18th of the 2nd Cycle
The dim interior of the carriage was silent as they all stewed in their own minds.
Aether subtly eyed the funeral director, who was idly humming to herself while running her hands along the haft of her staff - which she was holding close to herself in her seat. He knew of people who hid themselves behind pleasant smiles - pain, sorrow, sadism, they were all sides of dice. However, he could not quite parse Hu Tao's inexplicable countenance.
Then again, politics and intrigue never suited him in the first place.
He leaned against the side, feeling the rocking of the carriage as it bumped down the cobbled streets. Aether would be a liar if he said he had ever dealt with politicians before, and so he wasn't quite sure what to expect from the Qixing - he could guess, however. Surely, they would attempt to wrangle the most favourable contract possible - which meant they had to counter that somehow.
And that depended on the person writing the contract - Yanfei. They were already at a disadvantage, for Yanfei was surely an affiliate of the Heji Hall, and thus a subordinate of the Lady Tianquan.
"Miss Yanfei," he asked softly, "May I ask who had leased you for this matter?"
The lawyer turned to look at him, her green eyes gleaming in the darkness, "You needn't fret, sir. As a lawyer of Heji Hall, it is my utmost priority to remain a neutral party. But if you must know, it was the Lady Yuheng who had asked for my name."
The Lady Yuheng, huh? That did make him feel a little better about their chances, even if only by a little. He mustn't forget their original goal - secure the patronage of the Qixing, or at the very least a few of their members'. At least two-million mora, and a written endorsement, he reminded himself.
As for the matter pertaining to Rex Lapis, well…
If he had to admit, Aether was indeed quite curious to see how things would play out - especially considering he was quite certain he just met the god in person.
And thus emerges another dilemma - is it in his best interest to inform Hu Tao and Mona of his newfound discovery? He highly doubted Hu Tao knew just who she had employed, lest she surely would not treat the man the way she did. As for Mona, he had a suspicion that she was already deciphering the identity of the man.
Except, he had little to no proof… unless he were to gouge out an eye of his and lend it to them. Then again, they might go insane from the sight, so he'd stow that idea away first.
No, Aether decided, he shan't inform anyone about this matter. Furthermore, he still did not know Rex Lapis' temperament, and it was in his best interest to not potentially anger the god anymore than he probably already had.
"I am quite curious…" he pondered out loud, "How did the Lady Yuheng attain her position?"
"She is quite the unorthodox, isn't she?" Yanfei hummed, "Isn't that her charm?"
"Is that… so?"
"There are three large social groups in the Republic," she clarified, "The merchants, the old nobles, and the commonfolk. The merchants are by far the most powerful, as the noble's power has long been diluted after the founding of the Republic - but the commonfolk continues to be the most sizable, obviously."
"The Lady Yuheng must have the support of the old nobles, then?" he guessed, "She is part of an illustrious clan, after all."
Hu Tao scoffed, "Nobles? Maybe, but her main support base is with the common populace. The labourers, the miners, the waiters, the dockhands, the sailors and the farmers. Rex Lapis is the god of trade, of the precious gems in the earth and the contracts that deal with massive sums of money. What good are all of those to the people who break their backs everyday in order to earn a living?"
"Nothing," she answered herself, "Absolutely nothing. What does the mighty Rex Lapis know of the people's plight? Nothing. But the Lady Yuheng knows, for she is infamous for disguising herself in rags and entering the city undercover. She would work as the labourer, the miner, the waiter, the dockhand, the sailor and the farmer - she would learn their plight, and you can be certain that in the coming moons policies would be introduced to better their lives."
"No other Qixing does this. The Lady Yuheng is no merchant, she is no business leader or accountant - but she is a policymaker, one for the people. That is what keeps her in power - to Liyueans, whether in the city or the countryside, the Lady Yuheng is their sole voice within the upper echelons of government. And due to this, she monopolises essentially every common vote within the Republic."
