Shifting the blame
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The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows through the emerald of the forest where the Qiong Qi called home. A sense of unease lingered in the air, clinging to the leaves like the morning mist that refused to lift.
Y/N and Zhen had retreated to a secluded glade deep within the forest, a hidden space where they could train away from prying eyes. The area was vibrant with wildflowers, their colors a sharp contrast against the verdant greens. Here, they could unleash their powers without fear of being spotted. At least, that's what they hoped.
“Okay, Y/N, let’s go through it one more time,” Zhen instructed, his voice steady but warm. He stood before her, wings spread wide, the sun glinting off the glossy feathers, giving him an ethereal quality. “Focus on your breath. You want to feel the fire within you, but you also need to control it.”
Y/N nodded, her heart racing with anticipation. They had been practicing for weeks, and every session brought her closer to mastering her abilities. She took a deep breath, letting the crisp air fill her lungs as she concentrated on the warmth gathering in her chest, coaxing it to the surface.
As she exhaled, a flicker of flame danced along her fingertips, illuminating the glade in a soft glow. Zhen watched intently, a proud smile on his face. “Good! Now add the anemo. Feel the winds around you and use them to guide the fire.”
With renewed determination, Y/N summoned the breeze, feeling it swirl around her. The flames flickered and roared to life, twisting in the wind, a fiery ribbon of light. She felt a surge of triumph as she managed to control the elements, the two forces swirling together in perfect harmony around her wings.
"I'm- I'm doing it!"
Zhen stepped back, observing her with admiration. “You’re getting better every day, Y/N. Soon you’ll be able to defend yourself against anything.” He paused, his expression turning serious. “But we have to be careful. The tension with the humans is worse than ever.”
Y/N's triumphant smile faded. “..Do you really think they would hurt us?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“They’re scared,” Zhen replied, his wings folding back as he stepped closer. “And fear makes people do terrible things. We've said this about a hundred times, haven't we?"
Y/N sighed. "Not just scared. At this point, they hate us." She crossed her arms. Zhen wrapped a wing around her as an act of comfort.
The warmth of the moment was abruptly shattered by the distant sounds of chaos filtering through the forest, a rising tide of fear and anger that seemed to swell from the nearby villagers. Y/N’s heart sank as she recognized the voices of villagers raised in panic. Weren't they supposed to be alone here?
“We need to listen,” Zhen said, suddenly serious. They stepped out from their secluded spot, drawn toward the sounds. Y/N’s heart raced as they moved through the trees, her keen senses picking up snippets of conversation carried on by the wind.
“What if they’re planning to attack?” one voice exclaimed, quaking with fear.
“They could summon a disaster if we don’t do something!” another added, sharper, tinged with anger.
Y/N’s stomach twisted. The Qiong Qi had always been seen as mystical protectors, but now their abilities, their fire, their flight, were being painted as weapons. It was unsettling to hear the villagers talk, her heart aching for the peace that had once existed.
“We must hold a council at the harbor,” a deeper voice asserted. “These creatures are a threat, and we cannot let fear govern our actions. We need to neutralize the danger they pose.”
Y/N and Zhen exchanged worried glances, the implications of the villagers’ words sinking in like a stone in water. It was one thing for the elders to debate their fate, but it was another to hear the calls for action echoed in the village.
“We need to get back,” Zhen said, urgency in his voice. “The elders will want to discuss this.”
As they retreated into the heart of the forest, the air was thick with foreboding. Y/N could feel the pulse of fear coursing through the very ground beneath her feet, the ancient trees seeming to whisper warnings in the rustling leaves.
Back at their gathering place, the elders were already in heated debate.
“Fleeing is not the answer,” an elder argued, his voice steady. “We have lived here for centuries. This is our home.”
“But if we don’t act now, they will come for us!” another elder countered, her voice rising in desperation. “What if we relocate deeper into the wilderness? We can find safety away from the eyes of the humans.”
