The Second Archon War: Interlude 7 (Patreon)

CONTENT WARNING: Warcrimes. The second half of the chapter takes place in China. Nothing graphic, but sexual assault, mass murder of civilians, and everything else you’d expect in a wartorn hellscape. 

Interlude 7: Suffer the Little Children

“You sure you won’t be cold? You should wear mittens, it’s freezing out today,” Annette Hebert said, frowning down at Taylor. 

“Mom, I’ll be fine! It’s warm in the gym, and we’ll be exercising!” Taylor said impatiently, practically vibrating with eagerness by the front door. 

“Just remember, this is just a sport. You’re not going to be using this on anyone at school, right?” Annette prompted. 

Taylor bit her tongue and didn’t say she’d use it on any kid who was a bully and a jerk like the righteous hero of justice she was, because that would mean she didn’t get to go. Instead, she nodded seriously. “Of course! Just a sport.”

There was a beep outside, and Annette peered through the window of their condo. “There’s Arthur. You behave now, won’t you?”

“Yeah I will! Bye, Mom!” Taylor agreed and flung open the door with a bang before racing down the stairs to the blue minivan waiting for her in the condo parking lot. 

“Hey, Taylor,” Uncle Arthur said, smiling as he opened the side door for her. “You seem excited.”

“Duh, we’re gonna learn how to use SWORDS!” Taylor said excitedly, hopping into the back seat. “Are you ready, Junior?!”

“Yeah,” her friend said nervously, though he didn’t look it. “It’s, um, pretty cool, right?”

“I read all my copies of Lightning Princess Ami last night,” Taylor agreed, buckling her seatbelt. “Can you believe a real Kendo School opened in Brockton Bay!?”

“Yeah, it’s cool,” Junior agreed. “Do you think the teacher’s met Raiden?”

“I don’t know, ask your other dad, he would know,” Taylor pointed out. “Where’s Uncle Keith, anyway?”

“Busy,” Uncle Arthur said from the driver’s seat as he pulled out of the parking lot. “I’ll be at the coffee shop next door if you two need anything. The lessons are from 6:00-7:30 pm. Did you eat dinner, Taylor?”

“Yeah,” Taylor said, leaning forward in her seatbelt. “Have you ever met Raiden, Uncle Arthur?! You met Venti, right?”

“I did,” her honorary uncle agreed. “But I’ve never had the honor of meeting the Raiden Shogun. Fortunately.”

Taylor wrinkled her nose trying to puzzle that one out, but settled back in her seat to watch the traffic go by. This was a nice part of town, so everything was new and shiny, and there weren’t very many potholes in the road. She clutched her father’s Vision tightly and thought about how she would master the Blade, and kill the Siberian. Which was what Taylor thought about a lot of the time. 

Ten minutes later, they pulled into the strip mall, and Taylor and Junior piled out of the car with the wood swords and kendo uniforms as Uncle Arthur waved goodbye and told them to behave. 

Inside, Taylor felt disappointed once more. She’d already been inside the dojo, but in her head it was a mystical sanctuary, with hardwood panels, jade statues, and those cool samurai robots. Instead, she found herself in a normal drywall room with blue gym mats at the center. There weren’t even those neat reed mats, just foam yoga pads for people to sit on. 

“Taylor! Junior! Over here!” Sarah called, waving excitedly, and Taylor and Junior both stripped off their jackets and shoes, then ran over to kneel on a mat beside their friend. 

“Did you see sensei!? Is he really a Vision Holder?!” Taylor asked excitedly. She had a half baked plan in her head that their new kendo sensei would teach her how to reignite her father’s Vision, but mostly she just wanted to learn to hit people with a sword. Either way, it was just another step in her Master Plan to avenge her father’s death. 

“I haven’t seen him yet, my brother just dropped me off,” Sarah said with a shrug. She held up the wooden sword that had purchased when they signed up for classes. “This is cool though, right?”

“Come on, let’s face one another!” Taylor said eagerly, jumping up and holding her sword in a two handed grip like they did in Lightning Princes Ami. 

