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i.
The young man fell to his knees. The chains that bound his wrists to this nightmare crash to the ground. His eyes were screwed shut, wondering if his captor finally paid him a visit and ended his suffering, ending his slavish duty of devouring dreams. He waited for the end, but the end never came.
There’s a shuffling of clothes, and he could feel another’s breath upon his face.
“Open your eyes.”
The stranger’s voice was deep. Calming. It echoed within the empty spaces of his body, but the tremors aren’t like those of an earthquake, but more akin to the gentle rubble of a falling tower of pebbles. It reminded him of sweet dreams, the ones where he wished he could stay a little longer before violently extracting them from their heads.
And so, he opened his eyes.
He’s met with a most unusual sight and something like fear strikes him. For he was gazing at the face of Rex Lapis. No one else would have those amber eyes, the eyes that have seen felled gods and goddesses, the eyes that have seen millennia pass without even blinking. He had only seen him from afar, plunging his polearm into the hearts of his enemies and throwing entire mountains at unwavering towns.
“Do you have a name?”
A name?
He could not respond, for a name was foreign to him, but Rex Lapis took this as an answer.
“Your name will be Xiao, if that is amenable to you. In the fables of another world, the name Xiao is that of a spirit who encountered great suffering and hardship. He endured much suffering, as you have. Use this name from now on 1 .” The god stepped back, revealing the bloody corpse of his enslaver. “You are free to do whatever you wish. I heard of your exploits, Devourer of Dreams, but you cannot be held responsible. This is your chance for freedom.”
The name echoed in his head. Xiao. Xiao. Xiao. Mountain Demon. So it was then. A fitting name for one that does not deserve even the promise of redemption. He barely registered the dead body as he left the realm with Rex Lapis, still keeping his head down for a lowly beast such as him who cannot directly look at the face of a god.
Xiao’s voice was raspy when he spoke. “What do you want in return?”
Rex Lapis stopped and turned towards him. He instantly shrank away and averted his gaze, despite knowing that the god probably meant no harm. If he did, then Xiao would’ve been obliterated with his former master just now. Since Morax saved him, Xiao considered him his new master, of sorts.
“In return?” Rex Lapis stared at him owlishly. “In return for what?”
“Saving me.”
At this, the lord of Geo scratched his chin. “I am rebuilding Liyue, and many of its people have been displaced. Entire cities were destroyed, their gods dead.” He paused, and briefly looked away from Xiao, an indescribable emotion on his face. Sadness? Regret? “The people need to be unified, so the nation can be strong again, but I cannot do it without help. Will you serve as its protector?”
The adeptus was taken aback by the weight of the request. He gripped his polearm a little tighter, turning his attention towards his hands. The marks of the chains were still present. Xiao saw it as a chance of redemption, to at least do some good before – before whatever happens to adepti when they die. He did not believe he was deserving of such a chance, but Rex Lapis saw differently. Was he aware of what Xiao did while under his former master? Would he have him executed instead of saved?
An even more intriguing question – did he know about the weight of Xiao’s crimes and still offered? He mentioned that he had heard of them, but did he know ?
He did not dare ask these, but he humbly accepted the proposition with a simple nod.
Living a life of peace was no longer an option for him, so he would seek redemption through purposeful violence, and he’ll perform this duty until the end of his days.
“I would be honored, my lord,” Xiao replied, tilting his head down.
Morax released a contented hum. “So it is then. You would not be alone in this arduous task. Many other adepti have sworn that they will do the same. Mountain Shaper, Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver… even the young Ganyu. Beings like you, the Yakshas, have also been called… I’m sure you will get along well.”
Xiao attached heavy doubt to that statement. It's been centuries since he had a positive interaction with his fellow yakshas, but under the stone cold gaze of the Adeptus Prime, they could not step a toe out of line despite their fierce nature. The rest of the adepti he was vaguely familiar with. They established the foundation for Liyue, fashioning the sky and ground from their power and ensuring that the land stayed beautiful and strong for the millenia to come. The only name he did not recognize was that of “Ganyu”. He had never heard of such an entity.
