Interlude III: "Let the Contract be made, though the Heavens may fall"
Morax placed his Gnosis on the open palm of the Fair Lady.
The Harbinger admired the artefact, holding it between her thumb and index, lifting it to the lanterns above, "With this, our transaction is complete."
The Fair Lady smiled in a manner of triumph. Well, Morax would let her have her moment of pride - he knew what had happened in the north, it must've been quite humiliating to be forced out of her own homeland like that.
Truth of the matter is, Morax felt no great distress at being absolved of his Vision - and his role as the Geo Archon by extension. Oh certainly, he will no longer hold any authority over Geo, but it wasn't as if a Gnosis was a godhead. He still held authority over the earth and rock, as he did hold the belief of his people.
Morax was still the deity who triumphed over a hundred gods millennia ago.
No, this land was now on the verge of a great upheaval - he could feel it in the earth, in his bones. He had kept his promise to Gusion and Marchosias, he had carried their ideals, their pride, their memories with him until this moment. He had raised their people - the successors of Guili - to the highest they have ever been, and he could no longer raise them any higher.
Being immortal, it was easy to lose the sense of one's own faults - thus it was paramount that Morax ensures he constantly reminds himself. He was old, the oldest of the ruling deities of Teyvat - he was set in his ways, unwilling and afraid of change. Afraid that the monument of Rock, Dust, and Soil he raised so high - the monument called Liyue - would fall the moment he lets go.
Thus, he must rip out this defect swiftly, and without hesitation. Fortunes grace him, it seemed the Cryo Archon had unwittingly aided him in this regard.
Morax was finally ready to relieve himself of his ideals - he would no longer be the God of Contracts. After all, the first contract he made was his first promise as well - his promise to Gusion and Marchosias to raise the people of Guili until they could stand on their own two feet. And so he had, he took on the mantle of God of Contracts to see his promise through, and now he finally had.
That was the duty of every Archon, he reckons, to nurture their people until they could stand on their own - to live up to their mortal legacy. Their legacy, of the Empire of Man that once spanned across all of Teyvat - only to be felled by the immaturity of their divine counterparts. Welkin Moon looked over them, the Seven Archons swore under Aria's celestial corpse that they would bring humanity back to their former glory. Alas, of the Seven Archons, only he and Barbatos were left.
Barbatos, conniving and clever as he was, took the easy way out. The trickster god spun up a fanciful tale of flightless birds, high cliffs, and raging winds, and left. God of Freedom, for humanity only truly shone when unrestrained and daring.
Albeit, Morax did know that Beelzebul has taken up her sister's mantle, striving to fulfil her People's Dream in her own way. God of Eternity, for humanity was always meant to last forever.
As for Morax himself… God of Contracts, for the value of oaths and promises must be ingrained into humanity for their society to flourish.
It was a shame then, that the rest had passed - and none of their heirs remember the purpose of an Archon, too occupied in their own delusions. They have forgotten that an Archon's ideal was a means to an end, not the end itself. A shame indeed.
Nevertheless, Morax has kept his promise, and now it was time to leave.
Perhaps he would join Barbatos in his misadventures, or perhaps he would continue living this mortal life of his. He would also like to visit Beelzebul, but that Divine Wind of hers was quite impenetrable - so much so that he reckons not even Celestia could perceive through it, much to the Overseer's ire.
Morax dipped his head, "So it is. Thus, I take my leave."
The Fair Lady said something then, but he was no longer listening - striding to the door with a bounce in his steps. He pushed open the doors of Northland Bank with a kind of childish glee he hadn't felt in a millennia, and took in the humid air.
It smelled of dust and hot ash, of ruin and destruction. It smelled of new beginnings, of a blank canvas for humanity to build a new Liyue unhindered by divine aspirations.
Morax walked the streets of Feiyun Slope, revelling in the sights, smells, and sounds of a humanity ruled by no god. Was this how a father feels when their child has grown?
Unfortunately, his time of leisure would not last long - for while he was no longer an Archon, he was still a member of the House of Lords. Morax closed his eyes as he felt someone walk up beside him. A young lady, with long hair that shone like platinum and sharp eyes that spoke of endless depths.
"Zhongli, was it? Would you walk with me?"
Morax smiled dryly, "It seems you already are."
"I do suppose," Paimon mused, "So, how will it be?"
"I'm afraid I've already signed a contract with the Cryo Archon."
"Even you know you do yourself a disservice," she laughed elegantly, "Even you refer to her as the Cryo Archon, and not Lord of Ice. She doesn't care what happens in the House of Lords, we might as well be her enemy in that regard. And besides, you are no longer God of Contracts, why must you uphold this contract of yours?"
"I still have my pride, I suppose."
"Pride, huh?" Paimon hummed, "Speaking of which, what will you be the god of now?"
Morax shot her a look, "Nothing. To be a god of a human ideal is to rule over humans, you know this. I am done with that."
