The Fallen God Rises

Prologue

The warm, gentle breeze of Liyue flowed through her raven locks as pale eyes glanced behind her, gauging the distance she had gained from the now frozen ship.

She mentally thanked the existence of Guyun Stone Forest, for it made the discovery of the frozen ship delayed for a few hours at the earliest. Despite its lucky placement, however, her jaw remained clenched at the memory of the fallen gods anger, the resentment it built up being unconsciously absorbed by her since she stepped foot onto the island's shores.

A breath of relief escaped her trembling lips once the air became rid of the despicable stench of vengeance, her figure wobbling on weak legs as she continued towards Jueyun Karst. Despite her current lack of strength, her hand retained a vice-like grip on the small chess piece, its orange glow resonating throughout the night.

She had gone through great lengths to arrive safely within Liyue, seeking an audience with the Geo Archon only to hear of his death. In her anger, she thought not of the possible outcomes of stealing the gnosis, straight from a Harbinger, no less.

Despite not being a god of Liyue, she felt quite close to the country. She would risk her life just to ensure it's safety, and that was what she did. She waltzed onto the ship of La Signora, Eighth of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, knocked all of the crew members out, took the Harbinger herself by surprise, and made off with Rex Lapis' gnosis.

Her teeth chattered despite the warm air of the harbor, her own body slowly becoming her enemy as it released constant waves of cold. Her hand clenched around the gnosis while her head rose and bodily movement halted. The woman's dull eyes swept the expanse before her, her eyes searching for the source of her alertness only to find nothing.

Gritting her teeth in aggravation, she searched once more, this time her dull eyes illuminated the area and she viewed a larger expanse of land. Raising her head up slightly, she saw it.

Piercing amber eyes. Pale skin. Black and teal hair. The mask upon his hip.

Once her gaze landed upon the mask, she took a sharp inhale of surprise, realizing the one who put her on edge.

'Alatus, the Conqueror of Demons and Guardian Yaksha of Liyue...'

She had heard rumors of a sole Yaksha surviving the war within Liyue, yet it surprised her that she had come across him so quickly. It was no secret that the young god preferred solitude and was almost never seen, neither by mortal nor immortal beings. She found an amused grin growing upon her face at the sight of him doing well, though his eyes suggested the same suffering as her.

Darkness encroached upon his mind, and that annoying little voice resides within the depths of his skull, waiting for that moment of weakness. She, too, knew the pain of having a corrupted counterpart. Of hearing the voices of their victims playing on repeat. The only difference between the two, however, was that she had already lost the war.

She no longer fought against her counterpart, no longer aided her people, no longer listened to her god. Why should she when she was abandoned by all but herself?

Her mind was constantly plagued by the sinister looks of her citizens, the cruel words of her Archon, the mocking laughter of her fellow deities. She was haunted by all, and yet she has lost the will to fight against them.

All gods have pride. The Conquerer of Demons took pride in upholding his contract and fighting alongside Rex Lapis. She took pride in fighting for her country, for Snezhnaya.

That pride, however, was shredded apart and stomped upon by her own Archon, the very deity she pledged everything to. She was abandoned by her fellow Snezhnayan gods, and despised by all within the country of hoarfrost.

In the end, she chose to give in. She became the villain they deemed her to be, and fled into the night after setting the country ablaze. Her actions were unforgivable, but she already deemed her life forfeit the moment she was cursed. It was a slow acting one, but a working one nonetheless.

She found her sight weakening by the day, her strength waning and adeptal abilities faltering. Despite this, she continued to fight. She continued to seek approval, even though it may never be given after the crimes she so readily committed against both her nation and Archon.

Sighing in exhaustion, the woman turned forward once again and continued her trek towards the land of Liyue's adepti. Her pace quickened, knowing that the young Yaksha had yet to spot her, and praying that it remain that way.

Celestia forbid she get caught by the most loyal of Liyue's adepti, she would surely be interrogated. That was something she could not afford to happen.

With this thought in mind, she trudged forth throughout the historic land, eyes set upon the mountains before her. The further she went, however, the more her body ached.

She might have taken Signora by surprise, but that didn't mean that it was immediate. The Harbinger was keen to her surroundings, more so than the rest of them, and she had noticed the minute the god got near the ship. Despite the crew having been informed, they stood no chance against the female god. Signora herself, however, proved to be troublesome. The woman never really payed any mind to the god-like strength of the Harbingers, but facing one in a life-or-death situation made her rethink those thoughts. Still, she merely deemed Signora's strength as a result of desperation since she was protecting the gnosis. The fact that her own strength was steadily diminishing also played a factor.

Now, she was limping with a nearly frozen leg, bits of frostbite scattered across her body, and several open wounds. Her clothes were torn in several places, exposing a large portion of her chest and abdomen, and the hairpiece she once wore was now shattered somewhere in the ship, leaving her long hair to hang messily in her face.

Despite the ragged state she was in, she trudged forth relentlessly, ignoring her body's cries for rest. She refused to stop. She refused to allow her enemies to catch up. She refused to allow for the Tsaritsa to have her way. She'd rather be consumed by resentment than ever bend to that false god's will.

As the sun began to peak over the mountains, and her foot finally crossed the boundary into Jueyun Karst, her body could move no further. Sighing in a mix of exhaustion, pain and defeat, she collapsed onto her knees before falling face-first into the dirt. Her head turned to the left, eyes staring blankly ahead as she struggled to raise an arm. The dirt felt rough and intrusive against her pained and wounded skin, but she continued her movement, despising the fact that she might be found in such a vulnerable state. Once her hand was in front of her face, she stopped its movement.

While her left hand rested on the ground, her right one tightened slightly around the gnosis, assuring herself that it was still there. With a sigh of half-hearted relief, she slowly raised her hand and tapped the ground, sending a wave of hoarfrost over the dirt-covered ground.

Soon after, the world began to enlarge, the ground getting closer to her dirtied face and the cold air from the glacial window below getting stronger. As she watched, she noticed something which caused her to release a broken laugh filled with melancholy.

One final thought passed her mind as a tear glided down her face and onto the ground.

'The world is blurrier than before...'