Childe elected to ignore your groan of pain when he yanked you to your feet. "No hard feelings, comrade.“
"I-I’m gonna kill you,” you breathed. "I’ll kill you and that damned witch if it’s the last thing I do.“ A cold hand pressed to your side while the harbinger threw your other arm over his shoulder to escort you inside.
"I suppose I’ll have to train you then if that’s your goal.”
He wasn’t joking; the two of you would remain at a stalemate until your strength grew. He taught you–what you assumed was–almost everything he knew, though for you to reap the full benefits of his knowledge would take years of training. Despite this he pushed you over and over again, every day, after the wound he gave you closed. He didn’t give you the courtesy of healing completely before initiating fights with you. He didn’t go easy on you either–but it’s not like you would’ve wanted him to in the first place. At least your sparring sessions gave you an outlet to take out your frustrations on.
You didn’t count the days that passed. You didn’t call for Xiao. You didn’t rely on him to save you when all is said and done. It was time to rescue yourself; if you overran the palace on your own, then other nations wouldn’t need to get involved on your behalf. If the palace fell, no one except you would be held responsible. You were okay with that. If it meant Xiao, Aether and Zhongli would be excluded from the wrath of the cryo archon, then your struggles were more than worth it.
Yet with every passing day, more and more Fatui agents were injected with the serums that contained your blood–and survived. The only thing that made their successful adaptation possible was the sealing of your and Xiao’s bond. With that thought in mind, you were growing increasingly impatient. You were the one that insisted upon training for most of the day, not Childe. You were the one looking for a fight.
“Why’re you doing this?” You asked one day while your hand absently trailed down to the fresh scar on your side where he had impaled you.
“Doing what?”
“Training me. Isn’t it a stupid move to train someone how to fight when they’re intent on killing you? If I was you, I would’ve just let me bleed out in the snow back then.”
“If I didn’t train you, I would be missing out on one of the best fights of my life.”
“Is that supposed to flatter me?”
“It’s the truth. Where else am I supposed to find a worthy opponent? At my current power level, I’d have more luck with creating one.” Childe conjured his bow and twirled it in his hand, seemingly debating something that was on his mind. "With your improved skills, I think we’d be able to take the other harbingers.“
You froze. "What? Why would you say that? Whatever happened to your undying loyalty?”
“My loyalty for the Tsaritsa and my respect for my coworkers are two entirely different matters. What I really care about is fighting. It’s been so long since I’ve had an exhilarating battle, even after Aether showed up. I would give anything to feel that thrilled again. And that, dear ojou-chan, is where you come in.”
“I’m not fighting you for the thrills. I will kill you, I’ll make sure of it.” It’s insulting that he’d even look at your anger as a type of entertainment! The nerve of this guy–
“Well until then I think we could stir up quite the trouble, you and I, don’t you think?” His eyes finally left his weapon and locked onto you.
“…What exactly are you implying, Tartaglia?” Narrowed suspicious pupils returned his mischievous ones.
He didn’t answer, instead leaving you with an ominous smirk and returning to the palace walls. Why should you trust a word that fell from his mouth after the Lantern Rite stunt he pulled? Maybe a small part of you wanted to believe he had some inkling of good in him, but you forced that wishful thinking down into the depths of your soul. Childe betrayed you so many times; it was in his nature to do so. He would never be done deceiving you either. You were sure of it despite the doubts that weighed on your mind.
…………………….
“Bow before Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa.” La Signora crossed her arms over her chest when you just glared at the dark throne that sat beneath the shadows.
“I think not.”
The clicking of the harbinger’s heels echoed in the silent room as everyone held their breaths. No one dared stand up to the cryo archon; it was unthinkable, even considered treason to question her actions. This would be the first meeting with the god since you formed a contract with her. And yet despite your quivering knees, you didn’t remove your disrespectful glare from the throne.
“I wasn’t asking.” Fingers gripped your chin and forced you to look Signora in the face at an uncomfortably close distance. "You know the drill. Bow.“
A beat of silence hung heavily in the air and then an awkward cough came from one of the Fatui advisors to your far right. You didn’t blink. "Did I stutter?”
Signora’s lips curled into a half-amused smirk before her fingers let go of your chin and were replaced by a palm slapping you instead. Her nails broke skin, but your expression never changed even when the stinging pain rang through your ear. "Have you forgotten who you serve?“
"She’s not my god.”
