Chapter Text
Liyue has been the land of myths and legends due to its long history dating back 3700 years ago. Folklores have been spreaded generation to generation through word of mouth. How much of those stories are true, bravely survived through the devastation of erosion? There are, indeed, difference between the lores and what really happened
Legend said…
During the years when gods contended against one another, Rex Lapis' aspect was that of boundless slaughter. In those god-eat-god battles, one could never have ascribed gentleness to him.
- Morax! I can't hold her any longer - Cloud Retainer huffed heavily as she flapped her wings one more time at the golden net. A stream of golden energy launched towards the net and recovered the broken meshes
Under the net, the woman, no, the creature covered by black dust writhed to escape, hissing in agony as the chain around her tightened. A large boulder, as big as an old tree in a shape of a spear, pinned her legs in place. Her pressed lower body was buried among the dust and rock. The smell of iron and rotten meat filled the air so thick that one could almost touch it.
- Morax! - another adeptus chimed in: Azhdaha used both of his huge hands to stick the net on the ground - let me finish her for you
- No… - the man in white hoodie simply uttered the word. He is unmoved though his pupils slightly scanned the situation with more confusion than horror. The spear in his hand - the symbol of blind and merciless justice - shines under the last beams of dusk
- No? My Lord! Please...she is suffering! - a young voice screamed with uselessness.
Xiao - the young Yaksha was on the verge of sobbing. He put his hand on his chest to calm himself while not daring to directly look at the Prime Adeptus in the eyes for utmost respect
The wise Cloud Retainer used all of her power to lengthen this moment a little bit more. For the first time in forever, she was shaking. Not because of the beast that they were quelling with brutal force and magic; but because she never thought she would need to kill one of her best allies. Her friend
Morax’s friend
She was granting Morax a chance to properly say goodbye. Something that he was not used to or ever had the opportunity to practice. Alas, the unmovable mountain! Who knew he also had a heart?
He knew right from wrong, and never missed his mark: in those days of tumult, he would show no mercy, even to friends-turned-foes.
Morax hesitated .
For this first time in his life, he almost yielded to an unexplainable emotion swirling inside his chest. The creature, no, the woman crumbling on the ground was once his dearest friend. The one who taught him to feel empathy for this world. For weaker beings. She showed him there are other ways to treat and nurture the mortals instead of regarding them as worthless worshippers. She loved the idea of nurturing humans like her own children. The wise and witty friend who invented numerous fierce weapons and also board games to tease him between the stress of the war.
Ah yes, the war of the gods to claim this prosperous land.
The war that he was so fond of. He couldn’t wait to kill the new born gods who were so naive and stupid to set foot on his territory. He slaughtered them in his inferno and brought his wrath upon the enemy, bringing judgement to their doors.
The war where he had rised to be the Prime Adeptus, to have the other gods grovelling under his feet for peace. They kissed his foot and the land he walked through. Power had never been so close. He could taste it solidifying around him like another layer of Jade shield.
The war that led him to meet Lady Guizhong through her angelic voice, among the field of glaze lilies. She was the only one not bowing at him for his strength, but instead made him prostrate under her kindness and generosity.
The war where he settled down on this land thanks to her suggestion, watching her teach people how to grow the first rice plant, to make a stove with Guoba, to dry the first meat on the rake…
...to surrender herself to corruption…
How come this happened? To him ?
She was lying helplessly on the ground. Her abdomen was crushed so badly, Morax had to look away in denial that he was the one throwing the rock at her. The woman wheezed with difficulty. Laying one hand on her chest, she arched her back as a puddle of slimy dark liquid flowed out from her mouth. Azhdaha looked at the puddle on the ground with disgust. He could see snakes and reptiles crawling in there. Guizhong tried to vomit another forbidden creature out of her body: a longer snake with scales slided out of her once beautiful lips. Its tail wiggled every time she tried to cough it out. Her arms violently reached to the net in an effort to tear it apart. But each time she tried to touch it, the ancient magic burned her skin worse, leaving burn marks on her biceps and shoulders.
