Unbreakable
Chapter 2
The rest of dinner was a little more relaxed. He almost finished the whole pan of Almond Tofu by himself! Luckily, he thought, Lady Guizhong had seconds too. The sugar made him giggly and even Lord Morax seemed grudgingly amused watching them.
The more Almond Tofu he ate, the better Xiao liked it since it didn't make him feel sluggish or an adrenaline rush- or just plain evil for wanting more of it.
As Xiao was finishing his last bite, a soldier in full armor came into the large dining room and bowed before Lord Morax and then to Lady Guizhong. He took off his helm and tucked it under his arm. "You sent for me, my Lord?"
"Yes, General Tao, this is Xiao. He wishes to join us. I would like you to train him. I know you already have much work to do, but assign him to your best man and a scout unit. And see that he is well versed in weaponless and armed combat."
"Yes, My Lord." The general said formally. When he finally turned to look at him the general's lime green eyes widened. "I- my Lord, is he the one from the dungeon?"
"Yes, Guizhong is certain that he is the missing adeptus."
Xiao was just as startled as the general. With the long, silky tail and fluffy ears of a large orange tiger, the tall, muscular warrior's pupils were mere slits- just like Xiao's own golden ones.
"But you are an adeptus too, right? I- uh, my Lord… Sir?" Xiao said. But Lord Morax, the General and Lady Guizhong tried not to laugh. Xiao bowed his head and carefully knelt on the floor in front of them. "I'm sorry. I submit myself to be punished."
The General sighed. "Don't worry about it. Just call me General Tao or Sir. Because I don't think you understand- since we're meeting for the first time, I should be bowing to you. I'm only half. My father was an adeptus, but my mother is human."
"You bow to me? Why?" Xiao asked.
Lady Guizhong spoke. "It's just customary. I think it started because full adepti have powers that our General Tao does not. Shifting from human to animal is just one of them."
"Oh…" Xiao sighed, shivering slightly. Could he still change into his other form? He doubted it; he still missed his wings- they were bright like his mother's, each feather shimmered like burnished gold. They were taken from him many years ago. But sometimes- especially at night when it stormed above the dungeon, he swore he could still feel them being torn apart as he was chained between two poles…
"Oh, Xiao. " Lady Guizhong said softly. "Your wings- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to remind you…"
"Don't worry, my Lady," He sighed. "I knew I would be punished- I tried to run away."
"But, you still didn't deserve that! Those were his rules, not ours. So, you're free now. No one here will hurt you. Morax and I work together because we… are a team." Lady Guizhong's words were desperate. "We believe Liyue should be free and safe for the mortals as well as the adepti."
Xiao wanted to believe that. He really did. So, he nodded quickly. But experience had taught him that things were never that simple.
"I feel your desire to help, my love. And Xiao does too. But trust must be earned," Lord Morax said evenly. "Gaining his, will not be quick or easy. He must see for himself over time that he has nothing to fear from us. That is especially true for me, as my words from our meeting in the dungeon were uncalled for. And for that, I'm sorry, Xiao."
When Lord Morax apologized Xiao shook his head but he didn't know what to say. He just wanted to disappear into the floor. This couldn't be good. A god apologizing to a slave? "I- my Lord…"
But the Archon calmly turned to the general. "General Tao, take him to the supply tent and let him get settled. Then you report back here, to Lady Guizhong. There is much you should know. In the meantime, have the men finished preparing the slain god's tomb for his burial?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"You- my Lord… You're going to bury my… former master?"
"This is not a ceremony of respect. I'm just going to seal him and his malicious spirit energy far beneath trees and the ruins of his palace. Such a cruel god should have been stopped much earlier. Perhaps your wings could have been spared. But he very wisely stayed out of the territorial war games and hid here in the north, scavenging supplies and seeking information on those of us who were fighting. As it stands, he will be difficult to keep subdued without greatly altering the landscape in this area. There are many natural caves for his will to collect in before it seeps up, out of the ground. Any animal or sentient being who gets too close will get sick or turn into a monster poisoned by his will. Do you want to come and watch him being sealed?"
"Thank you, my Lord." Xiao shook his head. "But I would rather start my training now."
