Chapter Text
A cool autumn breeze wove its way through the grassy fields; the wildflowers buffeted with its harsh tug, and blades of grass—then warmed by overhead sunlight—pulled with its cold anemo grasp.
In these times, flowers were plentiful, villages were simple; the land had not known the horrors of war, the feeling of crimson blood stained the soil beneath, the thunderous cacophony of cracking bedrock, and the tremor of earth being torn asunder.
Not yet, anyway.
One Adeptus, a Guardian Lion of some repute amongst the mortals of local villages, wandered the rolling hills. Known to some as the hero of Lisha, they often spent their time and energy expelling elemental beings that plagued human civilizations. Beasts of legend were struck down by this Guardian Lion, never to rise again.
As most Adepti chose to ignore the humans' existence, they were alone in this duty. Their peers often believed that the short lived creatures held as much value as a butterfly; the Guardian Lion would beg to differ, but it was not wise to waste breath on ignorant and narrow sighted recipients.
…But this was their duty, the reason they existed, the purpose for their power and ability. To do otherwise would be…
They winced as they felt a twinge of malcontent from the spirit sitting in the crown of their soul. A hand pressed against their head, a sharp inhale upon the appearance of unexpected pain.They forced the musing train of thought out of their mind; of course, they would never be free from this spirit's thrall. Such silence invited wishful thinking.
The Guardian Lion took a deep breath, exhaling as they faced the Lihua pools in an attempt to ground themselves. Their ears twitched at a distant reverberation.
"That's enough!" Each word is sharp and distinct.
The voice sounded… feminine and defiant. Honing their ears, they listened, hearing the rumbling of heavy footsteps, the digging of large claws, and the growling of an agitated beast. Sensing the elemental energy in the shout's direction—as clear as smoke from a signal fire—they turned towards their next objective.
Hand gripping their jade dao, they began their sprint.
…
Speeding ahead, the plains they passed were a blur as the scene before them came into view: a village with its stone walls torn down, villagers leveling their longbows, and frantic shouts from inside the barriers as they prepared for an attack.
The attacker, an intimidating beast, towering over the wall. It stood on four thick legs, digging its claws deep into the ruptured ground beneath it. Electro energy thrums underneath its spines, electrifying the air, painting the creature's skin a dull violet. In the creature's massive maw rows of jagged teeth jutted out from its stained gums, saliva dripping from its lips. From its throat, a bone rattling growl shook the ground beneath it.
In between the village and the beast, stood the source of the voice that had captured the Guardian Lion's attention. A short person of a thicker and softer feminine stature, with long billowing sleeves coming from her wrists as she placed them threateningly on her hips. She held a convincing scowl aimed at the beast. "You will not terrorize these people!"
The beast growled and stepped one step forward, mouth opening to unleash the electro energy that was forming in its gullet. The person flung her arms down, then raised them at her sides until her hands were over her head as if lifting a massive boulder. The earth beneath the beast crackled and groaned, an earthquake threatening to down the beast or throw it off balance.
Its stance faltered, but it was too big to shake. Regaining its composure, it glowered at the person. The beast raised its arm to swiftly lunge at the woman, with huge talon-like claws that could very well bore a hole into solid obsidian. It struck—
SHH-NK-!
The beast wailed, screaming as it was countered, a blade plunged directly between its ribs. With one hand gripping its offending paw and the other stabbing a jade dao directly into its heart, the Guardian Lion held the beast from executing its powerful strike. It continued to whine pitifully as it thrashed about, desperately trying to dislodge the weapon from its chest. The Guardian Lion bared their teeth and twisted the blade, using their shoulder and weight to throw the beast off of their dao. Pulling the blade out, crimson red stained their hands and their blade; hearing a grim crunching sound as the metal scraped against the beast's bones. Blade now free, they swiftly struck, aiming their elbow at the beast's exposed neck, they stomped. The blow held enough raw force to break its jaw and split its spine. A second strike followed suit, elbow at its throat; a sharp slice with precision as its aim, slit the beast's throat open.
Staggering back, it gurgled. Trying to grip its neck in pain, red globs of blood streaming thickly out of its throat. The beast crumbled into the dirt, muscles twitching and tensing.
… They looked the creature over.
The beast was paralyzed, whimpering as it twitched in place. Its eyes were wide open and terrified, looking at the one who brutally crippled it. Laying
The Guardian Lion looked down, counting on their fingers the number of fatal wounds. "Hm. Not enough." They sighed and sheathed their dao, then walked up to the beast. It wriggled pitifully with blood oozing out of its neck and chest. And...
"W—wait! What are you going t—to do?" The long sleeved person from earlier called out.
"...Put it out of its misery," they answered simply, gaze flicking over to the billowing sleeved lady.
She hummed. "Good... can you do it more..." She trailed off as if she felt embarrassed to ask.
"...Quietly?" They suggested, guessing her intent.
She nodded, stepping forward, holding her hands together hopefully.
