Chapter 1: Why you can't trust strange crystals
Chapter Text
The sun was setting as I stalked through the woods. There were remnants of the game of capture the flag from the day before. Torn cloth was stuck on bushes and blood spattered a few trees. It had been a fairly uneventful game.
It was nice to be alone, away from staring eyes. They were talking about me. I could hear the whispers and could feel their eyes on my back whenever I turned away. They didn't want me, not anymore. In the first few weeks after the Battle of Olympus, they called me a hero. They said I deserved a place at camp. But now they avoided me. They gawked at me and refused to come near me. I could tell when I wasn't wanted. So instead I wandered through the woods, nothing around except the sound of a breeze stirring leaves.
I stood in a clearing in the forest, light filtering through the trees all around me. It was then that a beam of light glinted against something shiny on the ground. I stepped over to the source of the shimmer and picked it up. It was like nothing I had ever seen before: a blue crystal set in a white and gold metal contraption.
I turned the device over in my hands. It was unnaturally smooth except for a single jagged line down the middle. It was then that I felt the tugging sensation. It was like someone had grabbed me by the arm and tried to drag me away. For a moment I thought my arm was going to be ripped off and stumbled forward. I caught myself before I could fall and was instantly enveloped in a burst of white light.
It was over in less than a second. The light cleared and I was still standing in a field of grass, though it was obvious I wasn't in the woods anymore. Nothing around me looked familiar, but that wasn't as unsettling as anyone else might find it. I had been to many interesting places while learning how to shadow travel after all, but I had never been here before.
Well then. Maybe another time I would have been more curious about where I was, but I really did not care at the moment. I would just shadow travel back to camp, or wherever, no problem. It was just a little problematic that there weren't many shadows around. That meant I would just have to walk around until I found a good enough place.
The air was cool and the sun was setting as I started walking. I felt oddly peaceful and almost in a dream-like state as my pace slowed. It was nice. Even the throbbing in my arm lessened. The longer I walked, the more energy I had. I felt like I could fight an entire army alone or run for days without end.
It was then that I heard footsteps coming closer. I whirled around, grabbing the hilt of my sword and settling into a fighting stance. A girl was running up to me. She didn't seem hostile, but that didn't mean she wasn't dangerous. It was probably a trap.
"Hey kid, why are you out here? It's dangerous, you know," she said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Hm? It feels peaceful enough," I replied. I looked her up and down, still sizing her up in case of a fight. She had long light brown hair and was wearing an odd outfit; definitely something I'd never seen before.
"I'm Outrider Amber, of the Knights Of Favonius. And you are…?"
"Nico. Nico di Angelo."
"Well, Nico, allow me to escort you back to Mondstadt, so I can make sure you will be safe."
"Why?" I was not about to walk off with some girl I had never met before. I wasn't that stupid.
"Hilichurls have been seen in these areas recently. Now please, come with me." She started to walk away, glancing back and waiting for me to start following.
There were no shadows I could use to escape and I sensed no dead in the area that I could raise to cause a distraction while I made a run for it. It seemed I had had no choice but to follow her. I put my hands in the pockets of my aviator jacket and started to walk. She- Amber- was practically glowing with positivity. It was rather annoying.
"So, why were you this far from Mondstadt?" she abruptly asked.
"Huh?" I replied very intelligently.
"Have you hit your head or something?" she asked, looking concerned and worriedly.
"No? But I did almost dislocate my arm."
"WHAT?! We need to get that looked at as soon as possible." She offered me her hand "Take my hand. I'm going to Waypoint Hop to get us to Mondstadt faster and get Barbra to check you over."
"Waypoint?"
"Yikes… Must have hit your head hard." She grabbed my arm and pulled out a crystal just like the one I had found in the woods. She pulled me close and ran her thumb over the crystal thing. There was a brief tugging on my arm, but it was gentle; very different from how I got here. I closed my eyes as a bright light flashed in my eyes.
A moment later, it was over and I stood in a bustling city. It was clearly well cared for and even in the glow of early sunset, the streets were lively. There wasn't time for me to look around more as Amber pulled me up some stairs. I followed after her as she continued to drag me up to some churchy-looking building. She walked to the front where a blonde girl and a blue-haired man were standing and talking.
"No, will you please not make Sister Rosaria mad again, Kaeya?" the girl was asking the man.
He chuckled. "I won't Barbra, don't worry." He gently patted her head.
"Hey, Barbra! I found a kid who seems to have hit his head. Could you check him over?" Amber called out to Barbra.
"Oh, sure!" She smiled at me and her voice was soft and sweet. It was rather soothing, as was the apparently-a-church. "Please sit down right over here. I'll be back and check you over shortly. I just have to make sure one of the Nuns is asleep." she slightly glared at the man when mentioning this other nun and then walked away.
Amber glanced at him and if looks could kill, the man would have been long dead. "What did you do?" she bluntly asked.
"Well, you see… Me and Rosaria kinda got in a little fight and we both maybe beat the shhiiiiiz out of each other," he told Amber, not sounding particularly sorry for what had happened. He then looked at me and smiled. "Hello."
"Hi?" I responded after realizing I now had to be part of the conversation.
"Oh, Nico this is Kaeya, the Cavalry Captain," Amber said, introducing the blue-haired man.
"Pleasure meeting you," he said smoothly, sticking out a hand.
"Hm. You too," I grudgingly responded, making no effort to shake his hand. I didn't particularly feel like talking, and even though my mom taught me manners and as these people didn't seem hostile, I really didn't feel like being any more than half-polite.
I took a moment to study him. I had never met anyone who looked like him, but something about him reminded me a little of Percy. It was probably the eye patch and bright blue everything. His entire outfit was rather extravagant with the cape and fur collar. If he was a captain or something, wouldn't that thing just get in the way of fighting?
"He reminds me of Rosaria," Kaeya said to Amber, seemingly not bothered by my lack of interest. "Ya know, the pale skin and not wanting to talk to other people unless needed."
Amber squinted at me and her eyes widened dramatically. "Oh my Barbatos. You're right."
"Barbatos?" I cut in.
"The Archon of Mondstadt." Amber said it like I should know what that meant too.
"Archon?" I tilted my head.
"Barbatos is the god of Freedom, Music, Love, and Booze," Kaeya explained with a smile.
"Oh, thanks." So this place has its own gods. Interesting. I knew a few things about the many pantheons, but I had never heard of this Barbatos.
"Mhm."
Amber chose that moment to excuse herself, saying she had to resume patrol. Kaeya sat next to me and I tensed slightly, hand twitching toward the hilt of my sword.
"So, where are you from?" he questioned, still sounding cheerful.
"Why should I tell you?" What was I supposed to say anyway? Venice in the '30s? Yeah, that would go over well.
Kaeya just chuckled. "Alright, alright, you don't need to tell me." He was still smiling. What a strange person.
I pulled my legs up to my chest. It was clear by now that Kaeya was not about to attack me so I relaxed my defenses. It was a bit awkward in the silence of the churchyard. It was twilight now and the air was starting to get colder. Maybe when the stars came out I could attempt to figure out where I was... I suddenly had an idea and turned to look at Kaeya.
"Is there a map around here?"
"Hm? Oh, sure there are. How big of a map are you needing?" Kaeya replied.
"Um...fairly big. I need a general idea of where I am."
"Hmm," he thought for a moment. "There is one that might work, but it's in the library at the Favonius HQ."
"And where is that?"
"Asking an awful lot of questions, are we? What's the reason for this...interrogation?"
"I just got here! I have no idea where I am!" I raised my voice a little. I will admit, I was beginning to get riled up with his infuriatingly calm attitude and giving me answers that only created more questions.
"You sure you didn't hit your head or something?"
That was the final straw. I abruptly stood and glared down at him. "NO! I'm fine! I'm just lost and I don't know where I am, and I want to go back-"
"Nico. What is the last thing you remember before you got here?"
My anger abruptly vanished and I squinted at him suspiciously. "I found a crystal on the ground. Why?"
"May I see it?" He sat up straighter, eyes- or rather, eye- eager.
"Got nothin' to lose, I suppose." I took it out of my jacket pocket and handed it over to Kaeya.
He turned it over in his hands, studying it carefully. I dropped back onto the bench next to him, all feelings of anger gone.
"A W.P.K. Huh..." he muttered to himself after a minute.
"What now?"
"Oh. A Waypoint Key," he explained. "They take you to the closest Waypoint unless you know the exact place you want to go."
"And a Waypoint is…?"
"They are how we get around quickly. It's much faster than walking everywhere."
"Hm." Finally, something that made sense! Or at least, it made as much sense to me as the labyrinth did.
"Where did you say you found this?" Kaeya questioned.
"In the woods. Lying on the ground. Where we had recently played capture the flag." I told myself I would only give him vague details. It's not like he knew what Camp Half-Blood was, but I still didn't want to give out information like that.
"How strange. To get one of these, you need to be a citizen on a commission and even then you can only borrow it. But if you have a Vision, you can keep the Waypoint Key as it's required for larger amounts of combat."
"A… Vision?" Of course, I knew the word 'vision', but only in the context of Rachel falling over and spouting rhyming words in a different voice while her eyes glowed green. "What the Hades is that?"
"You don't know what a- Never mind." He took a light blue crystal from his belt and showed it to me. "This is a Vision. It blesses the user with an elemental ability."
"What element is yours?"
"Cryo. Or, Ice," he said as he put it back on his belt before looking me in the eye. "Where are you from, Nico? Please tell me the truth."
I pursed my lips. Well then. Time to give more vague answers to strangers. "Italy."
"Where? Is that a city in Fontaine?"
"Huh? What the Hades is Fontaine?"
"So not from Fontaine then. Where's Italy?"
"It's a country in south-central Europe," I said, eyes narrowing. Could he just be playing dumb to get more information out of me? It was possible, but he just didn't seem like the type of person to do something like that.
"And where is Europe?"
"You don't know where Europe is?!"
"Guess you really are far from home, kid."
"Don't call me that. But what do you mean?"
He pulled a small map out of a pocket and opened it up. "This is the Nation of Mondstadt. The other nations are Liyue, Inazuma, Fontaine, Sumaru, Natlan, and Sneznyha."
"Where is everything else?" This didn't make sense. Maybe this was just a small cluster of islands off the coast of… somewhere.
