Chapter 3 – Theft of Thunder
His first impression of Ritou Harbor would be best defined by the word crimson.
As their ship approached the harbor under the overcast skies, the sight became clearer and clearer. The city was built on a peninsula situated on the northwest coast of Narukami Island, linked to the mainland by a small path that lived and died with the tides. Overlooking the beach was the Hiiragi Castle, estate of the Kanjou Commissioner who represented the Raiden Shogun's authority outside of the capital. The cliff faded into the busy streets dotted with foreign merchants, surrounded by sprawling maple trees on all sides. The vibrant hue clouded the roofs of several homes, akin to a crown of red foliage over the city.
The Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean looked out at the nearby harbor. "We're almost there. Down you go, Kazuha."
"I believe this is where we part ways, Traveler." the wanderer smiled as the Alcor neared its destination. "I don't think I can afford to be seen on the Almighty Shogun's turf, so its best if I just remain hidden from now on. But I'm positive we'll see eachother again."
"Both you and the Beidou be careful on the high seas." Aether offered a handshake. "Once this is all over, I hope you can come back to your homeland safely."
The ronin disappeared under the deck, probably to receive help from the crew to conceal his presence onboard.
As expected of the closed nation's first point of contact with the outside world, the port was heavily guarded by patrolling Doushin who didn't fail to notice the massive sailing ship drifting into the harbor. While the crew moored the vessel with great effort, a squad comprised of six soldiers and a captain was already marching in their direction.
Immediately, Aether felt the entire deck suddenly get on edge. A burly man and his subordinates were waiting for them to set up the gangplank so they could get onboard. Their sour faces and the Electro mitsudomoe on their armor and uniforms were enough to make even the most righteous of sailors wary of them.
"Here's Lord Hiiragi's welcome party..." Beidou muttered. "Everyone, you already know how to behave during an inspection. They won't find anything suspicious on this ship because there is nothing to find, do I make myself clear?"
"Aye, Captain." the deck-scrubbers nodded in unison.
The stern soldiers stepped on the gangplank one by one, and soon the two captains were facing eachother. On the docks, a few bystanders were taking not-so-subtle glances at the imposing vessel, a Liyuean ship of this scale probably being a rare sight in Inazuman waters. A Doushin stepped forward to make an inquiry, but the squad leader stopped with a hand motion that commanded authority.
"Ebina." the Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean greeted, or rather nodded in his direction. "Been a while, to what do I owe the pleasure of having your men on my ship? Still got a minimum number of unwarranted arrests to fulfill this month?"
The squad leader's gaze swept across the deck in a single motion, paying little heed to the captain. "Men, I want every inch of this boat checked and double-checked. Who knows what these Liyuean smugglers have in store for us this time..." he stared down at the crew with contempt. "It's a real shame that Her Almighty Excellency doesn't come up with something a bit more radical for outlanders wishing to disrupt our already fragile economy. I say a few lightning bolts should do the trick."
Beidou upheld his scornful gaze in silence, but it was obvious that a storm was brewing within her. Ebina Gonshirou chuckled at her glare and walked around the deck like he owned it. He stopped in his tracks, however, when he felt two golden orbits boring into his nape. The Traveler's back was leaning against the wall next to the captain's quarters, watching the men come and go with little concern.
The squad leader walked up to him, a japing look on his face. "Would you look at that – a new face. Did the smuggler convince you to join the crew, or are you just part of her goods, boy?"
"I'm collaborating with the Crux for my own reasons." The outlander spoke slowly, his eyes half-lidded. "The smuggler in question needed someone who could make sure your shogun's lightning bolts didn't do the trick, and I needed a ship. It may sound surprising to you, but even Archon constructs can be faulty – like the Storm Barrier for example."
A brow irked underneath his sturdy kabuto. "The Almighty Shogun does not make mistakes, kid. And if she closed the country off to you foreigners, it's because you can't be bringing anything good with you."
"That's a cute belief, be sure to keep it to yourself next time."
