Shadows intertwine in a dance with the evening sun's gaze, dust floats about in the small room. Arye, a woman with golden hair and bright green eyes, serenely reads a book while watching over her unconscious son on the bed.
Outside the sunset paints the view in warm embracing light, the sky becomes a golden sheen tilting in to soft red at the horizon. Birds playing in the sky, singing their joys for the world to hear. The soft music of the harp is carried by the wind as workers at Dawn Winery prepare for the day's end.
A soft knock sounds on the oak door. When it opens, a young girl steps inside. Dark blue hair, braided and tied with a red ribbon into a rosette.
Her amber eyes wide and curious. Her gaze lingers on the woman with golden hair, before moving onto the rest of the room, the perfect mahogany desk silently standing by the window, the left wall overflowing with books and reaching the ceiling. The two paintings capturing a moment in time one depicting Dragonspine and the other Starsnatch cliff.
The bright yet slightly quiet tone broke the silence.
"Ah sorry to disturb you-"
"Xiangling, don't worry, you are disturbing no one" a gentle melodious voice replied.
"I brought some food for when he wakes up" the bright eyed Xiangling said while placing the food on the desk beside the bed.
With a soft smile Arye nodded, saying "Thank you".
Xiangling the lively, yet caring Liyue girl had helped Arye earlier in the day carry Sane to Dawn Winery after he collapsed.
She just so happened to be passing by while hunting for ingredients and couldn't help but want to aid the 2 weary travelers.
Initially Xiangling had thought to bring them to her camp, but after seeing how out of it Arye was and Sane being completely unconscious she decided it would be best to bring them to the Winery she saw not far from here.
After the two managed to drag the unconscious Sane, Xiangling had of course asked what happened, yet Arye simply shook her head, refusing to answer. It was around 4 by the time they made it to the tavern asking to stay temporarily due to Sane being knocked out.
The sun was already leaning toward evening by the time they reached the winery.
At first the guards of the place refused entry but soon Diluc who was nearby noticed his uninvited guests and walked over.
Looking at the group of 3, he noticed a smell of blood which is likely why the guards refused them entry since there were no obvious wounds on the three. After a closer look Diluc realized that he recognized Sane, someone who had visited the tavern a few times and almost never got truly drunk.
Sane had previously done him a favor at Angel's share, carrying several loaded wine barrels inside the tavern, so decidedly he returned by lending them a guest room at the winery.
The winery had several high end guest rooms since it commonly hosts nobles from Mondstadt, Liyue and Fontaine. Many who come by regularly with purchase agreements in hand.
Many merchants also visited to taste and buy large portions of wine at a time, to later resell in further away regions.
Diluc even helped Arye and Xiangling carry Sane to the room despite previously talking to a field manager who was explaining recent hilichurl incursions.
The room given wasn't the highest of quality but was more than enough for simple recovery.
Diluc had even placed Sane on the bed after which he chose to leave only saying "I'll let you stay one night after he wakes up, no longer"
"Thank you" two voices replied.
Now the sun has nearly set, it is just past 6pm, only an hour and half after they got here, Arye and Xiangling found themselves mildly bored.
A sound then startled the two "Aaaarghlk"
The two turn their heads, Xiangling even gets some whiplash while Arye just lazily looks to the left at the bed which has her son sleeping in it.
I wake, slowly, disoriented and tired. My stomach feels twisted.
My mouth dry like a desert before rain season.
My eyes are practically crusted over my body is heavy and my mind empty.
I slowly painfully sit-up, I rub my eyes, my body slowly waking feeling slightly lighter by the second. My mind recalls the memories and I feel sick I want to hurl yet I only dry heave.
Two hands wrap around from the side and I hear someone calling
"D-----l"
"S##E"
"S#####N####E"
"SANE!"
My ears are ringing yet a barely make out the voice, my mom, Arye.
I don't really see anything. All I can remember is the faces of those bandits I killed. Their silent horror as their heads spin in the air, severed cleanly from the neck.
I can imagine the their voices, their screams, the torment.
Slowly this nightmare fades, the world quiets down and I can hear the heartbeat of my mom....
