Chapter 2 – The Heron Cries
"There is no storm that cannot be weathered. There is no rain that will endure forever. Like his blade being tempered through fire and flames, the perfected swordsman goes beyond his own limits when faced with continuous hardship. The trials and pitfalls of life forge him, make him a keen edge that can cut through the toughest of steels with ease."
Swish!
"Steady your mind akin to a frozen pond, and stop all ripples and distractions from reaching you. When you strike, be quick as lightning, cold as ice. Your footsteps be light and your movements elegant. Think not of your sword as a tool of war, but as an extension of your very arm – only your skill can determine the limits to its power."
Swish!
"Master your blade, and seize victory in a single motion, too perfect to be parried."
Slash!
A bead of sweat ran down Ayaka's temple, finishing its course on the dojo's flooring. Shakily gripping her shinai with what remained of her strength, she exhaled deeply. Practice should not have felt this hard. She had mastered Tachi Jutsu front to back, perfected it, created her own techniques and brought the family's sword art to heights unseen. Even her experienced and cunning brother had to admit that she would surpass him one day.
So why was her usual morning practice so harrowing these past few weeks?
Raising her wooden blade overhead, she let the strength in her arms flow downwards and repeated drill after drill, hacking and slashing at invisible foes while she tried to keep her breathing under control. Attacking and parrying, she saw shadows fall lifelessly around her as she dominated the battlefield of her mind. And yet it was imperfect, so unacceptable by her new standards.
Why would she even bother to-
"Everything alright here? Looks like someone could use a break."
Ayaka's form was completely shattered when her brother's bemused face appeared in the doorframe. Silently chuckling at his younger sister's surprise, the clan head calmly walked in, sliding the wooden shoji behind him. His smile quickly faded however, and she understood that the true reason behind his unexpected visit had to be something much more serious. As expected of the Yashiro Commissioner, he had no time to waste with idle chit-chat.
"Good morning, Ayato." she nodded. "Seeing you outside of your office at this hour is a rare blessing indeed, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Though he still carried himself with pride, his shoulders calmly lowered. "I wish pleasure alone was my motivation when I came to see you, but I need to sort out a few things. Things of great concern regarding... you, specifically."
The seriousness in his tone confirmed her worries. Ayaka turned around so she did not have to face his inquisitive stare. "I... really don't see what could trouble you so much. Things have been peaceful around the estate during your absence. One of our maids is still on maternity leave, but finding a replacement has been easier than I thought."
"You mean peaceful as in the Takatsukasa's visit two weeks ago? How long were you planning to withhold that information from me?" His words dug in like an eagle's talons into the unsuspecting sheep.
"If Thoma was allowed to tell you about it, then it was never a secret in the first place..." she tried. "It just never occured to me that this information would be of such importance to you. If I unintentionally made your work more difficult, I apologize."
If only the Takatsukasas were the problem. At least it was something she could resolve somewhat easily.
Ayato's piercing gaze didn't seem to leave her, and the Shirasagi Himegimi was getting more and more nervous by the second. She didn't know how to explain her change of mind. How trying to establish contact with Tsubaki was a mistake and a waste of time. How there are many things she needs to give up on just so she can hope to make a difference.
She wasn't her mother. She strived to be better, and become someone worthy of bearing the Kamisato name.
What she didn't expect was to feel something light and warm on her head. His hand.
"You should have just told me about it..." Ayato sighed. "This Tsubaki business must have been bothering you for quite some time now. I feared something like that would happen eventually."
This time, she was forced to look into his eyes. "You... you knew about Mother? How did you even- did Thoma tell you about what I found?"
The Commissioner's serious face broke into a rarely genuine smile. "Now, now. The Shuumatsuban has reaches throughout the entire archipelago, do you really think a tiny wooden box hidden away under Narukami Island would slip through the cracks? We found Mother's little hideaway a long time ago." He stopped caressing his younger sister's head and brushed past her, his sleeves of fine silk following him like veils. "Its contents were rather... unexpected, to say the least. I never would have guessed that she hid such a prominent side of her personality from us, but she probably meant to set a good example for her children by being the polite and dignified woman we remember her as. She succeeded quite brilliantly, don't you think?"
"You knew..." she repeated.
"I... yes." Now Ayato was the one avoiding her gaze. "I should have touched on this matter with you a long time ago, now that I realize how strongly it affected your mind. Listen, I don't intend to discuss whether or not Mother's woes were justifed, but I know for a fact that she loved Father dearly, and she loved our family. I just hope you won't bury these worries within your heart the way she did."