The soldiers scurried around like diligent ants and brought up large crates from below the deck. They piled up the goods in front of their captain, who nodded in satisfaction and reached for the blade at his side. Using the handguard as a crowbar, he unlidded one of the crates and inspected its contents. Liyuean gunpowder of the finest kind, in enough quantity to make a beautiful lightshow or burn down a small village.
"Before you even attempt to put any of my men in the slammer, this order was placed by one of your people." Beidou stepped on a wooden lid, holding a paper sheet covered in rough handwriting. "This is the shipping fee for seventeen crates of gunpowder, ordered by your local Naganohara Fireworks. The girl should be in Ritou right now, if you want to check with the customer directly."
Ebina Gonshirou snatched the notice and read it out loud. A pair of hardened eyes darted across the fees and signatures before he shoved it back to the captain.
"The Crux's policy doesn't allow you to look into the goods you export, does it?" he hummed. "So this cargo could still be a safety hazard and even you wouldn't know it. Open all the crates and check them thoroughly, men!"
The brown-haired woman stood between him and the rest of the soldiers. "I don't think you have a warrant for that. Checking a single crate is perfectly fine, but you're just taking it too far when the others are labeled accordingly and supported by physical evidence. This is not my first time dealing with your bullshit Ebina, so I strongly advise you to make things easier for the both of us."
The squad leader sneered, visibly unsure of what to do next. In the eyes of the law, the Alcor had done everything by the book, and its crew should be allowed to dock into Ritou without suspicion. And yet, the country's openly aggressive stance on outlanders kept making things difficult for foreign merchants. The way Aether looked at it, the entire nation was on edge because of the current turmoil, its citizens becoming more and more reclusive and trapped in their own beliefs. But none of that excused the man's behavior.
Ebina Gonshirou's sword was already drawn, but when his wrist did the most unnoticeable move, it was immediately met with resistance. A gloved hand clamped down on it.
"I'd think twice about starting something here if I were you. The captain already proved that everything on this ship is fine and accounted for." the blond lowly hissed. "There's a whole crew here, and we're far from the capital. What kind of backup will come to your aid if you anger us, I wonder?"
"…"
The two men remained in this stalemate for several seconds that felt like hours. The samurai mumbled something, still unwilling to sheathe his weapon. A few guards on deck perked up when they saw an outlander getting up close and personal with their superior, and the air around the ship began to get jittery. In the corner of her vision, Beidou saw her first mate slowly reach for a wooden pole, and...
"Oh, you guys finally made it! I've been waiting for the Alcor to show up for aaages..."
"Miss Naganohara, I told you wait on the docks! Come back!"
A scarlet and orange blur leaped on deck before the Traveler's eyes, slowing down to reveal a beaming girl who stood proudly with her hands on her hips. The heavily-modified kimono she wore, along with her explosive blond ponytail and the government official trying to catch up to her only brought one word to his mind:
Chaotic.
Yoimiya immediately hogged a crate to check the quality of its contents, and her eyes sparkled so bright they could start a fire. She carefully scooped up a handful of gunpowder like a newly-hatched chick and grinned even harder.
"Aw, Bei's the best! It was a bit pricey this time around, but just look at this quality! And there's tons of it too! I am going to make so many people smile thanks to these little guys!"
A brown-haired woman ran up the gangplank in a frantic attempt to stop her. "Miss Naganohara, you can't be here. Mr. Ebina is not done with his inspection, and we have no confirmation that the Alcor can stay in these waters. According to the rulebook-"
"Relax, Kageyama." the pyrotechnician shrugged as she wrapped an arm around the captain's shoulders. "Don't you know Captain Beidou? There's nothing to worry about when she's in charge, I'll tell you that."
Before the inspector could utter another word, Yoimiya was already up in the squad leader's face. "And what's up with you, mister Ebina! You really think bullying my friends at the border is a correct showing of what us Inazumans are like? C'mon, you know we were all raised to be more hospitable than that - what would your mom say if she saw you acting like a big meanie?"
It was a complete show of foolishness to everyone on deck, but to their surprise, the captain of the soldiers seemed... taken aback? The Traveler sent a glance full of incomprehension Beidou's way, but she merely shrugged it off as something she wasn't witnessing for the first time. Ebina Gonshirou avoided the young pyrotechnician's eyes while she pretty much scolded the grown man like one would a child.
