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Bold = (With brackets is a small AN), to put emphasis on words in thoughts, also emphasis for anything extremely important (doesn't include minor emphasis (see italics) which is still important but not quite as important).
Italic = Flashbacks, words characters say to themselves in their heads uses " ", used to put emphasis on words in normal font. Can also be someone telling a story in not in the present if accompanied by these: 『 』
Standard = Present time, first person thoughts/observations that are not words a character speaks to them self in their head, with " " are words spoken out loud , words characters say to themselves in their heads durring flashbacks uses " ".
—— ~ ⌘ ~ —— = The symbol for letters sent from Liyue
~ ☆ ~ = Time skip (placed in the middle of the page)
~ ~ ~ = The break in the page to distinguish the difference between what is part of the story and what isn't.
** to find the music for the story swipe left on the picture at the top!**
(A special big thanks to cynae_koi for her help with the proof reading process for both this chapter and the previous one. It's been very helpful in quality management and your input is very valuable!)
~ ~ ~
(Y/n)'s POV
The three of us make haste as we run through the city of Mond, ducking and weaving through streets and even climbing up a wall, as we follow the tracks of the raven haired man with cerulean tips. Unsurprisingly those who witness this spectacle look on in pure fascination at our less than normal behaviour. To be honest, it wouldn't surprise me if the bard knew we were tailing him and tried to throw us for a loop in order to make a quick getaway. If this is indeed the case, his strategy is all for naught as Aether follows the trail leading to the main plaza in front of the cathedral. In the centre stands a large statue of the Anemo Archon, a symbol of freedom to be worshiped by the citizens. Below it, the turquoise eyed musician plucks the strings of his wooden lyre with dexterity as he begins to amass a crowd around him. Quietly, the three of us merge with the people of Mondstadt as the male begins to tell the story of Dvalin. The main difference between his tale and The Dragon's Tome given to us by Lisa is its focus on Barbatos's friendship with the dragon, as well as what became the divine creature.
"Blood of venom sent the sky dragon into slumber, only to awake to be expelled in abhor.
'Why do people loathe me so?', but the holy lyre replied no more." He sings as the music becomes more and more melancholic. "Wrath and woe, vigour and venom poured from the dragon's bitter eyes. The dragon's curse sprawled in silence but the lyre could no longer soothe his cries." The bard finishes. It takes a moment for everyone around us to come to, almost as if they were in a trance from witnessing someone so skilled at their craft. By no mistake, this is the one the guards were speaking of when we arrived in the City of Wind. Eventually, the crowd realizes that his performance has ended as they give him a round of applause before dispersing.
I'm broken out of my thoughts as the dark haired man finally notices us.
"Hmm? You didn't leave like the rest..." He begins before his mind seems to register something that my companions and I are not privy to. "Wait a minute, (Y/n)! Nice to see you again." The musician exclaims as he launches himself at me with arms stretched wide. His erratic movements scare Paimon as Aether starts to move towards me to pry the male, who is a complete stranger to him, off my frame.
"Sir, please get off me. You do remember that we only met each other at the tavern the day before yesterday." I say firmly as I gently remove the raven haired musician.
"It's Venti, not 'Sir'. Did you forget my name already? I thought your memory would be better than that (Y/n)." He replies with a pout as he dexterously places a cecelia behind my ear. "Much better." Venti exclaims happily as he eyes his handiwork with satisfaction. Contrary to the shorter man, my blond companion looks rather unimpressed at the bard's brashness as he moves to address him.
"Who exactly are you?" Aether asks skeptically, likely expecting the male to make another unexpected move.
"Who am I?" The raven haired musician replies as he places a finger on his chin in thought before spinning the question back at him. "Who are you?" He questions before something clicks. "So that's why you look familiar, you scared Dvalin away." Venti finishes proudly at the fact that he correctly remembers who the blond is. At this point, I decide it's time I introduce my companions to the turquoise eyed man.
"This is Aether..." I begin, pointing at the blond as he sends the musician a nod. "...and this is Paimon." I finish, pointing to the floating pixie who sends a quizzical look at the bard.
"Dvalin, who's that?" The dark blue eyed female asks curiously as she bounces up and down.
"Paimon, did you forget what Lisa told us at the temple of the lion?" The golden eyed male questions the small girl with a sigh.
"Huh? Now Paimon remembers, Dvalin is Stormterror's real name." The fairy answers triumphantly as I move to pat the whit haired girl on the head. "Why do you call him by a different name? Are you two close or something?" Paimon asks Venti.
"The two of us are practically joined at the hip." The musician answers in a fond voice. The small girl on the other hand doesn't appear to believe him one bit as she turns to whisper to both Aether and I.
"(Y/n), Aether, Paimon thinks this guy has a screw or two loose." She says loudly enough for the dark haired man to hear.
"Hey, you know I heard that. If you're trying to gossip about someone at least try to be discreet about it." He advises before our blond companion takes his turn to speak.
