain consultant from the Wansheng Funeral Parlor showed up, and made him an offer that Childe couldn’t ignore.

Under the first storm of autumn their weapons dueled . They danced and struck, there were lightning bolts, screams and bruises. Childe never got his revenge. Within two hours, he lay on his back with a spear in his neck. He had lost, and as their agreement dictated, Childe listened to the former archon's words.

Childe missed his ship back to Snezhnaya, and never attempted to board another.

It took him several days to digest what Morax... no, Zhongli , had said. He had doubts about its veracity. How could he believe them? How could he even think that someone—a god, of all things—had feelings for him? A fatui, a herald, a monster from the abyss.

And yet, afraid to put his heart on a silver platter again, he decided he would give it one chance, just one. And that was all Zhongli needed to change his life forever.

Childe could safely say that he had never felt so happy, so complete, so at peace in his entire life. Sure, he still had missions to complete, and more often than he would like he had to leave Zhongli stranded in Liyue, but he always came back. After a while, they even started living together, in Zhongli's apartment.

Life was beautiful, it truly was; Zhongli had taught him to see how beautiful everything could be, including himself. Before, he considered himself a mere weapon of combat, a destructive monster that the best it could do was to give his life to serve a great cause like the Tsaritsa´s. But today... he feels human, still full of ambition and hunger for carnage, but human nonetheless.

And it is because of that humanity that he was blushing right now under Zhongli's loving gaze. He took a bite of the tanghulu. At least he could try to hide his embarrassment a little.

"Uhm, it's hot today, isn't it?" Childe asked, turning his head, in an attempt to keep Zhongli from seeing his new skin tone.

"Hmm," Zhongli put his hand to his chin, as he always did when he thought about something. "No, in fact, it seems to me that today is much cooler than yesterday. Ah, Childe, are you okay? You look a little red” he tried to put a hand on his forehead.

“I'm fine! I'm telling you it's hotter today!”

«Seriously, we've been dating for almost two years now, why am I still acting like this?» he thought.

“Maybe your body hasn't adapted to this climate as well as I thought, we should…” the front door was heard opening, Zhongli took a look and immediately brought his fingers to his frown in frustration. “Director, how many times have I told you that this is the worst place to do such a cleaning?”

Childe turned to see his savior. Hu Tao looked the same as always, her two brown pigtails waving behind her and that smile that didn't predict anything good scaring away any interaction with a normal human —good thing they weren't normal, one wasn't even a human to begin with—, what was definitely new was the wooden cage she was carrying, kept away from her body as if it were a contagious virus. The cage was lined with stamps with symbols Childe didn't know about, there were so many that he could barely make out the old mirror inside between the bars.

This suddenly got interesting.

"Hey, Hu Tao, what do you have there?"

"Aiya, greetings, Fatui boy." She waved his hand, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. It looked like someone had just spoiled his party. "While I'm usually glad to see my favorite customer provider, I was hoping Zhongli would have already gone on his break."

"Did you expect to sneak that in while I was gone? Luckily Childe kept me here. Director, I must dissuade you again from doing that kind of thing in a funeral parlor; while I don't doubt your ability to control the situation, if something went wrong it would be blasphemy for one of our customers to..."

"Oh, come on, Mr. Zhongli! You said it yourself: I have skill in these things. I even used more seals than necessary just in case something went wrong! See? I'm very careful.”

Childe didn't understand a word they were saying, but he could sense interesting topics a mile away. He usually didn't get into Zhongli's work, just as he didn't get into his, but since he was here and his curiosity had been already piqued, he refused to let them exclude him from all the fun. His tanghulu could wait.

"Stop, stop, stop... what are you even talking about? What is blasphemous? And why did you imprison that mirror?" He pointed at the cage.

"Hehe, but it's not just any mirror." She wiggled the fingers of her free hand, a gesture adults often use when telling horror stories to children. "It's a mirror possessed by the mother-in-law of a future client! Boo!" She stuck out her tongue.

Perfect, this is exactly what he was talking about.

"Really?!" Childe jumped up from his seat “Great! Well, it's not great for your client... but great! Can I touch it?”

Zhongli grabbed his wrist before he could do anything. When did he stand up?

“Definitely not. Childe, any contact with this kind of objects could be dangerous, the mere fact that the Director brought it to a funeral parlor is reprehensible ” he gave Hu Tao his most annoyed expression.

“But it has a lot of talismans!” Hu Tao pouted.

“What's wrong with it?” Childe came to her defense, anything to keep himself entertained.  “A haunted object in a place full of dead people? Sounds like its ideal place to me, doesn't it?”

Zhongli kept his expression firm, but Childe already knew him well enough to know that he would have loved to roll his eyes and let out a sigh.

“This object was possessed, it means that what possesses it has enough energy to possess anything else. What do you think would happen if the soul of the mirror came out and came into contact with one of the bodies at the funeral parlor?”

He imagined the soul of a grumpy old lady entering the decaying body of an unlucky young man. The smelly body would walk through the city, eliciting screams from the passersby, and eventually arrive at his son-in-law's house to take revenge for taking his daughter in marriage. If his hatred was strong enough to make her return from the grave, Childe was sure that Hu Tao would gain a new client that day.

Stories of undead from other nations filled his head, all of terror, what was worse than something that couldn't die? They were already dead, after all. However, the ability to continue fighting even without limbs sounded very interesting... a rival unable to die, that was a magnificent idea.

“Zhongli, did you know that giving me the chance to fight a zombie is an excellent anniversary gift?”

Hu Tao burst out laughing, and this time, Zhongli did let out a grunt and put his fingers to his temple.

In the end, Hu Tao had to promise Zhongli that she’d also put talismans around the office where she’ll do the clean up, and that she is going to double-check that there were no remnants of the spirit flying around afterward.

On the way to Warmin Restaurant, Childe kept trying to convince Zhongli why fighting a zombie would be a great idea; at some point in the conversation, Zhongli started rolling his eyes and ignoring him.

II

Childe was chewing on his last tentacle when a breeze from the east caressed his face. «Smells like rain.» He turned his head over his shoulder, and saw the first cloud laden with water over the sea. The storm was barely a speck of ash on the horizon, but there was no doubt that it was heading towards their location, and soon the forests and ravines of Liyue would become wet and slippery.

He snapped an octopus sucker with his molars, and for the first time the seafood bathed in tomato broth with onion and ginger did not help to weigh down his mood.

“Is everything alright?” Zhongli asked with a frown from the other side of the table, he had also finished his dish.

Childe sighed.

“It seems that the storms will be very strong this year,” he tried to fake a smile.

“How strange, normally you love rain. Is it something work-related that you're worried about?”

As always, Zhongli hit the nail on the head.

“You got me, haha,” Childe raised his arms in surrender. “I'm not too sure yet, though; it might be a problem, it might not. I don't want to make a fuss before I know for sure.”

Zhongli raised a hand to his chin.

“When will you know the answer?”

“As soon as I get back to the bank.”

Zhongli studied him for a couple of seconds, then moved his hand across the table, found his, and almost instinctively Childe intertwined their fingers. He gave it a small squeeze.

“Is it serious?” Zhongli wasn't one to let the worry show behind his voice in public, but to Childe, it was as palpable as the dagger hidden in his left boot.

“No, no,” he quickly replied. It wasn't worth making Zhongli feel bad about something like this. “It's just that... agh, I wouldn't want that to get in the way of our plans for next week.”

The tension in his partner's shoulders immediately vanished, he let out a sigh and his sweet smile finally returned.

“ Oh, Childe , you don't have to worry about that, I'm sure things will work out on time; and if not, it's okay, we can always go to the opera another time.”

“But it's a special date!”

“I know, I don't like the idea of ​​having to postpone it either;” he raised Childe's hand, brought his knuckles to his lips and kissed each one separately “but I would like even less for you to rush through your work just for me, it could be dangerous.”

Childe's face suddenly felt very hot. There was nothing he wanted more in the world than to be frozen in that moment with Zhongli; and at the same time, he wanted to run away and jump into the ocean.

“Hmm” he purred. If Zhongli started this game, then Childe had no choice but to reciprocate. With his free hand he brushed a lock of hair from Zhongli's forehead, and traced the curve of his forehead, cheek, and even chin. "It's not that kind of dangerous work, but I know what you mean. Don't worry, I don't have any upcoming plans that will put me in mortal danger, unless His Majesty orders me to."

"Hmm, I'm glad." Zhongli gave him a slightly longer kiss on the back of his hand, and let him go. Childe also took his hand away, he doubted Xiangling would enjoy a scene in her restaurant. "Then, I wish you good news. Our break is almost over, we better get going." They stood up at the same time. "I'm leaving work early today, I'll be waiting for you at home."

«He'll be waiting for me at home.»

Even after all this time, Ajax still couldn't believe that all of this was real.

“ Ah, you haven't even left my sight and I already miss you, Zhongli, how did you turn me into someone so mushy and sentimental?”

Zhongli let out a small laugh as he headed out of the establishment. Childe left a sack of mora with a humble amount of extra tip on the table. Outside, they gave each other a final farewell kiss, and both of them made their way back to work.

III

Contrary to his partner's wishes, the news waiting for him in his office were anything but good. Not even the masks covering half of his captains' faces could hide the tension in their jaws.

"Not a single signal? Key message? Nothing? "

"We checked twice, sir." Aleksander stepped forward. "The last ones who saw them were those in Sector 04 of the Northern Zone, and that was ten days ago."

"And the bases on the edge of Sumeru?"

"They claim to have seen nothing, but they are not very reliable, sir," Polina spoke this time. "With the recent internal conflict in Sumeru, surveillance has become more difficult. I do not doubt that there have been infiltrations into the nation that have gone unnoticed."

Tartaglia had also read the reports. Sumeru's informants were not reliable at the moment, not to mention that the Matra would nip at the heels of any Fatui for the slightest inconvenience; so aside from being unreliable, they were few and far between. As usual, Tartaglia only had the Fatui stationed in Liyue to rely on.

«What a tragedy.»

A group of ten recruits had left thirteen days ago on an expedition into the forests of northwestern Liyue. None returned.

Recruit expeditions into poorly guarded areas had been a tradition of Fatui training since long before Tartaglia joined the organization. Not only did they serve as a challenge for the newcomers, but being unsupervised and without hope of help brought out their survival skills and true nature.

From time to time, one or another group suffered an accident; Childe himself recalls that on his last expedition as a recruit, one of his companions died after the snow beneath his feet gave way, and he fell off a cliff and cracked his head forty meters below. During his training, he also heard of entire expeditions getting lost and by the time they were found they were mere ice statues.

But all of that was in the cruel cold of Snezhnaya: food was scarce; water frozen; every night there were storms whose snow could bury you alive or gusts of wind could tear you out of the mountains; sometimes weeks would pass and the sun would not rise, nor the stars; there were all kinds of wild animals, from wolves to giant bears, who would do anything to get food; the snow beneath your feet could collapse and no one would know what happened to you; at any moment there could be an avalanche; and for all those who survived any of these things, if they did not manage to return they went mad, lost in the endless white desert; They ate each other, or died under a thick layer of ice.

Liyue was a paradise in comparison. Yes, people still slipped off cliffs; yes, caves collapsed and people got trapped; yes, you could be seriously injured by the charge of a wild boar or a beast that had come from Sumeru. But Tartaglia trained his recruits to perfection, not allowing any to be left alone, and he drilled into their heads the formations that they should always follow at all times, whether it was an expedition or another type of mission. So even if there were accidents, there would always be a companion nearby capable of sending a message for help, and Tartaglia would rush to their rescue, wherever they were.

Although he had only been a Herald for a few years compared to his companions, Tartaglia had never lost a single recruit.

And yet, none of the ten who left the city had sent a message, a code for help, or a letter justifying their delay.

Four days late and no sign.

Something was wrong.

“Prepare a 20-member excursion, I need healers, wagons to transport the wounded…” «if for some reason they entered a cave and there was a collapse, they would have to use gunpowder.» “...and explosive cannons too. Oh, and Dmitry should postpone his vacation, we need him” it was his fastest messenger “We leave tomorrow at dawn.”

“Sir, yes sir.”

IV

The sky was a sea of ​​stars and nebulas by the time Childe finally made his way home. Despite the hour, the city sparkled with life under its streetlights and lanterns; the restaurants and bars were packed with adults, and the few children on the street were fast asleep in their parent’s arms. A sweet smell stung his nose, and he promised himself to check out the new food stalls next week.

The muscles in his back and shoulders ached, tired from all the extra time he had to spend preparing for the next day's excursion. Incredibly, he felt happy. It had been three years since he arrived, but he couldn't stop remembering the days in Snezhnaya where at the end of his day he would arrive to an empty, dark apartment, where the only people who could be happy about his return—his little brothers—lived miles away from the capital, in quiet Morepesok.

Here, the city embraced him warmly, the collective joy was contagious, and every step he took closer to home felt lighter than the last.

“I’m home!” he announced as he opened the door. “Sorry I’m late!” he took off his boots and left them next to his partner’s shoes.

Zhongli came out of the kitchen wearing a white apron and no gloves; he had a beautiful smile.

“Welcome home, baobei,” he gave him a long kiss on the lips that Ajax received with great pleasure.

They were soft and slightly moist, their herbaceous flavor betraying that Zhongli had just drunk that valerian tea he loved to make before bed. And there was something else too…

“Hmm, is that pelmeni I smell?”

“A comforting meal always helps relieve tension after a day at work, especially if it’s from your homeland. I made tea too, and the bath salts are almost ready, with the candles you like.

«This man is going to be my downfall. »

“Oww, Zhongliii” how is he supposed to not feel all warm and fuzzy inside if he had clearly done all this just because he mentioned there was a problem at work? Zhongli was officially the best boyfriend in Teyvat and any kingdom below or above. “You are too good for me, you know that?” he brought his face closer and brought their foreheads together. He was dying to have him close and kiss him, but he knew that one wrong move and the dinner Zhongli had prepared with so much care would end up cold.

“On the contrary, I am the lucky one who has miraculously managed to get you to notice him” Zhongli hugged him by the neck. “I am just trying to live up to it.”

That was it, that ended up destroying all the self-control Ajax had and he lunged at Zhongli's mouth. This time it was neither tender nor gentle, both became thirsty for each other's caresses, and without Ajax realizing it, he already had his hands under Zhongli's shirt, exploring his back; while the latter held his hair with one hand and tried to unbutton the collar of Ajax's shirt with the other.

He wanted Zhongli. He needed Zhongli. He didn't know how he would live without him all week.

That made him stop.

Zhongli noticed it immediately.

—Ajax? ... is something wrong?

At that moment he didn't want to look him in the eyes. It didn't matter that during lunch Zhongli assured him that nothing would happen if they delayed their date, Ajax was a trained soldier so that everything he did was done perfectly. How would he live with himself knowing everything Zhongli did for him and he couldn't even make their date happen on time?

Ajax let out a sigh.

“Do you remember what I told you at lunch?”

Zhongli seemed to deflate.

“It was bad news.”

Ajax nodded.

“A group of recruits got lost in northern Liyue, it's not normal that they haven't sent any message or distress signal, they probably got stuck inside a cave or something, so I'll have to go find them, I'll leave early tomorrow.”

For some reason, that relaxed him a little.

“Hmm…” Zhongli put a hand to his chin. “Many of your scouting recruits tend to get lost throughout the year, and you always manage to bring them all back safe and sound; as far as I remember, you haven't failed even once. Why are you so worried?”

“ Ack! Well…” he felt embarrassed. “The recruits aren't what I'm worried about... I'm sure they're fine... it's weird that they haven't sent a single message but there are a lot of reasons for that, maybe their flares got wet, or they can't get out of a cave... which isn't a problem because I can find them quickly with the elemental trail from delusions and visions.”

“Right. So..?”

“So... agh ” he gave up. “I don't like having to go out so close to our special date.”

Zhongli chuckled, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“We'll spend as much time as you want when you get back, okay? I'll be right here, waiting for you. Plus, whenever you come back from a mission you get a few days off, we can take advantage of that and go somewhere without having to worry about the time. Ah , we can stay in bed late” Zhongli's eyes sparkled with something dangerous at that last bit.

Suddenly earning those days off sounded like an excellent idea.

“Well…” Ajax acted disinterested “I guess I'll have to go and earn those vacations, it would be a shame not to be able to stay up late with my boyfriend in such a pleasant season; it will be so fresh that it's best to stay very close to each other, don't you think Mister Zhongli?”

“Hmm, I agree.”

They had accidentally gotten closer again, and well, what did a third kiss matter?

When they separated, Zhongli looked beautiful —as always—. And Ajax found himself falling for him all over again.

“I’ll be back no later than Tuesday next week, and on Thursday we’ll go to the opera, that’s a promise.”

Zhongli rolled his eyes and sighed.

“We agreed this afternoon that you wouldn’t do things in a rush. Hmph, what would Rex Lapis’ followers say if they saw his teachings going in one ear and out the other?”

“Lucky you’re not Rex Lapis and just the completely normal Mr. Zhongli, funeral parlor  consultant, right? Don’t worry, you said it: I’ve found lost recruits in a matter of days, I’ll probably even come back sooner. Now, how about we try that pelmeni? I wouldn’t want the wonderful dinner my boyfriend made with so much love to get cold.”

Later that night, after their shared bath, Ajax was sprawled out on his bed, wearing only the red silk nightgown with the giant wave print he loved so much. Zhongli was not far away, brushing his long hair in front of the mirror. Since he always wore it up, it was easy to forget how long it was. And what a good choice, because the silky hair that cascaded down his back gave off a certain golden shine at the tips, worthy of a god. During the day and tightly tied, the shine could be mistaken for the reflection of the sun; but here, with no light other than that of the moon itself that filtered through the window, neither Ajax nor anyone else could doubt his divinity.

«Anyone would see him and know that he is Rex Lapis. »

«How lucky I am. »

Although his muscles no longer ached, his body felt heavy as lead; Tiredness was enveloping him like a warm blanket, and at the same time, the relaxation after the bath made him feel like his body was dissolving into the sheets. Still, he didn't dare close his eyes, because he knew that the next time he opened them he would have to leave and he wouldn't see Zhongli for a while.

Finally, the mattress sank beside him; his muscles protested as he moved, but it was worth it to wrap his arms around his partner's torso. Zhongli reciprocated, and began to massage his back in circles to release the tension that had survived the bath.

So close and intertwined, it seemed like they had always been destined to be together. They fit so perfectly, with or without Zhongli's tail that was currently curling around his leg.

Ajax looked up, and saw a pair of shining horns in the darkness, which did not take away in any way from the eyes of the same tone. They were like two little suns in the middle of the ocean, two inextinguishable lanterns that would always be there to light his way out from the dark abyss.

«How lucky I am.»

“Is this a staring contest?” Zhongli asked jokingly.

Ajax let out a laugh.

“No... I was just thinking... how did I go from being a weapon of the Tsaritsa to being able to enjoy nights like this?”

“You deserve all this and more. The past treated you poorly, but now that you're with me I won't let you feel that way again.” He gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“Hmm...” Sleep was finally getting the better of him and he allowed himself to close his eyes. “You do a great job Zhongli... I don't want to ever be away from you.”

“Nor I from you. Rest, tomorrow will be a hard day.”

Ajax merely made a sound of agreement, too tired to respond, and snuggled up against Zhongli's chest, letting himself be lulled by his warmth and the sweet scent of crystal lilies he gave off.

«How lucky I am.»

V

The next morning, Zhongli had prepared a nutritious breakfast for him and a snack for later. Ajax felt a little guilty that the other had gotten up before dawn just for him, but he also couldn't deny that a large part of him was writhing in pleasure at his partner's displays of love.

With his light backpack on his back and half a foot out of the door, Ajax said goodbye with a slow kiss with tongue; when they separated, Zhongli had rosy cheeks.

"Something to remember me." He gave him one of his classic mocking smiles.

"Hmph, even if the earth and sky collapsed, nothing could stop my mind from flying around you."

He felt the blood rush to his head.

"You were supposed to be the one blushing, not me!" Ajax covered his cheeks with his hands, but Zhongli was quick to pull them away and plant a kiss on each cheek.

“I'll be waiting for you. Have a good trip, and please be very careful” he gave his hands one last squeeze before letting them go.

“I'll be back in no time! I promise that the opera night will be the best we've had so far!”

“I'm sure it will.”

“Well, I'm going late” he walked down the steps of the entrance and waved his hand vigorously, with a huge smile plastered on his face. “Goodbye Zhongli! See you in a couple of days! I love you!”

Zhongli also waved goodbye, although much calmer and more refined.

“Goodbye Ajax, I love you too” he said, although he knew that his receiver could no longer hear him.

As Zhongli watched that red-haired head disappear between the streets of his city, the first rays of dawn began to filter through the horizon. The air smelled of rain and dew, a gentle breeze ruffling his hair. When there was no hope of being able to continue watching Childe, he turned around and went back inside.

If only Zhongli had had a little idea of ​​what was about to happen, he would never have allowed Ajax to cross that door.

Chapter Text

I

Liyue is a land filled with creatures of all kinds: large and small, friend and foe, flying and terrestrial, creatures that roamed the plains of Guili with the purpose of guiding lost travelers, of providing protection and wisdom; and others that sought the immediate annihilation of anything that dared to cross their path.

On one side of the scale there could be placed the territorial geovishaps; beasts that since their infancy were both cute and deadly, blessed with the influence of the geo element and with a speed that was too fast for such large and heavy beings. They had claws the size of gauntlets that could break your ribs with one swipe. Most ordinary humans who encountered an adult one met their fate between the fetid jaws of these beasts, the last song they heard being the guttural roars filled with the hatred of a fallen kingdom, the living fury of the archaic land.

On the other side, we should put the Quilin , beings similar to deer or horses, with shiny ascending manes, beards, partially scaled and almost always represented in the scrolls as wrapped in flames. They were benevolent, compassionate, omens of peace and prosperity. Creatures so gentle that they could step on the grass without disturbing it.

Zhongli once told Childe that although the purest form of these beasts once abounded, today the only descendants of the race were barely half Quilin. Even the great Rex Lapis lacked the pure blood of these, as he shared blood in equal parts with dragons, another race that only the earth and rock themselves had the privilege of remembering seeing them roam around Liyue. One time, Childe asked Zhongli if he could step on the grass without disturbing it, but he replied that that was one of the aspects that he unfortunately could not inherit from his progenitor; Failing that, he could float over the grass if he wanted to, but that wasn't the same thing.

Childe wondered if Mountain Tianheng—so tall, imposing, and ancient, rising west of its people and giving shade to its inhabitants for centuries—had perhaps witnessed those flaming beasts, their gentle nature, and their protective instinct that flared up like a flame if some innocent was in danger. He wondered… If the rock could speak and recount the countless battles won and lost, the massacres and disasters, would it put him like Tartaglia—who has splattered the lands and valleys with the blood of the entrails of debtors—on the side of the scale of the geovishaps; or would it put him on the side of the Quilin like Ajax, the young foreigner who played with the children of the port and on weekends accompanied an old consultant to clean the graves of his fallen friends?

Perhaps Mountain Tianheng would place him in the middle, never belonging to the darkness but never welcomed alongside the light; or perhaps it would not even consider him, his life so fleeting and insignificant that he would never be a match for the enlightened beasts and atrocious monsters that once passed before its inconsummable height. With any luck, the mountain would remember that those agents of the snowy lands—who have brought nothing but blood and misfortune to its lands—were today setting out from its base towards the northwest, seeking to aid their lost comrades.

The first day of their journey was the easiest. So close to the city, the path west was devoid of any fights that would get any of the group's blood pumping—the most dangerous creatures being the occasional cryo whopperflower and some geo slimes. They passed by ruins of ancient civilizations and recent but crumbling houses; they kicked the ass of a bunch of treasure hoarders from the mountain range to the turnoff to the Danyu Ruins; they gathered wild berries, and some members hunted squirrels.

Childe liked this path precisely because of the absence of the millelith—almost no Liyue residents went to the ruins on purpose, making the place the perfect spot for a fatui base. There were agents all around the area, so they took advantage of it to take a break, stock up on water, and have lunch.

Next to one of the ponds, he remembered that no more than two years ago he had been in the same place, but with… more pleasant company.

At that time, Childe was still not completely familiar with some of the native words of Liyue, but if there was one thing he had learned, it was that everything usually had an ancient and deep meaning, which... always came accompanied by an exciting story from his favorite consultant.

“Tell me, Xiangsheng ... Why are they called “Danyu Ruins” ? Hm? What does it mean?”

Zhongli took a sip from his teacup before placing it on the huge stone they were sitting on.

“ Danyu? Hm, I think its best translation would be: “The place where jade was exiled”, therefore, you could say that we are now in “The Ruins of Exiled Jade.” Zhongli answered, with his usual impassive face.

“...Okay, but do you know that that left me just as lost? What do you mean by “exiled jade”?” Childe clasped his hands in front of him in supplication, bowed his head, and spoke in that exaggerated tone that bothered the other so much. “Oh, great and wise Mister Zhongli, please save this poor mortal from ignorance and tell me the secrets of this sacred land!”

When he raised his head, Zhongli looked at him with the same grimace he made when Hu Tao told him something extravagant. But he knew he had already won when Zhongli turned his eyes and took his about to tell an incredible and ancient story posture looking towards the ruins.

“You know? If you wanted me to tell you about the history of Danyu, you just had to ask” he took a long sip of tea, and Childe took the opportunity to get closer to him and rest his cheek on an arm resting on his knee.

“I know, but I like it when you change your expression.”

Now, that definitely changed his countenance. Their eyes met. A thin stream of air blew through the hair of both of them. Zhongli had not long since revealed his identity, but for the first time since their fight, Zhongli looked like what he was: a god.

Childe felt the tea getting warm in his stomach. Zhongli seemed to see something in him and smiled.

“Very well…” he looked back at the ruins. “As you have probably heard, legends say that approximately six thousand years ago a shooting star fell from the sky, impacted and formed what is known today as the Chasm.”

“Oh yes, I have heard of the expeditions that Pulcinella sends there for all kinds of things, we should go one of these days.”

“Hmm… knowing you, I think it is better that you never set foot in that place.”

“What? Why not?”

“As I was saying… When that meteorite fell from the sky, several fragments broke off and landed here, and over time, they made jade and all kinds of precious minerals grow all over the area.” he took a sip of tea. “However, those fragments were not like normal minerals, they had their own spirit and vitality. They connected to the ley lines, managing to hear the rush of rivers and land formations. It was like this for a long time... until the Archon War. Both the fragments here and the meteorite from the Chasm couldn't withstand the chaos of war…” Zhongli looked up at the sky, as if he could see something that Childe evidently couldn't. “And they were gone ... they all returned to the sky.”

A few seconds passed.

“Woow. It must have been quite a sight, wasn't it? I can't imagine a bunch of giant meteorites ascending into the sky but... they sure were pretty bright, right?”

“Yes.” Zhongli nodded, melancholy giving way to a bit of happiness at last “Yes, they were. They were like… gold, but brighter... like... little suns.”

“Now you're making it sound even better. Wow! I wish I could have seen it! I mean, I've seen some pretty impressive things, but what the gods have seen is definitely on another level.”

“Hm. They say that boring times are peace times.”

“ Yes, yes. And then what happened next? I suppose that's the part of the story where people built the city, right?” He sipped his tea, sadly realizing that it was already getting cold.

“That's right. After the war, people claimed ore of such high quality that those fragments had grown in the earth. For fifteen hundred years, this was a very prosperous mining city.”

“Fifteen hundred... fifteen hundred... oh, wait... then... Oh.” Childe already knew where this was going. “The Cataclysm.”

Zhongli sighed.

“The Cataclysm brought calamity and destruction to every nation in Teyvat, and Liyue was no exception. The people here were exiled from their own city and migrated to the harbour. That is... in summary, the story of the Danyu Ruins.”

“I see…” Childe looked around, but instead of ruins, in his mind he saw mountains and fortresses covered in precious jade. “Hm, so you thought this would be a very romantic place for our date.” Zhongli almost spit out his tea.

“I… Ahem… ” red? Zhongli was turning red? “I know you really like exploring new places, and... seeing as this place has so much history... well…”

Childe burst out laughing.

“Calm down Zhongli, calm down! I was just joking” he took his hand, and gave it a squeeze “This place is great, thanks for bringing me here.”

Zhongli let out a sigh of relief, smiled, and squeezed back.

“I'm glad you liked it, Ajax.”

It's funny, isn't it? How in such a sad place, new happier memories could be created. Childe knew and still knows that there was no way to erase the painful memories that Zhongli had lived, but... at least he could make it so that now when passing through these places, Zhongli would not only remember the pain and destruction, but also all the times they laughed, ate together, and kissed.

Childe experienced something similar to a lesser extent. The Danyu Ruins did not inspire sadness in him. But the experience of his lunch would have been very different if they had stopped at any place and not where Zhongli and he had their first date.

Thus, at least, he could enjoy good memories, from when they left the ruins, until where the night found them, near the border between Lisha and Minlin.

  II                            

The next day did not smile as much as the first. It dawned grey and damp; it had not rained the night before, but the morning dew had left the tents wet, and the freshness that was usually appreciated in summer was a torment in autumn for those who had already experienced some bone injury, producing deep pain in the inside.

On normal days, travelling along the edge of the Timber Valley to the north provided walkers with a beautiful view of the entire length of the Lumberpick Valley that extended many meters below, where long golden grasslands and even a group of geovishaps could be seen. Now, a dense white mist covered the top of the valley, giving the illusion that beneath the ravine there was nothing but a dark, bottomless abyss where nightmares could inhabit. Not even the small lake where they stopped for lunch was free from its own whitish cloud, although that did not prevent the hunters from catching a couple of foxes.

It was already getting dark when they reached the Fatui base by Hulao Mountain, the famous Sector 04. It was the last point before entering the forest where Liyue met Sumeru, where the trees grew ever taller, and the vegetation ever more abundant. That forest was a dead end on the map of Teyvat, too far from any town in Liyue, too close to the mushroom-infested areas of Sumeru; and if you somehow managed to get out of the forest to the northernmost coast, you would find yourself at the sea that connected to the very distant and inaccessible Fontaine.

As soon as they arrived, they were well received by the established soldiers of the sector, and the first thing Tartaglia did was speak to the captains. To his renewed disappointment, no news had emerged as they traveled about the situation of the missing recruits. What was new, however, was that the Sumeru beasts tended to become unusually nervous at certain hours of the night, and lately many wild boars were running out of the forest, unaware that they were heading straight for a base of hungry fatuis. Tartaglia had the idea that perhaps a caracal had become separated from its pack in Sumeru and somehow ended up lost in the forest... but he was not entirely convinced by the idea. To get there, a caracal would have had to climb the ravines of Sumeru for no reason, when its prey was usually found in lower areas, near the rivers. In any case, he ordered them to keep alert for signs of the felines.

