#or: Beidou understands what Furong feels like

[the-last-butter]

Imagine being Beidou and thinking you’re the strongest guy in town only for some hermit lady to descend from the mountains and fold you in half

[fraink5-writes]

From Darkness Into the Lantern Light - Chapter 12

Ooohhh, we’re almost at the end, boys! If anyone sees this, I made a “limited-time” invitation on Ao3 for anyone who wants to be my Genshin friend, so I might as well extend it to y’all too.

@leio13​ is the best for editing this

Summary: Once upon a time, there was a cold-hearted queen. Although the Tsaritsa, as she was called, possessed her own divinity, she coveted the powers of the other Archons. Aiming to steal the Geo Archon’s gnosis, she sent her strongest warriors to Liyue Harbor. But just when Rex Lapis was almost defeated, he escaped to another vessel, that of a powerless baby, and was swept away to a hidden tower for his protection.

Many years after the great fight, the young and ambitious Harbinger, Childe, arrives in Liyue to grant the Tsaritsa’s desire, but, on his search for the Geo Archon’s gnosis, he ends up tangled in a mysterious man’s dreams to see Liyue Harbor’s Lantern Rite.

This chapter can also be found on Ao3 here. Without further ado, please enjoy!

Ajax woke up to a widespread ache and the cold sting of shackles on his wrists and ankles. He had been chained to the far wall in a small cell—undoubtedly in a Liyue prison. Although this was the first time he had been incarcerated, he accepted the fact with a simple sigh; it was about time karma had caught up with him. No amount of diplomacy (if any would even be attempted) would be able to free him from this confinement. While he would have preferred death in battle, that fact made imprisonment all the more suitable a punishment. He would be stripped of all his worldly joys just as he had done to countless people in the past.

Still, Ajax did have some selfish regrets. He wished to see his family. Before, he had tried to content himself with sending them frequent letters and gifts, but, having been deprived of even that, he wanted nothing more than to see their faces. Nevertheless, he would have to settle for his imagination. Even if it were possible, Ajax would not be brave enough to face them. How could he tell his family—especially his younger siblings who admired him as the greatest toy seller—of his crimes?

As for Ajax’s other regret, he wanted to see Zhongli again although he had lost any right to do so. He had told Zhongli that he would stay by his side, but he had left him again and again, and this time, the gap created could not be amended. Nor should it be. As a Harbinger, he could only bring harm to Zhongli by being with him. It was too late to play games of ignorance about each other and live in artificial harmony. If betrayal was the only possible ending for them, then perhaps they should have never met in that tower to begin with.

But, no. Ajax shook all the complacent, self-pity from his mind. He couldn’t leave Zhongli in that tower. Not alone and especially not with her—la Signora. She had trapped Zhongli in her cozy web of malice and had been playing a decades-long waiting game. But soon, she would consume him. Ajax had to stop her. Even if it were an impossibility, even if the story could only be a tragedy, he had sworn to himself to be Zhongli’s hero. 

Ajax attempted to stand, but he was held down by his chains. Even still, he writhed violently, until the sore wounds from his fight with la Signora defeated him, and he lay still on the floor. 

In the end, all this power I’ve accumulated is useless for protecting anyone. 

As Ajax waited for the announcement of his sentence, he watched the subtle shift of shadows on the stone floor. Finally, a voice called from outside the cell. “Is that how a Harbinger keeps himself in jail?”

“Without the diplomacy, you’re pretty pathetic, huh?” Another voice chimed in. Perhaps, this wasn’t his sentence after all. Ajax glanced up to see a group of four familiar faces in black, white and red—definitely not the Milllelith. 

Ajax sat up to face the band of sailors. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We’re here to break you out,” the leader, Juza, answered, a ring of keys dangling in his hand, which he used to open the barred gate. “Suling forged a master key for this place. There should be one for your cuffs too.” Sure enough, he flipped through the keys and found one that could be inserted into the shackles, unlocking them one by one.

“I don’t understand. Why?”

“Shh, don’t make a fuss.” Yinxing chided Ajax. “Let me examine you. On your back.” With no room for complaint, Ajax silently followed the surgeon’s instructions. “You’ve taken quite a beating. Surely, the guards didn’t do this to you?”

“Then, we’d be in deep trouble.” Xu Liushi chuckled nervously.

“No, la Signora, eighth of the Harbingers....”

The fleet exchanged glances before Juza resumed, “Anyway, if you can walk, we need to get out of here quickly.”

