Plant Your Feet (Illuga x Lohen's Sister! Reader): Chapter Two
Masterlist
Summary: What happens when both of your parents die at the same time and your brother is on another continent? You do what you do best, pack up and deliver the news in person.
This is a tale of overcoming grief, trusting new people, accepting responsibility and maybe, just maybe, finding love half way across Teyvat.
Notes: Hello! Please leave a comment, reblog, and spread the love! This will create a positive feedback loop and it will increase my motivation. (See, I'm learning stuff in my MBA program, ha.) Thank you for reading! Much love.
Chapter Two: Reunion
The inn attached to the Flagship was comfortable. The price per night was reasonable and the bed not too lumpy. I was able to clean up, and get rid of the scent that came with traveling great distances with nothing more than a water basin. One thing I couldn’t fix was the swelling in my lower body. Thicker than usual ankles, toes bursting from my worn socks…I looked like a sausage. No matter, I had to get up and see if the Knights were waiting for me at the docks. Hopefully they didn’t take the booze and run.
Pulling on a clean outfit, I put on thicker tights this time. I had been warned it would be cold, but I’d never experienced this level of chill before. Dragging myself to the door, I realized the sleep I got the night before was actually semi restful. There were only a few nightmares mixed in with the blackness. Maybe a sign things might imporve.
Packed back up, I found my way through the empty bar. Taking a moment to appreciate the smell of fried meats and coffee, I rested my hand on my plush stomach. There was no urge to eat. So, I kept going, making my way to the outside. Heavy, I wanted to lay back down.
“(Y/n)!” Ekbert, his familiar blonde hair coming into view. He had more creases in his features since the last time I saw him. How much time has passed since they all took off? “There you are. The Ratniki said I’d find you here.” He stopped a few feet in front of me. “What are you doing in Nod Krai?”
“I’m here to see my brother.” I kept it curt, pacing past him towards the port. “Why were you all late? It’s a shame the Lightkeepers had to watch wine all night, when there are more important things to attend too.” I didn’t mean to bite when I spoke, but irritation chewed its way up my neck.
“So much for a happy reunion.” Ekbert crossed his arms. “What’s happened? I’ve never seen you snap at anyone.”
“I need to tell Lohen first.” I held my breath and tongue. In the distance I could see a few other Knights pulling a wagon loaded with the wine. “We’re going back to your base first, right?”
“Yes. We are going back to base to deliver the supplies.” He finally fell in line beside me. “And to answer your question, we were held up yesterday. There was a large outbreak on a neighboring island.”
“The wild hunt?” I asked, barely remembering the name from last night.
“Yes. It was an oversight that we didn't send someone down here for the shipment.” He held the back of his neck. “And you’re right, it’s not the Ratniki’s job to watch our wine. Though, they did it so you could go and rest. So, in reality they did it to help you.”
“Can’t put this on me. I would have waited till morning, but there was a young man…he insisted.” We caught up to the other Knights. I didn’t know their names, or had forgotten them.
“Well, I’m glad. You’ve travelled a long way and need some rest. We had no idea you’d be coming.” He once again hinted at the reason.
“Well, I’m here now.” I adjusted the bag on my back. Heavy, straps carved into my shoulders.
It grew quiet. Well, the Knights chatted to themselves and I settled into keeping my head down. Perhaps I should have been memorizing the path, or looking for monsters, enjoying the sights I’d never seen before, but it took everything in me not to cry.
We crossed a few different bridges connecting islands, I could see the path change from dirt to stone back to dirt. The ocean breeze drifting past on the bridges was the only thing grounding me to the moment. I was close. I’d be with my only remaining family soon.
“It’s just up this hill. Go on ahead, it’s hard to haul this wine up the incline.” Ekbert motioned me to go on. Finally lifting my head, I noticed the path sharply turning up.
“Thank you.” I had no clue if Lohen would be at the top or away on a mission. There were so many possibilities, but I hoped for the best.The sooner I see him, the better I’ll feel.
Reaching the top with labored breath, I flicked my eyes up and looked at the camp. There were tents spread everywhere, sturdy but worn. They had been here for such a long time, the expedition had been gone for several months at this point. Trees lined the outside of the camp and I wondered if they dug out their spot in the landscape.
Stepping towards the group of Knights huddled around a fire pit, the floor flew from under me. I squealed, gripping at the edges of the hole to slow my descent. I hit the bottom hard, and dust clouds tickled my nose. Clearing my throat I peered up, grass raining into my eyes.
“Not who I was expecting.” There was a wicked smile on his lips, hand reaching down for me.
Shaking over took my body, and I grabbed his cold hand. Heaved onto the earth above, I got to my feet and stood before him. “Lohen.” I couldn’t control my muscles, knees growing weak. On the verge of collapse, I reached for his elbow.
