8th of the 10th Cycle
Aether stood still and silent as a wallflower as the leading figures of the Favonian Order discussed among each other.
"I need you to be certain, Lisa."
Jean Gunnhildr was a tall woman with blonde hair tied into a ponytail. She spoke with a soft, yet proud and authoritative voice that commanded total attention in any room she was in. Despite never raising her voice in any occasion, she always commanded respect among her subordinates - a quality befitting of a Grandmaster.
Her pale blue eyes were sharp, and she bore a stiff face which rarely smiled.
"One can never be sure when it comes to magic, Jean."
Lisa Minci was Jean's direct opposite. She wore a long purpure dress and donned a wide brimmed hat with a drooping, pointed tip. Every word which left her mouth was clear, and dripping with charm. Her droopy emerald eyes seemed always tired, only compounded by her languid, carefree attitude. A quality not befitting her station as the Head Mage of the Order, but what was he to know of mages?
He found it difficult to believe she was renowned as one of the most powerful witches in not just the Land of Wind, but across the entire continent. But Amber did warn him that while rarely angered, the witch's fury was known to turn the very heavens dark with rage. He knew not how much was true, but Kaeya's attitude seemed to support Amber's words.
Jean released an exasperated sigh, clearly used to the mage's antics.
"Very well. I will send a raven to Windrise requesting they investigate the Temple of the Wolf, and another to Eagle's Gate for the Temple of the Lion," the Grandmaster spoke, "I trust that you will personally lead a squadron to the Temple of the Falcon?"
"Ah, well…" Lisa drew out her words, "Can Albedo do that? I'm not really-"
"I shall take that as an agreement."
The mage sought a protest, but a sharp look from the Grandmaster killed the argument before it left her mouth. Once Lisa shrunk back in surrender, Jean then turned her head to address him.
"Once again, we owe you a great debt traveller," she spoke, "We will organise a chamber for you to stay here until you regain your bearings. Rest assured, we will uphold our end of the deal."
Aether bowed, "Your words will be taken to heart, lady dame."
She didn't humour him for long - after a shallow nod, she wordlessly waved him away with a hand. Perhaps he ought to take the silent dismissal as an insult, but he did not - it was clear the lady would be overworked in the coming days, and he wasn't so shallow as to take such a snub so.
Aether spun on his heel and left the office, followed by Amber, who hounded his step.
As the heavy oaken door closed behind them with a thud, he could faintly hear the Grandmaster continue speaking.
"Sir Kaeya, inform Dame Hertha to mobilise her…"
The voices faded away as he continued walking. Amber sped her pace to come along side him, waving her hand at the knights in the hearth hall who stopped to salute her.
"Would you like me to bring you to your chambers? I will have attendants draw you a bath."
"That would be unnecessary, dame-"
"Just Amber, please."
"-Amber," he continued, "You needn't humour me, I am sure you have more pressing-"
"Nope!" she interrupted, "I just returned from a sortie, I still have time to submit my report later."
"Well, I intend to spend some time in the city."
"Then let me entertain you for a while," she continued, undeterred.
Surrendering, Aether allowed her to escort him out of the building.
As they made their way down to the lower city, an uncomfortable silence overcame them. The destruction wrought by the dragon was on full display - the collapsed houses, of which not even noble manses were spared. Civilians were calling out for their loved ones, some desperately digging at rubble as knights rushed to aid them, others mindlessly wandering the streets with dead eyes.
What could he say? Should he apologise? But what for?
This was her home in ruins, he doubted any words that came from his mouth could comfort her.
Deciding not to dwell on it, he swiftly asked a question to distract himself, and hopefully her, from the scene.
"Pardon me for asking, but your Grandmaster doesn't seem very… Mondstadt-like."
Amber tore her eyes away from the destruction, and up to him, "You mean to say she isn't cheerful?"
"Oh- I didn't mean to imply-"
"Nah, you have the right of it," she waved him off, "Dame Gunnhildr isn't a Mondstadter, after all."
"She isn't?" he asked, surprised.
Amber shook her head, "She hails from Windrise, the lordship of the Gunnhildrs. Her mother, Lady Frederica, rules that city."
"I understand that Windrise rules itself?"
"Mhmm. All cities in the Land of Wind do, the closest thing we have to a central government is the Windic Union - but that's more an alliance between the city-states than anything else," she explained.
"Windrise folk are really serious, no fun at all!" Amber continued, laughing, "They are the firmest believers of the Church, even more than Mondstadt!"
Aether gave an idle nod in response, mind wandering off as he caught the scent of blood and wine mixing together. Hymns began to fill the air as they made their way down the city, funeral dirges strummed even in the bright of day.
Barbatos was well-known as the patron god of songs and the arts, he knew this. Indeed, there was a reason why Mondstadt was the City of Hymns to all across Teyvat.
