Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The day wasn’t going as well as he hoped.

As much as Childe absolutely loves and adores his little siblings to death, it doesn’t change the fact that Teucer’s surprise visit to Liyue throws a wrench in all his plans. Trying to carry out his duties as a Harbinger while pointedly pretending that he is not a Harbinger in front of his brother isn’t exactly the easiest thing he’s ever done.

He could just feel the amused smirk Aether is making from where he stands behind Teucer while he was briefing the new batch of Fatui recruits. Childe thinks that he’s never felt this embarrassed before but there’s a first for everything he supposes. He can’t call himself a Harbinger if he’s unable to handle unexpected situations such as this.

Oh wait, he’s supposed to be pretending that he’s not a Harbinger, and that he’s just a respectable toy seller. Oops .

Quickly dismissing the new recruits and hastily shooing them back to return to their headquarters, Childe jogs to where his brother and the Traveler are. He lets out a sigh of relief when Teucer remains oblivious to his actual profession, instead excitedly fawning over his display of strength during the recruits’ hands-on training. His façade is still safe.

And then his dastardly adorable little brother pulls out the puppy dog eyes and begs him to visit the Institute of Toy Research before going home to Snezhnaya.

“Please, brother! Just this once!” Oh dear, Teucer is pouting and if that isn’t a critical hit to Childe’s wavering will. “I’m already here in Liyue and I don’t know when will be the next time I could spend time with you and visit the toy factory you work at!”

Once again, Childe sighs in defeat. He’s spoiled the little brat so much hasn’t he?

“Alright alright, I’ll bring you there,” Childe relents. Teucer lets out a shout of happiness, and Childe can’t help the smile that forms on his face at seeing his brother’s joy. “I’ll bring you to the Institute of Toy Research under the condition that this will be the final thing you do in Liyue and that you’ll go home immediately afterwards. Could you promise me that?”

“I promise!” Teucer nods excitedly, holding out his pinkie finger to seal the promise with Childe.

“It’s settled then. However, I need to return to Liyue Harbour for a bit to settle some things with my uh… toy clients from before.” Childe pauses, before grimacing as he recalls that he also had a lunch date with Zhongli today. “Ah, I should probably let Zhongli know that I’d have to cancel meeting him for lunch. I hope he doesn’t mind, I’ll have to make it up to him another time… Hey Aether, could you bring Teucer to Lingju Pass first?”

Teucer pipes in before Aether could reply. “Zhongli? Oh! Is he the person that you’ve written about in your letters, brother? I want to meet him!”

“Now now Teucer, you promised me that visiting the Institute of Toy Research would be the last thing you do here before going home. Are you going to break that promise?”

“No, I won’t! But I still want to meet this Mr Zhongli. He must be someone really special since you rarely speak so highly about others…” Childe flushes a little at that, Aether not missing the way the tips of his ears tinged red.

“You’ll be able to meet Zhongli in the future, I assure you,” Childe chides. “Now go follow Aether and Paimon. I’ll catch up with you guys in a bit!” He ushers Teucer to the path to Lingju Pass, watching as the boy dashes ahead.

“I expect a hefty remuneration for today’s services, Mr World’s Greatest Toy Salesman,” Aether cheekily says, waving Childe off before running off to catch up with Teucer. Childe snorts at that, feeling the tug of the ley lines as he teleports himself to Liyue Harbor. The things that he does for his little siblings.

Sitting down at desk in his office, Zhongli looks up from his documents, surprised to see Childe closing the door to the office behind him. A quick glance to the wall clock tells him that there is still an hour before their stipulated lunch date.

“Childe? You’re here early.” Zhongli spots the frown on Childe’s face as the latter walks up to where he’s seated. “Did something happen?”

Zhongli places the pen he was holding on the desk, reaching an arm out to pull Childe into his lap once he was within reach. His lover sags in his lap as he wraps his arms around Childe’s thin waist, the younger resting his back comfortably against his chest.

Childe sighs, “I’m really sorry xiansheng, but I can’t go for our lunch date today. I know I promised you but my little brother somehow stowed away on a ship and now he’s here in Liyue and I can’t just leave him alone in good conscience. He begged me to spend time with him before he left for home. You know how I’m unable to deny my little siblings,’ Childe chuckles at that. “And I missed him a lot as well,” he murmurs.

Twisting his body, Childe slings an arm around Zhongli’s neck, tilting his head up to kiss the archon's cheek. “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow alright?”

Admittedly, Zhongli is pretty disappointed that their lunch date has been cancelled, but he refrains from expressing his disappointment upon seeing the guilt on Childe’s face. It is obvious that the Harbinger wasn’t pleased to cancel their plans either, and Zhongli didn’t want to make him feel even worse. Zhongli knows just how much Childe loves and cherishes his younger siblings, listening to his lover recount stories of his family and life in Snezhnaya, the wistful tone in his voice belying the homesickness the mortal tries to suppress.

As much as Zhongli selfishly wants to keep Childe’s love all to himself, he didn’t have the heart to take away this rare time Childe has with his family.

“It’s fine Childe, this is an unforeseen circumstance. You’ll just have to have lunch with me tomorrow then,” Zhongli reassures, bringing his hand to cup Childe’s face, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to his lips. “Now go, didn’t you say that you had to spend time with your little brother?”

Zhongli pats Childe’s butt, urging the younger man to stand. Childe laughs, sneaking in one last kiss to Zhongli’s forehead before getting up.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

“Stay out of trouble alright?” Zhongli calls out before Childe rushes like a whirlwind out of the office. And just like that, he’s gone.

Zhongli huffs exasperatedly, picking up his pen to resume his work. 

Childe could never seem to be still, always on the move to do something. Zhongli theorizes that that was a reason the Tsaritsa had sent the Eleventh Harbinger in particular to ‘cause some chaos’ for Liyue.

In retrospect, the archon is thankful that out of all of the Tsaritsa’s children, she had chosen Childe to be in charge of Liyue. Despite their stark differences in personality, the two of them got along unbelievably well from the very start, forming an unexpected friendship. The calm and stoic presence of the Geo archon grounding Childe from his bouts of frenetic bloodlust, and the unpredictable disposition of the Harbinger sweeping Zhongli along his pace, truly letting Zhongli experience what it is like to be a mortal as he had wished for. Somewhere along the line, something between them changed. A flirty wink here and there, a daring arm curled around a waist, intertwined fingers pulling the other along, impromptu home visits that led to the two of them curled around each other, basking in the combined warmth on the bed- as an adeptus, Zhongli doesn't need much sleep, and spends his time appreciating the calmness on the Harbinger's face. It had become quite apparent that they had crossed the boundary of a simple friendship, affection and love blossoming in their chests when catching sight of each other, easily falling into pace as they made their way through the streets. There had never been an awkward moment between them.

Well... until the geo archon’s reveal that is. Zhongli didn’t miss the flash of hurt and betrayal in Childe’s eyes as he hands over his gnosis to Signora, despite the boy trying to laugh it off and plaster a forced smile on his face as he exclaims that he’s been tricked and made a fool of. Zhongli stamps down the clawing urge to comfort his friend, he still has a contract to settle, his final contract to end all contracts. He needs to remain professional in front of Signora and the Traveler. He can reassure Childe in private afterwards.

Signora bids them farewell and leaves, gnosis secured in her hands. Aether stands there, itching to interrogate Zhongli about the contract and his retirement from being an archon, considering that he and Paimon were unwittingly dragged into the situation as well. But he decides against it, feeling the thickening tension between the two men remaining. He drags Paimon away, something in him telling him that he should give them privacy.

Now that they were relatively alone, the few staff members of the bank wisely keeping their distance as they prepare to close the bank, Zhongli opens his mouth to speak, “Childe, I-”

But Childe quickly glances at him, smile falling from his face, and rushes out of the building before Zhongli could say anything else.

Oh dear, Zhongli thinks, I’ve hurt him more than I expected.

Zhongli moves briskly out of Northland Bank, catching up to Childe before he gets too far away. The night sky is dark above, streetlamps softly lighting up empty streets, the population of Liyue having retired to their homes. Zhongli catches Childe’s wrist, holding tightly, forcing the latter to stop in his tracks.

“Let me go.” Childe is facing away from him, the streetlamps shadowing his expression. “Leave me alone, I need some time to think, Zhongli. Or should I say, Morax? ” Childe says bitterly.

Zhongli’s heart clenches at Childe’s voice. Never has he heard the man speak so coldly to him. A part of him regrets that he’s hurt Childe at all, but the contract had already been set in motion before the Harbinger even stepped foot in Liyue. All he can do now is to reconcile with his friend.

“Childe, please, at least let me explain why I did what I did.” Childe remains silent but he doesn’t make a move to pull away. Zhongli takes that as a sign to continue.

“My contract with the Tsaritsa states that details of my retirement were to be kept confidential until successful. I couldn’t let you know what I had planned even if I wanted to. The Tsaritsa’s part of the agreement was to send over a Harbinger to test Liyue and see if her citizens are prepared enough for me to step down, and I would hand over my gnosis to her once I have deemed that Liyue is ready to live without me. I’ll have to thank you for letting me relinquish my gnosis without worries. I deeply apologize if it feels that I have tricked and used you, but I cannot deny that you were vital to my plans.”

“I must have been a fool as well, the signs were right in front of me yet I never pieced together that you were the very same archon I was looking for all this time. It seems I was so caught up by who you are that I never realized just what you are.” Childe laughs at that, hollow-sounding and lacking mirth. 

“I know full well that I’m a pawn to Her Majesty’s plans. I’m not upset about being used by the gods or archons, I’m a weapon of war after all, I will serve her no matter what it is she asks of me. It’s just…” Childe trails off, finally turning to face him. He looks defeated.

“Were you just pretending? During all the times we hung out together? Were you keeping me close so you could keep an eye on me and make sure that Her Majesty was fulfilling her side of the contract? Do you even like me or were you just putting up with me until I fulfilled my role? I know that not many people like me once they knew how I truly am, why did I even expect you of all people to like me ahaha...”

Oh. So this is what he feels hurt about, Zhongli realizes with a start. He may have had construed Childe’s earlier statements of being tricked differently. It occurs to Zhongli now that Childe thinks that everything about Zhongli’s interactions with Childe had been planned out from the beginning, and that Zhongli never cared about Childe for who he was.

Which couldn’t be any further from the truth.

Zhongli himself didn’t expect to fall this hard for the Harbinger. He had initially foreseen them to be mere business associates, providing Childe with tidbits of Liyuen knowledge to help the Fatui carry out his mission. Childe had spent most of his free time with Zhongli, even after the funeral consultant had answered the questions he had for the day. Their conversations quickly devolved to other mundane topics, Childe happy to listen to whatever Zhongli had to say, occasionally telling his own stories. It was blatantly obvious that the Harbinger genuinely likes Zhongli, for there was no reason for him to seek Zhongli out for multiple meetings over food to the point it became a routine for them. 

Despite his fearsome status as the Tsaritsa’s vanguard of the Fatui, the young boy simply wears his heart on his sleeve. Zhongli couldn’t help but be enamoured by Childe in return, finding himself wondering when his next meeting with Childe will be, just so that he can have all of the Harbinger’s attention.

“Childe, please do believe me when I say this.” Zhongli lets go of Childe’s wrist, bringing his hands up to cup Childe’s face instead, making him look up at ex-archon in the eyes, the Harbinger jerking in surprise at the action. “I was never pretending during all the times we spent together. I genuinely enjoyed every single moment of your presence, and I have not lied about my feelings towards you in the past. While it is unfortunate that you had to be a part of my plans, I cannot say that I regret it, considering that I would never have had the pleasure to know you personally otherwise.”

Zhongli leans in, shortening the gap between their faces. When Childe doesn’t pull away, he takes the chance to press a soft kiss to the Harbinger’s cheek, feeling the heat slowly pooling under the young man’s soft skin.

“I have come to care for you greatly, Childe.” Zhongli gently whispers in his ear, feeling arms wrap hesitantly around him. “You are a very precious person to me. Now that I am released from the responsibilities and politics of being an archon, I can finally give you the love that you deserve and properly court you.”

“You what?!” Childe shrieks as he steps back out of Zhongli’s hold, slapping a hand over his own mouth when he hears his voice echo loudly down the empty streets. After being silent all this time, that finally got a reaction out of Childe. “Court me?”

“Yes? You did not give me a clear acceptance or rejection towards the chopsticks I had gifted you, so I assumed that you needed more time before you decide if you wanted me as your husband or not.”

Childe stares blankly. “Chopsticks? You mean the ones with the dragon-and-phoenix design that I technically paid for with my mora?”

Zhongli nods. “I was rather flustered when you did not accept my proposal back then, but your lack of rejection merely meant that I had to try harder to have you as my wife.”

“Wait wait wait, hold on a moment Zhongli.” Childe’s cheeks redden as he begins to comprehend what Zhongli is saying. “Are you telling me that you had gifted me those chopsticks... as a marriage proposal? Am I right to assume that this is a custom of Liyue?” Zhongli nods again in affirmation, and Childe laughs lightly at that, the sound tinkled in amusement. Zhongli decides that he likes this laughter a lot more than the empty laugh Childe gave him earlier. “Xiansheng… you do realize that I am unfamiliar with most of Liyue’s customs. How am I supposed to know that you’ve proposed to me when you never clarified the meaning of those chopsticks?” 

“That… may have slipped my mind.” Zhongli admits sheepishly, but he doesn’t mind the slip up, not when Childe is finally smiling at him again. 

“Allow me apologize again, for making you feel as if what we had between us was fabricated.” Zhongli takes Childe’s hand in his, bringing it up to press a kiss to his knuckles. “Could you forgive me and allow me to court you once more?”

Zhongli feels Childe pull his hand out of his grasp, and for a split second the fear of actually being rejected crosses his mind. But then Childe embraces him, wrapping his arms around his neck and happiness blooms in Zhongli’s chest. “Of course I forgive you. I could never get truly mad at you.” Zhongli finds his arms circling Childe’s waist, pulling him closer to reciprocate the embrace.

“Deep down I knew that you weren’t faking the moments we had together, but I still couldn’t get rid of the possibility that everything was a lie.” Childe sighs petulantly against the crook of Zhongli’s neck. “I-, I’m just relieved. I don’t think I could have handled it if all the times we’ve spent together were a ruse and that you were truly using me…”

Zhongli tightens the hug, recalling how Childe once offhandedly said he didn’t have many people he could consider a friend. Zhongli doesn’t want to imagine just how badly Childe’s heart would break if the archon was actually using him, betrayed by the one person he opened up to in a long time.

“I would never do that to you. Especially not after the Tsaritsa has given me her blessings to court you.” 

“She did what?”

Zhongli clearly remembers the words the cryo archon had written in her recent letter.

In the outcome of Liyue being deemed sufficiently prepared to face the events that my Eleventh child, Tartaglia, would bring, you will hand over your gnosis to my Eighth child, Signora. It is only then would you have my blessings to court and mate with my Tartaglia.

I expect you to provide him with nothing but the best and swear that he will be your one and only mate until his life reaches an end. If any instances of you mistreating Tartaglia reaches my ears, I will not hesitate to personally have your head.

He had been surprised at the unexpected display of protectiveness from the allegedly cold-hearted woman. Mayhaps the Goddess of Love still has a little love left in her after all...? It would not be too far-fetched either for the Tsaritsa to have purposefully sent Childe out of all her Harbingers to Liyue, instinctively knowing that her child and the geo archon were compatible.

Zhongli would have to ask her about it another time, for Childe is now hiding his face in his chest out of embarrassment, the red tips of his ears visible. Zhongli chuckles, nuzzling his face into Childe’s unruly hair out of habit when the younger gets flustered like this.

“Take me home Zhongli.” Childe demands, voice muffled from where his face is hidden in Zhongli’s chest. “I expect you to court me properly after all the times I’ve bailed you out of your mora-less shopping trips. I can’t believe that all this time I’ve been treating the very god who created mora!”

“Of course, my dear,” Zhongli says, pressing kisses into Childe’s head. “I will show you how devoted a dragon will be to their mates.”

"Fight me Zhongli!"

"........."

"I'm afraid I have to reject you if I can't spar against you---"

"I'll spar with you."

" Excellent ."

Childe is nothing if but a trouble magnet.

He can’t say that he hates that about himself, as it tends to throw him into exciting battles that lets him get rid of some steam. But there were times where it could be a pain in the ass. Such as right now.

The ruins of the ‘toy factory’ just had to be filled with ruin guards. Didn’t Dottore say that he cleared out the majority of ruin guards? Why the hell were so many of them still here?! Any other day he would have welcomed the challenge of taking on an onslaught of ruin guards by himself. But Teucer was here, and he was not about to put his little brother in the middle of danger.

Childe has managed to distract Teucer and gotten the boy to close his eyes and count from sixty, under the guise of playing hide and seek as Childe and Aether work to defeat the ruin guards. The cacophony of blades crashing against metal makes Teucer question what is going on.

“Uh-uh no peeking! This place is a little messy…” Childe explains breathlessly, gritting his teeth when another wave of ruin guards get deposited into the room. At the very least this appears to be the final wave, Childe doesn’t hear the whirring of gears anywhere else.

“3… 2… 1… Are you ready brother?” Teucer asks excitedly.

No I’m definitely not, Childe wants to say, racking his brain to come up with a solution to end this quickly in order to keep Teucer oblivious. His thoughts end up considering using his Foul Legacy Transformation. He knows that he really shouldn’t use it again, not after he’s recently used it in his fight with Aether in the Golden House that week. Two transformations in such a short span of time would leave him incapacitated for a while. But he doesn’t know what other option he has, and a quick look at Aether tells him that the Traveler doesn’t have any better ideas.

Besides, he’ll do anything for his family regardless of the consequences.

“Give me another ten seconds Teucer! Let me make my hiding spot less obvious…” Childe wordlessly nudges Aether back, directing the Traveler to stand guard beside Teucer.

“Hmph! Now look who’s cheating!” Teucer grumbles, but he still listens, starting the countdown.

Grimacing, Childe takes a deep breath, reaching deep into his soul to manifest his powers from the Abyss.

He tugs at the Abyss, and the Abyss tugs back.

Dark miasma coalesces around his body, solidifying into a midnight black armour that layers his skin, accompanying the unpleasant feeling of his organs shifting, limbs extending as his body grows in size. Abyssal energy radiates from the back of his shoulders, fanning out akin to a cape, giving the illusion of a celestial night sky with its stars shimmering with the flow of energy, flickering in and out of existence.

Electro sparks in his veins, and he darts.

Thrusting his polearm into the core of the first unfortunate ruin guard, he uses the momentum to swing the ruin guard impaled on his polearm, slamming it into the others surrounding him and sending the first ruin guard flying into the wall. 

His delusion is activated, delivering shockwaves of electro down his weapon, exploding upon impact when stabbed to the ground, the blast sending the remaining ruin guards careening into the air. He flies up, smashing his feet into the airborne machines, kicking them back back to the ground. The rebound of the collision pushes him into the direction of the other ruin guards, dealing them a similar fate of utter annihilation.

He himself crashes back to the ground to a crouch, snapping his head up to find Teucer and Aether in the same position as where he left them, Teucer close to finishing his countdown. He locks gazes with Aether. Tilting his head down, he trusts that Aether is able to handle the aftermath, and he flees the scene, not wanting his brother to see him in a moment of weakness.

Childe thinks that he’s run far enough away, only hearing the muted voices echoing down the abandoned halls of Teucer asking for his whereabouts, Aether replying with he’s hiding, aren’t you two playing hide and seek? He smiles, thankful that Aether thinks quickly on his feet.

The sharp sting of pain draws a groan out of him, exhaustion finally settling in his bones as the adrenaline of the battle wears out. His Foul Legacy Transformation may give him the power to avoid external injuries, but it comes with the price of destroying his body from the inside. His armour melts away, disintegrating into the atmosphere, and Childe weakly whines as he feels his body collapsing in on itself, forcibly shrinking to revert back to its original size. 

Closing his eyes, Childe feels the weight of gravity pulling him, swaying over. He expects to feel the crash of the hard ground against his body, hoping that Aether would find him before Teucer does.

But he falls.

And falls.

And keeps on falling.

Into the belly of the Abyss.

Chapter Text

He wakes up in darkness.

His wakefulness is immediately followed by the urge to vomit, slapping his mouth shut to keep the bile down as a wave of nausea hits him, feeling the soreness of his muscles as every movement sends jolts of pain down his spine. The after effects of using his Foul Legacy Transformation have never been pleasant. He breathes in deeply in an attempt to stabilize his condition while he catalogues his current situation.

Instinctual fear grips him as he recognizes where he is.

He can’t see anything, doesn’t need to, not when the air sits heavily in his lungs and his skin crawls with the need to run run run can’t stay still keeping moving run.

It’s been about a decade, but it may have just been yesterday that he clawed his way out of here.

He’s in the Abyss once more.

Tartaglia is filled with joy, gleefully thinking about slaying the enormous beast he had encountered before. Childe sentimentally wonders if his master Skirk is still here, wishing to spar with her to see how they’ve both grown stronger. But Ajax...

Ajax died here the moment he escaped. Only remnants of what was left of him lay dormant in the boy who made his way back to Teyvat.

The boy’s return to the Abyss has brought Ajax back to the forefront of his existence, the wills of Tartaglia and Childe pushed to the backburner, and Ajax is terrified .

With his limited sight, eyes blinking to get accustomed to the darkness, Ajax uses his other senses to take stock of his surroundings. This place he’s at, wherever it is, is quiet, with the occasional growl of some distant beast reverberating in the area and the dripping of water. Patting his hands on the ground in which he lay, he is surprised to feel something… soft? Gripping his fingers into it, it bunches up in his hands, individual furs of the material catching in between his fingers.

Animal hide.

Pressing down, he realizes with growing apprehension that he’s laying on layers and layers of hide, his hand slightly sinking into the fur. Knowing that he’s in the Abyss he doesn’t exactly want to know what sort of beasts the hide originally belonged to.

Alarm bells start ringing in his head, how are these hides clean? Something or someone must have treated them, considering the lack of stench of a rotting beast nor the wetness of guts and gore sticking to the material. To add upon that, someone must have moved him because no way in hell did he magically land on a mountain of hide. None of his bones are broken either, despite his fall into the Abyss. Something must have caught him or cushioned his impact.

How long was I out? Where did this person go? What do they want with me?

With these thoughts running through his mind, Ajax makes a move to sit up, his body feeling unbearably heavy. He soon finds out why.

The loud clinking of metal catches his attention, alongside a pressure against his throat when he shifts forwards. Eyes widening, he slowly brings his hand up to his throat, feeling the cool touch of metal against his skin, a collar circling heavily around his neck. He reaches around, trying to find a clasp but instead, finds a length of chain connected to the collar. Hands trailing down the line, he cautiously crawls across the layer of hide before he reaches the edge, finding that the other end of the chain is embedded into the ground of cold rock. He tugs on the end of the chain, but it does not budge at all.

He tries drawing out the power of his vision- he feels his Vision still attached to the belt on his hip -intending to slice through the metal with his hydro blade, but to his growing horror, his vision does not respond to him. He doesn’t understand why, he was able to use his vision in the Abyss in the past! Why can’t he use it now?

In the edges of his peripheral vision, a soft orange glow appears, drawing his attention and he snaps his head to face it. With the bare minimum amount of light in the eternal darkness of the Abyss, he can finally see that he’s in a large cave, high ceiling and walls made of bumpy rock with its only opening being the direction the orange glow is coming from. In one corner, the ground glistens and ripples, a sizable pool of liquid of unknown depth present.

The layers of animal hide he was laying on covered an area more than large enough for him to stretch his limbs out, the edge of the layers just short of the cave walls. Each sheet of skin consists of different shades of colour indicating that they came from several animals. It almost seems like it is a nest, made out of skins of dead animals.

Ajax holds a bated breath as he watches the light steadily growing in intensity at the cave entrance. His muscles tense in preparation to fight despite his compromised condition, the Abyss not giving him much of an option but to defend himself if he wants to live.

An Abyss Herald steps up from around the corner, and Ajax feels the beginning of despair sinking its teeth in.

Out of all the creatures he had faced in the Abyss before, the Abyss Heralds were by far the most difficult for Ajax to deal with, alongside the hydro Abyss Mages. Their hydro shields make his own hydro vision virtually useless against them once the shield is erected. Brute forcing his way using physical weapons to chip at the shield took way too long, and much too risky when he simultaneously has to avoid the Abyss Heralds’ attacks. In order to defend himself from the Abyss Heralds, Skirk had him model his own hydro vision attacks based on theirs, familiarizing himself with their attack patterns so that he would be able to dodge them at the very least. Each of his encounters with an Abyss Herald ended up in either him retreating or Skirk having to take over and deal the finishing blow. 

As it stands, Ajax has never defeated an Abyss Herald on his own before. 

With his weapons stripped from him and without a means of escape, Ajax prays to the archons above that he has grown strong enough to get himself out of this situation.

“You are finally awake,” the Abyss Herald says, placing the candle it was holding on a flat rock jutting out of the walls. The soft glow of the singular candle does not hurt Ajax’s eyes, even after being shrouded in darkness the entire time. 

Ajax remains silent from where he’s crouched, watching with hawk-like eyes as the Abyss Herald walks over to him, on high alert for anything the creature will do. 

“Don’t look at me like that,” the Abyss Herald scoffs, towering over Ajax from where it stands, “I haven’t even done anything to you yet.”

“What do you want from me?” Ajax asks warily, voice barely above a whisper, as if not wanting to aggravate the creature. With how powerless he is now, Ajax has no choice but to admit that there is no way for him to win against the Abyss Herald in a fight. As battle-crazy as he is, he is not stupid , nor does he have a deathwish.

For now, he can only rely on his words to obtain more information.

“Straight to business as always aren’t you?” The Abyss Herald sighs. “It seems that you haven’t changed at all, though I don’t find that to be such a bad thing.”

Ajax narrows his eyes, “ As always? Why do you speak as if you know me?”

“I’m upset that you don’t recognize me,” the Abyss Herald laments, holding a hand over its chest in mock hurt.  “Especially since I’ve waited for so long to get you back, Ajax. ”

His heart starts hammering in his chest, how did it know his name?!

“Do you really not remember me?” The Abyss Herald questions, stepping onto the layers of hide to reach him. Ajax scrambles back in an attempt to distance himself, but barely makes it anywhere when his back hits the wall. He is barely given time to react when one of the Abyss Herald’s hands grips tightly around his hips, sharp claws digging through his shirt and into his skin. A startled gasp escapes his lips when he is effortlessly lifted and dragged to lay back down in the center of the nest, choking a little when the chains tug at the collar on his neck. 

“Let me go!” He hisses, grabbing at the hand on its waist in a fruitless attempt to pry its fingers off. The Abyss Herald ignores him, easily slipping its other hand below Ajax’s shirt, hiking it up to his chest to reveal the expanse of marred skin.

“Do you still not remember me?” The Abyss Herald questions again as it crawls over him, its much larger body pinning Ajax down. Ajax squirms in its grip when it traces a claw along the largest scar he bears on his body, the mottled skin running diagonally across his torso from his right pectoral down to his left hip. “Do you still not remember me when it is I who left this mark on you?”

Ajax’s eyes widen when realization dawns on him. “You…! You’re the one that kept chasing me and Skirk!” 

Amongst the many beings he had faced in his first descent into the Abyss, the memory of a particular Abyss Herald stuck in his mind. It relentlessly hunted down Ajax and his master, a rather unusual behaviour for an elite member of the Abyss Order, forcing them to relocate their base camps time and time again. During one of their earlier skirmishes, Ajax was unable to evade the Abyss Herald’s attacks completely, ending up with hydro blades cutting him down. He doesn’t remember much of what happened afterwards, only the sound of Skirk shouting before he passed out. After a period of time, they did not encounter that Abyss Herald again, and shortly afterwards Ajax escaped the Abyss, praying that he’d never have to see it again.

To think that that same Abyss Herald has imprisoned him now… it does not bode well for him.

“Nice to know that you still remember me,” the Abyss Herald chuckles. “Now that I finally have you here without that meddling master of yours, I can finally have you as a mate as I’ve wanted since I first saw you.”

...What?

Processing the Abyss Herald’s words, Ajax does not notice the chains, similar to the one attached to his collar, emerging from the stone floor, until it snakes around his wrists and ankles, tightening up and wrenching his limbs out in a spread eagle position. Ajax begins thrashing, desperately trying to free himself, but the chains do not slip an inch, digging into his skin instead.

“Stop struggling. You can’t escape, these chains are imbued with abyssal energy to suppress your vision.”

With the human immobilized below, the Abyss Herald is free to run its hands along his body, claws leaving behind raised red lines on the pearly skin. It cups a hand to Ajax’s face, and the boy snaps his head in an attempt to bite it. He was too sluggish however, the Abyss Herald harshly tugging at his hair with its other hand, pushing his head back down.

“Though I can’t deny that you look beautiful, so helpless like this, entirely at my mercy,” it purrs, rubbing a clawed thumb against Ajax’s cheek.

“Wha- what are you going to do to me?” Ajax pants from exertion after his struggling. “What do you mean have me as a mate?”

“To put it simply, I’m going to breed you,” the Abyss Herald states, retracting a hand back.

“But first, some preparations need to be made,” it continues, and plunges in.

Ajax lets out a blood curdling scream, nerves flaring up in pain even before his mind makes sense of what happened. Excruciating pain explodes in his abdomen, his back arching as his muscles tense up, but it only serves to drive the agony deeper. He barely has enough strength to lift his head to see what on earth is going on, and he gets light-headed when he’s met with the sight of the Abyss Herald’s hand impaled in his abdomen , blood seeping out of the edges to paint him in streaks of red .

“ Take it out! ” Ajax shrieks, frantically twisting his body to get away, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

“Hush now, we’ve barely even started,” the Abyss Herald chides, and another wave of acute pain erupts at the spot. 

“S-stop-! Please please please STOP! IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS PLEASE STOP---!!!”

Ajax can do nothing but sob deliriously, writhing powerlessly against his binds, heaving as he tries to breathe through the agonizing assault. The sensation akin to molten lava being poured into him, churning in his guts as pressure builds in him and solidifies, rearranging his organs to fit the new addition, and he breaks .

“You really are such a pretty sight like this,” the Abyss Herald idly comments, admiring the drool dribbling down the human’s chin, eyes rolling to the back of his head and the sheen of sweat layering his skin. It clenches the hand it has in the boy, ensuring that the abyssal energy it’s gathering settles correctly so that the manifested organ will function properly. “But you’ll be even prettier once your womb forms in you, filled with my seed. You’d sire such strong offspring. Rarely does the Abyss ever get humans with as much potential as you, even more so with your hydro vision, as wretched as the powers of the gods are.”

It gets no reply, Ajax too far gone from agony to formulate any coherent response. Hot tears stream down his cheeks, distressed whimpers bubbling from his mouth, voice hoarse from screaming.

The Abyss Herald pays no mind to the other’s inability to speak, and continues. “When I first laid my eyes on you during a reconnaissance, I knew I had to claim you before anyone else. But that master of yours was truly a hindrance. Do you even know how much she protected you from me? It was even more frustrating when the Princess called upon my services and I was forced to stop pursuing you. Imagine my surprise when I found out that you managed to leave the Abyss. Though it was not hard to keep track of you, you leave behind unique abyssal residues whenever you use your abyssal powers.”

In his disjointed state of mind, Ajax latches on to the Abyss Herald’s voice as it speaks, the only form of distraction he has from the intolerable torture inflicted onto him, but could barely process its words in his current state. He just wants to pass out, to escape from this unbearable pain lighting his nerves on fire, praying for anything to rescue him.

Archons please… help me…

Tsaritsa…

Zhongli…

“It would have been easy to open an abyssal rift at any time to get you back, but I decided to let you mature in Teyvat, waiting until your physical body would grow strong enough for me to take. The time felt right when I sensed you using your abyssal transformation so recently after the previous one, your body would be more susceptible and receptive to abyssal energy. To finally have you in my grasp once more… I cannot be any more pleased.”

Zhongli please....

Save me…

Please…

Zhong…. li….

He doesn’t know how much time has passed before the white hot pain that’s been burning his insides the entire time subsides, the Abyss Herald finally removing its hand from his body.  Ajax’s body feels cold, a juxtaposition to the warm throbbing of his insides, his guts exposed to the open air. A part of him hysterically thinks that doesn’t feel right , especially when he senses another object nestled unnaturally between his organs.

Ajax sags limply on the nest, he’s exhausted , all energy drained from his futile struggle. He doesn’t want to think about the logistics of this new addition in him. His eyelids grow heavy, wishing that he could succumb to sleep when he feels something tug at the belt on his hip. His blurring sight barely makes out the image of his hydro vision suspended in a hydro bubble floating above the Abyss Herald’s hand, which was dripping with his blood. A wave of sorrow washes over him as he watches his vision shatter and get crushed into dust, the particles swirling in the bubble.

He lets out one final pitiful cry when that same hand stabs his abdomen once more, body twitching as claws poke and prod around his insides. The Abyss Herald delivers a pulse of hydro, commanding the water bubble to infiltrate his bloodstream via the ruptured vessels, circulating the dust of the broken hydro vision throughout Ajax’s body.

Extracting its hand, the Abyss Herald releases more hydro, this time forming a healing layer over Ajax’s open wound, speeding up the regeneration of cells and numbing the pain. The chains binding the human’s limbs unravel, leaving only the chain attached to his collar. The cool sensation of hydro lulls Ajax to close his eyes, the darkness enveloping him, providing him a sense of nothingness to comfort him after his arduous ordeal.

“Sleep and recover now. I require you to regain your strength before I breed you.”

Despite making multiple rounds around the ruins, Childe is nowhere to be seen. Aether frowns.

“He can’t have moved that far away, especially not when Teucer is still here?” Paimon says as quietly as she could so that Teucer would not hear her, floating around to assist Aether in checking high areas.

The sibling in question is a few steps ahead of them, making some form of effort to look for his brother, but is rather distracted by all the ruin guards Childe had defeated and deactivated. Aether doesn’t know how much longer he can convince Teucer that Childe just has a really good hiding spot.

“I don’t think he can move much after exerting himself with his Foul Legacy transformation. We’ve searched the ruins multiple times already, but it’s almost as if he just disappeared without a trace.” Aether ponders. Worry builds up in him. After Childe had fled, his skin felt like it was prickling, sending him on high alert in the event of any more enemies. That prickling sensation disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, but he can’t shake off the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

“Without a trace… oh! What if you used your elemental sight? Do you think he left a trail when he flew away?” Paimon exclaims.

Aether’s eyes widened at that revelation. Of course! Why didn’t he think of that? Heeding Paimon’s words, he activates his elemental sight. True enough, he spots a trail leading down one of the hallways of the ruins. The elemental trail is a wisp of blue and purple, as expected from Childe’s hydro and electro powers, but interspersed between the blues and purples are dark swirls of black. Aether blinks his eyes in confusion at that, having never seen black elemental trails before. 

“I see the elemental trail of Childe’s hydro and electro, but parts of the trail are black?” Aether relays.

“Black? What element even is that? As far as I know none of the seven elements we know are black,” Paimon questions.

From what he’s seen of Childe, Aether has a guess as to what it could be. “Maybe… maybe it’s an element from the Abyss?”

“Huh, an Abyssal element? But aren’t there only seven elements in Teyvat?” 

“That’s true but we’ve been told that powers from the Abyss are different from the elements of Teyvat. Childe mentioned once before that his Foul Legacy Transformation is a power he learned from the Abyss.”

“So what are we waiting for? Let’s follow the trail!” Paimon hushedly declares, but Aether shakes his head.

“I think I’ll go ahead and find Childe first. Knowing him, he’d probably want to avoid having Teucer see him in a weakened state. Keep an eye on Teucer, and yell if anything happens.” Aether instructs Paimon.

“Why do I have to be on babysitting duty?” Paimon complains, but follows what is asked of her anyways, floating away to hover near Teucer.

Aether quickly makes his way down the long hallway the elemental trail points him to. After making a couple of twists and turns, following the trail, the hallway leads to a room he hasn’t checked yet, and the prickling feeling returns tenfold, uncertainty crawling under his skin. The room is bare, save for a singular red object on the floor.

Childe's mask.

Aether swiftly picks the mask off the ground, brows furrowing observing the numerous new cracks present in various locations. He slips the mask in his bag for safekeeping. Stepping back to the entrance of the room, he activates his elemental sight again, letting out a shocked gasp at what he sees.

Clouds of black permeate the entire room, filling up the space and Aether could barely even see the opposite wall, the remnants of abyssal energy extremely potent. The darkness of the trail is even more concentrated on the ground, the entire floor painted in inky black, forming hypnotic swirls like a whirlpool.

The elemental sight fades away, and the appearance of the room returns back to normal, innocently looking as if nothing happened.

But there’s no doubt that something has definitely occurred, and Aether does not think that Childe is anywhere near the ruins anymore, not when the trail stops in this very room. There is absolutely no way Childe would just abandon Teucer without reason, so whatever that has happened must have been serious. He rushes back to where he left Paimon and Teucer, he has to get them out of here as soon as possible.

Paimon spots Aether and was about to call out to him, but she spots the pinched look on Aether’s face, his brows furrowed in worry. She has enough sense to know that something is wrong, and bites her lip to keep herself from speaking as Aether makes his way to Teucer.

Teucer perks up, noticing Aether. “You’re back! Did you find my brother? He must have a really good hiding spot because I can’t find him anywhere!”

“I found your brother a moment ago, but he had to leave in a hurry because a huge number of people wanted to buy his toys.” Aether lies, grimacing internally as he hopes that his explanation is somewhat believable. Paimon raises an eyebrow. “He apologizes for having to leave you, but he can’t ignore his duty.”

Teucer visibly deflates at that. “Awww… that’s great for him, but I was hoping I could play with him a little longer.”

“I’m sure your brother would have loved to spend more time with you, but you did pop up in Liyue without informing him. He can’t just abandon his work without warning, you know.”

“I know, but I sure hope that he’ll be free from work soon, he’s always so busy,” Teucer pouts. 

“Are you ready to head back to Snezhnaya now?” Paimon pipes in. “Your brother has already fulfilled his promise to bring you to this toy factory. Don’t you think it’s your turn to fulfil the promise you made to him.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ve troubled him enough already,” Teucer says sheepishly. “Let’s go back now.”

Aether lets out a sigh of relief as Teucer walks ahead of them to the exit. Paimon floats next to him, eyes bright with concern. “Did you actually find him?”

Shaking his head, Aether replies uneasily, “I’ll explain everything soon. We need to get Teucer safely back to Northland Bank first. I… don’t have a good feeling about this.”

This time, he wakes up to an aroma of cooked meat.

Blearily blinking his eyes open, Ajax eases himself into a state of consciousness. He’s curled up on his side, facing the entrance of the stone cave, where a small fire has been lit nearby, the flickering flames replacing the candle as his light source. Its smoke drifts out through the opening into the unknown, carried by an unusual wind current that circulates air in the cave. 

Slowly stretching and shifting on his back, Ajax flushes when he realizes that he’s been completely stripped of his original clothes and underwear, the material on his skin clearly no longer cloth. Instead, he’s wrapped in a long coat made out of a very, very soft fur. The coat reaches above his knees, and is a beautiful shade of deep, dark, ocean blue that gradually lightens in shade as it reaches the bottom. It even has a hood, pillowing his head while he sleeps. He vaguely thinks that he’s seen this colour of fur before, the colour so vibrant he suspects it to be dyed, but he can’t place a finger on where exactly.

(In fact, Ajax has seen the aforementioned fur before. Countless times. Wrapped around the heads and necks of hydro Abyss Mages.)

Despite his initial horror at the revelation of someone removing all his clothes in his sleep, he can’t help but to snuggle into his coat, the material brushing warmly against his skin. He had a relatively dreamless sleep at that, and he’s grateful for rest, considering the slew of memories of what happened that floods his mind right after that thought.

Him being restrained. Getting stabbed. The burning pain in his abdomen. His crushed vision.

His womb.

Slipping a hand under the fold of his coat, he brings it to his stomach. Much to his surprise, the skin there has healed over, as if he hasn't been torn open before this. Rubbing his abdomen, nothing seems to have changed, other than an unfamiliar curve below his belly button. He attributes it to the womb the Abyss Herald created in him.

“.........”

For his own sanity, he tries not to think too much about it.

Speaking of the Abyss Herald, the monster chooses that moment to hover over Ajax, appearing in his field of vision and startling him. His fight or flight instincts start to kick in, but his rational mind reminds him that neither options are available to him.

He hates it. He loathes this feeling of helplessness that’s been plaguing him the entire time he’s in the Abyss. He wants nothing more than to fight his way out of this situation kicking and screaming. But he doesn’t want to test the patience of the Abyss Herald, especially after the monster has expressed its desire to mate with him. Ajax knows that he’ll be kept alive, there is no reason for the Abyss Herald to have healed him so thoroughly otherwise. He can’t escape, not with the unbreakable collar and chains binding him, suppressing all of his elemental powers. Said chains could also appear out of nowhere, he has no guarantee that the Abyss Herald won’t increase the number of restraints. His Foul Legacy Transformation is not an option either, not if he wants to strangle himself to death on the collar when he grows in size. Even if he somehow manages to break the solid metal collar, he doesn’t have the strength to overpower the Abyss Herald and run into the dangers of the rest of the Abyss.

He’ll survive this. He’s been through worse before.

He can’t die here, not when he finally has someone who loves him unconditionally waiting for him.

So he stays still, desperately swallowing the visceral fear in him while he waits for the monster to make a move.

“Sit up. You need to eat,” the Abyss Herald orders. Between its fingers are two long sticks of wood, bite-sized chunks of cooked meat skewered along the length of each stick.

So that’s where the aroma was coming from, Ajax thinks. His eyes flit over to the controlled fire burning in the cave, and the image of the Abyss Herald roasting meat skewers over fire conjures in his mind. He has to stifle the cackle at that image. In spite of the hopelessness of his entire situation, this was just ridiculous, the Abyss Herald, cooking ? 

What the fuck is even happening anymore.

The Abyss Herald takes a seat beside him, sitting cross legged on the layers of hide. Ajax scrambles to get up from where he’s laying down, the hood of his coat slipping off his head. He eyes the meat suspiciously, when the Abyss Herald's other hand wraps around his waist once more and manhandles him to sit in its lap.

A shaky wheeze leaves his lips when the monster’s hand removes itself, slipping up his coat to rest on Ajax’s exposed thigh instead. He’s seated in the Abyss Herald’s lap, back pressed against its chest. In this position and close proximity, Ajax feels just how small he is in comparison. The Abyss Herald looms over behind him, claws circling the entire circumference of his thigh with some leeway, dangerously close to his privates, threatening him to stay in place.

“You will eat. Whether willingly or I’ll force feed you, it’s your choice.”

Choice? Is there even a choice? “...I’ll eat.”

“Good boy,” the Abyss Herald coos, and Ajax shudders at that, the praise sounding so wrong coming from the monster.

He expects to be given the skewers to eat by himself, but instead, the hand that was on his thigh removes a chunk of meat from one of the sticks, bringing it to his lips. And Ajax burns from the humiliation he feels then. This is no different from being force fed, the only difference being that the food isn’t shoved right down his throat. But as with every other situation he’s faced, he quashes down his feelings, parting his mouth to allow the Abyss Herald to feed him.

(The relief he feels when the meat tastes decent enough is palpable.)

They remain like this for some time, the Abyss Herald waiting for Ajax to chew and swallow each piece of meat before feeding him another one. At some point, Ajax quietly says that he’s getting thirsty, asking if there’s any water that he can drink. To which the Abyss Herald accommodates by using its powers to draw out a tentacle of hydro from the nearby pool, pressing it to Ajax’s lips.

At the blatant confusion on Ajax’s face, the Abyss Herald explains. “You can bite the water off as needed.”

Ajax hesitates for a moment, wary of the possibility of having that hydro tentacle shoved down his throat. Additionally, there is the concern if the water is even potable for him to drink. But he reasons that if the Abyss Herald intends to choke or poison him, it would have already done so. He opens his mouth and takes a bite of the hydro tentacle. 

It is a weird sensation to say the least, the chunk of tentacle deforming and returning to its shapeless fluidity in his mouth the moment it’s been cleanly bitten through. Ajax swallows the water.

(It didn’t taste too bad to be honest.)

Ajax eventually finishes eating all the meat prepared for him, the meal not overly filling, but sufficient enough that his hunger is sated. He doesn’t think he could have eaten too much without throwing up either.

