Find Me

by Artellius

Summary:

Diluc is unfortunately "doomed" when a fatui harbinger finds him exhausted after a fight. He had hoped it would be the last time as well, but was proven wrong when the man appeared again. And again. And again. And again.

One day, it is Diluc who goes looking for him.

A little 5+1 fic

Notes:

Weee (also read that last tag it makes sense in the story)

1

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Diluc squinted his eyes. His grip on his claymore tightened, and his eyes darted around.

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Behind him. Not exactly. To the right a bit. A diagonal approach, but in a blind spot. Should he attack immediately from the right, or take a large swing at his left? An attack from the right would be quick and hard to deflect, but probably much weaker as there would be less time to channel in the energy. From the left would be a long run, much more time for his ‘stalker’ to deflect or dodge it, but a lot more force and energy, and his pyro vision would be more effective.

Tap

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He swung from the left. A surprised yelp cut through the air. There was a bit of surprised breathing. The ‘stalker’ was still alive. Not injured. Diluc did not feel his weapon hit anyone.

“Woah there! You’re quite quick to react, aren’t you?” The ‘stalker’ chuckled. Diluc turned around, now face to face with a tall man, red-orange hair, and deep blue eyes. Deep blue eyes, but they did not shine, and they looked like the dead depths of the sea. Unreachable.

He had a hydro vision, and wore gray clothes with a red scarf. His gloved hands were held up in mock surrender. Diluc did not recognize him. But he looked trouble. There was a red mask on the side of his head.

And on his neck was…

Diluc raised his weapon once more immediately. His teeth were clenched, and he breathed sharply through them, seething with anger.

“What’s got you all riled up then?” The man had a seemingly unaffected smile. “Hm? Ah, it seems that you’ve figured it out quickly.” He touched the mark on his neck, rubbing it sheepishly.
“I don’t do small talk with the Fatui. Much less a harbinger.”

“I get that.”

Diluc scoffed. Some harbinger this fool was.

“Say, you seem ready for a fight. I quite enjoy the thrill of battle! How about we spar?”

Dliuc swung his claymore at him, and the man jumped back, a bow now in his hands. As Diluc swung again and again, the man just dodged and dodged, occasionally letting a stray arrow fly at him, which Diluc blocked with his claymore.

When the man was cornered against the stump of a large tree, his bow turned into a melee of Hydro. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Diluc hadn’t seen that approach coming, rather, maybe, just maybe, there was a small part of him that was impressed.

The man hit once, twice, thrice, now forcing Diluc to back up as he dodged and deflected, swinging his claymore when he could, and the melee turned back to a bow. He swung once, twice, three times then four, making sure that his Pyro vision hit hard.

The man laughed when a bit of flame caught on his clothes, and he doused it out. “You seem to be quite the professional then. That just makes this duel all the better!”

Diluc frowned at him, biting back on his tongue. The spar continued out of the forest, as the man shot at him with Hydro, and Diluc jumped and tilted his head, before running at him from behind and swinging. The man ducked and let out a pleasurable laugh of delight, and turned around to face him.

They were by a shore now, and as the man’s back faced the water, Diluc gritted his teeth and lifted his claymore, letting his Pyro vision blaze through, taking the form of a bird and flying at the man, who’s eyebrows darted up. He moved to block it, but as he did, a part of his arm sizzed and burned, and he winced.

“My, my, that was a good one.”

The man just stood there, his bow gone, no sign of the melee. He tapped at the pink and pelled part of his skin lightly. Diluc stood. This was his chance now. Just run at him and end this.

But it seemed to have already ended.

“Would you like to keep going? I had thought I’d surrendered with that.”

Hah. A Fatui Harbinger surrendering so easily. It was impossible, and Diluc knew that he was being mocked for it. He only stared back in silence, his hand still gripped on his weapon.
“Did I mention you’re quite the fighter?”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Say, are you perhaps a part of the Knights of Favonius?”

Diluc’s eye began to twitch. He was, before. Before that incident. He pursed his lips, debating on whether to lunge at the man for that alone.

“Or maybe not.” The man chuckled. Diluc only stared. How childish.