They continued walking for some more time, but soon enough, the salty scent of the ocean hit his nostrils after a long stretch of plains. They stopped here, dust nipping at their shoes and clothes. There was nothing here but a solemn stele by the water and curiously, accompanying the ocean, a perfume of glaze lilies. Rex Lapis continued walking, but Xiao stayed behind. He knew what that stele represented. Monster that he was, he respected the god’s privacy.
As he waited, the sound of a crowd caught his ears. Horses snorted and kicked up dust. Women holding hands of their tired children and men carrying the burden of what was left of their homes. Ah. These must be the people of the Guili Assembly. There were Morax’s people.
Among the crowd, were a few of the aforementioned adepti, walking side by side with the mortals. At the front, there was a young lady with periwinkle hair and a bow slung over her back. The most striking feature were her horns: red streaked with an even darker red. Xiao furrowed his eyebrows at the sight of her. Where had he seen this before? It wouldn’t matter anyway; the closer the group came towards him, the farther he moved away. Mortals and him and other adepti did not mix well, especially after he devoured their dreams. They wouldn’t be able to remember what he looked like, but they would be able to remember his essence.
So, he silently watched from afar. It seemed that they already knew that their god would be here and settled down onto the plain. A few of the adepti began to scout the area. They probably knew of his existence now, but they didn’t show any signs of it if they did.
Morax returned - to him first - back slightly hunched over. There was a weathered look to him, wrinkles on his brow and on the corners of his eyes.
“Xiao,” he exhaled, “Why don’t you join them?”
The people, upon noticing that their god had returned, had picked up their belongings and were making their way towards them with great haste. Trapped between Morax’s orders and the incoming threat of socialization, Xiao had no choice but to accept.
“They are without homes and stability,” the boy said. “Where are they going to settle?”
Rex Lapis wryly smiled and turned his gaze over yonder. “South of Mt. Tianheng.”
ii.
The people of Liyue lived in peace having no reason to lock their doors, for the Yakshas, and the Adepti, and the Lord of Geo watched over them. They were ignorant of the churning remnants of the old gods, the gods that were defeated in the Archon War who still remembered their defeat and sought revenge against Rex Lapis.
They were charged with the thankless task of keeping these remnants in check, hurling the might of the elements.
There were five of them in total - Alatus, Bosacius, Indarias, Bonanus, and Menogias - representing all the elements except for Cryo and Dendro. They were all illuminated beasts, none alike in temperament, but alike in purpose – to purge Liyue of malevolent spirits and wayward gods that remained after the war, as well as to protect its people. Xiao was the youngest of all of them, and the closest one to Rex Lapis, but he still found it difficult to connect with the people in particular.
No matter. His duty did not lie with emotional fulfillment but to suppress the uprisings of dead gods – and he fulfilled his duty with silent applause. Each of the Yakshas, the most fearsome of all their kind, covered the ever-so-expanding areas of Liyue.
It was a harsh life, but a necessary one. Xiao had previously no inclination to interact with mortals because of his sins and general deposition, but after caving in to the pleas of a young girl who wanted to show her village the “hero” who saved her… yet another story ends in tragedy. His karmic debt proved to be a hindrance in Xiao’s desire to live a “normal” life. The death of his former master was one of many binds severed; the possibility of freedom becoming a dimming star with each passing day. When Rex Lapis told him to join the now ancestral people of the Liyue, his presence called many of the crowd to develop blisters and burns.
In fact, it was this karmic debt, much to the horror of Xiao and the adepti, which caused their demise. One by one, they fell into terrible deaths: mournful thrusts to the heart, arrows flying through the air in a sharp concerto, swaths of fire illuminating the last moments of their fleeting consciousness and not even the balm of sanity to offer them. Xiao had personally… defeated two, but he should know better than adepti, no matter how weak, never stay dead.
Each fallen Yaksha placed a greater burden on him, almost like another karmic bind in addition to the ones he already had. A great and terrible anger saturated his soul; but what could Xiao do? He was bound by contract. He was the Slayer of Demons, whether it be the monsters that still plagues Liyue, his fellow Yakshas, or himself.