"Nico… There's only one country here: Tayvat."
"What?"
"Nico. I think you are from another world," he said softly.
"WHAT?" I could feel my heart start to race as my chest heaved. Air. I couldn't get enough air.
"Hey, it's okay." Kaeya put a hand on my shoulder. "I know some people that might be able to help you get home, okay?"
"I- I have to get back!" I cursed myself for stuttering. I lurched to my feet and turned in a circle, searching. It was mostly dark by now, the first stars appearing in the clear sky. Shadows everywhere. I could shadow travel. I had to. I reached out to the shadows with my mind, imagining a tunnel. I felt… nothing. I made a noise of frustration and rallied my strength, forcing the shadows to bend to my will. They stirred a bit, but I could not feel anything besides that. There was nothing else I could try. For just a second I contemplated drawing my sword to channel my power, but remembered that it was made of stygian iron and only helped summon and control the dead.
I whirled around and started pacing. No, no, no, NO. This could not be happening, not now. Just my luck, I thought bitterly. I wanted to leave camp and where do I find myself? As far away from camp as I can possibly get.
Kaeya was suddenly in front of me and grabbed my hands. I jumped at the sudden chill. His hands were unnaturally cold. "There we go. The cold helps snap you out of a panic attack. Just listen to me. I'll get you somewhere to stay until we can get you back home, okay?"
"I- Okay..." I whispered, staring down at my hands. I wanted to go back. It was almost ironic how I was trapped in a new dimension but wanted to go back to the place I had wanted to get away from. I'm sure some god was looking down on me and laughing right now.
"It might take a while for me to pull some strings and stuff, but I promise I will find a way to help you.
We sat in silence for a minute before I heard the sound of someone quickly walking over to us. It was that blonde gal, Barbara, if I remembered correctly.
"Sorry about the long wait. I had to make sure Sister Rosaria was asleep. It took a little while," she said cheerfully. She was smiling softly as she gave a small curtsy. "I'm Sister Barbara Pegg. May I look you over to make sure you are uninjured?"
She seemed so… polite. And proper. It was admittedly a little odd, but strangely comforting. "It seems so peaceful around here," I said softly.
She giggled slightly and kept smiling. "Thank you. I try to make sure all the guests in this church feel safe and welcomed!"
"Oh. Um, thank you?"
She nodded cheerfully. She was radiating energy in a way I had never felt before. In her presence, I felt calm and peaceful. And not in a creepy way, like it was a distraction to make me let down my guard, but in a genuine way. I agreed to let her look me over, since the chances of her suddenly attacking were practically nothing.
She pulled a thick book from her belt and opened it up. I glanced at the pages but I couldn't decipher what it said and I figured it wasn't just my dyslexia. Barbara looked down at it and then at me. "Do you want to sit or stand?"
"Um. What would be better for you?" I questioned and raised an eyebrow. Ah, the joys of being socially awkward.
"Well, I would recommend sitting, just in case you have a concussion or a balancing problem."
I was pretty sure by this point that I didn't have a concussion- I didn't recognize any of the signs from the last time I did- but I nodded and sat back down next to Kaeya. She then moved her left hand like she was swatting a bug away and suddenly her book was just floating in the air. That wasn't the only odd thing either. Little water droplets floated around my head and I jumped slightly, startled as they weren't there a moment ago. Not even Percy could control water like that.
"Oh, please stay calm. It's just from my Vision," she said as if she had read my mind. "I'm a Hydro user, which is the best when it comes to healing."
I nodded a little, eyeing the floating droplets circling my head. "And the floating book?" I had never seen someone make an object float so effortlessly.
"I'm also a Catalyst user, which means the book will float when I am using my Vision."
I nodded again, even though that made absolutely no sense to me. "What other Vision types are there?" I abruptly asked. If I was going to be stuck here for a while, I might as well know this world's technology.
"Well, let's see. There is Cryo, Hydro, Pyro, Anemo, Geo, Electro, and Dendro."
"Okaaaay. I know what Hydro and Cryo are, but what are the others?"
"Pyro is Fire, Anemo is Wind, Electro is Electricity, Geo is Rock, and Dendro is Plants."
"Huh… And can anyone get a Vision or…?"
"Oh, no. An Archon has to bless you with one, but you also must have an ideal or drive that matches the Archon."
"And that usually is?"
"My, you're a curious one." She giggled softly. "Though that does make some sense, I suppose. Most people don't know how Vision users get one."
Well, I couldn't exactly say I'm normal. Far from it, really. But of course, it's not like I was about to tell her that.
"Well you see, Hydro users get theirs because they have a strong sense of Justice. Anemo users get theirs if they have a strong want for Freedom. Geo users get theirs if they have contracts that keep them going. Electro users get theirs if they have a desire for Eternity. Pyro users get theirs from their strong will to protect people. Dendro users get theirs from their want to gain new Wisdom or Knowledge. And Cryo users, from what I've seen, have the want to be more Powerful."
"Usually Cryo users have been weak at some point so they want to work hard to never be that weak again," Kaeya added. Something in his voice had changed, just enough to be noticeable. It was then that I remembered that he was a Cryo user. Could he have been talking about himself?
"Well, you don't have any harm done to your head, as far as I can see," Barbara said after a short awkward silence. "Can you take off your jacket? It will be easier to patch up any wounds without the extra fabric getting in the way."
I hesitated for only a moment before I nodded and slipped off my jacket. I was only wearing a black t-shirt underneath and shivered in the cold night air. Barbara and Kaeya both blinked in surprise as they took in my appearance. I looked down at myself and noted that they probably weren't expecting the tiny scars running along my arms. The little white lines were harder to see against my pale skin, but they were still there. Barbara looked worried as she checked me over. It was obvious that both of them were curious and wanted to ask me about how I got my scars, but I was glad when no one spoke and Barbara continued her check-up. I didn't want to talk about it, not that I could exactly tell them about the one I had gotten while fighting a few empousai in the labyrinth while the ghost of Minos mocked me. I had only had enough nectar to close the wound but not heal it entirely. Fun times.
After a few more minutes of silence, Barbara closed her book. "There, all done!" She smiled and put her book back in its holder on her hip. "You had a slightly dislocated shoulder, but I healed it, so you should be all good now. If anything else ever happens to you, like if you get caught in a Hilichurl attack, you can always come to me and I'll patch you right up."
I nodded gratefully. I don't know what exactly her Vision could do, but whatever it did really helped and my shoulder wasn't even sore.
"Oh, and before I forget! Do you have somewhere to stay for the night?"
"Um. No, I don't." It seemed to hit me then that it was fully dark now, the only light coming from the stars and a few lamps. I remembered that I had barely slept the night before due to nightmares about that one time I made Percy jump in the Styx. Needless to say, I was tired and as I sat in the church, I again felt that sense of peace and calm. I stifled a yawn and leaned against a wall as my eyelids started to drift closed.
I didn't miss Barbara shooting a look at Kaeya. "He can stay here for the night, but I need you to find him somewhere to stay tomorrow."
Kaeya sighed and nodded. "I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises."
She huffed and crossed her arms. "You better, or I will tell Jean that you have been slacking off and spending most of your days getting drunk in Angel's Share."
"Alright," he chuckled. "I'll find him someplace to stay. Didn't know you could be so mean, Barbara."
"Don't use that teasing tone, Buster! I just do what has to be done."
"I'll get going then and start looking," he said as he stood up. "I'll see you another time, Barbara." He gently patted her head, as an older brother might. Then he looked at me. "You take care too, Nico. If you need anything, just tell Barbara."
After I nodded, he reached over and tousled my hair a bit. Then he turned and strode off into the darkness. I grumbled a bit as I ran a hand through my hair and turned to look at Barbara. "Where am I sleeping?"
"Follow me. There should be a spare room upstairs."
She began to walk over to a large staircase. At this point, it didn't seem very likely that a nun would suddenly jump out of the shadows and try to kill me, so I stood up and started to follow Barbara. She hummed to herself as she led me down a long hall to a room. She knocked on the door and waited a moment before opening it. "Just had to make sure no one was in here," she told me, stepping to the side to let me in. "I hope you find the view nice. It looks over the lake and you can see the stars very well from here, too."
The room was white with blue and gold highlights. The dim light from lamps outside was the only thing lighting the room, but it was all that was needed. A room like this could probably look perfectly normal in a castle or something like that.
"This used to be the room of a friend named Ludis, but he isn't here," Barbara informed me as she opened a trunk and pulled out some curtains.
"Would he mind if some random kid slept here?" I asked hesitantly, looking at the bookshelf in the corner that held a few books and scrolls.
"No, he wouldn't mind at all. In fact, he'd probably be glad that his room is being used again…" she said almost wistfully as she slid the curtains onto a rod and hung them above the window.
"Hm… Where is he anyway? On a quest or something?"
"Mhm, a quest to find his sister… Which I hope is going well. He's been out of contact for the past three years."
"Oh." A quest to find a sister was something I was quite familiar with. Well, in my case it wasn't exactly finding her and more like trying to bring her back. That was probably the worst year of my life, looking back, and that was saying something considering the time I had spent in the Lotus Hotel, having my memories wiped thanks to the River Lethe, and walking through the labyrinth with no one around but a manipulative old ghost. I pushed away the memories and instead studied the books on the shelf.
"Okay, you can close the curtains if it's too bright tonight," she said as she walked to the door. "I'm the first door on the right down the hall. Come get me if you need anything."
I nodded. "Thank you."
"May Barbatos bless you with good sleep." She bowed a little then closed the door as she left.
I sat down on the bed and sighed. I was in a strange world where people had elemental powers. I couldn't shadow travel. I had yet to contact anyone at camp. I didn't even know how this world worked and the dangers here. But, I was glad that I would be sleeping somewhere that felt safe. But how long would I be safe in Mondstadt? What if monsters here could tell I was a demigod and attack me? Would I be able to get back to my own world? There were so many thoughts filling my head, I doubted I would be able to fall asleep. I had to learn more about this place and hopefully find a way out of here. But who knows how long that would take…
I shrugged off my jacket and laid it at the foot of the bed before I flopped down and stared at the ceiling. My mind was racing, but I was so tired. Minutes later my eyes closed and I began to drift to sleep. But as I was drifting off, I could have sworn I heard distant music. It sounded like it was being carried by the wind from some far off-place. It was soothing and I could feel the tension drain from my body. A slight smile spread across my face as I fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter 2: I befriend an unfortunate ray of sunshine
Notes:
Thank you to everyone who has made it this far!