"And to top it all off, I hear you haven't visited your parents in forever. Konda is not even that far away, what excuse do you have, mister?"
The man was already backing off, trying to shut down the bouts of laughter that erupted from his subordinates as he sheathed his sword. "I don't- on second thought, this matter is better left to miss Kageyama. She's the expert here." His finger then pointed at the firework-maker. "And miss Yoimiya, you better not tell my parents about this conversation we just had. In fact, I never talked to you."
He firmly nodded at the inspector to signify that his work here was finished, before stepping off the ship with his men. Kageyama let out a defeated sigh, which contrasted hard with Yoimiya's jubilant expression as she waved the soldiers goodbye from the prow.
"Nice save, Yoi." Beidou winked as she presented her paper to the Kanjou official. "Even if they decide to come back later, we'll have long vanished then."
The amount of gunpowder required several trips between the dock and the Alcor, which were all under Kageyama's close scrutiny. Aether helped the crew with the heavier ones, but one in particular caught his attention. At first glance its contents were fine, but the crate in itself...
"Captain." he called. "The gunpowder in this one got a bit wet. It won't be of any use to miss Naganohara, so should you just keep it for the time being?"
The brown-haired woman immediately perked up. "Wet? Oh, sure we'll keep that. Thanks for noticing."
He pushed it back onboard, and once Kageyama was out of earshot, he leaned forward and whispered. "When you're hiding a wanted fugitive, be more creative than a fake lid in a wooden crate. If Ebina was smarter, he'd have noticed that the gunpowder didn't quite reach the bottom."
The captain's cheeky grin was all he got for an answer.
He offered a dry stare in response. "Well, will the Alcor be going back to Liyue now? I can't say for sure, but there's a high chance the rift in the barrier hasn't closed yet."
"Actually, we're going to stay here for a few days and restock on the cheaper items. Once we're done with that, we'll go meet some new 'business partners' on another island. They'll provide us with the essentials for a time in exchange for a few services, and we'll avoid the International Trade Association's steep prices that way."
"That's good to hear. Thank you once again Beidou, you and the crew steer clear of any significant trouble now." He shook her hand to avoid a spine-crushing bear hug. "I'll be on my way, then."
"You try your best to survive too. Oh, and I want you to have this." She slipped a white letter bearing the Crux's seal into his hands, and cryptically smiled at his puzzled expression. "Just hold on to it for now, I'm positive you'll know what to do with it when the time comes. Well, I'll catch you later."
The captain was waving away before he could ask any further questions. And just like the Tianquan, he decided to not question whatever could be going on inside Beidou's mind. She'd helped him up until now no questions asked, so he could quell his own curiosity for her sake.
With a mysterious letter in his pocket, Aether walked towards the Outlanders Affairs Agency, where a very distraught Kageyama was still in the middle of processing the Crux's dealings.
"I'm an adventurer with the Alcor's crew." He presented his handbook. "The Crux personally makes sure the goods we deliver get into the customer's hands safely, I believe there's nothing wrong with helping miss Naganohara move these heavy crates to the Association?"
The inspector's head rose from her pile of reports. "Oh, I already went over the necessary procedures with your captain. You may proceed, but please remember to have a travel permit delivered from the International Trade Association if you wish to stay in Ritou."
"Will do." he convincingly smiled. Lied.
Yoimiya was sitting on their cargo, kicking her legs into the air while humming a little tune. When she noticed the outlander walking up to her, she leaped down and flashed a grin.
"Oh, aren't you Beidou's little partner in crime? I'm Yoimiya. Super stoked to meet ya!"
The Traveler shook the affable hand she offered him. "So you're the contact she told me about, I presume? Thanks for agreeing to help me get into Ritou, Yoimiya. Just call me Aether."
"And Paimon's Paimon!"
The firework maker was ecstatic. "Well, friends of the captain are friends of mine! Don't you worry though, I already have a concrete plan to get you two your travel permits. But fiiiirst, we're gonna need to move this whole lot of gunpowder to the Association. I can even be your tour guide on the way there!"
