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outfit redraw with furina and neuvillette

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girl dad

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Ei’s Apocrypha - A Shogun’s Story in Stills: Inazuma

For a while now I always include a short character story to go with my Genshin fanart. This one will be my first installation of “Ei's Apocrypha”. I technically have other Ei stories that fall under this theme but I hadn't thought of the series at the time. The point will be to draw images/snapshots of her life, with stories that you could imagine happened in her past. Some of them will be a lot sillier and just for fun/AU like Ei and Furina on a girl's night out in Fontaine. Or in highschool with the other Archons. But for the most part they'll explore a past that Hoyo haven't really gone into much detail yet.

The story for this piece is below.

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Ei's Apocrypha - A Shogun's Story in Stills: Inazuma.

The records of the tales of the life of She who is Voice of Thunder and form of Lightning. House of Yae Revised Edition.

Editor's notes: Some parts of the ancient records could not be recovered so the text will show gaps that are incomplete. Requests have been sent to Tenshukaku for clarification. However, the Shogunate has decided not to provide commentary, in order to preserve the spirit of myth that is due and proper to divinity. As well as not give a settled answer on articles of devotion and tradition that have developed over time, which different sects of the Faithful hold in contradiction to one another yet with equal conviction and reverence.

(Part 1 of 8)

Even in the early days of her awakening, the Lady of the Sakura Woods was devoted to an art form that consumed much of her time. A pastime that reflected the nature of one born of both serenity and chaos. A paradox that embodied her soul. Perhaps that's why she was born as a {...}air.

She took to the sword for its discipline and singular focus. The mind and body are united in one goal: to strive for strong physical prowess and mental agility. Everything united. Later on, it was understood that what becomes one and indivisible cannot be taken apart and cannot be destroyed.

Ironic, then, forgoing the body to save the mind, she sacrificed not just her relationships but a true part of herself.

A true warrior's battle isn't first with their opponent, but with their own limitations. This art was a way to do so. Love of the art, not death.

When they were first awakened, the moment lightning conjured under moonlight struck its own reflection in the water, the light and the light of light were born. The irony is that the light of light would bear the name of {....}adow.

And yet, in herself, she was full of light and life. So why did the Heavens call her to fight, not to protect what she loved, but for Authority?

These thoughts weighed heavily on her mind. Especially today, as she wiped blood born of fire from her blade.

"She's here! I know it," said a little girl with pink hair, leading her friend deep into the woods at night. "If we're quiet we might even catch her singing."

"Akari, is my family even allowed to be here?" asked her frightened friend.

"Anyone who is looking for a safe place and wants to live in peace is welcome here."

"But is it safe?" asked the friend. "I've never seen a forest like this before. It seems like a strange place. Who knows what monsters are hiding here."

"Not anymore! All the danger has been chased away!" said Akari. "It's night, but the forest feels bright. We're alone, but haven't you felt like we're being watched over in a good way?"

(Part 2 of 8)

Her friend hesitated for a moment and looked around.

"I suppose," she said, letting out a sigh of relief. "But why?"

"It was the Lady of the Lightning. The Woman of the Woods," cheered Akari. "She chased all the monsters out and left sparking leaves and flowers all around to warn them not to come back."

Her friend got worried again. "What if she chases me and my family away?"

"Never! She's nice," said Akari. "When those bad men on the black horses came to our village, I ran here. They tried to catch me, but the Lady scared them away and played music for me to make me feel better when she came back like my momma used to."

The girls wandered around the forest a little more, chatting and laughing, till eventually they stumbled upon a lake that looked like it had a life of its own.

Standing in the midst of the water was a woman with long violet hair, with such an air about her that she seemed like an illusion of moonlight wiping red stains from her sword and lilac dress.

The water glimmered with an enchanted glow and rang with a low, sweet sound, as though its ripples were soft notes echoing through the night. Each droplet that wiped on her blade and robes would take away their red stains and instantly remove them without polluting the lake.

Once the woman's gown was entirely clean and her sword shone again like the evening star, she turned her head every so slightly towards the sound of a pair of little feet not too far away.

The girls knew they had been spotted. For it seemed like the light of the Lady's golden horns, like that Oni, be they real or enchanted ornaments, sought them out from the bushes where they hid.

"I think I remember saying something about children needing to sleep on time," said the Lady.

"But I don't feel tired anymore when I come to this part of the forest," said Akari.

"Hmm... Maybe I made this place too comfortable then," noted the Lady. For the forest, and this spot in particular were no ordinary place. But had long become an extension of her inner world, sealed off from the mortal lands around it.

A safe haven for her and her newly awakened {....} to preserve all the good things they discovered.

"Eventually, we'll keep adding to this place and make it a nice home for the people to come and rest," the Lady's {.....} suggested one day. A sentiment they both shared.

(Part 3 of 8)

But the Lady had a concern not shared by her {....}. "Will it remain a nice home if the people come with all their problems?"

This was a thought that bothered her for quite some time.

