For Cloud Retainer, the act of tracking a single mortal across the vastness of Teyvat should have been a trivial exercise in data collection and spatial reasoning. Yet, Alexander proved to be a frustratingly faint variable in the world's equation.
Her journey began in Sumeru, a land of overwhelming dendro energy and tangled stories. She drifted through the rainforest villages and skirted the sprawling deserts in her crane form, a wisp of Liyue cloud against the vibrant green and gold.
The rumors she plucked from taverns, caravan masters, other travelers and even scholars were vague. Sometimes she felt he was the person they talked about, but mostly it was bogus.
A heavily armored Mondstat knight seen near a bandit camp one week; a lone hunter bringing rare meat to a village the next; a foreign traveler trading expertly crafted arrowheads for supplies.
She would follow the rumours most fitting his descriptions, particularly the plated armour he adored, any mentions of knights and she would search immediately.
This… inefficiency was vexing. But finally, after months of fruitless searching in the humid, chattering chaos of Sumeru, a new data point emerged with a consistent frequency: Mondstadt.
The young man had already left weeks ago, to the City of Freedom, a place he had spoken of with a curious, fond familiarity. So the probability of him still being there was high.
It didn't take Xianyun long to leave behind the sands and the vibrant green of the large nation of Sumeru and lay her eyes upon Mondstadt's rolling green hills and temperate forests.
It felt soothing, she had begun to like the idea of travelling and seeing new things, even sometimes forgetting to tinker, something she would always do to pass the time and not to lose skill.
The air in Mondstadt tasted of dandelions and unbridled freedom. To Cloud Retainer, who had descended from the ordered peaks of Jueyun Karst, it felt… unstructured. The wind carried not just scents, but snippets of song, boisterous laughter, and the chaotic hum of a city that had never known a contract.
She had actually met Barbatos ages ago, due to the Archon's free nature and because he liked to stick his nose into many things. So she was not surprised his own nation was influenced by that personality.
It was also, undoubtedly, the kind of environment that would call to Alexander. After the structured intensity of their year of seclusion, the song of this untamed place would have been irresistible.
She had followed Alexander's trail from Liyue into Sumeru, but it was apparent that he had not stayed in that nation for long, perhaps not finding it to his liking, so her hopes were rather high for this place.
Her sharp, cyan eyes scanned the city, it had been almost a half year since he left, the time away almost catching up to the time they spent together.
Alas, she never saw the figure she had wished to find.
So, like in Sumeru, her investigation began with the most logical source of information in any mortal settlement: the tavern.
TThe interior of the Angel's Share was a cocoon of warmth, thick with the sweet, pungent odor of fermented grapes and hops. Xianyun settled at the counter, a vision of elegant composure amidst the rustic revelry, and ordered a single glass of water, catching the patrons' chatter as she prepared to ask for information.
"...and I'm telling you, he drank Vile to a standstill!" a man in a craftsman's tunic slurred to his friend. "The Titan of the Tavern himself! Just sat there, calm as you please, while Vile passed out under the table. Unbeatable!"
Xianyun's lips thinned, 'A title born from inebriation. How profoundly mundane.', she couldn't help but think for a second, before waving away the distraction and forgetting about it.
"Bartender, this One is looking for someone." she stated to the portly bartender, "A young man, likely bearing master-crafted weaponry-"
The bartender chuckled, wiping a tankard with a cloth. "'One,' is it? You talk funny, miss. From Liyue, are you? All formal-like."
Xianyun paused, her meticulously constructed sentence crumbling. She was not used to being interrupted, least of all about her manner of speech. It was… inefficient to be misunderstood. "The manner of speech is irrelevant," she said, a slight frost entering her tone. "The subject—"
"Look," the man said, leaning forward congenially. "Lots of travelers come through. You'll have to be more specific. Or, better yet, try the wine. It loosens tongues."
'How uncouth' she thought.
So, faced with this mortifyingly simple social obstacle, Xianyun made a tactical decision, "Black hair, black eyes, very tall, excellent physique."
The bartender's face brightened, "Oh Miss from Liyue, you found just the right person! Isn't that me? Bahahaha."
Xianyun looked him up and down, sweaty and portly, a loud aged voice, graying hair.
"Data points to it being otherwise." she decided to be curt, her voice taking a rather icy tone however. If she couldn't get proper information here, there were plenty of other places to visit.
"Bahahah, don't take this old man's words to heart missy, just havin' a bit of fun." he chuckled and set the clean tankard on the table, pouring inside some wine. "Here, have a drink, on the house, you must be parched."
