Chapter Text
Kaeya sighed loudly as he made his way down from the headquarters.
It was just an hour before sundown, which is normally when he heads straight to the tavern to annoy a certain redhead and force himself to drink despite hating the taste of alcohol. Instead, Jean sent him off to assess a situation at Wolvendom. The report that Razor sent was vague and barely readable, but Kaeya was able to make out that he needed help with an unknown enemy. Razor described them as ‘evil wolves’ which only made Kaeya raise an eyebrow. However, Jean had a strange feeling about it and sent Kaeya and a couple of the knights to check it out.
Usually, Kaeya doesn’t mind answering reports and going out on expeditions, but there was a migraine throbbing behind his eyes, and his ribs were still sore from the incident at Stormbearer Mountain involving a certain hypostasis. It was humiliating, and he tried his best not to blame it on Bennett, even though the boy insisted it was his fault. His ribs were no longer broken, but it still hurt to bend down or twist in a certain way.
Sucrose waved at him from her spot at the Alchemy Table as Kaeya walked passed. He smiled at her and continued to walk towards the bridge. He stopped halfway and decided to take a detour. The knights were barely getting contacted to join him and meet him at the bridge, so he had some time to kill before heading out.
He knew just the place to do just that.
He pulled open the door and felt himself relax as the low drone of voices became clearer. The smell of alcohol, pine, and sweat filled his senses. He stepped in, greeting some of the off-duty knights before turning around to where a pair of red eyes was glaring at him.
Kaeya smirked. “Master Diluc! What a sight for sore eyes.”
“What do you want?” He replied flatly before turning to prepare a drink.
“Hmmm,” He pretended to be deep in thought as he took his seat at his usual stool. Kaeya didn’t even have the chance to continue his act before a mug was placed in front of him rather roughly. Kaeya looked down in surprise before taking a drink. Surely, it was grape juice.
It wasn’t.
“You look like shit.” Diluc broke the silence.
Kaeya looked up at him with a halfhearted glare. “Thanks.” He took another sip of the Death Afternoon. He wanted to leave sober, so he held back from another.
Diluc, with his terrifyingly observant nature, noticed.
“What? Is it not to your liking?”
Kaeya shook his head. “No, it’s delicious. I’m just trying to remain sober, for once. I have to head out to Wolvendom in a bit.”
Diluc paused in his task of wiping down the counter. “What’s the problem?”
Kaeya fixed him with a look. “Nothing you should be worried about. Razor just sent in a complaint, and Jean assigned it to me.”
“She should not be sending you, especially in your current condition.”
“What do you mean? I am in perfect condition, I’ll have you know.”
“You are squinting and guarding your ribs.”
Damn it. He dropped his arm, which he didn’t realize was pressed against his ribs. “It’s nothing but some sore ribs and a bruised pride.”
Diluc only stared at him flatly.
“You think I’m so incompetent that a small injury like this will stop me from doing my job?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in DIluc’s reply. That pissed Kaeya off. Normally, Diluc would not get under his skin so easily, but the past few days have not treated him well.
Kaeya smiled with borderline aggressive cheerfulness. “Is that concern I’m hearing? Is Master Diluc concerned for my well-being?”
Diluc scoffed. “Absolutely not. I’m concerned about what your failure in completing your mission will mean for Mondstadt.”
Kaeya kept his mask from cracking, despite the ache in his chest. In front of him is his brother, but the distance between them is too large, too deep. A dark ravine lies between them despite only being a couple of feet apart. Kaeya wants nothing more than to build a bridge between them, or to dig his fingers into the steep ravine and climb up to Diluc’s side, anything, just for it to be how it used to be.
It’s become clearer now than ever that that is impossible. The ravine grows wider before his eyes.
Kaeya averts his eyes and clears his throat. “Well, I better get going.” He turns his back on Diluc, who says nothing. He waited, praying that he would say anything. Nothing. “I just hope you know that I care about Mondstadt as much as you do, Master Diluc. I would never let any danger fall upon my home, even if it costs my life. You don’t have to trust me, but you can count on that.” He tried to hide his hurt and bitterness, and he prayed that it wasn’t audible in his voice.
He didn’t give Diluc a chance to reply before he left the tavern.
