Deific Embrace (story preview) (Patreon)

Got my first preview here for an upcoming Shenhe (Genshin Impact) TG story. Enjoy.

High upon the towering hills and peaks of a land called Liyue, sat an abundance of shrines and temples seemingly frozen in time. So far removed from the outside world and being difficult to traverse kept untouched by the common tourists and rabble that would have otherwise flocked to see their serene beauty. They were a perfect picture of a bygone era, kept alive by the few who still tended to them. Every aspect of these locations was kept as pristine as they could manage, replacing artifacts a regular occurrence every few decades. One such artifact, a couple of binding ropes meant for dulling the cursed, violent energy said to be sealed within a blessed stone, was due for replacement, a new one having been made and shipped to the shrine.

“Is this the package young one?” the elder shrine attendant asked. He approached a younger groundskeeper shuffling through a box.

“I-I… don’t understand! This was supposed to have been mailed from one of the head temples. How did it get mixed up?”

“Wait, are you saying--?” the elder asked, cutting off his own words as he felt the truth of the situation sink in.

“I’m sorry. It looks like there has been a mix up. The binding rope isn’t here.”

The two looked down despondently at their feet, wondering where their precious length of rope could have ended up. Unfortunately for them, it was continents away to the west, on the stoop of a building nestled within a concrete jungle. It now belonged to a man named Sean.

Upon arriving home from work, Sean brought in the mixed up package, assuming it was his resistance cord he had ordered. He had become a bit of a workout nut the past few months. He wasn’t out of shape or anything, but as he got older he became more conscience about his appearance and figured why not try to look his best and stay healthy. It turned out he really enjoyed the grind. He was starting off slow though, with minor weights and cardio at home. This cord was just another tool he hoped to have at his disposal. Opening the box however, he was confused at the sight of two thick, red ropes, one large and one small.

He puzzled over them as he ran the length of the longer one out of the box. It was no cheap cord that was for sure, the yarns twisted together expertly and with no slack. It was definitely made with great care, hand made he figured, and must have only recently been finished given the fresh smell.

“I wonder if this is also some kind of workout rope? Though, I thought gym ropes were usually longer and heavier and meant for whipping around. This one at least looks to be the size of a tension cord.”

Sean wasn’t an expert on these things, yet despite the obvious mix up, he figured he had still received some sort of exercise equipment. Putting on a fitness top and shorts, he decided to test out the longer rope.

Taking a squatting stance, Sean wrapped the rope around his upper backside, and pulled forward on each end with both hands, pulling towards his front. He held it as long as he could, released tension, then repeated. After a handful of reps he was already feeling short of breathe, which was to be expected.That said, an odd sensation began to swell within him once he reached what he thought was his limit. He felt a second wind come on, and was straining less with each further rep until his body found itself in an effortless rhythm.

Sean couldn’t believe it, his arms feeling steady and his teeth no longer gritting. He arms felt stronger than ever and while there were no visible peaks upon them, he could feel the firm pressure with each flex bringing an outpouring of hidden strength.

The man chuckled before pondering to himself if this was really his own power. Hell, as far he could tell his arms looked thinner than they had in recent days. He wondered if he had slimmed down some this week. But if that was the case, then where was this fountain of strength coming from? There was no stopping it, each tug on the rope pulling the rope harder against his back. Though even that became trivial for him, his backside flexing into a stone wall that would not give.

For as excited as Sean initially was, he could feel himself coming back down, but not in the way he expected. The exercise was simple, and he wasn’t growing tired. No, what was running out of steam was his elation. His mind which had been racing moments before was pummeling towards a hazy state of calm. He felt emotionally numb, though still forcing a mild smirk while finishing with his set. It was time to shift focus to the legs.

Once the rope went slack from his body and he repositioned, he felt joyfulness sputter to life once more within him. Whatever stoicism that had washed over him lifted, and his pride swelled alongside his confidence. He was making actual progress!

Distracted by his accomplishment, Sean was unaware of what had truly befallen his body moments prior. The long sleeves of his workout attire shielded him from the results of his mingling with the holy artifact. Both his arms had slimmed considerably into the limbs of a toned woman. His hands had changed as well, each finger no longer rugged but delicate, with sensual skin that glided smoothly across the rope’s threading. Even with both hands raised in front of him he paid no notice, solely focused on the next step in his workout.

Sean positioned the rope beneath one of his feet and took a slight, backward stance. His goal was to pull up on the rope while pressing forward with a lifted leg, alternating between legs every few reps. Just like before, the routine became more facile with each passing moment, only this time it was his legs growing stronger. And just like before, his state of mind settled into a cold calm. He wasn’t sure why he felt this way, but it certainly made the nuances of the workout easy to focus on.

“This is… surprisingly easy.” he said, voice monotone and indicating no signs of strain. His body wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

Closing his eyes, he fell into a rhythm, rep after rep bringing pleasant pulsations to his legs and feet as they siphoned away extra mass accumulated over the years from his unhealthy lifestyle. He could actually feel the strength build with each motion this time, the muscles rising and firmly flexing and then exhaling, leaving less girth behind than was there before. Both legs were simultaneously gaining strength while shaping down. All the aches and pains in his joints faded, and the man felt invigorated, even if his expression didn’t show it.

Sean let go of the rope, ending that stage of his workout. The moment it hit the ground his true emotions returned to him through a bewildered smile. He felt so spry now, each leg so light and flexible. There was literal pep to his step now as he pranced around the room. He had forgotten how it felt possessing ample vigor. Immediately he picked the rope back up and wrapped it around his backside, pulling the ends of the rope forward with each hand towards his front. It was time for the next set.

As had happened before, Sean’s emotions were numbed and he quickly situated himself into an effortless routine. This time he used his back as a resisting force, using it to hold the rope in place, so that holding the rope forward would be more strenuous. He also crunched his abs inward and put equal force into pushing back against the rope. This way, it felt like a full workout for his upper body, abs, chest, and all.

He held in his position for several minutes, all the while his stomach fat caving into his crunched belly, as if it were being devoured. All the flab within his pectorals, the pudgy hills hung from his sides, it all was drawn into the center of his gut where the burn of the workout was most prominent. By the time he started feeling weak in the arms, it was all gone, leaving behind a lean, androgynous torso. Though it also felt as if his back was about to buckle, giving way to not only the pull of his arms, but something more internal. He could feel his bones jitter, his spine in particular rattling something fierce. Something was clearly wrong, yet he knew in his heart that he had to see this through, to finish this workout.

“Almost… done… Almost… GAAAH!”

A loud snap rang out and Sean’s spine whipped forward in the middle. The rope dropped to the floor along with the man. On his hands and knees he wheezed and groaned, as if the aftermath of all the workouts he had done had finally caught up to him. It was a satisfying exhaustion, but one that left his body feeling out of sorts. Rising to his feet, he gave the his body a proper examination.

It was then he was struck with the results. He saw his smaller hands and wriggled his slender feet. He ran a hand down the dip in the middle of his back. He felt his limber arms and legs and rubbed his flattened tummy. He was not only thin, but graceful in both his looks and movements. He was uneasy over how borderline feminine he looked, but he did feel stronger. Flexing his muscles didn’t show much, but he sensed a gratuitous power hiding beneath his supple body.