How could she not let herself be affected by it? Everything Kamisato Kayo described in these notes resonated with her on a level so similar it was almost terrifying. The breathtaking sights of other nations, the food that came from overseas, the cheery hustle and bustle of a festival... why were they both denied these simple pleasures? Was Ayaka also fated to never experience these things? If she ever were to bear a child, would they be the same?
Just like her mother before her, she had her responsibilities. Having promised to Ayato that she would handle the clan's public affairs, she had no choice to do her utmost and reject these fleeting desires. She only wished that once, just once, she could...
Her clenched hand rested on her chest as it heaved with a sigh. "I only just realized how much effort I still have to put in – how much I must change. I know this burden is for me alone to bear, and I know I can withstand it. But just like our mother, I too, have many regrets."
"If you still feel unsure about what to do next..." Her brother's lips pursed. "The Musuko Festival is coming up, but maybe I should be the one to oversee its preparation this year. There's no need to add to your stress over something the rest of the Yashiro Commission can handle."
Ayaka shook her head. "No, there's no need, really. I need to become someone that you and everyone else can truly rely on, not a liability to the Commission. These people count on us to help drive our nation forward."
"There is no need to force yourself to become someone you are not. I'm sure you will be very content with the final product when the day finally comes. Until then, relax, and indulge into something else while I get things started with our contractors."
He gave her an understanding smile and turned around to leave, signifying that their conversation was now over. But she still had things to say. And yet, she saw her brother walk away, and it felt like so much more than just a physical distance. He was getting farther and farther, she was beginning to lose sight of him and his progress. Ayato was the pillar of the Kamisato Clan, the man everyone looked up to and knew they could always rely on. She was... the pillar's little sister, that didn't actually support anything.
Not the Shirasagi Himegimi.
"Ayato!"
Hearing his name being shouted, by his usually calm and reserved sister no less, was enough to make the clan head swivel around immediately. Still gripping her shinai in one hand, Ayaka moved her free hand to her chest.
"I'm... I'm tired of always staying behind while you're out there, doing the impossible for Inazuma." Her voice had an impact, carrying what sounded like pent-up frustration and self-loath. "Please, let me do my part for our family, for our nation. We're living in troubled times, and I want to do what I can to make Inazuma a better place. Not just the festival, there is so much more the people need at the moment, and I know I can help them."
To the clan head, it was an absolute shock. The fact that he had completely overlooked how his younger sister really felt about her position as Shirasagi Himegimi, was... eye-opening. It was his failure as the eldest child, the one who was supposed to bring stability to the household. Kamisato Ayato concealed his mouth behind his fist, repressing another sigh. He did not expect today to turn out the way it did.
"Just what have you been going through while I was busy, dearest sister?"
In front of him stood not the panic-stricken Little Ayaka, who used to duck under a kotatsu upon hearing a nearby lightning strike. She was now an adult woman, with her likes, dislikes, fears, and aspirations. What he thought he knew of her – of who she wanted to become – could not have been farther from the truth.
No matter how he felt about it, his sister had changed, and it meant that things in Inazuma were inevitably going to change as well. He could be making a massive blunder now, but maybe, just maybe...
He could bring her into the light and just let her grow.
"Ayaka..." he began. "I am willing to give you the time and ressources necessary to help you with whatever it is that you hope to achieve. But in return, I expect you to do your utmost and be fully transparent about the pitfalls you might face, regardless of who or what you're up against. I trust you and your judgement, so what do you say? Do you think you can make enough of a splash in our nation to turn things around?"
Her hands were not shaking. She wouldn't run away. In this moment, all her stress had been lifted, she felt oddly confident, capable. An ambition strong enough to rival the gods was at her fingertips, a breath of fresh air that would blow away the Inazuman stasis. She would not accept mediocrity. She would make her mother, no, the entirety of the Kamisato bloodline proud.
The Shirasagi Himegimi only had one answer.
Maybe there were storms that he could not weather.
The Traveler hung on to the wooden railing for dear life as another rough wave crashed upon their ship, lifting them up on an invisible hand before letting them dip down into the dark ocean. The Alcor breached through an aqueous wall, soaking everyone onboard in gallons of salt water. The crew hurried back and forth on the slippery deck, shouting orders to cover the booming sounds of the storm. The once-calm ocean had now turned into a death trap at the Electro Archon command, threatening to sink the sturdiest of ships manned by any crew.
