Chapter Text
Over six thousand years has Liyue been formed and overwatched by the Geo Archon - Rex Lapix, who has his army protecting Liyue day in and day out. Despise the great power the Geo Archon has; he has chosen a few fine leaders to lead his army. From the illuminated beast to the great yaksha.
Of all the Yaksha, stands five elites that was personally handpicked by the king to become the general of his army. They lead the full glory of Liyue into the battlefield and claim victory by the end of war.
General Alatus is one of those elites, standing side by side with him are his brothers and sisters in arm – Menogias, Indarias, Bonanus and Bosacius. Hand in hand they wipe off all corrupted demons and returns the peace back to Liyue Citizens.
Little does the mortal knows that the shedding of blood comes with a price – a hefty price that the Yaksha has to pay.
For every slaughter they made, cast another burden onto their karmic debt. Another scream would be added into their nightmare and another splatter of blood sips into their skin.
It wasn’t long before the archon war breaks out and more blood were shed onto the hands of the Yaksha.
Still, an oath is an oath, one being the Yaksha has to fulfil it.
And so, the karmic debt doubled during the archon war.
The contract is both a curse and a blessing – Blessing that in return the Yaksha would have a purpose to serve and to kill; curses that it slowly drives one away from their sanity.
Alatus has known it all the while.
That everyday he’s in the battlefield not just with the monsters but with his own as well. He’s fighting a war for Liyue and himself. And it would go on for eternity until he fell.
But never would he thought that being a survivor would have such heart wrenching feeling.
The sight of seeing one own’s comrade down is easier than seeing one’s sanity disappear.
Alatus and Bosacius had tried to help Menogias when it happens but it got out of control when Bonanus went directly at them and Menogias fights her aggressively.
By the time they find them, both Menogias and Bonanus were already gone.
Alatus could never forget how Indarias screamed when the karmic debt overwhelmed her with fear and she totally lost her mind.
And it creeps in him that one day he would lose his sanity too. His contract would continue to bound him into this fate and all it needs is a snap for him to be like them.
It always irks him how noisy the voices are in his head. And the only temporary relief he could have from those noises is when he’s in the battlefield. When he’s focusing on the enemy and his spear.
All the years in the battlefield makes him numb from pain, but no matter how much pain he could endure, it still hurts when one of his own pointed their weapons at him.
“Bosacius, cut it out!” Xiao dodged rock that was flung at him.
“Alatus, fight me as a mighty warrior you once were.” Bosacius dons on his purple mask and leaps into the air.
Xiao leaps away seconds before he lands and breaks the ground apart.
“I do not want to fight you! We serve the same king, don't you remember?” The moment Xiao landed on the ground, Bosacius was already in front of him and landed a punch.
Xiao managed to block it but the force was enough to send him flew backward and crashed into the mountains.
Xiao merely has seconds to dodge his head to the left before another fist crashes into the spot where his head just were.
He grabs his spear flung Bosacius away, trying to avoid hurting him.
Bosacius sees what he did and grabbed the spear end, flinging Alatus onto the ground.
“Weak. You’re a disgrace to the Yaksha, Gold Winged Alatus.” Xiao could feel one of his ribs cracked but he has no time to think because the four-armed man was pointing his spear at him.
“It’s a shame to think Rex Lapis would have a weakling like you to protect Liyue. I shall prove him wrong by first killing you, then him.”
And Xiao’s loyalty to Rex Lapis flared, he would not allow anyone to speak of such nonsense.
He snatched his weapon back and immediately sends a kick strong enough to send Bosacius away.
“Do not defile his name with your mouth.” Xiao spats.
But Bosacius only laughs in reply, “That is the Alatus I knew. That ridiculous strength and speed of the Great Peng.”
His kick didn’t even leave a scratch on him. Yet a single swing from Bosacius could broke a few ribs of his.
This is the power of the Yaksha mask.
“Don on your mask Alatus, and fight me.” Bosacius demanded, step by step coming closer to him.
Xiao deepens his frown. “No, I will not.”
The other yaksha wasn’t too happy with his answer, he grins and disappeared into the fog.
Xiao immediately heightens up his senses, Bosacius was known to be hiding among the dark and attack from blind spots.
A swirl of wind from his left and immediately Xiao rolled to his right, barely missing a swing of fist. He hissed when it irritated his bruised ribs while he could hear Bosacius laugh.
“Alatus, Alatus. Would you look at yourself, what kind of weakling have you become.”
Xiao ignores him and continue to be look around his surroundings.
“Did you forget that you, were the same as me? The same old blood lusting Yaksha?”
From behind.
Xiao duck forward, missing by the hair.
“I can smell you Alatus. I can smell the blood on you.”
Then a tree trunk fell onto his direction and Xiao dodged quickly.
“I can smell all the blood you smeared.”
A hand grabbed him by the neck and Bosacius holds him high.
“You can’t run from your karmic debt Alatus.” A punch to his gut pushes out all air from his lungs and sends him flying.
“You are just like me.” Before Xiao could get up, Bosacius grabbed him by the collar and head butted him.
“There’s so much blood on you, Alatus. Protecting Liyue would not redeem all the blood you have shed.” Xiao’s dizzy.
His whole-body aches now and he’s losing consciousness. Bosacius would kill him if he don't do anything.
The mask.
No. Not the mask. He would not use-
“A weakling like you don’t deserve to own the mask.” Bosacius kicks him on his chest so hard, that it sends him flying, crashing into one of the abandoned village houses.
