Act 3, Chapter 5
31st of the 5th Cycle
Aether struggled to draw back the bowstring.
He gritted his teeth, arms shivering as the extremities of the longbow bent further and further. A droplet of sweat ran down his temple, tickling at his face - but he didn't let that shatter his concentration.
Aether released the arrow, and the string twanged - and the arrow sailed right above the target.
Mona choked out a laugh.
Aether muttered some rather improbable things about her parentage under his breath.
"Have you ever drawn a bow before?" Kujou Sara asked.
"Never."
He wiped his face of sweat - gods, he had never sweated so much in his life - before flicking his hands dry of it. By the Night's tits, how did humans live with such inconvenient bodies? Imagine expunging seawater by being tired, there must be a better way of radiating waste heat.
"Well, for your first time," the tengu general mused, "It was an admirable attempt."
That lifted his spirits some. The standard Inazuman warbow was a beastly thing, comparable to Lady Ganyu's own. It was taller than a man by half, with the top half of the bow twice as tall as the bottom - resulting in a rather peculiar shape. It also meant the warbow was a pain to draw, for the nock was not at the centre, and the weight was not evenly distributed.
Apparently, it was because most Inazuman archers rode on horseback, and a shorter bottom limb meant they could swivel from side to side much easier.
"Try again," Kujou Sara ordered.
Aether acquiesced, mentally running through all the steps she had taught him.
Legs apart, shoulders parallel to the range. Aether breathed out, nocked the arrow on his index, and steadily drew the bowstring. Unity, between mind, arrow, and bow.
He released the string - and the arrow shot out, clipping the rim of the target and splintering before his eyes.
Mona snorted.
"You are too stiff," General Kujou commented, "There is no shame in it - it is a common occurrence among apprentices. You are recalling everything you have been taught to create the perfect posture, so much so that you forget that all that posture must result in a target struck. Relax."
The tengu general pushed him out of the way and took her stance at the range. In a single motion, she drew her bow - and paused.
"Watch," she said, "The bow is drawn like the crescent moon, and the arrow-"
Twang- the arrow punched straight through the centre of the target and through the wooden backboard.
"-loosed like a shooting star," she finished, lowering the weapon, "Your mind must be clear of all distractions, including yourself. There is no shortcut; you must practise for years until the perfect poise is carved into your very muscles, so that so will never spare a thought for it."
Aether frowned, taking a stance on the spot and drawing his bow - and he released the arrow without a second thought. It sailed off into the sky, landing gods know where.
"...Why are you so insistent on learning this?"
"Because in the coming battles I will be aboard my ship," he half-lied, "And a sword will not be of much use to me."
"Ah, that's right, you are the captain of that beast of a thing," Kujou Sara hummed, "Then I advise you, abandon this witless endeavour - you are not mastering a bow in the time we have. Perhaps I could get you to a passable level on land - if not in the saddle - but aboard a rocking vessel, about the rolling waves?"
It was foolishness, Aether finished in his mind, and he could see the reasoning. Even he doubted he could reliably hit a mere dot about the deck of a warship, in the heat and chaos of battle and all.
General Kujou stowed her bow on her back before striding to a nearby crate, prying off the lid and picking up a weapon Aether had not expected to see - a firearm. She tossed it over to him, and he noticed that Mona's eyes shone in recognition of the weapon.
"A new invention," the general said, "Called an arquebus, set to debut during this campaign season. Do you know how to use one?"
Aether knew how to use firearms - though they were more advanced than this primitive thing.
"No."
"Hmm, I wouldn't give an unknown like you a new weapon - but since you are here by the Shogun's commendation…" Kujou Sara retrieved her own rifle, "Watch closely."
"You will have a cache of paper cartridges, and a pouch of ammunition," she explained, "First, take a cartridge and bite off the end of it - don't eat the black powder. Then, pour a little into this pan on the rifle and close the lid."
Aether did so - the taste of black powder was terribly bitter, he unwittingly found out.
