25th of the 11th Cycle
The cold has set in as winter snows fell over Mondstadt.
Most construction has finally halted, giving the people of the city a respite from the constant ringing of steelworks, hammering of stone and sawing of wood. Despite this, good progress had been made, and much of the lower city has already been restored to its former glory - though the human cost would not be so easily recovered.
The atmosphere was languid, in the city. The chill has done well to cool the blood and with the tumult of the past moon dying down, many have taken to the Land of Wind's favourite pastime - drinking. Indeed, it seemed life was gradually returning to normal for Mondstadters.
Aether downed the last of his horn of mead and called for the barmaid, requesting another round - to the delight of his table companions. Mondstadt had no lack for taverns, but none denied the Angel's Share was the largest and most prestigious of them all.
Once a manse owned by the Ragnvindr Clan, the current Lord Ragnvindr had converted the mansion into a massive tavern in his bid to monopolise the Land of Wind's wine industry. And indeed, his commercial fiefdom stretched across the entire realm, making him the land's richest man. Dawnton, ruled by the Ragnvindr Clan, was home to greatest of the Land of Wind's orchards and vineyards. The lord had also raised subsidiaries in Springvale to collect their prized spring water, as well as in Windrise for their fields of wheat and rye.
Inside the tavern was a boisterous atmosphere as clients and patrons cheered as shared drinks. Aether watched as a barmaid approached his table with seven flagons of mead stacked in her hands, before dumping them on the wooden surface. Almost immediately, they were scooped up and downed by his table companions.
Aether himself took the remaining flagon and downed a gulp, feeling the liquid spread warmth throughout his body. It was no surprise the Angel's Share was flooded with clientele on this day, it was particularly chilly outside, and Aether was certain most establishments of this manner were in good business.
"H-Hey," an adventurer opposite him burped, "Have you heard? Miss Lisa had just returned the other day looking all serious like."
"Slow on the news are ya Jack?" an off-duty knight laughed, "We all saw that!"
Suddenly, the knight's voice lowered as he leaned it, "Let me tell yall something…"
Everyone unconsciously leaned forwards, curiosity taking over their murky minds.
"Dame Lisa and her m-mages," the knight burped, "They have locked themselves in the library the moment they returned! Even now, none of them have left at all, even for food - Lord knows what they're doing in there."
"Must be real serious," another knight grumbled, "I have a friend who works with the ravens - he says the Grandmaster got grim after looking at the messages from Windrise and Eagle's Gate."
"You think we're finally going after the Abyss Order?" Jack slurred.
"I'm all for it! We just got rid off those Fatui, best we get the Order to bugger off as well!"
"What's next you bastard?" the knight was playfully punched in the shoulder, "You think we should go to war with those hilichurls down in Dadaupa as well?"
"Why not?"
"Gyahahahaha!"
A round of rapturous laughter erupted across the table, and the infectious mirth spread to neighbouring tables until it overwhelmed the entire establishment. Aether didn't join in, but offered an easy smile as he leaned back. Across the hall, past the swinging flagons and howling men and women was Lord Ragnvindr, the powerful man acting as the day's bartender for some odd reason or the other.
The man shook his head in exasperation, grumbling something under his breath which Aether couldn't quite make out through the hubbub.
As the manic laughter finally subsided, he heard another man - a civilian - speak through hacking coughs.
"Have you heard 'bout the Quartermaster-?"
"Hasn't that man been fishing for nearly a moon now?"
"That's right- commandeered the city's entire fleet to comb Cider Lake with those massive chain link nets- the blacksmiths have been smithing nothing but those chains for so long!"
"What're the knights trying to catch? A sea dragon-!?"
"Gyahaha! Wouldn't that be a sight to see!"
Aether took another swig from his flagon, before slamming it back down onto the table. There was indeed no better place to take in rumours abound than in a tavern like this. With all the happenings swirling about Mondstadt these days, it was no surprise loose lips would spit some interesting things.
The Angel's Share was like a watering hole in the middle of a desert - except to Mondstadters, the water is alcohol and the desert is soberness. Not only do off-duty knights and civilians flock to the Share, but also foreign merchants and visitors trying to familiarise themselves with the economic and political climate in the city.
