CHAPTER 7:
RESOLUTION
Centuries ago, he had been known to all who knew him as Zandik. In the years since, he had taken on a number of aliases during his missions. However, he had grown used to his nom de guerre, granted to him by Pierro, leader of the Fatui: Il Dottore, or the Doctor. A joke of a name, as unlike most doctors, Il Dottore had no interest in helping people, nor did he like titles that had authority. The moniker stuck, and he felt he enjoyed it all the same, if only because of the irony. Then again, he'd had it for over four centuries now.
It had been…nostalgic coming back to Sumeru, though he had been back discreetly over the centuries. His work as a Harbinger took him all over Teyvat, after all. But coming back here to wipe the sneers off those damned Sages' faces, when he was giving them the opportunity they all wanted…well, Il Dottore would happily admit to feeling some schadenfreude.
And yet, this had happened. The disappearance of the Dendro Archon, Lesser Lord Kusanali, didn't actually hinder their plans. The Akasha System was still working, so the Archon hadn't used her Gnosis to switch it off.
Still, Il Dottore hadn't become the second-ranked Harbinger because he left anything to chance. Azar and his sycophants had kept the news quiet for now, looking for some way to spin the news in their favour, or else simply keep quiet. But they also wanted to search for her, and for surprisingly similar reasons, even if they didn't admit it. Control.
Of course, for the Sages, especially Azar, it was control out of ego. They believed themselves to be above Lesser Lord Kusanali, hence that insistent nomenclature, forgetting that she was an Archon. One of the weakest, true, but she was still a deity and the successor to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. He reckoned they got a kick out of controlling a god.
True, he felt the same way, given his experiment involving his fellow Harbinger, Scaramouche, but regarding the Dendro Archon, his need for control was born purely from practical concerns. In scientific experiments, one controlled the variables as much as possible. Lesser Lord Kusanali being at liberty meant a potentially troublesome variable was at liberty.
The same could be said about the messes in Mondstadt, Liyue and Inazuma. In all three, there was the troublesome presence of that Traveller known as Aether, the one he suspected to be another Descender from another world, and that strange floating companion of his, Paimon. In addition, the Fatui's attempts to cause a civil war in Inazuma were less than successful, as the Raiden Shogun had made a marked improvement in her mental health. This was due in no small part to her lover, he felt, possibly another Descender, given Scaramouche's reports, along with those of La Signora before that fateful duel and her subsequent execution.
True, the civil war had been devastating, and they had gotten a lot of useful data from handing out Delusions to the anti-Shogun forces, but it said a lot when the Shogun and those who held sentiment against her on Watatsumi Island and Yashiori Island united to put paid to those the Fatui had stirred up. A shame, really. It would have been a more interesting mess, otherwise. Then again, Scaramouche had obtained the Electro Gnosis from Yae Miko in exchange for sparing the lives of Aether, Paimon and the Shogun's paramour. That, and the data on the Delusions, was more than worth the loss of La Signora. Then again, she allowed herself to be baited into that duel. She always did have a temper, foolish bitch.
In any case, the Dendro Archon being at liberty was troublesome. They did not know where she was, and there were plenty of boltholes in both the forest and the desert she could disappear into. True, the latter was far less likely, given the famous antipathy the Eremites had towards the Dendro Archon, but it was still a possibility that couldn't be dismissed. After all, if Lesser Lord Kusanali spun a sob story to them, then the Eremites would jump at a chance to cause trouble for the Akademiya that often spurned them when they didn't require their services.
Then again, oddly enough, for some reason, he couldn't recall what the Dendro Archon looked like. And that was concerning. Neither could the Sages. Was it some sort of tampering of their memories done via Akasha Terminal? The security footage was no use either, having been burned out by an unusual activity.
Il Dottore pondered their course of action, before he remembered something. He'd become curious about the Katheryne bioroid model here, as she had been noticed leaving the Adventurer's Guild far more often than the models elsewhere in Teyvat did. He'd examined her Akasha Terminal on a hunch, and had noticed unusual activity at certain times…especially shortly before and during the Sabzeruz Festival over the last few years.
It was little more than an untested hypothesis at this point. But Il Dottore, while he championed cold, hard logic, did not dismiss either instinct or imagination at all. Those were useful tools when used well. And instinct told him that Katheryne's unusual activity was linked to the Dendro Archon. It was too much of a coincidence for her to move away from the Adventurer's Guild on the Dendro Archon's birthday, was it not?
A cold smile twitching at his lips, he went over to that fool Azar, who was sulking at the control panel. "Well, Doctor?" he snapped irritably.
"Our little bird has indeed flown the coop, Azar," Il Dottore purred. "And even I am not sure how it happened. I suspect external intervention rather than Lesser Lord Kusanali managing to overcome the security. However, tracking her down will be tricky. Simply hiring mercenaries or sending the Fatui or Corps of Thirty to find her would be potentially wasted effort, given all the holes she could be hiding in. But I have an idea."
"And what might that be?"
"The Sabzeruz Festival is coming up in a few weeks' time. Yes, I know you do like to rain on their parade, closing down performances and the like, but I have reason to believe that our wayward Archon actually enjoyed them in years past."
