Ahlstarr's POV
Sigh. I fucking knew it it would've ended like this. It's my fault, I should've been more stubborn and force her to take at least a break. I hold a fighting stance and focus only on Harmonia. I used to train with her all the time, but she always held back. It won't happen this time, she will be coming with the intensions to harm me, and if I don't focus, I'm gonna end up with my ass up in the air.
I also stay silent 'cause the sound of my own voice can be distracting, also 'cause Harmonia seems to be fighting to have her own body back. A sudden noise could trigger the beast.
And of course the mortals have to do it! They couldn't read the air, commanding themselves to be still like before a predator. Nope, they had to be the dumb prey! I move fast and intercept milady's attack, blocking it with my spear. I am the only thing that separate those idiots from certain death, and for how much I would love it, I know my lady won't. I have to buy time for her to regain her sanity.
"Milady, killing them will alter the balance of the lands!" I shout trying to make my voice go through the thick black mist that surely is clouding her mind. "We're not here to fix something broken, just passing by, remember? After helped that stupid bard we'll be back to sleep!"
My arms tremble, I hear the metallic sound of my weapon as both of us slowly are losing the hold. I know I am no match for her raw power, but I won't call Izel either, I have pride for fuck's sake.
I don't want to hurt her! I close my eyes, my jaws are so tight I can feel my sharp teeth penetrating the gums. "Think about Barbatos! He'll be devasted if he sees you like this! Until the end let him live the lie you created for him!" as soon as my knee hit the snow though, the abnormal pressure disappears. I quickly reopen my eyes and see Harmonia with her hands on her hair, shaking her head like to shoo intrusive thoughts. "It's ok Milady, I'm here for you!" I rush to her side to hug her. Her body is so hot to the touch, her hard panting easily passes through my layers of clothes....
"B-Barbatos is in d-danger...." she speaks with a hoarse voice. "I h-have to h-help..."
"He has Aether by his side, Milady. He's a god also, he's utterly stupid but he knows what to do in a battlefield if he won the Archon title." I rest my lips on her hair, rocking her to soothe her pain. I cannot even imagine how painful it must be, how terrifying must be.... And all I can do is this, offer my life to make it easier. "Please trust my judgement." I manage to make her lay down, making sure some snow is on top of her to lower her body temperature.
I can only use the fire element, I'm not like the others who mastered two elements. This is the only thing I can do that helps. I sulk as I sit on my knees, my spear right next to me. I'll wait for her to recover at least to go back in town. A crunchy noise makes me turn my head, but not in an alarming way. Oh right, these bastards are still here.
"Oi." I make snowballs and successfully headshot each one of them with disgust in my voice and face both. "Get the hint already. Leave this fuckin' place and don't cross my path again." they move so quickly they end running on place before actually going forward and disappearing from my sight. "Dumb shits."
"Do you mind.... if I take a quick nap....?" she inquires although her eyes are already closed and her mind is drifting to dreamland.
"Sleep tight, I'll watch over you." I smile to her as I adjust my position so one leg can be her pillow, the other can be her shield. The moment I see her breathing falling to a slower and deeper pattern, I raise my spear and my guard, so every single movement is seen. Even the snowflakes brushing the ground, nothing will pass me by, not even wind itself.
As I am left with myself in utter silence, my mind races. It travels from a distant past to a possible future.... It passed so much time but I still vividly remember how my ass was kicked without even realizing what happened because I tried to harm Harmonia. I hated her for long, yet she never moved that stretched hand, she never looked at me like the rest of my world. She just saw.... me. No half-blood, no monster, no phantom of a myth, just Ahlstarr. Even so, I still hated her.
But when I saw she personally accompanied Arius to my rescue, there I vowed my loyalty to her. Sure, the few rules sucked, and still do, but I got used to it once I understood the reasons behind them. I settled down to her neutral life, despite not being my thing, but I did it because I'm loyal to her and I owe her my existence.
But if I have to be honest man, I love when she goes rampage! Planning from the shadows, manipulating, straight killing, such a goddess of war, so perfect to the point of knowing no defeat!
...
And now, the same person I once thought was invincible, is collapsing... It makes my heart cry so loud when I see her like this, when she hides her daily pain like it's a piece of cake.... This black shit is starting to win, corrupting her mind, her soul, her body....
