Xiao & Aether

After Fight with Raiden Shogun

"He's not getting better!" Paimon's shrill voice echoed in the room. She hovered frantically, flitting back and forth as she gazed at Aether in fear. The fight with Raiden had taken a toll and it was the first time ever that Aether had been defeated in combat.

In their rush to rescue Thoma from the Shogun taking his vision, Aether had leapt to action without a second thought. Now he lay on a mat in the Tea House that Thoma and Ayaka use as a hideout. Seated at the small table, Kamisato Ayaka worked feverently, mixing together all kinds of herbs. Two concoctions she'd already tried and both had failed to ease Aether's wounds.

Next to him, Thoma knelt with a bowl of water and towels. The cloth had once been white, but now most of them were stained red. Paimon jumped from left to right, groaning in worry as she watched Thoma clean Aether's wounds as best he could. Ayaka got up and hurried over with her third attempt at a healing salve.

She joined Thoma who scooted to the side to give her room to kneel down too. Without a word, the two of them worked to put the herb solution on Aether's wounds. Occasional flashes of purple lightening flickered and zapped across the cuts he'd sustained from Raiden's powerful strike: Musou no Hitotachi.

"He's lucky to be alive," Ayaka muttered as she worked to dress the wounds as quickly as possible.

"If we don't figure something out, his luck will run out," Thoma said.

"No, no no!" Paimon's voice shook as she stuttered in the air, hands pressed against her face.

"What... what if we..." Thoma's voice trailed off as he left his thoughts unfinished. Paimon squealed and dropped down next to him. She shook his shoulder frantically.

"What if what? Don't just stop talking!"

Thoma looked between her and Aether. The Traveler's face was full of pain and despite his unconscious state, it was clear he was hurting. "What if we took him to one of the Archon statues? He has a connection, maybe it'll help?"

"I doubt our Archon will be merciful to him now," Ayaka said.

"Then we take him to Liyue," Thoma's voice was firm. The decision seemed set in stone with how he said it.

"How are you going to get him out of Inazuma? You're both wanted by the Tenryou Commission! You'll never make it to Ritou."

Paimon inhaled sharply, her voice skyrocketing in pitch. "Maybe we don't have to go to Ritou! There's a waypoint here in the city. All we have to do is get him to touch it. I can manage the rest."

Thoma smiled, "I guess you're not just emergency food after all."

"Hey! I'll remember that!"

"Come on, let's finish getting these bandages on. We'll have to move quickly," Ayaka urged. "The sooner we get him to the waypoint, the sooner he'll be out of danger."

"And hopefully the Geo archon over there likes him," Thoma muttered as he helped wrap the bandages over Aether.