"Wait- now? You mean tonight? No, that's impossible. The doctor asked us to give you time to heal," Lady Guizhong said. "You should take a few weeks off. You need to just get used to being free! Be outside! You need to eat regular meals, rest and sleep to heal."
"Why?" Xiao was confused. "I will do those things as I train, my Lady. I promise. I do not tire easily. When we were hunting there was always time to eat and rest. The human hunters could never keep up, that's why I tried to run… I just didn't realize he had allies."
"Hunting?" General Tao blinked. "Then the stories about him are true?"
"That is what we will discuss later," Lady Guizhong said.
Xiao sighed. "I said the wrong thing again… I'm sorry, my Lady."
"It's alright, Xiao," Lord Morax said. "My love, the Doctor said wait about three days. I know you would prefer a longer rest for him. Under normal circumstances I would agree. But right now he wants something to do. He will feel more at home if we let him do something to help- something productive."
"Three days?" Lady Guizhong sighed and ruffled Xiao's hair. "Well, I guess if it's only training there's no chance of you getting hurt for a while at least. Alright then, go Morax, and bury the bastard who hurt him. But I want you to go with him, Xiao. Then you will know that he can't hurt you anymore."
Xiao bowed and followed Lord Morax. He was sad that he couldn't begin his training now. But more than that, part of him was afraid to see that monster again. What if this was all some sort of a dream or worse, a trick? What if the bastard wasn't really dead?
They left the camp, heading back toward the palace. Everyone stopped whatever they were doing when Lord Morax walked by and they bowed, 90 degrees. But if they were curious about Xiao following him, no one showed it.
There were no hushed whispers until the two of them reached the bowels of the palace ruins where the wind could not carry them to Xiao's ears.
To Xiao this was amazing. Because his previous master had ruled through cruelty and fear. Oh, his former master had commanded attention certainly but never true respect or reverence. These people- even the humans seemed to have very little fear of their god walking among them.
Xiao was surprised that the body of his former master must have been carried deep into the bowels of the dungeon where Xiao had been kept because they hadn't found him yet.
Lord Morax studied everything as they walked. He also sealed the tunnels leading to the other cell blocks and other parts of the old palace with solid stone. This magic was immensely powerful, Xiao could feel the residual energy reverberating in his whole being and in the air around them. But it seemed effortless for the Geo Archon.
When they finally found the body of his master, the bastard's body had been dumped rather ungracefully over Orwen the Herald's corpse in the cell where Xiao had lived.
Before stepping inside though, Lord Morax focused his energy for a moment and the walls of the room greatly expanded. A young woman with long, dark hair and dark eyes then followed him into the room. She carried a handful of seals written and painted on large strips of paper.
"My Lord," the young woman said, pausing by his side. "I've brought the seals from Skybracer, Guhua, Mountainshaper, Cloudretainer and Mooncarver. They send their apologies for not coming in person, my Lord."
"That's fine, Adeptus Ping. There is no need for them to come directly when you have been so kind as to capture their seals on paper for us so quickly. But, there is someone I would like you to meet. This is Adeptus Xiao. Xiao, this is Ping. She has many jobs here, but is especially good at helping me with the sealing of the fallen gods. She is very good at wards, sigils and sealing magic. And like you, she favors her human form, having been raised by humans in a little village far to the south, among Guizhong's people."
Xiao nodded, and bowed hastily. "I'm… glad to meet you, Adeptus Ping…"
"I'm happy to meet you as well! So you're the one who was found here? I knew your mother. She was one of my first teachers when I was a small child. Elegant but very kind, you look very much like her, but with your father's coloring."
"You knew my father too?"
"Sadly, I heard that he died about the time you were going to be born. Your parents retired from Lady Guizhong's service to have you. They have been missed greatly among our people ever since. But your mother especially was very proud and excited that you were to be born."
Xiao couldn't believe it… Someone who knew both of his parents? His mother had never spoken of his father in front of him- at least not that he could remember. It was like one had never existed for him. To learn that he had inherited his father's coloration was more than he'd ever thought he wanted to hear given that his memories of even his mother were hazy at best.
That memory loss was one of the effects of eating the dreams of the humans he killed… His own memories got lost in the drugged up state that invariably followed savaging someone else's mind.