"You didn't answer my question." The golden eyed male reiterates to the shorter one.
"Oh, I thought it was quite obvious but allow me to give you a proper introduction. I'm Venti the bard. Three time winner of the 'Most Popular Bard of Mondstadt' award to be precise if you require any occupational credentials." He says as his eyes take in our small group. "So, what do you need from me?" Venti asks.
"Since you recognize us, Paimon thinks our reason for being here is quite clear. We want to know more about Stormterror of course." The pixie explains matter of factly.
"So that's the name the people came up with?" The turquoise eyed male muses to himself as I once again reveal the mysterious crystal, this time for the musician to see. Instead of its former red hue, the gem glows a faint blue reminiscent of the statues of the seven and teleport waypoints.
"Wait, when did the nature of the crystal change?" Aether asks, nearing the small teardrop shaped object as the raven haired man looks on in interest.
"By no doubt...this belongs to Dvalin. The anguish he feels has brought him to tears." Venti begins as he speaks of the dragon. "In the past he was a gentle being who soared among the heavens. Now, I'm afraid he's become full of rage and is suffering greatly." The male continues in a melancholic tone as he materializes a crystalline teardrop of his own. "I also came across one, are you able to purify it Aether?" He asks as he hands it to my golden eyed companion.
"Are you sure? It was (Y/n) who seems to be able to purify them in the first place. Wouldn't you want to ask her instead?" Aether questions the bard in confusion.
"Don't worry about it, Aether. If both of us are able to interact with the crystal without receiving any negative side effects, I don't doubt that you also have the ability to rid the gem of its defilement." I say, reassuring the blond.
"Okay, I'll give it a shot then." He replies with determination as he closes his eyes and channels, what I'd assume to be, pure thoughts into the stone. Within no time, it too resembles the one I had been carrying around with us for the past few days.
"Wow, you managed to do it Aether! Paimon is proud of you." The dark blue eyed girl exclaims.
"Indeed, you do have some really wonderful abilities. Someone like you will surely become woven into tales of legend by a travelling bard." Venti praises as his poetic nature peaks through. "Oh, a hero so bright should he stand in the light. Though stand in the shade, and you'll be met by a blade." He says before collecting himself once more.
"Alas, I have not the time to compose a melody suited for you at the moment. What's more, even if Dvalin is quelled, his life will still wither away on the breeze. Something like that, I simply can't accept." The turquoise eyed man says as his eyes harden with conviction.
"I also feel sorry for Dvalin, is there anything we can do to help?" My traveling companion asks, to which the musician simply shakes his head in response.
"I really must thank you for purifying the crystal for me. It has certainly helped greatly; however, I've already devised my own plan of action." He reveals.
"Oh? And what would that be?" I ask the shorter male.
"Seeing this tear has brought to mind a friend so dear." Venti replies back cryptically as he turns to leave. "If you wish to find me (Y/n) and friends, search for the symbol of Mondstadt's hero. Farewell." The bard says with a wave of his hand as he rushes through the streets before disappearing into the throngs of city goers.
As soon as the man is gone, Paimon decides to speak up about the rather mysterious individual.
"That weirdo, Paimon thinks he's way too forward, hugging you like that (Y/n). When did you meet him?" The fairy says as she scrunches her nose in distaste.
"We met before the three of us left the tavern the other day while Aether went to the washroom." I explain as our male companion opens his mouth to reply to the white haired girl.
"That's true, but don't you also hug (Y/n) a lot too?" Aether mentions causing the dark blue eyed female to cross her arms over her chest.
"It's different. You know that too, don't you? You have no problem when Paimon does it but certainly not when he does." The female replies matter of factly. When she receives no response from the blond, a smug look appears on her face before I cut in to spare my golden eyed friend from the pixie.
"Some people are just like that. As far as I can tell, he wasn't doing any harm by it, but I'll keep your input in mind." I tell both of my companions.
"Okay, that's good enough for Paimon." The dark blue eyed girl says.
"That's fair but I still want to keep an eye on him for more than just that reason alone. His voice sounds too familiar. I just can't put my finger on where I've heard it before" Aether informs me as I nod in understanding.
"Paimon doesn't recognize Venti but I suppose we should follow him right? The only question is where." The white haired female says as I take my turn to speak.
"Mondstadt's great hero, Vanessa, the woman said to have a passion as fiery as her hair, is the one who lifted the city from the ironclad grip of the aristocracy. Legends claim that a tree grew in the spot where she ascended to Celestia all those years ago." I explain. "Logically, the tree is the most likely place he has run to." I finish, confident in my deductive skills.
"That makes sense. We'll look for that bard there then." Aether replies as the three of us begin our trek out of the city to Windrise.
~ ☆ ~
Just like yesterday, the wind blows steadily through the area as a nice relaxing breeze. The sun's golden rays add their warmth to make the experience rather enjoyable indeed. The closer we get to the base of the great tree, we notice the green clad musician as he sits with his eyes closed under the shade it provides. It's only once the three of us are within a few meters of him that he opens his eyes, revealing their turquoise depths.
