Chapter Text
The warm morning light gently filters its way through the canopy above as you make your way through the old bamboo forest at the edge of Bishui Plain, the soft hollow timbre of it’s culms creaking and knocking together in the wind lull you into a sense of ease for what feels like the first time in weeks.
You’re tired.
The war has made food and supplies become increasingly scarce, your people have been scrambling for purpose since the death of your fallen God, and now a Chi has come to claim their land as its domain - nesting at the foot of the Mountain to terrorise all that encroach upon its newly acquired territory and forbid any within from leaving.
To say it has been a hard year would be an understatement, so for now you seek whatever solace you can find at the edge of your ever shrinking world.
Usually you dare not wander any further than the treeline that touches the shore, lest the Chi discover your act of defiance and hunt you down in retribution, but today you can’t help but gaze longingly across the pristine water to see the rest of the plain on the other side and wonder what your life might have been like if Qingce had not come to claim all you love as its own.
You’re so lost in your own thoughts that you don’t notice the low rumble at first, the sound of celestial bodies ripping through the clouds up ahead as two draconic figures locked in combat come into view just a short distance away.
A sense of dread fills your heart when you realise that you’re about to witness another battle for a seat amongst the Seven, right on the border of Qingce’s territory.
Could the war truly have spread this far north?
You try to swallow the lump in your throat as you watch the unfamiliar dragons violently thrash and claw against one another as they hurtle down, ferocious roars accompanied by panicked cries of pain that suddenly tear through the tranquil air to echo across the mountains for the whole of Liyue to hear.
You watch in astonishment as the larger brown and gold dragon digs its dark claws and savage teeth into a smaller red one, carving through hardened flesh and bone as if it were nothing more than paper, rich crimson blood spraying out of its wounds as the red one rears its head back to release a jet of white hot flames towards its assailant.
The bigger dragon jerks back, letting out an excruciating screech as it releases its grip a second too late to avoid the worst of the blast, pyro still managing to scorch the scales around its neck to leave agonising burns in its wake as it begins to retreat back up towards the mountains to try and put some distance between them again.
You scream as it swoops overhead, it’s tail accidentally whipping the top of the bamboo canopy to send splinters flying with a gust of wind that knocks you off your feet and into the shallows of the lake.
You wince as you fall across the border to collide with the jagged grey rocks below, sharp limestone breaking the fabric of your trousers to scrape the skin on your upper thigh, although you barely have a moment to check the damage before your attention is drawn back to the battle.
The red dragon roars as it dodges a tremendous bolder flung in its direction, the rock slamming into the lake and shooting up a plume of water almost as tall as the mountain itself.
“You missed Morax!” it mocks as it reorients itself in the sky.
Morax?
Your head quickly snaps back behind you, your eyes widening in awe as your gaze fixes upon the other dragon.
Could this really be the famous Lord of Geo? The Prime of all Adepti in Liyue?
Rumours about his prowess in battle had made this upcoming God a strong contender for the position of Archon, and after seeing him in action you could definitely understand where such claims came from.
“That’s fine,” Morax growls, “There’s plenty more where that came from!”
Another rock materialises in the air and soars across the lake as Morax surges forward, claws outstretched and ready to grab ahold of his opponent once more, only narrowly missing as the red dragon dives down to dodge the attack - snapping its jaws shut around Morax’s tail as he passes.
Morax’s shrill cry of pain echoes as he continues to climb back up towards the clouds, dragging his opponent through the air behind him like the ribbons on a kite before suddenly twisting his serpentine body around to swoop back down to catch his opponent’s neck between his fangs as they plummet back down towards the lake.
You physically recoil when you hear an audible crunch as he clamps down harder with his jaws, snapping the dragon’s vertebrae in one final powerful motion before yanking his head sharply to the left to toss its body back towards the other side of the shore, its lifeless form snapping trees as if they were toothpicks when it rolls and collides with the earth to sets the field alight as it burns away into nothing - a great cloud of ash and smoke billowing across the horizon.
You’ve just witnessed the death of a God…
Just one more foe mercilessly slain in this senseless war, it’s life energy causing tremendous destruction to the land as it seeps into the earth, yet another body to step over on his way to reach Celestia’s prize.
You’re still sitting in the water thrilled, staring up at Morax as he hovers in place looking down upon the destruction left in his wake, when you realise how badly wounded he really is - even from a distance you can see his laboured breathing from the pain and the blood dripping from his fresh wounds into the water below.
He lets out a low rumble as he falters, tilting forward slowly before trying to correct his position again and failing, suddenly losing his sense of self as he begins to glide back towards the shallows to collapse against the shoreline several feet away from the outside of the border where you remain.
At first you feel a sense of blind panic when the water displaces on impact, wondering if he too has succumbed to his injuries and perished, until you hear the rapid yet shallow breaths emanating from this giant creature - his muscles twitching as he tries to muster the energy to push himself back up again.
