Mona confirmed her article for the Steambird magazine was completely faultless before taking an envelope and writing the address information of the magazine offices. Hopefully, whenever she returned from her trip to Inazuma she'd have a healthy sum of money to recover.
Needless to say, she barely had anything to prepare for the trip. Now that she had her hat back, completely clean, she was back in control.
After finding an appropriate postbox, she headed towards the south wharf. That was the agreed meeting point with that party-loving God. After that, they'd board the Alcor, where that loathsome Fatui had decided to settle in. Hopefully, she didn't need to fear anything as long as Venti's godly powers protected the ship.
Sitting on top of a wooden crate, Venti playfully swayed his legs while talking with some man. He, somehow, had a leather bag on his back. Where he got the money to get, Mona would rather not know.
"If it isn't my most favourite and greatest astrologer around!" Venti sat up with a small jump before theatrically waving his whole arm.
"It was annoying before, now it's just embarrassing." Mona sheepishly whispered, glancing and then gawking at the man beside Venti. She quickly recognised him. "Why's that lousy merchant here?"
"You know my name, witch! It's Ignatz! I only agreed to let Venti into Inazuma, you know that, right? So you better show me some respect!"
Mona stared unused at the merchant before turning to Venti. "Why's that lousy merchant here?"
Venti quickly stopped Ignatz's reaction and answered. "We're now the Thousand Wind Emporium! A trusted affiliate of the Feiyun Commerce Guild! Ignatz met a fellow justice poet in Qingce Village, who has decided to back our journey."
"... Just like that?" Mona showed a healthy dose of scepticism, unlike the bard.
"What's so hard to believe? We already had our top-of-the-market beer and wine!" Venti recited like he had the speed prepared. "And rubber-stamped permits from the Guild! We're the real deal!"
Ignatz decided to be the voice of reason again. "The young man I met was called Xingqiu, and he seemed to be as decided to help Inazuma as the bard. He had to be on top of the chain of the Commerce Guild because he gave me the papers in less than ten minutes."
"If we had met him beforehand, I'm sure he'd have come to Inazuma as well," Venti added. "Thanks to him and his backing, we'll hopefully have a shot at entering Inazuma." He paused for a moment, before whispering. "Legally, at least."
"So what, this guy's coming to Inazuma too?" Mona pointed at Ignatz.
"I'm not leaving that Inazuman port, I'll just deal with the bureaucracy to let you in." Ignatz quickly explained. "I heard some rumours on the way here, and seeing that column of Mondstadt diplomats only gives them more legitimacy."
"Fine, whatever." Mona what being pursued felt like, so she would rather not repeat the experience in Inazuma. "What are you carrying there?" She glanced at the leather back.
"Oh, just some essentials." Venti took the bag and loosened the string around the opening. It seemed empty, but he began to pull out objects. "Xiangling gave me this miniature stove. Apparently, it will grow in size if we throw it, so it's good for travels." He showed the stove, as big as his palm before putting it back. "Some flowers from an old friend." Venti was quick to hide the glaze lilies Ganyu gave him for Makoto. "The envelope you found yesterday plus those weird Fatui orders we snatched from the ambushers." He showed both papers and once again hid them in the bag. "Some ginger for your seasickness."
"My seasickness? You underestimate me, save it for the hustler." Mona pointed to Ignatz.
"Alright, we'll see." He couldn't hold back a smile. "That's about it. Oh, and this."
He pulled out a spherical object that Mona knew too well.
"That's… that's the Fontanian Device. My master just gave it to you?!" The astrologer could barely hold back a scream.
"Of course she didn't. I stole it." He bluntly admitted. "Sucky-Explody is a great thing to have while hiding our visions. It doesn't create energy like our visions, it simply absorbs energy naturally and then releases it. You saw what it did to those Fatui, it works."
"Y-You… You stole from my master. Oh my god." Mona's mind raced, exploring all possible scenarios if her master ever found out who took it.
"Come on, you mostly forgot about this thing until now. If she ever finds out, it will be obvious to her that the Fatui did it." Venti saved the device inside the oddly spacious bag. The bag was just an excuse to not pull objects out of thin air. "Well, let's get going! The merchandise of our great enterprise is already loaded!"