"So you came to see me after all." Venti says jovially as he motions for us to join him. "Then again, I shouldn't be too surprised." The male finishes as Aether opens his mouth to speak.
"I want to know more about the Anemo God." The blond requests with determination, which catches the bard's interest.
"You mean Barbatos? He disappeared from Mondstadt a long time ago." The raven haired man replies. "Liyue and Inazuma's Archons of Geo and Electro still have quite the presence in their respective nations but for the City of Freedom, it has been many a moon since they last laid their eyes upon their own god." He explains as Aether and I nod in understanding. While I could join in on the conversation, I believe that it's imperative that my golden eyed companion advocates for himself. Besides, I have no qualms with simply listening to their conversation. "Why exactly do you seek information about the Anemo Archon? Would this have something to do with Dvalin? Or is it something more nefarious." The male continues, asking carefully as his tone becomes more serious.
"Oh, it's because the gods—" Paimon begins before the blond cuts her off swiftly with an answer of his own.
"Yes, someone told me about Dvalin's past." He explains as Venti rubs his chin in thought.
"Hmm, there has been something that I have been wondering about for a while. How exactly do people view him? The fact that they have given him a name such as Stormterror indicates that they view him in a negative light, but I'm more interested in the specifics." The turquoise eyed man says as I open my mouth to respond. Just as I'm about to, I freeze in place as I sense the wind picking up in speed as the elemental energy around us condenses more than the typical levels present. "That said, no need to rush now. I haven't been back for quite some time and it seems that there are a few who are rather discontent with my arrival." The musician continues, noticing the oncoming threat as well as he hastily ducks behind me.
"Why you, an enemy comes and the first thing you do is hide behind (Y/n)?" Paimon exclaims as she narrows her eyes at the dark haired male.
"Ahh, about that. I'm just a simple bard with no fighting capabilities whatsoever. The safest place for me would be behind an accomplished fighter, wouldn't you agree?" Venti replies as he laughs nervously at the pixie's words before eyeing the elemental being. The anemo vision at his hip is also unlikely to be of any use against our opponent.
"An eye of the storm. They only appear when the leylines are blocked. It would be best that we take it out immediately." I explain as Aether and I advance on the enemy.
"How exactly am I supposed to take it down? For one, It flies while I have a sword and secondly, it would be immune to any elemental attacks I fire at it." My companion says worriedly.
"I'll take it from here. Being a catalyst user comes in handy in times like these. Give me a moment and we shall be rid of it promptly." I answering the man's question before narrowing my eyes at the condensed ball of anemo as (f/e) particles dance across my finger tips (if you're using anemo right now, you're going to have to use some other element as a stand in for now.) before quickly forming into a (f/e/c) petal. In this case, I see no reason to manifest my weapon for a fight that I know will be quick. Besides, I've had more than enough time to master my magic to not require it. With a flick of my wrist one petal becomes five as I spin around before ushering them forward to attack, striking with precision. The enemy is sluggish and easy to avoid as even without years of battle training in both close and ranged combat, I'm able to send more and more beams it's way. Being a ranged fighter also means that I can forgo any of the suctioning mechanics to strip the condensed anemo away until the creature finally submits and dissipates into the air around us. With the energy levels returning to normal, I turn towards the rest of the group.
"Thanks (Y/n), you really saved me the trouble of fighting that thing. I'm sorry that I couldn't be of more help." Aether informs me guiltily as he nervously rubs the back of his neck.
"It's no trouble at all. While these specific elemental life forms are indeed quite rare, they are not much of a challenge regrettably. Testing my strategy against beings with a higher capacity for intellect are much more rewarding adversaries." I say with mild disappointment as I dust off my hands.
"A strong fighter indeed, putting my trust in you clearly paid off." Venti remarks as Paimon expresses her feelings towards the bard by sticking her tongue out in his general direction. In response the grown man returns the action in a childish manner as the golden eyed male tells them to knock it off.
"It seems the dragon wasn't the only one affected by the change in the wind. Now then, someone told you about him?" The musician says, sending a look of triumph at the sulking pixie after besting her in their two person raspberry blowing competition.
"Indeed, the Favonius Librarian, Lisa is a rather knowledgeable young woman. She lent us a book providing some general details of the events that happened in Mondstadt roughly five hundred years ago. One of her theories centres around the idea that the people forgetting the Dragon of the East's contributions is the catalyst for his ire. The main difference between the literary text and your tale in the plaza is that you shed some more light on the fate that befell Dvalin." I explain to the raven haired man.
"Is that so? Well this Lisa of yours sounds like quite the scholar. The conflict has reached this point because both Dvalin and Duran used considerable force against each other but her theory about the source of his hate is incorrect. It is but a product of his degradation brought on by the poisonous blood of the adversary he felled. It pains me to think that this has been torturing him for years, giving the abyss the opportunity to take advantage of his weakened mental state." The bard confides in us as I quietly mull over all the information being provided to us.