Xiao shivered trying to pull his thoughts out of the past.
"Are you alright?" Ping asked. "I'm terribly sorry if I've said anything to upset you…"
Xiao shook his head. "N-No… I just never thought I would meet someone else who knew my family… Sorry."
"Well, don't worry, Xiao. I think you'll make a lot of friends here. I-Is there anything I can help you with, my Lord?"
Xiao was startled when he realized that the Archon was still here. It seemed that Lord Morax was busy. He was hanging some of the pieces of paper on the walls and laying the others out on the floor. Carefully arranging them so that they were an even distance apart and in a very specific order in a circle around the corpse in the center of the room.
"No, everything is going well, Ping. I was just enjoying your conversation too. Please continue."
"A-Alright, my Lord." Ping smiled. "Do you have any questions for me, Xiao? I was a child, but I will do my best to answer them."
"I… don't know. I barely remember anything from before I ended up down here…"
"That's awful," Ping sighed. "Well, I can tell you that your mother and Lady Guizhong grew up together. They were inseparable until your mother found out she was pregnant and asked to retire. Lady Guizhong missed her terribly and was furious with herself when she learned your mother had been killed. But the war kept us too busy to come and look for you. I'm so sorry for that too."
"I'm… out now. It doesn't matter…"
"I think that it does," Ping sighed. "You're safe now, yes. But that should never normalize how you were treated here. These bastards were monsters and I hope they rot in the netherrealm without reincarnation."
"Wouldn't the humans I hunted say the same about me?"
Ping sucked in a sharp breath. "But you were forced to do that…"
"Xiao," Lord Morax said. "It would have been an impossible situation for anyone. Having to kill or be killed is horrible. But the important thing is you are alive and you seem to regret those actions. Do you?"
"Yes, my Lord… I never wanted to hurt anyone…"
"Well then, keep that mindset going forward and do your best not to make those mistakes again. All you can do for the past is try to keep moving forward. Do you understand?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Alright then, let us begin," Morax said. The archon stood majestically over the body of his master in the center of the circle he'd made around the corpse. "This will be good since there are three of us here, Ping, could you please teach Xiao to draw the symbol for the anemo seal?"
"Yes, my Lord," Ping said. "I'll explain later, but for now all you need to do is focus all of your mind on the symbol I'm about to draw in front of you. The three of us need to stand in a straight line north to south with him in the center. Then you and I will walk to the east and west and I will draw the same symbol for you again."
"But why me? I've never done this before… what if I mess something up?"
"The anemo element stirs within you even now," The girl smiled. "Lord Morax has more than enough power to do this alone. But the more help we can give him the more tightly locked his cage will be. The more elements we include in the seal, the better too. It is a great honor to be chosen for this duty. That he is letting us help is cool."
"I know, it's just…"
"I was nervous the first few times too. But he's a great teacher and very patient."
"What is the saying from Mondstadt? Ping, I'm not a roll, there's no need to butter me," Lord Morax chided her gently.
"But it's true! I've made mistakes before, but I still get to help. Don't worry, we always double check to catch any errors before the final seal is placed. It's when you make a mistake while Cloudretainer is around that you need to worry."
"She would not be happy to hear you say that."
"True," She coughed. "But you've never been scolded by her, my Lord."
"Indeed. That's why I leave the discipline up to her. Let's focus for now."
Xiao did his best to focus on the glowing practice glyph that Ping had drawn in the air in front of him. But he wasn't sure he was focused enough or even tracing the pattern as well as she had drawn it.
"That's very good, Xiao," Lord Morax said. "But your hand is a little unsteady. Try closing your eyes. Let the wind guide your fingertips. Trust your mind's eye. Tap into your bond with the wind. You were doing it as we passed from the camp into this place."
"I…" Xiao fell silent as awkwardly as he started to speak. How had he known? He'd been very careful… "Sorry, my Lord. I've just never used it like this before."
"No need to apologize, Xiao. That's why we are practicing now. So, relax your mind. Feel the magic she left in the air and use your will to imbue it with the power of wind."
Rather than argue, Xiao tried again. This time it really was easier. He could feel the outline of the shape getting sharper and cleaner. There was even a small breeze stirring in the cell! He'd never been able to make that happen before.
