Ch. 26 – The Jester's Will
The Knights of Favonius are so inefficient.
Crepus doesn't care about the thousand apologies Belinda and Wyratt give him. The guilty faces they make nor the barely optimistic words they say to him make him believe they're actually going to do anything to help find his sons. "Please, have faith. We'll find them and bring them home," they both say more than once.
Enough is enough. If the Ordo won't do anything to help his kids, then he'll do something himself.
"Master Ragnvindr, please—" Wyratt tries to say for the thousandth time this morning.
Both he and Belinda shrivel under the murderous glare he gives them. "You knights are useless," he interrupts. He doesn't bother holding back his temper. He's tired of suppressing his anger, tired of trying to save face. He doesn't care if his reputation is ruined because of this. "My sons are missing and here you are, twiddling your thumbs. Are having a nice time here at the winery? Staying warm? Eating the food we provide for you and drinking your fill without a care in the world while children are missing? Is this what you incompetent knights do nowadays?"
Despite her nervousness, Belinda keeps eye contact and answers, "Master Ragnvindr, we really are doing our best. We will find your sons in no time."
He scoffs at her and snaps, "You have done nothing! My son disappeared right under your god damned noses! Isn't it your job to protect the citizens of Mondstadt?"
Wyratt raises his hands defensively into the air. "Please, Master Ragnvindr, calm down! I'm so sorry—!" he tries to explain but gets immediately interrupted.
The excuses and telling him to calm down only anger him further. It seems like Wyratt realizes this as he pales when Crepus' hands turn to fists. "I have been calm for almost four days now. Do not tell me to calm down while nothing has been done!"
"No one snuck in and I didn't see him leave while I was patrolling the fields last night! No one saw anything out of the ordinary, and if he left of his own accord, Belinda didn't hear him!"
His hands turn to fists. Useless idiots. "Enough with your bullshit excuses! I am tired of having you two here. I want you both gone!"
Belinda shakes her head and says, "Master Varka said that we need to stay here and protect you! The suspect could come to the manor at any time and harm—"
"I don't give a damn what Varka said!" His yell makes the two cowardly knights flinch. He angrily points to the front doors of the manor. "Get the hell off my property before I escort you out myself!"
Belinda and Wyratt share a look and then quietly turn to leave. The manor remains quiet after the doors close after them, with only the sounds of Crepus' heavy breathing filling the air. He turns on his heel toward the stairs. "Unless it's an emergency, we are not taking any visitors or guests," he says.
"Yes, Master Crepus," Elzer replies.
Adelinde nods her head and watches him with worry in her eyes as he storms upstairs. He doesn't go to his office and instead slams the door to his own room closed. The morning light shines through the window, occasionally obstructed by the clouds that roll across the sky. It's such a beautiful day out in contrast to the violent anger that rolls through his body.
"This is a different location where we may reconvene at your leisure. I will be there for a few days before I must return to Snezhnaya."
Dottore's words still remain fresh in his memory. He knows the doctor likely hasn't left Mondstadt yet, and from what he remembers of the information on the paper he'd been given, it isn't too far from the winery. He glances out the window to look at the river. The slimes jump around near the shore, frolicking in the cold water and a few birds fly off from the trees and away from the winery.
He closes his eyes. He needs to calm down if he wants to save his sons. Pure anger won't do anything to help them. In. He inhales slowly through his nostrils, holds it for a few moments, and then lets it go. Out. It takes a few tries, but eventually, his temper ebbs away into something he can control. He opens his eyes again, turns to his closet, and throws the doors wide open.
His clothes vary in color and style, both casual and formal, and he grabs the only riding cloak he has without a second thought. There isn't much time before Il Dottore leaves Mondstadt. Knowing him, he probably hasn't moved locations unless he found something scientifically earth-shattering. If that's the case, he'll simply have to follow the doctor's trail.
"Please don't go, Father. Please don't make me watch this happen again."
He closes his eyes and an apologetic sound escapes him. This is the only way he can think of to help him save both of his sons.
I'm sorry, Kaeya.