“Maybe not the one you worship, but I am the one you serve,” the Tsaritsa leaned forward from her place on the throne and gestured for the Fair Lady to return to her side. "Tell me, why did you request to see me?“
A quick glance was sent Childe’s away as if to check yourself. You had decided it best to at least try the peaceful way out before throwing yourself into a suicide mission. If worse came to worse, at least you’d be able to put your new knowledge to the test. "I’m no longer working for you.” The archon’s silence urged you to continue. "You don’t need me here anymore. You got what you wanted. I’m going to return to Liyue.“
"Is that so?”
“I will leave regardless of your answer.”
“And you think I’d just let you walk out of here after all I’ve done for you?” The temperature dropped, but it displayed an emotion that you couldn’t put your finger on. "I gifted you your vision, spared your life and that of your friends, and you insult me in return?“
What is this feeling of dread in my stomach? Your fists tightened and you took a deep breath to steady your nerves. "The trials are over now that Dottore’s injections work. That was our deal, was it not? You want to break our contract? I thought you were more credible than that,” you tested.
“I know what you’ve been thinking,” the archon’s thin lips formed a sinister grin. "I know you’re plotting to cause an uproar, and I am telling you now that you will fail. Heed my words, Mezzetin, you are and always will be under my control.“
"Wh-What did you just say…?” Your heartbeat drummed loudly in your ears and you knees felt like they would give out beneath you. This…This happened before. When did she say that? Where did I hear these words from? Cold, desolate eyes watched you carefully as the room spun beneath your feet. "Stay…away…“
"You work for me, not the other way around. If you leave now, I’ll give the order to kill those friends of yours. You’re not done until I say you’re done.”
“You wouldn’t–!” Bile burned the back of your throat, and a shaky hand covered your mouth in case you suddenly couldn’t hold it in. "You…you…“ An unsettling realization came to light.
"Do you understand the position you’re in, Mezzetin?”
“It was…You gave me those nightmares! Those were all you?”
“You don’t think I’m oblivious to your desires, do you? You will always be under my control.”
“If you dare touch him I’ll–!” Hundreds of shards manifested behind you and simultaneously shot at the throne. The more that shattered against the seat and back wall, the more that manifested and replaced them.
The ones that barreled nearest to the Tsaritsa diverted their path and shattered against the back wall like they had a mind of their own. Signora used her catalyst to redirect the remaining shards to you. Luckily none of them landed a strike on your skin, but a charged arrow of Childe’s landed before your feet and you slipped on the forming ice. His hydro blade was immediately at your throat, along with Signora hovering over you with an annoyed look on her face. The three of you were surrounded by Fatui officers in an instant; despite their capabilities, they were slower than the harbingers.
“If she makes a move, kill her,” the archon calmly ordered, completely unbothered by the commotion.
Signora had her men drag you away to the all-too familiar exit that led to the cells beneath the palace. They forced your head forward so you didn’t see the Tsaritsa recline back in her seat and into the shadows.
The archon swiped her finger across her pale cheekbone and warily inspected the fresh blood that had run down the side of her face. I missed one? One of your shards did manage to hit her. Such a measly attack shouldn’t have injured me, she thought as she stared at her fingers in awe and concern. While your power had grown to a certain extent thanks to Childe’s training, it was by no means anywhere near equivalent to his–much less equivalent to a god’s. Your strikes, while powerful, shouldn’t have been able to hurt the cryo archon. Yet here she was, staring at the blood you drew from her.
She recalled the wild look in your eyes when you decided to attack her. Such a beautiful, pitiful sight that held an immeasurable lack of sanity and rational thought. Your rage was feral, but just like a wild animal, so was your fear of being caged. She could see it in your stance; you were all bark and little bite. The soft interior within her hardened heart actually admired your bravery…only a little, though. If she were to achieve her goals, that flame of admiration would quickly be extinguished since it had no place in such a cruel world.
Her thumb smoothed over her bloodied fingers while she thought quietly to herself. It shouldn’t have been possible to harm her. Not on your own, not even with your vision. It was then that it dawned on her the true meaning of your bond with Morax’s sole-surviving warrior adeptus.
So this is the power of the Vigilant Yaksha.