Harbinger's Secret

1

y/n's soft footsteps were silenced by the carpet she walked across. The room was dark, only a few lanterns were bright in each corner. She gripped her bag tightly and headed towards the stairs of this certain house. It was actually her sister's home. y/n's sister, Akiko, had been a fatui harbinger, until she was murdered suddenly. By someone. y/n was right next to her when it happened, but she never saw the face of her sister's attacker. She had kept silent, not telling anyone that her sister was now dead until the other higher up harbingers found out. Once they did, y/n had tried to tell them she was attacked, but they said everything had just been an accident. When y/n didn't give up and refused to acknowledge their official answer they suddenly turned on her. Now she was the main suspect. Now she was wanted dead as well. Something here wasn't right, and y/n felt it. She had fled after hearing the news, and had hid herself well in Liyue, where she was sure that no one could find her. But tonight, she was back in the city of Mondstat, and was going to see if her suspicions were correct.

Before y/n could step on the first step, she was suddenly grabbed and harshly pushed against the wall. She felt the coolness of a dagger being pressed against her throat. She clenched her fists tightly as she widened her eyes, paying as much attention as she possibly could at her surroundings. "Who's ther-'' Her voice was cut off as the dagger was pressed deeper. y/n could now feel a small sting, and soon felt the drop of blood that dripped down her neck. She frowned, letting out a soft "tsk." She had to do something, and so she proceeded to propel her foot forward, to fast for the unknown person to process, and give them a knee kick. They staggered back, which gave y/n enough time to shimmy away from him and flick on the lights.

"Childe?"
y/n's voice rang out as she laid her eyes on the male in front of her. He glared back at her.
"That hurt you know,,,"
He muttered, bending over to pick up the dagger, but y/n had spotted it as well and she kicked it away.
"And you trying to slit my throat hurt as well bastard."
She snapped, raising her hand to feel around the fresh cut.
"Why are you here?"
"Real question is why you're here."
Childe replied to her question, placing his hands in his pocket as he took a few steps around her. y/n kept her feet to the ground, gripping the strap of her bag with her left hand as she followed his movements with her eyes.
"Am I not allowed to visit the house that used to be mine? How did you even get in?"
She answered after a short silence.
He grinned at her, at which y/n tilted her head.
"Door was open."
He stated and she went slightly red from embarrassment. Right. She probably should have locked the door after her.
"Still doesn't give you a reason to come in."
She recovered and continued to interrogate him.
"Oh, you and your ever so fiery mouth Apple,"
He chuckled, using the nickname y/n hated.
He suddenly stepped closer and placed his fingers around her chin. She jumped, startled. He pulled her upwards, making her stand on the tips of her shoes. She was only up to about Childe's shoulders. y/n made a small sound as her hands flew up to his arm.
"I wonder if your lips would taste the same, full of fire and wit."
He whispered, leaning close to her face.
Her cheeks became a cherry red,  close enough to match her hair. She now squirmed away from him, refusing to look at his face.
"S-shut up,"
y/n hissed, pushing away from him and stepping back a few steps, her hands covering her mouth. God, he had leaned in so close.
He laughed at her reaction.
"Don't worry, I won't continue today,"
He teased, making her let out a hmph.
"I have a job I came here to do anyway, and that's stopping you from going upstairs,"
He hummed, twirling the dagger that was once again in his hands.
y/n crossed her arms, almost amused. "Oh? And why is that?"
She was close, she could feel it. After all, why would Childe not let her go upstairs? She almost trembled in excitement, but as he stepped towards her she slipped by and ran towards the stairs. y/n's cherry red hair flew behind her shoulders, and Childe took the opportunity to wrap his hand around her hair and pull her back. The girl let out a loud yelp, tears springing from her eyes. "Hey!" She protested, her arms flying upwards to force him to release his grip. He only simply chuckled, looking at her with his rather cold blue eyes.
"You heard me the first time, my job here is not letting you go upstairs."
y/n could have laughed right now. This sounded so ridiculous. Her vision that rested on her thigh glowed slightly as she activated it, and with a small splash of water, she was gone.
Childe, now realizing his mistake, cursed, and sprinted upstairs. y/n could use her vision to teleport, god damn it.
The red headed female had reappeared in her sister's room, her official destination. She spotted her  sister's journal, and quickly grabbed it, stuffing it in her bag, and then running towards the window. She had to make her escape quickly, before Childe would reach the room. Opening her wind glider, she hopped onto the windowsill, and glanced back before leaping. Childe slammed the door open as she jumped.
"y/n! Don't!" He warned, a growl escaping his mouth but she ignored him, gliding off into the night.