With his mind made up, he throws the cloak over his shoulders as he walks back out of his room. Adelinde and Elzer are still downstairs and he doesn't spare them a glance. "I will be gone most of the day. I will return by supper time," he informs them. He opens the door. "If the Knights of Favonius want to know where I went, I am out for business."
"…Yes, Master Crepus," Adelinde says softly. "Promise us that you will be careful."
He looks over his shoulder. Elzer and Adelinde are both watching him with worry in their eyes, but neither makes a move to stop him. He forces a smile to grace his face to try and ease their fears. "I will be as careful as I can." He turns back around. "Expect me to come back by supper. Don't wait for me if I'm late."
With that, he shuts the door behind him and hurries to the stable. He gets Lady ready in record time and is out of Dawn Winery before Adelinde glances out the window, only to see the little cloud of dust Lady's hooves leave behind as she gallops at full speed.
-x-
The Fatui camp isn't hard to find.
South of Springvale is a small valley nestled between the cliffs with sturdy hilichurl huts dotting the area. It's out of the way of any normal travelers and any locals already know to avoid the area to avoid dealing with the Fatui. A wall made of rotting wooden planks blocks the little valley off, leaving only a tiny gap in the middle. A single Anemoboxer stands guard, his eyes staying on his form the moment he hears Lady's hooves clopping against the ground in the direction of the camp.
Crepus stops just in front of him and slides out of the saddle. "I am here to see Dottore. Is he still here?" he asks and takes Lady's reigns.
The guard nods once. "The Lord Harbinger is expecting you," he says and jerks his head backward. "Middle hut."
He doesn't thank the guard and walks through, keeping the hood of his cloak up as he crosses through the gap in the shabby wall. The Fatui agents that roam around stare at him, some curious, others hostile, but they leave him alone when he stops at the middle hut. Both torches on either side are unlit, and he ties Lady's reigns to one of them.
He pats her neck and leaves her to step inside the hut. In the middle of the single round room is a long stone table with someone laying on its surface. It's clear that whoever the poor soul was has been dead for some time now. He lifts his eyes away from the body to look at the harbinger that stands with his back facing him.
"I almost believed you would not be coming," Il Dottore says. He doesn't turn around, too focused on whatever task that is before him.
Crepus huffs. "I almost didn't," he replies. He eyes the leg of the unmoving body the harbinger is standing over. As disturbing as it is to see a dead body on any day, there is a distinct lack of blood even though there is a large hole in the stomach. "What did this one do?"
He hums as if he's uninterested in the question. "It really is none of your business, but I can indulge your curiosity. He met his end while attempting to accomplish a task designated to him."
He glares daggers into his back. "And would that task happen to be kidnapping an eight-year-old boy?"
Dottore pauses and finally turns around. He smiles at him and flashes too-sharp teeth at him as he leans against the table. "Perhaps it was. But you would be glad to know that he escaped a few days ago near the border."
Crepus' eyes widen and he struggles not to let his relief show. Kaeya escaped! "Where is my son?" he demands.
"That is the million-mora question. If I knew the answer, I would happily tell you. The agent escorting the carriage reported that they were attacked by a man with strange abilities. Both the child and the man were gone when he woke up."
"Good," he says. "I will find Kaeya before you send any more goons after him."
He chuckles, low in his throat. "Even after learning that we, the Fatui, stole your child and tried taking him to Snezhnaya, you still seek our aid?"
He frowns as his jaw twitches. "As much as it pains me to say it: yes."
The doctor studies him for a few quiet and tense moments before he gets off the table. "Your morals are slightly askew, Master Ragnvindr. Is it justice that you seek a delusion or is it petty revenge?"
"It is not against you that I would deal out a just punishment."
"Oh?" He laughs again, but the toothy smile he had before disappears into a simple grin. "It is unfortunate for you that I do not have a delusion on my person."
Crepus narrows his eyes at him. "I did not come all this way for my time to be wasted. You knew I was coming. If you do not have it, then where is it?"
A heavy footstep hits the stone ground behind him. "You do not get to make demands while you are here, Master Ragnvindr," a new voice says.