"Pour the rest of the powder down the barrel," she continued, "Then drop the ball down it. After that, scrunch up the empty paper and stuff it down after the ball. Take the scouring stick, turn it around, and push everything to the end."
Aether did so, his hands fumbling with the unwieldy wooden stick. He had to rest the stock of the rifle on the ground to do so reliably, even as the tengu general did so with the gun resting on her shoulder in practised ease.
"Do not forget to remove the scouring stick and fasten it back to the rifle," she warned, "I've seen too many people fire out wooden splinters instead of a metal ball. And once your stick is dust, you cannot reload your rifle again. It is easy to forget when you are staring down a cavalry charge - or in your case, the bore of a carronade."
"I'll keep that in mind," he replied dryly.
"Do so," General Kujou nodded, "Then, light your slowmatch. When you are at sea, it is painfully easy for your slowmatch to get damp - ensure it never does so. Light both ends of it if you must."
With a snap of her fingers, a spark of Electro set her slowmatch ablaze - to which the tengu clasped a gloved hand over the fire to put it out into a smoulder. Ribbons of smoke wafted from the red hot end of the slowmatch, which she fixed to the serpentine."
"Uncover the priming pan," she lifted it up to her head, "Aim. And pull the trigger."
The serpentine cock slammed downwards, slowmatch igniting the black powder in a great crack of thunder. A gout of smoke burst out of the barrel - and the target downrange exploded in a shower of splinters.
"Simple," Kujou Sara lowered her rifle in satisfaction, "And utterly uncouth when compared to the art of archery. But we are at war, and new recruits don't have the time to master a bow. Our best arquebusiers can fire off three shots in a hundred seconds."
Aether called upon his own god-imbued Electro and attempted to light his own slowmatch, but the purple sparks dancing on his fingers were never strong enough to actually catch fire. He was still wholly unfamiliar with the art of it - and he couldn't help but wonder if all new Vision Bearers suffered the same, or whether it was unique to his own circumstance.
On the fourth try, he finally set the slowmatch alight.
"Blow on the end," the general advised, "It must be red hot when it strikes the powder, or it will not spark."
Aether did so, until he could feel the heat licking at his lips. He fastened the slowmatch onto the jaws of the serpentine, and took his aim.
CRACK
The target downrange exploded similarly.
"Much easier, yes?" General Kujou snuffed out her slowmatch, "Keep practising until you can hit a moving target. And when you find the time, continue learning the bow."
Aether jolted in surprise, "Why?"
"A rifle is easier to operate, but you still need to hit your target," she offered a rare, humourless smile, "The philosophy behind that aim is the same - a clear mind and a steady hand. You will find that the skill will translate quite well between weapons."
The tengu walked back to the crate and returned her arquebus to it, before beckoning them to follow. Aether hastily slung his rifle onto his shoulder before catching up.
The Shogunate winter quarters was a vast thing - a fortified camp sitting atop an overlook commanding a view over the Nazuchi Isthmus, and all the dithering seaflats and island reefs straddling the passage. Or at least, that would be the case if it wasn't high tide. Now, the entire landmass was swallowed by the opaque waves, where the Sea of Thunder kissed the Sea of Fog.
Instead, the isthmus had been transformed into a series of islets spanning the distance - all of which turned into fortified bunkers and strongpoints by the Shogunate Army and Watatsumi rebel forces. There were only two permanent islands between Tatarasuna and Yashiori - the isles of Fuurin and Naori, both north of the isthmus.
Fuurin, the larger of the two islands, was a graveyard of ships. Apparently the First Armada of the Shogunate Navy had met the Sangonomiya First Navy north of the island and were promptly beaten into the Abyss. Watatsumi spellsingers had called upon a terrible storm to rival that of the Narukami's, sweeping the mighty First Armada into the reefs.
Now, both islands were in their hands.
They stopped on a cliff over the tide, breathing in the salty air.
"You can call it selfishness," General Kujou suddenly said, "Archers are a dying breed on these islands, and I would fail to call myself a tengu if I did not try to prolong its life."