- Mo...rax! - she hissed towards the adeptus. Her voice had been distorted into a devious tone
It was hard to imagine Lady Guizhong used to wake the whole glaze lilies field to sway around with her out-of-this-world voice. The corruption turned her… unrecognizable. A stream of tears flew down her cheek. The clear and almost translucent droplet soon mixed with the black blood gushing out from the corner of her mouth
Morax - the man she called for - slowly approached her with caution. He yielded his spear into thin air.
Xiao suddenly stiffened his posture and followed his master closely. Morax hovered his hand to order the Yaksha to stay where he was while continuing to step forward until his old friend was just an arm span apart from him. He kneeled down on one knee and put his hand through the net
- Morax, be careful. She is no longer the person you think she is. Not anymore… that's a...monster - Azhdaha tried to speak in a calm tone. But the bass in his voice gave away his anger and bitter regret. He hated to call his dear friend "monster". That single word was enough to make the mighty and unmovable god nauseous
Morax slightly tilts the so-called monster's chin up with his bare fingers. She spat the venom at him. The black ink like fluid made a sizzle sound as it slowly corroded his cloak
- Guizhong… - he finally spoke up
The creature madly laughed at the call. The piercing high-pitch screech echoed in empty space like the sound of thousands of metal weapons clashing at each other. She arched his back again to force out another pool of blood. The thick liquid slowly oozed out from her teeth, dying her lips a tone of grey and red. Despite the grip from Morax, her head was drooped down from the previous violent vomit. She raised her hand toward the adeptus and before he could process her motive, Guizhong timely summoned a sword at her hand.
- My Lord! - Xiao rushed to him like a rocket - Watch out!
Morax glanced at the weapon. It was the Primordial Jade Cutter. Oh...how he was not surprised when she could find this piece easily. It was supposed to be a spontaneous gift when he found that precious piece of gem after slandering a mighty god. With his exquisite forging skill, he made her this sword as a token of appreciation for being his long-time strategist. And best friend . He kept the sword discreetly in his chamber. But the mischievous Guizhong who refused to understand the concept of personal space and refused to have any secret between them, might find it with ease.
Morax gritted his teeth as he summoned his spear at lightning speed. And before he could counter attack the first blow of his once dear Guizhong, his front part of the cloak was suddenly heavier
With blood
Morax looked down on his cloak with confusion. It was stained black with a splash of thick black ink fluid. The holy fabric cannot absorb the whole thing. Streams of liquid blatantly crawled down his outfit and landed on the ground into a small pool.
Morax looked back at the woman, now with half of the Primordial Jade Cutter inside her chest. The hand that mercilessly pushed it there, quivering as it offered to Morax for some final pacification. He held it tenderly and knitted their hands together. The soft feeling of the touch reminded him of the old time that probably was not too long away.
- Morax...my silly Morax - Guizhong finally breathed out and murmured with her eyes tiredly shut. Transparent tears soaked her thick lashes and fell on her cheek - why... at the end... you are still unwise like this…?
She tried to draw a smile but failed. Her chest lightly trembled when she panted in agony. The sword shivered under her breaths.
Morax gritted his teeth. The hand inside his palm was getting colder and weaker, it barely stayed still in his grip
- I’m sorry... I can't be with you - she continued - to witness your reign as the Geo Archon
- Don’t say that. I will seal you in the heart of the rock. Maybe Streetward Rambler will have the method to treat your condition
- No… it is too late - the corner of Guizhong's mouth slightly curved up for a smirk - I had failed. I was too weak to fight it… but here... my Morax, I have helped you half of the journey - she looked at the sword inside her and coughed out more blood
- Guizhong… - Morax furrows.
He was at a loss of words. He was unsure what to say. Or more importantly, should he say it out loud. Before the almighty God thoroughly processed his train of thought, everybody heard him say something so sentimental that they hadn’t seen that side before
- Please...don't leave me?
