word of treasure hoarders infiltrating lingju pass and looting caravans have finally reached her notice. this knowledge is followed by the clamoring of business partners and merchants who plead for the safety of their goods and fortunes. while she empathized with their plight, their incessant pestering for progress grated on her nerves, and often she was tempted to swat them like flies, flinging them out of her office for a moment of peace. it is only after she pushed stacks and organized the appropriate paperwork was she able to take leave of her office and investigate. she personally escorts a convoy traveling from liyue harbor towards lingju pass whilst cloaked in a threadbare cape, hiding within a wagon like a stowaway. the bumpy ride to their destination was reminiscent of the rolling ocean waves, nearly lulling her into a dreamless sleep. the sudden jerk in movement startles ningguang, snapping her out of her lethargic stupor and into action when the cries of her traveling companions echo outside. collecting the power of geo in her hands, the caravan she hid within splintered apart, a necessary distraction as ningguang summons her screen, dividing her enemies and wrecking havoc with a storm of dust and jade. she makes quick work of her enemies, and with the help of the merchants, manages to hogtie and round up the injured looters into a carriage for questioning back in liyue harbor. with a threat of bodily harm towards their leader, ningguang uses the vagrant as a guide towards their hideout, where the rest of the stolen goods awaited. the man leads her towards a cavern whose entrance was strategically hidden by moss and surrounding flora. leaving her guide behind with the gathered merchants, she enters the cave. with one hand pressed against the wall to keep her upright while the other holds a lantern, she travels further into the depths. she comes across stacks of opened crates, recognizes the silks and jades that had gone missing weeks prior. mentally checking off those items from her itinerary, ningguang ventures further, eyes sharp as she looks for the large cages housing elusive beasts.
near the center of the room, ruby eyes widen when she lays witness to proof of the tip off she received prior. some sort of chimera supposedly from the chasm, injured and captured, meant to be sold off. for what, ningguang shudders to think what fate met the beast. she carefully approaches the caged creature, mindful not to startle it and have another battle on her hands. she pauses once she’s an arm’s width away from the slumbering hulk, unable to fully discern what was before her. gloved fingers wrap around the an iron bar, brow furrowed as she stares at the mysterious being with pity. “ you poor thing … who knows what they would have done to you. i cannot say for certain your fate may be any different in liyue, but i can assure you that death is not in your cards— ” ( unless proven otherwise )
the creature is curled in on himself, the iron bars surrounding him a direct threat against any flesh ( scaled or feathered ) that should even BRUSH against them. the slightest touch would carry an acrid odor of something BURNING, whatever it was that DID make contact sizzling as if it were an egg tossed into a hot pan. and the pain ?
he isn’t sure if it was worse than his initial creation, or the intense training that came after his... ‘ birth ‘.
birth. had he been born, or merely fabricated ? generated. produced. fashioned. manufactured.
any word that hinted at something being created, let alone something... INORGANIC. unnatural. it could apply to him.
a being of flesh, bone and blood. yet none of it truly belongs to him save for the odd piece or part. the initial canvas, that was him. the brushstrokes that followed that showed on the final project ? no, no. none of that was his. forced upon him. to make him better. whatever that meant.
the ideal being for... dark deeds.
the dragon. the harpy prince. the warrior queen. the summoner. the hellhound.
the odd group that’s found themselves partied up. united by a common goal, but with their own side aspirations to fulfill.
and his goal ? to bring them to his masters.
dragon parts have always been sought after for their various properties, same for creatures of the hellish plane.
the harpy... his brother ? the memory is foggy. they can be united once again ? that’s what blake was always told.
and then the queen and the summoner are to merely be disposed of. annoyances, they supposedly were.
likely the same fate he will meet once he has completed his task.
the sound of steps from the entrance is enough to lure him into an agitated state, for surely it’s one of the bandits he’d been ‘ captured ‘ by coming to taunt and harass him some more. the only thing keeping them safe was his sensitivity to iron, but the moment there was no barrier, they’d meet their end.
golden eyes slide shut as the steps move about the enclosed space, though the weight and mannerism in which the bandit moves is different. an injury ? it’s then that a unique scent invades the creature’s nostrils. earthy. tea, a sort of flower, the unique scent of ink... and an undertone of smoke. none of his capturers smelled like that. no, they REEKED.
closer and closer they move until a woman’s voice reaches his ears, coin-colored irises revealing themselves to stare directly back.
❝ what a shame. ❞
his voice is rough from misuse mixed with a lack of drink, tongue feeling like sandpaper as it shifts to articulate spoken words.
❝ i was made aware that my hide would fetch a high price. ❞
