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whispereons · 9 months

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Oracle!Reader Part 13

Masterlist - Part 1, Part 12, Part 14

Warning! As usual, there are descriptions of violence, gore, and death! Ya know, the usual yandere imposter sagau stuff.

Leaning against a tree, you finished the last volume in 'Hilichurl cultural custom'. It was definitely the most informative with the next being 'Hilichurl Ballad Section'. You didn't plan on studying the Hilichurl language but it could come in handy.

You just didn't bother finishing 'Draft Hilichurl ballads'. Ella Musk's rough translation paper in her commission would be far more helpful than that. The game screen is closed as you think back to what you memorized.

Hilichurls worshipped the elements rather than the Seven, which makes sense due to their Khaenri'ah bloodline. Could you use the elemental power in your possession to distract them? Would they recognize you as they can control elements or would the curse from Celestia interfere?

Twirling your sickle mindlessly you keep watch on the camp as hilichurls continuously walk around. A Mitachurl carrying a rock shield sat in the base as a Geo Samachurl helped construct a tower.

Actually, now that you think about it, isn't it kind of strange how this is your first time encountering a Hilichurl? One of the most common enemies that appears in almost every location, yet it's only when you purposefully search for one that you-

"Mimi ye?"

Jumping away from the tree in shock, a sharp gasp escapes you as you turn around, your sickle held firmly. You resist the urge to raise it in defense.

A Hilichurl stands now in front of you with a crossbow, tilting its head. It would be cute if you weren't hyper-aware of the weapon in its hands. Relaxing your posture, the sickle in your hand is hanging to avoid making the hilichurl feel threatened.

"Hello, do you want something from me?" Awkwardly smiling at the masked creature, you speak slowly in hopes of not exciting it.

"Celi dada, mimi nunu!" It walks closer to you, making you cringe internally from the smell. It's not just a smell from bad hygiene, it smells like death.

"Are you curious about me? Do you want to see something cool?" You wait for it to react, which it does by strolling a bit closer before presenting your sickle.

It stops at the sight of the weapon and you watch nervously as its grip tightens on the crossbow. Hurriedly you push the Electro to crackle through the weapon but you don't swing it.

Not even as the Hilichurl begins to load an arrow.

"Nini movo muhe yoyo!" You repeat the few phrases that you drilled into your mind. The pronunciation is bad and the accent is horrible but the message is received by the Hilichurl.

The arrow is slowly removed from the crossbow as the Hilichurl points to the Electro and asks, "Eleka mimi-a-Domu?"

Racking your brain to recall what it's trying to ask you, you nod hastily. It wasn't attacking you so whatever it asked hopefully wasn't bad.

The Hilichurl begins to circle you as it gets closer, seemingly inspecting you. "Muhe ye! Mimi tomo!"

'Muhe ye' was something praiseworthy if you remembered correctly. It suddenly begins to push you towards the camp while repeating the same phrase.

Not willing to risk angering it, you let it push you down the hill and cross the small river of water. Your sickle disappears in gold specks before the other Hilichurls and Geo Samachurl spot you.

They all tense up with their weapons ready yet they don't attack until the Hilichurl pushes you in front of them. It begins to speak to the whole group loudly as they all peer at you from behind it.

"Mimi mosi ye mita!" Hilichurlian is spoken quickly as you look at the half-finished tower and the second tower that was completed. Could the towers be part of the worship they hold to Teyvat?

"Ya!?" The rock shield Mitachurl suddenly storms down the stairs from the main camp making you stare up at the Mitachurl in panic.

Shit, shit this was getting out of hand. Looking around the camp for some form of escape or distraction, the Samachurl stomps his staff onto the ground twice.

"Celi upa celi! Ye dada!" The Samachurl yells out, making the rest of the Hilichurls cheer and begin working faster on the second tower. You could hardly focus on that as the Mitachurl stops in front of you with a mean glare.

It towers over you with the rock shield looking almost as heavy as you. A snort of hot, stinky breath is pushed onto your face making your features scrunch up in disgust.

It begins to argue with the Samachurl as you recover from the horrid smell of the group. You weren't being attacked so that was a good sign, but how were you supposed to lead them away?

Multiple hands begin to drag you toward the half-built towers with their overgrown nails tickling your skin. Not wanting to be forced, you keep pace with the group. Looking down to not trip, you notice their feet.

It was kinda strange how they had five fingers but only three toes. The cloth-like fabric of their charcoal skin was also strange along with the horn-like features on their head. Perhaps the curse melted their clothing with them into one being? That would help explain why they wore so little clothing even in harsh climates.

The Hilichurls pushed you into helping with the tower construction, they all seemed enthusiastic to have you on board. Working with them, instead of fighting against them was far more ideal even if you had more work to do when it came to destroying the towers.

Not long after helping finish the tower, the Hilichurls and Samachurl celebrate. The Mitachurl sits on the perch on the base camp as the Samachurl begins to sway his staff.

"Eleka mimi-a-Domu~ Mita domu-a-dada!" As the Samachurl begins to sing, the hilichurls dance around both towers in sync. Sitting down you watch it curiously while keeping an eye on the Mitachurl.

"Mimi mosi ye mita!" From what the books said this song was supposed to be sung during festivals. What could they be celebrating?

A few Hilichurls arrive at the camp holding Geo clubs and shields. They pause at the sight of you until the Samachurl speaks to them, making them calm down.