She energetically picked up crates that were probably too heavy for her, dancing on either foot to balance the weight on her shoulders. The Traveler carried the rest, following the chatty blonde's footsteps as they stepped into the harbor.
Were it not for the docks being visible from any corner of the peninsula, one could easily mistake Ritou for a mainland town. The architecture was clearly Inazuman, but the small houses were organized in an almost Mondstadian manner, gradually closing in on a large plaza. The scent of maple leaves overwhelmed the harsh salt of the seaside, covering the narrow streets in an everlasting hue of autumn.
"And here you have the Five Kasen plaza, the main attraction of our Irodori festival. Fireworksless festival, might I add, 'cause they're banned during that time." The pyrotechnician took her role as a tour guide very seriously, much to Paimon's dismay. "But it's fine, we're about to get a lot of business anyway. One of our biggest national holidays is coming up, and Naganohara Fireworks has been tasked by the Yashiro Commission to create the light show of a lifetime."
The blond noticed that Yoimiya was cutting up her speech to greet passersby and smile at the children. "You seem pretty familiar with the Commissions. I've heard meeting the Shogun herself can be quite difficult, but I don't know a lot about the ones ruling under her."
"Oh, it's very simple, really. Ritou is under the jurisdiction of Kanjou Commission and the Hiiragi Clan, they're the ones who handle trade and the economy. The Raiden Shogun's right hand is the Tenryou Commission. The Kujou Clan at their head is in charge of order and security, and the ones putting in most of the war effort. Last but not least is the Yashiro Commission and the Kamisato Clan, responsible for all cultural affairs. They're the ones closest to the people, and are... not very fond of the Vision Hunt Decree. You'll understand once you meet them personally, but it's better not to mention their actual stance in public."
"Even the governors are against the decree?" he raised a brow. "But they can't put in a word with the Raiden Shogun about a potential repealing?"
"It's complicated..." she grimaced. "The Kamisato siblings are both Vision bearers, so their own interest can easily be used against them. As for the Kujou's, they're our spear and shield, they need all the extra power they can use. The only ones with no real attachment are the Hiiragis, but repealing the Vision Hunt Decree would inevitably spark conversations about the Sakoku Decree as well, and they probably don't want this one to go away."
And even if they wanted the Vision hunt to stop, convincing the Archon herself would be nearly not feasible. Try as they might, it still came down to humans wanting to go against a god's will - in other words, a fool's errand.
A flight of stone steps led them to what Aether surmised to be the International Trade Association. The large building was sitting at the center of a courtyard, where horse carriages and large amounts of shipment awaited departure. Just as they set their cargo down, however, a familiar glint in the far distance caught his attention.
"Could this be...?"
"Hey, Yoimiya? I'm sorry, but I just remembered there's something I need to do real quick. Can I leave you for a few minutes?"
"Huh? But I was just about to introduce you to Kurisu and everyone-"
He was already backing away. "Yeah, I'm really sorry. I'll be back shortly."
Before Yoimiya could get another word in, he had already disappeared around the corner.
…
The path disappeared somewhere along the Hiiragi Castle's stone rampart, slowly morphing into a grassy cliff. It ran up, dotted with chirping birds sitting in red maple trees. Behind the castle, the sounds of the city were growing more and more distant, overgrowth thriving outside of human civilization. But the Traveler had no need for a proper path. Though he had only seen that light once and very briefly, his feet eerily carried him between the maples and the bushes, up the towering cliff.
At the very edge of said cliff, stood a Statue of the Seven.
Domineering. Overwhelming. It was the true highest structure in all of Ritou, surpassing even the Hiiragi Castle. The Raiden Shogun held a mirror like one would an item of great importance, but there was no desire for control in her motion. She held it in an affectionate manner, and that detail alone struck him as odd.
The god who'd shut off her own people from the outside world and seized their ambitions by force was a far cry from this almost motherly figure, but he was the outlander here. His ability to grasp the bigger picture was still limited when he'd only just arrived in her nation.
Knowingly or not, he gulped at the sight. And by his side, he could sense Paimon getting increasingly nervous.