"This One would prefer water." Xianyun didn't want to play around. "The young man would have arrived in Mondstadt some months ago."
"Eh, don't narrow it down one bit lemme tell ya that, ahaha." He said with a dry chuckle, leaning against the counter. "Well… I can name a few that fit the description."
"What if this One narrows it down to a name? Alexander."
This got a reaction out of the portly man. He smacked his lips in thought.
"There are a lot of Alexanders nowadays in Mondstat, especially since more than a month ago." he rubbed his chin. "There's that Knight of the Roads, apparently a bane to road bandits, never came to the city though…"
"Anybody else?" Xianyun felt that was a good clue, it could definitely be him.
"The inns and food places get their best product from some sort of 'Arrow Ghost', apparently that guy's name is either Gunter or Alexander too." the bartender started listing, while counting on his fingers.
"Some merchants came in a while ago, talking about escaping capture from bandits after a Snezhnayan Varyag took over a camp, the new leader is apparently as tall as a small cliff, black hair and all, like a bear."
"There is that young man who cannot be beaten in a drinking contest," he continued, "Alex his name is, drinks like there's no tomorrow! A sober mind amidst a sea of folly, that one. Good for business though, hehe"
"Hey Katie, you are the one going around telling about an Alexander plague, right?" he called over a drunk middle aged woman. Everybody has a separate story to tell about the name, you see" he turned back to Xianyun.
The woman, Katie, turned on her stool, her eyes alight. "Oh, plenty. I personally know one that had a flock of village girls running after him like little chicks! Tsk."
"The Alexander I know is a monster. Fights with the rage of a Berserker, I've seen what he wears, he is one of them barbarian lot!" a new voice chimed in, an older man, his cheeks flushed, spoke barely coherent sentences. He slammed his tankard of beer on the table, grabbing the taverns' residents attention.
"What's old Cole mad about now?" a voice called from a corner.
"Talking about the 'Berserker' again," came the weary reply.
This triggered a chain reaction, a cacophony of conflicting testimony that erupted around her.
"Oh, the latest 'Alexander' tale?" a young knight-in-training added, ignoring Cole. "I saw a knight not too long ago, his armour looked very exquisite and expensive, introduced himself as Alexander as well."
"I know one whose control over his Pyro Vision is unparalleled!" a merchant shouted.
"I know one who has Anemo!" a woman countered from across the room.
"Didn't an 'Alexander' heal Alicia with Hydro just the other day?"
"No, that was Jonas he healed, with Electro, just zap and the guy can walk again, saw him visiting Georgia in the evening, eheh~"
"Forget Visions! By the Archons, an 'Alexander' came by our village a week back, he made a stew at the campfire that made even Martha, that old hag, smile!"
A grimy man in the corner spat on the floor, cutting through the admiration. "These 'Alexanders', they charm the young women. They look at him, with those shining eyes of theirs... and then some of them just up and leave. Follow him into the wilds, never to be seen again."
"Steals more than just hearts, I'd wager." his companion added darkly.
The tavern dissolved into a roaring debate, shouts and chairs flying all around.
Xianyun sat silently amidst the storm, her mind a whirlwind of analysis. Most rumours were too illogical, contradicted by the profile of the young man she knew, but it felt like many stories could really be about him.
The bartender watched her process it all. He leaned over, his voice low. "See what I mean? The 'Alexander Plague.'
She placed a generous amount of Mora on the counter. "Thank you for the... data, but this One still needs to find his whereabouts."
"Aaah, sorry madam, nobody knows where these 'Alexanders' stay, there are so many they probably have a village of their own somewhere in the wilds, not in Mondstat at the very least.
She rose with a nod, the elegant motion drawing a few last glances. The portrait they had painted was not of one man, but of a dozen legends superimposed. It was the inevitable result of an extraordinary individual living amidst a free and gossipy populace.
She had heard enough. It was time to stop listening to the echoes and find the source itself.
.
.
.
The "Alexander Plague" was a data corruption of the highest order. After days of sifting through the chaff of tavern tales and village gossip, Xianyun concluded that relying on mortal testimony was an exercise in futility. The signals were too noisy, the sources too unreliable.
She spent days tracking a "Knight of the Roads" only to find a blustering Favonius recruit with cheap, polished armor. The "Arrow Ghost" was a reclusive hunter who threatened her with a bow for disturbing his hunting grounds.
In the end, she decided that to find a singular, unique variable, she needed to apply a filter only she possessed: an intimate understanding of the subject's preferences.
