His Eyes Never Change (Gold like Cor Lapis, Blue as Noctilucous Jade)

Static Electricity

Childe felt restless. He was too acutely aware of the humming of energy through his body. It was like static electricity building up inside him. The need to do something about it, to release it somewhere or direct it, was so overwhelming that it encompassed the entirety of his thoughts.

And it all stemmed from a deep sense of yearning. A craving for that feeling he got from training with Morax.

But the god had stood by what he had said: he refused to train with him. What made it worse was the Morax had rarely been around in the few days following, unable to even make time for their usual sessions. He had, of course, kept his word and always let Childe know ahead of time. Still, he couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Childe would have turned to Xiao Ping, but she was also busy as of late. It seemed that ever since the day Morax had taken over for her, she had barely had time to return to the city. He would catch a glimpse of her comings and goings, or sense her presence, but it was only for a brief moment before she was off again. Whatever her assignment was, it was keeping her busy.

With two of his possible outlets unavailable, Childe turned to a new opportunity. Which is why he was now standing at the gate to the training grounds.

He could hear the sounds of drills being carried out in the courtyard, rhythmic swinging of weapons and the accompanying shouts. It was busy, but orderly. Like an ant's nest.

A little hand grabbed at his sleeve and pulled. Childe turned to look at Haolan.

"Shifu, shall we go in?"

He nodded, "We shall."

Childe had decided to bring Haolan along. The young boy had been improving at a steady rate and he figured it would be a nice little fieldtrip for him. Haolan had been excited, unsurprising considering his interest in joining the guards when he came of age. There were a few guards who Childe guessed were around fifteen, but no younger. His student still had a few years before he'd start down that path.

As they entered the courtyard, they were greeted by the sight of trainees in perfect rows. They moved through a series of strikes following the cadence set by their instructor, the movements of their weapons almost hypnotizing.

Childe himself had once been both the one performing the drills and the one leading them. A snow laden landscape overlay the image before him, so vivid that he could nearly feel the biting cold of winter winds and hear the distant calls in his mother tongue.

He snapped out of his thoughts when a man dressed in simple armor came up to them. He had a kind face, but Childe could see the strict discipline in the lines on his face.

"Ah, you must be the Tartaglia-gongzi we've heard so much about," the man bowed respectfully. "Welcome to the training grounds. My name is Yifeng."

Childe bowed in return, "Delighted to meet you, Yifeng."

Haolan followed suit, "Hello sir, my name is Haolan. I'm tagging along with my shifu today."

"Ah, yes, I've heard about you," Yifeng turned towards the young boy. "All good things, of course."

Yifeng acted as their tour guide, showing them around the grounds. The training facility was laid out similarly to a large manor, but with more room to accommodate for practice space. The weapons in the armory were well kept, shiny and sharp without a trace of rust. The central building included more space for sparring, a dining hall, kitchens, and storage. Most guards lived out in the city, but those actively on duty as well as the instructors and new trainees lived on site. The outer wings included accommodations for them. There was even a bathhouse.