As the sun cheerfully beat down on the resting inhabitants of Dawn Winery, one of such inhabitants was already awake, carefully covering himself in the crimson uniform the Knights of Favonius had given him.
"Diluc, you haven't eaten breakfast yet, get down here!" His father, Crepus, calmly yelled to the hell in heaven that was Diluc Ragnvindr's room.
Archons, he had been too caught up in their upcoming 'job' to even think about eating, so much for being a role model for all Knights of Favonius to look up to.
"Yes, father!" I hurriedly ripped of my uniform without damaging it, gingerly folded the fabric properly, and bolted downstairs, not wanting to miss a second.
Why? They were going to the city, where his buffoon of a brother was, and where Diluc's best friend was probably training as soon as she woke up, Jean Gunnhildr. Grand Master Varka was kind enough to agree with his request to stay at the Ragnvindr's home for just a while longer, before he moved in permanently, but letters never beat actual conversation.
The wooden chair he always sat on since childhood, now a little too small for him screeched in a crackling agony as its unofficial owner practically jumped on it, causing one of the legs to collapse, and it brought down Diluc with it, the Pile Em' Up he intended to devour for breakfast was unscathed.
"S-sorry!" He stuttered out before his rear end even collided with the floor, allowing him to hide his pain and embarrassment a little easier, and Crepus Ragnvindr, for all his strict house rules, just let it happen, no words to be said. His little boy was now a man, and like the chair, had outgrown the small haven of Dawn Winery.
"It's fine, Diluc." He heard his father reassure as a chair actually meant for his size was forcefully dragged into its predecessor's spot, letting Diluc finally eat his Pile Em Up, the steaks disappearing in half a minute, their final proof of their existence being his stretched cheeks, making the Knight closer to a squirrel than a Ragnvindr, at least until he gulped it all down like water.
"Thank you for the meal." Diluc barely squeezed those words out, making an effort to race lightning as he disappeared into his room, not even realizing he said it after eating.
Slipping on his red tail coat over the blue dress short he didn't take off prior to going downstairs, the Ragnvindr slapped his socks on and pulled up their thick leather boots, they were ready, at last.
At least, Diluc thought so, it turns out, waking up an hour before anyone else in Mondstadt (Except a certain Gunnhildr) meant he had to wait for everyone else who was still just waking up.
To prevent his inevitable death by boredom, the poor training dummies were brought out again by the same person, crying at their impending doom through his standard Knights of Favonius claymore.
They didn't do anything fancy, just a few practice swings was enough to best the dummy of straw and wood, most of Diluc's time was instead spent on inspecting the many stitches it sported across the rough surface, a reminder of everything he'd done to get here.
Diluc decided it was best to end everything with one more strike, for old time's sake.
So with his feet digging into the cobblestone, gloved hands tightly gripping the handle of the claymore, he inhaled.
"Diluc, it's time to go!" He heard his father call for him, and the Ragnvindr could already hear the wagons rolling, not as grand as a transport balloon, but much more reliable.
Diluc spun on his heel, making a break for the convoy leaving the winery, and leaving the lifeless imitation of a person behind, waiting for the unspoken promise to be fulfilled.
"Apologies, I didn't keep track of the time." The Cavalry Captain grunted as he took a seat, feeling his eyelids get heavy, how long was he out there in the sun?
The circle of fire in the sky was right above heir heads at the moment, by the time they made it to the city, the moon would be replacing it.
The rickety swaying of the wagon he and Crepus Ragnvindr currently resided in helped keep Diluc awake, the thought of being caught asleep on the way to Mondstadt being another motivator.
"Don't hide it, Son." The other occupant gently said, looking at me with sympathy and... pride?
"I'm not hiding anything."
"Yes you are, go to sleep, do you want to pass out in front of her?" Crepus let a knowing smirk crawl up his face, sure of their victory.
I didn't say a word, only closing my eyes and letting a dreamless sleep claim my consciousness, bringing peace of mind.
In the ebony sea of stillness, it was calming, relaxing, even. He felt an itch in his side, and tried to scratch it with an arm, but was a hair's breadth away when Diluc's arm was stopped, a faint jingling sound emanating from his soul's left side, there was something restraining his arm, solid and smooth, cold as ice, a chain?
