As The Sun Gazes Upon The Moon [Zhongchili]

Chapter 21 - Sea of Memories

To Her Majesty of Snezhnaya, The Tsaritsa,

I hope that recent weeks have found you well, as they have Tartaglia and I.

Following our relocation, as mentioned within our previous correspondence, I write to you from Jueyun Karst where Tartaglia has made himself most useful to the Adepti; he has taken to both patrol and security duties with outstanding proficiency and dedication. His attention has eased the burdens carried by Adeptus Xiao, and they have proven themselves to be valuable training partners.

I am grateful for the trust you placed in bestowing Tartaglia's care unto me; I appreciate his presence, and the next time we meet in person, I wish to speak further with you on this matter. Until then, I hope that you will appreciate that my respect for his position as a Harbinger of Snezhnaya remains in-tact, regardless of my personal sentiments.

Your faithful friend,

Zhongli

Zhongli sets his brush down on the stone slate beside him and uncrosses his legs, stretching out on the grass. He folds the letter and tucks it into his pocket then leans back on his hands, massaging the soft blades of grass between his fingers. From this spot the entirety of Jueyun Karst is visible, spread out before him. A wisp of anemo energy in the far east signals Xiao engaging a group of foes on his patrol and a flash of hydro in the west is Ajax, his dutiful comrade.

Duty suits Ajax, and Zhongli holds no regrets in pairing him with—or rather, allowing Ajax to pair himself with—Xiao. Although Ajax can never attain the sheer ground-cover speed that Xiao possesses, he more than holds his own as they search for the dark forces haunting the land. They're close, Ajax tells Zhongli, but the Abyss is slippery, the entrances to their domain ever shifting; discovering one is a matter of luck and probability.

But there is no rush. For now Ajax is stable and his presence here is mutually beneficial to the adepti. Although he will one day return to his duties with the Tsaritsa, for now Zhongli is content to indulge in the remaining days he has with Ajax so readily at his side.

Scuffled footsteps approach from behind. "Zhongli, my dear friend. I am not surprised to find you here."

"Ping." Zhongli turns to her with a smile. "It is good to see you have answered our call."

Ping stands before him not as the elderly woman she walks the city as, but as the woman Zhongli has known for centuries—light blue hair braided and pulled up in a pin, long sleeves flowing like the notes of the music she once took joy in composing.

"How could I not?" Ping sits beside him and gazes out across the karst. "But I must say, I was surprised to receive such a request from you. These things are usually left to the Conqueror of Demons."

"He and Tartaglia are searching, but I fear that our end goal may require an effort that cannot be left to one alone. It seems imprudent not to gather our strength while fortune finds us able to."

Ping looks at him out of the corner of her eye with a teasing smile. "Or, maybe you are overly concerned, given whose fate is involved in the outcome."

Zhongli chuckles. "That I cannot deny."

A moment passes, and another streak of green darts between two peaks in the distance. Although Ajax isn't visible from their position, Zhongli strains every sense for a trace of him, to maintain their thread of connection no matter the miles between them.

"Have you spoken to him?" asks Ping.

"Not yet. I am waiting for the time to be right before I impose further upon him."