Before I registered, Lohen pulled out his blade and sent a warning slash near my midsection. I jutted to the side. So this is how he was going to be? Pulling out my own knife, I caught his’ just before it made contact with my hip. Bouncing back, we clashed blades a few more times before Lohen got bored. He put his own knife away to add spice and focused on dodging my attacks.
“You’ve still got some fight.” Lohen laughed. “I thought you might have lost your touch with me being gone for so long.” He observed my movements. They were not calculated or free flowing, they were choppy and halfhearted. Weak.
“I don’t want to fight.” I finally spoke up, missing the fist aimed at my head.
“What’s wrong sis?” His grin faded, mind spinning with options. His offensive stance changed to a stiff one, knees locked and hands gripped into fists. “Why are you here?” His voice was small, unsure and unlike him.
“Lohen.” I rested my hand over my mouth, trying to come up with a way to tell him. “Mom and Dad… are gone.”
“Gone where?” He shook his head, closing the gap between us and gripping my collar. “Where sis?”
“I wanted to be the one to tell you.” Thick tears flowed from my eyes. “They died. It was raining, and they ran into a Ruin Guard…Dad’s fire just wasn’t enough in the tsunami.” I wrapped my arms around him. He let my dress collar go and pushed me away. Keeping myself up right, my knees were back to buckling.
“You shouldn’t be here.” He shook his head, turning his back on me. “This camp is only for the Knights of Favonius. You are not a Knight.”
“Brother, please. We need each other right now.” A muscle in my chest twisted, as if a knife had been planted there. “Please?”
“We will talk to the Grand Master when he returns tomorrow. You should return to Nasha Town until then.” He began to walk away. Not a glance spared. The walls were up, and I needed to get in.
Reaching out, I grabbed his cape. “I know rules are rules, but I came all this way to be by your side. We’re both hurting, don’t push me away.”
“You’re not even my real sister.” He barely whispered it, eyes straight forward. “A letter would have sufficed.”
“You don’t mean that.” I let him go and dug my fingers into my chest. My buttons struggled to stay in place, the skin under the fabric rubbing and burning.
“Go.” Lohen flicked his wrist towards the way I had come from.
“Please?”
“Now.”
“Fine.” I avoided the trap that I initially fell for, walking back down the hill. Going down was much faster, everything blurring around the edges.
“(Y/n), where are you going? Why are you crying?” Ekbert’s brows knitted together as I passed.
“Back to Nasha Town.” My lips quivered, holding back a strangled cry.
“You won’t make it back before dark.” Ekbert caught my elbow. “It’s too dangerous out there at night.”
“I’ll be fine.” I assured him.
“This isn’t Mondstadt.” He warned me, fingers tightening on me.
“I have to go.” Breaking free, I took off down the unknown path.
OOOOO
It had been hours circling the paths around the island. My body had long since given up, but I kept walking. Black circles clouded my vision, my head felt trapped in a fish bowl. At some point, I picked up a walking stick and was leaning heavily on it for support. Blurs, all of it.
Lohen was hurting. I had to be reasonable. They were his real parents; I should be more considerate. He was right, I shouldn’t have such a strong reaction. Still, tears wouldn’t stop cascading down my face. Be realistic. Be strong.
Tumbling to the ground, my stick snapped in half and I landed face first into the dirt. The moon was high in the sky, giving out just enough light so I could see my hands in front of my face. Maybe I would die too? Far from home they wouldn’t send my body back to Mondstadt, I’d be buried here. I’d never return to the city of Freedom.
For a split second, that thought felt like justice. There was no freedom for someone like me. No home.
“Miss, what happened?” A voice, high, strong and almost familiar. Was it the man from last night? Wiping mud from my eyes, I saw his shorter form hustling to me. His lantern thumped against his hip, the light dancing against the trees. “Are you hurt?” He got to his knees, and examined me while keeping his hands to his side.
“Not physically. Just worn out.” I rubbed my nose, my words not quite matching up to the predicament. My voice was hoarse, throat dry and zapped.
“Can I touch you?” He caught me off guard, hands still firm at his side. He was considerate at least.
“Yes.” He got me in a seated position against a tree, running his hands over my face, pushing at a sensitive spot. I had no reaction.
Being this close, I could see the scars that littered his neck. The way they clawed up his throat and were visible as his coat slipped off his shoulder. He had been through something cold and harsh…and he still found a way to get moving.
“You’ve got a cut on your cheek. It’s pretty deep, were you attacked?” He slid a backpack off his shoulders, pulling out a medical kit.
“I had a spar session with my brother. He’s a Vice Captain with the Knights of Favonius.” I don’t know why I was telling him that. Maybe it was just the right time and a random person.
“This could become infected, how long ago was the fight?” He poured a solution on a rag, pausing before pressing it to my wound. “It’s going to sting, is this, okay?”