The Abyss Herald chucks the remaining wooden skewers into the fire, the flames flaring up temporarily before subduing. It uses its hydro to clean its oily claws, and it amazes Ajax to see the oil being removed without soap, the hydro practically peeling the oil off its claws.

“Now that you’ve been fed, I hope that you’ll have enough energy to stay awake.”

Without warning, the Abyss Herald pulls Ajax out of his lap, slamming him face down on the nest, drawing a breathless gasp from the human. It swiftly strips the fur coat off of Ajax, his arms easily slipping through the wide sleeves, and tosses it aside, leaving the boy stark naked and vulnerable.

" No no no no please stop please no no please please please don’t do this please -” he begs as he realizes what the Abyss Herald intends to do.

Ajax whimpers when he’s flipped onto his back, the Abyss Herald kneeling over him and crowding in his space. A clawed hand grips on both his thighs, pushing his legs up and folding him in half, his limp cock resting against his belly, exposing his tight hole. Burning shame wells in him, and he tries to cover his entrance with his hands, only to be easily swatted aside with a low growl of warning.

“If you behave, this will be pleasurable for you too.” 

He can’t help the full body shudder when he feels the pointed tip of a claw tracing across his rim.

“I can’t wait to taste you, sweet little thing.”

Zhongli...

Please...

Save me.

Chapter Text

Childe is not unfamiliar with using his body to obtain information for the Fatui. 

He knows that he’s a pretty face with a lithe frame, catching the attention of people wherever he goes. Eyes land on him, filled with respect, fear, animosity, lust, or a mixture of them all. It is easy to weaponize his body in another way besides fighting. Once in a while, seduction is more effective than intimidation in completing his missions, or may even be the only way. Thus, he charms people into bending to his will, exposing himself in orchestrated moments of ‘weakness’ to his targets, baiting them with the illusion that they have the upper hand against the Harbinger.

It gives the pathetic men who lay their hands all over him a power trip, boosting their ego when they bed him. After all, isn’t it such an achievement? How many people could boast that they’ve fucked a Harbinger? So their tongues loosen, spilling all of their secrets when Childe lulls them into a false sense of security, pretending to be soft and docile for them as he curls up on their sheets, filled with their cum. Once they have fulfilled their roles and are of no use to him or the Tsaritsa, Tartaglia inevitably rears his head and he reveals his true colours, silencing these foolish folks who had the audacity to think they ever stood a chance against him. 

White walls and sheets make a perfect background for bloodshed, he finds.

This was, of course, all before meeting Zhongli. Upon his deep descent into love for the man, Childe has never let himself be touched by another ever since, the privilege now exclusively bestowed to his one and only.

If asked to be honest, Childe would say that he doesn't regret resorting to being a honeytrap, even if no one had ordered him to do so. He simply did what he had to do to efficiently succeed his missions, maximizing the gains and minimizing the risks on his side. Nothing more, nothing less. The only regret Childe has is not being able to meet Zhongli earlier.

So Ajax attempts to convince himself that if he’s to be violated to stay alive in the Abyss, then so be it. This is no different from the missions he carried out for the Tsaritsa as Childe. His body is the last weapon he has here. Even if he has absolutely zero control and power in this case unlike his missions.

He can handle it.

Survival is his top priority.

He can mend the broken pieces of himself afterwards.

This is fine. I’ll get through this. I’ll be okay. I’ll be okay. I’ll be okay.

The mantra repeats in his head as he whimpers, feeling the cold tentacle of hydro pushing past his rim, the slickness slipping in and out of him gradually to loosen him up and lubricate his walls. The Abyss Herald pins both his legs against his chest with a single hand, the other hand free to push a claw into him alongside the hydro tentacle.

A moan slips past his lips when the claw brushes against a particularly sensitive spot. The sharp tip of the claw presses against his prostate, and he lets out a startled cry at the prick of pain. His hands shoot up to grip at the Abyss Herald’s wrist, trying to pull the digit out, but this only makes the Abyss Herald prod at it more. Blood pools to his cock, hardening without his consent at the mix of pleasure and pain the Abyss Herald is giving him as it massages his prostate.

He can feel the hydro tentacle thickening inside of him, pressing against his insides to stretch him out. It leaves him so utterly wet , liquid dripping from his hole and soaking into the fur of the nest under him with each slow slide that leaves his legs trembling.

“I suppose I should familiarize you with the changes to your body,” the Abyss Herald says, taking its claw out. The instant the finger leaves him, the tentacle gives a hard thrust, punching deeper into him. Ajax squeals when the tentacle squirms in him, fucking relentlessly against a ring of muscle that has him seeing stars.

“Fuck- aghnh- nnnhh - ” Ajax’s toes curl, his fingers clawing into the layer of animal hide beneath him. With his legs pinned against his chest, he has no leverage to writhe away from the acute pressure of the tentacle hammering away against that muscle. Precum leaks from his weeping cock, messily rubbing against his skin from where it is squeezed between Ajax’s thighs and belly.

“Do you feel that?” the Abyss Herald asks, and at that moment, the tentacle gives a punishing thrust that punches its way past the ring of muscle. Ajax screams, body convulsing as the tentacle drives itself impossibly deeper, forcibly opening his body up.

“AHHH!! Ahhnnn- hngghgh-!!!!! ”

“That’s your colon, though I doubt that you are unaccustomed to penetration in this channel,” the Abyss Herald states simply. If Ajax was coherent, he would have been perturbed at how the monster is aware of his sexual endeavours.

With his legs pinned to his chest in the Abyss Herald’s unyielding grip, Ajax is unable to do anything but cry out in pleasure as he is forced to accept the tentacle unforgivingly fucking up into him. The cave echoes with the filthy squelching sounds of the hydro tentacle pistoning in and out of his ass, sending jolts of pleasure through his body whenever there’s movement against his prostate.

“Since your womb is a completely new and separate organ, rather than a modification of your existing ones, it needs to be connected somewhere.” The hydro tentacle pauses in its manic thrusting, giving Ajax a moment’s breather as it pulls back slightly, slipping out of his colon and past the ring of muscle.

“Another channel has been extended from your rectum to connect to your womb. Right over…”

The tentacle thrusts in again, but instead of the expected slide back into his colon, the tentacle angles upwards, redirecting itself into a different branch of the inner canals, shoving itself in and ramming against yet another ring of muscle.

“...here. Hitting your cervix feels different than hitting your colon, doesn’t it?”

Ajax doesn’t reply, can’t reply, not when he’s utterly paralyzed from the euphoria wrecking his entire body. A choked keen is punched out of him at the sensation, back arching off the nest, straining against the Abyss Herald’s hold. His orgasm hits him hard , cum spurting out of his cock and landing sloppily on his chest, some rivulets even making its way to Ajax’s face.

“Unghhh… ughh-... hurk- ”  

“There, there. It feels good right? Almost too good I presume, you’re making such a wonderful face.” The Abyss Herald’s free hand grabs Ajax’s chin, nudging its thumb in his mouth, holding his jaw open. Breathy moans spill freely from his lips, the tentacle resuming its job, pistoning rapidly against the newly formed cervix, weakening the ring of muscle to grant it access.

It is apparent when Ajax’s cervix gives way, the boy letting out a shrill scream, eyes widening in shock as the tentacle fucks its way mercilessly past the muscle and straight into his womb. His body spasms, nerves grated and raw from the foreign and overwhelming stimulus. 

Blubbering sobs leave him as the tentacle continues fucking his womb, albeit at a more leisurely pace now that it has fulfilled its role in opening Ajax up. The Abyss Herald finally breaks away from the boy, releasing his legs and letting them flop uselessly down to the nest. His cock has hardened considerably again, sensitive after the initial orgasm and from where its been rubbed raw against skin. 

Straightening itself from where it is kneeling in between Ajax’s spread legs, the monster takes in the sight of the human it has captured, looking wholly debauched. It hasn’t even copulated with the boy yet.

“How delightful you look. You’ll truly make the perfect mate.”

The Abyss Herald pushes aside the plating of armour covering its crotch, revealing a vent that was kept hidden, the tip of the phallus already peeking out.

Logically, Ajax knows that the Abyss Herald is big , body obviously much larger than his own. He’s had his fair share of getting dicked down by penises with sizes blessed by the gods- has been fucked by an actual god with a divine dick. But to see the absolutely monstrous girth of the cock making its way out of the vent, pitch black with feathering veins of blue looking menacing, pointed tip accompanied by the ridges that line along the shaft…

Panic rises in him.

That’s going in him?!?!

He does not mind rough sex, not at all, enjoys it greatly even, pain merely heightens the pleasure afterall. But that is only for those he trusts enough to bare his vulnerabilities and surrender himself to them, goading them into doing their worst with the assurance that he will relish the pain and pleasure he receives from them.

This monster is definitely not someone he trusts.

“No no no no no that won’t fit that won’t fit that can’t fit- ” Ajax babbles in fright. The Abyss Herald pays no heed, grabbing one of Ajax’s thighs in each of its hands, bringing them up to hold them apart on the nest, pinning Ajax down in a mating press. The hydro tentacle languidly fucking him retreats, pulling completely out of his now-gaping hole, leaving Ajax’s insides slick with viscous fluid to act as lubrication. The tentacle gives one final rub against his rim and perineum, slathering more of the slick liquid before dissipating completely into the atmosphere.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” The Abyss Herald says, positioning its large shaft against Ajax’s hole, rutting up against him to spread the lubrication everywhere. It then nudges the tip of it against his rim, ready to take .

“Stop stop please that won’t fit I’ll break I’ll break-! ” Ajax pleads, hands grappling at the shaft in an attempt to stop the slide in.

“You won’t break,” the monster says. “Not too badly at least, I won’t let you,” and it pushes in, the resisting hands too weak to stop it, prying Ajax’s muscles apart to penetrate him.

He thinks that he’s drowning , the massive intrusion pushing into him, compressing the rest of his insides in his small frame, lungs barely able to breathe. He can feel himself opening up, each bump and ridge of the shaft popping past his rim and grazing over his prostate sending shivers of pleasure up his spine. The slow pace the monster adopts does nothing to help, drawing Ajax’s attention to every inch of shaft fed to him, bringing tears to his eyes.

Tiny whimpers fall from his lips, restrained legs twitching when the monstrous shaft comes into contact with his cervix, pointed tip pressing in to tease the loosened muscle. Shifting his hands to claw into the Abyss Herald’s shoulders to ground himself, Ajax dares to lift his head to take a look, and he almost faints at the sight of his belly bulging , even more so when he sees that barely half of the Abyss Herald’s length is in him. 

“See? I knew that you could take it. Just a bit more now.”

How? He already feels like bursting.

“T-that- no, I can’t-, t-too much! No more---! ”

With the Abyss Herald looming over and caging him in, cock sheathed deep in him, the painful reality that he has no escape hits him once more.

It pulls back a fraction of an inch, only to give a brutal thrust, shoving the entirety of its shaft into him and entering his womb.

Ajax writhes wildly, head thudding against the nest that cushions the impact, a piercing scream dragged out of his throat as he desperately tries to get away from the length assaulting him, hands smacking pathetically against the monster’s chest. His body burns with how stretched he is over the protrusion, sensitive nerves akin to livewire with the sensations overwhelming him. Cum spills painfully from his reddened cock, staining his chest further with this second orgasm

And then the monster starts moving , pounding into him mercilessly in a quick pace from the get-go with its enormous cock, punching pitiful wails out of him with each thrust hitting the back of his womb. Tears stream uncontrollably down his cheeks, Ajax feels nothing short of violated , body easily used like a toy and speared open on the gigantic cock. The slick fluid barely does much to ease the slide, contributing more to the filthy squelching sounds that fill up the cave whenever the monster moves. 

The Abyss Herald stutters in its thrusts, keeping its shaft deep in his womb. This doesn’t mean that Ajax gets a chance to rest, not when the monster’s cock throbs before an influx of cum shoots in him, flooding his womb with viscous seed, warmth seeping through his body.

At this point, Ajax’s voice grows hoarse from screaming, the only noise he can make are the heavy breaths he makes as he heaves. His arms have flopped uselessly to his chest, fingers twitching against his own cum painting his skin as if the boy doesn’t even know what to do with himself, staring blankly at the fire burning in the cave. He prays for this to be the end, for his misery to come to a close. The monster has already filled him with its seed, what more does it want?

“You are probably unaware, but it is insufficient for you to be impregnated with just a single batch of my seed.” The Abyss Herald speaks, relaxing its hold on his legs, letting them fall around its thighs. Ajax lets out a broken whimper at the shift in weight, the thick cock impaled in him nudging deeper into him, making the bulge in his belly more prominent and keeping his hips slightly arched off the ground.

Dazedly, Ajax notices that the monster hadn’t made a sound throughout their entire copulation until now, its calm composure a jarring contrast with himself who has been thoroughly defiled.

“Unlike normal humans, the strength of abyssal creatures is relative to the amount of energy it receives during its procreation, which is easily provided in the form of fluids deposited in its mother’s womb. Similarly to how your womb came about, the fluids will further absorb abyssal energy in the surroundings, as well as from its mother, and condense into a base form to be birthed. Once this base form is birthed, it will rapidly grow its more characteristic features.” A single clawed hand returns to wrap around his waist, large enough to have a solid grip on him. Another surge of panic tides over him when he realizes that the Abyss Herald is not done with him.

“As I have said before, your strength will allow you to withstand the mating process of abyssal creatures despite being human.” With Ajax held firmly in position, the Abyss Herald begins shallowly fucking him again, drawing out more wrecked moans from the overstimulated boy.

“We’ve barely just started, I wish to test the limits on how much I can inseminate you. I have faith that you’ll be able to sire powerful offspring.”

It quickly becomes clear that the Abyss Herald isn’t even fucking him for pleasure, its only purpose to breed Ajax, dumping wave after wave of cum into his pliant body.

Aside from the light coming from the fire still somehow burning bright, there are no other indicators to show how much time has passed, the entrance of the cave merely revealing the unfathomable darkness of the Abyss. It feels like the Abyss Herald has fucked him for an eternity . The monstrous cock in him has not left his insides even once, remaining tightly sheathed in the debauched boy. Rarely does the monster pull back much, instead, jackhammering small little thrusts that make Ajax cry all the same.

Ajax is completely drained , both literally and figuratively. He no longer has the energy to move, body slack against the Abyss Herald, involuntarily allowing the monster to move him as it wished like a listless ragdoll, perpetually kept impaled on the colossal cock that has not softened. The only movements he makes is when his body trembles and quivers from yet another dry orgasm, being pushed to cum untouched so many times that nothing even shoots out of his painfully red cock anymore.

At some point after his first couple of orgasms, Ajax blacked out, hoping that by the time he wakes up the Abyss Herald would be satisfied, only to wake up and find himself slumped over the monster, seated in its lap, his back resting against its chest. The monster languidly thrusting its hips up to fuck him, having shifted their positions some time during Ajax’s unconsciousness, easily maneuvering the human and turning him around without even pulling its length out.

And the Abyss Herald just keeps going and going and going with no end in sight. Ajax has lost count of the number of times the monster has ejaculated its seed into him, but it doesn’t really matter at this point, his belly bulging an unbelievable amount, skin stretching taut from the copious amount of cum sloshing in him, truly looking as if he is several months into a pregnancy. He would have felt nauseous if it weren’t for the fact that he can’t feel anything anymore, numb to all sensations other than the heavy pleasure that clouds his mind and robs him of all ability to think. The Abyss Herald’s cock is huge enough to plug it all in him, but some manage to spill out whenever the Abyss Herald pulls back, lewdly streaking down his spread thighs and sticking to the monster’s groin.

Ajax simply fades in and out of consciousness, subjected to the rhythmic pistoning of that monstrous shaft. The frantic thrusts have greatly slowed down and the monster starts treating him much more gently.

With one last climax, the Abyss Herald ejaculates for the final time into the human it has so decisively claimed as its mate, watching as the bulge in the boy's belly inflates just a little bit more. Holding onto its mate’s thighs, the monster delicately hikes him up to rest higher on its chest, its shaft retreating out of his womb so that it presses against the muscular folds of the cervix, plugging its seed securely in his womb. The Abyss Herald leans further back against the walls of the cave, letting the boy lay more comfortably against its chest. 

It brings its hand to rub at the bulge of his mate, satisfied with the amount of seed it has fed him, hearing a tiny moan coming from his mate, barely audible. The Abyss Herald observes Ajax’s face, his head slightly tilted to the side. Dried tear tracks stain his cheeks, blank eyes half lidded and unfocused, mouth parted open with drool leaking out of the corners. Perfectly fucked into submission.

Beautiful .

All that’s left is to wait. Very soon, an embryo will form in its mate and grow tenacious enough to be birthed. The Abyss Herald has no doubts that Ajax will deliver a powerful child, the human truly a rarity that graces the Abyss once a millennia.

Eventually, lucidity returns to him, when the oppressive pressure of pleasure clouding his mind melts away.

Dreadfully, Ajax finds himself still impaled on that monstrous cock.

His legs are spread over the Abyss Herald’s thighs, feet resting on the animal hide of the nest. He feebly lifts a hand to trace the curve of his belly, morbidly fascinated at just how distended it is from usual, the lines of his abs completely gone, albeit it has shrunk a lot in comparison to the state of it in the middle of copulation. He is surprised at how little pain he feels now despite the inhuman size of the protrusion in him, and that he doesn’t feel much discomfort against his skin, face free of tears and drool and thighs no longer smeared with cum. The Abyss Herald must have cleaned him up at some point. But this surprise quickly morphs into mortification when he realizes that his body has already grown accustomed to being speared so widely open like this. He’s turned into nothing but a cocksleeve for the Abyss Herald to fuck and impregnate.

He tries getting up from where he’s laying on the monster’s chest, but quickly gives up, barely even being able to arch his back, muscles lacking the strength to sit up.

“Wonderful to see that you are not broken,” the Abyss Herald speaks from behind him. It raises its hand to hover over Ajax’s hand, the claws of its thumb and index finger lightly holding Ajax’s thin wrist to guide it lay flat on the belly.

Ajax wants to scoff at how gently the Abyss Herald is handling him now. Of course it’d be gentle with him now that he’s carrying its baby. But Ajax won’t complain about the gentle treatment, he much prefers this rather than the soul-crushing pain he had experienced.

“Do you feel the pulsing of energy? The embryo has progressed splendidly. It has condensed the fluids I inseminated in you much faster than I expected. You should be able to birth it very soon.” At those words, Ajax concentrates on his abdomen. The mess that was the flood of cum inside his belly feels much heavier and denser despite taking up less space, solidifying into a solid form with an appreciable shape. Every so often, he feels the mass throb and pulsate under his skin.

His eyes marginally widen, stunned, the awareness that he is carrying a new life in him finally sinks in. There is no way for him to refute that the Abyss has completely disregarded all laws of creation in the world and against the impossibility of the entire situation, created a new existence of a sentient being in him.

Ajax is at a loss, unsure of how he should feel.

The moment of uncertainty is instantaneously shattered by an acute pang pain in his abdomen. 

It is quickly followed by even more shockwaves of pain radiating from his belly. His back arches off the Abyss Herald’s chest, gasping when his muscles tighten painfully around the cock plugging him.

Contractions. He’s actually having contractions .

The Abyss Herald swiftly grabs onto the back of his thighs, holding him up to pull him off its length, Ajax groaning brokenly at the sudden slide, the head of the shaft sounding a filthy pop! as it catches onto his rim. Archons, he feels so empty now, the absence of the huge dick leaving his red, abused hole positively gaping . Mortification rises in him when he feels his hole twitching with the desire for something to fill it back up, residual cum that had not been plugged in his womb leaking out,  trailing down the curve of his ass.

Straightening itself into a proper sitting position, the Abyss Herald keeps Ajax’s knees bent and legs spread wide open, supporting his back against its chest. All the while the human jerks in its hold from pain.

“I-it hurts, p-please it hurts so much, make it s-stop…” Ajax mewls, gripping onto the Abyss Herald’s arms to ground himself from the surges of agony wrecking his body. He is startled when the monster moves to stand up, carrying him along in that position as it makes its way to the pool in the corner of the cave. He was about to protest, remembering that the collar on his neck is chained to the ground, but he manages to catch sight of the end of the chain snaking out of the ground, extending just enough so as to not tug against his neck.

“You’re going into labour now,” the Abyss Herald consoles. “Breathe deeply in time with the contractions, follow its rhythm and time your pushes along with it.”

Easier said than done!

Stepping into the pool, the monster submerges itself and the boy up to his shoulders. Ajax almost wants to cry in relief at the sensation of cool water against his skin, the feeling of his element giving him a familiar comfort that he unknowingly craved for. He lets himself be maneuvered, mind very much fuzzy from pain. The Abyss Herald bends him over the edge of the pool, letting Ajax rest his arms and head on the edge. The chain is at a length which prevents Ajax from ducking his head below the surface, preventing him from drowning himself. A very conveniently protruding part of stone submerged underwater allows him to rest his knees there, thighs kept spread apart. Distantly, Ajax is suspicious as to how perfectly placed the protrusion is to let him be in this position.

The Abyss Herald lets go of him, parting away from him in the water.

A panicked sob bubbles in Ajax, the sinking feeling of loneliness abruptly bearing down on him when he doesn’t feel anyone nearby. 

“D-don’t leave me! Please come back, hold me, p-please!” Ajax begs, turning around to frantically search for the Abyss Herald. He resents the thought of being alone during delivery, even if the only other being around is the very monster who put him through this torment in the first place.

The Abyss Herald is mildly astonished when he sees its mate begging, not expecting him to require its presence during nascency. But it acknowledges that despite his boundless strength and potential, Ajax is still very much human, weighed down by his feelings and emotions despite how hard he tries to ignore them sometimes. The monster discerns that Ajax is probably reaching his mental limit, and acquices to its mate’s plea, already appeased with Ajax’s durability to bear offspring so far. It can’t have its mate breaking just before birth.

The Abyss Herald glides back to its mate, bracing a hand beside Ajax’s head which now rests on the edge, pressing itself against Ajax and looming over him. Ajax thoughtlessly purrs in contentment, the distressing loneliness driven away at the contact and closeness it has to another being. Ajax grabs the monster’s hands, clutching at its claws tightly when another wave of contracting pains hit him.

And so it begins, Ajax groaning each time his womb contracts. The Abyss Herald eases him through the process, reminding him to breathe deeply and to push out the foetus at opportune times, stroking Ajax’s back to comfort him with a tenderness he didn’t expect the monster to have.

Slowly but surely, he feels the foetus inside his womb shifting, nudging at his cervix that has tightened slightly during the time the monster’s dick wasn’t keeping it open. He bears down when he feels an involuntary contraction, wheezing when a part of the foetus slips through the ring of muscle.

The process is far from over, so Ajax goes through the motions repeatedly, pausing to bury his head in his crossed arms on the edge of the pool whenever he needs to catch a break. Through it all, the Abyss Herald holds him close, rubbing the small of his back to soothe the muscles there.

Blinking his tears away, Ajax feels that the foetus has moved far down enough that it is beginning to breach his rim. 

“Just a little more until it’s completely out, you’ve done so well,” the Abyss Herald praises, petting his head. Ajax drinks up the praise, leaning into the monster’s large hand, leeching onto whatever comfort he can get to power himself through this final lap. Gritting his teeth and clawing his fingers into the Abyss Herald’s hand, he pushes.

He must have momentarily blanked out, for the pressure that has been building up in him is completely replaced by a stark hollowness. He heaves, body slack and lethargic. His knees slip from the platform they were on, but the Abyss Herald catches him before he can hit his head against the pool’s edge.

The Abyss Herald effortlessly carries its mate’s listless body back to the nest in one hand, commanding hydro easily to dry and clean Ajax, as well as the nest that they had mated on, making it comfortable for him to rest upon. The monster sets Ajax down to rest on his side in the middle of the nest, the boy’s eyelids fluttering in his attempt to stay awake.

Ajax drowsily eyes the monster, fighting against the urge to sleep because didn’t he- didn’t he just- just give birth?

Where---

Where is it---

His---

Something is placed in front of him on the nest. Ajax rubs his eyes, trying to focus his vision on it. A serpentine creature lays beside him, its pale yellow skin decorated with alternating bands of black and cyan down its length, further spaced apart near its tail. Several protruding nubs tipped with a pearlescent silver sheen dot down its body, rounded at the ends. Ajax tentatively touches the nubs, finding them to be solid, hard like compact bone. These silvery bones are present on its head, crowning around its face. He can make out the appearance of two slits, likely hiding its eyes. Trailing down, the bones form three rings that jut out of its upper body.

He pulls himself closer to the creature, cautiously wrapping his arms around it and curling his body up to keep it near. A coat is draped over the two of them, Ajax finding that the Abyss Herald has covered them with the blue fur coat he was wearing before the copulation.

His looks up at the Abyss Herald, waiting---

“This is the offspring that you have borne,” it confirms.

Ajax isn’t even perturbed at the beastly appearance of this creature.

Never once has he thought that he would be able to bring life into this world, his existence too deeply intertwined with death to even consider it. The wistful dreams never truly disappear however, dreams of having his own family, dreams of having his own kids and watching them grow up to surpass him. Alas, those are all just dreams, and Childe, Tartaglia, Ajax, never expects them to come to fruition.

But now, with this newly birthed lifeform in his arms, he cries.

He is no longer cursed with only being able to take away lives.

He has created a life of his own.

His child.

Chapter Text

Seeing his child grow gives him the same happiness he gets when spending time with his younger siblings.

It tears Ajax on the inside, knowing that he is trapped in this predicament, wishing that he could have borne a child in better circumstances. He knows that he shouldn’t get attached to this creature, knows perfectly well that he has given birth to a monster, knows that it may be very well used against him or taken away from him.

But his heart can only take so much.

So in his captivity of solitude, he latches on to the only being who has not maliciously harmed him yet. He watches the rapid development of his child, astonished at just how quickly the creature grows in size and how it gains more defining characteristics, even if there is still no way for him to tell just how much time has passed.

His child has grown to be a size way larger than him and even the Abyss Herald, taking up a significant space in the cave and no longer able to lay on the nest with him. Its pearlescent silver bones have hardened considerably, sharpening into armour that forms thick spikes along its abdomen and tail. The three rings of bone on its torso have now extended and thickened to claw around its chest, looking like an external ribcage. Six tentacles of dense smog made from abyssal energy radiate from the back of its armoured ribcage, each tentacle tipped with a conical blue gem that glimmers whenever light passes through it.

Most impressive of all is the pearlescent silver armour that partly obscures its face, framing its two sapphire eyes that glow yet are strangely dull, reminding him of his own eyes, horns protruding out of its head to form a crown-slash-mask that even looks somewhat similar to his Fatui mask, giving it a regal appearance.

Ajax can’t help but to feel immense pride over his child. Beast it may be, it is stunning. This is his child! He made this!

Against all rational thoughts that tell him that he shouldn’t get attached, he names his child anyways, even if he isn’t good with names out of the blue.

Gira, he decides, the name derived from girasol opals in which his child’s conical blue gems remind him of. He recalls one of Zhongli’s long speeches about the gem during one of their leisurely walks through the marketplace. “A true girasol opal is a type of hyalite opal that exhibits a bluish glow or sheen that follows the light source around,” the god had described.

After their laborious copulation, the Abyss Herald has mostly left him alone in the cave with Gira to rest and recover, returning every so often with more food for meat for him and Gira to eat, cooking the meat for Ajax while tossing raw chunks of meat into Gira’s open mouth. The chain attached to his collar is kept at a length that allows him to shallowly dip into the pool, allowing him to wash up if desired. Ajax also quickly realizes that the pool is the only source of water he has, and to his dismay, he realizes he has to drink from the same body of water that he gave birth in.  

He is just going to make the assumption that the pool is deep enough and or connects to a large body of water externally so that all the... questionable components get diluted and circulated away. Who knows, maybe there is a natural filtration system down there. It’s no different from accidentally drinking seawater despite knowing that someone had peed in that location before… right? Right???

Ajax drinks from the pool anyways, he’s not about to die from thirst of all things. Water poisoning is a different story. At least the water tastes inoffensive enough.

During the extended periods where the Abyss Herald is away, Ajax doesn’t have much to do really. He spends most of the time sleeping since the Abyss Herald had not given him much time to recover between his fall into the Abyss and his delivery of Gira, ravaging him during the merciless mating instead. He regains a lot more strength once he has rested, at the very least no longer feeling like his muscles are set on fire.

When he’s awake, Ajax typically watches in awe when he finds out that Gira can levitate and float around freely despite its size. It can teleport at will as well, disappearing and reappearing through abyssal rifts it creates, leaving behind lingering wisps of smoke. It is amusing to watch it dive into the pool, resurfacing with only its head poking through the surface of the water, leaning into Ajax’s touch as the human cleans its armour free from dirt and debris. 

Gira is so cute, Ajax squeals. He thinks that he’s probably insane because who would think that this monster is cute? Especially if one were to see Gira come back from occasional hunts the Abyss Herald sends it on, returning with its maw dripping with blood as it releases the prey - almost as large as Ajax - it has hunted on the ground beside the fire (that is magically still burning, it must be fueled by abyssal energy or something). But this just paints Gira to be a ferocious, capable predator, and if there’s one thing that Ajax - or rather Tartaglia - values, it’s strength.

To his delight, Gira is rather affectionate with him. It curls around Ajax when he sleeps, cocooning him as if to protect him from the outside. It even allows Ajax to give it belly rubs , making pleased rumbles whenever its mother rubs at particular spots. Deep down in Ajax, he is worried if Gira is only entertaining him during their times together and would return to the Abyss Herald’s side when his captor returns, but surprisingly, it seems that Gira prefers Ajax’s presence, not once leaving his side even when the Abyss Herald returns to check in on him. Gira doesn’t even seem to acknowledge the Abyss Herald until its father speaks directly to it.

It dawns on Ajax that Gira is as much of a captive as him really, the both of them essentially stripped of their freedom.

He finds Gira to be an intelligent creature that understands his words despite seemingly not being able to speak, replying to his questions in various intonations of cries and growls. Ajax wonders how Gira is already this smart and knowledgeable despite being so young and without the Abyss Herald teaching it anything, only having a guess that somehow the knowledge that himself and the Abyss Herald holds is instinctually passed down to their children.

Gira doesn’t reply to all of his questions though, specifically those about the Abyss Herald itself as well as questions that could help him escape.

Ajax suspects that Gira is unable to go against the orders that the Abyss Herald gives it, even if his child favours its mother over its father, knowing that Abyss Heralds are able to command other abyssal creatures such as Abyss Mages and hilichurls. He is aware that the Abyss Herald is likely having Gira watch over him during its absence so that Ajax does not escape. Considering that the Abyss Herald is its father, it would only give it a greater degree of control over Gira.

Despite him trying to adapt to his captivity, Ajax hasn’t actually stopped thinking about his options of escape, taking every detail of the cave to gauge his options.

His delusion is gone, and the collar he has on suppresses his vision’s powers, but his vision has been crushed into dust by the Abyss Herald and introduced to his bloodstream…? Ajax has no idea if his vision is still working in that state, not as if he can test it out considering the collar suppresses it anyway. Thus, all that it has left then is his Foul Legacy transformation which would give him enough strength to break through the chains. He feels that has rested enough to attempt a transformation, body no longer feeling debilitating soreness. However, he is hesitant to use it because he can’t stop his body’s rapid growth, and the collar is unlikely to expand to fit around his sensitive neck.

It is highly risky, but he doesn’t have any other options does he? So he waits until the Abyss Herald has left him alone with Gira again. Calling upon his Foul Legacy Transformation, he shifts.

Only to find out almost instantly that he was right, the collar tightens painfully around him, digging into his skin as his flesh forcibly tries to accelerate its growth around the solid metal. He chokes as his partially-transformed clawed hands try breaking the collar apart but to no avail, the collar making no move to give way as it continues to tighten his windpipe.

Frantically, he dispels all the abyssal energy he tapped into to initiate the transformation, successfully aborting the transformation and his body distorts itself back to his original size.

He wheezes, curling up on his side in the nest, hands rubbing against his neck where the collar has dug into his skin, leaving behind a bleeding red ring to mark his failure. Gira floats over to him when it realizes what Ajax has done, making worried chirrs as it wraps itself around Ajax to comfort him, gently nudging him towards the pool to heal himself in the water.

Ajax hopes that the Abyss Herald doesn’t find out of his attempt to escape.

After making sure that Teucer has returned to Northland Bank with a caretaker to take the child back to Snezhnaya, Aether searches for Ekaterina, finding her manning the receptionist counter as per usual. Despite Ekaterina avoiding confirming if employees of Northland Bank are affiliated with the Fatui, Childe has spoken fondly of Ekaterina, telling Aether and Paimon that they could always go to her if they needed to relay a message to him if he’s unavailable. From that, Aether gathers that Ekaterina serves Childe directly while the Harbinger is here, making her a trusted subordinate of Childe. Aether trusts that Ekaterina would be able to handle news of his disappearance appropriately, knowing that news of a Harbinger’s sudden disappearance could lead to some unwanted attention.

“Welcome to the Northland Bank. How may I assist you?” Ekaterina greets them when they approach the counter.

“It’s about Childe,” Aether quietly says to her so as to not be overheard, Paimon listening attentively as well since she hasn’t heard of how Childe went missing. “He disappeared in the ruins he brought Teucer to. I found his mask on the floor of an empty room filled with abyssal energy.” He discreetly hands over Childe’s signature red mask to her over the counter, hearing Ekaterina let out a soft gasp upon seeing it.

“Master Childe disappeared? In any other circumstances I would not be too concerned since he does tend to run off on his own, but from your description this doesn’t sound like one of his usual disappearances. Not to mention that he’d never be careless enough to leave his mask behind…” Ekaterina says seriously, grimly observing the cracks in the mask. She worries for her superior, never has she seen his Fatui mask in this terrible of a condition before. What trouble has he landed himself in this time?

“Thank you for returning this to me, Traveller. Could you kindly give me the coordinates of the ruins you mentioned? I will take over from there.”

He gives the receptionist the coordinates of the ruins, warning her of the unusual concentration of abyssal energy there. He receives a professional bow of thanks from her, watching as the woman swiftly makes her way to the restricted area of the bank, presumably to prepare a Fatui investigation of the ruins.

And now to find the person who would be most concerned about Childe’s disappearance.

Aether and Paimon immediately head to Wangsheng Funeral Parlour in hopes that Zhongli is still in despite it getting late and past the funeral consultant’s working hours. They knock on the front door, only having to wait a few moments before the man they’ve been looking for opens the door for them.

“Aether and Paimon? What brings you here at this hour?” Zhongli asks, gesturing for him and Paimon to enter. The two of them step into the exquisitely decorated building. Glancing around, it appears that everyone else has left, leaving Zhongli alone and giving them the privacy they need.

“Please don’t do anything rash when I say this but…” Aether trails off. He was rather apprehensive about informing Zhongli of his lover’s disappearance, afraid of how the god would react. Zhongli is typically a very level-headed person in normal circumstances, but Aether has witnessed first hand the blatant protective streak the geo archon has developed when it comes to Childe. In the early stages of their relationship after Zhongli relinquished his gnosis and the two men ‘officially’ got together, Zhongli had been notorious in interfering with a lot of Childe’s fights, decimating all of the hilichurls and mobs at the slightest injury Childe got before the Harbinger even got to properly let loose.

Needless to say, the two got into a rather heated argument during one of the commissions they were taking for Aether, Zhongli being upset over Childe’s recklessness and penchant for not taking his injuries seriously, and Childe being frustrated over Zhongli’s lack of trust that he could take care of himself.

Not wanting to be dragged in, Aether had quickly fled when the two got into their lovers’ quarrel, deciding to not call upon them for their help in commissions for a while. But it seems that they had resolved it between themselves, when the very next day Aether caught them blissfully dining together once more at Wanmin Restaurant.

During commissions after that, Aether notices that Childe is more restrained in his battles when Zhongli is present, not actually throwing himself to fight against an entire encampment of hilichurls solo. He doesn’t miss how Zhongli grips his polearm tightly whenever Childe gets hurt, as if he was trying hard to control himself from intervening, letting Childe gleefully strike his opponents down before he beelines to the younger to assess his injuries at the end of the battle.

(Only when Zhongli is not around does Childe allow himself to be reckless again, consumed by bloodlust and reveling in the adrenaline the battle gives him, prepared to sit through another long lecturing by Zhongli when he catches sight of Childe’s new wounds.)

However, looking at the circumstances now, Aether should probably tell Zhongli that his lover is missing. The Abyss never brings about good news, and so he repeats the information he relayed to Ekaterina to the funeral consultant, whose face grows increasingly grim at each word he says. 

“To repeat what you said, Childe disappeared from the ruins after using his Foul Legacy Transformation to fight ruin guards, leaving behind his Fatui mask in a room with concentrated remnants of abyssal energy?” Zhongli questions, receiving a nod from Aether in confirmation.

The former archon closes his eyes, concentrating as he taps into the ley line branches of Liyue, spreading out his senses to find the signature spark of energy that belongs to his lover.

His search leads to nothing. Childe has completely disappeared from Liyue.

“It is getting late and I am sure that you are tired from taking care of Childe’s sibling, but could you direct me to where these ruins are? I am alright with heading there myself.” Zhongli says, voice tinged with the slightest bit of impatience, needing to see for himself the last whereabouts of his lover.

Aether shakes his head. “It’s fine, I’ll lead you there. I’m worried for him as well. Let’s go.”

The two quickly make their way to the ruins of Lingju Pass, using their elemental sight to lead them to the room where Aether found Childe’s mask. The abyssal energy trail has faded greatly into transparency, the murky black cloud visible via elemental sight dissipated to a light smoky cloud.

Zhongli clicks his tongue in distaste at the abyssal energy he senses swirling in the room that masks the barely-there hints of Childe’s own energy that he can now detect due to knowing where to focus on, recognizing it to be residual traces of abyssal rifts or portals that creatures of the Abyss use to bridge the dimensions of the Abyss and Teyvat. The former archon is unaware of the extent to Childe’s abyssal powers- his lover always averse to talk about his time in the Abyss and Zhongli is unwilling to force Childe to retell his trauma - but he doubts that Childe is capable of creating an abyssal rift of his own, even more so in his apparent weakened state, that ability possessed only by elite creatures of the Abyss that are highly adept at manipulating abyssal energy.

Childe has clearly been captured and brought back to the Abyss.

How dare they take Childe away from me.

An irate snarl startles Aether and Paimon, the two tensing as they look frantically around for the source of the noise, preparing themselves for a sudden attack. Only to realize that it was Zhongli who made that noise, the god’s face contorted in an expression of fury that sends shivers down their spines, the sharp glint of fangs peeking from behind his scowl. Never have they seen him showing this much emotion before.

“Zhongli…?” Aether dares to call out.

That snaps Zhongli back to reality, schooling his face into a grimace as he realizes that he had let his anger slip.

“Ah… I apologize for startling you two. It seems that the abyssal energy you have detected are the traces of a portal that connects to the Abyss itself. This leads me to believe that Childe has been taken back to the Abyss.”

“Childe’s been kidnapped?!” Paimon yells. “But by who?”

“I cannot say for sure if the portal was created by someone or if it had naturally spawned, but I am more inclined to think that someone had created it and took Childe away. Naturally formed portals are few and far between, and typically linger for some time.” Zhongli ponders, eyes scanning the room to see if any other clues are to be found. “I do not think that Childe would have been oblivious to miss a naturally formed portal in this room.”

“Why would someone want to bring him back to the Abyss again? What could they possibly want from him?” Aether asks, puzzled.

“That, I am unable to answer. Childe has never revealed what he went through in the Abyss and we can only imagine what beings he had met there. Even in my long existence I have hardly ever ventured into the Abyss and stayed for the briefest of moments, only traversing through portals that have naturally formed in Liyue to quickly eliminate any abyssal creatures that would pose a threat. The powers of the Abyss are in direct opposition to the powers of Celestia, and long exposures to it would lead to detrimental corruption.” Zhongli frowns, not liking that Childe has fallen into the Abyss for the second time. “Regardless, I have to get to him. I do not wish to think of what will happen to him while he is there.”

Aether is overwhelmed with the amount of information Zhongli is telling him. From his travels across Teyvat thus far, he has only heard bits and pieces about the Abyss itself, knowledge on the mysterious land scarce and unknown to ordinary folk. At this point, he is only aware of how the Abyss Order are a group of monsters seeking to take revenge on the Archons. “How are we supposed to go to the Abyss? Are you able to create a portal there?”

“Isn’t there the portal that leads to the Spiral Abyss, the one at Musk Reef in Mondstadt? Isn’t that technically part of the Abyss?” Paimon pipes in. “Could we take that portal to get to Childe?” 

“Unfortunately, higher beings with Celestial powers such as myself are unable to create such abyssal portals due to the dissonance between energies. Only beings who have high competency with abyssal energy or connections to the Abyss are able to create them. As for the portal at Mondstadt, the part of the Abyss it leads to is a fragment of the dimension in the Abyss, broken off from the main world in the dimension. Even if it were connected to the rest of the Abyss, traversing the distance separating Mondstadt’s portal exit and the exit to a portal here would be terribly troublesome. The best case scenario would be to have another abyssal portal open up here again.” 

Zhongli explains, but the more he speaks, the more frustrated he gets, desperately thinking of plans to get to Childe, only to have all of his ideas drawn short. He has no means of even getting to the Abyss in the first place, is he supposed to just pray for an abyssal portal to spawn naturally at this very same place? The chances of that happening are close to zero and it would take way too long. Should he just exact his anger on an unfortunate Abyss Mage in the wild and threaten them into creating a portal for him? Highly unlikely considering that these Abyss Mages would rather die than help out a Celestial being.

What is the point of being a god if he could never save his loved ones when it truly mattered?

He had already lost his best friend once. He can’t handle losing his lover either.  

Attentively listening to Zhongli’s words and oblivious to the god’s internal struggle, Aether tries to remember any other leads he has on the Abyss. Surely there is a way?

‘Only beings who have high competency with abyssal energy or connections to the Abyss are able to create them.’

Aether’s eyes grow wide. Someone with potential connections to the Abyss, as well an extensive knowledge on the Abyss Order and creatures belonging to it…

Dainsleif.

The problem is that Aether does not know of Dainsleif’s whereabouts, nor where the man frequents. In the event that they do find Dainsleif, will he be willing to help them? The man has clearly stated that he only takes commissions related to the Abyss Order. It is quite possible that Childe’s disappearance is linked to the Abyss Order. Maybe, just maybe , there is a chance that Dainsleif would hear them out. 

Dainsleif does not possess any visible vision, but Aether is certain that Dainsleif does wield some unknown powers. He could feel it just by standing close to the man. It is possible that he too wields abyssal powers. Even if Dainsleif is unable to create a portal himself, it is the best chance that they have, and the mysterious man could let them know of other possible methods to cross to the Abyss.

Though Aether worries, Dainsleif had been aware of Venti being the Anemo Archon. Does Dainsleif know of the Geo Archon’s current persona as Zhongli? But he supposes it does not matter, not to Zhongli at least, the god looking more and more agitated with each passing second that Childe is gone.

“I may… know of a person who is knowledgeable on the Abyss, but I cannot guarantee that he is able to create a portal, nor if he will be willing to help us out,” Aether speaks up. “And I do not know where he is right now, so we would have to look for him first.”

A flash of hope sparks in Zhongli’s eyes. “The connections that you have made during your travels here are truly amazing. This person you speak of is the only lead we have right now. Where did you last meet him?”

“We last saw him at Mondstadt before parting ways at Stormterror’s Lair,” Paimon answers. “Maybe he could still be there?”

“Mondstadt you say… I suppose it is time for me to pay a long overdue visit to Barbatos.”

Zhongli lets out a deep breath, as if trying to collect himself. It is unnerving for Aether to see the normally calm and collected god like this, so frazzled and upset. It is glaringly obvious just how much the former archon loves and treasures Childe, and Aether can’t help but to want to assist him in searching for his lover.

“Should we head to Mondstadt now?” Aether asks.

“Not now, it is getting late and you should rest, and I can make the trip alone. I really appreciate you two letting me know and assisting me in finding Childe. Truly, thank you.” At that, Zhongli bows deeply to them, surprising Aether and Paimon.

“Oh it’s nothing really!” Aether hastily says, feeling rather awkward to have a god bowing to him like so. “It’s not as if we could ignore him disappearing so suddenly on us.”

Zhongli straightens himself, looking more determined than before. “Very well then. You can always find me in Wangsheng Funeral Parlour should you have any new information to report, and if I am not there, leave a message for me. I do not wish to hold you back from your own responsibilities and duties.”

