Chapter 3: A Day With the Winds

Summary: Venti takes Barbara to meet the other Winds that help keep Mondstadt safe when he is away.

Barbara was currently walking with Venti towards Starsnatch Cliff. The bard had been wanting to introduce her to the other Winds for a while now, especially Dvalin, who, like the Nameless Bard, was another dear friend of his. Given that he had no actual family, the blonde was excited to meet those who shared a history with him. However, as they got closer towards the cliff, her nerves started to get the best of her.

"Venti, are you sure it's okay that I didn't bring anything? I feel it's rude of me not to bring a gift for Storm- I mean, Dvalin."

"It's not like you're meeting another Archon, Barbara," the bard chuckled. "Don't worry, Dvalin won't mind. Besides, he's a dragon! I don't think there's anything in Mondstadt you could offer him as a gift."

"I suppose that's true…" She came to a halt, her gaze lowering towards the ground. "...What if he doesn't like me? If the other Winds don't approve of me, what then? I know you said Archons don't have families, but it feels like I'm meeting yours for the first time. I want to be hopeful, but I've been so nervous ever since we stepped outside of Mondstadt's walls that I can't help but imagine the worst cases..."

"Barbara…" The bard sighed, giving her a pitiful smile.

She heard his shoes crunch against the grass as he walked up to her, and felt him gently tilt her head up by her chin so their eyes could meet. He didn't say anything for a brief moment, but she saw a gentle smile form on his lips as he began to speak.

"Oh, my sweet, darling Deaconess… You worry too much! Does one need approval from others to love? Dvalin is a kind soul. I have known him for a long time. Once he sees the charming, wonderful soul that you are, he'll understand why I'm so fond of you." He stepped away, taking hold of her hand firmly as he continued to walk towards the cliff. "I'm sure Vennessa will like you too. As for Andrius…Well, he might be a bit harder to please, but that wolf has always been a bit of a stick in the mud."

Barbara giggled, feeling less nervous than she did before. He always did know how to make her feel at ease.

"Even if they don't approve, I've already made up my mind. I could spend years roaming Teyvat, searching for what people refer to as 'their other half, but they wouldn't be you, Barbara. If I hadn't met you I'd… well, I'd probably be sleeping right now! Just going through the same routine as always. Checking up on Mondstadt, having a drink at Angel's Share..."

"How is that different from now?" Barbara asked.

He proudly placed a hand against his chest. "Well, you see, my darling Deaconess, I have acquired new hobbies as of late! They include, but aren't limited to: checking up on my darling Deaconess; speaking to said darling Deaconess every day; making her smile or laugh at least three times per day, which is not as easy as it sounds, you know! Holding her; embracing her; teasing her...Oh, and a new favorite of mine!" She saw his emerald eyes sparkle with excitement.

"Twirling!"

The idol tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Twirling…?"

She immediately regretted asking as she felt him lift her by her waist and began spinning her around. The blonde begged for him to stop, but he only giggled as he always did, a happy grin on his face. Barbara eventually surrendered and found herself laughing alongside him. He placed her gently back on the ground once he had his fill however, his hands were still holding onto her waist.

"Venti...?"

She saw him lean forward, gently resting his forehead against hers. He was staring at her with such a loving, gentle gaze that the blonde could feel her heart doing flip flops in her chest. Her cheeks suddenly felt hot, and the idol found herself having a hard time maintaining eye contact.

"I hope to add other hobbies to my routine if you'll allow me," he said, his tone soft.

Barbara knew exactly what the bard was referring to. Although he tried his best to hide it, the blonde noticed the way he would gaze towards her lips whenever they were alone. His curiosity was obvious, but he refrained from talking about it as he wanted to respect her wishes of taking things slow, which Barbara appreciated. And to be fair, the idol thought about it too. She just wanted certain moments to happen at the right time. After all, first kisses were something that you could never re-experience once you had them.

"I...I will. I'm just not ready yet," she replied, her tone apologetic.

"You don't have to apologize. I think it's beautiful that you want to wait. Even if those things never happen, I'm content with just being with you," he said, flashing her a gentle smile.