"Rex Lapis…" Mona murmured, "Isn't as popular as I thought?"
Yanfei bore a conflicted expression, but shook her head in the end, "Among those who could live comfortably and secure livelihoods by simply manipulating the markets, maybe. But among the people who live day to day? Not at all, Rex Lapis may as well be a foreign god to them - which is why Lady Yuheng's ideology of human self-determination is so popular."
"Not to mention the Lianshan Campaign," Hu Tao added, "Her role there has essentially solidified her standing for the rest of her life."
"Lianshan campaign?" Mona inquired.
Yanfei shot Hu Tao an indescribable look, reluctantly opening her mouth, "Half a dozen years ago, the Lady Yuheng led an army-"
Suddenly, the carriage jerked to a halt, interrupting her. The next moment, the door swung open, and a Millelith peeked their head inside.
"You've arrived."
They quickly filed out of the carriage, and as Aether set foot on the stone pavement, he looked up and found himself standing before the monolithic Yuehai Pavilion towering high above him. Yanfei immediately took point, her steps swift as she marched up the stairs and to the main doors, which were already open.
Crossing through the threshold, they were greeted by a dozen attendants flanking the entrance, who all simultaneously bowed in greeting.
Yanfei led them through a multitude of halls and galleries, before up a set of stone-carved stairs - and into a vast antechamber. While perceived to be small - cramped even - the placement of various furniture made the chamber feel far more open and airy than it should be. Stylised wooden screens - with the appearance of dozens of doors attached to each other - formed a central space, like a room within a room.
More white paper screens further quartered the hall into smaller sections, in such a manner that there were four galleries surrounding the wooden screened room.
Yanfei slid open one section of door and beckoned them to enter.
Inside was a meeting room - unlike those of Windic fashion. Instead of a central table, the middle was empty, with only a large carpet on the floor. Pressed against the sides, however, were eight low seats facing each other, each with their own desks. At the far end were two seats sharing one desk in the centre, mirrored at their end as well.
Aether could guess who were to be seated - the two sets of four seats were clearly meant for the Qixing, though the exact purpose of the seats at the far end and on their side escaped him.
"There seems to be one missing seat," Hu Tao observed.
Yanfei looked around the room for a moment, "It appears the Qixing was under the impression that only you and Miss Mona would be sitting in the meeting. If you wish, I can prepare another-"
"There is no need for that," Aether waved her off, "I will wait outside."
"If you are certain," Hu Tao demurred, "Oh- and, take care of this for me, will you?"
She handed him her yew staff, which Aether carefully took with both hands. After nodding, he turned on his heel and exited the room, returning back into the antechamber where numerous attendants stared at him curiously. He paused until the screen was closed behind him, before he addressed one of them.
"You, may I know your name?"
"Tian Huixin, sir," she bowed.
"It appears I will be waiting here until this meeting concludes," he told her, "Is that allowed?"
"Of course sir, I will bring you some tea at once."
"You have my gratitude."
As she left, the rest of the attendants also began to move once more - darting around the level, opening and closing the partition doors as they hurried to prepare for the Qixings' arrivals. Aether, meanwhile, used the time to inspect the partitions - finding that the doors had a see-through glazing covered with thin white paper.
He discretely punctured a small hole in the parchment with a finger, and stared through the hole - seeing both Mona and Hu Tao were sitting facing Yanfei at opposite ends of the room. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching him from behind, and hastily spun around, making sure to block the hole with his body.
Four people emerged from the staircase, the Lady Yuheng and three men, which he assumed were members of the Qixing. Aether swiftly bowed his head, ensuring not to look at any of them until they passed him and entered the room. Once they were out of eyeshot, he turned around and looked through the hole again, finding the four Qixing take their seats on one side of the chamber.
Then, another door opened on the opposite side, and five people walked through - which he supposed were the four other Qixing members, as well as another woman dressed in nondescript Liyuean robes.