"Very good, Xiao!" Ping said happily. "That's amazing for a first try! I got the job of scratching all of the old runes and symbols on the walls before you arrived so that we could use this place as a tomb. They were pretty stubborn, but I guess I can say it worked."
"Yes, Ping you did very well," Lord Morax said. "You are both doing well. Alright. Now that we know you can do this, let's arrange ourselves for the actual sealing. Ping, if you would draw the symbol for him again. Xiao you go ahead and practice for now, but stop once Ping is ready."
Xiao nodded. This was definitely getting easier. But he knew it would take practice to learn to draw the symbol on his own. There were several parts to it and Ping paused briefly between each layer of marks she drew, causing the whole seal to shine more brightly for an instant before moving onto the next part. It felt like she was locking each of them into place somehow.
He liked this. He was supposed to be resting, but he was glad that he was getting to help. It gave him something to do besides worry about whether or not his former master was really dead… He still half expected the bastard to sit up and attack them despite the gaping holes in his chest. Besides, Xiao liked learning new things and focusing on the wind was just as natural to him as breathing.
Finally, it was time to begin the actual sealing. The ground rumbled beneath them as a large golden cage appeared around the body of Xiao's former master. Lord Morax planted an ornately carved and gilded pillar every few feet around the body and when the circle was complete, Xiao and Ping were instructed to finish their symbols around it as a sort of lock.
The trial run had been almost fun, but the actual sealing was not as easy. It seemed that some malevolent force was suddenly fighting the pillars and the golden barrier between them. Finishing the seal took all of his concentration.
Finally, it seemed they were done. Lord Morax walked through the barrier he'd created as if it wasn't there. And came to check Xiao's work. Xiao couldn't meet his gaze, but was very proud when the Archon nodded. "Very good, Xiao. Yours is excellent as always too, Ping. Now for the tricky part."
"There's more?" Xiao gulped. "I- sorry, my Lord. I-"
"You've done nothing wrong, Xiao," Lord Morax said. "But, yes, now we must lock the door to the vault. If no one can get in here, the energy that coelesses around the body will seep out more slowly. And more importantly, no one can get in to accidentally or intentionally break the seals holding him here. This bastard is still a god. It makes sense that some of his darkness will get out no matter what we do. But we certainly don't want Treasure Hoarders accidentally being lured to this place and tunneling inside to look for treasure. If they would break the seal it's likely that they would be killed in the magical backlash. That in turn would give the tomb's occupant more power, perhaps even awareness of his surroundings. Slowly, over time, that spark turns into rage that grows stronger until he can take on a new form and come here to reclaim his true power."
His former master rising from the grave? Xiao shivered. The bastard had taken away his wings on little more than a whim proposed by Orwen as punishment for running away. How much worse would his anger be if he ever got out of this place? "So what do we do, my Lord?"
"Well, we position more seals around here, forming a barrier that mortals can only see if they have a vision. To everyone else it will look like there is no door at all- only solid stone. Ping, draw a Circle of Protection on the ground here. I will place two Geo seals over the door at the top and bottom. You place a Glyph of Holding between them."
"What do you want me to do, my Lord."
"Well, we don't want Guizhong to suspect that you haven't been resting, now do we? You have been a great help already. With practice, I think there will be more burials you can assist with since you don't seem to mind being underground. Celestia's free for all between the gods is not over, nor will it be for quite some time."
He had forgotten all about resting! He blushed, shaking his head vigorously. He didn't want to disappoint the woman who had been so kind to him.
Xiao stood back and just watched as Ping and Lord Morax sealed the door only to have Lord Morax raise a large unmarked stone barrier in front of the seal to protect it from anyone unlucky enough to find their way here.
So, for now, he watched the way Ping assisted him. The way she held her hands and the way she focused her energy into each symbol. Her elemental power was that of Dendro, he realized. Someday, Xiao thought, he would learn that level of control too.
By the time they made it back to the camp, dawn was breaking and Xiao was surprisingly tired. He was going to have no trouble falling asleep later in spite of the bright sunlight. But first he had to go find Lady Guizhong and General Tao for a tour of the camp.
