Work Text:
The goddess of dust sat in the meadow, watching out as she awaited the god descending from Celestia. While they were much older than she, they had not needed to leave those heavens above what the mortals called Teyvat. She felt the wind pick up, sweeping her long hair behind her body, and letting the dandelion seeds fly through the air. The god who descended appeared in the form of a dragon. Not big as a mountain, but small enough to be seen as a friend rather than an enemy. “Hello there,” the goddess smiled sincerely, “I have been awaiting your arrival.” “You have?” they spoke, turning to her. Their body at the moment was obviously much bigger than hers, but she was confident there was something else. “May I indulge in asking you a question?” she says, stepping a bit closer to the dragon in front of her. “You may.” They granted. Their tone seemed gruff, and commanding.
“Do you have a mortal form such as I?” She questioned, looking at all the details on the physique of the being before her. “I do.” They nodded, before their body changed to something more resembling a human. He stood before her, his body naked but not vulnerable. His hair was brown, and had something like a rattail at the end. She was sure there was some traditional name for it, but it could not come to mind. The ends of his hair were dipped in a darkened gold color. His arms and legs were a dark obsidian color, except at the hands and feet which were a beautiful golden shade. There were cracks on the gold throughout the black, which all connected to a symbol of geo on his upper back. His eyes were a burning amber color, which could intimidate even the strongest of opponents. “What is your name, if I may know it?” the goddess asked, reaching a hand out to him.
“My.. name?” He asked, thinking for a moment. “What is my name?” In truth, she had known from the moment she stepped into the field, those in Celestia speaking to her as she awaited the arrival. “Your name is Morax; To delay, to stop.” “Morax..” He rolled the name over his tongue. “Yes, Morax is your name. Mine, if you wish to know, is Guizhong. Guī, to return. Zhōng, to depart.” She smiled softly. “Guizhong.” He nodded, and took up her hand. “I was sent an ensemble for you to wear once you’ve arrived.” Guizhong spoke as she walked with him through the grass. Morax nodded, looking around the plains of Teyvat as they went along. They reached a small gazebo, where there was a folded pile of clothes, a glass vase with flowers, and a small flute. She let go of his hand, dissipating the warm surrounding it, before she held the clothes out to him. “Please, dress. I wish to see what was picked for you.”
The god simply nodded again, and began to dress. It was white, with no sleeves. And yet there was a hood. The outfit seemed to fit his mortal body perfectly. “Beautiful.” She spoke fondly, “I take it you will not spend much time in this peaceful life among the flowers?” “I will not,” He says, looking out to the horizon that wasn’t covered by mountains, “I feel I have a duty to fill.”
“Once you finish, do you promise to return to me?”
“Yes, I promise. This will be my first spoken contract. I will return.”
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
Guizhong had lost count of the years separating her time with Morax. She knew it was many over a thousand, and spent her time with the mortals of Teyvat. She learned their ways, their traditions, and became someone important to these people. But, that didn’t stop her from hearing of Morax. He was known as a merciless general in battle, and had hired strong adepti to work for and with him in exchange for time to work out their karmic debt. And while he was known to be merciless, he was also benevolent. She knew this much, even if she’d only been around the god for less than an hour before his parting.
She was made aware of his travel towards the plains weeks before he actually started heading over. She waited at her gazebo, looking out among the grass as she awaited the promised arrival of the Lord. She felt the wind pick up, just as it had the first day, and he came from the sky in the form of that of a dragon. He changed, though, back to the form of a mortal man before he began walking towards the pavilion. “Morax!” Guizhong smiled, standing and heading out of the shade as she came up to him. She graced him with a hug, not tight but not loose, as if she’d been longing for his arrival. “Hello, Guizhong.” He spoke to her, his tone a bit softer than it was when they had first met. He did not seem to return the hug, but only simply because he did not understand the gesture. “I’ve awaited you for so long, I’ll have you know.” She looked up to him, her face still happy as it had been all those years ago. “I know.” He softly chuckled, and moved her arms from his body. “I have a present for you. Something I’m sure you have not seen even with your many years of traveling.” She took up his hand and began walking with him.
This feeling was inviting, and it brought a warmth to his chest. He felt comfortable for the first time in so many years. “Where are you taking me?” He asked her as he looked at her, and not the scenery. “It’s a surprise, Morax. Be patient.” She chuckled, looking at him for a moment before keeping her eyes forward. He gave a small huff in response, but didn’t say anything. This only made her laugh more, pulling him to walk beside her instead of trailing behind like a lost child.
“Must I be patient? I’ve waited for the time to come back to you for over a thousand years.” Morax said, walking beside her. “And I have waited just as long.” She chuckled and laid her head against his arm as they walked. Another warm feeling.
They walked for around forty minutes before arriving in a meadow, where the glaze lilies were. “Have you seen a glaze lily in full bloom, Morax?” Guizhong asks, standing still as she looked out, “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for the mortals, and sometimes it doesn’t even happen then. They only bloom once they’ve been serenaded every afternoon at sunset.” “Is that what you have been doing in my absence?” Morax questioned as he looked in awe, the flowers beautiful in the field.