Crepus freezes. The deep voice he hasn't heard in years still sends shivers up his spine and he flicks his eyes to see the owner of the voice walk past him and stop near the stone table.
The Jester looks the same as he always has, although the mask he wears has grown since he last saw him. Half of his face is almost entirely covered by it, but the same blue eye scans the body before it's turned in his direction. The air around him seems to breathe command and the expression he wears is as cold as the stone beneath their feet.
The look in his eye makes Crepus want to turn and run, especially as he comes to terms with the gravity of this easily avoided situation. He's alone, faced with two of the top-ranked members within the Fatui.
Even if he does try to run, he has no help. No one knows he's here.
People would be lucky to find his dead body.
"You are brave to come here alone," the Jester finally says after a long silence. His voice lacks any emotion that his eye holds. "I should have you disposed of for your treachery."
He internally winces. Maybe he should have told Adelinde and Elzer where he was going before he ran off into a death trap. "I would do anything for my children, Pierro," he replies with his own frown. "If you had any yourself, you would understand that I would risk everything to save them."
The Jester's expression remains annoyingly passive, but a flash of interest crosses his single-eyed gaze. "You would do anything?"
He doesn't like the way this is going, yet he straightens and answers, "If my death ensures their safety, then so be it. I will not fight it, as long as you swear never to go near my family again."
Silence stretches between them for what seems like an eternity. Crepus keeps looking between Dottore and Pierro, keeping a vigilant watch as if he could do anything to fight them off. He came unarmed and alone—far from the smartest idea he's ever had but it is the truth.
Crepus would do anything to save his kids.
The Jester ponders his words a couple of seconds more before he glances at Dottore. "Retrieve it," he commands.
As the second harbinger exits the hut and leaves them alone, Crepus asks tentatively, "You're giving me one?"
"I understand your pain, Master Ragnvindr. The loss of a child is unbearable." He takes a step closer. "I am not giving you a delusion. What I am giving you is a second chance to live in this vile world. In exchange, you will mete out those who have passed their usefulness. The delusion is a mere tool to aid you."
He hesitates. Returning to the Fatui isn't something he has thought about. "You're asking me to come back."
Pierro quirks his brow. "I am not."
"But you just said—"
"I am well aware of what has been said," he interrupts. He stands straighter and the air around him turns heavy as his own anger penetrates the air inside the hut. "I remember the… extravagant way you left us in the past." He steps closer until he is barely a foot away. It takes most of Crepus' self-control to not back up a few steps to create a bit of breathing room between them. "You are a traitor to the Fatui, Crepus Ragnvindr." He backs off slightly as his expression returns to its neutral state. "But I am not a monster."
Crepus stays quiet, watching him turn around to look at the body strewn on the table.
"In exchange for your life, you will gain the power to protect those that are precious to you. Family is, after all, a precious thing to be treasured and protected." He pauses for a moment to allow the words to sink in. "All I require is that you get rid of the rats that have long surpassed their expiration."
He doesn't like the way this is going. He knows what Pierro is asking him to do. "You want to use me as an assassin." It's not a question. He's stating a fact, and when Pierro doesn't object, his stomach drops. He's never enjoyed killing others, but if it means his children would be safe from the Fatui, then…
The breeze outside blows gently, but thankfully the cold air remains outside as the torches around the room keep the inside warm. The agents working around the camp are quiet despite the open entrance to the hut that would allow anyone passing by to see them standing there. Lady nickers outside and stamps her hooves, growing impatient the longer she remains tied to the post.
The Jester turns back around and flicks his eye toward the entrance as Dottore returns. The harbinger says nothing as he hands over a small wooden box to the director and goes back to whatever it was he was doing to the body.
Pierro takes two steps toward Crepus and stops to hold out the box to him, offering him to take it. "Think of it as ensuring not only ensuring the future of the Fatui and Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa but also the safety and well-being of Mondstadt and her people. Take it, and we have come to an agreement."
Crepus stares at it and the latch that seals the delusion inside. Even though it remains sealed inside, the power radiating from it makes him hesitate to reach for it. Something about it seems strange, and he swallows down a nervous ball that had built in his throat to ask, "If I do this, will you leave my children alone?"