“Childe.” And as the man stepped into the ocean, Diluc blinked, and the Harbinger was gone. Childe? His name, likely. Or more of an alias. As they had called the Dark Knight Hero, or as Paimon would prefer it, Captain Pyro.

The 11th Fatui Harbinger. Hydro vision, electro delusion. Somewhere aged 20 or so. Near Diluc’s own age as well. He lived up to his name, Diluc noticed. Very childish, seemingly believing everything was a game.

He hated it.

He hated it a lot.

2

Diluc walked on the icy borders of Dragonspine. The air was thin as he trudged on, and he occasionally hacked at a Scarlet Quartz or lit a fire and stopped to bathe in its heat. He could already hear the chuckling of the Cavalry Captains “What’s wrong? Can’t handle the cold?”.

It made his blood boil nearly enough to warm him more than the fire did.

In fact, it nearly made his blood boil as much as gays did.

(Karma would once again like to ask for you to ignore that last line. Karma swears she’s very normal and sane)

He stood up, dusting snow off his coat and he continued on. Snowfall began, resting on top of his hair, and his face blanked in annoyance. Perhaps today just wasn’t his day.

Albedo had requested for some materials to be brought up to his camp in Dragonspine. But the Acting Grand Master Jean was busy as always. Cavalry Captain Kaeya was out “busy and working” as always. The Librarian of Favonius, Lisa, was sorting out the library or whatnot.

The Outrider, Amber, (who constantly visited him to ask how he was doing nearly every day since he left that knights, but Diluc wasn’t complaining about it) was out clearing hilichurl camps with the rest of the knights.

Noelle, the maid, had offered to go up, but was not allowed to go. Sucrose was already up at the camp with the Alchemist. The traveler was in Liyue for the upcoming Lantern Rite. Jean had suggested asking Diluc, and now he found himself on the chilly lands of Dragonspine.

“Well well well! It’s you again!” A quite familiar voice called out. Diluc stopped.

Him.

Their last meeting was nearly a month prior, and Diluc’s mind could not keep off the fight. Why did he just leave? Was he backing out of the fight? Why were his eyes so deep? Was he back for another fight?

Diluc ignored him, continuing on. He heard a saddened “hmph”, and a thump, followed by footsteps crunching through the snow. As the breathing and footsteps got closer, Diluc clenched his fists.

“I’d advise you to go the other way.”

“Why’s that?”

“Would you rather have another spar like last time?”

“Well, I would like that-”

Diluc left him behind as “Childe” let out a confused noise to look to where Diluc had gone off to. He quickened his pace as he rounded the corner of a rock formation. He no longer heard the sounds of another’s footsteps, and he relaxed ever so slightly.

He continued on, looking for the landmarks that would lead him to the camp.

-

It did not take him long to deliver the materials, and although the alchemist seemed surprised that it was Diluc who had brought what he needed, he still gave thanks and continued on his work as if he wasn’t there.

Diluc left, and walked down the mountain once more in silence again, before he heard footsteps. At first he believed that it was Albedo or Sucrose back to tell him he had forgotten something, before he remembered the man who he saw when coming up.

He nearly let out a groan of annoyance.

“You.”

He doesn’t turn around, but he already knows.

“Me.”

“What do you want.”

It was more of a demand than an actual question.

“I thought I’d come to see a friend of mine that I spotted here.”

“I’d like it if I wasn’t that ‘friend’.”

“Why wouldn’t you be a friend of mine? You sparred with me and won.”

“You surrendered just barely after we had begun.”

“You were still a good fighter. I appreciate those who are.”

“I do not wish to meddle with the Fatui in small talk.”

Diluc quickened his pace, ready to produce his claymore if needed. The man popped up in his vision. He looked him in the eyes, his shineless, dead deep blue eyes. Diluc wondered for a moment why they were so dull.

“Well you can start now.”

“No.”

“Oh?” Childe smiled at him.

“Everyone would start to ship us and that’s gay and those make my blood boil.”

“What a coincidence, gays make my blood boil too!”

Hm.

Maybe even a harbinger could have valid thoughts as well.

(Oopsie doops! Karma let her demons loose again! Better catch them yk!)

Diluc shoved Childe to the side, and continued back down. Childe did not follow him this time. He waited. And waited. And waited. But even as the snow began to end and the yellow-brown grass appeared once more, and as he passed down the domain in front of the Winery, Childe did not follow.