Until one day, when the Lady was taking a walk along the periphery of the forest, she heard the desperate cry of a child. It belonged to Akari who was terrified of some riders on dark horses. They bore banners in honour of "The Lord of the Invincible Flame," and by their bright torches lit during the day, it looked like they were about to make Akari their sacrifice.

So the Lady made the forest appear again on the mortal plane and, in so doing, became visible to Akari and her pursuers.

"Leave her be," she said to the now terrified men. They looked like they wanted to flee, but another fear kept them planted in place.

"We... we can't leave without her," said the men. "Our Lord demands His sacrifice."

"And who is this Lord?"

The men looked at each other. It was clear that they were wondering whether or not they had a chance against this strange horned woman who stood before them.

At once, they yelled in a strange tongue and threw orbs that lit up with smokeless fire in hopes of burning the girl.

But before the fires could reach Akari, the Lady stood between her and the flames. Fanning them away with one swipe of the katana that materialised in her hand.

The Lady moved so quickly that it startled the horses which threw their owners off at the terrifying sight of her glowing violet gaze. The horses ran as though commanded, leaving their rider's behind.

"You- you can't do this," cried the leader of the men. "If our Lord doesn't have this child, then our families will perish."

The Lady raised her blade till it was but a hair's breadth from grazing the man's face.

"I won't ask you again. Who is your Lord, and why does he want this sacrifice?" Her blade began to spark with the violet light of Electro, just enough to tickle the tip of the man's nose. But he knew in his heart that if a good answer was not forthcoming, that this power would do a lot more than that.

"The... the... Edict of the Heavens," said the terrified man. "The Gods of the land are to carve out their own space to reign and bring order as they see fit. That the powers of the world may be at rest. But as each ruling God grows in power, so too does their influence and reign until it encroaches on the domain of another God. Then the weaker of the two will have to submit to the power of the greater. Or both can share the authority, but in doing so become all but utterly vulnerable to one another.

(Part 4 of 8)

"Few Gods choose submission. Fewer still choose to open themselves up in such a way. So the only option left is either to flee or to fight. Our Lord of Flames grows strong from the fires of war and by consuming the flesh of those touched with the gift of fire. Particularly of humans blessed with this affinity.

"This girl has been greatly blessed with this power. Far exceeding that of any mortal we've ever known. And so, her sacrifice would greatly increase the power of our Lord. In exchange, he's promised to spare us and our families and greatly bless this girl's sister with the power of great smokeless fire, for her sister is the one who brought this Lord's attention to our village and sold out her own flesh and blood for this exchange."

Hearing these things evoked in the Lady feelings that she had never experienced before. Righteous indignation against this Lord of the Flames and the sister who would sell out their own flesh and blood for power.

And also great pity for the girl and her troubles.

But surprisingly, there was pity too for the men who, in a desire to save the lives of their families, were brought to such desperate acts.

"Where is this Lord of yours?" asked the woman.

"He dwells in the crooked tower, far to the west of here. But it's in our village that his Emmissary, this girl's sister, is holding our families hostage till we were able to find and retrieve this girl."

The Lady turned around to the little girl and knelt by her, reaching out to still her trembling form.

"Don't be afraid," she said. "No harm will come to you. Till I return, you can stay in my forest, where no danger can enter and the trees will care for your needs. I will go deal with your sister and then her Lord."

The little girl didn't know why, but she trusted these kind words that brought her tears of relief.

She also felt as though the branch of the Sakura tree behind her had come to life and was beckoning her to hurry into the forest. And so she did, after bowing, giving her deepest thanks to the kind stranger.

The Lady then turned to the men and said: "I extend this same protection to you and your families. But if you mistake that kindness for weakness, there will be no mercy found for you."

Then the leader of the men spoke. "But what can you do against our Lord? Even his Emissary commands the very power of the storms like a God. No mortal or minor spirit can stand against her."

"Bring me to her," said the Lady. The men were in shock, for she didn't hesitate for even a moment.

(Part 5 of 8)

"Did you not hear? The Emmissary-"

"Bring me. To her," repeated Lady. The men knew that it would not fair well for them if she had to speak thrice.

And so they agreed to take her back to their village.

For three hours, they walked with fear and trembling, not knowing what would take place. In their hearts, they said that perhaps this woman would be an acceptable sacrifice instead of the girl, and their families could be saved.

Then finally, when the men reached their village, they broke down and began to weep. For their families were tied to stakes. From the young children and babes to the elderly. Each was doused in oil and pinned to wood that was ready to burn.

The children cried as the elders in their family tried to reassure them. The villagers who witnessed these horrors about to take place stood silently and watched helplessly, terrified of the pink-haired woman in a long red cloak that stood in their midst and mocked the crying kids and their families.

"To think," she said. "That I grew up amongst all of you in the dirt that you call home. But now I'll crush you beneath my feet, but a mere step on the ladder of my greatness."

An aura of Electro energy radiated around her. And had one not known better, they could easily have mistaken her for a God.

