Chapter Text
Teyvat was known as the Land of Archons. As all seven of the country's major regions worshiped a different powerful elemental dragon as a god. The country was home to many dragon breeds that ranged from impressive ten headed leviathans to miniscule butterfly sized lizards. However only a few had any magical abilities, and these were the creatures most worshiped.
Until recently, the region of Snezhnaya, was ruled over by a powerful dragon known as the Ice Maker. A hydra blessed with icy breath and cursed with a frozen heart. It took it's status of a god to oppress and terrorize the people who gave it's title. About one hundred years ago, it was thought the dragon couldn't be subdued, that is when the first Harbinger of the Fatui Clan appeared from the shadows and struck the beast down.
Freedom came at a price, though for the people of Snezhnaya. With Ice Maker dead, many more powerful dragons tried to take over her now vacant hunting grounds. The Fatui were more than happy to offer their services, in order to protect the innocents of the region, however with a different price in mind.
As the years passed the Fatui became the ruling class of Snezhnaya. Those unable to pay their taxes would be subject to a collection fee. Be it a punishment of humiliation, such as climbing one of their many mountains with nothing but a thin blanket as protection from the cold winds, or becoming the bait for the next hunting party. The Fatui always found away to get paid their dues.
One such collection fee, was a young boy pulled from the slave pens of a merchant, who was dodging both his taxes and licensing fees. He was born into slavery, his parents long traded away. As much as he should of been grateful for the change in ownership, the child couldn't shake the feeling he may of been happier being some whipping boy of a lazy farmer.
The Fatui gave him the name of Tartaglia Childe. Referred to only as Childe by his associates within the Fatui and those that would eventually employ him. He was trained to become a Harbinger, a specialist in assassination and extermination of highly dangerous beasts that threatened mankind. Most notably dragons.
The training was about survival, not just learning. His teachers didn't care how many bones he snapped or how much blood he lost. A dragon wouldn't care, and he needed to embrace that reality. He nearly froze, burned, even starved to death, trying to perfect his skill. He wasn't weak and nothing was to shatter his resolve. One day would come where he would be tasked will the ultimate prize, the honor of slaying an elemental Archon and earning his right to true freedom from his debt to his masters.
~
"A contract?" Childe looked up from the gold trimmed scroll, his superior had given him. It was made of very expensive materials and was originally sealed in an ornate box.
"As you know, the Fair Lady has completed her mission in Mondstat." Scaramouche, a seasoned hunter within the upper ranks, responded in an annoyed tone. "However her... let's say, quest, was rather harrowing to say the least. We ended up losing not only one, but two newly promoted Harbingers. Probably wanted to impress her or something, I don't care. The point is, The Tsaritsa has granted you a promotion to become a Harbinger. You'll be the eleventh of our rankings, which means you can request assistance from the twelfth and command a small unit of underlings to collect your debts. Congratulations, and whatever..."
"Oh? Then who is going to be the twelfth?" Childe asked. "Certainly they could help me with this contract."
"There isn't one." Scaramouche smirked. "Out of all the candidates, you are the only one that didn't die or go AWOL, when training to become a true dragon slayer. It will take years to train another group of street curs, into proper killing machines. So, you are on your own. Please don't get killed, I would be so upset."
With that the shorter man walked off. The chill of his utter disdain for his simple task of delivery, quickly followed him out of the room.
Childe sighed and put the contract down on his desk. Lighting a few more candles, he began to go over the details. Thankfully the Fatui taught even their slaves to read.
The contract was from an anonymous person in Liyue. They wanted him to travel to it's famous harbor city named after the region it was the capital of. There he was to slay a dragon known as The Gem of Liyue, a Morax. A hefty bounty was also promised with half already claimed by the Fatui.
Grabbing one of the many bestiaries that were on the shelf near where he was sitting, Childe looked up this dragon. Morax was considered the grandfather of Liyue's rare Treasure Weasels, a strange draconian being more related to warm blooded mammals than the cold blooded reptiles, dragons usually resemble. The species is thought of as extinct, as they were hunted for their golden scales that were melted down into Mora, Teyvat's offical currency. No one knows how long a Morax lives and one hasn't been seen in over three thousand years.
The Gem of Liyue, was a rumor that the Fatui investigated over a decade ago. They even established an official bank that doubled as an embassy in the harbor, looking for evidence of this hidden creature. Nothing they could find proved it's existence and the locals seemed keen on selling them weasel pelts, claiming them to be Moraxes.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Childe leaned back and touched his forehead. "They must be hazing me or something. No way does this thing even exist still..."
He looked out the small window of his room. Snowy peaks and snow covered feilds, stared back at him. Snezhnaya, was a cold region and one unforgiving at that. Humanity only managed to live there because the people were stubborn and just as bitter. The weak could never survive such a place. A person from Liyue, one of the most tropical places in Teyvat, would freeze solid in an instant, if they dare cross the border.
Pouring himself a glass of cheap Snezhnaya vodka and downing it in one go, he placed the glass down hard and got up. Scaramouche had brought him an entirely new outfit, one that would divide him from the rest of Snezhnaya's monster hunting army, and some other things he would need to take on his journey. Placing the new mask over his face, he left his dormitory and headed towards the stables.