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The sun was slowly setting, judging from the color of the clouds of dust surrounding the area. They all knew that in a few days they will collapse and the inhabitants of the camp are going to have this dust in every crevice of their bodies and belongings, but for now, it looked beautiful, reflecting the golden light of sunset. Especially, while returning after a successful battle. The military camp greeted the returning warriors with all honors, someone started playing music, women of the camp made a lot of food so those who returned victorious could eat as much as they please. But, not everyone was so carefree. When Azhdaha turned human (otherwise he wouldn't fit through the main gate) and started making his way to the biggest tent in the middle of the camp, some people tried to stop him.
"Rex Lapis is still there?".
"Rex Lapis didn't depart with you?"
"Is he injured?"
"You can't hide the information about our God's condition from us!"
Azhdaha just harshly dismissed them and entered the tent. The royal guards were having some tea, Cloud Retainer was sleeping in the corner with her beak tucked under her wing.
"Anything happened when I was gone?" he disturbed the guards.
"Cloud Retainer called a healer, lord Retuo. She was worried."
"He didn't get any better?"
"We don't know, we didn't dare to enter." he answered nervously "But it's been over a week since he was anywhere outside his room. And… he refuses to get up even to… Uh"
Azhdaha understood very well what he meant. And why it was so hard to tell. 'Hey, our god is depressed so he pissed his bed.' no human would bring something like that on their mortal mouth.
"The healer is inside?"
He nodded.
"Then I won't disturb them."
It took a few mong minutes, until a richly dressed lady emerged from the deeper parts of the tent.
"Should I wake Cloud Retainer up?" she asked.
"No, since I'm here, let her rest. I will pass everything to her."
The woman sighed and readjusted the folds of her dress.
"I can't help him. He's in a good overall state, his regeneration kicked in a long time ago. But grief can make someone feel sick and powerless as well, even when the body is not physically injured. The only thing I can recommend as a treatment is emotional support."
"...I think you're right. Thanks for your fatigue, here, take it." He gave her a bag of mora and watched her leave. Then, he quickly allowed himself to go inside.
The room was dark, only a little bit of sunlight leaking in through the ventilation gaps near the roof. The incense box was empty and cold but there was nothing to put in there, they ran out. The big bed was all messy, some of the pillows laying on the ground, he had to take a closer look to notice a slender figure buried under a thick blanket somewhere inside of that chaos of silk and cushions. All that was revealed was his bare foot, tip of his tail and the pair of golden horns along with some brown hair.
"Morax, it's me. I know you're not asleep."
He stirred and then slowly emerged from under the covers, his shoulders down and eyelids heavy.
"You pissed your bed again."
"I didn't feel like getting up."
The silence that came after that was really awkward.
"Dear.."
"I JUST DIDN'T, ALL RIGHT?!" Azhdaha made a step backwards, surprised by the shout. The other gripped the sheets and the tip of his tail hit the mattress. He was not angry, just in extreme distress.
"Okay, okay.. won't bring that up again. I will go take a bath and then I will join you, all right?"
"... Now."
"I'm dirty…. "
"Now!"
That's how their communication was lately. He couldn't help, but to obey, take his dirty clothes off and lay in the bed beside his husband. He tried to not think about all the dust and dirt that he carried into their bed. He was like that since week and a few days ago. They are entering the very last phase of the archon war, only one seat is still not taken. But the fact that Morax holds the rule of Liyue, doesn't mean that it's the end of the fight. As long as the war is going, lesser gods can challenge him trying to change the victor last minute until Celestia announces the seven final winners. They still had to fight almost every day. The opponents were nowhere as hard as the ones when war was still fully raging, but no victory comes easy without a price.
