Chapter Fourteen

Diluc kept a very close eye on Kaeya after the incident at the bridge. The cat was careful to remain out of Vlad's sight, but the Fatui seemed to have lost interest in his captive… for the moment. Still, it galled Diluc to hide whenever he spotted the Fatui Agent. He much preferred to deal with his problems face to face. And this particular problem was soon going to find out just what Diluc meant by his battle cry of Retribution! Diluc would personally make sure of it.

They caught a stiff breeze on the way up the river that put them far ahead of schedule. All too soon, the ship was anchoring in the shallows a fair way down from Stone Gate at dusk, and Diluc found himself back in the pet carrier for the transition to land, his claws curled around the thin barred flooring to keep from sliding sideways. He watched through narrowed eyes as Kaeya was brought off the ship.

His brother's wrists were chained together, but Sven had made a point of showing Diluc that he had picked the lightest and longest manacles. The loops of metal weren't heavy enough to strain Kaeya's broken arm, and it was long enough that he wasn't constantly tugging at it, either. Diluc hadn't exactly… approved of the idea of putting his brother in chains, (he'd nearly singed Sven's hair off at the first mention of it) but there wasn't much he could do about it at the moment, and he was forced to grudgingly accept Sven's desperate attempts to take care of Kaeya.

The tall knight wound up standing next to Diluc and Pieter, watching the few important items being offloaded from the ship.

"It's certainly too bad the sailing part of our journey is finished. I quite enjoyed the chance to rest a bit," Kaeya remarked regretfully.

Are you going to try to write this off as a paid vacation when we get back?! Diluc thought, stifling an incredulous chuckle at the idea. His brother seemed to catch a hint of his thoughts, and looked down at him with a huff of exaggerated indignation.

"Me? Perish the thought!"

The realization that Pieter stood next to them occurred to the pair at the same time, and both of them shot him a slightly guilty glance. He only looked amused. "Don't mind me. Carry on talking to your cat. I know how important it is that you get your usual mental delusions out of your system."

Kaeya nodded appreciatively. "Thank you so much for understanding!" Turning back to Diluc, he added, "When we get home, we should really send him a Death After Noon to thank him for being so helpful!"

With a name like that, I rather think that might come across as attempted intimidation, Diluc thought wryly.

Judging by the look in Pieter's eye, the Fatui seemed to agree.

"All right, let's move out!" Vlad stalked away from the boat. "And try not to draw too much attention. We need to get through Stone Gate before sunrise so we aren't noticed by anyone."

Sven paused to wave an enthusiastic farewell to the one remaining Fatui in charge of piloting the ship back downstream, Bjorn, (who ignored him) before bending to pick up his share of the gear. "Do you think we can let Mondcat out, or will he run off?"

Pieter slung his firearm over his shoulder and hefted the tents. "He probably won't go anywhere, and it would make for one less thing to carry."

Dubiously Sven studied Diluc for a moment. The Darknight Hero tried very hard to look cute and innocent. Finally the Fatui gave in. "Oh, all right. But if he runs off, you have to help me find him."

Pieter didn't bother responding as he nudged Kaeya's shoulder, prompting the knight into motion. The pair started off as Sven unlocked Diluc's cage. The Hydrogunner hesitated, then opened the door. "Okay, little buddy, you gotta stick with us."

Diluc sprang out of the cage and fluffed his tail with relief. He intended to sprint after Kaeya and ride on his brother's shoulder, but then he paused. The vigilante glanced up at Sven. The Fatui was watching him anxiously, his big hands toying with the pet carrier. I… suppose he's been kind to Kaeya and myself. Giving a mental sigh, he turned and scaled the big Fatui in a matter of seconds, ignoring Sven's surprised squeaks. Once he was perched on Sven's shoulder, he meowed impatiently. Let's get moving! The rest of the group is getting ahead of us, and I don't want to lose sight of Kaeya!

"Pieter! Look! Mondcat is riding with me!" Sven hastily scooped up the rest of the gear and plowed after his friend, nearly dancing in his delight. Diluc had to dig his claws into the Fatui's armor to keep himself from toppling off, but Sven didn't seem to notice. "Look, Pieter!"

The Pyroslinger eyed them with amusement, taking in Sven's enthusiasm coupled with Diluc's stiff position on his shoulder. "Good for you, Sven."

Wiggling happily, Sven chortled, "I knew I'd make a good pet owner!"

"I thought you were going to take the cat back for your sister?"

He paused in dismay. "Oh… well… yes, but…"

Pieter nudged him with a chuckle. "I'm sure we can find another cat for your sister. Perhaps I can ask one of our cohorts in Mondstadt to get one there. I hear there's a tavern that caters to cats as well as people. Perhaps one of them would be a good match for your sister."

"A whole tavern full of cats?! Why did nobody tell me this?! I have to get transferred to Mondstadt right away!"