"All the archers I've met thus far seem quite enthusiastic though," Mona commented.
"And among them, did you find a single peon?"
Mona paused, "...All of them had that nice armour you Shogunate folks wear."
The tengu scoffed, "Back when Narushima was consumed by the Warring States, there was not a man who did not know how to wield a warbow. It was a national pastime, mostly because the further away you can kill the man trying to kill you, the more likely you are to live."
"But after the Cataclysm came the Silence, a long period of peace and stability and dare I say it - prosperity," she continued, "Narushima had to rebuild, so our vast armies dropped their swords and picked up their ploughs. Does the average farmhand have time to devote their life to a weapon of war? Does the carpenter? Does the mason? These days, archery is a pastime reserved for those with time."
"Nobles," he surmised.
"Nobles," she spoke with utter derision, surprising even him, "Poets, painters and philosophers all. Peace has made them soft, and with the formation of the Shogunate Army, they have abandoned the art of war entirely - citing that it is now our job to handle."
Aether didn't know why that was such a problem - it was entirely sensible to him, and from the look on Mona's face, she agreed - but he decided not to say anything. Peace came with prosperity, and there had to be people who had to manage and prolong that prosperity right? Leave all the fighting to the fighters. Alas, he was no statesman, so what did he know?
Before the awkward silence could set in, breathless heaving reached their ears - a man, clearly tired, clambering over the last steps to the top of the cliff using the winding mountain road.
"G-General Kujou!" he gasped, "I have… I have to say, this climb is terribly arduous. Perhaps you would allow me to install a winch elevator here-"
"What is your purpose, Master Xavier?" Kujou Sara cut in.
Aether squinted - and indeed under the man's bowler hat he could see a shock of gold hair peeking from under the rim. Along with the rather un-Inazuman outfit; a rather flamboyant red dress shirt beneath a black vest with gold trim - it led him to believe the man was of continental stock.
"A Fontainean," Mona muttered in surprise, "Could not say I expected to see a countryman of mine here. I swear I recognize that face and name from somewhere…"
Suddenly, her eyes lit up, "Aren't you the inventor of the kamera!? I saw your face on the Steambird once!"
Xavier's head comically snapped towards them, "Well! The film camera, yes, I recall being interviewed for that… who may you be?"
Mona stiffened, "Astrologist Mona Megistus, sir."
"...I saw your name somewhere," Xavier muttered in thought, "Was it on a Steambird column?"
"I have my own column," she confirmed, "All Things Astrological."
"That's the one!" the man laughed, "While I rather busy myself with more practical things, I must say your writings are very interesting indeed!"
"Why, if I could even impress a layman like yourself, then I consider that a compliment-"
General Kujou coughed.
"Ah!" Xavier swivelled back around, "Forgive me, general. As I was saying, our… special machines are prepared for the upcoming campaign."
"You have sorted out all your mechanical failures?"
"Correct!" the man nodded vigorously, "All the operators have been trained, and the treads have been refined for this particular terrain."
"Then we shall see if this experiment of yours is any useful," General Kujou replied stiffly, "If this little misadventure of yours is over… you can return to investigating the Mikage Furnace."
"Of course, madame," he bowed, "But still, this little misadventure as you say… both we - the Daydream Club - and our superiors in the Court owe the Tenryou Commission a great debt for allowing us to trial our technologies in this war."
"As long as you honour our agreement."
"You will find us more reliable than those dastardly Snezhnayans, I assure you," Xavier returned to Mona, "Perhaps if there was time, I would very much like to discuss our fields at a table - but alas, there isn't much of that."
"We are all busy people sir," Mona shook his hand, "It was a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise, madame."
As the man sauntered off, Aether asked, "Why is a Fontainean man here? What about the Sakoku Decree?"
"Master Xavier and his folk are Fontainean diplomats invited into the country for talks," Kujou Sara explained, "Among which was the repair of the Mikage Furnace and the purification of Tatarasuna."
