TW: Violence/minor gore (battle sequence)

⋆༺♱༻⋆

❝  WHAT GODLESS WRETCH COULD NAME THIS LOVE, WHEN IT BEARS THE TONGUE OF RUIN?  ❞

꒦꒷ ⋆༺ ⸸ ༻⋆꒷꒦

𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫𒄆

The sun dipped lower into the horizon, casting warm amber streaks across the rugged landscape as the trio traveled the winding dirt path toward the city. The air grew cooler with each passing hour, and the sky above painted itself in hues of pink and violet, the promise of twilight on the cusp of unfolding.

The journey was far too long for [Name]'s tired body. Though she was being carried by Aether, and didn't say a word, the constant motion made her head feel heavier, the throbbing ache behind her eyes still lingering from earlier.

When Paimon's high-pitched voice chattered endlessly beside her, she didn't mind. Not really. It was a distraction, something light to fill the space and keep her from slipping too deep into her own foggy thoughts.

"—And then there's mint jelly! Ooh! Have you ever tried mint jelly, [Name]?" Paimon floated closer, her little hands animated as she described it. "It's so refreshing! It kinda tingles on your tongue a little. And when you eat it with a nice fish dish? Mmm!" She smacked her lips dramatically. "Perfection!"

Aether frowned, furrowing his brows, while [Name] gave a slow blink, staring ahead. She didn't answer, and Paimon, unfazed, simply kept going.

"Oh! Oh! And you have to try Tea break pancakes if we find a nice place in the city! It's sweet and soft and buttery, and it just—" She made a loud 'mwah' sound, tossing her hands into the air. "It's just awesome! You'll love it! Noelle makes the best pancakes—oooh, you don't know Noelle, right? She's a maid for the knights of Favonius—uhh... the knights of Favonius are a bunch of guys protecting Mondstadt! And Mondstadt is the city of wind and freedom~! It's where we're going!"

Paimon practically spun circles around her, floating backward so she could beam at [Name] with eager excitement. Her eyes sparkled, lost in the imaginary buffet of flavors she was conjuring.

"But you know what's better than pancakes? Sweet Madame!" She clasped her cheeks with both hands, eyes practically heart-shaped. "It's warm and savory and sweet at the same time! The chicken is so tender, it falls right off the bone! And the glaze? Ooooh! It's just the right balance of honey and spice! Like, like—perfectly golden and shiny! Oh! You can even add some mint to it if you want, which makes it super aromatic!" She hugged herself with a dreamy sigh. "It's Paimon's faaavorite~!"

[Name]'s gaze softened slightly at Paimon's enthusiasm. She couldn't imagine tasting the things the little floating creature was describing. In truth, she couldn't imagine the taste of anything at all. She barely remembered what it was like to eat something warm. But despite that, a tiny, warm smile grew on her lips.

Is it really that good...?

Aether slowed his pace a little, adjusting [Name] in his hold, as he sighed.

"Paimon, don't tire her out. She might just fall asleep listening to you."

"Hey! [Name] is a food connoisseur—see! She even smiled at Paimon!"

The traveller's golden eyes flicked towards the girl in his hold. She was already looking ahead, lost in her thoughts.

He said nothing as he walked towards the edge of the woods, veering off the trail. The city was still too far, and the faint traces of exhaustion were beginning to show in the slight heaviness of his steps.

"Let's stop here for the night," he announced quietly.

Without waiting for a response, Aether stepped into a small clearing, where the overgrown grass was thick and soft enough to rest on. He gently set [Name] down. Nearby, the faint remnants of a worn fire pit lay nestled between scattered stones—evidence of an old campsite.

Paimon exhaled with dramatic relief. "Phew! Finally!" She flopped mid-air with an exaggerated stretch, while Aether moved methodically, gathering wood and kindling with practiced ease.

By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, a fire flickered between them, crackling softly in the stillness. Its warm glow painted faint, dancing shadows against the trunks of nearby trees.

[Name] sat, her legs drawn to her chest as she gazed at the flickering fire. The faint warmth of the fire brushing against her cheeks, contrasting with the cool night air. Paimon glanced over, curiosity sparking in her eyes. She drifted closer, folding her arms over her chest.

"Hey... um, by the way... You never said where you're from!" she chirped. She tapped her chin, tilting her head. "Do you remember?"

The dull ache behind her eyes sharpened. The faintest flash of something familiar—a darkened sky, footsteps running through an endless void, gnarled hands reaching for her—flared in her mind, then vanished just as quickly. Gone before she could even grasp it.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Her breath caught sharply.

"...No," she murmured. "I don't... I can't remember."