"You seem to know a lot for just a 'simple bard'. Are you sure you aren't the Anemo Archon himself?" Aether asks Venti suspiciously.
"Who can say? Perhaps Dvalin just really enjoys my music." The turquoise eyed male replies with a shrug. "Anything else you wish to inquire about?"
"Lately mentions of the abyss have been popping up more and more across our journey. What exactly are they after?" Aether questions.
"Well, the Abyss Order is an organization full of inhuman beings. As far as I know, they despise humankind and wish to see it's downfall. I don't know where they come from but they do seem to be able to speak the same language as the hilichurls. But really when it comes down to it, I don't know much more than that. After all, my profession is in music, not history." The musician says.
The sound of the birds around us is calm and soothing as the dark haired man comments about how refreshed he feels from the presence of the great tree.
"Wait, why is that?" Paimon asks, finally finished with her sulking.
"Well, you see I also became corrupted by the poison after interacting with Dvalin. While trying to cleanse his curse, your own interference, I'm afraid, was responsible for the transfer of the substance from the dragon to me. Venti informs us as I'm overcome with guilt.
"I'm sorry, it was our fault that it happened." I apologize to the shorter of my two male companions as Aether and Paimon nod in agreement. This causes the bard to fixate his gaze back on me with one of concern as he opens his mouth to speak.
"Don't worry (Y/n), I'm sure you didn't mean to. You were probably in the wrong place at the wrong time." He says with a shrug. Unfortunately his words meant to reassure me only proceed to make me feel worse.
"If only you knew how truly inescapable fate is." I think to myself as I feel my demons revel in joy at my suffering. The sound of that nightmarish gloating voice in my head makes itself known, twisted and deranged as my greatest fear forms into words.
"It's all your fault, you cannot deny it." It whispers as my mouth curls into a frown. I can almost feel the invisible walls closing in around me.
"Please, leave me alone." I mentally beg it, but all I get in return is a sickening laugh. I'm promptly broken out of my revelry by the raven haired man who has appeared right in front of me. Slowly he puts both of his pointer fingers at the edge of my mouth as he gently pulls them into a smile.
"Are you okay (Y/n)?" Venti aks in concern, gaining no response from me so he continues. "A frown doesn't suit someone like you. I think that you look most beautiful when you smile." He replies gently before letting go. When I send him an unconvinced look, the male breaths out a sigh before continuing. "I can tell that no amount of reassurance in this case will make it better in your eyes. If it helps, you could make it up to me by joining me on my mission." Venti suggests, my (e/c) irises become lost in his turquoise ones as I desperately try to retain my composure so as not to worry my companions. "So, what do you say?" The male as he gently takes my hand, rubbing small circles on the back of it. While he may not be able to tell what's bothering me, the musician can sense something is wrong and is using the chance to comfort me. The action, however small and seemingly insignificant, is enough to keep them at bay.
"This time was too close a call. I mustn't falter, I can't let this happen again." I warn myself as I collect my thoughts in order to respond.
"I will. Aether, Paimon? Will you join me?" I say with determination while I mentally thank the Archons that my voice betrays none of the inner turmoil I'm trying to quash.
"Of course (Y/n), we're a team after all." The blond replies. As the dark blue eyed girl nods her head eagerly in agreement.
"Where you go, we'll go. Just lead the way!" The female replies as she bounces up and down.
"Excellent. Now that that's settled, we'll be heading to Mondstadt's cathedral." Venti exclaims brightly as he places his hands on his hips.
"The cathedral? What are we going to do there?" The golden eyed male questions the dark haired man curiously.
"Why, to borrow a certain famous Holy Lyre der Himmel of course." He answers. "There is a saying regarding time, if I remember correctly. It was something along the lines of: 'time waits for no one'. The same is true for Dvalin so what are we waiting for? Let's get moving." The bard says as he sets off in the direction of the city once more with the three of us behind him.
~ ☆ ~
"I'm surprised that you can be serious at all." Aether comments as the three of us near the church. The tall building stands rather imposingly at the tallest point of the city.
"Why? First impressions aren't all that a person is cracked up to be. If you can't see the forest for the trees then I'm afraid you're missing out in life." Venti responds rather wisely before beginning a conversation more important to the matter at hand. "The Holy Lyre is one of the most sacred items to the people of Mondstadt. Do you know why that is?" The raven haired male asks our small group.
"Hmm, that name sounds familiar to Paimon but Paimon can't really place it." The pixie answers.
"It seems to me like your memory isn't as great when the topic isn't centred around food." Our golden eyed companion voices, to which the small girl turns her head up in disagreement.
"Of course not, Paimon thinks of many things apart from food." She says with a huff as her stomach begins to grumble.
"Are you certain that isn't the case?" Aether reiterates as he uses her apparent hunger to drive home his point.
