It was just one sprite out of many, one single wisp out of a hundred thousand winds. A small body of white that was invisible to most, undistinguishable from other wind sprites but for the slight bluish tinges on its form. But it was different compared to its idyllic fellows.
It had an unquenchable curiosity about the world around it.
It couldn't understand the life of its contemporaries, satisfied with floating mindlessly until they eventually scattered and became one with the wind. No, with the endless horizon in sight and the boundless earth beneath it, it wanted to see more.
And so, it roamed around the world, riding on whatever winds that took it. It braved the storms that always seem to surround the small islands, it flung itself around the great trees and played with the memories of the forest, and it gently skimmed along the oceans and rivers that glistened so very brightly in the sun.
One day, as it enjoyed the many freedoms of the world, it caught the interest of a being far greater than itself.
"Eh? What's this?"
It tilted its head, peering at the being who held it in their hands. The being holding it… It wasn't sure why, but it reminded it of the stars. The brilliant sparks of light and life it had once tried to reach but failed. It was gentle and comforting, warm and bright, just as it had imagined them to be.
"Interesting… You're not part of the Seventy-Two Pillars just yet, but the constellations don't lie. Little one, be sure to take care of yourself! You'll hold a great responsibility in the future. Oh, and what's your name? I can't keep calling you little wind sprite when I know you're destined to join our ranks one day."
It knew not of whatever the greater being was talking about, but it was pleased nevertheless at the exuberance they showed. It chittered a response.
"You don't have one? Huh, that's new… I know, let me give you the honor of a name! Hehe, I don't think even she named one of the Seventy-Two just yet. What's a good name, what's a good name… Wait, do you have any preferences? Like maybe something to do with the wind, or… hmm, maybe a bit more traditional one, one more fitting for our noble statuses? What do you think?"
The wind sprite peered into the greater being's eyes, far more interested in the brilliant galaxy trapped within them than whatever they had started chattering about. Perhaps the greater being understood, for they giggled and brought it even closer.
"I know. Your name shall be-!"
-o-
"Barbatos, for crying out loud!" Paimon bemoaned, practically weeping into her hand. "Stop attaching yourself to Aether. Just looking at this is killing me through secondhand embarrassment."
"-Just a moment Paimon, I'm too busy apologizing – and like I was saying, I'm sorry about that, Aether-!"
Aether stared off into the distant city, feeling the blades of grass tickling his fingers. Without the adrenaline pumping through him, he could feel just how stiff his arms felt from the sudden concentration and discharge of starlight – the soreness from when he had climbed down the cliff this morning was nothing compared to this.
He breathed in slowly, attempting to let the sensations of the world wash over him, and tried to see if anything else felt different from before.
"-you had to see such an unsightly side of me. I promise to the unending winds, I'm usually not like that. I've been trying to help Dvalin for the past few days and he wouldn't talk to me at all, I had half a mind's fear that he'd forgotten the years' worth of lessons I've taught him-"
And yes, his little post-battle mediation was a bit difficult with the bard clinging onto him like an overly-eager barnacle. Aether tried to pay Venti no heed – he was still checking himself for any internal, external, mental, and metaphysical injuries.
…well, he didn't feel temporally displaced, but better to be safe than sorry, right?
Just how deeply Dvalin's corruption had went… It unnerved him. Unable to speak, unable to think, trapped in darkness – Aether couldn't imagine anything worse. He would have liked nothing more than a quick blaze of starlight to remove any potential lingering affliction, but nope, his reserves were still hovering between rock bottom and passing out.
Aether glanced at Paimon. She was stretching on the ground beside him, twisting her body this way and that, but her eyes remained narrowed at the only one currently talking. Her scarf, now pitch-black and completely wrung dry of starlight, had somehow extended itself to a three-pronged cape that fluttered in the anxious wind.
