Chapter Thirteen
It was just after they passed the broken bridge that the Fatui Agent came for Kaeya.
Getting past the bridge was a feat in and of itself, considering the water below the broken bridge was littered with splintered planks and debris. Kaeya wasn't even sure how they were going to get around the mess before the Fatui Officer ordered the cannon up.
Kaeya's brow rose with admiration at the simple design of the cannon. It was very reminiscent of the one on the Waverider, the small boat that he occasionally borrowed from Lumine. He got to his feet and leaned back against the bars of his cage to watch idly, guessing it wouldn't take more than a few blasts to clear the river of floating timber. Bjorn, the Electrohammer Fatui, looked more than eager to fire the contraption. He fiddled with it, careful to keep the barrel aimed away from the ship. Then, after rubbing his hands with glee, he finished the preparations.
The first explosion elicited a startled yelp from a certain long-furred cat. Kaeya glanced over as Diluc shook his head, his ears flicking rapidly at the unexpected volume. Must be a bit louder as a cat. He couldn't ask Diluc about it directly, though. Pieter was holding him, standing across the deck from Kaeya's cell and also watching the cannon firing. Sven had asked him to keep an eye on his pet while the Hydrogunner kept the ship's wheel steady for the cannon.
The Pyroslinger patted Diluc's head, then quickly clamped a gloved hand down over the cat's sensitive ears just before the cannon erupted again. Kaeya felt a brief surge of annoyance and a very clear mental image of a certain peaceful fireside at the Dawn Winery. He blinked. That certainly wasn't my thought. Glancing back at Diluc, he tilted his head ever so slightly. Another one, Diluc? That's the second one today. The flashes of pictures and emotions from Diluc were getting more frequent, but neither of them could figure out exactly what triggered the incidents. On very rare occasions, Kaeya could actually hear one or two words of Diluc's voice in his head. It was usually just Kaeya's name, or a fractured grumble about life as a cat. But he didn't care. It was enough to know his brother was with him, and besides, catching glimpses of Diluc's thoughts was always amusing.
Kaeya's attention returned to the cannon as it went off for the final time, destroying the last of the debris.
"Well, that certainly made short work of things," he said under his breath. His eye darted across the newly-cleared opening. One of the cannonballs had taken out the solitary beam still standing in the center of the gap, leaving plenty of room for their small ship to edge up between the two sides of the splintered bridge.
Carefully, the ship edged through the gap as Bjorn reluctantly stowed the cannon again. The shadow of the bridge drifted over Kaeya's cell, and in that instant, he sensed someone standing just behind him. A dangerous gleam showed in his eye for an instant before he relaxed. Without stirring, he gave a slight chuckle. "Did you enjoy all the explosions as much as the rest of the Fatui will enjoy hearing about it from the Qixing?"
The Fatui Agent let out a mirthless laugh as he sauntered into Kaeya's view. "Pah, there's not a clue to lead to our involvement. For all they know, it might've been a rouge lightning bolt from Inazuma." He smoothly inserted the key to the cage and unlocked the door, stepping into the small space. Even though Kaeya wasn't sitting down, his long legs were still stretched out and crossed at the ankle, taking up much of the cage. Kaeya didn't bother trying to make room for his captor.
Instead, the knight nodded sagely. "Yes, you never can tell what that Shogun will do next. Ending the war that was so lucrative for trading Delusions… sending random lightning bolts across the ocean to attack obscure bridge planks… executing foreign diplomats…" His mouth curled up in a derisive smirk. "Everyone agrees that it's for the best, really."
He barely saw the agent move before he was backhanded so hard he crashed into the bars. His free hand caught the iron, supporting himself before he fell. Instantly a shout echoed in his mind, "KAEYA!" A feeling of protective fury overwhelmed him for a second, and he looked up in alarm to find Diluc struggling in Pieter's arms, fighting to come to his brother's rescue. No! Can't get him involved in this! Kaeya's panicked gaze darted to the Pyroslinger who was casually foiling Diluc's every attempt at escape with the ease of a former pet owner. Pieter met Kaeya's pleading eye, his own narrowing in speculation for a moment. Then he nodded shortly and bent to whisper something to Diluc. The cat stilled, his claws still flexing on Pieter's arm, his eyes flashing with dark fury at the Fatui Agent who'd just hurt Kaeya. Every line of Diluc's adorably fluffy body spelled lethal danger, but after a long pause, he made an effort and quelled the flames that rippled menacingly through his fur.