Even in the aftermath of great tragedy, Mondstadt would not stop singing. He watched as people laid blood-soaked flowers at the base of the great state as Church sisters wandered the streets, offering blessings.
Aether witnessed people climbing atop the windmills and roofs of buildings - throwing ashes of their beloved into the winds, which carried the souls of the dead towards the heavens above.
When they finally reached the lower city, the both of them began to help those who needed it. Aether saw a weeping woman desperately claw at a fallen wall to no avail, where he could hear feeble cries originate from underneath.
Aether approached and pulled the inconsolable woman away, who screamed and scratched at him as he tugged. Handing her off to Amber - who began attempting to console her - Aether walked up to the fallen wall and gripped the bottom of it with both hands.
Groaning, he slowly but gradually began to lift the wall as the woman stopped crying and looked at him with wide eyes.
"Mama!" he heard a cry from underneath the debris.
Straining his muscles, Aether suddenly crouched - dropping the wall a little as the pushed his hand further underneath to get better leverage.
"Kgh!" he released a sound of exertion, "Graaaaah!"
With a mighty push, he lifted the rubble high enough for the child underneath to scamper out and leap into their mother's arms.
Aether released the piece of wall, letting it crumble back to the earth in an earth-shaking thud. As he massaged his arms, the mother thanked him with teary eyes, which he gracefully accepted.
For the remaining hours, he continued to help rescuing people trapped under the rubble, making good use of his strength. Amber, in the meanwhile, began coordinating the knights in the area to prepare designated first aid areas - and set up a makeshift field hospital in the central plaza, right next to the ruined fountain.
As the Sun crested the peak of its curve, the formation of knights entered the lower city from above - pulling behind them dozens of carts filled with supplies.
"Captain Hertha's logistics company," Amber informed him as they watched the column of knights passed them by, "They'll take things in hand from here, Dame Hertha's really capable."
"That is good to hear."
As the knights detached into smaller squads to assist civilians and restore order, a makeshift platform was raised where the captain began calling for volunteers to help in rebuilding. Almost immediately, great swathes of men, women, and children responded, crowding at the base of the stage - where knights began organising them into coherent bands.
Soon after, another column of men made their way through the city towards the Lion's Gate, all mounted atop steeds. Aether spotted the Head Mage Lisa at their lead, followed by at least a dozen robed men and women - mages - and at least two score armoured knights.
As Amber rushed forwards to intercept them, Aether heard cawing from up above - where he saw two jet black ravens fly from the Great Keep, one towards the east, the other in a more southerly direction.
Tearing his gaze away, he hastily strode to the slow moving column of knights, where Amber and Lisa were conversing as they marched.
"-heading out now?"
"That's right, can't leave the leylines as they are right now can't we?" he heard the witch reply, "These fine knights behind me will be stationed at the Temple as a garrison, I've already submitted a request to the Church for them to dispatch a group of caretakers as well."
"I cannot believe we let the Temples deteriorate like that."
"Or be defaced."
There was a brief silence, before Amber responded.
"When will you return?"
"When the Temple has been brought to order, so I do not know," Lisa admitted, "I would reckon at least a moon, if not more."
"May the winds guide you."
"As they do you," Lisa returned, before spurring her horse forwards, "Hyah! Let's go, girl!"
Her mare broke into a gallop and raced out of the gates, her followers close behind her.
As Amber returned to him, she bore an indescribable expression - a sort of deep musing affixed with irritation. When she noticed him staring, her face easily morphed into one of cheerfulness, one that impressively did not seem forced at all - so he could not ascertain whether it was an act.
"Come on, let's go eat luncheon."
12th of the 10th Cycle
Aether was breaking his fast in his chambers when a sudden commotion outside the Great Keep caught his attention.
At first, he feared the dragon had returned, but he soon realised that the bell was not ringing at all. He contemplated ignoring the commotion, rebuilding and reconstruction was occurring all over the city, after all. Accidents here and there were to be expected.
He stood from his seat and walked over to the window, opening the wooden shutters and letting light of the Morning Sun stream into his room. Gazing outwards, he realised that this was no ordinary hubbub - entire platoons of knights were rushing out from the Great Keep, dressed in full plate and wielding lethal arms.
Was there a riot of some sort?
Aether hastily returned to his desk, pinching the lit candle to extinguish it. Reaching for the rack near the door, he retrieved his coat and shrugged it on before opening the door.
Walking through and shutting the door behind him, Aether entered the empty hallway. The guest rooms in the Great Keep were largely empty, since the Order was not hosting any notable party at this time, apart from him. As such, he was unaccosted as he made his way to the end of the hallway and began clambering down the stairs.