Kaeya's laughter mingled with Pieter's amused snort at this, and the knight remarked, "You certainly are a lively bunch for a group of Fatui!" Pieter fell silent at Kaeya's observation, but Sven was off in a private dreamland involving the ownership of dozens of cats. The tall Cavalry Captain added, "You've been fairly kind to us. If you're ever in Mondstadt, I'd be happy to treat you to a drink or two at the Cat's Tail Tavern." He winked.

It was Diluc's turn to stifle a smirk at this. And of course he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to gather information while he's at it. Typical Kaeya.

oOo

After the group made a hurried scramble through Stone Gate in the dead of night, they settled down to a slightly more sedate pace. Vlad kept them moving, though, wanting to make as much progress as they could before dawn arrived. Diluc split his time between riding on Kaeya's shoulder or hanging onto Sven's armor for dear life. Occasionally he jumped down and darted off into the grass to explore. Once or twice, he ran into some hilichurls and had the enormous satisfaction of fighting his own battles again. Of course hilichurls weren't exactly the most powerful enemies around, but as a cat, Diluc wasn't about to complain which enemies he was able to defeat. The first time he marched proudly back to Kaeya's side with wisps of flame still trailing through his disheveled fur, Kaeya threw him a concerned look.

"Easy there, Dawnbird. Don't bite off more than you can chew."

Diluc eyed him contemptuously. Are you casting aspirations on my fighting skills? Some of his thoughts must've been discernable from his expression, since Kaeya merely wrinkled his nose briefly in return.

"They say cats have nine lives, but I can't be sure that applies to you," Kaeya said. "At any rate, best not to try to find out. It's not exactly the kind of thing you can fail more than once."

Well, the saying about cats always landing on their feet is true. I tested it. Diluc scanned the terrain around them, hoping to find a cliff or tree from which to jump. Here. I'll show you.

At least part of his intentions must've filtered through to his brother along their faulty telepathic connection. To his surprise, Kaeya broke formation to swiftly lean down and scoop Diluc awkwardly into his arm. "Oh no you don't. I can believe it without seeing it. You've already gone off a cliff, I think that's quite enough jumping overboard for one cat."

Diluc squirmed around until his tiny claws found purchase in Kaeya's shirt, then he scrambled up to his brother's shoulder. Kaeya made a slight noise of protest as Diluc's paw slipped and skidded across his skin before the cat reached his favorite perch and settled down. "Hey now, no need to claw me to pieces in retaliation," the knight chided teasingly.

I wasn't—! Hmf, never mind. Diluc scrunched deeper into Kaeya's shoulder, wrapping his tail down his brother's back to keep himself balanced. He could feel the way Kaeya relaxed as Diluc settled into position, and his ears flicked up questioningly. Are cats really as therapeutic as I've heard? Kaeya seems to relax every time I draw close, and even Pieter seems less wary when I let him pet him. Diluc considered this for a few moments, trying to think of ways to use it to his advantage. Then his attention was firmly captured by something in the distance.

The cheerful glow of lanternlight was just becoming visible around a bend in the river, and he tensed, swallowing hard as he realized where they were. Dawn Winery was so close he could almost hear the soothing melodies of his home. For a moment, he closed his eyes, straining for the faintest strains on the breeze. A tiny sigh of longing escaped him. Home…

"Diluc."

Kaeya's voice was very soft, and he opened his eyes to find his brother watching him with a knowing look. Diluc tilted his head, inviting Kaeya to continue.

The knight hesitated, then swallowed hard. "You should… you should head back to the winery."

Diluc recoiled, stunned. What?! And leave you here, alone?! His ears went utterly flat.

Kaeya wouldn't meet his eyes anymore. "You're quite smart. It wouldn't take you long to figure out a way to convey your situation to Adalinde. She can take you back to the city, to Jean and the Knights. I… haven't had a chance to really tell you, but we were able to subdue the Abyss Mage before I caught up with you. I'm sure that once you get back to the city, they'll be able to come up with a solution to your… situation."

Freezing, Diluc took a minute to process this information. They caught the Mage? They might be able to change me back to normal. Then his eyes narrowed and he looked up at his brother. He gathered his thoughts, then put all his force into his next words. I will NOT leave you, Kaeya. You're a prisoner, injured, and unarmed. There is no way in Teyvat I will abandon you for my own personal gain. It was bad enough that I left you last time. I refuse to go through that again. From the stunned look on Kaeya's face, it seemed every last word had reached the Cryo user.

Kaeya swallowed again, looking away. "I… I'm not worth it, Diluc."

Realizing his claws had tensed further in his agitation, Diluc carefully tugged each talon free. They were buried deep in Kaeya's cape, just nicking his brother's skin. He resettled himself, then hunkered down defiantly. Kaeya. I'm not leaving.

He felt Kaeya relax under his grip. The knight whispered one more time, so quietly Diluc barely heard him. "Thank you… Brother."