CHAPTER NINE: HOPE
Faint remnants of smoldering smoke, ash, and rubble had been all that had remained of the capital once known as Liyue Harbor, upon Ganyu and Keqing's return. It had been enough for Keqing to have collapsed to her knees and cry in absolute sadness, that place once having been their home. All that had been left was an ominous mist of the residual smoke surrounding the entire length and width of where Liyue's capital had once been. Now, it was nothing but a large and wide body of water polluted with smoldering debris and charred corpses.
Five minutes had been enough for the two, having taken their leave towards the closest mountain range that had housed one of the Adepti. That had been Mt. Aocang; the very place Ganyu had been risen as a child by Cloud Retainer. She had prayed to the gods above that she wouldn't find her adoptive mother's corpse upon arrival, seeing she'd seen enough horrors the very night that started all of this chaos.
Merchants…
Husbands and wives…
Children too young to have even lived a real life yet…
Sights that her mentality could bear to see in her current unstable health.
The hike up to the highest point of the massive mountain was an exhausting endeavor for Keqing, so they had stopped halfway up to take a breather, having kept their guards up to assure safety and preparation against any potential enemies lurking along the trail. Fortunately, such case hadn't occurred then or along the entire ascension to Cloud Retainer's abode, the two having made it to their current position without any severe troubles.
Upon looking out to the very place she had spent time learning, training, swimming, and dining gracefully as a child, she was grateful that nothing had appeared as abnormal. No signs of struggle or tribulations had appeared evident, nor were there any sorts of seals or anything that could've been used to prevent Cloud Retainer from leaving her abode.
Nothing seemed to fit, but Ganyu wasn't about to assume the area as safe just because it appeared unchanged. Only until she saw her adoptive mother safe and sound would she lower her weapon or guard at all.
"Stay alert, Keqing," she warned, moving further into the area.
Keqing nodded and followed, Ganyu eventually having led her to the front entrance of Cloud Retainer's domain.
Ganyu knocked in a specific pattern, to which Keqing had assumed a secret code for safety concerns.
"Cloud Retainer, it's me, Ganyu," Ganyu assured, stepping back and hoping for a response.
A good amount of time followed, but no response came, giving Ganyu enough assurance that something was definitely off.
"This isn't right; Cloud Retainer rarely leaves her abode, except for something regarding the other Adepti," Ganyu explained with worry in her voice.
"Considering she was your guardian, I have no reason to not believe you," Keqing confirmed. "I know this may sound bad, but is there any chance the Fatui could've infiltrated the domain?"
Ganyu caught on, not even wanting to believe that possible.
"Unless they know a secret knock code that only those who she trusts are aware of, there's no way an outsider could pass the entrance," Ganyu explained. "Even if they possibly did, they'd have to use Adeptus art to break through the actual entrance to her inner home. Something only Adepti are capable of doing."
Keqing was impressed by the amount of security Cloud Retainer had to her abode, but aside from that, the mystery of the Adepti having no interference in the attacks on Liyue Harbor had grown even more mysterious.
"No sign of a struggle, no trace of any sort of attack aimed towards Cloud Retainer, but yet she's still absent. What in the world happened that night?" Keqing thought to herself aloud.
"I'm not sure, but I believe to get a clearer picture, we must check all of the remaining Adeptis' homes throughout Liyue," Ganyu stated.
Keqing nodded in agreement.
"If one is absent, who's to say that all of them are?" Keqing inquired. "Let's hope I'm wrong."
Keqing and Ganyu had followed up with their plan, having traveled across the peaks of Liyue's mountain range, only to find the same exact case with the other domains.
Keqing had unfortunately been right, and now, the two had no idea where to go, nor could they even make a guess on where the Adepti may have gone. That same thesis went along with Rex Lapis as well, seeing he had normally resided in Liyue Harbor, but it was nothing but ruins now. Even with lightning speed, Morax was a god, and, even if his power wasn't at its maximum, he easily could've dealt with these superhuman monsters.