“We cannot abandon our home,” Zhen interjected, stepping forward, the passion in his eyes mirroring the flicker of flames that lingered in his fingertips. “If we run, we will only look weak in their eyes. We must stand our ground.”
Y/N listened, her heart torn between the two sides. She felt the weight of her kind’s legacy pressing down on her. They were warriors of the wind and fire, tied to the very essence of Liyue. But what good was bravery when faced with misunderstanding and hatred?
The debate continued late into the night, but in the shadows, Y/N sensed a fracture forming within their community. Some of the younger Qiong Qi, emboldened by their frustration and anger, began to voice their desires for retaliation against the humans, echoing Zhen’s sentiments of resistance. Others, however, were paralyzed by fear, their voices shaky as they called for flight.
As dawn broke, the tension reached a boiling point. Y/N, feeling the weight of uncertainty in her chest, took Zhen aside. “What if we’re wrong?” she asked, her voice trembling. “What if they really do come for us?”
“Then we’ll be ready,” Zhen replied, his expression fierce. “We’re stronger than they think. But we can’t lose faith in our home, Y/N. If we give in now, we might lose everything.”
As the sun set, the orange hues of the sky reflected the turmoil brewing below. The Qiong Qi community remained divided.
That night, under the cover of darkness, a small group of Liyuan citizens ventured into Qiong Qi territory, driven by stupid curiosity. They moved cautiously, whispering to one another about the 'dangers' that lurked in the shadows. Their footsteps rustled the leaves, and Y/N, perched in a tree nearby, watched in horror as they crossed the boundary into sacred ground.
Suddenly, a large bird flapped its wings, startled from its roost by the humans’ presence. In the dim light, the silhouette of the creature appeared monstrous, its wings outstretched in a display that resembled a Qiong Qi warrior.
The group gasped, their imaginations twisted by fear. “It’s one of them!” a voice shouted, and in an instant, panic erupted.
Without thinking, they launched stones and sticks at the creature, believing they were defending themselves from a threat. The bird screeched and took flight, narrowly avoiding the hail of projectiles, but not before one of the villagers struck a nearby branch, igniting the dry wood with a spark. The rocks of their grounds were like flint, which these people did not know.
Flames licked at the forest, spreading rapidly, consuming everything in their path. Yet again, but closer to their home.
“No! No!” Y/N cried out, jumping from her perch as she raced toward the flames. She could feel the heat from the fire licking at her wings, but she pushed forward, her instincts screaming for her to help. Zhen was immediately right behind her, his eyes wide with disbelief as they reached the edge of the inferno.
A few other Qiong Qi rushed to join them, attempting to douse the flames caused by the cowardly humans that ran off, with blasts of water conjured from the rivers, but the fire spread too quickly. The heat was overwhelming, the crackling of the flames drowning out their voices.
“Get back! We have to save the grove!” Zhen yelled, but as they fought the fire, Y/N could see the flames devouring their sacred trees, the loss felt like a wound to her very soul.
The younger Qiong Qi, witnessing their heritage burn, let out roars of anger and despair, the cries echoing through the night.
“Stop! You’ll make it worse!” Y/N shouted, but her words were lost amid the chaos. The flames were relentless, a wildfire that consumed everything in its wake.
Y/N felt her heart breaking as she watched their sacred grove, their history, their culture, their home, being devoured by flames. The beauty of their past was slipping away, and with it, the hope for a peaceful future.
The air was thick with smoke, acrid and choking, swirling around her like a sinister shroud. It wrapped around her, whispering terrible truths as she watched the flames lick hungrily at the ancient trees that had stood tall for generations.
These were not merely trees; they were the guardians of her people, their gnarled roots intertwined with the very essence of Qiong Qi culture. Each trunk, a testament to the years of history, the stories of ancestors who had roamed these woods, their laughter echoing in the rustling leaves. She could almost hear their voices in the crackling of the fire, a ghostly reminder of the warmth and joy that had once filled this sacred grove years and years back.