Pierro is the one that hesitates this time. "The younger one is of great value to us and the Tsaritsa," he answers and pulls his arm back. "The power he holds can change the entirety of Teyvat for the greater good."
He nearly chokes on the air in his confusion and astonishment. What in Teyvat does the Cryo Archon want with his son?
Kaeya doesn't have a vision, he hasn't shown any kind of signs of any otherworldly powers. Any other power he can think of and the similarities between them all have not shown in his behavior during the time he's known him. Even if the Tsaritsa is an Archon, kidnapping him would have the opposite effect either of them desired.
"There is a war coming, Crepus," the Jester continues. "Not between our nations, the people, nor is it because of our different beliefs. This war is greater than you can imagine. As such, not even a single pawn must be spared."
He fights the urge to laugh. "Ironic you say that after asking me to kill people that have outlasted their usefulness."
"Then don't outlast your own." He holds the box out again. "I shall ensure the safety of your son, for as long as you aid us. If not, we will dispose of you here and now."
And then there would be no one to protect either of his boys.
Crepus only has one choice.
He takes the box and glares at the seemingly innocent box. The latch flicks upward with a single flick and inside lays a black glove with a deep red gem sewn into the leather. It looks similar to a vision, though it lacks a proper casing and the distinct emblem that would otherwise be in the middle. He snaps it shut as he puts it into the pocket of his cloak.
The Jester lowers his arm with a satisfied nod. "You already know your first target. See it done in three days' time."
Dottore grins at him and offers an almost friendly wave as he turns around to leave. "Good luck, Master Ragnvindr. I do hope you find your sons in good health as soon as possible."
Crepus says nothing in response and doesn't look back as he exits the hut and throws his hood back over his head. As much as he hates it and the way his stomach churns at the thought of murdering others, he can't help but to look forward to this first task.
Eroch's usefulness for the Fatui has run its course, and as such, he will be dealt with accordingly.
-x-
Crepus gets back to Dawn Winery just after sundown. It's too quiet—the sounds of running kids are absent and Adelinde's shouts for them to not run in the manor are missing. His heart aches thinking about it, but as he steps inside and the warm air washes over him, he begins to shake.
He should have seen the warning signs; the way Eroch insisted on training him once he joined the Ordo, the way he acted and spoke when Kaeya was even mentioned, and even the look in his eyes should have told him everything he needed to know.
But why? What is so important about Kaeya that has attracted the Fatui and the Tsaritsa's fixation? What power was Pierro talking about? A pit forms in his stomach the more he thinks about it. The way he found him was mysterious itself—abandoned and alone in the middle of one of the worst storms Mondstadt had ever had.
"Children are still used as tools."
As much as he doesn't want to admit it, Eroch was right.
He opens his closet to put his cloak back inside, but he doesn't immediately hang it back up. He stares at it in silence and grips it harder as memories run through his mind. The delusion that he has been carrying is heavier than before, sitting patiently in the box and waiting to be used.
He glares at the little thing and tosses it onto the bed to put it away in a safer spot at a later time. Once he finds the boys, he isn't going to let them out of his sight any time soon. The delusion will help him find them and kill the ones that took them.
His thoughts come to a screeching halt when a loud noise explodes from the grape field. It sounds almost like the ground itself is cracking but when he looks outside, the ground is just fine although the air itself seems to twist and turn. A dark gate stretches open across the dirt path that leads up to the manor's front doors, dark even in the dim night lights. That power looks Abyssal. What the hell is that—
He almost calls for Elzer and Adelinde to stay inside when someone steps through but his throat closes up the moment he recognizes him immediately. His eyes widen as he watches Diluc step through, his skin pale in the moonlight and it looks like he could be sick at any second. He wants to jump through the window in order to get to him, but he doesn't think he'd be able to land safely without injuring himself. He has to settle for staring at the scene as someone else steps through.
The man following Diluc is limping behind, favoring one leg as he staggers out of the portal. His jaw is set, likely in pain and Crepus notices that he is carrying a third person on his back. Although they are clearly unconscious and their face is hidden from him, Crepus can recognize that it's Kaeya.