One of them seems heavily injured and is escorted into the main camp with bleeding wounds. The smell of iron mingles unpleasantly with the sweat and dirt in the air. God, you regret having a working sense of smell.

The rest of the group brought back meat and rotting fruit? The meat was put to cook over the fire and the fruit was handed out. You only took a single fruit to be polite but it didn't smell... right.

It was a wet, overripe Sunsettia looking far more red than a normal orange Sunsettia. It was probably washed in the river but the water only made it muddy. You look around to see a whole basket brought to the Mitachurl who takes it with a huff.

"Ya celi mimi nunu!" The Samachurl exclaims before they all begin to eat. You try to put the dirt-speckled Sunsettia on the ground but the Samachurl stares at you with expectant eyes. It keeps the staring contest as the Mitachurl begins to look at you too.

Damn, you really didn't want to do this.

Smiling, you brush the mud off (that unfortunately smears it more) and try to ignore the gross possibilities of who and what touched the fruit. You chomp a good-sized bite and hold it in your mouth until the Samachurl nods in approval. The Samachurl begins to feast on his own Sunsettias and you try not to gag. You're about to spit out the piece in your mouth until the juice hits your tongue.

It's sweet. The slight bitterness is pleasant, if not familiar. Experimentally, you begin to chew on the fruit and savor the taste trying to recall what it is.

After a few more bites, you notice a weak burning sensation that travels down your throat. It's… alcohol? These Sunsettias are fermented. Not strong enough to get drunk off one, but after a few?

You look back to the Hilichurls and blanch at the empty basket. Now with what seems like the whole camp they resume the dance. The Mitachurl flops into the middle of the camp, dropping his empty basket.

The staff in the Geo Samachurls hands sways drunkenly as it sings loudly and off-key.

"Nini movo muhe yoyo! Nini movo mimi tomo~! Lata movo mosi yoyo, celi movo celi yoyo!"

Cringing, you finally got up and walked past the drunk Hilichurls. You could barely hear yourself think with all the noise, how were you supposed to plan with it?!

The only place within the Hilichurl camp that had a chance of keeping out the singing was the sole building. Casting a parting glance at the partying Hilichurls, you climb up the stairs and enter the hut.

The poor workmanship let drafts in as two lit torches kept it bright. The obnoxious singing gets quieter so you suppose the building served its purpose. A sole beat-up hilichurl lays on a straw make-shift matt, it groans in pain weakly.

You stop in the middle of the building, just a few steps away from the Hilichurl as you watch it. The question lingering in the back of your mind finally comes forth.

Why did you not want to harm the Hilichurls?

You had no problems attacking and even murdering people, yet your heart ached at the thought of hurting the cursed citizens. Was that it? Did you pity them to the point of refusal of harm? Or was it like you originally thought of the Hilichurl camp being too strong for you to face on your own?

Quietly, you take slow steps toward the Hilichurl, the torches cast your shadow to loom far above it as if swallowing it whole. Stretching out your hand your fingers inch closer to the wound winding down its back.

It must be in so much pain. Your fingers graze the cut just barely as you laugh at yourself. Were you always this hypocritical? Just yesterday you let a treasure hoarder bleed to death with his critical state, yet you tenderly touch this Hilichurl hoping that your power could heal it.

Even with your conflicting feelings, you smile as the Hilichurl begins to glow gold. If your touch was enough to heal it then Teyvat must recognize it as an animal rather than a human.

How sad...

The Hilichurl is quick to wake up once the light fades. A mumbled "Dala?" leaves it as it felt its body multiple times as if checking that it really was healed. It finally turns to look at you with a tense silence.

Smiling calmly, you stay standing as it shakily steps closer to you. "Unu, unu!" The Hilichurl falls onto its knees as it shouts loudly making you jump.

Loud thudding could be heard behind you. You looked behind you, a grimace on your face. This wasn't supposed to happen, what did it yell to the others?! You may have been against fighting them if you could avoid it, but between their life and yours, you come first.

Your sickle is summoned into a clenched hand as you move to turn around to face the sole entryway. Coarse hands grab your ankles and something rough lays on your feet. You freeze at the sight of the Hilichurl in a full bowing position at your feet with its cracked mask pressed against your feet.

Did it recognize you? Or is it simply trying to stop you and is still weak from its earlier injuries? Nerves aflame, you lift your sickle prepared to strike it down and start the fight.

The Hilichurls swarm the building making you freeze up. The Samachurl walks in with the Mitachurl trailing behind it. Attacking now would only lead you to being overwhelmed. All you can do is wait for them to make the first move. If only you remembered what unu meant!

The Samachurl speaks to the Hilichurl that is still clinging to your feet, yet the Hilichurl only repeats unu. That must have been the last straw for the Mitachurl as it yells with spittle hitting your shoulder. It grabs the Hilichurl and lifts it up into the air as you rub the spit off with a nauseating feeling.

The sound of the Samachurls staff dropping to the ground is what has you raising your head. Not a second later, all the Hilichurls get on their knees, yelling with enthusiasm.

"Unu! Unu! Yo unu!"

It wouldn't be a stretch to say that unu must mean something like god as lawa meant chief. There wasn't anything else they would bow to that wasn't a god. Even the mighty Mitachurl sets the Geo shield down to bow low enough that you stand taller than it.