Diluc did not know whether to feel disappointed or relieved.

(I hate them /JOKE)

3

Diluc poured another drink for a customer in the Tavern. There’s drunken laughing and talking and drinks sloshing around. He wipes a glass clean and places it on the shelf. He picks up a bottle and checks the labeling, before pouring it mindlessly and handing it off to the god disguised as a bard.

He serves the sister of the church, Rosaria, and he serves the Cavalry Captain Kaeya, and once more he serves Venti the Bard, and there Nimrod would have another drink while Six fingered Jose plays at the entrance and Jack laughs at a companion. Amber lets out a drunken sob from a table near the back. Diluc knew that she was what one called an “emotional drunk”.

Charles was out with a cold today, and Diluc had to take over his shift. He closes his eyes as he picks up another bottle, and could only wish that Venti would pay for his drinks.

There’s a ringing of coins on a table, the coins making a strange creaking noise as they slide across the table. Turned around, Diluc asks, “What would it be?”

“I’d like a drink of Mondstadt’s signature dandelion wine.”

Diluc stopped. He turned around swiftly, and there he sat, the harbinger, in the tavern, awaiting his order. He picked up the coins and poured a glass with clenched holds as slides the glass across to him.

He is more discreet about his identity now. The torn red scarf is not nearly up to his chin, covering any sign of the mark. He seems calm, relaxed, his eyes half lidded and his gaze not as sharp.

“What a coincidence seeing you here.” He says, and Diluc resists the urge to make a show of rolling his eyes.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you tracked me down.”

“There’s none of that to worry about.”

“Sure.”

Childe buys a few more drinks, attempting small talk with the bartender, who simply ignored him and only kept pouring when he asked. At least he was getting paid for dealing with this.

4

Diluc is out fighting hilichurls as the “Darknight Hero” as the locals call it when he sees his again. As he kills the last hilichurl, he hears a low whistle from above. He turned around, and there, on the roof of one of the buildings, sat the harbinger, one leg curled to his chest, the other dangling off the edge.

“What is it.”

“Can’t I come to see a friend?”

“Do not.”

“Do not what?”

Diluc stared blankly at him, before the man chuckled, and jumped off. He stands beside Diluc, and the only thing he wants to do is leave. He inches away slowly.

“What is it.” He repeats, and the man shrugs.

“I just find you to be intriguing.”

“Then stop.”

The man sighs, before patting Diluc’s back, and it takes everything in him to not wretch.

Diluc moves to leave, spotting the next few hilichurls, twirling his claymore in his hands, then hitting them all in one big swoop. A large metachurl backs the first wave up, and he hears Childe attack it. He frowns, annoyed, as he keeps at the next hilichurl archers.

“I don’t need your help.”

“I don’t mind.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“I don’t feel like leaving.”

The two stared at each other, none of them refusing to blink or break eye contact. Once again, he is met with the sight of those petrifying dead eyes, and he wants to break away, and Diluc doesn’t know why the sight aches him to see it.

“Fine.”
Childe and Diluc ended up working as a pair to clear out the other forces being put against Mondstadt.

5

“All forces to the front! Where are the captains?”

“Down sir! Surrounded!”

“Well don’t just stand there! Help them!”

Commands flew around as the knights struggled against the countless forces of hilichurls, metachurls, abyss mages, and a sprinkle of the eye of storms.

Kaeya gritted his teeth as he froze another Hydro abyss mage. His work involved more information than actual fighting, and though he was skilled, he wouldn’t consider his own skills to be “great”.

He yelled for a knight to take cover as Cryo mage began to drop icicles around the battlefield, and the Hydro one trapping a few in bubbles of water.

He stabbed and slashed and mirrored the Cryo mage’s shield regeneration until it crumbled to nothing but ley line, and repeated.

Stab, slash, freeze, repeat. Slash, freeze, stab, repeat. Freeze, stab, slash, repeat.

Swing, slash, drop, stab, raise, freeze, burn.

Kaeya knew that his brother had come to save them, and he smiled. “Come to join in on the fun?”

“Just fight them.”