On shaky legs you try to stand and cautiously make your way towards him, unable to resist your curiosity as you forget all about Qingce’s demands that none within set foot outside its territory - water dripping from your soaked trousers and filling your old worn boots with each uneasy step. Your breath catches in your throat when you arrive at his head, his snake-like amber eyes regard you warily in between slow blinks as if he’s fighting to stay awake so that he can keep an eye on you as you approach.
“You’re hurt…” You whisper, as if it wasn’t already obvious.
If he heard you, Morax offers no reply - instead huffing indignantly as he tries and fails to move his short arms through the sediment built up along the shore to move out of the water, before letting out a low and pained hiss as he resigns himself to coiling up as much as he is able to.
“You can’t stay here,” You warn him. “The Chi -”
In peak condition you’re sure that Qingce, no matter how strong it is, wouldn’t stand a chance against the likes of a God such as Morax. However, he was hardly fit to fight, right now all it would have to do is take advantage of his weakened state to deal a fatal blow.
“The - What are you saying?…” Morax speaks, his gruff voice trailing off as he begins to slip in and out of consciousness. “You shouldn’t see me like this, Mortal…”
“Come on!” You plead, disregarding all caution you previously had, bringing your hand up to weave your fingers through his tangled mane and give it a firm tug. “You have to stay awake and leave.”
Morax pays you no mind, going slack against the shore as you speak, blood beginning to pool in the water around him before his form starts to fade away - his umber scales dissipating into a fine golden dust in the gentle morning breeze, revealing the battered and exposed body of a young human man.
Your throat tightens as you see him lying face down and naked in the silt, his pale skin stark against the mottled bruises and cuts that are spread across his toned upper back, with his long dark hair flowing loose in the water like reeds in the stream.
Slowly, you kneel down in front of him, chest heavy as you gently grip his firm upper arm and push until he rolls onto his side - groaning as his aching muscles stretch.
The wounds on his front seem so much worse now that you’re up close, with large open gashes from the other dragon’s claws and inflamed third degree burns that mark his charred muscles, sand and dirt clinging to his bloodsoaked abdomen.
You dare not glance a moment longer, the grizzly sight making you wince as you feel an uncomfortable sympathetic shiver spread across your body as you try to imagine the incomprehensible amount of pain he must be in.
If he had been mortal, he would already be dead - although you don’t know whether he was lucky to be alive or unfortunate enough that his suffering would be drawn out.
“I will be fine -” He croaks, his human voice much softer than you had expected. “I just need… a moment to rest…”
But whatever time he requires, you can’t have.
You’re suddenly aware of the unnatural rising tide - the cool water lapping at your shins, washing away more of Morax’s blood as the sound of rushing water grows closer with each passing second.
The clash of gods must have drawn the Chi’s attention, and now it’s coming to see what remains.
For a brief moment you panic, contemplating leaving him here so that you can save yourself by sneaking back to the village whilst it’s attention is drawn by the injured God at your side - although you’re not entirely sure that it would be enough to escape Qingce’s ire.
Your scent was all over the area, behind the border and across the line.
It would know that you were here.
“We don’t have a moment.” You grit your teeth, realising that this battered and weakened adeptus may be the only one in the world that you can rely on now. “If I help you, can you stand?”
You feel Morax’s muscles tense under your hand as he senses the Chi’s presence draw nearer, understanding now that you had only been trying to warn him of the danger as the low eldritch rumble of its distant call echoes throughout the plain and sends ripples across the lake.
Carefully, he groans when he slides out from under you and lays flat on his back - his eyes slamming shut as the pain shoots through his core.
“Yes.” He replies, his breaths raspy as he tries to lift his arm and gestures at you to take it.
“Are you sure?” You ask as you avert your gaze and slip your fingers into his bloodied hand and move to grip his forearm to give yourself some leverage.
“I hardly have the luxury of choice.” He scoffs.
“Well then I apologise in advance.“ You grimace, knowing that moving him would probably do his injuries more harm than good.
You watch as Morax takes a deep breath and holds it, bracing himself for the agony that will follow when you use all of your strength to pull him upright. You can only manage to get him into a sitting position before he starts to resist, releasing a strangled cry as he comes to rest his head upon your shoulder.
“Hold -” He chokes out, breath ragged against the crook of your neck.
“I’m sorry…” You whisper, stroking his hair softly. “I’m so sorry -”
“It’s not your fault,” He replies slowly, his voice wracked and hoarse. “I just need -”
The sudden sound of a long and discordant roar rings out from beneath the water, the low and grating song mixed with a piercing guttural growl that travelled faster than the creature that produced it, reverberating through you and sending chills down your spine as you turn to watch the lake.
You can see it in the distance a few hundred metres away, it’s dorsal sail breaching the surface of the water as it swims in your direction, close enough to be visible but far enough away that you still have time if you move quickly.
“Bear with it.” You plead, carefully lifting his arm and pulling it across your shoulders. “You’re a God right? You can take it, I know you can.”