After a short while, she fell to the ground and rolled behind a building into a bush. She let out little huffs, out of breath as she closed her eyes tightly. That had been a close call. She now slid the brown journal out of her bag and studied the rather thin pages. y/n missed her older sister greatly, and her hands now trembled. Sighing, she flipped open the book to the last page that her sister had written an entry on. Her green eyes started to read the words written in curvy cursive.

"For my sister, y/n,"
y/n froze as she read the start of a letter that was addressed to her.

"I don't have much time, but I have realized that I have made a grave mistake. I apologize for bringing you down this road, and I blame myself for it. I have been a faithful fatui member for many years but the truth is, they are all bastards. They are out for something more than they will share with you. Their plans are much worse, much more selfish. I have recently discovered that they have plans, great planned out plans for destruction of this world. They want to take over. They want all of the gods gnosises in possession, and then and only then will this plan continue. I have stolen the 3 they have stolen and have hid them well. I trust you will eventually guess where I would hide them, since I'm not sure it would be safe writing in this journal much. They have found out what I have done though, and are currently after me. y/n, leave the fatui and never return. I love you.

The bottom was signed with her signature, the loopy letters she always used. y/ns eyes welled up a little as she closed the book. She wished she could tell her sister she loved her too. Well, now wasn't the time for that. She had to make sure the fatui didn't achieve this plan of theirs. y/n stood, and was immediately pulled backwards, making her hit the hard ground. She hit the back of her head but the pain seemed dulled. Childe's boot had blocked her head's contact with the stones on the path. She now looked up at him and he snatched the journal out of her hands. "Apple, you sure are god damn persistent."
He simply told her as he opened the journal to the same page of Akiko's letter.
"Give it back, it's not yours." She snarled, getting back up.
"Not yours either Girly."  was his simple reply as he read the letter, his eyes narrowing.
"So, she trusts you'll find out where she hid them?" He looked at her, a dangerous glimmer in his eyes.
"I'm not helping you, so leave me alone." y/n snapped back, fixing her hair and grabbing her bag.  Childe let out a little sigh, shaking his head. "Sorry Apple, I don't really think you have a choice. Either you help me or I kill you." He stated, "And I'd rather drag you along instead of slitting that pretty neck of yours." He sent her one of his charming smiles, although y/n didn't fall for it. She ignored him, and started walking off, but he picked her up and threw her up across his shoulders. y/n was light, he knew that, yet it still surprised even him at how easy it was. "Hey! Childe you bastard, put me down!" She curled her hands into fists and pounded on his back, but he didn't seem bothered at all, instead he started humming as he began to walk off. After a few minutes, y/n's squirming came to a halt, although you could hear her mutter words under her breath. She had a fiery temper after all, and she wasn't going to calm down nor forgive Childe anytime soon. Childe on the other hand, was cheerfully whistling to himself, hearing y/n loud and clear but ignoring it. As he reached a teleportation device, he set y/n down and soon they were teleported into Liyue.
"What are we doing here?" y/n now spoke out loud, her arms crossed over her chest as they were suddenly in the middle of the bustling city of contracts. Business seemed to bloom here, and it was definitely crowded, even with the sun setting. Childe had slipped his hand into y/ns gloved one casually, his fingers wrapped around hers. She sent him a look.
"Stop looking at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you'd like to strangle me. Or fuck me. Can't choose?"
He added the last part as an empty tease, he enjoyed watching her face fall into a look of shock along with her cherry red cheeks heating up. "Are you always this sensitive to some teasing Apple?"
"Strangle all the way." Was the only answer she gave, before he began moving among the crowds, y/n forced to follow. After a few moments of silence she realized he had never answered her earlier question. "Childe, I asked where we're going," Her voice tinged with frustration. He now glanced over at her as they approached a building. "Hm? Oh, my place, if we're going to partner up for this, you might as well stay with me." He explained nonchalantly, although the woman standing next to him did not find the idea appealing. "What? No, I didn't agree to that." She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing at him. Childe let out an amused laugh, now opened the door to a larger building. It was a set of large apartments granted by the northland bank, Childe stayed here whenever he had business to settle in Liyue, before heading back to the motherland. y/n reluctantly followed, knowing she didn't have a choice. What had she gotten herself into..?