But Beidou's men were not any crew.
Hanging to the mast with a firm grip, Juza's voice domineered above the waves. "It looks like we're in for a lot of sky juice, this boat is gonna be dancing for a while! Everyone who's not needeed to man the ship goes below deck! If something can go overboard, tie it up! If it can't, tie yourself to it!" he shouted, rope in hand. His sharp gaze suddenly shot skywards. "Maple boy, we need a compass!"
Sitting in the crow's nest and unperturbed by the raging storm, the 'maple boy' in question took in a deep breath. The dark clouds coalesced, the pouring rain and the impetuous winds formed a clear image in his mind. He saw the path through the storm.
Kazuha leapt down, using his unhurt hand to slide down the mast's slippery wood. "You have my apologies. The wind and waves made us drift away from the planned route, I suggest we counter the weakest current below us and go full southeast to rectify the overshot."
"I've got it. Sending it starboard!"
Exceptionally, Beidou was manning (or maybe womanning?) the Alcor for this perilous trip, grinning through the ocean's wrath as she took on Teyvat's deadliest waters. Her left hand tightened around the helm, and with a roar, she sent it spinning clockwise. Like a docile steed, the ship immediately began to veer in the correct direction, sloping itself almost diagonally.
Suddenly, a terrified scream pierced through the lit clouds. Unable to resist the force of gravity, Yinxing's rope unfastened. The last cord gave in and she was almost immediately thrown overboard.
"Shit, not like this!" Sea Drake cursed as he tried to leap after her, but his own rope refused to set him free. Before he could attempt to undo the tight knot, a golden blur flew past him.
Having cut through the rope with his sword, Aether let his body slide down the inclined deck. Genuflecting on the wooden railing, he propelled himself into the thunderous sky with the speed of a divine arrow. For half a second, it felt like his wings were lit once again, like a sun of his own that allowed him to speed across the universe. In the second half of that second, he caught the falling woman in mid-air and protected her neck with his hand. Contorting his body to shift their center of gravity, he shielded Yinxing with his body as they both crashed on the hard deck.
He saw Sea Drake yell something, but the lightning' fury drowned out all human sounds. White bolts fell from the sky around him. Still protecting the surgeon, he rolled on the unstable floor and kicked open the trapdoor that led down to the living quarters before letting himself tumble down the small flight of stairs.
"Thank you..." Yinxing panted, clutching her heart. "I really thought I was a goner..."
Beneath the deck, the rest of the crew regarded the soaked pair like two hilichurls who'd somehow wandered into human civilization. He was panting, too drained by the sudden spike of adrenaline to put two words together. Furong glanced at the two with her only eye, but before she could formulate a remark, a white pixie dizzily flew his way.
"Aether... Paimon's not feeling so good..."
"What a coincidence. I think I'm going to die."
The blond helped the crew's surgeon sit on a crate as he grabbed a nearby towel. "We had a little rope incident up there, so I kind of have my hands full at the moment..." He wrung the water out of his braid while Huixing dried herself, and Paimon latched onto him the second his head was dry.
"How can you even feel seasick when you float?" he sighed.
"Well, Paimon doesn't know either!" the fairy pouted.
His back slid down against the interior's wooden walls, and the fatigue from before began to catch up to him. Strangely enough, the dangerous storm outside rocked the ship within, and he found the back and forth somewhat comfortable. Maybe it was because he'd grown accustomed to danger, or because Paimon's body was warming up his head, or just pure exhaustion, but he began to feel drowsy. His eyes slowly glued shut, and he despite his best efforts, he soon drifted into a deep slumber.
He shouldn't have.
…
"You stand at the border between peace and heresy. Should you attempt to cross it, know that I will have no other choice but to intervene. Choose your next course of action very carefully, and know that the gods are watching you."
Aether woke up in a cold sweat. For a reason he could not identify, he was experiencing dread. The lasting echo of that ethereal voice lingered in his mind, plaguing his thoughts with her ominous warning. Her words were sharp and serious, and even though he could not fully comprehend the meaning behind them, he understood one thing: He had a choice to make, and in doing so he would inevitably pick a side. The speedy pulse in his chest had yet to subside, and his body-
"Aether!"
The trapdoor above him flipped open, and Beidou's fair face appeared in the frame. Lightning flashed behind her, and perhaps he would've gotten slightly frightened had it not been for reassuring smile she bore.
