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“Hold on a little longer, will you?” Morax murmured as he impatiently fumbled with the stone dumbbell. The sun’s rays fell on the two gods like the bars and measures on a music sheet. It was spring, around the time when the glaze lilies would usually blossom from the green carpet to heaven boughs.
“Do you need my assistance, Morax?” Guizhong inquired as she leaned toward the struggling God of Contracts.
“Mm-mm,” Morax responded, shaking his head, then continued his mission to solving the puzzle consisting of notched sticks.
“You keep repeating the same steps. Instead, try thinking outside of the box,” Guizhong counseled.
“Or I can just destroy it.”
“Please… do not.”
“For what reason?”
"This is the mark of our pledge, and it is also my challenge to you."
"All my wisdom is hidden within this stone dumbbell."
Their relationship was truly illogical. There was no formal contract between them, as the two possessed different goals, yet they still followed each other during this war. Though, when Morax first met Guizhong among the pristine field of glaze lilies, she spoke the words that intrigued him:
"Those little people are as small and fragile as dust."
"Because they are so small, they know not when they will lose their lives to disaster or strife, and so they are afraid."
"Because they are afraid, they try so hard to become more intelligent. This I understand."
"So I thought that since there is such a gulf between us in strength, I should use technique and wisdom instead."
"With your brawn and my brains, this city would surely become a great one."
The young goddess with billowing sleeves then proceeded to gift him a stone dumbbell, which he hesitantly accepted. He was fascinated with her, how she attempted to hide her smile when she bestowed him with the gift, how she supported the humans despite being fate that they would evidently die in the Archon War, how she used her brains instead of her brawns (not like she was stronger than him) when encountering an obstacle…
Their relationship was truly laughable. How could two polar opposites with such different ideals become friends? Morax believed that the weak should perish so the strong could prevail; it simply was natural selection. Guizhong was as frail as any other frail god fighting in this Archon War; however, why was she someone Morax did not want to perish?
Spring greeted the two gods annually like gentle spirits. Guizhong guided the humans and taught them agriculture in hopes of expanding the civilization. She brought them to settle in an area under the north of Mt. Tianheng and named the location Guili Plains after the combination of Morax and her name. The Guili Assembly was then established for the two to co-rule along with their companion Marchosius, the God of Stove.
“Morax! Marchosius brought you a gift,” Guizhong called.
“It’s bamboo shoot soup, same as last time,” Marchosius explained as he handed the dish over to Morax.
“Thank you,” Morax enunciated, then waved goodbye to his bear acquaintance. After Marchosius left, Guizhong and Morax sat down under a tree. The honeyed sunlight of the afternoon wove its way through the maze of branches and bundles of leaves as it made its way to the gods.
“Morax, you know, it wouldn’t hurt to be a bit more expressive,” Guizhong teased. “Just because you wield geo doesn’t mean your face needs to be like a rock.”
“For what purpose?” Morax asked.
“Actually, last time, Marchosius wasn’t sure if you liked his gift… because your face never changes.”
“...”
“I told him afterwards. That’s why he brought more for you today.”
“...”
“Morax, I think… your friends would be happy to understand how you feel”
During their pastime, Morax, Guizhong, and their adeptus friend Cloud Retainer would meet at the top of Mt. Aocang for their afternoon teas. The three would each bring a dish to the potluck and then consume it while discussing arbitrary topics, although the conversation usually consisted of Cloud Retainer and Guizhong going back and forth with their shared interest in mechanics.
“The Dwelling in the Clouds abode, one has finished,” Cloud Retainer mentioned as she sipped on her tea. “One has constructed multiple platforms comprising of puzzles and mechanisms through Plaustrite minerals. Through these floating islands, one can finally achieve ultimate truth through seclusion.”
“Remarkable, Cloud Retainer. I commend you for your technological accomplishment. Though, I wish to visit these floating islands sometime. Where are they located, if I may ask?” Guizhong questioned, then leaned forward on the table, attempting to reach for a piece of crystal shrimp before being aided by Morax.
“One thanks you for your acclamation. It is located above Qingyun Peak. You may only access it, however, if you complete the Three Cranes Puzzle that one has constructed.”
“Oh? I am interested. I will visit your creation sometime then,” Guizhong professed as she placed her chopsticks onto the bowl, signifying the end of her meal.
Their relationship was truly unthinkable. Throughout the Archon War, Guizhong and the adepti fought against the evil gods and monsters in order to protect the Guili people. Perhaps it was that she cared too much about her people… or she was too feeble… or because he was not there––
“It seems that our journey together has come to an end…”
“As for that stone dumbbell, forget about it, would you?"
He met her gaze and waited for her dull eyes to move. The body laid in his arms, matted with blood, and clutched by the dusty black hands of a stupefied god. The carmine pool of blood leaked from the wound on her stomach caused by the fallen splintered rocks.
“Gui… zhong,” Morax stuttered and hastily attempted to stop the blood with his trembling fingers; his effort was of little or no avail.
“You know, Morax, this is the most expressive I’ve ever seen you be,” Guizhong chuckled weakly. She lifted her wavering hand to soothe Morax, stroking his cheeks and wiping away his tears. “Although, I wish…” she continued without breaking eye contact from his somber expression. “I wish… it wasn’t such a sad expression.”
“Wait for me… a little longer… will you?” Morax lamented as he abruptly ripped a portion of his coat off. His lips quivered, and his jaw tightened, holding back tears as he hurriedly wrapped the torn cloth around Guizhong’s wound. Ominous thoughts squirmed at the back of his mind while his heart pounded, beats echoing through his ringing ears.
“It seems that our journey together has come to an end…” Guizhong carried on as the pool of blood beneath her increased.
“Cease your talking… no such thing as an end…”
“As for that stone dumbbell, forget about it, would you?"
“For-get? …no, it’s the mark of our pledge.”
“So you remembered. Please… take care of the people, will you?”
Blood trickled down the faded glaze lilies smothered with gray smoke. Dust rained down the sky like tarnished snow. “Hold on a little longer, will you?” Morax whispered as he tightly hugged the lifeless body.
Notes
Inspired by the "If you wrote a book where the first and last sentence were the same, but had different meanings" prompt I saw on TikTok!
Also, first AO3 fanfic... LOLSIES. I hope for my Genshin addiction to stop one day rip. Like wtf is with this obsession...
A few dialogues were inspired by the comics I saw from the Twitter artist @Astruma2.
Finally, below are my art acc socials cause self promo:
Instagram: @meowrtist
Twitter: @meowrtist7
TikTok: @meowichan and @meowixchan