“I don’t know guys…” Junior said, looking uncertain. “I don’t think we’re-”

“En garde!” Sarah cried and their swords met with a loud clatter. 

No sooner had they done so, however, then a door in the back opened and a teenaged girl in a uniform with a blue belt and a sword at her hip ran out. “Oh my! This isn’t how things are supposed to go at all! Please, put down your swords. You haven’t even had your first lesson yet, you really shouldn’t be fighting.”

Taylor and Sarah paused, swords raised high, and examined the girl. She didn’t look Japanese, with platinum blonde hair done up in a tight bun on the back of her head, rosy cheeks with freckles, and green eyes. She looked to be around 14, which made her old, but still cool. 

“You’re not the sensei,” Sarah said, her voice accusatory. “He’s a samurai.”

“Master Kaedehara will be out shortly, but he is very strict! Why, if he catches you playing with your swords, he’ll punish you most severely!” the girl said breathily. “Please, sit down, no fighting! It’ll make a terrible mess!” 

Reluctantly, Sarah and Taylor sat back down, while Junior smirked at both of them. Sarah preemptively stuck her tongue out at him, which made Junior roll his eyes. 

The class was soon full, with 20 kids between the ages of 8 and 10. A few parents waited around in the back or outside, while the teenager ran around and kept the peace with the squirrely children. 

At exactly 6:00 pm, Taylor was keeping track by the clock on the back wall, the rear door opened again and a man in another martial arts suit ambled out, a cup of tea in one hand. He didn’t look like Taylor had expected a Japanese Samurai to look either. For one thing, his hair was similar in color to his assistants, though his was obviously dyed, with a single red forelock. Strangely he had a bright orange kazoo on a leather thong about his neck, which was funny. His hair was long and messy looking, casually pulled back into a ponytail with a red ribbon. He did look asian, but his most striking feature was the glowing green gem on his black belt: an Anemo Vision. 

“Are the students ready, Miss Smith?” Master K asked, his voice lightly accented. 

The assistant bowed deeply. “Yes, Sensei. They are ready.”

“Very good.” The man took a long sip of tea, then set his cup on the floor next to the wall and smiled at the students. “Good evening, students.”

“Good evening,” Taylor and the other kids echoed. She clutched her father’s Vision, heart pounding. Was this her first true step on her journey?

“I am Kaedehara Kazuha. But that’s a bit of a mouthful, so you can call me Sensei Kazoo.” He held up the instrument, then blew a jaunty little tune on it, which made all the children giggle. Even Miss Smith smiled.

“This is Noelle Smith, but you will call her Sensei Noelle while we’re learning. Everyone say hello,” Sensei Kazoo said, and the girl bowed again, blushing deeply. 

“Hello Sensei Noelle,” the children repeated dutifully. 

“Hmm, I see you all have your swords,” Sensei Kazoo said, looking around at all the children. “I’m afraid we won’t be needing those today: Please give them all to Sensei Noelle.” 

The children made disappointed noises, with Sarah going so far as to shout, “No fair!” 

“Oh? You don’t approve?” Sensei Kazoo grinned. “Well, I’ll tell you what. If you follow directions and work hard, you’ll earn your swords back in no time. To sweeten the deal, if you all do a good job tonight, Sensei Noelle and I will have an exhibition match.”

The children’s breath all caught, and they all snuck furtive glances at Sensei Noelle. Was she a cape too? Taylor figured she had to be, if she was going to have a duel with Sensei Kazoo since he was one. Taylor reluctantly handed her sword to Sensei Noelle when she came around, then turned back to Sensei Kazoo. 

“Very good. Now, the first step of the Origin Bladework path, is to be of sound body, and sound mind. We’ll begin with some light exercises. Everyone, stand up, and follow me around the mat!” Sensei Kazoo then led the gaggle of giggling children in laps around the room, walking in different ways. He would call out, “Horse!” and everyone would gallop, then “Crane!” and have them take long, funny steps. He repeated this for several animals, then had the students practice jumping jacks. 

Taylor found it to be enjoyable, but she was slightly disappointed. This was basically just PE with some funny dancing steps that they practiced after that, then a game of Ninja where you had to strike your opponent’s arm with one motion while dodging their own blow. 