"Oh my god…" Mona muttered, still hung up over the fact, and followed him into the docks.
"I honestly was lost in that whole conversation. What's this about Fatui?" Ignatz asked, receiving only silence as an answer. "Yeah, I rather not know."
The trip to the corresponding dock was short. The issue was finding what small boat would bring them to the Alcor, which didn't fit on the Liyue Wharves.
"The Captain told me there would be someone waiting for us…" Venti looked around at the long single dock, before spotting someone behind a ship. "Ahh, I need to take a leak. I'll be right back!"
Mona and Ignatz were suddenly left alone in an unknown dock while Venti ran away as the world depended on it.
There, behind a small vessel, Zhongli was waiting for him observing the spot in the distance where the Mizar was half-sunk. His eyes glowed in Geo energy before it slowly melted away as Venti approached him.
"Leaving without a farewell?" Zhongli's words were calm and collected, with a hint of worry.
"I'm not so bad, I knew you'd appear." The bard looked behind him and then back at his friend. "Is poor Morax going to be lonely? Next time we meet, it will be with Ei."
"I sometimes enjoy the solitude, so focus on her. I will admit that I miss someone who can stand up to my skills."
"Besides me, right?" Venti's inflated ego quickly deflated as Zhongli didn't answer. "You're right. After all, I'm way beyond you!"
"You're hanging around that astrologer too much." Zhongli lightly flicked Venti's forehead. "Don't get yourself killed, my friend. Inazuma is not what you remember."
"Thanks for the warning, but I guessed as much. With the Tsaritsa's goons around, I can only imagine that it will be worse."
After a moment of silence, Zhongli's palm glowed for a brisk second. Then, he showed a small metal ring with an added amber gem. He prompted Venti to take it.
"Look, I don't mind getting married to you. But you need to do it with more glamour, invite me out to dinner first."
Unamused at Venti's half-joke, Zhongli turned around and walked away. "More than a millennia ago, you came to me with advice. I never properly thanked you at the time, when pirates roamed through Liyue's seas. So I believe my debt will be settled." He stopped taking one last look at his friend. "Be the hurricane that brings about change, not the breeze that even a sand grain defies."
"...Take care." Venti mused, knowing the meaning of Morax's words.
He couldn't be soft. Ei was unstable, so she could very well be an enemy. If that happened, he couldn't be the God of Freedom and accept that she had changed. No, he'd have to take up the mantle that his fellow Archons unwittingly bestowed upon him. Revolution was coming to Inazuma.
The trip to the Alcor had proceeded without issue. The rowing boat approached the vessel aided by a slight breeze. Ignatz and the sailor rowing the boat had quickly bonded together and were chatting about some idle topics.
Mona had been checking her scryglass, trying to figure out the issue in checking Makoto's fate. The electric shock she received now and then stopped hurting and merely became a stinging sensation.
Venti, meanwhile, had been quiet, staring at the ring his friend had gifted him. He placed it on his ring finger and turned it around to hide the jewel.
"Erm, Venti." Mona stopped reading the stars, finding the quiet bard oddly unnerving. "You'll protect the ship, right?"
"Yes." He answered automatically.
"There's somebody on board that might be a bit dangerous."
Ignoring Mona's statement, Venti leaned over the side of the rowing boat and touched the water. He splashed it for a moment before taking a handful of the saltwater and splashing it over Mona.
"Ow!" The latent electro energy in Mona reacted with the unexpected water. "You think that's funny?!"
"Ye- Ouch!" Venti's laughter was cut off as Mona touched and shocked him. "Just enjoy the trip! Inazuma won't be as fun."
"But th-" She got splashed again, this time provoking a lesser reaction. "That does it, you're such a kid!"
The splash war didn't last long, but its intensity grew so large that the rowing sailor had to intervene.
"How did you even manage to convince the captain, bard?" The sailor asked with a mix of confusion and awe.
"Let's just say I helped her alongside a good friend of mine. The Mizar was quite the tragedy, but my aid helped clear things up." Venti was vague enough to not let any details slip.
"Well, the Captain seemed to like you. But… well, I hope I don't come off as rude, but you look like a kid."
"I'm a late bloomer!" Venti repeated for the tenth time that week. "Looks aren't everything, you know? I know plenty of sea shanties too!"