He tried with his right, the same thing happened, he shook his legs, and a chill ran through his bones, they were trapped.
Wake up.
Diluc's Pyro vision uselessly teetered into view, the red nothing but a dull grey, the golden metal that encased it was wrapped in vines that bore the same color of the sea of shadow he was in.
Wake up!
The greatsword he was swinging around half an hour ago was now shattered into innumerable pieces, the shards forming a mirror, and he could see his face. Diluc's eyes were bloodshot, the hair he tidied up was growing and falling off at a ludicrous pace, scars opened across every place imaginable, but no pain was felt.
"-Wake up!" A frantic voice screamed,
"Diluc, wake up!" It was his father's.
That broke off any remnants of nightmare, returning himself to the real world, where he was greeted by a worried Crepus, purple fire lashing out behind him.
He instinctively grabbed his claymore, his father letting go of the weapon now that Diluc held it, and stood up, his own flames igniting the blade.
Clawing through the disheveled wagon he slept in, the owner of dawn winery found an odd blue stick, immediately setting the tip on fire with the flames all around them, sending cyan smoke into the air, the flare requesting help from whoever was nearby, preferably the Knights of Favonius.
Their attacker felt the other presence in the scorched battleground, full of fleeing workers and unrecognizable corpses, he'd avenge them.
Before Diluc Ragnvindr was a drake, its scales basking in the unholy glow of the flames it created, just what was this creature he now faced? There was no fire that burned like it, and even his vision was warning him to not try anything with them.
His uncertain orbs of ruby met the endless maw of the creature's gaze, itching to swallow him whole into an ocean of nothing, the thought seemed familiar, the awkward feeling of deja vu lingered, but all that mattered was the enemy in front of him, nothing else.
The monster released an ear piercing screech right before charging at him faster than he could move his sluggish claymore, forcing Diluc to narrowly dodge at the expense of his earbuds, the frantic yelling of Crepus that was still echoing through head faded away, only the low growls of this abomination could be heard.
Thanks to the silence only they could here, he heard the ghostly sound of fire, rolling to the side before their enemy could even open their mouth, the fearsome flames of unknown slowed down, there was an opening.
There was a frighteningly loud crack when he moved in, did his foot break? There wasn't any pain, so Diluc assumed it was something else, aiming to slice of the small wings the drake sported, at least when compared to a dragon.
The contact was the most visceral he'd ever felt, the scales being eaten away by his Pyro almost sounded like screaming, there was something funny about it to him, and he readied himself for another attack, only to collapse on the spot.
What?
The foot he used to propel himself at the monster wouldn't move, his knees felt like they turned into slime, the Cavalry Captain's fingers were bent at unusual angles, and he could see dents in the solid handle of his greatsword. Speaking of seeing, Diluc's entire right side was blurry, it let him see the magenta blur on the way to end his life, at least.
From their left, a human was running towards him, something in their palm glowed brightly, the red orange hue reminded Diluc of his own vision, at least until, a mass of flames burst from the mysterious individual, scaring the beast enough to send it packing into the forest.
Then nothing happened, whoever fought the drake off collapsed onto the ground as the fires died out, covering their unusual red hair in ash and dirt.
Red?
Red like his hair, red like his father.
Diluc tried to sit up, but could barely hold back his cries as the pain finally began to register, his fingers not taking the exertion lightly, but his father needed help, he had to move.
Their legs were disobedient too, the best the Knight of Favonius could do was crawl towards Crepus Ragnvindr, praying to Barbatos with the best of his ability, somewhere along the way, the Pyro vision he fastened to his belt fell off, unnoticed by the desperate Cavalry Captain.
No.
He was so close, just a few more pushes, and Diluc could tend to his father's wounds, he could save him, save someone.
But alas, his arms gave up, going numb along with whatever else he could feel in his body, he could only watch as the man who raised him slowly breathe in and out, the interval between each breath longer and longer, until Crepus Ragnvindr could do no more.
His son could do nothing but scream, as black water washed in from nowhere, submerging him in despair, but not before someone arrived, rather, something.