If healing a single Hilichurl had this effect, then you never have to worry about Hilichurls again. This was just another thing to add to your growing list of plausible evidence for you being the Creator to use in the worst-case scenario.

Of course, this could be used against you just as easily. The Hilichurls are by technical means 'monsters'. The only people who know that they were once people are far too little. Some would even kill you to hide this fact...

With a heavy heart, you force yourself to remember not to let hilichurls know your identity from this point on. So many good opportunities are missed due to your stupid acolytes. You'll be stuck keeping this Hilichurl situation quiet for both you and the Hilichurl camp's sake.

Glum with disappointment, you resign yourself to finishing the commission and point out the tent. "All of you, follow me." With that, you leave the building as the Hilichurls rush to follow you.

There's no fear in your heart as you continue to speak while using hand signals to order them. Opening the map, you hum as you try to find a good spot to move them to. It would suck if they saw you destroy the towers and rebuild them before you get the reward for the job.

It takes a bit longer than you hoped due to the alcoholic fruit they consumed but soon enough they follow you farther south to the border of Tianqiu Valley. A nice open area is spotted and you stand there while pointing at the ground.

"Here, this will be your new home." The Hilichurls cheer and rush to work. You slide down to rest against a tree trunk. All you had to do was sit and wait until you saw a good chance to slip away.

Except, they just would not stop bugging you. Fruits, meat, flowers, and any relatively presentable objects were given to you constantly. It didn't help that the Mitachurl refused to leave your side after you winced at the sunbeam hitting your eye.

You had accepted all the gifts and mindlessly stuffed it all into your bag. It was a bit embarrassing to admit but the way they cheered and danced at your approval was nearly endearing. Keyword: nearly.

The stream of gifts came to a halt as the squishy sounds of slime padding along the grass came closer. A batch of big and small cryo slimes stared at the Hilichurls before jumping into the air to attack them.

The Mitachurl quickly leaves your side to attack them as the Hilichurls follow it into battle. Not a moment too soon either, the camp is almost done and you aren't sure if they would even let you leave at this rate.

It was a shame you had to miss watching the battle. Seeing the two most common mobs fight each other was a rare sight as they usually work together. With a bit of effort, you successfully escape without alerting the Hilichurls, smiling in anticipation at the sight of the old camp.

Electro is slashed at the tower as your sickle hits it repeatedly. The white winding tower breaks into a pile of rubble before you move on to the second one.

It's a little more difficult due to the wood pole that serves as a foundation but it comes crashing to the ground soon enough. In spite of your hits, the brown pole stays standing despite the marks you gave it.

Winded, you rest your hand against the pole and catch your breath. After a few minutes, you stand back up and raise your sickle to strike but stop at the sight of something interesting.

On the pole were the now translated words 'BELOVED CREATOR' in messy big writing.

That confirms it right? Not only do the people of Khaenri'ah worship you, but they also recognized you earlier. But if they were originally punished for refusing to be under a god then why did they suffer the same fate when they worshipped you?...

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Celestia wasn't intended to be a good or liked character in Genshin. Hoyoverse made it very clear that no one liked Celestia, so Celestia alone attacking the people of Khaenri'ah wasn't surprising, even in this world, but what about the Archons? What reason did they have to attack Khaenri'ah when the Archons worshipped you too?

Your mind spins with possibilities as your feet automatically head back to the newly built Hilichurl camp. After all, you couldn't leave them unsupervised when they knew your secret.

Besides being showered with gifts and what you assume are compliments isn't bad. You didn't have to worry about saying the wrong thing or acting suspicious around them. Their minds and bodies just weren't good enough to revolt against you. Still, it made you happy that you could relax around them with no consequences.

The camp should be made with lighter-colored trees due to the different environments. The stone flooring of the building would cool the temperature slightly along with whatever air slips in. They should be feasting on the food they gathered and celebrate your return. You would enjoy the positive attention that you haven't truly accepted since you arrived here as they sing and dance awfully.

So, why did the sound of weak gasps and clashing weapons fill the air? Why did the well-accustomed smell of blood overwhelm your nose to the point where you could taste it?

Your answer came in the form of a woman with flowing silk hair adorned with red ropes strangling a hilichurl till it went limp. The body hit the ground with a thud as it dissolved into ashes leaving a splatter of blood and a cracked mask.

The spear twirled in her gloved hands as the crane-like cape followed her body as she surveyed the area. Her clothes were dyed in dark red as the ruby liquid shined on the head of her spear. The crane-like beauty of Shenhe is lost on you as your eyes never stray from the bloody cracked masked.

Stumbling without care for whatever sounds you make, the bushes shake as you walk through. Shenhe looks in your direction indifferently as you emerge from the shadowy trees. Weapon at the ready, she speaks harshly like the worst winters.

"This is a dangerous area, go to Liyue and get any wounds treated."

She turns her head prepared to leave when a choked gasp escapes you. Head still angled to the ground, your features are hidden from view as she watches you.

"The Hilichurls, t-they took me. Did you really k-kill them all?" A shiver and soft sob wracks your body as you bend to clutch your knees for support.

"Yes, you can get help at Li-" Her dismissive words are cut off by your coughing fit. Tears spring to your eyes as you lift your head up letting her see your masked face.