That night, he allowed those who belonged to the expedition to relax a little, while those stationed in the sector kept watch. Tomorrow, that forest would be a tough opponent, especially with the weather they were having. What worried him most was that it would rain before they found the recruits. «If they are trapped in a cave, I hope it is one on higher ground» he thought. The last thing he wanted was for them to end up drowned. And although his blood was screaming at him to run out and look for them alone right now, he knew that these types of rescues could not be done like that. There is a protocol for a reason. When it was just about him, he could take the liberty of making bolder decisions, but he would never put the lives of others at risk for impulsive thoughts.

Today, the moon would not give them its light. While the rest of the camp was illuminated by torches, Childe took his personal notebook and an oil lamp and climbed the side of Hulao Mountain to a rock high enough to see the entire camp from above. He mentally reviewed the positions each man should take, and was glad that his men were so dedicated to their work.

Even up there, he could smell the delicious aroma of roasted boar that those who were allowed to rest were enjoying around the campfire.

“And all the stew I made ended up on the ground! ” he heard Polina exclaim between laughter.

“And that’s good because you always put a lot of salt in it!” Aleksander replied.

“That’s how I like it!”

The soldiers shared a group laugh. Childe liked seeing them so relaxed, they probably didn’t realize that their voices echoed in the valley and he could hear them, but he was happy for them. He saw that Dmitry was laughing with his companions too, at least he was having a good time. Childe made a mental promise to give him a double vacation once they returned to Liyue with the recruits, a form of compensation and apology for having pulled him so suddenly from his days off.

A cold gust of wind blew his clothes momentarily, tickling him, the metal arrowheads at the ends of his scarf colliding with each other with a jingling sound, and Childe couldn't help but laugh. Though he liked Liyue, he also missed the cold of Snezhnaya—a gust like that in his nation would have sent him flying off the mountain.

The flame of the lamp danced a little, reminding him of his impending demise, and Childe remembered what he had gone up there for.

He pulled out his personal notebook and pen, and thought of all the things worth mentioning that he saw that day. His notewook was of brown leather with the port of Liyue engraved on the cover. Kateryne always teased him about it being a diary, but it wasn’t, because if it was, Zhongli would have told him so when he gave it to him last year since “writing is also a form of meditation” and well- so what if it was a diary or not?! It didn’t matter at all. The point is that it helped him concentrate when his head was spinning, plus he could write things to Zhongli that came to his mind and he could also paste pictures or whatever he wanted so it doesn’t matter if it’s a diary or not, because at least he has something to do in his free time when he goes on missions. So… no, it’s definitely not a diary.

Childe spent the whole time writing about the animals he saw and the weather that day. He also wrote something to Zhongli, and even pasted a yellow ginkgo leaf, just because it looked cute.

It wasn’t long that he spent up there, and his soldiers also went to sleep as soon as they finished their dinner. Everyone knew that the next day would be the real challenge. Tomorrow fate would decide whether they would find the recruits, or whether they would find something else instead.

III

The rain dawned. Heavy and strong, accompanied by currents of the devil's wind. The drops hit the soldiers' faces like pellets. It was a battle against the weather until they found themselves in the depths of the forest.

The hazel trees had given way to the imposing sequoias, giant trees up to three meters in diameter whose dense foliage would protect them from the worst of the storm. However, their giant roots intertwined with each other and deformed the path, broke the rock, and jammed the wagons. The rain caused the ground to become muddy and slippery, and the water soon ran down the river between the stones.

They divided into groups, giving priority to searching the lower areas of the forest, where the water accumulated. They shouted the names of their lost comrades, blew whistles and entered the recesses of the earth that were beginning to flood. Tartaglia and the other hydro agents became one with their element to reach the smallest spaces. If they had left any traces, they had already been erased. They searched relentlessly for hours, but the weather was against them, and although the trees held back most of the rain, they also held back the few rays of sunlight that could be seen between the thick clouds.

Tartaglia did not know how long they had been searching when one of his agents found a piece of blue flag with the Fatui insignia stuck between the stones of a stream. They moved upriver, but had to leave the wagons due to the impossibility of climbing the rocky slopes.

After a long time the group stopped when they saw a fir tree split in half, the top of the tree hanging by a few wooden fibers from the trunk that refused to break. There was something terrifying in the way this tree was almost cut down. There are many ways a tree trunk could break: a lightning strike, human intervention, the trunk unable to support its own weight. This one had none of those qualities. The tree wasn't even dead or burned, the trunk was too hard and strong to have given way on its own, and human tools left neat results, nothing like the splintered spikes sticking out of the broken part of the trunk as if forming a mouth with thousands of sharp teeth ready to bite.

The soldiers didn't say a word, but Tartaglia already knew what they were thinking: something as big as a canyon rock had hit that tree... but rocks didn't run away, right?

They kept moving forward. The rain stopped at some point in the afternoon, but they didn't.

The hope of finding what they were looking for turned to fear of what they would find.

Badges and scraps of Fatui uniforms were discovered near trees torn from strange scratches or split in half. Some had dried blood stains that had survived the rain.

The trail of defiled trees and lost items led them to a clearing in the forest. Ever since he had seen the first giant scratches on the tree trunks, Tartaglia had already prepared himself for what he would find. He had visualized in his mind the dead bodies of the young men he had seen weeks before full of energy. He remembered their names and their faces. Damien, Gretzky, Illarion, Veronika, Matvey, Samara, Ninotchka, Samuil, Olya and Zakhar. 

Unwittingly he had sent them all to their deaths. He imagined them rotting in pools of blood, their intestines hanging out and their discolored eyes staring up at the sky. He imagined that many of them would have unrecognizable faces, some would be with missing limbs, and others would have trouble finding their own bodies. All the deaths he had already experienced firsthand among the Fatui, he was reliving them in his mind, replacing the faces of the deceased with the faces of his beloved recruits. With a lump in his throat he continued walking, swearing that he would not let any expression on his face show in front of his comrades.

He had prepared himself to see the bodies of his recruits in the worst conditions. But he had not prepared himself to not find any.

The Fatui camp in the middle of the clearing was in pieces. The pillars of the tents were broken, the tents torn, half-loaded weapons on the ground, cooking tools scattered everywhere, footprints of a huge beast filled with water. But there was not a single body.

This place had been razed by a beast. A huge beast.

They searched the camp for clues, finding more and more scratches, more broken things, but nothing that could indicate that those who lived here had come out of the attack alive.

“Sir, it’s still possible that some may have escaped, there are almost no traces of blood,” Dmitry told him later, from a respectful distance.

They were inside what was left of the main tent of the camp. Tartaglia was crouched, inspecting a steel watch that had gotten a deep scratch on the surface. The watch was no longer working, but the photograph of a little girl kept inside was preserved in perfect condition. All the other soldiers were still searching the surroundings for any clue that would lead somewhere before nightfall. But he knew they wouldn’t find any.

“A little blood left after that rain… here where there are no trees… I’d say it’s a very bad sign.” He stood up. “I counted the weapons, they were all the ones they had for the excursion. No one would have run off unarmed.” Tartaglia finally turned to look at him. He couldn't see Dmitry's face behind the pyro agent mask, but he knew his jaw must have been tense. Before he wore a mask, he used to do that.

“They might have dropped them, many were found a considerable distance from the camp.”

“Next to giant footprints and broken logs around it?”

Dmitry didn't answer.

“Do you know who this belonged to?” he held up the watch so he could see the photograph.

“...it must be the sister or cousin of one of the recruits. Agents don't usually talk about their close family... so I can’t be sure.” He answered, his hands clenched.

“You're almost right. She's Illarion's niece, see? She has the same nose as him. He asked me for permission to go visit his family in winter, it was going to be a surprise for her since he's her only uncle, and since it was the first time being away for so long he had prepared many souvenirs from Liyue for her. He seemed like a very loving uncle, maybe if he hadn't joined the Fatui he would have had children. We'll send the watch to his family along with the gifts he had prepared. I hope it's what he would have wanted.” He closed the watch with a click and put it in his pocket. He walked past Dmitry to leave the tent.

“Sir…”

“Ah, yes,” he paused. “Have you found an alternate route to get the wagons up?”

“Yes, sir, they are heading this way right now, it shouldn’t take them long.”

“Good.”

“Sir, if you allow me… it might be a good idea for me to go to Sector 04 for more ammunition, I am the fastest of all, I can make several routes…”

“No. You will stay here and rest while we clean and prepare the place. I need you to recover all your energy.” Tartaglia pulled a daguerreotype from his backpack. “Because when I finish, I am going to ask you to do something much worse .”

Chapter Text

I

Childe remembered the Rite of Descension vividly. Perched on the roof of the Northernland Bank building, he watched the dark clouds swirl and drop the lifeless body of Rex Lapis onto his own altar in front of Yiyan Temple. And for a brief but unreasonable second, Childe feared that it had been his fault.

Even from afar, he could see the majesty of the creature lying on the ground. It was in a sorry position now, but it wasn't hard for Childe to imagine the brown mane blowing in the wind and the sharp claws slicing through enemies. He must admit that... he may have underestimated Rex Lapis's appearance. Of course he had seen the paintings and murals, but he believed that this was a romanticization of his actual appearance by his people, for he would never have imagined that a dragon could look so... elegant? refined?

Childe had seen dragons before; many, actually. In the Abyss, he and his master had to escape entire packs on more than one occasion, and those things were… horrible . Misaligned teeth so large they couldn’t fit inside their own jaws, enormous proportions, and eyes glowing like molten iron, a window straight to hell.

The dragons he had to exterminate in Snezhnaya weren’t much different. Though made of ice instead of the dark, viscous mass of the Abyss, they were just as abhorrent.

Where were Rex Lapis’s enormous, bone-crushing fangs? Where was that grotesque, disproportionate body, with more muscle than flesh to tear apart his enemies? Why did his tail look as soft as a cotton cloud? It didn’t make sense!

“Is it because you’re half qilin? The other dragons didn’t look like you?” Childe asked Zhongli months later, on one of their many outings outside the city.

They had only recently patched up their relationship, and Childe had many questions about his true nature.

“Although my qillin half affects my appearance to a certain extent, I actually share many similarities with the dragons of old. Those of Liyue, at least.”

“But… I don’t understand… Why do you look so… good? ”

That made Zhongli stop mid-step, and he raised an eyebrow.

“Ehm. What I mean… is that the other dragons I’ve seen look a lot like each other. Savage, monstrous, human-devouring… but you … you’re nothing like that. Sure your size is intimidating, but that’s only because you’re big… And besides, you said the dragons here were peaceful?”

“Hmm… I see what you’re trying to say,” Zhongli finally resumed his walk. “Throughout my life, I have also encountered dragon races of a more grotesque size, and although I do not know the history of dragons from other nations, I suppose that in times of war and famine, it is normal for the strongest to prevail, which are often... the wildest.”

“So... Do you think that long before, there were peaceful dragons in other places... like Snezhnaya?”

“Very likely.” Zhongli stopped again, but this time to see a brown lizard eating an insect on a tree root. “This world has taught me time and time again that the diversity of species seems infinite. The creatures that existed before do not exist today, and those of today will not be those that will exist later, but life always finds a way.”

Childe also stopped to look at the lizard, who was calmly enjoying his meal.

“And... Were there ever aggressive dragons here in Liyue?”

Suddenly, a larger, greener lizard grabbed the lizard in its jaws, swallowed it in three bites, and ran away.

“They did exist, yes.” Zhongli didn’t seem fazed by the scene. “But they will never again terrorize the lands of Liyue. I… took care of that long ago.”

II

There were no monsters in Liyue anymore. There were supposed to be no monsters in Liyue anymore. There couldn't be, not of this size. Geovishaps and other elemental species were controllable and to some extent part of the great diversity of fauna that this nation prided itself on. But this? One of the largest footprints they found was longer than Childe was tall, and he didn't want to even imagine the full size of the monster that laid it. There was no way something like this could inhabit the surface of Teyvat without attracting anyone's attention.

Which meant it was recent.

Ancient gods released from the jaws of the earth? No, if so they would have immediately headed to a city to claim territory. Or if they were looking to strengthen themselves, there were better means than hiding in a forest of giant trees.

Let's see, there were three different types of footprints, all varying in size from ninety centimeters to almost two meters, and they also varied in the number of toes, so they weren't the same species.

Perhaps Childe would have jumped to the conclusion that they were creatures from an Abyss portal if it weren't for the complete lack of abyssal aura in the area—other than his own. For every creature and object that came from that place left behind an easily recognizable stench that wouldn't go away unless someone cleansed it or it was suppressed with another element.

The more footprints and marks he found that made his soldiers tremble in fear, the less Tartaglia focused on keeping his rage at bay and more on ignoring the dark whispers that invaded his mind with promises of carnage and blood.

Three monsters. Three calamities. Three formidable opponents.

Tartaglia stood expectantly at the gates of a horrific battle.

But neither Childe nor Ajax planned to die tonight.

"Sir, the watch posts are ready, one in each direction as you ordered," Aleksander informed him once he rejoined the team on the treetop.

Since the cannons were originally only to be used to clear a path through cave collapses, they had only brought four, so he placed one each north, south, east, and west, several feet above ground level, hidden among the foliage of the tall sequoia.

Of the twenty soldiers he had brought with him, there were three at each lookout post—one watching the center of the formation, one facing the outside, and one manning the cannon. Four others—including Polina—traveled above the treetops from station to station to keep the flow of communication constant, so as to avoid using flare signals that might warn the beasts.

Tartaglia's blood screamed for battle, but if he could avoid this, he would.

The remaining three soldiers consisted of two pyro agents—Aleksander among them—and one anemo, who would support him if a physical confrontation was necessary. They, too, would be above the sequoia, keeping watch.

As for the twentieth soldier, Tartaglia had sent Dmitry to Liyue with two letters; one with a full report and all the characteristics they could discover of the beasts from their footprints, which was to be urgently sent to the Tsaritsa—such large beasts could shake an entire nation, and as a soldier, it was his duty to report anything that could endanger Her Majesty's plans...or benefic them as well. The other letter was addressed to Ekaterina at the Northernland Bank, his second officer, with the order for the organization of a full strike team to immediately depart for Sector 04.

Tartaglia was no fool. They prepared for a rescue, not a battle. But if he had ordered them to take the long way back to Sector 04, the beasts would have attacked them in the vulnerability of the journey.

Tonight, if the monsters appeared, Tartaglia's victory did not consist in the death of his opponents, but in the survival of most of his comrades.

III

When Tartaglia ordered the last lantern to be turned off, the small team of fatui vanished into the rest of the forest.

The streams ran and the cicadas sang, the night swallowed up the dusk, but the soldiers did not move.

Minutes passed, which then turned into hours.

Polina and Tartaglia's group silently traveled through the formation without reporting any anomaly.

The paralyzing fear that the soldiers felt when seeing such terrifying marks was fading. They searched high and low, because their leader Tartaglia had told them that because of the marks it was possible for these beasts to fly. But the only movement in the forest was from the nocturnal birds and minor predators.

They slowly wondered if the time for battle would even come.

The wind shook the trees, mosquitoes bit their legs and from time to time thick clouds covered the moon. The forest felt normal, the environment felt normal. That tingling sensation that runs through their arms and necks in the face of imminent danger was not there. Neither of them felt like they were being stalked.

If it weren't for the evidence they found when they arrived, they would never believe that such huge and terrifying beasts lived in the forest.

Maybe those monsters wouldn't attack them? Maybe they wouldn't even know they were there. Maybe dawn would come, they would climb down from the trees, pack everything up, and live the long journey back to Sector 04, sleepless and with sore arms from carrying their weapons all night. Then they would go to Liyue and make a better plan, better prepared, with many more people and combat weapons. They could eat their last warm meal in the city's restaurants before embarking on this fight.

It was on one of those occasions when the clouds plunged the forest into darkness when the first scream sounded.

Was it from the East or the South? From the North or the West? The strong winds made the trees shake, and screams could be heard from all sides of the formation.

No one saw anything, no one knew where to shoot, until a bright blue burst shot through the sky, exploding in the air into a million particles and a fierce roar of pain, leaving a three-pointed hydro symbol in the air that everyone present knew.

“There’s one! It’s invisible!” they heard their leader shout.

Everyone who still had their hands on their weapons aimed at where the mark Tartaglia had left in the air was writhing, moving, dodging and screaming, and after several shots the camouflage vanished, leaving a long, angry green beast below.

Polina wanted to join the battle, but the newly revealed beast was not the only one attacking them. More screams came from the west side, but when Polina's team arrived they found the three soldiers motionless, like rag dolls fallen on the branches.

They went to check their pulse, they were still alive, but they couldn't wake up.

The leaves of the huge tree shook, the screams from outside turned into screams from inside and one of her soldiers was thrown to the side, another pointed to the air, a creepy sound, like wind running down the cliffs and water entering your ears arose in front of the soldier along with a gray whirlwind, the next thing Polina knew was that her partner fell unconscious to the ground, and the last thing, that the monster was coming for her too.

IV

Tartaglia streaked across the battlefield like a bolt of lightning out of control, always striking the lizard beast that was trying to make its way to a guard station. For the smallest of the three beasts, it was huge, but without its camouflage it wasn't very good at sneaking around, especially when it had lightning attacking it from every side it veered to.

A pyro cannon blast caused an explosion above the beast's spine, and with a roar it fled into the sky.

Tartaglia heard screams from the north, the moon rose, and saw the top of the sequoia where a station was located shake wildly, the trunk shift strangely and he alternated between hydro and electro to produce an electro-charged reaction into the beast. The camouflage faded and in its place appeared a monstrous wingless dragon with multiple long appendages extending from its back, each holding an unconscious fatui.

Between its claws, a soldier screamed for help, the dragon opened its jaw and a hateful hiss came from its throat. Tartaglia hit the side of its head to deflect its snout, in surprise the monster loosened its grip on the soldier and Childe was able to snatch him away.

In the air he realized that he was unconscious.

Childe landed next to Aleksander's group, who had joined the East station to keep the lesser Monster flying in the sky at bay.

"Take care of him," he left the unconscious soldier in the center of the formation, not giving them time to respond when Tartaglia jumped back to where the dragon was.

The monster, still clinging to the tree, opened its jaw, and swallowed in one bite and without chewing the last soldier of those remaining in the North base.

In the air Tartaglia accumulated a great amount of hydro power, he visualized his Celestial Narwhal in his mind. Before attacking he heard a whistle to his left, he moved quickly and a grey whirlwind grazed his leg. An invisible force hit him horribly in mid-air, he was thrown out and not even with his power could he cushion the impact of his body against the trunk of a sequoia.

Childe grabbed a branch, he didn't know if he had any broken ribs, but the leg that had been caught by that strange grey whirlwind didn't respond. It was asleep, sedated, immovable.

What had that thing done to him? Did it knock the others out like that?

The whistle again.

Childe moved away from the sequoia, which soon after shuddered when it was hit by the invisible force. A roar of pain. Childe launched hydro and electro at it where the impact was.

It was colossal.

This was the monster that could pulverize Tartaglia's body with its fist.

A long, green, six-legged reptilian creature turned its head towards Childe. It had three orbs of golden fire serving as eyes, massive fangs blended into its skin, and a multitude of leaves sprouted from every part of its body. The sight made him shudder from the very core of his being. There was something unnatural and evil about the shape of this beast, as if someone had taken the worst parts of every creature in Teyvat and blended them into a terrible combination. Something so blasphemous could only belong to the Abyss, yet the material these monsters were made of belonged to the surface.

Two roars pierced the sky, the smaller and medium beasts headed to attack the eastern station at the same time. Not even all cannons would be able to keep them both at bay.

The colossal dragon left the sequoia and let out a guttural roar before heading for the East Station as well.

For a millisecond Tartaglia couldn't hear anything. He felt its dark power destroying and rebuilding every atom of his body. Abyssal whispers became his thoughts.

The soldiers at the eastern base screamed in terror as they saw the three monstrous dragons heading towards their location, but before they could get there a purple flash cut them off, hitting them almost simultaneously and redirecting their attention. None of the Fatui could keep their eyes on their leader Tartaglia, who in his abyssal transformation streaked and attacked too fast to process.

Still, the three beasts weren't easy to stop. While Tartaglia stopped one, the other two tried to advance. Cannons and guns weren't enough either. The worst happened when the medium beast disappeared from sight, and the realization that it had regained its camouflage was too late when it released a whirlwind of gray from its snout that knocked the soldiers unconscious when it came into contact with them.

“Don’t let that thing touch you!” Tartaglia shouted, appearing before the medium beast and cutting off the appendages on its back  that tried to take the fallen soldiers.

The monster roared in rage and went to attack Tartaglia with its sharp claws, but he managed to dodge them and hit the beast away from the group.

The other creatures came closer, the colossal one making the entire tree tremble. Tartaglia hit and hit, but the skin of these beasts was tough and most of the attacks had no effect. It wasn’t enough. Every second that passed, one of his soldiers fell unconscious.

He was going to lose.

Tartaglia molded his abyssal power into lines, creating a rope—a trick he had learned from an acquaintance in Liyue—and flew around the beasts' jaws and limbs, binding them.

“ Aleksander! Take everyone you can to Sector 04 ” he shouted in his distorted voice.

The remaining soldiers paled.

“But what about you?!”

“I'll catch up with you later! Go away!”

“But...!”

“IT'S AN ORDER!”

The abyssal ropes began to break one by one. The soldiers nodded, threw the unconscious ones on their shoulders, and using their delusions they disappeared in an elemental aura.

The first monster to break free was the largest, perhaps in an attempt to reach the soldiers who were escaping from his sight he broke the thick branches of the sequoia and released his gray whirlwind. Tartaglia dodged the debris, but his right arm was hit by the whirlwind. He flew into the sky, looked back and saw with satisfaction that the three monsters were coming for him.

His insane laughter tickled his throat.

Three fearsome invisible monsters that took almost no damage and just by pointing their snout at you they would make you lose consciousness; against only one functional arm and leg.

“COME ON!” he shouted mockingly. “IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!”

The beasts surrounded him, opened their jaws and took aim. Whistles tore through the air like projectiles in all directions, Tartaglia spun and punched, kicked and threw. He threw multiple hydro and electro creations, over and over, up and down, from one end to the other. In the whirlwind of attacks, he lost his bearings, he didn’t know if he was right or wrong, but he kept attacking, kept cutting, his screams mixing with those of the beasts.

A current of pain ran through his body, and he realized that he had been using the power of the abyss for far too long. But he couldn't detransform, otherwise he wouldn't be able to dodge any of their attacks.

Tartaglia needed to finish this now.

His blood was pumping hard through his veins, he was breathing fast, and his left leg and right caused him distress, now just hanging there uselessly, making his maneuvers difficult.

"You won't win here, damn it."

Tartaglia let out a roar, and he pushed himself with all his strength around the medium-sized creature, tearing its skin in the process, a yellowish blood spurted out everywhere. The creature screamed, shook itself, and with its tail hit Tartaglia in the abdomen.

He crashed into a sequoia tree, his back burning like a thousand hammer blows, but he didn't let the pain hold him back and he moved away from there, where the larger creature almost caught him in its jaws.

The beast seemed to realize that they couldn't knock him out like the others, and instead of going after him with its jaws open, they went straight to bite him and cut him with its claws.

Tartaglia dodged it as much as he could, his whole body hurt, his bones screamed in pain. One cut to the creature, two, three, blood stained his face, the creature hit him with its claws, with its tail, Tartaglia did not stop cutting it but none of his blows seemed to sink into the skin as he wanted. He took the last strength he had left, and combining the hydro, electro and abyssal power he went for the belly of the creature; but the creature was too fast and moved away, and he ended up cutting off only one of its legs.

The green member came off the colossal monster in an explosion of yellow liquid, there was a roar that threatened to break his eardrums, Tartaglia felt the abyssal power leave him, the world seemed to go in slow motion, and then... a blow bigger than his own body hit him, the world spun around him, and his body screamed against the trunk that he had surely left a huge dent in.

He fell.

He hit the ground, against the roots of a tree. It hurt to breathe and he couldn't think straight. Something hot was running down his face, and he realized it was his blood. The front of his body was marked with the creature's claws from one end to the other.

His vision was blurring, his body being lifted with incredible care by huge claws. Before everything went black, he thought he saw a jaw open.

V

He felt light. His body didn't weigh a gram. He didn't remember what he was doing before this. The pain was nonexistent, but the tiredness...ah, he was so tired. He wanted to keep sleeping forever.

“ Why?”

Hm? Who was there?

“Mom, I don't want to die...”

“Tsaritsa...save us please...”

“How can this be fair?”

The depressing voices alerted him. He recognized them. They were his soldiers.

Childe tried to open his eyes, or rather, he perceived what was around him. He didn't feel his body, and he found himself floating above the forest, going upwards.

He looked to his sides, and saw small flames of energy rising into the sky along with him.

“I should never have come...”

Those flames of energy...were his soldiers...and him...What had happened to him?

He tried to look at himself, and to his horror he saw that he was incorporeal, nothing, probably a flame of energy heading to the sky like everyone else.

Was he...?

No.

No.

He couldn't be dead. He couldn't have died here!

He still had so much to do! So many fights to fight!

He still had to go back to Snezhnaya with his family!

See Teucer, Anton, and Tonia open their presents!

See them grow up and fulfill their dreams!

Eat his mother's palmini!

Listen to his father's scolding!

He had to go to Liyue with Zhongli!

He had to go to the opera with him!

He had to kiss him, hug him, and tell him every day that he loved him!

He couldn't die... Not yet...

He refused.

Ajax stretched downwards, using all the energy he still had to ignore the voices calling him to ascend to the sky. An invisible force wanted to take him up, and his body or whatever it was now begged Ajax to surrender and obey.

But no. Ajax remembered his little brothers' smile, Zhongli's smile, his laughter and caresses, he remembered all the promises he had made and refused to break.

He approached the ground, and saw a red puddle soaking the base of a tree. Next to it, a pointed red mask split in half looked at him mockingly. That was his mask! But where was his body?

He looked around, but the beasts had also disappeared.

Ajax continued to stretch towards the ground, he wanted to grab onto whatever. He was about to reach a tree root when a sound to his right caught his attention.

A small rodent ran under him, and then an orange furball ran after the rodent, unaware that Ajax was standing right in front of him.

Chapter Text

I

The earth shook. Lightning. Roars of agony. Red rivers. Pain. Huge claws. Storms. «Morax!» Screams of rage. Cracked Mountains. Broken contracts. Betrayed friendships. «Were there ever aggressive dragons in Liyue?» «Yes, but…» Death. Landslides. «But…» Blood. Thunder. Destruction. Floods. «But…» A young redhead screaming in pain.

Everything stopped with a startle. Before his eyes was a very familiar ceiling, and he realized he was in his room. He sighed in relief.

It was not the first time that his sleeping mind used memories of the past to create terrifying scenarios. Especially at this time of year. For centuries he had been accustomed to providing prophecies to his people, which usually came through dreams. But since he gave up his gnosis two years ago, he had lost his prophetic talents, and instead his mind was drifting into dreams that mixed random images from his memories, sometimes pleasant, sometimes not.

Like most of his nightmares, this one included death and war. Though it was curious that they had mixed memories from when he was barely a few hundred years old with his most recent confrontations. All about dragons from the past. Even Childe had appeared, but why? Was it because of what they talked about that time? He remembered that conversation, but the last scene… Childe screaming… that was not a memory.

It hurt him just to think about it. How unpleasant. Poor mortals who had to deal with nightmares more often than he did. He didn't want to dwell on negative thoughts so early. He rolled over onto his stomach and pulled the covers over his head. If only everyone had someone to talk to about their nightmares. He did have someone...but...

For the seventh morning in a row, the left side of his bed was empty.

Zhongli reached out from under the covers and felt the cold mattress, until he reached the feather pillow and brought it to his face. It still smelled of jasmine, orange blossom, and pine from the frozen lands.

He doesn't know how long he laid there, but when he finally poked his head out, he still had time to make breakfast and go to work. He put Childe's pillow back, stretched his limbs, made the bed, and got ready with a smile.

It was finally Tuesday. Today Childe will be returning home.

II

“I’m sorry Mr. Zhongli, we don’t have any available seats today either. The restaurant has been full lately,” the young dark-haired chef lamented, her normally cheerful face exchanged for tired eyes and a sweaty forehead. “ Uhh. At this rate, we’ll have to close the place for a few days due to a shortage of ingredients. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this!”

“Hm. You can say that again.”

Zhongli had been the first to notice. The nation of commerce was famous for its wealth and culture, tourists from all corners of Teyvat came and went daily. But usually, this crowd was only seen during the most important festivals of the year, and they left once it was over. Now there was no upcoming festival, and every day more and more foreigners flocked to Liyue. It was no wonder that the daily service establishments were shaken by the unexpected increase in clientele.

Guoba barely gave him a tired sound as he walked past him carrying six soup bowls towards one of the busiest tables. At his approach, the men at the table began to cheer with joy. They must have been very hungry.

“Don’t worry Miss Xiangling, I’ll order takeout.”

“Oh thank you so much Mr. Zhongli! And I’m really sorry! I don't like to put you in this situation because you’re a frequent customer. It’s not fair to you who used to come to eat almost every day. I hope we’re not ruining your routine.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, this hasn’t been your fault. While it’s a shame that I won’t be able to enjoy the familiar atmosphere of the place today, it would be even more unfair to deprive those who don’t have the good fortune to live here of the opportunity to enjoy it.” He gave her a gentle smile to make her feel better. “Don’t worry, I’m actually glad to think that more people will be able to try your food; if tourists are going to get an impression of Liyue’s gastronomy, then I’m happy it’s from your restaurant.”

For some reason, Zhongli had this effect on people that made them turn red like jueyun chili when he praised them. Childe always told him that it was because of his reputation as a “know-it-all” that most considered his opinion as the highest truth, so he should give lighter compliments, but Zhongli didn’t see the problem in exposing the good virtues of his people; they filled him with pride, and besides, his reactions now tended to be less exaggerated than when he was an archon.

After Xiangling regained her natural color and took his order, Zhongli took some time to think. He hadn’t come to Warmin Restaurant just for the food that day.

He had come for the customers.

The tourists' clothes often gave away their nationality. The men at the back of the restaurant wore typical Mondstard clothes, light, simple, but very practical. At another table, a man and a woman wore haute couture , most likely from Fontaine. A woman not far from him wore a sky-blue kimono with a cherry blossom print. But for an Inazuma native... she wasn't using chopsticks, but a spoon and fork.