Y'all are lucky I'm only transferring these chapters tho. Everyone else had to wait 7 months .3.
So. Not much goin on this chapter. But Nico makes a friend close to himself in age! Progress!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
I woke to the sound of a bird singing. I'm not exactly an expert in bird calls, but even I could tell this was a sound like none that existed in my world. I slowly cracked open an eye, squinting in the morning light. The light reflected off the white walls of the room I sat in and I thoroughly regretted waking up.
Even so, I forced myself to sit up and recollect what had happened the day before. I had been in the woods and then there was a crystal. And then… I was transported to another dimension. Right. That happened. And I was currently sitting in a guest room in a church. Because that was normal.
I glanced around the room and as it was significantly brighter than the night before, I took in the details of the cozy space. Several bookshelves lined the walls and were filled with scrolls and books. I picked up a book from the small stack next to the bed and squinted at the cover. Of course, I couldn't read the title. I dropped the book back on its pile, ignoring the little dust cloud. I gingerly got up and stretched, wincing a little as my back popped. I stepped over the window and pulled aside the curtains to look outside. Barbara had been right: I could see a lake and it was beautiful. It sparkled blue and green in the morning sunlight. The lake was circled by mountains and cliffs. There were small islands too, and I could make out vague shapes of statues, even though I couldn't see them very well.
I pushed the window open and a warm breeze ruffled my hair. I breathed deeply, taking in the scent of wine and freshly cut grass. Little dandelion tufts floated on the wind. Watching them, it suddenly struck me how free I felt. I knew nothing about where I was, but I was safer here than I ever was before. Here, there are no gods and no monsters. At least, no monsters that can smell me and are constantly trying to kill me. Here, there are no prophecies and no Percy Jackson. I didn't have to worry about any of that stuff. My thoughts were interrupted by my growling stomach and I decided it was about time I found Barbara.
I slipped on my sword and aviator jacket and stepped into the hallway, carefully closing the door behind me. Barbara was probably awake by now, so she wouldn't be in her room. I considered waiting in the hall until I heard someone and could ask where she was, but then I heard the sound of distant music. It sounded like someone was playing a lyre. I recognized the sound from the few times an Apollo kid would dig one out of storage for campfire songs in the evening. I hesitated for another beat, but then figured it would be best to follow the melodic sound. As I walked down the hall, a dozen or so women, probably nuns, glanced questioningly in my direction but luckily didn't say anything.
I paused in the foyer of the church, unsure where to go. I could always leave, but I really should try to find Barbara. As if summoned by my thoughts, I heard light steps behind me and I turned around quickly. Barbara was standing behind me, a warm smile on her face.
"Morning, Nico! Did you sleep well?"
I nodded, hesitantly smiling back. Her warm energy was contagious and it was impossible not to feel safe in her presence. "Yeah, like a rock."
"I'm happy to hear that!"
I wasn't really sure what to say to that, but I didn't have to worry because I was saved by my stomach loudly growling. "Hey, uh, where can I find food around here?"
Barbara hummed thoughtfully and tapped her chin with a finger. "Oh! Good Hunter is always the best place to get some food," she said, nodding to herself as she talked. "Do you have any mora?"
"Uhhhh…"
"I'll take that as a no." She smiled kindly as she pulled a small leather pouch from a pocket and held it out for me. "Here, take this. It has 20,000 mora in it. Should be enough for a meal."
"Thank you." The coins clinked as I took the pouch and slipped it into the pocket of my jacket. "Where is Good Hunter?"
"Go down the front steps and keep walking until you see a fountain. Or just follow the smell of cooking food. It'll be right there. I'd take you, but I am a bit busy today."
"Ah, that's fine, thanks. Oh, one last thing. Where can I find a map?"
"That would be at the Adventurer's Guild, near the front gates."
I nodded, smiling slightly. "Thanks, Barbara."
"Any time, Nico! Remember, you're always welcome in the cathedral."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."
"May Lord Barbatos guide you." She inclined her head in a half bow before turning and walking back to the other nuns.
I quietly stepped outside and started on my way. I quickly went down the steps and paused for several seconds to just look around and take in the sights of the bustling city. People were laughing and chattering everywhere, creating a hum of noise. Vendors were calling out, trying to sell their wares, and children ran down the cobblestone streets. Everything was so vibrant and full of color, the air clouded with exotic scents.
Most of the people were dressed oddly, by my standards anyway. The men seemed to be wearing what looked like a tunic with short sleeves and vests as well as long pants that were tucked into tall boots. Some of the women wore dresses while others wore shorts with some kind of blouse and bodice. Several people were wearing silver or bronze armor. They all had armored gauntlets, shoulder guards, and breastplates with a twisting symbol. Each carried a sword in plain view at their hip. Maybe they were knights or guards. Something like that probably wouldn't be out of place in this world.
I was drawn from my musings when I caught the smell of cooking meat. Just like Barbara had said, it wasn't hard to follow the divine scent down the street until I stepped into an open town square with a fountain in the middle. I glanced around for a moment before spotting the train of smoke coming from a space off to my right. I stepped over, seeing a sign depicting a plate, fork, and knife over the door. A counter and cooking area were set up outside and a woman stood stoking a fire.
I took note of the short line and gingerly walked over. I could feel the eyes of curious people watching me walk past. Given the way they dressed, I stuck out like a hellhound wandering Olympus. I resolutely ignored them and stepped into the line.
In a matter of minutes, I reached the front of the line. The lady behind the counter gave me a warm if rather professional smile. "Welcome to Good Hunter! What can I get you?" she asked.
I had a momentary panic. I had no idea what to say. What kind of food did people even eat here? Ok, I reassured myself. This is a big place so people must travel a lot. I'm just a traveler who has never been here before. This is fine. "I- I haven't been here before. What are my options?"
"Lemme get you a menu so you can see what we offer." She reached under the counter and pulled out a paper menu and slid it across the counter.
"Thanks." I took it and retreated to one of the tables a few feet away. I scanned the menu but couldn't understand a single word. There were some pictures of food, but I couldn't exactly tell what they were since I couldn't even read the language. I also couldn't tell where the price was and I did not want to embarrass myself further. I groaned and slumped back in my chair. I guess I wasn't going to be having any breakfast.
"Um, 'scuse me."
A voice next to me spoke and I jumped. Standing close to me was a boy with sparkling green eyes and dusty blond hair. He was a bit short with a pale complexion and wore baggy blue shorts and a sleeveless cream-colored top with a vest. He must have been in a lot of fights since he was covered in scars, a particularly large one on his left shoulder. He even had a few bandages wrapped around his limbs. Something about his fluffy hair and open expression reminded me of a puppy.
It took me a moment to remember to respond. "Uh, yes?"
He shuffled his feet, looking just a little awkward. "It looked like you were having a hard time with the menu. Want some help?" he asked.
"Yeah. I could use some help," I admitted.
He pulled up a chair and sat next to me. "Okay, point to whatever looks interesting and I'll tell you what it is!" he said with an easy smile. His sunny personality and bubbly demeanor reminded me of a stereotypical Apollo kid.
I hesitantly pointed to a picture of what appeared to be some kind of egg. It was the most basic thing on the menu, but for all I knew it could be the egg of some monstrous creature, like a drakon. Except that those creatures wouldn't exist here. I was safe from them.
"That's the Teyvat Fried Egg!" Bennett chirped. "They're pretty easy to make, but whenever I try, it always ends up a little… crispy."
After a few minutes of this, I started to relax. The boy didn't judge me for my inability to read basic words and instead read the descriptions for all of the dishes on the menu, followed by his opinion on each of them. I finally decided on some Chicken Mushroom Skewers while he got something called Fisherman's Toast. I was quite relieved that most of the food here was similar to what I was used to.
He bounded over to the counter and placed our order. I insisted on paying since Barabra had given me money for just this purpose.
"We might have to wait for a little while," he said as he sat down next to me, "so why don't we get to know each other? I mean, just until the food is done. Then I can leave if you want."
I nodded in acceptance. Talking wasn't ideal, but it was better than silence. Just as long as I could avoid questions about where I'm from and why I knew nothing about everything.
"I'm Bennett! The leader of Bennie's Adventure Team!" he said as he straightened up and puffed out his chest.
I chuckled a bit at his enthusiasm. He reminded me of new campers trying to be cool around the older demigods. My laugh died as I sharply remembered that I too had been one of those overenthusiastic and naive kids.
"I'm Nico. Nice to meet you, Bennett."
He grinned at me, seemingly not noticing how quickly my smile started to diminish. His shining eyes and confidence reminded me of another pair of sea-green eyes... I pushed away those thoughts. Bennett was nothing like Percy. He was brighter, sunnier. I hated to admit it even to myself, but it was just a little comforting being with someone who reminded me just a bit of camp, of my life before coming here.
"So, where are ya from?" Bennett asked enthusiastically. "If you don't mind me asking," he hastily added.
Minotaur dung. I hadn't come up with a cover story yet. I had to come up with something quickly. "Just a small, nameless village off to the west." I internally cringed at my response. You couldn't have up with anything better? I chided myself.
"Oh, alright." He kept smiling. Did he seriously miss how suspicious my response was? Wow. There's no way he's that dense, right?
We sat in a moment of silence before a waitress came over with our food. She set down the plates and gave a smile when Bennett eagerly thanked her. Bennett's toast looked like it might have had onions at some point, if they hadn't been a bit charred beyond recognition. I picked up one of my skewers and took a bite. It was surprisingly good, for meat and mushrooms on a stick. I took another bite and looked up to see Bennett already half done with his first piece of toast. In the two minutes I took to eat a single skewer, he had scarfed down two more. I couldn't help but look at him like he had lobsters crawling out of his ears.
He noticed me looking at him and tilted his head. "What's up?" he asked and some of the toppings on his toast fell out of his mouth.
I cringed a little but did my best to hide it. "Hungry much?"
"Oh, sorry." He chuckled awkwardly and looked down at his plate. "I'm used to eating with my buddy, Razor, who doesn't care about how other people eat."
"Ah." I nodded in understanding and looked back down at my food.