Before Morax can respond, you disregard his excruciating cries and drag his body up as you move to stand. He’s much heavier than you expected, his body dense from muscle weight and limbs weak from exhaustion, so he relies on you to support him as you trudge out of the shallows as fast as you can manage.
“Waterfall -” He grunts as he sucks in air and languidly nods his head towards the left, “Cave.”
You follow his gaze to spot the place up ahead beside the small stone bridge where the water cascades from the ridge above and flows out into the lake, although you cannot seem to find any opening within the rockface.
“Where?” You ask, frantic, conscious of the fact that you can hear the Chi’s approach get closer with each passing second.
“Behind it!” He hisses through his gritted teeth, wincing as you catch him when he stumbles slightly.
Relentlessly you push forwards, the adrenaline surging through your veins makes it easier to ignore how difficult your task is, as your waterlogged clothes and the burden of a God at your side seek to slow you down.
You can hear the sound of water bursting forth behind you as Qingce emerges from the depths of the lake, its serpentine shadow looming overhead when it releases yet another piercing shriek as if to taunt or scare off any opponents it might face. You dare not look back, but for now it seems it’s attention is focused on the charred remains of the opposite side of the shoreline where the red dragon had perished - it’s remaining flames devouring the landscape in its lingering desire to burn eternal.
You don’t let the opportunity it gives you go to waste, pressing onwards as you hear the Chi rear its head back and summon forth a blast of hydro to douse the fires, you arrive at the rockface and force your way through the waterfall as it rushes down and soaks you to the bone.
Morax staggers forwards once you’re across the threshold, the sheer force of the water from above making you both lose balance as you step inside.
“Move” He commands, pushing you aside to turn and face the way that you came from together. Slowly he stands upright, clutching his ribs as he straightens his back; closes his eyes; and takes a deep breath, “Solidify.”
You watch in awe as a surge of Geo bursts force when Morax throws his arms wide, using the very last of his strength to project a golden screen across the entrance of the cave to serve as a barrier.
You barely have the energy to catch him in time as he collapses, his body going limp as he falls backwards against you and begins to slump to the floor. You do your best to ease him down gently, not wanting him to hit his head against the cold cave floor, although you’re not sure if a head wound would stand out against the rest of his grave injuries.
“Will it hold?” You nervously ask him, but receive no reply.
You can still hear the Chi outside, becoming increasingly agitated that it can smell both of you at the shore but is unable to find your trail out of the area. You’re not quite sure how Morax’s barrier works, although it seems that for now it is masking your presence well enough.
“Morax?”
You tentatively push his wet hair out of his face and cup his cheek in your hand, checking to see if he’s still alive as you cradle his body in your arms. He looks inhumanly exhausted, lips pale and eyes hollow after pushing himself beyond his limits, but thankfully you can still feel the warmth of his skin against yours and hear the imperfect breaths rattle in his lungs as his body cries out for rest.
You’d feel guilty now if you woke him, so you decide to trust that what he did was enough.
You look down at the rest of his body again, steeling yourself to assess the damage now that you have a spare moment despite how deeply uncomfortable you are, and are shocked to see that a few of the smaller open wounds have already begun to clot. A sense of relief washes over you when you begin to understand that he must have accelerated healing abilities, although most of his most severe injuries look just as bad as before.
He’s still filthy and bloodied, and lacks any clothing to keep him warm, so you carefully lie him flat against the cave floor and drape your coat over his hips to cover his manhood whilst you set to work trying to find something to clean him off with as best you can.
You stand and look around you, catching sight of the stacks of old wooden crates and sealed earthenware pots that lie at the back of the cave besides an abandoned makeshift campsite. Someone must’ve been using this place to secretly store goods at some point, although the thick layer of dust suggested that they haven’t been back for a long time.
Holding your breath to avoid inhaling a cloud of dust as you pry open one of the jars, you’re surprised to find them full of what appears to be homemade baijiu. You’ve never been much of a drinker, but it’s high alcohol content makes for an ideal disinfectant when you have nothing else to hand. You quickly search through the other crates, retrieving some fine silks from one and discovering a stash of dried foods in another, before you gather up what you have found and bring them back over to Morax to treat him.
“Maybe it’s better you’re not awake for this,” You sigh, tearing off strips of fabric and submerging them in the wine. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”
Morax remains unresponsive, having fallen into a deep and restful sleep as his body begins to recover. You’re not sure if it was possible for his cuts to become infected like a human’s would but you don’t want to run the risk, so you crouch down beside him, swirling your hands into the wine to sanitise and then run a soaked strip of cloth against his aching chest to wash away some of the grime and dried blood.
Your hands begin to shake as you hear the Chi’s low pitched grunts again, although its call sounds further away now as it makes its way downstream - perhaps it assumes that you both fled south and hopes to pick up the trail elsewhere or something else has caught its attention, either way you’re thankful for the brief reprieve.
You know that you can’t stay in this cave forever - the limited supplies that you found may last you a week at best - but until Morax was healed, all you could do is wait.