In all of that mess, a new life came to be. It was to be expected, it had some place in the back of their consciousness, because any protection would eventually fail if laying with someone almost every day through many centuries. At least it happened in the late periods of war, not when fighting the strongest gods, but… there were no fireworks either. Morax was for obvious reasons their strongest warrior. Who else is able to nuke the opponents into oblivion with a rock the size of a house? It started in his powers randomly failing a few times, accompanied by a sharp pain somewhere in his stomach. Then, vomiting. It was the first time that mortals witnessed him in such a vulnerable state, no one expected their god to just suddenly run out of the breakfast with a hand desperately grasping his mouth. And then the same to repeat the very next day. Azhdaha found it kind of adorable, how pregnancy slowly changed his husband into a clingy and vulnerable cinnamon roll, but war is still war. And war comes with victims, it's not always possible to avoid the fight.
There was a girl. She was some kind of spirit of earth. A goddess, but too young and weak to form her own country, so she served under Morax as a strategist. She held a big physical resemblance to Guizhong and was rather young, which made Morax very fond of her. Not in a romantic way, more in a parental one. Due to his state, he would refrain from fighting, watching the battle from behind. He would attend even in later stages, since Adepti don't grow big, which made it possible to hide it with thoughtfully selected garments. He could still command his forces without gathering the unwanted attention of mortals. Because of course, he couldn't let even the gossip, and definitely not actual confirmed news spread. If it reached his enemies, they would target him with all of their power and without mercy, to take him down in the most vulnerable of states. They planned to keep their child a secret until it's born. But when he saw his favorite girl giving up and on the edge of death, he couldn't help but jump in personally to save her.
He didn't, because his powers failed again. Not only he didn't save her, but also exhausted his body and was left as an easy target. He was already severely injured when Azhdaha managed to drag him out of there. He survived, but their child didn't. She was pretty much developed by then, kicking and stuff. Also Morax's chest got swollen, ready to breastfeed. Because of that, they didn't get too scared at first. They were nervous, going into early labor after an injury is nothing nice, since energy that should be saved for childbirth was already spent in battle, but it was not premature enough to be a grave danger to her life.
They didn't expect Morax to give birth to a corpse. They tried all the medical and folk ways of bringing a breathless newborn back to life, but as a healer calculated based on the little dragon's body, she was already dead for hours if not days before being delivered. It was easy to explain. The explosion of power that followed the death of the young goddess instantly killed the fragile being in the womb, who was not a god herself and had no resilience to divine power in such amounts. They just had to accept it. But… Morax didn't.
Oh, he didn't.
With horror, the other dragon slowly watched his mind descend into the deepest recesses of grief, rejecting the world and trying to ease his guilt of being the only survivor by overeating and hiding in his bed like it was his safe little stronghold.
Azhdaha knew better than to touch him right now. His husband just wanted him near, no physical contact. Only the healer touched him since that day and it took a fair amount of convincing as well. He just laid down next to him and watched his back slowly moving as he was trying to drift back to sleep.
"... Morax, dearest, speak to me."
"..."
"Come on, talk to me... you're okay, you're safe. You will be alright…"
"…"
"Are you in pain? Can I hug you?"
Again, he didn't respond. Azhdaha got used to that. He patiently waited for him to fall asleep and then sneaked out to take a long deserved bath. The healer recommended mental support, but how to support someone who keeps pushing you away? And Azhdaha felt kind of hurt as well. It's not like he was not sad about their baby. He would use a comforting hug too, before all of that there used to be almost no night when they wouldn't fall asleep cozily pressed against the other. Now despite his husband being less than a meter away, it felt like they were so far away from each other, like a dark bottomless rift opened between them. It hurt.
It was dark, but the camp was rather lively, soldiers still celebrating. Higher beings were usually using the hot spring first. He missed the opportunity, so now it was full of humans.
"Can I join?" he asked politely, as his presence seemed to cause concern among them. They looked at each other and then back at him and a few of them shyly nodded. He felt a need to explain himself.
"I'm sorry, I was busy before, I don't wish to disturb you."
That seemed to put them at ease and they returned to their chatting. He took his bathrobe off and lowered himself into the water, so he can rub the dirt off his hair and elbows. After a while, the curtain that surrounded the place for privacy got moved again and someone peeked in. Azdaha recognized him as a young adeptus of the name Bosacius. The boy shyly looked at humans and slightly bowed his head down, then mumbled out a greeting.