They were too tall for a human, adorned in black and silver armor with two blades extending from their forearms, displaying an ominous elegance as it looked at his defeated form lie there helplessly, it was the only thing he could still see, and the only thing he would see, until Diluc Ragnvindr finally drowned.
There was nothing he wanted here, but it was everything he wanted in the moment, to get away from it all, there were voices around him, some familiar, some too muffled for him to properly hear as he drifted along the sea Diluc sees in their mind.
He could feel his legs move, was he swimming? Walking? He couldn't feel any surface, even though the Ragnvindr was wearing nothing.
The shameful Cavalry Captain thought about what had just occurred, whatever his father did to drive the beast away, he wanted to feel thankful, but could only find regret, it should've been Diluc, not Crepus.
"Claim that you did it, a mere merchant doing what even an esteemed Knight of Favonius couldn't is preposterous!" A voice spoke, louder, clearer, it opened his eyes.
He was in the Knight of Favonius headquarters, the view outside was unmistakable, even if it had been sometime since he last entered these walls.
In front of him, frowning in all of the bastard's disgusting glory, was Eroch.
"What?" Was all I could utter.
"You heard me." They shot back, unamused.
He lost control of everything but his urge to run up to the smug Knight and outright murder him, his lungs were contracting and expanding in uneven intervals, elevating his already loud heartbeat to an even quicker pace than before, he felt blood soaking the fresh gloves he now wore.
It was hard to repress everything all at once, so he let some out.
By laughing maniacally right at that arrogant face of theirs, getting a raised eyebrow and a bunch of stern words to reprimand him, but he didn't hear any.
"Is this the true face of the Knights of Favonius?"
"If so, I will not involve myself with you lot any further." His fist met the wooden door, ripping the door off its copper hinges and sending splinters everywhere, earning himself a confused look from other Knights in the area, but I paid them no mind as I left the building.
My entire being was on autopilot as I left the gates of the city and took the long trek back home, the trip taking hours even on wheels be damned.
And half an hour into this act of stupidity, he found the place, clear of all the traces of a massacre that they could remove, bodies and destruction they could clean up, the stench of burnt flesh and the scorched greenery couldn't.
That wasn't what he was here for, anyways, Diluc's dull red eyes searched the entire battlefield, but the monster wasn't there.
It had to have been related to the attack, even if they didn't instigate it themselves, there was no reason for a monster of the Abyss Order to just watch.
There was nothing.
Diluc would wipe them all out, until he found them, until there were answers.
So, ten hours later after the moon had peaked, he arrived at Dawn Winery and made arrangements to leave Mondstadt, his goofball of a brother and the stick in the mud that was his best friend forgotten.
Where have you gone?
Jean rubbed her temples in annoyance, anyone would in her situation, the Acting Grand Master was sure of it.
Not even a week after Varka departed along with Mondstadt's finest Knights to spare on the expedition, the Fatui were driving those who stayed behind up a wall, Jean Gunnhildr included, all because of a debt they owed them.
Debt? What debt? While it may have involved the drake that rampaged across the land of freedom, there was no proof that they themselves had done it, only empty claims.
Don't.
If Jean were to dwell on that incident too long, the memories would stick with her for the weeks to come, a stern scolding from someone who was once the superior of the up and coming knight, and the flowing red hair that accompanied them. Suppressing those thoughts immediately came in handy, as an electrifying librarian soon entered the room.
"Not now, Lisa..." I began, but was merely shushed by the librarian.
"You'll like what you're about to hear, Jean..." Lisa smirked, leaving Jean hanging like she always did, and the Dandelion Knight was close to brewing up a storm for it.
"I went to Angel's Share last night, had the usual, flirted with the cuties there for a bit, but Charles..." The Gunnhildr leaned forward on the desk, enraptured by the tale and unimpressed at the same time, just the unhinged woman's way of distracting her from work again.
"He had something interesting to say about the current owner of Dawn Winery..."
"This isn't funny." I muttered darkly.
"It's not supposed to be." Lisa ensured, almost appearing apologetic, it would've gave Jean a laugh if the topic weren't so sensitive to her.
The past was tearing the foundations of her mind apart like a hurricane, but she kept calm and tried her best to keep listening. Seeing the turmoil her friend tried to hide, Lisa could only smile.
You still care.