After an hour, Taylor was sweaty and tired, but in a good way. Parents were coming in, including Uncle Arthur and Sarah’s older brother, but Sensei Kazoo had the children sit along the mat. 

“Now, our demonstration match. So that you can all see what the path of Origin Bladework will lead us to,” Sensei Kazoo told them. 

Sarah raised her hand, then without waiting to be called on said, “Excuse me, this is Kendo class. Why aren’t you saying Kendo?”

“Ah, a good point,” Sensei Kazoo nodded and smiled. “This is not a Kendo class. It was advertised as such, due to a miscommunication. But I studied with the Sentai, and learned the way of Origin Bladework. It is very different from Kendo, or any other school of martial arts, for it comes from the Raiden Shogun herself.”

“Did you face the Raiden Shogun!?” Taylor asked, then raised her hand halfway through the question. 

Sensei Kazoo chuckled. “I’ll tell you about that some other time. But yes, I did meet her Excellency.”

There were delighted gasps, even as Sensei Noelle brought Kazoo a wooden sword, then bowed to him. 

“Ah, thank you.” Glancing around, Sensei Kazoo spotted Sarah, then took off his Vision and handed it to her. “Hold this, will you? I don’t want anyone to think I was cheating.”

Sarah’s eyes were as big as dinner plates as she took the Vision, the other kids gasping and shooting her jealous looks. Sarah gazed into the swirling vortex within the Vision, even as Sensei Kazoo and Noelle stepped out onto the mat. Taylor’s eyes were soon fixed to the two combatants as they bowed formally to one another. 

“Ready, Sensei,” Noelle said, putting both hands on her sword hilt, which was still sheathed at her side. 

Kazoo nodded casually, taking out a bit of straw from somewhere and sticking it in his mouth. His posture was relaxed, hands at his side, without trying to draw his sword. “Begin.”

In a move that was almost too fast for Taylor to see, Noelle drew her wooden sword and dashed forward, slicing at Kazoo hard enough that it would have broken bones if her blow had connected. Instead, Kazoo took what looked like a lazy step to the side, leaning back away from the blow. Noelle didn’t hesitate, pivoting on one foot and bringing her sword up in a sweeping arc. 

Instead of dodging, Kazoo drew his sword one handed, redirecting Noelle’s attack away from himself, then slicing down so that his blow rapped lighting on her ribs. 

“Point,” Noelle gasped, shaking her head. “The match is yours, Master.”

“Hmm, a bit too fast,” Kazoo mused, scratching his chin. He grinned. “Reset. Let’s give them a show this time.”

“Hai!” Noelle cried, bowing, and returned her sword to her side. This time, when Kazoo stood apart from her, he had his own hands on his sword. The two regarded each other for a long moment, and Taylor held her breath in anticipation.

As if at an unseen signal, both Noelle and Kazoo drew and attacked in what appeared to be the same instant. Their swords rang together with a sharp clack, and then the two of them moved back and forth on the exercise mat, exchanging a flurry of blows. Taylor could only watch in astonishment; the only time she’d seen anyone move that fast was when Aunty Becky or Uncle Keith used their powers. Noelle didn’t seem to be quite as fast as Kazoo, but she was solid and steady on her feet, while he weaved back and forth, his blade moving like a serpent. 

This time, the battle lasted for nearly a minute, until Noelle’s blade passed in front of Kazoo’s face like lightning, severing the bit of grass he’d held there. Both combatants instantly froze as the tuft slowly floated down. Noelle was breathing hard, sweat soaking her uniform, but her grip and legs were still steady. Kazoo was breathing easily, but his back was just as soaked as his opponents. 

Spitting out the stem of grass, Kazoo grinned, then bowed. “The match goes to you, Miss Smith. Excellent work.”

“I just got lucky this time,” Noelle said, returning the bow. “Thank you for honoring me with a match.”

Then Kazoo stood up, turning back to the children. “So, do you want to learn how to do that?”

“YES!” all the kids squealed, then jumped up and swarmed Kazoo and Noelle both. 