The last possibility became more of a certainty the longer he walked on the earth. He couldn’t, wouldn’t, tell the other adepti about this consumption, about this corruption. He didn’t want the last thing he saw be their pitying eyes, of empty promises telling him that he could rest now. He didn’t want their pity or promises while he still had himself.
How foolish of Morax to enlist the help of such temporary beings in a never-ending war. How foolish of Xiao to think he could escape his destiny.
The fateful night went like this:
Xiao had placed himself far, far away from the rest of the adepti as he felt the weight of his sins overwhelm him. A great and terrible pain rippled through his body, pulling on the seams of his flesh, fragile mortal vessel and revealing his true form underneath the trappings of pleasantries - but even this form started to disintegrate. The karmic chains pulled and pulled on his sanity and soon enough, the adeptus called Xiao would no longer exist.
He writhed upon the ground but for some reason, he still fought back. For some reason , the will to live and continue kept him anchored onto this plane. It was this small scrap of hope that didn’t immediately spell the end for his existence. He wondered if his fellow yakshas had that same scrap while they succumbed to their debt. Was it this painful for them? How fast did they surrender? What were they fighting for? Who were they living for? The last one he put to rest - their last message to him was in the form of a wistful smile and teary eyes - before Xiao delivered the final blow to the heart.
There would be no final blow for him.
And he was right.
The sound of a flute broke the trance, and he was suddenly aware of the cool night’s breeze upon his skin. The full moon shone bright, burning away the hold of the karmic debt, but it could not show him the source of the melody. The scrap of hope turned into a ledge, and Xiao found himself gripping onto it and hauling himself up, anger fading, his mortal glamor revitalizing itself. His heart beat slowed; he rolled onto the soft, dewy grass of the marsh - panting, crying - the will to live having healed him. The wind lifted the wingless adeptus from certain tragedy.
He had no idea how long he stayed there, feeling the breeze gently caress him and all the while the Dihua flute still played, but it wasn’t long before he caught the scent of aged osmanthus wine.
Rex Lapis lifted him up and Xiao leaned his entire weight onto his shoulder, and Rex Lapis, indomitable rock he was, silently carried him back to Liyue with the tenderness of a father carrying his son home after a long night.
iii.
A sudden gust of wind nearly blew Xiao away, splattering freshly spilled blood onto his face and clothes.
“Hello!”
Round green eyes meet his narrowed ones in a distance that Xiao considered too close, and he quickly stepped back and pointed the tip of his spear towards the newcomer’s chest. The newcomer, a boy “dressed” (most of his skin was bare for all the world to see – disgraceful) in draping white cloth, seemingly kept afloat by a pair of wings. Fluorescent green tattoos adorn his exposed midriff and he held a Dihua flute in one of his hands. His joyful and rather carefree disposition stood in a stark contrast to the grave scene before them.
Xiao had just dispatched a hoard of treasure hoarders threatening the safety of a small town. All he needed was a cry of help from a scared child and he was there, killing all the transgressors instantly.
This…boy (for Xiao began to doubt that he really was a regular human) was unfazed. The only acknowledgement he gave of the situation was hiking up the drooping cloth further away from the ground. Still, that didn’t stop Xiao from snarling:
“ Who are you? ”
“I’m just a bard, from afar!” the boy smiles. “I came here to visit your father, but I just happened to see you over yonder. I hope I’m not a bother! We met some time ago – I’m not sure if you remember? You may call me Venti.”
Xiao’s head spun with more questions than answers. Venti clearly knew something that he didn’t but what held him from instantly skewering him was the implication that he knew Rex Lapis. The boy even had the audacity to refer to him as his “father”! Xiao was barely worthy of breathing the same air as the great and honorable Rex Lapis, least of all being seen as a son. He still lived and breathed because of Rex Lapis’s whim, not because the god himself was fond of him.
“You know the Lord of Geo?” he stuttered, lowering his polearm.
