Enigma | g.i.

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SPOILERS: Implicit mentions of Dainsleif and the ending of the Chapter 1: Act 4 Archon Quest.

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UNEDITED.

"Well?"

"He's not with them anymore."

You leaned back on your chair with a scoff and faced the chandelier hanging next to you, admiring the dim glow its candles emitted. You could hear clients clinking their mugs and exchanging laughs below.

"Blonde hair, stars for a cape.." you murmured, tapping your glass slowly. Your gaze traveled back to the man sitting across from you. "And you're sure they're not related?"

Your informer nodded. "Doesn't seem like it. It also looked like they were looking for something, or maybe someone. The Traveler walked out of the domain with that flying thing next to them, but there was no sign of the Bough Keeper."

The tapping against your cup stopped. No sign of him? A frown slowly emerged on your lips, and a tense silence fell over you two. The gears in your head began churning. Surely he's still out there, right? How did your people lose sight of him?

"Search for him," you ordered, breaking the silence. You leaned forward, your informant doing the same. Quietly, you added, "There's more to him than meets the eye. He may have more information about the Abyss that could benefit us."

The informer leaned back and dipped his head towards you, taking your command as his cue to leave. He scraped back his chair against the mahogany floor and rose from his seat. Drink in hand, you watched him make his way to the spiral staircase behind him. Your gaze lingered on the wall behind the staircase, staring off into space.

With a forlorn sigh, you raised the glass to your lips and tilted your head back, indulging in the refreshing flavors of mint and berries bursting in your mouth. You gently placed the glass - now empty, save for a few ice cubes - back on the table. The ice cubes clinked at the motion.

You tuned out the busy sounds of the tavern with your own thoughts, mulling over the little intel you received. The Traveler had a good reason to explore every corner in Teyvat, but the Bough Keeper? What's his motive behind a search? And why did he leave them to continue their search alone? What if he saw something in the domain that the Traveler missed? What sort of selfish agenda was he hiding from them?

You glanced down at the ice cubes in your cup, taking note of the way they glistened in the candlelight.

Who is this Bough Keeper, and what is he after?

"A mora for your thoughts?" A voice inquired, reeling you back to reality.

You looked over your shoulder, ready to snap at the person for disrupting your train of thought, only to close your mouth when you caught sight of them. You could recognize that eyepatch and sly smirk anywhere.

"Cavalry Captain," you greeted with a forced closed-lip smile. The Knight flipped a coin with his thumb while approaching your table at a leisurely pace. Was he watching your exchange with your informant?

"No need to be formal with me." He tittered, sharp eye trained on you. He motioned towards the seat across from you with his head and you nodded briskly, silently inviting him to take a seat. After settling into the chair, he slid his coin across the table. The mora bumped into your glass with a satisfying clink. "Kaeya is just fine. Now, I couldn't help but notice you and your buddy conversing earlier. You two aren't conspiring anything evil now, are you?'

"With all due respect, Kaeya," you countered, "Our conversation is none of your business. It doesn't involve you and therefore should not concern you."