Turns out Razor’s description of the enemies was quite on point. Evil wolves indeed.
Kaeya and the remaining three knights were surrounded by three abyssal wolves. Two of his knights had run at the first sight of these creatures, and another knight was killed in the ambush.
The wolves floated in the air and moved eerily. One of them was bigger than any adult human, and the other two were smaller in size. Purple energy crackled around them as they growled, looking for an opening.
“Captain!” Adler called out behind him. “We are surrounded.”
He glanced over at Harry, the other knight, to see him holding his arm with a wince. His skin was quickly turning pale from the venom. Adler was supporting him.
Kaeya looked ahead at the larger wolf just in time to see it disappear. His eyes widened, not realizing it could do that. Then a growl came from beside him. He turned just in time to send a blast of ice at the creature. It roared as it backed off.
Then the other two wolves moved to strike. Kaeya easily fought off the one that lunged at him while he was distracted.
Behind him, he heard Adler scream, followed by a sword landing on the ground. He turned to see Adler clutching his side. Harry was on his knees, his expression dazed.
“Shit.” He cursed as he formed a wall of ice in front of the two behind him. “Adler, I need you to run. Take Harry and run.”
“But what about you?”
“I have a vision. I’ll distract them and escape when I can, but you two must get out of here first. Call for backup.”
Adler nodded.
Kaeya focused on his vision pulsing at his hip and drew power from it before charging forward and striking at one of the smaller ones. It was knocked back by the force of his sword and then quickly knocked down by his ice attack before the other two rounded on him.
He listened for the running footsteps, waiting until they got far enough before unleashing a large attack of ice that would have injured anyone nearby. He summoned his glacial waltz to deter the other two from attacking as he finished off the small one. It faded into a portal as it died.
Kaeya turned to strike at the other two, but he only saw one. He didn’t have time to predict where it would appear before he felt a stinging pain in his back. He cried out before sending out a blast at the one behind him.
The wound on his back burned fiercely before it rapidly cooled. The cold seeped into his skin and bones, pulling energy from his body. He stumbled as the venom burrowed into his veins. He pushed past it and stabbed his sword into the other smaller one just as it lunged.
All that was left was the larger one. He turned to face it, holding his sword tightly. His body felt heavy, his breaths came out quick and shallow. His vision was darkened around the edges as he kept his gaze on the remaining wolf. Panic was beginning to crawl up his throat.
The wolf roared before a glimmer of purple appeared beside it. Then four more wolves entered, staring down at Kaeya.
At that moment, Kaeya realized he was outmatched. He had already struggled with two, and the rapidly fading energy wasn’t doing him any favors. He visibly deflated, his hands shook with the effort of holding his sword up.
He could run, but they would only follow. He is too close to the city, who knows what would happen if he let them live. What if this is a premeditated attack? What if they breach the city?
Just one scratch is enough to hurt someone severely.
His vision pulsed at his side as if sensing his distress. He backed up, shooting out ice at any that attacked, though he only aimed to keep them from coming too close or from surrounding him.
There was a splash as he stepped into water. A glance behind him showed a large pond. They had managed to corner him. He could attempt to ice-bridge out of there, but that came with too many risks. Turning his back to them is one. Another is if they would even allow him the chance to run in the first place, they can float, there is no need for them to swim. They will easily catch up to him.
There was a growl off to his side, and he had barely enough time to stab his sword into the lunging wolf. However, it wasn’t enough as the wolf dug its claws into his side. He gripped his sword’s hilt and drove it deeper into the wolf’s neck. Its claws dug in deeper in retaliation, making him hiss out through clenched teeth. A portal formed behind the wolf, and its body was pulled back. Kaeya screamed as its claws forcefully ripped out of him.
The surge of more venom and the pain made his knees buckle beneath him. His vision flared at his hip, and a shield formed around him, though that did nothing as another wolf easily shattered it, earning him another scratch to the chest.
He is going to die here.
That realization only made him more determined. If he was going to die, he might as well do everything he could to kill these things here and now.
He focused on calling to his vision and pulling as much power from it as possible. The cold, familiar energy rushed into his chest and up his arms. His hands shook from the power that built up in them. The energy felt unstable, and he had to put all his effort into keeping it contained. He looked ahead with a smirk before releasing it all.
