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The fire pit rattled near silently in the night, embers flickering everywhere. It tilted to the left until the bowl of kindle tumbled to the ground.
"Ah, piss!" the watchman exclaimed. He had no water on him to douse the fire. No bucket for the well either— only the clothes on his back.
His partner furrowed his brow. He did not even bother to leave his post and help. "Hey! Take care of that will you?"
"Yeah, yeah," Quickly removing his treated-leather coat, the watchman threw it over the growing flames.
It erupted in a roaring blossom of crimson sparks.
"What the— !"
A crescent flower hairpin, charged with Electro, soared through the air like a throwing star. Keqing caught it deftly with one hand, and with her other, she hefted a sword up to her chest and dashed toward the nearest treasure hoarder. She thrust once, nicking him in the shoulder— an opening strike used to gauge an opponent's reaction.
Her next attacks weren't going to be as merciful… nor as sluggish.
"Damn, how did they even find us?" The treasure hoarder, reeling from the flesh wound, drew his cutlass, and jumped back. "There's no way they could!"
Keqing waved her blade in an arc, infusing it with purple lighting. The amethyst trinket fastened on her belt flashed brilliantly.
"V-Vision-bearer! They're Vision-bearers!"
Those were soon to be the man's last words. With a thundering clap, Keqing launched herself at him, slashing at his side as she passed through.
"Too slow!" She brandished her blade up, trailing the man's spine. Another light cut, but it did not matter. Clutching her Vision, Keqing wedged it into the wound and discharged an incapacitating bolt of electricity.
The treasure hoarder screamed in agony then slumped to the floor, unconscious.
Her eyes darted to the other treasure hoarder. Before he could even pull his crossbow, Keqing prayed to her Vision again, summoning a stream of lightning from her hand that coursed through the ground. It detonated the burning grass around them in an overload of Electro and Pyro energy.
The treasure hoarder covered his face with his arms, blinded. He staggered back and failed to notice the shadow rapidly descending towards him. With a plunge of his sword, Aether ruptured the earth under them, sending a rippling shockwave that blasted the treasure hoarder off his feet.
Now airborne, Aether grabbed the man's face and smashed his head to the ground, knocking him out.
Thorough and efficient— just as it should be when dealing with parasites. Parasites that mooched off the success of others and never contributing to society. Swat one down and two more take their place.
It was for that reason that if Keqing wanted to shut down their operations for good, she had to pummel them into submission.
"That should be the last of the lookouts," she said. "The rest should be inside."
In front of them was a gate into an abyssal domain. Little wonder then why Shihzen couldn't find it— even if they did, it was highly dangerous to enter one without a Vision.
"Watch your back."
Aether nodded.
Sticking close to each other, they sprinted towards the gate.
The domain was built like a stone keep, with ruined spires and ramparts visible through the windows. Thick layers of moss blanketed the cobblestone as dust and masonry seemed to cascade from the ceiling, obscuring the paths in a murky cloud. An amber sky painted the walls in its hue. The halls were quiet except for a light ambiance.
Turning a corner, they spotted a guard patrolling down the corridor, his back turned away from them. He yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, unaware of their footsteps.
Quite fortunate then. Without slowing down, Keqing slid under him and tripped his legs. The guard didn't have the time to process what just happened before a jagged boulder pinned him to the wall. Aether glanced at the guard for the briefest moment before running past.
"Well done," Keqing said. It was perfect teamwork if she had to say. Give credit where it's due.
"Do you ever slow down, like, ever?" Aether said, panting as they stopped in front of a large door. It opened for them, revealing a wide open-ceiling room, kind of like a balcony. They were on one of the outer walls of the keep, the abyssal sun visible on the horizon.
Keqing chuckled. "If I slowed down, I'm afraid there might not be anyone left for me."
She took one step, and immediately the treasure hoarders charged at her with weapons poised to attack. They shouted in a fierce battle cry, their faces a mix of both anger and disbelief at the sudden intruders.