The woman had soft features and large, tired eyes - though that did not take away from her inhuman fairness. Her hair was cerulean, long and messy like fur. From her head grew a pair of black horns curving backwards, her defining feature. And in her hands, she held a roll of thin bamboo slips sewn together by string - a kind of Liyuean scripture medium.
Aether ventured to recognise her as Ganyu, the General Secretary of Liyue.
As the Qixing took their seats, Ganyu sat next to Yanfei and unrolled the bamboo slips onto the table and withdrew a thin calligraphy brush.
"Shall we begin, then?" the Lady Tianquan started.
Yanfei cleared her throat, "This discourse has been requested by Miss Megistus and Countess Hu, in a bid for an official investigation contract into the events of the Seventeenth Day of the Tiger Month in the Seventeen-Hundred Thirty-Sixth Year since the Founding of the Republic."
"In this box," the General Secretary placed a box on the table, "Is a promissory note for the Central Bank, worth two-million mora - which is the base bid for the contract. There is also a collective endorsement from the Liyue Qixing, written on bamboo slips as per the agreement. All these stipulations are fluid. Miss Yanfei, if you would?"
The lawyer took the box and opened the lid, taking a single bamboo slip and a bamboo booklet - reading through both with a keen eye.
"Legitimate," she nodded, returning the box to the table.
"Now that's done," the Lady Yuheng intoned, "Convince us."
"My lords and ladies," Mona coughed, "May I know how many other parties are bidding for this contract?"
There was a silence as the Qixing glanced at each other, before the aged Lord Tianshu spoke up.
"There are seventeen bids for this contract, young miss."
"Even one from the Sumeru Academia," the Lady Tianquan added with a slick smile, "And one more from Northland Bank."
"..."
There was a purpose, Aether surmised, in saying that. He scanned the reactions of the Qixing members - the Lord Tianshu and Lady Yuheng had closed their eyes in a manner of exasperation, the Lady Tianxuan, Lord Tianji, and Lord Kaiyang bore mildly irritated expressions. The only person he couldn't parse was the Lord Yaoguang, who looked deathly disinterested in the whole affair.
Mona held an admirably indifferent countenance to the information, while Hu Tao's eyes were narrowed even as she continued to hold her smile.
There was a tension in the air, he could feel, though he did not know what for. Clearly, it was best he was not at the negotiating table.
"Uhm, sir…?" someone spoke up from behind him, and he suppressed a flinch.
Aether spun on his heel to see the attendant from before, Huixin, holding a platter with a kettle of tea and a porcelain cup.
"Place it on the table," he lowly told her.
"Of course," she murmured as she did so, before preparing to leave.
"No no," he grabbed her arm, "Stay for a while."
Her eyes widened as she vigorously shook her head, cautiously prying his hand off her arm. Undeterred, Aether urged her to take a seat - even pouring a cup of tea for her. Slowly, she lowered herself until she was kneeling on the cushion, staring nervously at the steaming cup of tea.
"Drink," he coaxed, "I want to ask you something."
"Yes… sir?"
"Drink," he urged some more, and she finally obliged - swallowing a gulp of tea.
"Why do the Qixing hold the meeting in such an… exposed location?" he asked, "Anyone could listen in."
"Not anyone, sir. It is hard to tell because of all the screens, but this chamber takes up the entire floor. Only trusted attendants and guards are allowed on the level."
"And what about me?"
"You are considered part of Countess Hu's party."
"I see, thank you."
"...May I be dismissed…?"
Aether smiled at her, "Afraid not."
He turned around and returned to listening into the discourse. Leaning against the wooden door, he faced Huixin, who was still sipping tea nervously.
"...which is worth suspicion," he heard Hu Tao finish.
"Lady Ganyu," he heard the Lord Kaiyang call, "What is your opinion on this… theory?"
"..."
