Chapter Text
There’s a strange man lurking around Mondstadt.
Now, normally, this wouldn’t be all that unusual. Kaeya can list about three men who like to lurk just off the top of his head, and none of them have any ulterior motives or suspicious inclinations. The difference, though, is that none of these other strange folks seem to be stalking someone.
He hasn’t figured out who it is yet, although he has more than a few theories. For the moment, all Kaeya knows is that a Sumerian man had arrived in Mondstadt about a week or so ago, and had spent his entire time thus far lurking around corners, showing up in shops and bars only to stare at the customers and leave without buying anything, and ducking into shady alleyways to avoid being seen by any passing citizens.
All in all, it’s pretty much the textbook definition of a suspicious individual. The trouble is that Kaeya can’t seem to figure out exactly who it is he’s targeting – though, not for lack of trying.
He’s gotten it narrowed down to a handful of people, all of whom are folks he knows rather well. The man seems to frequent areas that Kaeya and his own friends go to often, but he definitely isn’t stalking Kaeya, or else he’d have simply shown up at his house. No, it’s more likely that he’s either after Rosaria, Venti, or Albedo – possibly Klee as well, but it’s unlikely, given that Angel’s Share is one of the places he’s seen the man most often, and Klee certainly doesn’t make a habit of visiting Mondstadt’s most popular bar. Neither does Albedo, honestly, but he’s dropped in more than once in the past week, and every time, the man has been there to watch.
Frankly, it’s creepy. If Kaeya were any other citizen, he would have reported this to the Knights by now, but as it stands, he is the knight it would get reported to, and there’s little use in writing up a complaint just to have it delivered to his own desk.
As per the usual, Kaeya’s taking matters into his own hands. At this rate, he’ll be a match for the Darknight Hero, what with how much under-the-table work he ends up doing. He’s fairly certain that Jean is aware of this, but if she’s not, Kaeya won’t be the one to tell her. The Acting Grandmaster has enough to deal with as it stands, and she doesn’t need her Cavalry Captain dumping a bunch more work onto her desk.
Besides, he’s done just fine with figuring out the details about this suspicious traveller himself. According to Kaeya’s intel, his given name is Chike, and he hails from the southernmost regions of Sumeru. Unfortunately, Vile wasn’t able to pinpoint the exact group or town the man had travelled from, but that’s alright – Kaeya only needs the vague picture to start putting the pieces together. Chike has no family to speak of, and apparently makes his living as a ‘travelling merchant’, but hasn’t even attempted to sell a single good in Mondstadt yet. That, more than anything, is the reddest flag of them all. Why come all this way for your livelihood, only to avoid every chance to make some mora once you finally arrive?
It’s downright suspicious, and that’s coming from Kaeya.
The man is already waiting at the bar when Kaeya arrives, obviously watching Rosaria and Venti as they gather their drinks from the counter (including, Kaeya notes, a third glass that obviously holds his Death After Noon – his friends really can be quite thoughtful, when they want to be) and head to their usual table in the corner.
Diluc is too busy tonight to shoot dirty looks at their table, which suits Kaeya just fine. He usually tries to keep an eye on his customers otherwise, especially the ones that drink the most… which is, undoubtedly, Kaeya and his friends. Albedo, when he joins them, doesn’t really drink all that much, but Rosaria and Venti absolutely do.
Venti’s alcohol tolerance is… frankly, a little bit alarming. He looks like such a lightweight, and yet, he can drink Kaeya under the table (is the only one who can do that, in fact) and still be perfectly sober by the end of the night. Kaeya swears he’s seen the kid practically consume his own body weight in alcohol, not that that’s very hard for someone like Venti, and keep going for another two hours until Diluc had kicked them all out at closing time.
As he makes his way over to the table, Kaeya keeps a close eye on the three glasses as well as the few people sitting nearby, just to make sure that nobody tries to slip anything into the drinks. It’s unlikely, what with Diluc’s watchful eye on them, but one can never be too careful.
“Already drinking without me?” Kaeya chirps, draping himself over his usual seat as Rosaria slides his drink over without so much as a glance. “I’d be wounded, if you hadn’t gotten one for me as well! A nice, cold Death After Noon – ah, you both know me so well.”
Venti snickers. His own drink, something bright and strong with a small slice of apple on the rim, is already over half-empty. “Says the man who orders the same thing every time. You ought to mix it up a bit!”