“Yes! We’re old friends,” Venti said, dropping the rhyme scheme, perhaps noticing the drop in Xiao’s sanity. “For the god of war, he sure has changed his ways. Heh. Maybe he’s not such a blockhead anymore.”
Anger bubbled within him, but simultaneously, awe. No one would dare even insult an archon , much less the one that killed the most gods during the war.
“Who do you think you are, disrespecting the archon of this land?”
Venti coquettishly smiles. “Do you remember the reedy whisper of a flute, on one moonlit night?”
Xiao stops immediately and almost drops his spear. The memory rang out clear as day, reminiscent of the sweet and soft dreams he used to devour; the identity of the player had eluded him
“That – that was you ?”
Venti giggled, hiding his smile behind the back of his hand. “Who else has such mastery over the flute? I am the god who oversees the City of Wine and Song, but that does not mean I leave others destitute.” The revealed archon leaned in closer, even after Xiao had moved away. “You have an Anemo vision. We are kindred spirits; there is no need for division.”
Venti put the flute near his lips and began to play. The melody was exactly the same. The same lulls and high notes, piercing through even the most deluded minds. Whatever reservations Xiao had before blew away with the gentle song. He felt lighter than ever before, like the wind was supporting his feet, but an ineffable loneliness permeated the atmosphere. Xiao knew now that Venti was the Archon of Mondstadt, but what did this god lose to know such an emotion?
He looked at Venti with quiet empathy. For an archon, he was surprisingly human. He knew little of the culture of Mondstadt, but Venti struck him as the type of deity of live with the people and not outside. Rex Lapis descended once a year to give his blessings to the people, but that was it, and Xiao had no clue about the other nations. A million questions swarmed his head – the loudest of them all was why Rex Lapis would be friendly with such a character – but the familiar end of the melody also signified the departure of Venti.
“I am late to the meeting, but I will tell your father of your greetings!”
Venti disappeared in another gust of wind and with him, all the blood and corpses from the day’s vigilant watch.
With a half-hearted sigh, Xiao said: “He’s not my father.”
Once again, he was left alone and singular thought dominated the rest of the days, and yes, perhaps the rest of his waking life: that he longed to hear the sorrowful melody of the flute in better company. If it would be played by that sprightly bard, well, then that would be fine by him.
iv.
It shouldn’t be that hard, right? All Xiao had to do was kick the foot of his polearm and then catch it. Just like how he saw Rex Lapis do it. Right. Here he goes –
Ah. Shit.
The polearm flew into the air, landing tip down, narrowly missing a signpost. The ground was littered with indentations from all the attempts. The problem was that he put too much force into the kick; he just needed enough to suspend it twirling in midair where he wouldn’t have to reach to catch it. However, all iterations ended up the same way. He was lucky that no humans had settled in the vicinity. The Wangshu Inn was but a dot in the distance.
Xiao exhaled air out his nose. It really shouldn’t matter if he could do this silly trick or not. He was still able to brutally punish his enemies with practical movements. Hilichurls, the Abyss Order, Treasure Hoarders, and the like care not for the theatrics of battle – and Xiao fell in the same boat – but for some reason, when Morax did it, Xiao had the strangest urge to learn.
The sun laid low on the horizon; he had been at it since morning, all the while keeping his ears attuned to his surroundings for a cry of help or an unwelcome visitor. He should probably head back soon. Verr Goldet always, and unnecessarily, fretted over his health despite him being old enough to see Liyue formed, destroyed, and formed again, but he did not wish to cause her any more anxiety than he wanted to.
Once again, he uprighted his polearm and was about to head home. However, a familiar voice called out to him, originating from a young woman with flowing blue hair and goat horns.
“Ganyu?” he said, incredulously. They were complete opposites when it came to humans. Where Xiao preferred to help from afar, Ganyu worked directly with the people, even serving as the secretary for the Liyue Qixing. Due to that, he rarely saw her outside of the harbor, for that was his domain to protect.