"I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable. That happens a lot…" He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and wouldn't make eye contact.
"Hey, no judgment here," I said and leaned back in my chair.
"Wait, really?" He looked up at me, eyes wide and a small smile flickering across his face.
I nodded. His smile was infectious and I let myself smile back. "It's not the weirdest thing ever. I saw a guy eat a metal can once."
"What?"
"Ah, never mind. But what I'm trying to say is your eating habits aren't the weirdest thing I've seen."
He nodded and his grin widened. "Alright, thanks!"
I tilted my head as I picked up another skewer from my plate. "There's really no reason to thank me."
"Oh, I guess I'm just not really used to people comforting me and not calling me weird."
I didn't know what to say to that. I just nodded and went back to eating my food. I lost track of time as I sat in the sun and ate warm food and listened while Bennett talked. He talked about his friends named Razor and Fischl. He talked about the adventures he had been on and the places he had seen. He talked about the places he wanted to go and he talked about places he had been that had good treasure. I had just gotten used to his voice rambling when he abruptly stopped talking. It was so sudden, I jerked my head up to look at him.
"Why did you go quiet?" I asked, puzzled. It's not like I had told him to shut up.
"I was rambling again," he mumbled, seemingly embarrassed about it, judging by the blush staining his cheeks. "I just figured you would get annoyed by me talking so much."
"Nah." I took the last bite of my skewer and set the stick down. "I don't mind. And to be honest, you are giving me a lot of welcome information."
"So… you don't think I'm annoying?"
I shook my head. I had realized by now that if I was going to be stuck here for gods know how long, I would have to learn as much as possible. Bennett's chattering was giving me a lot of info about the culture and people around here.
I startled as Bennett leaned over from his chair next to me and tightly wrapped his arms around me. Oh. I tensed but didn't move from his grasp. How long had it been since someone had embraced me so openly? Or actually touched me at all? I racked my memory but all I found was the brief hug I gave Bianca before she left on her quest. I had been so angry with her, but I couldn't just let her leave without saying goodbye. And then she was gone. Gods, had it really been that long ago?
"Thank you!" Bennett said and I could hear the smile in his voice.
"I- y-you're welcome?" I said very calmly and not an octave higher than usual, and I most definitely did not stutter at all.
I patted his arm and he let me go, his happy smile still large. That smile of his was infectious and I couldn't help but smile too.
Bennett plopped back into his seat and launched into a dramatic retelling of how he and his adventure team had gotten ambushed by some Hilichurls, which seemed to be some kind of monster that roamed around in the wild. I got so caught up in his story that I almost missed the girl standing behind me. I felt a chill go down my spine and I whipped my head around to look at her. She had long blonde hair that was tied with black ribbons and looked to be only a few years older than me. Her odd outfit was sleeveless and seemed to be made with silk and lace in shades of black and purple. A purple bow was tied around her neck and she glared with the one pale green eye I could see. The other was covered by a black eye patch.
She crossed her arms and scowled at Bennett until he noticed her. "Oh, hi Fischl, what's up?" he chirped brightly.
"Bennett, thou made a promise to me that thou would not forget about the hard training that has to be done. A Prinzessen should never be told that one will keep their word, only for the person to lie and forget their promise! In my homeland, one would be punished for thy transgressions!"
"Oh, sorry Fischl," Bennett chuckled anxiously. "I got distracted by talking to my new friend." He then looked at me. "Nico, this is my best friend, Fischl. Fischl, this is my new friend, Nico."
She looked me up and down and was clearly disgusted by what she saw. "I, Fischl, Prinzessen der Verurteilung, descend upon this land by the call of fate an— "
"Before you continue, I don't speak "old-fashioned" or whatever you're going for," I said and crossed my arms.
I had barely known this girl for a minute and I was already annoyed. I hated being talked down to like I was inferior, and this snobbish girl hadn't even bothered to look me in the eye. My annoyance totally had nothing to do with the fact that her speech closely mirrored that of someone else I knew, who had swept into my life, taken my sister, and then never came back.
She glared at me and I glared back. "Hold thy tongue, mortal! One should not interrupt royalty lest they be punished!"
"Mortal"? Ha! If only they knew.
Bennett put a hand on her shoulder. "Fischl, calm down. He doesn't mean any harm at all, he just has some sass."
She rolled her eye. "I don't have time for this. There are more pressing matters that I must attend to." She huffed and walked off.
Bennett sighed and his shoulders relaxed. "Sorry about her. She's, uh, a little odd."
That's certainly one way to put it. "It's fine. But she's really rude. Is she actually royalty?"
He hesitated and glanced down the street in the direction Her Majesty had stormed away. "We don't really talk about that. She's just… like that… So! Have anywhere to be?"
"I guess not."
"Waaaaanna go on an adventure with me?"
An… adventure? He wanted to go on an adventure with me? No one had ever wanted to go on a quest with me, though that wasn't really a fair assessment because quests were very difficult and usually involved prophecies that led to people you know dying or breaking their promise to stop said person from dying. Still, I was touched that a boy who barely knew me wanted me to go with him on an adventure.
"Oh, why not?" I shrugged nonchalantly, trying to ignore the rush of joy I felt at being included.
The two of us got up and started making our way to the front gates. As we walked past, I heard one of the guards mutter to the other one, "May Lord Barbatos protect that kid.". I stumbled a little as their words caught up to me. Who were they referring to? Bennett? Or… Me? What did I just get myself into?
Notes:
Nico is very petty. He also can and will hold a grudge until he dies. So, grudge against Zoe Nightshade. Not to mention those complicated feelings about Percy. So. That comes up a bit.
Thanks for reading!! Next update... idk. School is kicking my ass lately and the creativity gods may have cursed me, so. Yeah.
:))))
Chapter 3: Tea Makes Me (almost) Cry
Summary:
Nico and Bennett begin an adventure, which ends almost immediately. Rosaria is annoyed, Kaeya is gleeful, Diluc is not paid enough for this, and Venti is enjoying this even more than Kaeya.
(featuring cool uncle kaeya and awkward dad diluc)
Notes:
New chapter is finally here!!! Almost two years later, with about 6k words written in the last two weeks. Thank you to everyone who has stuck around and waited this long, and everyone who has read this far. I know the first two chapters are pretty rough, but as a reward for getting this far, here is a chapter with a word count of 9,400 and a sudden spike in quality 2,500 words in (after the scene break).
Happy reading!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Bennett was rambling again. It was clear now that this was usual for him. He was chattering about some adventures that he had been on, though I admit I was only half listening. Most of my attention was on the scenery.
We strolled down a forest path, the sky partially blotted out by the tall trees. The patches of grass were a deep green with a slightly teal tint, swaying in the fluttering breeze. The light wind carried the smell of wine, a bit stronger than it had been back in the city. Colorful and vibrant flowers were scattered around, and I racked my brain for any that looked familiar. It took a minute, but I decided one of the little dark green bushes was mint. I couldn't figure out what the others were, but they all smelled sweet. This place was like something out of a dream.
As for why we were currently wandering in the woods, Bennett had said that he needed to find his friend Razor, who lived in the woods or something like that. It was unclear, actually. But again, I didn't exactly have anything better to do, so I decided to go along with it.
I started paying attention to Benett again as he shifted the topic to some amazing guy. I fully snapped back to his chattering when he mentioned the same name that Barbara had the night before: Ludis.
“Hey, Bennett,” I interrupted. “Who exactly is Ludis?”
He glanced at me with a huge grin. “He's only one of the best heroes ever! He saved Mondstadt from Stormterror!” He was almost glowing with excitement now. “And he saved Liyue from a former Archon that went rogue!”
“Wow… He does sound like a great hero,” I mumbled.
“He is, and he's so nice too! I see him as one of my few friends.”
“Hm.”
Try as I might, I couldn't stop my stupid brain from wandering back to Percy. Chosen One. The subject of a great prophecy. Son of Poseidon. Savior of Olympus. The most powerful demigod in the world. And how he always made an effort to be friendly to everyone, even to someone who was very annoying, especially when that person was an idiot and wouldn't shut up about childish games like Mythomagic. Something pulled at my chest, the way it did when I thought of life before. My old home. I missed home. But where was home now? I couldn't possibly think of Camp Half-Blood as my home, could I? No. I had left. That wasn't my home and never would be. I would never go back there.
I was shaken from my spiraling thoughts by a shout that ended abruptly as Bennett stumbled and suddenly disappeared from my side. I flinched away and assessed the situation. My heart was pounding with adrenaline, which turned out to be complete overkill when I realized Bennett had tripped over a root and fallen into a large pit to the side of the path that had previously been obscured by a bush.
I hesitantly approached the edge of the hole and looked down, unsure of what I would find. I hadn't sensed him die at least, but still. Falling into surprise holes was a terrible experience. Better safe than sorry.
Luckily, my worry was unnecessary, and Bennett lay at the bottom of the hole, looking up at me, stunned into silence. I looked him over and took note of the twisted leg, broken at the very worst. At least there was no blood. Besides that, he didn't look worse for wear.
“How did you even fall? That shouldn't have even been possible,” I called down to him.
He sat up and waved his arms in a vaguely confused gesture. “Can you go get help, please?” he called back.
I sighed and contemplated my choices. I would have to run all the way back to the town and then find someone and get a rope or something, and it would be a whole big thing. But I couldn’t just leave him down there in that hole defenseless. And even if I was strong enough to pull him out, I was, in fact, on the shorter side. No way was I going to risk getting stuck with him.
“Alright, I'll try to find someone back in town to help me get you out.”
“Thanks! I’ll try to patch up my wounds as best I can. Good luck!!”
I turned and jogged back down the sad excuse of a trail. It was seriously hard to see. But I would be fine. As long as I could see the trail, I could make it back to Mondstadt, and it would all be okay.
There was a fork in the road. What the Hades. The Fates really had it out for me recently, didn't they? Okay, so maybe it was time to start panicking. Just a little. A little panicking never hurt anyone. Except for when it did.
I took a deep breath and surveyed the two paths, looking for signs that we had been here: footprints, broken branches, stepped-on plants, and the like. I didn't see any clues. I was never a great tracker anyway. Frustrated with myself and the whole situation, I turned away from the fork and seriously considered just going back and helping Bennett myself.