"Waked ya, huh?" she grinned as she offered him a hand. "Archons, you're a wreck – got spooked by a nightmare, maybe? Well, there's something way scarier outside."
Her burly arm effortlessly lifted him back to the deck, and the spectacle outside was quite literally electrifying. The divine storm had worsened, its scale and power increasing tremendously, and thunder now boomed into their ears like the voice of the unleashed elements itself. Clusters of bolts struck the ocean in the far distance, threatening to assault the ship if they made a single misstep. And as if that wasn't enough, the Alcor had just reached the one place where she was the most likely to straight up sink. Inazuma's Electro border: the Storm Barrier.
About twenty steps in front of the prow, a violet veil draped their vision. A true wall of pure elemental energy spanning an entire nation, conjured by a god's will. White bolts briefly streaked across the structure with a buzzing and crackling sound. It seemed to extend endlessly above their heads, below the sea's surface, to their left and right, making Inazuma properly impenetrable to unwarranted visitors.
The powerful wind and rain cleared Aether's hazy thoughts, and he realized just how much trouble he was in. The foreign voice inside his head and the thunderous wall before him bore the exact same signature. Peace or heresy. A safe trip home or getting obliterated by the might of lightning. This ''nightmare'' was not a warning by any means. The Electro Archon herself had given him an ultimatum.
"This is bad news..." Beidou pursed her lips. "The Storm Barrier's never been this fierce before. We could usually just navigate our way through the storms, but this one looks so compact like an actual wall... it just might saw the ship in half if we try to brute-force it. This thing looks like it really doesn't want us to get through."
Oh, how he wished to know who could possibly be the cause of that.
The Traveler would have appreciated the freedom of not making an enemy before he'd even set foot in Inazuma, but there he was, unintentionally provoking the nation's local deity on her own turf.
He felt something move near his neck as Paimon slowly woke up, and immediately disappeared with a yelp when thunder roared at her. On the other hand, Aether took a step forward and scanned the wall with elemental sight. A deep violet assaulted his vision, blotting out any other color. He winced, but the discovery in itself wasn't so bad. The barrier was comprised of pure Electro energy only, not sporting any foreign features. This... his mind could craft some sort of solution out of this. It would probably be a crazy, life-threatening plan, but a plan nonetheless.
"Beidou," he began. "I think this barrier is non-physical. There might be a way to break through if we play around with the elements a bit. Did somebody see Kazuha?"
The wanderer was leaning against the upper deck's railing. "I'm here. Anything I can do to help?"
"There might be. Remember back on the beach, the way you used Anemo to repel the sand around you? If the barrier is not actively being watched, and if we can repel its power before it repels us, we might be able to cut a small opening. But we only get one shot, and we're definitely going to sink if this one attempt fails." He turned to the brown-haired woman. "It's your ship, so you should be the one to decide. Do you agree to this, captain?"
Beidou's fist clenched as she stared the violet wall down. "Well we don't really have much of a choice, do we? Besides, I trust you – you wouldn't suggest a plan if you weren't able to pull it off without putting others in danger. Let's hear how you're gonna bust us through."
All he could hope for now was that this one-in-a-million chance would be enough to break into Inazuma. He had been warned by a deity to not trespass, and he would purposefully ignore it. The Raiden Shogun's wrath was not something he was looking forward to experiencing, but he had no other choice. For his sister. For Teyvat.
"Is everyone ready?"
He stood next to Kazuha as they slowly approached the Storm Barrier. Though he tried to hide it, the young samurai was slightly nervous. Fleeing was one thing, entering the same nation while still labeled as a criminal was another. But he trusted his fate. The Alcor would get past this hurdle no matter what.
"Alright," the captain gripped her claymore, and her eyes glowed with determination. "Let's do this. Huixing!"
Responding to the captain's command, the crew's navigator steered the ship straight towards the wall. The angle had to be perfect according to Aether, and thankfully the one her captain boasted as the 'keenest eye of the Southern Seas' was at the helm. The wind in their sails made the vessel pick up speed amidst the roaring waves, and the collision soon became inevitable.
"Beidou!" the blond shouted.
Violet arcs accumulated around her body, slowly coalescing into a crackling orb. She flourished her greatsword and looked straight ahead, tensing her muscles right before the shock happened. The fierce dragon head was engulfed by the wall and disappeared into the darkness, and soon the border closed in on them.
It wasn't long before the first spark hit her.