Paimon sighed deeply, "Listen here, Morax, I need you to play along. I cannot do anything to you here on this Mortal Realm, you are far too powerful - your people still believe in you, you are still a god of humans."
She smiled mockingly to herself, as if she found it strange she was weaker than any other god.
"But in the Divine Realm, you know as well as I that I far outrank you."
"Is that a threat?" Morax spoke softly.
Paimon's eyes flashed, "A declaration of war, if need be."
"You do not outrank me," he reminded her, "I am Rank Fifteen, and you are Rank Twenty-Eight."
"You know that is not what I meant," Paimon sped forwards and turned around to face him, walking backwards, "I am a Queen, and you are merely a Count. It appears your time in the Mortal Realm has muddled your senses."
"You are like a child," he scorned.
"A powerful child," she corrected, "And you've seen what my toy is capable of. So what will it be, Morax? With me, or against me?"
"Your toy seems to be missing," he noted.
"Bah," she waved, "If he doesn't survive this, then I will drop all of my designs."
Morax sighed, "Very well then. I will have to side with Havres on this matter."
Paimon's eyes narrowed, "Neutral, hm? That is fine with me. However, if I do not gain enough support within the House, I expect you to side with me."
"Acceptable."
Paimon gave a sharp nod, before winking out of existence. Morax stared at the spot where she once stood, before barking out a rare laugh. How befitting of her temperament, to not even ask him to swear on any kind of oath or contract. A few bypassers gave him odd looks, but Morax just shook his head and continued on his way.
He was Morax, Lord of Rock. If the rising storm comes as foretold, all he would have to do is plant his feet and let the tumult wash over him.
Ningguang pondered the nature of change.
Because Keqing was right from the very beginning, the Republic was on the verge of comeuppance, and none were ready for it.
She sat alone in her office within the Yuehai Pavilion, the Jade Chamber having been grounded for repairs. An emergency meeting of the Qixing had just passed, one called with the intent of shaping the future of this now-godless nation. For even if they knew Rex Lapis lived yet, so did they know that Rex Lapis had abandoned them - like a mother bird throwing their children off the cliff to fly.
Ningguang chuckled to herself - look at them now. For how many centuries have they looked at their northern neighbours through upturned noses and haughty eyes, mocking them for their lack of god.
Look at them now, perhaps she ought to borrow that fable of theirs - the one of Wind, Courage, and Wings.
She had read it once before, it told of when birds have not yet learned to fly, and so they asked the Anemo Archon to teach them. In response, the Anemo Archon led them to a high cliff, where the winds showed off their wild and incomparable strength - and they flapped their wings among the howling winds, and learned to fly. All they needed was a little courage.
At a first glance, it was a silly little tale - how could birds not know how to fly? Now all she could think was that the story was never about birds at all, but of people.
For the first time in quite a while, the Liyue Qixing was in full agreement. Diplomats have already been dispatched to the northern states, requesting counsel on how to rule a nation without a god. Well, all the Qixing agreed, except the Lady Yuheng.
For Keqing wasn't in attendance, still toiling on the streets of Liyue Harbour.
The restoration of the harbourfront was going well, led by the Lady Yuheng's keen intellect and familiarity with the people. Though, it was a sombre affair - much of the lower city had been overrun and destroyed, and for every brick laid, there was certainly a body to be found and burnt.
To replace the ships lost in the battle, the Liyue Qixing has also ratified an executive order for fifteen of the Harbour's largest shipwrights to merge, forming the Arsenal of Liyue. The Arsenal would replace the destroyed Military Wharf - and with every process under state control, they could streamline every inch of the shipbuilding channels. All with the singular goal of replacing their merchant and military fleet as fast as possible.
Oh, Ningguang knew the strategy would not be perfect. While the state could replace losses, the merchants and business leaders couldn't so easily, not with the largest shipwright companies fused in a state institution. But Rex Lapis was gone, and without him they would be emboldened - it was now up to the Qixing to ensure those ambitious do not overstep their bounds.
If that meant monopolising the single most important sector of the Republic, so be it.
The sliding door to her chambers were slid open, and her secretary Baiwen stepped in, bowing.
"What is it?"
"Missives from Siwencao, my lady," she offered two letters of fine silk with both hands.
"Siwencao? Let's see what Yelan has for me, hm?" Ningguang received them, "Wait outside, will you?"
Baiwen bowed and left her chambers, allowing Ningguang to finally unfold the pelts of cloth. Silk missives were expensive, thus they only disclosed the most confidential information. She took the first missive, eyes scanning the silk, her fingers brushed over the fine ink strokes.
Siwencao, the Liyue Qixing's exclusive intelligence agency. Unlike the Ministry of Civil Affair's own intelligence department, Siwencao did not exist on any public records - no one except those within the highest echelons of government even knew the organisation existed.