There was another reason to Morax's mental breakdown, along with their child and his friend. Beside Azhdaha, one of the strongest warriors of Liyue was a Yaksha general, Bosacius's mother. A very old (older even than Morax himself) bird adeptus of many talents and great power, they definitely owe many of their victories during the war to her. The news about her passing were sudden and devastating. She did not fall in battle, she quit fighting a few years ago to attend some important personal business. The war is nearing an end, so they let her go without many questions, and then, after years of silence, she was silently slain in the safety of her own nest. Adepti tracked down and defeated the creatures responsible for that, but it wouldn't brig her back to life. Azhdaha pitied Bosacius a lot. He was still so young and lost his only remaining parent just a week ago. His father ascended years before, so now he was alone with younger siblings to take care of. He didn't know if to ask how he's feeling, or just respectably let him be, in the end he just moved a little aside in an inviting gesture, to make space for him.
"... So, you're late today as well." he finally spoke.
"Heh.. yeah, yeah I had get myself patched up, I let my guard down in the battle" she admitted shamefully "And I had to meet with someone. She said that Menogias will be coming here."
"He's too young to fight." Azhdaha crossed his arms "Rex Lapis won't allow it. The best we can do is giving him a training, like Pervases. "
"It's not about fighting… actually, since you mentioned… How is Rex Lapis? I can't remember the last time he wasn't around for so long…"
Azhdaha swallowed. Cruse you, Bosacius, now he had to answer somehow. Mortals around them pretended that nothing happened, but he knew that they're all ears. He sighed and put together a safe answer.
"Because of the recent loss of his two friends, his regeneration abilities slowed down a little and a wound is troubling him more than it should. You know, stress. But he will be back to battle in a blink, the healer has no concerns."
"Oh, that's good" he smiled "Maybe he will feel better after having some wine? One of the adepti gave me a bottle, but I don't like alcohol. I can give it away."
"That's nice of you, sure, I can pass it to him. I would also use some calming incense. Sadly, we ran out and our supplier had to put his business on hold because of the recent battles…"
"I have some!" One of the humans interrupted them "If it's for Rex Lapis, I can give all of it."
_
When Azhdaha returned to the tent with wine and incense on his hands, Cloud Retainer was already gone. Oh yes, today she's patrolling the skies around the camp. When the tea-like calming smell filled their room, he returned to their bed and drifted away to sleep. He kind of wanted to snuggle with the sleeping figure of his beloved, but he knew it would distress him even more. When he woke up in the middle of the night, he realized that it was caused by Morax moving around on his side as if in discomfort . He exhaled and allowed himself to ask. Again.
"Are you in pain? Is there something I can do?"
There was a long silence.
"... My legs are weak. Please, carry me."
An unusual request.
"Carry you…where?"
Two golden spots flared up in the darkness of their room, as Morax raised his head and looked at the other with desperation and embarrassment.
"Oohh… "
Azhdaha knew that it's a lie about his legs, but he did not argue. Getting out of the safety of his bed on his own two legs was a kind of commitment. A commitment that Morax in his poor mental state was not ready to make. Azdaha lifted him up and pressed his head to his shoulder, his hand buried in brown locks. Their first physical contact in a while. He carefully carried him to the small place at the back of their tent. These times even rich Liyuean houses didn't have the luxuries like a toilet with a flush, so neither had their makeshift house. It was just a hole in the ground with wooden construction above, making it possible to comfortably sit down. He seated Morax on the thing and kneeled before him, so he can still lean on his shoulders.
"Tell me when you're done, my love."
He only nodded. Actually, through the last few days he had to go much more often, even more often than earlier, when his bladder was weak from their daughter constantly pressing at it. That's because he developed an addiction to calming tea, turning into a shivering restless mess without it, also… he was eating a lot of weird things, making an impression that he wanted to silence his pain by stuffing himself to the point it's not healthy anymore. That caused him a lot of stomach problems in the last few days, because the unusual dishes he demanded didn't go well with each other. There is really no need to go into detail about what that kind of consequences it would bring sooner or later… what goes in, must go out. All right, it's not that bad… If he's urinating, then he listens to the healer's advice about drinking a lot. And it's still a progress that he asked to be carried, the few previous times he didn't bother to go and just dirtied the sheets.