"RAAAAAAAAGH!"
Swinging her supercharged claymore with all her might, the Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean slashed the divine barrier, locking her weapon into the electric current. The Blackcliff Slasher shook uncontrollably as powerful lighting coursed through its steely body, but his unstoppable wielder held on against all odds. A surge of Electro sprung out of the wall, as if it had suddenly been made aware that its sanctum was being violated. It struck the captain, but she merely brushed it off with a smirk.
"Is that all you've got, Electro Archon?" she grinned. "No offense, but you're gonna have to do a little better than that if you want to take down the legendary captain who slayed Haishan!"
She countered, and her blade sank further into the thunderous shroud. The blood beneath her skin coursed and glowed purple with Electro, spreading all over her body as she desperately tried to break through.
"Kazuha, here we go."
"I'm right behind you."
A fierce gust of Anemo coalesced into the Traveler's palm as he willed his sword into existence. The wanderer took an iai stance as the first winds of autumn surrounded his blade. They both charged up for a few seconds, and time seemed to come to a halt.
And then, they struck the magnetic field surrounding the captain.
Erratically, their two attacks were being repelled by the shield that surrounded her. And yet they could not apply too much pressure, lest they pierce through and wound her badly or worse. The two tried to match the other's power, but always seemed to fall short of the correct elemental application.
"Sorry, Beidou. Just bear with it for a little longer."
Focusing the elemental flow into his right arm, the blond slowly adjusted his blade's position. In this exact moment, wind, lightning and steel reached perfect harmony, and the power surge surrounding the captain began to grow more volatile. The suffocating air absorbed crackling energy, redirecting it into the barrier in front of them.
Now he could only pray that his crazy plan would work.
Crack.
Like a hatchling taking a shy glance into the outside world, the other side appeared through a cranny in the Storm Barrier. Slowly but surely, the wall repelled the excess Electro energy, wearing itself down along with it. It was crumbling.
The cracks merged into a large rift, threatening to break apart and collapse on them at any moment.
The captain took a few steps back, small burn marks coating her arms. She stared at the destroyed obstacle in front of them, the grip on her greatsword easing. "There's our way in, boys." Beidou smiled.
Thanks to Huixing's careful navigation, the ship crossed through the rift with every crew member unscathed. The sea was considerably calmer on the other side, and though the storm had yet to subside, the rest of the trip should be uneventful according to Kazuha. Against all odds, the Alcor had officially made it into Inazuma's waters.
However, the Traveler's internal turmoil had yet to be quelled. He felt a sense of unbearable insecurity, like a prey knowing it was being stalked by an almighty predator. Trespassing into her was probably a grave offense against the divine, but it also filled him with a newfound determination. It could be mere hubris, or the key that would help him survive in the Land of Thunder.
The prow was heaved by the waves, and the wind was finally on their side. They sailed at a speedy pace towards their destination.
"I appreciate the warning, God of Thunder."
Aether looked over to the other side of the deck, where Kazuha was gently rubbing his travel companion's back to ease her seasickness.
"But I have my reasons for ignoring your laws and invading your country. I was told you're quite the stubborn type yourself, so I'm sure you can understand where I'm coming from. Well, even if you don't, it doesn't really matter."
A minuscule piece of land sprung into the horizon, surrounded by countless dots of varying sizes sitting on the water's surface. As they grew closer, he surmised that it was the harbor of Ritou and its surrounding docks. Where the Inazuman leg of his trip would hopefully kickstart.
He was willing to make an enemy of the Electro Archon if it meant achieving his goal.
Dance With the Great Vortex was blasting through my earphones when I wrote the second half of that chapter, so I might have gotten a little carried away with the descriptions. Who knows, maybe you felt like you were on the ship during a harsh storm? If it felt nice and immersive, let me know.
Ayaka's character arc is slowly inching towards a scene I've been wanting to write for the longest time, but no spoilers! But finally man, Aether got a first glimpse of adversity and a certain god flat out trying to kill him. The theme of humanity versus deities is finally beginning to shape up, and it's really going to take center place as the story develops. I'm proud of how the overall story is coming along (that's why having an entire written script is important!), and hella glad you all are liking it too.
Been somewhat sick, my body still needs to be reminded of who's in charge here. But a flimsy cold won't keep me from writing, there's so much I want to tell. That being said I'm still going to get a healthy amount of rest (well, I'll try.). So I'll see you all in the next chapter. Over and out.