That wasn't to say Siwencao was a single entity - while when it was first founded, Siwencao was created to be a non-political entity, that has long changed. The significance of Siwencao cannot be understated, every secret within the Republic will pass through its halls sooner or later - not to mention their operations in neighbouring countries. No single person knew everything that Siwencao did, not even Ningguang.
As such, Siwencao has turned into the Liyue Qixing's personal battlefield, each member constantly vying for just another droplet of influence within their three departments.
First was the Operations Department, responsible for all espionage operations relating to foreign entities. A core department of Siwencao, they dispatch countless spies outside the borders of the Republic. Ningguang couldn't fathom the sheer scope of their affairs - for all she knew they even had spies in the Shogunate of Inazuma. Other than external political and military intelligence, they are also responsible for the training, dispatching, and liaison of spies and agents of all kinds.
And the Lord Yaoguang presided over all of it. He rules the Operations Department through his puppet, Chief Yin Ji - and the rest of the Qixing only knew what he deigned to tell them.
Next was the Analysis Department, responsible for the analysing, summarising, and archiving of all intelligence which passes through Siwencao. From a distance, it was the most simple of the three departments, but their importance could not be understated. Whoever controls the Analysis Department has excess knowledge of every secret in the history of the Republic, and even other countries.
The current chief of this department was Lin Feixing, if Ningguang recalled rightly. He was a soft spoken and fair-faced man. She had met him on occasion, finding him a most unambitious and amiable man, and very hesitant to take part in political affairs. As such, he actively resists the advances of the Lady Tianxuan and Lord Tianji. The man was no threat, and his impartiality only benefited her.
Lastly was the Internal Affairs Department, responsible for counterintelligence, anti-interference, and public security in the Republic. Prevention of foreign excursions into the Land of Rock was a top priority, and as such every foreign spy must be either eliminated or documented for further use. Years ago, the department was embroiled in a massive scandal following the sudden death of their old chief.
Ningguang was still merely a rising business leader back then, with her sights set on the Liyue Qixing. She didn't even know Siwencao existed either, until fortune graced her and a certain woman approached her for help - her name was Luo Yelan, and she was involved with the scandal. Ningguang took a risk, and spent much of her influence getting Yelan into the seat of Chief of Internal Affairs.
In exchange, Yelan removed most of Ningguang's obstacles in a most inconspicuous manner, allowing her to swiftly take her seat as the Lady Tianquan.
The first letter was penned by Yelan, she could tell by the sharp brushstrokes. The first section notified her that the Young Lord had been received by the Internal Affairs Department, and interrogation was now well underway. Secondly, their counterintelligence spies had detected the Fair Lady entering the city while undercover, last seen entering Northland Bank.
No action has been taken yet, only observation.
Ningguang brought the silk to a candle, watching the cloth wilt into ashes.
The Fatui were a complicated manner, and the Qixing were not unanimous in any decision considering them. However, if there was one thing that was certain, they did not have the power to completely remove the Fatui from the Republic - nor should they. Unlike their northern neighbours in the Union, the Republic was far too vast and decentralised to effectively remove all Fatui presence.
Furthermore, it was well-known the Fatui Harbingers were not an organised group - it was very likely the Young Lord had acted alone. The Fair Lady and the Regrator both had separate business dealings and contracts in the Republic, thus treating Zapolyarny Palace as a single entity as the Union did would be a severe miscalculation. Because unlike the Union, Liyue had little hooks into Snezhnaya.
No, instead they would use this opportunity to renegotiate their contracts with the Fair Lady and the Regrator. Furthermore, they had a convenient scapegoat to blame - the Young Lord, who was now in Liyuean custody, who will face Liyuean law.
She unfurled the second letter, and narrowed her eyes. This one wasn't from Yelan, no, it was from the Roost instead. It appears her little birds have found exactly what she asked for. Ningguang smiled fondly.
Her little birds were her pride and joy - for who would suspect children? Alas, her rivals have been emboldened since the Rite of Descension - not to mention every hidden gaze in the city was now on her - thus Ningguang had transferred the jurisdiction of the Roost to the Internal Affairs Department in order to shake off those prying eyes.
Nevertheless, they came through for her - the only son and heir of the Magistrate of Qiaoying was dead, fallen in battle against Osial. Oh, old Feng Guozhang will be furious, no doubt - but he will have to bite the bitter leaf. His son fell defending the sanctity of the Republic, and there is no death more honourable than that.
Ningguang skimmed the missive again, smiling as she read the characters.
The son of Feng was seen quarrelling with the Lady Yuheng on the battlefield. Rumours are being spread.
Fly and chirp, little birds, chirp as far and wide, and as loud as you can.
"Baiwen!" she called, and her trusted secretary entered the room with a bow.
She watched as Ningguang burned away the silk letter, waving the ashes away.
"My lady?"