"Maybe you'll convince the Captain to sing then!"
Between idle chatter, the view of the Alcor only became wider and wider. The vessel was one of the biggest Venti had ever seen since the Golden Age of Piracy a millennia ago. To see that enormous mass of wood and metal move above the waves seemed an impossibility. But everyone near the coast had heard the stories of the Crux fleet. How they defeated privateers, foreign navies and monsters. And the Alcor was the centrepiece of the fleet.
If that vessel couldn't cross into Inazuma, nothing could.
Climbing into the ship was another arduous task, though Venti silently shared a bit of his power to lessen the burden on his companions.
The main deck of the Alcor was busy. Sailors moved to and fro through the deck, checking rigging, sails and the hull of the ship. The first mate shouted orders while the faint smell of food and gunpowder emerged from under the planks. The vessel was busy as ever, even on the lower decks.
"Venti and guests, welcome aboard." The tall and fit figure of Beidou greeted them like they were old friends, waiting for them on the starboard. "Besides the smart little bastard, I'd like to know the two of you before lettin' you run around the ship."
Mona hid her face behind her witch hat and let Ignatz go in first. She honestly didn't hear his introduction or the rowing boat sailor vouching for him. He seemed to be lucky to have made acquaintances so early. The Mondstadt spirit, she deduced.
And then Beidou placed her eyes on her.
"Oh, I know you," The Captain said as she saw Mona's distinct outfit. "You can handle the trip, right?"
Venti eyed the Captain curiously and then Mona.
"Y-Yeah, no issues."
Beidou turned to the quarterdeck and yelled. "Oi landlubber! Yer sis' here!"
Mona just sank her shoulders even further as the completely unamused figure of Scaramouche quickly descended to the main deck. Still wearing those odd sailor clothes, the Harbinger sported a grin that only spelt trouble for Mona.
"Welcome aboard, sis." His joyful attitude only increased as Mona's resentful eyes pierced him.
"Reunions are nice, aye? Mind showin' them their quarters, Landlubber? I'll be right back." The Captain patted the Wanderer's back, almost throwing him to the ground.
"Aye-aye, sir," He forcefully said as Beidou ran towards the gundeck. "Brute bitch." He turned to Mona again. "I have to admit, you got me there. I truly thought Morax was breathing down my neck. Quite the bluff, sis."
"That's your bad word of the day, kid," Venti said, somewhat amused at the situation. "Should I heat up the baby's bottle?"
Scaramouche had learnt from their previous encounter that facing Venti with words was a lost battle. But there were other ways for the Wanderer to have fun.
"Even after you begged for the truth, still hanging around this buffoon?"
Mona glanced at Venti, who did not remove his eyes from the Wanderer.
"Oh?" Scaramouche relished the sudden information. She didn't tell Venti a thing about their encounter. "Perhaps your dear brother is also going senile."
"Look, this family drama is embarrassing," Ignatz said, feeling out of the loop. "Mind showing us the way or what? That's why you're here."
Mona and Venti tensed up at the sudden demand, but it seemed the Harbinger didn't mind.
"...Indeed, that's my purpose. Follow me."
Ignatz happily walked behind him, followed by Venti and Mona.
"What's the deal with the sibling roleplay? Did I miss something?" Venti asked the astrologer.
"Eh, I… Well…" Stammering a response, Mona wasn't sure if she should tell him that embarrassing and gullible deal with the Harbinger. "I acted in a… non-optimal manner?"
"You mean you did something stupid." He clarified.
"Maybe…"
Accessing the upper gun-deck from a door of the main deck, there was a somewhat short and narrow corridor. Every two metres, there was a locked lavishly decorated door. There were only four of these doors on each opposing wall. A lot for a warship, but it only cemented the Alcor's status as ruler of the waves.
"I hope you two enjoy sharing." Scaramouche opened the third door to the left. "Do whatever the hell you want inside."
"I guess we're sleeping together, bard." Ignatz didn't notice the hostility of the Wanderer. "Mind if I just… take a nap? I won't be able to sleep after we sail off."
The inside room was tight, with barely enough place for two beds and a dresser. This was surprisingly wide for the ship, however. Ignatz closed the door
"What about Mona?" Venti asked.