Upon hearing the wailing men return, she spun around to mock them but stopped to glare at the stranger they brought back with them:

(Part 6 of 8)

An eerily beautiful violet-haired woman in an elegant robe with a Katana in one hand. Clearly enchanted with Electro. But not just enchanted, from where the woman stood, it felt as though that sword in the stranger's hand was birthed by lightning itself.

Who was this strange woman the men brought back with them? Perhaps she was a local witch or the daughter of a wealthy lord who was harbouring the sacrifice? Either way, the Emmissary did not look pleased and the violet aura around her flashed for a moment with envy's viridescence.

"Oh?" said the Emmissary. "Instead of finding that rat of a sister, you went to seek aid from... what is this thing? Some nobleman's daughter, perhaps by the looks of it. She had a few lessons from a samurai and now thinks she can take on the world? Or are you hoping she dies and that some petty lord will fight for you to avenge their daughter? Have you forgotten the power of My Lord?"

She stepped forward, and the ground beneath her feet trembled, bursting with violet light, bringing the villagers to their knees as though in worship. "Have you forgotten my power?" she added.

The men pleaded with the Emmissary to spare their families, even offering themselves in their place. But the Emmissary laughed. Laughed so hard and so high that it hurt their ears and bruised their hearts.

And on that day, for the first time since her awakening, the Lady of the Sakura Woods came face to face with true, undiluted depravity.

"You're the one selling off her sister for power?" she asked the Emmissary.

"And what of it?"

"You're not worthy of the title of sister," said the Lady of the Woods.

"Oh? And what will you do about it?" jeered the Emmissary.

(Part 7 of 8)

The Lady of the Woods drew her sword. "We'll have a duel to decide."

The Emmissary laughed. "A duel to the death won't go well for you!"

"To the death? I was happy merely to strip you of your power when you lost," said the Lady. "You don't need to lose your life."

Fury flashed across the Emmissary's face.

"You dare act like you have any power over me? Pathetic. You're nothing but a well dressed rat! In fact, I'll even let you take the first strike... if you can."

As she finished, a deep red violet aura surrounded her. The ground began to shake. And the skies above began to darken.

"Go on, you fool," dared the Emmissary.

"Just try it. But after your first attempt, I'll not show you any mercy. I will make you cry and beg to end your miserable life. But you will suffer to the bitter end and watch as I burn each and every one of these vermin alive. But it will pale in comparison to what's in store for you and my-"

Horror struck the Emmissary's heart. Before she could even finish speaking, quicker than she could blink, the Lady had gone and was now standing right behind her. Having moved through the barrier of the Emmissary's aura without detection or breaking it.

"Unlike you," said the Lady. "I am not a monster and have at least made sure that your death was quick and painless. Far more than you deserve."

The Emmissary looked around and couldn't believe her eyes. She was standing in place, yet at the same time she could see what looked like her body cut in half and lying at her feet. This body she was looking at seemed more solid than the transparent form she had now. And staring into her own face, she saw a pair of pink eyes looking back at her with a vacant stare.

"No...no... impossible... I can't be... I... I can't," the Emmissary whimpered. Then, as she began to cry, a strong and strange melodic wind came, wrapping itself around her, moving her presence away from her body till both the sight of her form and the sound of her wailing had utterly faded from world.

At first, the villagers were afraid, but seeing the stranger being gentle with them, reassured their hearts that she meant them no harm.

(Part 8 of 8)

"'Come, all of you, and rest in my woods, where you'll be safe from mortal peril and from the wrath of the Lord Fire who dwells in the West," she told them. The villagers soon gathered their things and were astonished at the enchanted forest that appeared before them. Even more astonished to find that the Electro energy that was used to torment them, was now a source of life, beauty and comfort.

After a few months, they fully settled in well and began to call their new home" Inazuma no Mori"; Lightning Forest.

Despite having led the people there, the Lady of the Woods seldom went to them in person. Instead, she left the day-to-day handling of their affairs and meeting with the people to her tw{... ...}ster, whom they would all continue to mistake for the Lady that saved them.

All of them except for one.

Akari approached the Lady of the Woods as she meditated in a quiet place, something that should not have been possible at this time. The Lady opened an eye, and seeing the girl approaching, she could only imagine that a mischievous kitsune that had gotten close to the Akari decided to share with her some of the deeper mysteries of the forest.

"I knew it," said Akari. "I knew there were two of you. I could just tell that you're different."

"Hmmm," said the Lady. "My {.....} is the nice and approachable one. She's better at dealing with the people."

"I think you're nice too. You just show it different," said Akari. "But maybe you can try show it some more, okay?"

Then the Lady of the Woods did something that she rarely did with anyone but her {....}. She smiled.

"Of course," she said. "I'll try."

Akari hugged the Lady of the Woods before scurrying off. An act that even surprised the Lady herself.

"Having a mortal body has its drawbacks and it can't last forever," her {.....} once said. "But it lets you experience a lot of little things that makes it worth having."

Perhaps this hugs was one such experience? The Lady thought to herself.

Either way, she would fight to protect the Forest of Inazuma and make sure it was a world where Akari, and many Akari's after her would always feel safe and happy enough to share hugs.