"If I am correct, the Magistrate of Qiaoying has two children in Liyue Harbour, yes?"
"Correct, my lady. Feng Chonglin and his younger sister Feng Jingfei. They were visiting for the Rite of Descension."
"Good," Ningguang nodded, "Inform Chief Luo that Feng Chonglin had died of injuries sustained in battle, and note that he was last seen quarrelling with the Lady Yuheng."
"Understood."
"Also inform her that Feng Jingfei will catch a sinister wind in the wake of her brother's unfortunate passing," Ningguang paused, "Make it… questionable, and when their retinue starts investigating, their leads will bring them to the Lady Yuheng."
"Understood."
"Good, dismissed."
Baiwen bowed and backed out of the chamber, turning to make her way to Siwencao.
Ningguang leaned back in satisfaction, bringing out her pipe and stuffing it with wakeleaf, before putting it to the candle. Placing the pipe in her mouth, she took a long breath, sighing contentedly.
Opening her mouth, she let the sweet-sour scent of wakeleaf smoke cradle her face, thinking back to her time when she first took the office of the Lady Tianquan. If there was one thing she had to learn quickly, it was that friends do not exist within the Qixing, only temporary allies. The only people she could trust was herself, and those she raised personally.
Keqing was like a shooting star, streaking across the twilight sky - illuminating the path her all those behind her, and yet she will burn out just as fast. The Lady Yuheng took her office at the youngest age of all of them - she rose too far, too fast.
Ningguang had unofficially allied her within the Qixing because they shared the same vision - a vision of a dominant and prosperous Republic, a shining beacon for all of Teyvat to see. A Liyue unequalled and unrivalled.
And yet their methods were far too divergent for them to ever work together for long. Keqing believed that the people will forge a new path for Liyue, the commonfolk who live from day to day, powerless in current society. She raises them high along with herself, ignorant of the enemies she makes along the way.
Ningguang was a firm believer that as long as the businesses continued to fill their coffers, so too will the people. Business leaders like her will be able to create more jobs, more opportunities for the people - and in the end they too will be able to rise with a new Liyue.
Keqing stole wealth from the rich and distributed it to the poor, it was an unstable system that would collapse in decades, even years. What will happen when there are no longer businesses, merchants, corporations? What will the once-poor, now accustomed to constant charity and pittance-giving do? There was no future in such.
But as long as the businesses rise, so will the people. It was a system that would benefit all, and leave none destitute.
If anything, it should be the old nobles to be stripped of their wealth. What do those relics do, other than sit around in their luxurious manses handed to them by their forefathers? What do they do, other than live off generational wealth from a bygone era? They contributed nothing to society other than revel in their so-called blue-bloodedness.
The Lady Yuheng had risen too far, too fast. She blinded herself to her enemies, trusted those she shouldn't have - deluded herself with fanciful ideals that would never work. Keqing was a pioneer of no equal, an unmatched trailblazer that none could see further than - and yet for all her future-looking, she has forgotten about the past and present.
Where was she, at the emergency Qixing meeting? Organising builders, handing out rations, enforcing public order in the streets no doubt. Admirable too, but she was a member of the Liyue Qixing, not any clerk, administrator or supervisor. A leader had to know how to delegate.
She had always been the dark horse, even with all the unconventional backing she had. But now, in the wake of the Day the Sky Fell, her public defence of the city had turned her into a living legend. The Lady Yuheng was now a real threat, not just to her but to every member of the Qixing.
Undoubtedly, she would never be voted out of her office for as long as she lived - and that was unacceptable, not with those ideals of hers.
Ningguang had no doubt, it was time for that Lady Yuheng to burn out and hit the ground.
The future of the Republic of Liyue was shrouded in uncertainty - so as leaders of this illustrious nation, it was their sworn duty to ensure they choose the right path forward.
Mona woke with a gasp.
Jerking upright, sleep bled from her eyes as she looked around on alert.
The room was cold, and bare. There was a painting of a strange mountain on the wall, shrouded in darkness with pinpricks of ghostly blue light. In the corner of the room was a potted plant with thick green leaves, producing a pleasantly sweet smell.
Mona swung her legs off the bed and planted them on the cold floor, shivering slightly. She spotted her clothes folded neatly on the nightstand and slowly dressed, taking her time to absorb her surroundings, feeling eerily familiar, as if she had been here before. After tying her hair into tails, she fitted her hat onto her head, sighing at the familiar weight.
"...?"
Mona frowned, cautiously pressing her throat, but disregarded the odd sensation.
After picking up her satchel and ensuring everything was there, she quietly stalked to the door and opened it slowly, wincing as its hinges squeaked. Peeking her head out the gap, she found an empty hallway, barren of any flourish. Stepping out into the corridor, Mona wandered down the hallway, passing by closed wooden doors as she went.
"Miss Megistus?"
