"Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa is actually a gentle soul. Too gentle, in fact, and that's why she had to harden herself. She is now a god with no love left for her people, nor do they have any left for her. Likewise, she declared war against the whole world only because she dreams of peace. Her followers only hope to be on her side when the day of her rebellion against the divine comes at last."
Snezhnaya – Year 449 (Post destruction of Khaenri'ah)
WHOOSH
The doors swung open and her majesty the Tsaritsa of house Naryshkin came gliding down the intricate gold and marble staircase to her throne seated in the middle of the circular throne room.
Eyes as pale as Tartaglia's blades lazily scanned the dim atmosphere of the guarded room.
Her loyal followers, those closest to her stood in deafening silence at attention awaiting her next orders.
"Yuri" She lazily drew out as if considering her next words carefully before finishing her orders.
"Majesty"
"Find the Seer"
The air already thick with tension seemed to choke up in an instant at her request.
"Majesty?"
The aura around the Tsaritsa filled with visible vapor, increased with power as her diamond pupils dilated in determination.
"Snezhnaya will usher in a new world. A new world… and I will bring the peace which the divine has stolen"
It was not a question. It was never a request. The Tsaritsa had her ideals and drowned all entities with her unwavering will.
It would be according to her will and no one dared question it.
In a flash, her followers had left to bring the Seer.
Snezhnaya – Year 450
In a swirl of near calamity, unwavering will and power, the Seer had bestowed upon the Tsaritsa that which she so desired.
Never questioning her plans or the consequences thereof, all who surrounded her blindly followed.
She would never admit it but thinking back to moment of her 'death' so to speak, in her last delirious moments after the destruction of Khaenri'ah, if she were to obtain the peace she so dreamed of, she would need a reason that forced her to connect with another life. This would be the start of growing the love she lost.
In a last bid to gain back the love she had lost for all, the Tsaritsa consulted with the Seer to produce a child.
The dark, forbidden magic required for this, what others would call an abomination, would push her further from the grace of Celestia, but in this miracle, she would force herself to return to her original state. More powerful than ever.
Snezhnaya – Year 480
Over the years, Alexei had grown into a cold warrior and reflected his mother's hatred for the archons.
Alexei, being the son of the Cryo archon, was born with the power of the gods and a personality to rival even his mother's worst state. Perhaps it was knowing why he was created in the first place, seeing the steady decline of his house being tainted by his weak sister or being driven to prove his worth through strength and skill. Alexei grew into a fierce, proud and noble warrior who over time, studied the ways of war in Natlan, business in Liyue, meditation in Inazuma and knowledge in Sumeru. It was this deadly combination that drove most noble houses across the seven nations to shy away from him when he visited them for various diplomatic endeavours.
The Tsaritsa knew that he would come in handy when protecting the nation and infiltrating other lands. And yet, she still longed for a connection to grow her heart. She could not view Alexei any differently from her loyal followers.
This was how Vera came to be of the house of Naryshkin.
Vera had been born of a Noble father from Sumeru and a royal servant in the house of the Tsaritsa, which of course meant that she would become known to The Tsaritsa when the father, unwilling to taint his noble reputation, threatened to have Vera killed. Of course, this was taken personally as a threat to her nation and the distaste of weak minded foreign nationals sealed his fate.
After a well-covered assassination as well as to protect the image of her loyal servants and by extension, representatives of the house Naryshkin, the Tsaritsa took Vera as her own.
The Tsaritsa could not tell, for once, what the future would hold but she was unwilling to engage the Seer once more after her failed attempt. This could be the answer to her failing power.
The first moment she laid eyes on Vera, her snow white face accented with a rosy hue on her cheeks, obsidian hair and eyes as stark as the sun and the moon, she knew Vera would be the answer to her heart's call.
A human, without the strength of the archons or will to fight, but with a keen eye for knowledge and technology. She had only survived the hands of her brother, Alexei by being smart enough to learn his particular manners and apply the mask necessary to escape punishment throughout her formative years.
Vera knew that if there was one thing Alexei couldn't stand, it was weakness in any form, tainting the reputation of their noble house. To this end, he did all he could to toughen Vera up with harsh words and training while correcting anything he deemed weak in the strictest of manners.
As a punishment for saving an injured bird once, he sent Vera to Natlan to train with the women warriors for a week and by the time she came back, she could barely stand, eat or utter a sound.