At [Name]'s words, the spoon in Aether's hand stilled, trembling faintly. The faint clink of wood against metal was the only sound that betrayed him. His fingers tightened around the ladle, knuckles paling as he stirred the soup with more force than necessary. The soup he'd been brewing sloshed slightly over the rim of the pot.

Was he... sad? Or was he relieved?

Paimon, sensing the topic might not be the best to discuss, began babbling about her favourite foods instead, occasionally casting starry-eyed glances at [Name], determined to make her a food enthusiast too.

Aether's throat tightened. He forced down the bitter taste rising in the back of his mouth. After finally stirring the soup one last time, he ladled some into a wooden bowl and walked over to [Name], offering it to her with a small, gentle smile.

"Here. You should eat," he said softly.

[Name]'s eyes slowly lifted to his, and she took it with a grateful nod. She stared at the bowl for a moment. Then, without thinking—

"I want a Sweet Madame."

Aether blinked, dumbfounded.

Paimon's cape flapped mid-air, and she nearly choked on her own breath. "Pfft—!" Her wide eyes bulged in shock, before her entire face lit up with a large smile.

"SEE?!" she exclaimed, clutching both sides of her face. "I knew you had good taste!!" She spun in the air with giddy delight, practically vibrating in excitement. "You have no idea how happy Paimon is right now! Sweet Madame is the best! The absolute best!!"

Her gleeful rambling filled the night air, but Aether didn't laugh. His eyes shifted to [Name]'s expression, tracing over the nuances of her face. His lips parted slightly when he spotted her looking warmly at Paimon, an indistinct smile on her face.

He looked away, shoulders drooping. His gaze went over to Paimon, who was gyrating happily in the air. He could almost scoff.

Wait... Paimon? Paimon, really?

I fought a dragon and averted a national crisis. I—

"...Fine," he spoke out reluctantly.

Both [Name] and Paimon looked in his direction, puzzled.

"Once we get to the city, I'll buy you as many sweet madames as you'd like. Now eat, or you won't regain your strength."

The pair stared at him for a solid, silent moment. [Name]'s brows lifted, having not expected that reaction, but Paimon was the opposite. She gasped, clutching her chest in offence.

"Why, you—! You've never told Paimon that... No fair!"

Aether rolled his eyes, walking off towards the burning fire pit. "Suck it up, Paimon."

The fairy clenched her tiny fists, grumbling contemptuously under her breath.

[Name] sighed, taking a slow, small sip of the soup, her eyes widening at the exquisite taste, even if the warmth did little to soothe the empty void in her chest. But maybe, this pair of arguing companions would. Maybe.

Paimon took her soup and floated closer to the girl, engaging her in conversation again. Aether glanced at them, then at the distant forest beyond the campsite he'd set up. His gaze lowered briefly, shadowed by an almost steely resolve.

"I'll be back," he murmured to no one in particular, summoning his sword to his side.

Paimon, with her mouth stuffed with meat and veggies, called after him. "MMPHEY! Awthwer! *gulp* AETHER! Where—"

But he was gone.

𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫𒄆

The forest was drowned in darkness, save for the small lamp grass that grew in the area. Thick fog slithered through the underbrush, swallowing what little moonlight cut through the jagged canopy. Branches scraped and clawed at his cape, but he moved through the thorns and brambles without a sound—his steps light, deliberate.

Aether had noticed the hilichurl tracks when he'd already finished setting up the makeshift campsite. The monsters' tribe was a little way further from his own, but he couldn't possibly let them run wild while she slept peacefully back there. Her... and Paimon, too.

The stench of burnt wood, unwashed flesh, and raw meat reached his nostrils. The hilichurls' tents were little more than patchwork bones and filthy cloth, sagging under their own weight.

Many of them crowded around a central fire. They grunted and laughed in their guttural tongue, gnawing at scorched meat and jabbing their crude weapons into the dirt, while some swayed to the beat of bone drums.

Aether stood at the edge of the clearing, his sword loose in his grip.

His expression was empty. 

I... shouldn't feel bad about it. They're just monsters. 

They're gonna be a problem sooner or later... Might as well take care of them.

Then he moved. Silent, fluid, relentless. 

Anemo tore through the night—wind and steel carving through flesh, drowning the forest in shrieks and roars.

The first Hilichurl's head hit the ground with a dull thud before its body even registered the blow. The second staggered back, clutching at its throat as blood gushed between its fingers. The third had just enough time to bellow before Aether's blade punched through its chest. He twisted it ruthlessly, the life flickering out beneath the hilichurl's jagged mask.

The rest turned at the sounds, snarling with their weapons raised. It didn't matter.