It was quiet for just a moment before ice fanned out from him in an explosive wave. Sharp shards of ice hit any nearby wolf, and the remaining ones were covered in thick ice.
The blast sent him backward from the force. He landed in the pond behind him, the freezing water eagerly embracing him. He held back a gasp from the shock of it. He attempted to swim, but his limbs were uncoordinated, weak. He breathed in a short, stuttering breath before his head fell below the surface. He was unable to do anything as his body grew numb, allowing the pond to drag his body farther from the surface. He opened his eyes to see the darkness slowly creeping into the corners of his vision.
He watched as frost formed on the surface and around him. His descent was stopped as the water around him quickly froze. His vision pulsed from its spot at his hip. From it came a wave of energy that enveloped his body. It slowed his panicked heart and soothed the remaining pain. The feeling was comforting and allowed him to relax. It allowed him to accept his fate.
He kept his gaze up at the surface, watching the blurry sky as it disappeared behind a sheet of ice.
His body was numb and so, so cold. Exhaustion weighed down on him, trying to get him to submit to the darkness. He closed his eyes and let it pull him under.
Diluc was just finished preparing a drink when he heard the screams. They were distant at first before they got louder and more shouts joined in. He stared at the door of the tavern, confused. The off-duty knights around him stood up in alarm, some swaying from the buzz.
“What is going on?” Someone voiced.
Then the door to his tavern slammed open. In came a knight, his face pale. “We need backup at Wolvendom! Now!” He yelled before disappearing. Diluc froze. He watched in a daze as the knights who were the most sober ran out the door.
Wolvendom. Kaeya is at Wolvendom.
He found himself jumping over the counter and running out the door. Horrible scenarios began to run through his mind. What happened to warrant such a reaction from the knights?
Where is Kaeya?
He ran down the street to where he was hearing the shouts. At the entrance to Mondstadt, he saw a crowd. One knight he recognized as Adler was carrying someone. He breathed out in relief when it wasn’t Kaeya who was bleeding and pale in his arms. Though the relief was quickly buried by fear, as that could only mean he was still in danger.
Or worse.
Jean ran through the crowd. She didn’t hesitate before sending a wave of healing magic at the pair. “What happened?”
“The enemies were stronger than anything we have faced.” Adler cried out, his eyes wide and teary. “You need to go help him, he told us to run!”
“Who?” Jean asked though the look on her face said everything. Her eyes widened in realization.
“The Captain. Kaeya! He is alone fighting those things! You have to help him!”
Jean met his gaze through the crowd. Diluc didn’t hesitate before running out towards the bridge, towards Wolvendom. His heart pounded in his chest, and cold prickled over his skin. Kaeya, that idiot, what was he thinking?
His legs carried him faster as images of Kaeya fighting alone came to him. It didn’t matter if he didn’t know where he was going or where the fight was, he just ran. He searched the forest, looking for anything, listening for anything. His heart pounded in his ears. Where is he?
He paused as he heard something. There were voices, followed by a loud clanging. He didn’t hesitate before running towards the source.
He came upon a clearing. Two knights stood anxiously off the side while someone he recognized as Eula was using her claymore to hit something on the ground. Amber stood beside her, her eyes wide.
What knocked the breath out of him was the state of the clearing. Ice and frost covered the once-green grass. Sharp spikes pointed menacingly in his direction. Strange wolves were encased in large sheets of solid ice, their mouths open in a roar. He walked forward, taking in the scene. Small snowflakes fell from above, covering the ground in a thin layer of snow.
“Master Diluc?”
He looked up to see Amber staring back at him, her expression a weird mix of relief and fear. Eula stopped what she was doing and spun around to look at him, her expression the same but much less pronounced.
That’s when he put things together. He closed the distance to where Eula was hitting the ground. Below him, the snow was pushed aside to reveal a frozen pond.
And Kaeya.
“Kaeya?!” It tore out of his throat before he could stop it. He dropped to his knees. He swiped at the ice removing more of the snow.
Kaeya lay below him. His eyes were closed, his expression serene. He looked at peace.
And dead.
