Orion’s grip on his polearm tightened further, the weight of the void pressing in on him. Despite the bizarre nature of the place, he remained grounded. He had been through worse, and no voice, no strange dimension, would break him.
"Who are you?" he asked again, firmly this time. His voice was like steel, cutting through the ambiguity.
A moment passed, heavy with anticipation, before the voice responded once more.
Suddenly, without...
She had seen his whole being flair in that one instant: straight and rigid, fists clenched at his sides, eyes ablaze with anger. Mona leaned forward, her hand on his arm-light yet firm-grounding him. "This isn't the time," she whispered urgently.
The blazing yellow of his eyes darted to hers, still locked in that raw moment of anger, his expression clouded with disbelief. "But. you of all people know what he did," Orion growled through gritted teeth, shaking his body with the restraint ...
2024-09-23 17:58:10 +0000 UTC View PostOrion fixed his eyes on the pile of rubble blocking the way before them. His brow furrowed in concentration. "Stand back," he said low and quiet, low but commanding.
Mona complied, instinctively backing away with her eyes nailed to him as she tracked his movements. Orion lifted his hand, palm out to the debris, and for an instant the air around him seemed to vibrate with energy. The dim light in the cave sputtered as the temperature in the cave rose; heat was gathering inside him.
Orion stretched his arms overhead, yawning loudly as he rose to his feet. He turned and watched Mona, who had started to gather her stuff to leave. As she took a first step away from the campfire, Orion raised a hand in her direction.
"Wait a minute," he said, his voice tinged with wonder as his brow furrowed slightly. He turned his head toward the ancient Windrise tree looming above them, squinting in a way that seemed to be an effort to focus on something just beyond sigh...
Orion walked through Mondstadt, he saw a familiar group assembled around the fountain of the city. Mona, Fischl, Bennett, and Emily all looked at him with bright faces. Orion merely nodded and lifted a hand. "Orion!" Bennett shouted with a wide grin. "Man, it's so good to see you back in one piece!"
Orion approached-smiling effortlessly-his gaze breaking to Emilie. "Em, you look like you're doing well." His tone was warm, suggesting he was asking about so much more than physical well-be...
2024-09-15 22:51:12 +0000 UTC View Post"Allow me to tell you of the Divine. of Celestia."
Diluc paused, eyes fixed towards the horizon outside the window, as if the very mention of Celestia demanded a certain reverence.
"Celestia," he said, his voice grave, "is said to be a realm above all others, a place that holds beings of unimaginable power. If the Archons are the gods that walk this world, then Celestia… it is a place where the gods themselves bow. A plane of existence beyond our compre...
Orion hesitated a moment longer, his arms still loosely wrapped around her. Much as he wanted to stay like this, basking in the rare, intimate moment, he knew they couldn't avoid the others forever.
Taking a deep breath, he loosed his hold and let Eula slip off his lap. "We have to dress up first," he said with a small chuckle, which was supposed to lighten the mood of the atmosphere. Standing, he stretched, his body still sore from earlier, before snatching up his clothes off the floor...
2024-09-13 16:37:16 +0000 UTC View PostOrion phased in and out of being conscious; the grogginess of sleep slowly pulled away by something warm and soft pressed against him. His senses tingled, tugging him back into consciousness, but a part of him didn't want to give in, clinging to the comfort of the darkness. He didn't want to open his eyes, afraid the warmth would disappear the moment he did.
But the sensation lingered on, keeping him real. His eyes fluttered open and he blinked once, twice, his vision gradually getting ...
2024-09-12 13:13:28 +0000 UTC View PostThe grand dining hall of the Dawn Winery, a masterpiece from one of the finest architectures in Mondstadt. Sunlight poured inside from high arched windows and spread on the polished wooden floors in warm golden tones. Rich tapestries showing the scenes of Mondstadt's glorious history were hung from the walls, and the fragrant scent of vineyards outside softly wafted through the air. In the middle of the room, a well-structured, exquisitely carved oak table dominated the space, while its surfa...
2024-09-02 19:06:01 +0000 UTC View PostAt the very heart of Liyue, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor stood as a darkened monument in solemnity against the busy streets of the city. Lanterns filled the grand structure with their muffled light, long and thin shadows dancing across the polished floors. It was a quiet, reflective atmosphere, comforting and deep in its tranquillity.
Inside the parlor, there was dignified serenity, while the walls were speaking carvings of various scenes of reverence and remembrance. The lace-like smok...
2024-08-30 17:31:54 +0000 UTC View PostThere was silence between the three of them Xiao, Diluc, and Eula. Dvalin's wings cut steadily through the night sky. It was then that Xiao finally straightened himself out, eyes still fixed on Orion, his mind made up. Turning to Diluc, his face was set.