The Wanderer ignored Venti and answered as if Mona had asked. "Next room, you got the good one. You can always share the room with me, sis. Maybe you'll learn to hold your breath when I tell you to?"
"You're disgusting." Mona pushed past him, not bothering to look him in the eye.
Scaramouche's grin quickly faded as he was standing alone with Venti. If the latter was offended by the sudden insults towards Mona, he didn't show it.
Clicking his tongue, Scaramouche tried to walk around Venti. And when he did, the latter pushed his hand on the Wanderer's chest.
"Mind bringing a few snacks? I'm starving!"
"Are you the Clown God as well, Barbatos?" Scaramouche snapped back.
"Hey, this is no way to treat your guests. Is the Fatui pay so bad that you need a second job?" Venti asked, unbothered by his hostility. "What's the plan, kiddo? Make sure I arrive in Inazuma? Or something more despicable?"
The Wanderer slapped Venti's hand away, but the bard answered by pushing him into the wall.
"Tell me the truth, Kunikuzushi. Are you doing this because you want to? Or because somebody is telling you to do it? Was it something Ei told you or… your Snezhnayan friends?" Venti released his grip on Scaramouche. "You might not think the same of me, but I do not consider you as an enemy. Because I want to help you, I really do. However, I can't do that unless you tell me so."
"Help? From you?" Scaramouche's voice wavered for a moment, his expression softening for half a second before frowning. "Do you understand who I am? Nothing besides a gnosis could stop me. Whatever Dottore and the other Harbingers think, I am way above them. And you think I need help?"
"Gee you sure take after your mother. I'm sure that's cool and all, but you don't need to impress me. I'm not your daddy." Venti cleared his throat. "At most I'm your cool uncle. The sort of guy who's gonna let you eat pizza for breakfast. Though I don't like pizza, I'd do it for my nephew! I bet the Fatui don't even let you do that."
"Well, no…" The Vagrant was almost caught off-guard. "Can you take anything seriously? You have done nothing but make things difficult for everyone. Had you not abandoned Baal… I was meant for a greater purpose. A purpose denied because of your grudge. Everything going in Inazuma, with me, it's all you. And you take anything like it's fucking joke, all beneath you. Had I known it was you back in Liyue, I'd have ended you without a second thought. So tell me, Absent God, what do you truly want?"
The Harbinger's words managed to temper Venti's expectations. He didn't expect Scaramouche to ask him something, much less know what happened 500 years ago.
The bard let the words settle as he checked on the small corridor. He looked at one of the empty officer rooms and opened it.
"You seek the truth? Come," The bard offered. "Or you can walk away and receive praise from your masters. You're free to choose."
Barbatos didn't wait to hear his response, choosing to enter the almost dark room. It was no different from the other bedrooms, but the window barely let enough sun pass through. There, a small surge of power flowed through him, his eyes glowing from his anemo energy.
The door creaked behind him before it was shut tight. There, Scaramouche cautiously crossed his arms, leaning against the closed door. The Anemo Archon was the closest thing to a family he had, even if he had never met him. Ever since his inception, Baal had mentioned the God of Freedom as a traitor to their name. He had deceived his Aunt and herself, or so Baal said. After he was abandoned, the Harbinger saw Barbatos in a more positive light just to be a contrarian. Until he learnt of his absence.
Perhaps he was acting under the orders of the Fatui, but this is what he personally wanted. The Archon who braved Thunder, much like Scaramouche wished to accomplish.
"Were you meant to replace Ei?" Barbatos asked, correctly speculating on the previous conversation.
Scaramouche waited for a few seconds, wondering what he should truly answer. "I was created as an experiment. Much like Makoto recreated Ei's body, she meant to do the same again."
"I do seem to recall that Ei sacrificed her physical body in the Archon war, and Makoto recreated it." The bard hardened his stare. "However, a replacement? Would she present you as her son? Have you working in the shadows? I'm not sure if Ei would step down like that."
"Hell if I know. She never told me." The Wanderer admitted, carefully examining Barbatos. "…You know something, don't you? That's the rumour that goes around the Harbingers, and the Tsaritsa herself. That you and Raiden Makoto were planning something, enough to shatter the status quo. Of course, those fools don't know half the story, they believe in the continuity of Baal… The Tsaritsa seems to be keeping the twins a secret."
