The Winds Bring with them Change (Volume 1)

15: Third Time's the Charm

Xiao watched everyone wake up, Yelan first, then Aether, who smiled up at Xiao tiredly. He wasn't entirely sure the girl from Inazuma had fallen asleep in the first place, and she was trying to move Paimon off her lap without waking the pixie. She woke up anyways, and grumbled as she made her way over to where they still lay.

Aether was warm, and though his warmth made Xiao's injuries ache more, in his sleepy haze, he cuddled closer and Xiao wouldn't push him away. Not if this was the last time he'd ever see him. Even if Xiao made it out of this whole big mess alive, it still felt good to have Aether holding him like this, to have him pressed up against him like this, warm and steady and real. So if Xiao moved a little closer, leaned his head the extra centimeter down to rest on the blonde's, nobody besides Aether noticed, and he didn't do anything besides closing his eyes again.

It seemed as if it had only been a few seconds but was more likely hours when Yelan announced that she was going to be exploring the Chasm a bit more while everyone gathered their strength. Aether got up then, groaning when he was on his feet again, and joined the others in discussing how exactly they were going to explore. A traveler once, a traveler forever apparently. Xiao decided then that he was rested enough and stood quietly beside Aether as they spoke.

They were to prepare to leave as soon as the Oni woke up, but until then, they would explore the area to their hearts content. If he was being honest with himself, Xiao would have simply stayed put. His pain had only grown during his rest, the ache in his arm and chest nearly overwhelming at this point. But he also needed to see Bosacius, to ensure that he was put to rest as the rest of the Yaksha had been. He deserved that much.

So when the others, including Aether, left to figure out what was going on in this damned hole in the ground, Xiao went with them. It couldn't hurt to know what was going on, and though he was the most physically injured, he didn't like the thought of leaving them to their own devices. Though he was still struggling with knowing the places certain people held in his head, he knew that he cared about them, and that was enough. They couldn't be allowed to be hurt. Not in a way he could prevent.

Unfortunately, he ended up being the one to get hurt. They figured out what exactly Yanfei was even down here for, a compass of sorts that ran the entire hellscape they were trapped in. Bosacius was trapped long ago, and he'd gone mad, regained his sanity, then died and become a shadow in this realm. It was horrible. Though, Xiao supposed he died happier than any of the others had, mind as free as it could be whilst trapped in a neverending time loop. For but a brief moment, he allowed himself to imagine dying with a whole mind, a fate he had not considered since the other Yaksha's deaths.

But he could not yet die, he was free, he had a future he had yet to figure out, and then he had to live. He let his mind dwell on such things as he made his way with the group back to the main passage area. In all the years he'd lived, freedom was something he'd barely considered, only ever allowing his thoughts to wander when he heard the Anemo Archon's tales. The only bit of freedom he had ever felt. And yet the man himself was not free either, he had horrific memories holding him down, holding him back.

He felt as Aether pulled his arm over his taller form, feeling his eyes begin to drift shut while his thoughts continued in the direction of the Archon. He hoped he was feeling freer in Mondstadt than he had been as he shook in Xiao's arms what felt like an eternity ago. As he finally fell, one last selfish thought filled his mind. He was glad Aether was here. He made the pain feel less than he knew it was.

So Xiao set his head down gently on Aether's shoulder, allowing the man to bear his weight, feeling safer than he had in forever.

*****

He awoke with a start, the howling that was ever present since he'd been in this place eased a bit. It was probably because of his close proximity to the blonde traveler, leaning on the wall behind him as he discussed something or another in low tones with Yelan. If he were to focus on the stale wind sweeping lazily through the chamber, he could probably make out their words, but he could barely move, and though the screaming had eased, it was still there. He closed his eyes again, and let himself rest until he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Yanfei, a concerned look on her face and a hand held out to help him stand.

He ignored it, standing on his own, ignoring the protests from his limbs. The others were standing there, holding the compass gently, and Aether was suggesting something. He seemed excited, if how fast his fingers moved through the words were any indication. Xiao could make out the last bit of his sentence, about him and Yelan working together to make the contraption work to get them out of there. Xiao stood firm for but a moment before relenting, lending a bit of his Adeptal power to the device and watching as Yelan did the same.

To his surprise, the thing whirred to life, but began draining their power quite quickly. Aether put forward his own hand, as did the others, reducing the strain to a bearable amount, at least for as long as it would take them to escape this dreadful place. They began to rise, Aether and Paimon looking around in wonder as the platform took to the air. Xiao supposed it was a bit fantastical, rising on a platform that wasn't there formerly, like a children's game, powered by 'friendship.' He shared a quick smile with Aether, hope blossoming in his chest when they neared the top of the hole.

But good luck had never been his thing. And hope was for the mortals who had no reason to believe differently. These things began swooping down, attacking them. The others swung at the creatures, leaving Xiao to hold up the entire platform himself. The weight hit him like a boulder, nearly making his legs buckle. He braced himself harder, but still started slipping, his boots losing traction on the smooth surface. His earlier thoughts came back to him now. They had to survive, and he was running on fumes at this point. It was the only way out he could think of, and their ascent was starting to slow.

He had to move quickly if he didn't want them all falling to their deaths. His mask pulled up over his face, and he pulled all the adeptal power he could muster out, supporting his arm with his other. Aether had turned around now, and with his mouth open in a shout, Xiao pushed them all to the surface. His knees buckled, and for a moment the platform held.

Then he was free falling, his head swimming from the amount of power he just used in one go. His vision got darker, and he felt even a bit at peace with this outcome. The others were safe. He could just drift away. And then he was on solid ground, and Aether was beside him, holding his shoulders gently as he got to his feet. He felt the remains of Adeptal power, and knew immediately who it was. It could only be Morax. It was the same feeling as when he'd been saved the first time around.

Perhaps a third chance at life would prove useful.