"Diluc," Xiao started, cutting through the wind, "once you have new information regarding Barbatos, inform me at once."
Diluc met Xiao's intense gaze and nodded as the weight of what was being asked san...
Orion didn't say a word, his lips rising in the faintest, barest smile-one of reassurance as fragile as life still hanging onto him. And then something in that sight broke for Eula. Without so much as a second thought, she pulled him in, held him tightly in her arms, as if to shield him from the pain, from the blood, from this whole ordeal.
His body was warm, but she could feel the tremors of his fading strength. "Ou...ch," he managed to murmur. At least his voice was no mo...
Orion's eyes scanned through the display of crystals, jaggedly impaling Dvalin, radiating with malignant energy, which sent shivers down his spine. They all looked equally malevolent against their pulsating light, casting eerie shadows across the chamber. Frustration gnawed at him. How the hell was he supposed to find the one crystal which held the key to the dragon's freedom when they all looked the same.
"How the hell can I see it?" he muttered to himself, and his eyes went from...
2024-08-26 14:44:40 +0000 UTC View Postbefore the man could close the distance, Orion acted. Breath hissing sharply from between his teeth, he thrust his hand towards the ground. Ice burst from below him, carving jagged crystalline patterns across the floor of the chamber. The frost raced forward like a living entity, freezing the ground in its path until it reached Eula. The icy wave surged up, forming a towering barrier of thick, shimmering ice between her and the incoming attack.
In front of Eula, a wall suddenly appeared...
2024-08-25 16:18:09 +0000 UTC View PostOrion's words were defiant, and in that instant, the atmosphere tightened in the chamber, each of them bracing for battle. The shadows all around seemed to pound with anticipation, the air vibrating with energies clashing against each other in a forthcoming battle.
The man's cold smile faltered for a second as a flicker of irritation crossed his face before he steeled his features. He raised his dark sword. Its edge glinted ominously in the thin light, and with a smooth, almost casual m...
2024-08-24 12:20:16 +0000 UTC View PostThe sharp eyes of Orion darted to Diluc. "You noticed, right? It's all the same. They're not in full control."
Diluc nodded curtly, unwavering gaze and grip tightening on his flaming greatsword, his expression cold and resolute. "Yeah… but I'm still finishing them off, regardless." As with many of his important words, he spoke them as if there couldn't be hesitation, damn whatever was afflicting these beings.
“Naturally,” Orion replied, his voice tinged with both resolve and...
2024-08-23 15:57:25 +0000 UTC View PostOrion's laughter softened at Xiao's discomfort and turned into a warm smile. "Hey, Xiao," he called, walking closer to him, "are you feeling good now? What was that about? Why did it affect only you?"
Xiao's eyes flickered a moment as he regained himself. His eyes reflected the burdens of his karma. "The crystal… it empowered something in me," he started, his voice very soft and controlled. "My karmic burden. It has been my curse across the centuries, a manifestation of the sins and s...
2024-08-22 10:23:40 +0000 UTC View PostOrion marched up to Xiao, who was still bound by invisible forces and had his body shivering from the pain. His heart ached at the sight, yet he knew there was no time to spare. As he moved to check on the adeptus, Diluc was stepping towards the crystal, weapon ready to strike.
"Wait!" Orion's voice was both clear and loud, stopping Diluc where he stood. There was no mistaking the intensity in the tone. "We don't know what will happen if it breaks. Maybe it'll trigger something even wor...
2024-08-20 17:48:23 +0000 UTC View PostDiluc's eyes narrowed at the sight of the intruders. "Abyss Herald, Abyss Lector," he growled, his grip on his greatsword tightening. "Here to protect the crystal, no doubt.".
Orion's gaze fastened on the new arrivals. There was a dark mask, finely etched with intricate figures, concealing the face of the Herald of the Abyss, while the robe of the Lector of the Abyss appeared to crawl like a living thing in its own right. Malice dripped from both figures, its chill radiating in cold, ot...
2024-08-18 16:00:33 +0000 UTC View PostDiluc led the way, his voice level and introspective. "So far, we know this underground cave was created recently. Xiao here was the first to sense it."
Xiao nodded, his voice calmly urgent. "This place wasn't until recently here. It's the work of the Abyss. Its energy feels like crawling, all through these tunnels."
At first, I suspected the Fatui might be responsible for digging this place out, but without their Tsaritsa in control, I doubt they have a hand in this. Snezhnaya ha...