Her bow was slung across her back. She walked idly towards him, stumbling a little due to exhaustion. Nevertheless, she carried adeptus blood and he knew that she was perfectly capable of defending herself when it came down to it, striking down foe after foe with frightening accuracy. Still, Ganyu’s first instinct was peace (such is the nature of the Qilin) and Xiao’s first instinct was war. They have never seen eye-to-eye on this, but Ganyu is the closest person he has to a sibling, even if she doesn’t share the same backbone as he does.
“Xiao!” She called out again. “What are you doing here?” She looked around, bewildered. “And why are there so many triangular holes in the ground?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, in an attempt to quell his emerging embarrassment.
“Why are you here, Ganyu?” He countered. “You’re not usually out here. Has something happened in Liyue Harbor?”
She had stopped a few feet away from him, but instantly jumped back upon hearing his question. “Everything’s fine! I promise! I was sent out here.”
“…For what?”
Ganyu sheepishly looked away. “For a break. I heard your voice from miles away, so I thought I would visit you, but if you’re busy I can always go somewhere else?”
“You don’t have to ask for permission,” Xiao said flatly. “Your company is always welcome. You need to learn not to doubt yourself.”
Her mouth dropped to a slight frown. “I – I suppose so.” She gave him a pointed look. “What are you doing here?” she repeated.
“I am…trying to practice.”
“Practice what?”
“You know how when Rex Lapis fights, he likes to kick the end of his polearm?”
“…Yes?”
“Well. I am attempting to do the same.”
Ganyu stared at him for a concerning amount of time and Xiao feared that he would receive one of her lectures for carelessness before she busted out laughing. She doubled over, wheezing and heaving, all the while shame crept up Xiao’s face as he quickly turned away from her, clutching his polearm close to him.
“Shut up!” he stammered. “If Rex Lapis used a bow, you would try and emulate him too!”
Giggles still punctuated her sentences, much to his chagrin. “If you’re struggling, why don’t you ask Mr. Zhongli for help? He lives idly, always meeting up with that… friend of his.”
She chose that word carefully, and Xiao instantly knew who exactly she was referencing – he didn’t understand why Morax kept fraternizing with the literal enemy of the state. Ever since he bartered his Gnosis away (a move which he was still taken aback from), he had heard stories that the former archon spent his days walking through flower fields and trying out new restaurants, so theoretically he should be available for assistance.
But Xiao’s pride wouldn’t allow it.
But he also wanted to master this technique.
“If you want to,” Ganyu continued, shifting her feet, “I can relay this back to Mr. Zhongli? I’m sure he won’t mind.”
In response, Xiao tried once again to perform the trick, but to the same results. This time, the spear landed just a few feet away from Ganyu who stared at it unimpressed and with mild concern.
“You have my permission to do so,” he admitted.
Xiao could not bring himself to do anything important the next day. Yes, he answered any calls of distress, but these he finished quickly. He had cleared out his schedule (which was already barren in the first place) and instead, spent his hours pacing in the marsh. He knew that Ganyu delivered the message, as she took all matters (too) seriously, but she had other responsibilities other than that of a delivery girl. He didn’t want to bother her, more than she had already been bothered. He swore that the Qixing just gave her any task that they did not want to do – and asking Morax himself would be a subversive move. Very rude and disrespectful, even if he wasn’t the Geo Archon anymore.
He still continued to practice even with disastrous results, but this time, he inconspicuously concealed the holes in the ground by smudging dirt and dust over them, in case a passerby caught him in the act of failure. However, he was caught in the act by no other than Rex Lapis, who had surreptitiously arrived at the scene.
“Xiao,” he greeted, kindly. “I heard from Ganyu that you needed my assistance with something, but she did not specify what, though she seemed to be in good spirits while I was talking to her. I apologize for my tardiness – I had errands to run in Liyue, but I will devote the remaining hours of the day to you.”
The boy instantly straightened his posture, surprised at his arrival. It seemed that every time the god made his appearance, he forgot that he had all the world’s rocks at his disposal and that he could easily locate anyone in the world, provided that they were standing on one.
“I am grateful, my lord.” Oh Archons. How was he supposed to explain this ?