I didn't like standing around in the woods alone and started to walk back towards Bennett when I felt a chill down my spine. I stopped and glanced over my shoulder to see a woman standing behind me. My heart lurched painfully in shock, but I forced myself to remain still.
The woman standing behind me was painfully pale, with short red hair standing out like fresh blood on snow. I hadn’t even realized I had a hand on my sword until my brain registered the feeling of cold metal. For a moment, I had been sure she was some kind of monster, but then I saw that the outfit she wore, which might have passed as a dark nun costume, had the same symbol that I had noticed on Barbara’s dress. Despite an already odd enough sight to see in a forest, the thing that quickly caught my attention was the metal claws on her hands, stained red.
She took a step closer and looked down at me, crossing her arms.
“What’s a kid doing alone in the woods? I’ve never seen you before,” she said. Her voice was cold, clear, and terrifying. The glare wasn’t helping either, and I couldn’t stop an involuntary shiver.
“I was just looking for help. My- uh, friend, Bennett, fell into a hole, and I can’t get him out.
She relaxed ever so slightly and nodded. “That sounds like Bennett alright,” she sighed. “Lead me to him.”
I nodded, too startled and just a bit scared-okay, maybe a lot scared-and started walking back to where I had left Bennett. The cold air made my neck prickle despite the collar of my jacket, and it only got stronger as time went on. Normally, I wouldn’t be so scared of a random lady, but something about the way she walked, smooth and soundless like a predator, or maybe the way she watched me, waiting for me to make one wrong move, was something that would haunt me for a while. At that moment, all I wanted was to get away from her as soon as possible.
It took way too long to get back to Bennett's hole, but we finally made it. The two of us glanced down at Bennett, who was shakily attempting to stand up. He did not succeed. He plopped back down and glanced up, giving a tiny wave and sheepish smile when he finally noticed the two of us. The red-haired woman was not impressed and let him know with a look of her own.
“Does this happen a lot?” I cautiously asked her, looking down at Bennett.
“Unfortunately, yes. Bennett has terrible luck. I am only surprised that it wasn’t you who fell.” She prodded the edge of the pit with her foot, maybe testing how stable the ground was.
And then she jumped into the hole like a crazy person. What was with the people here?! Men wearing a ridiculous amount of blue, judgmental princesses, sunshine boys with bad luck, and now a creepy nun who jumps into deep holes for fun. What the Hades. And then, lo and behold, she climbed out moments later with Bennett on her back. I reiterate, what the Hades.
Creepy Nun Lady set Bennett down surprisingly gently and then not-so-gently pulled the bandana off his arm and shoved it in his mouth. She then ripped a strip of fabric and wrapped his leg with it and a branch that was lying a foot away, making a crude splint. Bennett squirmed and clenched his teeth against the fabric as his leg was moved.
“Hey, kid,” she said and glanced at me. “Hold him down or he will make his leg worse.”
I nodded, still more than a little uneasy from the energy she gave off, but I gingerly crouched down across from Creepy Nun Lady. I pressed my hands to Bennett's shoulders to hold him down and tried to pretend they weren't shaking as Bennett flinched from the pain of the lady's touch.
The woman laid a hand on his leg, ignoring his wince, and a moment later, cold white vapors flowed from her fingers. They swirled around the wound, then dissolved into his skin.
“This should help numb the pain for now,” she said briskly. I wouldn’t have believed her, but some of the tension had eased in Bennett’s shoulders and face. Creepy Nun Lady checked the binding on his leg again and hoisted herself to standing.
A sigh of relief slipped out of me before I could stop it. That feeling faded fast when the woman fixed the two of us with a look of grave disappointment. I didn’t even know this lady, didn’t owe her anything, but guilt still washed over me. I didn’t even know why I was guilty!
“Now,” she said, “what were you two kids doing so far from town?”
“Just exploring.” Bennett immediately responded. He looked like a kicked puppy underneath her glare. “I should have been paying better attention to where we were going.”
The lady didn’t answer, just looked on with her tight expression. I couldn’t stand to keep watching Bennett sit on the ground, head bowed in shame. It just felt wrong to see him so wilted, so I held my hand out to him.
“Need a hand up?” I asked him. Bennett nodded and looked relieved as he took my hand. I pulled him up, then grabbed his shoulder with my other hand as he immediately stumbled.
I carefully held on to Bennett as he regained his balance. He looked up at me, and again I noticed his pale green eyes. I had never seen eyes that color, so bright and clear. Bennett was an inch shorter than me, and our faces suddenly seemed so close. I can’t remember the last time I was so close to someone, not counting during battle or getting my injuries patched up.
My chest hitched at that thought, and I took an abrupt step back. Only a moment had passed since I helped Bennett up. I roughly cleared my throat, willing the heat prickling in my face to go away. “Can you walk,” I asked brusquely, “or do you need help?”
“Help would be nice,” Bennett said with a forced smile.
I nodded and turned to let Bennett put an arm over my shoulders. My arm wrapped around him in turn, more gently than I had expected from myself. What is up with me?
Creepy Nun Lady gave me an unimpressed look but turned away and started up the terrible path. “Come on,” she drawled. “We need to get Bennett back to Mondstadt.”
Well, she wasn’t wrong. I took a couple of steps forward, going slowly with Bennett until we found a limping rhythm. We were so close, Bennett’s ashy blond hair brushed against my face. It was very soft. And his skin was warm. I always forgot how cold my own skin felt to others, but now I felt a little bad that Bennett had to lean on me. It definitely wouldn’t help him feel more comfortable.
Bennett almost tripped again, and he tightened his grip on me. A furious prickling swept across my face and I could only guess what I looked like. I thanked all the gods that Bennett was looking at the ground and the nun lady was several feet ahead of us.
“Hey, Bennett, who is she?” I quietly asked. No, I was not asking just for a distraction; I genuinely wanted to know. If it helped me take my mind off why my heart got all fluttery at being so close to someone else, that was just a bonus. And maybe it would help distract Bennett from his own pain.
“That’s Rosaria,” Bennett muttered back. “She’s a nun and works for the church, even though I heard she has no faith in Barbatos.” Bennett shivered. “Honestly, she’s colder than Dragonspine, and that’s the coldest place in Tayvat. Most of the time, people only see her at night. Her being out here in the middle of the day is unusual.”
Bennett paused, then leaned closer, voice dropping even lower to a whisper. “I heard that she’s so mean, even the Spark Knight avoids her. The last time they got into an argument, Rosaria was so cruel that she made the Spark Knight cry. Honestly, I’m surprised she’s even helping us at all.”
I stayed quiet, mulling this information over. Creepy Nun Lady, Rosaria, did look as terrifying as Bennett’s stories had painted her. And she obviously wasn’t very sweet or caring. But she had helped Bennett with no hesitation. Was she really that terrible?
As if hearing my thoughts, Rosaria whipped her head around to stare at us. Bennett squeaked and clicked his jaw shut under her piercing red stare.
“Good,” she snapped. “You’ve finally shut up. Now I don’t have to listen to your annoying voice any longer.”
Bennett flushed at the realization that she had heard everything he had said about her and returned to staring at the ground like a dejected baby animal. Welp, maybe I was wrong about her being misunderstood. I glared at her back and pretended my eyes were just as stabby as hers.
The rest of the trek passed in silence. I tried to think of something I could say to cheer Bennett up, but nothing was coming to mind. Finally, after too long, the city gates came into view.
Two silhouettes stood in front of the gates, one leaning against it and the other pacing. We got a few steps closer, and I realized it was Kaeya and Amber. Amber noticed us at the same time, and her face broke into a warm smile. She jogged up to us but stopped short when she registered Bennett’s leg and the nightmare nun lurking beside us.
“Woah- what happened?!”
Bennett smiled sheepishly and pulled away from me a bit, trying to stand more solidly on his own. For just a moment, my side felt cold in the absence of Bennett’s weight and warmth, and I almost reached out to pull him back against me. Almost. Stupid, what am I thinking? In my distraction, I missed when Bennett started to speak.
“-I fell down a really deep hole so Nico went to get help and Rosaria was there and she helped us!” Not a lie, but it really didn’t feel like the truth. Bennett’s smile also looked like it was drawn on, sharp and halfway to a grimace. Amber didn’t seem to notice, but Kaeya’s face was pinched with worry.
Without another word, Amber scooped up Bennett and slung him over her shoulder, ignoring his startled yelp.
“I’ll take Bennett to Barbara and get him properly patched up. And Rosaria, I take it you’re going to get drunk at Angel’s Share to skip the choir performance tomorrow?” Amber’s voice took on an icy and clipped quality that I hadn’t heard from her before.
“You know me so well,” Rosaria sniped back, sugary sweet and dripping with sarcasm. She pointedly turned away from Amber to Kaeya. “Wanna join me there, Alberich?”
“Rosaria, you know I could never say no to you,” Kaeya grinned.
Amber rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m off then. See you around, Nico.” Bennett waved, and his smile became a bit more genuine. Like melted sunshine. What??
“So, kid,” Kaeya turned his grin to me, “care to join me and Rosie? That’s not a request, by the way.” The last part is tacked on when my jaw drops.
“I told you to stop calling me that. Sleep with one eye open tonight, Alberich,” Rosaria growled. Rather cruel of her to say that to the man with an eyepatch. Dang.
“You’re going to kidnap me and take me to a bar? Is that legal? In any way?” I immediately asked.
Kaeya snorted. “Diluc doesn’t serve alcohol to children, but you can still go in. And anyways, where else do you have to be?”
“Not a kid-” I started automatically, but bit it off, shaking my head and focusing on the bigger issue here. “I’m not going to a bar with you- hey!”
“Too bad!” Kaeya said in a sing-song voice and picked me up. One moment, my feet were firmly planted on the nice ground, and the next, I was eye level with the chest window in Kaeya’s shirt. Holy Hera. What in the name of all the gods..?!
Kaeya walked into the city, Rosaria at his side. I was so stunned, quite frankly flabbergasted, that I forgot to struggle.
I was carried bridal-style, in full shock, down a series of winding streets until we came to a quaint building. Quaint on the outside anyway. The reek of alcohol and shouting of drunkards came spilling out from the cracked-open door and windows. The assault on my senses shook me out of my stupor, and I began to struggle in Kaeya’s strong arms. He regarded me carefully, considering, and then dumped me unceremoniously on the ground.