“I don’t know how long ago it was, maybe noon? And I’m used to a good sting. So go ahead.” The black spots were back, if he hadn’t propped me up, I would still be face down.
“That’s not ideal.” He pressed the rag to my cheek and I seethed. “I’m sorry, just hang in there.” His eyes were boring into mine, jaw set and brows scrunched. I shut my own eyes and my stomach growled. “When did you eat and drink last?”
“I don’t remember. There was the fruit you had last night.” I admitted, feeling him switch from the rag to a salve.
“We need to fix that after we get you patched up.” His voice was so sure. His ministrations on my face were feather light but through. Something about him was warm. It was enough to pull me to the present.
“If I don’t pass out first.” I lulled my head to the side after he applied the bandage.
“Keep your eyes open.” He instructed and I forced them back open. He was rummaging in his bag and pulled out another fruit. “Here, have this for now. It should be easy on your stomach.” He kept digging through his bag, handing me a canteen next. “And drink up, I can always get us more.”
“Why?” I took a chaste bite of the foreign fruit. “You’re doing so much for me. I know it’s part of your job to look after people, but I’m not in danger. I’m just stupid.” Venom dripped from my tongue with my last statement. I had made an irrational choice in coming here. Of course no one would want my comfort, lest of all Lohen.
“I want to protect people. While the wild hunt hasn’t reared its head yet, it could. And I would be amiss if I left you alone in this condition.” He affirmed, pulling out a pot and some food from a preservation bag. “And you’re not stupid. I don’t know you very well, but it’s not hard to tell that something terrible has happened.”
“A couple bad things actually.” I took a long swig from the canteen, and sat it beside me. “But none of that matters now, it will be a few weeks before there’s another shipment of wine. I won’t be able to go home until then.”
“Aren’t you staying with the Knights?” He had a fire started quicker than someone with a pyro vision. Nimble hands added twigs to the fire, slowly building it up until it could support the pot.
“It’s undecided. The Grand Master gets the final say, so in caution, my brother sent me away for the night. I was trying to find my way back to Nasha town, but I didn’t have a map.” The fire warmed the biting air, chasing away the stiffness in my bones.
“They didn’t escort you?” His jaw tensed, voice betraying his slight irritation.
“Don’t be mad at them. I kind of stormed off.” The juice of the fruit was bringing me back to life. “Still believe I’m not stupid?”
“What I’m piecing together, I stand by what I said.” He added spices into the pot and tossed in some potatoes and a hunk of meat. “I never caught your name?”
“It’s not important.” I said it without thinking. That new feeling in my chest, a pang of a muscle I didn’t know existed, spasamed in me. Tears streaked down my face.
“I disagree.” He stood, crossing the few feet between me and the fire. He crouched down, his calloused thumb swiping under my eyes. “I’m Illuga. Who do I have the pleasure of getting to know?”
“(Y/n).” I sucked in my bottom lip, my tears drying up.
“What a beautiful and important name.” His hand lingered against my jaw a second too long. His eyes landed on the bandage he placed on my cheek.
“Thank you. But the food may burn without your watchful eye.” I pointed at the pot, and he hurried back to check on the meal.
“Right.” He hummed. “It’s still safe for now.”
Minutes ticked by. The food didn’t take much longer to cook. He left it to cool off, busying himself with re-organizing the medical kid. Once that was done, he pulled out a cup and dipped himself out a small portion. He then passed me the pot with a clean fork. He warned me to be careful of how hot it was, and watched me take my first bite with bated breath.
“It’s good. Really good.” I was still exhausted, but no longer on the verge of passing out. Instead of black dots dancing around my eyes, sleep was pulling at me instead.
“Food is one of the ways I express my care for others.” He smiled, tipping a chunk of meat into his mouth.
“Caring for others? I think showing up is how I do that.” I sucked the fork clean as I picked up a potato. “If I can be there in person, I feel like I can make a difference.”
Kaeya and Diluc…when they had their big fight, I wasn’t able to go to both of them. I had chosen Kaeya. Diluc was too angry and Kaeya was just heart broken. Kaeya also was the first one I found after the incident. Shaking and wounded, shrouded in a layer of frost from his new vision. I tended to him, covering him in blankets and grounding him to Teyvat. He often said it was my care that got him through the incident.
In my worst moments, my friends had been there for me. I kept pushing them away, but I always did give into their support in the end. Now, I was too far away for them to reach me. I thought my brother would be there, but I guess we both pushed people away.
“You look like you realized something?” Illuga stoked the fire, eyes flicking over his shoulder to me.
“I’m just a lot more like my brother than I’d like to admit.” I touched the bandage on my cheek. “He’s upset, rightfully so.”
“Only share what you’re comfortable sharing.” He encouraged me, setting his cup aside. “I’ll listen.”