She turned around, and Aether followed her gaze to see the peaks of the massive containment field doming the ruined city of Tatarasuna. He had heard about the disastrous liberation of the city from the rebels, and how the containment field was the only thing between the rest of the island and the all-consuming Tatarigami - the divine energy used to power the furnace - trapped within. If the field goes down, balethunder would spread across the rest of the island unchecked, dooming the war effort.
"Among the stipulations of the treaty, it appears the Sanbugyou has allowed them to test some of their new inventions here, to prove their war-worthiness."
Aether assumed that they couldn't do that back home due to prying eyes. Technological advancements like that were only so useful until your enemies acquired the same. Furthermore, there was nothing much like an actual war to give your new weapons a good shake-down.
"What inventions?" Mona asked curiously.
The tengu general pointed down the cliff. Aether tried to follow her finger, squinting to make it out. The encampment did continue down to the coast, where a dizzying array of trenches and earthworks turned the beach into a massive embankment for the waves to crash against. Aether raked through the mess of tents and men, trying to find anything out of place that would look like Fontainean devilry.
"Metal… boxes?"
The general shrugged.
Aether could see them - huge metal boxes, large enough for several men to fit inside. It looked too unwieldy to do anything however. Perhaps the Fontaineans were testing a new type of defensive structure.
"I didn't expect the Sanbugyou to be so… lenient with the Court," Mona admitted.
General Kujou's face soured, "Master Xavier found some certain… people snooping around inside the containment field."
"The Fatui," Aether dryly guessed.
The general's eyes widened near-imperceptibly, "You know of them?"
"We know they like trespassing government institutions," Mona supplied blandly.
Kujou Sara sighed aggrievedly, "I fear that may be more true than I would like. Not to mention we found some heretical artefacts on Sangonimiyan bodies in Tatarasuna, of which Master Xavier identified as of Snezhnayan make… but that has no matter with you. I dislike the idea that our conflict has become a proxy war for two foreigners, but we must be practical. If there is a continental power staged against us, we must ally ourselves with their rival, no?"
"Wait," Aether started, "Doesn't the Shogunate have agreements with the Snezhnayans as well?"
"And so far, the Fontaineans are proving themselves to be more trustworthy," there was a twinkle in the tengu's hawkish eyes, "And good thing we have the Snezhnayans split right down the middle with our arrangement with the Fair Lady. Continue the good work - Aether was your name, yes? If there is anything you need, you may bring it up with by adjutant Sir Takasaka."
As the general strode purposefully back towards her pavilion, Aether once more confirmed just how out-of-depth his was in this political game encompassing Teyvat. But he had to understand that game, now, because he could no longer afford not to. Things were not so simple at pointing Aphelion at a foe - he could now be just as easily killed in the night by a kitchen knife, after all.
"...That reminds me, where is the Fair Lady?"
"Miss Rosalyne?" Mona asked, "She is with her underlings near the anchorage. Apparently her forces will be assigned to the fleet going forward."
"You refer to her by name?"
Mona shrugged, "What self-respecting mage would miss the chance to share notes with the Crimson Witch. And I must say, her research in elemental alchemy and material transmutation is incredibly fascinating-"
"Alright," he interrupted exasperatedly, "I get it."
Birds of the same feather.
Aether cast his gaze back towards the west, where the silhouette of Yashiori Island loomed through the haze. The King's Mountain - said to be where a great Watasumii king known as Touzannou had built his castle - towered above the ocean like a monolith. The rebels were there, the enemy.
Not his enemy, but simply in his way. The faster the war ends, the faster he can hunt down that rogue Harbinger and reclaim his immortality.
Aether unslung his rifle and went through the process of loading it. Powder, powder, ball, paper, stick, and slowmatch. It was rather calming, in a way.
He brought it up and rested the stock against his shoulder.
CRACK
A snap of black thunder, and the shot rang out across the expanse - the sound joined by the seawinds. If one strained their ears, perhaps they could hear a song in its wake.
Author's Note: I have returned, probably until I finish this arc here. Sorry about the wait, I was rather busied by college and life in general... see you next time! (soon)
Rewritten on 12/12/2022