"Venti…"

"Kind of got side-tracked for a moment there, haha. Wouldn't want to waste daylight!" He quickly hurried over to the edge of the cliff. Upon reaching it, he took out his lyre and looked back at her.

"Ready?"

"N-Not really, but it's either now or never, right?"

Venti began to play a gentle melody that seemed to flow with the wind, spreading throughout the land. Almost immediately, Barbara felt a change in the breeze. She had to hold down her hat to prevent it from being blown away. There was a loud cry in the distance and upon turning her blue eyes towards the sky, she could see a giant creature heading in their direction. The blonde took a step back, feeling frightened. She felt Venti take hold of her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Barbara looked to Venti and took a slow, deep breath to calm herself down.

When Dvalin approached the two, he immediately came to a stop, keeping his distance once he took notice of Barbara.

"Who is this, Barbatos? She does not resemble the group that accompanied you in saving me," Dvalin spoke.

"It's okay, Dvalin. This is Barbara, the Deaconess of Favonius Church. She's Jean's younger sister. You don't have to be wary of her. She won't hurt you," Venti assured him in a gentle tone.

"Y-You can speak to dragons!?" Barbara asked, looking at the bard in surprise.

"Heh, I did say we go a long way back. Dvalin used to be a part of the Four Winds, after all. Even before I created the Four Winds, we would always fly the skies together." He reached out a hand towards the dragon, and Barbara saw Dvalin respond by moving his nose close to the bard's palm. "It's good to see you again, my dear friend. I hope you have been enjoying your days of freedom."

The blonde watched as Venti gently stroked the dragon's snout, a warm look radiating in his emerald eyes. She heard Dvalin softly roar at the affection. If he were a cat, one might say he was purring. Even though Barbara had never met the dragon directly before, she could tell that the two shared a close bond.

"Would you like to touch him?" Venti asked, turning his attention towards her.

"E-Eh!? I...I-It's okay. I wouldn't want to make him uncomfortable…"

She suddenly felt the bard grab her by the wrist and pull her over towards the dragon.

"Come on, don't be shy! The whole point of this day is for you two to get better acquainted!"

"V-Venti, stop! I already said I don't want to…!"

As if sensing her fear, Dvalin let out a roar, immediately bringing them to a halt. The flapping of his wings got faster and he was suddenly on high alert.

"D-Dvalin, calm down. It's okay! She's just scared. You don't have to be afraid."

Venti tried to soothe the dragon's tension, but he simply let out a roar again. If he was communicating, Barbara couldn't understand him.

"Dvalin…" A sadness reflected in Venti's eyes and Barbara couldn't help but feel bad. "Maybe this was a mistake after all. He'll probably calm down once you leave. I'll stay with him in the meantime. I'll catch up with you later, Barbara."

"Venti…" The blonde felt guilty for showing so much aversion towards his friend. Could you blame her? All of this was a completely brand new world to her. How often does one meet a giant dragon up close? Still, she remembered what Venti told her about Dvalin believing that the people of Mondstadt turned their backs on him and how such thoughts caused him pain when he was afflicted with the poison of Durin.

The blonde closed her eyes, clasping her hands together. She tried to remember the song Venti frequently played in the city. He had told her once that out of all the ballads he had composed, this one was Dvalin's favorite. When she remembered the melody, the idol began to sing it. Suddenly, she no longer heard roars nor the sound of Dvalin's wings flapping frantically. However, she continued singing until she reached the last note. When Barbara opened her eyes, she looked directly at Dvalin and saw him move his head close towards her. The blonde wasn't sure what to do at first, but then she slowly extended her hand towards his nose and gently rested her palm against it. She heard the dragon let out a gentle cry in response and Barbara couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sorry for being so tense around you. What do you say we start over?"

She felt him nuzzle his snout against her cheek, the sensation causing her to giggle.

"Well, would you look at that? You two were so hesitant around each other a short moment ago, but now you're getting along as if you've known each other for decades! You wouldn't be trying to steal Barbara away from me, would you, Dvalin? Or maybe...it's Barbara who's trying to steal you from me!" He covered his mouth with his hand as he let out a dramatic gasp. "Could you two possibly be...in cahoots!? How could you two betray me like this!? After all that we've been through together!"