For most, Liyue today was swarming with people from all over Teyvat. But Zhongli knew better.

All the tourists who had suddenly appeared, arriving by land or sea, wearing different clothes and fake names. Anyone would say they had light, pale skin; of course, that was normal in the other nations too, but what they didn't realize was that that kind of paleness, the one granted by the cold winter, couldn't be replicated. Their accents, too, no matter how much they had practiced on the journey to Liyue, Zhongli knew it very well, because it was the same one he fantasized about day and night.

These people were from Snezhnaya. Worse, they were Fatui. His land was swarming with soldiers from another nation, hiding in plain sight.

Xiangling handed him the box of food and Zhongli left the restaurant.

For the moment, these “tourists” did not represent a compelling danger. Zhongli remembered the faces of each person who entered Liyue, and therefore he also remembered when they left. Many Fatui arrived, while others left. Although there were more each day, the first ones to arrive in later days did not appear again.

It almost seemed like they were using the city as a transit way to get somewhere else without alerting the millelith. Now, the reason why so many Fatui were so active somewhere nearby… that was worrying. Even if they wouldn’t try to harm Liyue directly, their plans often had consequences that affected third parties.

Zhongli crossed the bridge that linked the port to the central area of ​​the city. He thought about going to his office for lunch, but the day before he had to endure impertinent comments from Hu Tao about “how sad he looked eating alone,” and decided to pass the funeral parlour by.

He saw many foreigners on his way to the outskirts of the city, where he and Childe often lay on the grass under the shade of a maple tree to eat lunch, when the urban hustle and bustle became too much.

From here, one could see from the coast to the Stone Forest in the Sea of ​​Clouds. Childe loved the strong breeze that came up the slopes and to watch the waves crash against the ravines. Zhongli, on the other hand, preferred to watch him.

“Hey, Xiangsheng, before we met… "Did you come here often?” Childe had asked him once.

“Sometimes. But not for lunch. Now that I think about it... I believe It has been a long time since I last ate in a place without chairs.”

“Wow, how spoiled!” Childe laughed. “But then why did you come to such far away places? Did you come... with someone else? ” He looked away at that last part.

Zhongli delicately took Childe's chin with his index finger and thumb and directed it so that he looked at him again.

“I came to contemplate the passage of time, always alone” he brought his face closer and brought their foreheads together, but he didn't dare to do anything else. “Thanks to you, Childe, I can now enjoy these landscapes without falling into melancholy.”

Very slowly, Childe processed the words and smiled.

“Hm! You make it sound as if before my arrival your days were very sad and boring.”

“Maybe not sad, but I admit there was a certain neutrality day after day that often everything seemed the same. I think I wouldn't like to go back to that.” He smiled at him, “You're more interesting.”

“Oh, come on Xiangsheng! Don't say things like that!” Childe stepped away and threw a maple leaf at his face, very frustrated, because by then his feelings were still hidden, so he was too self-conscious. Zhongli just laughed.

That had been a splendid afternoon. It was some time before the revelation of his identity, but by then Zhongli already felt a deep affection for the redhead, even if he didn't fully understand his feelings.

Being in the same place as that day, the same sea breeze, the same scenery... but without Childe... made him feel quite lonely. What he said that time “Everything seemed the same. I wouldn't like to go back to that.” It was true.

Childe's spontaneity had brought a whole new color to his life, making him experience feelings and sensations that for so long he believed were not possible in a god like him. He could have continued living the same way for many more centuries, but now that he had met Childe, every day that passed without seeing him was torture.

«But it 's alright. Childe is coming back today» he thought to calm himself.

«Childe is coming back today.»

III

Bubbles were already bubbling in the red broth when he pulled it from the heat and poured it over the bowl of shrimp and clams. A wave of flavor danced in front of his nostrils, but he didn't allow himself to be distracted. He placed the thick body of the crab in the center, then its claws in front.

Now came the crucial moment. The one solid reason he had refused to prepare such a recipe for so long.

Zhongli put latex gloves on each hand and picked up a pair of metal tongs. It wasn't hot in Liyue today, but a trickle of sweat ran down his back. He took a deep breath, and the retired archon launched himself into battle.

He placed each octopus tentacle one by one. Every second was torture to be near the slimy limbs of the animal. When he was finally finished, Zhongli took off his gloves, and put the finishing touch on the center of the crab: two mint leaves.

He took a few steps back, and looked at his work: A Price Catch, Childe's specialty, where every element of the dish was a parade for a vicious monster defeated on a bloody sea.

«It looked good, almost as good as Childe's, but would it be enough?»

Surely his beloved would arrive bruised and a little dirty, full of hunger enough to swallow a sumpter beast. Zhongli had prepared the bathtub and a gourmet buffet. But he took great care in preparing Childe's favorite food, as much as its... slimy ingredients disgusted him.

He placed A Price Catch where his guest of honor was supposed to be. Very well, the table was set. Only Childe was missing, so at any moment...

The bell chimes were music to his ears. Zhongli left the dining room, passed through the living room and headed for the door, not before fixing a stray lock of hair in front of a mirror.

Excitement fluttered through the retired archon’s golden veins. It had only been seven days and nights since Childe left, but his heart missed him as if it had been a lifetime. He could already picture it: he would open the door, Ajax would smile, the setting sun would bring out golden locks of his hair, he would say, “Did you miss me, Xiangsheng?” Zhongli would wrap his arms around him and kiss his lips until he was exhausted, and he would reply, “You have no idea, my love.” Then he would carry Ajax to the table, they would talk, they would kiss more, he would bathe him and massage his back, and in the end they would end up entwined in the sheets, Ajax in his arms, safe and warm, where he belonged.

His beloved’s name got caught in his throat as he opened the door. Ajax was not there. Nor was anyone. Zhongli looked down, and found himself staring at a furry, four-legged creature. He didn't even have time to question what it was when the little animal jumped at his face, covered him in drool while squealing, and then jumped over him into the house. Zhongli, still perplexed, turned to look at it. The little orange creature was in the center of the living room, still squealing, spinning at such an extraordinary speed that its shape seemed to melt into the air.

A fox. It was a fox.

Why was there a fox running across his mat?

Zhongli snapped out of his daze, and looked back at the street, just to make sure that Ajax really hadn't arrived. He sighed dejectedly, but didn't close the door.

"Um... Little one?" Zhongli said, approaching the clearly alarmed small creature.

Hearing this, the little fox ran towards him and put its front paws on Zhongli's knees, squealing, screaming. What was wrong with it? What was it trying to say?

He carefully picked it up, the little fox wagged its fluffy tail in excitement. Zhongli examined it, trying to avoid the licks.

"Hmm... you don't seem hurt, I'm glad," he headed outside. "I'm sorry little friend, this is no place for a creature like you. You must return to the forest."

He was about to put him down when the fox seemed to understand what was happening, the happy squeals stopped, it dug its claws into his clothes and climbed over him, jumped, went back inside the house and got under the couch, squealed in a sad tone.

Ah, this was going to be a problem.

Zhongli went to the couch and crouched down to see the fox, who now looked very scared.

“Little one, I assure you that you will not like it here. In this place you cannot run freely or hunt, you need to go back to the forest.” What reason could there be behind his insistence on staying inside? Was he escaping from something? The only predators that foxes had in Liyue were wolves, perhaps a fox could slip into the city due to its size, but no wolf would dare to get that close. Besides, did these foxes not belong to the north of the nation? What was he doing on the south coast? “I promise you, whatever was chasing you is already gone. Hmm. How about food? Is it food you want?”

The fox's tail swished again, it squealed with joy and pushed off the couch from the side with its front paws. When Zhongli stood up, the little animal had already run off to the dining room.

His stomach tightened.

The dinner.

Zhongli closed the front door and ran after the fox, only to find it on two legs on one of the chairs, its snout inside...A Prize Catch.

“Stop! That’s not for you!” He carried the fox away from the table, but it was too late: the crab was half-finished and all the tentacles were disarranged and half-eaten.

He couldn’t give that to Childe.

Zhongli put it down on the floor, the little creature sat very happily, still with red broth around its jaw.

“ That wasn’t yours . I prepared it for someone special. Agh , Ajax will arrive any minute and you…”

The little tail stopped moving and both ears went back as the little fox’s head lowered, evidently understanding the scolding. Its huge blue eyes turned to look at him, and Zhongli realized that he hadn’t paid attention to them before. They were like sapphires, deep as the ocean or the evening sky. They were beautiful, even if they lacked shine.

He felt ashamed. Had he really gotten angry at a poor, hungry little animal?

“ Ah. Excuse me, Little One. I’m sure Ajax would rather give you his plate than have you go hungry.” Zhongli went to get A Prize Catch and placed it on the ground in front of the fox.

The animal looked at the plate with great interest, but didn’t move, instead looking up and giving him a confused look.

“Don’t worry, there’s nothing that can be done now anyway. Please eat. It would be a shame if it went to waste.”

Incredibly, it seemed to understand his words and launched into the attack. As soon as it took the first bite of a tentacle it started to wag its tail again. It looked very happy eating, full of life. This was also how Ajax looked when he was eating his favorite dish.

He looked out the window, and with bitterness discovered that it was already getting dark.

It seemed that Childe would not be home for dinner.

IV

He thought it would be a simple task: feed the hungry little animal and it would go back to the forest. But it seemed Celestia hadn't made it easy for him. Now he had empty plates, and a stuffed fox that refused to leave his house.

He tried to get it out the door, but it always ran away. He tried to lure it with food, but it wasn't hungry anymore. He even tried to reason with it, but the fox only answered with incoherent squeals. He couldn't even get within six feet of it without it running away, and Zhongli had already grown tired of moving chairs and the couch around without any success.

This wouldn't do. The fox wanted to stay, and he knew Zhongli wanted to kick it out. He was on alert all the time, and that way he couldn't catch it. He had to make it to let its guard down.

So he took a book from the shelf, “The Liyuen Nights,” and sat down on the sofa under the dim light of his lamp.

He had barely read a few pages when he noticed the fox emerging from its hiding place under the chair. The little animal stood still when their eyes met, ready to run away at the slightest sign of movement from Zhongli, but he pretended to ignore it and turned the page to continue reading.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the fox approaching until it jumped onto the sofa, still looking alert, but sitting to his right, and its little head tilted to see what Zhongli was reading.

This furry specimen was truly curious.

Then the fox let out a sad howl and hit Zhongli's arm with its head. It seemed frustrated.

He thought that, if he was going to kick him out of his house soon, maybe he could please him a little more.

“What's wrong, Little One? Do you want me to read it to you?”

The little fox nodded, and Zhongli suddenly felt very light.

He really was talking to a fox, he wasn't going crazy. As the elemental creature that he was, it wasn't unusual to be able to convey his feelings to the animals of this nation, but this seemed to be a completely different case, this fox seemed to understand his words.

Was he someone's pet? Maybe living with humans has affected his behavior? Although... he didn't have a collar. By law, all pets in the city had to be registered and wear a collar at all times.

Zhongli thought about it for a bit, but decided to start reading. As he did, he noticed the little fox leaning on his arm, his tail wagging happily.

«What an interesting personality, Childe would surely love it. It's a shame we can't adopt him.»

When the clock struck eleven, Zhongli closed the book. The eyelids of his furry friend leaning on his arm were beginning to close, he was looking at him, and it was noticeable that he was fighting sleep with all his might.

His heart filled with guilt, because this was the perfect moment to catch him. But...

"Little One, I'm so sorry, you really can't stay here," he said, in an attempt to keep the situation from becoming aggressive.

It was no use. At his words, sleep suddenly left the fox, he looked at him with wide eyes, and after a second he jumped off the couch into the dining room.

“Wait a second!” Zhongli dropped the book and ran after him.

The last thing he wanted was another chase, but now it seemed inevitable. He chased the fox through the dining room, the kitchen and back into the living room, until the little animal turned into the hallway and entered through the half-open door of the main room.

Zhongli rushed in and turned on the switch, but when the light came on, the little fox was nowhere to be found. It was just Childe’s and his room, with the double bed in the middle and everything else in its place.

“Little One?”

A breeze of cold night air blew in through the window. Ah, so that was it . The window was in front of a drawer, so it would have been very easy for the fox to jump from there to the window.

Zhongli looked out, searching for any trace of the fox, but only saw his back garden, from which anyone could access the outskirts of the city through it. Hmm. It seems the fox had left on its own.

He closed the window, and prepared to sleep.

The clock read eleven thirty, and Childe had not yet arrived. His heart tightened. The fox had served as a distraction, but now that he was gone, the absence of his beloved weighed terribly.

«He is just a little late. He must be writing his mission report at the Bank right now, as soon as he finishes he will come» he thought, regaining hope.

He decided that he would wait for him on the bed, and without wanting to, he fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes, he did not find his usual room in the morning. Yes, it was the room, but at the same time it wasn't. The walls and colors merged into a white background of unreality when he didn't look at them directly, his body felt too light, and objects seemed to move from place to place.

«I must be dreaming.»

There was something else. An unusual weight oppressed his chest. When he moved his hand he found something soft and silky «Hair?» He looked down, and found the face of the young redhead that his heart had longed for so much.

He felt his body sigh with relief.

Finally.

Ajax.

Chapter Text

I

In a place where the walls faded and time stopped, where sunlight didn't come through the curtains, but everything was bathed in a white and silver glow. There, in his bed, he found himself between the mattress and the body of his beloved.

The young redhead was lying on his chest, naked; his weight made it hard for him to breathe, but even so, Zhongli wouldn't change anything about this beautiful dream.

“Ajax, you came back” he moved a lock of hair from his smooth face.

“Of course, Xiangsheng. I made you a promise, didn’t I?” he took his hand and gave it a languid kiss on the back of it. “All I could think about was coming back here with you, I couldn't afford to fail.”

“You fulfilled your mission, you're here, with me” he placed his other hand on his head, and began to caress him. He could feel the soft hair between his fingers, and his heart was convinced that this was real . “I'm so glad you're back. You don't know how much I missed you. Baobei, welcome home.”

Ajax laid his on Zhongli's chest, as if he were going to use it as a pillow. He let out a soft sigh, and fixed his gaze on him, his blue eyes studying his face, and whatever he was looking for, he seemed to find it. He sketched a long smile.

“ Yes. I'm home. I did it ” although he said this happily, after a few seconds he frowned, very slightly, that if they weren't so close maybe Zhongli would have missed it.

“Ajax? Is everything okay?”

“I just... I feel like there was something I had to say. I crossed all of Liyue thinking that I had to find you and tell you something very important... but I can't remember what it was.”

“Hmm. Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll remember it later. For now you're here, rest, you have nothing to worry about” he massaged his forehead.

Ajax relaxed under his fingers, and closed his eyes.

“You’re right,” he said sleepily. “Surely… it wasn’t that important anyway.”

“Rest, love. I’ll be here when you wake up. I love you, Ajax.”

“I love you too, Zhongli,” he yawned. “But I shouldn’t… sleep…” Still, his eyelids betrayed him, and he fell asleep.

When he woke up, for real this time, the weight on his chest was still there, and he felt his fingers entwined in something soft and silky. «Ajax is here, it wasn’t just a dream» he thought happily, but when he looked down, the red-headed head he found was not the one he expected.

The fox from last night was curled up, sleeping peacefully on top of him. And Zhongli was petting him.

He sat up with a start, the fox rolled over and fell to one side on the mattress. He growled something, shook himself, and then began to stretch his back, there on the bed, like a cat. He opened his mouth as wide as he could, long and wide, showing all his white fangs. He was yawning.

What...? How had the fox gotten back into the house? The door and all the windows were closed, unless...

He turned to look at the fox, who smiled a long smile while shaking his tail, seeming to be waiting for something.

“You never went out, right? You just hid,” he put his hand on his head and petted him a little. “Under the bed, I imagine.”

The little fox made some happy noises, he seemed very proud of himself, and he really enjoyed being petted.

Zhongli looked at the other side of the bed. Empty. But at least his sleep had been very comforting.

He had to stay positive, Childe was sure to arrive today, and he didn't want to greet him all sad and melancholic. It would be better if he distracted himself with something.

He continued to pet the fox, and discovered that running his fingers through its fur was actually very relaxing.

"I admit you tricked me Little One, I never thought to check under the bed. All that effort deserves a reward. There's still food left from yesterday, so would you like to have breakfast?"

II

If Childe had told him a week ago that he would soon be sharing a table with a wild fox, Zhongli would have meticulously checked his head for a recent bruise. Truth be told, Zhongli was beginning to believe that this might not be an ordinary fox. First, he refused to eat off the floor like the night before, and then he stole Zhongli's chopsticks, stuck them into the meat, and when he couldn't use them he started eating directly with his mouth. Sometimes, between each bite, his furry friend would make sounds, as if he wanted to say something, and stare at him, so Zhongli would respond with something like: «I'm glad you liked the meat» or «I had a nice dream, and you?», and the weirdest thing was, sometimes he felt like the fox was talking back.

He got ready for work as usual, leaving a bowl of water on the table and a couple of newspapers in the corner of the living room, believing that just like the day before, the fox would move heaven and earth to stay inside the house, so he was greatly surprised when the fox came out with Zhongli, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Once they entered the main streets, the number of people they passed increased exponentially. Here and there, children passed by on their way to school, and adults who were going to buy the freshest food at the market or who were already on their way to work. For a second, he was worried that the fox would get nervous with the people and the noise, but the whole time he was walking calmly beside him, as if he had done this a million times.

The new thing was, of course, the curious glances.

There was a time, two years ago, when people would turn their wary glances in his direction as he walked alongside Childe, but as the months passed their hearts softened and they learned to see him as one of their own.

These glances were different. There was no malice behind them, but something closer to wonder, but like those times, they were not directed at him, but at his companion.

The fox walked confidently down every street and around every corner. Children, much more indiscreet than adults, pointed and shouted "A fox, a fox!", and common pets, whether cats or dogs, came up to sniff him. The little fox was happy to see them, but they would growl at him and run away.

«They think you're weird too, Little One.»

Zhongli had already gotten used to the idea that the fox would follow him to work. He was thinking about what kind of excuse he would give to Director Hu when the little fox stood up on its hind legs and bit his knee. Not hard enough, he had to admit, more like a... friendly bite?

“Ah, is something the matter, Little One?”

The fox made a few noises, Zhongli reached out his hand, and the latter licked his fingers. More squeaks, and he walked away, up the stairs... the same ones that led to the Northland Bank.

«So it was a pet after all... of some Fatui member who came to the city, that's why it didn't have a collar.»

Zhongli continued on his way. He thought about the strange fox that had suddenly come into his life, and how quickly it seemed to leave. New Fatui who arrived came and went in the same hurry, so it was unlikely he would ever see his peculiar friend again.

For some reason, he regretted not being able to say goodbye to it.

III

They say that a busy mind is a happy mind. Until now, work had allowed him to distract himself from the fact that when he returned home, it was empty, but it seemed that his worries had already managed to invade him even inside his office. And unfortunately for him, there was no way to hide it from those who knew him well.

“Hey, Mr. Zhongli!” Hu Tao exclaimed, slamming the door as she entered. “I have a new assignment for you! And I think it will help take away that bitter face you have!”

“I'm not bitter.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever you say.” The girl handed him a sheet of paper with a list of objects written on it. “They're all the foreign possessions that Chaoxi's parents found among his things. Take a look.”

Chaoxi had been a sailor who for several years dedicated himself to traveling on trade ships between one nation and another, from Liyue to Inazuma, Mondstard, Sumeru and Fontaine. But currently, he was one of the newest clients of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour.

Zhongli decided to read the list before voicing any of his doubts. It was a very long list. There were intricate gold and silver pieces inlaid with emerald and sapphire, different models of magnetic compasses, porcelain figurines, earrings, bracelets, a wide variety of different glasses for drinking alcohol, and caps, many caps and hats.

“I appreciate the information, Director Hu. But I fail to understand what you want me to do with this.”

“Do you remember that poem that his parents found among his things? The one about the star, the sea and all that?”

How could he forget it? It had been a terribly embarrassing situation for Zhongli. It wasn’t the poem’s fault, in fact it had been very nice, it went like this:

«My heart knows what I need, but my eyes don’t. I was always told to look ahead, but I fear that the star I seek is not the one I see above in the sky, but the one hidden deep beneath the sea. Today I set sail south in search of it, so I hope that when I breathe my last breath, I can leave this world with what I desire most.»

His parents wanted to bury him with what their son was looking for. Zhongli, moved by the deceased's words, wanted to personally investigate what it was about, only to discover from his fellow sailors that the only thing Chaoxi was looking for on each voyage was a new woman.

His disappointment was so evident that Hu Tao had offered to continue Chaoxi's service, while Zhongli devoted himself to another.

“Unfortunately, forgetting is not among my abilities” he admitted.

“Well, I was thinking about the matter, and it occurred to me that perhaps we could bury him with something symbolic of the women he was looking for so much. One of them must have given him a parting gift, don't you think?”

"I see. In fact, it's a good idea." He handed the list back to her, seeing where this was going. "I'm sure you'll pick the right item."

"No, Mr. Zhongli! I can't choose!" He rejected the list. "I've been looking at it all day, and I can't think of anything that would make a good parting gift between couples! You have a boyfriend! You'll know what's best!"

Zhongli sighed.

"All of these items are of very high quality, even the glasses and hats... although these seem more like a personal collection. But Childe also has collections, like his weapon collection, and I've given him personalized ones quite a few times. Any of this list could be a gift."

"But we can't just pick anything! Our mission is to provide exemplary service. So it has to be one that says something like, 'I love you, come back soon,' or something like that. Think Mr. Zhongli! What do you give Childe when he has to go on a long mission?”

“A hug.”

“Nooooo but something material! Aiya, I knew this would happen!” she slaps her face. “Your next task is to go outside and imagine that you are going to give your fatui boyfriend something for going on a trip. If there is something similar to the list in the shops that catches your attention then we will choose that object.”

“I'm not sure I'm suitable for this task director” said Zhongli, the truth is that he had no desire to think about Childe and his long trips. His departures were his least favorite days.

“Come on Mr. Zhongli! I thought it would cheer you up to be able to do something that had to do with your boyfriend. Besides! You're practically in the same situation, I'm sure you can think of some good gift that will help us with our problem.”

“ Ahem” he crossed his arms, suddenly offended.  “For your information, our situations are nothing alike. Childe doesn't go around looking for... looking for women , nor men either.”

“See?  You ARE bitter! Come on! The fresh air will do you good!”

Hu Tao eventually managed to chase him out of the funeral home, and now he was walking the pitiful path to the jewelry store he and Childe used to frequent.

He knew that the young director only wanted the best, but sometimes her actions caused more conflict than solutions. In this case, it was her words that had permeated Zhongli's mind, and he couldn't stop thinking about it as he walked.

Was his situation really so different from that of a couple from Chaoxi? He was a sailor, who traveled from one place to another, surely leaving one of his wives with the promise of returning, only to find death by drowning after falling into the sea while drunk in his home country.

Of course Childe didn't have any other partners. But it was true that he went to far away places, and if something happened to him, Zhongli had no way of finding out in time.

Is there a woman on a dock waiting patiently for Chaoxi, not knowing that he passed away? Will there come a time when Zhongli will look at his door, wondering how much longer his beloved will be gone, not knowing that he will never be able to return?

“See you in a couple of days!” his Ajax had told him a week and  a day ago “I love you!” he still had his vivid image of him raising his hand over his head and saying goodbye, how beautiful he had looked under the rays of dawn.

Zhongli stopped in his tracks, and realized that he could not spend another second without hearing from Ajax. He would go to the jewelry store later, first he needed to go to the Northerland Bank.

When he turned around to go up the stairs, the last thing he expected was to find his friend the fox curled up on the first steps.

The little animal seemed to sense his presence and opened its eyes. As soon as the sapphire orbs landed on him, its little tail began to move, then it stood up, shook itself, and made a happy little noise.

“Little one, you're here. I thought you'd be with your owner by now.”

The fox tilted his head, looking at him in confusion.

“Alright, I can look for him with you. I happen to be going in the same direction. Come with me.”

IV

Vlad, the young Fatui guarding the bank entrance, turned white as milk as soon as he saw them approaching down the hallway.

“M-Mr. Zhongli! Long time no see! I didn't expect to see you here... today... precisely today.”

“Good morning Vlad. I imagine Childe hasn't been here yet, right?”

“Ah... no, I'm sorry, Master Tartaglia hasn't returned from his mission yet.” Zhongli could see through the gaps in his mask that the young man couldn't seem to make eye contact... which led him to stare at the ground, until... “Ah! It's the fox! Is it yours?”

“It seems you already knew it.”

The little animal beside him squealed at Vlad, although it seemed more like it was barking at him.

“Yes, yes, of course!” he exclaimed, clearly happy to be able to change the subject. “All morning he was trying to get inside! He even bit my foot! Excuse me, Mr. Zhongli, if I had known it was your pet, I would have sent someone to take it your way.”

“Ah. It’s not actually mine, this little one and I just met by chance. It’s not the kind of pet you normally see in Liyue, I figured it might belong to a tourist, and since the Northernland Bank has so many branches across Teyvat, you might expect foreigners to have a preference for their bank when dealing with financial matters when traveling.” He blurted out the lie naturally. “I was wondering if perhaps the fox belonged to one of your clients.”

“Ah… eh… not that I know of. I’ve never seen it before this morning.”

“Hmm. I see.”

“Well, Mr. Zhongli, if that was all you wanted to know…”

“I'd actually like to talk to Miss Ekaterina about something” Zhongli took a step towards the door, but Vlad immediately blocked his way.

“ Ah , you see, the bank will soon be a little undisposed, for the rest of the day we won't be able to take visitors, I recommend that you…”  Vlad was starting to get nervous.

Something was wrong.

“Undisposed? Did something happen?”

“Ah, no no! It's nothing out of the ordinary, it's just a... small internal event of the bank, haha, Snezhnaya traditions, you know.”

“I'm surprised that you're carrying out such an activity without your boss in charge. Shouldn't you wait for him to return?”

“Ah... the Harbingers have more important matters than this kind of event, it's not even that important, I assure you.”

At that moment a tall woman with long black hair and a kimono approached the door, she had an aura that demanded respect, and as soon as Vlad saw her, he stepped aside to open the door. The woman passed without giving them a single glance.

Vlad turned to look at him. He didn't know that Zhongli knew that all these tourists were actually fatui, so he had no excuses for letting a woman apparently from Inazuma in and not Zhongli.

“I hope this isn't an act of discrimination, young Vlad. I wonder how long it will take for the qixing to arrive…”

“NO! Eh... okay, you can come in. But... please be quick. And without your pet.”

The little fox made a squeak of annoyance and stamped the ground with one of its paws, to which Zhongli crouched down and petted its head.

“It'll only be a few minutes Little One, wait here and try not to bite young Vlad too much, okay?”

The little fox watched Zhongli walk away with sad eyes, but as soon as the door closed behind him, his cold gaze fell on the guard.

V

The Northland Bank dazzled not only with its wealth, but also with its beauty. With its red pillars, its cloth decorations, and the shiny brown porcelain tiles, the design of the room served two purposes: to amaze “Look at me, I am as bright as a palace” and to intimidate “Look at my power, look and fear me.”

Zhongli was present on the day of its inauguration, but after that, he only came in every few years to admire the new decor. It was not until three years ago, when his retirement plan went into effect, that his visits to the bank became constant. At first it was only occasionally to look for Childe, then the workers began to recognize him and greet him, and finally, when they made their relationship official, it was practically impossible to hide their relationship from his colleagues.

Thanks to that, he had earned special treatment from the bank workers, and in these last few years he was practically used to their smiles and greetings.

This time was different. The number of normal fatui had tripled, most of them were strangers to Zhongli, they barely gave him a glance and ignored him, but the others, the ones Zhongli had gotten to know, stood still like statues. As he walked around the room, he saw many quickly look away, others looked downcast, and there were some who preferred to leave the room.

When he finally reached the counter, which seemed like a cage around Ekaterina, the secretary was clearly tense, although she hid it very well.

“Mr. Zhongli, I didn’t expect to see you here today,” she said in a dry and neutral tone. There was no longer a «Welcome Mr. Zhongli,» «Good morning Mr. Zhongli,» «Mr. Zhongli, I’m glad to see you here, Master Tartaglia is waiting for you in his office »

“Good morning Miss Ekaterina. I admit that I didn’t either. Normally, when Childe is late on a mission, he makes sure to send me a note with one of his agents.”

Zhongli couldn't help but notice that at the words «Childe» the young girl's jaw seemed to clench several millimeters.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Zhongli, we haven't received any correspondence from him yet."

"When was the last time he reported to you? I imagine that in the event of any delay, communication is of the utmost importance to ensure the operation of the bank." He crossed his arms.

Ekaterina pressed her lips together before answering.

"I'm sorry, I'm not authorized to divulge that information."

Zhongli began to feel the growing stress in the form of a slight headache, right on his temple.

"But I imagine you know when he’ll return."

Behind the mask, the young girl's eyes looked at the ground for half a second, before holding his gaze again, without blinking.

"I'm not authorized to reveal information. I'm sorry."

He felt a pressure in his head and in the pit of his stomach. His arms were tingling, and he suddenly realized that his hands were formed into fists. Was he angry? Disappointed? Helpless? Anxious? Frustrated? Afraid?

Was he just going to stand there and do nothing?

«I could destroy this place if I wanted to, force them to tell me where he is.»

But would he? Would a simple funeral parlor consultant do it? Would Morax, the First of the Adeptus, the Warrior God, Emperor of Liyue, do it?

No.

«Something must have happened on the mission to rescue the recruits. Something important. Maybe Childe found something of value to the Tsarista on his way, maybe he hasn't finished finding them yet, maybe he's using all his resources to track them down and that's why he can't send me a message» Zhongli thought to himself to calm himself down.

This wouldn't be the first time Zhongli had no idea where or what his boyfriend was doing. There were countless things Childe couldn't talk to him about, and Zhongli respected that.

«But he always tells me when he´s delayed.»

Still, he had to force himself to trust. Childe must have a completely valid reason for not having time to write a letter, maybe he was so focused that he lost count of the days—that happened to him often—or maybe he had run out of ink, or scrolls, or whatever. And before he knew it, Childe would come home and explain everything that happened. Everything would be fine.

“I understand,” Zhongli said. “Very well, I just have one more question. By any chance, did any of your new companions lose a fox?”

The question threw Ekaterina off balance.

“Pet travel is not allowed between our lines.”

