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“Oceanid: A life-form created from condensed Hydro elements of incredible purity.

Often attached to bodies of water. It is said that as water bodies becomes purer, the Hydro elements within grow more abundant, causing the Oceanids to grow more powerful.

It is also said by some that Oceanids were once sea creatures from a home far away who carried the fragments of a long-dead god to the many corners of this world. Perhaps they did this so that the love their god held for this world could be spread through the waters to all the land…”

﹘ Adventurer Handbook

Before Teyvat lived the era of archons, it was the age of gods and monsters. Before he was an archon or a warrior, Rex Lapis was a dragon.

To the young dragon lord Morax, it is simply the age of his mountains.

There’s little conflict in his realm beyond the ebb and flow of life, the people walking hand in hand with nature, the strong guiding the weak. For the world beyond his mountains, he has no desire to cross over it. 

His people worship him and leave him offerings, but rarely seek him out. If they make requests of him, he does not hear them.

He does not wish for intimacy or companionship. It’s comfortable.

He does not expect it to change. 

---

The man sitting atop his tallest peak has a bright head of hair like fire. His eyes are closed, and he seems to be enjoying himself, breathing in the morning air. It’s not the first time a human has approached his residence, but it’s the first time one has gone so high up. He doesn’t feel like an enemy, so Morax flies over and winds his long body up along the mountain until his head rises to be level with the platform.

“Hello,” the man says upon opening his eyes. If Morax’s appearance shocks him, it doesn’t show. “So, the stories are true.”

When the man stands up and extends an arm, his hand is barely larger than a single scale on the dragon’s neck. Morax slowly blinks his eyes at him before leaning a little closer. 

The expression on the man’s face is warm, with no small degree of awe, but what strikes Morax the most is the heated energy behind his gaze. He’d like to consume it.

At the dragon’s silence, the man continues. “My name is Ajax,” he says. “I heard tales of a land guarded by a mighty mountain dragon, so I came here to see for myself.”

“Ajax,” Morax repeats, rumbling the name through his throat and breathing the syllables over his tongue.

The man, Ajax, finally jolts a little at this. He seems a touch sheepish when he says, “Hi, that’s me. You’re bigger than I expected.”

Morax raises an eyebrow. 

“The locals said that you grant wishes. I didn’t come here to have a wish granted, but is it true?”

Morax considers this for a second. “Say it was true. What would you do?”

Ajax grins, face blooming with mirth. “I’d ask you to fight me.”

The dragon cocked his head. “Have you committed some offense you seek punishment for?”

Ajax laughs. “No! Well, probably not. But I’ve never fought a dragon before, and I’d like to see how I’d fare.” He conjures twin blades made of what seem to be water energy, before sliding them together to create a polearm. “So, Dragon Lord Morax, will you indulge me?”

He’s not sure what it is that compels him to comply to such an outlandish request﹘this mortal has brought no offerings, and no explanations. But he uncoils his body from around the mountain and rises into the air, eyes locked on the fiery-haired man who wields water like an extension of himself. 

“Come, then.”

It’s not a long fight at all, and Morax is a little confused what the point of all of this was, but he sees Ajax’s satisfied expression in his mind long after the man thanks him and takes his leave.

---

The next morning, Ajax is back again, up high on the same mountain and looking slightly worse for wear but no less enthusiastic. 

“Morax!” he calls into the direction opposite of where Morax is laying. “Come out and fight me!”

When he hears the dragon land behind him, he looks delighted when he turns around.

“You again,” is all Morax says.

“Happy to see me? You look happy.” Ajax grins with all teeth. “It seems like it would get lonely up here.”

Surely the human has not spent nearly enough time around him to be able to read his moods. “It is not.”

But when Ajax creates a bow out of water this time, Morax still obliges him in the fight he seeks even though it’s rather akin to a heron playing with a fish. Soundly defeated a second time but apparently happy about it, Ajax tells him “see you tomorrow” and descends the mountain with a smile on his face.

Morax finds himself looking forward to it.

Maybe he is lonely.

---

For weeks, Ajax continues to show up on the peak and Morax continues to allow himself to be challenged. Every day, he tries a different weapon or fighting style. Morax wonders how one human can have so much energy.

Today, he rises early and watches Ajax approach the foot of the mountain they’ve been frequenting, and decides to ask him something that’s been on his mind for some time. He lets his form shift smaller, so that he can walk between the bamboo trees without snapping them underfoot. 

He’s pleased to be at eye level with the man when he glides down from the other cliff to meet him. Up close, it’s even easier to observe the bright blue color of his eyes, which widen when Ajax sees him.

