Oh, Brother Of Mine

Chapter 17

The next several days were spent in the planning room, where he, along with the other members of the organization (Captains, as Aster called them - the higher-ups of the organization that had at least some experience in battle and could offer valuable insight on battle plans) pored over the map of Snezhnaya as Diluc explained which of the locations had Fatui camps stationed near them and why. He'd managed to draw out a general plan of Snezhnaya and its neighbours, along with which Fatui mission was happening where to highlight where their priorities should be. It felt wrong to be so blatantly exposing the Fatui's secrets to the Fatui's enemies, to the very people Diluc had been sent to destroy, but then again, he had been a double agent for the Fatui anyway, so it shouldn't matter too much. Right?

(He tried not to imagine Childe staring at him with disappointment in those blue eyes. That would only make it harder for him, and Diluc refused to make this mission any more painful than it already was. He was already going to have a horrible time dealing with Aster. He didn't want to imagine how Childe would react to this, too.)

The planning room had practically become his second home. Every free second he had was spent there, explaining one route or another to the Captains, until he was certain that they knew the landscape just as well as he did, until every last secret there was to share was out in the open. He earned more than one thankful glance in his direction, along with several polite nods, all of which were far too superficial for him to deem as actual gratitude. These people didn't trust him, at least not fully. Good. That would make his mission a little easier.

It was another week or so before their plan was finalized and they sent out a small team of their soldiers to the nearest Fatui station. It was a team of six people. Four soldier recruits who were still in training, a Captain by the name of Artemida (who absolutely terrified the shit out of Diluc - something about her green eyes and black hair was unsettling, as if she was some predator rather than a human), and, of course, Diluc himself. (Diluc suspected this was his initiation mission, his formal entry into the organization. None of the others said anything about it, but from the way Artemida followed his every move, it was more than evident that Pollux still expected him to turn on them. Smart man.)

They rode out early in the morning on old horses, wearing tattered cloaks. Artemida had returned his delusion and claymore to him just before they left, but only with a sharp glare that made a shiver run down his spine. She didn't speak too much, but of everyone he'd met so far, she was by far the most experienced in such matters.

The journey was a slow one with far too many stops for Diluc's liking, but the horses needed rest, and it wasn't as if Diluc was in charge of this mission anyway. Any and all complaints from Pollux would be directed to Artemida, and frankly, Diluc was more than certain that she'd be able to handle it.

They pitched up a small tent for the night as the sun began to set, one that could barely even fit five people. Diluc offered to take the first watch, only for Artemida to have marched right outside with him, her back rigidly straight and her eyes as cold as ever. The four recruits only exchanged glances between the two of them before shrugging and retreating to the tent, and even then, Artemida didn't move. He spent the night watching for danger, and she spent the night watching him. Neither one of them got any sleep.

By the next afternoon, Diluc spotted a small gathering of tents almost identical to the ones he'd stumbled into when he'd first joined the Fatui. Immediately, he signaled for the others to come to a stop, his eyes immediately scanning the surrounding area for nahy hidden dangers. Artemida jumped off her horse, handing the reins to one of the other soldiers. Diluc did the same.

"You're sure it's them?" Artemida asked, nodding towards the camp. That was the second time she'd spoken to him throughout the entire trip. The previous one had been when she'd ordered them to come to a stop for the night.