Mona spun around, eyes wide as she looked backwards - seeing a familiar face, one most unexpected.
"...Ferrylady?" Mona asked in surprise, "Meng Jiang- ack!?"
"This one is Meng Jiang, you are correct," the woman bowed, "I would have you not strain your throat, your injuries sustained are not inconsequential. Breathe lightly, 'lest you may never speak again."
"I am in Wangsheng?" Mona murmured airily, heeding her words, "Why…"
"Because Wangsheng is also a sanatorium," Meng Jiang seemed to hear her nonetheless, "Please follow me."
Mona did so, following the woman through Wangsheng's cold, desolate halls - keeping an open ear as the undertaker explained the situation.
"A sennight ago, the Lord of Waves had broken free of his seals," she explained calmly, as if it was ordinary, "And attacked Liyue Harbour. The Lady Yuheng's army came to reinforce the city, bringing you and Director Hu - she sent both of you to me for hospitalisation. It seems Sir Baizhu's healing proved effective, seeing you are as well as can be."
Mona's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth on instinct - only to close it just as swiftly with an audible click.
"...T-The director… is she okay?" Mona breathed, "That last I saw… of her…"
"She is fighting death," Meng Jiang replied, "With the countess on the verge of passing, the House of Hu is in disarray. The director had not written a will that we know of, as such her loyalists are holding their ground against hostile branch families who seek her seat."
"What did… the physician… say?"
"The director is in a safe place, and the physician was not allowed to visit her," the undertaker's eyes flashed, "No one denies Sir Baizhu's curative abilities are unparalleled, but his countenance is quite… disturbing. Just as well, for no one denies that the director has always been hostile to the man."
"Nevertheless," she continued, smiling softly, "No harm will come to Director Hu, I will make sure of it."
Mona did not know why Meng Jiang was so sure, but she didn't pry. Everyone has their own secrets, certainly, and a woman as mysterious as Meng Jiang was bound to have many. In any case, Hu Tao seemed to trust her, and so will she. Suddenly, a thought struck Mona. Meng Jiang had said Keqing sent Hu Tao and Mona to her, not to Wangsheng - did this not mean the woman was well-acquainted with Keqing as well?
Just who was this undertaker?
Or, Mona mentally thought, she was just overthinking it. She probably was.
"What… now?"
"I will inform the Lady Tianquan that you have awoken," the undertaker told her, "Tomorrow, you ought to head to Yuehai Pavilion and complete your contract. I'm afraid the inn you stayed at has been destroyed, so I offer you a place to stay here at Wangsheng."
Had she or Aether told Hu Tao about which inn they stayed at? Mona could not quite recall.
"...Gratefully accepted."
Meng Jiang pointed to a door, "That way is to the exit. Forgive me, but Wangsheng has been busy as of late, so I cannot escort you."
"There's… no need," Mona waved her off, starting forwards for the door.
"Be careful outside," the undertaker told her as she turned around, "The City is not what it once was."
As Mona placed her hand on the door handle, she suddenly remembered that Meng Jiang made no mention of Aether at all. She spun around, ready to ask - but only saw an empty hallway, as if the undertaker was never there at all.
She shivered slightly, feeling a cool breeze from nowhere. Slowly, she opened the door and stepped out to behold a familiar sight. Mona was standing on the mezzanine that overlooked the preparation room for the deceased.
The sickly smell of embalming oil and rotting flesh struck her like a hammer. Mona violently retched, keeling over her waist as she sucked in a deep breath - and choked on it. Coughing fiercely, Mona felt as if there was something lodged in her throat, and she instinctively clawed at it, nails digging in.
She spat on the floor, and her eyes widened when she saw thickened blood splattered across the ground.
Mona could feel her face getting red as she suffocated, falling to her knees. Mind hazy, she instinctively smacked her own chest - wincing in pain she felt something hard hit her, as if she was holding a rock. Mona looked at her hand, and saw a brilliant blue Hydro Vision.
Her eyes widened, and an imaginary sword cut through the haze and fog of her consciousness. She hastily willed Hydro to life, lathering it over her oesophagus, washing away everything in its path and soothing her throat. Mona inhaled deeply though her mouth, relief spreading through her body as she breathed in the cool air.
Shakily standing up, Mona grasped the handrails for support, holding her Vision tightly in her free hand.
Looking over the rails, she saw that the preparation hall was completely overrun with bodies. Hundreds upon hundreds of corpses laid on just as many tables - so full that there were barely any spaces to walk between the tables. Even more tarp covered corpses were stacked at the sides of the hall, against the walls - and just as many corpses were being rolled through designated pathways to another hall at the rear.
The crematorium, if Mona were to guess, from the smoke billowing out of the doorway.
Taking a shuddering breath, she tore her eyes away and raced to the end of the mezzanine - down the stairs - and into the reception hall. There was no one at the counter.