The group crept out of the cell and down the hall, but it wasn’t long before they spotted their first guard at the corner.

“Ugh, already?” Furong whined. 

“I’ll take care of it,” Xu Liushi volunteered. “I can manage something.” With that he staggered sinuously down the hallway. 

“What are you doing here?” The guard barked.

“Haahhhh?? I work ‘ere.” Xu Liushi turned around woozily. “Izznt dis de harbor?”

“No.” The guard could barely stifle his laughter. “Wait, I know you—aren’t you the guy who got drunk at Third-Round Knockout?”

“Yess.” 

“Still drinking? I guess you haven’t changed.”

“Not true! I downed four bowls this time!”

“Alright.” The guard condescended. “I’ll show you to the harbor, but I’m not sure how happy they’ll be to see you.” 

Xu Liushi shot Ajax’s group a look with a slight scowl before the guard grabbed his arm and escorted him from the building.

“Well, that’s one taken care of.” Furong brushed her hands together in satisfaction.

“Poor guy…” Yinxing sighed. “He’s been sober for so many years…”

“We have to keep going,” Juza cut in. “We can meet him again at the harbor.”

When they encountered the next pair of guards, Yinxing was the one to volunteer. She meekly approached one of the Millelith. “Excuse me, sir. I am a doctor who was called here to check on the inmates, but I can’t help but notice that you seem a little unwell yourself.”

“Really?” The guard shrugged. “I feel fine.”

“I’ve never seen someone with such a concerning complexion...”

“He looks like that every day,” the other guard chimed in.

Yinxing gasped, covering her gaping mouth with her hands. “Oh no.”

“What? Is that bad?” The first guard’s laugh faltered.

“Oh, this could be very grave.” Yinxing’s eyes flittered side to side. “Could I ask you a few questions?”

“Sure, I guess?”

“Does your heart beat really fast and loudly after physical exercise?”

“...Yeah…?” The guard began fidgeting in place.

“Do you get random headaches?”

“Yeah, I guess, sometimes.”

“Do you ever feel cold and start trembling violently all over?”

“Yeah, in fact, I think it’s increased recently.”

“It’s increased? Oh dear... Oh no…”

“What is it, Doctor?”

“You could have a rare but life-threatening condition called homoios stasis. You don’t have much longer. You must get treated immediately.” She turned to the other guard. “Quick. Take him to Bubu Pharmacy. They will have the proper treatment.”

“I don’t wanna die,” the first guard whimpered as the other escorted him away.

“Well, how was that?” Yinxing returned with a smile. “He’ll be fine, by the way—except maybe a bit annoyed.”

“Let’s not linger to find out,” Juza ushered the group along. But as they sprinted towards the exit, their path was blocked by a large guard with his spear drawn.

“Doesn’t look like we can trick this guy,” Juza sighed.

“I’ll fight him.” Ajax reached for his daggers.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Furong scoffed. “We’re trying to break you out of jail. Can’t have you creating even more trouble.”

“But—”

“She’s right.” Yinxing interjected. “Besides, you are still injured. You’re going to need to gather all your strength for later.”

“I’ll go.” Furong winked at Ajax before stepping forward. “Looking for someone to fight, big guy?”

“I won’t let you guys go.”

“Oh no, of course—you have your job. But ya see, we have our own job from our boss. So, I propose a duel.”

“Call it what you want, but once I defeat all of you, I’m locking you all up.”

“Alright, fine. I never liked negotiations that much either.” With a shrug, Furong charged at the guard. Seeing she was unarmed, he loosened his guard—right before she slammed her fist into his abdomen. When he stumbled back, she landed another blow under his chin.

Ajax was enthralled by the fight, but Juza dragged him away. “She’ll catch up shortly.”

Sure enough, Furong had rejoined the group within minutes, and they met Xu Liushi at the harbor, where they boarded the Alcor.

Only when the ship had departed from the port was Ajax able to pose his preoccupying question. “Why are you guys helping me?”

“Certainly not because we like you. Captain Beidou made us,” Furong remarked offhandedly.

“Where is the Captain?”

“She’s still in the city dealing with the more… political matters,” Juza responded. “Zhongli is in danger, isn’t he? That’s why you need to deal with it.”

Zhongli? “How did you...?”

“We docked in the city around the same day as you,” the bookkeeper expounded, “and we have eyes all over the country, you know?”

Ajax thought of those adorable kids playing on the pier; were those kids ‘eyes’ too?

The helmswoman, Huixing, interrupted his train of thought. “Where to?”