The goddess simply nodded, and walked down the slope of the hill they were apparently on. There was a small blanket with a wicker basket on top of it. “A picnic?” Morax chuckled lightly. “Indeed. Does this amuse you?” She sat with him, picking a lily from beside her and placing it in her hair. “No, not at all. It was just unexpected.” Morax shook his head lightly. “Good.” She smiled, and reached into the basket. She pulled out two wine glasses, and a bottle of a dark red wine. “This is Osmanthus Wine, made from the Sweet Osmanthus flower. The mortals seem to enjoy it, and I wished for you to try it as well.”
Morax glanced at the bottle, thinking for a moment, “I’ll have a taste.” “Lovely.” She smiled and opened the bottle, pouring some into each glass before handing one to the god beside her. He smelt the wine, taking in it’s oddly sweet smell, before he drank some. It was smooth, and sweet. It did anything but dry his throat as well. A soft smile appeared on his face from the taste. “So you do enjoy it. Is that a smile I see from the merciless Morax himself?” Guizhong teased him, poking his arm. He rolled his eyes playfully, and chuckled some, “Can’t I be happy to be in the warm graces of my friend?” “Oh, you flatter me.” She smiled, “Let us enjoy the rest of the day.”
They sat together, sharing their stories, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. By the time the sun had set, they were both still in the meadow of glaze lilies, watching the faint glow of the fireflies around them. “Morax?” Guizhong broke their comfortable silence. He had been staring at the stars, his mind adrift. “Hm?” He hummed, looking at her. She was still staring up at the stars. “I wish to build a city with you.” She spoke, a faint smile visible on her face in the dark. “These people are scared, and so they try to learn more. This I can understand. If we build a city for them to stay in, they can prosper and thrive as a people.”
He fell silent, still looking at her for a few moments, his amber eyes seeming to glow a bit just like the fireflies. “A city? Would we be the rulers?” “Of course” She nodded, “But I have heard of your acts of good, and I have witnessed it myself. I know you would be a lovely ruler. With your brawn and my brains, this city will truly be a great one.”
“Do you truly believe in our abilities?”
“With us together, there will be nothing that can stop us.”
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
The city prospered under their rule, and they named it Liyue. The plains where they had placed it were called GuiLi Plains, based on the names the mortals knew them as. Though Guizhong never changed her name, Morax let the mortals call him Zhongli. Zhong, meaning clock. And Li, meaning leave. There was a superstition between clocks and death at the time, so he found the name fitting.
Many years into their rule, the Archon war broke through. Morax and Guizhong protected their city from the other gods, and fought bravely. However, the goddess did not survive. She was stabbed straight through, with a weapon made to kill the gods. Morax cradled her bleeding body, and she died among her favorite flowers. The glaze lilies. In order to keep everyone safe, Morax moved the city of Liyue to the south of Mt. Tianheng, far away from GuiLi Plains, where it was named Liyue Harbor. He returned to his original draconic form, and formed a contract with the city that he would protect them, before returning to Celestia. He did not stay in Teyvat except for the Rite of Descension, when he would visit the city of Liyue.
That is, until a few years ago. The name Zhongli had been long forgotten as an alias of the god, so he simply walked around Liyue going by that title. He was simply seen as a strange man, whose past was unknown. He worked as a funeral consultant for Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He was the only one who knew of the true traditions of Liyue, and nobody questioned it.
He was taking a walk through the city, listening to the people around him as he did daily. He looked at the vendors and shops as well, seeing if there was something of value. He saw nothing other than gems he couldn’t afford, before his eyes fell upon the flower vendor. Front and center, in a small glass vase, was a single glaze lily in full bloom. He walked over to the vendor. “How much is the glaze lily selling for?” He asks, adjusting the gloves on his hands as he looked. He wore clothes that covered his whole body, even though Liyue was much hotter than GuiLi Plains. The weather didn’t bother him, so he wore the covering clothes so he didn’t expose his identity as the god, Morax. “500 Mora.” The vendor says. Zhongli nodded, and placed a bag on the counter “Keep the rest of it. I simply wish for the lily.” he spoke, getting a nod from the vendor who snatched up his money.
Zhongli took the glaze lily from the vase, before he continued his walk. He made his way into Mt. Tianheng, before he found a place to sit and look out at the view. He carefully placed the lily into his hair, and smiled faintly as his vision became blurry. Tears. Oh, how long it had been since he’d truly cried. The pressure was all built up in his chest and head, so much so that this was the biggest relief he’d had in a long time.
The glaze lily had been harvested so much it was becoming extinct in this day and age. He had not seen one in full bloom for thousands of years. This was an important moment to him.
“This city truly is a great one.”
And, he could almost hear in response;
“I told you it would be.”
End.