S.O.U.L. (Xiao x OC)

Chapter 1: Leap Of Faith

In the southeast region of Mondstadt, the nation of freedom, there lies an unforgiving mountain of snow and ice known as Dragonspine. The sheer cold can be felt even at the base of such mountain, and many adventurers have sought to scale the treacherous cliffs only to meet an untimely doom.

That is where I come in. My name is Liánhuā, and I'm a healer from Mondstadt. I've tasked myself with setting up camp at the base of this mountain to aid travelers and adventurers who run into trouble while exploring.

However, my latest rescue into the mountain didn't exactly go as planned.

My breath crystalizes in front of me as I run like hell through the icy wasteland, a giant frost lawachurl on my tail. It's like a hilichurl, but a thousand times bigger and stronger. "I can't believe I fell for such a simple trap!" I curse to myself while hurrying up some broken stone stairs.

I was told that a small band of adventurers had gone up the mountain a few days ago and had yet to return. They were accompanying two scholars from the association, but no one has seen or heard from them since. Their destination was supposed to be pretty high up there, so since I also have a vision I was the most suitable for the job.

Sadly, hydro doesn't really do well AGAINST cryo opponents.

I had run into one of the scholars about midway up the mountain. He wasn't particularly injured, but said that the rest of their group had taken shelter in a cave a little higher up the mountain. After making sure he could make it down on his own, I headed up to the location he directed me to.

The second I walked in is when I realized something was amiss. There were no explorers or scholars, not a single soul in the cave. It's not like it was night time or anything so I could see a little into the cave, but to be sure I went a little deeper inside.

That's when I noticed the white fur covering the frost lawachurl that was sitting quietly in the back of the cave. I took in a sharp breath, and the giant opened it's eyes with fury blazing within the icy orbs.

That brings me to my current situation, as I'm currently running for my life up the dangerous mountain. Despite having a vision, I've never fought any kind of creature or person wielding it. I don't really know how to use a weapon, so I merely use it to aid my work with minor healing magic. I'm not like Lisa or Barbara, who can use a catalyst to cast spells with their visions.

I scramble up a steep rock as the lawachurl charges behind me, barely able to keep my distance from the beast. My heart drops as I find myself with nowhere else to go, the sheer mountain cliff the only way forward. Small pebbles and rocks tumble from the edge as I skid to a stop, looking back at the impending doom behind me.

I've got no choice, I think to myself as the beast gets closer with each passing moment. I take a deep breath as I see him raise his axe, preparing to strike me down here and now.

Turning towards the edge of the cliff, I hold my breath and jump off of the unforgiving mountain.

The wind is freezing against my skin, the lawachurl crying out as he falls off of the cliffside due to the momentum he built up. I smirk a bit as I pop out my wind glider, decorated a deep blue color with white specks to look like stars.

However, this grace period does not last long. As I prepare to turn towards the base of the mountain, a shot rings out through the chilled air. I yelp in pain as a bullet grazes my stomach, causing my course to falter and point towards the southwest. I feel another bullet pierce my left hand, tearing a hole in my wind glider in the process.

I cry out as my hand burns from the pain, my glider causing me to turn more towards the southwest and struggling to stay in the air. A few more gunshots, and my glider is riddled with holes. My screams are drowned in the howling wind as I begin to fall towards the ground, my wind glider collapsing on itself as it's now useless to me.

Is this how I'm going to die! Barbatos please, don't let it end this way! I think to myself as the winds cause my body to spiral out of control. Please, I beg of you! There is still so much I have yet to do!

I shut my eyes as the ground begins to get closer, and after a few moments I feel some of my fingers become numb from the cold wind.

You're right, young windbloom. There is still so much you have to do.

A voice rings in my ears, clearly heard over the rushing wind. It resembles a young boy, a kind and perhaps innocent voice that seems to calm my racing heart.

You have always pledged yourself to the people of Mondstadt, and they have betrayed you in return. Perhaps the citizens of Liyue will be kinder, and you serve a much greater purpose to them there.

Young windbloom, your journey is not yet at it's end.

Welcome everyone to the first chapter of S.O.U.L.!!! Yet another story based on a sequence of dreams, this time featuring our lovely demon conqueror Xiao. I have highkey begun simping for this man, so of course I thought, why not write a story about it?

If you've begun this journey with me, comment below the weirdest meaning for the story's title, 'S.O.U.L.'

Daily Quote: "The human anus can stretch up to 7 inches before taking damage. A raccoon can squeeze into spaces as tight as four inches. So you can fit almost 2 whole raccoons up your anus." Thank you Tik Tok.

~Author-chan