Author's Note: I do not own Genshin Impact. And yes, this is inspired by the April Fool's posts by Hoyoverse. Also, there is some very mild and accidental animal abuse in this chapter. I'm not quite sure if that's a trigger warning, but I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry. At any rate, I hope you enjoy the story!
Chapter One
The accident occurred during one of Diluc's moonlighting patrols, at an hour so late it was nearing dawn. The fact that he had already fought his way through half the surrounding countryside was no excuse for his poor reflexes, in his opinion. But the outcome was rather more severe than some of his previous lapses.
He'd just finished off a particularly annoying Hydro Samachurl when he heard the gleeful, sinister laughter of an Abyss Mage. The air held the heavy suggestion of imminent rainfall, but he ignored the sensation. Whirling, he slammed his blazing Sacrificial Greatsword into the nearby Wooden Shield Mitachurl. The attack chipped off the last of the already-flaming shield's durability, and the strip of bark disintegrated. Diluc pressed the advantage, wielding his sword with brutal precision. In just a moment, he stood alone in the camp, save for the elusive Abyss Mage that he could still hear.
The tall swordsman remained motionless for an instant, breathing hard as he kept his great blade at the ready and his carnelian eyes darting across the shadows. Search as he might, though, the Abyss Mage failed to reveal itself. He could hear it chanting away in its squeaky dialect. His eyes narrowed. Carefully he turned until he could pinpoint the general direction of the little enemy. Raising his sword, he yelled, "BURN!" A phoenix made of pure fire erupted off his blade, soaring into the trees. Several branches caught fire as the ethereal bird passed through them, but Diluc wasn't concerned. The incoming rainfall would take care of any remaining embers.
With a yelp, the Abyss Mage cut off mid-chant. A bolt of green energy shot erratically out of the trees, too fast for Diluc to dodge. It hit his chest dead on, and he staggered back a step at the impact. Forcefully he shoved past the attack and sprang into action, lunging for the point where the attack had originated.
He crashed through the low branches to discovered a small Abyss Mage, shielded with a green ball, gibbering to itself. It took one look at the vengeful swordsman, shrieked, and vanished. Diluc's strike cut through the air where it had been cowering, missing the enemy by the merest second. Snarling in frustration, Diluc froze, listening for the clue that would alert him to the Abyss Mage's new location. But all he heard was the wind in the pine needles, and the soft plop of scattered raindrops as the sky's grasp on its watery burden began to slip.
He was alone.
His expression went flat as he dismissed his sword. I should've been faster. Now we have a rogue mage on the loose. It didn't look like any I've encountered before, either. That green shield… Dendro, perhaps? He rubbed one gloved hand across his chest, his brow furrowing in thought. That attack didn't hurt much. Was it just an inexperienced mage? It certainly didn't seem very confident. Sighing, he started back towards Mondstadt. It was probably time he headed home to the Dawn Winery, but he wanted to drop by the Knights of Favonius Headquarters and leave a message for Kaeya about the new mage. His brother might be able to find a bit more intel on the threat.
He hadn't even reached the great bridge that led to the city when an odd ripple shot through his body. He halted, coughing, as a wave of pain hit him. Buckling under the sensation, he was barely aware that he'd collapsed to the ground, the white-hot pain overwhelming his senses. It was only a few seconds later that the tall former knight lost consciousness as the rain began to fall.
oOo
Kaeya strolled through the slowly-drying city streets, laughing and exchanging greetings with citizens as he passed them. For some of them, he stopped to pass the time of day before moving on. The brief rainfall at dawn had swept the city clean of the summer heat and dust, leaving it bright and cheerful in the late morning sunshine. It was times like this that Kaeya could utterly forget his origins and sink deeply into the bliss of a city at peace.
Everything looks fine today. Last stop is Guy at the side gate. Best to make sure he's still keeping a close eye on his assignment, despite how lackluster it might appear. The Cavalry Captain meandered towards the side gate, tipping an imaginary cap to Hertha as he reached the small square. "Hello, Hertha! How is everything today? Any bounties left to finish up?"
The other knight shook her head, but a perplexed frown still sat upon her face. "Well… in a manner of speaking…" She turned to the message board beside her and tugged a paper free. "I found this here when I arrived today. I'm not sure whether I should put any stock in it, though." She handed the paper to Kaeya.
Kaeya's brow rose slowly as he took in the missive. In a series of barely legible scrawls, he was able to make out the words, D. A. Mage S. of M. There were several tears in the paper, as well as something that looked like claw marks. It took him a moment to make sense of the strange message.
Glancing up at Hertha, he said easily, "A Dendro Abyss Mage? Hmm, I've never heard of that kind before. Perhaps it's a prank someone's playing on you. But not to worry. I'll head out and investigate the area south of the city after I'm finished making my rounds."
She blinked at him. "It doesn't say Dendro Abyss Mage, and how did you guess the S. of M. stood for south of the city?"