“That would be fine,” Aether agrees. “The Adventurer’s Guild may have some useful information for us too. We will check with them after we’ve finished our daily commissions.”

“Yeah! Cheer up Zhongli, we’ll get Childe back!” Paimon says encouragingly.

With that, they part ways, Aether and Paimon retreating to their adeptal abode in the teapot and Zhongli returns to his home situated above the funeral parlour, readying themselves for the journey they are about to embark on.

Childe my love, I hope that you are safe wherever you are. I am coming to get you, please wait for me.

When the Abyss Herald returns, it immediately corners him from where he is lounging on the edge of the pool, legs wading gently in the water, using the cool water to soothe his bruised neck. “You tried to escape, didn’t you?”

Ajax stares wide-eyed, caught off-guard, but before he could make any excuses, the monster interrupts him.

“I told you before, didn't I? You leave behind unique energy trails whenever you use your abyssal powers, no matter how brief it may be.”

It then grabs hold of the chain connected to his collar, and forcefully hauls him up, dangling him in the air with his legs hanging. Ajax frantically grabs hold onto his collar, choking as he tries desperately to pull himself up to ease the strain on his neck.

The Abyss Herald proceeds to throw him back onto the nest, Ajax letting out a pained wheeze as his back slams into the cushioned padding on the ground, coughing heavily as his throat is released from the painful hold. He isn’t given a chance to catch his breath, the monster flipping him over and stripping him of his fur coat once more, baring him naked.

Gira flies out of the cave from where it was soaking in the pool with him, and Ajax is rather grateful for that. He doesn’t particularly want his child to see him like this .

A clawed hand grips his hips to drag him onto his knees, making him shakily brace his arms against the ground to support his upper body. Without any preamble, claws dig harshly into his hips, firm enough that it breaks his skin to draw rivulets of blood. He is unable to wriggle out of place lest he drives the dagger-like claws deeper into his body. He feels the pointed head of the Abyss Herald’s cock pressing against his hole. His eyes widen, no- he’s not prepared yet, it can’t possibly---!

The Abyss Herald is punishing him for attempting to escape. Not even bothering to prepare or stretch him out first before it mounts him, shoving its massive cock into Ajax, making the boy howl hysterically in agony when he feels his walls tearing apart, blood only now giving him the lubrication he needed from the start. Stinging pain completely overrides any pleasure that he could have felt from pressure against his prostate.

Every inch of the monstrous shaft that makes its way in him burns. He feels as if he’s dying, the pain almost as bad as when his womb got implanted in him. Fingers scrambling to get a grip on the fur below him, Ajax manages to bite onto the edge of a sheet of animal hide, biting down hard on it to gag him as scorching hot pain fries his nerves, the Abyss Herald bottoming in him with one fell swoop, cockhead already pressing against his cervix.

“It hurts, doesn’t it? I wouldn’t have had to punish you if you had known better than to try to get away,” the Abyss Herald says, disappointment dripping from its words, observing the small, trembling form of its mate below it.

Letting go of Ajax’s hips, it yanks on his hair instead to stop him from biting the hide, successfully making the boy gasp and freeing the sheet of animal hide from his mouth. “Don’t silence yourself, let me hear how much you regret trying to escape.”

The monster then grabs each of Ajax’s wrists, holding his arms behind his back and pulling the boy’s chest off the ground, making him arch his back uncomfortably. Ajax whines pitifully as the cock presses more insistently against his cervix, the muscle on the brink of failing to keep it out of his womb.

“I hope that this would serve as good enough punishment for you to learn not to escape. I don’t want to break you, but if you were to do this again, I am afraid that you would leave me with no choice,” The Abyss Herald deplores, bucking its hips sharply.

Ajax hysterically screams as his cervix is forcibly ripped open to fit the invading intrusion, eyes glassy with tears widening in horror, the cock harshly slamming into the back of his womb, making the skin of his belly bulge out. His body convulses uncontrollably at the torture, but he is held securely in place with no choice but to take it when the monster thrusts roughly into him, pulverizing his insides and leaving messy splashes of blood on his bottom whenever its pelvis pounds against his ass.

The Abyss Herald then stops and simply holds him there, impaled on its massive cock, as if giving him time to reflect on its actions. Tears flow down his cheeks as his head hangs low, gasping for breath as he tries to bear the horrible pain, inner walls sickeningly hot with his own blood trickling down his thighs. His arms are straining from being held in this position with no leverage to free himself.

“Do you promise to not attempt to escape anymore?” The Abyss Herald asks after some time, tapping on his cheek to get his attention.

It takes a moment for him to register that the monster is asking him a question. “Y-yes, I promise- I’m s-sorry,” Ajax whimpers, anything to stop this agony.

“You promise to what?”

The Harbinger is no stranger to torture or pain, having been in hostage situations when he was much younger and interrogated through various means for secret intel of the Fatui, his enemies misjudging him to be the Fatui’s weak link because he was a mere teenager despite being a Harbinger. He’s experienced various forms of torture - electrocution, waterboarding, nail removal, branding, to name a few - and each time he has managed to bear the pain, not cracking under the pressure, fully trusting the Tsaritsa to send Fatui reinforcements to rescue him with haste and decimate their enemies. But these instances back then were against fallible humans who had the single goal of getting information from him. Bearing the torture had a purpose and meaning, to protect Her Majesty’s secrets.

But now? In the Abyss? He has absolute trust that Zhongli will save him. It is just a matter of when he will arrive. A single day that passes in the overworld is equivalent to an entire month in the Abyss, judging from his last descent into the Abyss, and as strong as Ajax is, there is no point in trying to bear the pain for that long.

He throws away his pride and begs.

“I- I promise I won't, escape-” he stutters, trying to form words. “P-please stop hurting m-me. I won’t… I won’t r-run away… I’m s-sorry… please...”

“Good boy. It wasn’t that hard, was it?” The Abyss Herald releases his arms, letting him crash uselessly down to the ground, hips still held up by the monster’s shaft. It slowly pulls out from the boy, causing Ajax to cry out as the movement leaves another burning trail of scorching pain through his absolutely ruined walls. He gets flipped over onto his back, letting him stare dazedly at the monster while warm blood drips out of his hole to stain the sheets.

The Abyss Herald strokes his face, wiping away his tears and draws out its hydro to heal Ajax’s external injuries and torn walls back good as new, the internal injuries tended to by a hydro tentacle, simultaneously lubricating his walls. Relief wells up in him when the healing completely removes all of the pain he was feeling.

This merely means that pleasure is able to devour his mind once more, little mewls leaving his mouth when the hydro tentacle begins pistoning in deeply, brushing against his prostate to send little jolts of euphoria up his spine.

Ajax gasps when a large clawed hand surrounds his hardening cock. The Abyss Herald starts jerking him off, making him arch up into the touch, body quickly hurtling towards an orgasm.

“See how good it can feel if you behave? You won’t be hurt if you please me and keep bearing offspring.”

The hydro tentacle readily slips past his cervix, the muscle having already been ripped open before being healed, growing in girth to keep his muscular walls relaxed and stretched out.

He cums easily after that, the stimulation to his prostate coupled with the milking of his shaft making him orgasm into the Abyss Herald’s hand, cum sticking onto its fingers. It brings its soiled hand to Ajax’s face, prying his mouth open before sticking its claws in, rubbing against his tongue. Its mate gets the hint, and languidly licks his own cum off the monster’s fingers, careful not to poke his tongue on the sharp claws.

With its mate sucking its fingers, the Abyss Herald positions itself between Ajax’s widely spread thighs, retracting the hydro tentacle out of him. Pressing the head of its length against the well-stretched hole, it gradually pushes in, letting Ajax feel himself be stretched further, walls squeezing tight around the enormous shaft. Soft groans are drawn out of him as the cock gradually makes its ways to his cervix. His hands dig into the sheets above his head as the monster pulls back slightly before jerking its hips, cock penetrating into his womb, punching out a stuttered moan past the fingers in his mouth.

The Abyss Herald steadily thrusts into Ajax, fucking his womb open to make space for all the cum that’s about to be inseminated into him, pressing its cock in deeply and causing his tummy to bulge, before it releases, filling him with its warm fluids. With its free hand, the Abyss Herald runs its fingers through Ajax’s hair, carefully massaging his head and patting him as if to praise him for accepting its seed.

And so the breeding process begins anew, unbelievably gentle in comparison to how it had first started, the boy making tiny little mewls and breathy moans of pleasure instead of agonized screams and frantic shrieks, crying from ecstasy and not pain, the monster intending to make Ajax associate this pleasure with good behaviour.

It works effectively, for its mate doesn’t try to escape after that.

Ajax despises how he foresees himself growing used to this, body acclimatizing to being fucked and bred, the Abyss Herald slowly but surely grooming him into being a pliant cocksleeve, an incubator for its offspring. A part of him thinks that he should fight back, resist the Abyss Herald more. 

But he’s so, so tired.

He hates the Abyss Herald, detests it, loathes it, abhors it, and all other verbs that can succinctly describe how he feels.

But drowning in that hatred is exhausting, and merely assists the Abyss in killing his already fragile mental state. Ajax chooses to love instead, chooses to wholly love the child that he may have unwillingly borne, basking in the affection Gira gives him even if at this point he is unable to tell whether the affection is genuine or a ruse to keep him pliant.

He was already utterly defeated the moment he fell back into the Abyss and captured immediately, with no hopes of escaping on his own.

So Ajax cuts his losses, and surrenders to the pleasure the Abyss Herald gives him, imagining that it is Zhongli who is making him feel this blissful ecstasy, now that the monster has stopped intentionally injuring him. It is through his memories with Zhongli that Ajax retains his sanity, wishing to see his lover again, clinging on to this hope as his reason to keep surviving. 

Though if he’s to be trapped here forever, never returning to the overworld, Ajax just prays that Zhongli knows that he loves him to the end.

Chapter Text

Talented fingers strum on the string of the lyre, a gentle tune carried by the soft winds that breeze through the grassland from where he rests undisturbed at the foot of the massive oak tree, the song filling up the quiet air of the night. A ripple in the energy of the ley lines makes him open his eyes, recognizing the energy signature of the one who has teleported to the Statue of the Seven before him. He puts aside his trusted lyre as the figure approaches and stands in front of him.

“Morax! Finally you visit after so long, it is nice to see you again! What brings you here? Do you want to drink? I can take you to Angel’s Share or Cat’s Tail if you want to try something interesting---” 

“Barbatos,” Zhongli cuts in, face impassive but his lips form a tight line. “It is good to see you as well, but I must apologize that I am not here for leisure. It is… an emergency.”

Upon seeing the somber look on the fellow god’s face, Venti halts his chatter. Rarely if ever does Zhongli consult him for his troubles, so whatever it is he came for must have really concerned him.

“What happened?” Venti asks, patting the ground beside him to invite his friend to sit with him. Zhongli complies, uncaring that his coat would be dirtied by the soil and grass.

“It is regarding Childe. He has disappeared and I am led to believe that he has been taken to the Abyss. Aether mentioned that he is acquainted with someone who is familiar with the Abyss and last met him in Mondstadt, thus I am here to ask if you know who this individual is and if he is still here in Mondstadt.”

“Childe? Ah, that’s the Harbinger you got engaged to, right? I’m appalled Morax, you got engaged and you didn’t even tell me or introduce me to him? I had to find out from Xiao! I thought we were friends!” Venti exclaims, but quickly continues when he sees the tense look on Zhongli’s face. “Ahem, I’m derailing. To answer your question, I did sense a visitor travelling with Aether for some time a few weeks ago, but I’m afraid to say that he has long gone from Mondstadt.”

“Do you have an idea of where he went?”

“Nope, no idea. He teleported away. What are you seeking him for?”

Zhongli does not reply immediately, knowing that Venti will likely scold him for what he is about to say.

“I require someone to create an abyssal portal. I will save Childe.”

Venti merely stares at Zhongli for a moment, weighing the seriousness of his words before his eyes soften.

“Morax… I’m sure that you are aware of how risky it is for us to be in the Abyss. It took me a long time to expel the poison in me that had spread from Dvalin.”

“I am aware, but I simply cannot stand by knowing that Childe is in there. Celestia knows how long he will be trapped there this time before he can escape,” Zhongli says gravely, clenching his fists. “I do not wish for him to suffer anymore. I cannot rest easy until I have him back and I will do whatever it takes to make sure he is safe. You cannot stop me Barbatos.”

It may be extremely dangerous, but can he truly call himself the God of Freedom if he were to restrict the freedom of his friend’s choices? Venti doubts that he would be able to prevent Zhongli from heading into the Abyss even if he wanted to, knowing from experience that once the old god sets his mind on something, he will stop at nothing to achieve it. All Venti can do now is to simply offer whatever assistance he can. 

“I won’t stop you, not after seeing your conviction. I just need to make sure that you aren’t recklessly marching in the Abyss without a plan. Will you be going alone? And how are you going to find Childe once you’re there?”

“Aether is currently assisting me in looking for a way to open a portal. Whether he chooses to follow is his own choice. Even in the Abyss I would be able to pinpoint Childe’s location. I may have… left a faint mark on him that allows me to know where he is.”

A knowing groan escapes Venti. Of course this possessive old dragon would leave some form of mark on his lover to stake his claim. He briefly wonders if Childe is aware about this.

“And could you tell me how you are supposed to leave the Abyss once you find him?”

Zhongli stares straight into his eyes. “I will make sure that the person who created the portal keeps it open. If I have to drag him into the Abyss with me then so be it.”

The beginnings of a headache start to throb in the former anemo archon's head. For all of his elaborate and well-thought out plans, Morax is surprisingly simple when it comes to matters concerning his archaic instincts. Getting engaged to that Fatui Harbinger is gradually bringing out the worst of his possessiveness, and now that his lover has been taken from him, it would only be a matter of time until Morax’s patience snaps and he goes on a furious rampage to get back his treasure. 

Venti hopes that it would never reach that point.

“Okay, okay, let’s think about it first. You’ll be asking Aether’s acquaintance to open the portal if possible but I doubt he’ll do it without payment, all the more that this is a portal to the Abyss. If I were him I’d be suspicious as to why you’re even trying to go there in the first place. Are you willing to compensate him for this favour, and do you have an idea of what he would ask for?”

“I suppose that I would have to make a contract with him, I will see to it that he gets compensated appropriately for his service.”

“I simply pray that this person is able to make the portal in the first place, else all your effort finding him will be for naught.”

Zhongli looks at him, pausing as if debating on if he should speak. “What is it?” Venti probes.

“I recall that someone living in your city descends from Khaenri’ah---”

“No, I’m not letting you bring him into this.” At Zhongli’s surprised look from being interrupted so quickly, Venti firmly continues. “His situation is...pretty complicated, and as much as I’m not going to stop you from heading to the Abyss, that child of mine is still under my jurisdiction. I’m unaware of his full capabilities but even if he is able to create a portal, I will not let you compromise him and tear down all that he's made for himself.”

“Is that so? I will not involve him if that is the case,” Zhongli relents upon seeing the usually carefree god assert his authority. “It seems that Aether’s acquaintance is the only real lead I have right now. I suppose I will have to inform Hu Tao that I will be away for some time.”

Venti lightly pats his friend’s back. “I’m sorry that I can’t help you much, but I am sure that Childe will return to you safely. He’s strong, isn’t he? You should have faith in him that he will survive wherever he is.”

A deep sigh comes from Zhongli, the god moving to stand up, brushing the soil and grass that have stuck to his coat. “Thank you Barbatos. It is time that I leave now. May our next meeting be more joyous than this”

The former anemo archon waves his friend off, bidding him goodbye as he watches Zhongli’s form dissipate out of view, teleporting away to where he needs to be.

He picks up his lyre. This time, a somber yet hopeful tune breaks the silence of the night. Venti gazes up at the moon hanging high, moonlight unhindered in the cloudless sky.

For the sake of the entirety of Teyvat, he prays that the ancient dragon recovers his treasure.

It is rather insane for Ajax to think that he has went from having one monster child to having two monster children in such a short period of time, the Abyss greatly shortening the typical 9-month gestation period of humans - though he can’t tell exactly how long the abyssal gestation window is with no way to tell the time. But it is his reality, considering that both his children are currently curled around him in the nest, keeping him safe and nestled in the center while he recovers from his second childbirth.

After his surrender, the Abyss Herald had handled him more gently, rewarding him for good behaviour. It was far from lovemaking by any means, but at the very least Ajax felt genuine pleasure despite being repeatedly fucked into overstimulation and unconsciousness once more. The Abyss Herald held him throughout the duration of his labour, already knowing that Ajax would seek its presence for comfort. 

He successfully birthed his second child, and the Abyss Herald generally left them alone during Ajax’s recovery, only returning to bring back food for them since Gira is now able to keep an eye on Ajax and fuss over its sibling while it speedily grows. Once its sibling has fully grown and capable of overseeing their mother, it is Gira who now hunts for food for the three of them

The appearance of Ajax’s second child is oddly reminiscent of his firstborn, yet with significant differences. Instead of a serpentine creature with six tentacle-esque wings, his second child is a hexapod with a long torso. Similarly to Gira, it has that tough bone armour that also claws around its torso like a ribcage. This bone armour rings around its legs and forms the three sharp claws found on each of its feet. His second child also has a crown of bone armour on its head, but much thicker than Gira’s more delicate-looking crown, the bone extending to form mandibles framing its mouth. Two batlike wings made out of dense smog - similar to Gira’s tentacle wings - sprout from its back, with three conical gems arranged laterally at the lower tips of each wing.

The most obvious difference between Gira and his second born is their colouration, which are almost inverse of each other. While Gira has sapphire eyes, bright blue gems on its wings and black-blue stripes, his second born has ruby eyes, blood red gems on its wings and black-red stripes along its torso. The bone armour of the second child is of shiny gold in comparison to Gira’s pearlescent silver, and instead of Gira’s pale yellow skin, it’s skin is of sleek grey. Despite the differences in their forms, they both look vaguely draconic. After being given some time to grow and unable to grow any bigger, his second child ends up to be a little smaller than Gira.

Ajax ponders on the factors that influence the appearance of a creature borne of the Abyss. His children aren’t even humanoid despite their parents being himself and the Abyss Herald. Does the child inherit phenotypic traits from its parents? Or are they affected by the environment in which they are conceived? Could they possibly be altered by the mental and physical states of the parents too?

He wonders if the red colouration of his second child is partly due to the blood he had shed during mating.

Tina is what he decides to name his second child, after platina. Its sleek grey skin reminds him of the platinum ring that Zhongli had gifted him for their engagement shortly after his identity was revealed as the geo archon. Ajax keeps the ring at home when he’s out for work, finding it too precious to be sullied and scratched during the inevitable battles he gets himself into. He is glad that he had kept the ring at home on the day he had to take care of Teucer. 

He doesn’t want to lose yet another important part of him to the Abyss.

Initially, Ajax had been nervous if his second child would like him and if it would get along with him and Gira, but his worries were unfounded. If anything, his second born is even more affectionate with him, frequently nuzzling its large head into Ajax’s lap to get its mother to pet its head, and even licking his face when it is pleased.

Having the company of two children certainly helps to keep his mind off the gloom and doom of the Abyss. It reminds him of his childhood back in Morepesok, watching his younger siblings play and quarrel around, but ultimately ending the day snuggling up with each other under the blankets in bed when the unforgiving winter chills of snowy Snezhnaya seep through the thin walls of the house. But in this case, his two monster children ‘play’ with each other by practically fighting each other, physically tussling around in the cave. When they start making use of their powers, they fly out of the cave (Ajax had been surprised to see Tina capable of flying as well). Ajax could see the occasional bright flashes of light through the cave opening, and hear the growls and crashes of his children during the scuffles as they slam each other. They never give each other fatal injuries however, only leaving behind cuts and wounds that they quickly heal from - Ajax had asked Gira if they had regenerative capabilities, receiving a nod from it, and further probing let him know that elite abyssal creatures are able to absorb the energy of the Abyss to rapidly heal.

It is rather unfortunate that he isn’t able to leave the cave to fully witness his children’s powers, the chain too short to let him move far from his nest, but he is able to see glimpses of them when they zoom past the cave entrance or are directly in his field of view. Gira opens its mouth to shoot out a high velocity stream of galaxy-black energy at Tina, almost like a flamethrower of acid as it dissolves and bubbles through the skin it came into contact with. This same energy coalesces around Tina’s claws when it swipes at its sibling, leaving long bloody cuts on its body.

It is highly amusing to Ajax to say the least, that they are essentially training each other to become stronger. This makes him sigh wistfully, wishing too to be able to spar with his children to see just what they are capable of. 

Ajax worries that he himself will get weaker in his captivity, whether his muscles would slowly degrade from being unable to train and work out, but then he flushes furiously when he realizes that he is getting some form of exercise - in the form of getting his brains fucked out in various positions for god knows how many hours or days in succession, and then having to give birth immediately afterwards.

He quietly makes a prayer to bless his mother for having the strength to give birth to him and all of his siblings.

His children return to the cave after their fight to see their mother have stars in his eyes, a melancholic smile on his face and they briefly glance at each other, knowing that their mother itches to fight some way somehow.

They gently tackle him, making him let out a shout of surprise when he gets pushed back into the nest. Fear strikes in him, have they been ordered to attack me? But from the way his children are harmlessly squirming around and on him, he realizes that his massive children are wrestling with him, coaxing him to playfight with them since he is unable to properly spar with them. And Ajax laughs at the realization, the first genuine laugh that he has made since his capture. Wriggling out from where Tina has practically sat on him, he gets back on his feet and jumps onto his children with a roar, clinging onto their backs and rolling around in the nest with them in a fit of giggles.

Nothing stops Ajax from trying to make the best out of any situation he is in. Even if he’s been forced to bear abyssal children, they are still his children nonetheless, and nothing is stopping from loving them. He’s lucky that his children seem to love him in return - though he won’t truly know their real feelings while the Abyss Herald still controls them - giving him the strength he desperately needs to keep holding on for however long he’ll be trapped in the Abyss.

I’ll be alright.

I’ll survive.

So please…

Please save me Zhongli.

I can’t do anything but wait for you.

The sun hangs low in the sky, painting Liyue in a glow of orange as dusk descends upon them. After completing the daily commissions available to them for the day, Aether and Paimon return to the Liyue’s Adventurers’ Guild headquarters to claim their rewards. Strangely enough, their commissions today took a way longer time than usual to complete. Most of them had seemed simple enough, just clearing out hilichurl camps and eliminating any threats as per normal, but upon their arrival to the first camp, the hilichurls and enemies were unusually aggressive and coordinated, quickly overwhelming Aether who was fighting alone. He had been forced to make a quick tactical retreat to call upon some assistance to join the adventure team before resuming his commissions.

Arriving at their destination, they are surprised with Ganyu’s unexpected presence, the adeptus currently having a serious conversation with the Liyue branch’s leader, Lan.

“We are well aware of their insatiable greed to obtain any and every ancient or valuable artifact,” they hear Lan scoff as they get closer. “But who do they even think that they are? Having the audacity to go after treasures of the Abyss Order?”

The Abyss Order? Could they somehow get a lead with Childe from here?

“Oh Aether, Paimon, it’s you two.” Lan acknowledges them as they approach.

“Hmmm? It’s rare to see you here, Ganyu. Do you have a commission to make?” Paimon asks.

“Hello Aether and Paimon, it is nice to see you two again.” Ganyu politely greets them. “To answer your question, yes, I am here to post a commission. Recently, we have received intel from the Ministry of Civil Affairs that the Liyue and Mondstadt factions of Treasure Hoarders are planning a large-scale joint operation. We have been told that they have discovered an unexplored ruin that is secretly guarded by the Abyss Order.”

“Undeterred by how dangerous the Abyss Order is, their avarice makes them obsess over the potential treasures they could get in the ruins, how foolish of them.” Lan admonishes. “It’s to the extent that they have even hired a highly skilled thief from Fontaine, titled the ‘Grand Thief’, to sneak into the ruins when decoys have distracted the Abyss Order’s forces away from the ruins.”

“With all of the major events happening to Liyue recently, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Millilieth are regrettably overwhelmed with the amount of work and are unable to investigate this matter further. Hence why I am here to post a commission,” Ganyu explains.

Since this is related to the Abyss Order, there is a high chance that we might be able to meet Dainsleif, Aether thinks.

“Well, since I am already here, I can accept this commission,” Aether offers.

“Yeah! We can handle this!” Paimon affirms.

“It is getting late, are you sure that you’re agreeable with taking this commission now? We can leave it for tomorrow if you need time to prepare,” Ganyu worries.

“It’s not a problem,” Aether reassures her. “Besides, this seems like a very important matter

Ganyu’s face lights up in relief. “Oh, you would? That will be much appreciated! Considering that the Abyss Order is involved, I worry if inexperienced adventurers were to accept this commission, but knowing that it is you who will handle it puts me at ease.”

“Aether is a reliable Guild member, I’m sure he’ll be able to handle this commission. The Guild will settle the details, so don’t worry about it. Good luck with it, and stay safe,” Lan says, turning to Katheryne to settle the details.

After waving Ganyu goodbye and obtaining the coordinates of the ruins in question, Aether and Paimon head for Mount Aocang, anticipating to see what they will uncover there.

The ruins that Ganyu directed them to are strange. Really strange.

It’s the first time Aether has seen a ruin with devices that periodically spews rows of hydro bubbles, similar to those created by hydro abyss mages. He isn’t all too surprised however, knowing that this is an Abyss Order stronghold. He wouldn’t put it past them to have laid the device to trap unlucky wanderers that dare to venture in within the hydro cages, drowning the more unfortunate ones to their demise.

What does shock them however, is the inverted Anemo Statue of the Seven they found deeper in the ruins.

Elemental sight isn’t even required to detect the potent abyssal energy that swirls in the hands of the statue, the sinister orbs it holds absorbing the dark purplish-black waves of energy.

“How the heck is this thing here?!” Paimon shrieks. “And why does it look so cursed?”

The eerie aura of the entire room is only exacerbated when the two notice a figure curled up on its knees on the ground before the statue. Upon closer inspection, the two realize that it is a person.

“H-hello…?” Paimon timidly asks, flying cautiously towards the man. “Are you alright?” She taps his shoulders, and immediately screams when the body freely slumps over and lands on the ground with a dull thud.

Paimon frightfully flees to hide behind Aether. “Is he… is he dead…?”

Aether warily makes his way to the body, circling around to view his face. Blood spills from the body’s parted mouth and drips onto the floor, only the whites of the man’s eyes visible from how far it has rolled up his skull. The body remains still, no signs of breathing or life coming from him.

“He’s dead,” Aether says remorsefully. “This must have been the Grand Thief the Treasure Hoarders had hired.”

“We should leave, quick.” Paimon hastily suggests. “Let’s report this to Ganyu and Lan before anything bad happens to us.”

Just as she says that, the ground trembles violently, as if an earthquake is erupting right beneath the ruins. Aether spins around and is greeted with the sight of the ruins floor cracking apart, noxious bright pink and purple liquid bubbling from the cracks and bursting into a smog that makes him feel nauseous just by looking at it.

Yeeeaaah let’s not go through there.

Eyes darting around in search for a way out, Aether spots an exit at the back of the room, off to the side of the inverted statue.

“Paimon! This way!”

The two swiftly make their way to their exit, finding themselves at the foot of an inclined hallway, another hydro trap present on the other end sending the hydro bubble cages their way. Taking a deep breath, Aether darts up the incline while dodging the traps.

The rumbling of the platform beneath him catches his attention, and it’s only thanks to his instincts and reflexes honed over centuries that he manages to lunge across into a small nook in the wall to save himself from falling when the platform crumbles under him. Paimon remains safe, freely able to fly. With wide eyes, he peers over the ledge to see a bottomless ravine. He could have disappeared into nothingness.

The platforms ahead still remain intact, and Aether suspects that each platform is only able to handle a couple of steps before it disappears. He has to make it through this quick. Summoning a geo construct, he climbs on top of it, and then makes a break for it, leaping over to the next platform.

Adrenaline pumping through his veins, Aether runs up the incline, side-stepping any incoming hydro bubbles that yearn to trap him. Safe in the air and out of the trajectory of the traps, Paimon flies after him. They successfully reach the top of the hallway, where Aether leans against the wall, panting heavily as he catches his breath from the exertion. Paimon flits around him, keeping a lookout in case any danger comes. Looking back down the hallway in which they came from, the floor has completely disappeared.

After collecting himself, the two promptly continued through the ruins. The earthquake that originated in the other room appears to have stopped, and Aether climbs up a stairs that appears to be a dead end. But upon their approach, the sound of gears whirring start up, the patterns on the wall lighting up before the wall splits apart in horizontal bars, revealing the new room as well as its single occupant that stands tall, as if waiting for their arrival.

Aether has never seen this creature before, but he has a gut feeling that it is associated with the Abyss Order Ganyu has warned them about.

“Be careful…” Paimon quietly whispers to him as they both cautiously enter the room, finding it risky to run away now that the creature’s attention is on them.

“You cannot spy on the secrets of the Abyss,” the creature hisses when they enter the room. “I will have to eliminate you for what you should not have witnessed. As a Herald, I will bestow you the honour of being punished by me.”

“An Abyss Herald? Was this what Dain was searching for?” Paimon asks quietly, but apparently not quiet enough, for the Abyss Herald overhears her.

“Dain? Ah, you must be talking about Dainsleif. Hmph, I initially thought that you were a couple of pests scurrying around but you are with that insufferable annoyance, I see,” the Abyss Herald mutters. “Did he send his lackeys here to die in his stead? Well no matter, I will see to it that you will not cause future problems for us.”

The monster flicks its arms down, and sharp blue blades protrude from the cuffs of its wrists. Aether is only given a moment’s notice before the Abyss Herald charges at him, barely dodging out of the way. Quickly materializing his sword, Aether jumps back to put some distance between them, reading his stance to prepare for the next incoming attack.

“Be careful! It seems stronger than any creature that we have fought before!” Paimon warns before disappearing in a puff of celestial light.

Sometimes, Aether wishes that he too could run away into whatever dimension Paimon goes to, but alas he is here, sprinting around the room as he dodges the Abyss Herald’s first onslaught of attacks, the monster swinging its blades and launching slashes of hydro towards him.

Deja vu strikes him then while he ducks from the next attack, the Abyss Herald crossing its arms before sending a cross-shaped hydro projectile at him.

Why do these attacks feel so familiar? I definitely know that I’ve never fought an Abyss Herald before so why…?

Aether was so preoccupied with his confusion over the feeling of deja vu that he doesn’t even counterattack, merely dodging and jumping out of the way of the monster’s attacks while he racks his brains to recall if he has ever fought something like the Abyss Herald.

It is only when he gets a faceful of a hydro slash hitting him which he fails to dodge that the realization of why this fighting style is so familiar hits him.

Childe’s Foul Legacy transformation when we fought in the Golden House!

This epiphany is followed by even more realizations - Childe must have fought Abyss Heralds when he was trapped in the Abyss in the past, and had copied their fighting style to incorporate into his own abyssal transformation. This deeply saddens Aether, to think that Childe was already fighting monsters such as this when he was so terribly young. It is no wonder why the Harbinger is so adamant about protecting the innocence of his younger siblings, for his own childhood had been cruelly ripped from him.

With this newfound knowledge, Aether steadies his sword, all the more determined to assist Zhongli in finding and saving Childe. Despite not agreeing with some of his actions and having conflict with the Fatui as a whole, Aether does not find Childe to be an inherently bad person, and maybe in another universe the two of them could be close friends.

Besides, Aether is undeniably worried of the fallout if Zhongli were to lose Childe, having heard numerous stories of the god’s berserker rampages in the past. 

Teyvat does not need yet another war.

Concentrating the geo energy in the atmosphere, Aether solidifies a geo construct and sends its hurtling at the Abyss Herald, distracting it while he punches the ground, sending geo shockwaves rippling through the ground around him as spikes of crystals erupt from below, damaging his opponent.

The monster grunts at the impact, but backs away from Aether, studying him as if it discovered something.

“Huh, this familiar power and energy… I see, so you are the one she is talking about. Tch, if that’s the case, I will have to leave you for now. How unfortunate, I would have loved to eliminate you before you get to him,” the Abyss Herald says, before a large portal splits the air open behind it, revealing the background of a starry night sky, stars twinkling amongst the purple-black swirls. The monster hops back through it to leave.

Aether’s eyes widen. An Abyss portal?  

“Wait!” He yells, sprinting towards it, but he is too late, the portal disappears in whiffs of smoke before he reaches it. He activates his elemental sight, and he sees the same trails as those found in the ruins where Childe disappeared. We were so close…!

“Are you okay?” Paimon worriedly asks as she reappears back into existence. “Why did the Abyss Herald leave so quickly?”

Aether contemplates on the Abyss Heralds words. Who was it talking about when it said “she” and “him”? And it seemed to know me…

“Aether?”

He shakes his head. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Oh yes, finally! Let’s leave this creepy place and report to Ganyu and Lan. I hope that the exit is nearby…”

There is in fact, no separate exit, hence the two of them went back the way they came, Aether gliding down the now floorless hallway, returning to the room in which the inverted statue is in. The tremors have stopped, and Aether feels chills down his spine as the room looks the same as when they first stepped in - ground intact with no cracks to be seen. There is one jarring difference however.

The body of the deceased Grand Thief is gone, along with the bloodstains that have completely disappeared from the ground, leaving no indication that he was ever there.

Aether gulps, trying not to think too hard about what happened to it, quickly running to the entrance of the ruins.

They successfully leave the ruins without encountering any other monsters or further problems, much to their relief. Greeted by the cool breeze of the Liyuen night that calms them from the suffocating atmosphere of the ruins, they hear a familiar voice.

“I didn’t expect us to meet so soon, but it is nice to see you again.”

Turning around at the sound, Aether brightens up upon seeing the very person they are looking for. He gets straight to the point.

“Hello Dainsleif. How do you feel about taking another commission?”

Chapter Text

“Another commission you say? Could this be related to the Abyss Herald that you met in those ruins?”

“Eh, how did you know that we met an Abyss Herald there?” Paimon asks, surprised.

“I’ve been on the hunt for it ever since we last met. I didn’t expect you to be here as well,” Dainsleif explains. “So what is this commission about? I must remind you that I only take commissions related to the Abyss Order.”

“We have reason to believe that a friend of ours has been captured and taken to the Abyss, and we’re wondering if you are able to create a portal to the Abyss so that we can rescue him,” Aether elaborates.

“I refuse.” 

“Huh?!” Dainsleif’s swift rejection shocks both Aether and Paimon, having barely given much details on the situation. 

Aether quickly recovers and speaks up. “From your refusal, I’m assuming that you can make an abyss portal, since you did not directly say that you are incapable of making one. So why not? We can pay you appropriately for your services.” Or rather Zhongli give his mora to you if that’s what you want.

“You’re a smart one, aren’t you?” Dainsleif huffs. “While it is true that I am capable of creating a portal to the Abyss, it is not yet your time to delve into that place and experience the horrors it has to offer. I apologize for sounding patronizing, but you are not at the stage of your journey where you are strong enough to face the monstrous creatures of the Abyss, and I will not send you to the Abyss as of now.”

Not strong enough to face the Abyss creatures? What does that make Childe then? Wasn’t he a mere child? Aether scoffs internally. 

“Alright, I get it, you forbid me from going to the Abyss for some reason. But what if it was someone else going to the Abyss? This person is the one who is desperate to save our captured friend,” Aether negotiates. While it is not the best situation to have Zhongli traverse the Abyss on his own, he doubts that the god would think twice about doing it. If Aether fails to acquire Dainsleif’s help, Aether could foresee Zhongli somehow finding another way into the Abyss and going on a solo rescue mission himself regardless.

“And send them to their deaths? I think not. Who are they in the first place? I’m curious as to how someone is desperate or crazy enough to willingly go to the Abyss to save someone else. And how sure are you that this friend of yours has been brought to the Abyss?” Dainsleif questions. “People do not just get randomly kidnapped by the Abyss, and the Abyss tends to only take in those with strong ambitions and personalities.”

Aether isn’t too sure if he should be revealing that it is a Harbinger who got captured, since it is sensitive information for the Fatui, but they have now piqued Dainsleif’s curiosity, and perhaps revealing Childe’s identity would make Dainsleif more inclined to help them. He doesn’t think that even the Fatui has easy access to the Abyss. Additionally, Aether doubts that Dainsleif would be spreading this information around freely. 

Paimon gives a nod to Aether, encouraging him to speak. She has been remaining quiet so far, letting Aether do the talking and making the decisions on what information to reveal to convince Dainsleif to help them, knowing just how serious the situation is.

“Do you perhaps know Childe, the Eleventh and youngest of the Fatui Harbingers?” Aether prompts.

A look of recognition crosses Dainsleif’s face. Bingo.  

He looks unusually grim however.

“Childe, the Eleventh Harbinger… Is this the same person as Tartaglia?” At Aether’s nod, Dainsleif quietly mutters, “so he has adopted yet another name I see…”

Huh? Why does it sound like Dainsleif knows more about Childe?

Dainsleif quickly presses on however, not letting Aether dwell too much on it. “And who is this person so desperate to save Tartaglia? I do not think that it is the Fatui considering they would never reach out to an unknown variable such as myself. It makes me think that you had recommended me to them.”

Oh. Aether’s been found out.

“Yes, you’re right, I did imply that I know someone who could help,” Aether confesses. “I did not specify who you were, however, if you are worried about your identity.”

Aether pauses, contemplating if he should reveal that the one desperate to save Childe is the former Geo Archon himself. He probably shouldn’t mention that however, but he still needs to convince Dainsleif that Zhongli is strong enough to face the Abyss to persuade him into opening a portal for them.

“The person desperate to save Childe is his lover, an adepti actually. And I will reassure you that he is… definitely powerful enough that he will be capable of taking on the monsters of the Abyss. He has faced off with monsters and gods while protecting Liyue for thousands of years after all.”

Aether almost misses how the corners of Dainsleif’s lips twitch into the barest of smiles which quickly disappear. “An adepti is his lover you say? One that has made a contract with Rex Lapis? Huh, I wonder how he feels about his archon staging his own death to blend amongst his people and settle as a mere funeral consultant going by the name of Zhongli.”

That got Aether freezing up. How does Dainsleif know so much? Wasn’t Zhongli’s human persona a secret even amongst the adepti? Since Dainsleif already knows about Zhongli, he is eventually going to find out that Zhongli is Childe’s lover when they meet.

“I would seriously question you about how you know that Zhongli is the Geo Archon but then I remember that you knew that Venti is the Anemo Archon, so I shouldn’t be this surprised.”

Dainsleif merely laughs lightly. “I simply know all that I should. Now tell me then, this adepti friend of yours is Zhongli, isn’t it?”

Looks like we’ve been caught. “...Yes, it’s Zhongli who wants to save Childe.”

“Very well then, if that is the case, I can accept your commission of opening an Abyss portal.” Aether has to hold back a sigh of relief upon hearing that. “However, my terms are that only Zhongli alone goes through my portal, and that I will only open a portal for him to enter the Abyss. I am not keeping the portal open for long, nor will I open another portal for him to leave, it is up to him to find a way to leave. As for my payment, I simply require you to accompany me for a short time in following the trail of this Abyss Herald that you met in the ruins.”

“I’m fine with the payment you set, but why won’t you open up an exit portal?” Aether inquires.

Paimon adds on to that line of thought. “Isn’t that just abandoning them in the Abyss with no way out?”

“It is simply because I do not have the capability of maintaining an Abyss portal for extended periods of time. Conjuring up the portal itself takes up a lot of my energy, and I would be drained trying to keep it open long enough for Zhongli to retrieve Childe. Time flows differently in the Abyss, it is impossible for me to predict how long that will take, and I am unwilling to exert myself that far.”

Aether considers the terms that Dainsleif has laid out and sighs. This is probably the best that he can get out of him at the moment. If Zhongli finds them disagreeable, he should be able to negotiate with Dainsleif better.

“If Zhongli were to disagree with your terms, would you be open to negotiation?”

“It would depend, but I am not opposed to hearing him out. Now let’s go find him shall we? It would be best if we do not linger here.”

Silently following the Traveller and his floating companion, Dainsleif wonders to himself what compelled him to willingly help an archon that was responsible for the very destruction of Khaenri’ah, his own home. The hatred he holds for the Seven Archons has never waned, burning bright in his heart for the past five hundred years, but the face of that little boy who fell into the Abyss then flickers in his mind, and the broiling flames of loathing simmer down to a slow flame that provides comforting warmth instead.

He remembers when he had first come across Ajax in the Abyss, having heard the loud and clumsy footsteps of something running in his direction, followed by an agitated growl. Dainsleif ducks and hides behind a massive boulder, initially thinking that it is the usual lawachurl that had been sent to hunt him down. But to his astonishment, with his eyes that have been accustomed to the abyssal darkness with only a handful of stars to light up the ground during this abyssal lunar phase, he vaguely sees the form of a small little boy who runs past him, clutching a shortsword in his hand. The child stumbles, tripping over an overgrown root, falling face first into the ground with a thud. He frantically gets up, but is quickly caught up by the creature that had been chasing him, a beastly wolf-like monster with two sets of mouths, sharp teeth lining the entirety of its gums in multiple rows, which it bares at the boy, snarling in pain. One of its three glowing eyes had been gouged out, and Dainsleif guesses that it is the handiwork of the little boy.

The wolf had pounced onto the boy, leaving him no room for escape. Dainsleif expects the boy to simply cower in fear, but the boy defies his expectations, shakily - but bravely - plunging his shortsword into the monster’s neck.

It rears its head back to let out an agonized howl, but the wolf quickly snaps back in anger, opening its mouths to bite the head of the child.

Dainsleif decides that he should probably step in a little, not particularly wanting to see a bloodbath right in front of him - a commotion like this would draw attention to his location either way. Concentrating a dense mass of abyssal energy, he flings that ball of energy into the back of the wolf, exploding upon impact, sending the pieces of flesh and bone raining down..

The boy has covered his face with his arms in an attempt to defend himself, so he wouldn’t see what had actually saved him. He flinches at the sudden loud bang over him, grunting when a heavy weight lands on top of him. Opening his eyes, he lets out a frightened squeak at what he sees - the lifeless body of the wolf, tongues lolling out of its mouths as its head limply hangs over his shoulder. He has to exert a lot of his strength to push the corpse off so that he can roll out from under it.

Successfully extracting himself, the boy pants as he looks back at the dead body of the wolf, shuddering when he sees that its back has been blasted open, light blue flames singing the edges of the wounded skin, the new light exposing the internal organs and skeleton of the monster. 

Now that the immediate danger has passed, the adrenaline that has been fueling him wears off, and the boy feels bile rise up his throat at the gruesome sight, adding on to the nausea that he feels. He crawls over to the side and vomits the contents of his stomach - which isn’t much considering he hasn’t eaten since he had fallen into the Abyss.

The boy feels his already useless vision blurring, and he falls onto his side, away from the mess that he had made. Tears spring into his eyes, and he cries softly, muffling the hiccuping of his sobs with his hands, the undercurrent of terror he felt while fleeing finally registering in him. He could have died. Died here in this desolate void alone with no one knowing what had happened to him. Vaguely, he wonders what had killed the monster, but he is unable to think about it anymore, not when absolute darkness finally takes him and he passes out from exhaustion.

Stepping out from his hiding place, Dainsleif makes his way to the prone form of the boy, crouching over him to observe him better. He is so… young, barely even a teenager, face bruised and lightly bleeding. 

Many greater adults have fallen into the Abyss, losing themselves to the insanity that this dimension subjects them to, devolving into the very monsters that prowl around, hunting for their next prey.

To think that the Abyss has decided to claim this child as one of its own... Dainsleif wonders just what it is that the inner workings of this world sees in the boy.

Dainsleif was about to pull away and continue on his journey, but the boy’s face marred with tears tugs at his heartstrings, reminding him of the Khaenri’ahn child close to his age, the last hope of their nation, the prince that he had been assigned to protect before the dissolution of their nation.

Clicking his tongue, Dainsleif swiftly hooks an arm under the boy’s knees, his other arm supporting his back and picking the child up. He quickly walks through the dark forest of deadwood, spotting the silhouette of a large tree with its bark hollowed out at the base, sizable enough for the boy to curl up and seek refuge in. 

He gently places the boy in the crevice, nestled against the wall to hide him from any other monsters in the area. Along the way, he had plucked some fruits hanging from other trees that he had recognized as edible, putting them in front of the boy so that he wouldn't miss them when he wakes up.