His throat closed up, but a horrible sound that could only be described as raw grief managed to escape. His lips remained parted as he attempted to breathe past the ache in his chest.
A soft blue glow caught his attention. He pushed himself back and swiped at the snow to see Kaeya’s vision. It was glowing.
He’s alive.
“He is alive!” He looked up at Eula. She returned his relieved gaze with a look of sadness.
“The ice won’t melt.” He heard Amber say. “We tried everything. It won’t even fracture below Eula’s strikes.”
Diluc shook his head. “That’s not possible.”
“Diluc–” He didn’t let Eula finish.
He stood up and summoned his claymore, moving off to the side. He added just enough space to make sure he didn’t hurt Kaeya. He raised his claymore, infusing it with flames, and brought it down on the ice.
The clang sent a jolt up his arms and to his teeth. Below the blade, the ice remained intact.
“No.” He breathed out. He raised his claymore and did it again. And again. And again.
Each time the ice refused to break. Kaeya laid below him, still and unaware. His vision blurred as he pressed his claymore infused with flames to the ice, hoping the direct heat would melt it away.
Nothing.
“Please.” He pleaded as he resorted to hitting the ice again.
“Diluc–”
“No! I have to get him out. I have to get my brother out.” His words came out shaky, jumbled as he put all his strength into cracking the ice.
“Diluc! It’s not going to work.” He dropped his claymore and angrily rounded on Eula. He froze as he saw tears in her eyes. His body visibly deflated at the realization.
He stumbled back and looked down at Kaeya. “No, no, no,” he crumpled to his knees above him, “No, No!” He pounded his fists on the ice, desperate.
Snowflakes continued to fall, landing softly on the ice. The vision below him flickered weakly.
“Kaeya, please!” He pounded on the ice, not caring as his skin split and blood pooled. “Don’t do this to me. Not you too.” The ice held strong.
A sob spilled from his lips. "Not you too." He pressed his forehead to the ice, right above Kaeya’s.
“I’m sorry. Please, I’m so sorry. Don’t leave me.” Words carelessly tumbled out of his lips as he weakly pounded on the ice. He shut his eyes to avoid looking down at his brother, whose vision was slowly fading. Choked pleads continued to come from him, hoping someone would hear. Anyone.
“Barbatos, please don’t let him die. Please let me save him. Please let him come home.” His voice came out hoarse. “I will do anything. Just let me have my brother back.” His throat closed around the words.
There were running footsteps behind him, but he didn’t bother raising his head.
“Diluc?” It was Jean.
“We’ve tried everything. Nothing works. We can’t get him out.” Eula explained.
Someone crouched down beside him. Diluc kept his gaze on Kaeya.
“It appears his vision is doing everything it can to keep him alive.” An unfamiliar voice spoke from beside him. Diluc turned his head to see the Chief Alchemist. “His vision is peculiar as it does everything it can to protect its host. Kaeya. He is wounded, so it did this to prolong his life. Enough for him to receive help. If he were to be taken out before he is healed, there is a chance he would not survive.”
Diluc stared at the blond, his gaze only flitted over to him before he stood and moved away.
“All healers, put everything you can into this!” He heard Jean say. Around him, Jean, Barbara, and Bennett all crouched down around Kaeya. They each sent a wave of healing magic directed at him.
Diluc stared with wide, hopeful eyes. Slowly the flickering vision grew stronger.
“Diluc now!”
He didn’t hesitate as he pulled power from his exhausted vision. He pressed his bloodied hands to the ice and watched as the ice melted below him.
Once his hands met cloth did he pull Kaeya’s cold, limp body into his arms. Around them, the healers continued to direct their power at Kaeya. He could only focus on his baby brother. He hugged him tightly to his chest and dropped his head as relief flooded his body. His body shook as he barely managed to contain the sobs that clawed out from his throat.
Kaeya stirred in his grasp. He pulled away and looked down to see Kaeya looking around, dazed.
The single blue eyes met his. “Diluc?” He looked utterly confused.
Diluc could only laugh wetly. “Yeah, it's me.”
Kaeya only looked horrified at seeing Diluc crying. And Diluc couldn’t be happier to see that blue eye open and so full of life. Kaeya was breathing. He was moving. He was alive.