Chapter Text
3 months later...
"Captain Illuga, the Starshyna requests your presence at Piramida as soon as you can."
Illuga glanced up from his clipboard like a fish emerging from dark murky waters.
"What is it?"
His gaze settled briefly on the Lightkeeper, then shifted to the merchant still waiting for him to continue the conversation.
“Ah--yes,” he said after a moment that didn’t quite belong in the conversation. “I’ll be there shortly. Is it urgent?”
The Lightkeeper stood at attention with a trained patience as he opened his mouth to reply.
"Not that I know of, sir. The Starshyna only asked that you make haste."
Illuga nodded once, as though filing the information somewhere in his waterlogged mind for later.
“All right. Tell him I’m finishing here.”
A pause followed as he sorted through his thoughts. “You’re dismissed.”
The Lightkeeper left soundlessly.
Only then did Illuga realize the merchant had been watching him the entire time, patient in the way people were when they expected to be taken seriously eventually.
“Sir,” she said, tipping her head. “wouldn't you still have time to inspect the wares?”
Illuga’s eyes followed the direction the Lightkeeper had gone until the space he occupied became indistinguishable from the rest of the bustling street.
“I suppose I do,” he said quietly. “Let’s proceed.”
The docks smelled of salt and cut timber, sharp enough to be noticed but not enough to be unpleasant.
She spoke while they walked, and Illuga listened halfheartedly as he tried to keep track of everything he must do by the end of the day.
Numbers. Materials. Capacity. Risks.
When she finally placed a business card into his hand, it came off as a surprise.
"This is the contact information regarding transportation. Should you encounter any issues, please don't hesitate to seek me out."
"Thank you." Illuga nodded. "I'll let you know if I run into any problems. Do you know the way back?"
The woman laughed. "Don't worry, Captain! You must be forgetting that Nod-Krai is my second home, considering how often I visit."
She turned to go, then paused as if remembering something that amused her.
"Oh--I noticed you have to see the Starshyna." She raised a hand in an exaggerated imitation of a Lightkeeper salute. "Duty calls, then. I shouldn't keep you any longer."
"You're right, I should leave," Illuga replied absent-mindedly, glancing towards the docks.
By the time Illuga turned to bid the woman farewell, she had already disappeared.
Squinting into the distance, he managed to spot her halfway down the road, weaving through the bustling streets of Nasha Town.
The walk back passed more quickly than Illuga expected.
Spring had settled comfortably over Nod-Krai. Laughter drifted through the streets upon the breeze, carrying with it the cheerful cries of merchants and the distant ringing of steel until, almost without noticing, Illuga found the familiar weight resting upon his shoulders had grown just a little lighter.
Shaking the thought from his mind, he turned toward the marketplace, where merchants stood beneath weathered awnings arranged in a loose semicircle around the square.
It was no less crowded there. Nod-Krai had never lacked visitors, and the steady stream of traders, explorers, and curious travellers passing through its settlements had long since become one of the region's greatest blessings.
To Illuga, however, it simply meant there were more people depending upon him to keep them safe.
The square overflowed with life. Great fish roasted over open fires while vendors proudly displayed fresh Lakkaberry pies upon polished wooden stalls, necklaces fashioned from Pine Amber threaded with silver and brass glimmered beneath the afternoon sun, and the rhythmic ringing of blacksmiths' hammers echoed across the marketplace as naturally as the lively voices of buyers haggling over prices. Rich aromas of grilled meat, sweet berries, and warm bread lingered in the spring air, pleasant enough that, under different circumstances, Illuga might have found himself stopping to admire the stalls instead of passing them by.
Instead, he continued on his way.
The crowds ebbed around him like the tide as he lifted his gaze beyond the rooftops, where the sky stretched endlessly overhead in an uninterrupted wash of brilliant blue. It struck him then, with a quiet sort of surprise, that he could no longer remember the last time he had paused long enough to appreciate a day quite this beautiful.
"Slacking off, now are we?"
The smooth voice sounded so close beside his ear that Illuga started violently, his lantern slipping in his grasp before he caught it at the last possible moment.
Spinning around, he hurriedly adjusted his stance to face the amused Lightkeeper behind him. He immediately bowed his head--partly in greeting, partly to hide the embarrassment creeping up his face.
"Flins! I didn't expect to see you here..."
"Do not fret, Young Master. Your father expressed reasonable concern regarding your ability to arrive home on time and kindly requested that I escort you."
The tall, blue-haired man smiled faintly at Illuga's increasingly indignant expression.
"Pops did what?!"
Illuga stormed toward the docks, angrily waving his ticket at the attendant while Flins followed at a leisurely pace.
"He does know I don't need help boarding a boat, right?"
Flins merely chuckled. "One can never be entirely certain."
Producing a ticket of his own, he handed it over with practiced grace before taking a seat beside Illuga.
"Either way, you don't mind, do you? I would be deeply chagrined to learn that the Young Master prefers his own company."
"No, no, it's fine!" Illuga huffed. "I'm just frustrated that I still need to prove I'm responsible."
"Frankly, Young Master, I caught you browsing today's market."
Illuga felt his face go red. "I was just standing there!" He looked to the side. "I didn't get distracted."
"Of course. There's no need for you to justify your actions to me, Young Master--I know your intentions."
Illuga folded his arms as he stared out at the horizon. "Sure. Whatever you say."
The boat rocked gently beneath them as it cut through the water toward Piramida. Around them, merchants chatted about their investments, fishermen hauled squirming nets across the deck, and gulls circled lazily overhead.
Flins rested his chin on one hand. "Your father received visitors this morning."
Illuga groaned and buried his face into his hands. "Oh, boy."