She forcefully pulled open the doors and rushed out into the courtyard. Her head swivelled around as she turned, gazing in every direction to take her bearings. Ash and smog filled the Sky, turning the heavens black - and dust permeated the air, making it hard to breathe. Mona formed a thin layer of Hydro in her mouth, like a filter, and sucked in air experimentally.
With her ad-hoc breathing apparatus now working, she took her time in observing her surroundings. The wooden board in the courtyard was completely devoid of wooden tiles, and the plum tree was dead. Dead and barren, spear-like branches devoid of life - and the grass at its feet were yellow and brown. There was nary a plum to be seen.
Mona turned around and rushed out onto the main street of Feiyun Slope, and she could feel her legs weaken as she took in the sight.
Liyue Harbour was in ruins.
She slowly walked down the war-torn roads, looking from side to side at the crumbling buildings. Beautifully painted facades were covered in dried blood and scorch marks. In the distance, great columns of black smoke rose into the air as the ruins were burnt away to rebuild. The great stone bridge that crossed into Chihu Rock was destroyed, replaced by a ramshackle wooden one, seemingly built of driftwood.
And by the gods, beyond it was Chihu Rock - or what remained of it. The island was completely levelled, she couldn't even see the patch of rocky earth her inn once stood on, or the Third-Round Knockout. The Golden Port and Hukou Port were nowhere to be seen, only empty waves crashing against the breakwaters in their place.
Mona numbly turned around, entering the great plaza before the Feiyun Commerce Guild. There seemed to be a large gathering in front of it, in prayer - surrounding a massive bonfire burning in the centre of the plaza. Unwilling to interrupt, Mona crept around the edges of the crowd, over the rubble of a once-storefront.
She stepped onto the highest landing of the Scarlet Steps, looking down to where the Military Wharf was once located. The gates of the closed harbour were completely destroyed, the two towers missing from their place. Despite this, she could see the skeletal frames of three new vessels being constructed on the drydocks - vessels that were to join the dozen or so newly built junks bobbing idly in the harbour.
Despite the context of the situation, Mona could help but laugh in her heart. Even after an unprecedented disaster, nothing would stop Liyueans from having their boats.
She carefully walked down the Scarlet Steps, eyes raking over the entire harbourfront. Men and women toiled together, men pushing around stone-filled carts and layering brick on brick - and women hunched over open fires, stirring great pots of stew and boiled water. Scaffolding flanked her on both sides, the skeletons of new buildings being constructed. The sound of hammer on steel, stone, and wood filled the air with billowing dust, accompanied by the shouts of labourers and barking orders of supervisors.
Columns of Millelith patrolled the streets, keeping order among the populace - though in her opinion, everyone was too busy to be disgruntled.
Several pyres with no discernable purpose have been lit along the harbourfront - orange flames and black smoke backdropped by a thin layer of mist and fog rising out of the Sea of Clouds, thick enough to obscure the view of the Guyun Stone Forest. Mona approached the pyres in curiosity.
"Move out of the way, lady!"
"Huh-!?" she spun around to see two men pushing a cart loaded with corpses, "Oh- pardon me!"
Mona swiftly danced out of the way, watching the men as they parked their cart and started grabbing the bodies to throw them into the fire. First, she wondered why these corpses in particular were given such disrespect - until she looked at the corpses themselves.
Her breath hitched, and she found it hard to breathe again. Forcefully calming herself down, Mona stared at the corpses through wide eyes. They weren't human, anything but human - pallid grey skin, long spindly fingers with vicious claws. Their inhuman maws were filled with long needle-like teeth. Fins crested their heads and backs, and sticky webs connected their limbs to their torso, as well as between their digits.
Their eyes were a solid white, dead and lifeless.
And yet, she swore they stared at her as they burned - the scent of sea salt and seaweed permeating the air.
Mona swiftly left the area, heel-and-toeing for the edge of the stone promenade. Yet, despite being further away from the fire, she continued to sweat heavily, waves of heat warping the air - and Mona could even see heat mirages out over the waves of the bay.
"You best keep away from there, miss!"
Mona turned on her heel to see a group of children looking up at her, a young boy at their lead.
"...What?"
"The sea has been boiling ever since the Day the Sky Fell," the boy said, "From here, all the way to the Guyun Stone Forest, and even further. See, look!"
The boy rushed to the edge, and Mona realised he was holding a raw fish skewer in his hands. He leaned over the barrier and stuck his arm over the waves, holding tightly to his skewer and flipping the fish around. After a few long moments, the boy withdrew his arm and showed off his skewer - the fish now well and evenly cooked steamed throughout, along with his very red arm.
"How… did the sea become… like this?" she asked.
A young girl stepped forwards, waving her hands about, "The Sun fell out of the Sky!"
"...What?"
"Look over there!" she pointed, "A falling star hit the Sky and broke it, then the Sun fell down through the hole and killed the sea monster!"