Azhdaha shook his head to chase the unpleasant thoughts away and stirred, to take a better look at his beloved. He didn't put his bathrobe on, so it was an opportunity to have a closer look on his body. His chest was swollen, with nipples reddish, as if irritated. He was about to start lactating. Also, the swell of his stomach was still there, but smaller than before. He could finally see his muscles, now twitching as he struggled to get the consequences of his questionable calming methods out of his systems.
Was the healer right when she said that there are no concerns about his physical health?... He sighed and decided to ask again.
"Are you in any pain? Do you need something more?"
"..."
"Can I hold you more? Will it help?"
".... I'm done." he dodged. Azhdaha started getting desperate.
"Morax!... Please, talk with me. You're safe with me, you can talk to me if you're sad…"
No response. He moved back a little, to gently grip at god's forearms.
"I understand how you feel, but you can't be like that… ! If the gossip spreads that you're in a vulnerable state, our enemies will attack with doubled force. I know how you feel, but you have to put yourself together if not for me, then for Liyue!... "
"... I'm worthless. Liyue will be better without me." he turned his head away, to avoid making eye contact.
"Dear, don't be childish… I know you're sad, it's alright to be sad, but please, you have to return to us, please…"
Silence.
"I beg you Morax, there are people who need you. I need you…"
"T-Take me back."
And that was it for the conversation.
Back in their bed, he just waited until Morax was asleep and went back to sleep himself. It was not easy, as his mind was full of dark thoughts. The morning is going to be tough, a lot of soldiers will probably have a hangover after yesterday's celebration. He barely got any sleep on this night, when the sun breached the ventilation window under the ceiling, he was still tired. But, the duty calls. He has to work for both of them now. After he sat up on the bed, he took a while to look at the sleeping god, his horns and tail back out, as always when he's uneasy in his sleep. There was some droll on the pillow below him, which was quite adorable and caused him to sadly smile, as he readjusted the blanket and got out of the bed.
It was early, so most of the people were still sleeping. Cloud retainer was making slow circles under the skies, but she will soon be replaced by someone else. Ganyu was returning from the mountains with a few bunches of flowers on her hands, Bosacius beside her. Azdaha chuckled at the sight, if someone didn't know that she eats flowers, they would think that the two are actually on a date, not a trip to get food. Near the armory, Pervases was polishing his small training polearm. He lifted and slightly bowed his head, noticing the arrival of one of his commanders.
"A morning bird we are, huh?"
"I was supposed to clean it yesterday, but got pulled into the celebrations…" little boy put the dirty cloth beside the box of polishing paste and started examining his weapon for any unnoticed stains. "Will.. Will Rex Lapis play… I mean train with me today?"
"... I'm sorry, but he still needs some time to recover."
"Everyone is worried about him…"
Not good. The word is spreading and the situation might get out of hand quicker than he estimated.
"... Don't be. He's fine, just give him time. I need to go."
"Lord Retuo! Maybe you can train with me?"
"Heh…I'm sorry kiddo, but polearm is not my thing. Even if I rarely fight in a human form, I prefer clubs."
"Alrighty… have a great day, Lord Retuo.
The day started casually, trainings, breakfast, a strategic meeting. Oh heavens, the strategic meeting was a mess after they lost their best strategist, their god disappeared in his tent for ten days and the passing of their general didn't lift anyone's spirits up too. But luckily, there were no enemies in sight and the previous campaign ended with yesterday's battle. That doesn't mean that a new challenger is not going to show themselves soon. There were tens of lesser gods craving rule over the most prosperous of lands in Teyvat, but there should be a moment of peace now.
Azhdaha did his absolute best to fill the gap in management that Morax left and it was no easy task. He also ordered new sheets, so his husband doesn't sleep on dust and sand that he brought in yesterday. The day was going at a usual pace, until he heard a commotion at the front gate. Of course, he quickly made his way there, It's too late for a supply cart, maybe if something stopped them on the way… he pushed himself through a crowd of soldiers to take a look at the situation.