Admittedly, the two of them weren't the stealthiest infiltrators in all of Teyvat. Quite the opposite, in fact. As far as plans went, they had no plan— aside from going in and utterly wrecking the place.
A simple plan. She liked that.
She swung her sword around and held it in front of her with both hands— a graceful motion similar to a firefly dancing through the rain, not a droplet of water touching its wings. She knew it very well; a form distinct to practitioners of the Yunlai school of swordsmanship. Although it looked straightforward enough, to do the motion properly required all her focus and attention. She needed to clear her mind.
As she did so, the surges of Electro started to imbue her blade.
Keqing watched while her enemies gathered towards her, biding her time. When they were close enough that she could see her reflection in their eyes, she struck.
"With sword, comes shadow!"
Her figure disappeared in a flash of light, leaving afterimages as she slashed viciously at her opponents. Arcs of electricity trailed behind her, creating a web made of lightning. Grounding to a halt, she twirled around, slashing again as a giant beam of purple energy tore through the gaps and incinerating those caught in the blast.
All treasure hoarders crumpled to the floor in a heap, eyes wide open. Paralyzed, but alive. Killing them now would only stain her dress with their blood.
Aether cooed from behind her. "Nice."
"...That's it?"
"Hm?"
While another compliment or two wouldn't hurt, they were on a job. Keqing sighed, "Nevermind."
She looked around, counting the heads of the treasure hoarders. Minus the three they encountered previously, there were around ten in total— far less than what she would have expected. If it was as lucrative a racket as she had assumed, the numbers should at least be double that.
Her hunch had been correct, though: these hoarders weren't just random thugs. The fact that they were using a domain as a base and that they seemed well-armed denoted they had some form of organizational structure. Someone huge had to be funding them, especially if they were targeting more than just caravans on the road.
The Fatui, perhaps?
She shouldn't point any fingers yet. There was a process for this. If she were to baselessly accuse them, there will no doubt be far-reaching consequences considering Snezhnaya's influence in pretty much everything.
"Keqing," Aether called out. He was staring at something beyond the keep.
She gasped.
Thirty…? No, forty…
Forty treasure hoarders were gathered around a huge bonfire outside the keep. They were holding a feast of sorts, racks of meat and fowl lining up an improvised banquet table. Bottles of ale and wine were passed around rowdily, the stench of booze scrunching her nose. More barrels of alcohol were fetched from a storehouse on a separate island, connected to by a long stone bridge. Two giant pillars flanked its sides, forming a cross-shaped arc overhead.
Including the thirteen the two of them have dealt with already, the treasure hoarders numbered to an alarming fifty-three.
"It only takes a dozen or more of them to terrorize a small town. With an army like that…"
What were they trying to accomplish?
"There." Aether pointed to a large pile of treasure in the middle of the camp. "It's got to be there"
"Yes, but how do we get to it?"
There was no way they could sneak up to it and not get caught. Fighting was out of the question, too. She was confident in their abilities but…
She looked at Aether. Couldn't risk him. Not after all he's done for her.
They didn't know any healing magic nor could they sling spells and arrows at a distance. Facing a horde with just their swords would lead to a slow demise. Should they leave and come back with reinforcements? No, it would just give the treasure hoarders time to escape. Some were already passed out drunk too; now would be the optimal time to attack while they were caught off-guard.
"We can glide inti that storehouse if we climb up one of the spires, but that's about it," Keqing said. Judging from the distance, they should be able to make it without the treasure hoarders noticing.
Something seemed to click in Aether's mind. He smiled menacingly.
"Have you thought of a plan?" she asked.
Instead of a reply, Aether passed an object to her: a red cylinder with a length of string embedded on one side. Keqing recognized it as one of the dynamites the treasure hoarders used. They were annoying, to say the least. It was crude but designed in such a way that even non-Vision holders could harness elemental energy. This one was infused with Pyro.
"What do I do with this?"
"You'll see," Aether said, smirking before he darted towards the stairs. "If I told you, you'd complain about how stupid it is anyway!"
Wha—
"Wait a minute! Hey!"
All it takes is a spark to ignite a blaze.