That was the moment Vera understood that the only compassion Alexei would ever show her was to save her life if people were watching only to prevent the house of Naryshkin from appearing so weak that its own members would perish at the hands of others or their own neglect.
Alexei was a god and much like those of ancient Greece, he encompassed the senses of all who laid eyes upon him. His formidable form stood intimidating and towering above all. His bearing stopped all those around him. He was used to the attention he drew from men and women alike. The looks of fear and desire, longing and reverence they exuded. For the most part he ignored it unless he found himself wanting personal relief. There was never a need to remember names or faces in these occasions.
He wore a light ensemble like a second skin, complimentary to his pure locks, with a low V cut to expose his prominent chest and the start of his jarring, abdominal form. His sword rested either at the hip or slung across his back depending on the situation.
Being an archon, the placement of armour was purely ornamental. With crafted swirls encompassing the heart of Snezhnayan history. It was sparse but served as a visual signal of his martial prowess. The bulge of metal on his shoulders only further enhanced their raw, titan appearance.
Somehow, his expression usually looked displeased in the crease of his scowl around the eyes and devoid of emotion elsewhere all at the same time.
He seemed moulded from a different cast with a look uncommon to most people. His being carried the scent of spice in frosted air. Fair as arctic snow with an almost ethereal glow to his skin except the shadows of darkness cast around his eyes. His defined cheekbones appeared chiselled into shape by a master craftsman. They were of such sharp contours, it looked as if they were sculpted and pared to perfection.
Alluring in a blinding way, his basalt jaw and Spartan shoulders exuded strength. Alexei possessed a latent, feline power, lithe yet graceful, always walking with purpose and authority… straight backed, eyes forward as if he had nothing to see around him, because why bother with an awareness of your surroundings when no mortal or god could get close enough to harm you. As such, it was hard to catch his eye, even when speaking to him. He would stand disinterested, but regal when conversing, which rarely happened. He would speak, a deep, reverberating voice, the kind that commanded absolute attention and reverence… and people would listen… follow… never questioning.
In her entire life, Vera could count on one hand the times she had managed to keep Alexei's eyes locked on her own. Prussian blue, bewitching all those whose gaze fell upon them. It was too much to bare. The intensity… power… the strength sapping orbs that she realised were probably better left undisturbed. His gaze was reserved for those deserving in their final moments of life by his sword and nothing more. Only the Tsaritsa had the status and power to lock eyes with him and converse.
Evil… Pure evil. One of the seven archons who actively ruled Liyue but whose influence reached as far as Natlan and Fontaine.
Morax, also known as the God of Contracts and Rex Lapis but with a plethora of names and titles, including the Prime of Adepti, the God of Commerce, the Warrior God, and the Groundbreaker. He had no need for a name that familiars could call him by for he had none.
His visage shone with blinding luminance. He emanated powerful beauty with a striking profile that effortlessly commanded attention. He wasn't overly bulky or too lean but perfectly balanced. Athletic with enough mass to showcase his prowess and enough ripped strength to effectively cut through any enemy. Even without his godly powers, his form was sufficient in all physical manners.
Tattooed lines of gold flowed over his skin in geometric patterns, especially highlighted in the coal of his arms. His eyes seemingly bled gold and the glowing orbs were usually the only thing people could see in the barely lit shadows that he traversed. Morax's usual attire was the pearly white suited outfit which flowed into the contrasting onyx of his arms, shrouded with a beautiful snow white hooded cape. Various ornamental buckles and belts of gold adorned his being.
All currency throughout Teyvat, mora, was created from his flesh and blood and the people worshipped him as their saviour.
Out of reverence and fear, the people offered and praised him but remained wary at all times for one thing above all. He was the God of contracts and a broken contract, however small, was punishable by death. The slow and torturous kind.
Morax transcended the laws of nature… He was the law of nature.
Some would call him duplicitous, although never outright lest they face punishment, but the fact remained that Morax was an archon who made full use of his power on the strong and the weak.
To him, it was just the law of nature. Nothing personal.
His abode sat lofty and high as if mocking those beneath him both physically and geographically.
It wasn't always obvious, were a newcomer to see him for the first time.
His mercurial being was a strange mix of polite presentation with an air of hidden pandemonium behind a fragile dam, ready to burst at the slightest trigger. He had no care for his image in the eyes of the insects he graced his presence with.
