Chapter Text
It was raining heavily in the land of Freedom. Grey clouds rolled and winds sang as if it mourns the absence of their beloved god.
Pierro cares not for the foolishness of mortals.
Despite the serenity of the ever calm grass and the cheerful smiles of the absentee god’s denizens, the storm was particularly harsh that one night. Under the illuminating soft glow of the statue of their god, people ignored the sight of a trembling blue haired child.
It was the sight of blue hair and blue eyes that reminds him so much of the skies of the abyss, of his homeland, that etched its way into his eyes, burning into his memories.
Pierro finds it befitting that the Absentee Archon would allow such freedom for those who traverse its soil to become an Absentee Parent.
He had lived for centuries, and in those centuries, he had made many mistakes. It would not have taken centuries more for him to reflect that the child he found that night was not one of those mistakes.
He had arrived in Mondstadt due to a certain tick of familiar abyssal energy. Not deranged enough to become an abyssal creature, but strong enough to be a denizen of the Eclipse Dynasty.
He doesn’t bother with the mud trekking his black boots, nor the stains clinging on the frays of his coat, as he made way to the child in rags bent over with his knees close to his chest.
He held a sneer against the statue of Barbatos forced his legs to move close to the shorter figure. His shadow cast a looming shadow over the boy and the child, one blue eye with star shaped pupil and another covered by a measly eyepatch looked up at him. There was a strand of white amongst his equally abyssal blue hair.
How befitting.
Olive skin despite having come from a place without sun, the child would surely grow to be a beauty one day. Such charm would be useful for the Fatui’s cause with proper training.
The child stared at him, poorly covered fear behind his gaze.
Pierro inhaled, mustering a language he rarely spoke with other than with that wretched Columbina. “What is your name, child?”
The child squeaked, surprised by the Khaenri’an that dripped from his tongue. His body shaking like a leaf, and he radiates fear. As if he’s been caught committing a heinous crime. Such foolish notion.
The Fatui care not for the use of children.
Arlechinno may have multiple orphanages but even she does not train them to be soldiers. They are only trained when they are old enough to consent and whatever edict the caretakers tried to instill upon the orphan’s minds are not hers to blame. There’s only so much monitoring Arlechinno herself can do before she cuts off every caretaker’s head.
The Fatui is filled with liars, but their Harbingers are sincere in their actions. Their enemies are foolish to think that the Fatui can be seamlessly monitored by a select few people. That would’ve saved him tons of paperwork.
The child mumbled something incoherent and for once Pierro wondered whether he had came to the wrong conclusion about the child’s origins.
“K-Kaeya…” The boy stuttered out.
The First Harbinger waits for a beat before groaning. He doesn’t handle children well because they tend to be afraid of him “Your full name, child…”
The boy’s eyes trailed all over him, as if reading his entire body, and Pierro rage internally. The boy was trained. He’s obviously trying to read Pierro’s body language, looking for a twitch in his muscles or a crack in his face. He’s a few centuries too young for that.
“A—Alberich…” The boy warily stuttered. “Kaeya Alberich.”
Pierro lets a small smile quirked his lips. The Alberich clan. The family of regents they say. A foolish attempt to hide the fact that they’re still of royal blood. Pierro could never understand how King Irmin could wisely think that calling his brother’s entire family a different clan name would deprive them of their rightful royal blood.
Perhaps Pierro was the fool to have believed in the old king. But this child is sinless and his father has committed a sin of abandoning him. That, he’s almost certain.
“Where’s your family?” He asked, playing along.
“F—Father said he went to get grapes…”
“The truth child.”
The child winced, flinching further against the statue. He opened his eyes to hastily made way to Pierro’s own. “Father told me to spy on this land… I don’t know…” The boy looked conflicted.
Pierro shook his head. The Alberich were always a crafty bunch. He hates them before and he hates them now for dragging a sinless child into this.
He picked up the child, ignoring the full body flinch, and carry him in his arms.
“Call me Pierro.” He draped his coat over the boy’s head, covering his body from further rain. “You shall come with me. There is nothing for you to do in this land.”
The boy stared at him, stunned and awed.
Pierro meant every word. Loyalty is the most important tenet amongst the Harbingers. If his own Harbingers were to have done this, to be stripped of their rank would be a mercy.
“Remember this from now on, child,” He kept his gaze firm on the boy, his own star shaped pupil meeting the boy’s, “The Fatui spares no mercy to those who break their loyalty. Your father does not deserve yours. Let’s pray he never meet me less I snap his neck.”
The child flinched from his vicious words. Good. Fear is the best teacher.
“Alexander.” He called, switching back to common tongue. His subordinate came, moulded from the shadows of the grass, draped in the classic uniform of black coat with red fur lining and red mask.
“Yes, Lord Pierro.” His servant kneeled, out of respect more than fear.
“Prepare my carriage.” He sneers one last time to the City of Freedom. “Tell the others in the unit that I have coveted a child. If any other unit finds out, I shall have their lips.” The soldier shuddered. Pierro paused, thinking. “Keep it from the other Harbingers as well. I shall inform them myself.”
“As you wish.” The soldier disappeared.
Pierro smiled, rare though it might be. He always have a thing for flair and dramatics. Surely the others would enjoy the child’s company.
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Kaeya’s not sure what to think. He was left by his father at a foreign land. He remembered red, so much red and then he remembered the anger in his father’s eyes as he stared into the horizon, where their homeland lies.
He begged his father not to go, but father was adamant. There was no grieve or reluctance when he turned. Only flames reflected behind icy blue.
He was so cold and the statue behind him was thrumming like a feint pulse. Many passed by him, avoiding his eyes. There was shame and reluctance in their expression. Kaeya knew these people. They are those who pities the poor but are too reluctant to lend a hand.
That was until a large man, larger than his own father’s blocked his view. He internally winced, scolding himself for getting distracted and leaving his perception dulled to the man’s presence. He was met with long white hair and singular mirror blue eyes with pupils like his own. His eyes were cold but there was a tint of warmth left behind the iris.
Kaeya has always been good at telling people’s intention. Father said that Kaeya has the strongest blood, that’s why. He’s not sure what it means.
What surprised him even more was how the man spoke in his home tongue and Kaeya’s heart beat heavily. Was he caught? Was this a test from his father? Or was this stranger also like him? Abandoned to be raised in a foreign land.
The man pried his secrets out of him. There was something about him that dragged the words out from his lips. A sense of security. And when the man picked him up, covering him from the rain, Kaeya felt warmth.
The man, Pierro, brought him on a nondescript black carriage with multiple guards. Perhaps he was nobility?
“The trip would take a couple of days if we’re going through it normally. As an Alberich, you shouldn’t have problems phasing, won’t you?” There was concern in his voice, masked by indifference. The man was peculiar. He’s trying hard to act like a statue, but there was warmth bleeding from his words.
Phasing?
Kaeya wonders if that’s the blue portal he and father went through. He shook his head. Pierro nodded and they stepped in. Kaeya could make out silhouettes of a red haired man and a black haired woman staring from the distance. They looked familiar. Like a dream from another lifetime.
He turned to Pierro, catching the small quirk on his lips, and he’s hoping that this time, this dream would be happier than the last.
“We’ll be home soon.”
Kaeya closed his eyes, snuggling into his shoulder.