“Sal Terrae.”

As the Alcor sped up north, Ajax alternated from playing with little Yue and more “appointments” with Yinxing, yet his mind never drifted far from Zhongli. Hang on just a bit more. I’ll be there soon, and then, I promise, I won’t leave you.

As the sun began taking on an orange hue, the ship anchored at Sal Terrae. From then, it was Ajax’s responsibility. He would correct and atone for his mistakes.

“Zhongli!” Ajax shouted from the base of the tower. With his many injuries, he would be unable to climb to the window. Unless Zhongli helped him. 

“Zhongli!” More than anything, Ajax just wanted a confirmation that Zhongli was still alright. “Let down your hair!”

In the ensuing moments, even Ajax's heart was silent. Finally, Zhongli's hair unfurled from the window.

[fraink5-writes]

From Darkness Into the Lantern Light - Chapter 4

As promised, these chapters are coming out really fast now.

Thanks, of course, to @leio13 for her hard work editing!

Summary: Once upon a time, there was a cold-hearted queen. Although the Tsaritsa, as she was called, possessed her own divinity, she coveted the powers of the other Archons. Aiming to steal the Geo Archon’s gnosis, she sent her strongest warriors to Liyue Harbor. But just when Rex Lapis was almost defeated, he escaped to another vessel, that of a powerless baby, and was swept away to a hidden tower for his protection.

Many years after the great fight, the young and ambitious Harbinger, Childe, arrives in Liyue to grant the Tsaritsa’s desire, but, on his search for the Geo Archon’s gnosis, he ends up tangled in a mysterious man’s dreams to see Liyue Harbor’s Lantern Rite.

This chapter can also be found on Ao3 here. Without further ado, please enjoy!

Mingyun Village hardly lived up to its name. Childe doubted that it constituted as a real village even in its peak. It consisted of a few distant buildings, located near the entrances of mines. Given a couple of years, the buildings would cease to exist entirely. They were in ruins, not much more than straw roofs held up by dilapidated wood. A ghost town like this was a perfect haunt for hilichurls, yet there were none to be seen. Stranger still, one of the buildings appeared to be insignificantly less disrepair than the others; in fact, the lights appeared to be on. In front of the building, over what was once probably a village message board, a new sign with obnoxious lettering read "THE CRUX" and in smaller letters below, "Tavern."

Childe's lips curled. This was an even better situation than he had hoped for. "Let's go there. We should be able to get something to eat."

Zhongli nodded slowly.

On cue, Childe swung open the door to the establishment with perhaps too much enthusiasm. The door's hinges jostled, and Childe was met with stares and murmurs.

"A guest?"

"Our first guest?"

"Here?"

"Ahem, hello." Childe cautiously closed the door behind him and Zhongli. "Sorry about the door. How are you fine folks doing?"

"Wait a minute…" A large man with messy hair surrounding his face stepped forward, clutching at the knife on his hip. "I know who you are." Childe only had time to force a grin before the man pointed his knife and called out, "Seize him!"

Where an ordinary person would feel caution, Childe felt excitement. He counted in his head: nine people in the tavern, three of whom probably couldn’t fight. In other words, favorable numbers. He pulled out the dagger on his right to parry the incoming slice. Then, he swung into the man’s left side, but he was blocked. Swipe after jab after swipe, the man left no openings for Childe’s offensive. So the people of this tavern are, in fact, the crew of the legendary Crux Fleet. It was time for Childe to take the fight a little more seriously. 

Right as Childe’s blood got pumping, two pairs of arms seized him from the sides. A woman of unassuming stature stepped in front. “Make no mistake: our goal isn’t a fair fight. We’re just going to subdue you until the Captain returns.”

So the captain isn’t even here? Childe’s sigh was cut short by a fist in his chest. The two bandanaed men tighten their grips on his arms before another punch landed under his chin, rattling his brain. 

Think. The two men at Childe’s side wouldn’t be so hard to shake off. But once he broke free, another punch flew into his abdomen.

“You wouldn’t stand a chance against Captain Beidou,” the woman scoffed while preparing her next fist. 

Another blow to the face. Childe could easily dod—her knee slammed into his stomach. When Childe staggered, the anticipated fist knocked his jaw. She was relentless, and the next kick was sure to be worse than the first one. Childe braced himself.

“ENOUGH!” Someone’s voice boomed as a spear cracked the floor between Childe and his opponent. “Don’t touch him!”