The cloak falls from his hands and he rushes out of his room, his thoughts focusing solely on the boys. His heart beats hard and fast in his ears and he startles Adelinde and Elzer as he jumps the last few stairs.
Elzer almost drops the glass of water he's holding. "Master Crepus? What's wrong?" he asks.
Adelinde rushes to his side as he throws the door wide open. "Master Crepus? What is the matter?" she asks. Her eyes land on Diluc as he climbs the last of the stairs leading up to the front doors and gasps in shock. The boy is covered in dust, dirt, and scratches. A deep cut on his arm has bled through his shirt and ruined it, and another is bleeding from somewhere on his head. "Master Diluc!" she exclaims.
Elzer is immediately at her side while Crepus ignores them, taking the last few steps forward to fall to his knees and engulf Diluc in a tight embrace. His own shirt will probably be stained from a mixture of Diluc's blood and tears with the way he buries his head into his chest and shoulders shake and he'll probably have to throw it out, but all he feels is relief. "Diluc!" he shouts.
Diluc's entire body is trembling, whether it's out of fear or the cold, Crepus doesn't know, but Diluc is the first to break their painfully short hug. He looks up at him, tears stinging his eyes as he shouts, "Dainsleif needs help! He's really hurt!"
"Who?" he asks. He turns his head up as the blond man finally approaches them, limping far slower than when he'd initially stepped outside of the portal. He is dragging his leg by now, creating a small divot in the dirt on either side of his foot. The wound in the man's leg is worryingly deep and blood flows freely to the ground.
The man Crepus safely assumes is Dainsleif grunts in pain as he steps onto the smooth stone of the manor's entrance. His knee starts to shake, telling anyone that could see that he will collapse if he takes another step. "Take him, please," he says to anyone, but his eyes are on Crepus.
Crepus immediately takes charge. "Elzer, help him inside, and then go get a healer from the city! Adelinde, get the first aid kit, then prepare some warm water and towels!" he quickly orders. He then rushes forward to help ease Kaeya's limp form off of Dainsleif's back while Adelinde runs back in and Elzer helps the man remain standing.
Dainsleif, however, tries to push Elzer off. "I'll be all right," he insists.
"You're bleeding all over the place and your leg will get infected if you don't let us help," Elzer retorts.
The man hesitates before he finally allows the butler to take his arm and put it around his own shoulders to support him and help him inside the manor.
With him taken care of, Crepus turns his attention back to the boys. Kaeya's skin is hot to the touch, he hasn't stirred once and the only thing that tells him that he is still alive is his ragged breathing. His eyepatch is missing and the veins beneath the normally covered eye are black.
Diluc sways from where he's standing and Crepus tears his eyes off of Kaeya to see the far-off look in the older boy's eyes. His wounds don't look like they're serious, but the heavy bleeding from his head and arm is still going strong. Shit. "Diluc, can you walk?" he asks seriously.
Diluc takes too long to think about it. Not good. "Papa, I don't feel good," he mumbles.
His heart stutters. Diluc hasn't called him 'Papa' so casually in years. Whether it's exhaustion, blood loss, or something else, Diluc isn't going to be awake for much longer. "Let's go inside, okay? I'll help you." He shifts Kaeya into one arm and takes Diluc's hand in his free arm. "We'll go slow if you need."
Diluc nods slowly and manages to get a few steps inside before he topples forward, held up only by the grip Crepus has on his hand. He grunts as he finds his footing again. "'M sorry… I'm really dizzy," he says quietly.
"It's okay, you're okay," he instantly replies. He looks at Adelinde as she comes back down the stairs. "Adelinde, please, help me get Kaeya upstairs."
She takes the unconscious boy out of his arms with no hesitation and worryingly puts the back of her hand against his forehead. "Master Crepus, he's burning up."
"I know." He walks up the stairs. "Elzer will be getting a healer shortly. Please, do what you can to cool him down."