"They were close, I suppose. Then again, everyone liked Makoto."
"So I've heard. Much better than my shit of a mother. That doesn't matter. You convinced Raiden Makoto to do something… A revolution." Scaramouche unfolded his arms, "To take Celestia down."
"Oh? That's the rumour?" Barbatos was more amused rather than surprised.
"Indeed, but I know that's false. The God of Freedom is a reckless coward. Everything you've done, all the acts of rebellion were all for naught. Look at Fontaine, Natlan, Mondstadt itself. Your so-called revolutions were patches, mere advice for the Archons while cleaning your hands of any wrongdoing. Never addressing the root cause of the issue. All because you're a coward, scared of your Celestia Overlords."
"That sounds like something Ei told you. But I know that's not what you believe." Barbatos' eyes flickered. "If you truly believed that, you wouldn't have accepted this discussion. You'd be stabbing me right about now."
"…Tsk." The Wanderer averted his eyes. "I didn't come here to be lectured, tell me what you truly want in all of this. Paint the world red? Or be a coward again? Depending on your answer, you might make it unscathed."
The bard nodded, calm and relaxed. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First off, you said something about a grudge. My… unfortunate incident with Ei was not out of a petty grudge. I don't seek to harm her in any way, whatever she believes. But I did run. I abandoned her, and everyone else to hide. Because you are right, I was a coward. Ei is not wrong to hate me, and neither are you. Atonement is far away, but I will work hard for it."
Was it disdain or shock that warped Scaramouche's expression? Neither of the two parties knew it. But he tentatively answered, as if he had the speech ready for years. Longing this very moment.
"Atonement? You decided to show up for… She was your family. You two…" Scaramouche gritted her teeth. "You think a few words will make everything right? If you had been there with me, then I would have not—"
"No sentence will fix this, you are right again. I left many things unattended in my absence, but I intend to make things right." Barbatos extended his arms forward. "No change will be possible as long as the Watchtower Eye above us gawks. But every revolution starts with a small push. That's why I propose this to you. If Ei has abandoned you, if you've truly suffered because of me, Kunikuzushi. I will take you in."
"…Excuse me?"
"I might not know what you're thinking. But I think I'm beginning to understand Ei's reasons. We never understood each other properly, but I want to think she respected me as much as I did. Back in Liyue, I called you Baal's puppet. Now I understand that you have never been one, not by a long shot." Barbatos clasped his hands and created a small wind bridge as he separated them. "Can you put a string around the wind? Can you tie it and place it on a hook? You can never control somebody's spirit except your own."
The Wanderer's scowl furrowed even deeper. "Shut up, don't talk to me like you know me."
"Then let me know you, Kunikuzushi. I will take you under my wing, show you why Ei let you go. And why she never meant to inflict pain on you."
"Oh, that's so cool! All my suffering was actually well-meaning." He spat out the words like poison. "She denied me my purpose, my will! Do you think she told me any reason at all?! Even if I knew why it's too late now. I was never meant to walk among these mortals, I was never meant to know their pain!"
It was a mere slip-up. Enough for Barbatos to understand what his words meant. The pain of losing someone close to you.
"I see, so that's what happened." The bard walked towards Scaramouche. "We're not so different, you and I. You even have your aunt's eyes. The perfect mix between my stupidity and the twin's innocence. I suppose Ei must have thought about me while making you." He extended his hand forward, only making Scaramouche even more bewildered. "We might not be related, but… Makoto and I were very close. I was basically part of your family. And if Ei never gave you a chance, let me give you one. I wasn't kidding when I said I'm like a cool uncle."
Scaramouche averted his eyes, looking down. He twisted his lips while looking to the side, before staring at Barbatos again.
"Of course. It's all about my dear auntie. Still stuck in the past, Barbatos."
"Much like you, then?"
Barbatos stifled a laugh while the Wanderer clicked his tongue.
"Look, I'm not going to butter you up. You're one of the most scornful people I've ever met. You are making my same mistakes, Ei's mistakes as well. Hell, you've managed to find new ways to screw up." The bard continued, placing his hands on Scaramouche's shoulders. "But if you're malleable like the wind and as dazzling as lightning, you can be better, Kunikuzushi. Let me help you. Let me help you become better than Ei, than me, than you are right now."