"Fire! One of the men shouted, sweat beading down his cheeks. "Fire! There's a fire in the storehouse!"
Their leader, a balding man with an intimidating presence, spat out his drink. "Shit, did someone leave the firecrackers near the booze again?!"
Plumes of smoke rose from the direction of the storehouse. He scowled, a touch unhappy at having been interrupted. "Don't just stand around, go save my booze!"
"Yes, sir!"
The ones that were awake all shot to their feet, buckets in hand, and raced to put out the conflagration. However, the more water they threw at it, the more the flames seemed to grow. Alcoholic grease fires licked their faces as it slithered on the ground like molten lava.
A lone masked figure emerged from the cinders. A crystalline shield bubbled around him, glowing red hot as it absorbed the haze. Elemental energy swirled by his feet in a pyretic inferno.
Aether grinned tauntingly at the treasure hoarders, his eyes smug under the mask. These were the ones blocking his way? They could hardly be considered trash mobs. Wouldn't even need his sword; his fists were more than enough. His knuckles cracked in anticipation.
He only had one thing to say to those that strayed from the path of justice:
"...Stick 'em up."
"GET HIM!"
...Nobody cared for action heroes these days.
Rushing forward, Aether grappled the first hoarder he could find and threw him over the shoulder. An arrow bounced harmlessly off him, followed by about a dozen more. Grabbing one of the bolts in midair, Aether pitched the arrow back to its archer and launched a kick that smashed his solar plexus. Using the momentum he rolled under an ax swung towards his head and uppercutting the man into the sky. Another blow glanced off his shield. He swatted it away.
A meteor struck the treasure hoarders trying to flank him. Grabbing the ax that the man dropped, Aether vaulted on top of the meteor and slammed the ax to the ground, releasing another shockwave that staggered those near him. His Geo shield shimmered again, its energy replenished from the elemental reaction.
He couldn't let up the assault, though. His goal wasn't to take out all the treasure hoarders; he knew better than that. He just needed to stall them. Get their attention solely focused on him.
Dodging another arrow speeding for his shoulder, he saw it: the signal he was waiting for. A small dagger, a stiletto, sparkled from one of the pillars hanging above the bridge. It teemed with electricity. There!
"Playtime's over!" With one great stomp, the earth around Aether oscillated. Amber-colored Geo crystals shot up from the ground, trapping the treasure hoarders as it formed an indestructible blockade.
His sword materialized into his hand. Attached to the pommel were bundles of dynamite wrapped tighty in a purple sash.
Aether climbed atop another boulder he summoned, and, leaping off as hard as he could, threw his sword at the pillar, the bundle of dynamites flittering behind. It hit its mark, lodging into the pillar next to the lightning stiletto.
Got it! He pumped his fist in triumph— however, the relief didn't last long.
He had to run.
The fuses on the dynamite expired and, like a ticking time bomb, the air around it diffused a dazzlingly bright light.
Soon, a thunderous explosion shook the entire domain.
As the dust settled, yellow cracks formed on the pillar. It fissured through its circumference as bits and pieces of it started to break apart. There were a few seconds of silence before the pillar gave way, demolishing the pillar underneath it as well. Both structures collapsed on top of the bridge in an avalanche of amber and debris.
Aether hoisted himself on a ledge and ran up the length of the pillar. Reaching the end, he prayed to any and all the gods he's met or otherwise, and jumped.
Time seemed to slow down as he soared in the air. He could make it; he was almost there. He just needed something— a ledge or a branch or whatever. Anything he could grab on for dear life. He was almost there!
Just a bit more!
A slender hand barely missed his.
Falling. He was falling. It wasn't enough. He was falling… and he was going to die.
He heard someone shout his name.
...It reminded him of his sister.
"AETHER!"
...
A gust of wind blew into his face. One of the pillars hit yet another structure underneath him, causing an updraft. Thinking fast, Aether unfurled his wind glider and held on to it like never before. His body felt weightless, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he started to ascend. The bottomless abyss strayed further and further away from his vision.