Azar sniffed in disdain. "A frivolous child of a deity would enjoy frivolous things."
Il Dottore rolled his eyes behind his mask. He may employ cold, ruthless logic to situations, but even he recognised that art and the arts had value. He enjoyed art and the arts of all kinds. In that much alone, he felt himself better than these hidebound fossils. They studied without learning for the most part, and passed it down with little addition(1). They claimed this lack of progress was due to Rukkhadevata's passing, but Il Dottore felt it had to do more with their shunning imagination and creativity.
"Yes, well, I would suggest not being such a miserabilist this year," Il Dottore said. "Instead, let the peons below undertake their Sabzeruz Festival."
"And why should I?"
The fool had no imagination whatsoever. Better put him out of his misery. "Why, as bait to a trap, of course…"
Harry didn't dream that night. But he didn't need to. One of his best dreams had come true last night, though he was the one to make it happen. But knowing Nahida was free from her gaol was a weight off his soul. Of course, the fact that he was still stranded in Teyvat, and that was still weighing heavily on him, but if there was anyone who could help him find a solution, even if she didn't have the means to travel between worlds herself, it was his sister.
For so long, he had had a sibling bond with her. It came about roughly a year into their acquaintance, when Harry was lamenting the family he had, and how he wished he had Nahida as a sister. And Nahida had promptly agreed to be his sister. In many ways, he worshipped her, not as a deity, but as his big sister, despite her childish frame.
And in the end, she was his only living family, as far as he was concerned. Family should help one another. To guide, nurture and assist each other, to look out and love one another, in spite of their differences. It said a lot that, by the time Harry got his Hogwarts letter, as far as he was concerned, Petunia and Dudley were only his family by dint of blood, and his only true family was Nahida. True, until Hogwarts, until Dumbledore's revelation at the Mirror of Erised, he wasn't sure she was real.
But now, he had the final confirmation, not that it was needed.
He emerged after showering and dressing from his Expanded Trunk to find Nahida sitting on the bed, waiting for him, a tome almost as large as she was in her lap. She didn't look at him, but she smiled. "Good morning, brother. Did you sleep well?"
"Well enough. What about you?"
"As an Archon, I don't need sleep as much as humans do," the Dendro Archon said, looking over to him. "I was actually sleeping when you rescued me, and before you say anything, I had enough rest before you did so. I just needed a quick doze last night. The Homayanis generously gave me access to their library. Anyway, I was told by Shazhaman that you were looking for Alice, as she has travelled to Earth before, correct?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Alice's whereabouts are currently unknown," Nahida said. "She did recently take her daughter on a couple of weeks' vacation, before returning her to Mondstadt. Said daughter is Klee, a figure of some minor infamy in Mondstadt, known as the Spark Knight."
"…That doesn't sound so bad."
"Klee inherited her mother's fondness for high explosives, and she's about ten years old," Nahida said, giving him a flat look. "Apparently the Knights of Favonius have their hands full trying to teach her the appropriate usage of such items. Alice was no help. She bombed the ruins that were once the site of Decarabian's citadel because she felt they didn't look ruined enough. Dvalin no doubt didn't appreciate that." On his look, she said, "A Dragon, one of the embodiments of the winds, aside from the Anemo Archon Barbatos, of course. In any case, Alice is incommunicado, and Shazhaman's letter may be our best bet of contacting her. Any other means of travelling between worlds may get the attention of the Heavenly Principles, and we do not want their enforcer, Asmoday, to get involved."
"Asmoday?"
"A goddess of Celestia, the so-called Sustainer of the Heavenly Principles," Nahida said, her tone filled with loathing that was unusual for the little deity. "I only know of her thanks to teachings Rukkhadevata left for me about Celestia. Asmoday is ruthless. In fact, I suspect that she was involved in scourging Khaenri'ah. Getting her attention is the last thing we want to do."
"Because Sumeru might end up like Khaenri'ah?"
"No, if only because I believe that they wouldn't completely wipe out Sumeru over that. If, though, I decided to rebel in earnest, that would be another matter entirely."
Harry frowned, even as he sat next to his sister on the bed. "Asmoday's another name from the Ars Goetia. It's bloody weird that so many beings from this world share names with demons from that work."
Nahida shrugged. "Well, it's possible that Solomon, or else whoever actually wrote the Ars Goetia, had knowledge of Teyvat, and named the demons in that work after figures from Teyvat. Or maybe Irmunsul has echoes in your world. You do have world trees in Earth's mythology after all, like Yggdrasil. But enough of that. My time last night was spent productively. I've had inspiration, and have decided what I will try to do to regain my standing in the eyes of the populace."
"That's great news, Nahida!" Harry said, smiling, before it fell off his face. "…But even if you do succeed…do you think the people of Sumeru will welcome you? You know of my experiences back home, Nahida, of what happened, of how the wizards and witches of Magical Britain acted and reacted. I'm not an idiot, magic just amplifies human failings, it doesn't cause them."