It really was a supply cart, but it also had… a passenger. A young boy, barely as tall as Azhdaha's waist was talking to Ganyu, while others were unloading the goods.
"Who's that?" he asked, while coming near.
"A yaksha, his name is Menogias." Ganyu explained "Bosacius' brother…"
A guest. Azhdaha was never the one fond of ceremonies, so he had to quickly remember the honors he should address him with.
"Oh, of course. We expected you, young lord Menogias. Rex Lapis can't meet you right now, but I will do my best to provide you with what you need. And you're probably tired after the long way, there will be a bath and lunch for you…"
"Rex Lapis in not here?... "
"He is, but he's… busy. If you have an urgent matter, you can pass it to me as a replacement. I'm currently the one in charge of the camp." It seemed to calm the boy down a little, so Azhdaha turned his back on him. "Follow me, we will find somewhere more private to talk."
Menogias jumped off the cart and followed him inside, holding something wrapped in a silky shawl. Whatever it was, he was holding it like a dearest treasure and Azhdaha was certain that it's probably something related to his passed mother. But, he decided not to ask. They entered the master tent, but did not go further inside. The lord of geo got his lunch about half an hour ago, and was most likely asleep now.
"Bosacius announced your arrival yesterday. What do you need from us, little one? It's actually my first time meeting you in person… "
Menogias started unwrapping whatever he was holding.
"We… W-We Don't know what to do.." he whispered. "All Adepti are here… please you have to save Alatus!..."
That is when Azhdaha noticed what exactly he was holding. It was a bird. A small, teal-colored bird still in their fluffy baby feathers, wrapped cozily with the silken scarf. A newborn adeptus.
"That is…"
"Our brother… he's almost a month old. When mother died, we were giving him goat milk… but it doesn't work. We also tried to feed him with flowers, but he's too small, he refuses them. He gets weaker every day... He will die.. please, save him!"
The boy was in tears, while the little bird was still sleeping. So that was the important personal business their mother had to attend. Azhdaha was puzzled. He was not an Adeptus himself, so he was not sure how to help them, but…
"I… I will ask adepti around the camp. Oh, I know! I will ask Cloud Retainer. She's experienced."
"Oh… I heard about her, she's mom's relative…"
"You see? Then, hand Alatus to me. Don't be afraid, I will introduce him to her. He will be safe with Rex Lapis' strongest warrior." Azhdaha smiled, trying to put the boy at ease. After a while of uncertainty, Menogias nodded and handed the bundle to him.
"Now, go take a bath and eat. Bosacius and Pervases will show you around, you will find them on the training grounds. I bet you three have a lot to talk about."
Menogias left and Azhdaha decided to find Cloud Retainer right away. Alatus was so small, fitting in the palm of his hand. Holding the bird safely against his chest, so the sun doesn't blind him, he looked around but did not spot her. He was always fond of children, but it was his second time meeting one this tiny. He was a little nervous that he would grip on him too hard, but the boy seemed alright, his little beak cozily resting in the fluffy feathers on his chest, body slightly rising and seating back down with his little breaths.
Cloud Retainer, Cloud Retainer… The bird lady seems to have disappeared into thin air, nowhere to be found. When he reached the edge of the camp and was about to turn back and try the other direction, he heard a sound similar to 'poof' and the weight in his hand slightly increased. He looked down to be met with the curious gaze of a human infant.
"Whoa, whoa, didn't know you can do that.. what a smart boy you are…"
Adepti are truly full of wonders.
