Magician School for the Elementally Inclined

25

"In order to open the portal to Celestia, we must discover the two Archons I arrived with." 

"You don't remember who they are?" Childe asked. 

"It's not that I don't remember, but we have suppressed those memories to ensure Dainsleif would not discover all three of us should one be found. I remembered quite a bit of my Archon self when entering the academy but I cannot guarantee that the others were the same." 

"Should we wait, then? Until the other two are announced?" 

"Perhaps, but time is a luxury we may not have," Zhongli stared up at the sky. "Dainsleif, no doubt, is aware of your failure as a sacrifice. With enough rest, perhaps I could open the portal myself..." 

"That would be greatly appreciated," Dainsleif appeared out of a portal. "Do so, before I kill you while you're weak." 

"I said with rest-" 

"I have no cares for what you said," Dainsleif hovered in the air as constellations swirled around him, forming what looked like swords. "If you do not open that portal I shall kill you here." 

"Headmaster..." Childe bowed, "please give us some time." 

"Time?" Dainsleif scoffed. "No, he has had time. He has had endless amounts of time he-" 

"Headmaster!" Childe insisted. "If you care for us students at all, please give us time to study before this Celestia Portal Exam!" 

"What foolishness," Dainsleif motioned with his hand and the swords fluttering behind him disappeared. "Fine, I shall give you time to rest but if you do not open that portal I will continue to search for the others hidden and kill them on the spot." 

Zhongli, tired of having Dainsleif throw threats around, moved his fingers to his lips and whistled. Rex Lapis appeared behind him, exiting a golden portal, and circled the area. He hovered in the air, staring down at Dainsleif. 

"What is the meaning of this?" his voice boomed as he glanced down at the fatigued students. "Headmaster Dainsleif, explain yourself. How could you let such dangers befall these students?" 

"Rex Lapis," Zhongli spoke, holding out his hand. Rex Lapis shifted his head slightly, looking at him. The longer he stared the more he recognized. The scent felt quite familiar. 

"Morax-" 

"Indeed," Zhongli nodded. "I require your assistance..." 

"What would you have me do?" 

"I need to open a portal to Celestia," Zhongli coughed, hunching over, Childe supported him. 

"Celestia?" Rex Lapis stared. "Morax, I fear for your condition." 

"Mm," Zhongli coughed, covering his mouth with his hand. "There is no more time." Zhongli staggered and leaned into Childe. 

"What have you done to him?" Rex Lapis turned his attention to Dainsleif. 

"I have done nothing to him more than he deserves." 

"You mean to kill the Archons?" Rex Lapis snarled. 

"The Archons killed my siblings, I have no sympathy for them," Dainsleif snarled back. 

"Old friend," Zhongli muttered and Rex Lapis lowered himself from the sky slightly so Zhongli could place his hand on his scales. Zhongli coughed, vomiting blood, as he tried to deplete energy to open the portal. A gust of wind blew through the area depleting trees of all their leaves in some cases. Childe clung to Zhongli, who remained standing firm as if the wind had never been there. Bennett clung to Razor who clung to Kazuha who clung to Scaramouche who was being held by Signora. It was a sight to behold as the chain of people was whipped around by the wind. 

Within the sky, there was an orb of pure anemo. It swirled with vengeance screeching wildly. "I don't think I can hold on-" Bennett yelled over the wind. 

"I hold you!" Razor dug his nails into Bennett's arm, trying to keep ahold of his grip. 

"What's going on?" Childe asked Zhongli, expecting him to know exactly what that thing in the sky was. And, as usual, of course he did. 

"An Eye of the Storm-" Zhongli replied.

"Venti!" Diluc yelled. He'd been chasing after the anemo orb and had finally managed to catch up to it. Diluc slammed his claymore into the earth to hold onto it so he wouldn't get pushed back by the air. "Venti!" he shouted once again. 

"Hm," Zhongli gritted his teeth, trying not to cough. He lifted his foot to move but Rex Lapis flew into the air instead, grabbing the orb in his claw. It retaliated and Rex Lapis was pushed away. 

"You've overstepped your bounds," the orb's voice was ominously quiet. "Dainsleif." 

"Is the Anemo Archon throwing a tantrum as well?" Dainsleif crossed his arms, unaffected by the anemo orb's raging wind. 

"It is not a tantrum if you are weaker." The orb's anemo dispersed and Venti hovered in the air with six wings of anemo energy. He pointed to Dainsleif and the weight of the wind hovering over his head slammed him into the ground. Dainsleif held his arms above his head to defend against it but even this could not be completely deflected. 

"Venti?" Diluc wasn't being as impacted by the wind like before. This gave him some hope that Venti might've remembered him. 

"What happened?" Zhongli asked Diluc. 

"I'm not sure. He was fine one moment and then snapped." 

"Hm," Zhongli sighed. "His memories must've returned accidentally." 

"What do you mean accidentally?" Childe asked. 

"Because they did not return naturally, he might've forgotten his time at the academy altogether." 

"What do you mean?" Diluc's voice wavered. 

"It is possible that he does not remember you," Zhongli coughed again, covering his mouth.

"W-what?" Diluc fell to his knees, hugging the claymore.