"Fine, Paimon does like food a lot. But Paimon also promised that Paimon would do her best to help (Y/n) and Aether on their journey. Never forget that." She answers in a serious manner before turning to me.
"I'm sure that (Y/n) remembers it. She's super duper smart." The dark blue eyed female says with assurance. Fortunately for her, my intellect does not disappoint.
"It's one of the most sacred objects in all of Mondstadt. This particular lyre is the one that Barbatos himself used to play. Naturally with its owner being a god themselves, it would stand to reason that the instrument would have magical powers of it's own." I explain to the group before Venti picks up where I left off.
"Exactly. With such a powerful object at our disposal, there is a chance that my music will be able to reach Dvalin and return him to the gentle being he once was."
"Are you sure this plan will work?" Aether questions the musician skeptically. His reasoning is understandable, calming a dragon with a lullaby does sound like a rather peculiar solution, but nothing within the power of fate is outside the realm of possibility. I've studied it for far too long to believe that something is simply not possible because of how absurd it may sound at first.
"Who knows...but it's worth a shot right? And who else but me would be the best candidate for this task. I don't mean to brag but I believe I would be considered the best bard in all of Teyvat. After all, there is no song I don't know and no tale I won't tell, whether it be from the past, present or future." The turquoise eyed man says before pausing to think about it. "Then again...wait a moment, maybe there are some stories best left untold." He adds as a visible shiver runs down his spine at the thought of whatever story that could possibly be plaguing his mind. While I'm interested in what tale he could be referring to, I decide it's best to leave that line of inquiry for another time as the small fairy speaks up.
"Paimon is pretty certain you were in fact bragging but Paimon agrees that your singing is very good." The white haired girl admits begrudgingly, eyes still narrowed at the musician as the blond and I nod in agreement at her appraisal of Venti's skills with the lyre.
"Hmm? Do you not find me trustworthy?" The bard questions as my two companions observe his visage. "They say the eyes are the window to the soul after all. Do I seem like the type to lie to you?" He finishes as our taller male companion decides to speak.
"Your eyes remind me of the sky in my hometown." The golden eyed male says with a shrug, catching the raven haired man off guard.
"W-well, I certainly didn't expect that kind of response." Venti replies as he laughs it off.
"I do have a question for you though Venti. How exactly do you propose we obtain the Holy Lyre?" I ask as the musician shifts his gaze back towards me.
"That's a good question (Y/n). As far as I'm aware, I believe that it's being kept somewhere deep inside the church. There is no doubt that the place will be heavily guarded." He says.
"Yes, Paimon figured that would be the case. Just get to the point already!" The pixie exclaims as she crosses her arms impatiently.
"Well, first we have to take a look at the place before we can make our plan of action. You are more than welcome to join me." The bard informs us as he opens up one of the large wooden doors leading inside.
The three of us tail the green clad man at a distance as I pay attention to every little detail of the interior. Due to the time of day, the building is rather empty with only a few nuns and some citizens engrossed in the act of prayer. Ahead of us, Venti catches the attention of one of the sisters, a woman with black pigtails and dark blue eyes, as he begins to engage her in conversation. His rather straightforward approach to obtaining the lyre is commendable but I'm highly certain it won't work. The nuns I'm sure would be hard pressed to part with such a sacred item especially to someone without the clearance to do so.
"Hmm, from the looks of it things aren't going too well." Aether pipes up, watching the lady's face twist into one of annoyance.
"That's for sure. Paimon really doesn't envy Venti right now." The white haired girl agrees. Half expecting the turquoise eyed male to give up, I'm surprised at what comes out of his mouth next.
"Well, you leave me with no choice. I cannot hide anymore. My disciples, rejoice! Behind, the God of Anemo, Barbatoshas descended!" The musician cries, puffing out his chest and raising his chin in an effort to look majestically imposing.
"He's absolutely out of his mind." I muse to myself, vaguely registering my companion's words of agreement as I place a hand over my head in embarrassment, praying that Venti will stop with this ridiculousness. Unfortunately for me, my wish is far from granted. "Shocked aren't you? Don't you feel the urge to rejoice? How does it feel to finally meet the god you've been serving?" The raven haired man continues, hammering the final nail into his own metaphorical coffin.
"If there is nothing else, I'm very busy at the moment so I'll be going back to handle the church's paperwork." The dark blue eyed woman informs the bard in a serious tone as she turns to leave.
With that, Venti trudges his way back towards us, feet dragging on the polished stone floor.
"Well, that didn't go exactly as planned." The turquoise eyed male says sheepishly as he rubs the back of his neck. "At the very least, we did learn one thing. The location of the lyre is indeed housed within the church. The next method we can try is getting the person with the highest status here to do the asking. In this case, that would be Aether." He suggests, pointing at the blond.
"I don't see why we wouldn't just ask the Knights of Favonius for assistance. Why exactly do you want to do this on your own?" The taller man questions aloud.