"What are you looking at, Mondstadt scum?" The Fatui Agent's voice broke Kaeya's concentration, and he glanced up with a sharp intake of breath. The man's glowing eyes were following Kaeya's line of sight, and panic surged over the knight at the thought of his brother catching the agent's attention. But when he looked back, Pieter had spun around and was striding away with Diluc completely hidden in his arms. Kaeya let out a quiet sigh of relief and returned his attention to the much greater threat at present.
"I was just wondering the reason that such a… fine specimen as yourself—" Kaeya let skepticism color his voice, "—is being posted to such a remote location. It couldn't possibly be because you failed at a mission, hmm?" This time he saw the blow coming and dodged it easily, smirking at having his suspicions confirmed. "Temper, temper."
The agent's curved blade materialized in his hand. "Keep that up, and you won't live to see dawn again."
Kaeya chuckled at the unintended pun, thinking of the beloved winery. "I thought you meant to hold me for ransom. Might be a bit hard to ransom a corpse, you know. They don't really hold their value these days."
Snarling, the agent retorted, "I'm sure you have quite a bit of inside knowledge of the knights. Extracting such information would surely offset any loss by failing to ransom you back." His grip tightened on the weapon, readying for a more deadly slice.
"Oh, but I'm just a lowly knight. What knowledge could I possibly possess?" Kaeya used his most innocent tone. He'd hoped the possibility of interrogation wouldn't occur to the Fatui, but he'd prepared himself for the potentiality. It's a good thing Diluc isn't nearby. Tensing, he watched the Fatui advance towards him step by menacing step.
Just then, a shout came from the ship's helm. "Er, we might need some help here, sir!"
The Fatui Agent growled and halted his approach. "Just figure it out, Sven!"
"Sorry, sir, but the wheel isn't responding! I think we're going to crash!"
Cursing under his breath, the Agent whirled and left, taking care to lock the cell behind him. As he stormed away, Pieter stepped smoothly around the mast and walked to the cell. Diluc squirmed in his arms, scanning Kaeya urgently as the cavalry captain let himself drop slowly into a sitting position. Kaeya caught a hint of his name for an instant. "Kae—I'll kill—!"
Quickly the Pyroslinger unlocked the cell and ushered the cat inside. He spoke in a low voice. "Don't antagonize him further. It's not wise to push Vlad too far. It's obvious you're trying to keep him from noticing your cat, but that's utterly ridiculous. Your cat's life isn't worth risking your own."
Kaeya caught Diluc as the cat sprang into his lap, his brother's warmth welcome after the adrenaline of the last few moments. Diluc's soft fur tickled his chin as he gathered his brother close. Softly he responded, "This one is."
At the sudden silence, he looked up sharply to find Pieter scrutinizing him. The Fatui mused to himself, "Hmm... I do wonder sometimes." Shaking his head, he added firmly, "Keep your heads down, both of you. Neither of you are very subtle."
Kaeya stared at him suspiciously, his grip tightening around the cat in his uninjured arm. He was too surprised to keep up his usual mocking veneer. "What do you mean? Why are you protecting us?"
The Pyroslinger locked the door before saying somberly, "Even Fatui can feel sympathy, you know. Not all of us are heartless monsters who revel in bloodshed and lives lost." He paused, his hand lingering on the latch. "Some of us are just here to protect our families." His gaze dipped to Diluc, who was ignoring him and trying to get free from Kaeya's firm arm, his attention on the knight's wounded cheek. Pieter snorted faintly. "It's an instinct that I imagine you understand very well." With that, he departed as quickly as he'd arrived, leaving Kaeya with a rising feeling of dread.
"What did he mean by that, Diluc?" He couldn't be catching onto us somehow… right?
Diluc finally got a good look at the bruise on Kaeya's cheek, and a low growl built in his tiny body. Kaeya received a dark mental image of the ship going up in flames, Diluc's distinctive claymore trailing vengeful fire somewhere in the midst of the chaos. He patted his brother's head quickly. "Hey, calm down. He barely touched me. Not much of an interrogation, really. And besides, I'm not so fragile that a small bruise will slow me down."
Relenting, Diluc's hackles finally lowered. Kaeya managed a chuckle. "But, of course, I appreciate the sentiment."
Diluc scoffed, but the flare of gentle warmth that lit Kaeya's mind gave away the fiery feline's true feelings. Kaeya couldn't help smiling at the reminder of Diluc's well-concealed care. I'd say a bruise was a fair exchange to see that Diluc really does still view me somewhat fondly.