Aether moved effortlessly, calling upon the power of anemo to fling back a few of the hilichurls, watching them disintegrate into nothingness. 

One lunged with a spear. He pivoted sharply, sidestepping the thrust, then drove his blade clean through its ribcage. It gurgled once before falling limp.

Another charged from behind. Without turning, the blond swung his sword in a swift, backhanded arc. Blood splattered in a fine mist.

Some tried to run. He cut them down before they took their second step.

And when the last of them crumpled at his feet, the forest fell into stillness. The fire crackled softly, its faint warmth lost on the carnage. No screams lingered. No cries. Only the wet drip of blood on trampled grass.

Aether stood amid the slaughter, his sword dripping red. His grip trembled against the weapon.

  He stared at nothing. Felt nothing. They were just monsters, he told himself. 

Just monsters. They... they would've hurt other people.

With steady hands, he wiped the blade clean on a torn scrap of cloth.

Then he turned, walking away. As if he had merely gone for an evening stroll, the thoughts of the previous encounter with that girl still heavy on his chest. 

The fates had mocked him. They had taken away his sister, yet presented him with something he'd searched for all his life—and oh, how he ached to hold her warm, fragile body close again. 

[Name]... how do you look so beautiful, even after all this time?

But he'd gladly be the subject of their cruel entertainment over and over again, if it meant he could be by her side again. Forget everything else. If it meant she could look at him again with eyes untainted by fear and hatred, then he'd gladly live through any misery this world and the next had for him. 

But he would never let her remember him. Never. 

By the time he returned, the fire had dwindled to embers, casting a faint orange glow over their sleeping forms. Paimon stirred awake slightly, blinking drowsily as he knelt by the fire, stoking the wood back to life.

She rubbed her eyes.

"Mm... Aether? You were gone a while," she yawned, voice thick with sleep.

He smiled softly.

"Yeah," he said smoothly, his tone light, almost pleasant. "I was investigating a hilichurl camp nearby. It's vacant."

Paimon blinked, still half-asleep. "Vacant? But..." she frowned. "There must be Hilichurls around here, right?"

Aether's smile didn't falter.

"They're gone."

His voice was too even. But Paimon didn't catch it. She was too tired.

"Oh... okay..." she mumbled, curling back up by the fire. No one questioned him.

Aether sat down beside her sleeping form, silently watching the fire crackle and spit. His sword rested quietly against his thigh. He gazed at the dancing flames, expression unreadable, although his clothes were still lightly stained with blood.

His eyes shifted to [Name]'s curled form nearby, her expression twisting in her sleep. Aether frowned, grabbing his own blanket from inside his bagpack and crawling over to her, gently draping the fabric over her frame. 

She looked so peaceful... so vulnerable.

The blond tenderly caressed her cheek, a familiar longing aching in his chest. How could he have forgotten her, of all? 

He brushed a few hairs away from her face, memorizing the tiniest of nuances he could catch of her expression. He leaned in closer, enough for his warm breath to ghost over her steady one, before pulling away. He shook his head violently, mentally scolding himself.

Aether... you idiot. 

The traveller glanced back down at [Name]'s resting figure. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, relishing the sensation as a benign smile grew on his lips.

Sweet dreams, [Name]. 

𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫𒄆

The light was still a pale, watery blue when Aether stirred, disoriented by a faint tickling against his cheek. His first bleary thought was that Paimon must have rolled over in her sleep, her tiny hands brushing against him. 

But when he cracked open his eyes, he was startled to find [Name] hovering over him instead, her face so close that her hair, still tangled from sleep, fell in wild strands, a few of them brushing against his skin

He froze. 

The lazy morning sun bathed her form in gold, rendering the edges of her disheveled silhouette ethereal, almost dreamlike.

Her hands were clasped tightly around something.

"Aether," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath, wide eyes glimmering with quiet wonder. "I found something. Look."

For a heartbeat, he thought she was holding a blade. The way her fingers curled so protectively around the object made his stomach twist. But when she slowly parted her fingers, all that stared back at him was a delicate, trembling butterfly, its iridescent wings gilded in morning light.

Aether exhaled, his heart still unsteady in his throat.

"...It's a butterfly," he murmured, slightly dazed.

"Yes, I know." Her eyes remained fixed on the fragile thing. The corners of her mouth lifted in the faintest trace of a smile. "It's so pretty and colourful."

The innocence in her voice made something tighten in his chest.

"You... know what a butterfly is?" 

He blurted out, and instantly felt like a fool. Of course she knew—it was a ridiculous thing to ask.

She stared at him blankly, brows furrowed. The male's cheeks burned with embarrassment under the intensity of it. 

