The Demon (A Genshin Impact Story)

Chapter 1

Indarias, the pyro yaksha of Liyue, scanned the burning village under her yaksha mask, the smell of dead demons filled the air. I was too late. She thought I could've saved them. She looked toward the half-hidden hand of a man buried under a collapsed wooden house. This poor village wasn't even on the Liyue map. Suddenly, pain shot through Indarias's body. She tripped and fell onto the ground and started writhing in pain. Karmic debt had taken it's hold of her. A silent scream rang out from her lips and she tried to claw her mask off. It seems like... She thought This is my limit... Her life flashed before her eyes, Bosacius leading the yaksha into battle, chatting about humans with Bonanus, talking philosophy with Menogias, and taking care of Alatus's wounds when he got too reckless. Ah yes... She thought It was a good life, if only... She thought about how her life would be if she hadn't been a yaksha and if she had been a normal human. Suddenly, a powerful blast of demonic energy. What?! Indarias shook herself awake, the pain still raking her body. There's still a demon here? This aura... I have to kill it now! She tried to get up but fell once more. Another blast as of demonic energy washed over her, but this time, the pain receeded. What? Indarias got up and walked up to the root of the demonic energy. It's coming from this small house. She thought as she approached a small shack in the middle of the village. She creaked the door open. In the house was a crying baby, a dead woman holding the small child in her arms. Is this what caused the outbreak? This baby can't be more than a few months old... Indarias thought. The baby started crying louder. Indarias looked around, her eyes fell onto three dead men, their cold lifeless hands holding swords. They died from demonic corruption. Indarias pieced together what had happened. This boy... She raised her scythe for the killing blow. It is my duty as a yaksha to... she paused, staring at the innocent little baby. Suddenly, she dropped her scythe and shook her head, Forgive me Lord Morax. She thought as she picked up the baby and left.

Long woke up with a start. Heart racing, hands sweating and eyes wide. In his hands he squeezed his Pyro Vision instinctively, almost burning the bed away and pulling his scythe out. Slowly, he calmed himself down and his breathing slowed to a calmer rhythm. Long tried to recall the dream he just had but it was already slipping away into blurred images that he couldn't possibly clear away before disappearing from his memory completely. He sighed as he shook his head. "Long?! Long are you up there?!" Long heard Hu Tao, his friend, yell from downstairs.

"Yeah, I'm here!" He yelled back down before getting out of bed. Ever since Hu Tao's grandfather found Long passed out on a mountain many years ago, he had been living with the Hu family and working at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour. "Hurry up and come down! You promised to help me with our clients today!" Hu Tao yelled. Long got out of bed and made his way downstairs to greet Hu Tao, who had been his close friend ever since Old Hu took him in. "There you are!" Hu Tao smiled, her flowery eyes shining brightly. Beside her was Zhongli, another member of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour. "Good morning Mr. Zhongli," Long greeted the refined gentleman. "Good morning Long," Zhongli replied as he calmly sipped his tea, "Please make sure the director doesn't get herself in too much mischief, we don't need more trouble with the Millileth." He said. Long nodded before making his way over to the Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlour, who was waiting impatiently for him to get ready. "Alright, let's go!" Hu Tao exclaimed as she burst the doors to the parlor open.

It wasn't long before Long had to hurry his director away from another angry client about to call for the millileth for what must've been the fifth time this week. "Ai yai yai! People don't know a good deal when they see one!" Hu Tao sighed.

"Director, with all due respect..." Long said, "Why would a Snezhnayan toy merchant need services from the Wangsheng funeral parlor?" He asked. Hu Tao just shook her head, "you never know what might be around the corner!" She claimed, "We at the wangsheng funeral parlor must always be there for all of our clients, no matter where they're from or what they're doing!" She exclaimed, "That's the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's motto!" Long frowned in confusion. "It was different yesterday..."