As the tavern crew faltered, Zhongli stepped in front of Childe and plucked his spear from the ground. His straight back towered over Childe as power coursed from his firm legs to his wide shoulders. His stance was as impenetrable as a shield, sturdy as a boulder and sculpted as a statue. Childe’s heart fluttered as his breath finally started again. For a brief moment, he had even forgotten the Crux Fleet and his desire to meet their captain.

But Childe’s rationality returned when Zhongli cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for raising my voice.” He was regular Zhongli again. The other had been but a fleeting manifestation—a dream. “But he has sworn to guide me to Liyue Harbor in order to see the lantern festival. Don’t any of you believe in the sanctity of contracts? Or, if Liyue is so different than what I have read, don’t you all, at the very least, value the pursuit of dreams?”

Both the Crux Fleet and Childe were taken aback by Zhongli’s efforts at peace. Finally, the acting leader of the crew, the one who had ordered Childe’s capture earlier, stepped forward.

Now he will make a mockery of Zhongli’s pacifism and cause such a great trauma that Zhongli will want to immediately return to his tower. Childe squeezed his dagger, preparing to fend off anyone who dared challenge Zhongli.

However, the man sheathed his knife. “I know the importance of following your dreams. In fact, if it weren’t for Captain Beidou, I’d probably still be wasting my life away on the docks.”

Childe’s knife fell to the floor. He painstakingly squatted down to pick it up without creating a stir, all while intently watching the brawny man.

“If the Captain heard that, she’d laugh!” The scrawnier of the bandanaed men taunted.

“Ahem.” Ignoring the comment from his fellow sailor, the man turned back to Zhongli. “Anyway, what’s your name?”

“Zhongli.”

“I’m Juza, Chief Mate of the Alcor. When the Captain isn’t around, I am in charge here. Out of respect for your goals, we’ll let you go.”

“Thank you.” Zhongli bowed politely.

“Really?” The eyepatched woman whined. She looked ready to punch Childe again.

“Yes, really! I wouldn’t want him to become like the old me, wasting my days away. It’s thanks to Captain Beidou that I am living a fulfilling life, and I think she would give Zhongli the same chance.”

“That’s so corny though.”

“I don’t think you have the right to call anything corny, Furong,” another woman with a braid teased.

“Hmph! Finding the right person is important. Besides, we’re both looking for a fight, anyway, aren’t we?”

“A fight?” Zhongli interrupted, bewildered.

“Yes, you see, I am the strongest person on this ship, minus Captain Beidou. Even Juza has never beaten me at arm wrestling! But one day, I’ll meet the right person who can beat me in a match. Ahh… That’s how I’ll know they’re the one for me!”

“I hope you meet them someday soon.”

“I’m in no rush. I do enjoy this freedom. But, if you want, we can go a round? I’m sure you’ll fare much better than your partner there.”

Childe grumbled. He wanted to warn Zhongli against it for many reasons. What if he lost? What if he won?

“I accept.”

“Alright!” Furong led Zhongli to a nearby table where the woman with braided hair and a woman in purple were having drinks.

“Good luck!” The first woman muttered as she stepped out of the way.

Furong put her right elbow on the table and encouraged the clueless Zhongli to the same. “You mean, you’ve never arm-wrestled before?”

“No, but I was curious.”

“Well, it’s simple. Grab my hand. The goal is to bring it down to the table with yours on top.” Furong firmly clasped Zhongli’s hand. “We can do a practice round. Not that the results will be any different though.”

“Ready?” Juza stepped in as referee. “Go!”

Furong immediately slammed Zhongli’s hand to the table. With an unchanged expression, Zhongli remarked, “I understand now. I am ready for the real match.”

“You sure?” Furong gloated, but Zhongli would not be deterred.

“Alright, ready? GO!”

Zhongli’s and Furong’s hands vacillated at the center, but they steadily tipped in Zhongli’s favor. Then, when they were a mere 45 degrees from the table, their position flipped, and Zhongli’s hand hit the table.

“Haha! Winner again!” Furong beamed. “No offense though! You put up a great fight, but it would take exceptional strength to actually beat me."

“Yeah, yeah, enough of your boasting.” The skinny man with a bandana sighed then turned to Zhongli. “At least, you’re not trapped in marriage. Oh yeah, I’m Xu Liushi. You may have heard of me. Probably not though—too young.”

“Have you ever heard of Third-Round Knockout?” The other man with a bandana chimed in.

“No, what is it?” Zhongli asked, slightly taken aback by the name.