If he had been in Liyue Harbor that night, none of this would be happening. Ganyu knew that and so did Keqing, but traveling the mountains had left both of them exhausted, so they had decided to call it a night. Ganyu hadn't lied to Jean about her having secret hideaway spots throughout Liyue, and had led Keqing to one close to the base of the last mountain they had climbed to the very top of.
It had been cloaked by not only overgrowth, but also an adeptus art seal that she had cast on it before her departure the last time she was there. While being only half-adeptus, Ganyu still had some knowledge of the Adeptus arts, and had used it throughout the Archon War to stay safe.
Using Keqing's sword to cut the overgrowth away, Ganyu had used some kind of special password to allow her and Keqing entry, to which clearance had been given and the two had taken shelter in the temporary hideout. It wasn't anything special, just a small cave with enough room for two occupants that hadn't seemed to have even aged from Ganyu's last time there.
The branches in the firepit were still healthy, the walls of the cave were sturdy and solid, and even the footprints from Ganyu's last time were still imprinted firmly in the loose dirt. The prints were only a few inches smaller to Ganyu's current size, to which Keqing wasn't surprised at all, knowing full well that Qilin aged much much slower than an average human like herself.
"If only one of us had a pyro vision," Ganyu said, taking a seat against the smooth stone wall of the cave.
"Oh, don't worry. I've got that covered," Keqing replied, pulling out something Ganyu hadn't expected.
From out of their bag of necessities that they'd brought along just in case something like this ended up happening, Keqing pulled out two matchboxes.
The two from their temporary Mondstadt home.
"Keqing! You stole those from Mondstadt?!" Ganyu objected.
"Ganyu, relax," Keqing replied. "They have plenty to spare for other people. Besides, we need a fire if we're going to survive tonight."
Ganyu couldn't deny that, her body already shivering from the cool breeze of the night.
"Fine. I just wish you would've asked first," Ganyu surrendered.
Keqing just giggled lightly at the comment, finding the whole thing silly and unnecessary.
"You worry about the smallest things," Keqing replied. "Looks like even your work habits haven't changed."
Ganyu personally had no comment, assisting Keqing in arranging the firepit to a more safe arrangement to avoid any accidents. Upon one match lighting with ease, the pit was ablaze in mere seconds with a simple toss. The two sat opposite one another, allowing the fire to warm them up for a most-likely long night. Both of them were warm in less than a minute of sitting a safe distance from the fire, to which Keqing decided to make conversation.
"How are you feeling?" Keqing questioned.
Ganyu raised an eyebrow at the comment, unsure of what she meant.
"What do you mean?" Ganyu replied.
"You know, about today," Keqing explained. "It must be hard not knowing if the one who raised you is in danger or not."
"Oh," Ganyu paused briefly in thought, wondering how to word her next response. "Honestly, I don't know how to feel. Part of me believes she may be in danger, but another thinks it's impossible for her to even be in any danger, even against a threat like this.
I've always known Cloud Retainer as a very powerful and independent being, and, while she did raise me, I really never truly saw her as a mother, but more a mentor or teacher."
"I can see why you'd think that, given what I saw of her during our defense against Osial," Keqing added. "However, I also could see that she cared for you and considered you one of her own behind all of the Adeptus nature."
"Oh, I never doubted that she loved me in her own special way, otherwise I probably wouldn't have even attempted to try living amongst humans. Outside of training and learning what I needed to survive, she did always give me time to be a child. From watching sunsets and playing hide and seek, to making training fun and not strict.
However, there's always the question at the back of my mind of who my real parents were. I very vaguely remember my mother's face and voice like the equivalent of trying to see your reflection in muddy water. It's distant and blurry, but just clear enough to see some things."
"What do you see?" Keqing asked.
Ganyu took a moment to think before answering, feeling her heart start to hurt from the one faint memory she had of her mother.
"Strangely, I see myself in many ways," Ganyu answered. "The only difference is my voice. My mother's was much more warm and calm, and I remember her saying my name as if she were trying to calm me."
Keqing could see that the memory was an emotional one, so to cheer up her colleague, she followed up with something she knew was a definite fact.
