" 死は彼を連れて行った "
━━━━━━━━━━━

It was many centuries ago....

Rhinedottir, was a woman who created creatures from the blessing of the one true God she followed. The Sceo Archon, Astaroth.

As one of darkness, she created dark creatures, playing the role of their mother. She sent them out on Teyvat, to display their own beauty with pride within the hearts she created for them.

She was so proud of her creations, but it was all thanks to Astaroth giving her the catalyst of their lives.

She stood infront of a place rumoured to have been the place where Astaroth spent his time. Near the snowy mountains of Mond, where she stood patiently.

"Great shattenmeister, lord of darkness and shadows. I gift you this young dragon, to show my gratitude for bestowing your blessing upon me. May this serpentine dragon, I have named Durin, accompany you and assissts you in your troubles."

Silence enveloped Rhinedottir, but she hoped and hoped. She waited for more minutes, her unyielding determination growing.

Suddenly the shadows around her focused on the spot near the her and the small dragon she held. The shadows fused,

"A dragon? What an interesting creature you have gifted me child."

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

"Ooh~ look at this!" Paimon pointed to a stone tablet on the peak of Vindagnyr. She, along Aether and Sucrose were exploring Dragonspine for more information on it, and because Albedo seemed to be occupied, so no trials for Aether.

"This wasn't here last time." Aether commented, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. He slowly approached the stone tablet, the other two following behind him.

"What does it say?" Paimon asked, tilting herself to the side, her hands behind her back. Sucrose knelt down, brushing a hand on the stone tablet as she tried to decipher the writings on it. She hummed in thought, narrowing her eyes at the ruins.

"Well?"

Sucrose blushed from her trance like concentration, "W-Well, it's a bit hard B-But..." She cleared her throat, beginning to read the record.

"For the serpentine dragon to fall to this land. It's true origin unknown, for gold has obscured it's heritage."

"The evil corrupting the dragon, clouded itself from the memories it had created with our god. Our Lord has fallen to greif!"

"The winged serpent could not be released from the corruption. It's only saviour was death."

"For he who rules over night could not slay his friend. He left the lord of Wind to lay it to rest and shall it be saved from the pain it was given."

"The ill-fated draco, it's destruction breaking Astaroth's heart as it's relation to him stay unrevealed to the rest of the gods. Grief and sorrow swallowed him, a hatred to mortals arised. No longer has a mortal been blessed by his power."

The three stood in silence, a feeling of displeasure bubbling inside them. Feeling discomfort for the stone tablets record, they shivered..

"Wh-What the—" Paimon yelped, watching as the shadow behind the stone tablet rised and lashed around them.

Paimon yelled, hiding behind Aether as the traveler shielded herself and Sucrose. The sentient shadows dispersed, they all calmed down.

The stone tablet was cracked, starting to sink into the shadows. "Wh-What was that?" Sucrose asked, trembling in fear.

"I'm not sure, but it's related to the Sceo Archon.." aether concluded, narrowing his eyes at the cracked tablet.

Paimon gasped, "We should tell this to Noir! Wasn't he searching for stuff about the sceo Archon?"

"Noir?"

" He's a traveler from Sumeru that had arrived a few days ago. He's the only Sceo user today!" Aether explained, sounding fond of the albino boy.

"A Sceo user? Amazing!" Sucrose gasped, her eyes shining in curiosity.

"Well, we gotta get going now. Lisa might find this information useful."

Before he returned to Mond, Aether escorted her to Albedo's lab, bidding the farewell. It wasn't just Lisa he planned to report the findings only. He ran towards Windrise, thankful to find the Archon singing a tune under the large tree. To his surprised to find the remaining Sceo user with him, humming softly to his tune.

"Venti! Noir!" He called out for the Bard, violently waving his hand to get their attention.

"Traveler. What can I do for you?" Venti paused his strumming, redirecting his attention to the rather disturbed traveler.

"We found some things about the Sceo Archon."

Neither noticed Noir flinch, as the boy— Archon incognito— diverted his gaze away from them. He listened to Aether's retelling of the stone tablet they had found, about the 'true origins' of durin.

His gaze turned dark, a frown ruining his pale face. He clenched his fist, shutting his eyes tightly, unable to properly listen of the story.

"Wait... 'For he who rules over night could not slay his friend.' what does that mean?" Paimon asked, placing a finger under her chin.

A realization came to Venti, as he paled in horror of what he was told. He trembled in anguish and sorrow, clasping a hand over his mouth to hide a sob.

"Venti?"

"I.. i think... Durin and Astaroth were friends, just as I am to Dvalin." Venti gasped, his eyes shaking violently from the revelation.

