One flower, One sword

Oh No, Paimon!

It wasn't even an hour since the Traveller had passed out.

Xiao was on the roof thinking and Paimon was floating around the bed on which Aether was placed on. Paimon previously didn't see the wound and it was good that she didn't. Back in Guili Plains she was too focused on the Traveler's face, not chest. If she saw it, what would have been her reaction? Now the scar was tightly bandaged up so Paimon couldn't see it.

The more she thought the dizzier Paimon became. While she was busy being dizzy Xiao came back. "Paimon?" he sensed something wasn't right. And as soon as Xiao asked, Paimon passed out and naturally stopped flying. Before she could fall to the ground Xiao streched his arm to catch Paimon by her leg.

First the Traveller and now Paimon?

Xiao couldn't help but sigh. Such a bother. Why out of everyone did he end up being the one dragged into this mess? Nevermind, the Traveller has done a lot.

Xiao decided to put Paimon next to Aether. Unlike Aether Paimon seemed to be asleep. Maybe she just passed out of shock or something? Well not that it matters too much. As long as she wakes up and shows that shes fine later, it would be fine.

Xiao still had his duties to fulfill so he left for a few hours. On the way he went to Guili Plains to maybe find some clues, but he found nothing. Expecting to find anything, but to actually find nothing were two diffirent things. Suddenly, Xiao remebered the sword Paimon had mentioned, which after searching he couldn't find. Whatever, probabaly wasn't important.

After a few hours Xiao finally returned to Wangshu Inn. What he didn't expect to see is Rex Lapis himself, or well, Zhongli. "Rex-" before Xiao could even speak Zhongli interrupted, "When we're in a more public space, please refer to me as Zhongli"

Xiao pondered for a slight second "Zhongli..". It sounded more like he was testing out the name rather than calling out.

Since both of them were next to the room Xiao occupied, well, more like Aether now, Zhongli and Xiao went in. "I had previously heard what happened to Aether. But seems like Paimon was affected too" Xiao wondered from where Zhongli could've gotten the informarion. He didn't want to think that Verr Goldet leaked it.

Whatever, no matter how you look at it Zhongli was the Lord of Geo, he must have his own ways.

"Previously, Paimon was fine, she just passed out just few hours ago"

"So that's how it is? A strange occurrence indeed."

Zhongli though things over and continued. "I propose we take them to my abode"

Wangshu Inn was the best option Xiao previously had. Now that Zhongli had proposed something, he wasn't one to deny his Lord's words so without a second thought he agreed. Zhongli teleported them all to his over-rocked house - Xiao wasn't one to Judge, but seeing so many rocks he began questioning his Lord's morals.

But after not even a minute of thinking he stoped with an excuse that it wasn't in his place to pry about Zhongli's private life.

While we're talking about Zhongli, after placing Aether and Paimon on a bed Childe used to use back when they we're on good terms, Zhongli took off Aether's bandages and saw the scar. Now the blackness had spread outside of the cut. Instead of blood there was a weird blackness that spread through Aether's flesh like mold. One might have thought it would be better to cut out the black flesh?

But counting how it's near the heart and the blackness most likley has already reached the heart, cutting the outside would be useless. Zhongli also noticed the cursed energy. The abyssal energy didn't go past him either. Now that Zhongli thought about it, this scene seemed a bit too famililar.