“It’s a famous hole-in-the-wall at Liyue Harbor. Xu Liushi here gave it its name.”

“Oh really? What an honor.”

Xu Liushi fidgeted with his bandana, “Oh, it’s not such a great story…”

“Yeah!” The woman with the braid raised her drink. “He’s the one who passed—”

“Sshh!! Let me tell it at least!” Xu Liushi cleared his throat before resuming his proper story. “You’ve never been there, but their speciality is fermented rice balls.”

“It sounds delicious.”

“Well, essentially they are just rice balls swimming in wine. When I was younger, I lost a bet and had three whole bowls…”

“And fell into the harbor! Haha!” Furong cheered, joining the other ladies in a toast.

Xu Liushi averted his gaze. “Yes, that’s basically what happened. No employers want a sailor who can’t control his drinking. Only Captain Beidou gave me a chance. I’ve cleaned up my act since then thanks to her, and one day I will make it back there and show them how much I’ve changed!”

The whole tavern went up in cheers.

"Hey, why does his dream get applause and not mine?" Furong demanded.

"Because his is actually good." The purple lady remarked nonchalantly.

"Pay them no heed." Juza cut in before Furong could retaliate. "Third-Round Knockout has a good reputation—in spite of its nickname—you shouldn't worry about going there."

Zhongli, his eyes glittering, turned back towards Childe, who just shrugged with a small smile. But Zhongli’s attention was quickly snatched back by the other man with a bandana. 

“Wanna drink?”

“Yes, please. May I have a glass of water?”

The man filled a large beer mug with water. “I’m Drake, by the way. The ship’s  steersman. It’s actually pretty rare that I leave my position on the Alcor, but the Captain let me off this time. Although, frankly, I prefer being at sea.” He poured another mug for himself (this time with beer) and promptly chugged half of it down. “That’s probably true for most of us. I actually wanted to be at the helm of my own ship, going wherever I please. Of course, I trust Captain Beidou’s leadership, but sometimes I still dream of my own vessel…”

“Most of us, though, are pursuing our dreams by following Captain Beidou,” the braided woman interrupted. “I’m Huixing, the helmsman. Nice to meet you!”

“The pleasure’s mine.” Zhongli bowed. “What is your dream?”

“Mine? To see a leviathan with my own eyes! A giant sea monster. I heard Captain Beidou slew Haishan, the legendary creature of the sea, by herself—how cool is that? That’s why I believe that if I stick with Captain Beidou, I will surely get to encounter a behemoth myself. Suling must think the same way.”

A man with a goatee waved from the back of the room and headed over. "I'm just a smith. I don't have any dreams of taking down behemoths. I joined Captain Beidou’s crew in order to see rare weapons. With the Captain’s guidance, finding a legendary weapon won’t be a dream for much longer.” He eyed Zhongli briefly. “Oh yes, have you heard of Hanfeng’s Ironmongers?”

“No, sorry, I have not.”

“Well, my cousin, Master Zhang, is the boss there. If you visit him when you get to Liyue Harbor, he can fix you up with a better polearm than that one. You can tell him I sent you.”

“Thank you. That’s very generous. I must do something in return for all your kindness.”

“Have any mora on you?” The woman in purple chimed in.

“Sorry, I left my wallet at home.”

Childe held his forehead in his hand with a sigh. There was no way this kindness, as Zhongli put it, would be free, which meant one thing: Childe would be paying the expenses.

The woman chuckled. “Well, you’re in luck right now. I’m just the bookkeeper for the Fleet. I can’t set the prices.”

“If she was able to charge you, you wouldn’t have anything left for the rest of your journey,” Juza laughed.

Unlikely, Childe thought to himself.

“I’m all about making money,” The bookkeeper emphasized. “Afterwards, I don’t care what happens to it.”

“That’s a fascinating economic philosophy,” Zhongli remarked without a hint of irony.

“It’s a life philosophy. Life isn’t all about the results—life is the process itself. You should keep that in mind with your dreams too.”

“Don’t mind her; it’s good to focus on your dreams.” A woman in blue nudged the bookkeeper. “Although, I’d say I’ve gotten awfully sidetracked.” She laughed. “Oh, excuse me, my name is Yinxing. I’m the Alcor’s surgeon.”

“What happened to your dream?” Zhongli asked.

“Oh, nothing really. I always wanted to be a veterinarian, but somehow I ended up working as a surgeon on this ship. I don’t regret it, but sometimes I do worry about the kittens I’ve left behind on the harbor.”