"Of course I do. It's not like I was born yesterday." She cast Aether a sidelong glance before slowly releasing the creature. It wavered for a moment on her fingertip before fluttering into the sunlit air.

But she might as well have been. 

Her voice was calm, but her presence felt like a fragile thing that had been thrust into the world too suddenly, too violently. Her wonder was almost childlike, as though she were seeing the world for the first time.

Without another word, she turned and quietly scooted over to where Paimon still slept, curling herself near the floating companion. She sat there in silence, legs tucked beneath her, watching the slow climb of the sun as it stained the sky a warmer gold. She didn't stir when Aether sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

By the time day draped the sky in full splendor, she still hadn't spoken.

The breeze was gentle as they wandered deeper into Mondstadt's wilds, following winding paths carpeted with tall grasses and scattered windwheel asters. The hills were brushed with green and gold, and the gentle clatter of wind-chimes strung from traveller's camps drifted gently on the breeze. Cecilia flowers swayed atop slender stems, their white petals catching the sunlight like fleeting snowflakes.

Much to Aether's dismay, [Name] insisted on walking by herself. She managed, though her steps were still unsteady. The few times she stumbled, both Aether and Paimon held their breaths—but she caught herself, albeit narrowly. They slowed their pace after that, unconsciously adjusting their steps and letting her walk ahead, though staying close enough to catch her if she faltered again.

The group gradually approached the familiar outline of Windrise—the great tree in the distance like an ancient sentinel, its sprawling branches tangled with the sky itself. The Statue of the Seven glimmered faintly beneath it, its stone surface kissed by motes of glowing Anemo light.

The breeze whispered against [Name]'s cheek, carrying with it the scent of dandelions and distant rain. Her eyes trailed over the vast, open world ahead—so free, so endless—and for a moment, her chest ached with something she couldn't name.

"Where are we going?" she asked softly, her voice barely louder than the wind.

"...You said you wanted sweet madames," Aether replied, glancing over his shoulder with a small smile.

She blinked, confused, until he gave a light chuckle.

"Kidding. We're going to get you some supplies. Clothes, food, medicine. Things like that."

Her steps stalled. She stared at his back, uncertain—then at Paimon's bright face, and lowered her eyes.

"...Why are you being so nice to me?"

Aether's breath caught for half a step. He kept walking. He didn't look back, but his voice grew imperceptibly strained.

"...Just because." His knuckles clenched faintly at his sides. "You need help. And I'd do the same for anyone in your situation."

He wouldn't. Aether knew that in his heart.

But she didn't catch the slight tightness in his voice. Or how his fingers flexed slightly, resisting the urge to reach for her wrist—to hold her close.

"Yes!" Paimon piped up, floating ahead. "Also, since you don't have any idea where you're from, we might even get the Knights of Favonius to help! Don't worry, we're buddies with the Acting Grand Master!!"

[Name] stared at the distant oak tree of Windrise, her voice contemplative.

"Would they tell me where I'm from?"

The little fairy wavered at the question, a sad and uncertain frown on her features.

"Paimon's not sure... but there must be someone out there searching for you, right? They'd surely somehow stumble upon you there!" Her voice took on a hopeful note.

Aether's jaw tensed, his steps slowing. He didn't want her to end up in the Knights' custody. He didn't want her gone at all. The thought of her being taken in by strangers, questioned, and filed away as some anonymous case made unpleasant thoughts rise in his mind.

Before he could think, he opened his mouth:

"Why don't you come wi—"

—only to be interrupted by a lilting, sing-song voice which called out to him.

"Traveller~! Oh, hey, traveller!"

Aether's shoulders drooped as he took a sharp breath. 

Goddamn it.

𒅒𒈔𒅒𒇫𒄆

word count: 3.2k

a/n: 

HERE'S YOUR SECOND CHAPTER. FEAST YOUR THIRSTY SOULS. 

Any guesses as to who this new mf is? I only take wrong answers. Also, is it obvious how much I adore Paimon? Let me specify, PAIMON HATE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. SHE'S MY CHILD. SHE'S ANNOYING, BUT SHE'S STILL MY CHILD. NOW GO ARGUE WITH THE WALL.

P.S. Aether after casually walking off and murking an entire bloodline of hilichurls so y'all don't have trouble sleeping: 😊(🥲)

P.P.S. Aether: I fought a dragon and averted a national crisis... but she smiled at Paimon.

~most defeated protagonist of Genshin Impact

LMAOOO anyways bye. Take care of yourself. See you in the next one<33

❝  LET THE SUN FALL AND THE STARS WITHER; NO LIGHT SHALL REACH THIS ELYSIUM.  ❞