Despite wanting to treat her sword techniques like an art to improve her use of this new body in a way she finds enjoyable, the Lady would also raise her sword to answer the mysterious Edicts of the Heavens. To grow her power not by wicked means but by protecting those under her care. To keep them safe so they could fulfil their ambitions, dreams, and desires. To fight against any creature, mortal or divine, that would threaten the peace of Inazuma Forest. Even if it meant one day, when she was strong enough, having to stand against the Heavens themselves.

That Inazuma and its people may stand against the erosion impressed upon this world. To remain and flourish in it for all of time and eternity…

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archons as ponies

(focalors and furina under cut)

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guess my fav

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brought to you by zhongli's beautiful spear kick, acquiring xiao, and wanting to draw cyno and raiden (who i also have) all at once

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Madam Klee the Starry Knight

Madam Klee - Tales of the Apprentices (Part 1 of 8):

"Unfair. Utterly unfair!" declared the youth. He and his friends stood before the Knights' Captain with a boldness that not even her worst enemies would dare display in battle.

"Arthur..." sighed the Knights' Captain.

"Klee," replied the youth snarkly. The silver-haired girl beside him went pale white, and the rest of his friends took a step back.

For the Knights' Captain raising her brow was as the summer sun rising to melt the morning frost.

"Arthur, Arthur," said Klee. "You possess your mother's air of grandiosity, but none of her grace. You've been blessed by Barbatos to possess good luck, unlike your father, but have been robbed of the lessons he's learned from his many misfortunes."

"What a great wall of text to call me spoiled," said Arthur, folding his arms and planting his feet firmly on the ground, having not even wiped its soles before encroaching on the newly cleaned carpet of Klee's office.

"We have to use a great many words with you in hopes that some of them will get through," said Klee. "Your ears are more closed off than Inazuma in the old days. But unlike Inazuma, that has since then shone on Teyvat like the Great Star of the East, your light grows ever dim. And with your pride will come a fall that goes beyond even Khaenri'ah."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "We get it. You read."

"And you not enough. Otherwise, you might have learned a thing or to from those who went down the same path as you."

"Is that it?" sneered the boy. "Cause I've passed every exam, written and practical. Yet you still won't let me join the Knights of Favonius, but you have passed all my friends. Even though I've exceeded each and every one of them."

Arthur looked around the office. His eyes landed on a strawberry-blonde girl his age, who sat at a desk near Klee, gleefully working through a mountain of paperwork as though seeing the secrets of the world.

"Her!" said Arthur, pointing at the girl. "What can she do, that I can't? How is Jeanne-Luc a knight when she pushes more quills than iron. And is stained with more ink than blood."

Jeanne-Luc merely raised her head and said, "I have no blood and push more quills because, unlike you, my enemies would rather meet me on paper than on a field."

With that, she retired to her work once again. And Arthur's silence was met only by the occasional puffs of air as his friends tried so desperately not to laugh for his own sake.

"It's because I don't have a Vision isn't it...?" said Arthur. "You don't think I can keep up."

The laughter stopped. Jeanne-Luc laid down her paper. And Klee softened her countenance.

"And this is why we have to use so many words with you, my ever so stubborn Godson," she said, putting a caring hand on his shoulder. "How many times do I have to keep telling you that this is not the reason why?"

Arthur didn't respond. No matter what she or his parents told him, he always felt inadequate for not having a Vision. Unlike his friends, who all got theirs at a young age, mastering their elements year after year, Arthur got only disappointment, year after year. Despite having bested all of his friends in several fights with wit and endurance, he still felt inadequate.

Was he unworthy? Was he so small that the Gods' Gaze could not fall on him once in these twenty years?

(Part 2)

I'll tell you what," said Klee. "A strange violet mist has appeared near Stormterror's Lair. A woman who happened to go by it claimed to see a ghost that said it would drag her to the Abyss. She then came to the Knights the other day and confessed to accidentally killing a man and hiding his body.

Someone else claimed that they saw their old, long dead headmaster holding the rod they used to beat them with. So too, a merchant from Fontaine said that a great and terrible silhouette of a narwhal has haunted his dreams ever since he saw it all those years ago. And-"

"And you're doing it again," said Arthur.

Klee took one step forward and shook the room, sending her Godson back as he caught himself before falling.

"What I'm doing is giving you far too many chances and far more hints than you deserve," she said before letting out a deep sigh. "Find a way to dispel the mist, and I'll speak to Acting Grandmaster Noelle about making you a Knight."

Arthur stood there, dumbfounded.

"Oh, now you've got nothing to say?" said Klee.

"You're... you're not just tricking me? This isn't some stupid—OK, sorry, I'll go." The look on the Knights' Captain's face brought him swiftly to his feet and out the door.

Arthur hurried home, narrowly missing his little sister, as he swung open the front door and rushed up the stairs to his room. He put on his best armour, and from a vault beneath the floor, he drew out a sword from Inazuma gifted to him by a blonde Traveler. It was said to have been blessed by the God of Thunder with the power to cut through mind and spirit and the promise that its blade would never shatter as long as it trusted its owner. And if the bond and will between the two were strong enough, it would transform each strike so that it would be as though its target were hit two times with twice the force.