The Guardian Lion looked at the beast, whimpering in pain but no longer thrashing. It was abundantly clear that the creature would be a danger no longer... However, it was also clear the beast would not survive past the night.
Driven by the Guardian Spirit's intense instinctive desire to destroy the corrupt, they had prepared to cave the creature's head in...
But instead, they straightened their back, took a deep breath in… then a deep exhale as they loosened their fist and walked towards the writhing beast, grabbing its head with both hands.
"..." The Guardian stared into the creature's hazy eyes, it was slowly losing awareness. They closed their eyes and spoke softly, their voice steady. " Cease(罷). "
As soon as the simple word was spoken, the creature's body went limp, sinking into the field to slowly disintegrate into ashes beneath their hands. Flakes spilled between their fingers, the creature losing shape like a shifting sand shoal.
...
The ashes of a lost creature's life were whisked away by the wind and spread through the land.
The warrior sighed, looking at their hands, covered in the thick, warm, and sticky crimson blood. Staring at the thin layer of ash coating the wet fingertips, their face holds an expression of solemn resignation.
Their fingers curled into the palms of their hands, trembling as they pulled their arms closer to themselves. I am not an animal... I have the ability to end lives in a less gruesome way. They reminded themselves.
As the last of the ashes drifted away, horns were blown and gongs were banged. Cheers from the humans who raced out of the village gates, ushering in the woman with shouts of praise and talks of a feast.
"Come, Guardian Lion! A feast for you and the Lord of Dust's honor!" A human called the Guardian Lion. They stood, wiping their dao's blade off on a cloth at their hip. Then turning to follow the crowd whisking the lord towards the feast.
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The feast lasted long into the night, filled with various mountain and land delicacies, roasted duck, bird’s nest soup, filled with fragrant flowers giving heavenly aromatic scents. The farmers and gatherers and morning workers retired early, eventually leaving just the day guards drinking the night away, shouting cheers to the two gracious souls that saved them.
The warrior was used to these sorts of banquets, often being held in their honor. They see little point to these celebrations, it was their duty to protect, why should that be celebrated? After dozens of invitations, dozens of frowning human faces at their refusal, and dozens of packs of children begging them to attend; they could not find it in their heart to deny them. With wine flowing and laughter roaring, it was a comfortable moment of existence.
It wasn't long after the morning workers retired that the Guardian Lion snuck away, they stepped out onto the main dirt path. Peering into the distance at the pale moon and feeling the midnight air in their massive mane of hair.
Their ear twitched and they turned to look at who was approaching. It was the woman from before–the Lord of Dust, as the locals called her.
"I hope you weren't planning on leaving yet... I wanted to thank you for your aid earlier, I am not sure how much could have been lost had you not stepped in” she said as she walked up, wringing her hands somewhat nervously. "Um... I'm not sure how to repay you exactly." Her face was relatively flushed, either from embarrassment or the alcohol she had consumed. Perhaps both.
The Guardian Lion fully turned to look at her. "Repay me? No need, it is my responsibility,” they dismissed.
"Still! Um, let's start somewhere. I am Guizhong; Lord of Dust,” she said, looking a bit sheepish.
A growl rumbled the back of their throat. "The God of Dust, supposedly a wise god,” they mused. “Though I would say that facing an elemental beast with nary a weapon in hand may not be considered wise."
She sighed, her shoulders falling as she exhaled. "Nothing gets past you. Not my best moment… I’ll admit."
"So, what occurred to put you in that situation?"
Guizhong was contemplating, a soft hum accompanying her thoughts. "I... I suppose I was taken off guard. I was conversing with the mortals manning the gate when the beast approached. I have some elemental power so I was hoping I would be able to scare it off."
The Guardian Lion nodded. "Mmm…" then proceeded to look to the side. "If it weren't starving for ley line energy, it might have listened."
She paused, brows furrowing in mild confusion. Then relaxing to a softer expression of curiosity, she peered at this tall Adeptus. "How did you know it was starving for ley line energy?"
"Its movements. It was desperate and aggressive. Despite the display of power you showed, it called your bluff. Most predators would back off if their prospective prey seemed more trouble than it was worth,” they explained, ambiently pulling their mane free of the creature's dried blood. "Plus, it was failing to infuse elemental energy in any of its attacks,” they added.
Lord Guizhong was now stroking her long silver hair over her shoulder, looking curiously at the Guardian Lion. "You are observant, though I do believe you did not give it much of a chance to show off its attacks,” she snickered, using her sleeve to cover her grin.
A pause hung in the air. Then the Guardian Lion made a low, gravelly sound in the back of their throat and looked away, seemingly lost in thought.
"Ah." They perked up, startled out of their stoic trance; they turned to walk towards the God of Dust. "My apologies. I am the Guardian Lion, you may call me Jianwei."
"Oh! Jianwei..." Guizhong smiled softly, looking up at them as they moved closer. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." She bowed gracefully.