“What, and order cider like you always do?”
“Ask for grape juice,” Rosaria suggests. “That’ll really throw Diluc off his game.”
“I am not ordering such an unrefined drink, thank you very much. That’s nothing but wine that hasn’t gotten good yet.”
“And this is why you’re an alcoholic.”
“Neither of you are any better!”
“Don’t bring me into this,” Venti complains, “Rosaria’s the one who started calling names!”
It would be easy to let his guard down like this, laughing amongst his friends with a drink in hand, but Kaeya knows better. He can still feel the subtle crawl of eyes on his skin, telling him that even now, Chike is observing them from across the bar. Maybe he ought to tell Diluc, and see if he won’t throw the guy out.
…Ah, who is he kidding? Diluc would never listen to him. It’s more likely that Kaeya would be the one getting thrown out, and then that would leave Rosaria and Venti alone, unawares, with no one to watch their backs.
Kaeya stays and drinks with his friends for a good few hours after that, but unfortunately, all things must come to an end, and soon enough it’s time for Rosaria to head home. Apparently, she has an early shift at the church tomorrow, which Kaeya can only assume is the fault of their dear Deaconess. Barbara, for all her many good qualities, has never quite seemed to understand the concept of a ‘hangover’, much less a ‘night owl’.
Interestingly, Venti decides to leave around the same time as Rosaria, as well.
“I plan on giving quite the performance in the square tomorrow morning!” He says cheerfully, holding up his lyre. “Can I count on you to be there, Sir Kaeya?”
Kaeya grins. “Sure, sure. I bet I can pop by on my way to work.”
Venti exits the bar with a wink and a smile, followed shortly by a far less excited Rosaria. She simply gives Kaeya a loose wave in lieu of a proper farewell, not that Kaeya minds – Rosaria has never been big on formalities, and it’s half the reason he likes her so much.
Left alone in the bar at last (save for the last few drunkards, and of course, Diluc), Kaeya takes a moment to glance surreptitiously at the suspicious man again, who’s now eyeing the door. He has a drink in front of him, some colourful concoction that probably has more fruit juice in it than alcohol, but he doesn’t seem to have touched a drop. That, on its own, would be enough for Kaeya to get suspicious, even excluding all of the other evidence.
After a few more minutes, it becomes clear that Chike isn’t going to move until Kaeya does. He’s clearly waiting for something, and if Kaeya had to guess, he’s waiting for the only knight in the tavern to move along so he can get up to whatever shady business he has planned. Venti and Rosaria have long since left by now, and there are no other people here that he could be targeting. He’s only stuck around for lack of a suitable escape route. Of course, Chike also doesn’t know that Diluc on his own would be just as much of a threat as any knight (or probably more, actually, depending on the knight), but Kaeya would rather not dump his stalker case on the poor, unsuspecting bartender. That would be rude.
“Well, I suppose I’ll be heading out now,” Kaeya sighs, draining the last of his drink and returning the empty glass to the counter. “Have a nice night, Master Diluc! Don’t stay up too late, or else you might wake up even grumpier than you already are!”
Diluc rolls his eyes with a quiet huff, but doesn’t otherwise respond to Kaeya’s teasing, which is perfectly fine. Kaeya has more important things to worry about tonight than whether or not Diluc is ignoring him.
He strolls out of the bar with a pleasant smile on his face, carefully betraying none of the thoughts running through his head. As long as Chike doesn’t see him as he slips around the corner of a building and quietly scales the side of it, he should be able to watch from the balcony and see what the man’s next move is. Will he attempt to follow Venti, or will he head for the church?
Kaeya positions himself just below the railing of the balcony, watching through the gaps in the posts as Chike exits Angel’s Share and ducks into the alley, leaning up against the wall of the building as he fumbles for something in his jacket. It takes a bit of straining to see what it is in the low light, but when he brings the glinting object up to his eyes, it becomes obvious that what he’s pulled out is an oddly ornate pair of glasses. The closer Kaeya looks, the more little bits and bobs he can see attached to them, but that becomes secondary information when he sees Chike fiddle with something on the side and the lenses begin to glow.
He’s looking at something, Kaeya realises, something that can’t be seen without the odd artefact he had just pulled out. Whatever invisible thing he sees on the stone tiles of the street, it’s enough to move him from his hiding place in the alley, and he quickly vanishes into the depths of the city as Kaeya watches from above.