“What is it that you need my assistance with?” He wandered around in little circles, surveying the environment. “Dihua Marsh and the surrounding areas are calm and rife with life. You’ve done a good job at protecting it, so I suppose you do not need my help with any upstarts here.”
“No – no. I don’t but I was wondering…”
An eyebrow shot up. “Yes?”
A flurry of words flew from his mouth. “When I watch you fight, when you end your series of piercing movements with your polearm, at the end of it you kick the bottom of it and it spins and at the end you catch it. It looked very elegant, and I wanted to learn how to do it but if you are too burdened with other responsibilities than you don’t have to but it would be nice if you could.”
Rex Lapis blinked. Xiao wanted to die.
Suddenly, the god summoned his polearm and for a second, Xiao thought he was actually going to die but instead was treated to the sight of the move that he was trying to learn. The man quickly thrusted the polearm in four successes: towards the enemy, a horizontally, a diagonal up-slash, and finally – the main event – plunging the polearm to the ground and kicking it, spinning the weapon towards the enemy before finally catching at the end and ending with another attack. Xiao’s rendition was arguably simpler and more aerial; most of his attacks catapulted his enemies in the air, but this skill in particular he wanted to master.
“You mean this one?” Zhongli finished.
Xiao gulped. “That one.”
“Ah. It’s much harder than it looks,” he began; Xiao began to steel himself for another long- winded lecture. Rex Lapis had all his respect, but over the years, he became more talkative. Almost to the likes of Cloud Retainer. “An old friend of mine taught me the harsh lesson of being gentle. She had an eye for ingenuity and suggested that I learn new tricks for such an ‘old soul.’” At this, he snorted but it wasn’t irreverent towards who he was speaking for. “Show me what you have been doing.”
So, the adeptus demonstrated what he had been doing, even trying to put less force in his kick, but to no avail. Rex Lapis, ever patient, nodded sagely. “It’s a good start. Remember the strength you possess and that it is in excess. A little tap will work better.”
Thus, the training began.
The beginning was rough as expected; the plunging polearm was inadvertently targeting a young couple for a walk, and it was only by the grace of an expertly timed rock pillar did their date not end tragically. Morax clicked his tongue, circling around the young adeptus and scrutinizing his every move. Xiao began to wonder why he thought this was even a good idea in the first place.
“Rock is immovable and impenetrable but nevertheless, it is still malleable…” the god advised, “just as the wind can be a maelstrom, so too can it be light and breezy. I’ve heard and seen Barbatos slice the tops of mountains with gales, but it is by his grace that Mondstadt remains in the spring. It is rare that I tell somebody to emulate his behavior,” at this, Rex Lapis pinched the bridge of his nose, as if recalling the very same incident, “but in this case, it would do you some good.”
Xiao simply nodded, the tune of the Dihua flute once again on his mind.
The violent trend continued for some hours, but gradually, the radius that Xiao’s spear traveled between his foot and an unfortunately placed signpost/person decreased. Each kick became more of a tap, the time and distance of the suspended polearm getting smaller and smaller. Every time the urge to put more force into the kick, he would remember those words and refrain from doing so.
Finally - the product of a day’s worth of effort - kick, tracking the polearm as it spun a mere ten feet off the ground, ending with a perfect catch.
Xiao looked at his hands in disbelief, joy and jubilation and adrenaline running through him so much so that he wanted to cry out and collapse on his hands and knees.
“You did well.” The archon laid his hand on the boy’s shoulders, anchoring him down to the firm earth. “I am proud of you.”
Xiao looked up at him, the barest hint of tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
“Thank you.”
v.
Few people face the Vigilant Yaksha and live to tell the tale, and the Traveler was one of the lucky people who not only survived, but whom he grudgingly seeks company from time-to-time. This development had nothing to do with the Traveler graciously cooking Almond Tofu for him, nor was it connected to the unconditional kindness and understanding they showed towards him. Xiao simply decided on his own terms, to tolerate the presence of the Traveler because it was more convenient to have two people oversee the safety of Dihua Marsh rather than just one. Naturally, it was Xiao who decided to tag along with the Traveler, admittedly with more enthusiasm, after hearing that Rex Lapis had commissioned them to collect Qingxin flowers for tea.
