Chapter Text
Venti was a god of simple tastes- wine, and the aftertaste of wine, most of the time. Angel’s Share was his supplier of choice, and that was where he was tonight, ready to drown out the aftertaste of wine with the taste of wine.
“Good evening, Diluc!” Venti chirped at the dead-eyed wine mogul.
“Venti.” Diluc said.
Venti slid into a chair across from Diluc, who put away the glass he was polishing. Diluc reached underneath the counter and pulled out an envelope, which had the distinct smell of glaze lilies, and, to his elemental senses, the trace of geo.
“A Liyuean man told me to give this to, and I quote, the green man with the Anemo vision,” Diluc said, sliding the envelope over. Venti picked it up and fumbled while opening it, then deciding to nab a butter knife from one of the tables with a gust of wind. Diluc raised an eyebrow.
“He also paid a frankly ridiculous price to hold onto this, so I figured you should get it while you’re still sober enough to read it.”
“Mhm,” Venti hummed, reading the letter.
To the second-eldest,
I hope that this letter finds you well. You may have never responded to the heaven’s call, but I hope you will to mine. On the night of the full moon, meet me at the place where we first met.
Yours,
Zhongli.
“Huh.” Venti folded up the letter and tucked it into one of his pockets. Smells like him , he thought. “Thanks for the letter. When’s the full moon?”
“Tonight.”
Venti groaned at the thought of facing Morax sober until an idea sprung into his head. “How much for a bottle of dandelion wine?”
“More than you can afford with your debt.”
“You’re so stingy!” Venti stuck his tongue out.
“Goodnight, and good luck with whoever you’re meeting.” Diluc shooed Venti over to the door, and the second both feet were outside, he slammed it shut on the bard.
Zhongli was waiting underneath the moonlight, still as stone. It was as if he was part of Stone Gate, and he had always been this way, even though Venti knew how little he actually returned to the border of Mondstadt and his home country of Liyue. Creating an updraft beneath his feet, he propelled himself up to the top of the gate.
“Old friend,” Zhongli opened up with, his voice as stable as ever.
“Pal,” Venti replied casually. “So, what’s up? You finally decided to go through with-”
“That plan has been… rescinded,” Zhongli said. “Celestia summoned me. I was informed that, though I was doing an acceptable job, that some of the other archons were… not up to standards.” Zhongli sighed, the tiredness in his voice carrying the weight of his thousands of years of hard work- work, he now felt, he was being punished for. “You are not the only one who’s attracted Celestia’s judgment. The unseen Dendro Archon, Lesser Lord Kusanali, has been given a new jurisdiction. Sumeru will be ruled by Baal, Inazuma will be ruled by Buer, Liyue will be ruled by Barbatos, and Mondstadt will be ruled by Morax. This is Celestia’s decree.”
“Morax… when did you hear about this?” Venti asked.
“A few days ago.” Zhongli walked over to the Liyue half of Stone Gate. Venti sat on a rock on the Mondstadt side.
“It’s not like you to move this quickly,” Venti said.
“No, but I wanted us to be in the same place. It will make the transition easier.”
“What do you mean by tha-”
The moon hit midnight, and in a flash of light, Zhongli and Venti swapped places.
One moment, the Raiden Shogun was on top of Tenshukaku, having received a report from the Kujou clan’s leader earlier that evening. Fifty visions had been confiscated, and many more were on the way. Eternity was being well-maintained, as it had for the past four hundred and ninety nine years.
The next, she was trapped in some kind of odd green bubble far too small to fit her inside.
What happened? Ei thought to the Shogun.
Unsure. The Shogun answered. Initiate escape protocol?
Granted, Ei replied. And give me control of the Shogun.
Understood.
The Shogun Puppet’s eyes glowed bright purple as her hand awkwardly contorted to reach the handle sprouting from inside her chest. Dark clouds billowed above the Sanctuary of Surasthana, and the citizens beneath pointed at the purple glow within. The Shogun’s hand connected to the handle, and as it wrapped around it, Ei took control of the body.
“Torn to Oblivion!”
