Xi Jiang

Xi, a river dragon spirit of ancient lineage, found himself bound to the subterranean city known as The Underground at an early age, a place shrouded in perpetual darkness and ruled by crime lords. He yearned for the freedom of flowing rivers and sun-drenched skies. Xi possessed a profound empathy and a talent for healing, and thus became the Kazune clan’s unlikely medic, his ethereal hands capable of mending wounds inflicted by both blade and arcane power.
For centuries, he served in the shadows, tending to the injured soldiers, the cunning assassins, and even the enigmatic jackal twins, Asmodaios and Astaroth, as they grew from reckless youths into formidable warriors. He witnessed their raw power, their volatile nature, and the subtle, chilling darkness that began to fester within them. Xi, bound by loyalty and a sense of duty, treated their wounds, hoping his gentle touch might temper their growing darkness.
The Kazune, though ruthless, maintained a fragile order within The Underground. Xi, despite his reservations, felt a strange sense of belonging, a twisted form of family. He believed, perhaps naively, that he could be a stabilizing force, a beacon of compassion in a world of shadows.
However, the darkness within the jackal twins, particularly Asmodaios, grew unchecked. A dark secret of the Kazune was revealed, and the jackal brothers spiraled into madness. They unleashed a storm of violence upon The Underground, tearing apart the very foundations of the city. The Kazune, their once-mighty empire, crumbled before the twins’ destructive fury. Xi, witnessing the carnage, felt a profound sense of betrayal and sorrow. He watched as the city, his home for centuries, collapsed around him, the artificial caverns giving way to the crushing weight of the earth above.
He barely escaped the chasm, his red scales shimmering with the dust and debris of his shattered world. Emerging into the blinding light of the surface, Xi experienced the warmth of the sun for the first time in centuries. The world above, with its vast skies and flowing rivers, was both beautiful and overwhelming. He wandered for a century, a solitary spirit adrift in a world he barely knew, his heart heavy with the memories of The Underground.

One day, he found himself in the bustling city of Darvin. There, amidst the throngs of people, he recognized a familiar aura – the dark, chaotic energy of Asmodaios. The jackal, now alone, moved with a predatory grace, a shadow of his former self.
Xi approached him, his voice a low, resonant murmur. “Asmodaios, heir of the Kazune clan.” Asmo turned, his red eyes narrowing. He recognized the river spirit, the healer who had tended to his wounds in his youth.

“Xi,” he rasped, a hint of surprise in his voice.

The two spoke for hours, Asmodaios revealing the real reason for his rampage, and the fate of his late brother who was crushed in the rubble.
Xi bowed his head. “Though the Kazune are gone, my loyalty remains. I will serve you, as I served your family. I will follow you, heir of the Kazune clan. I will always be loyal.”

Xi, despite the horrors he had witnessed, clung to the remnants of his loyalty, hoping to find a purpose in the chaos that Asmodaios had wrought. He believed, perhaps foolishly, that he could still bring a semblance of healing, even in the heart of darkness.