"Maybe one of us should stay...?" I murmur with myself as I look back at Mondstadt. "In case there's an antidote, a cure or something to slow it down in this world."
They could accompany Aether in his journey and be also his trump card if things go to shit when he'll meet the gods. This way Milady should feel more releaved going back to sleep- Yeah this could be a really good plan, I should talk about it to Izel.
"I hope that broke bitch of a bard has a hard time with his dragon. I'll enjoy his pain and Milady has the time to properly rest." I evilly laugh when I think about that idiot being dragged around like the little shit that he is.
It brings me such joy, boy I can't wait to hear what happened.
---
Venti's POV
-Stormterror's Lair-
I tried my best to ignore it, but since I broke the barrier that sealed this place, I sense something is really off. I don't know how to identify it, but it triggers something within me and I cannot ignore it.
But first, we need to make our way inside the tower. Therefore I lead and my knights are skillful enough to not need my protection at all. Actually, it's the other way around, I'm not as focused as they are, so it happens often that they shield me from an attack that I don't see. They get pissed at my giggles, but I'm grateful they still guard me despite I'm a god.
Although my happiness, the closer I go to the tower, the creepier it gets for me only. I keep seeing odd, pulsating black veins all around it and I don't like it one bit. I also hate the fact that my brain won't make me remember why do I feel this way... Is it instinct?
"Now what?" Master Diluc inquires once we reach the entrance of the domain where Dvalin hides, but it's locked so we need to find how to unlock it.
"Let's look around for clues!" Paimon suggests, but I jump in with a more precise instruction.
"Just don't touch the dark stuff!" I also throw a giggle to not put too much pressure on them. Even why they ask me why, the only thing I can tell them is: "Just trust the words of your god."
I wonder why do I feel so anxious? What memory did I lock so deep to not even recall this feeling? I ask myself as I keep looking around to try and find the source of that black thing. Every cell in my body is screaming to not touch that thing, don't go near it either.... Why I don't remember?
"Um.... Tonedeaf bard?" Paimon's usual squeaky voice is now coated with confusion and a hint of fear, so I move my head to have her and the Traveller in my sigh, and I see a ruin guard activating.
"!?" nobody moved to aid the Traveller, we all know his skills are more than enough to solo that enemy, but something takes us all off guard, the outsider included.
The guard moves too quickly to be labeled as normal, and when we see it gaping the Traveller's guard and yeeting his sword away, Diluc and Jean quickly run to his aid.
"What in the world...?" I though stay back for a moment to inspect the sword. It has the marks of the guard's mechanical hand engraved on the blade with black strips. I follow my instinct and curiosity and slighlty kick it to make it slide over the black, pulsating vein. When I see it consume the steel, my blood immediately runs cold at the sight. The Black Rot! My body responds to the ancient trauma.
I immediately use my powers to first lift the ruin guard from the ground, with stronger currents I dismantle it and launch it somewhere farer from my friends. I can hear it crush and falling to the ground in pieces and I after that I find myself panting and sweating.
"Lord B-Barbatos?" I see Jean and the others quite shocked.
Oh.... Just now I realize I showed a side of me I shouldn't have, now the humans are intimidated and confused. Now I understand. I was so anxious because my very core remembered the horrors I witnessed long ago when Discordia descended and brought this... curse. I force a smile to reassure them and silently apologize for the sight. "Don't touch the black veins, you'll die. The guard was infected by it, that's the reason why I interferred, I'm sorry."
"The guard had the key for the domain though." Master Diluc's words unlocks another piece of the puzzle in my mind. "Oi, why are you so pale all of the sudden? What did we miss?"
If the veins go deep into this place and Dvalin stayed here, that means that he's being corrupted too!! I panic and make way myself to my friend. "I will force it open, bear yourselves, brave ones. The fight ahead of us will be difficult. The rule stays the same: avoid the black veins at all costs, but we need to save Dvalin right now!"
My wind literally shatters the seal and opens a door for us to go inside and complete our mission. Of course I go in at last, making sure nothing else goes inside after me; shutting close a domain is a risky move, but I'll take that bet. I cannot let the Black Rot expanding in my lands, it'll remain here and I'll bury it so nobody else will find it and risk a catastrophe like the one I witnessed.
I am coming to heal you Dvalin, please hang tight for bit more!