"Come now, Thunder's Twin. Today you'll turn a boy into a man."

Once again, Arthur hurried through his house, waking his mother's bird with the clamour of his steps. With haste, he made his way to Stormterror's Lair, running without losing breath, invigorated with every stride as though the wind itself blessed his every step.

A great gust blew a branch of Valberry's towards him, falling from the sky. Arthur took it as a sign of his success and added the berries to his pouch.

Eventually he reached the old lair and narrowed his eyes at the sight by its gate. Three girls and two boys his age, dawned in official armour, were standing there waiting for him.

"Really?" said Arthur with an exasperated sigh.

A silver-haired girl stepped forward and smiled. "Surely you didn't want to do this alone?"

"Yes, Frieda, actually I did," said Arthur. "This is MY mission that the Knights' Captain gave to me and me alone."

"That's not how the Knights of Favonius work," said Jeanne-Luc. She folded her arms and added. "But you'd know that if you were ready to join us."

Arthur frowned. "And why is that yoke here anyway?

(Part 3)

"The same reason we all are," said a boy with long, wine-coloured hair that hid his left eye. "Because we're your friends and want to help you."

"I don't need your help," snapped Arthur.

"Maybe not," answered the boy. "But if you did need it, we'd want to be there. That's why we came."

"Actually, I'm here to win a bet," said Jeanne-Luc, smirking. "No shame in giving up Archie. I can even give you a wound and we'll pretend it was a noble defeat."

Arthur turned to the wine-haired boy and said, "Anselm, I swear if you don't keep us apart, one of us isn't coming back."

And so the group of six, divided in heart, made their way deep into the lair. Not knowing that it would not be six that returned...

Lo and behold they saw the great mist that Klee had spoken about before. But were frightened by its appearance. For they could not see it from a distance. But after taking a single step it appeared all around them as though they had suddenly crossed over to a new and mysterious place.

"I-it can't be that bad, right?" Anselm reassured himself. "We're not in serious danger... right?"

"Of course not..." said Frieda, trying to sound confident. "Otherwise Madame Klee wouldn't have sent her Godson here."

"Well, now, I don't know about that..." added Jeanne-Luc.

Arthur was about to respond with a snarky remark, but he quickly found himself unable to speak.

His heart beats faster and faster. Many thoughts he'd long forgotten or buried deep in his mind came flooding to the surface.

And in his mind's eyes, he saw the first time a vision appeared before him. The cold glow of Cryo landed in Jeanne-Luc's hand. From that day on, she had the attention of all the boys in the village and every girl wanted to be her friend. She hardly ever came by his house from that time on, being far too busy.

Again, he saw the time when Jeanne-Luc, Frieda, Anselm, and the others were all invited to a trip set up by some Vision Wielders in the Adventurer's Guild, while Arthur was told he couldn't go. Despite beating one of them in a fair fight.

"The monsters won't fight fair," he was told. "You'll only distract us and get someone killed."

Many such thoughts, memories, and distorted memories flooded Arthur's mind. Slowly sinking him into a pit of despair. And what was just a metaphor came to life in the mist. Slowly, a dark hole in the ground formed and began to grow up and around Arthur. With every creeping moment, he could feel his memory and body fading.

The thought of calling to his friends for help was met by another deep and darker voice: "Don't you see they have their own concerns? You had one mission, and you failed. If you call them now, then no matter what, they'll know you're incapable. No matter what, this will be their memory of you. Free yourself from this hold. Or resign to the Deep. Forget and be forgotten. You will feel no burden and neither will you be a burden anymore."

Arthur looked ahead, and a new terror filled his heart. He could barely see it all, but what he could make out was enough. The silhouette of a dragon appeared in the mist and his friends fought against it with all their might.

Great blasts of light and colour filled the air from the force of their elements clashing with the dragon. But it swallowed the power of their Visions, as though possessed by the hunger of an endless Abyss.

Where Arthur would soon find his home. His rest. Free from the hurt and shame.

(Part 4)

He could call his friends, but why bother? Perhaps they were worried about him, so they couldn't focus on the fight. But if he were forgotten, they'd get stronger and be safe.

Yes. For their sake. For the world's sake... it was better that he disappear into the void.

"I really admire you." This thought came into his mind. "No matter what's ahead, you don't give up. Even if you're headed for a brick wall, you say it won't just be your head, but the wall will have dents too."

Anselm said this to him once. It was the day before being accepted into the Knights of Favonius. "I felt like giving up so many times... But I realised that if Arthur were in my situation, he never would. And if I did quit so easily, I'd never be able to look you in the eye... What I'm trying to say is... thank you for being you."

Again, another memory came to mind. He and Jeanne-Luc were working late in the library two years ago, finishing some chores for Lisa. "Remember years ago when we had that long talk..." said Jeanne-Luc. "The day after, I was thinking about everything you said, and I realised that I didn't have to pretend anymore. That I could just be myself, and it didn't matter what others thought. I was losing my mind before we had that talk. And when I made up my mind to live the way I wanted without having to pretend... That's when I got my Vision... So thank you... But if you ever tell anyone this, I'll end you."