“Do you have powers!? Are you a parahuman?!” Taylor asked Noelle breathlessly as she crowded around the teen with a dozen other kids. 

“Oh, goodness! Um, no, I don’t have any parahuman abilities. Really, I’m just an ordinary high school student. I’ve been practicing kendo for several years at another dojo, and my Sensei recommended me to Sensei Kazoo. I’m just working here part time,” Noelle explained. 

“But that was so cool! You must have powers!” Sarah insisted, holding up Kazoo’s Vision. “Sensei Kazoo has powers! But you beat him!” 

“W-well, he was fighting with a handicap, really, I’m not very talented, I just work hard,” Noelle said, blushing. 

“Alright, alright. That’s enough for today,” Kazoo said, clapping his hands. “Thank you, Miss Livsey, I’ll be taking that. The rest of you, at the end of training, we bow and say ‘Thank you very much.’”

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH!” all the kids shouted, bowing awkwardly, then they ran off to their parents.

“Miss Hebert, was it? A moment, if you will,” Kazoo said, putting a hand on Taylor’s shoulder before she could run over to Uncle Arthur. 

She paused, turning curiously to look up at her Sensei, who knelt down in front of her. 

“This is a class for beginners. But I noticed you had a Vision. I’m afraid it wouldn’t be safe for a Vision Holder to spar with beginners,” Kazoo said gently. 

Taylor’s eyes suddenly teared up, and she looked away. “... mine’s broken…”

“Oh?” Kazoo gently took Taylor’s Vision, examining it. “It does seem inert. It was an Electro Vision, but to lose your ambition so young…”

“It was my dad’s,” Taylor sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “He was a hero. The Siberian killed him.”

“Ah.” Kazoo handed the Vision back, then put a hand on Taylor’s shoulder. “I see. You wish to follow in your father’s footsteps then?”

Taylor nodded eagerly, and Kazoo smiled. “Well, it is still a mystery as to how us mortals are granted Visions by the Archons, but I remember when I heard the voice of Lord Barbados. He called me to never allow myself to be bound by tradition, and to seek beyond the horizon for freedom. That’s what brought me here, really. I don’t know how long I’ll stay, but I promise that while I’m here, I’ll help you honor your father’s legacy. OK?”

“OK,” Taylor agreed eagerly, brushing away her tears and adjusting her glasses with a smile. 

“We’ll see you next week,” Kazoo promised.

“Goodbye, Taylor! Have a good week,” Noelle said, smiling and waving goodbye. 

During the ride home, Junior talked excitedly with his dad, but Taylor was quiet and thoughtful. At home, she was exhausted, and after brushing her teeth and showering, went right to bed. She cradled her father’s Vision in her hands, rubbing it with her fingers. 

One day, I’ll be strong, and a hero, just like you. I’ll protect everyone, Taylor thought, her eyes fluttering closed. 

She missed the spark that kindled briefly in the Vision, but someone else, a world away, had heard her silent prayer. 

The Shogun’s lips curled in a smile, and she nodded her approval. Soon.

Running as fast as her legs could carry her, Shenhe gasped for breath, her sweat-slick hand gripping Shuyu’s as hard as she could. The heat from the flames behind them blasted both girls, blistering their skin and cracking their lips, but both made as little sound as possible. 

Behind them, they heard the screams of Shenhe’s mother, then the bark of a rifle, and silence. Shenhe would have wept, but the heat from the inferno that had been their village dried her tears before they fell. She couldn’t look back. Only run as fast as she could. 

Beside her, little Shuyu cried out, then tripped, nearly dragging Shenhe down with her. She stumbled, falling to one knee, her hand still grasping onto Shuyu’s as tightly as she could. 

Shenhe saw what Shuyu had tripped over, and tried not to vomit. It was their grandmother, Yuandei. Her dress had been ripped off, and there was blood between her legs, but her head was a smashed-in ruin. 

“G-grandma!” Shuyu whimpered, trying to struggle to her feet, but she wailed and fell back down. Shenhe could see her cousin’s ankle was twisted and grimaced. 