“I see. Well, have a nice day. Maybe we’ll see each other later.” Zhongli turned to leave.

“Mr. Zhongli?” the young woman called out to him as he was already leaving.

“Yes?” He turned to look at her, hope welling up inside him.

The young secretary studied him for a moment, swallowed, and said, narrowing her eyes:

“It’ll be better if you don't come back here for a while.”

Chapter Text

I

The sky had turned pink, orange, and gold. The clouds looked like cotton and silk threads, tangling in the firmament, like random brushstrokes on a canvas of multiple colors. Under these lights, sitting on a bench not far from the Baiju Guest House, a “young” consultant and his furry companion shared a juicy mora meat, although none of the passersby could say they had seen the man eat a bite.

They went there as soon as they left the Northland Bank. Zhongli had not said a word since he left, he did not even say goodbye to Vlad, he only bent down to pet the fox and continued on his way, and as expected, the fox followed him, not without giving him friendly bites on the leg or rubbing him whenever he could. In the end, the small animal gave up on its attempts to get his attention, but it did not leave him behind.

It was only when his companion's tummy rumbled beside him on the bench that Zhongli looked away from the horizon and bought a snack from a street vendor.

Time seemed to have lost all meaning as the breeze ruffled his hair, the paper lanterns, and the sails of the boats on the dock.

He felt a small bump on his arm, and realized it was the fox, headbutting him again and again. The mora meat was gone.

"Are you still hungry, buddy?"

The little fox let out a squeak and its tail twitched as it finally heard him speak. It stood on two legs, and held on tightly to his arm, its blue eyes shining with a certain... concern.

Ah.

He sighed.

“I'm sorry I worried you, Little One” Zhongli scratched him behind the ears, and the little fox took the opportunity to climb onto his lap, the action surprised him, then he let out a small laugh and continued to scratch him. “It seems that I still have the bad habit of getting lost in my thoughts. Sometimes, when I least expect it, I already find myself in the clutches of everything that has happened” he looked up at the dock, and his smile faded “... and lately... in what will happen next.”

One of the ships moored at the dock stood out for its size tonight. It was not like the others, which were dedicated to importing and exporting goods. This one looked like a fortress in itself, made of steel from bow to stern, with its icebreaker hull, armed with countless cannons and, of course, propelled by machinery and not by sails. On the side of the hull, a gigantic symbol of the Fatui was printed in blue.

On a day just like today, three years ago, Tartaglia, the Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers and Vanguard of the Tsarista—the Ice Empress—had landed for the first time in Liyue on a ship identical to that one.

Zhongli remembered it with precision. That day he had been waiting hours for the arrival of the boat that would bring the young man who would begin his long-awaited retirement plan. He had heard promisingly terrible things about him: “A monster in human disguise,” “a beast from the abyss,” “a ruthless madman on the battlefield,” “an inhuman force, corrupted by the darkest forces of this world.” And the ideal subject to test his beloved Liyue.

Of course, he never expected that the aforementioned would be a handsome young man in his twenties who, as soon as the ship approached the shore, jumped from the deck to the dock.

At the time, he had been worried that the harbinger's amazement at the sight of the city was due to his destructive desires and not his appreciation of art. Soon after, he discovered that his fears were unfounded.

Even though the presence of the Fatui ship brought back fond memories, he couldn't help but feel a certain weight in the bottom of his stomach.

Childe hadn't gone to Snezhnaya, nor even left the nation. He would return by land, on foot, from the north of the city. This ship here implied the presence of someone important, someone who made the entire journey to Liyue from the cryo nation.

Now the way the bank agents acted made perfect sense. As much as Tartaglia instilled fear and respect among his troops, his behavior towards his soldiers could be considered mild compared to the other Harbingers, who mostly saw themselves above everything and everyone, and the slightest mistake, which Tartaglia would simply punish, they would take with their lives.

To make matters worse, their leader was not present to protect them from the mistreatment of the newly arrived Harbinger. All they could do was obey and wait until Tartaglia returned—which, luckily for them, shouldn't take more than a day, if Zhongli's wishes were granted.

What worried him now was what the Fatui were up to so close to Liyue. Surely the visit of that Harbinger had something to do with all the undercover agents coming and going. His presence alone indicated that the matter was of great importance.

Perhaps that was the reason why Childe had not returned yet. Whatever large-scale project the Fatui were carrying out here that required his supervision, he had probably learned of it while looking for his recruits in the north, and thus had to move elsewhere without having time to return to the city.

«Which means that at any moment he should receive a letter explaining his delay.»

And that was the point. The seed of all his worries. Childe always sent a note announcing his absence even when he was a few minutes late for a meal or an appointment. Even last year, when their first anniversary was approaching and he was on a mission in Inazuma, he had sent letter after letter promising that he would do his best to make it on time. The truth was that Zhongli had no confidence that he would make it, but when he entered Liuli Pavilion, Childe was already sitting at the table.

And now, there was no letter, no notice, no note.

Their second anniversary was tomorrow, the day they had waited for was only a few hours away, and he had no news from his beloved.

He wouldn't be so affected by his delay if there was a letter in his mailbox with "I'm sorry, I don't think I can make it on time." That would comfort him, calm his body and the heart that was tightening in his chest. He just needed that. Even if it was Ekaterina who told him "Master Tartaglia is very busy, he can't get through right now" it would be more than enough. But no, they had blocked him from even that little bit of information and slammed the door in his face.

«I just need to know he’s okay. I don’t care if he doesn’t make it to our anniversary, knowing he’s okay is enough.»

A movement in his field of vision made him look away from the horizon. A small, furry, red-haired creature was running in the direction of the dock, towards the Fatui ship.

It took him a terrible second to realize that the little fox was no longer on his lap, nor on the bench, in fact he was nowhere near.

Zhongli felt his stomach sink, he stood up and ran full speed after him.

“No! Little one! Wait!”

Two soldiers, one electro and one cryo, both tall and broad-muscled, were standing guard in front of the Fatui ship when the small, red-haired fox stood right in front of them and started making barking sounds. He looked very angry.

“Whoa! What do we have here! I didn’t know there were these in Liyue.” The cryo soldier reached out his hand towards the animal, but it bit him and didn’t let go. “Damn it! Get off! Get off!” He shook his arm back and forth, his free hand going to the dagger in his belt.

The electro soldier grabbed it by the back of the neck, the fox released the other’s hand with a shriek, and began to shake all of his limbs as he tried to free himself.

“ Damn it ,” the cryo soldier said, one hand dripping with blood and the other raising the dagger, “I’m going to give my wife a fox scarf, that’ll be the only good thing that comes out after coming to this stupid country.”

“Hm, but he seems like a very nice guy to me,” the electro soldier said as he shook the fox in the air and made it growl more, “and smart too. Look, he bit the hand you were betting all our mora with.”

“Stop!” Zhongli finally caught up to them, when he stopped he saw the fox snarling in the air and then the electro soldier with the dagger and his bleeding hand. “I’m so sorry, I’ll compensate you for the damage caused.” He extended his hands towards the fox, but the soldier pushed him away.

“And exactly how will you compensate my friend?” he asked sarcastically. “Look at his hand. Your little monster will cost him a lot of rest.”

“I’ll tell you what, gallant ,” the other growled. “Give us a million mora and the fox and you  consider yourselves forgiven.”

Zhongli weighed the options. The injured soldier seemed to want to start a fight, but the electro seemed almost entertained by the situation, perhaps he would manage to negotiate with him.

The little fox began to squeal, the soldier’s grip was hurting him. Zhongli’s blood boiled, but he couldn’t act recklessly.

“As the laws of Liyue state, owners must answer for the actions of their pets. I will pay you the corresponding fines. However, it would be advisable for you to drop the fox gently, as this is a legal matter and if it is injured it could also affect your pay.”

“Oh, really?” The electro soldier looked amused. “My friend, but are you sure the fox is yours? I don’t see any collar. Rather, it seems to me that it was an attack by a wild animal. I wonder how generous the qixing will be when they hear that we, foreigners, have saved the local people from its danger.”

“The geo army will not tolerate harming a pet. I will pay the fair charges.”

“Very well, Mr. Elegance , then let's go to the pet registry right now, I want to see if this thing is really a member of the city or a dangerous animal that snuck in." The soldier shook the fox by the skin, which screamed and tried to bite his arm without success.

“Yes! Maybe if it's a wild animal, they'll pay us the million mora for taking care of it!” exclaimed the cryo soldier, he had already put away the dagger, and the blood had stopped dripping.

Zhongli felt a headache emerging. Legally, there was no way out of this situation, and he could no longer bear to listen to the fox's pain. Each screech made his heart tighten.

There was only one way to save it.

Zhongli searched through the secret pockets of his coat, found one... two... and three white papers. They were checks from the Northland Bank, signed by Tartaglia himself, worth 500 thousand mora each.

“Even with your brave actions, I doubt the Geo Army will properly reward you,” he handed them the checks. “I think this is a more optimal thank you , don’t you think?”

The Cryo soldier reached out to take the checks, but the Electro pulled him away and took them with his free hand, bringing them to his face, reading them meticulously. The other soldier leaned behind him, trying to get a look. They turned to look at each other, then at Zhongli, then at each other again. A smile spread across both of their faces, the Cryo soldier laughed, but the Electro seemed not to be finished yet.

“Fair compensation, my friend,” he smiled at Zhongli. “But I’m afraid it won't be too long before the qixing finds out you have this against the rules,” he said, shaking the fox by the skin.

Zhongli made his hands into fists, but when he raised one to the man, it was to hand him another check.

The soldier snatched it away and threw the little fox at him, who crashed into his chest with a screech. Zhongli wrapped his arms around him, and began rubbing the back of his neck, trying to relieve some of the pain.

The little fox had stopped squealing to growl at the two soldiers, but hadn't left Zhongli's arms.

"You better control your little monster, buddy," the electro soldier told him when they finished putting away the checks, the cryo still had a huge grin, probably fantasizing about everything he was going to buy tonight. "Or next time, it'll cost you a lot more than a few mora to learn to respect us. Get out of here."

Zhongli held the fox firmly.

"He's not a monster," he turned around, and walked away.

II

“Zhongli. Hey, Zhongli” a few light touches on his cheek.  “ Psst , wake up, today is an important day. That's it .” Childe made a radiant smile, his hair was a mess, and today he was not wearing any clothes either. “Happy anniversary, lyubimi.”

Once again he was in that bright and crystalline space that resembled his room. He didn't know if these dreams that his mind conjured were more comforting or more painful. What could be worse than dreaming about what you long for only to wake up and see that happiness only exists in your fantasies?

Still... he refused to waste this opportunity, even if it was a mere figment of his imagination.

He caressed Ajax's cheek, just as he would do every morning if he were here. He ran his thumb along the edges of his eyelids, over his button nose, over his lips to his chin and back to his lips.

The first morning after they slept together, Childe had been wary of such caresses. He found it easier to accept them during sex, because as he said: “their purpose ends when they both come.”

It was a time when Childe could understand a man's sexual attraction towards him, but he still couldn't assimilate that someone could genuinely love him. These caresses, which were intimate but not sexual, that spoke more of adoration than hotness, made him feel insecure, but above all afraid, of handing his heart over on a silver platter and ending up disappointed.

It took a lot of effort, but in the end Ajax learned to let himself be pampered, and later, he even actively sought out that kind of contact.

“Happy anniversary, baobei,” he replied in kind. “You don't know how grateful I am to be able to be by your side for another year.”

Ajax let out a small laugh.

“So do I, but we won't make the most of the day if we don't get up. Come on, we can stay in bed all day tomorrow.”

Zhongli sighed, and let himself sink further into the pillow. He really didn't feel like waking up yet.

"Sure we can't wait a little longer?"

"Nope! Come on, sleeping dragon , it's time to wake up!" Ajax attacked him with kisses, on his chin, on his nose, on his cheeks, until they started to tickle him.

For a moment he was happy and full. He felt his own laughter coming, but before he could let out the first laugh, the atmosphere changed abruptly. His senses sharpened, and there was no longer that natural softness of dreams.

He felt something wet on his face, which continued to rub against him without stopping.

"Ajax?"

But there was no Ajax. It was the fox, who was licking his face.

The brush of his tongue against the corner of his lip woke him up completely.

“ Ugh ! No! Little One! No! ” Zhongli brushed him off. “That’s so anti hygienic…”

The little fox jumped out of bed, made his excited good morning squeaks, and then ran out of the room.

Zhongli tried to wipe himself with the back of his hand, but ended up rubbing the space between his eyebrows. Waking up so abruptly had thrown him off balance, and staring at the empty side of his bed did little to improve his mood.

He heavily got up, and walked over to one of the framed photos on the wall. In it, he and Childe were dressed in traditional hanfus under a night filled with lights. This had been from the Lantern Festival the year before.

Childe was the only one looking at the camera, deciding to take the photo while Zhongli was distracted by the fireworks. It was a very good shot, one that made his heart beat faster.

He brought two fingers to his lips, kissed them, and then placed them over his lover's smile.

"Happy anniversary, Ajax."

Impatient squeals called to him from the door.

He sighed.

"You weren't so hungry when you woke up yesterday, Little One," he said, following him. " Why are you in such a hurry today?"

III

For the first time since the store opened a little over a century ago, Zhongli did not experience any pleasure from visiting Mingxing Jewelry. It was a highly renowned store, whose legacy had been passed down from generation to generation from the founding family.

Currently, the boss in charge was a pale, raven-haired young woman, very friendly, with whom he usually liked to engage in long conversations about the origin of her products.

This time, however, the weight of irresponsibility and guilt fell on his shoulders. He was supposed to come to the jewelry store yesterday for the matter of the sailor Ming, but instead he went to a bench to think and abandoned his work for the rest of the day. He did not blame Hu Tao for being upset, especially since he had asked for the day off today and tomorrow for their anniversary several weeks in advance, so the sailor's task would have to fall entirely on her.

Zhongli tried not to think about it as the store manager showed her her most luxurious collars.

“...and this one has emerald and sapphire inlays, which I think will match this little friend's eyes” the young lady tried to pet the fox, but as soon as he saw her approach he showed his teeth. “ Ah, I see, he doesn't like petting, I understand, haha.”

“I'm sorry, he is... “he turned to look at the fox, who was sitting next to his leg, tilting his head “ shy, with strangers.”

«Although he wasn't shy at all when he jumped on me the first time, nor when he falls asleep on me, nor when the children in the street pet him.»

“I completely understand” the young woman smiled nostalgically. “When I was a child, we had a little bunny. His name was Mr. Mora because he had spots of the same color and shape as them. He only let me or my sister carry him, and used to kick the others out.” She put a hand over her heart and looked away into the distance, remembering a time that only she could see.

Zhongli knows what it feels like.

“Excuse me, I was actually thinking of a collar that was a little simpler.”

“Simple?” she repeated, returning to the present. “Well, well, Mr. Zhongli, I thought that by this point you would know that there is no such thing in my store.”

“Precisely,” he smiled. “I am looking for something that is not so ostentatious, that does not attract attention. But, if you look closely, anyone can notice the high quality of the material.”

The purpose of the collar was to prevent the previous day's scene with the Fatui from being repeated, but if for some reason the fox did get into trouble, the quality of the collar would incline whoever caught it to not harm the animal, either out of fear of the owner's economic status or the desire for a reward. However, he didn't want it to attract attention either. The last thing he wanted was for a thief to go after the fox trying to steal his collar.

“Hmm... I think I know what you mean” she went for a box at the back of the store, inside there were scarves of various colors. “Look at them, they are imported from Inazuma, they are very resistant because there the animals face all kinds of storms.”

Zhongli took a cherry red one, at first glance it looked like a normal fabric, but to the touch it had a softness very similar to silk. He gave it a few tugs, and was surprised by its flexibility. It was warm, comfortable, and without a doubt it would look great on the fox.

“They come included with these brooches, so you can put your contact information behind them.”

Xiny showed him another, much smaller box, in which small brooches of different colors and shapes rested on a navy blue cushion. There were flower-shaped ones with rose quartz inlays, apple-shaped ones with rubies, ginkgo leaves with cor lapis, clovers with emeralds, and... ah , a four-pointed star made of noctilucous jade, with a silver frame. One of the points stuck out from the others. It reminded him of the tip of Childe's bow...and besides, the color matched the fox's eyes.

“I’ll take this one.”

“Excellent choice!”

Later, the little red-haired animal walked through the streets of Liyue wearing his red scarf around his neck, with his star-studded brooch on the side. At first he hadn’t stopped sniffing it, but once he got used to the smell of his new garment, he wore it proudly.

“I’m glad you like it, Little One.”

The little fox let out a few happy squeals and rubbed against his leg.

“You know, Childe has a similar scarf, but much longer. Before you go back to the forest, I should take a photo of the two of you together, when you meet him tonight.”

The fox made a little noise of confusion, and tilted his head. Whenever he said something he didn’t understand, he would close his muzzle and open his eyes wide. Zhongli found his expression endearing, and also, gave him a certain air of familiarity.

Now that he had the day off, he didn't know what he should do. Today he was supposed to spend it with Childe, possibly on one of his long walks outside the city until it was time to return for his reservation and the opera.

He thought he could do something more about the fox's situation; he had already bought him a collar, but he was still debating his next action. Should he put up an announcement about the missing fox? Originally that was the plan, but Zhongli was already almost certain that this little guy didn't belong to anyone. So should he commission someone from the Adventurer's Guild to take the fox to its natural habitat? Maybe in other cases he would take it himself, but now that he was waiting for Childe he didn't want to stray too far from the city. It was clear that he should pay an adventurer to take it for him, but every time he went to the Guild he found a reason not to do it, all of them less valid than the last. Had he become... attached to the fox? He was certainly cute, and Childe would adore him, but… if he was going to adopt him, he had to wait for his beloved to return to make the decision.

A pet fox was not at all common. In fact, the more he thought about it, the worse the idea became. It was a wild species, and although the little guy was docile with the elderly and children, he became very wary when a stranger approached him or Zhongli himself. It would be cruel to keep him on a leash, and he and Childe worked a great part of the day, so would they leave him home alone? Would they hire a fox nanny? Would they allow him to roam freely around the city while they couldn't take care of him? Probably not. Especially with yesterday's scene with the Fatui, which Zhongli didn't quite understand. The little guy had never gone to the extreme of biting anyone—well, Vlad says he bit his foot, but that was because he wouldn't let him pass—but he went straight to attack those self-centered soldiers without any explanation, they weren't even close, he went after them, barked at them and bit one of them.

A squeal of excitement brought him out of his thoughts. The fox ran a few meters, until he stopped in front of one of the street stalls. The cart had a great variety of fruit on sticks of all colors, from apples, plums, shan zha berries, bubble oranges and more.

“Good morning, Mrs. Ming,” Zhongli greeted.

The woman was already entering her third age, she had gray hair here and there, but all the wrinkles on her face were of joy.

“Good morning, young man. Nice to see you here,” she smiled at him. “Oh, and I see you have company. I saw your husband last week, but he didn't mention having a pet.”

The little fox squeaked and wagged his tail happily, while Zhongli felt his ears warm.

“Ah, excuse the confusion... Childe and I... we... not yet…”

“Ah, I understand. Your fiancé then.”

He used all his adept power to try to keep the blush off his face. Luckily, the little fox chose that moment to hop towards the candy fruits that were just out of reach.

Mrs. Ming giggled.

“Your little friend seems to be very hungry. Hm...” The smile disappeared. “Excuse me, young man, but I understand that animals cannot eat candy. Or am I wrong?”

“Ah, yes, that's right,” Zhongli said, relieved at the change of subject. He bent down to pet the fox. “Sorry, Little One, this fruit is not for you. We'll find one without candy, okay?”

The fox's tail and ears both drooped like a deflated balloon. It stomped its paw on the ground and started squealing, as if trying to convince Zhongli that it could eat them.

He shook his head.

"Don't worry, I know a place where there is fresh fruit. Mrs. Ming, we should be going now. I'm so glad I saw you today," he smiled at her.

"Likewise, young man, please don't forget to invite me to the wedding."

IV

They didn't have to go far. At the exit to the west side of the city were a large number of yellow berry bushes and sunsettia trees. The little fox ate each one with great satisfaction, and Zhongli took the opportunity to eat as well. He was making room for all the dishes that would occupy his table tonight at Liuli Pavilion, but a little snack wouldn't hurt.

They decided to wander around the place a bit. He told the fox about the Jade Chamber floating up in the sky above their heads, about the battle that took place on the coast just two years ago against the Lord of the Vortex, and the great sacrifice of the current leader of Liyue and member of the 7 Stars, Ninguang. He also mentioned less public details, such as the battle of Tartaglia at the Golden House, how the Eleventh Harbinger had shown off great power against a Traveler from another world, and how without him his retirement plan would have failed... well, that was between him and the fox.

Thanks to the position of the sun, Zhongli knew that it would soon be four o'clock, which meant that he was just in time to get ready for his date tonight.

“Little One, it's time to go.”

The little fox stood up from where he had been lying on the grass and stretched. He trotted to follow, but something pulled his attention to the side, as if someone had pulled his head with a string.

A yellow butterfly fluttered over the flowers a few meters away.

“Little One?”

The little fox shook his head, and ran after Zhongli.

Back at home, the little fox was constantly rubbing his fur with his tongue, like a cat. Meanwhile, Zhongli took a bath, put on some crystal lily extract, combed his hair, and took out of the closet what he would wear tonight.

It was a brown suit with gold lace, much more elegant than what he usually wore every day. Childe had had it made for him less than a year ago by a very famous tailor's shop in Fontaine.

He finished putting on his gloves, and looked at himself in the mirror. In Childe's words the first time he wore it: "You look like the sun." It was his way of saying that he thought it was shiny and very sophisticated.

Last year he had also had to get ready alone, but his partner had been waiting for him at the restaurant. He hoped that tonight would be the same.

He left some pieces of cured meat and some new newspapers for the fox—even though he hadn't even used them the day before—and headed for the door. The fox seemed to want to follow him, but he blocked his way.

"I'm sorry, Little One, you won't be able to accompany me this time," he smiled at him. "Don't worry, later I'll come back with Childe and the two of you can get to know each other, you'll like it, I promise."

The fox tilted its head to the side in confusion, and Zhongli took the opportunity to close the door.

As he walked away towards Liuli Pavilion, he couldn't hear the little fox screeching and scratching at the window.

Chapter Text

I

Many remember the young man who, yearning for the sky, flew so close to the sun that his wings caught fire. But no one knows that the Sun, too, met its own doom when he yearned to touch the earth.

Misfortune was a concept Morax knew all too well; tragedy had become a part of his life, a bitter pill he was forced to swallow from time to time, and one he would have to carry with him for the rest of his long life.

But Zhongli, the simple and ordinary Mr. Zhongli, young consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, whom scholars sought out for his knowledge, and citizens for mere admiration, had never experienced more pain than that of an argument with his partner, or the simple momentary loss of an ancient artifact due to lack of mora.

No, how could it be? Zhongli emerged in an era of peace. Agile with words, graceful of sight, knowledgeable of every rule of the game. He was born to drink tea quietly, to listen to the waves of the sea crash against the rocks, to watch the sunset, to read his favorite book over and over again, to see the birds, the squirrels; to attend emotive operas, listen to splendid melodies and smell orchids.

He had not lived that long in this world. Being just Zhongli was easy. The last few days he had tried hard, dealing with the mundane, inconsequential problems of a mere mortal.

But it was impossible.

Walking towards the Pavilion, an uncomfortable tingle threatened to run down his spine. He did not feel at all like a man whose only concern was to get to a reservation on time, no; he felt like an old man, tired and scared, who had already traveled that same route thousands of times only to discover a tragedy.

He felt like a being who saw a civilization rise only to find it destroyed, he felt like a protector arriving too late to a rescue, like a faithful companion seeing his best friend consumed by erosion, like a leader returning to the Guili Assembly to find the Goddess of Dust killed.

The first time he opened his eyes in this world, he already knew the names of the trees, the animals, the plants, and the minerals. He already knew that day must turn into night, that water runs through rivers to the ocean... and that this place, this place called Teyvat, suffered great pain.

He had no memory of the before , the word "demoted" echoed in his head, without any purpose or meaning. But the memories of the after , he kept in his mind as clear as countless photographs.

The receptionist of the Liuli Pavilion greeted him with a smile and a polite bow. Zhongli walked through the mahogany doors, and walked down the hallway without any interest in the paintings that had previously always captivated his attention. Fearing what he would find, or not find at his destination.

6000 years in this world had tattooed that horrible tickling sensation on his heart before facing a misfortune.

It itched from down his back to his neck, and with each step he took he felt his throat get a little more clogged.

For a second he feared that the hallway was tilting, perhaps the entire building was going to fall on his head. But when he reached the door to the private room, the young man next to it  had the calmest face in the world.

He gave him a welcome that Zhongli didn't hear, and as he opened the door for him, the itch was already stabbing half of his body like millions of ants, pounding and tearing under his skin to the beat of the drum in his chest.

They all died suddenly.

It seemed as if the world had become colder.

There at the table, in his usual seat on the right side... there was no one. Zhongli was the first to arrive.

Exactly one year ago, this would not have surprised him. But today, the fact was like a stab in the gut. Childe's chair stared at him, whispering intensely to him words that Zhongli could not understand. The empty space felt wrong . Everything in this room was incorrect , even if it looked as pristine as ever.

Neither the fine scent of the silk flower nor the golden glow of the tableware could calm his alarm.

"... is that okay with you, Mr. Zhongli?" he heard the young man speak, which brought him out of his daze.

Despite the lump in his throat, he managed to speak in a neutral tone.

“Mm? I apologize, I’m afraid I lost the thread of the conversation for a moment. Would you be so kind as to repeat your question?”

The man smiled, his shoulders slumping a little. He couldn’t have been more than twenty-five, and upon closer inspection he noticed that he had the same brown eyes and dark hair as the receptionist at the entrance.

“Of course. I was asking if you would be okay with some jasmine tea while you wait for your company.”

“I’d love that, thank you.”

The tea was sweet. The wait, in itself, was the bitterest of tortures.

At some point, after drinking cup after cup, he discovered that the teapot was empty.

«I should order another» he thought. But he didn’t want to even think about getting up from the table, so he just stood there, cup in hand.

Without the tea to concentrate on the soft taste of jasmine, a thousand thoughts threatened to run through his head. There were so many , an unreachable number of memories, and only one poor Zhongli to process them all.

At that moment, they were all fighting for his attention, and he couldn't keep up with any of them.

Then something snapped. It was barely a creak, but it was enough to stop him from thinking.

He looked down. Where he had been holding the cup before, there were now only black ceramic shards. Broken. Destroyed. They were all... shattered.

His throat hurt again.

"You shouldn't enter that kind of domain by yourself," he had scolded him a year ago.

Childe stood at the other end of the kitchen, taken by surprise. He hadn't expected that dropping a cup would lead to this kind of conversation.

"I wasn't alone. The traveler was there, Paimon, a girl named Xianyan, and Shiki Taishou too."

"It's not like you knew before you came in," Zhongli's tone was harsh and rude. It was unnecessary to point out his annoyance.

Childe took a few seconds to think. He was still very tired from his recent mission, and the last thing he wanted was an argument today, right after his anniversary.

“Is this about the mug? Because if it is, I promise I'll buy you another one tomorrow.”

That only made him angrier.

“It's not about the mug! You entered an unknown domain without telling any of your soldiers, why do they accompany you if they don't even know where you are? You were trapped for several days, what if it had been more? Without food, water, or rest from fighting monsters. You didn't even have provisions!”

“Okay, well, sorry for not knowing that the domain wouldn't let me leave like the others! Maybe I was confident that I would be strong enough to overcome it, unlike  another.”

For Zhongli, it was like receiving a slap in the face.

“Even the best sword is useless if you don't take care of it, Ajax. This isn't about your abilities, it's about your care. Fighting relentlessly left the tendons in your arms damaged, what would have happened if you stayed there any longer?”

"I would fight with my legs," he said decisively.

"Childe..."

"Listen, what did you want me to do? I lost all trace of the person I was tasked with finding. Then this domain appears out of nowhere, did you expect me to let it go just because I didn't know what was inside? It was my mission, Zhongli, I couldn't just ignore the only possible clue I had and give up."

"I'm not saying you should give up! It's just..." he begged to find the right words, the words to make him understand . "Why can't you just be more careful? Ajax, it was a domain that appeared out of nowhere, you knew nothing about it, you didn't know when it would disappear, what if it had gone with you inside? I don't understand, how did it not occur to you that something like this could happen?"

But Childe didn't answer him, nor did he hold his gaze for long. He just looked away, at the pieces of the cup lying at the bottom of the trash can. Perhaps he found the sharp edges of the pottery more captivating than Zhongli himself.

There was not a hint of shame in hIS eyes. No, there was only an unfailing determination, one that decided he would no longer share with Zhongli tonight.

And then he understood.

“No… you…” He wanted Ajax to look at him, to look at him and know everything that was going through his head. All his dead friends, his companions, so many people he loved and he lost them all. But Ajax couldn’t understand it, he couldn’t even see it. The people Ajax kept in his heart and lost weren’t because they had died, but because they had abandoned him. Ajax didn’t know the death of his loved ones, only the cold resentment of their abandonment.

“You knew that.”

Childe looked at him, but only for a second.

“You knew it could disappear at any moment, you knew it could disappear with you , and you didn’t care.”

Childe sighed.

“All missions have their risks. As Harbinger of the Fatui I can’t…”

“You would have disappeared. And I would never have known why.”

Finally, he looked at him again, and it was as if he were seeing him for the first time during the whole argument. His soldierly determination vanished into thin air, leaving behind pure worry, which grew the more he saw it.

“Zhongli…”

“ You would have abandoned me.”

“W-what? Of course not, I would never... you know I would never die on purpose, that's not…”

“No. When people die, it happens because of age, or illness, or by accident, arbitrarily, when all the help and precautions couldn't save them. But you…”

Ajax tried to get closer, but he backed away.

“What you do is abandonment”.

He stood stunned, still in place, just a step away from Zhongli and with his hand halfway towards him.

Maybe he was thinking about his words, maybe he was thinking about his own actions, maybe he was thinking about all the people who had turned their backs on him. Maybe he was thinking of the people of Morepesok, calling him a monster, or of his older brothers, looking at him with resentment after beating them bloody; or of his mother, crying over the death of her little boy even though he was right in front of her; of his father, handing him over to the Fatui. The Fatui, throwing him headlong into danger, regardless of the consequences.