Xiao coughed as he lands on top of the box piles, spilling blood everywhere. He's loosing too much blood. He needs to get away quick before Bosacius finds him and kill him. This might be his last chance.
He then crawls with all his might into a dark storeroom at the corner of the house.
“Alatus, where are you?”
He needs to go as deep as he can while Bosacius is still looking for him.
“Alatus!”
The voice is getting near. He’s coming, Xiao would be dead if he’s been found. He won’t be able to fight in this state.
Not even with the power of the mask.
His body starts to tremble in pain and exhaustion as he crawls with all he can into the deep store room and before he knew it the boxes gave way and he fell deeper in, crashing on the ground.
He groaned in pain. This floor is hard as hell. How could a wooden floor be so hard?
“Someone there?”
A voice called out but Xiao can no longer differentiate whose voice is it.
“Goodness. You alright?”
Has Bosacius found him? Could it be?
He opened his eyes and all he sees is a blur of aquamarine eyes. Next seconds he knew, darkness took over him.
--xx--
The next time Xiao opened his eyes, he could feel how heavy his whole body is.
The familiar tightness of the bandage on him reminds him of the careless fights he has in his younger army days.
“Ah I see that you’re awake.” A voice chirped beside him had him gone into full alert mode and sits up. Instantly he’s been reminded of the damages he receives from Bosacius.
“Goodness, you shouldn’t move too erratically. You have multiple broken ribs you know-” A hand touches his shoulder and Xiao slapped it away and glare at whoever is beside him. “Don’t touch me.” He growled.
The man holds his slapped hand to his chest and leans away from him.
He held his hands up. “Okay. Calm down.”
Xiao, still being alert of the situation, looks around.
He's in a building structure that he’s not familiar with, the man beside him is wearing a… a… He couldn’t recognize the type of uniform the man is wearing but at least he could recognize he is sitting on a bed.
Beside him is a… lamp? It’s small and no place for the oil. How could this thing emit light without oil?
“Where is this place?” He glared dagger at the man beside him.
Not like the man owes Xiao an explanation but seeing how frantic Xiao was, he would probably think he got kidnapped.
“This, is my room.” The man pointed around. “And you’re in my house.” Then points to himself.
“How do I get here?” Xiao held his hand up and inspected the bandage around his body. There’s quite a number of injuries he got from Bosacius.
Of course, that brute swung him around like a rag.
“I found you in an abandoned house. You’re in a mess and bleeding, so I brought you back here and tended your wounds.” The man pulled a chair and sit beside him.
Not too near though, he wouldn’t want to get slapped again and Xiao is totally aware that he’s keeping a distance from him.
Good. He should.
“Did you see another man?” Xiao asked. And the man tilted his head, pondering.
Before he could answer, Xiao added. “With four arms.”
And that makes the man taken aback and raised him a brow.
Then he shakes his head, “No. I did not see another man. Even though I saw him, he would have only two arms. Not four. Now tell me, how man fingers am I holding?” The man raised his thumb.
Xiao glared at him and ignored, moving out from the bed.
“Woah! Where do you think you’re going?” Venti quickly goes around the bed to stop him. He’s not in the shape to move around.
“I’ve stay long enough. Thanks for your hospitality.” Xiao says and attempted to stand up, only to find his leg gave way and fell forward.
Thank goodness the man caught him, if not he would be in the world of pain. Again.
“Woah. Calm down. You just woke up and not even fully recover yet.” The man gently pushes him back onto the bed and Xiao realized his clothing are missing.
With a blush he pushes the man away and covers himself with the blanket.
“Where’s my clothing?” In his army, the nurses would never take off his lower clothing. Not unless, it’s necessarily. But
Xiao did not see the need to take it off in this situation.
The man landed his ass on the ground with a loud thud and he spewed a string of curses in languages that Xiao did not recognize.
“Calm down would you! Your clothes are all soiled and I wouldn’t want your blood and mess to stain my bed. Which part you bleeding and in a mess are you not clear?” The man scolded.
This short and odd man deserves a scolding from him. First, he got slapped, then he got pushed.
It’s not nice. Not when you’re showing kindness to a stranger and it happens in your own house and own room.
Xiao felt a small pang of guilt. He shouldn’t have reacted that way. But he’s in an unfamiliar territory and it’s natural for him to give such a reaction.
Still, he shouldn’t push the man away.
“I… I apologize. I shouldn’t have reacted that way.” Xiao looks away. The man rubbed his back bone and walked towards the wardrobe.
He threw a black shirts and shorts to him. “It’s alright. You could wear some of my clothes. We’ll go get some clothing for you when you’re well enough.”
He turns around and noticed how Xiao was looking at the clothing as if they’re an unknown object to him.
That makes him laugh.
And that makes Xiao feel embarrassed.
“I don’t know where do you come from, but just in case you don't remember, those are shirts and pants.”
The man stretches out his hand and ask for the shirt. Xiao handed to him with a frown and he helps him to wear it while trying not to irritate his injuries.
“There, easy right? You should know how the pants work and I’ll leave that to your own. I’m going to make us lunch.”
Then the man stands up and walks away.
“Wait.” Xiao called. And the man halted his footstep.
“Xiao.”
“Xiao?” The man tilted his head.
“My name. What about you?” Xiao asked.
The man simply smiled at him.
“Name’s Venti. Nice to meet you, Xiao.”