"W-What!? I- Venti, we only just met! There's no way that we could be in...cahoots..." The blonde replied, feeling flustered by the bard's implications.

She heard him bust out laughing and then Dvalin let out a roar, shutting the bard up immediately.

"Barbara knows I'm only teasing her, Dvalin. At least, I would hope so. Yet she still manages to fall victim to my ways. The darling Deaconess makes the most charming expressions. It's hard for me to resist, ehe!~"

"You are just…!" The idol folded her arms against her chest, turning her head away from the bard as she puffed out her cheeks in anger. "Hmph!"

As if trying to cheer her up, Barbara felt Dvalin gently lean his snout against her. She turned towards the dragon, a warm smile on her face as she petted him.

"I'm okay, Dvalin. At least I know you're on my side. Though, I wish I could understand you the way Venti does…"

"I think I may be able to help with that!" She heard Venti walk over to them. "Though before I can do that, I'm going to need you to get on Dvalin's back."

"H-His back?! I...O-On second thought, I changed my mind..."

"Don't be afraid. It'll be fun, trust me. Dvalin and I will make sure nothing bad happens. Right, Dvalin?"

The dragon let out a roar in response.

"Well… If there are no other options, then I suppose I can-"

"Great! Hold on tight!"

The bard picked her up in a princess carry and used his Anemo powers to jump up high so that they could reach the dragon's back. The sudden action made Barbara feel as if she lost a few years of her lifespan. Her poor heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest.

"All right, Dvalin, let's go! Be sure to hold on tight, Barbara. Riding a dragon is a lot different than using a glider."

Before Barbara could respond, she felt Dvalin start flying. The blonde quickly held onto the dragon's back for dear life and shut her eyes tight as she heard the wind rustle around them.

Beside her, she could hear Venti laughing without a care in the world.

"Why are your eyes closed? You're missing the view!"

"I...I can live without it!" Barbara replied.

She heard Venti move towards her and felt him sit behind her to where her back met his chest. The blonde still couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, but upon feeling the gentle sensation of his hands enveloping hers, she slowly opened them and turned her head towards him. The bard greeted her with a gentle smile.

"There's no need to be afraid. I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Not many people get the experience of riding a dragon. This will be something you'll remember for a lifetime. I used to fly with Dvalin like this many years ago. This day is special to me. Not only because I get to be with Dvalin again, but also because you're here. I get to share this moment with you."

"Venti…"

"So, what do you say, my darling Deaconess? Will you share this moment with me?"

Barbara took a slow, deep breath and nodded to him. When she gathered the courage, she turned her gaze towards the view around them. Her blue eyes widened as she admired the greenery below. Everything looked so small from a high altitude. This was a much different experience than flying with a glider.

"Still feeling scared?" Venti asked.

"No, I'm okay. I'm glad I decided to come." She turned her head towards him and flashed him a warm smile. "Thank you, Venti."

The bard smiled back at her, a fond look reflecting in his emerald eyes.

"I am glad to see you are enjoying yourself, Barbara," a different male voice said.

The voice that spoke was unfamiliar to the idol and she looked around to see if there was someone else with them, but there was no one aside from herself, Venti, and Dvalin.

"Am I hearing things...? I thought I heard a voice just now…"

"You did! That was Dvalin's voice. I'm using my Anemo powers to help you understand him. Unfortunately, my powers aren't fully recovered, so I may not be able to keep this up for very long," Venti replied.

"Doing this isn't causing you pain, is it?" Barbara asked, worried.

"I'll be okay, don't worry. I'll just feel a bit tired afterward, that's all."

"Something of this scale shouldn't be a problem for Barbatos. It's the least he can do given that he hardly does any real work," Dvalin replied.

"Hey, I help around Mondstadt sometimes! I don't always fool around. Right, Barbara?"

"Umm…" the blonde wasn't sure how to respond. "I know you have Mondstadt's best interests at heart…?"