He stated he wanted to battle and she doubted bandits would prove any challenge, perhaps only in massive numbers?
Her thoughts moved on to the different beings present in Mondstat that would prove to be a challenge. The secluded, storm-wracked valley where a great electric owl was said to dwell? A possibility. The ancient, slumbering vine creature in the heart of the forests? Unlikely, it's too passive.
Either way, she visited each, but didn't find any luck and her progress stalled once again. But there were either options, just very sacred for the Mondstat people.
She could picture Alexander causing mayhem in Wolvendom, Boreas was one of the more popular choices of religious belief for the natives after all.
But then again, Andrius as she knew him, would fit very well as a whetstone against which Alexander would undoubtedly polish his skills. Perhaps the old god of war would even welcome the challenge. Furthermore, the territory was vast, offering the solitude Alexander craved, while being close enough to resupply. The logic was irrefutable.
She flew with precision, already knowledgeable of the geography of the region due to extended study of the local maps and conversing with the populace.
Enough to become a rumour herself, 'The Lost Maiden' the populace had started calling her.
The air in wolvendom was different, the carefree wind giving way to a still, watchful silence. She moved above the towering trees as a wisp of white mist, her speed barely seen to the naked eye.
She found a vantage point atop a moss-covered outcrop, looking down into a small clearing, aiming to take a look around, perhaps a point of interest could be spotted.
With the sun setting, painting the area a red, blazing hue, she cast her gaze towards several directions. One, which housed a great presence, she guessed belonged to Andrius. The other had flashes of white and sounds of battle.
She decided to check out the battlegrounds first, although leaving the God of War without a greeting could prove a disaster, as he had undoubtedly felt her presence as well. Hopefully the stories of his surprising honesty and noble tendencies would prove truthful.
Upon diving into the crown of a tree, her gaze settled upon a scene where a fully clad knight crushed the heads of Abyss-tainted creatures with his lucerne hammer.
She had felt the Abyss once coming closer, which made her move in even more haste. Fortunately, the man below was more than adequate to deal with the corruption.
'Is that why Andrius didn't react?' she had questioned how one of the Four Winds didn't intervene and eradicate the pollution the second it materialised. But her questions were quickly answered.
The sight was a validation of all her deductions. Alexander moved in his full knightly plate not as a man encumbered, but as a force of nature. The master-crafted armor was a second skin, each plate moving in perfect harmony with his body as he engaged a pack of twisted, Abyss-tainted creatures. His hammer and shield worked in synchronised rhythm.
Bash
Crush
Bash
Crush
There was no excess movement, no grunts of fatigue or roars of exertion. It was graceful.
A profound, warm sensation settled in her chest. Pride. This was the culmination of their year together, the theoretical principles she had outlined made manifest in steel and motion. Any thought of immediate revelation vanished. To interrupt this proof of his growth felt like an intrusion. She would observe from the shadows, a silent guardian. It was the most logical course.
She began to calculate her optimal long-term observation post, confident in the perfection of her concealment.
And then he moved.
The last creature fell. He stood amidst the clearing alone, bones and matter splattered all around.
With a fluid, casual motion, he removed his helm and turned his head. His black eyes, sharp and knowing, locked directly onto her position within the crown of the tree.
A jolt of pure, uncalculated shock reverberated through her.
He raised his right arm, the one holding the bloodied weapon used to clear an infestation of unnatural beasts. He pointed the tip directly at her, a gesture of simple, undeniable acknowledgment. A small, smug smile touched his lips.
"Are you not going to come down here and say hello?" Alexander called out, his voice cutting through the quiet woods.
For a long, suspended moment, Xianyun remained perfectly still. Every parameter of her concealment flashed through her mind, each one confirming it should have been flawless. Yet, those sharp black eyes held hers with an unnerving certainty.
With a sigh that was barely more than a shift in the air, she dropped down from the crown of the tree and walked out from behind it, revealing her gorgeous human form.
"Your perceptual acuity has exceeded projected parameters," she stated, her voice a marvel of forced composure. She gestured vaguely at the surrounding forest. "The refractive index, auditory dampening, and thermodynamic dispersal were all within optimal tolerances. The probability of detection was calculated to be next to none."
Alexander's smug smile widened into a full, warm grin. With but a slight temporal disturbance, he was now clad in loose, comfortable clothes. A tunic and some simple trousers.
"It's so good to see you!" he said, the warmth in his voice as genuine as the setting sun. He closed the distance between them in two quick strides and wrapped his arms around her in a tight, heartfelt hug.