"-Now, I'm even more curious about your story! Despite the blessing I gave you and the anemo that sings from your body, the way you threw your sword, imbued with the light of the sun? A scene worthy of becoming a legend, I assure you. A story from one can lead to a song heard by many, and a legend could be born anew, carried by the winds and spoken by plenty!"
Aaand. There she was, curled up in a ball, pretending to weep again. Or at least, Aether thought she was pretending. The way her shoulders shook in absolute despair did look pretty genuine.
"Is it what I said about your sister? It is, is it not?" Venti laughed carefreely, but there was no hiding the sudden tension in his frame when Aether mechanically turned towards the bard. He fluttered backward, not quite meeting his eyes. "Please, take the words of an angered bard lightly. I merely wanted to remind you just what the death of a loved one, a family, would mean to an immortal, for Dvalin is a brother to me in all but blood. But the words came out far, far harsher than I had imagined they would. Ah, if only the winds could take me back to the past!"
Paimon uncurled just a bit, enough to shoot him a concerned glance.
Inhale. Hold. And exhale.
Calming down the rampant emotions and overly sensitive senses after a battle was important, Aether reminded himself. Otherwise, he might accidentally sock the bard fluttering around him.
For a long, long, minute, nobody said anything. Then, Paimon let out a tired sigh.
"Stop, just… stop," she said, shaking her head as she stood up. "It just hurts to look at this. Eighth, have you really learned nothing from the near three thousand years? I'm not even talking about your place as the Seven – you call yourself a bard, but apparently, you don't even understand your audience."
Venti glanced sharply at her. "I haven't spent the last two-thousand seven-hundred years just sleeping if that's what you're implying. I shaped the mountains and cliffs of Mondstadt, roamed through all of Teyvat's cities and seas, and ensured that Mondstadt prospered as the city of freedom it was meant to be. And yet, despite all I have encountered… I can tell you with confidence that Aether is unique. An existence just as probable as two shooting stars colliding, so to speak."
"So, with all your wisdom and grace, your best idea for figuring someone out is to piss them off," Paimon said, staring disbelievingly.
And so did Aether, when the bard just shrugged and winked, his earlier nervousness nowhere to be seen.
"Well, there's that old saying in Mondstadt: to truly know a person, you have to see them while they're angry, drunk, and naked! Not altogether, mind you, or this would have been very awkward rather quickly," Venti laughed, then continued just a bit more seriously. "I had to see if Aether here was someone I could entrust my friend's life with. And he passed: no schemes, no bargains, no threats, and no bloodshed – despite having all the right and the means to do so."
"And why should a city and its archon matter to me?" Aether cut in, curious despite himself. The slippery bard was just too personable with his honeyed words and the masks he wore. "Like you were so nice to remind me, I have my sister to find. What if I just walk away, right here, right now?"
"Then I would have found my own path forward by myself," Venti replied simply. "Nothing can forever hold back the winds of time, not even the Abyss. If you were to strike me or try to bargain with my ideals, I would have said goodbye with a smile. But our paths would never have crossed again, for the wind is beholden to no one. With that being said…"
Barbatos stepped away from him and bowed, an actor before an audience of two.
"…my sincere apologies for my harsh words, Aether," the Anemo Archon said. "I still don't appreciate your attempt to murder my friend, but I would never have known just how deep his illness runs without your help, as serendipitous as it was." He looked up, his gentle smile back in place. "If you find it in yourself to forgive me, or if you can't trust my words, then I'll work all the more to earn your trust through my actions. If you choose to give me a chance, of course."
"..." Aether pressed a hand into his forehead, trying to fight off a growing headache.
Melody of death and calamity, Venti had called him. In hindsight, it was everyone's and nobody's fault at the same time. Venti believed that his songs would be enough of a warning, Paimon forgot to explain their battle plan to Aether, and he himself went straight to killing after sensing the abyssal infection. Aether could overlook miscommunication and bad luck easily enough.
You and I should both be glad that I have never met your sister.
But had the roles been reversed, had he witnessed Venti attempting to kill his sister, he knew that as sure as there were stars in the night sky that there would have been blood spilled here tonight.
