"Duan Cai, do you not ever question the work we do for the mortals of this world?" Saigai thought out loud as he stroked his single red horn. They were both laid out on the grass of the wilderness they so willingly considered home. He often wondered over how he lived his life under Duan Cai to care for the lives of the mortals. It felt as though the gods were raising cattle at times. They often protected the mortals in their world and watched as years passed and the mortal way of life slowly advanced.
"I question nothing. I was born a god and so were you. It is our duty to ensure the protection of those that live in our world." Duan Cai spoke his opinion without a hint of emotion. It almost felt like talking to a robot when it came to asking about his feelings because Duan Cai simply had no such thing. He was unable to comprehend things that even involved emotions.
"I know, but even though I put so much effort forward they still see me as a god of calamity. It's already been a few years since you took me under you and no matter what I do for the mortals they still fear me." Saigai sighed to himself as he thought about how the humans avoided him every time he went out into the world. It did not matter who they were or what he did for humanity because at the end of the day they would all run from him while people flocked to Duan Cai as if a great saint had descended upon them.
"What about that mortal child you brought back? Is it not to your liking?" Duan Cai spoke of Letya. She was a young homeless child that he had watched Saigai take in and even named the girl. It was the first mortal that had willingly clung to Saigai without fearing him because she had nobody to help her understand that he was of a rare Draconic race that meant he was dangerous to those around him.
"Don't speak of Letya as if she is a toy, she is a human!" Saigai glared at Duan Cai because he could not stand how little he thought of the child. It had already been a few days since he brought the girl back home with him and yet Duan Cai had failed to acknowledge Letya.
"Exactly. She is mortal. The sooner you comprehend that her existence is minuscule the easier it will be for you when her time is up. They aren't like us, Saigai, and for someone like you to keep one of them so close can only end in disaster." Duan Cai slowly sat up from the grass he was laid out on. His eyes slowly glanced over at Saigai who was still laid down with his eyes closed as if he was trying to ignore every word Duan Cai spoke to him.
"Her existence isn't minuscule.." Saigai began to slowly mutter out his response as the small child, Letya, came running over and collapsed on top of Saigai. Her little arms seemed to lock around him in a firm hug as she giggled out happily. His own arms wrapped around her tightly as his eyes glanced over at Duan Cai who was still holding an expression that was empty as if he held no care at all.
"Saigai~!" Letya smiled and laughed as she grabbed playfully at Saigai's hair.
"What are you doing out here?" Saigai asked.
"Lonely!" She pouted and clung to Saigai's clothing. Her small body seemed glued to Saigai's chest. In her mind she loved how warm it felt when she was close to him. Letya would never speak out loud about it but in the few days that she had been with Saigai she had quickly caught on to the fact that she could tell how lonely Saigai seemed at times. She had become aware of the fact that others around him would shun him aside as if his very existence was like the plague and she could see how hurt the look in his eyes seemed every time. It made her own heart ache to see such a thing happen to Saigai because she could easily recall their first meeting when he had been so kind to her even though she was alone in the world and she wanted to aid him in his loneliness just as he had done for her.
"Lonely?" Saigai thought for a moment and assumed that Letya was talking about herself.
"Mortals truly are... Interesting." Duan Cai said simply as he watched the actions between Letya and Saigai.
"Shut up." Saigai glared over at Duan Cai.
"I spoke nothing." Duan Cai shrugged slightly as he turned his gaze off into the vast forest around them. After a moment of silence he slowly stood up and walked off.
"Is mister Cai okay?" Letya asked as she was still clinging to Saigai while watching Duan Cai leave them both alone on the grass.
"The day that man feels anything at all is the day the world ends." Saigai scoffed out at the thought of witnessing Duan Cai actually feeling something for someone else.
"But-" Letya wanted to protest but the more she mentioned Duan Cai the more she could see something in Saigai's gaze that almost seemed painful. The thought of speaking further on the matter and hurting him was something that she did not want so she quickly dropped the topic about Duan Cai.
"How about later I take you to see the other mortals.. You'd like to see your village, right?" Saigai said as he could only imagine how Letya was probably missing the other mortals like herself. Since he was a god he did not require a lot of the things that mortals did for survival and socializing with other gods was not the same as socializing with other mortals for Letya. If he did not allow her to interact with her own kind in their world he felt it would only cause her much pain from the separation.
"Okay!" Letya smiled happily at the thought of spending time with Saigai at the village she was from. It was not that she wanted to see the mortals like herself that lived there, but simply she felt joy at spending time with him.