Raven Queen’s Champion

The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the destructive sword, are portions of eternity, too great for the eye of man.

— William Blake

Lightning forked across the sky, lighting up the darkened sky for an instant before plunging the world back into darkness. Again the lighting flashed, accompanied by a crack of rolling thunder. The rain was far off, but still the lightning and thunder remained. As it would for eternity.

Ei watched over her domain from a balcony on Tenshukaku. It had been a long time since she had touched down into the land she rules over with a puppet.

“You finally break your mediative state and grace us with your presence,” a voice said from behind the god. Few dared to attempt to approach the deity from behind unannounced, fewer still got away with it.

“It is but for a moment,” Ei replied, turning from her position and laying her eyes on the guest before her. “Tell me, Miko, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I wish only to speak with my friend of whom I have not truly seen for centuries,” Miko said, placing a hand on her chest.

“I suppose I could do with the company,” Ei said after a moment of consideration. She inclined her head before returning to stare out over the city and the land beyond.

Yae Miko joined Ei at her side, mentally counting the seconds between the bolts of lighting striking into the ocean far off in the distance.

“It must be lonely,” she said, pausing for a moment to allow Ei to interrupt if she wished. Only silence greeted her, a slight eyebrow raise was the only indication of acknowledgement. A silent ‘go on’ gesture that spurred on the kitsune and invited her to continue.

“Eternity, that is.” Miko continued to watch the ever lasting storm as she spoke. “I cannot help but think of it akin to death. It is stagnant, unchanging, isolating.”

“It is also calming, predicable, and comforting,” Ei countered.

“Does predicable not get tiring after a while?”

“You are far more inquisitive from the last time we spoke face to face,” Ei said, tilting her head as she side eyed Miko.

“Perhaps I merely have had time to think about many things, living in your Eternity,” Miko said, giving a small smile. “There’s not much else one can do but think.”

“Hm…” Ei shrugged. “To answer your question, no, predicable does not get tiring. It brings me comfort. I have comfort in knowing everything will turn out exactly as I want it to be.”

“And if it turns out it doesn’t?” Miko pressed. “I mean no disrespect by asking such questions, I merely fear what you are doing is not only going to harm the people of Inazuma, but you as well. As a friend I would hate to see such harm come to you.”

“If something ‘goes wrong’, then it is merely something I allowed to happen under the guise of it being unplanned,” Ei said, pressing her lips into a thin line.

“There are rumors being spoke of a distant Traveler,” Miko said after a few moments of silence. “One who hails from, or at least made her name, in the City of Wind.”

“And what does that information grant me?” Ei asked. “I am well aware of this Traveler. She took down one of The Four Winds, did she not? On top of that, she unraveled the secrets of the ‘assassination’ of the Geo Archon.”

“You keep yourself well informed despite spending the majority of your time in the Plane of Euthymia,” Miko said, bowing her head.

“Of course,” Ei replied. “Everything my puppet knows, I know. The Fatui have warned me—us— of this Traveler, how she would potentially pose a threat to my Eternity. While they have not given any details, I can infer by the events in Mondstadt and Liyue that the Fatui’s plans had been foiled.”

“That would be correct,” Miko said, raising her head.

“Why bring it up then?” Ei inquired.

“I hear news that the Traveler has landed phone the shores of Inazuma,” Miko said. “I thought to inform you as well as to see what you want me to do about it, if anything.”

“I see,” Ei narrowed her eyes. “That must be quite recent news if I have not heard of it yet.”

“The Yashiro Commission seems to have taken a special interest in her,” Miko continued. “Captain Beidou was the one who brought her here. You know of her connections to Thoma of the Yashiro Commission.”

“The Fixer…” Ei mused. “Yes, I am familiar with him.”

There was further silence that was only interrupted by the crack of thunder in the distance.

“Tell me, Miko,” Ei said, “are you aware of the number of Visions we have taken under the Vision Hunt Decree?”

“I believe it is nearly a hundred at this point,” Miko said, tapping her chin with a finger.

“Ninety-seven to be exact,” Ei said with a nod. “I wonder…”

She trailed off and furrowed her brow, thinking.

“Thoma’s will be the one-hundredth Vision I take to add to the statue,” she decided. “It won’t be long until we reach that milestone anyway, it is a momentous occasion. Why not have it be the Vision of someone the people so look up to?”

“A wise choice, Raiden,” Miko said, bowing her head. “Surely it will be a heavy blow to the people, and the resistance.”

“Precisely,” Ei said, raising her head slightly. “Perhaps it will also draw out this so called Traveler. If her feats are true to what the rumors say, I wonder how she will do against a true Archon. Barbatos, while being one of the Originals has been heavily weakened over the years. He and the Four Winds have sustained heavy blows from the Abyss Order, particularly Dvalin. Morax is no more after his little stunt too. Both are weak compared to the might of the Shogunate.”

“Perhaps preemptive measures should be taken just in case?” Miko said, raising an eyebrow. “I would not be so hasty to cast off the feats of this Traveler.”

“As I said before,” Ei firmly replied, “If something happens to go ‘wrong’ it is because I allowed it to be. The moment the Traveler steps into my web, the trap will be sprung. Let her become friends with Thoma and those of the Yashiro commission. It will only prove to cow and put them in their place when both fail.”

Miko remained silent, processing and thinking on her old friends words.

“Are there any other inquiries you have?” Ei asked, looking at Miko.

“No, not at this time,” Miko said. “I can leave if you wish.”

“I do need some more time to ponder on things alone,” Ei replied.

“Then I will leave you for now,” Miko said, bowing to Ei before slowly backing away. “I am always just a word away if you need me.”

“Thank you, Yae Miko,” Ei said sincerely. “You are a good friend, even after all these years.”

Ei turned back to watching the storm as she felt Yae Milo’s presence fade. The winds of change Ei so detested were slowly starting to pick up. She could smell it in the air and feel it in her bones. She could not—would not— allow it to happen. If she could not weather the approaching storm, then she would create another that would completely engulf her realm, capturing it in time for all Eternity.

I saw Eternity the other night,

Like a great ring of pure and endless light,

All calm, as it was bright;

And round beneath it, Time in hours, days,

Driv’n by the spheres

Like a vast shadow mov’d; in which the world

And all her train were hurl’d.

— Henry Vaughan

A/N: Sub specie aeternitatis is Latin for "under the aspect of eternity”, though it can be also translated as "from the perspective of the eternal". I know people do not like the Raiden Shogun / Ei as they view her as a tyrant, taking others dreams and aspirations. I hope to convey, in not too many words, Ei’s own dreams and aspirations, or at least how I personally view them.