Shaking his head, Dainsleif steps away from the boy, giving him one last look to commit his appearance to memory before he sneaks away. He has helped as much as he can right now, for he has his own troubles to worry about then.

Dainsleif’s second encounter with the boy was approximately two months later, his hunt for the Abyss Order’s newest base of operations leading him to cross paths with the child once more. It is entirely unexpected to see the boy with Skirk of all beings . The woman is infamous throughout the lands of the Abyss, the elusive lone wolf untouchable by the lower creatures of the Abyss, powerful enough to fend off massive monsters and the more intelligent higher creatures on her own, so much so that even the members of the Abyss Order generally leave her alone, not finding any benefit to confronting her. Dainsleif himself does not know much about her, not of her motivations, nor of her story of being in the Abyss. She hides her tracks infuriatingly well, and despite the hundreds of years that she walks through these lands, Dainsleif cannot find much about her.

So to see one of the Abyss’ greatest enigmas taking in the little boy under her wing… it is so very curious.

What is even more interesting however, is that the Abyss Herald that Dainsleif has been tailing is currently facing off against Skirk, the prone form of the little boy on the ground behind her, a large gash running diagonally down his torso, bleeding heavily. Ajax, is what the boy is named,  Dainsleif discovers, having heard Skirk yell out his name when the Abyss Herald had slashed him down. A glint of blue hanging from Ajax’s neck makes Dainsleif’s eyes widen, recognizing it to be a vision that was not present during his first encounter with the boy.

Even in the Abyss the Archons could grant visions? As old as he is, there are still many unsolved mysteries to the world and the powers that govern it that Dainsleif yearns to uncover. It seems that each time he encounters Ajax, the boy brings yet another surprise.

The behaviour of this Abyss Herald perplexes Dainsleif. Creatures of this high a hierarchy in the Abyss Order do not often make an appearance unless an operation is underway, but from what Dainsleif knows, there are no Abyss Order strongholds in this area of the Abyss, so why is it here?

His question is quickly answered as he watches on from where he’s hidden in the cover of darkness, noticing that the Abyss Herald appears to be aiming for the boy, with Skirk putting herself between the two, as if to block the Abyss Herald from getting to Ajax. But with Ajax bleeding out, Skirk quickly makes the decision to flee, scooping up the limp body of the child in her arms and teleporting away.

The Abyss Herald hisses in frustration, sending several water blades in random directions to release its anger, luckily none of them are directed in Dainleif’s way. In the newfound silence of the vicinity, he could just barely make out the words it says next. “Curse you Skirk… that boy will be mine one day.”

It is through this incident that the present Dainsleif is able to speculate as to what led to the disappearance of Ajax - now apparently going by the name of Childe - as reported by the Traveller. There is a significant chance that it is that very same Abyss Herald that has kidnapped the boy, finally meting out the declaration that it had made.

Through the grapevine, Dainsleif had heard that the child has successfully escaped the Abyss, and watches from afar as this scared little boy transforms into a weapon of war, quickly rising in ranks to become the one of the Tsaritsa’s favoured Harbingers and the relentless vanguard of the Fatui. And to now hear that that little boy has grown up and gotten an archon of all people as his lover - not to mention the oldest and most powerful of all the archons even - he should be surprised but he really isn’t. Ajax inherently attracts strong and powerful beings towards him like a moth to a flame, the siren call of unlimited potential brimming in him too sweet to resist, which is what got him in this situation in the first place, having unfortunately caught the eye of an Abyss Herald.

Dainsleif supposes that creating an abyss portal for Morax is his way of making the former Geo Archon repent for his past deeds, as well as to apologize to Ajax for being unable to help him much in the past. He couldn’t open a portal for the boy back then, having to conserve his energy in preparation for the impending confrontation he had with the Abyss Order. But now that he is able to rope the Traveller in to assist and fight for him should any they get involved in any skirmishes with the Abyss Order, he would not have to worry much about exerting his powers to open the portal for a brief moment.

And if he had any other ulterior motives for letting the former Geo Archon enter the Abyss… no one else needs to know it. If the Abyss Order and the god were to eliminate each other there, it would simply benefit Dainsleif. Failure on the god’s part to save Ajax would merely fortify Dainsleif’s belief that there is no use for gods anymore. What good are they if they can’t even save a single human? Save Ajax from the malevolent corruption of the Abyss that the Archons themselves had exacerbated when they senselessly massacred the people of Khaenri’ah due to their own revolting pride?

Putting all of his personal vendetta aside, Dainsleif does genuinely desire for Ajax to be saved, foreseeing the young man to be pivotal to the events that will drastically alter the future of this world, for the Abyss-claimed individual has proudly embraced his fate of being the eye of the storm.

For now, Dainsleif will play his part and give access to the Abyss for the former Geo Archon. What comes next will be up to the god to fulfil his role.

His third child is the first one that is taken away from him.

In the aftermath of the third copulation, Ajax is carried by Tina to lay in the nest while Gira is out hunting, completely spent from yet another round of childbirth, wrapped up in his fur coat. Drowsily, he watches the Abyss Herald pull his child out from the deep pool he gave birth in, the monster’s back facing him. He expects the Abyss Herald to put the child in the nest with him and let him hold them, just like his previous two kids, but the monster walks away with his child towards the entrance of the cave without even looking his way.

“W-wait, where are you taking the baby?” Ajax shakily asks, mustering up the energy to even speak. With trembling arms, he lifts himself up to a sitting position, bracing himself against Tina’s legs for support.

The Abyss Herald merely turns its head towards Ajax, giving him a quick glance. 

“As I told you before, each of the offspring that you bear hold power comparable with the oldest beings in the Abyss despite being so young. They would certainly give the Abyss Order the additional power we need in war. Our first two offspring are here to look after you because I forbid you from dying.”

No- no no no no no--- This can’t be happening---

“You’re… you’re going to use my children as soldiers?”

Growing up, Ajax has thrown himself into warfare for the Fatui, relishing in the danger of such a perilous occupation even, so that he could protect his family and ensure that they do not go through the same horrors and suffering he has faced. While he would hope that his younger siblings would become strong warriors capable of taking care of themselves, he does not particularly want them to be forced into war against their own will.

“What other reason did you think I mated you for? The potential of the offspring you will give me is boundless, why would I not use the power that they have?”

But to now know that his children are the ones who would share the same fate as him, Ajax can’t help but to think that he’s failed in keeping his goal.

Sure, at the start of his capture Ajax had already anticipated the possibility that his children could be taken away or used against him, he knows that very well, but evidently that doesn’t change his reaction or prepare him for how enraged he is about it.

“Give them back!” Ajax seethes, drawing strength from the fury that bursts from within, clawing at his collar in frustration when the chain is too short for him to leave the nest and reach his child. “ GIVE ME MY CHILD BACK!”

The Abyss Herald does not even spare a glance back at him, simply ignoring him and walking out of the cave with their offspring in its arms, leaving Ajax to fume in the nest where he is imprisoned. It is only when the Abyss Herald makes a turn after passing through the cave entrance, that Ajax manages to catch a brief glimpse of his thirdborn in the monster’s arms, committing its appearance to memory. Another serpentine creature, skinnier and longer than Gira, with emerald skin and yellow symbols patterning down the length of its body, four horns protruding from behind its jaw, and several flat fins extending out from its tail and different segments of its body. 

When he’s calmed down much much later, Ajax notices that all of his three children look particularly draconic and serpentine, despite him and the Abyss Herald being humanoid, and he wonders if even in their separation, Zhongli’s draconic nature is somehow influencing things. 

But in the moment, Ajax screams himself to exhaustion while Tina tries its best to soothe its mother, utterly distraught over having one of his children taken away and helpless to do anything about it, his anguished cries reverberating far and wide throughout the Abyss.

Chapter Text

Ajax is… wonderfully fascinating to say the least.

As time passes in the Abyss, the Abyss Herald grows increasingly aware of the changes in its mate’s energy composition - or rather, just how much abyssal energy has been imbued in him. Initially, the Abyss Herald had guessed it to be Ajax simply absorbing the omnipresent abyssal energy that is in the atmosphere, but it puzzles the monster, having seen the corruption of lesser humans which took a longer time than this to have such a noticeable change in abyssal energy. But with each time the Abyss Herald impregnates its mate, it is followed by a sharp spike in Ajax’s abyssal energy.

The Abyss Herald is eventually hit with the realization that Ajax’s body is actually directly absorbing the energy in its semen for himself.

It amuses the Abyss Herald to no end to see just how greedy Ajax is for power, even if its mate doesn’t realize that he’s been siphoning away the energy meant for their offspring.

The influx of abyssal energy in Ajax is concentrated enough that it has even started manifesting physically. His eyes are no longer the dull ocean void that makes him appear lifeless. Instead, he now holds the very galaxy in his eyes, irises a dynamic swirl of dark blues and purples with wisps of his original bright blue flowing, interspersed with little stars that twinkle softly as light bounces off his eyes from different angles. In the middle of his irises lie the black holes of his pupils, dark and unending that if a mere human were to look at Ajax in the eyes, they would be sucked in and bewitched by its inhuman nature.

A singular crystal horn has emerged from under the center of Ajax’s bangs, a beautiful cerulean blue gem that glimmers like rippling water, the interior seemingly liquid due to how light refracts through it like a fluid. Truly befitting of his constellation of the Monoceros Caeli.

Groping Ajax’s body during sex has led to the discovery that his tailbone has grown, protruding out just above the curve of his ass, with pitch black plates of armour encasing the growth. With each passing day, a prominent tail is formed from that protrusion, thin yet belying the true strength of the corded muscles that have developed there. This black armour has begun to form around his fingers and hands too, forming claws that are tipped with the same pearlescent silver spikes that Gira has on its body. These claws are similar to what he has during his Foul Legacy Transformation, but the major difference being that they are permanent now, regenerating when they get chipped and scratched - mostly from Ajax clawing at his collar in a futile effort.

To weaponize his mate even more, the abyssal energy has even filled out his teeth, giving Ajax a sharp set of fangs that he gladly bares whenever he snarls at the Abyss Herald. It doesn’t offend the Abyss Herald one bit, not when it forcibly spreads Ajax’s thighs apart and fucks his delectable hole into obedience, still wonderfully tight despite having birthed an army of monsters and all the abuse it has taken, the abyssal energy making his body quickly regenerate and recover to its prime healthy state. And while the Abyss Herald does not typically crave for sex, it still feels the pleasure of breeding a worthy mate.

Ajax has gotten progressively more energetic during sex as well, clawing at the Abyss Herald’s back during sex and even biting whatever body part Ajax could reach, from the monster’s neck to its wrists even if they are all plated with armour, as if Ajax is teething on the monster. It occasionally becomes troublesome when Ajax gets feisty and squirms a lot, not calming down long enough to allow the Abyss Herald’s semen to condense in his womb properly, to the point that the monster has to summon more chains to pin him down and restrict his movements until a stable embryo has formed.

But how wonderfully responsive he is, grinding back against the Abyss Herald when its cock pounds into him, driving the length deeper and deeper in him as if it isn’t already making his belly bulge. No longer does he try to muffle his beautiful noises whenever he is being pleasured, freely moaning and screaming as that monstrous cock fills him up again and again and again and drowns his womb with its seed. It is almost as if the Abyss Herald’s semen has become an aphrodisiac of some sorts, Ajax becoming drunk off the potent influx of abyssal energy that his body greedily absorbs, leading him to subconsciously crave more and more, the intense desire to be filled taking over him even if the Abyss Herald could see the look of hatred in his eyes once the haze of sex and birth has faded from him. The Abyss Herald is all too pleased to inseminate its mate with more of its seed, making sure that Ajax’s belly is beautifully plump and rounded out before it tightly plugs his cervix with its massive cock.

The rise in Ajax’s internal abyssal energy has definitely made him physically stronger and durable, now able to withstand the mating process without passing out as often, remaining conscious for much longer and granting the Abyss Herald the privilege of seeing him in his throes of pleasure. This is a stark change from the beginnings of his captivity where the Abyss Herald quickly wore him out, rendering Ajax barely able to move any of his limbs on his own and was practically a sentient cocksleeve, the monster effortlessly gripping his body and pumping him up and down its shaft like a limp sex doll.

Looking back at it, the Abyss Herald had already noticed the spikes in Ajax’s abyssal energy after their first three copulations. It is only on the fourth copulation onwards, that the spikes of energy grow stronger, as if Ajax is subconsciously trying to absorb as much energy away from the still-forming foetuses so that his children do not grow powerful enough for the Abyss Herald to take them away.

The monster merely laughs at that line of thought. What a fool Ajax is if that’s the case, it doesn’t even matter if Ajax is taking away energy from their offspring before birth, their offspring are simply that powerful that the decrease in power is practically negligible, with Ajax’s human body being a highly efficient vessel to amplify energy to the embryos. In fact, this occurrence only bodes well for the Abyss Herald, for Ajax is making himself more powerful, that if he were ever to be released from the collar that binds him, he could easily take down the Abyss Herald without a sweat with his newly increased affinity for abyssal powers. The Abyss Herald had to actually fortify the power it imbued into the collar, initially only having it obstruct Ajax’s elemental powers while still letting the abyssal energy flow freely - which had allowed Ajax to initiate his Foul Legacy transformation that one time. However after realizing that Ajax’s abyssal powers are growing, the Abyss Herald had to suppress Ajax’s abyssal energy as well, keeping him a weakened state that will not allow him to escape on his own, but still allowing for the flow of energy from the Abyss Herald’s and Ajax’s fluids to their offspring. And if Ajax were to get feisty and unruly during copulation with his newly developed claws and fangs, the Abyss Herald simply manifests more chains to pin its mate down while it fucks him into obedience.

Which leads to the Abyss Herald’s ultimate goal for Ajax - to have its mate so thoroughly imbued and corrupted by the Abyss that it would be able to break into his mind and shatter his consciousness, reigning complete control over Ajax’s existence and will, keeping him as its loyal warrior who will continue to bear offspring in addition to being a weapon of war himself.

As of now, all that the Abyss Herald needs to do is to continue impregnating Ajax with its seed. Soon, Ajax will bloom gloriously, and truly become the mother of all monsters.

xxxxx

Things weren’t always so smooth sailing, however. In the initial stages of Ajax's body still adapting and changing due to the fluctuations of his abyssal energy, his pregnancies came with various complications, exacerbated by the distress he felt from having his children taken away from him immediately. 

Ajax was in a state weaker than normal, body expending more energy to process the influx of abyssal energy. Coupling that with the usual exhaustion that mating brings, he had passed out during birth after numerous tries to push the foetus out, causing the foetus to be lodged halfway through his canal, his cervix holding the foetus tight due Ajax losing consciousness mid-contraction.

The Abyss Herald makes a noise of annoyance, displeased by the disruption of the natural birthing process, but it has no choice but to step in, else both Ajax and their offspring could very well die or face some lasting undesirable consequences.

And wouldn’t that be a shame?

Pulling Ajax out of the pool and laying him on the cold stone floor, more chains are summoned, emerging from the ground and snaking around Ajax’s limbs and body, particularly around his thighs and chest, fully restraining the unconscious man in the event that he wakes up in the middle of the procedure.

Forming a small yet sharp hydro blade in its hand, the Abyss Herald cleanly slices a horizontal line across Ajax’s abdomen, some ways below the belly button, where Ajax’s womb lies. Blood spills out of the cut while the monster makes another incision on the throbbing organ that is exposed, revealing the deep blue skin of the foetus, starkly contrasting with the meaty red uterine walls and the blood that smears it.

Carefully pushing a hand in, the Abyss Herald widens the artificial hole of the womb, making enough space for it to have a firm grip on the foetus, hooking its hand under a protruding limb. Creating several thin hydro tentacles, it reaches those appendages in, feeling for Ajax’s cervix that is currently clamping down on the foetus’ tail. Slowly but surely, the Abyss Herald loosens it just like how it would during copulation, the tentacles nudging in between the cervix and the foetus to coax the contracting muscles to relax.

Ajax stirs in the midst of that.

Throbbing pain is what rouses him, followed by the feeling of being bared open and something poking around deep inside him which quickly sends him on high alert, spearing through the grogginess. He tries shifting his limbs, panic rising in him when he can’t, held firmly down without a single inch of leeway. 

What’s happening? Ajax tries to recall the moments before his unconsciousness while gritting his teeth at the pain he is growing more aware of, taking stock of the situation. I’m in the Abyss, got fucked within an inch of my life as usual, was in labour- ah-

A scream gets ripped out of him at that exact moment, when something gets pulled out of him, a solid mass that stretches the walls of his flesh and skin in its attempt to escape the confines of his body. He thrashes, or rather, trembles as much as he can from where he’s so tightly bound, fingers twitching as his tear-filled eyes shoot open to see just what the fuck is happening to him.

With his chest held down by chains, he is only able to tilt his head up slightly, weighed down by the collar that feels even heavier in his exertion, eyes further widening at sight of his abdomen cut open once more and the Abyss Herald pulling a ball of flesh out of him, with little tentacles of hydro squirming and buried deep in his abdomen as if he is a specimen laid out on an operating table.

Ajax clenches his fists and curls his toes whilst he is subjected to the flares of pain that comes in waves now that he is conscious. He gasps at the odd sensation of his cervix being opened up from the opposite end than usual, finding it difficult to breathe when things are simultaneously moving in and out of him, constantly shifting the balance of energy within him, violently shaking when the Abyss Herald manages to pull the tail of the foetus past the ring of muscle spread out by the tentacles burying deeper in him, fully extracting it from Ajax’s womb.

No wonder he wasn’t able to push this one out himself, the Abyss Herald thinks as it looks at the offspring it is holding. It wasn’t aligned the right way and is not as thin as the previous ones. With a bulbous blue body shaped like a whale and large fins marked with red veins, this creature is a lot girthier than its siblings.

Issuing a mental command, a crack appears in the air of the cave, opening to form a rift in which Gira and Tina come out from, summoned by their father for assistance. The Abyss Herald passes the newborn to Gira, whose wings wrap around the small creature to bring it to the pool, washing it free of Ajax’s blood and the remnants of the Abyss Herald’s semen that stain its white underbelly. Tina situates itself beside Ajax’s head, lowering its head to nudge and rub against him gently to provide some form of proximal comfort to its mother, while being ready to heed whatever orders the Abyss Herald gives it.

xxxxx

With the newborn being taken care of, the Abyss Herald turns its attention back to its mate, who is now sweating heavily, shallowly gasping for breath as he continues to bleed out from the crudely executed caesarean birth. It conjures a hydro bubble to encase the incisions to the womb and skin, quickly clotting the blood to halt the free flow and speedily reforming the two continuous layers of flesh, sealing up the wounds.

Despite the healing the Abyss Herald has provided, Ajax still remains feverish, and a quick check to his carotid artery below his collar indicates a weak pulse yet a high heart rate, most likely due to its mate suffering from blood loss. While there is no way to obtain a blood transfusion in the Abyss, there are… alternative ways to quickly replenish Ajax’s life source.

Fully releasing Ajax from the restraints of the additional chains, the Abyss Herald spreads Ajax’s legs apart, settling in between his thighs and coaxing its own penis out from where it has retreated to its vent. With Ajax’s hole still being loose and gaping from being plugged up prior to this, the Abyss Herald easily penetrates him, pushing its entire shaft into its mate in one go.

Ajax jolts at the sudden spike in pleasure from having the massive dick suddenly grazing across his prostate, rubbing his head against Tina’s and weakly grasping at the Abyss Herald’s hands holding firmly onto his hips, the whiplash from having something removed from him to having something inserted in him instead. The thrusts of the Abyss Herald are calculated, its cock angled in such a way that it does not aggravate Ajax’s wounds, but nonetheless the sheer girth of its length still causes his belly to bulge. The monster thrusts into Ajax steadily, following a rhythmic pace to quickly reach its climax, breaching Ajax’s cervix when it feels itself about to release.

The gush of cum in his womb makes Ajax shudder, searing warmth pooling in his abdomen that spreads throughout the rest of his body. A brief flare of shame rises in him when he realizes that he’s being fucked in front of his children, but with the warmth comes a fog that settles in his mind, wiping away whatever clear thoughts he may have still retained. He is now filled with the carnal need for more, desiring more of this addicting sensation that only gives him pleasant feelings.

He whines, pawing at the Abyss Herald, weakly lifting his hips as much as he could to coax it to continue moving, uncaring of the hard stone floor that scrapes his skin with each movement. His own cock has hardened by this point, uncomfortably aching for release and Ajax wants nothing more but to cum.

The Abyss Herald resumes fucking its mate, pleased to see Ajax’s body responding swiftly to its fluids. In this instance, it does not fuck Ajax with the intention to breed, but rather to replenish his abyssal energy levels, now that it is aware of the extent that its mate absorbs energy from its fluids, satisfied when it senses Ajax’s abyssal energy spiking. One more ejaculation will suffice. It appears that its mate is chasing for release as well, needily squirming on its cock to stimulate himself more.

Pulling back, the Abyss Herald plunges back into Ajax’s greedy hole, heavily grinding against its mate’s prostate which sends him over the edge, crying out as he cums in spurts. The sticky fluid lands on his chest and abdomen, coating the freshly healed cut, and he shivers at the aftershocks that run through his body, still sensitive while he clenches tightly around the Abyss Herald. The monster manages several more thrusts before it ejaculates as well.

The load of cum retained in him this time pales in comparison to the usual amount inseminated in him during breeding, but the tenderness of his newly healed flesh gives rise to the sensation of bursting at the seams all the same. Ajax lays breathless on the ground, winded from the progression of prolonged breeding to interrupted birthing and back to fucking again. At the very least he no longer feels dizzy like before, and instead it feels like his head is in the clouds, mind fuzzy and numb.

The Abyss Herald completely pulls out of Ajax who whimpers at the loss, feeling the filthy trail of warm cum beginning to leak out of his gaping hole that clenches around nothing. But he isn’t left empty for too long, the monster quickly manifesting a hydro construct that looks… highly reminiscent of a buttplug, and pushes it past Ajax’s twitching rim. The hydro plug is nowhere near the size of the Abyss Herald’s cock or the usual hydro tentacles used to prepare him, but is sufficient enough to keep most of the cum in him, and will evaporate into the air after some time, long enough for Ajax’s body to absorb the abyssal energy from the semen.

Ajax feels himself being carried, breath stuttering each time the plug shifts against his prostate, and moments later he is laid back on his nest. A flurry of movement and two solid bodies are curled around him, blearily recognizing them to be his two eldest children. 

As for his most recently born child… Ajax once again only manages to catch a brief glimpse of them in the Abyss Herald’s arms before the monster takes yet another one of his children away from him, never to be seen again.

Whilst he is still currently plagued with distress and grief whenever a child of his is stolen from him, Ajax fears the day that he would get desensitized to even that. Just how many times must his heart be shattered with anguish until there is nothing left to break?  

For now, he clings on to the two children he has with him, weeping against their skins, and prays to whatever being out there that is still listening to not take them away from him too.

He can’t bear to be alone like this.

“Master Hu, I would like to request for some leave for several days due to an urgent matter that has come up.”

Hu Tao looks up from where she’s filing documents on her desk, finishing the last of the day’s work before closing up the parlour, blinking owlishly as she takes in the words of her employee who stands by her office’s door.

“Oho? Our dear consultant actually making use of his annual leaves? This has never happened before!” She teases, but it is quickly replaced with a look of concern. “But do pray tell, what is this urgent matter you speak of? You’ve been unusually restless today, even the Ferrylady was worried for you when she told me she’s heard you sigh about fifty times today and you actually broke one of the teacups. Are you alright?”

“It is nothing that would be detrimental to you, I assure you. Simply a personal problem that I will have to settle,” Zhongli tries to explain, hoping that Hu Tao won’t take up too much of his time so he’d be able to search for Childe faster.

“Nonsense! What kind of employer would I be if I don’t look after my precious employees? I haven’t seen you this troubled ever since you had that fight with your fiancé---.” Hu Tao halts just as the words leave her mouth. “Ah, did you have another fight with Childe? Speaking of which, I didn’t see him today either. Weren’t you two supposed to have lunch together today?”

“No, we did not have a fight, but rather…” Zhongli trails off at that, contemplating if he should lay out the full story of his absence for the next few days to Hu Tao.

After a short moment of thinking, he makes the quick decision to reveal the true reason for his absence to his boss. The young woman has always been rather perceptive to his affairs, and would probably try to dig out the truth herself. He does not need her to put herself at further risk with the Abyss and he trusts that she would keep her silence regarding this.

Trusting Hu Tao with this knowledge would also be repayment for the trust she had put in him when she had first hired him, when he had still been establishing his persona as Zhongli the mortal amongst the Liyuens, with barely any official documentations and certifications to his name, simply an astounding amount of knowledge that should have been only found in libraries and museums.

Even if Zhongli finds the young lady to be insufferable at times, he has his reasons as to why he still willingly works here.

“Childe has… gone missing when he and Aether were taking care of his younger brother yesterday, and from the looks of it he has been taken into the Abyss,” Zhongli says plainly.

Hu Tao’s face fell at that, not expecting Zhongli’s personal problem to be so serious as his lover got kidnapped by monsters, having initially guessed that he was squabbling with Childe again - which would have eventually gotten resolved since the two are so in love it is disgusting (she recalls the few times she’s walked in on the two sucking each other’s faces in Zhongli’s office before she learns to steer clear of that room when Childe shows up, blergh.)  

“Ah… my condolences,” she says sorrowfully. “Don’t forget that we have an employee discount for all of our services!”

Zhongli merely clicks his tongue at her words. “Brat.”

“But I suppose there’s no point in getting a casket if there’s no body to bury… so please take all the time you need to find him yeah? You don’t need to worry about work, we can handle ourselves just fine while you’ll be gone. Now go, I’m sure that you’re anxious to find him.”

“Thank you, that is much appreciated.”

“Childe gives me good business, so make sure you get him back!” Hu Tao says cheerily, before her voice grows somber. “And you take care too! I can’t retrieve both you and Childe if you two lovebirds somehow die, so just… don’t die okay!”

Zhongli gives a curt nod to her, “of course, I will come back with Childe. I shall take my leave now.”

Once the consultant has left the room with a determined look on his face, Hu Tao bites her lip anxiously. She is not looking forward to her next visit to the border of life and death, afraid of the slightest possibility of seeing a certain Harbinger.

How does a God mourn? To whom does a God pray to for their loss?

Stepping out of the funeral parlour, Zhongli's attention is immediately caught by the call of his name and two familiar signatures of energy, followed by another he doesn't recognize yet feels… uncannily familiar.

"Zhongli!" Aether’s voice calls from above him, and the man in question looks up just in time to see the Traveler speedily free falling to the ground, riskily deploying his wing glider moments before he slams into the ground and forms a grotesque splatter of guts on the entranceway. Aether safely lands to a crouch with Paimon steadily flying down behind him. The third person behind them was free falling as well, but once he was near the ground he curiously appears to float, little puffs of deep blue wisps appearing on the soles of his shoes, reducing his velocity which lets him gently land on his feet.

It is then when Zhongli realizes why the energy signature is so familiar - it feels like the Abyss, but not quite either, only having certain frequencies that resemble that of abyssal energy. In fact, it seems to be an amalgamation of abyssal energy as well as the powers hailing from Khaenri’ah.

Another survivor? Interesting, I wonder what his motivations are for helping me.

"Zhongli! We found you just in time." Aether says again excitedly, but not before doing a quick scan of the area to ensure no one else is around. Luckily, the funeral parlour is tucked away in a more secluded corner, and not many people linger around a funeral parlour in the first place. "This is Dainsleif, the contact I was talking about. He'll be able to get you to the Abyss."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance Dainsleif. I would assume that Aether has explained the circumstances as to why we have enlisted your help, and I am thankful for your assistance."

Dainsleif merely nods his head in acknowledgement, neither polite nor rude. "I will assist you in creating a portal to the Abyss, but I have my terms for that. Shall we make a contract, Morax?"

Raising an eyebrow, Zhongli glances at Aether, who merely shakes his head. "I didn't tell him who you really are, he already knew it."

"I see." Zhongli will have to keep an eye out on this man. "Very well then, lay out your terms."

"In exchange for me opening the portal, Aether has agreed to assist me in handling some matters of mine in your stead." Aether nods his consent at that. "The rules are simply that you, Morax, will be the only being to use this instanced portal to get to the Abyss. Nothing and no one else will be able to accompany you there. I am not obliged nor am I capable of opening another portal for you to return to Teyvat. You will have to find your own way back."

Listening attentively, Zhongli is surprised to hear that Dainsleif’s terms are rather simple. He had expected the man to demand much more from him. "Is that all the terms that you have?"

"Yes."

"I accept. The contract is sealed then." 

Aether is startled at how quickly Zhongli accepted the contract. He would have expected the former Archon to negotiate more, especially on the front of having no return portal.

"Excellent," Dainsleif says. "If you are ready, let us make haste to where you said Childe had disappeared. We shouldn't waste anymore time."

Zhongli will always be ready to save Childe, he doesn't need to bring anything, only himself, hence the group immediately makes their way to the ruins once more.

It has been two days since Childe has disappeared. Two long days of Zhongli struggling with the emptiness festering in his soul due to his other half not being there with him.

If it was any other situation, he may have been too quick to accept that contract with Dainsleif, irrationally not negotiating for a return portal despite declaring that he would have to Barbatos the previous night. But at this point, Zhongli is desperate, and time is of essence. He will not get another opportunity at an Abyss portal any time soon, and his quick judgement of Dainsleif gives him the impression that there is nothing that he could freely give the man that he wants. Dainsleif knows far more than he is letting on, Zhongli can tell, and it would not do to make him rescind his offer.

All that matters is that Zhongli has a way to reach Childe. His lover. His wonderful beloved. He needs to find his heart now .

Zhongli hasn't even properly mated with Childe yet. Sex isn't the same, purely physical - but mating for dragons is completely different, mating is the act of giving your life to your partner, your entire existence, your soul, to them, while also claiming the other as wholly yours. A bond so deeply intertwined that nothing, not even death, can break it apart.

Zhongli will see to it that Childe is safely in his arms even if he has to tear the entire Abyss apart with his bare hands.

Back in the room where the last remaining traces of Childe were found - now completely gone - Aether and Zhongli make way for Dainsleif to move to the center. But as the blond passes the former archon, he pauses, turning his head to look thoughtfully at the god. 

"Just… an additional piece of information," Dainsleif murmurs quietly so that only Zhongli could hear him. "It is highly likely that it was an Abyss Herald who took Childe, so be on the lookout. I will not forgive you if you are incapable of saving Ajax."

Zhongli’s eyes widen marginally as he processes the blond's words. How does he know Childe’s real name? But before he could question any further, Dainsleif is already standing before the center, taking a deep breath while he concentrates on pulling at the Abyss, bridging the gap between the two dimensions. Snapping his eyes open, he slices through the floor with an energy blast, ripping a transcendent rift through reality. The ground turns black, tendrils of wisp and smoke crawling out, a bottomless pit with no return.

The hair on Zhongli’s skin bristles at the pungent abyssal energy that seeps through the portal. But beneath the repulsive aura of the Abyss, something sweet lingers that calls to him, the sensation of ocean waves gently lapping against skin. Faint and barely noticeable, but still there nonetheless.

The mark he put on Childe.

"Go." Dainsleif barks, brows furrowing as he painstakingly maintains the stability of the portal.

Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Zhongli jumps.

This time, he too, falls.

To find his heart in the Abyss.

Chapter Text

It has been a long time since he's stepped into the Abyss, but it appears that nothing much has changed.

Zhongli feels utterly repulsed, as if the entire Abyssal dimension is rejecting his existence in this world. However, this repellent force is not of the same magnitude as when he had his Gnosis. Now that he has rescinded his Gnosis, his link to Celestia, staying in the Abyss is slightly more bearable.

While he may have lost his Gnosis, Zhongli has always been powerful regardless.

Before he was an Archon, he was a God.

And before he was a God, he was a dragon.

A dragon who was the pinnacle of his kind, who laid claim to all that he desired and guarded his treasures and territory ruthlessly. 

But it seems that he has grown lax over the years, for his most precious treasure has been stolen from him.

And he is furious.  

How dare they take his mate away from him. 

No mercy will be given.

So he shifts, body elongating to a lithe serpentine form, gorgeous golden scales hardening on his skin, tough horns and sharp claws growing out of his head and digits.

The marvelous draconic form of Exuvia makes its presence known, sending a mighty roar that echoes thunderously in the barren silence of the Abyss, declaring war on everything that has the audacity to get in his way.

With that, kicking his feet off the ground, Morax lifts off gracefully, soaring in the direction where he faintly senses his heart beating.

He feels nothing short of a monster.

Kneeling on the edge of the pool, Ajax looks at himself, really sees himself and the visible changes he's undergone in the clear reflection of his visage on the surface of the water, poking at his crystal horn and baring his teeth to see his terrifyingly sharp fangs. He angles his waist slightly, putting the base of his tail in view to observe the demonic looking appendage, brushing over the scales with his fingers that are more like claws if anything now.

Whilst a part of him is particularly thrilled that his body itself has gained several new weapons, a bigger part of him is filled with inconsolable dread.

How can he show himself to his family like this?

How is he supposed to face Teucer and Tonia?

No longer can he pretend to be Tonia's knight in shiny armour, nor an excellent toy salesman of strong toys for Teucer - he is now the very monster he's told them stories of defeating. 

Will the Tsaritsa still accept me as her servant? Am I too volatile of a factor for her plans as I am?

Will… 

Will Zhongli still accept me…?

Will he see me as yet another creature he has to put down…?

Ajax feels like screaming. It feels like he doesn't know himself anymore. The Abyss has taken so much from him, and forced upon even more on him. What even is he at this point? Too human to be a monster, yet too monstrous to be human. The Abyss seeks to ruin him, and he fears that Teyvat will condemn his existence.

Where do I even belong?

Suddenly, Ajax is filled with fear at the thought of Zhongli coming to save him. How will Zhongli react upon seeing him as he is now?

He doesn't think he can handle it if Zhongli looks at him in disgust.

A choked sob leaves him. Ajax didn't realize that he's started crying, body trembling as all these realizations start piling up on him. Even his tears are a reminder of how much of himself has changed, now a shimmering black liquid that falls down his cheeks which tastes sweet and saccharine as it dips into the corners of his mouth and onto his tongue. 

He curls in on himself, hiding his face in his hands, silently crying as he tries desperately to work through his emotions.

His body has gotten stronger, but he feels so weak and broken.

A sympathetic whimper coming from beside him makes Ajax slightly look up, seeing Tina lowering its head to his eye level, a sad expression on its face. Tina spreads its wings out, crouching down to wrap them around its mother’s body - a hug, Ajax quickly realizes. 

Pulling himself closer to his child, Ajax allows Tina to hug him tight, almost as if it wants to shield him from all of the pain in his heart. Resting his head on Tina's chest, he continues to weep silently in its embrace, letting the rumbling purrs emanating from his child to soothe him. 

The two stay like that for some time in comforting silence, tears finally drying on Ajax’s face, which he eventually wipes away with the cool water of the pool.

A rift forms in the cave, splitting open to form a portal in which Gira flies out from, with the limp corpse of a freshly killed creature in its mouth, the corpse not yet disintegrating into the abyssal atmosphere. Blood drips down from the wounds of the prey and onto the ground, and Ajax cannot help how he salivates at the metallic smell.

This is but yet another one of the changes the Abyss has inflicted on him, he no longer has the appetite for cooked food anymore. Whatever meat that the Abyss Herald had cooked for him tastes bland and makes him feel like he's swallowing sand.

The Abyss Herald had noticed that despite Ajax’s hunger, he wasn't so pleased with eating the food it had provided for some time. Suspecting that there were changes to its mate’s appetite, it had brought raw meat the next time it was time to feed Ajax, and true enough, it could see Ajax visibly perking up when he smelled the bloody chunk of meat.

He was appalled initially however, grossed out at the thought of eating meat still dripping with blood, unwilling to eat despite his stomach loudly growling and his eyes frequently glancing back at the raw meat in hunger. It was only when the Abyss Herald forcibly held his mouth open and shoved a chunked of bloody flesh down his throat did Ajax cave in, the sweetness and juiciness of the raw meat melting in his mouth and inciting a craving in him like never before, scarfing down the rest of his meal until there was nothing left but bones licked clean.

Ajax mourns how he can never return to how he was, but he can't do anything but harden himself and move forward. He'll try to survive to the best of his abilities, and whatever happens, will happen. Even if the world tears him down, he'll get through this, he has to, just for the chance to see his loved ones once more before he disappears like a fleeting spark.

In the meantime, sitting on the floor and ripping through the prey Gira has hunted, Ajax tries to relish in the misplaced sense of normalcy that comes with eating a meal with his children. 

He may have severely underestimated just how vast the Abyss is.

Morax doesn't know how long he's been flying already, but it doesn't even feel like he's made any progress, Childe’s mark still feels so ever far away.

Even gods have their limits, and Morax is getting a little tired. The oppressive nature of the Abyss' atmosphere does not help his situation one bit, draining his energy and stamina quicker. His adeptal energy is fighting against the Abyss' corruption, neutralizing it and slowing down its spread. Unfortunately, this means that the abyssal energy will still linger in him, and he'll only be able to purify himself completely in Celestia, or slowly detoxify himself at the massive oak tree in Windrise just as Barbatos had done.

The effects of this corruption on him is unknown, and it is possible that it may manifest differently than Barbatos, having never stayed in the Abyss for extended periods of time to bear witness to it. 

No matter, he will bear any pain if it means that he can save his beloved.

Morax doesn't particularly want to think about how Childe is possibly suffering the longer he takes to save him.

But some rest is in order, it would do no good if he exhausted himself now and became drained for an unexpected battle. This whole journey would be rendered completely useless in that case.

Circling the ground, Morax finds a clear area for him to land, slowly descending back to ground level. He shifts into his smaller, more humanoid form, but not into his mortal vessel. It is the form that Morax takes during the days past, standing taller than he does as the mortal Zhongli. Four gleaming golden horns branching out from the top of his head, jet black scales lining his claws and limbs and reaching up to his upper torso and cheeks.

Although he’s supposedly taking a rest, Morax does not stop moving, slowly trekking his way through the ruins that he’s found himself in. The crumbling remnants of towers and walls surround him, with eternally burning flames that raze the ground, essentially turning the area into a hellscape.

During his flight in the air, Morax had gazed upon the land below him, observing the various creatures and monsters that call the Abyss their home. It is quickly made obvious that the Abyss follows one singular rule; that is the survival of the fittest. The sounds of dying screams are not uncommon here, the weak having the unfortunate yet inevitable fate of being devoured by the strong, or driven away in battles for territory. Strength is the major factor that will keep one alive in a place as merciless as this, where you only have yourself to rely on. Companionship and allies here are few and far between, limited to the rare beings with high intelligence as well as the Abyss Order itself.

Bearing witness to this, Morax can understand just why Childe values strength so highly - his lover would have died if he were any weaker. He supposes that he himself is no different, after all, as a victor of the Archon War amongst many other battles he fought, he too knows how important strength is, and is confident that what power he possesses now is capable of getting him through the Abyss, even without his gnosis.

Which is why he walks freely through the open land, unafraid of the three creatures which he’s never seen before that make themselves known before him. He can faintly sense a fourth presence in the distance, not engaging but merely observing from what it thinks is a safe distance.

Seems like I’ll have to chase that one down later.

Bringing his focus back to what’s in front of him, Morax eyes the three avian beings that are circling around him in the sky, like hawks eyeing their prey before they dive for the kill. Each of them have their own distinct appearance; the first whose yellow and black pointed feathers crackle sharply with static electro each time it flaps with wings, the second pale blue bird who leaves a cold trail of cryo and frost from its tail as it flies, and the third phoenix whose blazing orange flames emanating from its body warmly light up the night sky.

In an instant, the three birds dive down towards him, an attempt to literally peck him to death with their sharp beaks. Morax dodges their attack effortlessly, jumping out of the way before they pin him down.

The three birds don't crash into each other, easily swerving out of the way and picking back height. With the aerial advantage, the three send down a volley of attacks, lightning striking the ground where Morax stood, a cold wind of ice and snow obscuring his vision and slowing his movements down before he finds himself in the center of a whirlpool of fire.

Morax is intrigued. These birds are actually coordinating their attacks to direct his next moves and corner him to where they want him to be. Abyssal creatures rarely have the intelligence for cooperation with others. Either that or another more powerful creature is controlling them from afar - that fourth presence he sensed, maybe?

Well, it doesn't matter. He'll kill them all either way for daring to get in his way.

Quickly shifting back into his Exuvia form, Morax flies out of the eye of the whirlpool of flames. No matter how intelligent these birds of prey are, there is only so much strategy that will save one in the face of raw strength.

Despite the monstrous size of his draconic form, Morax isn't lacking speed nor agility. He flexibly weaves through the rain of elements, the birds shooting blasts of energy towards him, flying up to reach the elevation the three birds are at and zipping past them, gaining the upper hand.

Even in the Abyss, the ground still heeds to his call, for he is the god of the earth, the foundation that makes this world.

And Geo neutralizes all.

With a mighty roar, the ground trembles, sharp and thin pillars of Geo burst forth from the earth, shooting up instantaneously to spear through fleshy bodies of his enemies in multiple places - impaling their wings, necks, legs, chests. Their screeches of pain pierce through the Abyss, writhing as they struggle to free themselves from where they've been skewered, their black blood dripping down the shaft of his pillars. From his vantage point above them, Morax finds the scene oddly reminiscent of helpless butterflies having their wings nailed to a board, at the mercy of those who find beauty in their fragile wings. How pitiful, they weren't even able to land a single hit on him.

Glorious. Morax revels in the carnage he creates in the Abyss, finally able to exact some anger from having his beloved taken away.

A flurry of movement catches his eye. The yellow bird had miraculously managed to escape his wrath, its electro making it quick enough to dodge the spears from hitting its vitals. It didn't get away scot free however, still getting stabbed in the extremities of its wings and its legs nicked, in which it frees itself by painfully yanking its wings, ripping through the thin layer of flesh with an agonized cry.

Morax merely scoffs at its escape, it is merely delaying the inevitable with how incapacitated it is, barely even able to fly and falling to the ground with a dull thud.

It's two companions have quietened down, bodies twitching as they bleed out from where they're suspended. Morax descends to where the electro bird is stumbling away pitifully on it's broken legs. Opening his jaw wide, the dragon dives down and crushes the creature in his mouth, its bones crunching between his fangs.

Thick blood fills Morax’s mouth, and with it comes a flash of electro that crackles from the bird's elemental veins going haywire, sparking across his tongue - which makes Morax hiss in alarm, not because of pain, but because why does feel so much like Childe’s energy signature? 

He spits the bird out of his mouth, its body landing with a gross squelch and splattering blood everywhere from the point of impact. Without delay, he sails to the location where he had sensed that fourth presence, seeking to find answers from it. 

The being quickly realizes that it’s being hunted down however, finally revealing itself from its hiding place and flying out in the open - another avian creature, but much bigger than the three that Morax had annihilated. White with a light blue underbelly and dark blue fins lining its back and tail, it has large wings that appear somewhat like massive hands. With a single flap of its wings, it sends a violent anemo blast towards him, turbulent enough that Morax actually staggers in flight, forming a powerful jet stream that Morax hastily dives out from before he gets swept away.

By the time Morax has stabilized his flight, the being is surrounded by a sphere of hydro rapids. Morax quickly accelerates towards but is unfortunately unable to catch up to it before the hydro ball shrinks and soars away, dissipating into the atmosphere until there are no traces of the creature left.

A growl of frustration rumbles in Morax’s chest that causes the earth to tremble. He has seen this exact ability before, through the eyes of his Exuvia replica held in the Golden House after faking his death, watching how Childe used the very same move to teleport himself away once his battle with Aether had concluded.

Glancing back at the three birds he’s killed, their corpses have already begun to disintegrate away, the energy contained in their physical forms returning back to the Abyss in which they came from. Before they completely disappear, Morax quickly investigates the cryo and pyro bird speared in midair. Biting into the remnants of their bodies, he discovers that they too contain flares of energy that resemble too much like Childe.

What do these creatures have to do with his beloved?

The worst case scenario immediately pops up in Morax’s mind - that Childe had been killed and eaten by these creatures, his energy integrated with theirs. But that can’t be, not when he still senses the mark that he had imprinted, still resonating and pulsing on his mate in the far distance, and he resolutely refuses to believe that his beloved is dead. There is no way that Childe is dead. Absolutely impossible.