Dvalin let out a loud laugh in response to the blonde's comment and Venti puffed up his cheeks like a child's when you don't take their side. Barbara tried her best to cheer her boyfriend up, but he only gave a hard time by ignoring her and giving her the silent treatment. It didn't last long though as when the idol looked like she was about to cry, the bard immediately assured her that he didn't take her comment personally.

After spending half the day flying all over Mondstadt, Dvalin landed near Starfell Lake to take a rest. Venti helped Barbara down from the dragon's back and the two musicians went off to gather some apples to eat as a snack. When they returned to Dvalin, they sat down next to him on the grass. The bard fed a couple of apples to his dear friend and then offered one to Barbara after making sure it was properly cleaned. The two gazed out towards the city as they enjoyed their apples underneath the peaceful breeze.

"Are you feeling okay, Venti?" Barbara asked, turning her attention towards him.

"A little tired, but I'll be all right. After all, I have the best medicine anyone could ask for right here," he replied, giving her a playful wink.

"Oh, you…" A faint blush stained the blonde's cheeks and she got up, patting the dirt off from her dress before she walked off.

"Did I say something wrong again?" Venti wondered as he rested his arms behind his head.

"I see your fondness for tormenting others hasn't changed, Barbatos," Dvalin commented.

"Torment is a bit much, don't you think?" The bard let out a satisfied hum as he gazed up towards the sky, his hair swaying gently in the wind. "Well, maybe tend to go a little overboard when it comes to Barbara." He gazed over at the blonde, who was standing off in the distance, looking out towards the city. "I do love her after all."

"Barbatos in love? I honestly never fathomed you as the sort to settle down, with a human no less."

"…Yeah. I never imagined it either. Especially after…" He stopped, his emerald eyes reflecting a painful sadness. The bard pressed his lips tightly together as he lowered his head, his bangs falling over his eyes. "…Do you think he would've found love too?"

"I cannot say. I never had the pleasure of meeting him. I only know the things you told me from your ballads. But I'm sure if he were to see you now, he would be happy for you, as am I," Dvalin replied.

Venti turned his head towards the dragon, surprised by his words. "Dvalin…"

"Go to her, Barbatos. Don't let this old dragon hinder you."

The bard arose from the ground. "You could never be a burden, my dear friend."

Venti hugged the dragon's snout affectionately before making his way over to Barbara, who was gazing out towards Mondstadt. He stopped briefly, admiring how her blonde hair moved through the wind, and how light from the sun illuminated her petite figure as her blue eyes gazed off into the distance. He still couldn't fathom that such a beautiful, kind-hearted girl was his and that he was hers. Well, they were only just boyfriend and girlfriend, but Venti could see starting a life with her. The idea of an Archon settling down felt like something out of a fairytale, but Barbara was the happy ending that Venti thought never existed.

He saw Barbara turn her head towards him upon hearing his shoes crunch against the grass. As she greeted him with a loving smile, Venti brought a hand towards her cheek, earning a surprised look from the blonde. He wanted to kiss her. But he knew if he forced his lips against hers, he would essentially be breaking his promise to her.

"Venti?"

He felt her gently place a hand against his cheek, her blue eyes looking at him with genuine concern. The bard must've been in some sort of daze without realizing it. He took both of her hands in his own, making sure to hold them firmly as he gazed deep into her eyes.

"I love you, Barbara."

"Venti…"

He saw blush stain her cheeks as she timidly looked away from him, not sure how to respond to his sudden declaration.

"I mean it. This isn't me trying to tease you or fool around. Please, believe me…"

It wasn't that he didn't believe she loved him. Venti was sure Barbara cared about him as much as he cared about her. At least, that's what he believed. But the bard wanted to hear her say it. He wanted that confirmation.

"I-I believe you," Barbara replied, trying her best to look at him. "I… I love you too. I'm not just saying that because you're Lord Barbatos. I do love you, Venti. When I feel troubled or unsure, you always bring me at ease. You can be rather playful sometimes, but I know that's just your way of showing how much you care." He saw her turn her head away from him. Her body was trembling slightly, like when someone is trying to hold back from crying. Venti released her hands for a moment and grabbed her by the sides of her face to make the blonde look at him. His emerald eyes widened in shock when he saw tears stream down her face.