“Our parents. Well, I was adopted at a young age, so they aren’t really mine…but they raised me. The only family I ever knew. They were killed recently, so I decided to travel here, to tell my brother in person. It didn’t go so well.” I pushed my potatoes around in the pot.They were evenly cut, cooked tender and salted well. “I can’t stop crying. I’m sorry you’ve had to put up with my disaster.”
“Don’t say that.” His eyes reflected the flames. “First, they are your parents just as much as they are his. Second, I don’t ‘put up with you’. I’m here because I want to be, it’s not a burden.”
“I’ll try to believe you.” I took a sip of water and passed him the canteen. “Do you have a spare map? Thanks to your support, I might be able to make it back to Nasha Town before sunrise.” Just change the subject, find a way out of his hair.
“Nasha Town would be too far away in your condition. There’s a Lightkeeper base close to here. I’m a member of the Investigation Squad, and we’re posted there for now. You can stay with us tonight.”
“I can’t possibly stay with the Lightkeepers, that would put you all out.” Different possibilities tore through my mind: would it be safe, who would I be bunked with, what if it’s some sort of trap? “I have a tarp in my bag, I’ll just camp out.”
“If that’s what you want to do, I’ll stay with you.” He didn’t push it about the base, but he wasn’t going to easily agree to leave me be.
“Don’t you have to report back?” I prodded, adjusting against the tree I was leaning on. The grooves of the bark were imprinting into my flesh.
“I can report in the morning.” He assured me. “I’ll keep wat-”
“(Y/n)!” My name was echoing between the trees, booming over the landscape. We were still close to the path, so I could see a familiar figure in the distance. As he got close enough to be sure of who it was, the tension in his shoulder relaxed. The man veered towards our campfire, and sighed in relief. “There you are. And Illuga, I’m so glad you’ve been looking after her.”
“Grand Master, what are you doing here?” I tried to stand but tumbled back against the trees, my legs not quite recovered. How I thought I could make it to Nasha Town was hinged on a miracle.
“Careful.” Illuga positioned himself between me and the fire. Arms spread to make a barricade.
“Ekbert told me what happened, we’ve been looking for you since I got back.” Varka surveyed the situation. “But you were in good hands, that’s a relief. Being out alone and untrained this late at night, is not for the faint of heart.”
“Lohen told me you had to make the decision on if I could stay.” I didn’t want to explain the fight. “Did, did he tell you about Mom and Dad?”
“Lohen took the rest of the day off.” Varka frowned, looking at the sky. “Why don’t you tell me about it while we go back to base? We’ll get you cleaned up and tucked in bed before the sun comes up.”
“I don’t want to put anyone out, or break any rules.” I shook my head, gripping my backpack beside me.
“Miss (Y/n), the Grand Master wouldn’t offer if it wasn’t allowed.” Illuga pulled at his collar, seeming like he had something else to say.
“While it’s true the grounds are only for Knights, I have the final say. If you really feel like you don’t belong, I know how to fix it.” Varka grabbed my backpack and clipped it to his hip, the bag looking much smaller on his tall frame.
“What do you mean?” I lost my breath as Varka hauled me from the ground and tossed me over his shoulder. Stiffening before relaxing, I balanced against him.
“I’ll make you a Knight.” Varka said it, like it was so simple.
“But there’s tests and it takes time…I’ve failed the test multiple times in my youth; I’m not fit to join.” It hurt to breathe with my soft stomach cut in half with his shoulder.
“We won’t worry about that. You’ve been working in the library with Lisa long enough.” I could barely hear him, my face planted in his back. “I’ll put you with the logistics team and it will be fine.”
Illuga circled Varka to face me. I craned my neck up to look at him. “I’m sure our paths will cross again. Don’t be a stranger.” He offered me a smile.
“Thank you for all you did for me.” I groaned as Varka pivoted back to the path.
“Yes, thank you Illuga. We’ll be in touch.” Varka took long strides the way he had come.
The steady thumps as Varka’s feet hit the earth settled into a familiar rhythm. The moon was high in the sky, and it had been dark for a long time. I knew what was about to happen, and I dreaded it. Varka had been friends with my father for a long time, since before I was adopted. In fact, my father was quite old, once being a part of a third company, he aged out of the frontlines and settled into the day-to-day operations in the first company.
“I can sense the dread seeping out of you. Do you want to tell me what happened?” Varka didn’t slow his pace, taking long strides. “You wouldn’t be here on your own if your father was aware.”
“He’s dead. Mom is too.” I closed my eyes. Thinking back, I should have let Jean write a few letters, being the informant was like ripping off a bandage.
Varka stopped walking, his grip on my back tightening. “I’m sorry (Y/n).” He paused. “What happened?”
“It was a ruin guard.” I told him the parts of the story that I was willing to share. I left out the most important part, one I hadn’t uttered to anyone else. One I would likely take to my grave.