"He said that he recieved news of Diluc returning to Mondstadt." The barrel exploded, their grip tightened before the sentence was even done.
Ink was dripping down her snow white gloves, tainting the pristine fabric along with the paper on the desk, the task temporarily an afterthought for the workaholic.
"Please go." In that monotone plea, there was a single moment where Jean couldn't hold it in, all the better to Lisa that the person coming their way was someone the Gunnhildr couldn't say those words to.
As she left the office, the librarian couldn't help but feel the dread that always accompanied hope, that was all they could do now, for Jean, and for Diluc.
To the woman left behind, her hands were shaking against all of their attempts to calm themselves, it had been a while since she felt this, four years to be exact.
And like so long ago, she couldn't quite make out her emotions, was it anger for what he did? Sympathy for what they lost? Excitement at another chance?
To this day, no one except Diluc knew what exactly happened, what Eroch had done to drive the Ragnvindr away, even after he and those who were as corrupt as they were had been ousted from the very soil.
The fatui kept insisting that the city was in their debt for felling the monster that appeared out of nowhere and killed dozens, they had to know something, but giving them any ammunition to fire, especially something as personal as this would be immensely dangerous.
Alas, Jean's body moved independently of her mind at the moment, whisking the Knight of Favonius away from the carpeted floors of their headquarters, past the door that had to be replaced four years ago, and through the imposing, irreplaceable ones of the main entrance. Beyond that, the woman walked past glittering fountains, cracked flights of stairs, and across the stone bricks of the main plaza and the church, all the way to the last place she wanted to be at the moment, the Angel's Share.
Well, the Gunnhildr nervously thought, she was already here, why not go for it?
And as the winds of Barbatos would have it, a familiar trail of red was making its way towards the tavern.
Upon seeing that color on that hair again, Jean felt every emotion under the bainrow, or was it rainbow? Her body was teetering between fainting on the spot and worrying poor Barbara again, or generating enough Electro energy it would put Lisa's own Vision to shame, her previous thoughts on doing it were in jest, it wasn't like the Anemo Archon themselves were listening in, right? Could they even hear thoughts?
"Diluc." Yet... here they were, so she would do it, talk with him for a bit, catch up.
The man looked to her, wearing a dull cloak as dark as the night. "Jean." They said, nodding and continuing on their path to the Angel's Share, not sparing them a single glance.
Jean was too stunned to move, the demeanor of Diluc all too familiar to any seasoned Knight of Favonius, dubbed by some as undead, when he first woke up after Crepus died.
He wouldn't talk, wouldn't sleep, only moving when someone else asked him to, like a doll. It was an entire week later when the Cavalry Captain truly woke up, and his first action afterwards was to punch right through a door.
Admittedly, she also felt doing the same.
But just like back then, Jean Gunnhildr only watched as Diluc Ragnvindr walked away.
Diluc's eyes snapped wide open before the sun could even reach his eyelids, not a single muscle in his strained body could relax since the attack.
As he blinked away the black ocean of his dreams, his hand had already reached out for the Favonius Greatsword he always used, drenched in the blood of so many monsters, the blade had become a deep red.
The habit of reaching out for his trusty weapon had become common for him, it was the first action he always unconsciously did, clothing, hygiene and hunger ignored for something he only ever used at night.
It still confused him, but he was used to it.
In his wardrobe, a dull uniform he once wore hung unused, the red that once dazzled like rubies was fading away, and the overall quality of his old issued attire for the Knights had definitely gone down after years of collecting dust, and it would do so for another day. Diluc chose the pitch black coat he always wore nowadays, the leather crinkled after dozens of battles with creatures of the elements.
Weapon in hand, he stiffly walked down the stairs, greeted by a dining table with enough food for one person, the Pile Em' Ups would always remain as one of his preferences, but even that was getting dull, especially when he looked at the empty seat to his left, reserved for the head of the household.
The manner in which he fell and never got back up, the way he did the same not half a minute later, just a second or two more, and the Dawn Winery would still have a competent person at the forefront of it all.
The memories motivated him to emotionlessly chow down on the steak pile in a minute, and he stood up while clutching his greatsword, probably scaring every maid in the place except Adelinde. That was a lie, they have been since he first came back from a crusade as the Darknight hero.