"I have no idea what approach the knights will take, you see." The green clad male begins with a shrug as he places a hand on his hip. "My biggest priority is that Dvalin comes out of this situation alive and well. Besides, moving in a small group is sometimes imperative for important missions, lest they attract the attention of those they would rather have oblivious to their operations." The bard explains. While Jean has made it clear that she would prefer to keep the integrity of the Dragon of the East as is, there is also the possibility that she will change her mind. After all, being a political leader is far from easy. What's more, Venti's reasoning regarding the size of groups is logical, thus I have no reason to oppose it.
"That sounds acceptable. What do you think, Aether?" I say as all eyes turn to our male companion.
"It's worth a shot, if that doesn't work, we can reconvene to come up with another plan." The golden eyed male answers as he and Paimon leave the bard and I alone in search of the raven haired nun.
As soon as they're out of earshot, Venti tugs gently on the frills of my white glove.
"We should move closer. I want to be able to hear what she says." The musician suggests as he looks at me, almost to ask permission.
"That sounds fine with me. I won't lie, I'm also rather intrigued to see how this interaction will play out." I respond which causes a smile to grow on the dark haired man's face. From there, the two of us slowly walk closer to the back of the cathedral, being careful to stay out of sight. Eventually when we get close enough to hear them, the male and I sit down in one of the church pews to wait.
"Ahh, it's you. I'm sister Gotelinde, a nun working at the church. You must be the newcomer of the Knights of Favonius and his companion. Did the acting Grandmaster send you here?" The female asks the blond.
"Yes, we were sent here by the knights to borrow the Holy Lyre." Aether explains leaving little to indicate the fact that he's lying. My eyes shift from the man and small girl to look at my surroundings. In the centre sits a small pedestal with ornate carvings painted around it in gold. From this angle I can see the edge of what at first appears to be a stationary wall, askew. It seems I've located a possible path to our objective. I'm broken out of my reverie as the dark blue eyed woman continues her conversation.
"Is that so?" She questions in surprise. "It's not that I don't trust you, but this rather suspicious bard was also looking for the Holy Lyre. The man even called himself Barbatos which is absolute blasphemy. Gotelinde says, sounding more and more agitated as she continues. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be dragging you into my troubles." The dark haired female apologizes before taking a deep breath to calm down. "Regardless, you will need to provide official documents signed by the Grandmaster, Seneschal and Community Representative in order to obtain the lyre." The nun explains as she raises her hand in preparation for said documents. "I'm sure you understand. Now, may I please see them?" She requests.
In response to her question, the golden eyed man looks apologetically her way as he informs Gotelinde about the misplaced documents. What follows is a much more polite dismissal as the raven haired female leaves the scene through a side door. Not a moment later, our two companions enter the pew we're sitting in to discuss what to do next.
"Darn, we couldn't get it either." The white haired pixie complains as she kicks her feet childishly against the bench in front of us while the blond quietly scolds her for her actions.
"Well, I can't say I'm surprised." I begin which causes all three sets of eyes to look my way. "I'm afraid we have not been in Mondstadt long enough for your reputation alone to grant exclusive access to a divine object. With more time and effort I'm sure that will change." I explain as the two reluctant nod in agreement.
"What you say is true, but we don't have that kind of time. Dvalin, the people themselves, everyone needs a resolution to this issue as soon as possible." Aether replies, his voice full of emotion. Venti who has been rather quiet for a while takes his turn to speak.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures. We'll simply have to steal it." The bard suggests confidently.
"What?!?" Paimon shrieks in surprise, catching the unwanted attention of the people around us.
"Sorry everyone, our friend here just heard that her favourite shop sold out of their most popular sweets. Don't pay it any mind." The turquoise eyed male says quickly to the churchgoers. His explanation seems to be enough for them because they return to their prayers.
"Paimon is not a criminal. Neither is Aether or (Y/n). Paimon refuses." The small girl whispers defiantly at the man.
"I would also prefer to not steal anything." The golden eyed male informs the bard. While I understand where they're coming from, the musician is right. We simply don't have any other options now except for contacting the Acting Grandmaster. Since Venti had already made his stance on that pretty clear, that only leaves us with this.
"Given the situation, I agree with Venti. For what it's worth, sometimes you have to do unsavoury things for the greater good. When you weigh this against the fate of a nation, petty theft becomes nothing more than child's play." I explain. While my two companions don't look entirely convinced, both reluctantly agree.
"While you two were talking to that nun, I noticed the presence of a hidden door just behind that pedestal." I say as I point with my (d/h) towards the object. 'From the looks of it, there should be some sort of mechanism that allows it to open up in order to let people go through. We'll need more than just a second to figure out how to open it though." I finish as my companions take the time to mull over this new information.
"The best time to do it would be at night. The guards are likely to be less active then." The raven haired bard suggests. In the end we settle on returning at six o'clock in the evening when most people will be eating dinner. The chances of any guards expecting theft at that time of day is less likely.