There was a lack of response for a long while, and with nobody else speaking to fill the silence, Aether was prompted to turn around and glance through the hole. Lady Ganyu had closed her eyes, being the centre of attention - then, a small smile slowly graced her lips, as if she had come across an epiphany.
"I must refrain from commenting," she uttered.
"If Rex Lapis has truly faked his death," the Lady Yuheng voiced, "What is the purpose in doing so - and should we investigate if it were to be the case?"
"A test, perhaps," the Lord Kaiyang mused, "Perhaps Rex Lapis had taken keenly to your words yesteryear, Lady Yuheng."
"Do not jest, my lord," she snapped in reply, "If this is a test, then there must be a result. Are we supposed to-"
"This," the Lady Tianxuan interjected, "Is all under the assumption that Countess Hu is correct."
"It appears," the Lady Tianquan hummed, "That we seem to have taken heart to the countess' words. I vote that we support her bid."
"Do not be so hasty, my lady," the Lord Tianji scowled, "There are seventeen bids, and this is only the third we have audienced."
"We can always continue to observe the bids," the Lord Yaoguang drawled, "No need to inform them we have already decided."
"...Whose side are you on?"
"Nevermind that!" the Lady Yuheng barked, "All who vote in favour?"
The Lady Yuheng, Lady Tianquan, Lord Kaiyang, and Lord Yaoguang raised their hands.
"And in disfavour?"
The Lord Tianji, Lady Tianxuan, and Lord Tianshu raised their hands.
"In a four to one vote," Lady Ganyu declared, "This vote has passed. The contract with all granted stipulations is to be awarded to Countess Hu and Miss Megistus."
"Do you have anything to add?" the Lady Tianquan asked Hu Tao.
"In order to suitably confirm our theory, we need first hand access to Rex Lapis'... corpse."
"The Exuvia?" the Lord Kaiyang asked, "I suppose it is sensible."
"Very well, we will prepare you an authorization to inspect it within the Golden House in Qian'an."
"Let us continue with…"
Aether drowned out the voices as he caught faint tapping sounds arising from somewhere. Slowly crouching, he tapped the floor several times - to find that there was no echo.
"Miss Huixin… do you know if there is anyone else on this floor?"
"There… there shouldn't be anyone, sir," she hesitantly said, "Even I'm not allowed to be here, technically."
"I see," he hummed, before summoning Aphelion to his hand.
"Sir… sir!?" she harshly whispered, "What are you doing-!?"
"Shh."
Aether slowly crept around the wooden doors to the paper screen at the side, carefully sliding it open. Entering the gallery, he strode down the hall - sunlight streaming in from glazed windows on his left, and the faint sounds of discussion coming from behind the wooden doors on his right. Reaching the end of the gallery, he found another sliding paper screen.
He took a breath, before opening the screen with a slam - rushing out with his sword in front of him.
There was no one.
Creeping out, he spun around - carefully taking in every corner of the chamber. The only thing that caught his eye was an open window. Cautiously moving to the window, he leaned over the edge and looked down, viewing a veranda below him supported by wooden pillars and archways. Looking from side to side, all he could see was the richly decorated exterior of the Pavilion.
"Sir…?"
He spun around, to see Huixing staring at him with wide eyes.
"Someone was here," was all he said, "Listening in, and escaped through the window - where's the guards?"
"There aren't any, sir. All attendants of the Pavilion have been trained in close-quarters combat."
"...Attendants are allowed onto this floor, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"Any reason one would leave through," he gestured to the open window, "A window, instead of the front door?"
"...We aren't allowed to leave the Pavilion until the day is over."
"A mole, then," he surmised, "What do you think?"
"Impossible," she raised her voice, clearly indignant, "All personnel within the Pavilion have been screened and vetted, there is little to no chance that-"
"What is going on here!?"
Aether tore his eyes away from Huixin and looked up, to see the Lady Tianxuan staring at them, her arms crossed. Behind her was an open door, with the rest of the occupants inside looking at them with various expressions.