Maybe he was thinking of all of these, at the same time. And then he saw himself, leaving home, saying goodbye to Zhongli, saying that he loved him, but if he loved him so much then... why was he so willing to leave and not come back? Why, when he put so much effort into the responsibility of his job that he would die for it, did he not also think of the responsibility he had to Zhongli, to his little brothers? Both clashed with each other, one foreshadowing death, and the other a long life, but Ajax was unable to walk away from either.

Could there not be a balance? And if there was, what would it be?

He looked at Zhongli, looked at his clenched fists, his stiff posture, and the tears falling down his cheeks. He wanted to leave, Zhongli wanted to leave, this argument, this fight. But he wouldn't. Because no matter how many mistakes Childe had made in the past, Zhongli would never abandon him.

And Ajax had to reciprocate.

“Zhongli…”

Carefully, he took his fists, massaging them until he could finally intertwine them with his hands.

“I'm sorry” he still hadn't stopped crying silently, but he still let him approach him. “You're right. There are many missions that I could have done better, not because of the outcome of them, but because of how I ended up doing them” fewer tears fell than before, Zhongli sniffled, and Ajax was so tender that he couldn't help but caress his cheek. “I still have to keep doing them, you know that, right?” Zhongli pressed his lips in a thin line, but nodded slightly, just looking at the hand they still had intertwined. “ However , things are going to change. Starting today, I have a new mission, much more important than all the others, do you know what it is?” Zhongli looked up, but he looked confused. Ajax took his chin, and carefully brought their faces closer. “It is... to return to you, always.”

Zhongli's golden eyes shone with a new burst of tears.

“Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

Zhongli smiled, and let out a sigh, a sigh of relief. Suddenly it was as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he let himself fall into Ajax's arms with a strong hug.

“Thank you, thank you,” he said, burying his face in the base of Childe´s neck.

“Hmm? It’s you I should be thanking. Not every Harbinger has someone to talk sense into them.” Ajax hugged him tighter, and gave him a kiss on the ear. “I’m very lucky.”

They melted into each other’s bodies for a long time. It had been a long since Zhongli felt this kind of relief. And of course he would still worry about Ajax whenever he went on his missions, but it was okay, because his mission was to return home, and when it came to missions, Ajax would do everything possible to fulfill it.

It would be okay. Ajax would always return home.

The memory dissolved, leaving him dazed, as if his head was filled with cotton.

He hadn’t realized that his young waiter was already picking up the pieces of pottery.

A part of him wanted to feel ashamed of his behavior. Another, however, only cared about the seat next to him still empty.

Still, he forced himself to speak.

“My sincerest apologies, lately I don't have full control of the strength in my hands.”

“On the contrary, Mr. Zhongli, I offer you my apologies on behalf of the Pavilion. Surely the cup was already cracked, I'm very sorry” said the young man with some nervousness. “​​You weren't hurt, right?”

Zhongli didn't even have to look at his hand to know that it was in perfect condition.

“The glove protected me from all scratches, there's nothing to worry about.”

“I'm very glad!” he smiled, but there was still something strange with his attitude. “Ahm... by the way, are you sure you don't want to order yet? Even if it's just an appetizer.”

Incredibly, Zhongli's mood managed to sink further. He didn't want to think about dinner.

“I'll wait for my partner, thank you.”

“Oh. Okay…although, I already confirmed with the manager, he said that since you are one of our preferred customers we can move your reservation to another day if you want.”

Zhongli imagined Childe thanking the manager with a big tip and an extra one for the broken cup. However, the thought of abandoning his appointment made his stomach turn.

No. He would be everywhere Childe was supposed to be. He could arrive at any time, and if he left now he would never forgive himself.

“I appreciate it, but I prefer to wait. At least until eight thirty.”

“Oh. Ah…I understand…it’s just that…it’s eight fifty.”

For the second time that day, his blood ran cold. Zhongli whipped his head towards the clock on the wall, only to confirm with dense mortification that he was already late for the Liyue Opera.

He stood up so quickly that it was a miracle that the chair didn't fall behind him.

"Excuse me, I have another event at this time. Please tell the manager that we accepted your offer to reschedule the appointment. Good night."

He barely heard the waiter's goodbyes when he was already heading towards the exit.

How was it possible that so much time had passed? Given the time, Childe was probably already waiting for him at the entrance of the theater.

Before leaving the Pavilion, a couple of waitresses looked at him with pity but without saying anything. Another one didn't notice his presence as she was talking quietly to a man. Although he managed to hear some vague words:

«...He tried to enter from the front and back... very quickly... it won't be a problem anymore.»

«Very well. I don't want more... tonight.»           

II

The theater faced the main road. A wide, green-gabled building with upturned corner eaves, red columns, and paper lanterns lighting up the night. Childe always found it to be an “stunning” construction, in his own words, and Zhongli agreed with the sentiment, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Childe made his dramatic entrance right here.

«Last year he surprised me at the restaurant, this time it will be here. Very clever , but I’ll have to scold him for letting the establishment down» he thought happily.

He walked up the granite stairs to where a doorman opened the door for him. Behind him, he found the waiting room already crowded with people. They were all high society, wearing traditional hanfus of different colors, who spent their time talking to each other or admiring the paintings that decorated the premises.

Zhongli looked around. A sight of red hair, perhaps a hint of red, blue eyes, or an outfit that didn't fit in well with the rest—because he knew Childe couldn't put on a hanfu by himself. He went to the corners, to the dark corners, even exchanged a few cordial words with his acquaintances, but all their questions about Childe's whereabouts left him disappointed. He didn't even find him in front of a Rex Lapis painting—he often liked to see them, although whenever he asked Childe he would just get embarrassed and not tell him why.

The time for the performance arrived, and couples began to line up to hand in their tickets and enter the stands.

Zhongli watched them as the waiting room slowly emptied, and decided that he would focus all his attention on the main entrance. Any minute now Childe would open the doors, wearing an elegant new suit and carrying a bouquet of flowers, go straight up to him and say “I hope I’m not too late,” they would laugh together, link arms, and walk into the stands together.

He waited.

And waited.

And kept waiting.

A light touch on his shoulder startled him. He hadn’t even realized he was in a kind of trance just watching the door.

It was the man in charge of letting people through to the stands.

“Excuse me, the show is about to start.”

Zhongli felt a pit in his stomach, and something told him it wasn’t because of the lack of dinner.

“My partner is on the way… just give us a few more minutes, please.”

The man raised his wrist to look at a watch, grimaced.

“Two minutes,” he said before leaving.

«Come on Ajax, where are you?»

He thought about the last day they spent together, how Childe had arrived with the tanghulus and the tickets, how excited he was for this day, how red his cheeks had become after thanking him.

Childe had so many expectations of this day...and so did Zhongli.

"Excuse me, but I can't delay the performance any longer," the man said again, approaching him. "You should go in first, maybe your company can come in at halftime, in about an hour. Do you have your ticket?"

The weight of the golden papers became immense in the inside pocket of Zhongli's coat. He felt a tingling on the side of his head, and suddenly the lights in the room were too bright.

He could do nothing but obey the man and take out the tickets, which reflected a golden glow when they made contact with the light. Was the ground shaking again or was it just him?

Childe wouldn't want Zhongli to miss the first part of the play... but how would he get in afterwards if Zhongli wasn't outside to give him his ticket?

How could Zhongli enjoy the music, the performance, without Ajax by his side to hold his hand?

He handed both tickets to the man, but the door Zhongli walked through was the exit door.

Outside, the world seemed darker. There were no people on the road anymore, the businesses had closed, the same lanterns were still lit, but their brightness could do nothing against the darkness of the cloudy sky and the cold of a rainy night.

The doorman asked if he had an umbrella, but Zhongli ignored him, and started down the stairs.

He could easily make himself a shield against the rain, but he felt that the sad drops soaking his hair and running down his back were ideal for his mood.

«It really is dark tonight, isn’t?»

He was nearing the bottom of the stairs when he thought there was something strange on the last step. He couldn't see it very well, but it looked like a small, wet lump.

The sound of his shoes seemed to alert the lump, a pair of pointed little ears perked up, and a little head with a dirty bunch of flowers between its teeth turned to look at him.

The little fox stood up to greet him, shook his fur—in vain, because it was still raining—which made several petals fall off the bouquet, but instead of being sad, the little fox began to shake his tail and jump with joy.

Zhongli didn't understand. He didn't understand anything.

"Little One, what...? What are you doing here?"

The little fox stood on two paws against Zhongli's leg, bringing the bouquet closer to him. Zhongli took it. It was a very simple bouquet, poorly made, with several broken or bare stems, it only had three flowers, and they were all in terrible condition. Even so, Zhongli recognized the Silk flowers, his favorite.

He looked behind the bouquet, at the little fox with red fur, a scarlet scarf, and big sapphire eyes. The little animal was squealing very happily, trying to rub his fur on Zhongli's leg.

His eyes looked at him with certain adoration... they looked at him exactly the same way Ajax did.

A wave of emotions filled his chest, and suddenly he could no longer stand. He dropped down on the first step, and brought his hands to his face, bouquet and all.

He would like to say that the rain drowned out his cries, but there was no way to know.

After a while, the pounding in his chest became softer, and he realized that the little fox was squealing, very worried, trying to climb on top of him.

Zhongli opened his arms, the fox climbed onto his lap and between squeals began to lick away the tears from his cheeks.

The gesture tickled him, and a small laugh erupted from within Zhongli.

"I don't understand how , or why you are here, Little One," Zhongli said, stroking his fur.

The little fox stopped licking him, and looked at him intently, he really seemed worried and not knowing what to do.

“But I'm glad,” Zhongli told him, as the tears continued to fall.

He put the bouquet aside, and took the little fox by the face, scratching him tenderly.

“You know?” he didn't understand why, but deep down, he felt like he could talk about it with his little friend. “I really... I really wanted him to come,” his voice broke at the last part, and the tears flowed even harder.

The little fox squealed and licked him again, and again, Zhongli laughed.

Stroking his fur, he realized that between his fingers there was not only wet hair, but something slimy too... mud.

“It seems that you had an adventure today, hmm?” Zhongli smiled at him, he had already stopped crying.

The little fox said something incomprehensible, and Zhongli took it as a signal to pick up the bouquet and lift the little animal into his arms.

A semi-transparent golden dome appeared above their heads, and Zhongli stood up.

“Come on, Little One, let’s go home.”

Chapter Text

I

He wasn't surprised to dream of Ajax that night, lying on his chest and drowsy. He enjoyed every second of the illusion, giving him little kisses on the forehead and repeating that he was looking forward to his return. What was new was that the little fox didn't wake him up, but was asleep on top of him. His fur had never looked so soft and shiny as it did now, and credit for that goes to the bath he gave him the night before to get all the mud off of him. Zhongli was also glad to find no cuts or pieces of glass in his fur, because when he returned home and saw the broken back window he discovered exactly how the fox had gotten out of the house.

That morning they had a salad for breakfast, the little fox's salad with red and yellow berries, blueberries and some chopped chicken pieces.

The image of the animal sitting on its hindquarters on Childe's chair and eating directly from a plate was still very bizarre. He wondered if perhaps he had no hunting skills, but told himself that he would have time to find out when the time came to take him to the forest.

He had originally asked for this day off for his anniversary, but without Childe, the thought of doing nothing all day was unbearable, so he dressed for work and went out, again followed by the fox, and again following his path only once they passed the Northernland Kingdom  and the little fox walked away up the stairs.

II

“Aiya! Look who decided to show up on his day off!” Hu Tao exclaimed as soon as he opened the door. “Let me guess! Trouble in paradise?”

Zhongli had entered the Funeral Parlor hoping not to run into her in the first couple of hours. He would have preferred to deal with the accumulated paperwork in the quiet solitude of his office, where he could put on myrrh incense and fade into the mechanics of work.

Clearly, this was not his day.

Nor his week.

“Good morning, Direc.. .ah. ” The young woman was tangled in several strands of streamers, the blue ones hanging from her hair, the orange ones were knotted from her shoulders, and the red ones were so long that they reached the floor. He blinked. Hu Tao didn’t seem to care about her appearance, and while a part of him wanted to ask what had happened to her, another part was too tired to care about that. “ Uhm . I hope you don’t mind me working today.”

She put her hands on her hips, and the streamers swayed. She looked like she was about to laugh.

“Nooo, of course, no problem,” she said in a strange tone. “I just wonder if now that my consultant comes on the days he should be absent, that means he will be absent when he is supposed to come.”

Zhongli snorted.

“If that were the case, I would be breaking one of the most important clauses of my employment contract.” He crossed his arms, suddenly angry. “Please don’t imply that I would be capable of such a thing.”

The girl burst out laughing, some paper streamers falling to the floor.

“Mr. Zhongli! You are too serious! Besides, don’t you occasionally skip work?”

“Those are extraordinary circumstances, as you well know. The law allows Liyue workers to…”

“Aiya! Enough of such boring explanations!” she shook her head. “It's not that I don't like having you here, Mr. Zhongli, but at these hours I’d imagine you lying with the Fatui boy in some corner of your room... So tell me... Did you fight? Was the date a disaster? Are you getting divorced?!”

Zhongli thought heavily of the empty chair beside him the night before, but soon the bitter moment was replaced by the image of the little fox handing him a bouquet in the rain.

"I can tell you that there is no problem between Childe and I. In fact, we parted on the best of terms. He just hasn't returned from his business trip."

Hu Tao opened his mouth to say something, but didn't say anything. After a second, he opened it again.

"So that's it... wow," she sighed. "With so many fatuis in town lately, I'm not surprised."

"So you noticed."

"Puff! Of course I did!" She covered one side of her mouth as if she was going to tell a secret “When they think no one is around, their accents come out... Even the best actors need a break!”

“I see…”

“Well, Mr. Zhongli, since you're here doing nothing and you're so eager to work…” the young woman walked to the waiting room, where a box wrapped in orange, blue and red paper rested on the sofa “Can you deliver this to Xiangling?! It's very urgent!”

“Ah... Is this a special occasion? I don't remember Xiangling's birthday being around this timE” He carefully took the gift. It wasn't very heavy, but he thought he could hear a jingling inside.

“It's not Xiangling's birthday! It's...! Ugh! I'll tell you when you get back!” She pushed him by the shoulders back to the door “I really need you to deliver that package now! Now shuuuuuuuuu!”

The door closed behind her. Once again, Zhongli was outside. And to think that he didn't even have a chance to sit down for a single moment.

He saw the box, and sighed.

Maybe he could distract himself a little by talking to Xiangling, after all.

When he arrived at Warmin Restaurant, he found that the beloved foreign clientele dressed in civilian clothes was not as lively as the previous days.

A group apparently from Fontaine, very close to the bar, was particularly upset. Three of them were frowning as they rotated their water glasses, and two others were bringing food to their mouths with very tense shoulders.

Xiangling had just delivered some dishes to the diners when she found him at the entrance.

“Mr. Zhongli! Nice to see you so early!” the young woman greeted cheerfully, no longer looking as tired as before.

“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Xiangling.” He bowed his head in greeting, then raised the package. “Hu Tao asked me to deliver this to you, she said it was urgent.”

The cook's eyes widened.

“Yes! Just in time!” She took the package and waved it next to her ear, making a jingling sound. “It’s perfect!”

“I’m glad,” he smiled at her. “It seems that something important is going to happen.” He put a hand to his chin. “Although I lack the right to pry into other people’s affairs, it is good to remember that curiosity is itself a common and ordinary emotion. Which, unfortunately, most of the time remains unsatisfied.”

Xiangling laughed.

“Oh come on Mr. Zhongli! If you wanted to know who this gift is for, you just had to ask,” the cook replied. “The truth is that we are planning a surprise party for a friend, it is… Ah, I know! I better show you the invitation! Wait here a second!” With that, she ran into a door behind her, taking the package with her.

«It seems that my curiosity will be satisfied after all» he thought happily to himself..

“Tch, this is unfair,” he heard a nearby man mutter.

Zhongli didn’t have to turn around to know it was coming from the nearest table, from Fontaine’s supposed “tourists.”

His senses were much sharper than mortals, so maybe it was the right time to find out by chance what the Fatui were up to.

“Ugh. Are you sure about what you’re saying? Maybe your boss lied to you,” another said.

“Very sure,” he lowered his voice even further. “Before he left, one of the Eleven questioned him, I think she was afraid the boss was going to do something suspicious, but he told her he would only report a change of plans.”

“Huh! And what makes you think the “change of plans” is from temporary to permanent? What if they just changed the dates of something and that’s it?” the sound of crystal glasses against the table was heard. “I trust my boss, and if he says it's temporary then it's temporary. I'm an accountant, not a soldier, you'll see that in a few days I'll be back in our motherland.”

“I don't know Pavel... something like that could be done by letter, but for one of them to have to come and report on it…”

“...it means it's sensitive information” a woman finished.

“I don't know why so much secrecy. The Eleventh is always going here and there, really the Liyue bank couldn't just wait for him?”

“Who knows?” said another, “But it seems that something important happened. The local agents are not happy at all.”

“Bah! Those idiots. They should be grateful. If what they say is true, they got a great fortune, if the boss stays as the new director of the bank permanently, they will finally learn what a true leader is.”

The conversation continued with more ordinary topics, but Zhongli could no longer listen to any of it.

New director of the Northernland Bank? Permanent? Even when Childe left Liyue for more than three months, they didn’t put someone else in his place. The manager and Ekaterina always stayed in charge until he returned.

What kind of responsibility could the Tsarista have entrusted him with to revoke him from his position in Liyue permanently? And why so suddenly?

«No… something doesn’t add up.»

Some agents mentioned that they had come here temporarily, while the rest seemed to come with the team that came to inform them that their stay would be permanent.

«Something went wrong.»

He didn't realize when he started running. There was a pressure on his chest. The world around him was a blur as he took the stairs two at a time. He could only hear his own breathing. Inhale-exhale-inhale-exhale over and over. He pushed Vlad aside, and suddenly he was inside the bank. He felt the change from wood to marble floor, but he paid no attention to the faces around him. Ekaterina shouted something as he entered a hallway, dodging people. «Ajax-Ajax-Ajax-Ajax-Ajax-Ajax.»

Then he reached for the knob, and opened the door.

Tartaglia's office hadn't held any special memories of the first year of his stay in Liyue. The Harbinger had left it just as it was: the long pine desk, the red leather armchairs, and a bookshelf full of books in a language he didn't yet know. At that time, it was not usual for Zhongli to be invited inside, his search being limited to Ekaterina's desk.

After handing over his gnosis, and resolving his personal issues with Childe, visits to his office became recurrent. And of course, Zhongli had not been able to help but notice the lack of personal items inside. It was as if Childe didn’t want to leave a trace of his stay in the room, as if he felt like an intruder —an attitude he would repeat later when he moved to Zhongli's house—.

So, meticulously, the consultant gave him decorations.

“This calendar of sea creatures has a color similar to your eyes, in addition to its usefulness, I think it would look good hanging in your office.”

“A small jar. If you put it on your desk, you will always have a tool at hand to stay hydrated.”

“Look at this pencil holder Childe, it has star shells embedded in it, your favorite. You should buy it.”

“A Narwhal figurine and a Dragon Quilin carved in Cor lapis, for you, Baobei.”

“Picture frames, so you always have those you love the most near to you, Ajax.”

So many valuable items and more, shoved carelessly into a cardboard box by a tall man with raven hair and glasses. He stopped short when he saw Zhongli. To his left, leaning against the wall, a short man with a long nose was looking at a thin rectangular object, he put it in his coat, and finally turned to him.

The Fatui Heralds looked at him for a few seconds, but all of Zhongli's attention was focused on the box of Childe's belongings.

His blood ran cold. He had to force himself to speak through the lump in his throat.

“What...? What are you doing?”

The taller one seemed to blink twice—although his eyes could barely be seen—and smiled.

“Well, well, well… but isn’t that the dear consultant ?” He pulled out a photo frame from the box, and held it up to compare the image to what was in front of him. “Yes, you are! What a wonderful surprise, this will be much easier now.” He walked over and dropped the box into Zhongli’s hands. “I was going to throw this in the trash, but you’re friends with Tartaglia, you’ll surely want some of it.”

The tingling that kept his body stunned and his mind clouded began to turn into irritation.

“Why? Why are you taking out his stuff?”

The tall man frowned ever so slightly. Zhongli realized that he knew him, never formally introduced, but since he visited Liyue once in a while over the years, it was impossible not to recognize Harbinger Pantalone.

“Oh. Didn’t he tell you? Tartaglia was reassigned to another location. You know how the Fatui are, this job has you running around all over Teyvat,” he said with mock mortification, trying to push him towards the exit.

“No. He wasn’t reassigned, he went on a mission to the northwest,” Zhongli replied sharply.

“ Oh, Tartaglia told you that? ” His smile widened. “It seems he doesn’t keep confidential information as… guarded as he should. I’ll make sure to reprimand him accordingly. Anyway, yes, Tartaglia was on a mission to the northweast, but he’s received new orders, that’s why…” he looked at the office with some disdain, “…he left all his trash behind.”

Zhongli clutched the box of belongings to his chest. So it was true that Childe had to suddenly leave his rescue mission somewhere else. But what could keep him so absorbed that he couldn’t send a single note? There was something very strange about this.

“How many months will it take him to return?”

“Months?” Pantalone chuckled. “My dear Consultant, I think you are not getting it: Tartaglia has been reassigned permanently .”

He gave him one last push, and closed the office door behind Zhongli, successfully taking him out.

«Permanently.»

«Permanently.»

There were other hidden presences in the hallway, waiting, hidden.

«Permanently.»

In the box, all of Ajax’s possessions.

«Permanently.»

Ajax inviting him into his office.

«Permanently.»

Ajax moving in with him.

«Permanently.»

He and Ajax sharing a meal in Warmin.

«Permanently.»

Ajax promising to return.

«Permanently.»

The first time they kissed on the desk.

The fate of immortals is constant loss.

But Zhongli had already lost enough.

One kick was enough to break the door lock, and it took only three more steps to put one hand on Pantalone’s chest and slam him against the desk, while the other held Childe’s belongings.

The smaller man with the long nose opened his eyes, while Pantalone’s seemed to open them for the first time in his life, and Zhongli’s eyes shone so fiercely that the sunlight paled in comparison.

“You vile scum… Do you think I will simply listen to your filthy lies and leave?” Zhongli said, his voice like venom. “That I will accept your words and feel sorry for myself in my home?” He pressed him further against the furniture, Pantalone had his arms raised in surrender, a nervous smile and a drop of sweat on his forehead. “You know who I am, don’t you? Now tell me… what, happened, to him?”

The hidden presences from the hallway entered the office, two pyro agents pointed their shotguns at Zhongli's back.

«Forgive me Ajax, there is no way this confrontation will leave your office intact.»

"Rest," ordered the smaller man with the pointed nose, the other Harbinger who had not previously given any indication of participating. "Nothing is happening here, boys. Please close the door."

The pyro agents looked at each other before putting away their weapons and closing the door —or closing it as much as possible, with the door knob broken.

This man must be Pulcinella, the mentor who had welcomed Childe into the Fatui and personally trained him.

"Rex Lapis, I apologize," he said calmly, as if Zhongli did not have his companion against the desk. "The idiot has no respect for any god. Lying to an ally of Her Majesty? It is a serious offense. Please dispose of him as you please. Once you’re done, I'll tell you what you want to know, in private.”

Zhongli scrutinized Pantalone, certainly wanting to do just as Pulcinella implied. He would only need to pierce the diaphragm, and this pest that had dared to mistreat Ajax's belongings and speak ill of him would cease to exist forever.

Another drop of sweat trickled down the man's forehead.

Zhongli stood up, and took a step back. Pantalone took a deep breath, and gripped the edge of the desk, but it seemed he still couldn't bring himself to leave that position.

"I'll talk to you." Zhongli turned to look at Pulcinella for the first time since he entered. "Now."

III

The private room they were given was barely smaller than Tartaglia's office. The walls and floor were the same, but instead of a desk there was a dark oak coffee table, with two armchairs on either side. An agent had brought them tea and snacks, but while Pulcinella seemed very interested in spreading his cookie with spiced cream cheese, Zhongli could only think of what Pulcinella could tell him about Childe's whereabouts.

"I must thank you for your benevolence, Rex Lapis." The little man took a bite, a few crumbs of cookie lingering on his mustache. "Although... I must admit that I was surprised. I had understood that you enjoyed courtesies more, but then again, I guess they didn't call you the Warrior God for nothing."

Pulcinella was the spitting image of how Childe had described him in his stories. An old man with shrewd eyes behind round glasses and ears and nose too pointed to be a good aesthetic combination. The huge blue hat only made his head look smaller, and the funny thing is how all these features resulted in a comical image; coupled with the great charisma and his speaking ability, Zhongli was not surprised that he was a political leader, a well-liked one in Snezhnaya at that.

Sometimes the smallest men cast the largest shadows.

“I have already witnessed your organization’s verbal spectacles,” he crossed his arms. “Do not ask me for courtesies when I fear that the Eleventh has suffered poor treatment from you. His service in Liyue two years ago was more than outstanding, and he has kept the political ties with Snezhnaya as stable as possible after the battle with Osial. Only he is trusted to keep the Fatui in this nation at bay. I will not allow him to be replaced so easily.”

Pulcinella scanned him with his small yellow eyes, and whatever he saw made him smile. He relaxed his shoulders, and it was as if a wall of ice had melted away to reveal a quiet clearing in the forest.

Now more than ever, he looked no different than the tired old men who sat watching their grandchildren play in the park from afar.

“There is no need to try to disguise your interest in the boy as purely organizational benefit.” He picked up his cup of tea, inhaled its aroma, and took a small sip. “I know of your relationship.”

Both Ajax and Zhongli knew that their relationship was not something they could hide forever. Although… it wasn’t as if they had kept it hidden to begin with. Childe’s agents knew, and the Tsaritsa had given them her blessing, but only that. But the Tsaritsa knowing and the other Harbingers knowing were two very different things. The goddess of love would do nothing against them, especially for the political power she gained by allowing it, but not all Harbingers played by her rules, and Childe had warned him that many would try to take advantage and harm them even if it meant disobeying the Tsaritsa.

That Pulcinella had discovered it just a few days after being in the city was already surprising, but he did not let the emotion show on his face.

"He did not tell me, but it is difficult to hide passionate feelings when talking about a loved one," the old man winked at him. «So he knew for a long time. I wonder for how long exactly» "I'll be honest, for a long time I thought you were just using him. I'm glad to discover that I was wrong. You can count with one hand the people in this world who sincerely care about the boy."

It bothered him that someone could believe that he was using Ajax, as if he were a mere object. He would like to know where he had gotten that conjecture from.

This man was good at talking, and that was dangerous, but Zhongli couldn't detect any lies in his words. He didn't like to admit it because he didn't trust him, but from the way he spoke he knew that he appreciated Ajax. And—this was something he had known for a long time—but Ajax also appreciated him.

“Childe has told me a lot about you.”

“Haha! Good things, I hope.”

Ajax always talked about him as if he were another father, but there were certain things that even if Childe didn't see them as bad, they didn't sit well with Zhongli.

Pulcinella said that he believed that Zhongli used Ajax, what a coincidence, since Childe told him about him, Zhongli also believed that Pulcinella took advantage of him.

It was still too early to say whether his prejudice was right or not, but he hadn't come here to evaluate Pulcinella.

He took a deep breath, fearing the answer to what he was about to ask.

“...Is Childe safe?”

The old man sighed, long and hard.

He took another cookie, but instead of eating it, he just stared at it.

“The mission in the northweast, I imagine he told you a bit about it.” Zhongli nodded. “Good. It was really nothing more than it seemed: go find his recruits, something simple.” He returned the untouched cookie to the tray, and folded his hands in his lap. “They didn’t find them before nightfall, so the reasonable decision was to camp. That same night, Tartaglia sent his fastest agent back to Liyue, with a report. When the agent returned the next morning to where the camp was supposed to be…all the soldiers had disappeared, Tartaglia included.”

Something heavy and nauseating formed in Zhongli’s stomach. Suddenly his limbs felt too tense. The fear he had tried hard to hide all week flared up again, pounding in his chest demanding to come out.

Still, Zhongli showed nothing.

“When we received news of his disappearance, we were not worried,” Pulcinella continued. “We foolishly believed that the boy had fallen into another of his adventures,” he cleared his throat. “As a mentor, I am ashamed to admit it, but Tartaglia has a reputation for falling into… mysterious places , places he should not access. Wherever he goes, it is as if the stars align to open the door to an adventure, where he usually loses himself from the rest of the world for a couple of days, be it a strange domain, a secret cave… or other much more dangerous places. In fact, that is the only reason why his team has no jurisdiction over the Chasm, even if it is part of Liyue. As you well know, it is a place with far too many hidden secrets, and I am sure that even if Tartaglia were to just take a look, he would end up in a tunnel far deeper than any other who has ventured there.”

Zhongli did not say anything, because he knew that what Pulcinella said was true. There were people who actively sought out trouble. Childe was not one of them. No, the trouble searches him .

“We sent Pantalone to take over the bank in Tartaglia’s sudden absence. However, we realized that perhaps this was not one of the boy’s usual adventures . You see, when he gets lost, he usually does it alone, but this time it was his entire exploration team. In such cases, Childe is too preoccupied with protecting his men that he does not have time to heed the whispers that tempt him to danger. Clearly, something more serious is going on, and the disappearance of a Harbinger is no small matter, so a much larger group will be setting out to find him tomorrow.” He took another sip of his tea. “We have come to Liyue to inform Pantalone that his stay will be longer than expected.” He glanced at the box beside Zhongli. “ Hmph . I wish he had been more tactful with the boy’s things, though.”

Zhongli thought about what he said, and then remembered the rectangular object Pulcinella had with him when he first broke into the office.

“Are you going with the expedition too?”

“Hm. Anyone who saw me would think these bones are too old for such a thing.” He laughed. “What gave me away?”

“You kept Childe’s family photo in your coat, the one of him and his younger siblings. I don’t see why you would need it, I know you visit them all the time in Snezhnaya.”

“Hm. You have a good eye.” He takes out the photo, in it Childe is seen holding and hugging Anton, Teucer and Tonia, all four of them with their laughter eternally captured in the image. Zhongli had taken it the previous winter when they went to Childe’s birthplace. Pulcinella looks at it gently. “Normally I wouldn't do this, but just as I promised the boy to take care of his family, I promised those children that their older brother would be safe on his travels." He put it back in his coat, and looked Zhongli straight in the eyes. "I know that perhaps the word of a Harbinger is not very honorable, but I promise you, Rex Lapis, I will find the boy."

Zhongli did not sense any lies in his words.

"Well then, allow me to go with you."

That surprised the Harbinger.

