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The putrid scent of something wrong wafted out as Tighnari knelt before the large crack in the rock. It smelled like the Withering, but not at the same time. However, that didn’t mean it was not just as dangerous.
Tighnari weighed his options. The crack was big enough for the average person to fit though, he could do some scouting before bringing back more people, as this seemed like something where the more information he had, the better equipped he could be. He was also currently well-prepared enough for some scouting, having been on patrol in the Avidya Forest when he came across the scent, so he was not without supplies should things go awry.
However, this was something very…unique, and Tighnari knew he would be entering new territory. Both metaphorically and literally, as this was also a tunnel leading to a place he had never come across before.
As he sat in thought, a quiet but pained groan emanated from the entrance and his ears snapped towards the sound. There was someone within and it sounded like they were in distress. That settled the matter.
He flicked off the water that had gathered on his tail from the spray of the nearby waterfall, and crept through the entrance, immediately coming across a large cavern.
His surroundings had transitioned, vines and moss being replaced by flora not natural to Sumeru and beige rock turning a soft grey beneath his feet. Seeing as the surrounding rock was also more representative of the geometrical and jagged rock he could see looming from the Chasm when he was on the surface, he therefore concluded he had somehow made his way into Liyue.
Whatever the major problem is, it will be a problem for the Millelith, but assisting the person within is still my responsibility, he thought as another groan came from below.
Roots large enough to walk comfortably on grew up from the floor and the light from behind him illuminated a small green island in the center. No monsters to be seen or heard. Good. He dropped down on the root nearest to him, and began slowly making his way down. However, as he got closer, he was able to see that on the island lay a person, clutching their head and on their knees.
Concern spiking, Tighnari leapt down from the root and opened his glider before hitting the water around the island. The scent of… whatever it was hit him harder. Cautiously, he kept his distance and shouted, “Hello! I am Tighnari of the Sumeru Forest Watchers. Please, may I have your name and ask what is the matter?”
“Get away! I don’t need help,” The figure growled, eyes screwing shut even tighter. Upon closer inspection, Tighnari could now see it looked to be a young man, dressed in traditional pink and indigo Liyue-style clothing with various decorations hanging off his outfit. His two-toned teal hair covered his face as he let his head fall against the ground and he let out a gasp of pain.
Ignoring his words, Tighnari stepped on the island and neared the young man, already bringing his bag down from his back. “Something is wrong, I cannot simply abandon you,” but as he said those words, the stench that had been becoming stronger morphed into an energy that made him stagger back a step. All of this was coming from the stranger.
“I told you, get away.”
“What… what is this?” Tighnari gasped.
“Karma,” was the only response.
“I may have something that can help.”
“No mortal medicine can fix this,” the stranger snapped back.
“This is not medicine. This is a device I have been developing to mitigate the effects of the Withering in Sumeru. Though this “karma” may be different, I can feel and smell that they have very similar properties,” Tighnari continued, “I highly recommend you give this a chance.”
The young man growled again, “Smell?” He looked up and observed Tighnari carefully, just now likely seeing Tighnari’s animalistic characteristics. Tighnari himself noted the young man’s unnatural yellow eyes. This individual did not seem to be a normal person.
“Yes, I have a much keener sense of smell than most. I suspect whatever is happening does not have a smell to anyone else given your reaction,” Tighnari replied. “Please, let me try this out.” He began pulling the Purification Device out from his bag. After his adventure with the Traveler, Paimon, and Karkata, he had begun working on a similar tool that absorbed the Withering like the one he used for the Ley Lines. It was by pure luck that today he had brought it along for testing. “It may not be as effective, but I may be able to decrease your pain.” Tighnari was beginning to feel the effects of this negative energy more. He needed to hurry.
“This will be useless,” the young man hissed, “there is nothing that can be done to take away the negative energy of resentful gods.”
Interesting information, but this was not the time to examine it. “Do not begin doubting so quickly, do you not want to at least try this?” This individual acted like so many of the moody teenagers and cranky elders Tighnari had dealt with that he was not off-put in the slightest.
The young man scowled, looking down again and hissing out, “Fine.”
Tighnari began setting the device up, working swiftly before the energy began to crush him. Unfortunately, as he turned it on, he could still feel pressure at his temples slowly building. He began messing with the settings, trying to make alterations that would effectively remove the energy the person beside him was emitting. Said pressure began building to become unbearable and Tighnari was just about to give up as the device beeped and the pain in his head eased. The smell also dissipated completely.
Beside him, the young man let out a breath and sat back, “That… feels better. How did you do that?”
“As I said before, this is a device I have been testing to try and lessen the effects of the Withering. It has been successful so far, and the energy coming from you seems to be similar at its foundation, although with some significant differences. With some calibrations, I was able to make it so that the device could absorb some of your “karma”.”
The stranger was now eyeing the Purification Device, “Mortals are so peculiar.”