She steps through the blood-stained grass as the horns, arrows, and scrolls break beneath her steps. There's a twist of a cap before a flask is pushed roughly into your mouth. The stale water that Shenhe clearly doesn't drink helps the bile in your mouth go down with a bad taste.

She brings it away and closes it as she barely glances at your face. She moves to leave again but your hand wraps around her upper arm tightly. Your voice shakes with emotion as you begin to speak.

"Those Hilichurls-s dragged me with them and thanks to y-you they're dead. They're really dead aren't they?!" Shenhe narrows her eyes in distrust at the way you finish your words.

"Goodbye." Emotionless as always she moves to wretch her arm out of your grasp but ends up gasping in pain instead. Her stomach bleeds into the black bodysuit as your sickle stabs her stomach. The grip you hold onto her is bruising as you stare up at her with indifference.

"They were only working on their home. Is it a crime for them to simply exist? You can't even understand your own existence, let alone empathize with another's. What right do you have to deny them the bare minimum in a world they didn't ask to live in?"

The words come out coldly as your teeth dig into your lips. The spear is stabbed into your right shoulder making you release her with a pained cry. She pushes you away, letting the blood flow out of your wound as you press your free hand onto it.

"You must be possessed by a demon." An ice talisman is summoned between her fingers as Cryo envelopes her weapon. The deep cut you left on her stomach continues to bleed but Shenhe ignores it. Meanwhile, you continue to press against your wound as the blood stains your hand.

Shenhe takes a step in your direction before a loud roar captures both your attention. The Mitachurl rushes in Shenhe's direction holding a brand new Geo shield. She steps back quickly but not fast enough to dodge the shield bash.

The satisfaction you get from watching her nose break and bleed is short-lived as her elemental burst is activated. The Mitachurl is already weak and once she's done with it, she'll be after you. It's that quick realization that has you running away from the area.

Wouldn't it be good to test if the statue of the seven could heal you? You skid to a stop at the old Hilichurl camp as you quickly bring up the game screen. As much as you would like to teleport without it, that requires you to remember what the location looked like, which you definitely can't with how fast your mind is racing.

The map is pulled up and you move to select the waypoint closest to the statue when your instincts scream at you. Something’s coming, something’s coming!

Letting your body lead, you dive to the left and grit your teeth at the pain of new scrapes forming. You watch in a mix of fascination and horror as it's overwhelmed by ice maidens. The near-death experience only leaves your nerves shot as you jump to your feet and continue running.

Shenhe already finished the Mitachurl, she's coming after you. The crackling of ice following and the lowering temperature are signs that only push you to escape faster.

The only exit of the area is a narrow gap between two mountains and you are distracted for a split second. The beautiful tree that rests over the sealed Azdaha overshadows you with every bit of grace you always imagined it would have.

"Transfiguration!" You didn't have Shenhe but it didn't take a genius to know she was going to use her skill. You can't keep running, not with these wounds. Not like you can fight her either no matter what creator buffs you get, it won't help you against the adepti's disciple.

From your right, you can hear the sound of crackling fire and Geo clashing. Swerving to the right, an ice talisman cuts your cheek but it's worth it as you spot Samachurl.

It's a huge hilichurl camp, at least two Mitachurls must be here! Grinning, you don't stop and hop over the shoddily made fence before it's destroyed by the cryo woman.

The camp is quick to begin attacking Shenhe as they must have judged that she was far more threatening. A Mitachurl holding an axe, and a shield bearing Mitachurl rush at the messy woman as you peek behind you.

Her lips are pulled into a snarl but her posture is clean as her spear weaves to hit any weak spots. Yeah, even with the Samachurl and Hilichurls supporting, you didn't have much time to escape.

You sneak into the now-empty Hilichurl hall-like building and pull up the screen. Impatiently you wait for it to load as the fighting continues on. It loads and you select the map quickly and find the waypoint on Qingyun Peak.

The noises abruptly stop before there's loud thudding as the whole area becomes cold. Panicking you press the 'teleport' button multiple times as the steps shake.

Iridescent eyes that hold boundless rage as the red ropes slip off meet your smug eyes as the light engulfs you.

Rubbing your eyelids as the light dies down to show beautiful scenery, you sit on a cold stone blankly. Just how dumb were you? Groaning, you flop backward and stare at the sky tiredly.

What a great idea it was to stab a homicidal overpowered woman with trust issues and only a small sense of morality. That makes it twice now that you were chased by braided-hair women that wield spears, except this time you knew better and could have prevented it completely.

But... you really didn't want to. If she had killed them after you said a proper goodbye then you would be upset but not like this. You wouldn't have been willing to employ that tactic again.

Just mentioning it seemed to direct your thoughts back to that day. Just like today, you had started to fully trust and unknowingly depend before they were taken away without warning.

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A young man stands with shaky hands as he stares at the now-dead body of the homeless man he shot. A panicked chuckle escapes him as his vision blurs and shakes at the sight.

No one would have to know. No one would even know. Nobody cares about the homeless, let alone a stray cat.

You're almost positive of that, that was his thought process before he spots you staring vacantly at your adoptive father and Ashtray. The only family that you had.

Tears burn your vision as you look at the gun in his hands. A weak laugh leaves you making the man stare at you nervously. You weren't even 18, yet you lost your father for the second time. The only difference was that you actually loved and remembered him.