"That would be... very embarrassing for our organization, Rex Lapis." He lowered his gaze for a moment. "I know that you would provide us with good support, but if the Fatui needed the help of a foreign god to search for a missing person..."

"Then I will not go as Morax. I will only be a simple consultant who will provide field knowledge to your team."

“Hmm…” he put a hand to his mustache as he pondered, “I’m not sure the Tsaritsa would approve.”

“You are very fond of Ajax, aren’t you?”

“…hm, it’s hard not to, he was a very sweet chaos machine from a young age,” he smiled.

“Then you understand how much I care for him. You know why I have to go.”

Pulcinella studied him for a while longer, but finally seemed to give up.

“Ah…even if I didn’t allow it, you would go find him on your own, wouldn’t you?”

Zhongli nodded decisively.

“Fine.” Pulcinella set the cup aside, removed his right glove, and held out his hand across the table. “Let’s join forces then, for the boy’s sake.”

Three years ago, he promised himself that he would never again make a deal with the Fatui or another organization with ulterior motives. But it was Morax who had made that promise; Today, Consultant Zhongli only wanted to find his beloved.

They shook hands.

IV

When he left the bank, the little fox was waiting for him; when he crossed the road, he didn't stop to think about Warmin or the Funeral Parlor; when he entered his home, and lay down on the couch, it was still daylight; when he got up again, the moon hung high in the sky.

He ran a hand over his face, massaging all the muscles that had been tense for so many hours. He wiped his cheeks, and put water for tea on the stove.

The little fox followed him the whole time; he had understood hours ago that Zhongli wouldn't talk, so he only rubbed himself on his leg from time to time, watching him with those deep blue eyes, behind him like a shadow, or a guardian angel.

He wanted to fly over the sky and look for his beloved, but he needed the information from the Fatui for that, and he had to wait until tomorrow. For hours he wandered about what could have happened and why. His Ajax would not have been lost under the blue sky, for he knew the constellations like no other. A cave, a hole, something , was trapped inside something, Zhongli just had to find it.

He forgot about tea, about everything, and silently ascended to the west wing, where from the window a sickly white moon hung. Below, the lilies in the garden were dying in the autumn cold. He had a deep desire to tear them out and bury them, maybe, maybe then he would not confuse this deep pain, which he had no way of expressing.

The little fox put a paw on his foot, and Zhongli bent down enough to pet him.

“Don’t worry, Little One. I will also make sure that you return home, there in the northweast, with your family.” He turned to look at the moon, so white, so bright and full of lies. “But for today, we must rest.”

Chapter Text

I

Danyu had risen, fallen, and flooded so long ago that he didn't believe he'd see the day human civilization would settle here again. They built towers on thick stakes above the rivers, long bridges of wood and vines, ladders to elevated areas, and even a floating fence where they kept their livestock.

Deep down, they were still the same broken and worn ruins after the war, but the Fatui had taken what was forgotten and used it as a base for their buildings, assault towers, watchtowers, and stables.

He saw soldiers cooking over fires, training with spears, others passing by in wagons with supplies and heavy equipment, and a few others, the most hidden, laughing at someone else's joke.

After all these years, he would never have imagined that such a majestic city would be revived under the banner of a foreign army.

“Welcome to the Fatui temporary settlement, Mr. Zhongli,” Pulcinella said with a broad grin. “But don’t get too comfortable. As soon as we have lunch, we’ll head northwest.” He began to walk.

The little fox came forward to sniff the air, and after a few seconds, he turned to look at him, wagging its tail. He could almost hear it saying, “What are you waiting for?” but Zhongli was almost certain the fox was smelling the grilled meat up ahead.

Funnily enough, the little animal didn't react well to strangers, but for some reason that morning when they met with Pulcinella, it even let him pet it.

Thanks to its host’s short legs, he was able to catch up quickly.

“I knew the Fatui had bases scattered around the region,” he told him. “But I have to admit, I was imagining something less conspicuous.”

“Oh, all this?” He twirled his index finger. “It’s only been here a few days. We needed a lot of people and a lot of equipment; we clearly couldn't get through the city, so let's just say we made this our safest rendezvous point.”

"Hm, are there other , less secure rendezvous points?"

"Yes, but they're not as conspicuous as this one. They'll serve to supply us and keep us in touch, but nothing more." They passed a wagon being loaded with many crates labeled «FRAGILE» The soldiers carrying them wore pointed black and blue masks; and although he couldn't see their eyes, Zhongli knew they were watching him.

"I'd better not look," Pulcinella cleared his throat. "Everyone here is very suspicious. That's what happens when you put chickens from different farms in the same coop."

At first glance, it wasn't noticeable, but the Harbinger was right: each soldier wore some distinctive touch that separated them into groups. Although they shared uniforms, the soldiers accompanying Pulcinella all had a silver circular pendant somewhere on their coats; others wore masks with a certain extra blue detail, others had a blue feather hidden in their uniforms, and those who made up the majority had a silver chain dangling from them.

The conclusion was obvious: each one worked for a different Harbinger of the Eleven.

Which brought up a new question: Why were there four different ones? Of all of them, those from Pulcinella and those wearing those blue masks seemed to have the least presence in the entire camp.

He knew Pantalone was in the city, so many here were probably following his orders. The other two were a mystery he'd have to solve later.

II

The private table assigned to them was located deep in the heart of Danyu, the lower floor of what had once been a palace protected by generals of the geo-army carved in stone before them.

For two people and one fox, there was a multitude of stews and dishes. The varied herbal scent reminded him of a time he had wandered through the Sumeru market. He was embarrassed to admit he didn't fully know every recipe and condiment before him, but thanks to Ajax's cooking, he could distinguish the cabbage and green leaf shchi soup; the reddish beef borscht; and, unfortunately, the sturgeon already enjoyed by Pulcinella, a fish baked with vegetables.

For his part, the little fox already had his entire head stuck in a bowl, which Zhongli could only assume was some kind of meaty soup.

"Well, the little guy really is eating," the Harbinger commented as he picked at the fish. "And on the table , too." 

"It's been like this ever since I met him." He poured himself some borsch, and although it didn't look bad, for some reason he had no appetite. "Are the foxes in Snezhnaya very different?"

"Well, they come in different species. There's one very similar, but with fur as white  as snow." He poured himself some black tea. "Throughout my life, I've met many nobles who liked to have eccentric pets like these, of course, I didn't imagine the Grand Rex Lapis was one of them."

"Ah, it's not really a pet. It got lost all the way to the port. I decided the most logical thing to do would be to take advantage of the trip to take it back to its natural habitat. I hope it doesn't cause any inconvenience."

"Don't worry, it's good to have company," he smiled. "Although, they say putting a collar on an animal is like giving it a name, you'll end up keeping it."

"The collar is more of a... safety measure. Wild animals have no place in the city."

"I understand..." Pulcinella stroked his mustache thoughtfully, and after a moment, he seemed to remember something and snorted. "It's true, sometimes you have to collar them for their own good, hahaha." His gaze drifted off into the distance. "Although, I wonder if taking it off will be just as simple."

An awkward silence fell, and Zhongli wondered what kind of thoughts were going through the Harbinger’s mind. Some old story with an animal, perhaps?

Zhongli cleared his throat.

"You mentioned that Childe had sent two letters..."

The little fox put down the soup and, with a squeal, climbed onto the table and walked over to Zhongli's place.

"Little one, that's rude." He picked him up and placed him back on his seat. The little animal just stared at him, its head tilted slightly and its ears perked, but didn't climb back onto the table. "My apologies" he said to Pulcinella once he returned to his chair.

"Don't worry, don't worry." He scratched the bridge of his nose. "You remember well . A letter was for the Northland Bank, with orders for an expedition to depart to the northwest. Tartaglia already knew he was in a serious situation, and, worse still, he didn't have the proper equipment, so he needed it fast.”

Zhongli looked out of what had once been a palace toward the Fatui base.

"Is this that expedition?"

"If it were, it would be too late. No, the Bank's interim chief was due to leave on that expedition the morning after Tartaglia's letter arrived, but we ordered her to abort the mission."

This unsettled Zhongli. If they had allowed Ekaterina to go to Childe's aid, then perhaps...

He set the cutlery aside to avoid breaking it.

"The letter addressed to the Bank only contained instructions—what to take, how much, and where—but the reason we ordered it to abort was because of the content of the letter addressed to Her Majesty. There are methods to communicate with Snezhaya without delay. Fortunately, we were able to receive his letter and order the fatui stationed in Liyue not to approach the location provided by Tartaglia. I'm afraid there would be many more people missing if not."

Zhongli thought about the large number of Fatui in Liyue, the effort invested in remaining undetected.

How big is this situation really?

He felt a hole in his stomach.

What did Ajax discover?

"What did the letter to the Tsaritsa say?" he asked, struggling to hide the lump in his throat.

Whatever it was, it was too big to have moved all these people. Whatever it was, it had been the last known communication of Childe.

"It was a report, about what he found where his recruits should have been. I don't have the copy with me at the moment, but I think you'd be alarmed if you saw it too." He took a sip of tea, the fish abandoned on his plate. "His recruits were attacked by three enormous beasts, truly enormous! At least, the largest one could be the largest creature currently inhabiting the surface of Teyvat."

"Beasts? What kind of beasts?"

"We're still not sure; they don't match any of our records, not the current ones , anyway. However, the traces in the photographs bear a certain resemblance to ancient dragons that used to inhabit what is now known as Sumeru.”

Images of ferocious beasts of every color appeared in his mind, fighting one another, tearing off each other's limbs, ripping off their wings, killing anyone who wouldn't yield their territory.

Those dragons had perished thousands of years ago, erased from Teyvat for killing each other or at the hands of a god or archon.

But Rex Lapis was no fool. He knew, he felt it , in his flesh, in his veins, in every rock and mineral on this planet; he knew that in the deepest, most forgotten darkness, those terrible beings still existed.

Their presence on the surface was… more than worrying.

Now the Fatui's swift action made sense. Though Zhongli didn't believe they were doing it out of the mere goodness of their hearts. The power of these dragons was incredible, and if there was one thing the Fatui desired with every step they took, it was just that.

He had fought against such dragons before, but never alone, and never without great sacrifice.

Many comrades had fallen in those battles.

He had to force himself, just as in that dark time, to show no emotion on his face.

The little fox got down from his seat and rubbed against his leg, but he pretended to ignore him.

"I'd like to see those photographs, if it's not too much trouble."

"Of course." He set the empty cup aside, finally returning to the sturgeon. "There is no one more qualified to decipher what we're dealing with than you, of that I'm sure." He took a bite. "I'll take them for you to analyze later; they're in my chariot right now."

Right, of course this man travels in carriage.

Such means of transport also existed in the Archon War, but as such, they had always seemed too ostentatious for his liking. How could a leader travel in such comfort while his battle comrades had to trek through the arduous wilderness? Not to mention that these vehicles often forced the group onto flat terrain, slowing progress and exposing them to attack.

To Rex Lapis, the mere suggestion was insulting.

"Oh, of course, I forgot to ask: would you like me to provide a mattress for the fox?" Pulcinella asked.

"Mattress?"

"We can put it next to your bed without any problem."

The confusion must have been evident on his face, because the little man burst out laughing.

"You didn't think I'd let someone of your status travel without all the comforts, did you?"

"Excuse me, but I fail to understand how you could travel with a bed."

Pulcinella laughed again.

"In your carriage, of course!"

Chapter Text

I

Before Danyu was ruined, before the palaces, plazas, and giant sculptures, he knew it only as his home. He never strayed far from the gigantic jades embedded in the mountain, nor the crystal-clear water that turned to gold in the sun's rays.

“One awoke here, and here one lives. One needs no name, for one has no pack or family.”

“But what are you? A dragon? A quilin?” asked the young human female he had saved.

Of all the things he knew, what or who he was was not one of them.

There, where the jade would one day be exiled and Danyu would be erected, there on the top of that hill and beneath the first fingers of dawn, a burning desire welled up from the depths of his soul.

“I want to know…what I am.”

III

The carriage in question was spacious, made of pine wood, and had a roof three yards high. Upon seeing it, he was pleased that it wasn't covered in layer upon layer of white paint like the one Pulcinella had boarded, and instead had a more rustic feel. Joining the expedition a day early had definitely saved him from having to travel in a much more ostentatious vehicle.

It wasn't that Zhongli didn't like luxury; in fact, many in Liyue could confirm that he was seen in high-class places. However, luxury was one thing in everyday moments of relaxation, and quite another during a high-risk mission. Especially if he was one of the few who traveled on wheels, while most soldiers marched on foot.

As soon as they entered, the little fox had sniffed around the place: the two armchairs, the table, the bookcase, and the brown-sheeted bed. But as soon as they started moving, he slipped behind the red curtain and began scratching at the window as if he could dig a hole. His little claws scraped vigorously.

"I see you don't like this arrangement either, Little One." He went to the armchair, the movement under his feet may give him a headache.

The little fox squealed as if in pain, climbed down from the window frame, and went to the door to continue scratching.

Now, that would definitely leave a mark.

"Little One, it's impolite to damage our host's property." The little animal turned to look at him, snorted, and rolled his eyes in some annoyance, but left the door alone. "Why don't you sit down for a bit? After eating so much, you must be exhausted." He patted the spot next to him.

The little fox made some noises that were more like babbling than its usual squeaks, a sad, bored babble that sounded like "Waw waw wohmp woph." Resigned, he jumped up onto the couch and curled up next to Zhongli.

«At least one of us can relax a little.»

On the coffee table, a black leather folder closed with a snap fastener contained a copy of the last known report Tartaglia did. Or at least, a portion of it.

Pulcinella had told him that since it was addressed to the Tsaritsa, it contained certain confidential information written by Tartaglia; therefore, he only carried with him the most relevant information for the investigation, which were the photographs and descriptions Tartaglia had added.

A little strange. Zhongli was sure that in Childe's situation, it was highly unusual for him to add irrelevant information, but there was nothing he could do about it.

He felt the cold leather through his gloves, uncovered the snap closure, and prepared to see his partner's latest writing.

He was greeted by the beautiful Snezhayan cursive script that Ajax used in all his letters to his family. Luckily, Zhongli had had the opportunity to study the language a few years ago, and thanks to Ajax, he had learned the most current words.

The first page began with a sentence hidden in ink, but the following page was a broad description of the accompanying photograph: a huge, deep footprint had disturbed the earth, five toes, the two at the ends much smaller than the other three. It was rare to find specimens with so many toes, and this oval shape all the way to the claws…

A memory flooded his mind.

A destroyed human settlement. Human offspring crying. Desperate cries for help. A dead dragon lying on the ruins, and on top of it…

The folder fell to the floor with a crash, and Zhongli staggered against the wall, suddenly disoriented.

The floor vibrated. Was it shaking? He saw the red curtains, heard a squeal, and slowly, the scent of pine wood reached him. He wasn't shaking; it was just the movement of the carriage; he was in a carriage.

Something was bumping against his leg, and when he looked down, he found the little fox.

He was surprised to discover he was struggling to breathe, his chest ached, and his arms and legs felt brittle and shaky.

It had been centuries since he had last experienced this sensation.

He took the little animal in his arms and returned to the armchair as the little one licked his cheek. He thought about putting it down, but found he didn't want to, so he held it to his chest, as if they were hugging, and, indeed, the warmth it gave off was comforting.

Zhongli sighed, stroking his newest friend's fur.

He inhaled deeply, and little by little, the commotion in his chest calmed.

If he paid attention, he could hear the murmur of wheels on the earth, the footsteps of horses and soldiers, and the song of a bird flying in the distance.

He focused on the sounds: the wind rippling through the mountains, the pleasant chatter of the people near the carriage, the curtains swaying with each turn of the wheel, the fox's rising and falling breath.

He wasn't trembling anymore.

Zhongli saw the folder, lying on the side of the table. But he wasn't thinking of picking it up anytime soon. He'd seen enough.

He considered himself a person who had made peace with his past, that it could no longer trouble him in his present life; that although the weight of memories lingered on his shoulders, they were no longer capable of leaving him fragile and staggering.

He had experienced worse things. He had witnessed worse scenarios in the Archon War, and yet...

Was it because that had been the first time?

He sighed.

These weren't things he usually reflected on. A part of his mind was aware of those events when he visited Danyu, but the most recent images simply obscured his attention.

He had thought about the city of Danyu, and its fall, the adeptus who helped with the evacuation, and the people who had inhabited it.

But he didn't usually think about the human settlement not far from Danyu, which had existed long before any town or city.

In those days, groups of humans were no different from other species; they looked for a safe place to spend the night, with food and water nearby.

There had been another species before, a thriving one. Zhongli always knew it existed, but it was one of those things he simply knew because, in reality, he had never met anyone of it.

The closest thing was that dragon , with emerald scales and golden horns, one of the last of its kind that still retained its consciousness.

Dragons were that civilization that had come so far, but soon turned against itself, and their species deteriorated into the untamed, mindless beasts people remembered today.

One of those last dragons was dedicated to protecting the human settlement near Danyu the first time curiosity drew him away from the jade.

A human had told him that quillin sometimes visited them, and he couldn't resist the temptation to speak with one, possibly finding answers about his origins.

But it wasn't a quillin he found.

"Huey Ātezcatl, you may call me. Make your name and your purpose known," the dragon told him.

"One has no name. One sought to find out what race he belongs to."

The golden eyes inspected him from tail to horn. Although it was a strange encounter, he felt no fear of Huey Ātezcatl, only intrigue, and... hope, for his heart yearned for answers.

“Your size indicates that you have at least some years in this world. Well then, tell me, what do you think you are?”

He pondered for a moment. He had seen his reflection in the pools and compared it to the various creatures, large and small, that occasionally flew near the largest jade peaks, but he had never felt a part of them.

“I have been mistaken for a dragon and a quillin. One thinks, perhaps I am both.”

Huey Ātezcatl laughed.

“Normal eyes might see that, but those of us who see far beyond know better.” His golden eyes glittered for a moment. “In this world, there are creatures blessed by the powers of nature and the cosmos, energies that are as much a part of them as flesh. The quillin, all of them, were born with the energy of light, so they are enlightened beings. Dragons possess their energy from nature, Huey Ātezcatl has that of lakes and lagoons.” He raised a clawed paw and saw drops of water emerge from nowhere.

“Can your eyes see what energy I possess?”

“Correct. When I see you, I don’t see a quillin or a dragon, I see the energy of a thousand jades comparable to the sun.”

“I don’t understand.”

He looked up at the sky, seeming to search for something among the clouds and the floating island. 

“Now is not a good time. Come back in seven moons, then I will tell you something about yourself that you may already know.”

The impatience of being so close to the answer and having to wait longer bothered him a little, but if he had already waited his entire life, seven moons would be nothing to him.

“Good. So be it. In seven moons I will return.” He turned to leave.

“One more thing,” Huey Aztecatl said. “Allow yourself to feel the world. Don’t look for what you are in others, look for it in yourself, look for yourself, in your feelings.”

He didn’t know how to respond, or what to make of any of this.

“You seek belonging. Like a bird to its flock, a feline to its litter, a human to its village; but inside, you will never be like them. First, you will accept what you are, then you can join others without harming your own feelings, if you so wish.” He turned toward the human settlement and before walking away, said, “Your eyes… the jade is truly resplendent, isn’t it?” And then he went back to the human settlement.

That was the first and last time he saw Huey Aztecatl alive.

He never got his answer.

He never again found another being who had a clue about his origins, who could see, as Huey Aztecatl had told him, what he was.

Over the years, Rex Lapis made his own speculations, theories based on the last thing that dragon had told him: his feelings.

His words had been true. Rex Lapis never felt, nor would he ever feel, part of another species. He likes to believe he's half quillin, half dragon, but like jade and rock, which can be carved into anything, Rex Lapis could also have been carved, perhaps by someone else, perhaps by himself.

Any answers he might have had died with Huey Aztecatl and the village he protected. Perhaps another creature would have resigned itself and left, but Rex Lapis had spent the previous days tuning into his feelings, into what he was and what surrounded him. And that day... what he felt...

The earth...bled. He wept for the innocent.

It was as if he were being torn apart from within . He didn't know those humans, but their tragic death...

And like the strong rock, and the shining jade, Rex Lapis became a protective shield for the young and weak, because like him, they too were searching for their place in this world.

He protected them, and those who came after them. From the fearsome elemental dragons, of rock, water, and vegetation, dragons that in their element were almost indestructible.

Almost.

Those monsters had perished from the surface long ago.

«I wished I didn't have to see that kind of footprint again.»

He stroked the fur of the fox, which slept peacefully beside him.

This day, the monsters had returned.

Chapter Text

I

Despite having tried Snezhnaya's most popular drink several times with Ajax, Zhongli politely declined the Firewater offered by Pulcinella.

The man with the large nose smiled casually and poured it into a lowball glass engraved with snowflakes. The alcohol swirled in the container like liquid gold, and after a brief inhalation, the Harbinger tilted his head and took his first large gulp of the evening.

«He drinks it just like Ajax» Zhongli reflected, wondering if perhaps that was the way everyone in Snezhnaya drank it.

«No, when we first visited his childhood home, his parents sipped it.»

Pulcinella sighed ruefully, as if drinking the Firewater was equivalent to running a marathon.

«Just like Ajax»

Zhongli hadn't eaten much of what was served at the table. That evening, when the caravan arrived at a base at the edge of the Tianqui Valley, Pulcinella invited him to dinner in his carriage. The vehicle's wood was as white inside as it was out, and the unnatural lack of color disgusted him. The only other color was the curtains and furniture, blue as night, and Zhongli politely asked that the curtains be closed—"for privacy," he'd said, but in reality, he'd only wanted the candlelight to cast a much warmer yellowish hue on the white wood. Despite the limited light they could achieve, the atmosphere seemed more comfortable, and the little fox liked to chase the shadows cast by the candle at the slightest movement.

They had been served pea salad, diced potatoes with cream, cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice, tea, and what the Harbinger couldn't seem to let go of with his toast: black caviar.

Although everything seemed to be perfect, Zhongli's appetite shied away. Something his host didn't miss.

"I've already sent for a cook skilled in Liyue cuisine; tomorrow you won't have to worry about food." Pulcinella smiled, just like any Liyue elder would, exhausted but giving his best. "I must also express my deepest apologies. I overlooked my guest's culinary tastes. I hope you can forgive these old bones."

Zhongli felt a sudden guilty weight in his stomach. Did he really think he wasn't eating because of the style of the food?

“I'm afraid it's a misunderstanding. The food is good, of the highest quality, I must say. The real reason for my lack of appetite is that I can't help but be worried. I'm sorry for the confusion.”

Pulcinella stroked his mustache thoughtfully.

“I understand what you're saying, Mr. Zhongli. You know, Ajax wasn't much different. During training, he often skipped meals and always ended up stealing from the kitchens late at night.” Pulcinella shook his head in disapproval. “It took a while to break him of that bad habit, but I finally got him to eat while the cafeteria was open.”

The sudden anecdote about a young Ajax caught Zhongli's attention effortlessly. Childe never spoke of his early years with the Fatui. Never of the first years after falling into the Abyss . And Zhongli never insisted.

“It was all boring training. I don’t have any worthwhile stories from back then. Hey, do you want to hear about my first mission as a Harbinger?” he usually avoided the subject.

And this new information… Ajax avoiding meals? It didn’t sound anything like the Ajax he knew.

And there was no side of him Zhongli didn’t want to know.

“I didn’t know about that stage of him,” Zhongli admitted. “How did you convince him to eat properly?”

“He was never the type to learn lessons with a little wisdom. I had to point out the obvious to him with the only language he could understand at the time.” He took a sip. “You see, the kid didn’t get along very well with his companions, so it wasn’t unusual to see him start fights; it was usually him against everyone else.”

Zhongli was alarmed.

“He alone? But that's not…”

“Don't worry, don't worry,” Pulcinella raised his hands. “Even though he was just a kid, and the youngest of them all for a change, he always ended up winning. Except for one time… I organized a surprise activity at dusk, shortly before the time I knew Ajax usually went to raid the kitchen. It was a free-for-all, but I randomly handed out handkerchiefs with a different value each. I told them that the 10 with the fewest points would be expelled. Naturally, Ajax accumulated a large number of points very quickly.”

Zhongli was already beginning to imagine where this was going.

“Which made him a target.”

Pulcinella nodded.

“Exactly. Soon all his companions began working together, something Ajax was terrible at. And without friends and the fear of being expelled from the others' training, the fight was fierce.”

Although Zhongli knew it was a controlled training session and that Pulcinella surely wouldn't have let things get too far, he couldn't help but feel worried, even sad.

His Ajax, estranged by his own family, friendless , going through the worst years of his life.

His heart sank.

“Did Ajax lose?” he asked.

Pulcinella laughed.

“On the contrary! He came in second, only behind a boy four years older than him. But…” Pulcinella brought a bite of salad to his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “I think my plan was a complete success, because I saw in his eyes how he realized that without food he was a little weaker.”

“I see…”

“So, Mr. Zhongli, you'd better eat too. We'll need all our energy to find the boy.” He smiled. “Besides… I wouldn't want to organize a free-for-all right now.”

Despite the grim situation, the old man managed to get a smile out of him.

“You're right. We shouldn't let our worries cloud our judgment.”

«Because Ajax needs me.»

He picked up his fork and went for the cabbage rolls stuffed with beef.

A squeak sounded between his knees; it was the little fox that had crawled under the table and was now looking at him very intently.

“You should eat too, Little One.” Zhongli gave him a roll, which he chewed with great pleasure.

«I hope Ajax, wherever he is, can eat peacefully too.»

II

That year, registrations for new recruits in the capital had been scarce. Many attributed this to the winter, which was increasingly scorching with its icy cold. Lord Pantalone suggested they reduce the salaries of a few, surely the lack of income would encourage many parents to register their teenage children in exchange for payment. Of course, the Tsaritsa had refused.

He generally didn't go to the villages on the edge of Snezhnaya; generally, no member of the Harbingers did . But hey, he was the modest mayor of the capital, and if there was one thing he was good at, it was projecting a positive image of the Fatui, so if his presence motivated young people to join their ranks voluntarily, all the better.

As the weeks passed, recruitment had become routine, a little boring too. He didn't expect it to be any different when he set foot in Moreposeok, a small fishing village that barely made a mark on the map.

He was just preparing to leave the Fatui makeshift headquarters when he heard a commotion outside.

“Stop him!” “Don't resist, kid! Your parents already signed the papers!” “Ugh!” “He's a monster!” “Bring reinforcements!”

The image he received looked like a bad joke. Lying in the snow, five semi-conscious adult Fatui agents, and a sixth being knocked down by a mere red-haired boy, who should´ve been  15 years or younger.

The boy moved quickly, but at that speed, he took too many risks. He was like a cornered animal doing anything to survive, like a wolf seeking to free itself from the tramp it had fallen into, even if it meant losing its paw.

The last Fatui fell to the ground with a crunch. The boy turned to look at him, stopping dead in his tracks; barely a couple of inches from his forehead was the cannon of Pulcinella's gun, his finger on the trigger.

Beneath that disheveled red hair, eyes as dark as the deep sea stared back at him. They were like two bottomless holes, devoid of light or life, promising a slow, miserable death to anyone who saw them.

His agents may not have been up to the task of handling this kid. They've even called him a monster. He understood why ordinary people might get that impression, but this child wasn't completely lost. The dark eyes were fixed on Pulcinella, seeming to radiate hatred, but behind them, he could sense a hint of fear. Any sudden movement would have made him act.

«A beast beyond salvation would have launched itself at me even if I shot him.»

One breath, two.

He pulled the trigger.

The air in the gun exploded, the kid flinched, and Pulcinella took advantage of his shock to take action.

In a movement almost impossible to see, Pulcinella slammed the butt of the gun against the side of the child's head. He fell to the ground, pinned both arms behind his back, and with the hand that wasn't holding him down, turned the dial on the pistol and pointed it at his temple.

"Careful, this time it's loaded."

The boy tried to struggle. Pulcinella aimed at a spot on the ground to the side of his head and fired. A concentrated pyro round exploded against the ground, melting the snow and burning the ground beneath. The Boy stopped moving, and Pulcinella kicked him in the side of his stomach. The boy tried to suppress a squeal.

“You think this is a joke? You were just lucky the first time. ” Pulcinella pressed the cannon against his temple again, but with much more force.

The boy was obviously trying to control his fear, but so many years in combat had taught Pulcinella to see even the most hidden weaknesses of his enemy.

This boy was scared stiff, but he acted brave.

Heh.

“Tell me, kid, how old are you?”

At first, he didn't seem like he was going to speak, but he glanced back at the cannon and changed his mind. Well, at least he wasn't one of those who make the same mistake twice.

“Fourteen,” he said in a raspy voice. Was it from shouting or from inactivity? He didn’t hear any shouting from him before he arrived.

“Huh. You’re younger than I thought, and yet you managed to defeat six Fatui agents, all trained. You must be very proud.”

The boy’s eyes betrayed surprise, then were replaced by intrigue. He seemed to be wondering why Pulcinella would say something like that to him; was he after something?

“But you see, even if you managed to defeat them, you didn’t have enough strength to defeat me, a mere old man.”

The boy’s eyes seemed to light up with something; it wasn’t fury, or fear, it was… determination. Did he take it as a challenge?

“What is your name?”

“…Ajax.”

“Nice to meet you, Ajax. You may call me Lord Pulcinella. Now tell me, do you have any family?”

Ajax tensed at the question.

“I heard your parents brought you here. Do you hate them for handing you over to the Fatui?”

Ajax lowered his gaze slightly, forgetting the cannon of the gun, and shook his head slightly.

“Then you understand their reasons, and I think I do too. But I can't let you join unless you have your own reasons, or you'll always be running away, and we'll always be catching you, because let me tell you something, Ajax, there may be many weaklings like them here,” he pointed at the fallen soldiers with his gaze. “But where we're going, there will be many people like me . So, you'll spend your probationary period without trying to escape, and in the end, I'll let you decide whether to stay or not. You can choose to stay here if you want, in this village, where the strongest you'll find will be an adult fisherman, or…” He smiled at him, and saw in the boy's eyes that he understood what he meant. “You can stay with us, with me, and learn to defeat me, and many others, much stronger than me . So, what do you think?”

The next day, Ajax of Moreposeok was traveling aboard a wagon, separated from the rest of the older recruits who had decided to join Snezhnaya's largest army.

Pulcinella had recruited many soldiers throughout his life.

But never someone touched by the abyss. Never someone so young.

He thought it might be similar to the puppet.

But time showed him…no one was like Ajax.

And no one else will be.