Aether stood from his bench and excused himself, making his way to the bar near the entrance.
"Hey, have you heard?" he caught a woman saying as he walked by, "If you want to catch the Rite of Descension, best start going to Liyue now."
"That would be a sight to see, wouldn't it? I heard the Geo Archon descends from the sky in the form of a dragon!"
"Yeah, I witnessed the event once - you'll see nothing like it here."
Twisting through the mess of tables and benches, Aether finally reached the bar - dropping a stack of mora on the countertop. Lord Ragnvindr stopped cleaning the glass he was holding and scooped up the payment in a single motion.
"I wouldn't expect a lord to work as a bartender," he spoke to the lord, flushing the alcohol from his system to sober up.
"You're the man who fought back the dragon - you're searching for your sister, I heard."
"Didn't realise the knights made that common knowledge."
"It isn't, I have my own sources."
"I see," Aether looked down, before returning his gaze to meet the lord's eyes, "Then, if you wouldn't mind me asking-"
"Dawnton has seen neither hide nor hair of your sister, I'm afraid."
"Ah- well, a shame."
Surprisingly, the lord patted his shoulder, "I know the feeling of losing a loved one - don't lose hope, you'll be fine."
"Thank you, but I do not fear for my sister. I hold great trust in her abilities - we are twins after all, and I fought off a dragon. Oh, and- sorry for your loss."
Lord Ragnvindr opened his mouth to reply, but they were interrupted when the tavern door was suddenly shoved open. The lord's eyes snapped upwards towards the entrance and Aether spun around on his seat - and they saw a gasping man at the threshold.
The entire tavern went silent as the man tried to speak through deep heaving.
"The- the Northern Gate!" he got out, "The Quartermaster's fleet is returning, they caught something!"
There was a brief pause as everyone in the hall absorbed the new information - then all hell broke loose. Civilians, adventurers, and guards alike jolted from their seats, pushing and clambering over each other in their bid for the entrance.
Aether shared a glance with Lord Ragnvindr, before he got off his seat and left the tavern ahead of the onrush - the lord fast behind him.
It was just past noon outside, and as he stepped onto the main street he was immediately swept into the mob of people making their way to the Northern Gate. Aether was saved when Lord Ragnvindr snapped his fingers and sparked a lit flame of Pyro in his palm - and when the people noticed the man they immediately parted to let him through.
"Thank you… a Vision is truly a blessing, hm?"
The lord looked down at the unassuming trinket hanging from his belt, the glassy surface shining like a miniature star.
"...It has its uses."
From there, they were left largely unmolested as they continued onwards - Lord Ragnvindr's high status deterring any who might get in their way. Nobles in Mondstadt were much closer to their smallfolk compared to other realms, so much so that it would not be amiss to see aristocrats in the lower city and enjoying smallfolk establishments - but Lord Ragnvindr had built a reputation as the Lord of Dawnton.
The Northern Gate was raised, but there were two knights standing guard by its flanks. Upon noticing them approaching, they quickly stood at attention and saluted - to which Lord Ragnvindr waved them off.
The knights seemed to notice his close relation with the lord, because they did not stop him as they walked through the gate. Upon the approach of the growing crowd behind them, however, the guardsmen hastily blocked the entrance and halted them - to heckles and angered cries from the mob.
Lord Ragnvindr turned around and addressed the knights, "Let them through, what does the Order have to hide from the people in this fine land of freedom?"
"...Forgive us, my lord. But it was a direct order from the Quartermaster-"
"So the Order is indeed hiding something? Are they not acting in Mondstadt's best interests?"
The crowd was silent as they observed the tense exchange. It was well known that Lord Ragnvindr held a great distaste for the Order, to the point that he expelled both the Knights and the Church from his fief of Dawnton. The Church was quick to excommunicate the man for doing so, but Lord Ragnvindr was simply too economically and militarily powerful for the Church to feasibly authorise any actual attack on the man.
It also helped that the people of Dawnton supported their lord unconditionally, quickly forming their own heresy of the Church of Favonius known as the Falcon Church - which focused on worshipping the demigod Venessa rather than Barbatos. Amusingly, they exported the heresy to Windrise, where surprisingly some of the residents adopted the heresy as their own belief. Aether supposed it made sense, considering Windrise was the very place Venessa ascended to godhood.