- You and I have a contract. - Morax feels her hand slipping away from his helpless grip like a slippery fish - It's time for you to fulfill your part
Morax's expression turned cold quickly when he heard those words. He followed Guizhong's trembling guidance and put both of his hands on the handle of the blade. With a ferocious movement, he twisted the sword and pushed it through the chest of the woman in front of him. The whole blade was soaked in black liquid. Guizhong arched her back to reflect the agony and let out a screech. The demon inside her laughed out and released a swarm of flies from the open wound. Those hideous insects were quickly dissolved into black dust with a wave from the Cloud Retainer, leaving Guizhong shivering and vomiting another splash of blood.
- Please...Morax - she signed for him to come closer - please forget my silly Memory of Dust. Because… - she put her bloody palm on his face and caress, letting the tips of her fingers touch his closed eyes
- Because what, my Guizhong? - Morax pushed her nape gently towards him to lay her head on the crook of his neck
There is no answer
Only silence
Not even the sound of her breath brushing his collarbone
Morax held the now-stiff hand that slowly slid down his face and kissed the fingertips
- Why should I forget yo-...the Memory of Dust, Guizhong?
- Morax… Azhdaha had abandoned the net and come to his side - she's gone
Rex Lapis' stone-cold expression never once changed throughout that storied age.
- No… Wait… WAIT!
Morax's eyes went wide when he saw the tips of Guizhong's fingers slowly vanished into black dust.
He looked back at her face in horror and witnessed the eyes that he usually peppered kisses on when she tended his battle wounds, had also disappeared into the cruel wind. He tried to catch the flimsy ash in his hand but it heartlessly dissolved despite the God’s desperate effort.
What is this feeling of...regret? He used to enjoy this scene so much: Watching his enemy vanishing as a part of his punishment upon them.
The wrath of the rock
The quicker they turned to dust, the better. And yet...he had never felt so lost like this. When was the last time he held her in his arms again?
His eyes got heavier and heavier when tears got the better of him. His vision got blurry.
What is this???
He felt hard to breathe as if there were a huge stone pressing on his throat. The more the tried to shove it down, the worse it rose, pushing him to the edge of misery. He chokeed on the rock and crouched himself close to the ground. He blinked as one of the droplets landed on the ground, mixing with the thick dark puddle in front of him.
Morax surrendered to the waves of emotions swirling inside his chest. He screamed at the blood - Guizhong’s blood - and let tears freely streaming down his face. His throat dried up from the cold air and his larynx was stretched painfully from the regretful howls. But he doesn't mind anymore. If his physical pain could ease him from this bursting of emotions, he would gladly torture himself even worse.
They say that only when the dust settled did he lay down that unmovable visage.
The Jade Cutter fell coldly on the ground with a jarring clank. Guizhong’s leftover had turned into dust, just like her primitive form, and washed away with the wind and glaze lilies’ fragrance. The sun had set behind the magnificent mountains, leaving the whole area in darkness
The Cloud Retainer flapped her wings and create a circle of lights like millions of luminescent fireflies
- Are you ok? - she hesitantly placed her wings on the shoulder of the God still kneeling in front of the dark puddle - the final sign of Guizhong's existence and pass away.
- This sword - Morax held it up with both of his hands - was supposed to be dipped into the enemy's blood as a sign of The Geo God’s mightiness.
He laughed
- Yet this is its first blood! I know she does not like fighting. But she needs something to protect herself. Something to remind her that she will always be safe. Under Rex Lapis's protection… - the ugly truth left Morax’s lips with bitterness
- It’s not your fault, Morax. The corruption is incura-
Azhdaha’s condolence was cut short by a horrendous growl. Morax, punching on the ground and turning in his dragon exuvia, growled into the void and plowed up the nearby terrain with his claws. The ground shook under his will, moving like waves at the ocean. It was an earthquake, so powerful it turned the whole wide area into a sea of dirt. The Cloud Retainer flew higher on the sky to avoid the impact from the earthquake while Azhdaha summoned a stone barrier to protect the nearby village from being blown up
- Calm down, Morax - the giant God with horns on his forehead yelled at him. Despite his hot temper, Azhdaha had never failed in his duty: being a straightforward and caring friend.
