As a Vastaya patriot, Xayah set out to spark a revolution and save her people.
Quick and clever, she swept aside anyone who stood in her way with her deadly feather blades. Fighting alongside her soulmate, Rakan, Xayah protected their dwindling tribe while keeping a low profile, hoping that one day she could lead her people to reclaim their former glory.
As a child, Xayah loved listening to her father sing ancient ballads about Vastaya heroes. Their lilting melodies carried her back to a distant past.
There, the Spiritual Realm freely intertwined with the physical world, vibrant and enchanting. Yet humans had never abandoned their ambitions to encroach on the Lotlan Tribe. Generation after generation, they invaded this sacred realm with hidden motives, disrupting Ionia's once-pure, untamed spirits. Unwilling to stand by and watch her people disappear, Xayah defied her tribe's laws and set out to persuade the humans to halt their conquests.
Leaving her secluded home, she ventured into a human village. Only then did she realize how naive and vulnerable she was.
A crowd of starving villagers surrounded her. Some thought her feathers were priceless and wanted to steal them as trophies; others were frightened by her strange appearance and alerted their leader to capture her, forcing her to defend herself. Her piercing feather blades soon taught her attackers that she was no pushover.
Heartbroken, Xayah returned home, only to discover that her father and the rest of her tribe had vanished without a trace. Unnatural Shadow Magic had tainted the ancient Vastaya temple, severing its connection to the Spiritual Realm. Xayah destroyed the temple, hoping to drive away the shadowy force.
Almost at once, magic poured out and spread across the surrounding land anew. It was a beautiful sight, but her people were still nowhere to be found.
For years afterward, she flitted through heavily guarded castles and fortresses, leaving a trail of corpses beneath her sharp feather blades. Her reputation grew, and people came to call her the Crimson Raven Spirit.
She traveled alone, focused only on her next mission and her ultimate dream of saving her people.
Until she met another Vastaya, someone who would change her life.
When she arrived in the remote mountain town of Longge to find a stolen Vastaya relic, she saw a strange sight that left her stunned.
A frenzied crowd pressed together, cheering shrilly. On a stage surrounded by people stood a flamboyant performer, his wings as bright as flames—an unmistakable Golden Peacock. He sang at the top of his voice, performing an ancient Vastaya ballad in a voice so lilting it was mesmerizing.
As the song ended, he followed it with a few dazzling, clichéd tricks—at least, that was how Xayah saw them. The crowd erupted, chanting his name again and again: "Rakan." He bowed theatrically. To Xayah, he was nothing but a forgettable clown.
Xayah resolved to forget the entertainer and get back to her mission. She managed to slip away. Thanks to the clown's performance distracting the people of Longge, she had to admit the mission had been much easier.
But no matter how often she told herself she would never see Rakan again, she couldn't find a way to forget him. The feeling was subtle and strange: the light within his soul was irresistibly alluring.
Ever since leaving town, Xayah had been troubled by these strange thoughts, unable to settle down, until she ran into an ambush by a band of mercenaries.
She had longed for a fight, and now she couldn't wait to show what she could do and let her feather blades run red. A good, thorough brawl would surely make her forget that shoddy performance and the strange feelings it stirred in her.
Just then, Rakan made his grand entrance.
Xayah repeatedly insisted she didn't need help from her arrogant Vastaya kin. But Rakan insisted it was no trouble at all—he simply didn't want to miss out on the fun.
During the fight, Rakan proved that while he did things his own way, he was undeniably brave, powerful, and... a good partner.
He leapt into the fray, darting and spinning among the enemies so quickly they couldn't keep up. That gave Xayah plenty of time to take them down, one by one.
Afterward, Rakan ignored Xayah's protests and kept following her as she wandered from place to place. Gradually, his company melted her defenses—though she was ashamed to admit it at first—and the world no longer seemed as bleak and lonely as it once had. They became inseparable.
Xayah's earnest passion for her people infected the boastful battle dancer. She, in turn, gradually adapted to his improvisational fighting style, using the openings created by the chaos Rakan caused to catch their enemies off guard and defeat them in one stroke.
Side by side, they fought on without pause. They would free Ionia's ancient magic, and only then could the Vastaya hope to see their glory rekindled.
Now they had heard that traces of Shadow Magic had appeared on a small island to the west. Magic Power was being bound, and the trees were turning pale. They hurried there to investigate.
At dusk, one figure gleamed gold, the other dark purple.
The two sat close together on a thick branch.
"That monkey's such a nuisance."
"Your gorgeous Feather Robe made him fall for you, Rakan," Xayah chuckled.
"I only ever wanted to catch your eye, darling."
Before Xayah could reply, Rakan wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Have you noticed the sky?"
"It's beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you."
"Rakan, I'm lucky to have you."
"No, I'm the lucky one."
In the forest of the Symi Ape tribe, Yi and Wukong had been talking for a long time.
"Your junior has improved quickly, but he still needs experience."
"Yeah, I can see that. You're sure they're going alone?"
"Of course not. Spirit Energy is waning in the west. There must be a plot brewing."
Yi glanced at Wukong and shook his head.
"You're too restless. I'd better go alone."
He silently headed west...
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