And that was what truly unnerved him.
He would have killed someone he had been talking with good-naturedly just a few minutes beforehand. And for what? For just a few words, a single implied threat to his twin sister. Maybe it was because he was missing several key memories, the context behind his instincts. Maybe it was because he still felt guilty for trying to kill Dvalin, as ill-thought-out and poorly communicated the entire fiasco was. But it felt… unnatural, to feel so much emotion for someone he couldn't remember properly.
Just how important had Lumine been to him? And how important had he been to her?
"…let's just move on. I will help you," he added when Venti moved to reply. The archon's mouth closed with an audible click. "I don't think it's my nature to abandon others in need, especially if I can help. But your words about my sister? Yeah, it worked as a reminder."
And that was where he would leave it, Aether decided. He wanted the Archon's help, the Archon needed his help, and he wasn't cruel enough to hold it over Venti's head. Better to bury the hatchet and move on-
"Thank you thank you thank you-!"
There was a sudden rush of wind. Aether jerked back instinctively, but that did nothing to stop the archon's hug-tackle. "I promise you, this second chance you've given me is something you will never regret! But my new friend, that was far too nerve-wracking, was it not? All that anger, your pain, this tension, the world's dissatisfaction – let the wind take it away and bear it in our steed. Apologizing was never really my forte; I much rather drink and share stories instead!"
This time, Aether hesitantly put his hand over Venti's back. The Anemo Archon was unnaturally cool to the touch, his fingers tingling from the anemo that seemed to be drawn towards him.
The sing-songy rhythm the bard added to his words did nothing to ease his migraine. "You know, I wasn't lying when I said this little adventure would make a grand story. As we struggle for freedom, friends, and family, let us witness together this unfolding of a new chapter of Mondstadt's history!"
Aether just stared dead ahead, trying to keep the world from blurring too much as Venti shook him excitedly. He was too tired to deal with the personification of emotional whiplash hugging him.
Thankfully, before long, the bard was pushed off to the side with a surprised yelp.
"Damn it, Paimon, Aether and I were having a touching moment, a toast to solidarity between brothers-in-making-!"
"That's for pushing me earlier, you tone-deaf idiot. And yes, I'm referring to both possible meanings." Paimon smoothly interrupted his complaints before turning towards him, concerned. "Aether, you alright? Looking a little cross-eyed there. If you think you're about to pass out again, we could camp out the night here- eh?"
She waved her hand in front of him, and Aether instinctively grasped it, clasping her hand between his.
Inhale. Hold. And exhale.
He could feel starlight gathering, slowly accumulating around Paimon. It was at a snail's pace, but he could feel it, as drained as she was. And the source was… was it flowing from her scarf?
That was all he could tell before she ripped her hand away.
"Nope, no, not this time. I need it, I'm tired too," Paimon frowned. "You can take your second wind from somebody else, Mystery Man."
Still, even that brief exposure to starlight wiped the fog away from his mind. He nodded to Paimon, promising himself that he would explain it to her later on before turning towards the bard. The world finally focused itself to reveal an all too happy Venti, a mischievous grin adorning his face despite his front being caked with mud. For the sake of his continued sanity, he ignored it.
"I will help you, and you'll help me. That is where things stand," Aether repeated firmly. "Now, I want information. What were those three things, and what's the Abyss?"
That knocked the smirk off his face, at least.
It was Paimon that answered him, her face turning grim. "Mages that serve the Abyss, an absolute plague in Teyvat. And the Abyss is the catch-all phrase for the monsters that crawled out of the depths. The darkest parts of the world, the depths of hatred and misery, the source of all nightmares and chaos. They… never exposed themselves to this degree, I think."
"I've heard whispers of their increased activity, but to see it happening to my friend? To turn its guardian against the city of Mondstadt and me? The Abyss will answer for this." Venti affirmed. "I might be the weakest of the Seven, but they will rue the day they chose to go against me. To make me your enemy is to make an enemy to all of the winds, you see."