After a moment, he let go and stepped back to give her space, while flashing a content smile, his hands resting on his hips as he rolled his shoulders.
"It's good to see you too, Alexander." the Adeptus mirrored his smile, their meeting as energetic and boisterous as she had imagined.
"Andrius is aware of my presence. It is only proper that I pay my respects." she also added, with a tint of caution.
"Great idea! I want you to meet him," Alexander said, his enthusiasm undimmed. "He's a bit grumpy, but he's great once you get to know him. He doesn't get many visitors."
He led the way, and they walked in a comfortable silence that felt like resuming a conversation left unfinished.
As they neared Andrius' resting place, the air grew colder, the residual warmth of the sunset completely gone, replaced by a biting, spiritual chill. They arrived at a great, open arena of stone and frost. In the center, a massive, spectral wolf materialized from the mist and snow.
"LITTLE SPARK." The voice rumbled through the very ground. His glowing blue eyes shifted to Xianyun, regarding her with ancient, detached curiosity. "YOU BRING A LIYUE ADEPTUS. THE SCENT OF MORAX'S CONTRACTS CLINGS TO YOU."
Xianyun offered a respectful nod, her demeanor formal but not rigid. "Lord of the Wolvendom. I am Cloud Retainer."
The wolf's gaze held hers. "MORAX IS A WORTHY RIVAL. HIS CHOSEN ARE WELCOME IN MY DOMAIN, SO LONG AS THEY KEEP THE PEACE."
"That's his way of saying he likes you," Alexander translated cheerfully.
"DO NOT PRESUME TO TRANSLATE MY WORDS, LITTLE SPARK," Andrius rumbled, though the threat was undercut by a sense of weary amusement. His form began to dissipate. "THE NIGHT IS YOURS. DO NOT LET YOUR CAMPFIRES SCARE THE PREY."
With that, the immense pressure lifted, leaving the two of them alone.
.
.
.
Alexander's camp was a model of efficient, comfortable wilderness living. As he knelt to light a small, contained fire, a small, black cat stretched lazily near his tent, before trotting over to butt its head against Alexander's hand.
"And this," Alexander said, scratching behind its ears, "is Loki."
"A feline..." Xianyun said, watching as the cat, now purring, assessed her with unblinking eyes.
As the water heated, they sat in comfortable silence. The formality of their parting had completely evaporated, replaced by the easy familiarity of two people who had shared a home.
"You've settled in well," Xianyun observed, her tone genuinely approving.
"This is what I needed," he said, his gaze on the flames. "The forge, the learning... It was amazing. But this? The open road, a good fight, a quiet camp... this is what I was looking for all along." He looked up at her, his expression open and warm. "I'm really glad you're here too, it'll be even more fun."
The simple sincerity of his words washed over her and the loneliness now felt a world away.
"What do you want to eat? Perhaps your favourite? To celebrate our reunion? You can tell me all about why you decided to leave Mt. Aocang then!" The young man's voice was filled with enthusiasm.
Xianyun noted that he was even more free spirited than before, like a profound life lesson had been taught to him while he was away.
"You seem more relieved and happy now." It was never her trait, to keep mincing words, so she got straight to the point.
"Aye, visited Sumeru a while ago, didn't like it one bit, except the forests haha, anyway, since I was so disappointed with it, I felt like it was a mistake to leave behind the forge, maybe even leaving Inazuma a few years back…" Alexander stoked the fire, letting the words hang in silence for a bit.
"But after coming to Mondstat, I just… hm… how do I say it? I decided that it would be best to live in the moment, you know?" he finished, scratching his chin.
"That would be the best course of action for a mortal, this One agrees." Xianyun nodded along.
"There's no point wasting time thinking useless things and worrying about a past that can't be changed and a future you can't see, right?"
Xianyun nodded once again, her eyes watching his hands, which were stroking the little kitten laid in his lap.
"So, will you stay for a while or are you going to go back?" He asked.
Xianyun thought for a moment. She wanted to follow his progress, help when needed or when in danger. But now that she found herself seated beside him, like they did not so long ago, she felt a desire to try new things as well.
Perhaps it would be best to see the world she was destined to live in for a long time, making memories with the person who understood her best.
"This One wants to travel with you." she declared.
"Really? That's great." He smiled and patted her shoulder affectionately.
Soon the two of them drifted off topic, as the campfire filled with laughter and theatrical explanations of Alexander's exploits and what he had been up to.
And the night set, a beautiful moon hanging over their silhouettes.