[ after all is said and done, Dainsleif is left to piece together the broken pieces that were left behind. he doesn't leave the Chasm even after he and the Traveler have parted ways, electing to tie up loose ends, helping hilichurls that were uprooted from their final resting place because of what happened to make their way back. he checks up on what the remaining Black Serpent Knights were doing before he leaves them be. one of the last tasks he assigns himself is to take one of the Intevyat flowers to place near the device in order to honour Halfdan's sacrifice. it has been such a long and terribly lonely time since he last saw his beloved comrade and friend, so for their reunion to end like this—
well, he supposes a sinner like him had it coming.
the calming aura from the waters overhead almost feels like benediction, a once sought after token of forgiveness that he no longer thinks he deserves. every part of his aching body is still telling him to stay, to rest easy here because there's only suffering everywhere else. he chooses not to listen to its pleas. there are matters far more important than what he wants, and what he wants can always wait until he's finished what he has left to do. it doesn't matter if it will take another five hundred years to accomplish it, but he's losing time the longer he stays here, so once he's done honouring his friend, he finally turns to leave.
tracking down the Abyss Order has always been a complicated affair. once he gained access to their portal network, his search was made considerably easier, but he knows he can't rely on that for a certain amount of time, not when they're well aware of his reliance on them now. he doesn't think the Herald will take too kindly to him if he attempts to do anything now anyway, so it won't hurt to lay low and search for them the good ol' fashioned way — on foot and talking to locals if they've heard of anything strange. of courses, he stands out like a sore thumb no matter where he goes, but he's used to fielding questions about his origins by now.
most people's curiousities are usually placated by the time he mentions he's a traveler from far away, because he regales them with tales from the other nations, fantastical stories that they may have never heard of otherwise. it's how his presence has grown to be accepted in the nearby village, but he doesn't intend to stay here long. he only lingers because he is presently attempting to track down a certain villager who has been rumoured to see a gathering of creatures whose descriptions remind him too much the Abyss Order's pawns. the only thing he has to go by is that this person likes to frequent nearby taverns so he has been visiting them one after the other.
tonight shouldn't have been any different. just another visit to yet another local tavern in hopes of catching a conversation with this individual. he already planned to have this be his last night here whether or not he is successful, because he might have better luck searching for the Abyss Order himself. still, he enters the tavern as quietly as he usually does, ignoring any curious looks that might have been sent his way. he only has one purpose here and that's to find the person he has been looking for a few days by now.
the innkeeper looks up from behind the counter, eyes gleaming with delighted recognition. "Not as charming, perhaps, but no less mysterious!" her hands have already reached for the coin, fiddling with it as she gestures behind Kaeya with a nod of her head. "I haven't heard much about where he's from, but you can always ask him yourself, yeah?"
by then, Dainsleif has already noticed that she is looking her way. he may not have heard what she told the man right in front of her, but something compels him to engage in the conversation. there's no way he can see the other man's features right until the very last moment, when he stands right next to him and sends an inquiring look his way. the first thing he notices is a sudden sense of familiarity at first glance, an unshakeable one at that. something tells him that he's seen this person before but it's difficult to place exactly where.
the next thing that comes up is something that brings his entire world to a complete stop. when he meets the other man's eye, there's no mistaking it — starry, like the night sky. ]
You are...
[ his voice is quiet, breathless in a way. his words are spoken in a foreign, forgotten tongue, one that he's certain will answer all of his questions should the other man recognize it just as well. ]
no subject
well, he supposes a sinner like him had it coming.
the calming aura from the waters overhead almost feels like benediction, a once sought after token of forgiveness that he no longer thinks he deserves. every part of his aching body is still telling him to stay, to rest easy here because there's only suffering everywhere else. he chooses not to listen to its pleas. there are matters far more important than what he wants, and what he wants can always wait until he's finished what he has left to do. it doesn't matter if it will take another five hundred years to accomplish it, but he's losing time the longer he stays here, so once he's done honouring his friend, he finally turns to leave.
tracking down the Abyss Order has always been a complicated affair. once he gained access to their portal network, his search was made considerably easier, but he knows he can't rely on that for a certain amount of time, not when they're well aware of his reliance on them now. he doesn't think the Herald will take too kindly to him if he attempts to do anything now anyway, so it won't hurt to lay low and search for them the good ol' fashioned way — on foot and talking to locals if they've heard of anything strange. of courses, he stands out like a sore thumb no matter where he goes, but he's used to fielding questions about his origins by now.
most people's curiousities are usually placated by the time he mentions he's a traveler from far away, because he regales them with tales from the other nations, fantastical stories that they may have never heard of otherwise. it's how his presence has grown to be accepted in the nearby village, but he doesn't intend to stay here long. he only lingers because he is presently attempting to track down a certain villager who has been rumoured to see a gathering of creatures whose descriptions remind him too much the Abyss Order's pawns. the only thing he has to go by is that this person likes to frequent nearby taverns so he has been visiting them one after the other.
tonight shouldn't have been any different. just another visit to yet another local tavern in hopes of catching a conversation with this individual. he already planned to have this be his last night here whether or not he is successful, because he might have better luck searching for the Abyss Order himself. still, he enters the tavern as quietly as he usually does, ignoring any curious looks that might have been sent his way. he only has one purpose here and that's to find the person he has been looking for a few days by now.
the innkeeper looks up from behind the counter, eyes gleaming with delighted recognition. "Not as charming, perhaps, but no less mysterious!" her hands have already reached for the coin, fiddling with it as she gestures behind Kaeya with a nod of her head. "I haven't heard much about where he's from, but you can always ask him yourself, yeah?"
by then, Dainsleif has already noticed that she is looking her way. he may not have heard what she told the man right in front of her, but something compels him to engage in the conversation. there's no way he can see the other man's features right until the very last moment, when he stands right next to him and sends an inquiring look his way. the first thing he notices is a sudden sense of familiarity at first glance, an unshakeable one at that. something tells him that he's seen this person before but it's difficult to place exactly where.
the next thing that comes up is something that brings his entire world to a complete stop. when he meets the other man's eye, there's no mistaking it — starry, like the night sky. ]
You are...
[ his voice is quiet, breathless in a way. his words are spoken in a foreign, forgotten tongue, one that he's certain will answer all of his questions should the other man recognize it just as well. ]