Diluc lifts his head. He looks exhausted, but he doesn't look like he's going to be sick anymore. "He got a vision…" he tells them and digs his hand into his pocket. "Vision 's cold…" He pulls out a cryo vision from his back pocket, its sky-blue light shining brightly.
Crepus stares at it with wide eyes. After what he learned from the Jester, seeing the cryo insignia makes him frown deeply. The Tsaritsa herself has blessed him… what is the meaning of all this?
Despite the hopeful coincidence, his chest swells with bleak pride. This must be how he escaped the Fatui, he thinks grimly as Adelinde takes the vision. "Come on; let's get you cleaned up and taken care of, all right? Adelinde, please take care of Kaeya for the time being."
Diluc groans tiredly as he sets his head back onto Crepus' shoulder. "'M sorry I ran away," he utters. His words start to slur as he gets closer to passing out. "But I wanted t' help Dainsleif."
He adjusts his grip as he ascends the staircase. He has to keep him awake, keep him talking. "Where did you meet Dainsleif?"
"…Don' be mad at him, Papa. He… let me come with him… t' save Kae." His eyelids begin to droop.
"Hey, hey, no sleeping yet. I need you to stay awake." He pats his back comfortingly as the boy wearily groans in objection. "I do have a few choice words for Dainsleif, but that can wait. Can you tell me where you met him?" he repeats.
He nods. They're finally on the second floor and enter his bedroom shortly after. "Outside." He lifts his head and points to the window. "Saw him over there… by the trees."
Crepus sets him down on the bed and looks at his head. There is a warm bowl of water sitting on the nightstand with two towels beside it, but the medical supplies are likely with Elzer at the moment. He takes one of the towels and holds it against the cut on his forehead, pressing down firmly to try and stop the bleeding despite Diluc's quiet whine. Crepus' heart shatters at the pained sound, wishing he had something to help him right now. "I know it hurts, but it will only be a little longer, okay?"
"…Doesn' hurt," he softly insists. "'M a knight."
"Even knights can still hurt, firefly."
The bleeding stops shortly, and Crepus is relieved that the injuries aren't as serious as he thought. The cut on his arm is the worst of them and would likely need stitches, but until the healer arrives, the simple bandage he wrapped around his head and arm will have to do. After he helps him clean up and change clothes, Diluc falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow, barely able to let out a quiet, "Good night," as his eyes close themselves.
Crepus stands and pulls the covers over him. He'll scold him later when he has healed. With Diluc taken care of, he leaves the room to get to the room beside it. He pushes the door open and sees Adelinde sitting on the edge of the bed beside Kaeya, wringing out a towel into a bowl. She looks up when she hears him and then returns her attention to what she is doing. "How is he?" he asks as he goes to the other side of the bed.
"He hasn't woken up yet," she informs him. She folds the towel and places it on Kaeya's forehead. "It doesn't look like he's too terribly hurt, but we won't know for certain until the healer arrives." She sets her hands in her lap and grips her apron tightly.
"Are you all right?" he asks.
She hesitates and her jaw twinges slightly as she tries to hold back her own anger. "Please tell me you will deal with whoever did this to them." She looks up at him, her brows scrunched close together.
He nods and turns his attention to the sleeping boy. He can't keep his eyes off his chafed and bruised wrists. He has a few minor cuts here and there, but his temper starts to boil inside again and he traces his thumb underneath his right eye. The strange dark veins have lessened since they brought him inside, although the black in his sclera has yet to recede. "After the healer leaves," he replies.
Adelinde nods in approval. "Shall I attend to our guest?"
"No. I have questions for him." He gets back up. "I'll be back shortly."
The guest room lies a short distance away on the other side of the staircase, overlooking the opposite side of the winery. He knocks once against the wooden door and opens it and is startled by what he sees. The blond man is sitting up in the bed, a red-stained towel sits inside the bowl and his face is clear of any blood that had been covering it earlier. "Your name is Dainsleif, right?"
Dainsleif nods as he puts away the unused medical supplies back into the box Elzer had brought him. He briefly looks up and then back to the injury on his leg. "Yes," he replies, his monotone voice oddly familiar.