And they did fight them, the two completing each other’s attacks. Kaeya stabbed and Diluc defended. Diluc swung and Kaeya backed him up, and as they found it, one by one, the numbers began to deplete. One, by one, by one, by one, by one.

Diluc’s face held no remorse as he attacked the monsters, waiting for no one as he moved from one to another. It did not affect him, and he wanted to kill them and then leave before anyone questioned him about it.

Swing. Pyro. Flame. Bird. Again. Recharge. Defend. Back up. Swing.

Again.
But then he hears a cry of surprise, slight pain, and disbelief.

There are multiple cries.

“The Cavalry Captain!”

Diluc whips around, searching for Kaeya. Where…

Where…

A Pyro abyss mages flame breathing heads had caught him off guard from behind. His back was burned in a few places, but he quickly got up, Diluc seeing the wince as he did. Kaeya let out a yell and lunged for it, and slayed it quickly.

Looking around, Diluc could tell that the Abyss’ numbers had decreased. But so had the knights. Around him lay multiple bodies. The ones he could see were still breathing, but out of the fight. Only a few remain on each side.

Diluc goes at a Metachurl, igniting its shield and watching it quickly degenerate, before swinging at it, nearly knocking it down with one hit. He swung again. The metachurl disappeared, only leaving a horn behind.

He runs at an Eye of Storm, waiting for it to collapse. It sits high in the sky, and there is no way to get it down unless it was shot down.

But speak of the devil, and she will arrive.

Amber plunged down and shot at the monster. Diluc wondered how he hadn’t noticed she was surveying and helping out from above.

“Now’s our chance!”

She throws one of her exploding bunnies, knocking an arrow and shooting the toy, exploding it quickly. The eye left nothing behind.

She unleashes a fall of arrows on a Frostarm Lawachurl, and Diluc has no idea how that got there from Dragonspine at all.

But he doesn’t question it but attacks as less monsters begin to spawn and he keeps hacking at them until the only one that remains is a lawachurl and two Abyss mages, Cryo and Hydro each.

These ones have a different aura to them than the rest. Amber and Kaeya both look at Diluc, then each other, and nod.

Amber runs for the Cryo mage.

Kaeya goes for Hydro.

Diluc is already attacking the shield on the lawachurl.

Amber makes quick with destroying her mages shield, and runs at it from behind, a flurry of flame tipped arrows falling onto it, the mage shrieking.

Kaeya instantly freezes his own opponent, before disappearing for a split second and reappearing behind it, slashing hard.

Diluc is nearly finished with destroying the shield.

It is then when everything goes downhill.

Although freezing a Hydro abyss mage keeps it in that state for at least 4 seconds, these ones were different. Though Kaeya believed his usual method would work, the mage broke free immediately, sending multiple bubbles at him.

He dodges, but one grazes his leg, a fatal mistake.

Now under the effect of Hydro, the Cryo abyss mage Amber had been fighting sends icicles falling onto Kaeya. One lands onto his left arm, and he yells out as he is immobilized.

Amber reacts quickly, abandoning her dizzied opponent and going to defend Kaeya as he tries to break free. The Hydro mage sends bubbles again, and Amber tries her best to pop them before they reach Kaeya, but it is proved pointless.

Amber is engulfed in one and struggles as water begins to fill her lungs and she thrashes around, searching for the borders to push through.

Killing the lawachurl, Diluc runs over just as Amber drops, gasping for air with teary eyes. He turns, just to see that Kaeya, frozen and trapped in a bubble, is no longer struggling. Diluc runs for the mages while Amber rushes to free him, and Diluc’s mind is racing.

He’s going to be fine.

Sure.

It’s not going to happen again.

Sure.

But even as the abyss mage screams as he slaughters them, his mind does not work right. It’s gone now. The mages are gone. Are they all gone?

Amber had freed Kaeya, supporting him as he slumped limp against her. Amber looks panicked, as she points to where the lawachurl once was. A ruin hunter is in the back, and Diluc resists the urge to just run for it.

The other knights had long since evacuated the area, and there was no healer around.

Diluc begins to run at it, swinging at it best he can while it begins to float higher in the air. He knows that whoever catches its attention will be targeted next, and he was not going to let its attention go to Amber, not when she was still holding Kaeya upright. There would be no easy way for her to dodge an attack.