2024-08-17 14:03:52 +0000 UTC View PostOrion chuckled as he gathered his clothes and rose. "Well, that was refreshing," he said, then wrung it out through his hair to get rid of some of the excess water. Eula smirked at him and rolled her eyes as she went to work fixing her long locks, doing the same. They started to dress, but it was a bit awkward with the clothes sticking to their wet skin. The air around them did not help, either; it was not warm and circulated cold puffs of air around them from time to time, carried out...
2024-08-16 17:05:15 +0000 UTC View PostOrion looked to the waters of the pond, lit up like silver. They seemed inviting after the fight they had just had. Not giving it much thought, he began to unbuckle his armor, removing his clothes piece by piece. "I wouldn't want those to get wet," he remarked almost to himself, and his voice was gruff.
But she turned in time to catch Eula, still breathing heavy, to see Orion stripping down to his pants. Eula, eyes wide, barely flushed a light pink but turned away just in time not to lo...
2024-08-15 17:30:31 +0000 UTC View PostOpening out below them, the underground area revealed a hidden world that seemed to carry wonders which both felt beautiful and strange. The bleary light shone on the bodies of the mushrooms, scattered over the walls and ceiling, shedding a gentle blue luminescence through it. It was cold and moist, the air impregnated with the smell of the ground: earthy, and a little sweet from the mushrooms. The walls were covered with luminescent vines, giving an impression of some movement, as if al...
2024-08-14 16:29:46 +0000 UTC View PostHe surveyed the fallen creatures, expecting to feel nothing but satisfaction. But, gazing around at the frozen and charred remains, he started to feel an unwanted creeping feeling. "Why do I feel a bit of pity towards them?" he wondered aloud, frowning. "They're nothing but monsters."
He shook his head dazedly, confused. "Perhaps because I am too strong for them? The strong pitying the weak?" But it did not feel like that, either. The feeling of unease gnawed at his insides...
Orion was heading to the Adventures' Guild thinking about the people of Mondstadt who were unaware of the danger he had averted, and whom this peaceful scene contrasted to the chaos and danger of--he had faced recently. If somehow that person appears in here, these people would be in grave danger. I cannot afford to stay in this city much longer. I need to take the fight to him, but first, I must get stronger and learn to control my powers.
Walking up to the Guild, Orion sa...
Orion woke up, refreshed, more so than he had been in a long time. He sat up and stretched. His voice was laced with sarcasm: "This is the best sleep I've had in a while.".
He rose from bed and his eyes locked onto the wall where he had leaned the polearm. Grinning, he picked up the weapon and gave a few swings to feel out the familiar weight in his hands. Satisfied, he spun the weapon around skillfully to secure it on his back.
Seeing the reflection of h...
Orion was surrounded by darkness, his consciousness hovering on the edge of awareness. Slowly, the pitch-black void gave way to a strange landscape. He found himself in a place that defied logic—a vast, timeless expanse that felt both alive and dreamlike. The air was heavy with an oppressive weight, and a faint light illuminated his surroundings.
He froze and looked down. Instead of being restrained by bars or shackles, his body was covered in odd, rock-like cubes that clung to him li...
2024-08-10 18:09:10 +0000 UTC View PostOrion and the others trudged through the dim corridors, the atmosphere shifting. The passageway opened into a room unlike any they had encountered before. It was spacious and stark, with a cold, sterile quality. In the center, three swords stood embedded in the ground, their blades gleaming ominously under the faint light.
Orion surveyed the scene with a frown. “Three swords? We only need one for each team. Why so many?”
Mona, her eyes scanning the room, replied thoughtfully, ...
2024-08-09 16:55:59 +0000 UTC View PostAs the group proceeded along the shadowy path, the air grew cooler and the darkness more oppressive. Orion suddenly came to a halt, his gaze fixed intently on something in the obscurity.
Bennett, noticing the abrupt stop, turned to him with concern. “What’s wrong?”
Orion's eyes remained locked on the darkened corridor ahead. “Wait… you didn’t see that?”
Mona, who was scanning the surroundings with a keen eye, shook her head. “We didn’t see anything.”
<... 2024-08-08 16:49:03 +0000 UTC View PostTime passed as they sat together in silence, taking in the night. Eventually, Orion suggested they should head back. “We should probably go now.”
Emily looked down from their high perch. “How are we getting down?”
Orion grinned. “Oh, it’s easy.” He grabbed her hand, causing her to blush again. He jumped, using a burst of pyro from his legs to slow their fall and land gracefully. As he set her down, she laughed, clearly impressed.
“You’re crazy, you know tha...
2024-08-07 17:15:09 +0000 UTC View Post