He added his other hand to the hold, to support his little head and started heading in the opposite direction. Finally, he spotted her from afar, she was chatting with Ganyu and Pervases. He looked down to check how the boy was doing, the little adeptus looked back at him. He had big yellow eyes and sea-colored hair, matching the color of his feathers. He obviously didn't have any clothes on himself, tiny feathers growing in a few spots on his skin. Azhdaha readjusted the scarf so it covers him evenly and brought a finger to his little face. He really seemed thinned out and was a little dirty from traveling. His bangs slightly fell into his eyes, so Azhdaha tried to take the hair away. But it was hard, his finger was so big and his face so small. Alatus was much smaller than a normal human newborn, that's just how adepti are. While the dragon had much bigger hands than average human men. Well… whatever. He's a newborn, he probably doesn't see much anyway. When he was about to take his finger away, the boy weakly reached with his arm, trying to grip it with his tiny hand. It…did things to Azhdaha. He stopped and just watched him wrap his so, so tiny fingers around Azhdaha's. He decided to make it easier for him and moved it lower, at the height of his face. The newborn took it in his both little hands and started sucking at the end, his eyes closing. Would their child be like that too if she was born alive? He imagined that, their baby holding Morax's fingers exactly like him right now, and the smile on his husband's face. It would be too beautiful.
He looked at Could Retainer and then… turned in another direction to face the master tent at the sudden thought. Of course… why he didn't think of that earlier. He quickly headed back into the cozy shadows of his current house. His breath was racing, he was nervous but also full of hope. When he entered the sleeping chamber, Morax was not sleeping anymore, pouring another cup of calming tea into himself.
"Morax!"
The god turned his gaze at Azhdaha, startled by the sudden shout, but he didn't say anything.
"This is Alatus. He lost his mother and will die without milk. Morax please, save him!"
When Morax noticed little body cuddled into the big hands of his husband, his expression changed. He opened his eyes wide, his mouth slightly gaping. Azhdaha could swear he can hear his own heartbeat, as he stood in silence, watching the other processing what he's seeing without a single movement, except for the slight twitching of his bottom lip.
"Mor…" suddenly, the boy started crying. It was like a bucket of ice. The god of geo stirred and slowly reached with both of his hands. Azhdaha didn't dealay it for a second, handing the crying thing into the welcoming arms. His hands were shaking, but he safely brought the little boy to his neck and pressed his face into the sea-green hair, embracing him with emotion.
"Is it fine?"
He nodded. Azhdaha sat down next to them and wrapped one of his arms around his husband, as he was trying to soothe the little adeptus by rubbing his back.
"His siblings are too young to take care of him. And he needs milk to survive. Can you nurse him for some time? Is that okay?"
He nodded again and then bursted into tears.
"Hey.. hey, it's fine. It's alright." Azhdaha pulled him close, making him rest his tear-stained cheek on his chest. "Do it."
With agitation, he watched the god pull on his bathrobe to make it loose and then lower the boy so he's close to his swollen pec. All of that while still sobbing. That's when he spoke for the first time since Azhdaha arrived.
"He's a bird, right… ? Bird adepti receive milk differently in their original forms.. I d-don't know if he will know what to do.. "
"Dragons are not originally mammals either. Have faith in him dear, he will figure it out."
After a while of convincing, Alatus finally quit crying to take the nipple into his little mouth and started sucking. His mother must have taught him that before she passed. At first nothing came out, Azhdaha got worried that perhaps Morax was not far enough into the pregnancy to actually produce milk, but after a while the sound of sucking changed into more of a wet kind, a tiny stream of thick white liquid escaped through the corner of his little mouth and then down. They both exhaled in relief. Azhdaha took a while to wipe the tears of his dear's cheeks and gave him a quick kiss.
"You two hang in there, I will ask Menogias if he has some clothes for him."
"He will do without clothes for a moment, please stay…" he did not smile, but his eyes sparkled with a new energy, like life returned to them after a long time.
"Oh… sure."
He sat there with them, watching the little boy drink aggressively. He was so starved… Azhdha gripped harder into the soft black skin of his shoulder.
"Are you in pain, Morax?" he asked the usual question. And finally got a response.
"My chest… was sore. But it feels better now." he squeezed his eyes shut, more tears going out. Oh.
"I can massage your chest if that will bring you relief."