Amber called out to him when the ruin hunter sharpened its arm and dashes at him, barely dodging.

“Quick, over here!”

“Its attention will go to you!”

“Just come here!”

While the hunter was still rising, Diluc rushed over. Amber handed Kaeya over to him, and it was only then when Diluc realized how cold he was.

“It’ll be better if I go at it. Your claymore won’t be able to reach it.” Amber quickly explained, running to get the hunter’s attention onto her instead. Diluc felt almost ‘helpless’ knowing all he could do was watch.

“Get him to Mondstadt!” Amber calls out, shooting the hunter time and time again, dodging as it shoots balls of fire at her.

With one last look, Diluc begins to move.

Another mistake.

The ruin hunter begins to turn towards him, and sharpens its arm. Diluc rolls to the side, and sees the spear-like arm just barely graze his cheek. Amber shoots at it again, but it’s clear now.

There is no way to safely make it out of there.

Amber shoots it in the eye, and it crumbles to the ground, and Amber throws her Baron Bunny and shoots at it, then letting arrows fall onto it from the sky. It begins to get up, angrier, and Amber runs out of the way.

Then, the worst part.

Red circles outlined the places where the missiles would drop. Diluc quickly moved out of the one he was standing in, and Amber could only brace herself as the missiles surrounded her, each circle too close for comfort, and wince as the heat singed her skin.

She continues to shoot at it, but it’s helpless.

Diluc wants to switch places with her now.

The missiles drop again but there is nowhere for Amber to run this time. The circles are overlapping each other around her, and she already sees them falling. If she stays, she’ll get hit. If she runs, there’s no guarantee to make it out.

Amber runs.

That is the third mistake.

Amber lets out a barely audible gasp, and the only thing Diluc can see is explosions and fire and for a split second his heart stops beating as there is only silence, expect for the groaning of the ruin hunter.

He sees Amber lying on the floor. She’s breathing heavily, but she has blood pouring out of her shoulder. A lot of it.

Her arms and legs and part of her face are burned and covered with oil and soot, and Diluc doesn’t know what to do now.

Does he leave Kaeya and drag Amber to safety? Would that attract more attacks to them?

For the first time, Diluc acknowledges that he wants, no, he needs help.

There’s a flash of purple and black, and Diluc shields his eyes. Standing in the middle of the field is a large figure, nearly the size of the ruin hunter. It has large armor and looks like a cyclops, only one eye shining with orange-white hair flowing behind it with its cape.

The hair.

It couldn’t be him now, could it?

There was no reason for it to be him.

It only took a few split seconds for the figure to kill the ruin hunter, three quick lunges of electro, and it was gone.

Ridiculous.

The figure turns to Diluc, and the eye stares at him. Dead.

Diluc collapses, not before making sure Kaeya wasn’t injured further.

-

Diluc awakes to a warm room, the run shining onto his eyes. He is wrapped in bandages, in a white bed, and he rubs his eyes and winces. His arms are bandaged, but a bit of blood seeps through.

The Church deaconess, Barbara, sits in front of him, her hands clasped together and eyes closed. She opens them and gasps.

Before he could even say a word, she disappears through doors, and Jean comes through next.

She doesn’t say anything, but she is obviously worried. Diluc has no words either.

“Where-”

“Rooms next to you. They’re both healing well.”

Diluc relaxes back into the bed.

Jean lowers her head, before picking it up and offering him a smile. Diluc’s face hurts too much to return it. Jean understands. She leaves.

-

By the end of the day, Diluc is left to rest for the night. He does not rest. He gets up when Barbara leaves, wobbling to the door. He opens it quietly, and sees another door across from him. He opens it.

Amber was resting in this one. She lay down, her breathing the only sound in the room. She looks up, and clicks on the lamp on her bedside. She lets out a surprised “Oh!” and motions for Diluc to come over.

He shakily walks over, and takes a seat on the stool.
“Do you remember?”

“Just bits and pieces. I, uh, sort of blanked out after I tried to run.”

Amber lets out a nervous laugh, but she looks down. Diluc tilts his head.

“I just don’t think that was very proper of me, heh. I let you and Kaeya down there, didn’t I?”

“Not at all.”

She blinks.

“No?”

“No.”