"Soooo, are you going to try and use Electro?" she barely whispered. "Venti and Zhongli didn't mind when you borrowed their powers, but the Electro Archon doesn't seem super nice to Paimon..."
He walked up to the statue, feeling slightly uncomfortable now that it was positively looming over him. "Well, there's only one way to find out."
His gloved hand wiped the dust of the golden plaque at its foot, revealing a text lost to time. Perpetual, perennial, impervious. For some reason, these three words sent a shiver down his spine. Who could've possibly carved these statues? To what end? Did he really want an answer to these questions, or was it still too early for him to understand?
No matter. Aether sucked in a deep breath and pressed his open palm on the plaque. He felt himself resonate with the statue, and closed his eyes.
Violet. His entire vision was now shades of purple, dancing and streaking across the canvas of the yawning void. An unassuming gold star shone forth, moving to and fro as it tried to make contact with a single instance of divine power. A single flash of godhood. But the nimble element evaded him, taunted him, rejected his efforts. The power refused to be drawn out, and he was slowly losing his focus.
Aether tried harder. He flew after it, endlessly weaving in an attempt to predict his movements, honing his spirit in the midst of action, and sure enough... caught up to it. He seized the power of Electro, which still tried to escape his palm, and pulled it towards his chest.
He was almost there, when he felt something powerful wrap around his wrist. A crushing pressure, similar to the one he'd felt at the Storm Barrier, but its intensity multiplied tenfold. The purple was now everywhere, engulfing him in a storm of fear and confusion.
"I have observed, and I have made a choice. I have warned, and now I shall act. I do not permit you to stand on these lands and wield the sacred power that is mine, outlander."
"Leave at once, or be ready to face oblivion."
And yet, he kept pulling. Electro was almost within his grasp.
"Leave." the voice repeated, booming within his head.
Just a little more...
"LEAVE!"
He pulled harder, and felt the grip around his soul loosen. Aether came to his senses and fell backwards on the grass. He looked at his hand, trying his best not to see double, and noticed that the pattern on his glove had turned a light shade of purple. His body had successfully absorbed Electro, despite the Raiden Shogun's best efforts. He had won.
Paimon's worried form hovered above him, only to recoil when he sprang up with anticipation. He outstretched his arm in front of him, and a violet arc burst into life betwixt his fingers.
"Three elements down, four more to g-GAAAAAH!"
Suddenly, his body was overcome by an explosion of unbearable pain. A bolt of lightning coursed diagonally through his torso, scorching his insides with a crackling noise. The sudden pain brought him to his knees, thunder beating in his chest and blood in his eyes. His body was convulsing from the excess energy, overtaken by a mind-splitting headache.
The Traveler's eyes shot open and glowed like thunder, shaking as his blood burned and spread through a nexus of trembling vessels. He tried to focus and think straight, but like an inner storm, the element pulsated and shocked, trying to break him from within.
He couldn't control it. He had been denied access to Electro because its Archon had cursed him.
Undestandably so, his companion was panicking. "Wh-what's going on? Hey, say something." She prodded him with a finger and immediately recoiled. "Your body's flaming hot ! Don't worry, Paimon will go and get help!"
"Don't..." he groaned, struggling to get up. "We won't be allowed to stay... if somebody learns about what I tried to do...''
"Huh? But Yoimiya will help-"
"Don't drag her into this..." He clutched his arm, and a golden glow swirled around his elbow. "She won't be able to do much should the Commissions decide to investigate into us."
He alone decided to brave the Raiden Shogun's warning. It was also his responsibility to not die at her hand.
He focused on the area he felt burn earlier, and moved the source of the pain around within his body. If he could at least try to suppress it... seal it at best. The blond visualized the elements in his mind, and willed to Electro's suppression as hard as he could. A painful chill moved up his shoulder, and suddenly felt locked in place. He poured everything he had into it. Elements, magic, feelings, regret, pain, hatred, anything that would make this torture stop.
Until nothing was left.
The pain was still there. He felt it try to claw at him, break loose, but not succeed. Aether was forced to contain the Archon's wrath in his body, as punishment for trying to seize her divine power by force. His energy was completely spent, all for an element he couldn't even use without nearly dying in the process. Great.
