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—
Storm Kingdom
Storm's End
16 YA
Ei, listening to petitions in the throne room, felt something creep at the edge of her senses.
Something inhuman.
It was not strong enough to be considered a danger, merely different, and carried magic. The signature was similar to what she felt from the weirwood trees, and it was approaching Storm's End.
"Kage," she called her shadow.
The puppet raised her head from over the documents to listen. "See to our mysterious guests."
Ei had already given her the location through their connection.
"Guests?" Saiguu asked while Kage left through the window.
"Yes, I am unfamiliar with what they are." Which was the reason she even noticed them.
It was similar to seeing two grains of rice stand out in a bowl of lentils.
"Could be giants or the Children of the Forest. I have met a tribe of the former, and there is no reason the latter should not exist." Sasayuri said.
Though why they would be here was a mystery.
—
Kage saw the guests her creator mentioned. Two child-sized people were just coming out of the forest on the northern side of the Blackwater Rush.
She dove to the ground before them, stopping before hitting dirt. The sudden deceleration displaced the air around, sending the green, leafy cloaks of the unknowns flying off.
They were not humans.
Short, nut-brown-skinned, long, sharp-eared female entities that were the size of a child.
Both bowed, showing respect, but she could not recognize the words when the blond-haired one spoke. Concentrating on the link to Ei, Kage felt the presence of her creator reach out, watching through her eyes.
"I greet the Almighty God of Thunder, the slayer of the Drowned One." The one with freckles came forward, kneeling, and the other merely followed the lead.
"You must be the Children of the Forest. What brings you to my lands?" "Ei," she said through her lips as Kage took a backseat in her own body.
"We seek a sanctuary for the rest of our kind," the Child of the Forest spoke.
"From what?" she asked.
The answer was obvious.
"The Others and their wights."
"Oh, them?" Ei asked. Kage did not hear her creator mention them before, but she knew the Others through the tales.
"Indeed. We could feel it; their cold, lifeless winds cannot reach your lands," she said.
It had been so long since they could walk without feeling the cold winds that carried the magic of the Others.
The small figure's words made her creator stop for a few seconds before she felt her lips move again.
"We should speak face-to-face," Ei said, leaving the control back to Kage.
She scooped the small figures under her arms and took off.
—
The petitions for the day were over. With the courts taking a significant chunk of the petitions each day, Ei mostly listened to the most important ones.
It was a way for her to stay connected to the people.
Now, she was free to hear the Children of the Forest in the serenity of the garden. Saiguu had chosen to attend, wanting to see a life form other than humans.
Kage finally appeared over the castle, her journey back taking longer in consideration of her passengers.
She lowered them to the ground, but they did not get up. Ei thought it might be because the Children of the Forest had never flown before in their lives.
Turns out, they were just admiring the earth.
The garden was handcrafted by Saiguu, with flora from Teyvat and this world mixed together in a little slice of heaven for the five of them.
It was brimming with life due to the power of Naberius, even if it was a small part of her might.
"Don't rush; take your time." Saiguu quipped. She enjoyed having someone else appreciate her work.
The Children composed themselves and bowed. Their eyes lingered on Saiguu, even when addressing Ei.
"My apologies. I am She-who-sings-the-hymn-of-the-trees-in-the-morning-breeze," the Child of the Forest said.
"However, if that is too long, you might call me Leaf," she offered.
Her name was not one of words but a melody, one that the humans could not comprehend.
It would be more convenient to call her Leaf if their desire for a sanctuary were to be granted.
"I am Raiden Ei," she gave her first name, "or Argella Durrandon, the Electro Archon and the Almighty God of Thunder and Eternity."
"You can just call me Lady Saiguu." Saiguu wiggled her fingers.
"So, Leaf, you said to Kage that you were seeking sanctuary? Why come here and not go to the North?" They worshipped the old gods in the North.
The Children of the Forest would find life easier there.
Leaf shook her head. "We do not trust the men. The old gods speak of your benevolence and tolerance for different beliefs."
"That is true. As long as the laws are not broken, which god you worship is none of my concern," she said. She nodded.
Except for the abomination named the Drowned God.
The seven nations of Teyvat had an Archon for each nation, and none forced the people to worship them. It was done because of the peace and prosperity the gods had brought to the land.