The sound of the sea did little to move Scaramouche. He was completely still, even in the rocking sea. If he moved even a little, he thought, he'd essentially break down and accept the offer. Everything he had done in the past centuries would be for nothing. The destruction of the Raiden Gokaden, the investigations of Dottore, and the sabotage of so many projects in Fontaine, Sumeru and Liyue. Despite everything he had done, the Vagrant was nonetheless moved by Barbatos' words. This wasn't how the conversation was supposed to go.
But it was too late. Had Barbatos found him five hundred years ago, he would have accepted. Now, however, he was too far into this mess to back down.
"You seek to paint the world red with the blood of revolution. That, I can respect." Scaramouche started, though Barbatos shook his head in disappointment.
"I've never said that."
"…The Fatui wanted you gone from Mondstadt. The Inazuman civil war was a mere tool to wake you, and now Baal has started to move as well. Everyone in the continent is looking at the Archipielago, too busy to notice what's going on under their noses." Scaramouche confessed, his voice oddly measured. "I suppose, I now see how much of a threat you truly are. Be glad of my words, and don't bother me ever again."
"Away from Mondstadt, huh? They don't need my help either way." Barbatos' eyes closed and then opened again. Anemo energy no longer swirled in them. "I understand your reluctance and don't blame you for it. But my offer still stands, regardless of when you approach me, Kunikuzushi."
"Don't call me that. I never permitted you to call me as such." Scaramouche removed Venti's hands, but the latter maintained one. "I have told you something valuable. Now, Raiden Makoto… what did she truly wish for? What were you two conjuring?"
"Well, my dear nephew. Makoto would have never supported an uprising, she believed in peace and prosperity. The Tsaritsa must know this, so she must have her reason. We did have some… planning, but I'm afraid those rumours are skewing in the wrong way." Venti shrugged and sighed.
"So you were a coward after all."
"Alright, nephew. There's one more thing, nothing personal." Venti started with a low voice. "Don't bother anyone with your pettiness, and stop harassing the Astrologer."
"The God of Freedom limiting my actions? What a joke." Scaramouche grasped Venti's arm and struggled to keep it off him.
"Oh, it's not limiting, more like I'm warning you. If you want to touch a burning fire, go ahead. Just don't come back crying if you get hurt." The hostility in the room finished abruptly. "I told you, I'm the cool type of uncle! You can play with the astrologer, but no insulting or talking if she doesn't want to. Also, I think you owe her an apology or something? Honestly, I got no clue."
The easy-going and casual manner that Venti used around the Wanderer only angered the latter even more. Unluckily for the bard, Scaramouche was ready.
"Very nice act," He slapped away Venti's hand. "Are you the type of uncle who has an affair with my dear mother too?"
Venti closed his mouth as the Wanderer had enough for the afternoon, and stomped out of the room into the upper gun-deck. He was on the Alcor for a reason, but he wasn't sure why. Was the conversation enough to stop his mission? Would he still accomplish it?
Besides, whatever wanted the Fatui to do in Mondstadt? Why did they need him out of there? Was it just to have him in a foreign land, away from his source of power? Or did they plan to attack it… or worse?
He shook his head. It was too late to back out now. That was something for Venti of the future to deal with.
With a shrug, he left the room too and walked over towards Mona's room, knocking a few times.
"I'm gonna explore the ship, do you feel like jumping in?"
The door creaked open, Mona peeking out of the room.
"I'm going to try and decipher your… friend's fate. I'll come out once night arrives."
"Sure, no rush." He shifted his weight, thinking about how to continue. "Want to talk about that upstart brat?"
"...No, it's fine. You shouldn't worry."
That only made him worry even more, but Mona closed the door on him. Not wanting to push her boundaries, Venti stepped back. With Ignatz out for the count, he decided to explore the ship on his own.
The Alcor was, truly, the most well-equipped ship he had ever seen. Though the design was different from the vessels of Mondstadt, it still had a charm he enjoyed. To cross into Inazuma, this was the only vessel capable of testing those storms and making it unscathed. If it somehow sunk along the way, he hadn't learnt of any other crew or vessel worthy of trying it. They wouldn't even try it either way.