"I need some rest and recovery before I try anything like that with Dvalin again. Paimon can attest to that," Aether admitted. Better to come clean than pretend he was alright.
Paimon and Venti exchanged a glance.
"I'll go search for Dvalin first, then," Venti offered. "If they wish to take advantage of Dvalin's power of the winds, then it will be done within Mondstadt where the winds blow the strongest. The four corners of Mondstadt the wind shall cascade, and the stars above will light the guilt in the eyes of those who have strayed."
"I'll take Aether to Mondstadt City and find a nice, quiet place to recover," Paimon said. "He could ask around for his sister there, too. Just in case someone was too drunk to notice her existence."
"And we can reconvene at Angel's Share in… say, two nights from now. Since apparently, I'm now a lush that requires alcohol to function," Venti continued, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry, I know how to keep business separated with pleasure. And how to mix pleasure with business."
"…will you be alright?" Aether asked. As many doubts he had about Venti – or perhaps because of it – he wasn't sure if scouting alone in this situation was a bright idea.
"Don't worry, he will be," Paimon answered, waving her hand nonchalantly. "If the entirety of Mondstadt hasn't been able to figure out that their best bard is their god, he must have learned something about subtlety." She paused, before turning towards said god. "Please tell me that your existence hasn't been leaked to the people of Mondstadt."
"My existence hasn't been leaked to the people of Mondstadt," Venti recited drolly, and Paimon groaned.
"For Celestia's sake Barbatos, really-?"
A sudden eruption of anemo exploded from underneath all of their feet, flinging them all up into the air. Aether yelped and spun to right himself, but he found himself gently falling to the ground. Paimon just glared irritably at the bard as she floated just as slowly to the ground.
"It was nice seeing you, Paimon! Thanks for calling me the best bard of the world!" Venti laughed from above, not one bit of apology in his tone. "And Aether, welcome to Mondstadt, see you in two days!"
And with that, the Anemo Archon shone like anemo before fading away, leaving only the patches of mud that had been dirtying his clothes, which plopped onto the ground soon after. From a sudden gust of wind, Aether swore that he could hear the echoes of Venti's laughter.
"We're definitely talking about this later, you tone-deaf idiot!" Paimon called out as they both landed softly back on the ground. She dusted off some imaginary dust, before surveying the land before them. "Just like him to leave us with this mess to clean up, too. Aether, do you think you're okay to reach the city over there, or do you want to camp out for the night? It has been a pretty long day."
Aether shook his head at the offer of rest. "I think it's better to get a move on. I'll be alright, as long as we don't start another fight again. And besides…" He looked at the destruction around him. Dead fish floating in the small lake, huge gouges of earth left upturned all around him, and the beheaded, wingless Statue of Barbatos on the once scenic island. There had to be at least three different instances of desecration in front of him, and he'd hate to find out exactly what sort from the local authorities. "Something tells me that we should get out of here before someone misunderstands."
"I'm afraid it's a little late for that." A voice called out from behind of them. Paimon sighed and Aether cursed inwardly. This first day of his journey felt like it was dragging on for far too long.
"Of course, the Knights come in after all the danger passed. Don't worry, I got this," Paimon murmured to him. "I have a cover I use whenever somebody finds me in Mondstadt."
Okay, that was good- wait, wasn't Paimon terrible at lying?
Aether turned just in time to see the speaker step out from underneath the shade of the trees. She was tall – he only reached her eyes, while Paimon just barely reached her chin – with striking light blue hair, and was dressed rather smartly for a knight: a black and white ensemble complete with gloves, a tie, boots, and a cape.
Her frown and narrowed eyes that quickly surveyed the destruction behind them, though, were all he needed to know what direction this conversation was going to go.
"Captain Eula, Spindrift Knight, Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company," she introduced herself, coming to a stop exactly three paces in front of them. She saluted, bringing her left arm up and then extending it sideways in one crisp movement. "I extend to you my greetings, strange yet respectable travelers, and may the setting sun witness my welcome."