"My- my lady!" Huixin hastily bowed, "M-My apologies-!"
"I want an explanation, girl," the Qixing member snapped, "Not apologies!"
"My lady," Aether's face morphed into an easy smile, "It appears there was someone listening in here."
"And?"
"And they left through the window," he nodded his head at the open window, "If I am not incorrect, employees of the Pavilion are not allowed to leave before closing… yes?"
"..."
The Lady Tianquan calmly stood up, her face betraying nothing - and walked out of the meeting room, sliding out behind the Lady Tianxuan. She walked forwards to the window, prompting him to move out of the way, before she leaned over the window frame to look down.
"Do you know when they left?" she asked.
"I suspect… directly after the Lady Yuheng mentioned the location of the Exuvia."
"So you were listening too," she turned to look at him, a small smile gracing her lips.
Aether winced, clearly having fallen for her trap.
"Well," he tried, "I am with Hu Tao- I mean, Countess Hu. And besides, Miss Huixin here was watching over me."
"Is this true?"
Huixin's eyes widened, clearly seeing the out he gave her.
"Y-Yes, my lady!" she fell to the floor, pressing her head against the floor, "I wasn't given any order to- but, but I had thought-"
"No need for that, stand up."
She rushed to clamber to her feet.
"Good work."
"Thank… thank you, my lady!"
The Lady Tianquan turned to face the rest of her peers, "We must assume we have an enemy attempting to force their designs on the Exuvia."
"Qian'an is a fortress town," the Lord Tianshu said, "There is little hope for them to enter if we warn the Qian'an to bar their gates."
"If they had a mole in the Pavilion itself," the Lady Tianxuan scowled, "Then what is to say they don't have one within Qian'an?"
"If they had one within Qian'an," the Lord Tianshu smiled politely, "Then they wouldn't need the information, would they?"
"Do not be daft, old man," the Lord Yaoguang lazily drawled, "We had transported the Exuvia under utmost secrecy. Even employees of the Golden House don't know the Exuvia is right under their noses."
"Or-" the Lord Yaoguang's eyes shone dangerously, "Are you saying I didn't do my job properly?"
"You misunderstand me, my lord," the Lord Tianshu bowed in apology.
"Enough bickering," the Lady Yuheng abruptly stood up, "In atonement for my mistake, I will take all responsibility - as well as personally lead my retinue to Qian'an to rectify this issue. The rest of you will continue hearing bids, in order to not raise suspicions."
"And your own absence will not raise suspicions?" the Lord Kaiyang questioned.
"I am the Lady Yuheng," she smoothly replied, "I am aware I have gained somewhat of a reputation - so no, my absence will not raise suspicions."
"Very well," the Lady Tianquan clapped, "I trust we all agree this is the best course of action? Countess Hu, please prepare your party with haste, you will accompany the Lady Yuheng."
"Of course, my lady."
21st of the 2nd Cycle
The Lady Yuheng seemed more comfortable in cold steel than she ever did in fine silk.
She rode atop a red steed, dressed in the armour of a Liyuean officer of rank. Rectangular plates of metal riveted between layers of linen adorned her torso, lamellar pauldrons were affixed to her shoulders, with a long scarlet cape draping down her back. Scale tassets covered her thighs, layered above a chainmail skirt.
Her honour guard flanked her atop their own horses, at the head of the column of five-thousand men. Massive banners flew in the wind, much larger than those of the north - huge square cloths with flying tails, weaved in gold and bordered with red. In the centre of the banner was emblazoned the character '劉' - Liu. Unlike in the Union, where noble houses prefer to design a sigil to distinguish their clans, in Liyue, clans simply use their own names.
A mix of cavalry and infantry surrounded them, in the flying column style. Unlike the Favonian Order, who separate their units into purely cavalry or infantry for systematic organisation, Liyuean units combined both cavalry and infantry into single formations known as flying columns.