Chapter Text

I

A large cloud bank covered the sky around Nantianmen. Not a trace of the blue sky could be seen from where the caravan was traveling, up the hill, among the grasslands that once had been golden and now looked a grayish yellow.

That morning, after a hearty breakfast, he explained to Pulcinella why keeping the little fox in the carriage for so many hours could be extremely stressful for him. Therefore, Zhongli was "forced" to begin that day's journey on foot.

Anything to avoid spending more time inside that carriage.

And truth be told, the little fox seemed very happy. As they walked, the mischievous animal would run ahead a few meters and back, run and back, again and again, displaying its endless energy. Sometimes it would return with a small bug or bird in its teeth and leave it at Zhongli's feet. And, for some reason, every so often it would bring him rocks.

Some were gems, or pieces of minerals, and the rocks had an interesting texture or shape. He understood the idea of ​​bringing him his prey, but rocks?

«Maybe he saw my collection of stones at home and assumed I collect them. Well, he's not so wrong.»

Although Zhongli did have a vast collection, he always tried to choose the most sophisticated and pure ones. Sadly, none of the ones the fox could find outdoors would fall into this category, but his sapphire eyes shone beautifully when Zhongli accepted each gift , so he tucked each piece into his coat.

Pulcinella's soldiers walked beside him, but none of them even glanced his way. With them traveled those Fatui who wore the distinctive blue brooch, those with masks, and others with small chains. Knowing which of these symbols represented affiliation with Pulcinella would be impossible without asking the Harbinger himself, but if the small feathered ones were left behind, it means that those belonged to Lord Pantalone's faction, whose control did not seem to extend beyond Liyue City in the Northland Bank.

«And where we're going, Sector 6 –as Pulcinella mentioned– must be the other two harbingers.»

Zhongli felt relatively calmer about Pulcinella. Thanks to the adolescent anecdotes the Harbinger had told about Ajax, he could finally make the connection between him and the man Childe held so dear.

If someone were to look at them even superficially, they would see two completely opposite people: an elderly politician whose weapon was dialogue and calm; an energetic young soldier who shone on the battlefield.

Zhongli could understand why Childe appreciated him so much.

Many of the things Pulcinella did for Childe weren't solely to make him a better warrior. Yes, sending such young people to war wasn't Zhongli's ideal, but he remembered the Archon War, which took many young lives. Zhongli wasn't proud of that; he would have preferred to be able to defend the lands of Liyue without human help, to keep them safe.

But not even a God is that powerful. And the Tsaritsa knows this well. Snezhaya was going to wage war against the heavens soon. And even if she didn't like it, if Snezhaya's people wanted to win, they would need help from soldiers as young as Childe was.

Pulcinella could have turned Childe into a cold, heartless soldier . He could have told him that his family ties would hold him back, he could have convinced him to turn off his heart, that his kindness was a weakness. But despite training Childe into an unbreakable weapon, he made sure he could always return to his family, he made sure his siblings and parents were safe when he was away, and according to Childe, he was the only one of the Eleven who hadn't reproached him for his kindness.

Lord Pulcinella was a very interesting old man. And if Childe trusted him, perhaps Zhongli should too.

The little fox began to squeak as it scratched at the base of a tree. As Zhongli approached, he saw that it was a shan zha tree, very fruitful this time of year. He placed a gloved hand on the trunk, sending a slight geowave through the roots. The leaves at the top of the tree rustled, and dozens of berries fell to the ground. Many soldiers turned to look at them, but Zhongli didn't care as he watched the little fox jumping for joy in the reddish rain.

"Awa! Awa!" the little fox squeaked happily as it ate the shan zha berries. It seemed to like them even more than the ones they had found the other day near the city.

Wagging its tail, it approached. Zhongli crouched down and reached out, thinking it would give him another rock, but the fox had brought him a pile of berries.

“Thank you very much, little one, but it seems I’ve already eaten too much for today. Why don’t you help me a little?” Zhongli offered them, making his hands like a small bowl for the fox to eat.

The redhead ate them all from Zhongli’s hand, and when he was done, he smiled very happily, his snout red from the berry juice.

An image sprang into Zhongli’s mind: Childe smiling at him in the same way, his mouth red after finishing his Shan Zha tanghulu, just a day before his departure.

His heart tightened, but at the same time, a surge of excitement and hope began to grow in his body.

«Tomorrow we’ll arrive, just one more day to look for him.»

His eyes caught sight of the fox again, who had returned to eat the berries still lingering at the base of the tree. He looked up and searched the surrounding fields for any signs of animal activity. To the west, on a distant hill, he caught a glimpse of a small animal running on all fours.

«Do I really have to leave it?» Zhongli wondered.

He couldn't deny, more now than ever, that he had grown attached to the little fox. He had avoided giving it a name, and yet, the animal had settled deep in his heart. The dull, lonely days after Childe's departure regained a bit of their color, and sometimes, just sometimes, he felt Childe was by his side.

In the painful days following their anniversary, the fox was the only anchor of happiness that had kept Zhongli stable.

«But you promised him you would take him to his habitat. You saw how dangerous it was for him to be in the city. Will you leave him locked up while you and Childe work? Will you deprive him of the right of freedom he was born with?»

Zhongli looked at the little guy and couldn't help but remember all the times he'd had to say goodbye to someone close to him.

Reality hit him like a bucket of cold water: he didn't want to leave him.

As the soldiers continued on their way, passing around them, a Pyro agent caught their attention, moving in the opposite direction. Zhongli followed him with his eyes until he saw him approaching Lord Pulcinella's carriage, which was slowly approaching along the road. They stopped the vehicle for a moment so the agent could enter, and a minute later he left the carriage again, which resumed its march.

The agent was going towards the front of the march when his gaze met Zhongli's. The soldier stopped dead in his tracks; he couldn't see his face behind his mask, but Zhongli could sense the internal conflict even from those meters away. Suspicion grew within Zhongli, and just when it seemed the Pyro agent was about to speak to him, he turned and disappeared at high speed.

«A messenger, perhaps?»

II

The white carriage stopped long enough for Zhongli to board. After three knocks on the door, Pulcinella opened it, and Zhongli and the little fox entered.

“Mr. Zhongli! How nice to see you before lunch. Please sit with your fox,” said the little man.

“I appreciate it.”

Pulcinella served him black tea and cookies (though Zhongli never touched the cookies), and gave the fox some dried meat.

“I must say, it’s very timely. I just received news from Sector 06,” he said, sitting down on the sofa across from the coffee table.

“I figured as much. I saw a Pyro agent arrive and leave. Though his behavior was a bit unusual.”

“Unusual? Unusual in what respect?” he asked, munching on a cookie.

“He seemed a little upset when he saw me.”

“Hmm,” Pulcinella stroked his mustache as he looked up at the ceiling, then his eyes lit up. “Ah! Perhaps he was surprised to see you outside Liyue City. That one is Dimitry, a messenger agent who used to spend a lot of time in the city, before all this , of course.”

«He’s an agent under Tartaglia’s jurisdiction» he quickly realized.

“I see… Is this by any chance the same messenger who delivered Childe’s last two letters?”

“You haven’t missed a thing, Mr. Zhongli! That’s right, Dimitry was the only member of the expedition who was able to return that day. Since then, he’s been working hard giving us reports on the situation. Just now, he brought me a very interesting one.”

«It means he was the last one who spoke to Childe. If I’m lucky enough to find him again, I’ll talk to him. I have many things to ask him»

“What does the latest report say?”

“Using the information you very kindly provided us about the usual lairs of these ancient dragons, we were able to locate one of their caves,” Pulcinella said, suddenly very serious. He took a slow sip of tea and looked Zhongli in the eye. “There’s good news and bad news.”

Suddenly, Zhongli didn’t want to touch the tea anymore. He felt cold.

“They found ten bodies.”

The air around him became too heavy to breathe. Thousands of possibilities appeared in Zhongli’s mind. Childe. Childe’s body. Motionless, cold. And then he imagined himself, in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, forced to prepare his loved one for eternal rest.

The seconds felt like a painful eternity.

“It’s not what you think,” Pulcinella said with the same seriousness, and placed a photograph on the table.

He took it carefully. In the image, a slimy oval-shaped lump was visible on the rocky floor. The lump was greenish and slightly translucent… Zhongli squinted… inside the lump… the first thing he saw was a black boot, then the pants, until he made out the soldier's face. A blond boy he didn't recognize.

“This… is…”

“I was hoping you could tell us,” Pulcinella said. “Perhaps placing their victims inside this substance is a practice of some specific ancient dragon?”

His head was spinning. No. Zhongli had never seen anything like this before. In Sumeru, there were species of plants and fungi that sprayed a corrosive liquid at their enemies, but the soldier in the image seemed to be completely covered in this substance, and his skin didn't look raw or have any other harmful characteristics. Unless…

“These ten soldiers you found… are they…?”

Pulcinella shook his head. "At first, when they found them in the cave, they also thought they were corpses, preserved by this substance so the dragons could devour them little by little. However, when they released the bodies, all of them had stable vital signs."

Alive. They were alive, inside that thing?

Zhongli saw the image again. He imagined the sensation of that slimy substance must have been horrible.

“Do you know the identities of the ten soldiers?”

“Tartaglia wasn’t among them, if that’s what you’re asking. However, those ten included both the lost recruits and the boy’s expedition team. There were no human or animal remains around. So they weren’t there to be eaten alive. And from the size of the cave, they deduce that it was the lair of the smaller dragon. So the other two must have their own caves, and therefore…”

Zhongli’s heart pounded.

“Childe must be there.” Zhongli stood up; the little fox began to hop against his leg, probably sensing his excitement.

Yes. Ajax must be there. Zhongli was going to find him. If the soldiers they already found were alive, then Childe was surely fine too. However…

“You said no human or animal remains were found… Are you sure that dragon didn’t use the cave solely for shelter and go off to eat somewhere else?” The possibility terrified him.

“It’s still uncertain. This was just one cave, one dragon; the other two could be different.”

Zhongli clenched his fists.

The situation frustrated him, and yet, the fact that they had found alive soldiers had filled him with irremediable hope.

“So many years… and I’ve never heard of a dragon doing anything like this. They usually ate instantly, and if they did take food, it was to eat a little later. They didn’t even bring food to their young; they learned to hunt very young.” He sighed. “I’m being a very unhelpful consultant, I’m afraid.” He paused. “Were the rescued soldiers able to provide any information about the attack?”

Pulcinella adjusted the collar of his coat and cleared his throat.

“I don’t think I explained myself properly. The soldiers they found had stable vital signs, but they’re not responding. They’re alive, yes, but… it doesn’t look like they’ll wake up anytime soon. The base medics are still searching for the cause. If they find anything, they’ll surely let us know shortly.”

The faint air of relief Zhongli had regained collapsed, shattered like a piece of rock.

The important thing is that they're alive, he reminded himself. Perhaps the viscous liquid they were in had some kind of sedative. But if they were alive, then they must wake up someday.

«What an unusual species. Are they really just dragons?»

An uneasy feeling gripped Zhongli, like the wind whistling against the mountains before a storm, like birds and wild animals that hide before the approaching catastrophe and leave a cold silence in its absence.

Zhongli looked down at the ground, where the little fox was still nestled against his leg, watching him intently with a smile, unaware of what was coming.

«It's too dangerous for him.»

III

The leaves of the hazel trees shook, causing a faint rustling, like the tickling sound of falling sand, and sometimes it was as loud as waves crashing against rocks, always seeking to reach the land.

It would be very easy for Zhongli to catch up with the Fatui caravan. He would probably join them before nightfall.

He had taken the fox to a distant field, where he had previously seen other foxes playing. At that moment, there were no other animals besides the birds that flew overhead from time to time, but he was sure the little fox would have no trouble finding his own afterward.

For Zhongli, it was like saying goodbye to an old friend.

He told the fox the history of the plants and trees that surrounded them; he stroked its head down to its tummy; he ran to its side, and showed it how to fetch the stick after throwing it.

The little fox was able to fetch it farther and farther each time, and he handed it to Zhongli with a proud smile and a wagging tail.

Each time he threw it farther and farther.

Until Zhongli had just enough time to turn around and walk away, silently.

He crossed a small stream that would soon become a river with the rains, ensuring that the fox couldn't follow his trail.

In the distance, he could see the little fox returning with the stick. He saw it searching for him, with its eyes and nose, until it dropped the stick and began to squeal as it looked for him.

Zhongli's heart broke.

But he had to remind himself that they were going into a battle zone, where great monsters lived, capable of devouring the fox at any moment.

The little fox continued squealing, and as Zhongli turned away, he couldn't help but feel as if he were leaving his own heart behind.

That night, for the first time in several days, he felt terribly alone again.

The dreams of Childe sleeping on top of him didn't return either.

THE FOX WHO DREAMED HE WAS A HUMAN

When Childe opened his eyes and saw a huge red bird circling over his head, his first thought was that it was a dream. Of course, how could there be such a large fledgling? Then he remembered the rain, the screams, the lost recruits, and his soldiers being devoured one by one.

As he jolted upright, he immediately fell face first into the ground. The bird hissed, pecked him in the forehead, and flew away. Childe tried to stand again, but his body was… wrong .

He didn't feel like himself. He'd once felt similar, when he'd inherited the Foul Legacy and his limbs had grown to enormous proportions. But this…was much worse.

There was no ache in his bones, no constant abysmal murmur, no electric current that used to course through every fiber of his body when he transformed. And yet, somehow, he felt less in control than ever.

«I can't get up» he thought in alarm, after falling to the ground again. «Didn't I fall from a great height? My body may have blocked out the pain, but if my bones are broken…»

He looked down at his legs.

He expected to see them in his gray pants and dark boots, broken and pointing in different directions or shattered. Maybe he'd see external fractures, with blood staining the floor, his clothes, a bone sticking out. But...

It took him five long seconds to realize that the furry red legs with dark at the end were in fact, part of him.

He tried to run away.

But his arms weren't arms anymore; he couldn't sit properly, and what his human body could do before, this body no longer allowed him to do.

He saw his hands... paws , dark with pink pads and nails.

He tried to touch his face, but without a long hand with long fingers to cover a large area, he couldn't quite make out what it looked like or why his face seemed so elongated from the front.

He heard a thud behind him. He turned around immediately, but he was so used to choosing his battle stance that his paws got tangled up and he somehow ended up face down again.

Thud. Thud.

This time he only turned his head.

Behind him, a furry thing beat insistently against the ground.

A tail.

His tail.

And that was… a fox's tail.

WHAT THE FUCK?!

Of all the dreams and nightmares, this one had to be the strangest. But… it wasn't a dream, right?

The first explanation that came to him was that he had died in the monster attack and had been reincarnated as a fox.

It was a crazy idea, and it would have sent anyone into a panic. But not Tartaglia . Although a small voice inside was screaming in terror, he decided to focus on the only explanation he had and somehow... get up and walk.

Several times he tripped over his own paws, but Tartaglia wasn't a master-of-all-weapons for nothing, and soon he found himself wandering through the woods, looking for... anything.

The trees and mountains were very different for him now that he was so small, and the sounds and smells were definitely more striking than when he was human. There was one smell in particular, iron and something old, that immediately transported him back to his memories of his most glorious fights.

Blood.

He reached the base of a gigantic tree, whose trunk seemed to rise up to reach the sun. A sequoia? And as he turned around… a vast pool of dried blood. Why did it look so familiar?

Oh, right . He'd seen it before, from above…

Childe remembered what happened after the attack. It was like a distant dream, where he was floating above, with his other comrades… at that moment, he thought he would die, or that he was already dead. But did he really die? The sun hadn't yet risen, his own blood seemed fresh… how exactly did reincarnation work? He'd read romantic comedy light novels about it, and in all those cases, people are reincarnated into a body that had just been born… and this fox… he didn't look newborn at all.

«I'm sure Zhongli knows a lot more about it. »

A scarlet object, much brighter than the dried blood now, caught his eye from the side of a branch. He tried to move it with a paw, and… a spiky mask, with a huge crack splitting it in half. His mask.

He didn't know what foxes felt when they were distressed, but Childe definitely felt something in his stomach and an abnormal desire to scratch a log.

Reincarnated or not, he had to find Zhongli and ask for his help.

First, he tried to go to Sector 06, where, upon seeing him, the first thing a soldier did was shoot an arrow.

«When I was a Harbinger, many resentful people wanted to kill me. Now that I'm a fox, EVERYONE wants to kill me»

He ran away, grateful that he had at least learned how to use his new body a little before he got close.

He had to prepare himself: any human could try to hunt him, and from what he understood in these mountains, wolves could also appear, and so close to Sumeru, even worse things like a riboshland tiger. At least he had to be thankful it was a fox, and not something smaller like a rat.

It was much easier to find his way around when he reached the Nantianmen fields. He remembered passing through here. Now all he had to do was head southeast.

That's what he tried.

At first, he thought it was merely hunger that made his ears twitch for any tasty prey. He wasn't good at hunting birds or mice, so he limited himself to fruits from the low bushes and some worms that tasted like wuak! But he was a soldier and wasn't going to complain; any nourishment he could find would be very welcome.

But despite having eaten, he sometimes found himself chasing butterflies or scratching the trees.

«I'm just marking the way» he told himself. «A little extra exercise chasing butterflies isn't unusual»

It wasn't until late at night, when he couldn't remember how he'd gotten into a hole in the ground, that he realized... Was he really acting like a fox?

His blood raced, and he ran out of the hole until he reached a pond. How did he know there was a pond here? «My instincts told me so»

Seeing his reflection, his stomach churned. A tingling sensation ran through his limbs. Childe blinked, staring at himself.

This isn't real.

That's not me.

It's not me.

No matter how hard he watched himself, and how much his reflection followed his every move, he couldn't understand how that could be him.

Was this really what foxes looked like? Yes, he had seen many foxes in his life, in Moreposeok Forest, where his father had brought them hanging up, ready for dinner. He had seen their skins around many women's necks, and the fur spread like a mat on the ground.

This isn't me.

An electric sensation ran through his body that wasn't his , but the sensation was very familiar. It was that energy screaming at him to do something.

Run. Attack. Attack. Fight!

A movement beneath his reflection, and Childe dove into the pool, his paws moving wildly, his claws scraping the stones at the bottom, his teeth sinking into fresh meat. He breathed in air and water. He was kicking, the prey in his jaws moving like crazy. He gritted his teeth. More. More. More.

He didn't regain control of his actions until after he'd devoured the entire fish.

He saw the blood spilling on the rock, and several pieces of broken fins.

It's like those times I lose control attacking the Hilochurl camps . Although it's been a long time since that happened to him.

But that blood... I want to lick it.

No. I shouldn't.

Why not? It's the remains of my prey. Surely they taste like...

Enough! I should be going to Liyue, no...

This place has water and food, why would I go anywhere else?

«What the hell is happening to me?» he wondered as he looked back at his reflection.

The image of a fox. Suddenly, it felt right, but...

I just need to survive. I don't need to go anywhere else.

No! Those were the animal's instincts talking. They wanted to make decisions for him! He's not a fox, he's a human! ...Or at least a human with abysmal effects!

Childe tried to focus. He thought about his life, from childhood to Liyue, to remind himself who he was.

I am Tartaglia, the Eleventh of the Eleven Fatui Harbinger, who serves Her Majesty the Tsaritsa. I was born in Moreposeok, fell into the Abyss, and became a soldier. I am Ajax, an older brother who protects the weak. I am Childe, sent to Liyue, partner of Zhongli, Rex Lapis.

But somehow, those thoughts grew distant, as if that human life had been nothing more than a dream.

I am Tartaglia. I am Childe. I am Ajax.

Was he really all those people?

Human life is complicated, but I am a fox.

No. I am human. I am human. I promised my brothers I would return next holliday…I promised Zhongli to return… Zhongli…I have plans with Zhongli…on Thursday…

Partner. My partner. Mate. I must bring my mate something to eat.

Yes. Zhongli. I must go with Zhongli. He will help me.

And so he continued his journey to Liyue, over paths and mountains, over rivers and lagoons. The world around him distracted him, the world screamed at him to do what a fox should do.

«Don't stray from the path. Don't let anyone see you. Find Zhongli»

«Don't stray from the path. Don't let anyone see you. Find Zhongli»

«I must find Zhongli»

I must find my mate.

II

When the fox arrived at the city, it was as if he finally remembered where he belonged. Only not exactly. An air of familiarity surrounded the city, and suddenly the fox knew what he was supposed to do: sleep with his mate every day, eat together, say goodbye temporarily as he climbed some long red stairs (was he supposed to do something at the top? Maybe it was his hunting ground, but he'd never know since a tall man wouldn't let him pass). Then he'd wait for his mate to return from his own hunt, and they'd go out together to look for more food. The fox wanted to give him many things, but with frustration, he discovered he was missing something to do, though he didn't know what it was either.

Everything was as it was supposed to be.

Until those who shouldn't be in his territory arrived, and when he tried to confront them, the fox realized they were too big. So he resigned himself to staying alert in case any of them tried to approach his mate.

There was also another problem. His mate smelled sad. Every day that passed, the dark air around him grew heavier. No matter how much he licked him and cuddled with him, he always seemed sad.

One day, the fox had a bad feeling. His mate needed him; he couldn't keep wandering around his home, so he took a leap of faith and broke through the invisible barrier that separated him from the outside world. Thousands of pieces flew off, but the fox didn't care.

He followed his mate's scent to a place protected by more tall people.

"Go away! Go away!" they shouted, kicking him.

The fox tried to turn around, but on the way, a sweet fragrance that reminded him of his mate caught his attention from a patch of land. They were flowers.

«Mate likes aroma. Mate be happy with flowers.»

He took as many as he could with his snout, and after not finding any back entrance, he returned to the main one, only now his mate's scent seemed to have moved. He followed it to some stone stairs, where they again blocked his way.

The fox stood outside with the flowers in his mouth as it began to rain. Later, his mate arrived.

«Mate! Mate! My mate is here!»

But his mate started to cry, and the fox didn't know what to do. Panic gripped him, but without explanation, his mate hugged him and... smiled.

«Mate happy?»

The next night, his mate's aura changed drastically. It was no longer just sadness, but a fear that constantly accompanied him. The fox assured him they were safe, that he would protect him from any danger, but his mate remained uneasy.

That must be why they left their home. But it was alright. Wherever his mate went, the fox would follow.

There were many people with different scents around him, and although many smelled dangerous, it seemed like everyone stayed in their own area. Besides, if his mate wanted to be here, then so did he. The fox even found someone he knew, or thought he knew , because he felt part of his pack but still didn't know where he came from. Sometimes, that old man would feed him when his mate wasn't looking, and the fox would promise to save some for him, but before he realized it, he'd devoured everything.

The fox believed his mate was getting better; he believed they would always be together and be happy.

Until that wasn't the case anymore.

III

When he was awake, the human's life was like a distant one that never happened or mattered. When he dreamed , Childe always felt like he was forgetting something.

«I'm with Zhongli. But then what am I missing?»

Sometimes he wasn't always with him. Sometimes his dreams turned into nightmares, about the screams of lost comrades, monsters in a laboratory, dark forests, and an evil man who had kidnapped him from the training grounds.

He was running on two legs, carrying a knife he had stolen from his father that night. The cold air burned his lungs, but he couldn't stop, couldn't let himself fall or slip in the snow. Wolves howled, thirsty for blood.

A golden light flashed ahead. He tried to run faster. Zhongli was so close, but despite his screams, he didn't turn to look at him even once. He turned around, and the light disappeared with him.

The snowy forest fell into absolute darkness, but Childe kept running, until…

A roar shook the trees. Suddenly, all the snow on the leaves fell like drops of blood. Three monsters surrounded him. The fourteen-year-old boy tripped over a rock, and his knife was lost in the mud. Blood fell from the sky intensely.

The sky. A monster looked down on him, gigantic and enormous, like a tree that could reach the firmament. It raised its clawed paw over Ajax, about to crush him.

A grasping hand cruelly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. The little fox squealed as he was lifted into the air.

The evil man with white robe, and a pointed dark mask looked at him closely. Ill Dottore smiled.

"Finally, after all these years... that old man will no longer be able to stop me from doing whatever I want with you."

The fox was awakened by the lightning that crossed the sky. The rain fell incessantly on his fur. The poor thing had spent so much time searching for his mate's trail that he didn't even dig a hole in the ground when the clouds began to form overhead.

The little animal curled up, trying to get as warm as possible with his wet tail and now muddy red scarf at the base of a tree.

Perhaps next time there will be no more human dreams.

Chapter Text

I

They were so far from the nearest town of Liyue, so lost among the giant trees that connected to Sumeru, that the people of the nearest civilization, Petrichor, in the Nostoi Region, a small island in the middle of the sea that connected to Fontaine, would never be able to see the great vegetation annihilation that had occurred here.

Hectares of redwoods were transformed into a long plain in the middle of the forest. How they were able to deforest so many giant trees efficiently, Zhongli couldn't explain.

A powerful part of him felt offended at seeing foreign actions on his land. Whatever the Fatui's purpose, it was undeniable that this habitat now had a great hole in its heart, and no one would suffer more than the wild species.

The long military settlement didn't actually begin where the trees ended. A few hectares separated the edge of the forest, with what looked like a translucent purple dome in the center of the clearing. Zhongli felt it before he saw it: a force field of electro essence. He'd never seen protection of this magnitude around a settlement, but he hoped to have an explanation soon.

A bird whistled through the wind, the sound barely penetrating the hustle and bustle of the caravan heading single file toward the military base.

As he reached the front, he saw two tall columns like steel turrets, connected by a fence. They seemed to be the only way to get to the other side of the force field. In front of them, several soldiers were waiting for orders.

A tall, dark figure caught Zhongli's attention like a flame in the gloom. When you've been in so many wars, it's easy to spot the leader from the rest of his followers. The aura this man emitted contrasted with the electricity behind him, like a cold iceberg, a voracious and perhaps immovable force. For some.

A dark coat flapped in the wind as the man, whose face was hidden behind a helmet, approached the front of the caravan. Zhongli was barely behind where Pulcinella's carriage had led the way, but he still caught a glimpse of a brief blue gleam in the Fatui's eyes—undoubtedly a Harbinger—which had rested on him instead of looking at the old man who had stepped down to greet him.

He lost eye contact, and Pulcinella approached the man, arms outstretched.

"Pulcinella," his voice was deep and firm, and he didn't seem very happy either. "A few days ago, when I received the news that you were heading here, I thought it must have been a mistake, for I wonder why the mayor of the capital would come to this hunting ground."

The little man lowered his arms, understanding that there would be no such friendly welcome.

"Captain . I know it's unusual for an old man like me to venture so far from the motherland, but I assure you I'm here to serve Her Majesty the Tsaritsa's heartfelt will."

Captain seemed to weigh the words, and Zhongli couldn't help but feel there was some hidden message. After all, he too had spoken that way on many occasions. Sometimes he still does.

“I don't doubt it. Even in a tragedy, both a Mayor and a Captain must assess the situation and make the best possible decision. However, I wonder if they're both headed in the same direction.”

“I couldn't have said it better myself.” Pulcinella placed both hands on his cane. “But don't worry, I assure you my motivations will not interfere with your plans. ”

Again, the man's eyes fell on him.

“Ah, I see you've already noticed Mister Zhongli.” He beckoned him closer. He had no choice but to comply. “He is the most knowledgeable consultant on history and culture in all of Liyue; his wisdom transcends all limits. I'm sure he will help you figure out exactly what we're dealing with.”

Although he knew his human form wasn't the tallest in all of Teyvat, it was rare that a human would look down on him. So close to this man, Zhongli felt the cold winter that accompanied him, not like a protective blanket like the hydro power that accompanied Childe, but like a dark shadow that loomed around his soul and heart. It wasn't exactly the Abyss, but it wasn't very good either.

He knew instantly. This human was cursed.

If Capitano felt Zhongli's presence as clearly as he did, he didn't let on. He glanced sideways at Pulcinella and sighed.

"Hmph. You must be tired from your journey. A lunchis in order, there we can discuss our responsibilities in peace. My agent will guide you to your designated area; I'll let you know when it's time."

Capitano turned around, and as he walked away, two things happened: Zhongli remembered Childe telling him about him before: the strongest human in Teyvat, the first of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. And also... beneath his coat, he couldn't help but notice that one of the Captain's arms was strangely stiff.

The mechanical doors swung open, the hiss of electro power tickling the air. One of the soldiers who had been nearby took the lead to guide them inside.

"Well, we'd better get comfortable," Pulcinella told him, flashing a big smile, only noticeable by the way the corners of his long mustache lifted.

Walking to the entrance of the force field, his instincts and the bird's whistles warned him that he was entering a cage. As an Adeptus, he was fully proficient in teleportation techniques, but there were certain elemental barriers, like those usually found in domains, that he couldn't pass through unless they were opened. This force field seemed to use the same technology.

But if standing at the mouth of the Abyss would get him Childe back, then he would gladly do it a million times over.

II

He watched with dismay as his carriage was placed in the central area, not far from Pulcinella's. It was anchored to the ground and the horses were led away. Although his attention had been attentive, it was obvious the caravan had arrived in the middle of something important. The soldiers quickly said their goodbyes, and soon Zhongli found himself once again locked within the confines of the carriage.

He went to the window to confirm that outside, soldiers were running around, some wearing bandages and others carrying long, thick ropes. The Fatui in blue masks seemed especially active, but carried a certain supernatural coldness that made the others avoid them.

A golden winged peng fluttered in front of the glass. Zhongli checked to make sure no one was looking before opening it and closing it again once the bird had entered. Then he closed all the curtains.

In a mere flash of light, it transformed into Adeptus Xiao, who now stood in the middle of the carriage, head bowed and one knee on the ground.

“My Lord, forgive my boldness, but you shouldn’t have entered this settlement. Adeptic arts don’t work to breach the barrier.”

“And yet, you entered with me.” Xiao said nothing. “You may rise, Xiao. I’m glad you’re here.” The adeptus obeyed.

Zhongli wasn't lying. Knowing that the Fatui's activity hadn't gone unnoticed reassured him. If Xiao had been around for several days, he'd surely gathered a lot of information.

"My Lord, leave this Fatui matter in our hands. You should be in Liyue enjoying your well-deserved rest."

"I'm not here because I doubt your abilities. Actually, it's a personal matter." He considered offering him a seat, but knew it would likely make the Adeptus more uncomfortable, so he remained standing as well. "Childe disappeared."

Their relationship was no secret to his fellow Adeptus, who had initially fervently tried to convince him to distance himself from him. In the end, they gave in. And over time, they managed to accept Childe's occasional presence at meetings.

Xiao's momentary surprise and his immediate frown told him all he needed to know.

