My butterfly, is mine, all mine | Xiao x Aether |

Chapter 5: A Breif Reunion

The thing laughed, Aether could feel his blood trickling down his body and onto the ruin floor.

"Is that all you—"

Aether summoned his geo construct and shot hydro balls at the thing. It groaned and summoned a huge bow; they shot an arrow at him with extreme precision and speed. It grazed Aether's face as he tried to dodge it. Aether ran towards the thing and hit it in the face with a burst of electro, the thing clutched its face with one hand as it used the bow to slash at Aether with the other hand. Paimon tried to move Xiao but he was frozen and trembling. Aether grabbed the bow and summoned a fistful of anemo with the other hand. The thing screeched at the anemo and barely caught itself as it fell back.

The thing cursed and threw Paimon across the room, "Tsk, s-stop right now or I'll gouge out his eyes!" It threatened, placing its hand in front of Xiao's eyes.

Aether paused, he was still bleeding out. Paimon yelled at Xiao to move, to do something, but all he was doing was trembling with wide eyes. Aether gritted his teeth, this was a disaster.

"Xiao!" He tried calling out, Xiao looked at him, terrified. "You have to move, do something!"

"I-I can't—"

"Shut up, [Redacted]" The thing growled, Aether realized why Xiao wasn't doing anything. The thing knew his true name.

"Paimon, go get Zhongli." Aether ordered, "I'll stall for time."

"But Traveller, you're hurt!" Paimon protested.

"Which is why you need to call for help!" Aether hissed.

Paimon didn't respond and flew towards the entrance they entered through, the thing sent arrows at Paimon but Aether blocked its view and deflected them.

Aether sliced the last arrow in half and groaned. If that thing could use Xiao's true name, then why can't he? Aether would hate to ever leverage that against Xiao but in this situation, it was the best thing he could do.

"[Redacted]" Aether shouted, Xiao looked surprised and almost a bit scared at the name uttered out of his mouth. "Get up and help me."

For a moment Xiao started to stand up.

"No! [Redacted], stay down!" The thing ordered, Xiao fell back down.

While the thing was distracted, Aether summoned his geo construction and knocked the thing off it's feet.

Aether screamed while ruing towards the thing, "[Redacted], teleport out and don't come back!" then he stabbed it with his sword.

"[Re—""The thing cried out and grabbed the hilt, using its powers to disappear and reappear with several branch-like entities. They would've been cute if they didn't have monstrous eyes and were trying to kill him.

"No—Aether—you can't—-" Xiao tried to protest, but his body wasn't listening to him and he was teleported out of the ruins against his will.

The branch-like beings swung at him, their hair like never-ending whips that only served to distract him as the thing attacked him with arrows. Aether felt like he was playing a game of dodge ball except if he got hit he would most likely die. Oh, and he didn't have a ball to throw back. Aether slashed at the whips but they only grew back tremendously fast, he could feel himself tiring and the thing winning. Aether wasn't sure he could last any longer, he was still bleeding out after all and his head began feeling lightheaded. Then one of the branches hit him on his side, Aether fell and the thing shot an arrow. It landed in his arm and Aether tried to dodge the branches that were still trying to attack him. He barely registered the pain and tried to get up, but couldn't get up fast enough to avoid getting hit. The floor was now red with something sticky right beneath him and the thing halted all movements from the minions. Aether could hear the slow footsteps towards him, the hand grabbing him by his hair and his body dragging from the floor to the air. Then he fainted.

       《Dihua Marsh》

Xiao teleported out, the sun was unbearably bright for what just happened. He got up, running towards the ruins but couldn't take a single step in no matter how hard he tried. Xiao would never forgive himself if something happened to the traveler. It would be another thing on his list of grievances. Xiao wondered why fate was so cruel to let him live so long. He eventually stopped, teleporting instead to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he needed to find Rex Lapis.

Xiao barged into the Funeral Parlor, a few mortals were startled and everyone was stirring at him. Xiao didn't care if he looked like shit.

"Where's Re—Zhongli?!" He demanded.

"Zhongli Xiangshen left with the director." One of the mortals explained, "It was about thirty minutes a—"

"And?! Where did he go?!?!" Xiao slammed the reception table and the mortal looked terrified.

"I—" The mortal looked at the others and they nodded. As if granting her request to tell him. "The Director didn't mention where exactly but she hurried in in a rush and looked a bit hurt...She did mention something about the Traveler and a marsh."

Xiao sighed, a hand over his hair and left the room. All he could do was wait at the entrance of the ruins. So he did, like a pet bird waiting for their owner to return home.