After the Convergence, Addison is left with the weight of his own guilt on his shoulders. Feeling responsible for the massive amount of death and destruction brought about by the Inner Gods, he flees from the Northwest Safe Haven to the one in Xishu...
Addison's hand slammed onto the rain-soaked rock as he hauled himself to the top of the hill.
It was pouring buckets—common in the rainforest. With the rain came a cold that chilled Addison to the bone. Having grown up in the Northwest Territories, he was used to that—but what he was not used to was the poison coursing through his bloodstream. Nor the starvation that racked his stomach, nor the soreness that caused his muscles to scream.
Addison's vision blurred as he crawled forward. His dry, swollen mouth opened and closed like that of a dying fish, but no sound came out. He had no idea where he was, and there was no one around the help him.
He knew with dreadful certainty: if he was left like this any longer, he would die alone on this hill.
In desperation, Addison raised his hand and sent a weak burst of fire into the sky. Then his hand fell, his face fell, and his body fell still. He lay on the grass, his heartbeat slowing, his life ebbing away.
The last thing that went through his mind was a pitiful thought—one he'd heard echoing inside of his head for months on end.
I'm sorry.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The Xishuangbanna Safe Haven was quiet, the districts having finished their day. Those who remained on the streets hailed their faithful Xirxine patrolmen and –women with enthusiastic greetings—then lifted their heads as two shapes flew through the air. The onlookers pointed and smiled, calling out to their Protectors.
Yun Tián and Shui Xiao Lang (the Avatar of Ziz and Nengyuan and her Worthy, respectively) soared over the Dìqiú District, wings spread wide. "Another quiet night," Xiao Lang stated, flashing a grin at Tián. "Satisfied?"
"Not yet," Tián answered, narrowing her eyes as she scanned the ground below. "We still have to check the outskirts."
"Who'd be causing trouble on the outskirts at this hour?" Xiao Lang asked jokingly. "Admit it, Tián—you just wanna make sure no one's messing with your precious bamboo shack."
"And so what if I do?" Tián retorted defensively. "I've spent the last two years making sure it's perfect. I'd hate for someone to ruin it now." She jerked her head toward where the barrier's edge used to be and said, "Come on. Let's go."
The Protectors dove, picking up speed as they careened toward the Safe Haven's border. Just before reaching the ground, they slowed up and skimmed over the grassy turf, rising back into the sky moments later.
"Ah, that never gets old!" Xiao Lang cheered. "I could do that all day. Now can we go home, please? I'm cold, I'm wet, I'm tired, and I'm hungry."
Tián rolled her eyes. "You're always hungry."
"Yes, and you're never hungry," Xiao Lang shot back. "Aren't pandas supposed to sit around eating bamboo all day? Instead, you just use it to build houses. Sometimes I wonder if you're even a real panda."