"I have to try, Harry. As an Archon, my duty is to the people of Sumeru. I was born into this. And my imprisonment was the Sages' doing. The people of Sumeru's main crimes were of apathy and ignorance. And not quite the wilful ignorance of the wizarding world either. You still will help me, right?"
"Do you even need to ask? I just intend to play Devil's Advocate if need be, that's all," Harry said.
Nahida smiled. "Thank you, Harry. And having someone to play Devil's Advocate is actually quite useful, if only to point out flaws in a hypothesis or theory."
"Hey, it's more than that. I know you're the Dendro Archon and all, Nahida, but there's plenty of people who'd try to exploit you. Your Gnosis is the key to the Akasha System, for one thing. And there's also plenty of Eremite groups who hate you and would attack you, and have a thing about King Deshret having a Second Coming thing like Jesus Christ."
Nahida nodded. "There are various groups involved, though most are under the umbrella group of the Relics of Deshret, or else under Tuthmose. But a lot of Eremite groups, although they may hold some resentment towards me, would be willing to hear me out, I hope."
"Yeah. My point is…I know you're pretty powerful, and you can look after yourself to some degree now that you're out of your cage. But what kind of brother would I be if I didn't look out for my sister?"
Nahida giggled. "I…I am simply glad to have a brother like you, Harry. And grateful. Coincidence brought us together, but coincidence is its own kind of magic." But then, her gaze hardened. "But just keep this in mind: I am grateful for your protective nature, and you freeing me from the Sanctuary of Surasthana. But I refuse to exchange one cage for another. If I feel you are going too far in protecting me, I will tell you in no uncertain terms."
Harry fought down the brief surge of anger and annoyance he felt. Nahida was a gentle and kind soul, but she could be pretty blunt and brutal when it came to telling hard truths, even to those she had a strong bond with. She meant well, and he knew it, and she was just making it clear what she didn't want him to do. Not that it stopped it from hurting. Especially as, for a centuries-old Goddess of Wisdom, he still felt she was still a touch naïve.
"…Fine," he eventually said, before calming himself with an effort, sitting down next to his sister. "It's just…I'm worried, Nahida. I know you're a deity, but those bastards managed to keep you locked up before. Your power seems to be mostly in dreams and the Akasha System. Yes, you can use Dendro with ease, and better than anyone with a Vision, but…"
"I know. I'm well aware of how weak I am, especially compared to other Archons," Nahida said, looking at her hand morosely. "To say nothing of other deities, especially those monsters in Celestia. But physical strength and elemental power are only two ways of measuring strength. A sharp mind and a strong heart can also be measures of strength. And I will prove it, with your help, and that of others…"
It was at breakfast that Nahida made her announcement, or rather, shortly afterwards. Looking at the Homayanis, she said, "As you know, I intend to accomplish a great feat in order to ensure the populace accept me as the Dendro Archon and the Goddess of Wisdom. This will not be a feat accomplished by physical strength, but by strength of the mind. Not just my mind, but others, for science is a collaborative effort, and I will need help to do this. I may have chosen the impossible, and yet…I believe that if I can achieve my goal, it will serve as a demonstration of my wisdom and benevolence."
"And what goal is that, Lady Nahida?" Shazhaman asked.
Nahida looked not to him, but to Dunyarzad. "I intend to find out what causes the Withering and Eleazar. And, if possible, find a better treatment…if not an outright cure…"
CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:
And there you have it. Some insight into Zandik/Il Dottore and his attitude towards the Akademiya, as well as Nahida declaring her goal.
Writing Il Dottore was interesting. In many regards, he is, superficially, of the amoral streak of mad scientist, much like a genderflipped version of (ironically) one of the Doctor's foes in Doctor Who, namely the Rani, or like Qyburn from A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones, something I added to in the story. But given his flamboyant manner of speaking and dress, and his love of theatrics, I had to wonder whether part of his discontent with the Sages of Sumeru was their detesting the arts. I view Il Dottore as someone who values the arts to some degree, if only as a means to refresh the mind, and as a stimulus to imagination. I think it adds an interestingly human dimension to him.
Review-answering time! MWkillkenny84: Well, Ei's lover will be revealed in due course in a later chapter, when Aether finally makes his trip to Sumeru. As for magic being an outside context problem, mages who can use powers without a Vision are not unheard of in Teyvat. Liyue and Inazuma at least have magical traditions that may not need Visions, and Alice and other members of the Hexenzirkel may not need Visions either. But they're also exceedingly rare compared to Vision holders, who themselves are in the minority.
As for Collei, Collei will have a minor role to play, but she will still appear, and indeed, she helps Nahida identify who Il Dottore is long before Nahida and company meet the Harbinger. That is a minor but important bit of exposition. And the Sages' fate…well, I've already revealed a potential fate for them. In fact, for Doctor Who fans, well, I mention the Rani as being one of Il Dottore's predecessors in fiction, and if you've ever watched her debut story The Mark of the Rani, then you'd make a good guess at what Harry has in store for the Sages…and Il Dottore.
1. Il Dottore is echoing Qyburn's sentiments about the Maesters of the Citadel in The Maester's Chain Histories and Lore video from the Season 4 Blu-Ray of Game of Thrones.