As the three of us begin to leave the cathedral Aether decides to ask the turquoise eyed male a question of his own.
"About what you were saying earlier Venti...are you really Barbatos?" The blond asks slowly. Said musician looks awkwardly at the golden eyed man as he answers his query.
"Ah yes...it seems I did mention that. Though, what does it matter if I am?" He says, getting more confident by the second.
"If you're a god then we can't just abandon you." The taller male replies, catching the other's interest.
"I'm not sure if that counts as a compliment or blatant disrespect. Regardless, why exactly does my possible godhood matter to you." The Venti says in a curious manner. At this point I figure that it's my turn to jump in.
"We'll fill you in on the details at a more appropriate time. Regardless, even if you are not a divine being we will still help Dvalin." I explain straightforwardly. While the man's connection with the dragon is somewhat suspicious, I doubt that a god would reveal their identity so easily to just anyone, especially for such a simple reason as this one. At my answer the raven haired male seems to notably relax before opening his mouth once more to speak.
"Okay then, that makes me feel at least somewhat better. I'll wait for you to tell me your story when the time comes. You've got me quite intrigued." He says, striding forward with a spring in his step.
"Here is where we part ways, I have some other things that need attending to. A bard needs to make his mora somehow right?" The turquoise eyed male declares as he pulls out his wooden lyre and begins to gently pluck the strings.
"What sort of things do you spend your mora on?" Aether asks the raven haired musician curiously.
"Hmm..." Venti begins, giving the question quite a deal of thought before he comes up with his response. "Food, wine and more wine." He answers brightly, in contrast to the shocked expression on both of my companion's faces.
"Paimon doesn't think that that sounds healthy at all." The pixie says, voicing her concerns aloud as she sends the male a worried glance.
"How much liquor are we talking about exactly?" The golden eyed man asks rather lightheartedly, trying to keep the conversation grounded in some sense of normalcy. If he saw how many goblets the bard downed the other day, he likely would be very concerned right now.
"A modest amount." The raven haired male replies, failing to reveal the severity of his alcohol intake as I send him a rather intimidating unimpressed stare.
"Alright, alright (Y/n). You can calm down." Venti pleads as he hides behind Aether like a child who doesn't want to face the disapproval of their mother. This catches both the dark blue eyed fairy and blond traveller by surprise.
"He means that he drinks a lot. The other day you had 40 glasses, Venti. I'm surprised you didn't pass out drunk much earlier." I reveal with a sigh as my companions let out a gasp in horror.
"W-what. Are you even human err...right...potentially a god? But still..." Aether questions the musician, aghast.
"Maybe I'm just Venti the bard." The teal eyed man responds unconcerned as he turns away from us. "As much as I'd love to continue this conversation, I really must be going now. I'll see you three later." He says as he leaves our small group behind.
~ ☆ ~
When six o'clock arrives, Aether, Paimon and I make our way towards the cathedral once more. During our wait, the three of us busied ourselves with commissions before having a quick bite to eat. Within that timeframe I decided to wear my black cloak for this operation. A sense of foreboding lies ahead but I chalk it up to nothing more than nerves. My change in attire raised questions from my two companions but I had brushed it off earlier as unimportant and simply precautionary. As the large double doors come into view, we spot the green clad bard waving us over rather enthusiastically.
"Welcome (Y/n), Aether, Paimon. Are you ready to begin?" Venti asks.
"We are. I am guessing you won't be joining us then?" I reply which causes confusion for both of my companions.
"Wait, why aren't you coming with us this time? I thought this was supposed to be a group effort." Aether questions the teal eyed man with an unimpressed look on his face.
"Exactly, Paimon is getting tired of us having to play the role of errand runner for everyone else." The pixie adds, none too thrilled at the thought of our group being left to do the dirty work.
"I would also like to hear your reasoning as well. You do owe us a proper explanation, Venti. We are putting our own livelihood at risk in the event that we are caught. The least you can do is answer." I say firmly, making my stance on the subject clear.
The raven haired musician sends us a nod in understanding as he opens his mouth to speak.
"That nun, Gotelinde, is already suspicious of me. In the event that I were to get caught, I would most certainly face a lifetime in jail for crimes of blasphemy, maybe even branded a traitor. You on the other hand would be more likely to get out of trouble without too many repercussions." The bard explains. Unfortunately for him, both Aether and Paimon don't seem too sympathetic to his answer.
"That may be true but what about (Y/n) huh? She wasn't granted the title of Honorary Knight like me, but she's still going in with us. What makes her any different from you?" The blond replies defensively as Venti steals a glance at me, teal eyes meeting (e/c) hues. The dark haired man looks rather conflicted as the two of us share a silent conversation. With a final nod, the musician replies.
"I understand your concern but I trust that (Y/n) can look after herself." He begins. When that doesn't change their facial expressions he continues to share his viewpoint. "Call it intuition or whatever you'd like. Just... don't underestimate her, okay?" Venti requests. The man's final words seem to satisfy the feelings of unrest as the tension hanging over the group begins to ease up.