"I want to thank you for saving my sons." He steps inside and leaves the door open. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you need. The healer should be here shortly to—"
"I apologize, Master Ragnvindr, however, I must take my leave," he interrupts. He winces as he pulls his hands away from the bandages that are wrapped around his leg. "I cannot stay for much longer."
"You are more than welcome to stay the night and rest."
Dainsleif shakes his head. "It's quite all right. I have important matters to attend to that cannot wait any longer."
Crepus fully understands that. He accepts it with a nod. "Very well. Before you leave, may I ask what happened?"
The blond man seems surprised. "You would not ask for me to stay?"
He raises a brow. "Is that what you want?"
He shakes his head. "Not particularly," he admits. He takes a breath as he tests putting some weight on his injured leg. "While it is not my place to give you the details, I have been keeping an eye on Kaeya for some time now. Ever since the herald first attacked your sons months ago. When the Fatui had taken him, I did all that I could to help him and fought the doctor that was with him because I believed it would keep him safe."
Crepus is rarely impressed by strangers, and the fact that he was able to fight off Dottore, whether it was one of his segments or not, and come out alive leaves him in awe.
The man continues to speak. "So I told him to run. If I hadn't, perhaps I could have gotten him home the first day." He clenches his hands into fists. "The Abyss Order took him before I could catch up to him."
He feels the blood drain from his face and he swallows hard. "First the Fatui, then the Tsaritsa, and now the Abyss Order? What's next, Celestia itself?" he asks quietly. "He's just a boy. He isn't even old enough to join the Knights of Favonius. He has to use a chair to reach the shelves above the counter. Why are all of them after my son?"
Dainsleif hesitates. He looks away, his eyes full of guilt. He knows exactly why, and it frustrates Crepus that he isn't telling him. "Again, it is not my place. When the time is right, Kaeya may tell you." He stands up and turns away from him. "Your boys are stronger than you think. Diluc is… a little rough around the edges and he still needs a lot of training, but he is a good kid and means well. Should he ask, let him know that I am fine. I will come back someday."
"Do you not want to stay for a meal? It is the least I can do for you as thanks. You saved my sons. I… I don't know how I can ever repay you."
He pauses and looks back at him. "Maybe one day, I would try a Death Afternoon from your tavern."
He snorts, mildly amused. "If that's all you want, I can have that arranged."
The corner of his lip turns upward slightly. "Then it is settled. For now, it is goodbye." He raises his arm and the gate Crepus had first seen appears right in front of him. Seconds later, it closes and he's left alone in the guest room.
He smiles at no one, still staring at the spot Dainsleif had disappeared through. "Thank you," he says under his breath and turns around to put the first aid kit away.
-x-
With blood loss and elemental exhaustion on top of each other, the healer Elzer had brought informed them that Diluc is expected to sleep through the day and night to regain his strength. The healer goes to treat Kaeya next, but after treating a few minor bruises, a light burn on his back, and the chafing around his wrists, he informs them that all he needs is rest.
Kaeya briefly wakes up sometime in the night and after he promptly falls back to sleep, Crepus huffs out another wet laugh.
He should have been there to protect both of his sons. What kind of parent is he if he can't even make sure his children are safe in their own home? His fingernails dig into his palm in fury. He knows the first thing he can do.
Varka can send all the knights he wants to arrest Eroch for his treason and various other crimes. He'll find a way out in a matter of hours and no one would bat an eye. Compared to the rest of Teyvat, Mondstadt's laws are a joke. The only thing that can get rid of monsters like Eroch is not exile or life in prison.
He turns around and leaves Kaeya's room quietly and goes back to his own bedroom, where the cloak remains laying on the covers of his bed and the little wooden box hidden underneath it. He doesn't waste any time throwing the cloak across his shoulders and pulls the glove over his hand. It sits on the back of his hand so naturally, it's almost like it was made specifically for him. He glares at the little thing and then lowers his arm as he heads for the door.
He exits the manor as quietly as a mouse, waking none but the crystal flies he walks by.
Just this one night, Brighella would return to Teyvat.
Come morning, they won't be the only one dead to the world.