“Come on,” she whispered and grunted as she lifted Shuyu onto her back. She was twelve now, and strong, while Shuyu was only five and still small. 

“B-but grandma!” Shuyu cried, clinging tightly to Shenhe’s neck.

“I’ll come back for her,” Shenhe promised, knowing there was nothing to come back for here. Ever. 

Shenhe sprinted into the rice paddies, wading through the ankle-deep water as Shuyu cried into the back of her neck. Grimly, she squelched through the mud, moving as fast as she could. 

“There! I knew I heard something! Two more!” 

There was the bark of a rifle, and Shenhe screamed despite herself. No pain, so the shot had missed, but she had been so scared she missed her footing and sank to one knee in the mud, Shuyu barely clinging on. 

“It’s two girls. Don’t just shoot them. They’re more fun when they’re alive.” 

Grimly, Shenhe got back to her feet and struggled on, trying desperately to use the rice paddies to get some distance. She could hear the bandits coming along behind her, laughing and making coarse jokes.

“Stop running, little girl, or I will kill you first!” one of the men called, but Shenhe ignored them. 

“Please, someone, anyone, help!” Shuyu wailed, but it was pointless. 

The men in the village who hadn’t already been conscripted by one side or another had all tried to resist the bandits. They had been the first to die. Their little village was tiny, with only some axes and knives to try to use as weapons, all the guns long gone. 

Looking up towards the mountains, Shenhe tried to gauge how far she’d have to run to get to safety. It was less than a li to the woods, but an impossible distance all the same. She gazed up hopelessly at the smoke-filled sky, knowing that she and her cousin were about to die. 

Something cut through the air, and Shenhe flinched. A plane? A helicopter? Or worse, a cape? Some of the armies fighting in the area had all three, would they drive off the bandits?

If they did, Shenhe and Shuyu were dead or worse anyway. The only difference between soldiers and bandits these days was what uniform they wore when they were robbing you. 

“Hey, what’s that? I saw something,” one of the bandits cried.

“It’s just a bird, idiot. Don’t let the girls get away, I haven’t had my fun for today yet.”

It was a bird. A crane, a very large one, swooping down from the mountains. There was something else beside it, another bird? No, this one was too large and fluffy, and didn’t have wings, but it was following behind the bird. 

None of it mattered. Shenhe could hear the bandits only a few steps behind her, their longer legs letting them wade through the rice paddy faster than she could. Screaming in rage, Shenhe tried to press forward, to take one more step, to live for one more second.

There was a roar above her, and Shenhe looked up in time to see the giant crane dive down towards her. Her heart stopped for one impossible moment, as she wondered if the bird was going to kill her and Shuyu both, and spare them from their grisly fate. 

And then the bird impacted the ground between Shenhe and the bandits, knocking her into the muck as a spray of water and mud covered her and her pursuers. 

“What insolence is this!? Five men, to face two young children? Pah! One wonders how you have the courage to face such odds.”

Blinking, Shenhe managed to pull herself out of the muck. Who had spoken? It sounded like a woman’s voice, a rich lady’s voice. But there was just the crane, standing on one leg in the rice paddy, and the bandits, who had also been knocked down. Behind them, the village still burned, though dark clouds were gathering over the village now. That was strange. It had been a clear day for late Autumn. 

“What the fuck?” one of the bandits spat, getting to his feet, he and his gun now covered in mud. “What was that?”

“It was the fucking bird! Shoot her!” another gasped, and stood up, pointing his gun at the bird, and pulling the trigger. Shenhe flinched, but nothing happened. 

“What inferior craftsmanship. Perhaps if you had taken better care of your weaponry, it would serve you somewhat better,” the voice said again. 

Shenhe looked around in astonishment, but it was Shuyu beside her who gasped, “It’s the crane! It can talk, look!”

“That’s crazy,” Shehu muttered, staggering to her feet. But there seemed to be no other explanation. The crane was huge, bigger than any other bird Shenhe had ever seen by far. Now that it was closer, Shenhe spied a sparkling green gem on a golden necklace around the crane's neck. That was strange, but Shenhe was not taking any risks. 