Amidst his own fading, Arthur managed a little smile and began to weep. "How can I lose these memories?" he thought to himself. "And my friends... they need me. But... more importantly... they want me."

A little strength returned to him, and the fog cleared a little. There, he saw more clearly than before the dragon that his friends were struggling to fight.

By its form and figure, he remembered that this was a kind that would not easily be hurt by elemental forces unless faced with a master. Something that none of his friends were. But he always remembered reading about how Vennessa learned the secret to defeating this beast: If a blessed blade covered in Valberry struck the dragon hard enough, it could pierce its skin. After that, even a novice with a Vision could hurt it.

"I just need to get free," he said to himself. Struggling to escape the ever ensnaring darkness wrapping itself around him.

In his mind, he felt he didn't have the strength to undo the bind alone. He had to call for help. But the thought came back to his mind that if he called to his friends in this moment, they'd forever see him beneath them. He'd prove to them that he is as useless as he felt.

(Part 5)

"No!" he declared. "That's a lie! I need them. And they need me. And even if they didn't need me, they'd still want to be there for me."

In that moment, he found all the strength he could muster and was about to yell, "Help me! I'm stuck. I need help. Please!"

But before the words even left his mouth, the darkness broke away from him. Melting away like ice on a summer's day. As though it had no power. As though it never had any power.

Without wasting any more time, Arthur drew his blade, Thunder's Twin, and whispered to it, "Be with me. Trust me as I trust you with my life." There he took the Valberrys and bathed his blade in their juices.

Then, with a deep breath, he ran ahead, as quick as his legs could take him and as fast as the winds of Barbatos would allow.

His friends kept the dragon distracted, and Arthur leapt into the air, with his blade raised high.

With all his might, he brought down the wrath of his sword on the dragon's tail.

One strike came from his own will. But then Arthur felt a second would come to life. The will of the sword that had responded to him. Bonded to him.

And a moment after he struck the dragon, it sounded as though thunder clapped across a cloudless sky on a sunny day. And it felt as though his sword struck the beast a second time.

Cutting through the dragon's nigh-impenetrable skin. As well as whatever fear remained in Arthur's mind.

"Now!" he yelled at his friends. "Give it all you've got, and it will die."

His friends didn't hesitate, and with great bursts of elemental power, they struck the dragon again. Only this time did it give a great cry as elemental energy flowed into its body. Destroying it from the inside, in a bright blast of light, it exploded. Clearing the mist while leaving Arthur and his friends unharmed.

"Bless Barbatos," sighed Anselm as he fell back exhausted. "I don't know how much longer I could go on if you didn't give us an opening."

"For real," added Frieda. "I've never felt so helpless before. It was as if our training didn't matter and we just got lucky."

"We didn't just get lucky," corrected Jeanne-Luc. "We got Arthur, who has been training with swords and not just elemental power."

(Part 6)

The other two boys in the group concurred, and everyone thanked Arthur for his help.

"No, no, trust me," he said. "You all did more to help me in that moment than you could ever expect."

Jeanne-Luc rolled her eyes. "Hey, dork, learn to take a compliment. Do you know how hard it is for me to be nice to you?"

"Aaaand we're back..." Frieda chuckled under her breath.

"My my! That was a sight to behold. I never did get over the simple wonder of an explosion."

The friends turned around to see Madam Klee walking towards them.

"Knights' Captain," declared Anselm, rising to salute her.

"At ease," said Klee, waving him back down to rest.

"Were you here the whole time?" asked Arthur.

"Yes, but at a fair distance," answered Klee. "It would have been more dangerous had I gotten close."

"Why?" asked Frieda.

"....Well..." started Klee, wearing a face of embarrassment that seemed unbefitting of a Captain. "See, Grandmaster Jean brought back this device related to dreams that the previous Grandmaster, Varka had recovered from the Abyss. Ever since I was a child, Grandmaster Jean had warned me not to go near it, as it's particularly potent when it comes in contact with Elves... Anyway, long story short, I brought it out here when I was a child and had unknowingly unleashed this cursed dream energy that became more real the closer I got to it. Sooo... I just thought to myself that if I never came back here and never told Jean... I'd be fine. So you can see what a pickle I was in when I learned that the mist had returned with force... Anyway, I knew its effects wouldn't be permanent... for now at least... And just told the Knights that I was going to use this "creation" of mine as a means to test trainees with the power of illusion... But seeing as you've completely dealt with it for me, we don't need to tell Grandmaster Jean anything."

Arthur and his friends sat speechless and dumbfounded by Klee's words. For in that moment, they got a glimpse at the child their Knights' Captain used to be before becoming the wise and whimsical witch that stood before them today.

"I would have taken care of it myself eventually," said Klee. "But why take an unnecessary risk?"

(Part 7)

"So we basically fought one of your nightmares..." said Arthur.