"... No, it's alright. Hush, now, he's… he's falling asleep"
He was right, the boy got visibly drowsy. He released the nipple from his mouth, hugged his little face into the warmth of Morax's chest and with another 'poof' he turned back into a bird, already asleep.
"He's so tiny…and fragile" god of geo whispered, wrapping his palm tightly around the little body, still crying.
"He will grow. He will be a great warrior. Hey… shhh, don't cry, everything's fine. I love you."
_
Azhdaha readjusted his grip on his club, to show Menogias how to hold his smaller one. The boy followed his movements and got into a pepper position.
"Good, remember the moves? Now smash the dummy with all you got."
The poor training dummy was already repaired a few times after Bosacius used it, but it will be just good for a beginner. Pervases was trying his skills in a spar with a human soldier a few meters away. It was another peaceful day, a new opponent announced themselves, but the fight was over in just two days. Seems that there are no strong candidates for the gnosis left and they can relax a little. The orange clouds already fell down and now the dust was covering the ground in a thick layer, but they got used to that. The equipment just required more cleaning. Bosacius was sitting aside, brushing the sand out of his hair, while watching Ganyu hitting the training target with her arrows. He had the 'Gonna marry her' look on his face and it was so adorable.
Thy were all busy with their little tasks, when soldier who was fighting with Pervades suddenly stirred and slightly bowed down. Azhdaha quickly turned around to face the same direction as him and opened his mouth in shock. A positive shock. Morax was slowly approaching them in his usual white clothes, polearm in his arm and the little green bird sleeping on his shoulder. Four days passed and he was already walking around the tent and eating his meals in a more proper arrangement (and amounts), but it was the first time Azhdaha saw him outside and dressed properly, instead of his bathrobe or just his full naked glory… or full naked misery if we are talking about the past two weeks. The swell of his chest and the excess mass on his stomach were slightly visible because of the tightness of his suit, but he didn't seem to care.
"Morax! You came out! Come here… "
"Lord Morax!" Pervases jumped with enthusiasm, dropping his polearm and going rushed towards him, to hug him tightly.
Morax squirmed in surprise at first, but then smiled and ran his hand through his hair.
"You see? Lord Retuo told you that I will be back soon."
Ganyu stopped her doings as well and came closer to greet him.
"Everything good? You don't feel off or anything?" Azhdaha just needed to make sure.
"It's fine, I already recovered a long time ago. I was just… It was sitting in my head." he admitted.
"We will train now?" Pervases looked up with hope.
"We will."
"How is Alatus?" Bosacius asked, looking at the little bird with concern. "Did you found a way to feed him without milk?"
"There will be no need. He can drink mine."
"Huh? But how… "
"A.. a lot happened. I will tell you one day but for now... I will adopt him, if you allow me. I can take care of your sisters as well."
"O-Of course we will allow you, my lord. It's a real relief that he will be in the best of care. "
Azhdaha looked at his husband and noticed a tone of sadness in his eyes. Alatus needed him and he needed Alatus, the burning void in his heart finally full. But, it surely didn't make him miss their daughter any less. He put a hand on his free shoulder to reassure him.
"Oh, Azhdaha." he smiled shyly "Take Alatus, I'm going to spar with the boys a little."
"Of course. Come here, little noodle."
He wrapped his fingers around the sleeping hatchling and pulled him up, to discover his little sharp claws gripping into the dark fabric of his suit so hard that it stretched when he tried to pull him away. Menogias had to cover his mouth to hold himself from laughing. One by one and with help of the other Yakshas, they gently detached the little claws from the sleeve and Azhdaha hugged him to his neck, he didn't even wake up. What a little sleepy head, he was also a little heavy, probably ate a lot before they left the tent. He watched the god of geo and yakshas going back to the field and gently caressed a little wing with his thumb.
"You saved my husband, little one. I will personally make sure that you will grow up to be the strongest warrior of Teyvat. As your pride, you will light up the darkness of the war-devoured world like an upcoming sunrise."
The bird twitched in his sleep and gripped the sturdy skin of his hand with his tiny claws, looking peaceful and comfortable.
"..... Oh Celestia, you're cute."