It seems that his rest time is over. Staying put won’t answer any of his questions, so Morax resumes his flight towards where he senses Childe’s mark - which is in the same direction the white creature had fled off to, coincidence or not.

A sudden jolt of pain abruptly sears through his chest, and Ajax is ripped out from the haze of pleasure he is in from being bred. A strangled groan leaves him as he pulls his hands from where he was hugging the Abyss Herald’s neck to clutch at his chest, his tail thumping hard against the padded floor in agony. His heart throbs painfully under his ribs, each heartbeat giving him the sensation of nails being driven into the organ.

But just as quickly as the wave of pain comes, it fades away, leaving Ajax winded and confused, heavily gasping for breath as he tries to come to his senses once more. The solid grip on wrists are brought to his attention, and Ajax tilts his head to see the Abyss Herald restraining him from clawing further into his skin during his painful reverie. Bleeding red lines decorate his skin from his newly acquired claws, a slight sting to be felt if he focuses on the wound.

Ajax drops his head back to the ground where he lies down, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths to regulate his breathing back to normal. This is a first, unforeseen outbursts of pain like this are uncommon for him if he had not used his Foul Legacy Transformation or have any grievous injuries. Is this another side effect of the Abyss on him…?

Physical pain, he can handle, but Ajax is unprepared for the abrupt wave of grief that washes over him. Tears begin leaking out of his eyes, not out of pleasure or the physical pain, and the confusion he feels is doubled. Why is he crying? What brought upon this sorrow he feels? Nothing new of note has happened to him yet, the Abyss Herald is merely breeding him as usual.

A tongue clicks in annoyance, and Ajax opens his eyes to the Abyss Herald releasing his wrists, certain that Ajax would not harm himself any further. It's monstrous dick sits heavy in its mate’s hole, pausing in its harsh thrusts and abuse to Ajax's womb when the surge of pain had hit him.

The gurgling of water catches his attention and Ajax turns his head to look at the cave pool, surface bubbling before the head of a creature pokes through, long neck sticking out but leaving the rest of its body submerged. Ajax's eyes widen in realization, recognizing the white head and blue face plates framing the creature's eyes belonging to one of his children that had been taken away. More tears fall down Ajax’s cheeks uncontrollably, overwhelmed at the revelation of another one of his kids growing up so big in their separation. He so badly yearns to hold this child of his as well.

He whimpers at the feeling of the massive shaft retreating out of his hole, ridges dragging over his sensitive and tender insides. The Abyss Herald completely pulls out, allowing the ridiculous amount of semen that had been inseminated in its mate to freely flow out of his gaping rim. Ajax whines in embarrassment at the sheer amount of fluids that are leaking out of him, the bump in his belly shrinking once the liquids contained finally have an exit to leave. This is the first time the Abyss Herald had prematurely interrupted their copulation, and Ajax gets a little sick at the thought that this much cum has been fucked into him in such a short amount of time - just how much cum is in him when the Abyss Herald has fully bred him?

The Abyss Herald stands up, cock retracting back inside its vent after hydro is used to quickly clean itself up. "What's your report," the monster commands the white creature.

Ajax watches on, his child merely holds eye contact with the Abyss Herald, surprising Ajax when the monster replies despite the silence.

"Tch, is that so? Very well then. Watch over Ajax until his two guardians return, they will be back soon."

With that, the Abyss Herald promptly exits the cave, leaving Ajax alone with his child. What made the Abyss Herald leave immediately? Does it have something to do with the heart pains I felt? From that exchange, Ajax surmises that this child of his is able to speak telepathically to the Abyss Herald, because how else is it supposed to relay information? He had not noticed any indication of his child relaying information in any other way. Unless the Abyss Herald is capable of mind reading, and wouldn't that be concerning considering all of the thoughts that run through Ajax's mind…

Ajax quickly pushes aside all those thoughts, now that he is alone with this child that he never had the chance to spend time with. He gradually brings himself to a sitting position, ignoring the filthy stickiness between his thighs. 

"Come here?" He tentatively asks, arms outstretched to coax his child to come to him. Even if this creature is his child, Ajax is still cautious with it, unfamiliar with its behaviour and temperament. It may or may not be hostile with him, despite how lovely Gira and Tina have been.

The creature tilts its head, as if pondering about what it should do.

“Please?” Ajax coos at it again.

With a small chirp, the creature pulls itself out of the water and oh, it is much bigger than what Ajax had expected from its relatively smaller head. It is even larger than Tina, but not quite the same length as Gira’s serpentine body. It stands on its thick hind legs, folding its massive palm-like wings to its sides. Ajax can’t help but wonder, did all of his children grow this big?

His child walks towards him and alongside it, waves of hydro leap out from the pool and soar over the creature, arching back down and landing right…

...on Ajax’s head, drenching him in the cool pool water.

He sputters, shocked from the sudden downpour, rubbing his eyes to free them of water and clear his vision, gently making sure he doesn't hurt himself with his own claws. The water swirls around him with a mind of its own, its coolness a relief against his overheated skin from exertion during copulation, and Ajax realizes that he’s being showered, the hydro washing him free of the sticky cum that lingers between his thighs and the sweat and tears that layer his skin. 

A squeal leaves him when a tentacular extension of hydro pushes past his rim and enters him. Ajax flushes furiously, not expecting this at all but it quickly becomes clear that the hydro is simply cleaning his insides, hydro efficiently mixing with and absorbing the remnants of semen in him and relieving him of the pressure he feels in his womb from being stuffed full of cum. His face heats up in embarrassment upon seeing the hydro tentacle between his thighs gradually grow more opaque from the cum that is being funneled out of him from the aborted breeding. Ajax has no idea if he’s mortified that it is his monster child who is the one that’s giving him aftercare or thankful that he doesn’t have to manually dig out all the copious amounts of cum out himself.

He supposes that he’s more thankful, considering just how quickly he’s being cleaned. The hydro extension slips out of him and he is then treated to a premium blow-drying service courtesy of his child flapping its wings, sending gentle gusts of anemo to dry the water still clinging to his skin.

Satisfied with how thoroughly it has cleaned its mother, the white creature finally comes closer and settles next to Ajax. Ajax watches it bring its head down to his, its beak lightly nudging against his forehead and knocking against his horn, as if giving him a little kiss, before tucking him under its wing to prompt him to rest, surprising Ajax upon feeling the soft feathers of its deceptively smooth body. Ajax can’t help but to feel ecstatic that despite this being their first proper meeting, his child is the one initiating the affection.

“I wonder what you’ve been doing since you were taken away from me,” Ajax murmurs softly, tenderly stroking the feathers of his child’s wing. “I hope that you’ve been fine out there.”

The creature merely gives another chirp, and Ajax sighs, knowing that his child has most likely been ordered by the Abyss Herald to keep secrecy around him as well.

He’ll revel in whatever limited time he has with this child of his before they are inevitably separated once more.

Time is running out.

Morax is becoming increasingly aware of the festering corruption of his mind the longer he stays in the Abyss. He finds himself having lapses of conscious judgement, body driven instead by the sole goal of finding his mate, mind empty sans the obsessive thought of Childe Childe Childe resonating deep in his soul like a mantra, unable to think of anything else except the dire need to find his beloved, instincts letting him move on autopilot and be even more merciless in cutting down whatever monsters who even attempt to get in his way. In this state, Morax has no hesitation in decimating the monsters that attack him, quickly obliterating them before returning back on course to search for his mate.

It is as if his erosion has already begun.

In his moments of clarity, Morax wakes up from his mental slumber to find himself drenched in blood and gore that has not dissipated back as energy into the atmosphere yet. The putrid taste of the Abyss lingering in his mouth makes him realize that he’s been eating the monsters that he’s killed in his mindless state, his body’s attempt to replenish the energy that he’s expended and to compensate for the fact that he has not rested at all, at the cost of further speeding up his corruption. But what is even more alarming is that masked by the stench of the Abyss, he distinctly tastes a cloyingly sweet flavour that tastes like Childe. It drives him mad, why do some of these monsters taste like his lover?  

All sense of time is lost, he doesn’t have the faintest idea on how long he’s been in the Abyss, what’s more he doesn’t know how long his bouts of mindlessness last. But he has definitely made significant progress, Childe’s mark feels so close, he has to be somewhere near. But the closer he gets to Childe, the stronger and more numerous the monsters he faces are. Unlike the first few monsters he faced when he first stepped into the Abyss, the newer monsters he meets are much more ruthless. 

Morax surmises that someone is aware of his purpose in the Abyss and is trying to stop him.

Could it be the Abyss Herald Dainsleif had warned him about?

He recalls a fight he had with twin draconic monsters, one jet-black commanding electro and the other snow-white commanding pyro. It was a fight Morax remembers clearly, considering that halfway through he had woken up from his mindless stupor and found chunks of flesh of his long serpentine body blasted away from overloaded reactions. The pain had slowed his movements considerably due to his conscious state of mind, and it had been a struggle to defeat the two monsters who were working so seamlessly with each other, covering each other’s bases as if they were yin and yang.

However, it is simply unfortunate for them that Morax is extremely irate that someone had the audacity to steal from the all-powerful dragon. After getting the opening to petrify the black dragon, he had finally been able to break the coordination his opponents had, quickly crushing the white dragon between two incoming meteors like a bug, it's insides splattering and raining down, and returning to finish off the first one, lobbing off it's petrified head before smashing the rest of its solidified body into smithereens.

At this point, Morax doesn’t care how many injuries he gets, as long as he emerges victorious, he can simply regenerate by eating his prey. It may cost him his sanity but in all honesty, Morax already feels his sanity slipping the longer he is away from Childe.

He just hopes that he isn’t too late.

Morax circles the air, eyeing the forest beneath him. He senses Childe’s mark nearby, however, he is unable to pinpoint the exact location due to an interference that grows stronger the closer he gets.

The dense canopy blocks out his sight from what lies down on the ground, but in the silence of the Abyss, sensitive ears pick up on a muted scream coming from his left in the forest below.

Voice oh so familiar, Morax can't help but to perk up and cheer.

Childe is here! My mate! My mate is here! Childe Childe Childe how long I have searched for you my love.

But why is Childe screaming?

Chapter Text

The Abyss Herald knows that its time is reaching its end.

It is such a shame really, Ajax had greatly exceeded all expectations and only continues to pleasantly surprise the monster with his developments. The Abyss Herald wishes that it could have more time alter Ajax's body further before preserving his state, but alas, this was the risk that it took when it discovered the developments Ajax had made while he was in Teyvat.

Namely discovering that Ajax had been fraternizing with the Geo Archon himself.

The discovery of the romantic relationship budding between the two threw a heavy wrench into the Abyss Herald's plans, initially intending to allow Ajax to grow a little more in the overworld before taking him back. The involvement of Morax had forced it to speed up it's plans, knowing that if it dawdled any longer, the Geo Archon would permanently stake his claim on Ajax and it would be nigh impossible to steal Ajax away in that case, knowing how notoriously possessive Morax will be once they mate. Thus, the Abyss Herald had whisked Ajax away when he was at his weakest and alone, despite knowing the sloppy evidence it would leave behind of his capture. The monster would take full advantage of the time dilation between the Abyss and Teyvat to compensate for this drawback.

Ajax has served his role spectacularly well, bearing an army of offspring that in due time would grow strong and powerful, but it was truly a hindrance to receive a report from one of their offspring that Morax has somehow made his way into the Abyss, and had killed some of their children while they were on a reconnaissance mission. It didn't come as a surprise to the monster, having seen Ajax be struck by phantom pains during their breeding sessions, caused by the energy contained within their now-deceased offspring forcing themselves back into Ajax’s vessel all at once, their origin. It had only happened a few more times afterwards despite more of their children being killed, but the mystery was explained when a report came that Morax had started consuming their dead offspring instead, redirecting the rogue energy away from Ajax.

The Abyss Herald knew that Morax would head straight for Ajax, sensing the geo mark the god had imprinted on the boy when it first gave Ajax a womb. Unfortunately for it, the monster was unable to remove it, the energy used to seal and imprint the mark is highly inert and stable, ancient magic whose power is fueled by the entire universe itself, too deeply intertwined with Ajax's own energy that the boy does not even notice. The only reason why this mark was even discovered is because the Abyss Herald had been so accustomed to Ajax’s energy composition ever since the boy had fallen into the Abyss when he was a child, and had been overseeing him this entire time, hence noticing the slight change in his energy signature.

But the Abyss Herald supposes that it should thank Morax as well, for the god’s mark has been a major factor in keeping Ajax alive. Without the mark, the Abyss Herald doesn’t think that Ajax would have survived all the modifications caused by the intense surges of abyssal energy. Heck, Ajax is thriving from all the changes. The stability of the mark had helped to nullify the worst of the adverse effects of abyssal corruption, physically and mentally - it had prevented Ajax’s elemental circuits from frying and killing him from within because of the surges of abyssal energy. In addition, the mark had served as an elemental framework, letting the Abyss Herald implant the dust and fragments of Ajax’s broken vision back into his body. If his collar were to be removed, Ajax should be able to utilize his hydro element once more. 

But most importantly, it had also kept Ajax’s mind relatively intact. Morax had essentially left a part of himself in Ajax when imprinting the mark, thus bestowing the boy an innate protection and sturdiness as is typical of geo. The presence of the mark meant that Ajax was never truly alone, and had helped stave off the mental strain that came along with isolation. For someone who has been held captive and raped for four months, Ajax is terrifyingly resilient, having adapted to his circumstances quickly like the hydro element he embodies and preserving his sanity as much as he could.

With the clock ticking, all it could do now is to set up some interference around Ajax's nest to prevent Morax from pinpointing this location, as well as sacrifice some of their offspring to buy some time. The monster is unwilling to send out too many soldiers, for it is merely delaying the inevitable and there is no point sacrificing all their offspring and wasting all of Ajax’s efforts. Sending out the usual hilichurls and Abyss Mages is useless as well, for Morax would simply annihilate them without breaking a sweat - a complete waste of manpower, truly.

All that's left for the Abyss Herald to do is to finally break into Ajax, content despite knowing that it will meet its end soon.

The Abyss Herald must admit, it may have gotten somewhat attached to Ajax. Despite its initial plans of presenting Ajax to the Princess as another pawn in the war, the monster has developed an odd desire to continue keeping Ajax himself as a secret, not wanting other beings of the Abyss to be aware of his existence.

Unfortunately, being on Morax’s hitlist will mean that it can't keep Ajax any longer. But if it can't have Ajax to itself anymore, it will simply present itself wholly to Ajax. Morax will not be given the satisfaction of cutting it down in its full strength.

Upon the Abyss Herald's death, it too would be absorbed by Ajax, its essence dancing forever with its mate, and what an honour that will be, to live on within Ajax.

Best to make haste, Morax is on his way. 

With Ajax already lying on his back before it, the Abyss Herald takes hold of his thighs, spreading them widely apart and pressing them into the fur padding of the nest. Chains emerging from the ground loop around the back of his knees and hold him in that position, trussed up with his hips raised in the air, toes curling in the air, pink hole twitching at the exposure and his limp cock hanging down against his belly. Even his tail is tied up, chained to his right leg to prevent him from swishing it around.

Ajax makes a confused whine when the Abyss Herald pins his arms over his head, more chains locking him in place. The monster doesn't typically tie him up unless he's being rowdy or disobedient. Did he do something wrong? What's different this time round?

The Abyss Herald has gotten its cock out, girthy and imposingly rutting against his rim, already stealthily lubricated with hydro. It presses in, sliding its cock into Ajax easily with how well trained his muscles are from being perpetually fucked this entire time, initially tight, but quickly relax into soft and pliable walls that fit snugly around its massive length, well-adjusted to its size.

The monster then starts fucking into him with abandon, hips pounding harshly against Ajax's ass, prostate abused by the rapid drag of the shaft's ridges, the last time that it will ever fill it's mate physically like this. Ajax squeals at the sudden onslaught, legs kicking uselessly in the air.

"Hnnnhhh!! Hah- ahh-- nghhh… ahhnnn--"

Oh, how the Abyss Herald will miss this. The sound of its mate singing sweetly, from Ajax's lovely little whimpers and pleasured moans to his frantic cries and desperate screams. It'll miss the way Ajax clenches around its cock, soft walls milking all the cum out of its shaft like the greedy mate he is. Miss the post-coital expressions adorning Ajax's face in his haze of pleasure when he's being fucked and bred thoroughly.

Ajax never fails to arouse it, and the Abyss Herald quickly reaches its climax, cum spurting out of it's cock deep in Ajax's womb, wanting it to reach so deep it'll never be able to slip out.

The Abyss Herald stills, letting its mate come down from his pleasured high. It appears that Ajax had come some time during that as well, his own cum streaking across his chest, truly a sight to behold. 

In all honesty, this round of sex is of pure indulgence for the Abyss Herald, having absolutely no correlation or effect on the rituals it is about to do, with no actual purpose other than to defile Ajax one last time - to mock Morax and present the god with the image of his lover full of its cum when he eventually arrives, reinstating all the irreversible changes Ajax had gone through under the Abyss Herald's ministrations.

Besides, the Abyss Herald is still capable of feeling pleasure, and let it be known that Ajax is the most pleasurable thing it had the luxury of knowing.

But it has delayed long enough, it is now time to perform the final rites.

Cock still sheathed in Ajax's hole, the Abyss Herald conjures a sharp hydro blade, extending from the cuff on its wrist. Ajax's eyes widen, chest tightening in fear upon seeing the menacing weapon. Is the Abyss Herald killing him now that he has exhausted his use?

No no no, he hasn't even got the chance to say goodbye to Zhongli and his family. He hopes that they will not be inconsolable after his death.

Ajax trembles in place, completely immobilized by the chains holding him down. He desperately tries to call upon his strength, his vision, his powers, anything to break free. But nothing answers his call, leaving him vulnerable like a sitting duck.

He has no way of escaping, so instead, he braces himself for the incoming pain of being stabbed, fervently praying that Zhongli knows that he loves him. He sees the Abyss Herald rearing its arm back, but is quickly shocked instead when the monster stabs its own face.

The Abyss Herald plunges its dagger into a kink in the armour protecting its face, digging hard into it, penetrating it deep enough to rip a chunk of its armour off with a snap of its wrist, revealing the lower half of its face.

Ajax gasps in wonder at the never before seen glimpse of an Abyss Herald under its armour. Mottled purpling gray skin is exposed, similar to that of Kairagi he has fought before in Inazuma, with bulging blue veins snaking down to its neck. But most prominent of all is its mouth, snide and sneering at him, putting its fangs on display - stained from what appears to be inky black blood that drips past the corners of its lips.

Its humanoid appearance being the remnants of the humanity the Abyss Herald used to have. In the back of his mind, Ajax distantly remembers the research he had done on the Abyss, discovering that members of the Abyss Order hailed from Khaenri’ah, accursed and damned during the Cataclysm to be heinous monsters for the rest of their lives.

The hydro dagger dissipates, the Abyss Herald moving closer to hover over Ajax, completely enclosing him in with its knees braced on either side of his body, pushing its cock deeper in Ajax’s abused hole. Face inches from his, Ajax gets hit with the metallic scent of blood that makes him subconsciously lick his lips. Its left hand rakes through the hair on the back of his head, gripping him firmly with the sharp pointed tips of its claws digging into his scalp at the top of his head, allowing it to move Ajax to its whim. The monster slowly drags its right hand along Ajax’s naked body, from his thighs to his hips, grazing the skin along his sides before flattening out palms down in the middle of his chest, claws digging into his skin here as well.

“You’ve been such a wonderful mate, it’s been such a pleasure to have you. You have given a lot to me and it is now time for me to give my everything to you.”

Ajax notes just how oddly sentimental the Abyss Herald sounds, but all thoughts are quickly wiped from his mind when the claws that have been digging into his head and chest savagely press down hard, stabbing through his tender skin and flesh.

A shriek gets ripped out of him when he feels the claws grind against the bones of his skull and sternum, thrashing violently against the chains that bind him, inadvertently clenching harder on the dick still in him. With his mouth agape from his pained wailing, the Abyss Herald tilts Ajax’s head, closing the distance between them and putting its mouth on his.

The monster starts kissing him.

Viscous blood begins filling his mouth, smothering his taste buds with the cloying taste of iron. Tears begin filling his eyes as Ajax chokes on the blood as the Abyss Herald sucks on his lips, unwillingly swallowing the liquid before he suffocates from it - but it tastes so unbearably good, burning as it travels down his throat like a highly concentrated alcoholic bottle of Fire-Water. It turns out to be a useless action, not when the monster shoves in its tongue down his throat.

"Mmmmphhh-!!"

Ajax bites down on the tongue out of reflex, but it does not hinder the Abyss Herald one bit, the monster shoving more of the long appendage past his lips, muffling all of Ajax’s frightened cries, coating his throat with saliva and more blood that spills freely from the newly created wound.

His body feels like it is aflame, lava running through his veins the more of the Abyss Herald’s blood he ingests, as if it is poisoning his body. It is not all that the monster has to offer him, however. 

Drawing onto the core of its abyssal origins, the Abyss Herald directs its abyssal energy to its hands and the tips of its fingers. With its claws embedded into Ajax’s flesh, it feels around for its mate’s elemental circuits. Upon discovering them, the Abyss Herald connects its own abyssal circuits to Ajax’s, and completely releases the control it has on its abyssal energy, letting them flow through into Ajax in an instant, rushing to his heart and brain - his most vital organs. Not even the mark that a former archon imprinted can counteract against a surge of abyssal energy this highly concentrated.

Ajax’s screams increase tenfold, voice swallowed up by the Abyss Herald still kissing him, driven to delirium with the cacophony of sensations tormenting him, jerking painfully in his binds with no escape from this torture. It feels like he’s being electrocuted, lightning sparking throughout his entire body from the influx of abyssal energy seeking to corrupt him fully, spreading to every single cell occupying his body, leaving nothing untouched. His heart pounds in his chest, erratically beating due to the foreign stimulus, while his brain is rendered a mess, breaking its hold and understanding of reality as billions of images flash through him in an instant, all real yet not his reality.

As strong as Ajax is, not even he is able to consciously withstand the complete transfer of the Abyss Herald’s energy, its essence, its existence. All of which that makes up the Abyss Herald imbues itself into Ajax’s soul, assimilating its energy with its mate, merging to form one singular entity. Memories, knowledge, power; all of which had belonged to the Abyss Herald in its centuries-long existence in this world will be bestowed upon its mate.

Ajax slumps under the monster, body going limp as his mind breaks and his body goes into overdrive trying to stabilize the influx of foreign energy.

The Abyss Herald retracts its claws from Ajax’s body - the ritual has been completed, and as always, the monster has no doubt that Ajax will be able to come out of this even stronger than ever before. Already, the puncture wounds of the Abyss Herald's claws in Ajax's skin have healed, the immediate regeneration of his physical body initiated by the overwhelming amount of abyssal energy held in him. Not even the collar is able to suppress this energy overflow.

But for now, while awaiting for its inevitable end, the Abyss Herald indulges itself with its carnal desires, holding his head and continuing to kiss its mate sweetly, relishing in how delicious he tastes, languidly thrusting into Ajax’s loose hole, wishing to fill him more with its essence. It gropes its mate, running its hand along every available inch of Ajax’s scarred yet supple skin. Whilst Ajax remains unresponsive besides the occasional twitch of his limbs, his body still feels pleasurable as ever. Soft and warm insides caressing against the shaft penetrating him deep - and if the Abyss Herald harshly grinds into his prostate, Ajax involuntarily spasms, milking its cock further as the monster orgasms, spilling more cum into Ajax's pliant body.

The Abyss Herald stills after that, lips pressing against Ajax's plump ones, feeling its bodily functions shutting down one by one, having given the majority of its very being to its mate. What is left of the monster now is merely the framework of its physical body, as well as a shred of consciousness that lets it live through and wait out its final moments.

Death… How fleeting.

“Farewell Ajax… remember, I am always with you… for all… eternity…….”

The monster jerks when a polearm stabs it from the center of its back, penetrating the Abyss Herald all the way through, the head of the spear breaking through the core in its chest, shattering the crystal, just a hair's breadth away from making contact with Ajax under it. 

The Abyss Herald laughs against Ajax's lips, an empty, eerie sound full of mirth. It pushes itself off of the unmoving form of its mate, sinking its body further along the shaft of the golden weapon. 

It smiles, turning around to face its end, fangs bared in a snide grin dripping with pitch-black blood.

“Hahaha… you’re too late... Morax…”

Upon finding out that Childe had been taken into the Abyss once more, Zhongli had worried himself sick. Hundreds of scenarios had ran through his mind about what is happening to Childe. Is he getting tortured? Did they kill him? Did the Abyss Order get their hands on him? Or is Childe simply fighting his way through, trying to find a way back to Teyvat?

He doesn't know what the worst case scenario is in this case. Zhongli doesn't know how he will react if he were to find his beloved dead. But at the same time he does not wish for Childe to suffer, and in the event that his beloved is being tortured, Zhongli may have even hoped that Childe has a swift death to be freed of pain.

But this, Zhongli does not think he could have even anticipated this.

Following the sound of Childe's pained screams, Morax picks up the pace, heart clenching knowing that his beloved is hurting, soaring through the air until the screams stop. He continues in that direction, approximating the distance based on the volume of Childe's voice. 

Plunging down, Morax shifts back to his humanoid form, small enough to maneuver through the canopy of branches cloaking the ground in darkness. The lack of natural light does not bother him, channelling some power into his inky black scaled arms that are lined with cor lapis veins, illuminating them with a soft glow that shines light to his surroundings. 

He hastily traverses the forest floor, eyes alert for any signs of life. Childe's mark is so close, but he is still unable to pinpoint exactly where, his tracking senses pointing him everywhere yet nowhere at once.

The further he travels into the depths of the forest, the more destruction he sees in the surroundings. The branches of trees burned down, barks with holes blasted through them, entire trees uprooted and toppled over, claw marks marring the dirt below.

Is Childe in a fight?

Morax follows the trail of destruction, which eventually leads him to the side of a huge cavern. He scours the perimeter, and discovers the mouth of the cave. Everything is silent, but he steadies his grip on his polearm in preparation for whatever he may face.

Stepping through the entrance, Morax’s heart soars upon seeing a familiar mop of orange hair.

But fury quickly overwhelms and blinds him upon seeing the state that Childe is in.

There in the center of the cave on a nest of fur, lies his beloved, but Morax can't see much of him, not when an Abyss Herald is knelt over him, bodily hiding Childe from his view. Dainsleif was right, it was an Abyss Herald that took Childe.

White hot anger quickly rises upon seeing the position that Childe is in - legs spread apart around the Abyss Herald's waist, chained down to keep him in that humiliating position. Morax’s eyes travel down and he doesn't even notice that his palms are bleeding from how hard he's clenching his fists and digging his claws through his skin and armour, seeing that Childe is laid fully naked, the curve of his ass exposed and his precious hole violated with the Abyss Herald's shaft, spread widely apart the huge intrusion, blobs of white fluid leaking past his rim. The realization that his lover has been raped by this damnable abomination makes him seethe.

How dare you how dare you HOW DARE YOU---

In his blind rage, Morax doesn't even feel himself moving, appearing behind the Abyss Herald in an instant and plunging his polearm through its chest. But even in his fury, Morax instinctively makes sure that he does not hurt his beloved, holding back to make sure that his polearm doesn't even graze Childe in the slightest.

The Abyss Herald barely reacts to the fatal wound, simply laughing at Morax. The monster says something, but Morax doesn't even comprehend what it's saying. The Abyssal corruption that has been festering in him the entire time rejoices in the turmoil of negative emotions storming within the god, closing in on his mind and driving all thoughts coherent thought, leading him to one singular goal that he must enforce.

Kill everything protect Childe kill everything protect Childe kill everything KILL KILL KILL---

Morax rips his spear out of the monster, flinging the chunks of flesh that got caught against his blade and splattering it's blood along the walls of the cave. Morax casts his polearm aside, the weapon dissipating away into safekeeping. Slicing the repulsive creature's head off is too swift and merciful - it deserves to suffer for having the audacity to touch Childe.

Morax grabs the Abyss Herald's head, yanking it up and dragging it off Childe, letting it hang by its neck with its feet off the ground. In his humanoid but not mortal form, Morax is easily taller and bigger than the monster, the Abyss Herald nothing but a squeak toy to him in its dying state. He falters slightly, when he hears a soft whimper coming from Childe, having unceremoniously pulled the monster’s length out of his abused hole without consideration. Morax wants to tend to his beloved, ensure that he is safe and healed, but the Abyss Herald cackles again, and the abyssal corruption quickly converges back into his mind; kill kill kill, kill everything, make sure that nothing can ever touch Childe ever again. 

The irate god snarls, succumbing to the corruption that craves for utter annihilation.

With the Abyss Herald firmly in his grasp, Morax throws the monster into a corner, away from Childe, tossing it into a wall like a piece of trash. The Abyss Herald slams into the stone cave wall with heavy thud before sliding down to the ground, coughing out blood and leaving a trail of it on the wall from where it had been stabbed. 

Morax snaps his fingers, and on command, spears of rock shoot up from the cave floor, impaling the Abyss Herald’s limbs, rendering it immobile.

Without preamble, the god moves to where the Abyss Herald lays, kneeling over it and pointedly ignoring how the monster is still grinning with mirth despite its end coming.

Reeling an arm back, Morax starts punching.

Fists hardened by scales and rock crudely begin beating the helpless monster, and Morax relishes in the grimace that finally paints the Abyss Herald's mouth, each pained grunt and choked gasp elicited widens the grin on Morax’s face, each of the monster’s coughs hacking blood out of its mouth, sullying Morax’s robes. Golden eyes ablaze as he watches how the monster’s solid body gets grinded into a mess of bones, guts and gore under his ministrations.

For everything that you've put Childe through, there will never be peace for you.

Morax is extra thorough in decimating the monster’s pelvis, making sure that not a single evidence of the filth that had dared to defile his beloved remains.

Even when the Abyss Herald has silenced, life finally leaving its horrid being, Morax continues punching away, uncaring of the gore that splatters on his form, uncaring that there is no point to this violence. The Abyss Herald is already dead, but his fury has yet to be satiated, he can't undo what has been done to Childe, and the abyssal corruption gleefully fans the flames of his anger, making him forget the reason why he's mercilessly annihilating this repulsive creature in the first place. Nothing can pull Morax out of this trance, too absorbed and blinded by his rage, nothing except---

A pained cry coming from behind him slices through his furious haze. Morax freezes mid-punch, finally seeing the result of his corruption-induced blind rage. The Abyss Herald is utterly unrecognizable now, save for its limbs that have been impaled with his stone spears. What remains of its torso is nothing but a black pool of blood and chunks of flesh and crushed bone. Its head has been caved in as well, teeth scattered about everywhere.

More cries and whimpers come from behind him, and Morax quickly abandons his sloppy mess of an Abyss Herald's battered remains, scrambling to Childe, the realization that Childe is hurt dragging him back to his senses.

Morax feels his heart cry for his beloved, now that he can clearly see the changes Childe went through. His newly acquired tail, claws and horn - none of them could have possibly grown overnight, and are definitely a result of potent abyssal energy. Morax is aware of the time dilation between the Abyss and Teyvat, but just how long had Childe been here in his perspective?

Despite these changes, Morax can't help but think that his beloved looks as beautiful as ever.

The selfishly possessive part of Morax that is fueled by abyssal corruption so desperately yearns to clean Childe free of the filthy cum that spills freely from his abused and gaping hole, wanting to remove all traces of the Abyss Herald from him - but the rational part of Morax quickly squashes that desire down, not now, not when his beloved is so clearly in pain. 

Unintelligible gurgles leave Childe's lips, eyes blown wide open but are completely unfocused and unseeing - Morax can't help but to notice the gorgeous sparkle of the new galaxy held in his blue orbs. The boy spasms under the chains that still bind him in that exposed position, limbs seizing up and straining against his holds. Morax puts his hands on the chains, gasping in shock and immediately pulling his hands back when he feels just how quickly the chains drain him of elemental energy, his hands tingling and numb from how intensely the chains disrupt his elemental circuits as well.

Has Childe been imprisoned by them this entire time?!

Quickly steeling himself, Morax firmly grips the chains binding Childe's legs and grits his teeth, bracing against the energy drain. Geo energy flows through his scaled arms, petrifying the chains and neutralizing its effect. Once fully petrified, he resonates with the chains, shattering them to pieces and freeing Childe’s legs and tail. He quickly does the same to the chains binding Childe's wrists, freeing his arms. All that's left is the final chain and collar connected to it, but the length of this particular chain allows Morax to hastily pick up Childe's body - spasms now reduced to shivering - and cradle him in his lap just as a quick reassurance to himself that Childe is here and alive.

He doesn't recall when was the last time that he had cried, but Morax certainly cries now, tears falling freely down his cheeks as he holds his beloved gently in his arms, Childe so small and fragile in comparison to his godly humanoid form.

"Childe, Childe please, please be okay my love," Morax whispers desperately, tenderly cupping Childe’s head with one hand while the other grips at the chain connecting the collar around Childe’s neck to the ground, initiating petrification on it as well, careful not to petrify Ajax's body itself. Morax is not well-versed in healing, and all he can do is hope and pray that Ajax can get through this on his own strength. "Please Childe, please wake up."

Petrification spreads through the chains but it doesn't manage to reach the collar. Morax is unprepared for Childe jerking in his hold - before the boy jumps out of his lap, snapping the petrified part of the chain off with his own strength, leaving the collar to remain around his neck.

Morax quickly gets over the surprise and sees Childe pressed up against the cave wall, seemingly unbothered about how he's still as naked as the day he was born, filthy with copious amounts of semen streaking down his legs, manic look in his eyes despite him shaking like a leaf. The young man sees him, but he doesn't appear to recognize Morax as a friendly figure.

Morax gets up, wanting to comfort his beloved, but Childe shrieks, voice awfully hoarse. "No! Stay away!"

A small part of Morax’s heart breaks upon hearing Childe reject him, but as it is, Childe is akin to a frightened animal, cowering in the corner with Morax towering above him, in between him and the cave opening. 

"Childe? It's me, Zhongli. You're hurt, please let me help you."

"Zhong...li…?" Childe slowly says, speaking as if he has never said the word before, but oh how Morax misses the sound of his name in that voice.

Taking Childe saying his name as a good sign, Morax steps forward. Unfortunately, it only serves to scare Childe further, the boy sinking to the ground, holding his arms over his face as if to shield himself. 

"No no no please please no please don't kill me, please don't kill me please Morax your Grace please don't," Childe begs brokenly, curling into himself further.

Why? Why is his beloved so terrified of him? Has Childe forgotten about him? That can't be, not when he recognizes the god as Morax.

Morax doesn't know what else he can say, so he slowly approaches Childe instead, his heart breaking further with every scared whine Childe makes the closer he gets, the boy shrinking in on himself and making him look smaller.

It is only when Morax gets closer to the frightened man that Morax’s ears pick up on Childe furtively whispering something under his breath.

Morax freezes. He doesn't understand the language, but he definitely recognizes its unique phonetics.

Ancient Khaenri’ahn.

How does Childe know the language? Not even the Abyss Mages of this day and age speak in Ancient Khaenri’ahn, even if the written language remains the same, adopting a newer dialect with slightly different phonetics. Spoken Ancient Khaenri’ahn had been lost to history, dying alongside its people after the Cataclysm---

No.

Morax is stunned by the possibility that Childe has memories of the Cataclysm five centuries ago, and would explain why Childe is so utterly terrified of him. The Cataclysm simply being a fancy name to describe the one sided genocide carried out by the Gods of Teyvat against the people of Khaenri’ah, unable to go against a direct order straight from Celestia despite how much they were against it.

Morax clearly remembers the Cataclysm. How could he forget? The grievous burden of the atrocities he had committed with his own hands weighs heavy upon his shoulders, the massacre of every single living thing existing on the lands of Khaenri’ah without discrimination. Men, women, children, elderly - none of them escaped the Gods' verdict of their demise, unable to do anything except to watch in terror as their friends and loved ones are mercilessly killed while waiting for their own deaths, unable to fathom why they have been subjected to this cruel fate despite not having done anything wrong. Condemned to this fate just because Celestia could not accept that the people of Khaenri’ah have no need of the divine.

So to see his beloved wearing the same expression of terror as the victims of the Cataclysm - Morax’s heart shatters, the guilt of five hundred years ago having never left him. Is this punishment for his sins?

As to how Childe even has memories of the Cataclysm, Morax could only theorize that the Abyss Herald’s memories have been somehow shared to Childe before the god had utterly annihilated it. Morax is aware that some beings of the Abyss Order are the very same people he had murdered during the Cataclysm. When their land and bodies had been exiled to the Abyss, while some of the people had been cursed to live lowly lives as hilichurls, the ever present corruption had fueled the lingering hatred of particularly strong individuals - those who fervently cling onto their obsession for revenge upon the Gods that have wronged them, reanimating the deceased into elite monsters with their minds intact. It would not be out of the realm of possibility that this particular Abyss Herald was an original native of Khaenri’ah, slain during the Cataclysm but whose hatred brought it back to insanity, stronger than ever before.

Morax just hopes that Childe remembers himself, for the boy seems to be overwhelmed by the memories of the Cataclysm.

"Childe please, I won't hurt you. You are safe, so please, come here. Let me treat you."

At that very moment, Morax senses a distortion in the energy in between him and Childe, and he gracefully jumps back to distance himself from the ripple of energy that tears a smokey pitch-black portal in the atmosphere.

From the portal emerges two creatures, one serpentine with blue crystals sticking out of its body and pearlescent silver bones framing its face and torso, while the other hexapod creature has red crystals and gold bones on its body. They are easily larger than Morax, even in his godly humanoid form, and they position themselves in between him and Childe.

Morax growls warningly at the newcomers. Are these more of the Abyss Herald’s lackeys here to take Childe away again? Whatever, he will simply kill them all.

With bloodlust acting as a trigger, Morax easily succumbs to the corruption again, single-mindedly driven to enforce the goal to eliminate all threats to Childe's safety.

Materializing his polearm, Morax quickly dashes forward, intending to behead the serpentine creature first, it's head lowered close to the ground where Childe is. He manifests geo energy around the edges and tip of his blade, the resonating geo vibrating at such a frequency that it will break through even the bone armour of the creature. Putting his strength into his arms, Morax drives his polearm straight towards the serpent's neck.

"No!" Morax hears Childe anguished scream, cutting through the corruption once more, but even when he's rational, he cannot fathom why Childe is upset. Aren't these creatures aiding the Abyss Herald in his captivity? Morax’s momentum hardly falters, and he feels the loud clang of his polearm clashing against tough armour.

Golden eyes widen in shock. Morax had thought that he had nicked the armour of the serpentine creature, but no. On the other end of his spear is Childe himself, having somehow quickly put himself in between Morax and the serpent and taking the full brunt of the God's attack, redirecting his spear away from the creature.

And how unbelievable that feat alone is. Morax had gone in with full intention to kill, but here Childe is holding the blade and shaft of his spear with nothing but his armoured hands. Albeit Childe does not escape without injuries - the sharp edge of the blade digging into the hand holding it, blood pouring from the deep cut that exposes the subcutaneous fat and flesh hidden underneath the unnatural armour - but it is a miracle that his hand hadn't been cleanly sliced off. His other hand holding the shaft of the spear has had layers of its armour and flesh ripped away from the geo resonance and friction of gripping onto the shaft to stop it fully, the whites of bare bone peeking out. Childe trembles under the force Morax is exerting against him. The god watches as a dark miasma coalesces around Childe’s hands, and it appears as if this miasma is healing Childe, flesh and skin sewing back together and armour hardening and reforming back anew right before his eyes.

From this altercation alone, Morax could tell that Childe has obtained power and strength that he had never held before - must have gotten it from his long ordeal in the Abyss. But it appears that even Childe himself has been unaware of the power he's been keeping, a look of surprise on his face as he looks down at his own hands, as if fully expecting to die the moment he went up against Morax. The discovery of his newfound strength emboldens him, and the human glares at the god through the tears that have formed from the pain. 

Childe is fully hissing at Morax now, baring his teeth, stunning galaxy blue eyes ablaze with such a ferocity that Morax had never witnessed before, shadowing the fear that had been gripping the young man.

"You may kill me, but don't you even dare touch my children!"

...What? His children?

Childe does not give Morax a moment’s pause, switching onto the offensive despite still being utterly naked save for the collar on his neck, and with absolutely no weapons except for his claws and tail that he uses to stab at Morax.

Having been caught off-guard by the revelation that these creatures are his beloved's children, Childe gained the opportunity claw at Morax arm, and to the god’s utter surprise, his beloved had slashed through the scales and geo armour protecting his arm, causing him to bleed - when normally, simple physical attacks could not even leave a scratch on the god. The same dark miasma that had healed Childe now clings to Morax’s arm but with the opposite effect, slowing the god’s innate accelerated regeneration and causing it to continue bleeding when the wound would have normally been closed and healed.

As his blood drips onto the stone cold floor, Morax watches as Childe freezes, dark pupils dilating while he fixates on the god’s blood that flows freely, tongue darting out to wet his lips. Morax takes this momentary pause of his to draw back, but the movement seems to snap Childe out of his reverie, the human snarling at the dragon again, rushing towards Morax.

And so Childe continues on the offense, desperately clawing and slashing at Morax while the god simply dodges in the confines of the cave. 

Despite the situation, Morax can't help but to think that Childe is absolutely gorgeous, movements so agile and graceful, almost as if the young man is dancing with the god as his arms reach out to claw at Morax - any lesser being would have had their flesh ripped out of them. The crystal horn atop of Childe’s head glimmers with the light emanating from the fire nearby and the glow from Morax’s arms. And his face, his beautiful face that Morax misses so much and wishes so badly to shower with kisses, expression showing such fury and selflessness like an angry mother whose children have been threatened.

Morax can't bear to retaliate and hurt Childe when the boy is like this, attacking the god with the intention to fight to the death, fully knowing that he may very well die against the god, all to protect his children.

But how did Childe even get these children? They don't look anything like him, they aren't even human. Did he form a companionship with them? Morax can't help but wonder even as he blocks another one of Childe’s attacks with the shaft of his polearm, and the god notices that the creatures that are supposedly Childe's children have been staying still, neither attacking him nor moving to flee.

Morax. A voice rings out clearly in his head. You need to break Ajax’s collar to release his elemental powers and free him from these memories plaguing him. He is overwhelmed by the Abyss Herald's memories that he has blocked out his own memories that are linked with his hydro vision.

…? Who is communicating with him?

Morax hurry! Yet another voice snaps impatiently in his mind. The longer you take the more Ajax will be consumed!

It is with a start that Morax realizes that it is the two creatures who are calling out to him telepathically. He glances at them from where they remain, and vaguely sees them nodding their heads at him.

Morax doesn't trust them, but their words make sense to him. And since they haven't made any further moves, Morax has not felt increasingly threatened by them yet, thus not triggering the corruption to send him into a blind rage either.

He supposes that he doesn't have any better idea, and it would be good to put a stop to this as well. There is no point prolonging Childe's pain either.

And so, Morax finally picks up on the offensive, looking to subdue Childe as soon as possible. But he finds it rather difficult as well, Childe is awfully nimble and manages to slip out of Morax’s grasp each time.

It is only through a diversion that Morax is able to get a hold of Childe, aiming his spear and shooting up stone steeles out of the ground to Childe’s left, but Morax immediately dashes to Childe's right, predicting that the boy will dodge in that direction and his prediction proves true. But even then, Childe almost manages to slip out of capture, only having his tail caught by Morax’s hand. It is with a heavy heart that Morax yanks on Childe's tail, pointedly trying ignoring the agonized shriek the boy lets out that tugs on his heartstrings, dragging Childe's body towards him.

Morax has to tackle Childe onto the ground, bodily holding him down with his much larger stature, gripping one of the human’s wrists with his free hand and quickly forming geo cuffs that pin the arm down to the stone floor. Childe frantically struggles beneath him, kicking and slashing at Morax as much as possibly but the god slots himself between Childe's legs, his own dragon tail curling itself around Childe’s leg to hold him still.

Eventually, Morax successfully cuffs all of Childe’s limbs to immobilize him, at the cost of more freely bleeding cuts along his body that Childe had managed to claw at him. Morax is absolutely saddened to see Childe fully crying now, unnaturally glimmering black tears running down his soft cheeks and hiccuping sobs leaving him. The boy trembles violently under him, utterly terrified and fully believing that he will be slaughtered.

"Gira, Tina, please run," Childe sobs in anguish, not understanding why his children have not left him and fled yet, "please live on for me."