His eye flashed with surprise. She's right. My mind just pieced it together like it was a friend's message. Strange. The shorthand really is familiar, but I've never seen handwriting like this in my life. "Ah, I simply assumed, given the layout of the words. Let me take this bounty, Hertha. I need to get out of the city for a bit anyhow." He clasped his hands together and begged her with his most charming exaggeration.
Laughing, the other knight waved her hand at him. "Oh, go on, no need to make puppy eyes at me. You can take this bounty. I'll come up with the appropriate rewards if it does turn out to be something."
Kaeya gave her a lazy two-fingered salute and sauntered off, calling over his shoulder, "You're a gem, Hertha! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"
He crossed the small square and halted next to the other knight at the gate. "Ah, Guy! How's everything going today?"
The knight saluted sharply. "Nothing to report, Captain Kaeya sir!" His shoulders slumped slightly, and he muttered to himself, "Just like always…" Flushing, his eyes darted up to his superior.
Graciously Kaeya pretended not to hear the disgruntled remark. "Perfect. A calm shift means a safe city, which is all we can possibly wish for." He casually drew his sword and checked the razor-sharp edge out of habit, before twirling it lightly and tossing it back to his pocket dimension.
Guy nodded a little nervously. Then he jumped as a young voice called from just outside the gate. "Hey Guy, look what I found!"
Kaeya's eye sparked with interest as the boy walked towards them, dragging a cat behind him on a leash. "Oh? And what do we have here, Arthur?" He stepped through the gate to meet the lad.
The boy beamed at him. "I found a cat! Do you want to see it, Captain Kaeya?" He tried to tug the cat forwards, but the scarlet feline snarled and jerked back. Arthur yanked on the leash, causing the cat to fall over. "It's a little skittish, but it's such a pretty cat!"
Kaeya reached out towards the leash. "Hey now, try to be gentle with it, Arthur. Pulling on the leash like that could hurt him."
Arthur wrinkled his nose. "But he doesn't listen to me! How am I supposed to train him if he doesn't listen?" He tugged the cat closer, although the feline fought every step. "I'm going to train him to be an attack cat!"
"An attack cat? Wow, you kids really do come up with the craziest stuff," Guy said, shaking his head incredulously.
Kaeya crossed his arms. "You can't do that, Arthur. And besides, that's not your cat."
The boy blinked at him. "But I found him!"
The tall Cavalry Captain knelt beside the young lad. "That doesn't make him yours, though. Look how silky his fur is. Someone clearly loves this cat and cares deeply for it." He reached out towards the cat, which was swaying dangerously, its eyes fluttering. Kaeya's mental alarm went off. "Wait, he can't breathe!"
K-KAEYA! The deep voice, familiar as his own heartbeat, echoed raggedly in his head with an edge of panic. With a flick of his wrist, Kaeya produced a razor-sharp icicle and slit the collar around the cat's neck. Instantly the feline dragged in a harsh breath, his sides rising and falling. Gathering himself, he sprang upwards, into Kaeya's arms.
The Cavalry Captain stared down at the cat in shock, unable to process what had just happened. "I—I—"
Arthur sat down with a thump, tears beginning to fall. "I didn't mean to hurt him!"
Mechanically Kaeya shifted the cat in his arms so one hand was free. He patted the boy on his oversized hat. "It's all right, Arthur. He'll be just fine, don't you worry. You have to be careful with things that are smaller than you, though. They are often much more fragile, so you must be gentle."
The boy was bawling too much to respond, and Kaeya heaved a quiet sigh. "Listen, Arthur. Come to the Knights' Headquarters at the end of the week, and I'll take you to Springvale on an outing. The lead hunter there, Draff, has some pigeons that he might let you play with. I'll teach you how to be gentle with them."
Arthur's tears dried instantly. "Really? That would be awesome! I don't want to hurt animals! I'll learn to be gentle, you'll see!" Then he looked down at the scarlet ball of fur in Kaeya's arms, and doubt crept into his expression. "Can I… Can I tell him I'm sorry?"
Kaeya nodded. "I'm sure that would be well-received." He nudged the cat. "Going to accept an apology, D- er, fluffy cat?"
Lifting his head groggily, the sleek feline peered over Kaeya's elbow, his tail swishing slowly. Arthur clasped his hands above his head in the traditional pose of repentance. "I'm sorry, kitty! I didn't mean to hurt you!"
The cat gave him a regal nod, then turned and burrowed back into Kaeya's shirt. The knight rose to his feet, holding the cat close. "Thank you, Arthur. Now then, I should go make some inquiries about who this fine fellow belongs to." He nodded his farewell, then turned and reentered the city.
He wound up taking the cat up on the wall. Surprisingly the feline didn't seem to mind his movements as he scaled the sheer stone, merely hooking his claws into Kaeya's shirt to cling more tightly to him. Once they were far away from any possible eavesdroppers, Kaeya sat down on one of the battlements and looked at the cat in his lap.
"Care to tell me what happened, Master Diluc?"