A lost friend's journey

Chapter 15

Their plan to save the Anemo Archon would soon start. They had strategically worked through every little detail with the God of Time.

All that was left for them to do was to execute the plan, and hope it would work in their favor.

Istaroth had made it clear: they didn't want to overthrow Celestia. Not now, at least. Their priority was to get Venti out of there and help him get rid of the corruption.

It was easier said than done.

As Morax sat alone, staring at the horizon, he contemplated their plan, wondering if it would work out.

The God of Time was the Sands of Eon, the Fourth Shade, the one they had never heard about, the one that disagreed with Celestia's wish to abandon the people of Enkanomiya who were simply caught in the crossfire of something that happened before any Archon was born.

It picked Morax' interest. He had asked about it, but all he received in response was a glare and a cold 'don't step over your boundaries.'

They had explained to her what had happened from the time they arrived in Mondstadt, to meeting the strange bard - bard that turned out to be Barbatos in disguise, everything that led to their arrival in Enkanomiya.

She had been livid when they got to Celestia's part. What worried Morax was that even she didn't seem to have a clear answer as to why they would target Barbatos.

It had sat at the back of Morax' head ever since the Anemo Archon got caught. Why would Celestia be so interested in a wind spirit? Why would they feel the need to observe Barbatos?

Asmoday did say he had been on their radar for a while, already.

Morax wondered if Barbatos was more than they thought, if he was so important to Celestia that they couldn't let him wander freely.

Later that night, he tried to talk to the others about it. They all looked at him with worry in their eyes, all of them pondering the same questions. 

It was infuriating how little they actually knew.

While waiting for the day they would set their plan in action, they kept holding little meetings during which Morax couldn't help but feel the animosity Istaroth held towards them, the glances she would often send at the Tsaritsa.

Morax always wondered what it was about.

It brought him back to what she had said the first time they saw her. Something about one of them who shouldn't be here, whatever she meant by it. Morax hated enigmas. He never liked those.

And Istaroth was just another one to add to the big puzzle that was Barbatos, that was Mondstadt all together.

Morax had trouble sleeping, but when he did, he was a light sleeper. So it was only natural he would wake up at any movement, any sound.

Two nights before their mission started, he woke up in the middle of the night to someone humming a tone. A sweet, loving tone. Turning his head to the side, he found Tsaritsa awake and staring up at the high ceiling, eyes wet.

"It woke you up?" he asked her.

She turned her eyes in his direction, staring at him for a few seconds, not saying anything. They stayed silent, no one speaking a word, listening to the very gentle and yet sorrowful humming outside. Morax easily identified it as Istaroth's voice, she was after all the only one here besides them.

He couldn't help but feel like the melody held a meaning to it. The deity sang it from the bottom of her heart, it almost brought tears to Morax' own eyes.