One thing was for sure. Morax instilled fear and absolute fealty from his citizens and from those of other nations... well they had to hope not to cross him on a particularly bad day. Archons of other nations never intervened as if he were a protected diplomat but also tried to avoid garnering his attention enough to be graced by his presence in their beloved cities.
In light of his overwhelming attitude towards the beings beneath him. He had no qualms using the weak as his playthings when boredom made itself known. He saw no difference between torture and pleasure. They were the same to him and he was known to bestow gold upon those he chose to terrorise for pleasure. After all, a service is paid for, and a transaction is a contract however unsolicited it was.
"Xiao," Morax drew out across the darkness of the courtyard. Expecting the vigilante yaksha to materialise as he usually did when summoned by name.
"Master," It was curt but respectful. With enough submission to show honour but lacking in overzealous formalities.
"The Tsaritsa has requested my presence," a pause as if he was deep in thought. "Be sure to keep the humans in line."
"Yes… Master," and he was gone in a flash of anemo swirling into the night. No doubt to enforce some form of 'justice' on the people of Liyue in the impending absence of the geo archon.
The trip to Snezhnaya was relatively quick considering Morax's dragon form carried him lithely through the wind at inhuman speeds.
What does she want this time…
It had been a good 500 years since they had met, which wasn't that long ago for the archons in light of their immortality.
Morax only cared enough to look into the matter of her new child, Alexei, but apart from that, he didn't care much for other cross nation developments. He was only painfully aware of her desire to face Celestia and her need for the seven Gnosis from the current archons to achieve this end.
Approaching the large edifice shrouded in a blizzard, he eyed a clearing to land in before promptly transforming back to his humanoid form. Shrouded in his gold and snowed attire, it was difficult to recognise who he was except for the waves of latent power radiating from him as he stalked the grounds towards his final destination.
The palace hadn't changed much over time except for the increased servants and odd technological devices used for various purposes in making life more convenient.
It seemed to hold more… life in it. Not just physically, but the spiritual energy of the atmosphere was alive with warmth and activity even in the absence of people.
It was infuriating.
Probably not the best mood to be in when connecting with the first form of life in the twisting corridors towards the throne room.
The stupid maid had not been paying attention to the unstoppable force gliding directly in line with her own destination.
CRASH
Now there were a few things to note about this moment of obstreperous impact… for nothing escaped Morax's keen senses.
Firstly, the servant had gone flying a good 3 paces to the side and her effects shot almost perpendicular to her. Secondly, a shadow as fast as lightning somehow went darting AROUND a corner parallel to said flying servant. And thirdly, the level of patience that Morax HAD was utterly gone.
In the eyes of six year old Vera, her world had been marked by only a few absolutes. Her mother, The Tsaritsa was the ruler of a nation, making her the only princess of the cold city she knew as her world. Her brother Alexei, the ice prince of Snezhnaya, was now her entire world in soul and spirit. Life was not difficult but rather, challenging in a sense that she learned and adapted to many situations without ever questioning the morality of it because she had no frame of reference to compare it to. Thirdly, as much as her brother instilled a sense of caution in her, she had never really come across dangers that truly instilled hesitance and fear as the closest which could have been a wild Siberian tiger was always swiftly dealt with. Her sense of safety was always firmly cemented. There were never strangers in her presence and the vaguely known persons she came into contact with never warranted a second glance except for maybe the interesting attire they donned.
However… At this moment, something happened which shocked her out of everything she had known before. Known to be absolute and unwavering.
There was… a person… A being? Whatever, whoever this was, was a stranger and she was not accompanied by her guardians or brother. The problem though was that the absolutely inexplicable and unfathomable power radiating off this individual, her polar opposite, was tainted with something that she couldn't name but instinctually knew to be DANGER.
She saw the side profile of a man a little leaner than Alexei but just as tall. His face was half shrouded by his white hood and the cape flowed in the wind created by his aura. That murderous aura. His lips curled up slightly in the most unsettling way as if he sensed her stare. Her naïve, wide eyed and innocent stare as if she hadn't realised the atrocity, the crime against humanity that was about to come into her view.
The only reason she had darted off to the side in the first place was the shock of seeing an unknown person in her home and by instinct hiding as her brother had always ingrained in her.
It happened quickly. One moment, she was behind her nanny that morning, on her way to her mother for the daily report of achievements on both the training grounds and with the scholars tutoring her. Then, out of nowhere, a snowed and golden form barrelled seemingly through said nanny who promptly detached from the ground and shot like a missile, crashing into the cement.