Unlike the Land of Wind's vast flat plains, where cavalry units could roam around swiftly and easily, the Land of Rock was rugged and mountainous, stripping conventional cavalry of most of their usefulness. Furthermore, the terrain meant that individual military units were dispersed and spread out across the Republic's vast territories, and the circulation of information was slow.
Thus the flying columns were formed, and the idea behind them was that they were multipurpose formations boasting the advantages of both pure infantry and cavalry with none of their limitations. Their compact, versatile formations allowed them to work individually across the vast countryside without the need to cooperate with nearby units as they were flexible enough - which also meant the issue of communication was solved.
Aether had learned that while the central army of the Republic - the Millelith - fell under the dominion of no single Qixing since that would put too much power into the hands of a single person - it was no secret that the Lady Yuheng essentially commanded the entire Millelith anyway. A reason for this was her lineage, she was a lady of the House of Liu, one of the ancient ruling clans of Li Yue - as well as a ducal clan within the current Republic.
The Millelith dated back to Li Yue, and their ranks were commanded by noblemen such as the Liu. This meant that the House of Liu had a rich military history - nearly all noble clans did, including Hu Tao's own House of Hu.
In the current Republic, the old nobles still view the nouveau riche merchants - as the Fontaineans would put it - as upstart coin counters with no honour or dignity. However, since nobles no longer ruled land and collected taxes, they still needed a source of revenue - which was now the army, the Millelith. And thus, noble scions enlisted into the navy and army in droves, turning the military into noble refuges.
As a side effect, the nobles lost nearly all their seats within the Liyue Qixing, since the Qixing were elected from leading merchants in business sectors. Their own proud nature also didn't endear them to the common people either.
That was until the current Lady Yuheng, who won her seat with the help of both the populace, the military, and the nobles. She was the only Qixing elected without any of the Eight Trades backing her since the founding of the Republic.
Except, the nobles only commanded a small section of the vast Millelith - most servicemen were still second and third sons of poor farmers and labourers who couldn't afford to feed another mouth. The Lady Yuheng still had win over those people within the military, and her opportunity came when the governor of Mingyun rebelled against the Republic due to unfavourable policies introduced that would cripple the province's mining industry.
"Mingyun was a rich, walled city," Hu Tao told him, "And one that was easily defendable. To their east was Dragonspine, to their south the Sea of Clouds. To their north was the Bishui Plain, and their east was guarded by the Qiongji Estuary. Furthermore, the city was surrounded by three hills that created three easily fortifiable bottlenecks if any army were to cross the Bishui River."
Unfortunately for them, the Lady Yuheng was visiting the nearby city of Wangshu for a routine inspection, and the moment she heard the news she immediately rallied all the Millelith within Wangshu and departed to put down the rebellion.
Aether didn't know what happened exactly, but from what he perceived from Hu Tao's and Yanfei's demeanour while telling the story - he knew that after the now-called Lianshan Campaign, Mingyun was a wall-less town, and that the Lady Yuheng returned to Liyue Harbour as a war hero and a legend within the military.
Along the four day journey towards Qian'an, the four of them continued trading stories to pass the time - mostly of their own experiences. Aether told them of his experiences in Mondstadt, Hu Tao shared the funeral of her grandfather, Mona taught them how to read the stars in the Sky, and Yanfei reminisced of her days in law school.
On the third night, a campsite was raised on the final stretch of road to Qian'an, and the encampment was split in two by the Jade Road running through the centre. This far south, winter was close to ending, and whatever light snowfall there was melted before it hit the ground. The mood was relaxed, for they had been travelling at a forced march for the better part of three days in an attempt to reach the town before their perceived enemies.
As such, most of the men went to sleep early due to their exhaustion - and since he was barely tired, Aether decided to stay up and roast duck on an open fire. Hu Tao, Yanfei, and Mona were up as well, for it seemed that Vision Bearers also tired less quickly than ordinary men - prompting them to eat their late dinner under the half-luminated moon in comfortable silence.