The sun greeted them as the doors swung open, the unholy amount of grapevine the winery grew completely surrounded it. In his peripheral vision, there was an oddity, a clearing with absolutely nothing latching onto the side of the building, it felt important, like he was missing something.
Diluc chose to ignore it.
With a backpack stuffed full of food of water, the Ragnvindr made his way to Windrise, the blessed tree visible even from the winery.
Of course, even he wasn't insane enough to travel on foot, doing so from the city to the Dawn Winery had taken him the better half of a day, they conveniently had to deliver goods to Springvale, no doubt for the infamous trio of drunkards, or one of them, at the very least.
He slipped away unseen before the cargo had even made it into the village safely, continuing onwards to their agreed location.
Unsurprisingly, Eula wasn't there yet, having to go all the way from Dragonspine to here must be agonizing even to the experienced Reconnaissance Captain, she had his condolences, no matter her status as a Lawrence and a Knight of Favonius.
Jean was... there, silently kneeling before the monument of the first Knight of Favonius, if Vennessa were to see the knights now, with people like Eroch and those who shoved their problems to someone else, instead fancying the next bottle at the Angel's Share, what would she think of it?
Venti, their Archon in disguise was closing his eyes, but made head movements that appeared as though he were listening in on a conversation, the thought scared him a bit, how much did he know?
But in the end, the bard was able to back up some of his talk, the last two who were with them were the most unassuming of them all, but it just made Diluc grow more anxious of them.
The woman called Kaslana looked well out of her time, preferring to be barefoot and just about everything she had on her was worn out, but they didn't care, instead snoozing off peacefully in the grass without a care for those around her, a book covering their face.
But these couldn't hold a candle to Aether, Kaslana seemed to just accompany the blonde traveller wherever he went, that at least was enough justification of her being here. There was no reason of sorts for Aether to be here, who had no Vision, nothing extraordinary about him to warrant fighting a dragon, and no stake in the upcoming battle, his mannerisms were closest to what little Diluc had seen of Inazumans, but even those couldn't properly match his.
Even worse were those eyes, on the surface, it looked a lot like his own, the bright colors within dulled by the passage of time, and the loss that comes with it. To Diluc Ragnvindr, the Darknight Hero who fought vile against the vile schemes of the Abyss Order on the daily, it was more than that, those eyes reminded him of that monster, shining in their little world of fire, just watching him.
The two silently walked down a beaten path, decades, even centuries' worth of people trampling on its ground has ensured that the marked dirt and stone had seen better days, not even considering all the wagons that spun against it, Anemo Slimes being used to lift cargo rather than the traditional wagon was still relatively new, and will be treated with such caution for the years to come.
Dawn Winery was within sight now, the light bounced off every surface it hit and gave the manor an appearance comparable to the sun, an antithesis to the current state of the Ragnvindr Clan. As Diluc silently mused, all Jean had done was quickly declare where they would meet up once the duo had everything they needed, before walking ahead of him at a speed never before seen, perhaps it was because most of his time was now used on fighting against the Abyss Order, but the man couldn't understand her anymore.
Sighing, he just sped up and arrived at the winery a whole five minutes later, quickly exchanging idle greetings with whoever they encountered, and grasping at the door and swinging the mechanism of iron and wood wide open, an unpleasant memory resurfacing for only a moment before he entered. Inside, Diluc scanned the interior of the building with tired eyes, seeing Jean conversing with Elzer, along with some trinkets he remembered from when the Ragnvindr was younger.
The first of the items Diluc revisited was a strange vase, something he had picked up during his travels, a gift from a kind stranger. The Ragnvindr brushed off a thin layer of dust that had formed and made his way to the stairs.
Next to the stairs was a one-legged table, atop it was a familiar Owl Statue, a slight chip on the left ear, a remnant of his old, ignorant life of Father, Kaeya, and Adelinde, the maid usually accompanied with an aura of pure terror, especially when the two kids had knocked the table down one time, the inscription, even after generations of Ragnvindr always remained the same, however.
O watcher of the night, forget not the splendor of the dawn.
O ye who contend with evildoers, sway not from the path of righteousness.