"I really have to thank you, ya'know?" There's a slight voice crack when you speak but you smile at the guy despite it. "I mean, he was just soo annoying."

He smiles at your words, seeming to calm down at the friendliness and accepting nature you showed. "I know right? Constantly trying to convince everyone to 'make the most of your situation' or 'try to enjoy life while we have it' like what a fucking joke!"

His slimy laugh is accompanied by your fake laughter. It didn't feel real, you didn't want it to be real. Your feet carried you closer and your hand rests on his shoulder.

"Tell me about it. At least the old man's dead now! I can finally do the shit I wanna do." Your dad's blood from all the gunshots sticks to the nasty clothes and your filthy skin like paint. He didn't deserve to go like this, he deserved someone that isn't as selfish as you.

"Can you even guess half the stuff he made me do? Man, if I had access to a gun like that, shit he would have died way earlier!" The cockroach in human skin laughs and rests his palm on the alleyway side. A perfect match considering they're both utter shit.

"You're hilarious. How about this? I can introduce you to the guy that got me a hold of this, you can get it real cheap too! Of course, you'll need to pay me back in some way..."

You don't like that look in his eyes, you hate this man with passion you never knew you held until now. He's brought closer to you as you give a slight nod.

"But before that, I just gotta ask. I'm so fucking curious." Smiling with pride he lets you pull him closer.

"Sure, what is it? Just don't ask me for this gun, I paid a shit ton of money for it." Laughter rings out softly as every cell in your body resists the urge to strangle him.

"Don't worry man, I just wanted to ask." Your head tilts to the side closer to his ear as you whisper.

"Just how fucking dumb are you?"

Squelch

Your hand is bruising on his wrist that's holding his gun. Blood seeps out of his mouth as he coughs. The knife you thrusted into his chest where you hoped the heart was pulled out.

He gives his best to struggle the gun into a position he can shoot you but you didn't survive this long to be weak enough for that. The gun clatters loudly as it hits the floor, his mouth opens to scream but your arm gags him.

Bite marks litter your sleeve, hands punch and grab at anything but it's useless as you stab him again. Stabbing him repeatedly your fake grin twitches and twists into something unhinged.

It's useless to resist, your actions scream as you bring his dying body to the ground. A chuckle leaves you as you raise the knife high into the air and watch his eyes go wide with fear. It's cathartic, nearly healing, but you know nothing will heal you after this.

You stab him for what seemed like hours until his body is bloody with torn clothes. Bile and spit drip out of his mouth as his eyes stay open, his mouth frozen in a screaming formation.

Thoughts stab at your consciousness as you stumble over to your father's dead body. You could have just called the police and had him arrested. Maybe get one of the people who liked your dad to avenge him. You didn't have to do that.

But you did and you couldn't regret it. Resting your head on your father's chest as the tears and broken sobs are muffled in his clothes you continue to berate yourself.

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The blinding pain from your wounds is what drags you out of memory lane. The new wound from Shenhe isn't something you even want to see anymore. The lightheadedness you got from the blood you lost is making you dizzy.

Your medical kit is dug out and you apply the proper care for it. It hurts to even lift it but there's no one to help you so you push past the pain. Slowly, you walk to the edge and look down.

Cursing your bad luck you stare at the statue of the seven on a floating rock piece. Gliding was hard by itself, let alone landing on a small piece with such little experience.

Hissing in pain, you clutch the wound and close your eyes. You didn't have much of a choice, if you wait too long you might get permanent damage. What if the statue couldn't even heal you, you'd be losing time to get to Bubu's Pharmacy.

With a few insults to Shenhe, you deploy the glider and set for the statue. It's not that far and you land fairly easily. Good enough for your first solo glide.

With wary eyes, you inspect your surroundings before touching the statue. The glow it gives off is almost traumatic to your first day after getting thrown into Teyvat. You can only hope that this time you'll be able to handle the Archons better.

The puncture in your shoulder seals up nicely until not even a scar is left. The scrapes, laceration from Mountain Shaper, neck wounds from Cloud Retainer, and even some injuries you failed to notice heal up completely. You note the slight discomfort you feel from the wounds you didn't get to clean. It seems the statue can't deal with healing and preventing infections.

Even still everything you wanted to do is done now, it's best you leave before- "Pardon me."

A smile graces your face with ease as you turn around to face the handsome man. An overwhelming aura that silently demands respect paired with the manners of a humble citizen.

Zhongli's eyes glow with elemental power as he speaks with a voice that lulls you into a sense of security.

"Would you be willing to answer some questions?"

The only question is whether he came here as Zhongli or as the Geo Archon.