Each nation had subjects of other Archons living on their territory without any issues.
Except for Tsaritsa's subjects.
The worshippers of the Seven Who Are One went on with their lives, having not faced any backlash for the mistakes of the High Septon.
If the Children wished to live on her lands, there was no reason to refuse.
"However, if you are living beyond the Wall, how will you all travel here?" Saiguu asked. Two Children of the Forest walking all the way from beyond the Wall to the Storm Kingdom was possible.
The entirety of their kind walking the same route without discovery wasn't.
"We were hoping for your generosity," She Leaf said. Otherwise, it would be another long and arduous journey.
"Let's take them." Saiguu leaned over, whispering to Ei.
"Why?"
"They are connected to nature, and I am connected to life as a whole." Saiguu said, "I might just figure out more about my powers by observing them."
Ei saw no reason to deny Saiguu her wish.
"Very well. How many of you are there?" Ei asked. Ships could be sent beyond the Wall, escorted by the Thunder Dragon. Leaf could then bring the rest of her kind to the vessels and sail back.
"Fifty," she said.
Both deities felt a pang of pain to know that an entire race was reduced to a handful of members.
"Anything you wish to take with you?" Ei had an idea, and if the Children did not have much in the way of luggage, they could be brought to the kingdom in days.
"Some saplings and tools," Leaf explained.
Her kind lived off nature and could create a home anywhere, as long as they had the saplings.
"You will be guests for a couple of days. I shall prepare something to swiftly move you all at once," she declared.
This would be a less costly affair than imagined.
"May we stay in the garden? The nature here is unlike any we have seen," Leaf requested. She was relieved that their long and dangerous journey was worth it in the end.
Saiguu grinned. "Of course you two can."
—
Transporting the Children of the Forest was a simple matter.
Sending ships for fifty of them was a waste of resources, and it would be slow. The Thunder Dragon could easily carry that many child-sized individuals, along with their tools and saplings.
With some modifications.
Increasing the puppet's length and adding an enclosed cabin with passenger seats, the dragon would make an excellent transport vehicle.
She had enough processed wood for the job to start right away.
—
"You made the dragon into a carrier? Nice." "Generosity." "Nice." Chiyo bobbed her head. "We can make the inside larger and just take rides in the sky while having tea."
A tea party in the sky? Ei thought, "Not the reason I made those modifications, but it is a good idea."
"Who is going then?" Sasayuri asked. She was the only one familiar with the lands beyond the Wall but would go if instructed.
Saiguu pushed Kage inside the cabin. "Me and Kage, you girls just wait."
—
The Lands Beyond the Wall
Saiguu whistled.
There was a stark contrast between the inside of the cabin and the outside. Fierce, biting winds, with a void in them, trying to smother life.
Must be the Others.
Leaf took them to the entrance of the caves, but the fox goddess shook her head. "I am not crawling in there."
"Should I widen the entrance for you?" Kage asked. It would take a couple of swings to cut through the stone and dirt.
"Let's just wait for these two to bring the rest of them out," Saiguu said. There was no need for it.
With nothing better to do, she merely set to watch the snow-covered forest.
"I should have brought tea," she grumbled. They didn't even put any snacks in the cabin since the journey had taken mere hours.
Ei's craftsmanship had improved by leaps and bounds in the thousands of years.
"There are humans in the forest," she warned the goddess.
The dragon wasn't invisible, and they could be coming to investigate.
"Must be wildlings. Ignore them." Saiguu dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. The wildlings lived as they wanted, unbound by an overlord. She had nothing to say to them.
"The humans are coming closer."
"Do you want to go and scare them?"
Kage looked up.
There was nothing but clouds blocking the sunlight. She turned her head to the left, and three purple bolts struck in the distance. She had no interest in killing anyone, so she merely warned the mortals.
"Should we find those giants too?" Saiguu wondered to herself. They could save another race most likely facing extinction in this frozen land, surrounded by hostile humans and creatures that could turn them into undead monsters.
Also, the more the merrier.
"I don't think they will fit in the dragon's passenger cabin," Kage drawled. Her creator would find a solution, as she always did, though if the giants were not willing, it was pointless.