Morax speaks first, because he’s curious. “Why do you waste your energy climbing this mountain every day before challenging me?”

Ajax looks confused. “I thought you...lived there?”

“No.” What a strange thought. The entire mountain range is his home.

“Oh.”

“Did you think I would only appear for you at the highest peak in my land?”

“Uhm.” Ajax laughs and runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I guess I did. So…”

Morax shakes his head, gently but firmly bumping his head against Ajax’s legs. The man almost topples over. “You’re exhausted,” he says, observed the slight quake as Ajax stands. “You should rest.”

“Are you trying to get out of our daily fight?” Ajax replies in jest even as he goes to sit on a rock, wincing almost imperceptibly when he bends. “That worried I’ll beat you this time?”

Morax rolls his eyes. “I never agreed to accept a fight from you every day.”

“Ah. I suppose you’re right.”

“Your techniques have improved, but you’re still far short of defeating me,” Morax adds.

Ajax groans. “Oh, come on. Am I at least closer than anyone’s gotten before?”

Morax thinks about it. “No, I have fought other minor gods in the past.”

The man seems a little miffed, but his expression lights with interest. “What kind of gods? What happened to them?”

“A tiger god from the east who wanted my land, and a god of sand from the west who dried my peoples’ crops with drought. As for what happened to them…” Morax levels him with a smile. “I killed them.”

“So that’s why the locals call you a protector!” Ajax looks beyond excited, and if his body wasn’t so drained Morax thinks he’d be drawing his blades now. “To think, such a fearsome god has been sparring every day with a normal human like me.”

Morax huffs. “I would hardly call you a normal human.”

“Oh? Do you find me special?” It sounds teasing. When Morax doesn’t answer, he closes his eyes and leans back. “I’ll defeat you one day,” he says confidently.

For whatever reason, the declaration doesn’t offend him. “Is that so?”

Ajax grins back at him. “Yeah, so keep me around until then.”

Morax finds himself smiling back and standing taller, deepening his voice to look and sound imposing. “I should strike you down where you sit for your blasphemy, impudent mortal.”

The man has the audacity to not look the least bit threatened. “So, why haven’t you?”

Morax gracefully leans down again. “Apparently, I enjoy your company.”

“Oh.” Ajax looks pleased, and his eyes soften. “I’m glad.”

Ajax doesn’t try to bring up fighting him again, and the two end up sitting together in the bamboo grove that day doing nothing but talking to each other. A few more questions are asked about Morax’s past victories﹘Morax has never necessarily thought of them as such, but the way Ajax’s eyes shine as he describes them makes pride swell in his chest.

When Morax settles on the ground and curls up by the rock, Ajax slides off and leans against him. He tells the dragon about his late family, and how the people of his hometown up north were scattered when the harbor was wrecked by deep sea god expanding its territory. There’s sadness in his eyes when he speaks of his family, but none when he describes the horned, whale-like sea god.

He tells Morax that, although he was unable to confront the god that terrorized his town at the time, he will gain power and devour it one day.

It should be a laughable notion, but Morax only thinks that he would like to be there when it happens.

---

Weeks together turn into months. Instead of spending every meeting sparring, some days Ajax waits at the foot of the mountain and they simply enjoy each other’s company and talk. Other days, Ajax shows Morax sights and scenes he finds interesting in the dragon’s own realm. Most times, they’re sights that Morax has already seen. But to Ajax, they are all new, exciting things worthy of being shown, and Morax finds himself experiencing his lands in a different light, with more vibrant colors. 

The first time Ajax had seen a waterfall, he had marveled at the flowing water for so long that Morax started to feel a little affronted by how intently he stared at it, not looking back at the dragon even once for what felt like an age. Today, he leads Morax back to the same waterfall.

“I have something I want to show you,” he says as he turns toward the fields covered in gold and orange flowers, their warm hues reflected in the sunset and his hair. He presses a hand to Morax’s forearm, and the dragon follows him slowly, taking care not to ruin the flower beds.

When they reach the waterfall, Ajax beckons him forward with a secretive smile. 

“Past here,” he gestures, and slips behind the cascade.

Morax, unable to get past the falling water without getting wet, gives him a look that says “this better be worth it” when he emerges on the other side with his mane completely drenched. Ajax looks like he wants to comment, but whatever he has back here seems to win out over the urge.

He grins and motions for Morax to come closer. There’s a faint, calming, blue glow, and when Morax drags his body up to him he can see a small pool of water behind a rock. Ajax creates a small splash of hydro energy in his palm and gently pushes it towards the water.

