|Goodbye Again| kazuscara

Prologue

Once upon a time, there was a prince. One which faced an unfortunate series of betrayals, but there was no happy ending to follow.

The prince belonged to the Shogunate family of Inazuma, the almighty land in the South of Teyvat, home of eternity and storm.

But one day, the prince suddenly disappeared. Servants searched high and low with anxiety throughout the whole of Tenshukaku as if he were a shimmering diamond lost in the darkness of a cave, but he could not be found.

All wondered if he had run away or been killed, but it was never certain. Where is our prince? What will the Shogun do? What will happen to our nation without a successor?

There were few within the Tri-Commission who had known of the prince's past runaways, but it was only leading up to the crowning of the new king that news of it spread like wildfire.

Even if none knew of the prince's current whereabouts, it led back to this moment, as the prince ran until he couldn't.

"Bleh!" said the ???, running through the streets of Ritou as the wind blew against his face. It felt nice to be free.

"After him!" The Kujou Clan did their best to surround him, but they soon found he disappeared into the night by nothing.

They called out after each other for more guards to survey the grounds, but there was no trace of the prince.

"Get reinforcements. He couldn't have gone far!" the Kujou general screamed out to the knights in desperation. Not only would the fate of the Kujou Clan fall into the hands of the general, but it was left up to her to report personally to the Shogun herself if he were to slip away. It was only the Tri-Commission that knew well what the prince was planning, and it was not good.

The lanterns and wooden footsteps of the knights ran past the thin alleyway before he slipped away to the crowded docks where busy fishermen and tired sailors hauled goods onto ships.

Even on the cold night, the sailors of the Crux were too busy gathering and counting goods to notice the prince slip on board.

From high above, in the crow's nest, a wanderer peered out, "The sails are opened, and the wind whispers at dawn. Let this journey have no end."

The new journey begins as the ship departs from Ritou's ports. He looked out to the silent murk of sea knowing if you stay somewhere too long, you're bound to be found sooner or later.

As the ship floats and rocked farther and farther until the islands were but mere specks upon the sea, he stared off, not missing it one bit.

There was a mix of bittersweet feelings lingering in his mind, but he left it behind just as he did with Inazuma. Now, in the land of contracts, he would begin his trek towards a new life. He was certain the long nights spent thinking on this plan would guarantee him victory, but there was a knicking doubt settling.

It didn't seem long before the Crux docked at Liyue Harbour. The sight of mountains beyond was bright and orange in the season. People bustled in the harbour. Children chased after one another with laughter, fishermen handled deals, the Millelith checked goods, the elderly sat by and enjoyed their tea, and the adepti that lingered somewhere in that wilderness were all welcoming.

The prince began to slowly walk off the dock, careful so as to not be noticed. As he got off he realized he did it, he was finally away from all of hell. He can finally do whatever he wants, so he wanders off into the golden streets of Liyue to enjoy what the new land had to offer.

Following off into the port, a wanderer tipped his head up to the blue sky and sighed with a content smile, "What wonderful weather to begin another journey." The air had a cool smell of the ocean and street vendors. Compared to the hushed grey skies of Inazuma, Liyue was quite the opposite.

In the broad daylight, the wanderer could see a contrasting figure dressed in nice silk and purple entering past the bustle of the port. There hadn't been any other Inazumans that he had noticed go on board. Had this person perhaps arrived on a different ship? But the was a strict regulation of who left and entered Inazuma, and the Crux was the only one to leave that morning...Or maybe the fellow was always there.

Even though the wanderer wanted to avoid growing suspicion of the Inazuman he caught a glimpse of, he wanted to know for certain. There were rumours of Inazuman businessmen arriving in Liyue and instigating with the neighbouring nation. Even if the majority of those businessmen were in their late thirties, the contrasting attire of the Inazuman brought his attention to a peak.

-🍁☂️-

Following the mysterious Inazuman proved to come with no results to prove the wanderer's suspicions. He had followed at a distance after the veiled man through shops, street vendors, tea houses, and finally now standing at the bridge, watching the sea turn colours of the sunset.

It didn't seem like the veiled figure had any place in mind he wanted to head to, and perhaps they were also a wanderer such as he. So, the wanderer decided to approach the Inazuman, his wooden sandals plucking against the wooden bridge until he stood beside the figure.

The purple veil of the figure almost made him appear like a phantom, the orange sunlight making him glow. The person turned towards the other, but only the lower half of his face could be seen, "Can I help you?" The voice of the person was almost as quiet as the approaching night, yet with a hint of suspicion. He spoke in fluent Japanese, a sort of urgency in his voice.

"Nothing at all. My name is Kaedehara Kazuha, a wanderer that roams the land. I noticed that you're also from Inazuma, so I wanted to join you in watching the sunset. Do you mind?" the wanderer introduced himself, the crimson accents in his clothes making him appear just as welcoming as the sunset before them.

There wasn't a trace of care left as the man replied, turning his attention back to the horizon, "Do as you wish." There was a distinct mannerism in the stranger's actions. From the very way he spoke to the tilt of his head as he stared at the sun; there was something different about the fellow.

The two stood, leaning against the railing of a bridge as they watched the sun disappear into the blue waters until the stars appeared in the ashen sky. There was nowhere to be. No destiny or home to go to, just the remaining glimmers in the sky and the falling silence of the night.

Then, when there was nothing to see but the dark sea that stretched into nothingness, the veiled man began to leave.

"Wait," Kazuha followed after him. Their connection couldn't end as simply just strangers that watched the sunset together. He wouldn't allow it.

The stranger turned, his veil making him appear like a grim reaper, "What?" He didn't seem to have time now as if there was somewhere left to go to.

Kazuha faltered for a moment, wondering what to say next, "Well..." A smile formed underway as he sighed out his reply, "I don't mean to offend, but it seems like you don't have anywhere to stay for the night. I don't either, but..." He looked away for a moment, wondering why the other was even in Liyue if he weren't there to enjoy the luxury of the harbour.

"Would you like to journey with me? I know a nice place along the shoreline where we can set up camp." It had been a while since Inazuma closed off its tight connections with other nations, meaning that Kazuha hadn't been able to journey as his heart had desired, especially with a companion.

It was silent for a moment as they both stared at each other, or at least Kazuha believed the man was staring back at him behind his veil.

Just as the cheer of Liyuens inside restaurants and passing by in groups made the awkwardness hit a peak, the Inazuman replied, "So be it." He pulled a pale hand from beneath his sleeves and motioned towards the path ahead, "Show me the way."