What was he looking at? Kaeya thinks, narrowing his eyes at the empty patch of street. Some sort of invisible trail?
Perhaps his Elemental Sight would be able to shed a bit more light on this. Kaeya activates it and looks down at the street again, only for his eyes to widen as he realises that the path out of the bar is marred by a trail of glowing footprints, all formed of misty Anemo energy and leading off in the exact direction that Chike had just gone.
That’s got to be Venti. Kaeya has no idea why he leaves such a significant elemental trail everywhere he goes, but at this point, it’s far from the strangest thing about the bard. But… it does mean that he’s significantly easier to track, not only for Kaeya, but for Chike as well.
A young, pretty, talented bard with an Anemo Vision and an alarmingly distinct elemental trail? Venti would be the ideal target for a kidnapper or trafficker hoping to make a quick buck.
Maybe he is a merchant, after all – just not the kind dealing in goods that Mondstadt would ever approve of.
Kaeya’s going to have to deal with this, and fast. The longer he waits, the more time Chike has to get ahold of Venti – and while Chike doesn’t seem to have all that much physical strength, given his slight, wiry build, Venti doesn’t either. He’s alarmingly light, which would only make him easier to subdue and carry off – and if Chike has been watching him all this time, there’s a good chance that he knows that, too. There’s no chance that he hasn’t seen Diluc pick Venti up by the back of his shirt and scruff him single-handed when he’s being too rowdy in the tavern.
Kaeya scales the rest of the way up the building and runs across the roof, vaulting onto the top of the next house as he follows the trail of glowing prints that he only hopes will lead him to Venti before it’s too late. At this point, he’s past caring if Chike notices him, as long as he gets to Venti first. The rooftops will be his best bet, giving him a better vantage point and fewer obstacles as he races to his friend… wherever he may be.
oOoOo
Never before has Kaeya cursed Venti’s lack of self-preservation so many times in the span of a minute.
He can see Chike from his hiding place up on the rooftop, but he’s still too far away to hear what they’re saying. He’ll have to be careful as he gets closer, or else Chike might notice him and try to take Venti hostage, and Kaeya is not equipped to handle a situation like that tonight.
Kaeya inches closer, staying crouched on the rooftop as he peers over the edge of it, straining his ears to listen. Another few shuffling steps, and he can just make out the quiet conversation happening down below.
“You really think that’s going to work?” Venti says. He sounds displeased, but not afraid, which is both good and bad. “There are people who are going to notice, you know. They’ll know if I’m missing, and they’ll certainly know if you try and pull some silly charade.”
Chike moves closer, and Venti inches back. There isn’t much space left in the alleyway – any further, and Venti will be cornered. There’s not enough room for him to be able to use his bow effectively, and it’s also too cramped for him to use Anemo to lift himself up. Why did he even come down this way? It’s only good for getting someone trapped and not being overheard, which is exactly what Kaeya wouldn’t want when dealing with a possible human trafficker.
From within his coat, Chike draws out a crystalline item that glints dully in the moonlight, too small for Kaeya to make out any details, other than the greenish colour. “Well, if that’s the case… I’m sure I can find other uses for you.”
Oh, fuck no. There’s no way in hell Kaeya is letting that happen.
He vaults over the edge of the rooftop to land right between them, sword already materializing in his hands as his Vision begins to glow. Before he can do anything, though, the little object in the man’s hands lights up, surrounding itself by an oddly vacuumous aura. It’s as though the breeze is being pulled inwards, towards the misshapen artefact, and a quick glance at Venti shows that he’s now surrounded by a glowing ring of Anemo. Whatever Chike is doing, it’s happening fast, and Kaeya knows Venti won’t be able to react quickly enough to escape it, much less stop it.
He makes a split-second decision and grabs onto Venti, holding fast as the air around them becomes crushing in pressure, and then–
Nothing.
Just for a moment, nothing, and then, Kaeya is somewhere else.
It’s all glowing and he can still feel Venti’s wrist wrapped tightly in his hand, his one point of normalcy in this strange new void he’s fallen into. The air is saturated with Anemo energy, thick enough that he can practically taste it, but it’s rapidly thinning just as he looks around. The entire… room, area, chamber, whatever, is entirely empty of everything but Kaeya… and, of course, Venti.