Morax watches, transfixed, as an aqueous blue form the size of Ajax’s fist rises up from the pond and starts to swirl with the creation. Slowly, two others liquid forms emerge and begin to flicker in splashes in front of them.

“Young hydro spirits,” Ajax says after a moment of watching. “Hydro elementals are delicate, and they’re easily affected by the elements around them. They’re very susceptible to any outside energies.” He holds his hand out, and the hydro spirits flutter around his fingers. “I’ve been taking care of them lately.”

Morax shifts his gaze from the spirits to the man before him. There’s a gentle expression on his face that Morax doesn’t recognize. I want him to look at me like that, is his first reaction. 

Ajax laughs quietly. “It’s almost like they’re my children!” he continues, and Morax shakes his head to banish both the thought and the water dripping from his mane. Nevermind.

Slowly, the dragon places his front claws on the cave wall in front of them. Ajax looks at him questioningly, but Morax closes his eyes and begins to channel energy into the stone. A faint rumbling is heard, and then the sound of rushing water. He feels wind against his face when he opens his eyes again. 

The cave has opened up to a scintillating, lush area surrounded by high rock and flowing water on all sides. Light from the setting sun dances across high waterfalls, and the air glistens with crystalflies hovering over a tranquil lake created by the streams. Morax then turns to look back at Ajax, who is staring at the scene with his mouth agape. The hydro spirits in his hands chitter excitedly and jump into the water below.

Morax reaches over to lightly push Ajax’s mouth closed, and at the moment of contact Ajax startles and turns toward him, stunned. 

The dragon suddenly finds himself at a loss of words with which to explain his actions.

He gestures uselessly at the small paradise he just formed from the earth on a whim. “A bigger home for the children?” he offers.

There’s nothing like the rush of happiness he feels when Ajax gives him the biggest grin he’s ever seen, and flings his arms around his neck to hug him. “Thank you,” he says muffled into the fur behind his ear. “You’re amazing.”

Morax has been worshipped by his people for centuries, but it’s the first time praise has ever made him feel…feel—

Ajax draws back and places a kiss along the edge of Morax’s mouth. The tension drains out of Morax’s body all at once, and he drops his head to rest on the man’s steady shoulder. “You are so, so incredible,” Ajax says again. “Thank you, Morax.”

---

They lay beside each other that night in the warm breeze. The moonlight illuminates Ajax’s face and Morax feels inexplicable yearning as he curls his long body around him and tucks his nose against the crook of Ajax’s neck. How is it that one can still feel a desire to be closer despite being pressed together like this, he wonders.

Ajax’s body is warm, and Morax closes his eyes and breathes deeply against him. He feels a hand reach over to run against the scales on his forehead, before the fingers run through the fur of his mane. The dragon rumbles pleasantly as Ajax begins to scratch lightly under his jaw. 

“You’re very obliging tonight,” Ajax observes.

Morax huffs against his neck. “Perhaps you’ve tired me out.”

He can feel the way Ajax’s body shakes as he laughs, and resists the urge to curl around him tighter, to be in tune to nothing else but this man’s movements. “As much as I’d like that, I find it hard to believe,” Ajax says. “But, thank you for indulging me.” 

Morax shifts against him, breath heavy. “I feel as though I am the one taking indulgences.”

“Mm, this?” The fingers in his mane stop, and he resists demanding that they continue. “Morax, I’d let you indulge in me far more than this if you wanted it.”

The dragon finally lifts his head so he can look at Ajax’s face. His expression is calm, almost heavy-eyed, but there’s something burning behind his gaze that makes Morax unable to look away. It’s the same energy that drew Morax to the man on the first day. Now, he thinks he’d allow him to do as he pleases so long as he looks at him like that the entire time.

“I want it,” he says simply, before lowering his head once again between Ajax’s chin and shoulder. 

The hands slowly travel down his neck, as Ajax turns his head to rest his cheek against the dragon’s jaw. “You won’t strike me down in the morning for my impudence?” he says, touch unbroken on its way down.

“You know I am not that type of god.” 

Ajax lets out a breath. “Yeah,” he says with a note of fondness. “I know.”

He runs his fingers along Morax’s body until they reach the soft underbelly between his thighs, where brilliant bronze scales give way to paler, more shimmerous skin. Morax shudders as Ajax begins to trail his fingertips up and down, willing himself to hold still as they press harder and more firmly against him.