“They recently took some soldiers from a cave. I heard them say more people are missing. I didn't imagine he would be among the missing.”

“How long have you been watching them?”

“Almost one week. The number of wagons passing through Lihua Pond was suspicious. I followed them to a Fatui base where they removed their disguises as mere foreigners.” Xiao crossed his arms and continued,

“I warned Cloud Retainer to keep an eye on the outskirts of the city while I followed them northwest. When we arrived, they were clearing the forest. I was about to intervene, until I discovered why they were here.”

“The Fatui have been repeatedly attacked by monsters . My Lord, I don't know where these creatures came from, but they're unlike anything we've seen before. It's normal for our ancient enemies, or remnants of them, to resurface, but I haven't seen this type of creature, not even in the Archon War. They're highly violent and dangerous; they seem intelligent in the sense of their strategic attacks, but it doesn't seem like you can talk to them. And they can also turn invisible, erasing their elemental traces. I was hoping the Fatui would get rid of them, or for them to get rid of the Fatui, but ever since they set up the electro energy field, the attacks have decreased greatly. It seems the Fatui have discovered they are weak to this element. The creatures take advantage of their invisibility to launch surprise attacks, but upon contact with the shield, they become visible again. And today... the Harbinger named Capitano and his team managed to capture one of the living creatures, the smallest one, but I still recognize that it took a lot of effort and sacrifice to do so. The creatures have an attack that seems to immobilize their victims' limbs. The Harbinger won't be able to move his arm soon.”

Zhongli pondered this information for a moment. Pulcinella hadn't let him know about the invisibility ability, the weakness to the electro element, and an attack capable of immobilizing a person's limbs, even though he supposedly wanted Zhongli to find out what threat they were facing.

Since the attacks had been going on for several days, it's unlikely they weren't aware of it beforehand, or rather, they didn't want to tell him.

Pulcinella and Capitano's earlier encounter made it clear that Capitano wasn't happy about Pulcinella's arrival; he even seemed to question his motives. Capitano was the highest authority on this base, so even with orders to gather information, it would be difficult to get all the information to Pulcinella, and thus, Zhongli was also left in the dark.

That aside, the new information about the creatures was very revealing.

So far, all Zhongli knew was that they were big and kept living bodies inside a green, viscous mass.

Invisibility wasn't an uncommon ability among certain creatures. Long before the Archon War, beasts had developed highly effective camouflage, especially those born from an electro protuberance or dendro. Considering their "weakness" is the electro element, it's likely these creatures have an affinity with the dendro.

"By any chance, did any of them have leaves on their bodies or anything resembling vegetation?"

Xiao's eyes widened and he nodded.

"The largest one has scales that look like leaves, but they're very durable."

"I see," Zhongli said, placing his hand on his chin.

There was no doubt the dragons hailed from the Sumeru Forest region; how and why they arrived was the question now.

"Do they have any special characteristics?"

“They all look similar, but the smallest has a small, unneeded wing formation on its back. The medium-sized one instead has tentacles, and its jaw is disproportionate to its body size. The largest has nothing on its back, but it has six legs and three eyes. Strangely, the largest is also the fastest of the three.”

Now that was strange . It wasn't unusual for the same species to be different sizes; age played a big role, but changes as noticeable as malformed wings, tentacles, and six legs were quite unusual.

There used to be all kinds of creatures, but for one to have malformed wings that it clearly didn't need to fly... the evolutionary process should have eradicated them long ago.

Unless... a mutation? Many creatures could mutate within the Abyss, growing extra limbs they didn't always need, and while it was rare for such large creatures to have managed to escape, it wasn't impossible, and that would explain their sudden arrival.

For the moment, he wouldn't worry about the possibility of an open Abyssal portal. If so, there would be more creatures on the loose, and monster activity would have increased. This seemed like an isolated case.

"Did they have any traces of Abyssal energy?"

Xiao shook his head.

This situation was very curious, but he didn't have any more time to talk about it. Someone could arrive at any moment, and as long as Xiao was inside, he was in danger.

“Good. If you discover any new information, I’ll figure out a way to get us out so you can let me know. Hide under a wagon leading outside and keep an eye on the area. Please don’t try to confront the beasts on your own. Oh, and…Xiao, thank you very much.”

The adeptus suddenly turned red.

“My Lord! Please, you don't have to thank me; this is my duty. Although… if you'll allow me, you shouldn't stay alone in this force field. The Fatui are very devious, they might try something against you. We can search for Childe together from the outside.”

“Thank you for your concern, Xiao, but something tells me they know more than they let on. I need that information to find Childe as soon as possible.”

Xiao clenched his fists, finding no other reason to convince Zhongli to leave.

“I understand,” he surrendered. “I'll keep an eye out from the outside. If anything happens, call my name, and I'll find that broken door to assist you. Ah! Not that you need help, of course. I just…”

Zhongli gave a small laugh and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Xiao. I'm glad I can count on your help.”

The adeptus nodded, seeming speechless.

Just as he was about to open the window, Zhongli remembered something.

“Oh, one more thing: Do you know if Capitano and Pulcinella, the Harbinger I arrived with, are the only Harbingers in the area?”

“They’re the only ones I’ve seen. But there’s one name…some soldiers speak of him with fear…even though he’s never been here.”

“Who?”

“The Doctor.”

III

The military settlement wasn't built where Tartaglia's camp had been. It was even deeper in the forest.

Pulcinella took Zhongli there to investigate, but there wasn't much he hadn't already seen in the report's photographs. The total destruction of a camp, traces barely covered by the rain.

Although faint, the smell of sulfur was still distinguishable. Cannons were surely used to defend themselves.

The redwoods around the camp had enormous scratches, some larger than Zhongli himself. But the one he found strangest had a deep depression in the bark, at a great height. Something had impacted the trunk, not too big, not too small, but enough to be a human.

Down on the ground, copper-brown stains still remained above the tree's roots.

The abysmal trail of the Foul Legacy hadn't completely disappeared yet, but it was definitely beginning and disappeared into the sky.

“I'll ask the Captain if he found any of the boy's belongings,” Pulcinella said. “Come on, we must return to the base before dark.”

And he returned to the base.

He still wasn't allowed to see the creature they had captured, nor could he see in person any of the rescued soldiers who were presumably unconscious. “They were taken to the nearest hospital,” they told him, but considering their presence was a secret from Liyue, and his relationship with Sumeru was strained, they had surely gone to a port in Fontaine, or taking advantage of the fact that they were already on a boat, perhaps to Nod Krai. With the Fatui, you never know.

At dinner, Pulcinella brought him a nearly empty box. He couldn't help but remember the box Pantalone had placed in his hands a few days ago, full of Childe's things, just to tell him he was never coming back.

Zhongli knew that Childe, although he never carried many things with him, definitely had some personal belongings with him.

The first thing he saw was the mask, broken in half. It smelled of iron. Someone had tried to wash the blood off.

There were also pieces of cloth, which were obviously impossible to completely remove.

A damaged pocket watch. Inside was a photo of people he didn't know.

And finally, a brown cloth with gold embroidery. This is where Zhongli had put his lunch that morning, the last time he saw him.

«Goodbye, Zhongli! See you in a couple of days! I love you!» he said with his beautiful smile.

Zhongli put down the box.

"Something's missing."

Pulcinella shook his head in surprise and placed his cookie on a plate.

"Excuse me?"

“Something’s missing. A brown leather diary with the port of Liyue engraved on it. Childe carries it on all his missions, it helps him stay focused.”

“I see…” Pulcinella scratched his mustache. “I’ll see if maybe it didn’t get mixed up with other belongings of the missing soldiers. Or maybe it’s still with him…”

Childe kept it in an inside pocket of his coat, so it wasn’t an impossible idea either.

Now more than ever, he felt powerless. He was finally here, but he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t find Childe. He didn’t know what the creatures wanted, and what they did with the bodies.

Somewhere in this forest, in some cave, Ajax must be trapped in a… slimy thing…along with his other soldiers.

If only he could…

There was a double knock on the door.

"Come in," Pulcinella said. A soldier dressed in black and wearing a gray mask entered, handed Pulcinella a letter, bowed, and left without a word. It only took him five seconds to read it.

"They managed to keep the creature stably unconscious. There shouldn't be any danger in going to see it."

Every opportunity he had to learn something new about the creatures, he seized and consumed, so quickly and instinctively that sometimes the journey seemed a blurry memory. Ever since he saw the broken mask, a chaotic energy lived constantly in his chest.

Even the smallest of steps brought him closer to Ajax.

Under a long, bone-colored tent, a green creature was tightly bound with thick steel cable. Perhaps under other circumstances, Zhongli would feel sick from the painful restraints and the multiple tubes injected into the beast's body, but right now, his heart felt numb.

The dragon was on a metal platform with wheels; it was clear they were planning to move it soon, probably the next day.

The resemblance to the dragons of old was undeniable. Not only in its long size, but also in the five toes on its paws and the shape of its skull. Although they weren't the same. At first glance, he could have substituted this dragon with one of his memories, one whose green body shone in the light of the fire consuming a village, but no, its teeth were much longer when they sank into the flesh of the turquoise dragon's neck. Its eyes were also smaller, and didn't look like a pearl protruding from their sockets. The small ill formed wings too.

For the smallest dragon, it was indeed very large.

"What do you think, Mister Zhongli?" Pulcinella asked after a while.

Inside the tent were only them, Capitano, and several soldiers with blue, pointed masks, those in charge of monitoring the creature.

“It looks very similar to a dragon that roamed the outskirts of Sumeru 6,000 years ago. Although there are some physical differences…”

He couldn't tell them his theory of the mutation. This specimen didn't have such drastic changes as the other dragons Xiao told him about, and he hadn't yet been formally informed about its invisibility and body immobilization abilities. He wondered if even Pulcinella knew about it.

"Is there an effective technique for dealing with them?" Capitano asked.

"Dragon bodies often have natural energies; in this case, I sense a certain dendro-like inclination. Pyro and electro cannon attacks should be the most effective."

No one said anything for a few seconds. The three watched the creature as its chest rose and fell.

"According to your records , how dangerous were these creatures? And what consequences would they have in today's world?"

Some masked soldiers seemed to tense at Capitano's question, and one glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. However, they said nothing.

“Very dangerous,” he answered honestly. “They were highly territorial, and actively sought out easy prey. The fact that they stayed in this forest and didn't attack a city with thousands of inhabitants could be nothing more than a well-timed coincidence.”

“Coincidence?”

“If they had been living in Teyvat all these years, they would have made themselves known by now. Which means that wherever they came from, they did so not far from here… perhaps that group of recruits were the first humans they encountered. If they didn't move elsewhere, it was because they didn't need to, since another group of humans came toward them.”

“The recruits, Tartaglia's expedition, and now us, pff,” Pulcinella said. “And the soldiers just keep coming. I wonder if their activity will change now that their attacks are less effective with the energy field.”

“They might leave, or not. We still don't know what they're using people's bodies for; maybe they're not willing to abandon them.”

“I see,” Capitano said in his cold, deep tone. This man seemed to be carrying the weight of a glacier on his back. “There's something else you should see, Mr. Zhongli. ”

He led him to a corner of the tent. There was a metal structure resembling a freezer (the boxes mortals used to keep their food cold, commonly using a large cube of fresh ice at the bottom, or in some cases, condensed cryo slime). But this one was much taller and larger.

As the doors opened, mist gushed out, and behind it, a liquid-filled tube with a huge green leg inside was revealed.

Something instantly caught Zhongli's attention: where the leg had been severed, the flesh was rising, trying to encircle the bone, as if it had…closed itself.

“This is from the largest dragon,” he said, and it wasn't a question. Capitano didn't deny it, so he was glad of it. If this limb were from the middle-sized one, Zhongli would have no doubt that none of these humans would survive just trying to capture it.

“We found it in Tartaglia's camp. There was a small trace of the creature's blood, but it disappeared soon after. Our theory was that these monsters have an abnormal healing speed. We were already able to confirm this with the one we caught,” Capitano said.

This was unfortunate . First the invisibility, the immobilization powers, capturing the humans alive, and now this …

It almost seemed intentional.

“Lord Capitano, how did you find the cave?” Zhongli asked.

“We attacked the beasts' limbs as much as we could, intending to make them bleed. Their blood trail fades quickly, but after several days, we've been able to narrow down the direction they usually head after a fight. They're currently analyzing the location of the traces found from today's groups.”

As if summoned, a soldier entered with a letter for the Captain. The Harbinger read it immediately.

“We already have a marked area where the next cave should be,” he announced. “ If you plan to attend,” and he said this while looking at Zhongli. “I recommend you rest while you can.” He headed towards the exit of the tent. “The nights here…are especially noisy.”

Chapter Text

I

A thunderous roar woke him from his nightmare.

Centuries had passed since Rex Lapis last opened his eyes in the middle of a battle, but the stress of the past few days had restored his body's fighting instinct.

Outside his carriage, soldiers ran laden with weapons and ammunition. Half-dressed men crossed the camp following their generals' orders. In the middle of the dark night, the rain hitting the electro energy field exploded with thousands of hisses, each drop triggering a charged electro reaction.

But the rain wasn't what worried him.

An ancient roar pierced the air.

A green shadow circled outside the electro field. The tentacles on its back moved like squirming worms, probably overly sensitive to the force field's elemental reaction.

Fireballs shot from the turrets outside the camp, piercing the night like thousands of meteors. The beast twisted in the air, trying to escape when a wall of ice rose up to block its path. A blue flash of icy energy tried to strike the dragon. The strongest man in humanity traveled at great speed, dodging the dragon's tentacles. One of them flew out, a jet of green liquid spurting from where Capitano had cut it.

A shadow obscured the Fatui's form, as it barely moved fast enough to avoid the giant tree branch that had fallen from the sky. No, it was thrown.

A roar, a far worse one, came from above. He could sense something lurking, but he didn't see it, because the larger beast didn't even try to approach the force field that would nullify its invisibility. Instead,...

Another redwood branch fell from the dark sky, at the perfect angle to knock out two turrets. The pyro cannons were flung into the air along with the soldiers manning them. Amid screams, the Fatui who hadn't been crushed were dragged away from the energy field by an invisible force and disappeared into the darkness.

The tentacled beast actively sought to attack the turrets as well, but as the Captain held it at bay and destroyed the giant branches that threatened to destroy the turrets, Zhongli could see his movements faltering. It would be impossible for others to notice, but the Harbinger's recently disabled arm was his biggest obstacle in this fight. He had no doubt that a warrior as skilled as him would be just as good without a limb, but for someone who had spent years fighting in one form, it was impossible to get used to it so quickly. The Captain needed time, and time was exactly what no one here had.

Another turret was knocked out.

The adjacent carriage opened, and Pulcinella rubbed his eyes before putting on his glasses and focusing on him. Zhongli remembered their conversation on the bank, when Pulcinella had told him it would be "shameful" to receive help from a foreign god.

“I'm going out, don't try to stop me,” he told him.

But what the old man said this time was very different.

“Understood and noted.”

Zhongli crossed the camp until he reached the steel gate, the only way out of the energy field, where several armed soldiers were emerging to help those outside.

“Our priority is the eight antennas surrounding the camp! Each one we lose will weaken the energy field! Draw their attention away from them and don't let them catch you!” a general ordered.

He tried to follow the departing soldiers until the general spotted him.

“Hey! Wait!” He grabbed his arm. “You're a civilian invited by the Harbinger Pulcinella, you can't go out there!”

“I have a geo vision; my shields will help protect the antennas.” And with luck, he could throw a meteorite at one of those things.

The general's eyes hesitated behind his mask.

"Sorry, but you can't go!"

"Watch out!"

Zhongli could barely turn to see the nearest antenna. He hadn't noticed them before. They looked like a spike protruding from a circular base, with rings around the tip. The only problem was that half of them were outside and the other half inside the energy field.

A sequoia branch crushed the outside of the antenna, causing it to explode in a cloud of orange, purple, and white. Soldiers screamed around them, and Zhongli could see the faint flickering of the electrofield.

The general had released him in surprise, and while he shouted new orders, Zhongli took the opportunity to slip in among the exiting soldiers.

Outside was much worse.

This was his first night here, and he already knew something like this had never happened before. It was probably the first time the turrets and antennas had been attacked. Were they acting this way because of the capture of the lesser dragon? It was possible.

The rain soaked him from head to toe. The clearing melted into the darkness of the distant forest. Soldiers who strayed too far were swept away, and many others were nearly crushed by the falling branches.

A huge branch was going to fall on another antenna. Zhongli might not be able to use its full power as he'd like, or it might betray his identity, but he was still able to do what he promised.

A shield materialized around the seven remaining antennas. The branch collided with it and bounced off, barely generating a few tiny fractures.

The cannons fired at the medium-sized creature again. Capitano chased it around the edge of the battlefield to the other end of the clearing. Some ran to the antennas, others to pull their wounded comrades from under the rubble of the turrets. The giant sequoia branches stopped falling against the shields.

A sudden calm fell over the area where Zhongli stood.

A whistle, barely a serpentine hiss, reached his ears from the darkness of the forest. A gust of wind stirred his hair.

He felt a sudden urge to fight in his body. Energy built up inside him, just as it did in the past when he stood face to face with any God who threatened to destroy Liyue.

Only there was nothing in front of him.

Nothing he could see, at least.

He materialized a shield just as the hissing sound turned into a powerful current of sound. It reminded him of the sound of the wind when Barbatos caused it to converge into a tiny point, drawing everything around it.

And something was definitely drawing. Within him, there was the slightest movement, and he realized this power couldn't be stopped with a simple wall.

An anemo orb erupted in the air, distracting the beast long enough to allow Zhongli to move.

Rex Lapis wasn't fleeing, but he could make a strategic retreat.

He moved some distance away, instantly feeling a certain tiredness and numbness in his body. Every bone ached, and the slightest movement made them explode with pain.

«The last time I felt like this, Azhdaya had crushed me with his body»

Still, he didn't stop moving,going as far away as he could from the source of that deafening hiss.

An angry growl sounded, and he felt a tremendous force crushing the shield he'd made for himself. There was no point in it still being there if he wasn't using it anymore, and he let it fall to pieces under a weight that, just as he imagined, ended up sinking the ground in a gigantic footprint.

"It must be there! Fire to electrocute!" someone shouted from the turrets.

Purple flashes pierced the air, and the monster roared as its body became visible. A massive green beast with golden eyes appeared on the battlefield. And, for whatever reason, they landed directly on him.

The shots passed to Pyro, filling his field of vision with explosions.

Zhongli commanded the power of rock to emerge from underground. Crystals the color of core lapis emerged from beneath the dragon's six legs, trapping each one to prevent it from moving. Except…of course, one of its legs was amputated, just as he'd suspected, and the flesh seemed to envelop the bone, clearly a biological self-healing response.

The image of the pierced sequoia trunk and the broken mask in the pool of dried blood appeared in the forefront of his mind.

This is it. This is the monster that had taken Ajax.

Despite the nausea and the unusual exhaustion, he gathered the energy he had inside and concentrated it high in the sky. The rain clouds looked golden, and the drops turned to brilliant gold. A geo meteorite was forming overhead.

Whether it swallowed Ajax, or whether it pulled him out and he ended up unconscious in one of the caves, it doesn't matter. I'm going to petrify him, and I'll cut open his belly to check.

He was about to drop the meteorite...

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a soldier getting too close to the dragon that was struggling to free itself, close enough to...

"Stop!"

But the pyro soldier was in his own world, and he began peppering the beast with a swivel gun.

"Die, you damn bastard! You took my friend! Can't move that far anymore, huh?!"

The dragon became even more agitated, moving uncontrollably when one of its front legs managed to free itself. It stretched its neck, opened its mouth, and the bloodcurdling hiss did something to the soldier, who fell back to the ground, motionless.

The geo energy he had accumulated could no longer remain stable; the attack had left him weak, and so much energy used even more so.

The dragon tried to grab the fallen soldier, but in that instant, the medium-sized dragon collided with him, shattering the crystals on the ground, and both fell to the side of the forest, breaking trees in their path. With both far enough away, Zhongli could not resist any longer and dropped the meteorite.

It took only half a second, but before the impact, he could see the speed with which the dragons left the impact field. Or most of them.

A golden flash blinded the world for an instant, and when it disappeared, it revealed a fragment of the petrified forest, brown as mud. 

That, and the tip of a tail, hard as rock.

Captain appeared at his side, barely sparing him a glance before addressing his soldiers.

The Captain limped.

II

Zhongli had understood two things. First: the dragons' special attack couldn't be blocked; it wasn't tangible, nor minuscule like elemental particles. It was something that had the power to pierce the physical plane. If so, what did it do?

It left one of Capitano's arms immobile, while one of his legs had trouble moving.

It had affected Zhongli's entire body, but because of how quickly he was able to move away, it didn't affect him enough to leave any limbs immobile, although the tingling and weakness he felt weren't at all comfortable.

With more exposure, could a being like him become unconscious? Just like that soldier who had approached and now seemed to be in a deep sleep?

Did it drain energy? If so, Capitano and he should be recovered in a few days, but what about the soldiers who didn't wake up?

There were countless types of energies in this world. The most common were those of the seven elements, or Fontaine's pneuma and ousia energy, or Natlan's phlogiston. Many different materials gave rise to new energies, but the ones that were usually present in living beings were elemental, or light, or abyssal.

That was the second discovery he had made: whatever the dragons' attacks absorbed, it wasn't any of these types of energy. For starters, these energies might not be tangible to humans, not in low concentrations, but they could definitely collide with each other. In that case, it wouldn't have been possible for them to break through Zhongli's Geo barrier.

For a moment, it occurred to him that it might be life energy, but after thinking about it, that couldn't be correct either. He had faced such creatures before, and the victims stopped producing new cells, leading to an accelerated death. This didn't happen to unconscious soldiers, as their health was in optimal condition.

There was also another issue: energy doesn't just disappear.

In previous centuries, when confronted by creatures that could absorb certain elemental or life energies, they would acquire the stolen energy to strengthen themselves, but he saw no visible change in the dragons.

Would they use it as a dietary supplement? It wouldn't be impossible.

A twank sounded, and looking down, Zhongli realized his foot had fallen into a slight dip in the ground, where the water had pooled into a brown puddle that ran all the way down to his socks.

He felt a shudder run down his spine, shook his foot slightly, and continued walking, each step now incredibly awkward.

Perhaps it showed in his gait, because his squad leader stopped a few feet away from him.

"Is everything all right, Mr. Zhongli?" the man asked.

It was the same general who had tried to prevent Zhongli from leaving the protection of the energy field the night before. He was barely two fingers taller than Zhongli and had a neatly trimmed horseshoe mustache. Now he knew his name: Boris Petrov, who had made the journey from Snezhaya with Pulcinella.

“Yes, everything is in order.”

The general studied him for a few seconds, then turned and continued walking, occasionally checking the map.

Two hours before dawn, the search parties left, each with a designated area of ​​possible locations for the second cave.

Given how much Pulcinella had attached himself to him since the beginning of the trip, Zhongli believed he wouldn't stray from such an important endeavor. To his surprise, Pulcinella introduced him to Boris Petrov. Flattery aside, the general didn't seem at all comfortable having to look after a civilian.

“I feel much better knowing you'll be in another search party; it will increase our chances of finding the boy,” Pulcinella had said.

Most of his soldiers left with him, the only other member of his division in this group was Boris himself, the rest were Fatui who had already been in the camp for several days, probably followers of Capitano (who also went with another group).

A whisper reached his refined ear from his left side.

"Do you think he's a member of the Qixing?"

"If they discovered us, coming here and exposing themselves like that would be very strange."

"A relative of Harbinger Pulcinella, perhaps."

"Do you think they look alike? He's too tall and short on nose."

Barely audible chuckles made the general turn around.

"Shh! We're in enemy territory, don't let your guard down."

The soldiers continued whispering, more discreetly at least. Zhongli couldn't help but notice that the general seemed dismayed with every step they took.

A light drizzle, soft as a caress, began to filter through the tall treetops. A distant rumble of thunder predicted a much heavier rain soon.

Was Ajax really around? He spent all these days waiting for this moment, and somehow he still felt his hands were tied.

«With each passing day, the likelihood of never finding them grows greater» Cloud Retainer had said all those years ago, when they were searching for missing soldiers in the crevices of The Chasm.

Childe had said something similar that time they visited his hometown. For him, that place was a mixture of happiness and pain, a feeling he never used to speak about. Perhaps it was the fact that this time he came with Zhongli that made his heart vent a little of that torment in the face of the cold Snezhnayan night.

«It's only natural that they thought what returned was a monster with the face of their son. For them, it was only three days» The moon reflected in his eyes, bright with emotion. «Everyone knows that in these woods, after the first night, the only thing left to search for is a cold corpse»

Was that what Zhongli was looking for? A corpse? Had all hope of finding Ajax alive been lost days ago?

The raindrops were beginning to fall heavily against his back. The caresses had faded, replaced by heavy stones piling up on his shoulders.

Tuk, tuk, tuk.

“I don't understand why we're still searching,” a soldier whispered.

“If they're not even going to wake up, what's the point of risking our lives for them?”

“I think we've already been around here…”

That night he had a nightmare. Before being awakened by the dragon attack, he had been running through Moreposeok Forest, looking for Ajax, an Ajax who had gotten lost on a dark winter night.

In a clearing, the little fox was struggling to get out of a hole in the ice; at another end, Ajax was falling as well.

In his dream, he didn't hesitate to go after Ajax, but when he entered the water that froze his lungs, Ajax vanished into a mass of bubbles, and he knew, somehow, that he was lost forever.

A whistling sound brought him out of his trance. The soldiers and Boris continued walking through the rain, without stopping. His feet were once again in a puddle.

Another whistley. Zhongli recognized him; it was Xiao, flying like a small bird high above.

Long whistles, short whistles.

It was a coded message.

—Cave located.——

His heart stopped.

—West, 45 degrees——

His legs spun around without pausing to think. Boris might have shouted his name, or maybe it was just the sound of leaves breaking beneath his feet.

A branch ripped across his cheek, and another, and another, and then another.

He was running like he'd never run before. He felt like he was back in that nightmare, desperately searching for Ajax, because he felt—he knew—that if he didn't arrive in time, that if he took one more second, his beloved would be gone forever.

He came across a search party; to his left, the earth split into a round clavicle that descended into the mountain.

It was big enough for that enormous beast to enter.

The cave.

"Mr. Zhongli?" a member of the Fatui group asked, stupefied. He would later realize it was Pulcinella. "Mr. Zhongli, wait!"

But he had already entered the cave. The rain suddenly stopped, and in the darkness of that vast place, it seemed as if the voices of the dead echoed.

He materialized his spear as the darkness enveloped him, the elemental energy painting the rough rock with a golden hue.

He passed by gigantic footprints and a few scratches; for a second, he believed the cave would be eternal, that he was entering the clutches of a hellish abyss.

Then, next to the rock, something greenish, almost disgusting, lit up, like mounds of viscous mud. There were many of them, and then he realized he had seen them before, in a photograph.

He didn't count them, but there seemed to be about a dozen and a half soldiers' bodies trapped in the green mass.

Zhongli went to see the first, then the second, the third, and all the others, searching among the soldiers for a pair of black boots that no one else had, a red cape, and a lock of red hair.

Something caught his eye about one of the mounds at the bottom. Zhongli ran his hand over the outside to remove the accumulated dust, and he almost felt like bursting when he recognized a hand wearing a very peculiar glove.

He removed the mounds of the other soldiers from above, heard footsteps approaching in the distance, but paid no attention to them. With his spear, he opened a hole along the length of the mound, put his hands inside the viscous green liquid, carefully took him from the back of his neck and one shoulder, and drew it out.

He removed all the strange substance from his face, especially from his nostrils and mouth, not caring about getting it on his face, he placed his ear to his chest.

It was an eternal moment.

He felt as if the birds, the earth, and the rivers had stopped, just so he could hear...

Bump...Bump...Bump...

Zhongli let out a sigh.

His Ajax, limp like a rag doll...but alive.

Alive.

His hair was still bathed in the strange substance, but his face seemed calm, serene, pain-free... it truly was as if he were just sleeping.

He brushed a sticky strand of hair from his forehead, gave him a small kiss, and brought his face to his chest, to feel him close.

Who did the gods pray to when they sought comfort? Who did they thank for a miracle? Zhongli had no idea, but he was so, so grateful.

That much, he couldn't hold back his words.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you."

His peace was abruptly interrupted when he felt the presence of several people too close.

He hugged Ajax tightly, his instincts commanding him to protect what he loved most.

Something soft and light fell on the side of his head, and then he realized it was a blanket.

He turned to see who had thrown it. It was Pulcinella, who wasn't looking at him, but at Ajax.

"Don't let anyone see him," he warned in a whisper.

The Harbinger turned around, and then Zhongli realized that the rest of the search party hadn't yet entered the area where the bodies were, until Pulcinella arrived with them and ordered them to report their discovery to the headquarters and to free the soldiers from the mounds.

Zhongli didn't think twice; something told him to trust Pulcinella. He carried Ajax completely out of the mound and covered him with the blanket so no one would discover his identity.

When he passed Pulcinella while carrying Ajax, he didn't even glance at them.

As he left the cave, the rain had only slightly eased. Now that he stopped to look...he was completely soaked, wasn’t he?

A pyro agent and an electro one approached as soon as they saw him. Zhongli tried to pull Ajax away from them, but then the agent pulled out an umbrella.

“Pulcinella ordered us to escort you to the camp,” he said.

Truth be told: Zhongli didn't want to return to the energy field. There was nothing he wanted more at that moment than to escape with Ajax and care for him in the safety of Liyue City.

But did he really have that option?

His body was still reeling from the attack the night before, and he needed to take medical action on Ajax as soon as possible.

The dragons weren't able to break through the barrier. They won't hurt him.

But the dragons weren't the only thing he was worried about.

«Don't let anyone see him» Pulcinella had told him.

All this time, Zhongli never cared about the stares or whispers of the other soldiers in the camp. Pulcinella's own soldiers must have interesting opinions about him. None of that interested him.

But now…

He glanced sideways at the sleeping face resting on his chest in the folds of the blanket.

Suddenly, all the sharp stares of the soldiers belonging to the other harbingers began to represent a real danger.

«Don't let anyone see him»

Zhongli looked at the pyro agent.

“I need to borrow your coat.”

Later, he would be walking through the gate back to the military establishment. With Ajax in his arms, covered enough so that not a single hair, not even the tips of his boots, was visible. He didn't go in alone; a small aqua-green bird hid under his coat.

He was in the safest place in the entire forest, and yet, he wondered if he wasn't making a mistake.