To say the Church was apoplectic would be an understatement, but what could they do?
"...You wound us, my lord."
When the lord in question did not reply, but continued to stare at them, the knights shared a glance with each other and conversed under their breaths. The tense moment extended a little longer, until-
"It is as you say, my lord. Forgive us for our impudence."
The knights stepped aside to the cheers of the crowd, which soon poured forwards and through the gatehouse out onto the harbourfront.
There was another line of knights before the actual docks extending out into the lake, but none made a move to confront them as they could already see the small fleet of some two dozen vessels returning to port.
Two ships led the fleet, both respectably sized caravels flying flags bearing the six-winged arms of the Favonian Order. They were tied together by a long cast iron chain, which dragged a chain link net trailing behind the wake of the two ships. Even from a distance, it was clear the net had something large contained within.
Onlookers gandered in curiosity as the leading ships broke away from the fleet and headed for the shore while the rest of the ships drifted into port.
Shouts from behind caught his attention, before he was roughly pulled aside - narrowly missing a mighty bull making its way to the front of the mob. Aether watched as four farm oxen were led onto the beach by a group of knights. The animals were harnessed, with thick chains trailing behind them.
With a thunderous crash, the caravels rammed into the sandbank and beached themselves. Their crews - consisting of mages and knights - hastily leapt off the vessels and into the shallow water, waves lapping at their thighs as they untangled the chains wrapped around their catch.
"Are those mages casting spells?" he heard one woman murmur, "Did they actually catch a sea dragon?"
"A sea dragon in Cider Lake? You're dreaming, miss!"
"Then explain that!" she pointed at the water.
Indeed, Aether could make out the vague shape of an object in the shallow waves. It shimmered a glimmering cerulean blue, a thousand sparkles in brilliance hidden under the waves.
"It- it looks like a gem?" the man tried to explain.
The knights tied the 'gem' to the oxen using the chain harness, before slapping the rear of one of them. With a snort, the oxen began moving together, baying and heaving as they hauled the object out of the surf.
The object drawn onto the beach was larger than any of them could imagine - even Aether had massively underestimated its size.
A massive wing, glowing a faded blue. The limb was covered in cerulean feathers, while the wing itself consisted of colossal overlapping scales in the shape of flower petals. The length of the wing was the same as that of a galleon from bow to stern, while the breadth was as high as Mondstadt's walls. Faint, ethereal mist wafted from the open wound where the wing was sheared off from the body, drifting into the air in turquoise streams.
Aether could feel the sheer amount of Anemo humming within the appendage, large and concentrated enough to nearly overwhelm his senses.
"Is that-!?"
"Stormterror's wing…?"
"Who would harm the Dragon of the East!?"
Aether felt Lord Ragnvindr's gaze boring burning a hole into him, and swivelled his head to meet the man's eyes. He held it for a moment, before breaking away and started looking around for a swift escape.
"Quickly," he heard the fire-haired man mutter, "Circle around the island go through the Lion's Gate."
"I owe you a debt," Aether thanked him.
Offering a swift nod, the Lord of Dawnton stepped forwards and raised his voice, drawing all attention to himself.
"And may you fair knights explain what this is!?"
With the mob preoccupied with the scene in front of them, Aether ducked and snuck off - breaking away from the crowd and hastily making his way around the city to the front gate.
Aether feared his worst possible outcome would quickly be realised, that the people would treat the injury of the dragon as a direct assault on their god and religion - and seek to find the perpetrator and prosecute them.
27th of the 11th Cycle
His worst fears were indeed realised.
Stormterror's wing was simply too massive to fit through the Northern Gate, so the knights had dragged the limb all the way around the island to the Lion's Gate. Then, they had no choice but to bring it up the central avenue, as there was no other road in the city wide enough to host the thing.
By the end of the day, there was not a single soul in Mondstadt's walls who had not at the very least caught a glimpse of the wing.
And the response was indignation and fury - who dared to harm one of the Four Winds, the Dragon of the East no less?
Aether was simply too well known. He was a public figure, made famous after driving off the very same dragon they were now defending. Furthermore, his face was well known after he helped save and rescue many people in the days following the disaster, as well as help with reconstruction efforts.