Reconnaissance. That implied gathering information and scouting ahead – and definitely not marching headfirst to potential threats to introduce themselves. Just how much had this lady already seen?
As he furiously tried to think of a plausible reason as to why the destruction behind them was definitely not their fault, Paimon curtsied, her empty hands going through the motions even without her dress. "Good evening, Captain. I am Paimon, a student of Sumeru, traveling around the world in order to gain a better understanding of the stars from different positions. And may the coming stars bring rest and renewal."
"Illuminationism? A noble pursuit, scholar. And it warms my heart to see someone so well-studied in Mondstadt's noble customs." Despite the captain's seemingly pleasant words, Paimon froze. Her eyes darted over to him in a panic. "And who is the one beside you?"
"He is, umm…" Eula's eyes narrowed onto her, which lead to Paimon fully turning towards him, eyes pleading for help. "Aether over here is… he's my-"
"-I serve as the lady's bodyguard," Aether interrupted. Inwardly, he winced at how stuffy his speech was. The captain in front of him just exuded the air of nobility. "Hired coin, so to speak. I believe today's events have proved just what sort of danger those in Mondstadt face on a daily basis recently."
"Yes!" Paimon cheered, then coughed into her hand. "He's my bodyguard. Yes, that's the word. You know, I have to protect myself from all those slimes, hilichurls, errant storms, and treasure hunters."
An elegantly arched eyebrow. "You are claiming that one of those four has led to the destruction of the Statue of the Anemo Archon?"
"Yes." Paimon agreed.
"No, it was not," Aether disagreed at the same time.
They shared a glance.
"No, it wasn't."
"No, it wasn't."
With a familiar glow, a great, ocean-blue claymore decorated in gold manifested itself in the captain's hands. Aether tensed while Paimon grimaced, but she only planted it straight into the ground, the earth parting easily.
She then leaned on the work of art, displaying little more than idle curiosity as she used the great sword as nothing more than a post to rest on. "Perhaps your testimonies would have been far more believable have I not witnessed the Statue's destruction by one of Mondstadt's Four Winds a few minutes ago. Alongside a bard, who proclaimed himself to be Barbatos to all of the winds."
"…" Okay, so they didn't know just how long this person had been spying on them, nor how much she had heard. In that case, it was better to say nothing and reveal nothing, unless Paimon and her cover as a student had anything to explain this.
He looked at her and winced. Paimon's wriggling eyebrows as she looked at everywhere but the captain didn't exactly inspire him.
One moment passed, then another. Those little awkward moments grouped up to become one long, awkward minute.
Aether sighed internally. Their silence was practically an admission of guilt in this case, wasn't it?
Eula tilted her head curiously. "If you both are done with your lies and falsehoods, please allow me to escort you to Mondstadt city. As Lady Paimon had said earlier, the nights around our fair city have become fairly dangerous." She pushed herself up and her great sword shimmered away, but it appeared behind her back, hovering. The silent threat could not have been any more obvious. "In exchange, however, I'm afraid I shall request you both to come with me to meet our Acting Grandmaster."
There was nothing that denoted it was a request in her tone, though.
And that's a wrap!
This chapter went through a not-insignificant rewrite and a word count cut. It was already past the five-thousand-word mark when I had a rough plan for the next scene and I don't want to rush the party's entrance to Mondstadt. Well, I don't want to rush myself and publish sub-par chapters, period. So, look forward to it next time hehe~
We now have our first vision bearer! As you might have guessed from Schubert's early prologue, Eula will be a fair bit more prominent in my Mondstadt storyline. Such an interesting character, with so few canonical appearances. Where was she during the entire debacle of Stormterror?! And Amber fans, don't despair, the best Outrider will someday appear!
…I've been writing too much Venti if I'm writing rhymes on my own violation.
Now, off I go to Sumeru! Nahida's plight and an entire flipping desert call!