“Hey- you, you-!” I sputtered.
“Come on, kid, we have people to see and things to drink,” Kaeya said with that grin. A crash came from inside the tavern, followed by raucous laughter, and I cringed. Kaeya caught my expression and his face softened.
“I promise it’s safe, Nico. There are plenty of teenagers in the Adventurer’s Guild who come here all the time. No one will hurt you here.”
My shoulders lowered just a bit and I picked myself up from the ground. Kaeya plopped a hand on my head and ruffled my hair as he walked past me to the door and pushed it open. The scent of alcohol hit even stronger and I wrinkled my nose. I almost didn't follow Kaeya, considered taking off, but the presence of Rosaria behind me outweighed that urge.
The inside of the building was nicer than I expected, all wood surfaces and warm lamplight. Groups of people, the source of the noise, crowded around the tables, with a few loners sitting at the bar. Stairs led up to a second level which seemed much quieter, though I couldn’t see much of what was up there.
I hesitated in the doorway, feeling very out of place. Kaeya patted my back and strode in, right up to the bar, waving hello to the bartender. Rosaria set her hand on my shoulder and it was really, really not comforting. Rosaria walked in, pushing me in front of her, and marched me up the stairs to the second level. A few curious eyes followed, but all looked away when Rosaria gave them a glare of her own.
Rosaria finally let go of me from her icy talons when we reached a table in a dim corner. When she set me free, she did so with a shove towards one of two chairs. I got the hint and sat down. I tried to subtly look around for backup, but the area was deserted.
“Alright, kid, you can’t run here. So let’s talk.” Rosaria didn’t sit but planted her palms on the table. Talk? Interrogation, more like. I watched her drag the nails on one hand over the smooth wooden surface, too afraid to look her in the eye.
“Who are you? Really?” Simple question. Not so simple answer. And I couldn’t tell her the truth, and even if I did, she probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.
“I-I’m just a normal kid.” I cursed myself for stuttering, showing weakness in front of Rosaria.
“Mhm hm, likely story.” She pulled a knife out from somewhere and twisted it in her hands, watching candlelight flicker against the smooth metal. “Not every kid gets such special attention from the highest-ranking knights in Mondstadt. So there must be something special about you.”
Each word landed like a blow, and I tensed further, shrinking back in my chair. My hand moved to the hilt of my sword, but I swore to myself I wouldn’t use it unless Rosaria actively tried to kill me, which was looking more and more likely.
“Not to mention, you are as clueless as a baby duck. If you knew anything, you would have avoided me on sight. And you would have known better than to leave Bennett alone in the woods.”
She was going to kill me. She was going to kill me, and I was going to die. Rosaria flipped the knife in her hand again.
“You’re lying to me. I don’t like liars.” Rosaria abruptly slammed her knife into the table, leaving it embedded in the wood, still shivering with the force of the impact. I had flinched at the action, and now cautiously eased out of my defensive recoil.
“Tell me who you are and who you work for. Or else, I’ll kill you. Right here, right now.” Her voice dropped lower and lower, and she leaned forward, eyes boring into mine.
“But- but-” I stuttered, my mind spinning like a hamster on a wheel to think of a way out of this situation. “But that’s illegal! And we’re in a public space! Won’t you at least get kicked out?”
I sincerely hoped that if Rosaria murdered me in a tavern, there would be harsher consequences than her getting kicked out. However, given what I knew of this crazy lady, there was a chance she might not like that possibility.
“Not if they don’t find your body.”
Oh. Oh no. Without thinking, I stood abruptly, chair hitting the ground with a bang. Come on, Kaeya, where are you?! I backed away from Rosaria, not taking my eyes off her. My hand moved to the hilt of my sword, and I gripped it hard. After another moment of hesitation, I drew the blade. Despite her monstrous qualities, Rosaria was human, and that meant my blade wouldn’t just injure her, but could possibly absorb her soul like a monster’s, which would definitely kill her. She was about to murder me, but despite that and everything else, I wasn’t eager to kill her and prevent her spirit from reaching whatever afterlife existed here.
Rosaria made the decision for me by pulling a new dagger out of somewhere and hurling it at my chest. I staggered to the side, barely dodging, and knocked the dagger off course with my own sword. It shot past me, sharp edges shining. I was breathing heavily and kept backing up, faster now, until I hit a sudden solid surface. My thoughts screeched to a halt, and a new wave of panic hit until I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“Rosaria, what have I told you about attacking customers in my tavern,” a new voice asked very sternly, “let alone a child.”
I glanced up to see the person who had maybe just saved my life. He was a tall man, built like a brick, with fiery red hair to match the brick description. His skin was fair, but had a ghostly hue against his vivid hair, and his eyes almost glowed from the reflections of the firelight around us.
Rosaria made a noise not unlike a growl and stepped back to the table, yanking out her knife.
“I’m leaving anyways, tell Kaeya he can have my drink,” she scoffed and pushed past the man to go back down the stairs. I’d almost say she was stomping, but I don’t think Rosaria ever stomped.
We waited until she was out of sight, and then the mystery man finally let go of my shoulder, and I turned to look at him fully. He wore a suit, if the suit was appropriate for fighting monsters while looking stylish, in black and white with copper-toned accents. A red crystal hung from his belt, and his hands were covered with black gloves with blood-red palms. In one hand, he held the dagger that Rosaria had almost skewered me with.
“Are you alright?” the red man asked.
“Yeah,” I said, speaking automatically as my heart finally stopped hammering in my chest and my brain began to catch up to the moment. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you. For not letting me die.”
The man shook his head, seeing right through my partial truth. “You are shaken. Have a seat and let me get you a cup of tea.”
I hesitate, unsure if I really want to listen to this guy. He did save me from Rosaria, but given his conversation with her, I wasn’t sure if I could trust him either. While my brain debated the pros and cons of being around this guy, my mouth made the decision for me by blurting out one of the many thoughts running around my head.
“Isn’t this a bar?”
“Yes, I suppose,” the man answered, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly upward, “but since I’m popular with the younger folks, I also serve juice, tea, and coffee.”
“Oh. Do you know where Kaeya is?”
“Ah, yes. Last I saw, he got a bit distracted with the crowd down there. I’ll pry him away once I get back downstairs.”
The very red man turned away and began to head down to the main level. At the top of the stairs, he paused and turned back to me, definitely smiling a little bit. “Anyone who has a near-death encounter with Rosaria gets their drink on the house.”
He turned back and vanished down the stairs, leaving me to give a startled “thanks” to his departing back. I thought about not sitting back down, just out of spite, but my legs were feeling suspiciously like jelly, so maybe sitting was a good idea after all.
She almost had me. A human, mortal, had almost killed me, a demigod. And not just any demigod, but a son of Hades himself, a big three god and lord of the entire underworld. In just a few years, I had fought in a war, killed countless monsters, and raised and dispelled the undead. I led Percy Jackson down the doorway of Orpheus to the river Styx and oversaw his taking on the curse of Achilles. Not to mention everywhere I had gone while figuring out my shadow travel and powers.
In a few years, I had done a lot, seen a lot, and had been through a lot. And some lady almost killed me. I had let my guard down and decided I didn't want to hurt her. And I hadn't really seriously fought since the war ended a few weeks ago. I was slow, out of practice, out of place, and weak. I needed to train, get away from these crazy people and this crazy place. Run away and go back. Go back to somewhere familiar, somewhere people knew me, all of me, for who I am.
Creaking wood shook me from my thoughts as Kaeya strode up the big staircase, the red-haired man slinking further behind him. Kaeya cracked a rare soft smile when he saw me sitting in the corner and gave my hair a ruffle when he walked over.
“Hey kid, you okay?” He sat down in the chair across from me, where Rosaria had been only a few minutes ago. Kaeya somehow managed to make manspreading look elegant.
“I almost died, man! No, I’m not okay!” I could feel something in me crumbling, allowing the words to stream out. I waved my arms in exasperation, trying to get across how fried my nerves were by now.
Kaeya sighed. “I’m sorry about Rosie; she is not exactly the easiest person to be around.”
“No, really,” I snarked. “Is murdering children normal for her, or am I the lucky exception? She’s crazy! Why on earth are you friends with her?”
Kaeya’s face became closed off, unreadable. I felt a sting of guilt for being so harsh towards the guy who had helped me so much, but I didn’t take the words back.
“Things haven’t been easy for her,” he said quietly. “Of course, that doesn’t excuse her actions, especially the way she treated you. I’ll talk to her later, and probably Barbara and Jean too.”
The red man pulled up another chair and joined the conversation. “No, I’ll do it. Especially since we both know you don’t like taking responsibility for anything that doesn’t benefit you.”
I winced at the harsh words, but Kaeya was unfazed, hints of a smirk returning to his face. The man set a small tray down on the table and picked up a teacup, which he set in front of me. The cup was beautiful and delicate, painted with small flowers. It felt odd to hold it, so at odds with everything else about this building and the people in it. I held the cup close to my face and smelled the dark liquid, bracing myself for something odd and foreign, but was greeted instead by the smell of chamomile. That scent was familiar, warm and comforting. I remembered it from a time before. Before everything. My eyes prickled with the promise of tears, and I blinked rapidly, taking a small sip to distract myself.
“No, really Diluc, I got it this time,” Kaeya was saying when I started paying attention again. At least it seemed neither of the men had noticed that a cup of tea almost made me cry. Kaeya had picked up a crystal glass and was swirling around the deep red liquid in it- probably wine. The other man picked up the final cup on the tray: a metal mug with amber liquid.
“So, Nico,” Kaeya turned back to me, “meet Master Diluc Ragnvindr, owner of the Dawn Winery and Angel’s Share, and your new guardian.”
“What?” The word came out far louder than I had intended, and when I looked over to gape at the red man, Diluc, he looked just as shocked, mouth still open from echoing my exclamation. Diluc recovered from the surprise almost immediately, face shutting down into tired annoyance.
“Kaeya. What are you talking about? We did not discuss this.” The words were punctuated sharply with exasperation.
“Diluc. You have more than enough room, and he can’t stay at the church. You know I would let him stay with me, but…” He shrugged vaguely, giving pretty good helpless puppy eyes.
“He can stay at the Adventurer’s Guild then!” I could practically feel the displeasure radiating from Diluc as he stared at Kaeya.
