CARMEN DEI, ACT I, PART II
After your hard work on trying to drag Venti to the Temple of the Lion, you managed to arrive in time but... the thing is you never went here before like how the game goes. Jean split you guys up to deal the problems quickly. You really hoped that there's some kind of exit at the end of it so that you don't have to worry much.
Venti who was complaining throughout the whole way saying he did not want to go fell into silence since your face clearly have worry written on your face. "What are you so worried about?" He asked as you sighed.
"Getting lost. My sense of direction in this kind of place are the worst." You stated as Venti looked at you in surprised before trying to hold his laughter. Now he know why you were so reluctant for him to go there. You opened the door without any warning which warped you two to be in the temple.
Everything around you look familiar yet it's not. Probably because of the game. "This place become a hotspot for adventurers, huh... And how are we supposed to get up there?" You said as you noticed there were no wind current for you two to take.
"Not to worry! Allow me. Those who wander in the dust, the wind shall send soaring sky high." You watched him took his lyre out and play a few tunes before a strong wind current began blasting in front of you. Unlike how he did in the game where he concentrate the energy before ascending himself to the air.
You were in awe if you had to be honest before he held your hand. "Let's go, Y/N!" You immediately took out your wind glider but Venti seems like he could just fly however he pleases... You wished you could do the same.
You guys continued to adventure inside the temple to find Jack and Stanley, as you expected, a Cryo and bunch of Hilichurls were surrounding those two as Stanley wield out his sword to protect Jack while Jack cowering in the ground out of fear. "D—Don't worry...! I—I've got this..."
You and Venti exchange a glance before jumping in to save them. Venti called out his vortex that suck in the hilichurl while you break the shield using your Pyro powers that embedded on your sword but you didn't expect one slash from it to break it. You watched the Abyss Mage being sucked in the vortex before Venti put away his weapon which cause the vortex to disappear.
Usually their shield would take you probably 7 hits to break which made you wondered if the meteorite exposure made your elemental powers more stronger. You snapped back to reality and turned to them before Stanley put his sword away. "I was sure I was about to die!" Jack stated.
"To be fair, that could have gone either way. So — you must be Jack the Adventurer, I assume?" Venti asked as Jack gave him a surprised look.
"Yes... Who are you?" Jack asked.
"We're looking for you. Ellin has a message for you. She can't join in your adventure today and she'll join some other time." You explained as Jack immediately felt a sudden wave of guilt.
"Oh, I see... I feel bad you had to come all this way to find me... and then had to rescue me..." Jack rubbed his neck as Stanley looked a little offended.
"Huh? I don't see what all the fuss is about. It was nothing that I, Stanley, couldn't have dealt with by myself!" You gave him a doubt look but you really can't say much to him. You let out a sigh, showing no interest to him at all but you at least you had to pretend to.
"Stanley... I presume you are that legendary adventurer that said to once step a foot in the Mare Jivari." You stated, a little bit sounded bored as he chuckled and tell you that. Venti took notice of this part since you really show no interest in someone as legendary like him which led him to wonder why.
He did recalled that you could see through people without even needing a second glance which made him curious about Stanley. "I must say, it's an honor to meet one as legendary as yourself." Venti said enthusiastically before looked at the temple. "Well then, how would everyone like to proceed? Head back, or head further inside?" He asked.
"Well, I personally do not mind if we head further inside." You stated, after all you wanted to make sure if your power did get even more stronger. Stanley and Jack agreed to proceed in as you guys went deeper to the temple.
As Stanley and Venti had a little bickering which abruptly stopped when Jack defended him before Stanley began to tell the story about the Mare Jivari incident. You could imagine how painful must it feel to lost someone. The only pain that was as close as losing someone for you is the death of your favorite anime characters.
While he was busy telling, you were busy throwing the hilichurls away with your Anemo power before it released an air explosion strong enough to blow someone away but you put up a shield before it could hit them. "I really need to control it better..." You murmured and the only person that watched you fight was Venti.
"...Y/N would make a better Anemo Archon than me." He mumbled before you guys reached at the end of the domain safely. You let out a relief sigh before Venti tapped your shoulder before he whispered to your ear. "Y/N, I believe I have made a small discovery. Here, look!" He put the monocle to your eye as you saw another Stanley but were covered scars. You also sense sudden sadness aura surrounding him.
As you recalled he still hasn't get over his death which made you gave him a pity look. "Poor him..." You uttered as Venti looked at you in surprised to see you were pitying him which made him wondered what you saw in him. Venti is certainly became much more interested to you.
As Stanley excused himself, Jack approached to you two a little hesitant "Um... Do you two still have time to spare?" He asked as you turned to him with your eyebrows raised.
