Chapter Two

Diluc shifted on his brother's knees, trying not to knead the thin fabric in agitation. I'm surprised you knew it was me, he thought. Kaeya didn't react. Diluc's gaze sharpened, and he tried again. Kaeya? Can you hear me?

The tall knight tilted his head, watching Diluc carefully. "Are you trying to talk to me right now? I heard you back at the gate when you called my name, but I can't hear anything now."

Frustrated, Diluc swiped a claw at the stonework beside them. Argh! How am I supposed to handle this?! I can't even communicate with him! He froze as Kaeya's half-gloved hand landed on his head and stroked gently down his back. Blinking, Diluc stared up at him. What…

His brother didn't seem to realize he was petting the cat. He was gazing out over the city. The way his brow was knit showed he was thinking hard about something. "Hmm… I suppose you were the one who left that bounty? It didn't quite look like your normal handwriting, you know." He glanced back down at Diluc with a roguish smirk.

Diluc huffed and looked away. Hey! It was the best I could do with these claws! To illustrate, he held out one paw and watched as five needle-sharp claws sprang out.

"Oh, I know what you're trying to say. It's hard to write out a comprehensive message when you're a cat, hmm? Excuses, excuses." Kaeya tsked teasingly.

Despite the calming effect of the hand still stroking his fur gently, Diluc fluffed his tail in annoyance. Turning in a tight circle, he jumped down onto the walkway and sat, staring up at his brother with his tail lashing. Kaeya merely grinned at him and leaned back on his elbows against the battlement nearest him, crossing his long legs easily. "You know, you do make an awfully beautiful cat. I'm not surprised Arthur wanted to keep you."

Diluc recoiled in mild alarm. You'd better not be thinking of keeping me as a pet!

"Oh, calm down, I don't particularly need a pet at the moment, especially not such an aggressive one. I can't imagine why Arthur felt that you needed training to become an attack cat." Kaeya's eye was still glinting with laughter.

Diluc gave him a flat stare. Then his gaze dropped slowly to the pavement as his mind wandered back to the problem at hand. Regardless, our main concern right now is actually not me being a cat. We have to deal with that Dendro Abyss Mage. Diluc curled his silky tail around his paws in thought. I don't know if it was really his intention to turn me into a cat, but whether it was or not, he's definitely a threat. His claws flexed against the cool stone.

Kaeya proved how in sync the two brothers were when he mused aloud, "I'm guessing that Dendro Mage did this to you?" At Diluc's short nod, he continued with a hint of worry in his voice, "Well, we might have to put off finding a solution for you at the moment. Frankly I'm not even sure how to turn one cat back into a human being again, let alone a score or more. And if we don't track him down and stop him, who knows how many people he'll turn into cats?"

A low growl built in Diluc's throat, his feline body unconsciously sliding fluidly into an aggressive crouch. We can't let that happen. We have to defend Mondstadt!

Springing to his feet, Kaeya reached down and snatched him up. "Well, come on, then. You can show me where the two of you parted ways on such an unceremonious note." He rubbed Diluc's head one more time and squeezed him lightly. "How come you're just so adorable, hm?"

Diluc swatted him.

oOo

Kaeya strode through the woods, his every sense alert. But he had to admit that he was slightly distracted by the crimson cat perched on his shoulder. Diluc's fur was soft and silky against his cheek. Turns out my prickly brother makes for the kind of cat you want to snuggle with while you read a book in the shade on a perfect summer afternoon, Kaeya thought. Who knew such a grumpy vigilante would make such a delightfully loveable cat?

As if he could hear what Kaeya was thinking, Diluc swatted his cheek again with a velvety paw, his claws thankfully sheathed. "Mrrrow!" His tail flicked from side to side in agitation.

Kaeya reached up to steady his brother as he paused, peering into the undergrowth. Sure enough, he easily spotted the telltale evidence of his brother's fight. He dropped down to run his half-gloved fingers lightly across the charred grass, his keen eye darting over the trail of the battle. "You certainly don't do things by halves, do you?"

Diluc jumped off his brother's shoulder, his little nose wrinkling in disgust. The grass was still damp from the brief shower that morning, and the cat picked his way through it gingerly. He ducked through the bushes, his slowly-lashing tail reminding Kaeya of an angry tiger. The Cavalry Captain rose and followed his brother.

When Diluc paused next to a vicious sword slash in the ground, it didn't take Kaeya long to read the terrain and gain a fairly decent understanding of what had transpired. He stood with his fingers brushing his mouth, deep in thought. "Hmm… And you have no idea where it went next?"

Diluc's little claws dug into the soft loam as his eyes flashed. He shook his head sharply. Kaeya sighed and picked him up again. "Keep your claws clean. I don't want to be stuck washing my jacket tonight."

"Mrow!" Diluc complained. He scrambled up out of Kaeya's grasp to perch on the Cryo user's shoulder again. Settling down, he wrapped his luxurious tail around Kaeya's neck to help with his balance.

The fur rubbed against Kaeya's skin, and he couldn't help a spurt of laughter. "Easy there, that tickles!"

Turning to face him, Diluc very deliberately stuck his tiny tongue out. Kaeya utterly lost it. He laughed so hard he had to lean against the nearest tree to avoid falling. Miffed, Diluc pointedly ignored him with the regal dignity that only a cat could pull off. Finally Kaeya straightened.

"Haha, all right, all right, I'm done now. I just never thought I'd see the renowned Uncrowned King of Mondstadt sticking his tiny pink tongue out at me again." Kaeya's laughter faded slightly as his mind flicked back to their childhood together. Shaking his head, he reached up to pet the glowering cat again. "Now then, let's see if we can track down this elusive enemy."