Elegy of Wind and Flame
The twilight bled red, staining the vast grasslands outside Mondstadt's walls. Varka stood atop a hastily constructed platform, his gaze sharp as torches as he surveyed the army assembled below, ready for battle. The victory at Windrise Port was still fresh, the joy not yet faded, but his heart was already seized by a far deeper emotion—an unyielding resolve to avenge Grand Master Jean.
"Warriors!" Varka's powerful voice boomed across the plains. "The recapture of Windrise Port is but the first step toward our victory! Yet Mondstadt City still lies beneath Lü Bu the brute's iron hooves, and Grand Master Jean's spirit has not yet found rest! We will reclaim our homeland, and make the enemy pay in blood for their crimes!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The unified battle cry roared like thunder, shaking the very earth. Varka's fingers tightened around his longsword, the blade reflecting his resolute face. He knew the battle ahead would be unspeakably brutal, but he had long since cast aside all thoughts of life and death.
The army marched forward slowly, tension thick in the air. Suddenly, a cloud of dust billowed in the distance, and a host of soldiers emerged. At their head was Zhang Miao, one of Lü Bu's most trusted generals. Mounted on his warhorse, Zhang Miao fixed Varka's advancing army with a venomous stare, a faint, cold smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Varka! Today is the day you die!" Zhang Miao roared, swinging his spear forward to lead his troops in a charge. Undaunted, Varka swept his longsword through the air and ordered his men to meet the attack. The two armies clashed in an instant, and the field erupted with the din of battle cries and clashing steel.
Varka cut a swathe through the fray, his swordsmanship unparalleled—each strike claimed an enemy's life. Yet Zhang Miao's soldiers were no mere fodder; they were well-trained and fought tenaciously. The two sides battled fiercely for what seemed like an eternity, neither able to gain the upper hand.
Just then, Zhang Miao feinted a thrust with his spear, wheeled his horse around, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Retreat! Fall back to Mondstadt City!" At his command, his troops began to withdraw in unison. Varka felt a flicker of doubt, but the fire of vengeance and the thirst for victory quickly smothered it. Without hesitation, he roared: "Pursue them! Do not let a single one escape!"
The army gave chase, pressing all the way to the gates of Mondstadt. The city gates stood wide open, and Zhang Miao's men filed inside one after another. Varka did not hesitate, leading his troops in a full charge into the city. But the moment the last of his soldiers crossed the threshold, the massive gates slammed shut with a deafening boom.
A chill ran down Varka's spine—he had walked into a trap. Before he could react, a shrill whistling filled the air outside the walls, and countless fire arrows rained down upon the city. In an instant, Mondstadt was engulfed in a sea of flame. Roaring fires consumed homes, streets, and Varka's army alike. The screams of the wounded, the cries for help, and the crackle of burning timber merged into a tragic dirge.
Varka fought desperately amid the flames, striving to lead his soldiers to safety. But the fire raged too fiercely, and thick smoke blinded them, making escape impossible. Lü Bu's army continued to unleash a relentless barrage of fire arrows from outside the walls, turning Mondstadt into a living hell.
This had all been Chen Gong's stratagem. The cunning advisor well knew that Varka was unbeatable in open combat. Thus, he had crafted this elaborate trap: Zhang Miao would feign defeat, luring Varka's forces into the city, where fire would annihilate them in one fell swoop.
As Varka watched his soldiers fall one by one, grief and anger overwhelmed him. He thought of Jean, of the days they had fought side by side; he thought of Mondstadt's people, of the land that had given him birth and raised him. He refused to accept defeat, to let the enemy triumph.
"Fight to the end!" Varka roared, wielding his longsword as he charged toward the heart of the inferno. But the flames were too intense, and his strength rapidly waned. In the end, Varka was consumed by the fire, collapsing upon the very soil he had sworn to protect with his life.
The fire blazed throughout the night, finally dying down at dawn. Mondstadt lay in ruins, strewn with charred debris and the bodies of soldiers. Lü Bu and Chen Gong stood outside the city, gazing upon the smoldering wreckage with satisfied grins.
"Varka is dead! No one in Mondstadt can stand against us now!" Lü Bu cackled arrogantly.
Chen Gong nodded slightly, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "My lord, we may now expand our power and conquer this entire continent!"
Little did they know, Varka's sacrifice was not in vain. His heroic deeds would be forever etched in the hearts of the people of Mondstadt, inspiring future generations to fight on for freedom and justice. Amidst the war-torn land, a new hope was quietly taking root…