Amber opens her mouth to say something else, but she shuts it after. She nods before wincing slightly. Her shoulder is bandaged, and the slight burns on her face were shining, likely ointment and gauze.

“Is it painful?”

“Just a bit.”

Diluc doesn’t say anything, but his gaze remains on the ground.

They stay in silence for a while, and Amber doesn’t press into Diluc. He appreciated that. The door swings open, and the two jump. Breathing heavily, the traveler stands there, hand still on the doorknob.

“I heard what happened and came right away.” She gasped out, and rushed to Amber’s bedside.

“Are you okay? Does it hurt? What do you need?” The girl asks, frantic, and Amber quickly shakes her head. Diluc leaves the two girls in the room.

The next door he opens is the one next to his own. He turns it slowly, entering with much more caution this time.

Kaeya lays on the bed, asleep. Asleep, or worse. Diluc shakes the thought away. Albedo sits at his right side, sketching in a notebook. He looks up as Diluc enters the room.

“Ah. Master Diluc. Shouldn’t you be resting as well?”

“There is no need.”

Albedo doesn’t respond. He looks back to Kaeya’s resting face, and Diluc follows his gaze. He walks closer to him.

Kaeya’s hair is braided around his face. He is covered in blankets and a few injuries were wrapped in now red bandages.

“He’s like this because of water in his lungs. He has yet to cough that up.”

Diluc nods slowly.

“Amber awoke a while after you did. Master Jean figured it would be better to question her about what happened first.”

Diluc nodded again.

They don’t say anything else to each other.

Diluc looks down at Kaeya again. Despite everything, his eyepatch still remains on his head. Even nearly drowning while being frozen wouldn’t do anything about that.

Albedo looks out the window. Diluc whispers to Kaeya.

“I’m sorry.”

“Hm? Did you say something?”

 

“Nothing at all.”

Diluc leaves the room after that, and as he turns back around to shut the door, he sees Albedo lower his head onto Kaeya’s arm.

He passes by Amber’s room, still hearing the traveler fuss over her.

He walks back into his own room, drawing the blankets over himself, and resting his head onto the pillow. He stares up at the ceiling, trying to remember just what happened.

The figure.

Diluc tried not to.

But he already knew.

+1

Diluc closed up the tavern for the night. Morning, really, not that it mattered too much.

The whole incident with the nights had been nearly a month prior. Kaeya had woken up two days afterward, not knowing anything about what happened after he went unconscious, only bits and pieces.

Amber had been the one to explain to him, and all he did was tease the two relentlessly about caring about him. Amber and Diluc shared a simultaneous sigh of annoyance, but Diluc would never admit that he was relieved.

He walked out of Mondstadt, Swan and Lawrence calling out a goodbye behind him. He continued down the bridge, past the broken barrel, and down the stream, making his way into Wolvendom.

He kept going, passing by cliffs and rocks, a few of which he mined for later. He saw Stormterror’s lair and He could see Mondstadt shining in the knight. He continued on, walking and walking.

He killed the occasional hilichurl that passed by, but the night was merciful and peaceful now. There were no poses of threats or danger as he continued on and on.

He sees the lights of Liyue Harbor shining. Lantern Rite passed nearly three months ago, but the warm festive glow still lingered there.

He walked on the wooden bridge, and passed closed up shops and whatnot. He looked down at the map, before looking up, scanning the area. He walks to the red stairs and looks up. He sees a Fatui agent in purple standing in front of one of the doors, a few stories up.

He looks down, and then sighs as he goes to walk up the steps. This was ridiculous. Diluc was not willingly going to find Fatui without any means of violence, was he?

But he was.

He looked back up to make sure he was going up the right path, when he locked eyes with a man staring down at him in wonder. A man with deep blue eyes that looked like they could be shining when they looked at him, but Diluc knew that couldn’t be true.

The man leaped over the edge as the guard gasped, but landed without so much of a scratch.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Sure you have.”

Diluc lets himself relax. Maybe this way, he’ll know why Childe saved them. Saved him. But for now, he would just let himself be lost to Mondstadt, and as the clock struck midnight, the two walked out of the harbor, Childe saying he always knew Diluc would accept him one day.

That’s fine.

Notes:

Well !!

Amber for the win yk