This one had a lot of different things going on. From the hilichurl to Shenhe and the long awaited Zhongli! I know there's a lot of components in my story and I hate to confuse you guys so I try to give little explanations when certain things become relevant. I am glad to get part of Y/N's backstory out! This is explaining the single life Y/N 'selfishly' killed before being thrown into Teyvat. I hope you guys enjoyed the gradual shift when it comes to gliding. First Ayato carried, then a team glide with the guys and finally Y/N by themself! Now I really need to start Fontaine before I'm spoiled by social media. I'm too curious for my own good. Yet again, my editor did good on this chapter despite how many times I was berated for normal mistakes. (If your name is italicized that means I couldn't tag you.) Taglist: @vvyeislazzy, @nikqi, @the-dumber-scaramouche, @etherisy, @yourlocalstranger123, @ra404, @iruiji, @goldenglow149, @haru-tofuu, @lsleepysimpl , @bebobeboben, @yuyuzi-ling, @amidst-the-tempest, @resident-cryptid, @mxd1zzy, @mochicurls21, @nervouseaglelover, @thedevioussmirk, @yumuramma, @kwqsla, @undecidingfate, @ehjane, @game-savvy, @akiramirae, @sielt, @fluffy-koalala, @formacoon, @sxftiebee, @khxii-i, @ursinaw, @chuuya-brainrot, @sweetbills, @kazuchaos, @snowfoxnix, @bluebelony, @conspicuous-mayonnaise, @pencil-of-ashes, @ghostlyintervention, @taiformaifoe, @sielt, @goaudduck, @carminerin, @maddysflowers, @zenith-of-all-zenith, @crazydreamcat, @leafanonsforest, @grimreapersscythe, @leylanx , @undecidingfate, @sapphireknown, @help-whatdoimakemyusername, @zhonglisfruityass, @fluffy-koalala, @mer0n37, @victoria1676, @mochinessss, @sinnful-darling, @emilymikado, @pix-stuff, @esthelily, @luxie963, @emmbny, @millienolife, @kbar1013, @xxblackroses623xx, @chxrlxtteee, @aludicpoet

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m1d-45 · 1 year

Text

death, rebirth, new life

summary: uh zhongli gets nerfed, you get some new friends, xiao has a crisis of morality(?)

word count: ~3.2k

-> warnings: major spoilers for xiao lore, like very major. spoilers for liyue archon quest. not much else

-> lowercase intended!

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zhongli allows his weapon to fade back into golden dust, his mind involuntarily comparing it to the way you dissolved before him.

they were quite similar. after he’d pulled away his polearm, you had sent him a final smile as your body disintegrated into white flakes, much like his spear had, the water rushing back to fill the space you’d left. it had surprised him, because he’d expected you to fall into the black smoke that hilichurls did. unless he had made some sort of…

no, he tells himself, shaking his head. you deserved it. to wear a face that wasn’t yours, to defy his god so, his actions were entirely jus-

a spike of pain drives into his lower back and zhongli reaches behind him with a hiss, feeling for whatever’s hurt him only to land on the glass of his fake vision. it stings through his gloves, and he’s quick to yank it off, uncaring as the string it’s hung on snaps. the small gems on it scatter, but he’s focused on the glass in his hand.

or, rather, the floor. his hand still hurts from the pricks of invisible needles it stabbed into his skin, and he wasn’t keen on holding it any longer.

“what’s wrong?” hu tao comes up to his side, hand landing on his shoulder. “are you okay? is your vision?”

“it’s nothing.”

discretely, he tries to turn a pebble on the floor in front of him. he tells himself it’s nothing, he knows it’ll work, he just needs the confirmation for himself, since if a fake vision could react like that..

“hey, don’t worry about it. the dead need to stay that way. whoever that was, i trust your judgement. i’m certain you did the-“

she cuts herself off with a pained cry, her shoulders jerk back as her hands reach for her back, her face twisting in pain. zhongli takes a step over his ‘vision’, turning her by the shoulder to see what he knows but doesn’t want to believe.

her vision is glowing brightly, the diamond-shaped gem heating up the metal around it. he wastes no time in removing it from the clip holding it in place, though he has to drop it as well from the heat. it burned her jacket, and she’ll certainly need a new one, but that’s not what he’s worried for.

after all, the stone hadn’t moved.

the sun stung your eyes through your lids, forcing you awake if only to move to a more shaded area. the ground beneath you was hard but not harsh, warmer than wuwang hill by a long shot. you were tempted to stay, to allow yourself to slip back into sleep…

something squishy bumped into your right arm.

you pushed your eyes open, pulling at the numb strings of muscles in your arms to help yourself up. you were sitting in a stone… building would be too generous. there were four pillars and a roof, with a ramp to your left and a staircase in front of you.

and immediately to your right, the object that bumped you earlier, is a small dendro slime.

wide orange eyes peer up at you, the sight cute enough for you to forget your aches.

“hey,” you mumble, reaching a wobbly hand to nudge against its side. the slime chitters, hopping into your lap, and you notice something shining in the leaves atop its head. it doesn’t seem bothered, only pressing itself further into your hand with a chirp that nearly sounds apologetic.

“don’t be sorry.” you move your hand to pet over the stems on top of it, the slime’s eyes slowly beginning to close. you feel something hard beneath your palm, and move to see what it is. in the center of the slime’s head is a small tangle of grass, something golden shimmering in the center. you’ve never looked really hard at the models in-game, mostly because they’re always attacking you, so you’re not sure if this is meant to be there or not. maybe they’re like crystalflies, with a core in the middle? but why be exposed…

the slime chirps in your lap and you move your hand away, a ‘sorry’ on the edge of your lips when it stretches to move the tangle between your fingers. did it want you to fix it?

you tilt the slime towards you, but you don’t have a chance to try. as you watch, the tangle undoes itself, cradling a golden ring between the stalks. it looks about your size, with a small blue gem embedded on one side. the slime makes a soft noise, the ring sliding forward as it tilts.