"Something like that," said Klee.

"And it was still so strong... It wasn't even fully here," said Arthur. "There's always going to be something or someone stronger..."

"Arthur..." said Frieda, concerned that he was going to be hard on himself again.

"No, you misunderstand," said Arthur. "I was always obsessed with being the strongest because I thought I had to do it on my own. But we beat that thing even though it's stronger than us by working together... I realise now I don't need to be the strongest for the sake of strength alone. I just need to do my part to help others the best way I know how. That's all we can do. And we don't do it alone. That's why we aren't the 'Knight' of Favonius. But the Knights."

Klee gave her Godson a cheek-breaking grin. "Finally. Now you get it."

Arthur's eyes lit up. "Sooo... does that mean I can join the Knights?"

"Aaaare you going to tell Grandmaster Jean about this?" asked Klee.

"Nope."

"Then welcome to Knights of Favonius!"

Arthur couldn't believe what he heard. His friends cheered at the announcement. And for his part he tried his best not to imagine that this might still be part of the dream-energy.

Jeanne-Luc was the only one frowning a little. "This all doesn't seem very Knightly..." she said. "Not to mention a dozen or so codes are being violated."

"My dear," said Klee. "When I was a walking detonator that could hardly spell my own name, I was made a Knight."

Jeanne-Luc waved around at the area that just moments ago was covered in a mist of Klee's own making. "And how did that turn out?" she said.

But Klee just gave a little smirk and said. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

(Part 8)

And with that, seven left the lair, returning to Mondstadt. Their hearts united at last.

"Senior Knight Ellin!" called out Jeanne-Luc, waving at the woman ahead of her as they approached the city gates. "I believe you owe me a nice sum of Mora. A bet's a bet and I'm here to collect."

Ellin frowned. "No way, you mean he passed?"

"I told you he would."

Ellin searched Klee's face but it only confirmed the truth of the matter. "Congratulations... Sir Arthur," she said while handing over a heavy bag of money.

"You bet I'd pass?" Arthur asked Jeanne-Luc.

"And if you ever tell anyone, I'll end you," she replied.

As everyone walked ahead, Arthur stayed back a few moments to think about the fact that he was finally a Knight.

And how should he feel now, after all this time to finally achieve what he worked for his whole life?

In that moment, he saw a future where he was constantly chasing after a new thing forever and never truly finding happiness. And in that moment he decided in his heart that he would not live that way or walk that path. Instead he would learn to seek contentment in the present. To protect the good found in each fleeting moment.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and was welcomed by the soft violet glow of the gift that was now nestled in the palm of his hand.

And in that moment, Arthur closed his eyes and held out his hand, opening wide his palm as if to let go of the past... And right after doing this, he felt a new and sudden weight rest on it.

Arthur smiled.

[storysprite]

Resplendor of the Gods - Gloria Matri. Gloria Filio. In Saecula Saeculorum.

About Resplendor:

(Part 1 of 3)

The anniversary of Raiden Makoto's death was for Ei the most painful time of any year. A reminder of when, as far as Ei is concerned, Inazuma lost its true light. Of which, in her mind, she is only a shadow.

It did not help matters that her son was also first awakened on the anniversary of this tragic day, which to Ei was a foreboding sign.

For this reason, she had at first not released to the public the divine name of her firstborn. As though to shelter it and therefore her son from the fate of the world.

It was not until she realised that on the worst of days, and through any pain her son felt, that Ei's smile was able to restore life and light to his countenance. That to her son, she was not merely a shadow. But the very light of his life.

As such, on one particular anniversary of Makoto's death and the celebration of the boy's life, the Narukami chose to reveal to her son a divine secret.

"Resplendor?" asked the young lad, sitting at the table of Tenshukaku's secluded garden which overlooked the whole of Inazuma City.

"That is correct," said Ei setting down a plate of homemade Tamago Kake Gohan. She smiled seeing that her son no longer recoiled at the sight of her cooking. A sure sign of improvement ever since taking lessons from her familiar Yae Miko.

"You mean light?" asked the boy chomping down his rice, just before correcting himself with a 'sorry' for talking with his mouthful.

Ei reached across the table and gave him a gentle pat on the head in acknowledgement of his ever-growing sense of etiquette.

Then she answered him: "Resplendor is more than light. That's just how most in the mortal world see it before they get to understand what it is. If ever."

The boy finished his third bite and then asked, "So what is it then?"

"Resplendor is the Poetry of Life made manifest," answered Ei.

"The Poetry of Life?"

"The Poetry of Life is the enchantment born of what the world is and how we experience it. A power at the very cusp of reality that rests in between life and lore. Dreaming and waking. Truth and tale," said Ei. "It lives in the love of two infatuated young people who can't help but see the other as perfect. And the love between those who've been together for years, who see each other's flaws as part of the tapestry of their life together and delight in the beauty of a bigger picture.

"It lives in the toy that to others is just one among many. But to a child, it's an irreplaceable gift given by their parent. The Poetry of Life lives in the legends people cling to that are more important than the events they recount. You experience it all the time without realising it.