"Sorry…" Barbara sniffed. "I didn't want you to see me like this. Idols are supposed to smile, not cry. How embarrassing."

Venti gently wiped each wet streak from the blonde's face with his thumb.

"There's nothing wrong with expressing how you feel. Crying is something that makes us real."

"Venti…"

He placed a gentle peck on top of her head before holding her close in a warm embrace. Venti felt her arms wrap around him as he held her. He felt something nudge him in his back and turned around to see Dvalin. He chuckled as he released the blonde.

"I guess Dvalin doesn't want to be left out."

Barbara giggled. "We should include him too."

The dragon lowered his head, allowing the two musicians to hug his snout. The three stayed like that until it was time to move on.

Dvalin dropped the musicians off at the entrance of Wolvendom before he departed. Venti started to make his way into the forest and Barbara was about to follow after him, but stopped when she heard Dvalin let out a roar. She turned her attention towards the dragon.

"Dvalin, what's wrong?"

The dragon simply roared again. It seemed like he was trying to tell her something, but the blonde couldn't understand him without Venti's assistance.

"Venti, Dvalin is…"

When the idol turned around, she noticed the bard wasn't anywhere around. Barbara let out a sad sigh as she looked back at the dragon.

"He must've gone on ahead… What should I do?"

Suddenly, Dvalin lowered his head towards her. Thinking that he was trying to make her feel better, Barbara reached out and gently placed her hand on the dragon's snout. Upon doing so, she could make out a voice although it was very faint.

"Bar…bara…"

"Dvalin…? Is that you?"

"Yes… Are you…able to...hear me?"

"Just barely… Is something wrong? Should I get Venti?"

He let out a gentle laugh. "To show such concern for a creature such as I. It's hard to believe that just a few hours ago, you were looking at me with such fear."

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"I am simply teasing you, dear Deaconess. Your reaction was perfectly normal. I am glad we were able to become friends."

"Dvalin…" Barbara gave him a warm smile.

"I have never seen Barbatos look so happy in all my days of knowing him. He has suffered through so much and tends to keep a lot locked away. Barbara, I ask that you please watch over him and stay by his side for as long as you are able."

The blonde nodded, giving him a determined look. "I promise. I won't leave his side."

"Thank you. I wish nothing but eternal happiness for you both. You have my blessing."

The dragon raised his head away from her and let out a cry in farewell before taking off. Barbara waved goodbye and started making her way up the path towards Andrius. As she walked, the blonde thought about Dvalin's comment and her cheeks couldn't help but become flushed.

Blessing… We're just dating, but Dvalin gave me his blessing. Does that mean…? Barbara shook her head from side to side and patted her face to calm herself down. It's too early to think about that! Way too early. But… If the Archons would allow something so wonderful to happen, I… I'd be extremely happy.

As Barbara approached Andrius' lair, she saw the wolf spirit standing over Venti, who appeared to be lying unconscious on the stone ground. Worried, Barbara quickly made her way down and ran over to the bard.

"Venti? Venti!" Barbara called out in desperation as she shook his body.

No matter how hard she shook or shouted his name, Venti didn't respond. Tears filled the blonde's eyes and she turned her attention towards Andrius, giving him an angry look.

"Aren't you one of the Four Winds? Why would you attack him!? You're supposed to be his friend!"

"You dare accuse me of raising my claws against Barbartos? Do you not know who I am, girl? I am Andrius, Dominator of Wolves, the Wolf-King of the North. It was he who asked me to watch over this domain. Why would I raise my claws against him?"

"That's…"

"Falling for such a simple trick. She truly does not know you that well, Barbatos."

"Trick…?"

Just then, she heard Venti groan as she sat up from the cold ground.

"Whew! This ground isn't back-friendly, that's for sure. The grass is much more comfortable," he chuckled. "Hey there, Barbara! I see you've met-"

SLAP.