"Hmm?"
"That's never good news."
Flins smiled faintly. "The news is rather noteworthy."
Illuga raised his head and looked at Flins. "What?"
"The Knights of Favonius arrived today."
Illuga's stomach dropped.
"No. They're back?" He asked cautiously.
"Unfortunately for you, Young Master, they seem to have returned. I noticed that Vice Captain Lohen is among them," said Flins. He tilts his head. "Would you like me to make any... particular arrangements regarding your situation with him?"
Illuga glared at him. Was he hiding a smirk? "That makes it sound like I'm pregnant. I'll be fine."
Illuga hoped he'd be fine.
Exhaling as he closed his eyes, Illuga angled his face up while he soaked up what may be his last few rays of happiness for a while.
Three months had passed since the Knights departed Nod-Krai. Three wonderfully peaceful months, untouched by poisoned cider, stolen paperwork, rooftop ambushes, or whatever fresh catastrophe Lohen happened to invent on a given day. Life had settled into something almost ordinary again.
"Apparently, they've been assigned to assist us with Wild Hunt clean-up efforts. Acceptance rates are at an all-time low, and we've been severely understaffed," continued Flins, glancing at Illuga.
"That's a strange face you're making, Young Master."
Illuga's expression scrunched up. "I'm not making a face."
"You most certainly are."
Illuga briefly considered punching him.
---
Nikita was waiting when they arrived.
Flins' eyes glinted with amusement as he noticed the vicariously grinning figure next to the weary Starshyna.
"Birdie!"
Illuga's skin prickled as he slowly turned towards the noise.
Lohen waved enthusiastically from beside Nikita.
Three months had done little to change him.
The man he remembered was the devil himself, and the devil himself he was.
Lohen still carried enough weapons to outfit a small patrol, still twirled the dagger in his hand whenever he wasn't using it, and still smiled with the effortless confidence of someone who had never once considered that another person might dislike him.
He was smiling before anyone had even spoken to him.
"Birdie!" Lohen called again, grinning insufferably.
Illuga pinched his nose and sighed. He felt like dying already.
He glared at Lohen and opened his mouth to reply. "I just got off the boat. Could I speak to my father before addressing you?"
Without waiting for an answer, he turned his head towards Nikita. Looking at odds with the smiling Knight next to him, Illuga's father looked more exhausted and washed-out than normal as dark circles ringed his eyes and unkempt stubble lined his chin.
Flins looked as if he was about to fall over laughing at any moment.
"Captain Illuga."
Illuga immediately straightened. "Starshyna."
Nikita gestured towards the assembled Knights.
The group was the Knights' expeditionary force of researchers, scouts, and combat specialists all with extraordinary field talents and faces so nervous they looked in danger of running away at any moment. According to Nikita, they were trained cartographers, alchemists, and explorers, excluding the most obnoxious person Illuga had ever met.
He venomously stared at Lohen as the latter winked back without fail.
"The Knights have requested assistance while conducting field research beyond the settlements," Nikita was saying. "The Wild Hunt remains active in those regions."
Illuga's brain spun. He rubbed his eyes while nodding, trying desperately to think through all the possibilities. There had to be a catch. He knew better than to underestimate the Knights in their ability to wreak havoc. He'd learned his lesson from Lohen--never trust someone who appeared charming at first glance.
This was too easy of a task.
He had to test the waters. "What do I have to do?"
"You and Flins will serve as guides." Nikita said. His smile tightened. "This is a band of researchers with little to no combat experience. As such, it is expected of you to protect them at all costs."
Illuga winces. He didn't consider that.
"How long?" he asked.
"Approximately three weeks," he said. "Please don't get into any fights."
---
Lohen was having a wonderful day.
Although upright, Illuga looked like he'd fall over from exhaustion even when glaring daggers at Lohen. He had gone three whole months without suffering Lohen's personality, yet he looked like doing paperwork uninterrupted had done no favours for his predicament.
Lohen sighed wistfully as he dashed all his hopes for a proper reconciliation against a wall.
The Knights of Favonius gave Knights a chance to take 3 weeks off from regular duties to study Wild Hunt phenomena and behaviour. The next opportunity to venture to Nod-Krai could be as long as years.
Most Knights didn't take this chance to return to Favonius Keep. "Nod-Krai was too stressful," they said. "I'd rather stay in Mondstadt."
For Lohen who was wasting away in Mondstadt, delivering letters--this was a golden opportunity. He eagerly jumped at the chance.
Resignment was written across Illuga's features as he accepted his fate with a pained smile.
Lohen only beamed in return.
Unfortunately for Lohen, Varka had given him very specific--and very annoying--instructions to follow during this journey.
The Grandmaster's final words before departure from Mondstadt echoed in his head.
"Try being normal, will ya? Especially towards that Illuga fellow I've seen you around." Varka laughed. "Nikita and I have a good relationship--I don't need to hear in three weeks' time that you've stressed the boy out, understand?"
For someone of Lohen's nature, the order was nearly impossible to follow.
To him, messing around with Illuga was too much fun to pass up in normal circumstances. His reactions, or lack of them thereof, were fascinating to witness.
Lohen found Illuga indifferent to his antics--which only led Lohen to obsess over what could get to him. So far, paperwork theft was the only viable way.
Apparently the time for mischief was over.
Lohen may disrespect Varka on a daily basis, but he wasn't stupid enough to defy orders. He promised Varka that he'd do his best--whatever that may be.
Lohen himself didn't know what his best behaviour looked like. He smiled ruefully.
Birdie was staring at him dubiously as if he was carrying a loaded crossbow.
It was both funny and ironic that he was.