There were just the two of them, well three of them if you count the floating pixie who was complaining of being tired, despite not doing any of the climbing required to get the flowers. Xiao had never seen such a creature as her, and he kept forgetting to ask the Traveler about her but asking such a question right now was hardly appropriate. After all, Xiao was keeping a careful eye on the Traveler as they climbed the perilous Huaguang Stone Forest pillars.
“You’re really good at climbing!” panted the Traveler, blonde hair sticking to their fair face. Their exposed skin was covered in scratches. “Are you tired?”
The adeptus merely grunted. To answer their question, no. He wasn’t tired of climbing, nor was he tired of their company. The sun beat down in heavy waves, though, and Xiao contemplated asking Cloud Retainer to free those clouds and offer much needed shade. He feared that the Traveler would soon pass out. The pixie had popped out of existence, disappearing into a pocket dimension of blue and stars, leaving just the two of them in relative silence. The wind whistling through the cracks and ravines of the pillars provided a sorrowful tune to their ascent, but it seemed that the Traveler was in a talkative mood today, for they occasionally asked Xiao a question.
“What’s your favorite place in Liyue? Have you been to other nations?”
“Why do you like almond tofu so much?”
“Is Zhongli your father?”
The last one caught Xiao completely off guard, nearly causing the adeptus to lose his grip. He sent the Traveler a withering glance, but the Traveler, happy-go-lucky as ever, did not seem to notice the waves of confusion radiating from Xiao. He had answered the first two questions rather easily, if not impatiently, but he could not summon an answer for the last, the loaded question of whether Morax was his father.
(It still spun his head that the Traveler should refer to Morax as simply “Zhongli.” Even Ganyu refers to the god as “Mr. Zhongli”; even the ginger-haired war criminal referred to him with the proper honorific ).
Biologically, no. He definitely wasn’t. The memory of how he popped into existence has faded away with time, much like the moment how he obtained his Vision. Well, then what was Rex Lapis to him, then? He was his master, above all else, but there was no inherent warmth to such a relationship. Rex Lapis had a heart under all that rock, Xiao knew as much since he was receiving his monthly dose of painkillers from him and that was the least of these small acts of kindness. If they ever shared the same battlefield, he would protect Xiao from any external damage (besides the one his own karmic debt inflicted on him) with the impenetrable Jade Shield.
What little he knew of human culture; he knew of this: that these acts of kindness signified a great bond.
And among all these thoughts, Xiao could only summon a terse “no” and not inviting any more room for conversation.
The Traveler heaved themselves up on another ledge. They were nearing the top of the rock formation and the blustering winds brought the faint scent of the Qingxin flowers to their nostrils. Rex Lapis only needed a few, but since they were here, Xiao wanted to gather a bit more for Ganyu, as she was fond of the flowers too.
He helped them up on top of the formation.
Down below, a layer of fog obscured their vision. Above, a clear, cloudless sky punctuated by the amber rocks of Mt. Hulao and Mt. Aozong. The Traveler sat down on the dewy grass, admiring the magnificent view. Xiao watched them grasp at the blades of grass, plucking one off, and letting the wind carry it off. He wondered if Venti could see them, being the god of wind.
He took this opportunity to harvest the flowers, which laid behind them, and to jump to the other pillars to harvest even more. He wrapped them all together with string to form a bouquet quicker than the Traveler can stand, and he returned and presented it to them.
“It is finished.”
They returned to Liyue Harbor, triumphant. Rex Lapis waited for them at Liuli Pavilion, idly sipping on tea. He smiled upon their arrival, the Traveler handing the Qingxin to him.
“Thank you for completing this commission,” the god said.
“You are welcome fa-”
The last word died in Xiao’s throat, thus encouraging scarlet to live on his cheeks. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the Traveler physically restraining Paimon from uttering the fatal word, but that didn’t save him from the curious gaze of Rex Lapis.
“Were you about to say something, Xiao?”