Vera dove to the crevice of the junction between the main corridor and the courtyard entrance. Sufficiently covered by the marble statue as she crouched down, arms around her knees and waiting for whatever was going to happen to end so that she could be alone with her nanny again. But that wouldn't happen.
Morax cursed. "Pathetic vermin. Without the means to control your presence in this world."
In a moment, a cuboid geo structure materialised, floating above his palm and with one pointed attack, it shot to the stunned servant encasing her with rock before promptly contracting like a black hole sucking all mass into its core.
The blood was… absolutely glorious in its ability to paint even the far reaching trees of the courtyard. The sheer force of the servant's obliteration was audible without a scream present. The splash of innards and life blood hitting the statue in front of Vera was enough to pique her interest but having never seen such a level of violence, it was confusing enough for her not to realise just yet what had actually happened.
Morax was keenly aware of the presence, poorly hiding behind the freshly painted statue. It was almost amusing that a creature could think to hide in such a way and not be noticed. Stupid or….
Ah…
Morax glided past the entrance to the courtyards and rounded the corner to find…
A child…
Doing a viciously poor job of blending in the shadows. She hadn't even noticed him till he stepped close enough to be audibly announced.
Vera was still looking down when the shining tips of sharp boots came clicking into her senses. In a moment, she was aware of the disappearance of her nanny who should have fetched her by now and the fact that the dangerous stranger was now directly in front of her.
What does brother always say? Just be quiet, look down and wait for the strangers to pass. Never look at them with those eyes of yours.
Vera had wondered why but never bothered to look further into it.
On instinct though, at the sudden explosive aura invading her senses, she looked up.
Her soft curls, messily framing the face of perfection and innocence bounced at the action. And those orbs… those glorious, frenetic ocean and emerald orbs locked with the figure currently staring down at her with a look of… immutable power, a sense of arrogance devoid of sympathy, pity for the hopeless creature he had found, and frustration at said creature underestimating his capabilities.
Whatever had taken hold of Vera remained an utter and complete mystery.
She was partly terrified and partly confused. Her hopes of an effective hiding place diminished like a flame in a blizzard.
It was questionable that Vera would be found hiding when he had obliterated her companion like nothing. She appeared guilty.
Morax took in the creature before him, crouched just inches away from the massacre out of view. Naively and expectantly staring up at him. Like he had some explanation as to where the servant was or what she should do now as children followed direction from adults at all times and it didn't matter who the adult was as long as someone was there to offer guidance. But he wasn't blind to her apprehension at his presence. It could be an understanding of his deeds or the possibility that she was too sheltered to know how to interact with strangers.
He scanned her form from top to bottom. Doll-like curls, bouncing with every twitch, widened heterochromatic eyes framed by long lashes, a pointed button nose, porcelain skin dusted by rose from the biting cold and full crimson lips without a ghost of a smile present.
"And who might you be?"
She visibly flinched at the direct address. Looking away as if hoping that ignoring the entity would render it bored enough to leave her alone.
Her attire suggested a high status seeing as the material of the white princess style dress could only be found from one source in Liyue for more than a pretty mora.
Ah… Something like a princess.
Best not to stir trouble JUST yet before at least hearing what the Tsaritsa wanted.
"Is that so?" he drew out as if she had actually answered him. "And why are you trembling like that?"
Vera sensed the contrast between the honeyed words and the seething tone he used to speak them. Stealing one more glance at him, she noted his predatory glint. As if he was mere moments away from erasing her existence in a very bloodied bludgeoning.
This is what Alexei meant. Looking directly at a predator was a challenge to the death and she was not ready to die just yet.
Without waiting, Vera promptly stood up, looking for the last time at the being to ensure he wasn't about to launch a full scaled attack and satisfied that he seemed only to be waiting for something, turned tail and ran past him towards the courtyard. She would no doubt run to her guardian in inconsolable terror. It was always a pleasure to see the arrogance of royalty cut to size. Haughtiness vanquished.
"Pity she didn't go the other way," He muttered almost sadistically, hoping to see her reaction at the sight of the new colour in the corridor.
But it was time to meet the Tsaritsa now.
Morax made his way past the mess he had created and straight for the throne room. The Tsaritsa was waiting patiently, no doubt her loquacious discussion would irritate him very soon. She had an aptitude for wearing down those who she negotiated with to get what she wanted, but with Morax, she tended to tread carefully.