As the fire raged, it painted the night sky with hues of orange and red, illuminating the darkness with a hellish glow. The flames twisted and danced like fiery specters, consuming everything.
And Y/N could do nothing but stand there and watch it happen.
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As the embers flickered in the dying light of the sacred grove, a group of liyuan citizens stumbled away from the scene of destruction, their faces pale and eyes wide with panic. The air was thick with smoke, and the acrid scent of burning wood clung to their clothes like a shroud.
“Quick! We need to get back to Liyue Harbor!” one of them urged, his voice tinged with urgency. “They’ll believe us if we tell them it was caused by those beasts!”
Breathless and shaken, they hurried down the familiar path that wound through the forest, the sounds of the crackling fire fading behind them. Guilt gnawed at the edges of their minds, but fear twisted their thoughts into a desperate plea for self-preservation.
When they reached the edge of Liyue Harbor, the vibrant marketplace stood in stark contrast to the smoldering destruction they had left behind. The lanterns hung brightly, illuminating the faces of traders and townsfolk bustling about, unaware of the horror that had just transpired. The group’s arrival caused a ripple of curiosity, and their haggard appearance drew attention.
“Where have you been?” a merchant asked, eyeing their soot-streaked faces. “What happened?”
“There’s no time to explain!” one of them shouted, gasping for breath. “The Qiong Qi- they’re attacking us! We barely escaped with our lives!”
A crowd began to gather, their expressions shifting from curiosity to alarm. Whispers rippled through the onlookers, a chorus of fear that echoed the group’s panic. They were quick to spread the rumors, eyes wide and voices trembling.
“They’re monsters!” another person of the group exclaimed. “They can summon fire and fly! We thought we were safe, but they came for us! They set our homes ablaze!”
“Why didn’t you fight back?” someone in the crowd questioned, skepticism creeping into their tone. “Surely, you could have defended yourselves.”
“We tried! We tried!” the first person insisted, his voice rising in pitch. “But they overwhelmed us! We barely got away. They were relentless, attacking from the shadows, their flames everywhere!”
The Liyuan guards, alerted by the commotion, quickly approached. Clad in their armor, they stood tall and imposing, their presence demanding respect and attention.
“What’s going on here?” one asked, his gaze sharp and assessing. He could sense the fear radiating from the crowd and the tension hanging in the air.
“They’re lying!” a voice emerged from the crowd, an old woman who had lived in Liyue her entire life. “These illuminated beasts have lived in peace with us for centuries, why would they just attack you? They wouldn't burn down their own home!"
The guards exchanged glances, brows furrowing in thought. “What did you see?” one demanded, turning his attention back to the group that fleed. “Tell me everything.”
“We were just minding our business, gathering herbs near the edge of the forest,” one of them recounted, his voice shaking as he recited their fabricated tale. “And suddenly, they appeared! The Qiong Qi were attacking us without provocation. We barely escaped with our lives as they raged like demons!”
“They set fire to the forest!” another added, clutching his head as if trying to fend off the memories. “They came out of nowhere, their flames consuming everything. We didn’t even have a chance to defend ourselves! We ran, fearing for our lives!”
With each word, they wove their narrative tighter, their fear transmuting into an unshakeable conviction that shielded them from the truth of their actions. The people listened intently, captivated by the drama unfolding before them, while the guards furrowed their brows, concern etched on their faces.
“Enough!” a gaurd barked, silencing the chatter. “You will come with us. We need to assess the situation. If these beasts truly attacked, we must take action.”
The group nodded fervently, relief flooding through them as they felt the weight of responsibility shift away from their shoulders. They had successfully redirected the blame onto the Qiong Qi, a scapegoat for their own reckless actions.
As the guards led the frightened group toward the center of Liyue Harbor, a sense of dread began to settle. Soon, this would blossom into something darker.
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Word count: 2337