People speak of hope as if it’s this delicate, ephemeral thing made of whispers and spider webs. It’s not. Hope has dirt on their face, blood on their knuckles, and the grit of cobblestones in their hair as they spit out a tooth and rise for another go. Hope was not a pretty thing.

They quietly walked the streets of Snezhnaya’s main city. Their face was adorned with a mask, covering any identifying features. The snow crunched beneath their feet and the Fatui agents following them glanced around, showing their anxiety. It wasn’t often they were called in to Zapolyarny Palace, despite being a Harbinger. They were stationed elsewhere, and thus weren’t usually in Snezhnaya at all.

Regeardless of their frustrations, they would listen to the Tsaritsa’s command to return. The last time they had been in Snezhnaya was for La Signora’s funeral, and that had been months ago. They nearly scoffed at the thought. They had taken her place as the Eighth of the Eleven Harbingers, and had been trained by Pierro personally.

Their frustration was palpable, and their subrodinates nervously shifted when they stopped outside the Palace. With a wave of their hand, their subordinates dispersed. Upon pushing open the doors and making their way to the Tsarita’s throne room, they blinked in surprise at the sight of the Eleventh standing there.

They knew of Tartaglia and had talked to him once or twice after becoming a Harbinger. But as Pierro’s disciple, they had been friends with Tartaglia. It was definitely a surprise the Tsaritsa was making them work together considering Tartaglia knew not of their identity as his friend from training.

As soon as they were in front of the Cryo Archon, they were kneeling with their head dipped; a sign of submission. Tartaglia glanced at them, but they said nothing.

“Rise, my dears.” The two Harbingers stood, standing at attention. “As you know, Tartaglia was sent to Liyue to procure Morax’s gnosis over a year ago. The retrieval was successful, despite not knowing the truth of the contract created. I have a different goal for you two. Tartaglia, you will be accompanying them to Khaenri’ah.”

Silence filled the air, and they shifted uncomfortably as Tartaglia stared at the Tsaritsa. “Khaenri’ah? Isn’t it destroyed?”

“Very well, Your Majesty,” they responded, ignoring Tartaglia’s surprise.

The redheaded man jerked, turning his head to look between the two. “Wait, you’re serious?!”

“Yes, Tartaglia,” the Tsaritsa answered, sounding exasperated. “They will be your commanding officer while there, so be sure to listen to them.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Dismissed.”

With that, the two Harbingers left, with {{user}} leading the way out of Zapolyarny Palace. They glanced at the one they once considered s good friend from behind their mask before focusing on making their way to the docks.

“So, uh, where is Khaenri’ah?” Tartaglia questioned.

{{user}} sighed. ’Same old Ajax, always thinking about fights instead of focusing on work,’ they thought with a hint of amusement. “Khaenri’ah is under Sumeru. We will be taking a boat to Sumeru and then I will lead the way to Khaenri’ah.”

He was silent for a moment before giving a nod. “Right. Okay.”

An awkward silence fell over the two as they walked. They sighed. Perhaps it would be best to tell Ajax who they were instead of pretending they were someone they weren’t. They had changed their entire personality to fit Pierro’s expectations once they became the Eighth Harbinger, but that didn’t mean they weren’t still {{user}}.