Childe x Zhongli "A Servant to the King"

Chapter 1 || Broken Spirts ||

"I never thought I'd end up here," he said, running his finger through his hair. Darkness engulfed the ginger man. Trapped behind icy cold bars, all the man could do was look at the ceiling of his cell. Dull ocean eyes analyze the water. It flowed in between the cracks of stone. The droplets of hydro splashed onto his pale skin. 

The bead of water trickled down his cheek, dripping onto the cold hard floor. He turned his head to face the small puddle of water near him. Slowly shifting his weight, his reflection came into view. The muddy brown water showed a broken and battered individual. The man that stared back was not the Tartaglia, Childe or even Ajax. His reflection showed a man he did not recognize. Even back in the abyss, his spirits had not been shattered like this. He had faced numerous injuries, scars, bruises and even near-death encounters. None had broken him like this. 

Slowly leaning back, orange locks softly collided with the cold stone wall. A creek echoed through the empty prison. A light shined down the corridor followed by the stomping of heels against the stone floor,

Click-clack

Click-clack

Click-clack

The shadow of a woman towered over the hunched eleventh,

"Ah I see you did capture him" a loud voice boomed, cracking the silence

"Yes Ma'am" guards saluted

A hearty laugh broke out

"You're almost as capable as my men, I expect nothing less from Ninggaung's soldiers."

Confused and in a daze the man looked up, he wondered who had come to visit him, a woman. Not signora for sure, nor could it be the Tsarita herself, who would have cared enough to pay a visit.

Long locks of brown hair came into his sight, the top tied up by a large gold hairpiece. It was too dark to make out her outfit, but he saw glowing scarlet eyes. Eyes of a warrior hungry for more, ones burning of passion. The scarlet eyes soon locked onto his. From those eyes alone, he knew for a fact it was the legendary Beidou, Captain of Crux Fleet, the Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean. She had defeated the Levitan Haishan and had almost never lost a fight, a truly admirable warrior. She squinted at him, her sight wasn't the best in the dark.

"Turn on the lights for Celestia's sake!" The Captain called out

"Yes Ma'am!" the guards swiftly turned on the lights

A loud buzzing sound hit his eardrums.

The light burned the man's eyes.

"Oh, too bright for you?"

"Y-es" The ginger croaked. His voice was extremely hoarse.

"You're in pretty bad shape aren't ya?" Beidou said, kneeling down at face level.

"You don't sa-'' nausea surged through him, the pounding from his head, the pain in his bones, his broken ribs, these were all obvious factors to his "bad shape". His coughs were violent and blood-spattered onto the ground. Trembling from the pain, Childe began to pass out.

"Oh shi.."

"Guards, take him to the infirmary" her voice boomed

"But ma'am-"

"That was an order."

. . .

"Understood"

Keys jangled as the guards rushed in to carry Harbinger out of his cell. Handcuffing him as everything faded to black.