With the matter of who will participate solved, The green clad male wishes us good luck as we enter the cathedral. This time, the place looks empty. The room around is well lit as the fading light from outside refracts from the expertly cut edges of the stained glass windows. My focus then shifts to the task at hand as the two of us near the hidden door.
"How do you think we are supposed to open it?" Paimon questions as she floats beside us while surveying the pedestal.
"Hmm, maybe we could try rotating it." The blond suggests as he tries to turn the object clockwise before reversing in the opposite direction. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the right move because it refuses to budge.
"This plinth seems like it would normally hold something of importance. That sort of thing would apply pressure to the object. I think it would be rather clever if something approximately the size and weight of the Holy Lyre der Himmel were the key to activating the mechanism inside. It's worth a shot." I say aloud as (f/e) particles condense at my fingertips as I focus my mind on the image of the lyre from history books, pulling its shape, strings and curves from my memory in hopes of creating a carbon copy. It's a rather advanced technique that only highly trained vision users are able to perform. Making elemental energy solid and tangible especially if it's not the power of geo takes a lot of time, concentration and practice. The larger your elemental creation and the longer you keep it manifested, the more focus and power is required to maintain it. Before my eyes, the (f/e) particles have melded themselves into a perfect copy of the real thing, save for the (f/e/c) hue.
"Wow, that's amazing (Y/n)! Can you teach me how to do that sometime?" The blond requests as his golden eyes swim with wonder as Paimon nods in agreement.
"Of course, I want to see you succeed after all." I begin as my words begin to drift into elemental training. "The potential of elemental abilities is almost limitless, bound by the barriers of the welder's creativity as well as the heavenly principles themselves. I find it rather fascinating." I reply, placing the lyre gently onto the pedestal. This method proves effective as whatever internal mechanism behind it causes the wall to turn. When it finally stops, there is a space large enough for a person to comfortably go through. As soon as the doors had opened, I let the (f/e) energy dissipate into the air around us.
"Well, that's step one complete. Still, let's proceed with caution. We have no idea what trials lay ahead but expect there to be guards on patrol." Our male companion suggests.
"Paimon can agree with that." The dark blue eyed fairy agrees as the three of us descend the spiral staircase.
When we come out at the bottom, we're met with a large room filled to the brim with desks as well as shelves upon shelves of religious texts. Weaving in and among them are the guards as they continue their patrol routes. Our group spends some time watching the Favonian knights for a while in order to study their movements.
"It seems the guards are patrolling alone and don't deviate too far from their routes either. Rather convenient indeed. If we time our movements properly, we can get past them easily without being detected." I whisper. In return, Aether and Paimon send me a thumbs up in reply as I gesture for the blond male and white haired female to follow me. From there, our mission becomes a periodic waiting game. Watch the closest guards for a bit as we plan our next moves. After that we must wait for them to turn away from us before making our way to the next safe spot. Slowly but surely we get closer and closer to the other end of the room. Just as we reach the last hiding spot before the small alcove where the Holy Lyre is being kept, my knee accidentally hits the desk, alerting the nearest guard.
"Hmm? What was that?" The knight asks as he comes closer to try to discover the source of the noise. My heartbeat begins to pick up, body tensing as I try my best to stay calm. Beside me, my companions send worried glances in the direction of the guard as they desperately hope that we don't get caught. Quickly, my eyes flit around the area looking for something, anything that I can use to my advantage in order to get us out of this dangerous situation. Zeroing in on a small stone beside me, I pick it up before throwing it in the opposite direction from us. Hearing another noise, the knight coming our way pauses and turns around to check where the new sound came from. Mentally, I breathe a sigh of relief as the muscles in my shoulders begin to loosen. Despite the immediate danger being diverted for the time being, it's best that we don't stay in one place lest we become discovered. With his back to us, I motion for the duo to follow me as we slip into the other room.
Finally, with the Lyre in sight the golden eyed man reaches his hand out to take the holy object before it is promptly snatched out of his hands. The smell of mist grass fills the air as an electro cicin mage, iconic fatui mask and purple outfit with eared hood and all, lets out a soft chuckle before placing a finger over top of her mouth to keep us quiet. While Aether attempts to free the instrument from her hands, she whirls around, passing mere centimeters away from me. Time seems to slow down as the words this mid ranking fatui soldier say make my heart drop into the depths of an empty abyss.
"Hello Miss (Y/n). Her Majesty, The Tsaritsa commands you to report to Zapolyarny Palace. You would do best not to disappoint her." She whispers into my ear before disappearing in a flash of violet light.
~ ~ ~
(Any new theories you have after this unexpected turn? Let me know in the comments.)
Word Count: 8405
Song name: (no current song, if you have any ideas feel free to recommend one here)
Art:
Venti : Artist, jjw1029 on Danbooru.
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~Foxfire-chan