How fickle human minds were, he couldn't help but lament, to turn on someone as quickly as they were to applaud them.
Already, Mondstadters were marching in the streets, protesting his guest right at the Knights' hearth. There was a large crowd outside of the Great Keep, Aether could see from his room, and the mob was only held back by a thin line of knights.
Grandmaster Gunnhildr has been nothing but a gracious host thus far, but Aether felt that was about to change soon. When he had first saved the city, he was a splendid publicity stunt - and now he was a liability.
Indeed, for not only were the people protesting for his arrest, so was the Church of Favonius. Aether had thought that the Knights and the Church were the same organisation, but he had been mistaken. The Favonian Order was constructed of two branches, which were the Knights and Church. Both organisations were fundamentally separate from each other, however, with their own command structures and leaders.
It was how the system was designed. A millennia ago, the Church was a corrupt institution serving not the people, but the powerful aristocrats. After the demigod Venessa led a bloody revolution against the aristocracy, succeeding in the end and forming the Knights of Favonius to act as a counterbalance against the influence of the nobles and the Church.
Now in current times, the aristocracy has grown largely irrelevant, submitting to the authority of the Knights - but the Church still held significant influence among the people. A hidden war was constantly being fought in the Land of Wind, a mighty struggle between the Knights and the Church - both sides acting to counter each other to ensure neither grows too incredibly powerful so as to tip the balance of power in the Land of Wind.
And now, the Church has placed their weight behind the people's, demanding the perpetrator - he - be brought to justice. They had also demanded the wing of Stormterror to be handed into their possession, citing that it was a holy object and as such under their jurisdiction.
This all meant the Knights' authority in the city was falling quickly, and that the Grandmaster ought to act soon to mend the situation.
Just then, a knock on the door caught his attention.
Aether sighed.
He turned around and headed to the door, swinging it open to see two squires standing outside.
"Master Aether, the Grandmaster requests your presence."
"Of course."
He did not resist as the two men escorted him down the stairs and to the Grandmaster's office, the heavy oaken doors now oddly foreboding in light of the situation. One of the squires moved forward and pushed open the doors, gesturing for him to enter.
Aether obliged, striding through the threshold - and the doors slammed shut behind him with a sense of finality.
"Grandmaster, you asked to see me."
Jean Gunnhildr was sitting at her desk, as she always seemed to be. Despite her upright posture, her face was pallid and there were heavy bags under her eyes. She looked just about ready to collapse, and Aether did not envy her position - even despite his own position he found himself in.
The woman placed down her quill and looked up at him.
"Yes… I did," she spoke, not quite able to conceal the tiredness in her voice, "Do you understand my position?"
Aether bowed his head, "I do, my lady."
"Then you understand that my next actions are not personal."
He bowed his head again, "Of course, my lady. Though if I may ask, it would do well for my conscience if I could know-"
"We have found no sign of your sister in Mondstadt, Master Aether. Nor has she been seen in Windrise or Springvale - I'm afraid your sister is not in the Land of Wind at all."
"...Thank you."
"You have done us a great service we have not repaid," the Grandmaster looked him in the eye, "I only wish you to place your trust in us."
"Then I shall entrust you with my life."
"Good."
Jean Gunnhildr smiled thinly, before returning to her papers. The scribbling of quill against parchment filled the chamber for a moment, as neither of them uttered nary a sound. Then, like a swift strike of thunder, the Grandmaster picked up her seal and slammed it onto the parchment.
Suddenly, the doors to the office violently swung open as a squadron of knights barged in and seized him by the arms. Aether did not resist as they forcefully pulled his limbs and chained them at his back, before kicking his knees out from under him and forcing him into a kneeling position.
The Grandmaster slowly stood from her seat, sword sliding out of the scabbard with a defined hiss. She pointed her blade at him, silver edge glinting in the firelight.
"Aether, of no clan - by law of the Codex Favonius, in the name of our Lord Barbatos - I, Jean Gunnhildr, in my authority as acting Grandmaster of the Favonian Order - hereby place you under arrest for the crime of high blasphemy."
Rewritten on 6/6/2022