“Nope. He would be safer with you.”
That caught Diluc’s attention. “And why is that? I run a tavern, not a royal palace.”
Kaeya leaned forward, a devious grin on his face, eyes locked squarely on Diluc’s. “He isn’t from this world.”
Bombshell dropped. Diluc stayed still, besides turning his head side-eyeing me hard. I took another sip of tea to stop myself from squirming under his searching gaze. He looked back at Kaeya, scrutinizing him too.
“You’re serious?"
Kaeya nodded, dropping the smile. “He found a broken waypoint key in his world, and it brought him here. He knows next to nothing about our world and its dangers. I’m willing to teach him, but we can’t let everyone know about this incident.”
“You really are serious,” Diluc mumbled, staring into his mug. “Have you at least told Jean?”
“Not yet. Later. We just need to make sure Nico knows enough to blend in and not make himself a target for the Fatui.”
“I see.” Diluc nodded slowly, still pondering his drink. It was impossible for me to tell what he was thinking.
“Alright,” he finally said, “He can stay with me as a guest for one month, until he can support himself. After that, he will need to pay for lodging.”
“It’s alright,” I blurted out. “I don’t have to stay, I’ll be fine on my own, and I don’t mind sleeping outside.” Alright, maybe that was not the right thing to say. But I didn’t like the idea of Kaeya pressuring Diluc into taking me in, especially when he clearly didn’t like the idea. And anyway, I wasn’t too keen on staying with someone who didn’t want me in the first place. Again.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Nico,” Kaeya snorted. “It’s not safe.”
“I know how to defend myself. Really, Kaeya, I’ll be fine.”
“Do you know how to read?” Diluc asked, a bit out of nowhere. Given his distracted look, I was suddenly questioning if he had even heard me speak.
“No…?” Not the language here. Then again, my English literacy was not great either. And it’s been a long time since I’ve read anything in Italian. Now that they mention it, can I read??
Diluc nodded like he had made a decision. “I will teach Nico our written language and how to succeed in social interactions. You can cover the rest.”
“Will you teach me more about Visions and Archons and Ludis?” I cut in. I wasn’t sure exactly what “the rest” entailed, but what little I knew about magic and gods here had sparked my interest. And then there was Ludis, a wandering hero who had disappeared one day, according to Benentt. If anyone could help me get back to my world, it must be this guy.
The two men stared at me and then each other. The silence grew, and so did my nerves. Did I say something wrong?
“Yes, of course,” Diluc finally responded. “How do you know of Ludis?”
I shrugged. “Bennett told me about him and how he saved Mondstadt and Liyue, stuff like that. Why?”
Both men sighed, not in relief but something more akin to discouragement.
“I hoped you might have met him, in your world or ours,” Kaeya said. “He’s been out of contact for almost two years now. Razor and Rosaria were the last ones to see him.”
“Besides Captain Beidou and the crew of the Alcor,” Diluc added.
“Who?” Great, more names.
“Perhaps you will meet her one day. Beidou and her crew often help the merchants get their shipments to Liyue via the ocean.”
Well, that answered very little. “Does she have a Vision too?”
Both nodded. “I can tell you more about her later,” Diluc said. “In the meantime, I still have work to do, and so does Kaeya.” He gave the other man a harsh side eye. Kaeya just grinned and waved his arms in a hapless shrug.
“Once you are finished with your tea, I would recommend exploring the town. Just don’t talk to anyone wearing a mask and don’t go to the church since Rosaria is sure to be there, and you’ll be just fine,” Diluc rattled off.
He stood and said goodbye, walking away with an already distracted look and a mostly full mug.
Kaeya stood as well and drained the rest of his glass. He paused, brushing his fingers over the gash in the table left from Rosaria's knife.
“Stay safe, Nico,” he said softly. “Trust your instincts.” He gave me one more smile and gave my hair a hearty ruffle as he walked past. I grumbled a bit at his back as I tried to smooth down my hair, which was surely sticking straight up now, but I couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips.
I finished my tea and slowly made my way down the big staircase, staying close to the shadows and away from the small crowds of people. I pushed my way out the door and back to the main street.
As I stood outside, the midday sun slowly descending, it suddenly hit me that I was alone again. Completely alone, in a foreign city, where I didn’t know anything about the culture and customs. Well, what else is new?
I meandered aimlessly through the streets for a while, avoiding eye contact with everyone I saw. Very quickly, I came to the realization that Mondstadt was not the huge city I thought it was. It was more like a village, a small town at best. The buildings were very uniform too, cream and brown with red and sometimes green tile roofs. The scenery was quaint, but it got old fast.
The sun continued to dip lower in the sky, almost on the edge of dusk, and I still hadn’t found anything interesting. I was close to just calling it a night, sitting down on a step until I saw Diluc again, when a tune came drifting on a breeze.
I had spent enough time hearing campfire songs at Camp Half-Blood to recognize a lyre, and without thinking, I began to follow the melody. Maybe I was in a trance, going on a wild goose chase for a song in the wind. Or maybe I was just bored.
Luckily, it was not a wild goose chase and a few streets over, I found a small crowd gathered around a slight figure. They pranced around humming as they played, and the crowd bobbed along. I stayed to watch as a breeze came in to blow flower petals around them and play with their hair, which was black around their face and faded into aqua braids. Their clothes were green, brown, and white with gold accents, almost like the city itself manifested in a really silly outfit.
Time went on and the sun got lower and people began to disperse until I was the only one left. I glanced around awkwardly, wondering if I should just go back to Angel’s Share, when a final resolving chord rippled through the air, and silence followed.
“Thank you for staying for the whole show, friend!” the musician chirped. Their voice was high and effeminate and immediately grating.
“Oh, yeah, sure. You’re welcome…miss…?”
“Not a girl!” they laughed.
“Shoot, sorry.”
“All good, it happens all the time!” He held out a hand. “I’m Venti!”
I hesitantly reached out and shook his hand. “Nico.”
“Very nice to meet you,” they said, smiling and punctuating the introduction with a bow. A breeze gusted through, catching their odd cloak and carrying it up until the two sheets of fabric fluttered like wings, just for a moment before being returned to the clutches of gravity.
“You too,” I said, trying to match their smile, but it felt more like a grimace. “Hey, do you know the way to Angel’s Share? I’m new here, and got a bit turned around.” It was embarrassing to say, but even more embarrassing that it was true. Even in a medieval town, I managed to get lost. In my defense, all the buildings look the same.
“Do I ever,” Venti said, practically glowing with excitement. “I do a lot of indoor performances there. Plus, they know me at the bar.”
What.
“Allow me to lead the way, my good sir.” Venti grinned and grabbed my hand, pulling me down the street.
He was smaller than me, and definitely didn’t have any visible muscle, yet they were able to haul me along. I stumbled a few steps, cursing the cobblestone streets, but regained my balance, only to almost trip again as Venti picked up speed.
Venti didn’t bother slowing down, stepping so light and fast that it didn’t even look like he was touching the ground. Our speed made Venti’s cloak stream behind his shoulders like wings.
By the time we came to a halt outside Angel’s Share, I was rattled and breathing hard. Venti, on the other hand, let go of me and immediately started bouncing around, not even having broken a sweat.
I had the strongest urge to sit on the ground right then and there, but the appearance of Diluc prevented that dream. For a moment, Diluc looked almost worried when he saw my disheveled state, but it quickly evaporated into annoyance when he saw Venti.
“Nico,” Diluc said. “Good to see you’re still in one piece. Let’s go.” He shot Venti a distasteful look, and Venti responded with a delighted wave and grin. Diluc lightly set a gloved hand on my shoulder and steered me down the street.
“See you around, Nico!” Venti hollered.
I would have turned around, but Diluc’s grip was firm. Instead, I settled for waving goodbye.
“And tell Mr. D I said hi!”
WHAT??
I tripped on a cobblestone and would have fallen if it weren’t for Diluc hauling me back up. He gave me a concerned look, but luckily didn’t say anything.
We walked to the city gates and paused near the entrance. Diluc let go of me and fiddled with a necklace he hadn’t been wearing earlier. It was a blue crystal in a silver casing, not unlike the crystal I had found in the woods.
“Do you want to use a waypoint?” Diluc asked. “We could walk as well, but we would have to be quick. The sun will have set by the time we get there, and there could be wandering enemies.”
Well, that wasn’t exactly a difficult choice. “Waypoint is fine with me.”
“Very well. Be aware that it may be a rocky jump because you are not yet accustomed to it.”
Before I had a chance to worry over what would happen to me- dizziness, body parts falling off?- Diluc gripped the pendant, took hold of my shoulder, and the town vanished in a flash of blue.
The light scorched my eyes, and the few seconds felt way too long. There was a distinct tugging feeling pulling at me, making my skin prickle uncomfortably. It grew stronger with each passing moment, pulling on my hair, my skin, then deeper to muscle and tissue.
The light faded abruptly, and I blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the black spots from my vision. I took in vibrant trees and grass, but that was all I noticed before being overcome with nausea. All of my organs felt scrambled around and I hunched over, hugging my middle. A hand rested on my back and guided me a few stumbling steps forward to a pillar of stone. A second gloved hand took hold of mine and pressed it to the stone. In an instant, the nausea faded and my head stopped swimming. I stood up straight and realized I stood in front of a statue of a cloaked figure holding out an orb.
The warm touch left me and was overtaken by the evening cold. I became aware of Diluc, now standing a few steps away from me, hands clasped behind his back and eyes locked on the sculpture.
“This is Barbatos, the god of wind, among other things, and patron of Mondstadt,” Diluc explained. “All statues of the Archons have healing capabilities. Any ailment or injury, within reason, can be cured just by touching the stone.”
That explained the sudden disappearance of my nausea, as well as the itchy feeling that made me want to crawl out of my skin.
“Now follow me,” Diluc said, casting a calculating look at the trees. “Slimes roam around here, so it isn't safe to stay for too long.” He strode off.
It shows how rattled I was that I didn’t even try to comprehend Diluc’s use of the word slime. I only hesitated for a moment longer to study the statue of the wind god. A breeze drifted through, ruffling my hair, and for an instant, I thought I heard laughter. Then it was gone, and so was I, jogging to keep up with Diluc.