"You're... Right..." Aether frowned, disgruntled that his theory proved no wrong. "Some lines indicate that Durin lost his memories about Astaroth, because the alchemist gold corrupted it... 'The evil corrupting the dragon, clouded itself from the memories it had created with our god.' "

Venti stumbled to the ground, making the two yell in worry. "Durin was killed five hundred years ago.... And no Sceo user has emerged for five hundred years after his death..."

" 'Grief and sorrow swallowed him, a hatred to mortals arised. No longer has a mortal been blessed by his power.' I think that's what it means."

"I'm guessing it was a Sceo user from before Durin's death that had written the record."

A silence befalls them, the winding churning for the sudden anguish Barbatos had felt. He had realized that it he very dragon the helped kill was dear to his friend. He never realized that Astaroth that the same relationship to Durin as he had with Dvalin.

"I understand why no vision user has appeared in 5 centuries.... He has the right to have a grudge in mortals, since gold was one." Venti groaned, unable to fathom it.

" What do you think Noir?...noir?" Aether looked around, noticing that the albino was not in sight. Venti was slightly concerned of this, realizing that he had practically blurted out he was Barbatos.

"Paimon thinks we shouldn't look for him. Noir is the first Sceo user to appear in 5 hundrer years and maybe he's just trying to process it all."

"I think your right."

Venti nodded in agreement but an ominous feeling bubbled inside of him. Telling him to go after the Last Sceo user....

'I should leave him be for now...'

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

The raging cataclysm all over Teyvat. The god of woods has fallen as two mighty dragons battled it out. The different in sizes were evident. Dvalin roaring at Durin as Barbatos stood on his back, aiming his arrows at the serpentine dragon.

Durin. A once magnificent and ethereal dragon, was turned into the horrifying skeletal beast it is now...by an Alchemist, consumed bi his greed.

On the top of Dragonspine, the sleeping god awoke to the chaos. Ironic as he is the god of Chaos. His silver eyes were did in fear, for the dragon to lay dead was no other then the companion given to him by his favored blessed child.

A sob escaped his lips, the tears pouring out of his eyes.

"no...no...Barbatos, Spare him!" He yelled, but the Anemo Archon heard not.

His knees gave in, falling to the ground as he cried out for his friends. "don't kill him! Please! I beg of you!" He yelled, over and over again, but his cries were not heard by those who fought.

He was to weak at that moment. The slumber making him sluggish and drained.

As the final strike, Durin fell to the earth, and a scream of anguish resonated across Teyvat. For a minute, those fighting paused, shivering from the scream that had affected them all.

It was not Dvalin and Barbatos's tired beings that During saw last. It was the man he had vowed to protect and wait for, on his knees as he cried in pain.

His memories of who he was returned, as Gold's corruption subsided at the sight of the god that awakened due to the dragon's pain.

"Astaroth....I have... failed you..."

"Durin!"

The dragon of darkness fell, to its master's domain. The wasteland covered in frost and snow..

It laid in Dragonspine.... Claiming it's grave.

Astaroth stared at the dragon below the mountain, the dark residue seeping out of it, affecting the snowy mountains. His silver eyes delayed, slowly turning into a vivid gold.

He glared up at the sky. The red cloudy skies of Teyvat was engulfed in darkness, the day turning to night.

Those at war froze in fear, as their own shadows started emerge from their feet. The cataclysm.... Had been a terrifying time for Teyvat....

The god of Chaos, the Archon of darkness and the Sustainer of Balance bestowed his wrath ion the lands, massacring thousands until the battle had ended.

It was a long time, Astaroth stood motionless on the skyfrost nail. His emotionless eyes scanning the lands that went asunder from the battle. The air carrying the fresh scent of blood, but his eyes lingered to the corpse of his friend.

"... Mortal arrogation... Was Asmoday right?"

The air changed, as he felt another dieties presence appear behind him.

"Do you understand?" He heard an all to familiar voice, slowly turning around to meet a woman with white hair, eyes like gold, and a cape covered with the red night.

The phantom pain she felt in her chest at the sorrowful sight of her fellow sustainer. She never knew of how he came to be as a god of Teyvat, but something deep inside of her...

Something was telling her to reach for him, to embrace him, and to assure him that everything was alright.

He was silent, staring blankly at the deity that scorned him with her eyes. "Please... Not now..." He begged, something unorthodox to the deity.

She scoffed, "The lands has burned, what is there to hope for?"

".... The Archons will handle it.. even if Barbatos has fell into a slumber."

" And will you return to sleep?" She hissed, but a single glare silenced her. Oblivion. She was oblivious to who he really was, why he outed to becoming a sustainer and Archon.

Her eyes went wide, as the appearance of the god infront of her changed. His Raven hair turned snow white as his silver eyes became gold with diamond pupils. Pain and longing covered his eyes, as if she was something he wished to reclaim.

"Asmoday...please... You don't remember anything of your royal heritage, you have forgotten who you truly are..."

"You've forgotten that you are my sister and an outlander of this world."