So he was not human then. Tighnari tucked this information away as well. “Perhaps.” He began fiddling with some of the controls, optimizing the conditions. “May I have your name?”
“Xiao.” A very succinct answer.
“Well, Xiao, the Purification Device will be able to continue to absorb most of that negative energy for about another half hour before it depletes its core. Can you tell me how this situation came to be? I would like to find a more permanent solution so you do not revert to the stage you were before when the device turns off.” Tighnari stood up and walked around the cavern, examining his surroundings a little better now that the immediate danger had passed.
“I lost control for a moment. It is none of your concern,” Xiao stated.
“I am a Forest Watcher, it is my duty to help others. Whether or not they or I am in Sumeru. I may not know enough about your condition, but perhaps I can be enlightened and offer some advice. After all, I was correct about my device here.” Tighnari gave a pointed look at Xiao and then looked at the Purification Device hovering by his side. It was then that Tighnari noticed that on the other side of Xiao hung a black mask with horns and his sleeveless arm was decorated in a tattoo of… a bird? His ears also looked to be slightly pointed now that his hair was not covering them.
Xiao scowled. “I was visiting the Chasm on a hunt for a demon that had run in here. I killed it, but then I passed by the place where my… I was reminded of something,” he shifted. “I was still absorbing the energy from the demon but because of that distraction I lost my composure temporarily and the energy began to consume me instead. I will be fine. I am in control again. You don’t need to keep that device on.”
“Hmmm,” Tighnari mused, “If you say so. But wouldn’t you like to keep it on just to give yourself a small break? I can see you’re holding a lot of that energy, surely the Purification Device is lifting that burden just a little.”
Xiao looked away and let out a small huff.
Tighnari sat down on the ground across from him. The grass seemed to be a mixture of Liyuean and Sumerian species, how interesting that they were able to grow in harmony here given their opposing ideal environments.
“Well,” Tighnari thought for a moment, “You know, this is a good opportunity to see what my little invention can do here. The fact that I was right in my hypothesis that it could absorb more than the Withering or Ley Line energy is a huge achievement. If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep it on so I can test its limits in absorbing an energy that it was not specifically built for.”
Xiao turned back around to look at him. “Do whatever you want,” he stated.
That was probably as close to a “thank you” or a “yes” as Tighnari was going to get, so he sat up and pulled out his notebook, beginning to take notes. Xiao closed his eyes.
Some time passed, and before long, the alert for the core’s degradation began sounding. Xiao cracked open an eye as Tighnari stood and turned the Purification Device off just as it reached the end of its life. “It lasted for longer than I expected, that is certainly something to note. Were you able to get any sleep?” Tighnari asked. Xiao did seem to maintain control as the energy did not leak from him as it did before.
“My kind don’t need sleep,” was Xiao’s response.
Tighnari blinked in surprise. Definitely an immortal then, not just a non-human. “Well then did you at least have a good rest? I can’t imagine all of that is comfortable if it does not ever let up.”
“I’m used to it,” Xiao replied curtly, but Tighnari smiled inwardly. For an immortal being likely hundreds of years old, Xiao acted awfully similar to a teenager going through their rebellious phase. Tighnari had met with his fair share of such teenagers and had found all they needed was some caring words and a small push sometimes.
“Well,” Tighnari began slowly, “Please come seek me out at Gandharva Ville. It is just on the other side of the opening to Sumeru up there—“ he pointed towards the ceiling, “—and a bit northwest. Simply ask for “Tighnari” and someone will guide you to me. I will be continuing to work on this device now that I know more about what it is capable of, so having you to help test its capabilities would be helpful.” Or if Xiao just wanted a break from the energy plaguing him, but it was better to leave that unsaid, lest Tighnari distance him.
Xiao grunted, hopefully in agreement.
“I wish you well, Xiao. May we meet again under better circumstances,” Tighnari smiled.
Xiao stood and looked at him sideways. He seemed to hesitate, then said, “If you are ever in danger, even when in Sumeru, call out my name. Adeptus Xiao. I will be there when you call.” And in a whirl of Anemo and black wisps, Xiao disappeared.
Adeptus? Tighnari began thinking. An adeptus with yellow eyes, an extreme karmic debt born from dead gods, a bird tattoo, a mask. Tighnari’s knowledge of Liyue history was not as detailed as he’d have liked it to be. Didn’t this sound like someone the Traveler had mentioned meeting? What was the name? Was it…
“The Guardian Yaksha,” Tighnari gasped. The person he had just met was the last yaksha left from the original who had fought alongside Morax in the Archon War. Thousands of years old and elusive as can be. What a rare opportunity. And based on Xiao’s last words, it had seemed that Tighnari had even made some sort of connection with the adeptus.
Chuckling to himself, Tighnari began the long climb back up the roots to daylight. Talk about a chance encounter.