Venti, who has just yanked his wrist out of Kaeya’s grip to bring his hands together, calling up a borderline storm of Anemo into a palm-sized vortex caught between his fingers. Kaeya braces for impact, but it never comes.
In an instant, the charged attack of concentrated Anemo dissipates, the air instantly going dead as the walls seem to glow brighter in the exact shade that the energy had just been – and at the same time, Venti collapses to the ground, gasping for breath as he clutches his chest.
Kaeya’s eyes widen as he too drops to the ground, hands hovering helplessly around Venti as he shudders and gasps. He can’t tell what’s wrong with him, can’t tell how to fix it – it’s like he can’t draw breath, but there’s nothing wrong with the air that Kaeya can tell. Is it his throat? His lungs? His heart? Venti could be dying right in front of him, and Kaeya can’t do anything about it, because he can’t even tell what the problem is.
It takes a few long moments of wheezing before Venti is able to choke out, “Don't do that again, got it.”
Kaeya sighs in relief at the sound of Venti’s voice, even as strained and raw as it is. He can at least breathe enough to speak, and for the moment, that will have to be enough.
“What was that?” Kaeya asks after a beat of silence, broken only by Venti’s strangled attempts to fill his lungs again. Whatever had happened, it’s getting slightly better, but he still sounds as though there’s a noose around his neck, and Kaeya does not like it.
Venti doesn’t answer for a long moment, staring at the ground with a blank, almost hollow look in his eyes. “There… wasn’t enough Anemo.”
“Enough Anemo?” Kaeya’s brow furrows. “What do you mean by that?”
“...I don’t breathe like you do. It’s not the air, it’s… it’s the Anemo energy in it. This place, wherever we are, it’s drawing out the ambient energy and swallowing it up. There’s nothing in here except for what’s coming from me.”
What does he mean, ‘I don’t breathe like you do’? What the hell is that supposed to mean? He doesn’t breathe?! Kaeya really wishes they were in any other situation right now so he could properly grab Venti and shake him until the answers fell out, but unfortunately, that would probably make their current predicament worse.
He only realises he’s been silent for too long when Venti continues, voice quieter and tone far more somber than he’s ever heard before. “I can’t get us out of here. I tried, but you saw what happened there. We’re trapped in here, either until that man decides to release us, or…”
Venti trails off, and Kaeya frowns. “You couldn’t break the… prison, or whatever this is, but maybe I could. With my sword, I could–”
His sword. Where did his sword go? Is it back in his Vision’s subspace?
Kaeya calls for his blade, only to come up empty-handed. Nothing appears in front of him. There isn’t even that slight pulse of cold at his hip from the spike in Cryo ener–
Oh.
There’s nothing at his hip.
“My Vision’s gone,” Kaeya murmurs, staring down at the empty space with a shell-shocked gaze. For the first time since he’d gotten it on that fateful, horrible night, his Mondstadt Cryo Vision is missing from its permanent place at his hip. “It’s gone.”
Venti glances over at him, eyes catching on the missing ornament as his expression grows even more grim than before. “This place is attuned to Anemo – your Vision must have been left behind because it’s Cryo. Although… even if you did come in here with an Anemo Vision, all that would have happened is that the prison would have begun to draw from you, as well.”
“As well?” Kaeya repeats, and Venti looks away again. “ As well, Venti?”
Venti doesn’t answer, refusing to meet Kaeya’s eyes.
“Give me your Vision, if it’s drawing from you then we don’t want it to have any more power than–”
“That won’t help.”
Kaeya pauses. “Why not?”
Venti waits for a few minutes, clearly thinking something over, before he finally responds in a low, almost hopeless tone. “It’s not the Vision that it’s drawing from. The Vision– the Vision is fake. It’s just a piece of metal and glass.”
“...What?”
“It’s fake,” Venti repeats. “I don’t have a Vision. I don’t need one. An elemental god already has that energy within them.”
An elemental god. A fake Vision. Two braids and eyes that glow Anemo-teal in the dark–
Fuck. Fuck. Kaeya should have seen this sooner, how did he not see this sooner? Venti, he’s– Kaeya should have noticed, and it’s nobody’s fault but his own that he didn’t.
“You’re Barbatos,” Kaeya murmurs, “aren’t you?”
Venti refuses to meet his eyes.