Saiguu rubbed her chin, and her right ear twitched. "They could walk. It's only dangerous until the Riverlands border. Even then, the North isn't an enemy. As long as we send an escort, there should not be any problems."
"Do you want to stay in this cold any longer?" she asked. In truth, it wasn't the cold itself that bothered the kitsune goddess.
"Nope," Saiguu said, popping the "p" in a cheerful tone. She only wanted to see the North but wouldn't stay here for any reason.
"Then it is decided."
—
The Children of the Forest filtered out of the small entrance in a line. Carrying obsidian tools and saplings, they bowed to Saiguu one by one.
She patted some on the head and pinched the cheeks of the others. Soon enough, the cabin was boarded, and the dragon took off with the order.
The rest of the Children were silent, looking out the windows with wide eyes.
"Don't worry, kids; it's safe," Saiguu assured them.
Her words meant to bring ease were for nothing as those on the left side scrambled back in fright.
A lance of ice just slammed into the window of the cabin. It did not damage, but Saiguu's ears twitched.
"Kage, dear, if you would, find the one responsible for that." Her eye twitched, and her tail flicked wildly.
For all her cunning and deceptive nature, Saiguu was terrifying when someone stepped on her toe.
The puppet rose from her seat and opened the door, letting cool air rush inside. She jumped, leaving Saiguu to close the door back.
—
Kage let herself freefall, seeking the one that had thrown the lance. Her eyes were not affected by the weather nor by the fog, and she saw it.
One of the creatures known as the Others.
She changed her trajectory. Targeting the White Walker, she fell right in front of it, and the shockwave ragdolled it to a tree.
In a glitter of particles, the Engulfing Lightning appeared in her hands. The Other said something, its language foreign to her, but she understood enough from the raised hands.
The cries were ignored.
Kage stabbed the polearm at its chest. The divine-forged "p"-forged blade met no resistance, and the lightning that soon followed caused the creature to spasm wildly.
Its thrashing was over quickly.
She swung the polearm, discarding the corpse to the side. Kage considered taking it to Storm's End for study or as a trophy, but it wasn't a worthy enemy.
—
"It was one of the Others. I killed it," Kage reported while closing the door.
Saiguu leaned on her chair. "Wonder what made it attack in the first place. We wouldn't have even bothered otherwise."
She should get a futon to nap here. Or a couch.
Better yet, she should convince Ei to build a new vehicle just for flights of leisure.
"They can convert the dead. Had this been a dragon of flesh and bone, it might have succeeded," Leaf said. The Other had most likely confused the divine creation for an ordinary dragon.
"Guess you're right." She didn't really care why, only that it was dead. "Doesn't matter anyway. I have yet to see anything in this world Ei can't mop the floor with. " The Others and whatever had created them would stay in these lands if they knew what was good for them.
The gods of Teyvat outclassed the ones in this world.
The less said about the Archons, the better.
—
Storm's End
There were questions on whether the Children of the Forest would be allowed to live in the kingdom.
Ei had said yes.
Her subjects made their grievances known, but nothing of substance had come before her. Their fears were rooted in history that was older than her. The Children of the Forest were just an old enemy driven out by ancestors whose names weren't even remembered, who were now coming to live with them.
She had pointed that out.
The most pious of the Seven Who Are One had fallen silent after that.
Even Argall had wondered why she had agreed to let them move to the kingdom.
"They are not an enemy and could prove to be good citizens. Why shouldn't I?" She had said. Her brother had left then, eyes down, rubbing his jaw.
Of all the people in the kingdom, he tried most to understand.
She left the throne room, returning to the garden with Chiyo and Sasayuri. They had prepared snacks and wine, knowing how Saiguu would be grumbling.
The dragon floated down, curling around the garden, and Saiguu came out first.
Grumbling.
She reached for the snacks, while Kage guided the Children of the Forest out.
—
In the next chapter:
"How do you feel, kiddo? Ready for the big day?" Saiguu asked the little brother of her best friend. He had grown to be a fine young man, taller than most men, with the signature Durrandon looks of electric blue eyes, black hair, and a muscled frame. Shaven and given a special haircut for this day, Argall would be breaking more hearts than usual.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
"Alright, time to go. Go get them, kid."
"Do you really have to call me kid?"
"I am thousands of years old, so yes."
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