But no. It is not as if Morax will kill Childe. Morax is here to save his beloved afterall.

Putting his hands on the collar, Morax winces at the backlash of energy emanating from the collar. The potency of the energy drain and disruption of his elemental circuits is much more intense than the chains that had bound Childe - but a part of Morax can't help but to be amazed that Childe is still this strong despite this handicap. Initiating the petrification, Morax pours all of his geo energy into the collar, seeking to neutralize the disruptive forces and to rearrange the molecular structure of the collar. Even then, the speed of petrification is slowed down immensely, but Morax does not let up. By now, Childe has resigned to his fate, eyes squeezed shut and soft whimpers leaving his lips.

Slowly but surely, the entirety of the collar is petrified, and with one last surge of geo energy channeled to resonate with the collar, Morax hopes that Childe will be freed from his suffering as the collar breaks in his hands.

He had not expected for Childe to scream.

The scream cuts off with a choke, the boy’s chest heaving as if he isn't able to get air in his lungs. He thrashes in the geo cuffs - Morax’s heart aches knowing that this isn't the first time Childe has struggled like this - back arching off the stone floor as he hyperventilates, fists clenched tight.

Morax! Bring him to the pool, now! One of the voices from before commands urgently in his mind. Ajax has been drained of hydro energy for so long that his body seeks to replenish his elemental veins now that they've been freed.

Ajax's body will destroy itself from the inside if he can't find any other sources of energy. The other voice continues. Please get him to the pool.

Once again, Morax dubiously listens to the voices despite not trusting the creatures. They aren't lying per se - Morax can sense Childe's energy going haywire - and they haven't outrightly hurt Childe yet.

The geo cuffs binding Childe crumble upon his command, and Morax swiftly scoops Childe up in his arms in a bridal carry, unbothered by how Childe beats against his chest in his thrashing and claws down his skin. He rushes to the pool on the other side of the cave, kneeling on the edge to partially submerge Childe.

Childe gasps upon having his skin contact the water. He squirms in Morax’s hold, but the god quickly realizes that Childe is trying to get closer to the water, arms reaching out to get deeper into the pool.

Holding Childe tighter against his chest, Morax dips them both into the pool, floating to the middle. Almost immediately, Childe calms down, relaxing in Morax’s arms. The boy leans to his side, trying to dip his head below the water's surface, and Morax adjusts his hold on him to accommodate for it, lowering Childe to be fully submerged, but making sure that he does not drown, alert for any indication of his beloved needing to breathe. 

Morax simply watches Childe, the boy’s long lashes fluttering when he shuts his eyes as a tiny smile of relief adorns his pretty face, soft orange curls of his hair gently swaying in the water, and the god’s heart clenches when he thinks that this is likely the first time in a long while that his beloved has felt safe enough to let his guard down.

But Childe hasn't come up for air for quite some time, and Morax worries, putting his hand over Childe's bare chest to check his heartbeat. To his astonishment, the god discovers that Childe is breathing underwater, so highly attuned to his hydro element that water poses no harm to him, even if they enter and fill his lungs completely - dissolved oxygen diffusing directly through his alveoli.

So enraptured by Childe that he is, Morax does not even notice that water level of the pool is receding until he looks up, surprised to face the walls of the pool that were previously submerged instead of the cave. The god glances up to see the two creatures from before peering over the pool's edge to watch them - and it registers in Morax just how deep this pool is, having to crane his neck to look up.

Taking a look at their surroundings, Morax discovers that the pool extends even further underground, an entire chasm that was filled with water but now being rapidly drained, and by Childe no less, the god able to detect the influx of energy flowing from the water into Childe’s body.

In barely any time at all, every single drop of water that had been present has been transformed into hydro energy and absorbed by Childe. No fishes or wildlife call this body of water their home, but the floor and walls are covered with gravel and sand, lined with corals and plants that lay limp now that they are exposed to air. Morax now sits in a clear area at the bottom of this deep trench, Childe lying peacefully on his lap with the god’s arms cradling his naked body oh so protectively. It is a wonder to find that they are both impeccably dry - even the remnants of the wretched Abyss Herald's cum had been cleaned from Childe's gaping hole, as well as the blood oozing out of Morax’s now-sealing wounds. 

"Childe? Sweetheart, please look at me," Morax coos, stroking his beloved's cheek oh so tenderly despite his sharp draconic claws, coaxing the boy for a response. 

"Mmmmnnnn…." Childe softly groans, as if rousing from a deep slumber. His eyelids slowly open, and Morax is graced with the young man's captivating galaxy blue orbs, now free of pain and fear, locking on with the god’s own bright golden eyes. Childe simply stares at him for a moment, and Morax watches as his beloved eyes light up in recognition.

"...Zhong...li...?" Childe whispers fervently, taking in the appearance of Morax’s godly humanoid form, having never seen it before, but his traits and facial features are familiar enough for him to recognize. 

"Zhongli Zhongli Zhongli Zhongli…!!!"

Tears brim in Childe’s eyes, and the boy quickly shoots upright, kneeling in Morax’s lap and flinging his arms around his lover's neck as best as he could considering how small he is in comparison with the god, hugging Morax’s neck tightly, clinging on as if fearing that Zhongli will disappear the moment they separate. The god releases a sigh of relief, it seems that Childe has successfully regained his own memories.

Morax returns the hug with the same enthusiasm, wrapping his arms around Childe's thin waist, curling his draconic tail around them to cocoon his beloved safely. Childe's own lithe tail intertwines itself with the dragon's much thicker one.

"You're here…! You're here! You came for me…!" Childe sobs into Morax’s neck, body trembling with his cries of happiness, of relief, of salvation.

The god runs his large hands all over Childe’s naked body, rubbing and caressing every expanse of skin that he could get his hands on, as if to replace all the filthy touches Childe had felt with his. He cards his fingers through Childe's hair and gently tugs the boy's head back, so that he can gaze upon his beloved's beautiful face. 

"I'm here with you, my love," Morax reaffirms, wiping away the tears staining Childe's face. "Nothing will hurt you anymore."

Morax leans in, angling his head to prevent himself from poking on Childe’s horn, and presses his mouth to his lover's oh so tenderly, pouring all of his emotions into the kiss. His longing, his love, his unbridled joy of having Childe in his arms again. Childe melts into the kiss, content, happy, and safe, body sagging in Morax’s hold and the god easily supports him up, all the exhaustion and stress that has been pent up in him from the entire ordeal leaving his frame as his lover's comforting warmth spreads to him.

Finally, they have been reunited. 

Morax will see to it that they will never be parted ever again.

Chapter Text

Ajax can't help but to cry again, tears cascading down his cheeks, sniffling as he snuggles closer to Morax, the god peppering kisses in his hair and rubbing his back gently with his hands.

It's over... It's finally over… Zhongli came… Zhongli really came for me...

They can't bring themselves to let go of each other for even a moment.

Morax can't help but to curl his much bigger body around Ajax, attempting to shield his lover from the universe itself, hugging Ajax so tightly as if afraid that the young man will be snatched away from him once more.

The boy presses himself against Morax’s chest, nuzzling into the crook of the god’s neck, relishing in the comforting warmth and sense of safety his lover gives him that he has not felt for god knows how long he's been trapped here.

The god’s embrace around him abruptly tightens, squeezing Ajax further against his lover's solid body. He makes a questioning sound of surprise when he feels the Morax’s muscles tense under his hands.

"Uhn-! Zhongli…? What's wrong?"

A low growl coming from Morax rumbles against Ajax, and the boy tries to squirm out of the tight hold Morax has on him, turning his head to see his two eldest children descending down the enormous chasm towards them. A flicker of gold beside him catches his attention and Ajax panics upon seeing the polearm that Morax is now gripping tightly in his hand.

"No Zhongli, please! Don't hurt my children please!" Ajax begs, grappling with his lover’s hand trying to pry the weapon out of his hand.

Morax tears his eyes away from the two creatures to look at Ajax confusedly, his tension softening when he sees the frantic desperation on the boy's face.

"Childe, I must admit that I do not understand. What do you mean that they are your children? Did you somehow manage to bond with abyssal creatures?"

The question hangs in the air. Ajax glances away, unable to look at Morax in the eye. After a rather long period of contemplation, he tentatively grabs one of the god’s hands that was holding him and moves it to his abdomen, splaying Morax’s palm and fingers over his skin, right over where his womb is.

"On the day when I woke up for the first time after being taken here, that… Abyss Herald chained me down and it… stabbed me. With its claws. Started messing around with my guts." Ajax begins softly, but with each word that leaves his mouth, his voice grows shakier and shakier, lips trembling and corners stretching to an odd smile that does not match his words.

"Childe… you don't have to speak if it is painful for you." Morax offers, but Ajax shakes his head and continues regardless.

"It said that it wanted to mate me, breed me with its offspring. I thought that the Herald was insane. How the fuck was I supposed to bear children? I didn't even have a fucking womb." Ajax says, voice laced with hysteria, hand gripping tighter around Morax’s wrist, claws scratching against the geo-armoured skin.

"But guess what! That's exactly what it gave me! Burned me alive from the inside and poof! I have a womb now ahahaha!" Ajax cackles hysterically, eyes blown wide as he stares at Morax expectantly. "Can you feel it? My belly is rounder than the last time we fucked, right? Right?" 

Morax did in fact notice that Ajax's abdomen had changed in size, rounder than what Zhongli had last remembered when he held Childe close. But to find out that it was because Ajax had an entire womb painfully implanted in him, Morax is horrified at the suffering his beloved went through.

But the horrors his lover went through didn't just stop there. "And then the Herald made good on its promise and fucked me senseless! Didn't even care if I fainted, it just kept filling me and filling me and filling me until I wanted to burst. Raped me over and over and over again until a baby somehow formed in me and I had to give birth to it. I can't even remember the exact number of children I've birthed at this point. I didn't even get to see most of them grow up because the Herald took them all away! I felt so confused and empty each time after birth, literally empty!" Ajax laughs at his own words, the manic sound heavily contrasting with the tears that just keep flowing from his eyes. He can't seem to stop crying huh?

"But I love them, I love my children. They kept me alive and took care of me when no one else could. I can't bear to have my kids taken away from me again."

Ajax breaks, head hanging low and shrinking in on himself in Morax’s lap, babbling tearfully. "I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry that I couldn't fight the Herald myself. I'm sorry that I couldn't escape on my own and you had to come here yourself. I'm sorry that you have to see me like this."

"Childe, no, it is not-"

"I'm sorry for being so weak and disgusting and defiled now, I'm already a monster but I can’t even pretend that I’m normal I'm so sorry please don't kill my children they're all that I have please don't hate me please don't throw me away please don't leave me please---"

"Childe, stop." Morax says a bit more assertively, interrupting his lover's self-deprecating tirade by cupping Ajax's face, making the boy look at him in the eye. His lover's gorgeous galaxy eyes, surrounded in red with how bloodshot they are from crying so much, are glistening with tears while his body shakes from the anxiety pooling in gut, and Morax hurts to see his beloved blaming himself for the suffering that he did not deserve at all and so far out of his control.

"Childe, it is not your fault." Morax says earnestly, thumbs gently wiping away the black tears staining his beloved's face. "In fact, I should be the one begging for your forgiveness that I was unable to protect you and save you sooner. What you have suffered through will not change how I feel for you. You are still you. I can only love you even more. Thank you for being so strong, thank you for holding on and waiting so patiently for me. Please let me cherish and take care of you as you deserve sweetheart."

Ajax trembles upon hearing Morax’s words. The fear of finding out his lover's reaction to the changes he had undergone that had been eating at him for so long finally trickles away. Zhongli still loves him. Zhongli still wants him. Ajax hesitantly holds out his arms, and Morax can tell what his beloved wants, pulling him close once more to envelope the young man in a hug, purring reassuringly as Ajax nuzzles his face against his.

"Thank you for still living despite all that you have been through. If you would allow it, I would never let you go ever again. I love you so much, my lovely angel. Would you like to be with me until the end of time?"

"Yes, yes please," Ajax gasps breathlessly against Morax’s lips, arching into the touch as the god kisses him again. "Please stay with me forever, I love you so much Zhongli, please don't leave me." 

"I'll never leave you, my love." Morax declares, words heavy with intent settling like a contract. He will be with Childe forever.

With Ajax safely in his arms, Morax moves his head up to level himself with the Ajax's two children who have been watching this entire time. While it had been jarring to see that Ajax’s biological children aren't even relatively human and are monstrous creatures, and even more horrifying to discover that the Abyss Herald had forced itself onto Ajax to bear these kids, Morax had quickly decided that in the grand scheme of things, he is not all too bothered by them. After seeing just how desperate and protective Ajax is for them, he doesn't have the heart to separate them - especially after hearing that the Abyss Herald had taken away most of Ajax's children. Morax could only imagine how devastated his lover was having his children taken away after so painfully birthing them.

Ajax's happiness and safety is his utmost priority. And if these children had taken care of Ajax when Morax could not and make his beloved happy, that is all that matters.

"I suppose that I would have to thank you two for caring for my beloved when I couldn't be there for him," Morax addresses the two creatures. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am indebted to you."

It is of no matter. We can only apologize that we were unable to do any more for mother when we were under the Herald's control. One of the creatures' voices resonate in both their minds. 

Upon hearing the voice in his head, Ajax immediately straightens up in Morax’s arms and snaps his head to look at his children, eyes wide in surprise. "Wait… wait, you can talk now?!" 

We always could. But we could never talk to you specifically because the Herald forbade us from doing so. Since they were our abyssal creator, they inevitably had full authority over us.

We're sorry mother… we could not do more for you, the voice says sadly.

"It's okay… it's okay, you did all you could… that's all I could ask for..." Unmeasurable happiness fills Ajax at this point - his children truly care for him, and the kindness and affection that they have shown him in the past was not a mere ploy to lower his guard and soften him up - another worry that has been gnawing at him eases.

"Ah, but since you two are speaking telepathically I can't tell who is talking even if your… voices sound different in my head." Ajax wonders, looking back and forth between his two children who've had their mouths closed this entire time. "Gira?"

It is I, mother. The words sound smooth and lilting.

"Tina?"

It's me, mum. A more rumbling and resonant echo.

Morax voices his surprise. "They have names?"

Ajax looks away shyly at that, his tail thumping lightly against Morax’s much bigger one. "I was… thinking of you when I named them after precious ores you told me about." 

The god doesn't think that he could grow any more fonder of Ajax but his heart certainly swells with adoration. Knowing that Ajax had still thought about him even through all of his suffering, thinking of him while naming his children that he so clearly loves, Morax can't help himself. He won't fail anymore, he will protect his beloved no matter what, he will give everything to his lovely Childe.

"Hold on, if you two are free from the Herald's authority, does it mean that it's dead?" Ajax suddenly asks, looking at his children and Morax questioningly. Zhongli being here as well as his children being released from control must mean that the Abyss Herald is dead, but then why…?

"Yes, I killed it. I will never let it hurt you again."

...why does Ajax still feel the monster’s presence? In fact, it feels closer to him than ever before, as if the monster is holding him close yet feels so far away, even if logically, Ajax knows that it's Zhongli who's embracing him at the moment.

A troubled look must have formed on his face, because Morax cups Ajax's face in his hands and strokes his cheek softly. "Baobei? What's wrong?"

"It's just… it feels like I can still feel the Herald’s presence? Is it really dead? I don't exactly know how you saved me either, my head hurts really bad when I try to remember what happened before I woke up here." Ajax mumbles, gesturing widely to the vast empty chasm that they are currently in.

Morax’s expression darkens at those words, glancing at Ajax's children who also happen to glance back at him. 

"And what happened to the rest of my children?" Ajax asks pleadingly. "Have they been freed as well?"

Gira and Tina move closer to the two, now that they can tell that the god has accepted them and won't hurt them. They settle on the ground in front of where Morax is sitting, and like this, Ajax has his three beloved and huge draconic creatures surrounding him.

After you have birthed them, some of our siblings were sent on scouting and reconnaissance missions, while others roamed the Abyss freely to gain strength and power, Gira begins. That is how the Herald discovered that Morax had arrived in the Abyss.

Once the Herald knew that Morax was here, they made up their mind to imbue themselves into you.

"Huh? Imbue itself into me?"

The Herald transferred all of their powers, memories and existence to you. It would not be too inaccurate to say that you are the Herald now, but at the same time, you are not.

Essentially, it's a suicidal ritual which lets them live on in you, since they were unwilling to completely let you go. Even if Morax had killed them, he only destroyed their physical body and sentience, not their legacy nor proof of existence. Tina elaborates, eyeing how Morax clenches his fists and holds Ajax tighter. Which was why mum previously did not recognize Morax as Zhongli, but as Morax the tyrant during the Cataclysm.

Ajax's mind spins at this information. The Abyss Herald leaving its existence in him? It seems that he will never truly be free.

But this raises more concerns. Does this mean that the Abyss Herald is capable of possessing Ajax? And if he actually does have the Abyss Herald’s memories, why doesn’t he remember any of them right now?

After Ajax raises these questions, Gira answers him. Mother does not remember any of the Herald’s memories right now because your vision blocks them, and your own memories tied to your vision are more compatible with you than the Herald's memories. Even if you have these memories, the Herald cannot possess you because they are technically dead.

As you are now, your elemental and abyssal energy are in a precarious balance which keeps you sane with your own memories, and still able to manipulate both elemental and abyssal energy. Tina takes over the explanation from Gira, trying to be as clear as possible with the barrage of information Ajax and Morax have to take in. 

However, if you’ve been drained of your internal hydro energy, your vision will be too weak to suppress the Herald’s memories, which would overwhelm you. You may be influenced by the memories and the feelings the Herald had, even if the Herald isn't possessing you.

"That… that doesn't sound as bad as I thought," Ajax thoughtfully mutters. "How do I maintain this balance between energies though?"

You will have to return to Teyvat. The natural hydro elemental energy there will sustain your internal hydro energy. You will still need to sustain your abyssal energy as well however. It will backlash on you and drain you from the inside if you do not replenish it.

One way you can replenish your abyssal energy is by ingesting abyssal energy sources… which I'm sure that Teyvat has an abundance of too.

The explanation that his children gave wasn't as extreme as what Ajax had expected. He had imagined the Abyss Herald completely brainwashing him, reducing him to a mindless puppet and turning him on his own loved ones. But this? From the sound of it, Ajax would have to eat the abyssal monsters that he finds in Teyvat - which doesn't seem any different from what the Abyss Herald had been feeding him for the entirety of his captivity. He can live with this. He has Zhongli and his children with him now. He'll get through this.

"If I have to stay in Teyvat, what about you guys? Will you… will you come with me? Or do you have to stay here?" Ajax apprehensively asks his children. Please. Please don't let us be separated right at the end after all we've been through. Please let me be with them. 

Don't worry mum, we're able to live with you in Teyvat. Our bodies function similarly to yours in terms of maintaining abyssal and elemental energy. You won't have to be without us.

However,  we do have to stay in the Abyss a while longer to gather the rest of our siblings. But we can always find you. We will always return to our origins, and you are our origin.

Ajax perks up at the mention of his kids. "Does this mean that I can see all of my children?"

Gira and Tina hesitate for a moment. While the truth would definitely hurt their mother, it would be less painful for him to find out now rather than him finding it out for himself in the future if they were to hide it from him. Knowing Ajax, it wouldn't take long for him to notice and wonder why some of his children are missing.

I am so sorry mother, but some of your children have been killed. Which was why you had those phantom pains some time ago. 

Ajax's blood runs cold. 

No. No no no who dared to kill his children before he could even hold them!

"Who was it?" Ajax bites out, barely able to contain the sudden surge of rage that he feels, his tail lashing out angrily against the floor, claws unconsciously digging into Morax’s geo-hardened arms. "Who killed my children?"

The Herald had sent some of our siblings to slow down Morax from finding you… and Morax had killed and eaten them to progress.

Ajax feels the ground shatter beneath him. The anger completely drains out of him, instead replaced with overwhelming hopelessness.

Morax, who had been keeping quiet this entire time to listen and allow Ajax to figure out his situation, falls deathly still upon hearing the accusation that he killed his beloved's children. 

No, it cannot be.

He wants to refute it, how could he ever have the conscience to kill his beloved's children? But on his tongue, the soft taste of Childe lingers each time he eats the monsters that he's slain to get here. And after finding out that Childe had been impregnated and forced to give birth to countless creatures, Morax cannot deny the evidence.

He had truly killed his beloved Childe's children.

Hasn't he been eating them as well?

The grave look of betrayal, of pure hurt that forms on Ajax’s face when the boy desperately looks at him for rebuttal stabs through his heart. Morax’s silence merely asserts the truth of the statement.

He caused this. He caused Ajax's pain.

"Zhongli… why Zhongli… why did you kill my children Zhongli… why…?" Ajax wails heartbreakingly when Morax does not deny anything, the god remaining stone still as he comprehends the consequences of his actions, afraid to touch Ajax any further. Ajax wants to lash out, wants to destroy something in revenge for his children being murdered. But he can't. Not when it is Zhongli, not when he undeniably loves Zhongli more than the children that he hasn't even held.

Ajax understands why his lover had to kill his children, he really does. He knows that Zhongli only killed his children to save him.

But it still hurts terribly.

So he cries yet again, somehow not running out of tears to shed as his body is wracked with sobs, eyes shut tight as he grieves for the children he had lost without even ever spending time with, mourning that he doesn't even have a corpse to hold and bury to give him closure.

"How many of them did you kill?" Ajax whispers between his hiccuping sobs, "and you ate my kids?"

"I do not- I do not remember," Morax says, he himself stunned at this revelation that he had truly murdered his beloved's children. Thinking back, it had been rather odd how the monsters he had faced all reminded him of Childe one way or another.

"Give them back, give me my children back please," Ajax bemoans, unexpectedly wrapping his arms around Morax’s neck and nuzzling his face into the crook of the god’s neck. Morax remains stock still, hands hovering over Ajax's body, unsure of what to do to comfort his grieving mate.

He flinches slightly at the sudden sting of pain emanating from where Ajax is.

Looking down, Morax is greeted with the sight of Ajax biting his shoulder, the boy's fangs surprisingly sharp enough to penetrate through his scaled skin.

Ajax suckles on his flesh, throat visibly contracting each time he gulps down the blood that oozes from the bite.

Morax lets out a pained hiss when Ajax chomps down on his shoulder.

With wide eyes, Morax watches as Ajax pulls back to sit in his lap, with tears still streaming down his face and a chunk of Morax’s flesh in his mouth - actually managing to slice through his geo-hardened skin, blood oozing from the meat and dripping down his chin. The boy closes his eyes as he chews on the god’s flesh, as if savouring the taste, lips quivering as the delightful taste of blood and raw flesh spread on his tongue, a soft moan inadvertently slipping past his lips.

Ajax is trying to see if he can taste his children, Morax realizes. 

The boy whimpers, tears brimming in his eyes anew.

Ajax swallows the meat down before bringing his mouth back to Morax’s wound, nibbling on the exposed flesh, biting off more chunks of his meat and muscle here and there. Morax simply remains still and allows Ajax to do whatever he pleases, not moving a muscle despite the pain that blossoms each time Ajax's teeth sink into his body, at the mercy of his beloved, not minding at all that Ajax is now eating him instead.

He did promise that he will give his beloved everything, and that includes himself.

Oddly enough, despite the physical pain of Ajax tearing into his flesh, Morax feels strangely at peace. The guilt stirring his emotions from discovering that he had murdered his beloved's children eases up as he offers himself to Ajax. Morax feels content, sitting there with Ajax in lap.

The shimmering black tears leaking from Ajax's eyes drip onto Morax’s wound, and Morax observes with astonishment that the pain immediately fades away, the tears numbing the nerves where they land. Ajax begins licking the bleeding wound, tickling Morax each time his tongue laves across his flesh and licking away all the blood pouring out. The god is surprised once more upon seeing the free flowing blood immediately clot, with his flesh and skin regenerating anew at the areas where Ajax had licked. Morax innately is able to regenerate his body parts even after they've been cleanly removed, but not this quickly, all the more so that he's in the Abyss whose energy has been impeding with his regenerative capabilities. 

It is quite obviously Childe who is healing him now. It appears that Ajax's fluids have now gained the ability to heal and alleviate pain. 

The Abyss has altered Childe so much, Morax thinks somberly. But at the cost of so much of his suffering.

After a thorough licking, Morax’s shoulder has completely healed - looking as if Ajax hasn't been feasting on him. Ajax buries his face back in the crook of Morax’s neck. The god feels the wetness of Ajax’s tears on his skin, the boy’s comparatively small body shaking each time he hiccups a sob.

Strong arms hook under his legs and wrap around his back, and Ajax feels himself being lifted slightly before being deposited to sit on solid ground. He rubs his eyes and blinks his tears away, vision refocusing to see Morax in front of him.

As an Archon, as a God, as a Dragon, Morax had always been revered with his otherworldly status, gazing down on his subjects and followers who kneel for him and supplicate themselves to him.

But today, for the first time ever in his long existence, it is he who lowers himself for a mortal - is Childe even a mortal anymore? - and begs for forgiveness.

Morax kneels on the ground before his beloved, prostrating himself as he flattens his forehead against the stone cold floor to bow for his beloved, large tail curled up neatly beside him. Ajax sputters in shock above him. "W-wait Zhongli, you don't have to---"

"Tartaglia, Childe, Ajax, my love, I humbly beg for your forgiveness. I have irrevocably caused you a great deal of pain despite my intentions, and I cannot bring back what has been lost."

"Please forgive me, but you are of my utmost priority. Just as much as you cannot bear to lose your children, I too am unable to bear losing you or seeing you suffer. I had to get to you as quickly as I could no matter what."

Ajax reaches out to gently rest a hand on Morax’s head. "Please, raise your head Zhongli…" Morax rises, sitting up with his legs folded underneath, and sees how Ajax's lips tremble upon his face, smiling but not quite, coupled with his eyes glassy with unshed tears.

"I understand, and I forgive you… but it still hurts, so please…" Ajax sniffles, shifting himself closer to Morax and leaning down to lay his head in the god’s lap, his robes soaking up Ajax's tears. Morax runs his fingers through Ajax's silky hair, now reaching his shoulders due to how long he has been trapped here, stroking his head to comfort him. "Please stay with me… let me have the rest of my kids…"

"I will do anything to make it up to you, my love. It would not be the same, and I do not mean this as a replacement, but if you so desire, I would be honoured to have you sire my offspring to fill in the gap of your lost ones, and they will be our children."

Ajax shifts, one side of his body laying on the floor while he rests his head in Morax’s lap still, looking up at Morax.

"You could?"

"Yes my love, I can give you all the children that you would ever want."

"If it's with you, I'd do anything."

"And me, you. I will give you everything you ask for."

Letting out a sigh, Ajax shuts his eyes, letting the soothing pace of Morax stroking his hair lull him to drowsiness. While he has not quite come to terms with the passing of his children just yet, Ajax has no choice but to accept reality. Eventually, the wounds of his heart too will heal over time.

But for now, he would like to return where he belongs.

"Take me back, Zhongli."

Chapter Text

We would have to do something about your clothes before we return to Teyvat, baobei."

"Huh? What do you mean- oh."

Ajax looks down, and his cheeks flare up with heat upon realizing that he's been stark naked this entire time. Then again, he has spent most of his time in the Abyss this round naked from being fucked constantly, he had inevitably gotten used to the state of being undressed.

But it's still embarrassing to realize it nonetheless. 

"I can give you my coat, but it would be too big for you," Morax offers. The god had started to pull on the bottom of his hooded coat, intending to take it off with a flash of skin, when the image of Morax’s bare sculpted chest flashes in Ajax's mind.

"Wait no it's okay! I have a coat, it should still be in the cave," Ajax hastily stops Morax, not particularly wanting to have an eyeful of godly tits at the moment.

But during another time when they have some privacy alone? Most definitely.

If anyone sees Ajax's dick twitch a little, no one comments on it.

"A coat? How did you get one here?" Morax asks, watching as Gira lifts itself off the ground and flies up towards the cave, presumably to fetch the said coat.

"The Herald gave it to me. It's the only physical thing I had all this time so…"

Here is your coat, mother. Gira announces, having quickly returned with a blue fur coat held securely in its mouth. Ajax reaches out to grab it, and Gira opens its mouth to release the coat. Gira returns to its spot on the ground, curling up beside Tina as they continue watching their mother and his lover.

"Is that… fur from a hydro Abyss Mage?" Morax questions curiously, eyeing the coat which has a rather familiar colour.

"Yeah, I figured it was. I wonder how many mages the Herald skinned to make it since it's so long," Ajax ponders, standing up and slipping his hands through the sleeves to put it on. "It's so soft though, come feel it!"

"This is of high quality and kept really well," Morax surmises, running his hand through the part of the coat offered to him.

"Right? I never noticed how soft Abyss Mage fur is until now. Then again, all the mages I fought disappeared too quickly after I defeated them so I never got the chance to feel."

With Ajax covered up decently enough - the coat reaches his knees, and Morax can't help but find Ajax downright adorable with how he looks bundled up in fluffy fur - Morax picks himself up to stand as well, towering over his small lover.

"By the way, Zhongli? Since you came to the Abyss, do you know how to leave this place?" Ajax asks suddenly, cocking his head up to look at Morax. "To this day I still don't know how I left the Abyss the first time so I have no idea how we're gonna go back to Teyvat."

Ah.

"Zhongli? You do know how to get back right?" Ajax prompts when Morax stares blankly at him. "Right…?"

He forgot about this.

A sheepish smile forms on the god’s face. "Er, about that, I am unsure how we could return to Teyvat."

"Ehhhh?!"

Despite the initial surprise Ajax felt, he ends up laughing shortly after.

"I guess this won't be any different from the first time I was here. Guess we just have to explore!"

Ajax's face softens, a melancholic look gracing his expression.

"At least… at least I have you and my kids with me now."

Morax cups Ajax's face in his hands, the boy nuzzling into the touch. "You will never be alone anymore, my love. I will be here with you, always."

You don't have to worry, mum. We can get you back to Teyvat. Tina says, getting the attention of the two.

"You can?" Ajax asks in excitement. 

Yes, we can create a portal to Teyvat. Unfortunately we are unable to guarantee exactly where in Teyvat the portal will lead you to, but we will try to alter the passage of the portal to lead you close to Liyue.

"That would not be a problem. Once we are in Teyvat I will be able to find our way back to Liyue," Morax assures. Turning back to Ajax, he asks, "is there anything else you would like to settle here? Otherwise, I think it is best for us to return as soon as possible. Admittedly, staying in the Abyss is possibly causing me some erosion."

Worry appears on Ajax's face upon hearing that. Zhongli had explained to him the consequences of erosion before, and none of them sound good. "How long have you been in here?"

"I am unable to tell, but it does not matter now that I have successfully found you. But we should leave if there is nothing else that you need to do."

Turning to his children who have been patiently waiting, Ajax hesitates for a moment before asking. "Will you… follow us soon?"

He really does not want to be apart from them.

We will return to you sooner than you may expect, Gira soothes, leaning over to nudge Ajax’s head softly. Time flows differently here after all.

We don't want to be apart from you either, but we know that you'll be happy seeing our siblings, so please give us some time to gather them. This time, Tina too brings its face close to Ajax, only to lick the human’s face affectionately, drawing a laugh out of its mother.

Holding the sides of Tina’s head, Ajax presses a kiss onto the golden bone armour framing its face, hugging its large torso before doing the same with Gira, careful not to poke himself against their armoured protrusions.

"Come back to me safe alright?" Ajax whispers in reluctant acceptance, his children curling around him one more time in a hug. "If you two are gone for too long I will come back here to find you."

There won't be a need for that. We promise.

Pulling apart from his children, Ajax takes in a deep breath, resisting the need to stay with his kids, looking up at Morax in anticipation. "Shall we return?"

The god nods his head in agreement, before startling Ajax by abruptly picking the boy up, scaled arms hooking under his knees and supporting his back - blood rushes into Ajax's cheeks when he finds himself in a bridal carry, held tightly against the god’s chest, appearing so small and adorable in Morax’s arms with how he is bundled in his coat.

"Zhongli...! I can walk perfectly fine!" Ajax squawks.

It is now Morax’s turn to press kisses onto his beloved's face to soothe his embarrassment. "Please indulge me, my love. We do not know where we will end up in Teyvat, and I would like to protect you and keep you close to me."

For that same reason, Morax chooses to remain in his half-draconic form instead of shifting back to his human-sized mortal form. Whilst being in this form would be rather incriminating of his identity if someone were to recognize him, he'll gladly take that risk to ensure that he'll be able to protect his beloved no matter what they will face when returning to Teyvat.

Ajax sighs petulantly, giving in to the wishes of his lover. "Fine, do as you wish. Just don't let go of me." Despite his complaints, he snuggles into Morax’s chest, might as well make himself comfortable. Forgoing the embarrassment, Ajax is glad that Morax is holding him. He doesn't think that he'll be able to resist trying to drag his children along with them.

Morax turns to Ajax's two children. "We are ready to return to Teyvat."

Very well, allow me to open the portal.

Gira nods at Tina, hovering over to the wide open space before the group. Dark miasma indicative of abyssal energy coalesces around the blue crystal tips of its tubular wings. The crystals begin glowing lightly, bathing the area with a warm shade of blue. With a single swift motion, Gira claws through the air with its six wings, ripping apart the fabric of time and space to form a rift between dimensions. The inky pitch-black void of this portal is occasionally lit up by distant sparkles of stars light-years away, the boundaries of the portal blurring the distinction between the Abyss and whatever dimension connected to it. 

Their way home.

With one final look of acknowledgement to the two creatures, Morax steps through the portal without hesitation with Ajax safely in his arms. The boy is hiding his face in his chest, unwilling to see his children be left behind.

And with that, the two lovers leave the Abyss, together.

Travelling through dimensions is a rather disorienting process, the flow and ebb of time and space distorting to accommodate for a new existence within that region. Adding that disorientation to the suppression of his powers in the Abyss, even Morax feels a little winded at the change of environment. But with the removal of the abyssal oppression, Morax feels his powers be freer than before.

And then he realizes that they are falling.

The rush of wind against his skin smacks Morax back to his senses where he finds out that the portal opened mid-air to a bright and sunny sky, and gravity is currently sending them hurtling to the ground. Morax secures his grip around the body in his arms - Ajax still safely nestled in his fur coat - and braces himself for landing. The ground isn't too far beneath them, a top down view of a circular arena made out of grey stone, pillars standing tall around the circumference. In the middle of it lies… a large brown cube?

Oh, a geo hypostasis.

The resting geo hypostasis senses Morax and Ajax approaching, activating itself and creating geo pillars throughout the arena, exposing its core atop the center pillar. 

Plunging from the skies, Morax dropkicks its vulnerable core, dealing immense physical damage. The geo pillars littering the arena crumble into dust at the shock and the hypostasis is immediately forced into its regenerative phase.

The god jumps out of the way of the newly emerging pillars, created by the geo hypostasis to heal itself, safely landing on his feet. The impact of his legs slamming against the core hardly bothers him, inhuman as he is, the reverberations merely feel like a slight sting reverberating through bones as solid as steel. The crash barely jostles Ajax, cushioned by his thick coat.

Calling upon the ever prevalent geo energy in the atmosphere, Morax summons a meteor to come crashing down on the geo hypostasis' pillars. 

With a resounding boom, the geo pillars are instantly crushed to smithereens, and the core of the hypostasis trembles before it too collapses in on itself, disappearing in a tiny explosion that sends debris everywhere.

Morax brushes off the dust and dirt from his and Ajax’s clothes with one hand, the other arm still cradling the boy protectively. The geo hypostasis shouldn't bother them any time soon, needing time to gather energy from the ley lines before it can manifest a corporeal form and respawn again. 

Wait, pure elemental life forms such as elemental hypostases are extremely rare to come across.

And as far as Morax is aware, Liyue was home to one geo hypostasis.

Now that the adrenaline of a fight - as one-sided as it is - and the need to protect his beloved has settled down, Morax feels at ease and at home.

Out of all places the portal could have led them to, it has led them right back to Liyue, in the rocky scape of Guyun Stone Forest no less, far from civilization with barely any risk of someone coming across them.

Morax really had to give it to Ajax's children, they said that they will direct the portal to Liyue as best as they could and they did exactly that.

With them ending up in the god’s land of reign, that is one concern crossed off Morax’s list. 

His newest concern is now being how Ajax has not said anything at all since falling out of the portal.

The god hastily kneels on the ground, placing Ajax to sit up, but the boy is akin to a limp doll in his arms, body sagging and his head lolling back against Morax’s arm. If anything, Ajax looks dazed, unfocused eyes not really looking at anything. Laying Ajax on the ground, Morax does a quick check on his vitals; his heart is beating normally, he is breathing easily, he doesn't seem to be in pain - ah, Morax senses the abnormalities in Ajax's elemental energy, or rather the influx of energy into his body. At the very least, it doesn't appear that he is in any immediate danger.

"Childe? How do you feel?" Morax tries to ask, leaning over with hands cupping his cheek to let him face him, not knowing if the boy is coherent enough to reply. Ajax's eyes are dilated and blown wide.

"...mmmggh… Zzhongliiiii….?" Ajax slurs, eyes blinking slowly as if he is trying to focus on what's in front of him. 

"Feels…. fuzzy mmmhhhm…" he murmurs, happily nuzzling his face into Morax’s large hands like a cat. Ajax stretches out his arms to wrap around Morax’s neck, gently pulling the god down and once he is close enough, starts kissing his lips, albeit rather sloppily.

Feels fuzzy…? Morax thinks confusedly, but he kisses Ajax back with as much enthusiasm, drawing a purr of delight from the boy. With how Ajax is acting now, it is almost as if the young man is drunk. But drunk off what? He had been fine throughout the disorienting passage through the portal, and had only shown signs of this supposed drunkenness when they had stepped into Teyvat.

Hmmm, could his body be adapting to the change in energies? It would not be a surprise considering how acclimated Ajax had been to the Abyss' energy, and now that he is back in Teyvat, he would have to readjust himself once more just like how Morax himself had, albeit probably to a greater degree since Ajax had been in the Abyss far longer. With the high concentration of elemental energy flowing into his lover, Morax supposes that Ajax is practically drunk off the influx of power.

Breaking the kiss, Ajax languidly pushes himself upright, but quickly stills when he props himself up on his legs.

"Childe?" Morax prompts in concern, watching as the boy's face starts to be tinged with pink. "What is the matter?"

"Ah, it's so…" Ajax mumbles bashfully, "wet…" 

What? Wet? Morax confusion doubles. The day is sunny and the ground is as dry as it can be, and Ajax hadn't used his vision during the fight against the hypostasis. So what could possibly be wet?

Morax worries that Ajax had gotten hurt without him noticing, and that it may be blood that's causing the wetness.

The god promptly grips the flaps of Ajax's coat and pulls them apart, ignoring his surprised wait!, baring his naked body to check for any injuries.

"...oh." Morax simply says upon seeing Ajax's cute little cock standing erect between his legs. His eyes brazenly trail down the shaft to his lover's exposed hole, letting out another oh when he sees some sort of liquid oozing past the rim and slicking his thighs, soaking into the fur coat under him.

"Don't look!" Ajax yells in embarrassment, pulling at his coat in an attempt to snatch it out of Morax’s grasp, but the god is unmovable, maintaining a solid grip on the coat as he continues staring, entranced by how slick and puckered his beloved's hole is, so inviting. Without even thinking, one of Morax’s hands make their way to Ajax's crotch, and he presses a finger against the boy's rim, the finger easily sinking in the wetness up to a knuckle despite how much larger Morax’s fingers are in his godly form. The muscular walls around his finger immediately clench around him.

"Nghh-! Zhongli, what the fuck!!!" Ajax smacks Morax’s trespassing hand in indignation.

"My love, are you perhaps aroused?"

"No shit I am!" Ajax snaps, moving to headbutt Morax - with his horn, yes - but the god easily pushes Ajax back to lay on the ground with his free hand, the fur coat cushioning his body, crawling over the boy to cage him in. Morax presses another finger into Ajax, distracting the human and drawing a mewl from him.

"Zhongli I don't want your fingers, give me your cock, fuck me fuck me fuck me I swear to god stop teasing me," Ajax rambles, bucking his hips to fuck the fingers deeper into himself as his hands clamour to pull Morax close to him for more kisses. The god’s fingers are long enough to reach deep, but they are too thin to satisfy him. 

Morax merely chuckles, amused at how his lover had done a complete one eighty and is now riled up by lust. At the very least, Ajax is not in danger.

He is just extremely horny.

Which is a problem that Morax will gladly settle. He can't resist teasing his lover however, taking out his fingers and spreading Ajax's legs apart before shoving a clothed knee in between trembling thighs, watching as Ajax begins rutting desperately against him, needy whines spilling from his lips as he begs to be fucked.

"Zhongli Zhongli Zhongli please fuck me fuck me you goddamn dragon fuck me."

"Patience baobei, we're in the open right now. At least let me bring you to somewhere private." Morax hushes his beloved with more kisses, swallowing Ajax's moans as the boy continues chasing the friction from rubbing himself on Morax’s pants - which are getting absolutely drenched from the slick pouring out of his hole. It is a curious thing, Childe has never released slick in the previous times Zhongli had bedded him. Ajax's body seems to have developed new hydro-related properties, which is rather interesting because Morax has just realized that Ajax does not have his vision on him. He'll have to ask Ajax about it in the future, not now with how needy the boy is.

"Nooooo, please fuck me nowww," Ajax continues to whine, and actually gives Morax a harsh indignant bite on the shoulder - but not breaking skin - when the god presses his knee harder against his twitching hole. "There's no one here to see us!"

Which is true up until he said it, and is instantly debunked when Morax senses a new presence appearing some ways behind them - a hostile one at that.

Morax snarls out of reflex, immediately getting off from Ajax, his tail curling around his lover and pushing to hide him behind his larger body before this intruder can see anything, painstakingly ignoring how his beloved whimpers at being denied. The god readies his polearm, turning around to face the new hostile threat, growling lowly in warning.

The hostility of the newcomer quickly fades away upon seeing Morax however, morphing into shock, a whole lot of confusion, before settling into disbelief - yet mingled with hope.

"My Lord, Rex Lapis…?"

Chapter Text

The sudden intense surge of abyssal energy emerging from the southeast of Liyue instantly caught his attention, snapping his head to face the direction of Guyun Stone Forest to see what could have been the cause of it. He stands up from where he is sitting on the inn's rooftop to get a better look.

But nothing of note could be observed, no storm to be seen, no dark billowing clouds signaling a catastrophe, no goliath of a monster coming to reign destruction upon the lands - oh wait, he does spot something in the far distance. With his eagle eyes, he can just barely make out something falling through the sky.

Donning his mask and summoning his spear, Xiao promptly calls upon the winds to teleport himself to Guyun Stone Forest where he estimates the thing to have landed. Nothing good ever comes from the Abyss, and Xiao will ensure that all threats to the peace of Liyue are eradicated, even if he is no longer bound by duty to do so, now that the archon he swore himself to is gone. 

Hadn't his archon been killed during the Rite of Descension?

Then how?

How is Rex Lapis here right before him? It can't possibly be anyone other than his archon, not with geo energy emanating so strongly from him and the very essence of Liyue itself coming from the person.

And why is his Lord protecting the source of the abyssal energy he sensed?

Xiao is unable to see exactly what the abyssal energy source looks like, even if it reeks of corruption, not when Rex Lapis himself is hiding it from his gaze, body poised in preparation to strike. The yaksha remains frozen in place with a barrage of conflicting feelings - relief, confusion, fear. On one hand, Xiao is immeasurably elated and relieved that his Lord isn't actually dead, but this raises more questions as to how his corpse had so clearly fallen during the Rite of Descension right before his eyes. But most of all, why is his Lord looking at him with such hostility?

"My Lord, Rex Lapis…?" Xiao calls out with uncertainty. It hasn't even been too long since he's been stricken with grief that his archon had 'died', and had only just begun mourning for his lost Lord after handling the threat that was Osial's reappearance. Xiao is wholly unprepared for a reunion with his supposedly deceased archon like this.

The yaksha takes a step forward, wanting to approach his Lord, to kneel in deference, but it seems to be a wrong move with how Rex Lapis snarls at him in warning. Xiao immediately tenses up, hand clenching tighter around his spear’s handle, despair gripping his whole being because why why why, why is my Lord angry with me? What have I done to disappoint him?

"Zhongli, calm down, you're scaring him," a soft voice speaks up from behind Rex Lapis. "Shhhh Zhongli, it's alright, he can’t hurt me."