"What is it?" Venti asked as Jack took a deep breath.
"A few days ago, Stanley got drunk and told me a secret - something he's never told anyone before." He stated as you really wanted to say to him to not just tell someone's secret but for Stanley's good, you had to let this happen. As he began to ramble about the weapon as you looked over Venti who has doubts to know if that was true but he pretended he believe that really happened with a smile on his face.
"Sure, I'll go with you. Venti, you coming too, right?" You asked as Venti looked at you. He really just wanted to hang out with you alone not with another person that might interrupted you two which going to ruin the mood. It better if he continued back to take a sleep for who knows how many days.
"Mm... I don't know..." Venti trailed off before Jack thought for awhile to try to reel in Venti to come along with you two.
"Oh, one other thing - I have a bottle of rare vintage wine that I had someone fetch for me a couple years ago. Help me find these weapons and it's all yours!" Venti immediately turned to him.
"Dadaupa Gorge, was it? Let's hurry, there's no time to lose!" Venti said as he dragged you and Jack out from the temple to get the wine. You felt a little disheartened to know that he was going to be disappointed in the end. You should buy him a bottle of wine for him.
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You guys arrived at Dadaupa* Gorge (*useless trivia but if you translated Dadaupa in hilichurlian, it means tall mountain which I found it very interesting for some reason) but you weren't expecting the hilichurls to be inviting you three with hospitality. "Mimi mani mita yaya buka. Valo zito mimi tomo, Y/N. Dala si yaya muhe? (We give you these meats for your stomach. Thank you for taking care our child, Y/N. Is there anything you want?)" The Mitachurl asked as you just smiled while the other hilichurl gave you some meats.
"Oh thank you for the meat, Mrs. Mitachurl. Do you mind if we take a sword and a shield here?" You asked as Jack and Venti looked at you in speechless as the Mitachurl nodded. "Ah... Also your son seems to take a liking to a certain human." You stated as the Mitachurl stayed silence.
"Ya? (Is it you?)" She asked.
"Unfortunately, so but, I'm still uncertain about my own feelings..." You sighed, not knowing how big your harem gonna grows and how you're gonna control them. She began to assure you that you should take your time to sort out your feeling and you can come to her for any advice.
You thanked her before turning to them who were staring at you menacingly as you furrowed your eyebrows. "Please don't look at me like I betray the whole humanity. Hilichurls are nice unless they are involved with Abyss matters. Anyways, let us find that sword and shield, shall we?" You said as you went to their camp.
"But you just talk to a hilichurl- no- A Mitachurl? How is that normal and how?" Jack asked as you just shrugged before you felt a sudden aura of jealousy in the air which you know where it came from.
"Who's the son you refering to?" He asked with a cheerful tone and smile from him which quite scary if you have to admit. "I really want to know who is this guy." He said, still sounded friendly.
"U-uhm... Why though?" You asked as Venti began to hold your hand before stopping you and grabbed Jack.
"Just out of curiosity. We'll talk about it later. Right now I saw the Sword of Brilliant Valor." He pointed at the sword stood in the middle while the hilichurls bowing to it. You asked the hilichurls first if you could have the sword and have a moment. They immediately left before Venti were impressed by your communication with the hilichurls.
"Lo and behold, the Sword of Brilliant Valor!" He said as Jack looked a little doubtful.
"This sword is in terrible shape and it's so basic. I... I'm at loss for words." Jack were disappointed as Venti looked at the sword and could tell that somebody tossed the sword away.
"Jack, you are forgetting something. In the olden days, this sword design is the most newest and brandishing design." You stated as you held the sword to look at the menu. It really labeled as useless old sword with a description saying, "this is trash unless you have money to fix this. Please do not convince Jack for this trash."
Venti's eyes lit up as he nodded. "Yes, yes. Say, Jack, have you ever seen an Anemo Crystalfly? If you saw one in broad daylight, you wouldn't bat an eyelid but in the pitch blackness of night? Its brilliant glow is mesmerizing- it truly resembles an exquisite crystal dancing in the night air...." You lost your attention to a lizard that was running around the floor which instinctively made you want to catch it.
When you finally caught it, you see Venti and Jack already settled it and Jack looked convince. You heard a weird sound coming from the sword as you looked at the description. "Really? We just gonna do this now? Lying to people?"
You chose to ignore it before you let out a sigh. "Next is the shield right?" Jack nodded as you guys set off to seek the shield.
TO BE CONTINUED
Author Note:
Guys, I have a gift for you, hope you enjoy ;)
Hope you have a great day :D