For a long moment, there was only the crackling of the warm hearth and the chirping of critters that accompanied them - until footsteps in the night broke the relative silence.
Aether raised his head, squinting into the murky darkness to see only a glowing orb of violet approaching them - until the figure was revealed to be the Lady Yuheng herself, stepping into the light of their fire.
"May I join you?" she asked, "I find myself sleepless on this fine night."
"My Lady Yuheng!" Hu Tao exclaimed, spreading her arms, "Please, be our guest!"
"My family name is Liu, given name Keqing," she told them as she sat, "My courtesy name is Chuizhi, but you can call me Keqing."
"Lady Keqing, we are honoured," Yanfei bowed her head.
"No need for formalities," she waved her off, "We are all just men under the heavens, are we not?"
"That is so," Mona agreed, "I am Mona Megistus, of Fontaine."
"Aether," he introduced, "I suppose I hail from Mondstadt."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"And I am Hu Tao!" Hu Tao proclaimed, waving about her duck skewer, "You may not have heard-"
"I have heard of you," Keqing interrupted with a small smile, "You are quite famous… infamous in the lower city."
"Oh, right," Hu Tao scratched the back of her head, "You actually go to the lower city… well, what have you heard? Only good things, I hope!"
"Other than your several counts of public disturbances and your… harassment of the Feiyun Commerce Guild?"
"A… ha… hehe…"
"I jest, I jest," Keqing smiled, "You are quite well-known for your poems, you know?"
"Poems?" Mona asked, aghast, "Her?"
"I take offence to that!"
"Shall I recite one?" Keqing mused, "Starlight sparks an everlasting blaze; And the people bloom magnificent; History passes by all within its midst; And too many miss fortune's gaze."
"Well said!" Yanfei laughed.
Abruptly, Aether realises that he had never seen Yanfei open her mouth so widely before - and now he thinks it may be purposeful. For in the fraction of a moment he was able to see her laugh, he caught two rows of monstrous fangs within her maw. Every tooth was a canine, long and sharp as a knife's edge - with four teeth, particularly long and vicious fangs, located where human canines would be.
Yanfei caught him staring, and hastily looked away, bringing a hand up to her mouth.
No one else seemed to have noticed but him - that or none showed it - so Aether averted his gaze and pretended he saw nothing at all.
"I can hardly believe it," Mona shook her head, "Are you sure Hu Tao wrote something like that?"
"Hey!" the person in question huffed, "I'll have you know I'm a great poet! But enough about me - Keqing, is it true that it took you a decade to master your Starward Sword technique?"
"A decade? Of course not!" Keqing huffed, "Even now, I am still mastering my blade. Any self-respecting warrior knows that practice does not end until death."
"Is that true?" Hu Tao turned to look at him.
"Hm?" He hummed, "Why do you ask me?"
"You are the only swordsman here that I know of."
"You're a swordsman?" Keqing also turned to face him.
"I suppose I am," he nodded, willing Aphelion into his hands, "But I must admit, I am far from a warrior."
The Lady Yuheng's eyes gleamed when she saw the sheen of Aphelion's edge, the smoky golden edge rippling in the firelight.
"That's a beautiful blade," she murmured, "May I?"
"Of course," he handed it to her, who carefully took the blade with two hands.
"Besides," he turned back to Hu Tao, "Don't you have that staff of yours?"
"It's a staff, not a sword, or a spear for that matter," she huffed, "Its purpose is to send off the dead, not to send the living to death. You can handle the enemies, leave their bodies to me."
"You don't know how to fight?"
"I'm an undertaker," she stated flatly, "Do you think I know how to fight? Like I said, I deal with death and death alone, dealing with life and death is not my job."
Aether felt that the death of once-living Hu Longwei contradicted that statement quite a bit - but he didn't dare to point that out.