The Cloud Retainer shook her head in disapproval at Azhdaha. She guided his gaze to the sky. She knew what would happen. The Cloud Retainer stared at a part of the sky which is particularly purple and black with expecting eyes. Soon after, the early evening sky turned gloomy with golden lightning shuffling into a wicked web. From the black eye of the storm, there was a gleam of light tearing the sky apart. More and more holes were created from where the golden lightning met. And just like that, a rain of massive mountains fell from the high above, all shaped like spears, tearing and plugging deep into the ground as if they were piercing through butter.
That night. The little animals in the surrounding areas were scared to near death from the horrible growls of the dragon. The nightly predators swiftly evacuated from the turbulence while the weaker preys suffered their heartless consequences. Flood was created from the newly formed stone forest, sinking the plants and crops. It was a hellish night that the survivors swore that they almost saw the earth turning upside down.
Tendou Bansho
When the Emperor gives out his orders, all of the creations must follow.
But no matter how hard he tried that night, the glaze lillies did not bloom and shine. They all hung their heads down, wilting away into the winds. Maybe, they all missed the dear voice that woke them up at dusk.
But it had been necessary, for he had donned it to fulfill a contract
That grand transformation across Liyue didn’t seem enough for the ever proud Rex Lapis. In his Dragon exuvia, he launched himself up high in the sky to look down at the land once so peaceful and prosperous.
No more…
What would be the point of keeping this place when you were gone ?
Morax filled himself with hatred and enmity. In his boiling anger, he let himself fall freely mid air. The feeling of losing balance was just as half miserable as the tornado inside him right now.
He felt the first sting in his side when he crashed against the first mountain. Morax switched himself a bit to the right to receive another impact near his upper half. Smiling at the sharp pain, he made sure his whole body collide with as many hard edges as possible
As long as it can ease the wrecking pain in my chest
- Azhdaha! - The Cloud Retainer hurriedly pointed at the heartbreaking scene - Stop him! Don’t let him hurt himself. At least not at this moment
- Morax!
Azhdaha called out for his lord and crouched on the ground to return to his primitive form: an enormous dragon with claws as sharp as the finest claymore. He used his grand figure to gore at the mountains, causing them to crumble on the ground.
One more mountain was destroyed before it could hurt Rex Lapis
And one more
Azhdaha bit the bullet and pushed forward with every strength in his body. He ignored a mountain had crashed on him, leaving a nasty wound that nearly cut his shoulder open
When the final mountain was flattened, Azhdaha turned back into his human form, just in time to catch a half conscious Morax in his arms, also in his human vessel due to exhaustion
- You just simply fulfilled a contract - Azhdaha gently pushed a brunette lock of hair out of Morax’s face - what has to be done, has to be done. Don’t punish yourself for it
- Azhdaha… you are hurted - Morax slowly opened his eyes and blinked at his right shoulder - for me…
- It’s ok - Azhdaha shook his head - it was worth it. To protect my Lord.
Morax stood up on his feet. There was a bruise on his cheek and his lip was a bit. He looked at the rock garden that he just cluttered.
Nothing could ease him. Not at the moment
- Let’s go back - Morax finally spoke up - we will conduct the Rite of Parting at dawn
He nods at Azhdaha to assure him one more time
- Let’s get you some medicine. For the wound
- You too, my Lord - Azhdaha seemed much more relieved
- I.. Will find that yaksha. He disappeared right after the...erm… see you later, my lord - the Cloud Retainer bowed at him one last time before flying into the purple sky
- Be strong, morax. This war is still long. And we need you to focus - Azhdaha once again proved himself to be the confiding ally - we all do
Morax looked at his companion, and looked back at his stained cloak
Something inside him was screaming that it was not just a contract.
That day. He had lost more than he complied