“for me?”

you picked up the ring at its affirmative trill, sliding it onto your finger. it fit as good as it looked, surprisingly. where had the slime gotten a ring your size, let alone know it would fit you?

the slime looked up, seeking a response, and you smiled.

“thank you, little guy. it’s beautiful.” the slime visibly grew happy, hopping lightly in your lap, and you couldn’t help but laugh. it looked so excited, orange eyes beaming as it twirled itself into a little circle. how could they be enemies?

“where’d you get this?”

your question didn’t dampen its excitement—a surprise, since you expected it to have stolen the ring—and it only hopped off your lap, moving halfway down the staircase before looking back at you.

using the pillars to support yourself, you stood, wincing at the combined pain of old wounds and sleeping on rock. as you carefully move down the steps, you hope that the slime wont lead you to some poor merchant’s cart.

the small slime hopped along a dirt path, and you took the time to look around. behind you to the left was a large pit, for lack of a better word, a tree growing in the center on a platform surrounded by water. if you had to guess, you were probably still in liyue, just more south. the horizon was dotted with spires, and you think you see something like the jade chamber off to the left of your current path. it’s hard to tell, given the distance, but…

the sounds of humanoid chanting reaches your ears, and you startle for a moment before hearing the trademark woo! of an abyss mage. the slime stops, checking on you, but you just give it another smile as you continue to walk. so it got it from hilichurls, then? odd, but better than stealing it from somebody. it was in remarkable condition for being from hilichurls, though…

the slime leads you onto some rocks, and you can see the camp just below you. an abyss mage turns as you approach, the red film of a shield beginning to appear around it before it recognizes you. it was a small camp, only a handful of hilichurls around, and they all crowd you as you climb down the rocks.

the abyss mage chitters in a language you don’t understand, its red ears flopping as it gestures. it finishes with a deep bow, looking up at you, and your face twists in apology. luckily, it seems to get it, pointing to you before waving you into the camp. you take its hand and let it lead you to a crate to sit on, watching as it turns to the rest of the group and says… something. nonetheless, the hilichurls seem to get it, all nodding. the abyss mage puts its hands on its hips, satisfied.

the dendro samachurl says something to the large mitachurl, who nods, hefting its rock shield and standing near the entrance of the camp. the samachurl then pulls over another hilichurl as it walks to you. its staff is more at eye level with you than it is.

the samachurl chitters beneath the mask, and the hilichurl besides it—you assume, based on prior experiences—translates.

“unu boya ika zido mosi aba nunu,” it says, pointing further down the path, where you can barely see a wooden structure.

now, your hilichurl isn’t the best. in the beginning, you learned somewhat, but definitely not enough to know the entirety of what it just said. you catch the word for enemy and some sort of time word you think means later in the day, so that together with the gesture.. you’re hopefully assuming that it means later in the day there will be enemies, likely the millelith, over that direction.

you nod. the hilichurl seems proud of itself.

the samachurl continues, much shorter this time, and the hilichurl holds out a hand.

“muhu mita?”

ah. those ones you know just fine.

you accept the offer of a meal and let it walk you to a rock near a campfire, listening as they talk to each other. they bring you food and share more amongst themselves, the electro shooter waving its bandaged hands in a story you didn’t try to decipher. the heat of noon begins to fade after an hour or two, and though the campfire is now embers and your wooden plate is empty, you’re content.

the dendro slime from earlier sticks close to you, shifting as close to the dying fire as it dared whilst being out of range of the jumping sparks. it wasn’t particularly cold, only around 3ish by your best judgement. the sun still shone in the sky, washing over sand and stone and the things that sparkled under it. there was nothing to worry over, nobody near, and the mitachurl and pyro grenadier were still guarding the entrance. it was a welcome respite.

you hope it’ll last.

xiao pulled his polearm from the body of a hilichurl, picking a tuft of matted red hair from the jade edge. the shattered remains of its mask fell to the floor as its body dissolved, but he just stepped over it, dismissing his weapon. the boy from qingce was uninjured, the hilichurl grenadier had fallen, and his work here was done.

“-jianguo, what are you doing out here? you should know better than to wander near wuwang hill!”

xiao rolled his eyes, hoping the fading debt of the hilichurls would dissipate faster. he couldn’t leave without endangering the child or his mother, but he wanted to leave earlier sometimes, if only so people would learn not to wander into areas they didn’t belong.

“but mama, all the hilichurls fled to wuwang hill! our charms worked!” the small boy triumphantly held up a small piece of paper, sloppily colored gold with some sort of crayon. shaky black penmanship made a crude imitation of a sigil of permission, a hilichurl’s mask in the center. or, at least, he assumed that’s what it was. children…

“no, jianguo, hilichurls don’t listen to your sigils! just… just stay away from wuwang hill, okay? say your thanks to the nice man who saved you and let’s go home.”

the boy turned, wide eyes fixed on him, and xiao checked that he had absorbed enough of the karma for it to be safe before teleporting away.

he landed on unfamiliar dirt, haunting trees surrounding him. judging by the blue wisps floating around, he could guess he was in the forests atop wuwang hill.

his question was why.

normally, he teleports away to the next source of concentrated karma to ensure it doesn’t end up infecting the people of liyue. but this… he knew wuwang hill had hilichurls and cicin mages, but certainly not a high enough concentration, right?