“Resplendor is the power of Gods to experience this sublime poetry as a real world in and of itself. To see and experience parts of reality in a way mortals can't. But also to bring parts of that bountiful realm into the world to beautify reality and bring about new works on the tapestry of fate. That's why stories of the Gods and their powers sound so mystical. The stories themselves are a part of that Resplendor. And the divine light mortals often see is the most accessible form it can visually take."

(Part 2 of 3)

In awe of his mother's sayings, perhaps captured by the Resplendor of the moment the boy had long forgotten his meal and sat spoon in hand lingering on her every word.

"Woah," he finally managed to say. Ei smiled. Had this been any other child she would have imagined that her words had gone over their head.

But her son was a bright boy who had more 'whys' on his lips than the number of Sakura petals in all of Inazuma. And each answer he got would normally be followed by a question more complex or insightful than the ones before.

"Can every God use Resplendor?" he asked.

"In other words, is this something you can use now. But I'm going to tell you to wait till you're older. But you're going to try anyway and then hurt yourself and I'm going to have to ground you over and over because getting hurt the first time won't be enough to stop you trying again?" asked Ei.

The boy held a serious face for a few seconds. But the mask quickly slipped as he left out a sly smirk.

"Using Resplendor can occur naturally. But most of the time deliberate use takes years of practice," said Ei.

"Do you use it a lot?" asked the boy.

"I use it more now since you've been born. But in the past, that was my Raiden Makoto's area of focus. And we still see it today reflected in the beauty of this land, its people and culture," said Ei. "But using Resplendor saps from the same kind of divine life that Gods pour into the more commonly known manifestations of power. Particularly the kind you see in battle. As a seasoned warrior who has spent much of her life in defence of Inazuma against outside threats, my divine power has turned more towards manifesting this kind of force in the real world than going into and drawing from the realm of Resplendor."

The boy looked confused. "But there are plenty of warrior Gods who have stories filled with Resplendor or mystical powers. You as well," said the boy.

"Yes but these types of Gods tend to have less of them than other Gods," answered his mother. "And their Resplendor tends to manifest in the heat of battle. Which has its unique flavour of glory. But it's the kind that if you indulge in too much without the right heart, will lead to that deity having a Resplendor that tends more towards pure terror than awe. Darkness rather than light.

The dark and tainted glory of monsters, malovent spirits and beasts of the deep. Which is why Gods who don't focus on battle, tend to have a Resplendor that are more... uplifting."

"Like Uncle Venti or Aunt Nahida," said the boy.

"Exactly," answered his mother. "But for Venti often that's just him being jolly after a few drinks, rather than Resplendor. Although... it may be a unique sort of his own making."

(Part 3 of 3)

The two shared a laugh in the garden, warmed by the rising sun which heralded the dawn of day as bright as their smiles.

But soon after, the brightness on Ei's face dimmed down to a more sombre tone.

"So later on..." she started. "When we get our royal portrait done, you'll be able to use it in the future to recapture the Resplendor of our time spent on this day. A lovely Memento should the time come when I'm no longer around."

"Erosion..." said the boy with a heavy heart. He lifted his head towards the sky and narrowed his eyes with disgust at the island floating far above them.

"Yes," said Ei. "It seems that Erosion is a dark Resplendor cast upon the world by The One Who Came."

"Can't you cast it off with your Resplendor?" her son asked, desperate for any sign of hope on her face.

"Perhaps... If I cut myself off as much as I can from the throne of the heavens, forsook the mortal realm entirely and secluded myself for ages to come in deep meditation then there is a chance that this might be achieved," said Ei. "But the chances are slim and should they be altered of this because I made a mistake by not being detached enough, Inazumans are the ones who will face a most terrible curse just like... No.

“My heart is too close to the world for me to achieve it. Were I still grieving Makoto perhaps I'd find the strength to do so. But... Now... I have you."

The boy did not look comforted by these words.

"So it's my fault that you can't get stronger?" he whimpered.

"Fault?" said Ei. Immediately she rushed to his side and took him into her embrace.

"You are no fault," she said. "I have willingly poured into you the best of my Resplendors. That you may grow and nurture it and one day be free from the power of the One Who Came. That is my desire. For you to be happy and free. And to my surprise, I discovered that by giving myself up for you in this way, I have poured a Resplendor that transcends the laws of this world and planted within you the seeds of your redemption. And perhaps of Inazuma and all of Teyvat as well. You are no fault, my dear boy. If anything, you are my strength. And perhaps one day you will find others in like spirit as yourself."

"Don't worry Mother," said the boy, taking his turn to pat her on the head for once. "I'll help save you and all of Teyvat. Then we can be together forever."

Ei smiled at her dear and precious son. "Of that," she said. "I have no doubt.”

[storysprite]

SAILOR COSMOS

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Cosmos ✨ Moon

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cosmos appreciation

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Utopiosphere

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cyno's comedy act debut in fontaine

(my twitter)

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high cloud quintet commission for jing yuan's va!

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time for the curtain call

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raiden shogun ⚡️