Mona followed her finger, and for the fourth time that day her heart nearly stopped beating.
Above the Guyun Stone Forest was a massive hole in the Sky, like a shattered pane of glass the endless blue Sky was broken by the jagged aperture. And for the first time, she could see the Great Beyond in all its distant glory, countless constellations shone down at her, all she had never seen before. The astrologer in her was salivating at the mere sight of it.
Mona was no fool, she knew the Great Beyond was vast beyond her understanding, she knew that the constellations she looked at now don't belong to anyone on Teyvat. It was proof of distant lands and worlds, separated from them by void. She must acquire her funds from her contract with the Qixing as fast as possible, then purchase astrological equipment to study the aperture before the hole closes.
"How long… has that hole… been there?" she rasped.
"Hmm… six, seven days? At first it was all black and you couldn't see anything, but after several days you could start to see stars!"
"Yeah!" another boy cried, "It's like the Sun forgot to bring day to one part of the Sky!"
"The Sun fell through that part, dummy!"
"Then what about that Sun over there!?"
"The Sun flew back up, obviously!"
Mona decided to leave them the children too it as they began to quibble among themselves. As she walked along the promenade towards Chihu Rock, she couldn't help but listen in on the idle chatter around her.
"...move that over there!"
"More logs for the fire!"
"...out of the way, do you have a death wish!?"
"...horrible…"
"...damned Qixing, what do they think we are? Oxen!?"
"Quiet down man, they'll hear you…"
"Tch, look at them hoarding all that wood for their ships! Their bloody Arsenal is like a hungry beast - what do they think we are supposed to rebuild with?"
"...better than Chihu Rock…"
"Bless the Lady Yuheng…"
"Have you heard? Qiaoying and Qingce…"
"...arrogant bastard anyway…"
Mona fiddled with her translation algorithm all the while, using the occasion to optimise the spell. So far, it was working well, but it still wasn't picking up on certain phrases and sayings, as well as proper nouns - she would probably have to insert those herself.
"Coming through!"
She danced out of the way of a barrelling cart, watching as it passed by her. Sighing, Mona continued until she reached the end of the promenade, where a wooden bridge spanned the strait to Chihu Rock.
Staying at the side of the bridge as she walked, Mona noticed dozens of horse-drawn carts moving in the opposite direction, their carts full of stone and wood. She realised that they were taking rubble from the ruined Chihu Rock and repurposing it to be used as construction material in Feiyun Slope.
Stepping onto Chihu Rock, she waved the air in front of her. A faint cloud of mist- not mist, steam, covered the roads - and it was much warmer here, even sweltering. As she walked inland, she realised that not all of Chihu Rock was destroyed - the centre of the island rose above the rest in a small bluff, where several buildings still stood.
Mona crossed the ruins of the Adventurer's Guild, then the Third-Round Knockout at the base of the hill, making her way up the road to get a higher vantage point. On one side of the hill, a block was completely razed to the ground - creating a large empty patch of dirt littered with makeshift headstones and grave markers.
Suddenly, she tripped over something. Thinking it was her own clumsiness as a result of her distraction, Mona caught herself without another word and tried to continue on her way - only to trip over something again.
Looking down, she instinctively stepped back when she saw a small bear staring up at her.
"Guoba, what are you doing!?"
The bear cub yelped, before skittering off. Mona watched the animal until it squeezed itself between the legs of a girl on the cusp of adulthood, who leaned down to admonish it.
"Watch where you're going, Guoba!" the young lady looked up at her with a sheepish expression, "Sorry about that, miss! Are you alright?"
The girl was dressed in dirtied rags, though Mona could see hints of yellow through the dust. She had dirty dark hair, cropped short at her chin but with a long braided rattail at the back of her head. Bushy eyebrows crowned her amber eyes, though said eyes were rimmed with red.
A long knife was sheathed at her waist, and a featureless wooden staff was borne on her back - along with a rucksack she had thrown over her shoulder.
"I'm fine, miss," Mona replied, "Though, that is what I… should be asking you."
"Ahaha…" the girl scratched the back of her head, smiling awkwardly - though Mona could tell it was painful for her to do so, "Guess it was that obvious, huh? Sorry, I had just buried my father…"
Mona impulsively looked to the side, at the ad-hoc graveyard - before realising just how rude it was to do so and snapping her head back to the girl, who seemed to not have noticed.
"Guess… guess I'm not yet over it."
"It's not that easy to… 'get over it' as you say," Mona smiled sympathetically, "Don't let anyone… tell you otherwise. What will you do now?"
"There's nothing left for me here," the girl shrugged, "So I'm leaving… don't know where to go, though. Maybe Qingce, I still have family back in Qingce."
"..."
"...What is it?" the girl stared up at her with wide eyes.
"I… usually don't take much credence in rumours," Mona swallowed, "But I heard that there is something happening up north in Qiaoying and Qingce, some sort of turmoil."
