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

God of Dust

"Ow, that stings!"

Morax paused his ministrations, letting go of Guizhong's wrist. She waved her hand back and forth in the air trying to make the pain disappear faster. He cleaned the excess poultice from his hands.

"I warned you," he said, though not unkindly.

"I know, but still ," she said. "I'm not used to it."

He waited for her to stop moving before reattempting to wrap her injured hand with the poultice laden cloth. It was a deep cut, though not deep enough to require stitching. He wrapped it firmly but not too tight.

"You wouldn't have to get used to it if you didn't suppress your natural healing," he grumbled as he tied the cloth. "Or if you let me heal you."

He examined his work and nodded to himself, letting go of her hand. Guizhong stared at it for a moment and smiled.

"I know," she said. "I just...want to experience a bit of mortality. In any case, it's such a small injury. Hardly worth worrying about."

"Is that why you were helping with the harvest? To 'experience mortality'?" Morax sighed, "You are a god, Guizhong. There is no reason for you to do such a thing."

Guizhong turned to look at him. The expression on her face was not one that Morax understood. Her gaze softened.

"But that is exactly why I must," she said after a moment. "It is because I am their god that I must walk among them. How else would I be able to understand their aspirations and desires?"

"That is what prayers are for," Morax replied. Though strangely, his words had lost some of their conviction.

"What people say out loud is not always what they mean, or what they truly need."

She then turned her gaze out towards the fields. A gentle breeze blew in, the grass and glaze lily buds swaying with it in an almost hypnotizing motion. Below the hill on which they sat, the people of their domain were hard at work harvesting the crops they had grown with such love and care. Guizhong had taught them herself. She watched on with pride.

She then looked beyond them, at the open, flat grasslands abundant with life. Her power only afforded her sight of the past, but now she seemed to be peering into the future.

"Let me ask you this," she said, pointing at the lands beyond. "If we wanted to build a city here in these fields, would you leave them to do all the work by themselves?"

"Of course not," Morax immediately responded.

"Why not?"

"It would take too long."

Guizhong laughed at him. It was a light and airy sound. Morax tried to frown but found himself smiling at her instead.

"And?" she said as she calmed down. "Is that the only reason?"

Morax followed her gaze and stared out at the fields. He gave her question some deeper thought.

"I suppose..." he began. "I'd teach them how to build structures that would last. I would want them to live in houses that were safe, but also beautiful. I would show them how to layout the city, the best ways to use space to their advantage. How to organize themselves and control the flow of movement. A city built for defense and also for trade."

"There you go," Guizhong said, nodding. She stood abruptly, using one hand to shield her eyes and another to gesture as she spoke. "I think that hill there would be best if you want defense. It's the highest point in the grasslands. And there are several rivers and streams that flow around it. If we utilize those for the fields...maybe change their routes a bit...yes we could have the farmlands surround the city–"