Dominator Stellae

8 | Osmanthus Wine

4,099 years ago

Where the hell had that girl gone? I had checked beneath every surface possible on Mt. Aocang. I'd even gone under water and yet there was still no sign of Lei-Li. Worry wormed its way into my heart as I frantically called out her name. Today, my older sister, Delta, God of Time and History, was supposed to be visiting the mountain today to see Lei-Li. It's been a year since we found Lei-Li and, from what we could gleam, she seemed to be around three or four when we found her. Delta had met and played with her a few times while Morax and Guizhong were busy, giving me a knowing smile every time we met.

"What the hell are you screeching about now?" huffed Morax, walking out of Retainer's abode...Lei-Li in his arms. Inevitably, a flush settled on my face. I'd completely forgotten he liked to hold her a lot. He was softer than he gave himself credit for. That being said, he does refrain from violence around Lei-Li, for the most part so that was good.

I sighed and held out my hands for him to give me Lei-Li. "I couldn't find her so I got worried," I explained. He begrudgingly handed her to me, her tiny hands already reaching for my hair. Luckily, I'd prepared by giving myself a small bun. "My sister's coming over again today, try not to threaten her." He made a face at me.

"Your sister's kind of-"

"You're on thin ice, Lǎo rén."

He paused for a moment. "...Lǎo rén? You are literally older than me."

Lei-Li giggled, seemingly amused by our conversation. While that was true, I was still going to deny it. "What would you prefer then?"

"Xiang Gong."

"We both know you're too broke to even afford an apple, much less a wedding." I raised an eyebrow at him. How bold of him, I guess. It was totally unexpected though, nicknames like that were only reserved for a person's husband. I smirked when his eyes sharpened into a glare. He had no monetary sense despite being the one who mints mora. Can't believe he named it after himself too. How narcissistic of him. Morax couldn't deny how quickly he spent his own mora though.

He scowled at me, "You should be glad you're holding Lei-Li right now." Yeah, I definitely was glad. I did not need a headache to go with my current stomach ache. I really need to stop forgetting to eat breakfast.

I bat my eyelashes at him, feigning a pout. "Is that any way to treat your spouse?"

"You can suck my-"

Guizhong walked out of Retainer's abode, a frown on her face. We stopped bickering to look at her in confusion. For as long as I'd known her (which was nearing nine hundred and one years), I couldn't recall a time where I'd ever seen her frown. She always had a smile on her face. It was one that could soothe nearly anything and it never failed to make me smile or keep Morax from completely going feral. I gently put Lei-Li down so she could play with her stuffed dolls.

She's squealing happily again, practically strangling the stuffed rabbit with her hug. Morax was quick to demand what was wrong when she sat down in her seat. She didn't respond for a moment, putting her chin in her hand. "Marchosias and I are presently having trouble with a god that calls themself the "God of Night". They've continually stolen food and supplies from us since we established ourselves in Lisha," she explained. "Even the ballista does not seem to deter them."

Rather bold of them to mess with someone well acquainted with Morax of all gods. I can already see the havoc he's about to cause as that one vein that never gets to rest pops out on his neck. "I'll deal with them," he said, a bloodthirsty grin settled on his face. I snorted and sat on the ground beside Lei-Li to keep her occupied. Guizhong better hope he doesn't destroy something important in the process.