"While I never knew your parents, I know that they'd be proud of you," Keqing spoke in a comforting tone. "That's all every parent wants for their child; success and happiness. You've beaten the Archon War, learned to live among humans, made many friends, and are still fighting for the people you swore to protect."
Ganyu's lips slowly curled into a smile and her gaze met Keqing's own.
"Thank you, Keqing," Ganyu said with assurance. "I'm glad you're here with me."
Keqing felt herself start to blush at that comment, just smiling herself and returning with a proper response.
"I'm glad you're here too, Ganyu."
Ganyu nodded at the sentiment, a yawn escaping her as she raised her head back up.
"I'm going to take a rest," Ganyu assured, moving her body onto the hard ground to go to sleep, up until Keqing intervened.
"Ganyu, you're going to hurt you back and neck sleeping like that. Come and rest your head on my lap."
"I'll be fine, Keqing," Ganyu assured, but Keqing just responded with a shake of her head.
"I'm serious, and if you don't right now, I'll do it when you're out," Keqing assured with authority, to which Ganyu sighed in defeat.
"Alright, if you insist," Ganyu accepted, moving to Keqing's side and resting her head on her left thigh gently.
It was a much better pillow than the hard ground, and upon closing her eyes, she passed out to the calming sound of the fire and Keqing's pulse.
Keqing wasn't far behind, exhausted from the massive amount of hiking she'd endured. Upon laying her head back and allowing the sound of the fire and Ganyu's soft breathing to carry her to the slumber, the Yuheng passed out like a light.
The next day was a rough one, Ganyu waking first and sitting from her colleague's lap. It was slightly chilly, but the fire had managed to carry enough heat to last them the entire night. Upon looking towards the cave opening, Ganyu could see sunlight peeking through. That led her to taking the initiative to go out and search for some kind of breakfast, seeing they still had a long trip ahead of them back to Dawn Winery, and needed every bit of energy they could get for the road.
Quietly, Ganyu grabbed her bow and exited the cave, out into the open nature of Liyue. The light of the day temporarily blinded her vision, but once she adjusted to the bright radiance of Teyvat's sun, she took a look around her current area. It was mostly open, minus the blanket of overgrowth that hid the entrance to the cave, and gave her enough assurance that she'd have to travel further than she wanted to for what she planned to retrieve.
She avoided the road at all costs, and traveled about a mile north, finding the terrain she would most likely find her target bounty; bird eggs. The trees were more than tall enough, and the foliage was easy to walk through, so she took the path that looked the most flat. She could tell it was an animal trail by its width and pattern, most likely having been made and traveled by a boar or deer over a span of two years. She eyed the higher branches for any nests or birds in particular as she walked, thankful that she hadn't stumbled upon the company of hilichurls or treasure hoarders.
While she didn't want to potentially kill a mother bird, she also preferred not to be chased or attacked by one as well. Therefore, she just burned into her mind that it was for a good reason and continued searching the branches for just the slightest edge of a nest. Not much later, she found just that, prepping an arrow if she had to kill for her partner's meal.
She was fortunate, no mother or father bird guarding the nest, to which Ganyu pulled her arrow from her bow's embrace and began to climb the tree. This was no challenge for her, seeing the Archon War had led her to doing said action on several occasions. She was up the mass of aged bark and wood in seconds, and upon eying the nest, found two eggs resting inside.
"Forgive me, whomever birthed these eggs, but your creations will be used for a good cause."
She grabbed the two eggs and carefully worked her way back to the ground. She placed her two cylindrical trophies somewhere safe and started back to the cave, making sure to avoid the road as much as possible. However, upon halfway out of the wooded area, she halted and took immediate cautionary action. She grabbed and prepped her bow with an arrow, listening closely to the shuffling of footsteps just yards out from her.
Every one of her senses were on overdrive as she decided to just confront the unknown being out of her sight of vision.
"Show yourself!" she demanded, keeping her defensive stance strong and ready to attack if necessary.
The footsteps grew closer, and upon the person showing their presence, Ganyu didn't falter her caution. The stranger was a female with short dark blue hair, and a fancy white coat adorned their back as if it were some sort of special protective device.
