|Goodbye Again| kazuscara

二

Adamant

🍁☂️

Even as summer had reached its end in Teyvat, the mornings had begun to grow chilly with pure dew. The sun reached over the east, peaking over Dragonspine and peering straight into the tent Wanderer slept in.

Wanderer felt the warm sun on his face and the brightness behind his closed lids. He woke, looking around with confusion before remembering, he really escaped.

Kazuha was up bright and early when Wanderer left the tent and joined him by the fire. The smell of cooking fish and delicacy mixed with the morning air created a refreshing good morning. The sun wasn't far beyond the horizon, but Kazuha seemed to have slept very well.

"Morning, Kazuha," Wanderer yawns and sits down across from Kazuha, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "How do you not look tired? It's kind of a shocker?" he tilted his head.

Kazuha motioned with his spare hand and smiled, "Good morning. I'm cooking some fish I caught, if you'd like some." He chuckled at the comment and sprinkled some salt onto the fish along with some herbs he carried along, "I take naps often so that may be it."

Wanderer looked at the food, then at Kazuha giving him a smile. "I see. Thank you for cooking. I don't really know how to cook so," he admitted, fidgeting with his fingers.

Kazuha could only smile at the idea of Wanderer cooking. "It's alright. I don't know many dishes myself so there is nothing to worry about." He set the now braised fish into a large leaf and carefully set it onto the log.

The prince turned his head to fix his bangs before turning back to Kazuha, "The fish smells really good."

"I thank you for the compliment, but it isn't much," he said as he picked up the coin again to put away with a small nod. He then retrieved his haori from inside the tent.

"Did you sleep well?" he said as he sat back down near Wanderer with his haori back over his shoulders, ready to eat the freshly cooked fish.

Wanderer handed Kazuha a small smile, nodding to the question, "Yeah, I did! What about you? Were your naps nice?" He picked up his share of the food, carefully biting into the still-steaming fish.

"I've had better naps before, but there's isn't much to expect in the sand," Kazuha replied with a sleepy smile as he set aside his sword onto the sand. The sand was still cool from the night, but it would get hot soon.

"Where are you heading next? I'll journey along the way with you. I've no better place to be, and a set goal of adventure sounds nice for a change," he began to eat the food, joining in with Wanderer by listening to the waves.

"I don't really think it's a good idea, the journey to my destination is quite dangerous. Besides where I'm headed isn't very welcoming," Ku!_÷zu&*/ warned Kazuha.

Kazuha paid special attention to what Wanderer said, attempting to piece together where it may be he intended to go. A dangerous place...

"There's no need to worry about me. I'll do just fine with my blade at my side," when he spoke of his sword, he seemed a bit nostalgic. Perhaps the blade had a memory attached to it.

"And if there comes a time where it grows too dangerous for me, I'll begin to worry for you too." He referred to the absence of a weapon by Wanderer's side, but he expected such from someone who was running away.

"I insist, I'll be perfectly fine on my own. I can defend myself."

"I've been to many places before. I'm sure wherever you venture to, it might be dangerous for you too." Kazuha could tell that Wanderer was suggesting he didn't follow him, but he sensed something from the other, a small sadness.

It seemed there was no convincing Kazuha to leave him be, so Wanderer drew in a deep sigh and accepted it. "Alrighty, I suppose I could use your help. It would be a pity if I couldn't snatch an enemy's weapon. Although I must tell you some rules to survive the path of the so-called 'dangerous place'."

It didn't seem to take much negotiation to convince Wanderer, much to Kazuha's liking, but the proposal of rules made him weary. He turned to Wanderer and drew in a short breath. "And what are these rules for survival?"

The fact the runaway from Inazuma seemed to both be aware of his destination and was of Inazuman nobility, Kazuha could deduce that this was something that could potentially alter the kingdom of Inazuma. The fact that the other had so many secrets to keep including his identity proved his theory. Even though he wasn't much to support the Shogun, he found a small resemblance for some reason between the two.

Kuni hesitated to respond with the rules, intimidated by the fact Kazuha can possibly piece up the puzzle of where he was headed. Mentally picking himself up, he began to align the rules,

 "Well, number one: You must stay on the path. 

Number two: Never interact with people who seem the slightest suspicious. 

Number three: Don't stand out. 

Number four: Fight only if the enemy attacks first. 

And the last, number five: Never, and I say never. walk into a camp that has a logo."

He prayed that whatever possibilities Kazuha began to come up with, it would be anything but the fact he was the prince. Hopefully, word of his recent disappearance in Inazuma would take a while to cross the borders.

Kazuha listened carefully to the list of rules. The majority of them seemed self-explanatory since they would be treading dangerous grounds, but the emphasis on the last spiked another question: Would this mean they would be travelling through a nation of high Fatui camps? He was close to asking the question aloud but decided to accept the rules before he pressed for more information.

"Those seem easy enough," he said as he turned away for a brief moment to fiddle with the pummel of his sword. The idea of entering territory where there was strict regulation was against Kazuha's beliefs as a whole, but he was too curious about this journey with Wanderer to back out now.

"Let's start heading out now then, shall we? I trust you'll guide us well, Wanderer," he said as he picked up another bamboo hat he had collected from the camp nearby to place on his head.

The prince nods his head, standing up, and putting out the fire, "I thank your praise, Kazuha. Let's set off then." He was glad they were finally leaving the damned beach. The sand was beginning to get on his nerves. But one thing wanders through the runway's mind. I need to get him off my back. There's a chance he'll figure me out and rat me out...

There didn't seem to be much to worry about now that Kazuha believed Wanderer was capable of much more than running away from Inazuma, but it also sparked another question of what he was running from.

Kazuha smiled and followed after the other. The wind blew with comfort and the scent of the sea. Far beyond the distant sea was the silhouette of Inazuma, and black clouds with streaks of lightning.

"A storm is coming," he muttered to the open air.