Jianwei huffed an incredulous laugh. "I do not believe a God would bow to me in this situation."
Guizhong sang a soft tone of amusement, standing up straight and looking to the side. Unsure of how to proceed, she peered into the empty air between herself and the lion adeptus beside them. Guizhong was casting shy glances up towards their face.
The night breeze moved the grass in waves, whispering tones of the night. The stars and moon twinkled above them, casting a pale light on the pair.
Silence...
Jianwei took a moment, starting to form a thought, before taking a moment to collect, then trying again. "Most would not step in to protect a mortal village, finding them a waste of time and energy," Jianwei said, looking solemnly in the distance. A tense pause, then they turned their gaze to Guizhong. "Why did you, God of Dust, choose to aid this village?"
Guizhong wrung her hands together, taking a deep breath in, then out in a huff. Shoulders untensing and face changing from strained to relaxed as she released her anxieties. She then stepped forward to join them as they looked on to the distance. "Well... because they fascinate me." Her slender fingers plucked a rapidly forming glaze lily made from dust particles between her thumb and forefinger. Though made from tiny fragments, it moved as if it were real in her hand. "So fragile, yet so vibrant... for ones with such short lifespans, they do a great many things."
She cupped the dust blossom in her hands.
"I would like to know what they could do if they were protected and allowed the freedom to grow and thrive on their own."
The Guardian Lion looked down at the small dust blossom. "Hmm... They are interesting.” Jianwei agreed. “Weak, but can achieve seemingly impossible feats through sheer willpower alone."
"Yes! With so many goals and such short lives, they grow so quickly but achieve so much... I would like to see where that leads,” she enthused, the dust flower having lost its form in her excitement as she pulled her arms close to her chest. "So many menial lives, so many menial tasks, yet they already severely outnumber the Adepti. Given a few more centuries, they very well may surpass Adepti achievements."
Jianwei tilted their head, a small smile marking their face; amused at this small God's excitement and theories, "Their lifespans are short, but I have met many a human who were quite skilled in their crafts. They adapt quicker and easier than an Adeptus. I find their lives to be quite meaningful." They paused, “And very much worth protecting"
"Mmm... What about you? The villagers clearly knew you, or of you. You aren't much stranger than myself when it comes to involving yourself with mortals," Guizhong questioned as she pulled her arms closer to her chest, intrigued by her current company.
"It is my responsibility, my duty. To protect the weak and conquer the corrupt. " They sighed, curling up their arm, and clenching their fist, before letting go. "Sometimes in rushes of pure adrenaline, "I" do things to the supposed corrupt without thinking of the morality of the action."
"..." Guizhong looked at them with a concerned expression.
"...I'm glad you stopped me... so... thank you," Jianwei admitted, looking at Guizhong.
She bowed. "My words are worth less than your heroic actions..." She looked to the side, her hand cupping her face. "To be truthful, sometimes I worry of how good of a god I am… and how good I will be." The pale moonlight and the cool lily scented breeze convinced her to air her grievances.
Jianwei breathed in and out, turning to face her, stopping when they noticed a scratch on her face. They licked their thumb, then ran it across a small beading scar on Guizhong's face. Healing it quietly. "Sometimes... Intentions are everything." They spoke softly, pulling their hand away from the divine.
Guizhong's face was stunned, and warm as she pressed the spot that was just healed.
They pointed their claw at their own cheek. "You were bleeding."
Guizhong stood there, heart drumming, taking notice of just how gentle the giant of an adeptus was with that movement. They made sure that only the soft part of their thumb came in contact with her face, avoiding scratching her with the long, obtrusive talons on the ends of their fingers. "I... Thank you..."
Jianwei nodded, shifting to give the god a comfortable distance... They glanced at her. "...Do you have any under your banner?"
"Huh? ... I suppose you mean like believers, or adepti pledged to my cause?" She expounded. "I am but a fledgeling god, I have believers, but no one pledged under me."
The Guardian Lion made a noise of acknowledgement, seemingly in thought... Silence settled between them.
Then they straightened their back, and turned to face the God of Dust. Pulling out their jade dao, they kneel and plunge their blade into the ground.
"Then let me be the first." They declared, a warm draft and soft glow coming from them as they began speaking. "By the Guardian Spirit that I host in my soul and body, I pledge my loyalty to the God of Dust, Lord Guizhong. For it is my belief that her will and intentions align with that of my will and the spirit's will." Their head was bowed.
She was shocked, looking at this Guardian Lion with wide eyes. Stunned to silence.
In that silence, Jianwei continued. "Should you accept this pledge. I shall be by your side and protect and care for you as my primary objective. For protecting you would protect those in need of aid and guardianship. Do you accept my plea?"
Her eyes were misty, taking a minute of digesting this pledge. Before placing her hand on the Guardian Lion's hand of which rested on the dao's pommel. A breeze blowing at her back as she peered down at them, golden leaves rustling, then settling in the cool night.
"I, Guizhong, accept your plea."