Barbara's hand struck Venti's cheek. The force from the slap caused the bard's head to turn. He brought a hand to his cheek, which was now bright red, and looked at Barbara in disbelief. Tears streamed down the idol's face as she looked at him in hurt and anger.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was? What thoughts ran through my mind when I saw you laying there? I expected the worst! Then I find out that it was just a joke? Did you honestly think I would find that funny? Death is nothing to joke about! What if you were hurt and I couldn't...!" Barbara arose from stone-ground, patting the dirt from her dress. She turned her back towards Venti and began to head back towards the path. "…I'm going home."

"Barbara, wait!"

The blonde stopped in her tracks the moment the bard teleported in front of her. She turned her head away from him to avoid meeting his eyes.

"I wasn't trying to make you cry, I swear! That isn't what I meant…"

"Then what did you mean?"

"I must say, to have the courage to slap your own god? This girl is a courageous one, Barbatos."

Barbara turned her attention towards Andrius, who walked up to them.

"Perhaps I should explain. Barbatos has been going on nonstop about having a lover. He disturbed my slumber daily about wanting me to meet you. I had to see what kind of human managed to fall in love with the likes of him. You do not look like much at first glance, but in all my years of knowing Barbatos, I have never seen anyone talk to him like that! About time someone gets him in line."

"I just wanted to prove to Andrius that you weren't some ordinary human, that's all…"

"And prove he did. Any girl, who has the nerve to go up against her own Archon is certainly not ordinary. If only Amos had the same fire you did back then."

"Amos...?" Barbara was confused.

"Two thousand and six hundred years ago, when Mondstadt was ruled by the previous Anemo Archon, Decarabian, he had a human lover. Her name was Amos. She would talk about wanting to see the world outside of his prison of wind, but her words might as well have fallen on deaf ears. He never once acknowledged her wishes. Still, a part of her wanted to believe that he would notice her. During the rebellion, she fired her arrows straight towards him, hoping he would finally look her way, however, he simply struck her down. It wasn't until then that moment that Amos realized that he never truly loved her as she loved him."

"That's awful…" Barbara commented, clutching her chest.

"I am glad Decarabian is no more. Now, please leave my domain. I would appreciate it if you do not disturb my slumber again."

"Sorry about that, Andrius! Thank you for taking the time to meet Barbara."

The giant wolf spirit responded with a "hmph" before turning around and walking towards the wall he resided in.

As Barbara began to leave with Venti, she heard him call out to her.

"You there, girl."

"I have a name, you know. It's Barbara."

"Look after that untamed Archon. I can tell his power has dwindled. Make sure he does not do anything reckless."

"I will."

Barbara headed over to the wall where Venti was waiting. He offered to help her up using his Anemo powers, but the blonde ignored him and proceeded to climb. Once she reached the top, she saw the bard extend his hand to help her up, his emerald eyes looking at her with desperation. She again ignored his offer and helped herself up, patting her dress to remove any excess dirt.

"...Are you not going to speak to me again?"

His voice sounded fragile like it was a piece of glass about to be shattered into a million pieces.

"Can you tell me more about Amos?" Barbara asked, turning towards him.

"Amos? There's not much to say. She was an excellent huntress. It's a shame she never got to see Mondstadt as it is today." He gazed towards the sky that was stained orange by the sunset, a soft sigh escaping his lips. "Just like him..."

"Venti…"

He looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, don't worry." He began to walk back towards the entrance of Wolvedom. "...We should start heading back before it gets dark."

"...Right," Barbara replied, following behind him.

The walk back to the entrance was a silent one. Barbara trailed behind Venti, gazing at his back as he walked on ahead. For some reason, he felt distant despite not being that far away from her. The blonde felt bad for slapping him earlier and spoke up, breaking the silence.

"...Does your cheek still hurt?" Barbara quietly asked.

"...A little, but it's okay. I deserved it after all." He let out a dry chuckle. "Lately, it seems all I do is make you cry, even if that's not my intention. I guess this isn't what you expected when you decided to date your own Archon. I bet you regret meeting me, huh?"

Barbara stopped briefly, looking at the bard with a sad gaze. She ran over to him, gently grabbing his hand. When Venti felt her beside him, he stopped and turned to look at her.