“Get up, we have to run,” Shehu told Shuyu, trying to drag her cousin to her feet. 

“Young one. You appear injured. Stay. This one will treat your wounds, once this one has dealt with these mongrels,” the crane said. 

“Fuck it, it’s just a bird!” a bandit snarled and swung his muddy rifle like a club. 

“Hmph. Such impertinence!” the crane snorted, and its raised leg kicked out. There was a blast of wind, and the man cried out in pain as he was blasted back a dozen meters, before hitting a rock with a sickening crunch. He twitched a bit, but he didn’t rise. 

“FUCK! CAPE!” another bandit shouted, and all four of the remaining bandits rushed the crane. 

“Close your eyes, young ones,” the crane said gently. “One would not have you see what must come to pass.”

Shuyu whimpered and clutched at Shenhe, but neither girl closed her eyes. Both watched as the crane vanished, and a dark-haired woman in a flowing green gown took its place. She had no weapon save for the Vision that hung from her neck, but that was more than enough. With kicks of furious gales and punches that created vortexes, the crane woman effortlessly took apart the four men in a handful of seconds. She was economical in her movements, graceful and elegant, but she was not gentle. Her blows shattered bones and ruptured organs, and the men coughed blood or screamed in pain as they went down. 

Shenhe felt only a dull sense of relief at seeing their deaths. Perhaps there was some justice left in the world. 

With the men dead, the crane woman surveyed her handiwork, grimacing. “Such wanton violence. A waste. What need have we for more death and destruction…”

Sighing, the woman shook her head, then turned and smiled. She strode over to Shenhe and Shuyu, her movements swift and precise, like a crane wading through the water. Ignoring the fact that her gown was becoming stained with mud, she knelt down, offering both girls a hand. “Greetings, young mortals. I am… well, one supposes that one’s name is not quite pronounceable in the mortal tongue. Hmm. A most puzzling predicament. Hmm, the closest translation would be The Perfected Lord who Retains the Clouds by Borrowing the Wind.”

Shenhe just nodded dully, her mind completely overwhelmed. 

“Um, can we just call you Lord Cloud Retainer?” Shuyu asked. 

“Heavens no!” the crane woman said, pursing her lips. Had they offended her? Shenhe braced herself, but the woman continued, “One does not seek needless titles. You may simply call this one Cloud Retainer.”

“Yes, Cloud Retainer. Thank you for saving us,” Shenhe said, remaining crouched in the mud. 

Cloud Retainer gave her a sad smile, then stood and offered her hand again. “Please, stand. One imagines that both of you shall require some aid.”

“Yes, we-” Shenhe jumped as there was a roar, and looked back to the village. A torrential downpour was now covering the entire place, with flashes of purple lightning. Fear gripped Shenhe’s heart, and she clung to Shuyu, who wept as well. “The Japanese devils are here!” 

“No, that is simply Ganyu, dealing with the remaining bandits. She must have rescued any other survivors,” Cloud Retainer said, helping Shenhe and Shuyu to their feet. A few moments later, what looked like a white puffy cloud with horns flew down from the village and landed, before transforming into an adorable pudgy child of no more than five or six. 

“Mommy, there was nobody left but the bad men,” the little girl said with a sad shake of her head. She too wore a gown, though hers was black with purple lighting bolts worked into it. 

“Ah. I see.” Cloud Retainer turned to look at Shenhe and Shuyu, pain washing over her for a moment. Then she schooled it back to gentle sympathy. “It seems that your parents… your families…”

“They’re dead,” Shenhe said flatly. “We saw some of the bodies. The bandits killed everyone they didn’t rape. Then they killed them too. We barely escaped, my mother gave her life to buy us time.”

Little Ganyu started to cry, sitting down on the muddy bank of the rice paddy. “W-we were too late! W-we came as fast as we could, b-but we couldn’t-”

“Hush, child. It is well. Think not of the lives we did not save, but the ones we did,” Cloud Retainer said gently, patting Ganyu on the head. There were two dark horns poking up from the girl’s lilac hair, which was rather odd. 