“When we get to Liyue Harbor, we can check on them.”

“Oh really? You’re a lifesaver, for the kittens. They should be with a Millelith named Yong’an.”

Zhongli had signed Childe up for three additional activities at Liyue Harbor already, and this last one was particularly risky. Childe would have to chat with him later, although he already considered it a futile effort. Childe was no longer the one in charge of the expedition.

“Hey, hey!” A child appeared from nowhere and tugged on Zhongli’s coat. “Do you wanna join the Cygnus Fleet? We could use someone strong like you!”

“The Cygnus Fleet?”

“It’s my very own fleet—er, will be! I’m gonna create a fleet even stronger than Captain Beidou’s! So you wanna join?”

“Aren’t you a little young to be sailing?”

“No fair! Captain Beidou says the same thing! But I stowed aboard our last voyage and was absolutely fine! Well, Captain Beidou was very mad, but…”

“If you start now, I’m sure you will be an excellent sailor by the time you reach adulthood.” 

“Right?! Right?!” The kid shouted gleefully. “So will ya join?”

“Ask me again in a few years, and we’ll see.”

“Don’t forget: it’s Captain Yue and the Cygnus Fleet!”

“I look forward to hearing of all your accomplishments, Little Captain.” Zhongli smiled gently. The small curve of his lips was very unusual for his face but also becoming. Each second needed to be savored. 

However, the blissful moment was interrupted by a rough voice. “So, what about you?”

“Who, me?” Childe snapped back into reality to find all the predatory eyes of the fleet upon him.

“Yeah, you.” Juza’s hands slid ever so slowly towards his sheath. “What do you want? Your dream?”

“My dream? Oh.” Childe laughed lightly. “Well, this is embarrassing…”

“Go on.”

“You see, what I’m really looking for…” Even Zhongli was watching Childe intently. “Is love.”

“You?!” Furong clutched her stomach in laughter.

“Hey! I don’t think you have any right to laugh! At least I don’t judge people by their arm-wrestling capabilities.”

“You wanna go a round? I bet you couldn’t beat me!”

“I wouldn’t want to try. I don’t want to accidentally end up your husband.”

Furong reached for her knife.

“Hey.” Huixing held Furong back. “You romantics shouldn’t fight. Shouldn’t you be wingmen?” She snickered. “But, I agree. It’s very odd that someone like you would be looking for a romantic partner.”

“How is it odd? We Snezhnayans have feelings too. In fact, our Tsaritsa is the Goddess of Love.”

“So?” Xu Liushi asked, “What kind of person are you looking for?”

Childe had not thought that far. He was hoping that a vague, universal would tide them over. “Someone who is gentle but tough when they need to be. Of course, although they strive for peace, they would be a warrior through and through.” That was the kind of person Childe would offer his life to.

“Good luck finding someone like that. It almost makes Furong’s marriage contest look reasonable,” gibed Xu Liushi, earning him stares like daggers from both Childe and Furong.

“Aaanyway,” Juza tried once again to reign in the rambunctious crowd. “What about you, Zhongli? You’re going to Liyue Harbor to see the Lantern Rite? You’ve never been before?”

“Yes, every year, I have watched them from my window. They twinkle so distantly like stars, yet they call to me. They beckon me. That is why I wish to see them up close.”

“They are quite a sight to behold,” Suling interjected. “Even when we’re at sea, we also enjoy watching them. Then we know we’re not so far from home.”

“Well, you know the legend about the Lantern Rite, right?” The bookkeeper asked.

“No, I do not. What is it?”

"They say that they started lighting the lanterns for the soldiers in order to show them the way home." The bookkeeper and other members of the crew began weaving many tales of Liyue’s history, none of which interested Childe. There were no lanterns for Childe. There was no snow, no fishing holes… Childe was very far from home.

Childe shook his head. He had left his old life behind when he went to the Abyss. As long as he kept the Tsaritsa in his heart, Snezhnaya was always close. 

Childe watched as Zhongli exchanged stories with the Crux Fleet. He couldn’t help but admire the curious glow of his gaze and the grace of his gestures. Childe had thought of Zhongli as a paranoid recluse, yet, at the tavern, he melted in seamlessly with the group—or rather, he had melted the rough crew members into friendly conversationalists. His polite mannerisms exuded a gentle power.

But at the same time, there was another part of Zhongli that set Childe’s heart ablaze. Childe was itching to bear witness to his latent strength again. The same excitement that danced through his nerves before a battle ran rampant with desire: combative and carnal.