Xiao watches wide eyed as Rex Lapis visibly relaxes after a moment, and the aggression on his archon's face melts away in an instant. The two adepti make eye contact, and a look of recognition dawns on the archon's face, as if just realizing who Xiao is.

"Xiao…" Rex Lapis murmurs, a guilty look on his face. "I apologize that you have to see me like this."

“My Lord, Rex Lapis, how- you’re alive?” 

The archon merely looks sheepish. “Yes, yes I am alive Xiao.”

“Huh, did you not inform your adepti about your retirement either?” The voice behind Rex Lapis asks again, causing the archon’s attention to shift to them. At this point Xiao has millions of questions unanswered. Retirement? And who is this person speaking so casually to his Lord?

A bright mop of orange hair peeks over from behind Rex Lapis, finally revealing the owner of the voice, and- wait a minute, isn’t that---

"You-!" Xiao exclaims in indignation. 

The 11th Fatui Harbinger? The very same one who had summoned Osial to destroy Liyue?

Why is Rex Lapis with the one who had set out to destroy his nation?

Are the Fatui still attempting to upheave Liyue?

The Harbinger looks different at that, no longer fully human with the various new monstrous appendages from the horn, tail and claws. Now that he is in sight, Xiao could almost see how the air around the man distorts from how thick the abyssal energy is around him.

It had only been a slight movement of hand, Xiao adjusting the hold on his polearm, hostility and wariness spiking upon the realization of the Tartaglia's identity and this new monstrous form of his, but it was enough to catch Rex Lapis' attention.

The god bristles, baring his fangs at Xiao as the concentration of geo energy in the air intensifies greatly, thickening the atmosphere and making it hard for him to breathe. The pressure of just how overwhelming Rex Lapis' aura is pushes the yaksha down onto his knees, his spear clattering uselessly against the ground when the grip of his hands grow feeble and weak.

Xiao is left paralyzed - this is the first and only time in centuries that Rex Lapis has actually exerted his power as a god over him ever since the yaksha had pledged his loyalty to him.

"Zhongli! Stop that!"

Xiao watches helplessly as Tartaglia snaps at his archon, frantically getting up and smacking the thick draconic tail curled around his waist to get it to release him. The tail merely curls tighter around him, as if refusing to let him go. Annoyed, Tartaglia clicks his tongue before bringing one of his hands up to grip the dragon's tail, a dark miasma beginning to gather around claws. The claws then sink into Rex Lapis' scaled tail like a hot knife through butter.

Rex Lapis yelps - actually yelps - in pain, tail quickly unfurling around the Harbinger and releasing him. Tartaglia swiftly moves in front of Rex Lapis, clutching onto the god’s robes and pulling him down until the god's head is within reach.

Tartaglia cups his hand around the god’s face, uncaring that he's smearing Rex Lapis' own blood on his face with one of his hands, forcing him to look at the Harbinger. "Stop it Zhongli, he's not a threat. Please relax." The Harbinger rubs circular motions onto the god’s cheeks and gradually, Xiao feels the suffocating weight on his shoulders easing. He remains on his knees on the ground however, at a loss of what he should do when he sees Rex Lapis himself kneeling in front of the Harbinger, putting himself at a more even height with Tartaglia. 

Awkwardness and a hint of incredulity begins to seep into Xiao when he sees his god hugging Tartaglia's waist tightly and nuzzling into the Harbinger's neck.

"From what Aether told me, you must be Xiao, one of the guardian yakshas, right?" The yaksha in question snaps up in attention at the call of his name. Tartaglia has turned his head slightly to look at him, a rather exasperated look on his face as the Harbinger now moves on to stroking the hair of Xiao's god, petting the archon like he's an upset child. "Could you please put away your spear? As much as I'd love to fight you, Zhong- er, I mean Rex Lapis is rather protective of me and it seems that he'll get aggressive at any hint of threat towards me."

The words take some time to sink into Xiao's brain. His archon, protective over a Harbinger??? The Cryo archon's vanguard at that?  

Whatever preexisting knowledge Xiao has on the Harbinger is a jarring contrast to the scene that plays before him: gone is the rumoured ruthlessness and bloodlust of the Eleventh Harbinger, only an odd… domesticity of Rex Lapis holding up the wounded part his tail to Tartaglia's face, with a pleading look in his eyes, in which the Fatuus responds by… licking it.

The utter confusion that Xiao feels right now is probably more than the confusion he has felt in his entire life.

He does eventually cast away his spear however, morbidly curious as to what led to the development of this relationship between his archon (supposedly dead) and the Harbinger (who tried to destroy the Harbor). The two seem to be in their own world now, completely forgetting that Xiao is there while Tartaglia tends to Rex Lapis' wound and the archon purrs (purrs!) from the attention. 

Xiao clears his throat to get their attention, quickly piecing together that the relationship between the two is rather… intimate, and he wants absolutely no part of it.

"Ahem, Rex Lapis, my Lord, you're alive?" Xiao asks again, getting himself comfortable on his knees as he speaks to his Lord. "But how?"

Rex Lapis finally tears his attention away from the Harbinger, acknowledging Xiao with an apologetic look on his face. Now that Xiao has gotten over the shock of finding out that his archon is alive, Xiao finally notices just how haggard Rex Lapis is, not in his appearance or clothes, but more so in the sense that the archon has this deep-rooted exhaustion in his eyes, similar to the look he wore during the arduous Archon War. Additionally, once Xiao is able to filter past the highly pure geo energy naturally radiating from the god, Xiao realizes with great alarm that Rex Lapis too is exuding abyssal energy, not just the Harbinger alone. 

And speaking of the Harbinger, Xiao has come across him a few times before in Liyue, but in those times there was only a hint of the abyssal stench - definitely not as potent as it is right now.

Just what had happened?

"I must apologize again Xiao, I do owe you and the other adepti a proper explanation," Rex Lapis begins. "But to answer your question, I never did die in the first place." 

"How did your corpse come to be, then? Many of the adepti had analyzed it and deemed that it clearly had your energy."

"That is because I created that corpse myself to fake my death."

Xiao could only remain speechless at that knowledge.

"I am sure that you have a lot of questions for me, and I assure you that I will give a more detailed explanation when I and more of the adepti convene."

Rex Lapis sighs, glancing at the Harbinger who nods at him almost encouragingly. "He deserves to know," Tartaglia murmurs quietly, brushing the god’s hair out of his face.

Turning back to Xiao, Rex Lapis continues. "Admittedly, after over six thousand years of walking this land, fighting in wars and overseeing the progress of a nation, I had begun to grow… a little weary."

"I started wondering, when will my duty end? When will it be my time to rest, settle down and simply live for myself? And the longer I live, the more susceptible to erosion I get, and I would not stand to have myself be the reason for my land's destruction."

"Which is why I had to test Liyue in a final test to determine if they are strong enough to stand by themselves without me. And that's where the Fatui comes into play. I had made a contract with the Tsaritsa, for her to not involve or harm Liyue in her conquest against the Higher Land in exchange for my gnosis once I had deemed Liyue to be independent without me."

Listening attentively, Xiao absorbs his archon's words, and it… makes sense. Xiao can understand the long lasting burden that Rex Lapis carries on his shoulders is one that his Lord yearns to free himself from, but just like a parent with their children, is hesitant to simply let go of them, which is why his Lord tested Liyue before he let Liyue stand on her own two feet.

"So the summoning of Osial was part of your test? And that you have rescinded your gnosis to the cryo archon?" The yaksha asks.

"Yes, everything was part of my plans," Rex Lapis answers. "Which is why I implore you to not blame the Fatui or Tartaglia for something that I had orchestrated. If there is anyone that you should direct your anger towards, it should be me."

Xiao shakes his head in disagreement. "I don't question your actions, my Lord. And now that I've heard your reasoning, I understand why you did as such. I and the other adepti had only wished that you could have informed us of your retirement, rather than leaving us in a lurch and making us think of the worst."

Sighing, Xiao continues. "I am fully aware that there will be a time where all of us will have to go, but I had hoped that we could have bid you farewell one last time."

Rex Lapis gives a small smile at that. "I apologize for that, it seems that I still have a lot to learn."

"There is no need to apologize. But if I may ask, what are your plans now my Lord? I am rather concerned that I sense potent abyssal energy coming from you and the Harbinger as well. What happened?"

Rex Lapis and Tartaglia share a glance, Xiao just barely able to make out his Lord asking the Harbinger, "are you alright with telling him?"

"If you trust him, I trust him as well," Tartaglia quietly says, voice hitching when he receives a light kiss from Rex Lapis on his cheek.

Turning his attention back to Xiao, Rex Lapis begins. "I will first have to preface that I have taken Tartaglia here as my lifelong mate-" Well that's pretty obvious. Xiao can't say that he's surprised to hear that after seeing the two so… awfully affectionate with each other. "-but of course, as a god I had always known that it would be difficult for me to have an ordinary mortal as a mate."

"Tartaglia is far from ordinary, to the point where those foul creatures of the Abyss dare to steal him away from me." Rex Lapis snarls with a rumbling growl, infuriated by his own words. Xiao sees his Lord's draconic tail curling possessively around the Harbinger's body, and actually pulls Tartaglia down into his lap, wrapping him in a hug which Tartaglia easily melts into. "I had gone into the Abyss to save him, but unfortunately the both of us are facing repercussions of staying in that wretched place for too long."

"As for now, I plan to bring us to my personal domain to cleanse ourselves for some time. I doubt that we will be making any public appearances in the near future."

Xiao may not be able to fully grasp what his Lord sees in the Harbinger, but he is genuine when he replies, "I am glad that you have found your happiness. And I ask that you do not worry about Liyue. You have raised her well."

"I hope that you find your happiness too, Xiao. Please remember that you too are deserving of love." The yaksha coughs in embarrassment at having the attention deflected back at him.

"If there is nothing else, I am afraid that Tartaglia and I should really be heading off," Rex Lapis says, shifting Tartaglia to carry him in a bridal carry before he stands up.

"Would we still be able to see you in the future?" 

"Perhaps. I am unable to promise anything, but I will highly likely make an appearance once in a while."

Nodding, Xiao says, "the adepti will be pleased to see you again."

"Take care of yourself Xiao."

"Farewell, my Lord."

With that, Rex Lapis and Tartaglia teleport away, presumably to the Lord's private domain that not even the adepti know the whereabouts of.

Picking himself up as well, Xiao dusts off his clothes, before teleporting himself back to Wangshu Inn, his heart feeling lighter knowing that his archon is still alive and well.

Materializing themselves into the mansion of his private abode, Morax quickly heads towards the bedroom, flinging the door open before gently dropping Childe on the luxuriously soft sheets of his large bed.

Childe whines, stretching his arms to reach for the god, who is reverting to his smaller, mortal shell as Zhongli, casting away his horns and tail, now that they are in the safety of his domain.

Zhongli chuckles, joining Childe on the bed who has already tossed aside his fur coat onto the floor, baring all of his beautiful body, cock standing erect against his abdomen. "We finally have privacy to ourselves, did I keep you waiting for long?"

"Hngghh fuck me Zhongli please," Childe begs, glad that Zhongli is already naked as well so that he can have that dick in him as soon as possible. His tail thumps rhythmically on the bed in anticipation.

"You were such a good boy, waiting so patiently for me. You deserve to be rewarded." Zhongli coos, smirking at how Childe whimpers from the praise. 

And reward him he shall. Zhongli settles between his beloved's thighs, already spread out wide for him. He trails his hands along the Harbinger's legs, leaving teasing touches up his calves, down his thighs, before gripping the back of Childe's knees and pressing them flush on the bed, further exposing the adorable, twitching hole that beckons to be filled.

Absolutely leaking that hole is, slick dribbling out and already beginning to dampen his bedsheets. When they were previously talking with Xiao, Morax had to cover Childe with his tail and hold him close so that the yaksha did not see the copious amounts of slick trailing down the Harbinger thighs.

But now, the god is free to soak up the sight of his beloved's rim glistening with slick. What a temptation. 

Zhongli's view of that glorious entrance is obscured by the owner himself, Childe moving a hand down to plunge his own fingers into his hole without warning - claws and all. A moan spills from his lips as he fucks himself on his two fingers, lewd squelching joining the air soon after, scissoring his fingers and opening his hole up. Childe hangs his head back, thighs trembling as it seems that he has found his sensitive bundle of nerves, having poked it with the tip of his claw. A small spurt of liquid spews out around his fingers, and Zhongli’s quickly hardening cock throbs as he realizes that Childe is squirting.  

As glorious as the sight is before him, even Zhongli is filled with impatience now that his beloved is presented like this. He wants to be the one delivering pleasure firsthand to his beloved.

Thus the god grips firmly on his beloved's hips, effortlessly dragging the boy up towards him and swiftly hooking Childe's legs over his shoulders. In his surprise, Childe pulls his fingers out of himself to grip the sheets to stabilize himself in this new position now that his hips are in the air, his tail curling over Zhongli's bicep.

With Childe's twitching hole situated right in front of his face, Zhongli does what anyone would do in his place; he dives right in, circling his lips against Childe's rim, tongue snaking out to press into Childe’s hole.

"Hiieee!?"

The Harbinger squeals at the unexpected penetration, thighs squeezing around Zhongli's head out of reflex. Zhongli pays it no mind, thrusting his tongue deep into his mate. Childe could barely comprehend how deep the tongue is going in him. How is Zhongli's tongue this long?!

Zhongli smirks at how his mate is unravelling just from his tongue. A perk of having multiple forms - Zhongli can easily morph various parts of his body to suit his needs, and his long draconic tongue is certainly coming in handy here.

The god presses his tongue down against Childe's walls, searching for one particular bump that will make his beloved sing for him. And find it he does, feeling a lump that he curls the tip of his flexible tongue against, poking and prodding it to send waves of pleasure down Childe's spine. 

"Ah! Ahn- w-wait Zhongli I'm gonna-!"

Sensing that Childe is on the precipice of an orgasm with how his thighs clench even tighter around his head, tail squeezing and almost cutting off the circulation in his arm, locking him in place - not that the god plans on leaving - Zhongli moves one of his hands to Childe's weeping cock, his other arm still firmly holding Childe up. He can feel the precum that dribbles out of the slit, and rubs his palm over it, smearing the precum all over the shaft.

Childe's thighs tremble on his shoulders, moans of increasing volume slipping past his lips as he is subjected to Zhongli pleasuring both his cock and prostate. The god relentlessly flicks his tongue against the bundle of nerves while simultaneously jerking off his throbbing shaft with fast strokes. In no time at all, Childe falls apart at the ministrations, the pleasure coiling in his gut bursting forth in an orgasm that makes him see stars, hips jerking up further into Zhongli's face.

"Hnngghh Zhongli! I'm-! Ahhnnn-♡!!!!

Zhongli is utterly caught off guard at the sudden splash of liquid in his face.

He actually has to shut his eyes from the spray of fluid that completely soaks his face, coupled with his hand that is also coated with Childe's cum from his orgasm. Zhongli’s grip on Childe had loosened in his surprise, letting his mate's legs slide off his shoulders and Childe sags bonelessly back to the bed. Sure, he had seen Childe squirting just before this, but this much liquid was completely unexpected. 

With the back of his dry hand that was holding Childe up previously, Zhongli wipes away the slick that covers his eyes. He then manages to open his eyes, and is greeted by the lovely sight of his mate post-orgasm.

Dazedly looking up at the ceiling, Childe's chest gently rises and falls as he catches his breath from his overwhelming orgasm. His own cum streaks his chest from where it spurted out of his cock, now lying limp on his abdomen. Zhongli watches lovingly as Childe slowly collects himself, galaxy blue eyes gradually trailing down to meet Zhongli still sitting between his legs, just staring at each other while Childe tries to comprehend what had happened. 

Zhongli makes a show of licking his lips, his long draconic tongue slurping up the slick that drips off the lower half of his face. He watches as Childe immediately flushes, eyes widening in mortification as the boy realizes just what that liquid is.

"Oh fuck- I'm, I'm sorry Zhongli I don't know what's wrong with me this has never happened before I-" Childe begins rambling, horrified that he had just squirted all over his lover.

"You taste unbelievably delicious baobei," Zhongli cuts him off before his lover can begin his self-deprecation. "Absolutely delectable," he emphasizes again, licking dry the slick and cum that coats both his hands, savouring the taste that is purely Childe.

How sweet.

And it isn't a lie either, whilst Childe's cum is slightly bitter as expected, it is masked by the gentle saccharine taste of the slick that swathes all over his tastebuds, filling Zhongli’s mouth with such a pleasant flavour. 

Zhongli thinks that he could get addicted to this.

"Isn't it… isn't it gross?" Childe asks hesitantly, covering his face with his hands from how embarrassed he is.

"You are never gross to me, sweetheart. If anything I must thank you for gracing me with such a wonderful delicacy," Zhongli coos, wiping his now saliva-stained hands on the bedsheets before hoisting Childe's hips up to his face once more in the same position as before, drawing a yelp from Childe. 

"Now if you do not mind, it would be remiss of me not to finish this delightful feast that you have so graciously given me."

With that being said, Zhongli greedily resumes his meal, tongue lapping up the precious slick that stains the insides of Childe's trembling thighs. The god presses kisses upon his beloved's skin, gently nipping at the supple flesh as if he is one step away from biting him. Once Childe's thighs have been licked to satisfaction, Zhongli makes his way to his mate's twitching rim, plunging his tongue back into Childe's soft hole. Like a parched man stranded in a desert and having found an oasis, Zhongli slurps up the slick nectar that lines Childe’s pink walls.

Childe’s back arches as Zhongli enthusiastically eats him out, his lover's lips puckered around his rim and sucking any of Child's juices that leaks out, unwilling to let any go to waste. He feels every inch of that draconic tongue squirming in him, drinking up his slick only to be replaced with the god’s saliva, leaving him just as messy as before.

The flexible appendage presses against his walls, cleaning up every inch, and it pushes in, deeper, and presses upwards, breaching deeply into another canal that Zhongli does not remember being there, his tongue slithering in until it hits a wall-

Childe's breath hitches, and Zhongli instantly freezes in his movements, sensing the sudden spike of fear that emanates from his lover.

Immediately pulling back and away from where he was devouring the boy, Zhongli settles Childe's hips to rest on the bed. Childe stares wide-eyed up at him, eyes frantically darting about Zhongli's face, as if to gauge his reaction.

Recalling the conversation they had in the Abyss, Zhongli remembers Childe's words.

...the Abyss Herald gave me a womb…

Ah, that must have been his womb.

"Childe? Sweetheart are you alright?" Zhongli  softly asks, slowly bringing his hand up to Childe's face to brush the bangs out of his eyes, sweeping them to the sides of his crystal horn.

The boy nods his head, albeit hesitantly, but Zhongli isn't satisfied with the response, knowing that Childe is suppressing his emotions again.

"Is this about your womb, baobei?" Zhongli brings up, now gently stroking Childe's face to reassure him, the boy leaning into his touch. "I will not touch it if you do not want me to."

"I- I want you to touch it," Childe begins, anxiousness bleeding into his words. "It's just… I'm afraid that you'll find it disgusting and hate it, hate that I've become like this..."

A frown forms on the god’s face, saddened that Childe still worries over how Zhongli perceives him. It seems that Zhongli hasn't done a good enough job of assuring his beloved that Zhongli loves everything about him.

That has to change right now.

Crawling over Childe's prone body, Zhongli cups the boy's face, nudging him to look into his eyes. "It seems that I have to fully convince you on the extent of my love for you. I adore every single part of you, even the parts that you hate about yourself - I will love them for you in your stead."

The god begins pressing chaste kisses all over Childe's face, from his cheeks, to the tip of his nose, over both his eyelids, and to sides of the glimmering crystal horn parting his lovely orange locks, before moving to his ear, whispering into it.

"I have tried to control myself, my selfish desire to keep you all to myself. I had not wished to limit your autonomy and freedom, but after that wretched creature took you away from me, I realized that I could not bear it, could not bear losing you."

Pulling away from Childe, Zhongli takes hold of Childe's right hand, bringing it to his mouth and pressing a kiss to his beloved's knuckles. He pins the boy with a deep gaze, taking in a deep breath before speaking.

"I had wished to give you a more elaborate proposal, but alas I may have waited far too long. Ajax my dear, will you take me as your faithful mate? Will you allow me to leave my mark on you, to claim you wholly as mine to cherish and love? Will you submit yourself to me, just as I will submit myself to you and lay the whole universe at your feet if you so wish for it?"

With each one of Zhongli's words that makes its way to his ears, Childe feels his sight blurring more and more. His eyes are hot with tears as he barely makes out Zhongli looking expectantly at him, intense longing and desire burning in his eyes, and Childe will not let his doubts eat him up anymore. 

For who else was it who has seen all of his flaws, the worst of him, yet stayed? Who else had he opened up to and bared his vulnerabilities to and was not struck down for it. Who else had forcefully tore through the horrors of the Abyss - where not even Celestia dares to step into - without hesitation, all for him? And even after all that, seeing what has become of him, who else still yearns for him this deeply?

Tartaglia doesn't have to shoulder the weight of all of his burdens alone anymore.

Childe doesn't have to put up appearances and pretend to be what he's not.

And Ajax.

Ajax finally has someone to call home again.

With hot tears streaming down his cheeks, leaving a shimmering black trail, Childe breathes out. "Yes, yes I will. I will take you as my mate. You are mine, just as I am yours."

Flinging his arms up and around Zhongli's neck, Childe pulls his mate down on top of him, careful not to stab Zhongli with his horn, before crashing their lips together in a desperate kiss, sealing this contract of love in a bond so unshakeable, the universe will cease to exist even before it wavers.

In the solitude of the geo archon's domain, hidden safely away from the rest of the world, two souls lay intertwined, basking in each other’s warmth and love.

Yours. Mine.

Mine. Yours.

♡♡

Chapter Text

"My love, will you let me breed you?" Zhongli murmurs lowly in Childe’s ear, his hot breath fanning across soft skin. "Would you bestow me the honour of having you bear my children?"

Underneath him, Childe shivers at his words, tilting his head to allow Zhongli to press kisses down the length of his neck, open-mouthed and sucking fresh hickies upon flushed skin. The boy softly moans with each cold lick of Zhongli's draconic tongue and the teasing nibbles of sharp teeth that don't quite break through skin.

"Mmmm, give me your children Zhongli," Childe mumbles, wrapping his arms around Zhongli's neck and legs around his waist to pull his lover closer. The god is practically laying on top of him, his larger body smothering Childe into the satin sheets of the bed. In this close proximity, Childe can feel the sizable bulge pressing its heavy weight against his crotch, the hard member rutting against him and already leaking pre-cum from how aroused the god is from seeing his mate.

“They will be our children, my dear,” Zhongli reiterates once more. “And they will be as stunning and as beautiful as you.”

Childe giggles at the ticklish sensation of Zhongli’s long hair brushing his skin from where the god is nuzzling his neck, before he chokes out a gasp when sharp fangs sink into the meat over his right clavicle.

Mine.

Zhongli doesn't quite say it, mouth firmly clamped over Childe's shoulder, but Childe can feel the intent of the word all the same. The draconic god's claim settles over the boy, his power oozing through every fiber of Childe's body and washing away the initial burst of pain from the bite with a numbness that pulls the boy under.

Warm. Oh how warm Childe feels, a blaring contrast to the metaphorical biting cold of the Abyss that had forced him to curl in on himself to stay alive. Here in Zhongli's embrace, he instead feels akin to a flower during a bright sunny day, basking and soaking in the gentle rays of warmth and light that Zhongli exudes which coaxes him to unfurl his petals, baring all of his vulnerabilities to the one who gazes so beatifically at him, assuring him that he is safe and protected.

And when he feels the head of Zhongli's sizable cock against his hole, Childe submits, spreading his legs wider around Zhongli's waist and jerking his hips up to encourage his lover.

He wants this so bad. He needs it, needs to feel Zhongli in him, needs to feel his mate claim every inch of him, inside and out.

(He wants to overwrite the feeling of being so powerless in the Abyss, having no control over anything. He wants to relinquish control instead, submitting himself to Zhongli who has more than enough power for the both of them.)

With his teeth still biting into his mate's shoulder, Zhongli pushes in, the firm head of his hard cock parting aside Childe's puckered rim and soft walls that give way oh so easily for him, having been fingered and tongued so thoroughly beforehand. Rumbling growls vibrate from the god's throat, caught up in the ecstasy of sinking deep into his beloved's addicting heat.

Mine. Mine mine mine.

Zhongli releases his teeth from Childe's shoulder, watching as the blood that oozes out from the indentations of his fangs quickly crystallizes into clots of pure geo, decorating Childe's shoulder with a ring of small but vibrantly glimmering cor lapis crystals embedded into his skin. From each of these individual crystals, veins of gold fan out in a web, intertwining with each other to leave marks on Childe’s skin that trail down the boy's right arm and to his fingertips, similar to the markings of Morax’s godly form, but much more thin and delicate, curling around the endless blue armour of Childe's abyssal claws. And in the center of the cor lapis ring itself, these gold veins pattern themselves into a geo sigil, imprinting the mark of the geo archon to assert that Childe is his.

The god can't help but lick his lips, fantasizing about dressing Childe with wide-collared tops so that his mating mark is flaunted for all to see whenever the garments slip low off his shoulders.

But as of now, it is he alone who is blessed with the sight of Childe's ethereal beauty, further accentuated by the geo energy that gradually seeps through every fiber of Childe's being. The tips of Childe's hair have begun to lighten, very faintly glowing just like how the tips of Zhongli's own hair glows whenever he channels his powers.

"Zhongli-! What…?"

It seems that Childe himself is feeling the effects of the mating claim, his pretty eyes widening as he stares up at the god, and from here Zhongli can see the newly-formed speckles of gold that mingle within his irises, like little twinkling stars in a galaxy.

How gorgeous his little mate is.

"The bite I have given you is my mating claim on you, my love. I have imparted some of my power into you and it essentially serves as a link between us, a mating bond you might call it. Should you will for it, you will be able to convey your thoughts and emotions to me, amongst other purposes that it can fulfill."

Already, Zhongli can feel the awe and adoration that buzzes through the bond, leaving delightful tingles from how pure said feelings are. Zhongli sighs, "I should have claimed you ages ago, before all of this happened so that you never had to go through such suffering. But alas, all I can do now is to prevent it from ever happening again."

As much as he would love to gaze upon the breathtaking beauty that is Childe and soak up all of his love, Zhongli has a mission to do.

A mission to breed his little mate.

"Now darling, let us get back to business shall we? I believe that we were in the middle of something important."

That was the only warning that Childe received before strong hands gripped firmly onto his waist, holding him in place for Zhongli to snap his hips sharply, angling himself upwards to where he knows Childe's womb is, driving the rest of his heavy cock into his mate's velvety heat.

"Oh~!!!"

Zhongli doesn't give Childe a moment to rest, pistoning his hips and fucking deep into Childe. The resounding slaps of skin against skin echoing in the room are accompanied by the filthy squelches of Childe squirting around Zhongli's cock, the copious amounts of slick providing thorough lubrication.

"Will you let me in, my dear? Will you let me fill you up with my seed, and let our beautiful children grow in you?" Zhongli asks just as he torturously pauses his thrusts with the tip of his cock barely teasing Childe's cervix, much to the latter's frustration. 

"Yes!" Childe cries out, hands scrabbling at Zhongli’s back, claws digging into the god's skin to pull him impossibly closer. "Fuck me! Fuck me Zhongli I need it please please please breed me want your kids want you-"  

And to further emphasize his impatience to get railed, Childe chomps down hard on Zhongli's shoulder, as if wanting to mirror the mating mark Zhongli had given him with his own. Pressing his plush lips against the god's skin, Childe begins sucking up the blood that spills out of the teeth punctures. It is with wide-eyed wonder that Zhongli realizes that Childe is also ingesting the abyssal energy in him that has been corroding him.

You're still being corrupted by abyssal energy right? Childe relays to Zhongli through the mental link of the mating bond, considering that his mouth is currently busy. Let me purify you from your corrosion.

A fond smile breaks out on Zhongli's face, the corners of his eyes crinkling as his heart bursts with how much love he feels for his mate (and he can tell that Childe felt his surge of love due the muffled whine the boy makes). Already his beloved has figured out how to communicate through the bond, and he is so easily drawing out the abyssal energy that plagues his mind, clearing up the murky fog that inhibits his senses. The effects are so immediate that Zhongli almost feels like it's cheating, remembering how Barbatos had to rest at the massive oak tree at Windrise for months on end to completely clear away his own abyssal corruption, and here Zhongli is getting a premium treatment.

(Not to mention that Zhongli is also currently having his dick warmed by his mate.)

Of course, Zhongli has to reciprocate this kind gesture. With Childe still biting and sucking on his shoulder, Zhongli starts slowly rutting against him, gently prodding against his cervix with each slow drag back in, enjoying the way Childe softly whimpers and clenches along his length. 

While the god could breed Childe in this mortal form of his, his human cock long enough to just breach Childe's cervix, Zhongli wants to ensure that his seed takes, wants to make sure he reaches deep in his lovely mate.

Thus he changes again, soft gold light radiating from his body as he releases the constraints of his mortal shell, growing in size to his humanoid godly form, horns sprouting out of his head and a thick draconic tail starting to thump on the mattress behind him.

Along with everything else, Zhongli’s cock grows in size as well, even if it is currently snugly sheathed in his mate.

Childe can explicitly feel the cock getting bigger in him, pressing insistently against his walls and coaxing him to open up. Keening noises leave his throat as the length grows longer as well, pushing harder against his cervix. This is merely aided by how there is now a dragon's dick in him, lined with ridges that drag deliciously along his walls and the tapered end prying him open slowly but surely. On top of all of that, what is that hard thing now rubbing so insistently against the curve of his ass---

Oh. 

Oh.

Zhongli has two cocks.

Greed fills him, he wants it, he wants it all, he wants all of Zhongli.

Extracting his teeth from the meat of Zhongli's shoulder, Childe plants the soles of his feet on the bed and bucks his hips up, driving Zhongli's length deeper in him. A choked gasp leaves him and black dots pepper his vision when the cockhead forcibly breaches into his womb, his poor cervix giving in to his own desperation. 

"You are so tight, love," Zhongli hisses, taken by surprise by his mate's movement, having his cock squeezed even tighter than before. The convulsions of Childe's walls are certainly provoking him even more, adding more fuel to the fire of Zhongli's mounting lust as his mate all but milks his cock.

"Do you think that you can take more, my darling?" Zhongli murmurs, brushing the hair out of Childe's face, stroking his cheek to get his attention. "I am not even all the way in."

Blinking to recover his vision, Childe tilts his head up to look at where his hole is spread wide open, and true enough, there is still more of Zhongli's length that has yet to go in him.

That won't do.

"Give it to me," Childe snarls, "put it all in me! Both your cocks! Fuck me hard Zhongli!"

"Are you sure you will be able to handle me?"

Perceiving that as a challenge, Childe narrows his eyes. "After all the Abyss Herald did to fuck me up, I think I can handle anything you give me."

"Besides," Childe continues, quieter, a hint of vulnerability lacing his voice. "I have only ever wanted for you alone to ruin me and have me at your mercy. Make me forget, make it so that all I can think about is you."

Zhongli softens at that, leaning down to press a kiss against Childe's lips, immensely tender to convey the love he has for him.

Whatever his beloved wants, Zhongli shall give.

In a stark contrast to the soft and slow caress of their lips, Zhongli starts pounding into Childe, fulfilling his lover's demands of being ruined by him. With their stark difference in size, each thrust of Zhongli's hips feels heavy and practically slams his dick deep into Childe’s womb, loud slaps of skin against skin filling up the room accompanied by the filthy squelches of Childe's slick being churned.

Gleefully, Zhongli swallows all of Childe's whimpers from where they are still passionately kissing, muffled whines emanating from Childe's throat. Extending his long draconic tongue, Zhongli pushes it down the boy's throat, practically tongue-fucking him with the prehensile appendage. 

Childe’s eyes roll back, throat constricting around the tongue as he swallows - so thick that he might as well be deepthroating a normal human dick, going slightly light-headed from the lack of air as Zhongli licks and tastes him from the inside. The pleasure he feels seems to intensify all the more from the asphyxiation, each drag of Zhongli's ridged cock in him even more prominent in his mind. He squeals in surprise, tears leaking out of the corners if his eyes when Zhongli's fingers begin gently touching his throat, tracing over the bump caused by the draconic tongue, so sensitive. His body tightens up further in response, hole squeezing around Zhongli's cock and another wave of slick squirts around it.

He cums from that too, with both of his holes filled so deeply, another orgasm adds to the mess of fluids that stain his torso, legs trembling from the overload of pleasure.

Taking pity on his little mate, Zhongli pulls out his tongue and braces his arms on either side of Childe's head to gaze upon him. He licks his lips at the debauched sight Childe, whose reddened lips are parted as he gasps for breath, eyes blown wide in lust with his brilliant ginger hair messily splayed out on the pillow like a halo, fitting for the angel that he is. Legs are so sinfully spread apart to showcase the puffy red rim of Childe's hole spread around one of his cocks, milky thighs glistening anew with slick that lewdly drips onto the sheets.

How stunning.

A shaky arm makes its way between Childe's legs, the young man abruptly pushing a clawed finger past his rim, nudging against Zhongli’s cock to stretch himself even wider, making them both hiss at the tightness they feel.

"More," Childe pants breathlessly, his other hand blindly feeling for Zhongli's second cock that has been rutting against the curve of his ass and dripping precum all over his skin to mix with his own slick, already lubricating itself for him. "Give me more. Want all of you."

"What a greedy mate I have," Zhongli chuckles, but assists Childe in stretching his rim more anyways, sliding a finger alongside his, "but of course, anything for you, my love."

Slowly but surely, the two work together to prepare Childe for yet another cock. Even as Zhongli hesitates with each flinch of pain his mate makes with every new finger inserted, Childe hisses at him, I've gone through worse than this, don't you dare stop now.  

Not that Zhongli can't alleviate the pains however, snatching Childe's attention away by kissing him with so much passion that Childe can't focus on anything other than the press of their lips and dance of their tongues. The young man's fingers have grown still in his own hole, too distracted with Zhongli practically eating him up to focus - but it is alright, for Zhongli can think for the two of them, slowly pulling out Childe's fingers and his own.

Stealthily pulling his hips back slightly, Zhongli's first cock draws out of Childe, but not all the way out, leaving the tapered head in.

With one hand, Zhongli lines the head of his second cock along Childe's puckered hole, and pushes.

Childe cries out into Zhongli's mouth, hands scrambling to Zhongli's back and he practically claws into the god's skin to ground himself as his body is pushed back against the sheer girth of the double dragon dicks. He has nowhere to escape the advance, with Zhongli's hands gripping his waist firmly - large enough to entirely wrap around it - to hold him in place and making sure that his cocks are prying him open.

Well, not that Childe has any intentions of escaping in the first place.

He relishes in the stretch that he feels, the rim of his abused hole pulled taut around his lover's wonderful cocks that fill him up with so much warmth, throbbing in him with a promise of what's to come. Childe feels his belly grow heavy, Zhongli's cocks going in deeper and deeper. His prostate doesn't get a moment of rest, with each ridge of Zhongli's second cock rubbing against the bundle of nerves one after another and sends him into another orgasm some time during the process, more slick seeping through his walls to lubricate the slide more.

He could almost tell the point where the two lengths part, each entering separate canals; one making its way to his womb and the other to his colon.

So, so full. At this point, it is as if Zhongli is a part of him.

When Zhongli finally bottoms out, sheathing the entirety of his two lengths into his mate, he breaks the kiss and lets out a deep breath that he hasn't realized he's been holding. With his focus entirely dedicated to holding back his orgasm while pushing into Childe against the maddening tightness that milks him, it is only now that Zhongli notices the powerful wave of love that slams into him through his mating bond with Childe.

It startles Zhongli a little, just how potent Childe's feelings are for him, and he pulls his face slightly away from Childe, eyes quickly snapping to look at his beloved's expression. Tears are already pearling in Childe's eyes, probably from the inevitable pain of the stretch he's facing, but Childe is smiling. Smiling oh so bright and happy as Childe languidly wraps his arms around Zhongli's neck after clawing bloody lines on his back.

The steady wave of Childe's that flood Zhongli then tastes so sweet. An unending mantra of love you love you love you fills his heart and Zhongli feels himself preening.

All of Childe's love, all for him?

How could he have nearly squandered this love and let it slip from him.

He'll never let Childe go ever again.

Mine mine my mate mine mate mate mate mine mine to breed mine mate breed breed breed—

"Childe," Zhongli just barely manages to make out, gritting his teeth desperately trying to reign in his possessive primal instincts before he completely gives in, but the sweet scent that wafts from his mate is rapidly chipping at his control. "I apologize but I do not think I can hold back anymore."

All he receives is a sly grin. "I keep telling you not to hold back, didn't I?" Childe practically cackles, filled with glee when he sees how Zhongli's eyes have dilated and pupils turned into draconic slits as his control over himself slips, the god’s hands squeezing his hips even more firmly than before. "Breed me Zhongli~"

Hmph, his little fox must have heard the chants of breed breed breed running through his mind.

Very well.

Childe positively screams at the first thrust Zhongli makes, a quick snap of his hips that has both cocks driving hard into him. Despite how tight his walls are, the draconic dicks ruthlessly punch through to reach impossibly deeper into him. Zhongli is relentless afterwards, setting up a brutal pace as he fucks into Childe with abandon with the singular forefront intention to breed, his rumbling growls echoing in the room as the bed creaks from the force.

All thoughts are wiped from Childe's mind as he gets railed into the sheets, helplessly arching his back and hands gripping onto the covers as both of Zhongli's cocks utterly ruin his insides - the second cock even breaching his colon in tandem with the one invading his womb.

If Childe were in a sound state of mind, he would have found it ironic how similar this situation is with that during the Abyss; how Zhongli is fucking him with the intention to breed, just like the Abyss Herald had. But the thought of even comparing them is utterly blasphemous. How could Childe even compare them? How could he, when he feels so safe in Zhongli's embrace?

There is nowhere else Childe would rather be than here, wordlessly screaming out his pleasure as Zhongli pounds his inhumanly thick cocks into him. The litany of love you love you mine mine mate love love love that sings in his mind through mental link grounds Childe on who he is with.

With Zhongli, whom he loves so very dearly.

So Childe happily sinks into pleasure, at the mercy of whatever Zhongli does, trusting him with all of his heart.

And Zhongli treasures the trust that Childe puts in him.

A burst of power surges through Zhongli, and he quickly sheathes the entirety of his cocks into Childe once more, making sure that the head of his first cock is nestled in Childe's womb, for it will serve as an ovipositor for him.

Zhongli leans forward and braces his forehead beside Childe's head against the pillow, pressing his weight down on Childe and smothering his mate into the bed, his hands moving from where they were gripping the boy's waist to wrap his arms around them instead, holding his body flush against him. The slight change in position pushes Childe's hips off the bed, his legs hanging limply around Zhongli's waist.

Childe barely gets to comprehend the change in position when a gush of warmth suddenly fills him, cum shooting deep into him as Zhongli finally reaches the orgasm that he has been suppressing for so long.

He feels his hole stretching again, before gasping when something plops past his rim and rapidly travels along Zhongli's length, pressing against his walls even more before seemingly being deposited into his womb.

And following that something is even more cum.

"Oh- oh Zhongli-" Childe stutters, his legs kicking out uselessly in the air as he feels the skin of his belly growing taut from how much Zhongli is cumming in him, his womb completely filled and even his guts beginning to warm up from the sheer heat of it. "S-so much, what w-was that…?"

Zhongli can't even hold back the self-satisfied purr at sensing that his egg is safely nestled in Childe’s womb, cushioned by the copious amounts of cum that he released - and is still releasing, the white liquid filthily spurting past Childe's rim and onto the already stained sheets. 

Childe shivers at the deep rumble emanating from Zhongli's throat beside his ear as the dragon purrs in delight. "That is my egg, my beautiful mate. I am beyond pleased that you are carrying my young."

The two remain in that position for a while more until Zhongli finally stops cumming. Childe has closed his eyes at this point, the exhaustion of keeping up with a dragon god breeding him finally catching up to him now that pleasure and adrenaline starts trickling away. But this feeling of exhaustion does not feel debilitating, but leaves him with a sense of satisfaction, as if he had just ended a productive training session rather than being railed by a dragon.

Childe supposes that he should be more concerned that he has a literal dragon egg in him, but he is not too worried, trusting that Zhongli will guide him through. 

Gently, Zhongli lays Childe back down into the bed and slowly pulls out of Childe, but with as inhumanly sized his dicks are, there is only so much Zhongli can do to make the slide inconspicuous. Childe softly moans at the last drags of the ridged cocks before they finally pops out of his abused hole - followed by a deluge of cum that floods out of his body. A sigh of relief leaves him, the tightness of his belly alleviating with all of Zhongli's cum pouring out of him.

He opens his eyes to see how Zhongli is doing, but he quickly looks away, cheeks flushed red as he sees Zhongli unabashedly staring at what must be his gaping hole that is leaking with sexual fluids.

"Zhongli…" Childe whines in embarrassment. "Stop looking…"

"But you are so gorgeous, my dear. Who am I to look away from your beauty that has got me so entranced?" Zhongli chuckles, but concedes anyways, leaning back down to kiss Childe's prettily-flushed cheeks.

"I'm tired," Childe mumbles. "But we should probably clean up."

Zhongli hums in agreement, and Childe thinks that he looks visibly much happier now, and a tad bit smug if he might add. Well, Childes supposes that Zhongli would be after successfully impregnating him with his egg.

Gods, he's pregnant with Zhongli's egg now. Eggnant? Childe thinks he hasn't quite yet processed this fact.

"Please sleep and rest up, my love. Allow me to take care of you," Zhongli says, stroking Childe's hair in a comforting manner to coax him to sleep.

Yes, sleep does sound like a good idea. Childe closes his eyes once more, lulled to drowsiness by Zhongli's loving touches.

The last thing he feels before passing out like light is a soft press of lips on his cheek and a reverent palm settling on the roundness of his pregnant belly.

Rest well my dear. I love you. The voice coos in his mind.

Childe smiles. I love you too.

Chapter Text

A ruckus is what pulls him out of his slumber.

Groggily, he rubs his eyes with his arm, feeling a soft fabric wiping away the sleep in his eyes. He stretches his body out on the plush mattress he lays on, letting out a satisfied groan when his body feels free from soreness.

Slowly opening his eyes, he squints as he gets used to the brightness of the room, before the brightness seems to dull just a bit.

Childe blinks owlishly as he locks onto a pair of blue eyes and another pair of red ones peering down at him.

We hope that you had a good rest, mother.

We're back like we promised!

It takes just a bit more for Childe to comprehend that the voices are transmitted directly into his mind instead of going through his ear.

He immediately bolts upright upon realizing who these voices belong to.

"Gira! Tina! You're here!" Childe exclaims exuberantly despite the tears suddenly welling in his eyes. Arms outstretched, Childe meets his children in a hug, wrapping them both in an arm each. They spend a moment like that together, letting Childe cry happily between them. Eventually they do part, the two abyssal children leaning over and squishing Childe back to the bed in a fit of giggles. It is a good thing that Zhongli's mansion in the abode is grand, to put it simply, the high ceilings and large rooms providing enough space for his children to actually fit in them without disrupting the furniture.

Yes mother, we are here, so are the rest of our siblings that we could find.

Having just woken from sleep, Childe only now realizes that he's in the bedroom of Zhongli's private abode, all freshened and cleaned up some time during his sleep. Not a trace of their previous… raunchy activities present, even the bedsheets seem to have been replaced. Childe himself is dressed in dark brown robes, soft to the touch and decorated with shimmery gold patterns sewn in the shape of interconnecting geo sigils. 

And speaking of raunchy activities… Childe tenderly places a hand on the curve of his belly, where Zhongli had apparently impregnated him. It puzzles him, he could clearly feel a sizable egg getting deposited in him previously, but his belly shows no visible signs of bulging. What he does feel is a sense of comfort and warmth when he concentrates on where his womb would be, as if the egg is radiating energy from his core.

Gods, I'm now pregnant from an archon.

Sitting back up and looking around the room, none of the aforementioned siblings are around however. Zhongli is missing as well. A pang of worry hits him at Zhongli's absence, but Childe squashes it down, reasoning to himself that Zhongli is somewhere in the abode doing whatever it is that Zhongli does.

Just as quickly as his worry comes, a wave of reassurance warms up in him, followed by Zhongli's voice rumbling in his mind.