Ganyu sniffled and nodded, but tears still leaked down her face. 

“Show your manners, Ganyu. Introduce yourself to the mortal children,” Cloud Retainer said gently, as if to distract the little girl.

Hiccuping, Ganyu looked up and managed a weak smile. “H-hello. I’m Ganyu. I’m a chillin. Um, I’m a quillan. Ah… I’m a thunder spirit.” 

“That is not quite right, a qilin is born they say to herald the arrival of a great sage,” Cloud Retainer said in a lecturing tone. “You simply happen to have an Electro Vision.”

“Are… are you Japanese?” Shenhe asked, feeling a pang of fear. If she had one of those purple Visions, like the Demon Queen Raiden herself…

“No, um, I think I’m Chinese. I was born here in the mountains, um… how long ago, mommy?” Ganyu asked curiously. 

“One is not certain. One found you in one’s nest after one’s… after… after there were no longer hatchlings to care for some time ago, but it was before one was able to reckon time as mortals do, for one was but a bird still,” Cloud Retainer said with a shrug. “Still, one received one’s own totem not long after, so one supposes your age is no more than a season or two.”

“Are you a sage?” Shuyu asked Cloud Retainer. 

The crane woman laughed. “One does not claim such lofty titles. One is but a lonely bird with an empty nest, whose mate and hatchlings… well. Who nests alone, now. One has a most comfortable abode no more than a day’s flight from here. Would you young mortals like to see it?”

Shenhe glanced back at the village, which had mostly disappeared under the rather localized thunderstorm. There was nothing but charred ruins there now. “Are there men with guns there?”

Cloud Retainer’s expression grew grim. “No, child. There are no men with guns there. Nor for a day’s flight in any direction. One has made most certain of this.”

“No bad guys,” Ganyu agreed with a firm nod.  

“Yes!” Shuyu said, trying to stand on wobbly legs. She cried out, her ankle giving way. 

“Ah! One forgot you are hurt,” Cloud Retainer said, scooping the muck-covered girl into her arms. “Here. Let one bind your wound and soothe it.” 

Cloud Retainer proceeded to rip strips of cloth from her own gown, then used it to bind Shuyu’s angle, before muttering something and passing her hand over it. Shuyu sighed as green winds seeped into the wound. “Thank you…”

“It is nothing,” Cloud Retainer said, but she looked rather satisfied. “Come, let us away. Ganyu, can you carry the smaller of the mortal children?”

“Uh huh,” Ganyu said, looking up from the flower she’d been eating. She swallowed the blossoms, which was rather odd to see, then stood up. A moment later, a large fluffy white cloud stood there, only now Shenhe could see the horns and hooves that marked it as a qilin. 

“Climb on,” Cloud Retainer instructed, helping Shuyu aboard.

“So fluffy!” Shuyu giggled, and hugged Ganyu’s neck.

“Come, child. I shall bear you.” 

Shenhe turned to see the giant crane again, sitting on the ground. Reluctantly, Shenhe clambered aboard the bird’s back, wrapping her arms gingerly around the thin neck. 

“Let us return to our nest,” Cloud Retainer said, then with a burst of wind, lept up into the sky. Ganyu and Shuyu followed them, and for a few minutes, Shenhe forgot her fear, grief, and pain, and was a young girl again, laughing and shouting for joy as they soared through the skies. She’d never been flying before, had never even ridden in a car. To see the world pass below them was sheer joy as they flew over the mountaintops and away from the village.

After the initial euphoria wore off, Shenhe found her eyes becoming heavy and yawns stretching her jaw. 

“Rest now, child. One will not let you fall,” Cloud Retainer said. “Oh! Where are one’s manners?”

“Huh?” Shenhe asked sleepily, her head falling onto the downy feathers of Cloud Retainer's back.

“What is your name, young one?”

“Shenhe.”

“Shenhe. It is a good name. Sleep now, child. You are safe now.”

Even if she hadn’t been safe, Shenhe didn’t think she could have stayed away if she’d wanted to. She drifted off to sleep as she soared through the heavens, free and safe at last.