Holiday Planning

Mualani stretched luxuriously amid the tangle of bodies and offered the first useful suggestion of the afternoon.

“Easybreeze Holiday Resort. Warm water, soft beds, no one trying to kidnap anyone, and the drinks come with little umbrellas. Perfect place to stop running for a while.”

The idea landed well. After months of roads, caves, arenas, and near-death experiences, the prospect of actual luxury — paid for by the very generous pouch Mavuika had left on the table — felt almost decadent. A week or two of doing nothing more strenuous than swimming, eating, and fucking at a civilized pace sounded like the vacation Aether had just admitted he needed.

Rosaria was already reaching for paper.

“We’ll send word to Ningguang. Tell her to dispatch our favorite captain again. Beidou knows the routes between the islands better than anyone, and she still owes us a few favors from the last crossing.”

A short, clear letter was drafted, sealed, and handed off to one of Mavuika’s people for the fastest ship heading toward Liyue. The request was simple: send Beidou and the Alcor to Natlan’s coast to collect the entire group for transport to the Easybreeze Resort.

That administrative detail took less than ten minutes.

The rest of the afternoon and evening belonged to the hungry half of the harem that had been forced to watch the Pilgrimage from the stands.

Aether barely made it to a proper bed before they were on him again — Rosaria claiming his mouth with possessive heat, Ganyu settling onto his cock with a soft jingle of her bell, Lisa and Dehya taking turns at his hands and tongue, Yelan’s ropes making a brief, teasing appearance, Shenhe and Cloud Retainer waiting their turn with quiet intensity. Varesa and Chasca had already been thoroughly used inside the arena, yet even they drifted back in for seconds once the non-Name Bearers had taken the edge off.

He satisfied them one after another, white fire flickering low under his skin, until the private chambers smelled of sex and mineral steam and every last restless woman had finally gone loose and pliant.

That night, once the last of the harem had finally fallen into exhausted sleep, Aether slipped out of the chambers.

The white fire under his skin still burned steady and clean. Whatever price ordinary stamina might have demanded after the Pilgrimage, the new Name Bearer gift simply refused to collect it. He felt clear-headed, strong, and quietly determined.

Rosaria’s broken red stone still sat wrapped among their things — a cracked reminder of the engagement gift the Knave’s spikes had ruined. He had not been able to replace it properly. Every time the subject came up around the others he felt the same stubborn refusal: this was something he needed to fix himself, not a group shopping errand.

The festival streets still held a few late drinkers and vendors cleaning up under lantern light. Aether moved among them with casual questions about where a man might find valuable jewelry — something unique, something worthy. Most suggestions pointed to the usual market stalls or traveling merchants. One older man, half-drunk and leaning against a crate of empty bottles, offered something different.

“Dungeon just west of the outer ridges,”
he said, tipping his cup.
“Old place. Mostly cleaned out by treasure-seekers years ago, but the deep levels still spit up odd pieces now and then. Jewelry, relics, shiny things the last groups didn’t bother carrying. Quiet these days. You look like you could handle whatever’s left.”

Aether got the rough directions, thanked the man with a few coins, and left the lights of the stadium village behind.

The night air was cool and clear. With the Flame’s gift humming under his skin he set a fast, steady pace across the dark slopes. The dungeon entrance was only a few hours away at this speed; he could be inside, search the remaining chambers, and be back before the first light touched the arena roof.

Rosaria would wake to a proper replacement.

That was the only part that mattered.