We followed a very worn path up and down a few hills, the ground dotted with rocks varying in size from pebble to boulder. Diluc kept up the brisk pace until he finally stopped at the top of a final hill. Below you could see a manor house and a huge vineyard tucked at the base of steep cliffs. The scent of bonfires and grapes drifted up to the vantage point.
“Where are we?” I asked softly. The only sounds came from the wind stirring leaves and crickets coming out as dusk approached. It felt too peaceful, too pristine, to break the silence with speaking. Diluc had no qualms about that.
“Welcome to the Dawn Winery,” he announced, grandly waving an arm to indicate the land ahead.
We walked right up to the front door and Diluc pulled out a ring of brass keys to unlock it. It opened soundlessly, and warm light spilled out. We went inside and were greeted by two servants.
I only gave them my partial attention because I was a bit transfixed by the grand interior of the house, if you could even call it a house. The walls were bathed in golden light from candles in wall sconces and a multi-tiered chandelier. I was reminded of Angel’s Share: natural wood, red and gold, and warm.
Diluc told one maid, Hillie, to prepare one of the spare rooms and the other, Moco, to see if she could find clothes that would fit me. He then turned to me.
“Are you hungry?”
I blinked, startled because of my distraction and the question. I was so caught up with everything that happened today that food hadn’t even crossed my mind. It already felt like years since breakfast this morning, where I had met Bennett. My stomach decided to answer for me by growling like a wild animal.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Diluc said dryly, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Come with me.”
Diluc led me to a large dining room, then down a corridor that opened into a large room with both a kitchen and a smaller table and two chairs in the corner.
I hovered near the doorway as Diluc took off his outer coat, draping it over one of the chairs, and rolled up his sleeves. I didn’t miss Diluc’s eyes sliding to me in a rare moment of hesitation before removing his gloves. Then Diluc was moving again, pulling out bowls and utensils, as well as ingredients from the large pantry.
Diluc caught me standing in the doorway, arms crossed to hide my awkwardness, and his face softened.
“Do you want to help?” he asked. I nodded and stepped further into the room. Like Diluc, I took off my jacket and set it on the other chair, then removed my sword from my hip, propping it up against the table. I gave Diluc an expectant look, awaiting directions.
“Alright, go wash your hands,” Diluc said, and he was definitely smiling a little bit. I did so in a large copper sink in the corner while Diluc removed his hair tie, then twisted his long hair into a messy bun.
After that, I went to stand at the counter next to Diluc. He was arranging a few potatoes, carrots, and an onion next to a large cutting board and a sharp knife.
“Have you cooked much before?” Diluc asked.
“Not much,” I admitted. “And not for a while.” Mom would cook meals, Bianca hovering around her skirts. She was always more interested than me but I would help out sometimes too, though I was only given little tasks like stirring. That was before. In the after, there were people cooking for us, at the casino and at school, and then the magic food at camp. Even while I was wandering outside of camp, there was never much opportunity to actually take the time to try to make something that wasn’t made in a microwave and purchased from a sketchy gas station in the middle of nowhere. Being a son of Hades, god of riches, did have its perks in that I always had some money on me, at least enough for frozen dinners and fast food.
Diluc nodded, catching whatever expression was on my face. I shoved those thoughts away and paid attention as Diluc began to slice a carrot, explaining the motions.
Then Diluc slid the cutting board closer to me and handed me the knife. I tried to copy the way Diluc had held it, but the blade slipped when I tried to cut the carrot. I gritted my teeth and glared at the carrot, deciding that it was the one at fault for embarrassing me.
Diluc didn’t say anything about my failure, just set his hand on top of mine and corrected my grip on the knife. He guided my hand through cutting a few slices, and I watched in fascination. His hands were warm and pale and riddled with tiny scars. Then I realized he had stopped guiding me, and I was cutting the carrot into mostly neat slices on my own. A smile spread across my face without me even realizing it, and I let it, let myself enjoy this simple little victory. I glanced up at Diluc and saw a similar smile on his own face, creasing the corners of his eyes in a way I hadn’t seen before.
I finished chopping the carrot into slices and moved on to a second one. Diluc pulled out another knife and began to dice potatoes, then moved on to slicing an onion, a lot faster and neater than me. He was really good at this chef stuff.
“Do you do this a lot?” I hesitantly asked. “Like, cook for yourself instead of the servants.”
Diluc nodded absently, eyes on the cutting board. “Unless I am unwell or unable to, I cook for myself, and sometimes my staff as well. They deserve a well-cooked meal as much as anyone else.”
There was a wistful look on Diluc’s face, and I didn’t comment. He spoke again a moment later. “I have loved cooking ever since my father taught me as a boy. The times we spent in the kitchen are some of my most treasured memories of him.”
“That’s really nice,” I said softly. It was too bad that I didn’t have and never would have those kinds of experiences with my own father. I had never really thought about that before, the kinds of milestones and memories that I just wouldn’t have. Little things, like learning to ride a bike, or drive a car, or cook. It hit me then, a strong pang of grief for all the normal things I was missing.
Silence stretched on, and I realized I had stopped cutting. I shook myself out of my thoughts, shoving them down for another time, and caught Diluc’s eye.
“I take it you aren’t very close with your own father?” he gently asked.
I shrugged, avoiding eye contact by staring at the counter. “Didn’t even know who he was before I was ten. I haven’t spent very much time with him, nor do I like to. His home is… dark. Cold. So is he.”
Silence lingered for a while. I don’t think either of us knew what to say next. Diluc then surprised me by reaching out and solidly patting my back. The gesture was so surprising that it knocked me out of my gloomy spiral. The hand lingered on my back, warm and steady, before Diluc drew back, holding his arm close to himself, looking more out of place than I expected. I found it funny coming from the man who seemed so set in his decisions and life. I didn’t think it was even possible for someone like him to feel lost or out of depth.
That thought, the irony and absurdity of this whole situation, drew a small smile onto my face, and Diluc relaxed as well. He began moving again, plucking a cookbook from a shelf of many and flipping through the pages.
“Go ahead and grab these spices; all of the jars are labeled,” he directed, and I was happy to do so.
Not long later, Diluc put the dish in the oven and began to wash the dishes we had used. I sat at the table, sinking into my thoughts.
In one day, I had experienced so much, including more physical contact outside of a fight than I had gotten in a long time. It was… nice. Warm. Cozy and safe and comforting. Bennett pressed against my side, arm over my shoulders. Diliuc’s hands guiding mine, then pressed to my back in unsure comfort. It was a little overwhelming, after so long, but something in me was melting, craving that close contact to ground me and balance my freezing skin. But now, the idea of reciprocating, reaching out to someone else, filled me with an instinctive revulsion. Maybe someday I would reach out, return the comfort given to me. Not anytime soon, but one day.
I was jolted from my thoughts as Diluc came over and set two plates on the table. The vibrant colors and delicious smells made mymouth water, and my stomach nearly ached with anticipation.
“Barbatos Ratatoille,” Diluc announced, sitting down across from me.
I took a bite and nearly cried then and there from the warmth of the food and flavors.
Diluc smiled in satisfaction at my reaction. “Good?” he asked, tone getting awfully close to teasing.
I couldn’t even answer, just vigorously nodded while taking another large bite. I gave myself a minute to stuff my face without regret, then slowed down.
“You know,” I said, “we have ratatouille in my world. My mom tried to make it once, but accidentally burned the vegetables.” I didn’t remember that instance very well, since I was younger and my memories from before were indistinct anyway. Even still, the memory brought a smile to my face.
“Interesting,” Diluc murmured. “Tell me more about your world.”
And I did, truly warm and comfortable and full for the first time in a long time.
Notes:
(nico: aw man, falling into a pit is terrible
nico: i’m sure this isn’t tacky foreshadowing in any way)(bennet: yeah rosaria is really mean to everyone and no one likes her
nico: No way!! She helped bennett! She must be misunderstood
rosaria: *is mean to bennett*
nico: I take back every slightly positive thing I have ever thought about her. Hold me back before I kill her)(kaeya: ok gonna set the kid nicely on the ground-
nico: *wiggles around like a little bastard*
kaeya: alright new plan)(nico: i’m a bad bitch you can’t kill me
rosaria: *almost kills him*
nico: hey what. what was that. tf).
Thanks for reading!!
Some clarifying points:
No, we are not shipping Nico and Bennett. This is Nico realizing he has a thing for sunshine boys, but solangelo is endgame.
Also with shipping, there will be hints of Diluc x Jean, but it is by no means the focus
For the genshin timeline we are going off the idea that each update is a year, so two years have passed since Ludis/Aether/the Traveller has been in Mondstadt. He is currently in Inazuma and has no way of contacting anyone.
Rosaria and Bennett were the last ones to see Ludis because they were on Lavy's team at the time lolThe next arc of the story is going to be more slice of life with Nico getting used to the world and meeting even more people. We have to wait for Bennett to heal before more adventuring can happen. Don't worry about that though, we have plans for some epic questing :P
Let me and Lavy know what you guys want to see! Give us suggestions for what Nico should see or do as well as people he should meet.
Thanks again for coming with us on this wild ride, hope y'all enjoyed. And hopefully the next chapter will be out in less than a year this time
:D
PrimordialWriter on Chapter 1 Fri 10 Nov 2023 11:22AM UTC
Comment Actions
bxtch_im_a_ghost on Chapter 2 Sat 11 Nov 2023 05:02AM UTC
Comment Actions
This_Is_Life_52030 on Chapter 2 Fri 24 Nov 2023 11:45PM UTC
Comment Actions
Jeremiah6464 on Chapter 2 Fri 08 Mar 2024 11:14AM UTC
Comment Actions
Powermoon244 on Chapter 2 Tue 15 Oct 2024 04:41AM UTC
Comment Actions
YekoYoko on Chapter 2 Sat 30 Nov 2024 02:45AM UTC
Comment Actions
Mello_1412 on Chapter 3 Fri 03 Oct 2025 03:56AM UTC
Comment Actions
Firivela on Chapter 3 Sun 05 Oct 2025 02:24AM UTC
Comment Actions
Bokoblins_12 on Chapter 3 Fri 31 Oct 2025 03:17PM UTC
Comment Actions
aceofhearts111 on Chapter 3 Fri 31 Oct 2025 07:52PM UTC
Comment Actions