“No – no, my lord!” he spluttered, instantly straightening his posture. “My apologies for even speaking.”
Zhongli raised both his eyebrows. “Are you sure? You are free to speak about anything in my presence.”
Xiao did not dignify that question with an answer and instead, he teleported away, the porcelain cups and plates clattering in his wake.
vi.
Liyue once again was bedecked in long, flowing ribbons, and burning candlelight. The lanterns dotted the sky, floating graceful into the air and forming shifting constellations of the people’s hopes and dreams and desires for the upcoming New Year. The Qixing promised the people that this Lantern Rite would be better and brighter than ever, as bright as Ningguang’s new Jade Chamber. He observed the construction of it with great interest and great suspicion, as the machinations inside this Tianquan’s mind never ceased turning, but he found no reason to interfere.
Besides, it was amusing enough to see the Traveler bounce around Liyue with the Yuheng as they tracked down the firework thieves. Xiao had resigned himself this year to the site where the mortal Wang Ping’an was reconstructing Pervases temple, protecting the man from any wayward treasure hoarders should they once again disturb the holy ground.
Even from here, he had an almost unparalleled view of the skies of the city, and therefore, of the fireworks that would mark the end of Lantern Rite.
Rex Lapis did an excellent job, as expected, in choosing this site to be Liyue Harbor. Mt. Tianheng served as a barrier against land invasions, complete with a narrow chokepoint, and the sea offered additional protection. He did an even greater job at ensuring that the people would not know fear again after the Archon War. This celebration is in remembrance of their ancestors, and the fireworks and lanterns and the festivities were all in the name of warding those horrible demons off.
The demons, of course, including him - which is one of the main reasons why he doesn’t and can’t join in on the festivities. That didn’t stop the Traveler from coming all the way to the outskirts of Lisha to invite him to see the fireworks. The request didn’t matter to him: the fireworks would fly high enough for anyone to see it anywhere, and that he didn’t need to travel to the Harbor to partake. Xiao had ended his answer with a small grin, perhaps more pleading than he would admit, but the Traveler left, and now he was alone.
The sun’s orange glow casted everything in a golden light. The deep blue of night started to descend upon the land and the flickering lights of the Xiao lanterns began to intermingle with the fixed stars. If Pervases were here, and maybe he still was, the old crane would flap his wings in jubilation upon knowing that the people were safe and well.
He would be returning back to Wangshu Inn soon enough. Verr Goldet had promised him, as she always does since she and her husband had been running the inn, that there would be several plates of almond tofu waiting for him. As prickly as Xiao was, he wouldn’t want to miss that, but he wanted to stay in the area until Wang Ping’an finished for the day. It was apparent, however, that Xiao would be staying a little bit past that when Rex Lapis appeared, toting plates of said almond tofu.
“M-ma-master!” the young adeptus quickly bowed. “Why are you here?”
Rex Lapis tilted his head good-naturedly. “I heard from the Traveler that you were here alone, so I thought I would accompany you. I stopped by Wangshu to see if you had went back there, but Mrs. Goldet gave me these to give to you. So, now I am here. The fireworks are about to start, if you want to watch them with me, but if you'd rather be alone, then I can leave.”
Once again, Xiao found himself spluttering in disbelief. “No, no. It’s fine! You can stay, father.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...”
Morax grabbed his hand before Xiao could finish teleporting.
“Did you just call me father?”
Xiao had his mask on, but it was very evident that he was red with embarrassment underneath, for the mask failed to cover his ears. He didn’t have a chance to grovel for forgiveness before the god beamed at him, with the widest smile Xiao had ever seen in recent years.
“Father? Is that how you think of me, Xiao?”
At this point, there was no denying. “Yes.”
“Was this what you were about to say, when you came back from the stone pillars with the Traveler? I am honored to have you think of me this way… I would do anything for you, my son.”
Behind him, the firework show began, illuminating the new night with fiery colors. Pink hearts, golden mora, blooming flowers, and twirling pinwheels. The light disappeared as quickly as it appeared, but the warmth in Xiao’s heart remained.