"What do you use your Vision for, then?" Mona asked, "It is clear Keqing uses hers to amplify her combat potential."
She gestured to Keqing, who was still admiring his blade.
"I use mine for self-defence, but also to help my astrological studies."
"Mine?" Hu Tao mused, "Wangsheng also works as a clinic, you know? Though, only the most ill and desperate come to us. I have learned to use my Pyro Vision to burn away curses, impurities, and plagues."
Suddenly, her eyes lit up, "Oh! But my Vision is also really helpful in creating illusions, my horseplay is second to none, I assure you!"
"I'm not quite sure that is the purpose of Visions," Yanfei amusedly told her, "What if the gods find insult?"
"Well, I'm sure they knew what was going to happen if they gave me a Vision!" Hu Tao retorted, "What about you, anyway? Don't see much you can do with yours in your line of work?"
Yanfei shrugged, "Justice is blind, and it does not care for mortal caprice. Sometimes, ensuring justice will have to go against your principles."
"The law itself is a mortal construct," Keqing murmured off-handedly, "Do not forget that Rex Lapis trusted us to write our own rules. The most basic of our laws, the Ten Abominations, were created from our morals and principles. But the rest? The rest were made by politicians, merchants, lobbyists and the like. To place the law above your own morals is to let the immoral rule you."
"I know," Yanfei shook her head, "We learned that in law school. Since then, I have learnt that my Vision is worth the weight of my principles - so if I have ever need to reassure myself what I'm doing is right, then I shall place my Vision on one side of my balance, and the book of law on the other. Whichever side weighs more is how I shall decide."
"Truly," Aether leaned back, "Visions are a wondrous thing."
"That's because Visions are anything your will wants them to be," Mona said, "Unlike magic, Visions are inexplicable at best. As long as your heart and soul is strong, your Vision will obey."
Keqing finally looked up, handing Aphelion back to him. Then she pulled out her hairpin, letting her tied up hair cascade down her back. She brought the hairpin into the firelight, revealing it to be a small steel stiletto, its fine edge glinting dangerously.
"Your Vision is your ideals made material," she fiddled with her dagger-hairpin, "Sometimes you have to wonder what makes the gods think we are special. Aether, you don't have a Vision, do you?"
"Afraid not."
"Then what are your ideals, such that you are just another mere mortal in the eyes of the heavens?"
Aether couldn't help but bark a laugh, and as he did so he could see Mona looking away, silently snickering. Despite this, Keqing didn't stop stewing in her thoughts, flipping her hairpin in her hands over and over.
"My ideals?" he mused, "Freedom. To be unchained by anything and limitless in my options. I wish not to be told I am free by a higher power, I wish not to be blessed or anything of that sort - for to be blessed means I have fallen under the dominion of my blesser."
"I have attempted to throw away my Vision countless times," Keqing sighed, pocketing her knife and standing up, "When I succeed, people praise not me but my Vision. Oh, she is blessed by the gods! And that, I feel, is the worst insult possible."
She reached behind her neck and untied her Electro Vision, tossing it into the crackling flames.
"I have since found that the practical uses of my Vision outweighs my lost pride," she muttered, turning to walk away, "But I find that I still envy your kind of freedom. Have a good night."
Aether watched her retreating form until she was completely swallowed up by the darkness. Turning back, he saw that Hu Tao was looked up at the Sky - at the Moon which had just reached its zenith in the Sky.
She sighed deeply, and stood up - taking her staff which had been lying against a log.
"Good night."
Yanfei left soon after, and then it was just he and Mona left - who was silently scribbling into her journal, Hydro Vision shimmering as some sort of watery screen floated above her head, aiding her in reading the night Sky. The now dying fire caught his interest, the last flickering licks of flame going out and giving way to glowing embers - and curiously, there was not a Vision to be seen.
Aether gripped his sword tightly, feeling the cold metal sink into his flesh.
It was a calm, silent night under the stars.
Rewritten on 28/6/2022