Whether it was pure luck or Venti really did answer his prayer, he didn't care. When he felt the wind had died down, he opened his eyes long enough to see tearful amethyst ones before he crashed headlong into it.
Rolling to a stop, he heaved another sigh. It was probably the biggest one yet in his long long life. It was crazy, yes, but somehow he made his plan work. There were a butt-load of things that could have gone wrong there and, thankfully, none of them did. He would even say it went great.
Another rumble faded in the distance.
"Well… At least I'm not dead," Aether said.
"...I wouldn't be so sure of that."
"Huh?"
The voice came from under him, and it was at that point did he notice he was laying on something incredibly soft and warm. Looking down, he found himself face-to-face with an absolutely gorgeous woman with messy violet hair splayed all over the place.
Her eyes were beautiful. He could get lost in them... if it weren't for the fact that they were glaring at him as if he had just tortured a kitten. The woman's lips were curled into a snarl, baring tiny little fangs underneath that screamed 'bloody murder.'
"May I ask," Keqing said, slowly and steadily. Her every word seethed with ill intentions. "Where exactly are you grabbing with those filthy hands of yours?"
Oh. He was also straddling her, so… Crap.
Jolting up, Aether stared at his shuddering hands, the words 'GUILTY' practically scrawled on top of it. He glanced at Keqing, not entirely sure if there were laws in this world against sexual harassment. There probably was.
"I'm… sorry?"
She growled.
Yup. He was dead.
"...Pft."
"Huh?"
A moment later, Keqing broke into a heartfelt laugh. She clutched her sides as she giggled non-stop like a maniac.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she finally said, rubbing the tears from her eyes. "You weren't touching anywhere inappropriate; I just couldn't resist teasing you, especially not after that stunt you pulled!"
So she was laughing at his expense. That wasn't so bad. Maybe. Better than angry.
Keqing beamed at him, her expression full of wonder and pride. "That was amazing, Aether. I'm glad you're safe."
"Thanks…" There was something cute about the way she said his name that made him want to look away.
A coarse voice interrupted their moment— probably for the best. It was getting kind of awkward.
"You damn kids!" the leader of the treasure hoarders yelled. Aether could barely hear him from across the chasm. "Stop flirting and get us out of here!"
"I wouldn't move if I were you!" Keqing shouted back. As if predicting it, the island the man stood on wobbled as over thirty men all huddled together. They were trying to put as much distance they could from the sheer drop surrounding them.
Various profanities were flung in their direction before Aether decided to tune them out. The treasure hoarders weren't going anywhere anytime soon. It was up to Keqing how to handle everything afterward. Knowing her, it wouldn't be much of a problem.
"C' mon." Keqing beckoned to him. "I'll tie up those that are asleep. You start searching for the sigil."
It was a good thing he knew what the sigil looked like, at least. He had it in on him, didn't he? Should be a piece of cake.
After a few minutes...
"Not here…"
Aether searched high and low for the sigil and found nothing. The chests contained only chipped, worn-down weapons and dull artifacts— garbage even he wouldn't steal. The sacks were stuffed full with ores and fruits at least, but considering he would have to lug them all by himself (he seriously doubted Keqing would help), they didn't sound so appealing at the moment.
These were also stolen goods, he had to remind himself. Shrugging, he continued his search.
…
"It's not here…?"
Even Keqing couldn't believe his words. After about half an hour of rummaging through the piles of gold, flipping over every treasure chest they could find, there still wasn't any sign of the sigil.
They couldn't find the elixir either. Didn't Shizhen mention that they were both kept in a satchel? He didn't recall seeing a satchel like that anywhere.
Did they somehow miss it? Or did the treasure hoarders store it somewhere else entirely?
"Traveler." Keqing had a serious expression as she stared at the back gate leading out of the domain. "Do you see anything?"
See? Oh.
"There's… a trail of Anemo," he answered. In his elemental sight, Aether saw green wisps dancing in the air. They pulsated like a heartbeat. "It's headed outside. Do you think it's the elixir?"
Keqing nodded. "Let's hurry."