"Hm." Diluc merely grunted, now was not the time for second thoughts about his choices, having already chosen this path years ago, the Darknight Hero would see this to the very end. Excusing himself to no one in particular, the Ragnvindr slipped outside and quietly strode through the grapevine fields of the Winery, without any particular destination in mind, the smell of the growing fruit around him did little to calm his nerves nowadays, but it was always a sensation the man welcomed.
Diluc went on to do this for Archons knows how long, time passing by as if a God decided to alter its flow at a whim, speeding up in one moment, and slowing down the next, it wasn't until he felt someone lightly tapping on his shoulder was the trance broken.
The culprit turned out to be Old Tunner, one of the farmers of the Dawn Winery, starting before Diluc was even born, and their father did the same before Crepus was born, an act of loyalty that all Ragnvindrs respected. "Master Diluc, are you okay?"
The aforementioned Master blinked twice before responding. "Indeed I am, thank you for your concern."
At those words, Tunner relaxed a bit, then tensed up again. "Forgive me for asking, but how is my son, Guy? I gave him everything I could so he could join the Knights of Favonius, and he does send letters every now and then, but... Of course, you don't have to answer, I am aware of your distaste for the Knights."
Diluc waved the old man's concerns away. "That is not an issue, he is fine, last I've seen." Even if the boy is a little too eager.
"Thank Barbatos..." Old Tunner breathed a sigh of relief. "I dont want him to end up as a farmer like me, but I feel that I put too much pressure on him when I agreed to his request. Sometimes I just want him to be here with me, chatting and learning like he should be instead of running towards a goal too large." Those last few words felt familiar.
"...I see, I shall be going now." Diluc quickly bid his farewell and headed to the area Jean designated, perturbed by those words he had just heard.
Back inside, Jean Gunnhildr idly looked out the window, her eyes lost in thought, fear lacing every thought the woman's brain could produce, she felt like a Pyro Slime stuffed in a barrel, ready to explode at the lightest of touches.
Jean had struck a conversation with Elzer some time ago, but the topics they had discussed were only surface-level, she couldn't bring herself to ask a question so direct it would likely offend every man, woman and child in the her vicinity, whether they were inside the building or out in the fields.
But... what has doing nothing done for the Acting Grand Master? Even before she rose to such a position, inaction usually led to those the Gunnhildr had sworn to protect coming in harm's way, while she could only watch, when it should have always been the other way around, and Jean made sure of that. What had stopped her from confronting Diluc as he left Mondstadt's gates, then? Respect for his privacy?
Then... all those times the former Cavalry Captain had reprimanded Jean for recklessly charging in on her own, was his line of thinking back then flawed? Was hers?
"Elzer..."
"Yes, Miss Jean?" Elzer looked at her, mildly taken aback.
"...Can you please elaborate further on what happened back then?" Jean twiddled with her thumbs behind their back, unsure if the man was willing to tell the Gunnhildr of such an event, not when it was one that affected the entirety of Dawn Winery, and had even branched out to Mondstadt.
"I thought that rather be overcome by sorrow, it was better for me to share some of Master Diluc's load. It was also the only thing I could do." Jean saw Elzer's right hand curl up into a fist, but the man quickly noticed and unclenched his fingers, an apologetic look on their face, but he continued nonetheless.
"Though it was a little presumptuous of me to act beyond my role, I do think perhaps that's what Master Crepus would have liked to see.." The Chairman's eyes glazed over as he looked out the window, past the hedge directly outside the view, the three main rock formations of the Windwail Highland was there for them to see. Somewhere over there, Eula and Venti were in Wolvendom, how were they faring?
He let out a weak chuckle, "Of course, Master Diluc left shortly after the incident, and I took on his responsibilities until his return."
"I see..." Eula will be fine, especially with Barbatos, she told herself, a dangerous idea forming in her mind.
"...Thank you, Elzer." The Acting Grand Master was already acting beyond her own role, what was a little more?
Just as they had arrived, Jean and Diluc left Dawn Winery without a word to each other, the map held by the man as the Acting Grand Master tried to think of the best way to approach him, ending on a dead end every time, yet still trying to think. Ancient ruins towered over them as they continued on their journey, reminding the Gunnhildr of the close proximity of Wolvendom, was Eula nearby?