‘…all the hilichurls fled to wuwang hill!’

unless something called them here.

with one hand on his mask, xiao drew his spear and started to walk.

the forest was oddly quiet. the leaves themselves seemed to stay still, the only noise being made by his shoes upon the path. there were no cicins, nor their mages, nor hilichurls of any kind. yet what was left of his tattered soul was called up the path, some remnant of an instinct telling him to let go of his polearm.

he gripped it tighter in response.

the stone steps ahead seemed to taunt him, seeming to stretch further and further away as he walked. whatever intuition tugged at him felt like it was tied around his soul, tying up the scattered pieces to drag around. it.. was less irritating than it should be, something that frightened him more.

every step he took highlighted the rips across his heart, the scars of karma accentuated. but it wasn’t the surveying gaze of a predator looking for weak points, the invisible eyes prying into his soul neither threatening or aggressive. it felt like he was being assessed by a doctor, like he was young and still being fostered by morax, like he’d gotten into a scuffle with bosacious and he was being scolded even as his arm was being bandaged, the warm mug of tea in his hand soothing the ache in his knuckles-

water on his cheek drew his attention, and he was quick to wipe it off his face, glancing at the sky. he didn’t remember any stormclouds coming in, and the skies seemed..

clear…

…

xiao set his jaw and kept walking, determined to keep his mind on his task.

the stone was cold beneath his feet, the seelie court glowing as the seelie inside buzzed. xiao turned the corner, ignoring the weird feeling in his chest. it had to be nothing. it had to be just some random memory that he was reminded of because of the trees, or the air, or… anything.

xiao walked up the second set of stairs, stopping at the top in shock. the pathway across the pool in front of the domain was covered in wildlife, everything that was missing from the forest condensed into one space on the path. birds, butterflies, even a crane and an electro cicin, all gathered around a small space.

he slowly took a step forward, confused by the display. to see so many animals getting along, crowding such an area as wuwang hill..

xiao continued to walk, his foot splashing into the water above the path harsher than he intended. he froze, making sure he didn’t disturb anything, but the gathering remained. he quickly made his way over the tree in the middle of the path, ensuring he landed quieter this time. as he closer, the details of what he was looking at slowly filled in. between the legs of cranes and over the heads of crows, he could see that a portion of the stone was a different color than the rest. the water above it also refused to move, the ripples from the various animals not moving it an inch.

the birds finally moved when he got close enough, flapping over to the opposite side of the discolored stone. xiao crouched at the edge of the still water, mindful not to get himself wet.

the stone, and water to some extent, thin as it was, was stained a yellowish color. the path looked newer, less worn, the water above it clearer.

his frown deepened the longer he looked at it. he’d never seen anything like this, any substance that froze water while it was still liquid and cleaned it of any dirt whilst never dispersing. he never saw so much wildlife, for lack of better words, getting along like this. the cicin confused him further- it also linked back to what he’d heard, that hilichurls had been called back to wuwang, but he’d yet to see one.

the slashes across his heart pulsed as it beat, reminding him of their presence as he tried to focus. the string tied in his chest pulled him forward, to reach and sink into the shallow pool of gold. he shouldn’t, it was dangerous, he didn’t know what it was or what effect it had on him—he should leave now, in rationality, because he was already being affected. if whatever this was was strong enough to affect him, a yaksha, then surely it was a danger to the villagers nearby..

then why didn’t he feel like it was a danger? why, though his heart burned with the remains of his karmic debt, eternities of slaughter, did he feel lighter?

questions remained unanswered as the pull strengthened, the animals around him growing bold, risking being near him for the chance to crowd the shimmering water. he checked that there wasn’t anything or anybody lying in wait—the chance of this being a trap was too high to ignore—before hesitantly dismissing his polearm, making way for a large raven to land beside him.

xiao stared at the bird, watching as it kept its body entirely out of the odd zone while still sticking close. did it not feel the same pull as he did? was this water meant for creatures such as him, with lifetimes worth of sin on their shoulders? was this where the hilichurls vanished into?

his heart beat against his ribs, the cuts of karma pulsing with it. this water, this stone, he had to be affecting it somehow. though he made sure that his shoes were outside the boundary and that his hands didn’t touch inside it, it was hard to deny the way whatever was dissolved in the water was attracted to his end. it had formed a gradient, the sheen across it darker on his end. he felt a need to reach out, to hold his dirtied past to this cleansing water and be clean of it. no matter how impossible. no matter how irrational. no matter how hard he tried to tell himself it was outlandish and would only get him into trouble, no matter how strong his will or how many rips crossed his heart.

…when xiao gave in and touched the golden stain, one of the tears healed.

the water’s shine faded in an instant, quickly turning back to clear as the stone beneath it aged before his eyes; animals around him rustled and cried, feathers ruffling as they came to their senses and took flight, leaving him with his hands over his sternum and a bright light beneath his skin.

feeling like one of the birds himself, xiao sat in a daze, his mind racing as he tried to rationalize what just occurred.

what was that? what had happened? why did he feel so light? why was his mind covered in warmth and memories of his time with the yakshas, with morax, with the traveller, why was he so- so free? what happened to the chains of karma crossing his limbs, binding him to his nightmares? what happened to the voices repeating his sins as the worst song ever played, where did the pain and the aches and his debt go? how could this water heal what the adepti could not? what morax could not?

clutching the healed seam of his soul, alatus fled.

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