A/N: More centuries pass and the war is over, all the 7 of the children of the great houses have to the 2nd Throne's dismay but Ista's joy are the victors. However Ista gets badly injured by her pursuer forcing her to retreat where they can't follow. Dainslief is named captain of the royal guard. I hope you enjoy the song for both Dainslief and Kairos~!
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The Year of the Lunar Tiger.
The Archon War was long gone and all but a horrible memory now but one that would not fade from the minds of history for a long time. Every single child of the Four Great Houses of Celestia had come out the victors. Barbatos Aion, God of Freedom of Monstandt. Morax, God of Contracts of Liyue. Buer, Goddess of Wisdom of Sumeru. However that was where the joy ended as one by one the Time Goddess watched her nieces that ruled Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya had all perished by one means or another. The most recent death being in Fontaine, the once elusive and kind lochfolk refusing to bend for the second generation and scattered.
So much time had happened as Kairos sat on her sickle staff in the air invisible to humanity below. The hourglass she had created dangled from the hilt of her blade with glowing crystal sand. Each grain falling faster as the centuries had passed by. The gentle glow of lanterns cast to the winds as she watched a massive tiger lantern come to life before running into the sky. The trail carried all the wishes of Liyue's humans and adepti making the goddess smile in delight as she heard every prayer, every desire, and saw all the precious moments.
But it also made her feel a bit sad....Creator Father and her siblings would have loved this splendor. Humanity had come so far and she had witnessed it all in her eons of travels, avoiding capture while searching for her sister, Nyxia. At the same time finally making herself known slowly to her family. Morax's rough personality...it had softened, made gentler somehow. No doubt Guizhong and now his new friend, a geo Vishap had something to do with that. It had saddened her to see the failed Courtship Rite was taking effect. Her cute dragon nephew...he had not noticed due to how slow it was happening but the signs were there. Give it five hundred more years and she suspected he would notice.
Then came her first meeting with Baal, or Makoto she had called herself. Her sister was away dealing with an order given by Celestia's court—-an execution order. She felt sympathy for that poor serpent but she couldn't interfere. Little Makoto Nyx...she had been a sweetheart, reminding her a lot of Guizhong and her little squirrel that guarded Irminsul. Such a tender and gentle and wise goddess, not as strong as her identical twin sister, Beezebul but she was no slouch either. They were her best lead towards Nyxia so Kairos took to visiting or talking to little Makoto when she could.
She had reached out to the new generations....each for her own reasons. For the new hydro archon, one most melodramatic and bizarre, it was to offer words of warning. A warning that justice could be blind and that her niece, Themis had always been partial and fair. That if young Focalors Nereus was not careful and heeded her karma would come to collect its debt in this masquerade of the guilty. But she had laughed it off her warnings as nonsense. Kairos had then met the young and boisterous pyro archon, the now little half sister of Buer and a member of House Ratatoskr. To her delight she had been easier to deal with and the way her eyes sparkled whenever she brought her ambrosia wine or ambrosia buns was a joy. Her adorable little war goddess was always so happy to see her or hear from her, quick to try and show off too. Out of all the nations Her cute niece's people held the most passion and fighting spirit, like a roaring inferno of a volcano.
The new cryo archon had surprised her. Such a tender, soft spoken and sweet little child. Soft as newly fallen snow but had the temper and cruelty to her of a blizzard. No doubt she would grow up to be a beautiful goddess, probably one of the most beautiful of the Seven. On her last visit she had told her of this Khaenrian visitor. She had the look of a starcrossed young woman when she had shown the gift the boy had given her. "I wonder how she is doing now? It was adorable seeing a daughter of House Nereus so lovestruck. How funny, little Aphrodite smitten with a human."she thought with a fond, sad smile. However a jolt at the back of her mind alerted her from her musings.
She had lingered here in Liyue too long...shit!! She had barely gotten out of the way of a shot from a shower of arrows laced with miasma. Her foresight had been enough to give her warning but some of the arrow had slipped through her defenses. Her eyes glowing she slashed through the air sending a manifestation of a mirage serpent, stallion, and a wolf that charged her attackers. But already she was beginning to feel her senses failing her. Those scamps had gone and used a miasma of fallen gods and beasts to lace their arrows. Damn those bastards, damn to the bottom of the realm of her sister's Realm of Niflheimr!!
"She's been hit!"
"Get her!"
"Seize her while the poison's taking effect!!"
"Like hell you will!"she snapped as she got the mirages to buy her time. Taking the chance she began to vanish, turning into wind the seraphim knights howling in fury and protest. However the ancient goddess had vanished moving far too fast as she truly vanished from Celestia's radar. Almost like she had vanished off the face of the world even. But in reality she had come to land in the forest where everything began.
Glowing ethereal wisps as creatures were startled as crimson fell, splattering as the goddess using a mossy tree for support coughed up the blood laced with the foul miasma. Stumbling, she kept going following the massive roots of a glowing tree that was drawing in souls by the millions. A sea, a garden of snow white lilies with single blue petals swaying as she walked through them. The tree itself was glorious, putting Irminsul to shame.
Fruit hung from its mighty branches like twinkling stars. They looked almost like an apple or peach...maybe both? It was hard to describe. But relief was on her face as she stumbled, hands landing onto the massive trunk to stop her fall. Her vision was going out of focus as her body began to give off a golden glow she began to sing, causing the tree to glow brilliantly and the forest meadow glowed in seven colors, her ethereal melody healing her as she strengthened the tree as well.