She holds me then lets go.
POV: Arye
Sane had just started to waking, he seemed alright at first, then not even five seconds later he starts dry heaving.
Startled I rush to his side and embrace him, moments ago he was fine, now he looked pale, he was sweating and shaking terribly.
Calling out to him, my voice strains as worry clouds my thoughts. Nothing else registers as I try to comfort him, my hands slowly sliding down his shaking, cold, back.
5 minutes pass as his breath slows, his heart calms and his shaking weakens until ceasing entirely.
I hold him just a little longer, I feel his warmth, his strength his unsteady breath, the few silent tears that fell.
I let go, giving him some space. He looks.... exhausted and... wrung and strained worse than he ever did after the knights training.
Even then I worried, he would come back tired, exhausted, eyes half closed, yet he would still sit with me, telling me about his day.
He was happy there, very happy, sure he cursed Varka in his sleep, but it was always with a smile. Often he mentioned going to the tavern with Kayea, he met Venti... or well Barbatos based on who you asked.
Despite drinking with them he never seemed to get drunk, he always complained having to drag the two 'fools' out of the tavern.
Yet he left that, all for me.... I can't say I am not happy because of it, but I am sad that due to my weakness he was forced to leave when he just started to acclimate, to adapt to his new life.
My thoughts clear slightly as I hear footsteps and the door opening, turning my head I see Xiangling leaving the room, while giving a cheeky grin and a wink....?
Unusual but that doesn't matter, I look to Sane
"Are you alright? Why- no, happened?"
"..... I killed, I didn't even flinch, their blood meant nothing to me.... it just flowed. Their eyes, I remember them, so so full of fear, terror, until they just weren't anymore."
"You were protecting me..."
"I could have just knocked them out"
"They would have just hurt others" I place my finger on his lips as he is about to retort "Stop blaming yourself, it is in the past now, you know killing isn't right and you don't enjoy it. That is what matters"
"There is food for you on the table, you should eat"
Sane stands slowly, unsteadily, I am quick to stand up myself and support him.
It takes him a moment but he regains his balance and slowly makes his way to the desk.
He sits down and starts eating, slowly, mechanically, as if eating just because he needs to. It is obvious that his actions weight heavy upon him, and at first it even scared be, but when we left I had the time to think and to recognize that his actions were likely for the best. When we reached Dawn Winery I already forced my reconcile with what happened prior.
Unsightly as they were, they were there to protect to protect me and Laika.
I should get stronger, I want to protect him just like how he protected me.
*knock* *knock* *knock*
3 knocks sound and a short silence follows until Sane speaks up "Come in Diluc"
The door opens and my eyes widen as I see that it is indeed Diluc standing there, his formal attire tidy and his eyes piercing.
He looks at the room, then at Sane who is still eating and lastly his eyes fall on me, he nods then turns his gaze back on Sane.
My son doesn't seem to care and just keeps eating. Surprisingly, Diluc, then lifts his hand to stop me from scolding Sane, then speaks.
"The knights of Favonius came by, they were searching for you, apparently they suspect you for a murder of 3 nobles"
"... Those nobles *munch* were about to *he turns his head and looks at Diluc* do things to my mother"
He then turns back to the food "You don't have the right to judge me"
Diluc, silent, thinking, watches as Sane continues eating, 20 minutes pass and Sane finishes and turns around staring right back at him.
1
2
4
10 seconds pass as they stare at each other before Diluc sighs and speaks "Tomorrow you leave, I need the room for servants of a noble scheduled to arrive soon"
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Words: 1577
A/N: Yoooooo sorry for the very late ch, last few weeks been kinda hectic, more so than usual, shit tone of updates and shit tone of assignments. Then there was also that I was greatly uninterested in writing this slowly, mostly boring chapter, but I really needed a way to balance and slow down the story progression. Lastly I was unwilling to have an AI do the work for me, so that is why this ch took far longer.
Also 39.59k views? 159 collections? Damn that is pretty good.
If you're not too mad than vote and gimme them powerstones.
Also I read another fic where the author had readers do 'Attendance' through comments. So.... let's see how many people we can get!
Now have a great day/night!