"Morax," her voice filled with nebulosity and face unreadable.
"…" His burgeoning apathy coming to its height with a simple greeting, Morax found his way to the secondary seating perpendicular to the Tsaritsa.
"What is it now," his brusque responses were enough to remind her of who she was actually talking to.
"I am well aware of your separated views of both the ways of Archons and my own cause, dear Morax…"
He leaned to one side, a half fisted hand coming to rest under his tilted face as he regarded her with absolute apathy, boredom and what looked like a fleeting desire to plan punishment.
Only his searing golden orbs burned through the dimly lit room into her core.
Unperturbed, she carried on, "To ensure our never ending rule and avoid the cyclical renewing of the world through Celestia, I have vowed to take Celestia to the depths of the darkness where they came from… and to do that, I require only your Gnosis Morax"
"Do you propose a contract…"
At this, the Tsaritsa visibly shuddered and closed her eyes. The one thing that anyone was loath to hear from Morax. It was not a smart idea to enter into a contract with the God of Contracts himself. However, desperate times called for desperate measures.
Meanwhile, Morax knew full well that even without his Gnosis feeding him power from Celestia, he was powerful enough to keep ruling as he had since he never had a reason to use the gnosis before now anyway.
He was just not in the mood to entangle himself in the plots of overzealous individuals. Celestia could wipe the world clean for their cyclical renewal for all he cared. He would survive and cared not to start fresh with new beings to rule.
However, if the Tsaritsa had something to offer of value, then he would reconsider. And if he wasn't satisfied, demanding something too valuable would render her unable to press him further.
"With Celestia gone and Phanes' return, your power will increase 1000 fold Morax"
She knew that his only interest was power. Celestia couldn't offer him more than what he already had but Phanes could.
"What do you require in return for your Gnosis? A transaction will be made according to your requirements."
As if to set his senses on edge more, if possible, they were interrupted by a most curious event.
The doors creaked open ever so slightly and, in the distance, light whimsical taps could be heard pitter pattering directly towards them.
With the poorly lit throne room, it would take an eagle eyed soldier to make out the form of Morax although the Tsaritsa was just illuminated enough for whoever entered to find.
At the vision of flailing curls sweeping this way and that with every step, curls that would never be forgotten, the child from before came towards the Tsaritsa with a mix of a toddle and a sprint. Contrasting eyes glowing as they locked with the Cryo Archon who currently showed an interesting amalgam of apprehension and determination.
The child zealously connected with her and surprisingly reached with no reservations toward the flowing gown draped over the throne.
Morax looked on with judgement clear in his eyes. This child from earlier had encountered him twice now, only once knowingly. With a better chance to study her, he noticed her pure form and attitude. One like a blank canvas waiting to be painted with the cruelty of nature.
The child gripped the forbidden garment, "Mama…"
Well now… What an INTERESTING turn of events. Morax could barely contain the psychotic excitement that graced his features at this development.
When had the Tsaritsa acquired a second child who just so happened to be fully mortal?
"Vera, my child, mother will come to you in but a moment… run along now."
She pouted but acquiesced and turned to leave.
"The terms Tsaritsa… I will exchange my gnosis for…" He leaned forward, now resting his chin over both sets of fingers interlocked with a barely concealed sneer and locked eyes.
"Vera…"
The Tsaritsa paled… Almost sputtering in shock. It was almost comical to see the way this refined archon could so quickly be rendered into a pile of malleable putty.
"Morax…"
If she wasn't willing to make this exchange, then at least he would get her off his back. But if she was truly desperate enough to accept, then at least he wouldn't be so bored in the coming years when the mortal was ready to experience the cruelty of the world by his hand. It would be the ultimate cure to his boredom. Painting a blank canvas any way he pleased.
"Do you agree to the terms?" He procured a golden document. The one she had dreaded to ever have to see.
The Tsaritsa was sure that she could somehow nullify the contract in the future through any number of means like a faked death or body double, so she made one request.
"I agree if you will allow her to finish her schooling here for at least 10 years."
It wasn't that long for Morax, and he could handle waiting.
He offered her the document to sign in blood. They were linked, bound to the terms.
Flinging the gnosis her way and pocketing the contract with satisfaction, he made his way out, sure to pass the courtyard one last time for a photographic last look at his soon to be ward.
In a flash, he was gone.