Ganyu immediately recognize her, and their appearance made her nearly faint in happiness.
"Take it easy with that thing," the stranger answered in a deep and mature tone. "I have no interest in robbing or hurting you in an-
She stopped, becoming more familiar with Ganyu and realizing she had nothing to fear.
"Ganyu of the Qixing?!" she questioned in astonishment.
Ganyu nodded, a bright smile meeting her face.
"I'll be damned," Yelan said, "Here I thought that nobody made it out alive that night."
"Bless the gods above! You're alive!" Ganyu celebrated, lowering her weapon.
The two walked closer to one another with smiles on their faces. Finally, a sign of hope had shone through the suffocating darkness.
"Are you with anyone else?" Yelan questioned.
"Lady Keqing," Ganyu answered. "She took a nasty hit that night, but with Mondstadt's assistance, she's fine now."
"That's great news," Yelan stated. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same. I was the only one outside the city when it went up in flames, unlike my contacts and spies. I was far too late by the time I even reached the borders of the city, and couldn't believe what I was seeing.
I've been on my own, laying low and trying to come up with a plan. Now that I know you and the Yuheng are alive as well, there just may be a chance."
"There's already a plan in order, Ms. Yelan," Ganyu reassured.
"Oh? What sort of plan do you have to turn the tables on these bastards?" Yelan asked, to which Ganyu proceeded by telling Yelan the entire plan, minus Diluc's parts of the deal. She also relayed every important detail about their enemy and the fact that the Tsaritsa may or may not be aware of the ordeal.
"So, you plan to lead the potential head of the gang into a trap for questioning on further information?" Yelan assured.
Ganyu nodded.
"What do you think?" Ganyu followed up.
"It's risky, but it just may work," Yelan commented. "If we want to stand any chance against these monsters, the first step is figuring out who they are and how they operate."
"That's the plan," Ganyu assured. "However, I still think we're missing something to assure victory "
"And you'd be correct," Yelan clarified. "Fortunately for you, I can help in that regard."
Ganyu's curiosity peaked at that.
"How?" Ganyu questioned.
"Let's fetch the Yuheng, then head to my camp," Yelan replied. "We'll talk then."
Ganyu nodded, then started to lead Yelan back to where Keqing likely was awaiting her return. It took about ten minutes to reach the hidden cave, but upon Ganyu breaking the seal to let Yelan pass, they came to the sight of Keqing, currently attempting to re-light the fire.
She smiled upon seeing Ganyu, but immediately jumped in absolute disbelief upon seeing Yelan.
"Am I seeing things, or is Yelan of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in our presence?!" Keqing asked.
"It's good to see you too," Yelan responded in a joking manner.
Keqing's eyes bulged at the answer, exhilarated in joy that there indeed was a survivor of that tragedy.
"I can't believe it!" Keqing exclaimed in happiness. "Ganyu, you not only found a survivor, but one of the most helpful for our current situation!?"
"And two bird eggs for breakfast," Ganyu added shyly, presenting her bounty to Keqing.
Keqing felt a blush adorn her cheeks at the sentiment as Yelan spoke up.
"Ganyu already told me everything that has occurred ever since that day of damnation, including your plan to potentially fix this whole mess," Yelan assured. "However, there's one hole in your plan that can most likely lead to failure, and I might have the solution to fixing it."
"Okay, what's the hole in our plan?" Keqing questioned.
"We'll discuss that at my camp, seeing Fatui spies are all over these mountains," Yelan clarified authoritatively. "Best keep critical factors hidden from eavesdroppers."
Keqing nodded in understanding.
"Good. For now, let's have some breakfast, shall we?" Yelan offered, taking a seat. "In our time eating, I can get the Yuheng all caught up to speed with my side of things. From there we'll relocate to my camp and discuss matters there."
With a simple nod, the group reignited the fire, cooked Ganyu's pair of eggs, and ate in peace out of the eyes of enemies. It seemed like the chaos of the situation had finally rested with Yelan in the mix, but rest assured, the battle was far from over. Something they all knew as they enjoyed their breakfast together.