"Oh… but it should be fine, right?" the girl tried to smile, "I'm just one person… visiting family… yeah…! There's the Northern Protectorate, right? It should be safe."
"...What's your name?"
"Xiangling- Mao Xiangling."
Mona opened her satchel and rummaged through it, picking out a small pouch and a silver coin. She handed both to Xiangling, who stared at the objects with wide eyes.
"I don't know how much mora is worth these days… but it should help you," Mona then pointed at the silver coin, "If you ever find yourself in trouble, you can try crossing the border into Fontaine. Ask around with the coin in hand, and someone will come to you. Just tell them Mona Megistus gave you that coin."
"Oh… uh- thank you, Miss Mona! Though… why are you helping me?"
Mona shrugged, "My conscience, I suppose. You best leave before it gets too dark."
"Y-Yeah, you're right," Xiangling turned around, waving as she went, "Come on, Guoba! Thank you again, miss!"
"Godspeed," Mona waved back, "If the stars align, may we meet again!"
Once Xiangling and her pet bear were little more than a speck at the bottom of the hill, Mona sighed before turning around to continue uphill. She soon realised that this place was a shantytown, a refuge for those who lost their homes in Chihu Rock and had not yet left. Sullen eyes bore at her from the shadow, and she felt her back prickle.
They had likely seen her helping Xiangling, she thought, and now they are expecting her to help them as well.
Feeling uncomfortable, Mona swiftly cloaked herself in her Illusory Torrent and raced down the other side of the hill - skimming over the stone and dirt down to the coast. Uncloaking herself, she leaped out of the torrent and onto the stone - startling someone who yelped as she emerged right in front of them.
"Miss… Miss Mona!?"
"...Oh, surprised to see you, Atsuko. And I told you, just Mona."
"I'm surprised I'm alive too," Atsuko laughed dryly, "Though I'm living as if I'm dead, my employer is gone and I have no job anymore. Isn't living off pittance just as bad as being dead?"
"That isn't quite like you."
"Guess I had a change of heart."
"Going through what you did… might just do that to anyone," Mona admitted, "Speaking of which, could you describe to me clearly… what had happened?"
"On the Day the Sky Fell?" Atsuko asked in surprise, "You didn't see what happened?"
"I was… away. Over Mount Tianheng," she hastily added.
"Oh, I guess the mountain would block the view, huh?" Atsuko nodded, "Well, I'll tell you. The big sea monster came out from under the Guyun Stone Forest, large as a mountain."
"I heard the Sun fell from the Sky?"
"I'll get to that. See, it seems the Qixing knew it was going to happen, because a few days before a massive fleet of several hundred ships left the Military Wharf- or the Arsenal, now. Then, the Jade Chamber came over the mountain range a few days later."
The Jade Chamber. Mona had heard of that thing, even back in Fontaine. A spectacle of engineering and thaumaturgy - unlike the airships of Fontaine, the Jade Chamber had little to no mechanical parts at all. And though the minds of Fontaine snub the Jade Chamber for it, Mona thought it was quite magnificent that you could build a flying structure like how the Liyueans did.
"The Lady Yuheng led the Millelith and adepti in defence of the city, while the Lady Tianquan went forward with the Jade Chamber to deal with the sea monster."
"The Jade Chamber has weapons?"
"No?"
"Oh."
"After that," Atsuko continued, "I don't know. There was a great typhoon, and we were evacuating out of Chihu Rock."
"Guess it makes sense you couldn't see much," Mona said in mild disappointment.
"But I saw enough," Atsuko insisted, "A star flew out of the Jade Chamber and parted the storm clouds, and the blue Sky shone through. Then, the star struck the Sky, and shattered it. I saw pieces of the Sky fall down like shards of glass, I swear it!"
"...And then?"
"And- and then something flew upwards to the hole in the Sky. It was too far away, even with my spyglass, so all I could see was a fireball growing and growing until- until it was like a Sun, and then it fell and crashed into the sea monster."
"...Did you see a man with long golden hair?"
"You mean… you mean Aether? The man that was with you the last time?"
"Ah- that's right!"
"I can't recall…" she shook her head.
"When the Lady Yuheng's army marched into the city, maybe?"
"Nope… all I heard were some rumours that the Qixing were searching for two people in the Sea of Clouds, sent some ships and even the Jade Chamber or something like that."
"I think some people came around here and asked us to search the beaches and coast for bodies," Atsuko scoffed, "As if any body would stay intact in this boiling sea."
No, Mona thought, no ordinary body wouldn't burn up in a boiling sea - but if she knew a certain person right, his body wouldn't. Though, she didn't know about the second person.
Mona craned her head upwards - to look at the stars shining in the night, yet in the bright of day as well.
Just what in seven hells did you do?
Rewritten on 9/7/2022