I am outside, my dear. Feel free to leave the room whenever you want.

Oh! The mating mark! Childe is reminded of the bite Zhongli gave him. He slips his robe slightly off his shoulder to reveal the ring of tiny geo crystals that have embedded themselves into his skin. Cautiously, he traces his finger over the minute bumps of rock, finding that it does not hurt at all. Childe smiles at the thought that he and Zhongli are truly bound together now.

Everyone is outside, if you were wondering. Gira says. It and Tina have settled onto the floor of the room, curled around each other like two lazy cats, observing their mother.

Humming in acknowledgement, Childe swings his legs over the side of the bed and stands up, straightening his robs and pulling them closer to his body. His tail swishes lazily as he walks towards the door of his room.

(It hits him as an afterthought that it's been ages since he's been able to simply... walk freely like this.)

The room door leads out to a short hallway, walls adorned with beautifully illustrated scrolls and paintings, most of them depicting what Childe recognizes to be Liyue’s landscapes. Further down, the hallway opens up to what appears to be a living room, decorated with expensive looking furniture but still presents a homely and lived-in feel. In the center of the room is a tea table and chairs, and the crystal chandelier hanging above sheds light onto the two people currently occupying the chairs, facing each other while having tea.

Childe first sees Zhongli's back as he approaches the living room, the man's body blocking the other person from Childe's view at this distance. Zhongli turns to look back at Childe as he hears his mate approach, smiling fondly, pleased to see that his beloved is well.

It is only when Childe nears that he is able to see the second person, whose body and clothes are oddly crystalline. They shimmer in the light, and wisps of vapour appear to radiate from their dress.

When Childe catches sight of the person's face initially hidden by a fog, he immediately startles, and a decade-old reflex has him swiftly getting on one knee, bowing down with his head lowered deferentially in respect.

"Y-your Majesty!" Childe practically squeaks, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice at the unexpected sight of the Tsaritsa in Morax’s domain.

The Tsaritsa herself laughs lightly, a break in character from the usually icy demeanour she has when addressing the majority of her subjects. (Tartaglia's heart grows warm at the thought that he's Her Majesty’s favourite.) Her voice tinkles and echoes in a way that makes her seem far away. 

"You may rise my dear Tartaglia. It brings me much relief to know that you are well." 

Childe does just as much, getting back on his feet as told before greeting his archon in return. "To what do I owe this pleasure of seeing my majesty? Forgive me but I had not expected to see you here in Morax’s domain."

"Could I not check on how my darling Eleventh is doing after he's been suddenly kidnapped?" The Tsarista practically pouts, as if offronted that Childe does not think that she cares. "Morax had so kindly informed me that he's retrieved you and allowed me into his domain to visit you."

"Let it be known that this was after you had tried shattering the entrance to my abode and demanded to see your Harbinger," Zhongli comments offhandedly, taking his time to have a sip of his tea. "You are fortunate that I happen to be in a very pleasant mood now else I would have swiftly dealt with your trespassing."

Pleasant mood? What could have gotten Zhongli to be happy? Childe wonders.

(Well, Zhongli had just mated with Childe shortly before this so……)

"Hmph, details," the cryo archon scoffs. "The results are the same either way, and I am here to see how he's faring. Come here Tartaglia."

At her call, Childe steps closer to the table the two archons sit at to stand before them. Once again, he is hit with a sudden wave of anxiety when he remembers that he's changed. There is no hiding his monstrous features from her now. His tail subconsciously curls around his leg, and he looks away in shame, as if trying to hide away his horn. Childe hopes that Her Majesty would not deem him to be a broken weapon that is too unfit for use. He doesn't know what he will do if he's to be thrown away, but whatever the outcome, he steels his heart and—

"Oh my poor child… just what have they done to you?" The Tsaritsa says sadly as she takes in Childe's physical changes. Her expression looks downcast as she reaches a hand out to Childe's horn. Upon seeing the Childe does not flinch away, she gently touches the horn, feeling the smooth surface of the crystal protrusion and observing how it meets his skin. Her hand traces down to his cheeks, tilting his head slightly to better look at her Harbinger's galaxy-filled eyes, a stark contrast from the dull blue orbs that she remembers.

Childe shivers slightly at the icy cold touch of the Tsaritsa’s fingers, and he only now realizes that his archon is not actually physically here in Morax’s domain. What he sees before him now is probably one of Her Majesty’s ice statues that she uses as a vessel to appear in faraway places.

Once the inspection of his face is done, the Tsaritsa moves on to Childe's hands, taking in the sharp claws that look so similar to those of his Foul Legacy. Even the tail that is currently curled around Childe's leg is of a similar makeup with its plates of armour.

"My poor dear, you must have gone through so much in that wretched place yet again, that the abyssal effects are permanent now," the Tsaritsa sighs. And if she notices the golden ring in Tartaglia's eyes, or the delicate gold veins that intertwine with his clawed arm, all of which so clearly exude pure geo elemental energy like a claim, she does not comment on it.

Neither does she point out the dense and heavy geo energy concentrated in his abdomen that flares in warning the closer her hands inch towards it.

(She only hopes that Morax will be able to look after her child when she's not around. She is content in knowing that her child has found his happiness.

Maybe a part of her has not forgotten what love is.)

"I- I deeply apologize, your Majesty. I don't think that I'll be able to appear publicly or take on diplomatic missions anymore now that I look like this," Childe quietly says as he bows his head down slightly. "Please forgive me for my failure."

The Tsaritsa merely waves his worry off. "There is nothing to forgive. I knew you were never meant for diplomatic missions. The Liyue mission was simply… an exception with unusual circumstances." She says, giving a quick glance to Morax before flitting her gaze back to Childe before the latter could notice.

"Besides, despite everything, you've come back stronger than before as always haven't you? You have been and always will be my precious little Vanguard. I think that it would make you happy to know that I can send you on more dangerous missions now, wouldn't it?"

The Tsarista knows that she's said the right thing when Childe can't help but to crack a smile, pulling him out of his somberness.

"It is always an honour to serve you with whatever task you give me, your Majesty."

"Regardless, it is still unfortunate that you have suffered so much, from what little Morax told me. When I received the report that you've been taken into the Abyss, I immediately ordered Il Dottore to focus on his previous side experiment of creating abyssal portals. Alas, even that would have taken far too long, but fortunately Morax found the quickest way to you."

"Hmmm, but I suppose it's still beneficial for Dottore to continue his research," the Tsaritsa mutters, more quietly as if pondering to herself. "Abyssal portals would be useful for sending our enemies to the shadow realm…"

"Anyways!" The Tsaritsa speaks up again, as if to divert their attention from her mutterings. "I had attempted to reach you through your delusion as well, but it appears as if the Abyss has cut off all transmission to it. My next option was to contact Morax since you were in his land of jurisdiction, who by that time, was reported to have already gone to the Abyss."

"And it pains me to admit, but Morax would have had the best chance of retrieving you the quickest at that point, and so I had put my trust in him in the meantime while preparing my own reinforcements should he have failed, but it seems that shortly after the two of you have returned when I felt Morax’s presence flare again Liyue."

"If this humble servant may ask you a question?"

"Speak freely, my child." The Tsaritsa signals Childe to continue.

"How many days has it been since I was taken into the Abyss?"

Her Majesty takes a moment to ponder. "Hmmm, from when I received the report from Ekaterina to when I sensed Morax in Liyue, it had been approximately two days. I'd estimate that it took another day for the report to have reached me. I wouldn't know how long had passed before Ekaterina made the report however."

"The Traveler had convened with me directly after informing Ekaterina," Zhongli interjects then from where he's been patiently listening in, filling in the missing information. "And I would assume that they had immediately done so after discovering that Childe has disappeared from their travels, which should take about a day at most."

"Did you not tell me that one day in Teyvat was one month in the Abyss?" The Tsaritsa recalls, sadness laced with fury swirling in her icy blue eyes as she comprehends just how long her Harbinger had needlessly suffered.

Four days. Four days of being missing. Which meant that Childe had been stuck in the Abyss for yet another four months, longer than his first time falling into the godless land.

In all honesty, time was a blur for him then, the days smearing into each other with no way for him to tell the time as the Abyss Herald had its way with him. And while his chances of survival weren't as dire as the first time - for he was being protected from predators and kept alive as a glorified broodmare - the near-constant breeding and pregnancies took a heavy toll on him, alongside all of the irreversible ways the Abyss had morphed him into one of their own.

(A part of him wonders how many monsters he had birthed then, and how many of them he has lost. The memories are fuzzy in his mind.)

"Do tell me my child, what had happened to you in the Abyss this time? Morax refuses to elaborate, insisting that it is up to you to reveal what you want." The Tsaritsa asks gently. "Besides, I am awfully curious about the two Abyssal creatures that were in your room. It is a surprise that Morax is letting them be."

Here comes another obstacle that Childe will have to face; Her Majesty has accepted him, but will she accept his children?

Regardless, Childe sucks in a deep breath and answers her. No point hiding anything now.

"To summarize, an Abyss Herald that's been stalking me since my first Abyss fall captured and impregnated me. The Abyssal creatures that you see are all… my children." He says succinctly as he gives his report. "The Herald had also assimilated all of its power and memories in me before it died to Morax. Its memories took over me in the beginning, but I learnt from my children that I need to balance the elemental and abyssal energy in me to suppress the Herald's memories."

"Your children?" Even Her Majesty is shocked by that particular revelation, even more than the fact that Tartaglia had obtained an Abyss Herald's powers.

At that moment, the air behind Childe rips open to form an Abyss portal. The Tsaritsa and Childe himself are a little startled, while Zhongli remains impassively sipping his tea as if he's already used to these portals popping up in his domain. Out of the portal, Gira and Tina step out, and Childe quickly realizes that they're using portals to move around the mansion because they're too big to walk through the doors. (Though what a comical sight that would make, one of his kids getting stuck in a door frame)

"Ah, Gira, Tina, what are you doing here?" Childe asks, turning around to look at his children behind him. He is a little nervous with their presence in front of his archon, not knowing how she will react to them.

We figured that the archon you serve would want to assess if we were a threat to her or you, and if she could possibly recruit us into her army. Tina explains, much to the Tsaritsa’s surprise again when its voice is conveyed even through her ice statue. It walks to stand behind Childe, while Gira floats over to Childe's other side.

All that we have to say is that our interests and concerns involve only you and you alone, mother. Gira declares, and both of Childe's kids turn to fix their gaze on the Tsaritsa, the cryo archon holding their gazes firmly as well. Whatever Ajax wishes for, we will honour it.

Several tense seconds pass by, Childe's body rigid as he prepares himself for a possible altercation, not knowing if the Tsaritsa will take offense to his children's words. Childe does not think he can handle it if he has to choose between people he cares for dearly.

(But deep in his heart, he knows that he'll side with his children, they're his flesh and blood. To him, family precedes all.)

The silence is broken by the Tsaritsa finally speaking. "Intelligent beings aren't they?" She says, moving her gaze back onto her Harbinger. "Tell me Tartaglia, do you love them?"

"I love them with all of my heart, your Majesty," Childe answers without a hint of hesitation, resolute in his words. "They are the ones who kept me alive and comforted me in the Abyss."

"I would do anything you ask of me, your Highness, but I won't be able to bear it if I had to part with them. So please, I beg of you…"

The Tsaritsa hums in acknowledgement. "Very well. That is all I need to hear." Addressing the two abyssal creatures, she says simply, "I leave Tartaglia in your care then."

Of course, that goes without saying.

"Now, with that cleared up. Tartaglia my dear Eleventh, I hereby grant you an indeterminate time of leave for you to recover and tie any loose ends necessary. Your duties as Harbinger will be reinstated once I am satisfied with your recovery progress." The Tsaritsa declares, eyeing her Harbinger for the reaction that she expects. 

Unsurprisingly, Childe looks rather off-put by her order.

"Your Majesty! Indeterminate leave? That's too much! I'm as fit as I can be now, and all the new powers I've obtained only made me stronger!" Childe gasps, trying to convince his queen that he can return to work. He looks genuinely appalled that she's forcing a holiday upon him of all things.

Her Majesty merely tuts disapprovingly at her Harbinger's workaholic tendencies. "Now now my child, in different circumstances I would have deemed you ready to serve me again. However, don't you have others that you need to consider?" At Childe's confused tilt of his head, she continues, gesturing to his abdomen. "Are you not bearing a child of your own right now?"

Childe is almost stunned into silence. "You- you knew?"

The Tsaritsa just barely stops herself from rolling her eyes even through her icy statue. "My dear, you are absolutely reeking of Morax's energy. It would be impossible for me not to notice how he has, ahem, created new life with you."

A healthy pink flush makes its way to the Harbinger's face, embarrassed that he's basically been caught being pregnant by who is practically a maternal figure for him. At the very least it didn't seem that the Tsaritsa is disapproving of it. 

(Thinking about it, Zhongli did mention a long time ago that the Tsaritsa had given her blessing for their relationship.)

"If it makes you feel any better, I doubt that you will be on leave for long," the Tsarista says, pulling Childe's attention back from his embarrassment. "I've heard that the, hmmm… incubation time of dragon eggs is rather short. You should be able to return to my service sooner than you expect. Unless Morax has more plans, that is…"

Glaring at Morax, the cryo archon quips, "you better not hog my darling Harbinger all to yourself."

"I make no promises," Zhongli merely states, refilling his cup with more tea.

The Tsaritsa actually does roll her eyes this time, before turning to Childe with a gentle look on her face. "That is all from me now. I simply wish you well with your new family. Is there anything you'd like to say before I take my leave?"

Childe thinks he has gotten closure for most of his concerns, but two things do stick out to him.

"Your Majesty, I greatly worry about how I am to face my family back in Morepesok. I-, I do not think I can show myself to them like this," he says, gesturing vaguely to himself and the monstrous features that his family certainly have not seen before.

Tapping her fingers gently on the armrest, the Tsaritsa contemplates for an answer. She is aware of how her Eleventh has kept quiet of his ties to the Fatui to his younger siblings, while his relationship to his older siblings and parents are strained at best since they know the truth of Tartaglia's status as a Harbinger and his bloodthirsty nature. Explaining to the older family members would be simple, but she knows that her child is more worried about his younger siblings.

"I'm sure telling your older siblings and parents that you fell into the Abyss again would suffice. At this point, I doubt that this would be the most surprising thing that's happened to you," the Tsarista elaborates, and Childe gives a short bitter laugh at that. "As for your younger siblings, don't you think that it's time to start being a little more truthful with them? They've grown up quite a bit haven't they? You can't hide the truth forever Tartaglia."

Childe stiffens a little, the thought of having his secret be revealed to his precious younger siblings making him feel uneasy, and he knows exactly what he fears if he were to tell them the truth.

"You are right, Your Majesty. But I am worried if they would hate me for lying to them," Childe admits, lowering his head a little in shame for showing weakness.

The Tsaritsa gives a quiet sigh. It is during times like this where she is heavily reminded that her darling Eleventh is so young and human despite everything that he has been through and accomplished, barely into adulthood and burdened by matters of the heart.

Whilst Tartaglia is undoubtedly strong and independent, he too has his fears and insecurities, but she will gladly give him the support he needs.

"Tartaglia, do you think that your younger siblings are smart and intelligent?"

"Yes, I do. I would like to think that they've been raised well." Childe answers, wondering where Her Majesty would lead from that question.

"If that's the case, don't you think that they'll understand why you initially hid the truth from them? And even if they become upset that you lied to them, they can't deny that the love and care you show them is genuine, and that you want the best for them. I'm sure that they'll still love you no matter what."

Childe remains silent for a moment, his archon's words sinking in. He can't deny that she's right and that he can't keep hiding the truth forever. One day, his younger siblings would find out the truth for themselves, and he supposes that it would be better for him to explain it personally, rather than them discovering it on their own and getting misinformation or misunderstandings.

It seems that he'll have to peel off that bandaid soon and get it over with.

"I understand, Your Majesty. I'll have to give it more thought on how I'll break it to them however."

"I'm sure they'll understand, they're smart children just like you," the Tsaritsa affirms, closing that topic. "Do you have any other concerns?"

"There is just one more thing…" Childe trails off, turning to face Zhongli who has been sitting quietly and listening in on them the entire time. "Uh, Zhongli? Gira mentioned that the rest of my kids are outside. Are they actually outside? As in outside this building or outside your domain?"

"The rest of your kids?" The Tsaritsa confusedly says while Zhongli stands up, brushing off and straightening his clothes.

"Your children are currently roaming far and wide in the domain, but I suspect that they would come near when your two children here call for them," Zhongli answers. Offering a hand to Childe, the latter accepts, and Zhongli leads his mate to the front entrance of the mansion. The Tsaritsa follows behind them as well, curious, her ice sculpture leaving a trail of frost and snowflakes in her wake as she moves.

Opening the door of the mansion reveals a grand courtyard, furnished with large fountain in the center and tall trees of various species that tower over them and provide cooling shade. Walking further out, they enter an open field filled with flowers and shrubbery, the blades of grass gently swaying in the light breeze.

The air cracks in front of them, and a portal rips open to provide an opening for Gira and Tina to exit the mansion they were in. Facing the vast open field, Gira lets out a low cry, a rumbling sound that Childe is barely able to hear, but which he feels reverberating in his bones, the sound traveling far and wide through the domain, beckoning the attention of those who can hear it.

Almost instantly, the air splits in front of them, an abyssal portal forming- wait, and another- and yet another one. Numerous portals of various sizes manifest in the open, and through them, numerous creatures make an appearance.

Childe stares wide eyed as the creatures move about, some of them massive in size - almost as big as the very mansion behind them. A couple of the creatures are airborne, flapping their wings or simply levitating, while others are in the ground itself. One of the creatures that resembles a whale seems to be swimming in the dirt, but in actual fact it is in a portal that moves across the floor, giving it the illusion of swimming through water.

These creatures are very clearly monsters of the Abyss, but Childe does not feel any fear or wariness in him at all.

Why would he be afraid? These are his children after all.

Letting go of Zhongli's hand, Childe slowly steps up towards the creatures who have somehow formed a semi circle facing them, expectantly looking at him. In the center of the formation lies a creature he recognizes, the white and blue avian creature that had bathed him in the cave pool once before. The head on its long neck lowers itself to be at eye level with Childe as the human approaches.

Gently reaching his arms out, Childe caresses the creatures face, before he slowly falls to his knees on the soft grass, cradling his child's head close to his bosom.

The two archons stand by, silently watching their preciousbelovedfavourite human shed tears as he embraces and observes each and every one of his children, giving him all the time he needs in this reunion.

Chapter Text

After the tearful reunion with his Abyssal children, it is time for Childe to bid farewell to his archon. Lowering himself on one knee, Tartaglia bows his head in deference and respect for Her Majesty.

She orders him to rise, and rise he does. Cupping her Harbinger's cheek tenderly with one hand, she brushes aside his bangs with the other, exposing his forehead to place a gentle kiss off to the side of his horn, tickling the human with the sudden cold touch of the ice statue. Whispering prayers against Tartaglia's skin, the Tsaritsa bestows upon him her blessings and protection, even if Morax had already layered his own.

Stepping away, the Tsaritsa simply nods her head. "Be well my child, I will see you soon," she says, before her ice statue begins evaporating away in a cloud of snowflakes and mist, signalling her exit from Morax's domain.

Childe is startled when immediately after the ice statue completely disintegrates, arms hook under his back and knees, and he is effortlessly lifted into a bridal carry.

"What-"

Lips smothering his own cut off whatever words of protest he was about to make, and  Childe rolls his eyes in exasperation before sinking back into Zhongli's embrace, lightly reciprocating the kiss and parting his mouth to allow Zhongli to lick his way in.

Satisfied with his obedience, Zhongli pulls away from the kiss, peppering even more kisses all over his mate's face. 

Confused but not displeased, Childe wonders why Zhongli is suddenly so enthusiastic with his affections, when he senses a strong emotion relayed through the mental link. He tries to put a finger on this feeling, and before long, he figures it out.

"Zhongli, are you perhaps… jealous?"

The god huffs at that, breathing out a little puff of air against Childe's ear from where he's currently licking. He holds Childe tighter against his chest, and Childe now notices that they're heading towards the mansion once more, his children dispersing through portals after Gira's reassurance that they'll be alright exploring the place on their own.

(Childe plants a wet kiss on Zhongli's cheek as thanks for giving his children the freedom to roam around his personal domain.)

"Seeing someone else touch my mate so intimately, of course I would be jealous. Dragons are notoriously possessive creatures if you must know." Zhongli scoffs, eyes burning intensely. "If it were not someone so important to you I would have killed them on the spot."

Childe shivers at that declaration, knowing that Zhongli seriously means it when he says that he would kill for him (and he has done so before).

"That just means that you must never leave me alone, no?" Childe giggles, snaking his arms around Zhongli's neck and snuggling close.

"You'll never leave me, my love," Zhongli asserts again, "I will do anything for you." The weight of the promise is so heavy, if Childe were anyone else the extent of Zhongli's possessiveness would be crushingly overwhelming, but Childe revels in this obsession. It gives him some sort of twisted power trip, the thought of having an archaic dragon, an archon, at his beck and call, who desires Childe just as much as Childe desires him.

Childe is making good on his promise to himself to conquer everything in this world, now with a god by his side.

Time flows seamlessly after that with Childe residing in Zhongli's domain for the time being while he is carrying Zhongli's egg. Even if Childe is technically stuck in the domain, there is not a moment where he's bored with nothing to do. He spends his days cooking up meals in the mansion's kitchen, equipped with the utensils he needs. All the ingredients required can be found within the domain itself, tending to the garden for fruits and vegetables, and personally hunting for boar and fowl in the wilderness. It surprises Childe just how extensive Zhongli's domain is, with each exploration leading him to find a new scenery or even an entirely new biome in a place Childe knows that he has explored before.

When asked, Zhongli explains that his domain morphs according to his whims and desires, and with that logic, shifts according to Childe's wants and needs, since Zhongli desires to provide for Childe.

"Anything and everything for you, my dear," he had simply said.

Childe finds it all so fascinating and terribly convenient, and is curious as to how the domain powers itself. Zhongli further reveals that his domain draws energy from the very world itself, for he is the earth itself and the earth is vast.

(The words sent a shiver down Childe's spine, trying to comprehend just how much power Zhongli actually holds.)

Once he's had his fun hunting and sparring with his kids, energy spent for the day, Childe retreats to the master bedroom, curled up on soft pillows and cradled against Zhongli's warm body as they retire for the night.

But on some nights, the fun does not stop there. Zhongli plows into Childe’s delectable hole in an addictive mix of roughness and tenderness, considering the egg still in Childe's womb. With the excuse that he's preparing his mate for egg birth, Zhongli happily fucks into his beloved, oh so slowly slipping his cock in and out of Childe's loosening hole, careful not to apply too much pressure against his abdomen. And in contrast to the slow and languid thrusts, Zhongli leaves numerous bites and hickeys all over Childe's skin, as if determined to leave more marks of claim on the human.

And if he lays another egg - or two - into Childe in the process… Well, that's to be expected of the dragon. He just couldn't help himself! How could Zhongli resist when Childe is so perfect?

That’s three of their babies now. Zhongli cheers in unrestrained delight, much to Childe's exasperation.

Childe is halfway through chopping vegetables in preparation for dinner that day when an intense surge of pain bursting from his core assaults him.

"Ughk!?" He chokes out, dropping the knife in shock from the agony coming out of nowhere, caught off guard. Thankfully, the knife lands harmlessly on the chopping board. One arm clutches at his abdomen where the pain seems to flare from, while the other shakily grips the countertop, inadvertently cracking the marble with his claws. 

What's happening? Why does it hurt so bad? He frantically thinks to himself, patting his tummy to feel for any external injuries but finds none. He gradually sinks to his knees on the kitchen floor as he tries to breathe evenly through the agony. The pain is coming from his abdomen, no, it can't be…? Zhongli- where is Zhongli? Zhongli Zhongli please—

Responding to his wife's distress propagating from their mental bond, Zhongli immediately comes running into the kitchen, dropping whatever it was that he was doing. He sees Childe on the ground and rushes over to him. Placing a hand on Childe’s back to stabilize him, Zhongli's eyes widen as he feels three separate energy signatures pulsating energetically alongside Childe's own.

The eggs.

"Childe, it is time for the eggs to be laid," Zhongli says, hastily hooking his arms under Childe's knees and back and hoisting him up, rushing towards the bedroom.

"What?!" Childe shrills. "All of them?"

"Yes, even though two of the eggs were deposited later than the first, the elemental resonance between them synced up their incubation periods," Zhongli quickly explains while he settles Childe down to lay on their bed. "This is so that the mother only has to lay once, and the offspring of this batch would have a stronger bond with each other."

"Hmngh," Childe grunts, totally listening to what Zhongli was saying. He does his best to shimmy out of his pants with Zhongli's assistance in pulling them down, wincing when another flare of pain radiates from his womb. It almost feels like a baby kicking from the inside, but that's impossible, aren't his babies in eggs?

Then again, there's no point trying to rationalize anything anymore at this point, considering that he has had a womb implanted in him, gave birth to creatures twice his size, and is now trying to push out dragon eggs. There is no room for logic in the realm of the fallen and the divine. 

Thus Childe stops thinking too much and continues to groan in pain, confusedly looking at Zhongli when the other begins unzipping his own pants as well after tossing Childe's pants aside.

At the confused look his wife gives him, Zhongli pulls out his girthy cock. "It would be easier for you to lay the eggs if I fuck you nice and loose."

A tinge of annoyance and exasperation colours Childe's tone when he replies, "that's what you said the last time! And then you deposited two more eggs in me!"

Zhongli hushes Childe, moving between Childe's spread legs and trying to placate him with soothing rubs on his thighs. "It would not be wise for me to put more eggs in you when you are so close to laying the first batch."

Sighing, Childe gives in to the comfort, pulling the other man close in a hug, burying his face in Zhongli's neck. "You'll stay and help me… right?"

Expression softening, Zhongli braces himself over Childe's body and kisses his wife's temple. "Of course, I will be with you through everything, my love."

With that, Zhongli positions Childe’s legs to rest upon his broad shoulders. He rolls his sleeves up and moves a hand down between Childe's thighs, pressing his fingers against the puckered hole that is already wet with hydro-fabricated lube courtesy of Childe, having done this so many times before. With a firm push, Zhongli's thick fingers slide smoothly into Childe, drawing out a whimper from the latter as he draws them in and out.

Zhongli mouths at Childe's neck on the opposite side of the mating mark, the boy instinctively baring his neck to his mate, and the god sucks hickeys into the soft skin as his hand works to open Childe up. With each additional finger inserted, Zhongli bites down into the tender flesh of Childe's shoulder, leaving more primal marks of claim onto his wife. As quickly as blood seeps out of the wounds, it crystallizes to form tiny gemstones that clot over the broken skin. Childe squirms with each bite and each thrust of fingers, gasping when his rim is pried open wider as Zhongli pushes his thumb in alongside the four fingers already in him.

Childe mewls, legs trembling as Zhongli spreads out his fingers to stretch him out, before clenching his fist and starts to push his arm further in him, the sensation of getting fisted distracting him from the pain the eggs are causing him.

"Shhh, it is alright, darling. Here, I will loosen you up to ease the birthing."

Angling his arm, Zhongli searches around for the branch of Childe’s insides that lead towards his womb, gently but firmly pushing against the ring of muscle that separates it from the rectum, drawing out yet more squeals from his wife when he wiggles his fingers in and spreads the muscle apart to give him access. He lets out a rough grunt when Childe’s leg kicks his back, but gives it no mind as Childe did it unintentionally, for the boy’s legs have been twitching and making tiny little kicks out of reflex in the air the entire time.

With Zhongli smothering him down against the bed, Childe can't see what the god is doing, but he feels Zhongli pull back his arm out up to his wrist, and he can certainly feel something else pressing against his hole, pushing through beside the fist Zhongli already has in him.

"Unghh Z-zhongli-! Wait wait wait- that's your dick right? You're putting your dick in when your fist is still in me???" Childe babbles, clinging tighter onto Zhongli, fingers bunching up the fabric of his shirt and ripping the fabric with his claws. If Zhongli was an ordinary human, his ribs would have been crushed from how much strength Childe is exerting.

"The eggs will be slightly bigger than my fist and cock together, I need to prepare you so it does not hurt later baobei."

Zhongli practically pries him apart with fist and cock, Childe crying out at the overwhelming sensation, his tail frantically beating against the bed, but he can’t even complain that it feels bad, he instead has to complain that it feels too good when Zhongli’s dick keeps pressing against his prostate and sending shockwaves of pleasure zinging up his spine with each movement of intrusions in him. He doesn’t even have time to warn Zhongli before he orgasms, cum spurting out of his cock and making an utter mess of their shirts, while more slick oozes out of his hole to coat the god’s wrist.

“O-oh, oh Zhongli,” Childe mumbles, blissed out from his orgasm, but coherent enough to feel something shift in him. “The eggs? I think, I think they’re moving…? Uh…!”

“Take deep breaths, love. I am here with you,” Zhongli soothes, pulling out his fist so that only his cock remains, but he then replaces his fist with his second cock that is practically the same thickness, both of his lengths keeping Childe’s hole nice and open. Slipping both his arms under Childe’s back to hug his waist, unbothered that one of his arms is soaked in slick, Zhongli raises his wife’s hips slightly.

The god then starts fucking Childe with no restraint, rutting into the clenching hole as if his mate isn’t currently in what is essentially dragon labour. All Childe could do is to make loud shrieks of surprise as he gets washed away in the euphoria of Zhongli’s double dicks utterly ruining him, his eyes rolling back as Zhongli drives deeper and deeper and deeper into him, heavy balls slapping against the curve of his ass with each forward thrust.

Take deep breaths, he says, the miniscule part of Childe that has not been fucked to oblivion thinks, and then he fucks me til his dicks feel like they’re hitting my lungs?!

The rest of Childe, however, is understandably put out of commission, now reduced to keening moans as he paws at Zhongli’s back while the god continues to, ahem, assist him in the egg laying.

While Zhongli’s intention had truly been to help prepare Childe lay the eggs, he can’t deny that he is deriving much pleasure in the process. Seeing his gorgeous mate in the throes of pleasure - wrenching out yet another orgasm from the boy in the meantime - belly now visibly round from the eggs leaving the pocket domain the god had created for them, gives Zhongli much satisfaction. Of course, not forgetting about the wet and warm tightness of Childe’s walls squeezing around his cocks, the slick that Childe is releasing in waves making the drags of his cocks much smoother. It does not take much more than that for Zhongli to reach an orgasm of his own. 

Zhongli stills himself, pressing his hips flush against Childe’s, a deluge of cum shooting out of both of his cocks to coat Childe’s insides deep with even more fluids, lubricating the walls even more. Now that he isn’t moving much and furiously fucking into his wife, Zhongli takes the chance to kiss Childe’s pink lips lovingly while massaging circles onto the small of his back above where his tail protrudes out. 

During that period of tenderness, Zhongli feels something hard nudge the tip of one of his cocks. Along with that, he can hear Childe's breathing start to pick up, his mate now inhaling and exhaling deep breaths of air, eyes squeezed shut brows furrowing in what seems to be pain.

The eggs are making their way out now.

Zhongli draws back and slips his cocks out of Childe as gently as possible to not further stimulate the boy even more. Childe lets out a pitiful whine when the two shafts are no longer stretching him out, back arching as he squirms under Zhongli, gasping at the unnatural sensation of eggs travelling through him and the pain of his muscles contracting to propel the eggs forward.

"You can do it, my dear boy, I am so proud of you," Zhongli encourages his beloved, maintaining the motion of his hand massaging Childe’s back, intertwining the fingers of his other hand with Childe's, grounding the boy to him and letting the other squeeze his hand. 

"Ah… ahhh… Zhongli, Zhongli- it hurts… nghh…"

"The eggs are almost out. Our children are almost here. Could you persevere for me? Could I selfishly ask you to press on?"

It is with no small amount of guilt that Zhongli has to let Childe suffer through the pain of laying their eggs. While it is possible for him to use some of his power to alleviate the pain that Childe is experiencing, it is unfavourable as Zhongli does not want to disrupt the precarious balance of energies between Childe and the eggs. The egg laying process is the most vital time for their children's survival, the eggs having to acclimate to the atmosphere and elemental energy of the world outside their mother's womb as they transition through environments. Zhongli will not intervene unless Childe's life is at risk.

(He fervently prays to the powers above that it would not reach that point.)

Crying out, Childe concentrates on pushing the eggs out. I've done this before, I've done this so many times! I can do this! My children!

With shimmering tears streaking down his cheeks, a loud wail leaves him when the first of the eggs finally plops out of him, soft-shelled but firm enough to stretch out his rim wide and falling safely onto the soft bed.

Zhongli swiftly catches the egg, simultaneously using his tail that has now emerged from worry to gather some pillows to make a makeshift nest on the large bed. He places the egg in the center of the nest, away from where they could accidentally hit it, before returning his attention to his mate now working hard to lay the next egg.

Once the first egg is laid, the remaining two follow quickly after, wishing to join their sibling. Childe screams even louder as the two eggs push out of him in quick succession, and all Zhongli can do is kiss him and hold him tight.

With all of the eggs being laid, pain finally stops seizing up Childe's body and he falls limp on the bed, exhausted and drained from the process. His screams are reduced to quiet sobbing, feeling rather emotional for reasons he can't explain, but he supposes it's because he has essentially given birth again.

He has given birth to his and Zhongli's children this time. And this realization makes him cry harder.

Childe calls for Zhongli through their mental link, too tired to even formulate words, but Zhongli easily understands Childe's will and desires. After putting the other two eggs in the nest with the firstborn, he quickly moves to lay beside Childe and embraces his mate, stroking his hair and whispering loving words of praise. Weakly, Childe hugs backs, tucking his head against Zhongli's chest, and basks in the god's comfort and warmth.

"Are… are the eggs- our kids, okay?" Childe quietly asks, having eventually regained enough energy to speak.

"They are perfectly healthy dear, you did so well," Zhongli murmurs, pressing more kisses against Childe's hair. He shifts their positions slightly, so that Childe is able to see the makeshift nest at the foot of the bed currently housing the three eggs.

Childe's eyes light up in wonder upon taking in their appearances, shells gleaming lustrously under the rays of sunlight filtering through the windows. Each of the eggs are differently coloured, one of them is a stunning shade of scarlet red with brilliant golden veins webbing its surface. The second has a pearlescent shell of white with icy blue undertones that seem to move in the light. While the final egg is almost pitch black, and only when the light shines does a hint of deep purple show. So beautiful the eggs are, they almost seem like massive gemstones.

"They will remain in their shells for some time, their shells needing to harden, before they will hatch on their own," Zhongli explains. "Now rest up, I will fetch you some water and sustenance before cleaning us up."

Zhongli leaves Childe to rest on the bed, albeit rather unwillingly as he fiercely desires to stay close to his mate when he is at his most vulnerable right now. However, he does need to feed Childe somewhat, and quickly heads out of the bedroom. 

It seems that he isn't the only one concerned with Childe's wellbeing, for a tray of refreshments has already been prepared on the countertop, courtesy of Childe's abyssal children. Gira is practically draped over the island counter like an oversized snake while Tina is scrutinizing the contents of the open fridge.

Zhongli takes one good look at the fragile cup filled with water, and the plate of cut fruits, and looks back at the two hulking creatures with no opposable thumbs lounging in his kitchen. "I am not going to question how you managed to gather all these small things, but thank you."

We have our ways, Gira rumbles. Now take care of our mother.

Raising an eyebrow, Zhongli questions, "do you not want to see how he is faring?"

One of the creatures makes a sound that Zhongli is almost certain is a snort, and he guesses that it's from Tina because the creature closes the fridge door with a wing and turns to stare back at Zhongli.

Of course we want to see him, but we can sense that he is fine, and we know better than to approach a dragon's mate so shortly after they have given birth.

That makes Zhongli crack a little smirk, a little bit of Morax bleeding through. It feeds into his pride and ego to know that these creatures acknowledge the power that he has, and that they accept that their mother is Zhongli's mate.

"Childe will be well taken care of," is all Zhongli says, firm and resolute. The two abyssal creatures then take their leave, disappearing through portals to who knows where.

Zhongli swiftly returns to Childe's side with refreshments in tow, a fond smile appearing when he sees that Childe has moved himself to be near their eggs during the time he was away. The boy is curled around the nest, tail rhythmically swishing against the bed as Childe gazes lovingly at the eggs. His eyelids are fluttering, as if trying to keep himself awake despite how sleepy he is.

Settling back down beside Childe, Zhongli feeds his beloved small slices of fruit and making sure that he is hydrated before letting Childe have his much needed rest.

Understandably, the boy knocks out completely cold after.

Insistent, yet gentle nudges on his shoulder attempt to rouse him from his peaceful slumber, and Childe grumbles that someone is trying to pull him out of this very pleasant dream he's having. He unconsciously slaps away the offending hand before smothering his face into a pillow, but without much force as he is sleepily flailing around. A deep chuckle rings in the air, before the nudges to wake him up become more persistent.

"Baobei, I would love to give you your sleep as well, but the eggs are hatching and I know that you would scold me more if I let you miss it."

Well that got Childe to wake up fully. His kids! His kids are hatching! And sure enough when Childe finally sits up and regains his bearings, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the three eggs seem to be shaking, jolting every so often as if something is hitting them from the inside.

Patiently, he and Zhongli sit on the bed waiting for their children to hatch on their own accord. With each jolt and tremble of the eggs, they wait with bated breath until finally, finally, a tiny crack forms on the ruby red egg. Slowly, the crack spreads, growing bigger and bigger and more cracks fan out across the surface and plop, the first fragment of the now-hardened shell falls off onto the sheets, exposing a tiny leg.

Like a chain reaction, cracks also begin to form on the other two shells, as if knowing that their brethren has hatched. In no time at all, the shells of the three eggs have completely broken apart and before them lays three tiny dragons.

Childe remains rooted to the spot, eyes wide as a slew of emotions wash over him.

His and Zhongli's children. They're here, and they're real, living and breathing.

Arms wrap around his waist, and a solid chest meets his back as Zhongli sits and embraces him from behind, resting his chin on Childe's shoulder. When he feels wetness against his temple, it is with a start that Childe realizes that Zhongli is crying.  

Thank you my love, Childe hears Zhongli communicate with him through their bond, as Zhongli hugs him tight, unwilling to let go. Thank you for blessing me with everything I could have asked for.

The raw emotion that Zhongli is relaying through the bond overwhelms Childe. Love, amazement, awe, love, happiness, hope, love, love, pride, love, love, love, love—

Gingerly, Childe places a hand onto the arms wrapped around him, and conveys back his own love and affection, and hopes that it even holds a candle to the weight and gravity of an archon's devotion.

You are more than perfect. Please never feel that you are lacking.

Childe blinks back the tears that are beginning to blur his sight, affected by Zhongli crying as well. But he watches on as the three tiny dragons flail about on the bed, getting used to walking on their limbs. They stumble towards Childe and Zhongli, sensing the presence of their parents, and end up falling into Childe’s lap, and oof, they are much heavier than they look. Cradling the three newborn dragons in his arms, they too seem to doze off in his embrace, energy depleted from breaking out of their eggs.

He now has four dragons absolutely smothering him. And in all honesty, Childe is perfectly content to be there. He leans down to press a tiny kiss onto each of the hatchlings' snouts, giggling when they make the cutest thrills and chirps in response. A wet kiss gets pressed to his own cheek, courtesy of Zhongli.

Smiling down at his dragons, Childe can't find himself to regret anything that has happened.

(Alright alright, maybe he'll lay off on having more children for now. Childbirth and egg laying is nothing but suffering. But what comes after that, when he gets to see his kids, is totally worth all the pain he went through. Oh no, is he having baby fever now?)

Even if he has witnessed the extremely rapid growth phase of his abyssal children, it is still jarring for Childe to see his dragon children be tiny and adorable one day, and then grow up into even more massive dragon that are nothing short of cool.  

Childe however, is curious as to whether the kids will also have mortal forms, just like Zhongli, or will they stay as dragons forever. To which Zhongli elaborated that it would take a few more years for them to settle on a mortal form of their choosing. In the meantime, they will remain in their draconic forms. And while they can't quite communicate with Childe through a mental bond just yet, their body language is sufficient enough for Childe to understand them.

His firstborn dragon, hatched from the scarlet red egg, shares the same brilliant colouring for its scales, with a black underbelly and sharp silver claws on it's legs. Its long serpentine body reminds him of Zhongli's Exuvia, but it has the addition of two wings that blot out the sun whenever it flies. Crowning its head is a sky-blue jewel that reminds Childe of his own jewel that adorns Foul Legacy's mask, and yet its eyes glimmer gold like mora. But most intimidating of all is the fact that his firstborn doesn't have just one mouth lined with rows of devastatingly sharp teeth, it has two mouths stacked on top of each other. That's twice the amount of teeth!

That doesn't stop the dragon from licking Childe's face when it's feeling happy though,  and Childe is always in awe at seeing the two massive incisors at the edges of his baby's mouth up close.

The other two dragons are smaller than the firstborn, and Childe attributes it to the fact that they were deposited in him later than the first. Zhongli had said that the two could probably be considered as twins, even if their appearances are complete inverses of each other, almost as if they were like yin and yang. 

The secondborn, the first of the twins, has pearlescent white scales that glazes over in an icy blue whenever it shifts, the webbed flesh of its wings translucent under the sun. With its stocky build and curved head, it really does seem reminiscent to a pearl. Beautiful sapphire eyes observes everything with intelligence that is unexpected from a being having only been born a couple of days ago.

As for the last dragon, the thirdborn and second twin, it has a much leaner build, with pointy horns and spikes dotting its body. Its colouration is an inverse of its twin, having midnight black scales that shine purple in the light, while ruby red eyes gleam intimidatingly in the darkness. It has an aggressive disposition to match, constantly tussling with its siblings as well as Childe's abyssal children.

But Childe isn't all too worried about his draconic children not getting along with his abyssal children, for when the fights are long and done, he is blessed with the sight of his children curled up together in a mess of long limbs as they recuperate. It seems that even they too communicate in battles, and acknowledge each other’s strengths with respect. Nothing's a better way to get to know one another than beating the shit out of each other, right?

Under the beautiful bright sky of the domain, Childe rests on a bench watching one such spar between his children, Zhongli beside him with their hands intertwined, eyes fond as they spectate the marvelous sight of these majestic creatures showcasing the power that they have. 

His children! Childe cheers. His children are so strong!

"Hey Zhongli, when do you think we'd be able to return to Teyvat?" Childe starts, resting his head on Zhongli's shoulder. "Don't get me wrong, your domain has been nothing but amazing and I've never felt bored here, but it's not the same as the outside world you know? There are so many things I'd like to explore out there, after I visit my family back home again, and one day I'd like to venture back to the Abyss, and maybe even invade Celestia while we're at it haha!"

Zhongli laughs, albeit in exasperation, at how grand his mate's ambitions are. But he is unsurprised, why would he be, knowing that Childe crawled out of the Abyss where greater men have fallen far more easily, and fought tooth and nail to get where he was today? Childe wouldn't have survived if he didn't have a will of steel.

But he can't lie to himself, he will do everything in his power to give his beloved anything he wants. (Well, anything within reason.)

"You would be pleased to know that that would be soon. Give your body a few more days to recuperate, and we will be able to head out to wherever it is that you wish to go." Zhongli plants a kiss to Childe's head, wrapping an arm around the latter's waist to pull him flush against his side, letting Childe curl his tail around his leg.

"I think we're going to give people a heart attack if they see our kids. I would be worried for our children's safety since they just hatched," Childe says, watching as their firstborn breathes out a blazing trail of fire and completely lays waste to the terrain below, while their thirdborn dodges from the attack, leaping off from a boulder with so much force that the rock simply crumbles into pieces. "But eh, I think they can take care of themselves perfectly fine."

Childe thinks back on all the events that have led to this moment. He could have never imagined himself reaching this point, essentially being 'married' (mated) and having 'kids' (monstrous creatures) like what he dreamed of as a child, albeit in an extremely unconventional sense, having gone through trials and tribulations no one else had ever gone through before. From falling into the Abyss as a pitiful child, to falling in love with an archon, getting dragged back to hell and persisting through the suffering.

But now, he has Zhongli by his side, he has his children with him, and he loves them all with every fiber of his being. And it is this love that keeps pushing him forward.

He's here, he's alive, and he'll only get stronger and stronger, now that mortality no longer holds him back.

Childe still has a universe to conquer after all.