And if the Mizar explosion was created by the Wanderer, then… He could very well do the same to the Alcor.
"Worried about the storm, bucko?" Beidou said while passing by the bard. She climbed up the quarter deck and observed the whole ship, from the sails to the crew. Once Venti had followed her, she continued. "This whole beaut is prepared for war. The hull is composed of the finest Mondstadt oak, reinforced with Sumeru's toughest oak and Snezhnaya's strongest elm. And them Northern planks were wrought in the diagonal, givin' it double the strength. Overall, the hull's thicker than my skull. This ship could face a leviathan and make it out unscathed."
"And could it face Baal's rageful storms?" Venti asked, a bit on the teasing side.
"Hah! Thunder-God can try, but we'll face'er head on." She caressed the wooden helm, before grasping it with strength. "We're leavin' already, so tell your friends to buckle up."
"Already? I thought we were waiting for tomorrow." He once again asked, though this time out of pure curiosity.
"Somebody up top wants us to confirm the Inazuma storm is crossable. And the winds are favourable, so we better make haste."
Venti stepped back as sailors started running amock, everyone knowing what role to accomplish without any hiccup. He could only hope the Gunnhildr diplomat had done her job, and this was the reason for their early departure.
Hours had passed ever since the Alcor had set sails for Inazuma. While Venti played a certain tune on the stern of the ship, the northern winds propelled the Alcor with amazing speed. The wind was weak enough to maintain the sails' top condition, while still maintaining the vessel's top speed. And so, once the moon was at its highest peak, the ship had already done a quarter of the route.
But the tunes were too annoying for Mona, who kept trying to break through the odd barrier surrounding Makoto's constellation. She had moved from the stern of the ship towards the bow, next to the foremast. The clear night sky helped clear up her scryglass, but the stars didn't tell her anything new.
Another spark flew as she tried to force-read the constellation. All the Electro element emanating from the readings was beginning to take a toll on her. She was getting dizzy, too tired to continue. If she was home, she could check her books and figure out an answer.
"Why do ships sway…" Mona rubbed her forehead, realising that her affliction was actually seasickness.
She leaned her back against the foremast and continued her experiments. The stars above the ocean gave her new ways to discover and learn how they acted. So she pushed through the sickness to try and enjoy the scenery.
Because of this, she hadn't noticed Scaramouche walk past her, jump past the decorative dragon head and land on the bowsprit. Either he didn't see her, or he didn't care. He sat down on the tip, and just observed the calm seas. Melancholic, in a way.
Mona switched Fulgator Dei's constellation from her scryglass and tried to check the Harbinger's future. She was barely able to arrange the stars in the proper way when he suddenly teleported in front of her.
"Even without talking, you're still annoying." Scaramouche seemed more disappointed than angry. "Don't try that again."
"I'm only checking somebody else's future and past, I'm not sure why you're so upset." Mona quickly recreated the Fulgator Dei constellation. Not because she was scared, but because she was too tired to deal with this.
And Scaramouche didn't like that passivity in her eyes.
"Do you want to take another swim, witch?" His threat fell on deaf ears.
The astrologer simply continued to experiment on Makoto's constellation.
"You didn't tell the Bard about our encounter. Afraid that he'll lash out at you?" Again, his words didn't get any desired effect.
"Can you go away? You're boring me."
He opened his mouth before shutting it tight. A part of him wanted to just go away, but he decided against it. The bard had instilled doubts inside his whole body. And he didn't like that.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you, witch." The Harbinger grasped Mona's hand.
It happened in less than a second.
The scryglass suddenly emanated lightning, travelling through Mona into Scaramouche. The Astrologer barely felt a sting, so she wondered why the Harbinger had collapsed into the deck.
"Uh…" Mona looked at Scaramouche's unconscious body, and back at the scryglass. "Oh wow, it's working." Her enthusiasm was mudded as he looked back at the Harbinger, who had not moved in the slightest. "Maybe I should tell Venti."
And without her saying anything, a gale of wind emerged beside her. Venti had rushed to the Vagrant's side, turning him on his back. He checked for his vitals, growing more and more impatient by the second.