“Relax,” Ajax breathes against his cheek, voice softer and scratchier than he’s heard it before.

“Making demands of me now, are you,” Morax rumbles. 

A finger catches against the texture on his scales. “I suppose you’ve encouraged me to grow bold,” is the reply.

You’ve always been bold without any encouragement on my part, Morax thinks but does not bother to say.

Ajax continues to run his hand along slowly, as if relishing the way the dragon’s breath quickens at his touch. He circles closer and closer to where the muscles between his thighs dip down into a tight valley. 

When a finger inches its way through the fold, Morax clenches on reflex. He hears but barely parses the words Ajax keeps whispering, focusing on the tenor of his voice and the way his breath feels warm when the words brush against him. 

“I’ve never done this before, so I hope you’ll let me know if it’s not enjoyable,” Ajax says as the finger sinks in and starts to stroke gently within him.

Ajax’s touch is as confident as he ever is despite his words, and an irrational wave of jealousy washes over Morax at the suggestion of the thought. I would hope you’ve never done this with some other adeptus, he thinks. Before he can reply, Ajax’s finger runs over a hard spot inside of him that makes him groan and thrash roughly against the man’s body.

“Easy,” Ajax murmurs. He shifts to steady his other hand against the dragon’s neck as he slips another finger in between his wet folds. He strokes in tiny circles inside of him and Morax tremors as the warmth in his body rushes down to where he knows Ajax can feel him growing larger. It’s raw, hot, and consuming, to lie waiting as the man draws his fingers out just to press his entire hand into him and slowly coax his length until the tip emerges from between him. 

Morax sighs into Ajax’s neck and drags his teeth against his throat, making the man pause. 

“Is this okay?” Ajax says, sounding not frightened but rather concerned.

“Keeping going,” Morax grumbles, pulling his teeth away to lick a stripe from Ajax’s collarbone to his jaw instead, enjoying the way he shudders in response.

Ajax wraps his hand around his length and continues to stroke, watching with rapt attention as he grows large enough that he’s unable to fully make a fist around him. Morax can feel, if not hear, the wetness and slick that coats where Ajax is touching him. 

“Wow,” Ajax mutters, lightly digging his thumb against the tip of the length in a move that makes Morax rumble and trill into his neck. In the back of his mind he thinks he may be digging his claws into Ajax’s arm, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

Another twist of his wrist, and Ajax doesn’t look surprised when Morax flips them over, pinning the man to the ground and breathing heavily above him. No words are exchanged as Morax closes his teeth around the sash at Ajax’s waist and pulls, leaving the man’s bare chest exposed to the night sky. He rubs his leathery head along Ajax’s unprotected stomach in a way he’s aware probably chafes, but Ajax merely laughs and strokes his horns with a gentle hand.

It’s anything but graceful when Morax catches the hem of Ajax’s pants in his mouth and pulls them down. He mouths along the inside of the man’s thighs while Ajax continues to stroke his head, soft pats turning into a rough grasp when Morax wraps his tongue around him and tries to replicate what Ajax did for him. 

He gets a pleased noise that turns into a gasp when Morax wraps his tail around Ajax’s legs and presses them tightly together. He slips his length in between Ajax’s thighs, feeling him squeeze his legs together harder as he thrusts into the warm friction. There are two hands gripping each of his horns now, and Morax lays his head flush against the man’s chest to encourage him to hold tighter.

Later that night, Morax’s back is to the ground with Ajax riding on top of him, and the stars are brighter than he’s ever seen. 

“I’d bring the heavens down for you,” Ajax whispers when Morax comes apart inside of him with a stuttered exhale of breath.

---

The hydro spirits can be seen dancing in the water the next morning, and Ajax looks at them happily while leaning against Morax’s chest. “Would you like to name them?” he asks, fingers playing with a tuft of fur on Morax’s tail. 

Morax cranes his head to look at him questioningly. “You didn’t already name them?”

“Well, they’re technically just condensed hydro elements. They could grow sentient in the future, but I didn’t think about it too much until now.”

The dragon hums. “What changed?”

Ajax gives him a look. “They have an entire home now, surrounded by pure water on all sides. If they don’t become an Oceanid in the future, I’d be pretty surprised.”

Morax nods seriously. “I’ve never named a living being before. I’ll think about it.”

This seems to be enough for Ajax, who presses his lips to the tip of the dragon’s nose. Morax curls around him, ready to suggest either another round or more sleep, whichever is more amenable to his partner.

If the world could stay still in this place to the end of time, Morax thinks he would do everything in his power to guard what he has jealously.