It would be fine. Everything would be fine. He controlled his breathing.
"Don't worry, Paimon." he tried to sound calm, but even she noticed the slight shake in his voice. "Anemo and Geo are more than enough for combat. I'll just go get some rest down at the Association, and we'll be able to put this whole incident behind us. Come on, we've kept Yoimiya waiting long enough."
No response.
"Paimon?"
The fairy pointed at him, a frightened look on her face. "Aether... your neck..."
His hand had never reached for his own neck that quickly before. And to his horror, he was met with a hard surface that was definitely not his skin. Well above his collarbone had been imprinted a purple eye-like symbol, featuring a smaller Electro mitsudomoe. He had barely managed to contain the Raiden Shogun's punishment, but he did not account for getting branded as a criminal by her. It was just like the code of the sea. Thieves get branded for the whole world to know who they are and what they've done.
Paimon's eyes began to get bleary, but he gripped her shoulders before she could give in to the panic. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm fine. See, I can just cover it up with my scarf." He mimicked pulling the fabric over his neck, but that did not seem to reassure her in the slightest. "Paimon, I'm going to be fine. I'll find a way to get it removed once we've dealt with this whole thing."
She managed to repress a bawl. "You won't get struck by lightning or anything, right? Paimon doesn't want the Electro Archon to turn you into toast because we tried to use an element we weren't supposed to!"
"None of that is going to happen, I promise." He ruffled her hair. "Now I need you to put on your brave face and not let anyone know about this, alright? We can't draw attention to ourselves while we're in Ritou. Or anywhere in Inazuma, for that matter."
The floating child weakly nodded in response.
"Good. Thank you for bearing with me, Paimon."
He hesitantly took a step forward, and sighed in relief when his feet managed to support him. Aether began to walk back down towards Hiiragi Castle with his companion in tow, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks to look back.
"Something wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?"
"No... just felt a pair of eyes on me – but I don't sense a human presence nearby." He very briefly squinted. "It was probably a little critter or something. Let's just head back."
He turned his back to the Statue as a pair of violet eyes glimmered in the shadows. As if to make sure its targets had indeed left the area, the fox-like being took another careful look at the blond's form behind a tree. Suddenly, it blitzed away. Flying above the sea level, the sky kitsune darted through the landscape towards the highest point of Narukami. It breezed through the sakura petals falling from Mt. Yougou, stirring pink clouds in its wake as it swiftly reached for the peak.
The Grand Narukami shrine was bathed in a respectful silence, where shrine maidens and visitors came and went without noticing the violet spirit's presence. It creeped around the garden, before sneaking into the Guuji's quarters. A humanoid shadow loomed over it.
"Hm? Well, look who's back already."
Sipping sake in the dimly-lit room, Yae Miko sat on a cushion by the window. The sky kitsune nuzzled into the woman's palm, and her pink ears twitched as if she could hear it speak. Calmly, she listened intently to the youkai's speech, imprinting each and every detail of what it'd seen and heard in her mind. Once her little spy was done with its report, her lips broke into a coy smile, illuminated only by a candlelight.
"So he's already in Ritou... this little one works fast. But if he angered her, then he's living on borrowed time. No need to speed things up, though." The Guuji ceremoniously stood up, and dusted off her garment. "Well, the center piece of phase one is finally here. Now whether or not he can make it past phase two will be up to his skill and wit alone. He's main protagonist material, that one, I have no doubt he can pull it off."
"Poor little Ei. Once he's ready to take the stage, she won't even know what hit her."
Do you think Statues of the Seven can spy on people once you've brought back their oculi? Or they could be Celestia's monitors, like Visions (theoretically). But anyway, I've been wondering what would happen if a god flat out denied the Traveler access to their element, since we know from Venti that they're aware of it. It's a random thought, I'm just spouting nonsense. As to whether it was the Shogun or Ei who cursed him... keep reading?
So far, Aether is playing all according to Miko's plan. She's gonna be a bit less of an omniscient plot device compared to the original quest, but her crafty mastermind side is not going anywhere.