"What did you do?" Venti's voice tried to be contained, but he couldn't hide the unease behind them.
"I, uh… I was just checking Fulgator Dei and he just passed out."
"Couldn't you have said something? Damn it all." Venti's hand glowed with pure energy, hovering it throughout the Wanderer's body. "He's not hurt but… Call the Captain, I need help."
In all his years, Venti had never seen anything like it. Scaramouche's soul was just… gone. Where had it gone to?
Hanamizaka was a sparser and less urbanised district. Mostly unpaved roads and streets, with clusters of housing and shops here and there. Easy to slip by, at the very least in theory. That was no longer the case, as the Shogunate had tripled the patrols all around Inazuma City. Kazuha, Tomo and the Ninja had learnt this the hard way, having spent the whole day advancing a step forward and two back.
Had it not been for the drowsy Shuumatsuban ninja, they would have been caught several times already. Now, with night settled once again, they had decided a rest was very well needed. Kazuha and Tomo had not slept at all in two days, much less had any substantial food.
The clusters of houses of Hanamizaka proved to be too risky to stay inside. The neighbours knew each other and would alert the guard if they saw anyone suspicious. So that left them with the small shops and warehouses around the paved streets.
Those were mostly unoccupied, so they made for a good resting spot. They decided on their target quite quickly. A fireworks warehouse. It looked quite dangerous, but that very same danger made it a perfect place.
The moment they snuck into it, Tomo just sat on the wooden floor.
"Thank Baal for this place. No lights, though. I don't want to become the first man on the moon." The older ronin complained.
Kazuha did the same, heaving a sigh before sitting down.
The warehouse seemed quite empty, with barely a few barrels of pyrotechnics. The ground was covered with a black substance, probably gunpowder. Quite hazardous.
"I will check for enemies." The ninja didn't enter the warehouse, choosing to remain outside.
"Okay, squirrel girl." Tomo gave her a thumbs up.
"I am not a squirrel." Her complaints escaped into the air, much like her.
"There she goes again. We got lucky with her." Tomo was talking to Kazuha, but the latter simply nodded. He had been acting sluggish throughout the last stretch of the day, but Tomo attributed it to the lack of sleep. "I suppose you still have some friends in the Yashiro commission. With any luck, that means Thoma is alright."
"I've been thinking…" Kazuha pulled out the seal they obtained from the dead man. "Kamisato Estate is near Mount Yougou. While you pick up Thoma, I could go have this seal checked at the Great Narukami Shrine."
Tomo dragged himself beside Kazuha and snatched the seal from him. "Active seals are not supposed to be carried out in the open like that. Look at your hand, and your chest."
His fingers had a coating of blueish dust. Then, the young ronin removed his coat and moved his short kimono out of the way. The rectangular shape of the seal was engraved on his skin, burning to the touch.
"Even if weakened, only the Shogun knows what it does or did. You found this on the throat of a dead person. That Mondstadt woman made me forget about it, but this was very stupid on your part." Tomo cut part of his coat and wrapped the seal with it. Then, electro energy flowed through his fingertips, binding the cloth tightly around the seal. "I'll hold onto it until those marks disappear."
Before Kazuha could answer, the door of the warehouse opened suddenly. Both ronin were unable to react as a bulky man entered the storage room without a care in the world.
"See? This is exactly what I wanted in a hideout guys! Four walls! A roof! Fireworks! Two vagabonds! This is all the things the Arataki Gang needs for a h- Wait what was the last thing I said?"
Tomo had kicked the tall man on the stomach, hoping that it would throw him out of way. Instead, he took the hit and grabbed Tomo's foot like he was a kid. Kazuha was ready to unsheathe his sword when he noticed the man's lax attitude.
"Oi, oi! What the hell man! I almost got spirited away with that jumpscare!" The muscled man threw Tomo back like one would throw a tissue.
"We apologise." Kazuha started, noticing the man's red horns. "We were under the impression you were a Shogunate soldier."
"An Army guy? Hell no! I'm a delinquent, their enemy number one. Or at least I was until the whole war thing, party-poopers." The oni glanced at the two ronin before smiling widely. "You two runaways too? Then you can join my gang! Cause Arataki Itto is a man of the people! Unless that people is my enemy, in which case I am a man of no people!"