Since the keep also served as a barrack for off-duty knights, the lower floors were bustling as men and women donned their armour and equipped their gear in a hurry. Outside the building, the stables were just as chaotic as squires and pages rushed to and fro, grooming the horses and fixing saddles and bardings onto them.
"Pardon me," he asked one passing knight, "Do you know what is happening?"
"The damn Fatui has gone too far," the armoured woman told him, "The Grandmaster has finally authorised their eviction from the city. Good riddance."
The Fatui were a manner of diplomats hailing from the northern nation of Snezhnaya, if he recalled correctly. Throughout his brief time in the city, he heard only negative things about them - such as their arrogance, ignorance, and hard-handed manner of diplomacy. All these rumours abound, he couldn't help but wonder why the Order still humoured them.
It seems the Order finally has had enough.
Aether followed the knights to the Goethe Grand Hotel, a sizable building in the third level of the city. He found out that the hotel was originally the city residence of the Goethe Clan, but after falling on some hard times, the current Lord Goethe had converted the manse into a hotel to bring in extra revenue. It was also the institution currently hosting the Fatui delegation, or no longer hosting now.
As he approached the building, he saw at least ten score knights stationed outside. Men and women dressed in dark coats were roughly escorted out of the building, and those who tried to resist were swiftly beaten into the ground by the knights. Aether was surprised at the amount of anger the knights had as they took it out on the diplomats, and wondered what could've caused such.
He noticed one person out of place, an elderly man with a cane. Some of the knights noticed him as he approached the scene, but none chased him away. Deciding that meant he was allowed to witness the proceedings, Aether approached the elderly man and introduced himself.
"Hail," he called, "I am Aether, an outlander in these parts. May I ask if you know what caused this?"
"Hmm? Ah- Ludwig Goethe, a pleasure," the man smiled, crow's feet around his eyes clearly visible and wrinkles rippling. Despite that, the man had clear eyes, which belied a still sharp mind.
"I had allowed the Fatui to take up residence in the hotel, but it seems they made an enemy of the wrong people. A shame, they had good money."
"Ah- yes. I was wondering what exactly they are being evicted for," Aether repeated.
"For being fools. They openly questioned the competence of the Knights after Stormterror's attack," the man explained, "But that shouldn't be enough for them to be kicked out."
"Then?"
Lord Goethe looked up at him with a thin smile, "They offered to help hunt down the dragon."
"I don't see how that justifies anything."
"Of course you don't. 'Stormterror' is the Dragon of the East, one of Lord Barbatos' servants," the man gave a throaty chuckle, "The Church was so insulted that they requested the Knights evict them on grounds of heresy."
"And the Grandmaster was happy to oblige?"
"The entire city is happy to oblige, young man. The Fatui has been a thorn in our side we could not remove for so long since it'd cause international outcry, we simply finally have justification."
Aether thanked the man and departed, deciding to head down to the lower city to assist in the reconstruction - as he has been doing for the past few days. On the way, he pondered about the people of the land he found himself in.
For the world to view a religious spat as justification meant that it was common knowledge that the people of the Land of Wind were fanatical in the worship of their god. Ironic, truly, considering that it seemed compared to other gods, the Anemo Archon has been absent for most of his people's existence. Freedom was an odd ideal, in that sense, an intangible thing powerful enough to command nations without ruling at all.
Powerful indeed, for these people had just been attacked by the dragon they worshipped, and yet when some offered to help rid them of the threat, they sided with the dragon. Unease filled Aether at that thought, what would happen when these same people found out he had actually injured the holy dragon? A grievous injury, at that.
At worst, they will burn him at the stake.
With that amusing thought, he continued walking to help the people that might kill him later.
As he stepped into the lower city, he heard shouting coming from the north. Curiosity taking over him, he decided to change his original goal and investigate the commotion.
He soon found out that several knights were arguing with a group of fishermen at the Northern Gate. More curiously, he spotted Kaeya at the head of the squad of knights. Inching into earshot, Aether began to listen into the conversation.
"-what gives you the right!?"
"Please, this is necessary-"
"We don't care, sir knight! This is our livelihood, you are asking us to give you out boats for an indefinite amount of time! We'd starve!"
"Would you accept if we'd be compensate you-"
"Now you're trying to pay us off!? Do you think we are so-"
"Master Tilmann!" from his vantage point, Aether could see Kaeya's smile grow strained at the fishermans' obstinacy.
He watched as the Quartermaster pulled out a scroll, "This is a direct order from the Grandmaster, will you not comply?"
The lead fishermen accepted the scroll and broke the seal, stepping back and reading its contents.
"...Fine, but we will be compensated."
"Rest assured. That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Aether backed away and returned to the main street. It seems the first phase of the Grandmaster's plan was well underway.
Rewritten on 5/6/2022