The green bubble burst to bits, popping like an oversized balloon in a quicken reaction. As Ei stepped out, the smell of crisp, ionized air hit her as the jail dissolved, roots evaporating as the explosion gradually fizzled out. She took a look around. The room was sickeningly green, a bud created by the branches of a mossy tree and fractal-styled architecture.
Two matra opened the exit, running in to check out the explosion. They froze, seeing Raiden’s glowing katana. One tried to run, but she sent a lightning bolt his way, causing him to fall to the ground, writhing in agony as his muscles twitched involuntarily.
We should not allow them to escape. The Shogun thought.
“It feels like Dendro,” Ei said, turning to the remaining matra, who was petrified. “Where are we?”
“T-the Sanctuary of Surasthana,” his voice trembled.
“This is Buer’s?” Raiden asked.
“Y-yes, this is where Lesser Lord Kusanali resides. Please don’t kill me!”
“You have not done anything yet,” Raiden said. She walked past him and to the door before turning around. “But leaving this room before nightfall would not be wise. You Sumerians value that, do you not?”
“Yes, Ms…” he said, fishing for an answer as to the identity of the purple-haired maiden of death. But by that point, Raiden had already shut the door behind her, stepping out onto the balcony.
Only nightfall? The Shogun queried.
Do not question me, Raiden thought back. Your body is far faster than any in Sumeru. For now, I want to know what caused us to enter Buer’s country. Something like this can only be done by a god.
Perhaps they are an enemy of Eternity , the Shogun suggested.
Perhaps. Ei thought. They were now sitting on top of the Sanctuary, watching the matra rush up and in.
The Akademiya may be an enemy of Eternity , the Shogun thought, somewhat eagerly, for an emotionless voice.
“Perhaps they might,” Ei said out loud. “Maybe we should pay a visit to the sages.”
How much power should we unlock?
Leave it limited. We will not need it to converse with mortals.
Raiden jumped down from the top of the Sanctuary. The matra stumbled at the impact, and turned to look at her. One of them charged, but with a flick of her finger, Raiden sent him flying against a branch, which he bounced off and back onto the floor. She turned around and slowly walked down the spiraling path to the Akademiya. The other matra began to charge her, but she pointed at the ground behind her and a bolt of lightning blasted it to shreds, leaving them trapped.
Two matra from below charged with their spears. Raiden tilted her head out of the way of the first blow, an overhand swing, and the shaft splintered in two upon hitting her shoulder, barely shifting her robe. The other aimed a thrust at her face, which she blocked with her index finger, sending a current of electricity down and causing him to drop it.
Raiden picked up the spear, testing its heft and balance.
“Poorly made,” she said. The spearhead glowed as her eyes did, and with an arc, she cut a doorway into the Akademiya.
A kick the chunks of wall and wood into the fountain at the center of the lobby. The scholars began screaming and fleeing as Raiden walked in through the impromptu doorway. She looked to her right. The door was just a few yards away.
“You there,” she said, pointing at one of the scholars next to her, too terrified to get up and run, “Is this the Akademiya? And where are your Sages?”
He wordlessly pointed inward and upward, and Raiden stepped over him, continuing deeper into the library as the stream of people running out parted to make way for her advance. The library was mostly empty, save for one girl clad in a blue hood who had seemingly falled asleep at her desk. Even the thunder and lightning was insufficient to wake her.
Raiden passed by and headed towards the elevator. Two more matra ran up to her, but with a smack to the jaw with the stolen spear, they were both knocked out cold, one falling over the railing and landing on his stomach, the other slumping against it.
She stepped inside of the elevator and pressed the highest button. It began to move, and she stood rigidly, twirling the spear in her limited space.
It’s not that bad after all , Shogun thought.
It lasted longer than I expected , Ei conceded. The elevator reached the top floor, and she stepped out, tossing the spear at the Grand Sage’s desk. The desk slid to the wall, pinning the man who was working on it.
“Urgh- Who are you? Guards? Guards!” Grand Sage Azar yelled.
“Let’s talk, Sage.” Raiden said, leaning over the desk. “About why you summoned me here.”