They were covered in shadow as they walked under a stone arch, the two of them had thought nothing of it, until an axe came swinging from their right, managing a cheap shot on Diluc, who couldn't move out of the way in time, a sizable gash sprouting from his arm.
Without any thought, Jean's Dandelion Field roared to life, disorienting the hidden Mitachurl and providing comfort to the wounded Ragnvindr as she charged straight in, ending the fight as quickly as it had started with a simple thrust of Anemo Energy through the monster's head. Without skipping a beat, she made her way to diluc's side.
"Are you okay?" Those words were what she had wanted to say so long ago, better ridiculously late than never.
"Im fine." The man grumbled, attempting to stand up but failing miserably.
"No you're not, stay down."
"...I respectfully decline."
"I just want to-"
"You can't help." Diluc sternly replied, why couldn't Jean understand? Revenge was all he needed to cut the noose around his neck, free him of the sleepless nights, the bloody battles, the nightmares.
"Maybe, still..." The Gunnhildr assumed a gentle stance, a far cry from all of their interactions since he'd coldly dismissed her back then.
"I have to try." Jean's voice had a different tone to it, a new wind, one that made her proposal difficult to accept, but...
"Why?" His own words felt at a loss, a battle they couldn't win, one that the Darknight Hero was used to, but that lingering sense of wrongness was stronger than ever.
"Because..." To answer this, she had to pause for a moment. For Mondstadt, always, is the way of the Gunnhildr, was this all because Diluc was a part of the land of freedom? His status as a Ragnvindr? The answer was there quickly, it was none of those reasons.
"...You're someone I hold dear..." Jean's eyes stung as those words forced their way through the dam of her heart, the feeling was painful and cathartic, so she kept going.
"...And when I first saw you after the attack..." Diluc was mildly confused, after the attack? They never saw each other again up until his return, he was sure of that.
"...I did nothing." The Dandelion Knight's hand was shaking, even after bearing the burden of protecting Mondstadt as the sole active member of the three clans, nothing had ever quite made her struggle this much.
"I watched you walk away from me twice..." Jean took a step closer, and Diluc hesitantly stepped back in response, was this fear he felt? She was undeterred, and continued to step forward, each movement felt like moving through solid rock.
The Darknight Hero froze after witnessing the bold advance, or was this acceptance? The Gunnhildr didn't miss the opportunity, spreading her arms wide and wrapping him in a tight embrace, he wouldn't drown alone, not if she had a say in it.
"...And that regret has been eating away at me since!" Jean screamed into Diluc's shoulder, unable to keep it the dam stable as her tears leaked out and sobs broke out, sending shivers through both of their quaking bodies.
After that display, the Ragnvindr wasn't sure if he could match their friend's strength. No, it wasn't just strength, it was her will, determination that allowed the Gunnhildr to do what she did, perhaps that was all that fate asked of him.
"...I'll still fight the Abyss." Probably until the end of his life.
"I know."
"...I can't shake off my goal of revenge so easily." Not until he slays that monster.
"I know."
"...I'm not sure if I can change." Diluc's words were trembling like every other fiber of his being now, but he had to persevere like she did.
"You can, just promise me..." Jean had stopped crying now, the two looked at the other's puffy eyes, their barriers torn down, the fog cleared, the souls behind them clear to see.
"...Don't do it alone."
"...I promise."
"You just had to leave once things were getting interesting..." Asmodeus muttered, glaring daggers at Aether as he exuded warmth to combat the chill of Dragonspine, where the two were once again following the path of the Homunculus.
The Traveller had to fight the urge to send back some shots of his own, the battle that would ensue if he did would likely ensure their mutual demise. "What they say to each other there is for them alone to hear, and time is limited before they reach Decarabian's tower." If he wanted the plan to go off without a hitch, it was best to put everyone's interests above their own.
It wasn't like Aether had no idea as to what transpired after their departure, either. He had done something like what the Ragnvindr and Gunnhildr had made. A promise.
The two defenders of Mondstadt were lucky to be mortal, the guilt of breaking it chews away at the Prince about as much as the Abyss does.
.
...Go with my...
.
AN:
Imagining being held at gunpoint as I work on Liyue will motivate me to write faster, right?