"I present to you Sir Dainslief, Knight Captain of the Royal Guard of the Dusk Dynasty!"
Cheers and roaring applause filled the audience chamber at the sight of the promoted young knight. What a splendor and handsome sight he was in his white and golden formal uniform as he slowly rose to his feet. Delight shined in his beautiful star sapphire eyes as he smiled proudly and with determination. Facing the royal family before him just like the day he had been knighted. What a thrill it was to experience and he had worked so hard to reach this point!
The young man was quite popular with the crowd, especially the ladies and even some men. The young blonde was tall, standing at around 5'9 to 6'0 foot in height. His body was lean but well toned and strong body of a swordsman with decades of experience. Smooth, well kept sun-kissed blonde hair with long bangs. His eyes were his most striking feature, such a deep sapphire azure blue with the Khaenrian genetic trait of the star shaped pupils. He was in his early twenties at least and was one of the most desired bachelors within the serpent knights. Even noblewomen were giggling and swooning as they watched the king give him a brilliant new sword.
There was one tiny problem...he was a heartbreaker; Almost infamous for it even. Slowly as the ceremony ended he offered his salute and bowed before leaving. With a stoic look he went down the hall with his new sword in hand as he heard a call, "Sir Dainslief~!"
Dainslief stopped at seeing it was one of the court mages. She had long ebony hair with indigo streaks in her hair. Holding what seemed to be a Fontaine style fan that was topped with some kind of feathers or fur. Her formal gown wasn't bad looking on her hourglass figure as she came over with a few other girls, some of them from the noble houses. "Sir Dainslief, why such the rush?"
"Madam Persephone, you know full well I am a very busy man. I do not have time to indulge you and your friends' whims for tea."he calmly informed, turning to face them out of respect as he bowed politely in greeting.
"Ohooo~! Don't be so frigid and sharp with your words Sir Knight. We wanted to congratulate you and invite you to my manor for dinner to celebrate. Won't you accept?"hummed the mage.
"I must respectfully decline. I have to go investigate the area outside the city. There's been some disturbances."he stated bluntly. He really had no time for these foolish games. Why was it that mages and alchemists always succeeded in rubbing him the wrong way!? He was burning daylight here the longer he indulged these smitten idiots. Everywhere he went somebody trying to court him was always trying to get his attention and it annoyed him. "Now, ladies, have a good day."he bowed and left, leaving the group a pouting and frazzled mess.
"Still being pursued by those stubborn nobles I see, hey buddy?"came an amused chuckle as he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders. Dainslief grunting but smiled and laughed at seeing his childhood friend.
Halfdan was around his age with a more carefree and mellow personality. Very much a lady's man so he had heard and a real gentleman. His silver ash colored hair was well kept just like his uniform and his teal eyes were playful and kind. But as stubborn went, as stubborn goes, nobody could beat Sir Halfdan!! They had joined the knights not far apart back
"When don't they? I didn't join the knights for fame or status. I want to be the one that weaves my story, nobody else."he sighed as they entered the stables together. Waiting there were the fine and beautiful pegasus steeds. Dainslief's beautiful silver dapple mare neighing anxiously and scraping the ground with her hoof. Halfdan's own stallion white as snow letting out a few impatient snorts as he ruffled his wings. "Easy there girl."he soothed, leading his mare out from the stable.
"Oh I'm aware. But with your new title comes new expectations. You gained the title of a nobleman, Dainslief at that ceremony. King Irmin will expect you to take a bride very near future to start your lineage."sighed Halfdan getting up onto his steed. Dainslief rubbed his eyes in disgust at the reminder.
"Uuughhh.....I really hate you right now you know that right, Hal?"Dain groaned as he got onto his pegasus and galloped off. Halfdan followed after him with a laugh and grin.
"Yeah, yeah I know Dain. But you are still the closest thing I have to a brother. Now come on, let's go investigate what's causing that disturbance Miss Alice and Miss Rhinedottir warned us about."Halfdan smiled and urged his mount to go faster taking to the air.
Dainslief followed however as they went about their patrol they felt a shockwave and blasts of elemental energy like a storm at sea. Halfdan managed to land safely but Dainslief was not so fortunate as a strong gale had caught him and sent him horribly off course. His mare was shaken and frightened by the time he got it to land. The poor pegasus's wing had been broken but upon touching the ground a stream of a faint rainbow light healed all injuries and fatigue.
"Halfdan? Halfdan answer me!?"he called looking around. No reply came meaning wherever he was he had become separated and horribly lost. Before him stood a thick forest and before his eyes like a towering canopy he stared in disbelief. "...Y-Yggdrasil...?" Then all around him from the glowing forest he could hear an ethereal siren-like song, sweet like nectar and mysterious as the ballads of valkyries.
The seasons they turn,
Winter to spring,
Dulling the pain and
Erasing the sting
The seasons they turn,
Summer to fall,
Time's warm embrace
Begins to heal all
....Dainslief wasn't sure what brought it on but his feet began to move on their own as he entered the forest. Following the tight network of glowing roots that created the forest. Before his eyes souls turned into wisps floated by in delight like speeding and dancing fireflies. Forming what looked like a river or stream in the air. Glowing ribbons of life and memories all going for a single destination. The deeper he went the melody became clearer and stronger. But so did that invisible red thread tying him to the owner of this voice. Who would he discover at the end of this path? He had to find out. For this odyssey was his to weave, nobody else's....
To Be Continued...