"That's not true! I don't think that at all! You're indeed nothing like the Lord Barbatos I originally envisioned." She slowly released his hand, clutching her chest. "When you told me who you were, I didn't know what to think. I felt betrayed... Abandoned even. But that doesn't matter to me now. Venti… Lord Barbatos… I love them both. But you stole my heart as Venti, the bard who is always so reckless and playful." She averted her gaze from him, bringing her hands behind her back as her cheeks flushed pink. "As I said before, I think that's what makes you charming."

"Barbara…"

She heard him move closer to her. When she looked at him, she could see a loving gaze reflecting in his emerald eyes.

"I remember back at Ludi Harpastum, you were going to tell me what else you thought was charming about me. I still want to know what those other things were," he said in a gentle tone.

She leaned forward, placing a gentle peck on his cheek. Upon doing so, she felt him wrap his arms around her, holding her close. "I think you already know."

She saw him smile fondly at her, placing a kiss atop her head. Suddenly, they heard what sounded like a falcon cry. Upon turning their heads towards the sky, they could see a bird circling over them. Barbara heard Venti chuckle as he waved at the bird with a big smile.

"I guess I kept her waiting too long. Good to see you, Vennessa!"

"You mean this bird is…!?"

As Barbara's blue eyes widened in surprise, Venti extended out his arm, allowing the falcon to land.

"That's right! When Vennessa ascended to Celestia, she took on the form of a falcon. She helps watch over Mondstadt for me as one of the Four Winds."

"I… M-My big sister admires you a lot! She's Acting Grand Master while Grand Master Varka is away. I have heard all the legends about you. It's so inspiring what you did for Mondstadt! I wish Jean was here to meet you… I hope her efforts to protect Mondstadt have made you proud."

Vennessa simply stared at Barbara almost as if she was reading her. Then she let out a loud cry and took off towards the sky.

"Did I say something wrong?" Barbara asked, worried that maybe she said something offensive.

"Not at all," Venti assured her. "Vennessa's not one of many words. But I'm glad that she likes you, too."

"She does...? How can you tell?"

"Well, for one, she didn't try to peck my eyes out! But I've known Vennessa for a long time. If there was something she didn't agree with, she wouldn't hesitate to let me know." He turned to the blonde and smiled. "Shall I escort you home, my darling Deaconess? We shouldn't linger here too long. The wolves tend to come out after dark. The Acting Grand Master wouldn't be happy with me if I were to put her sister in danger."

The blonde giggled, holding her hands behind her back as she started to walk. "I think the wolves of Wolvendom are far less dangerous than another wild creature I know."

"Wild creature…?" Venti pondered. "You mean Razor? He does live among the wolves, but he's certainly not a dangerous fellow."

"No, not Razor. This particular creature is quite unusual. It speaks in rhymes and gets rather flirtatious when its tongue is loosened."

"Huh... I've never met such a creature. It almost sounds like-" A sudden realization then hit the bard. "Wait… Are you referring to me!?"

"Hmm...who knows?" Barbara said in a teasing tone before running off. "The last one at Good Hunter has to treat the other to dinner!"

The bard chuckled, folding his arms against his chest as a fond smile spread across his lips. "The Shining Idol seems to have stepped up her game, but I suppose I'm the one to blame." He then realized they were in the middle of a race and immediately went after her. "H-Hey! No fair! You got a head start!"

Dear Old Friend,

It's been a while, hasn't it? I heard from the Traveler that you go by a different name now. I wonder what else about you has changed. You used to be such a stick in the mud! I had to teach you how to have fun and lighten up! Hopefully, you're not the same party pooper you used to be and we can go and catch up over some drinks.

...There's someone I want you to meet. She's special to me. The Winds seem to like her, so I hope you will too. And no, this isn't a prank like that treaty thing all those years ago. It's different. I never thought I would ever be saying this, but I found someone, who makes each day worth looking forward to. As you know, being the weakest, I would spend most of my years asleep, recovering my strength. But now, I want to spend every waking moment by her side. I told her of my true identity a year ago, and we've gone through some emotional times, but she still accepts me for who I am.

I'm not going to give you too much information about her. Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, hehe! But I hope you'll give her the grand tour around Liyue. Hope we cross paths soon!

Your Friend,

Venti