Heyyy it's my first Genshin fic! And first fic in a while haha. It's also the first 1k fic of mine. A big thanks to Pynnk and Ghost. We don't talk anymore, but thank you for being my friends for 3 months. You inspired me to get to 1k.
No beta on this, we die like Diluc's father.
It was overwhelming to look at him, but in a way that made the traveller feel like he was floating. Aether couldn't stop himself from smiling, even as the anemo archon just went about his day. The blond hadn't made himself say it yet, but he thought for sure Venti knew..
For the longest time, perhaps since he met the Barbatos himself, he felt something so reassuring about his friend's presence.
Maybe it was Venti's ever flowing confidence, how the bard's sense of humour was an overplayed song that never got old to Aether's ears.
But perhaps it was his sense of freedom. Every person in Mondstat had a love for life that only Mondstat could. Venti was different. There was more than that.
Venti's sense of freedom was much more like the wind itself. How the weather changed, from storm to sun, that was much more like how Venti was.
Aether observed Venti's hands from his seat as they plucked at his lyre, listening to the soft song that emanated from it's strings while a gentle breeze ruffled through the giant tree's leaves while it loomed above them.
Venti soon ended his tune, placing the lyre in his lap.
''That was beautiful. As with every song of yours I suppose,'' Aether gave a soft smile, ''But they're always so unique. Even with the limited amount of strings, you still make something that sounds so different every time I hear it.''
Venti took the lyre in one hand and offered it to the traveller, ''Would you like to try playing?''
Aether took his friend's prized possession with timid hands, scared he'd break it, like it were made of thinnest glass. "I don't really know how..."
Venti guided Aether's hands around the instrument, ''Here. Like this.''
Aether nodded and relaxed his hands for Venti to move them however he'd like.
''Hmm, not quite,'' Venti hummed as he crouched behind Aether to reach his hands around to show him how to play, ''Put your right hand there... and your left here... Then you strum it!''
Aether brushed his fingers across the strings then lightly plucked at them, producing a soft note each time.
Venti cheered "You're already getting the hang of it! You'd never beat me in a battle of music though."
Aether leaned a little into his friend with a wide grin, "Is that a challenge?" He asked as his head lolled onto Venti's shoulder.
"Do you want it to be?"
"Nah. You'd wipe the floor with me! Hey, anyway, I know you're always looking for stories to write about. Why don't you write about a few of mine?"
''Well, it's always the biggest stories that get the best songs, and your story isn't done yet. Not by a long shot. ''
Aether moved out from Venti's lap to stand on the pile of stones and returned the instrument to the god.
''Aether.'' Venti peered up at the traveller, his eyes studying almost all of the literally otherworldly boy before him.
Aether just gave a mildly puzzled look, ''Huh? What's up?''
Venti finally smiled, "You have a leaf in your hair."
"Oh! Thank you." Aether plucked the leaf from his braid and watched it flutter into the breeze.
A white, fluttering shape in the distance over the small mound between the stream and the statue caught the traveller's eyes.
"Lumine...?"
Venti nearly dropped the lyre at the mention of Aether's sister, scrabbling to his feet like the world burned under him.
''Lumine?!'' Venti's eyes glanced between Aether and the stranger on the wet sands. There was no way. Not HER.
Of all the possible ways to reconnect with a long since lost sister, seeing her casually speaking with an cryo abyss mage was not the top Aether's list.
Aether growled softly under his breath and pulled out his sword.
Following the traveller's lead Venti loaded his bow, aiming for the head of the mage. Just a single shot would likely do it, after all, the mage didn't have his shield up. He was just stood on the ground babbling away.
Lumine felt the leaf brush into the side of her head, glancing in the direction it came from then doing a double take. No. No. No. No. No.
Aether. Not here, not now!
The mage spun to face the archon and the otherworldly traveller as Venti loosed a single arrow to whip by the abyss mages' head.
''Lumine!'' Aether's voice almost demanded.
"Aether, I-" Lumine tried to speak.
Aether cut her off, "Get away from that thing!"
"Bwah! Go, I'll fight him, your majesty!" The mage shouted and spun into his shield.
"No, it's time I faced him anyway." Lumine stepped forth, sliding a blade out from behind her.
"Lumine...? 'Your majesty'? An abyss mage? " Venti glared, "I know who you are! You're the Princess from that stupid song!"
"The one about the corrupted princess?" Aether panicked, "Mrgh! Lumine, I don't want to fight you!"
Lumine charged Aether, screaming as she aimed to plunge the metal into her brothers flesh.
"Venti, take care of the mage, I got this!" Aether rolled out of the way, immediately clashing blades with Lumine when he regained being stood.
Venti silently raised his bow to the mage, aiming for the head.
Lumine took her eyes off Aether to glare at Venti when she became aware of his intent, ''No!'' She screamed.
Aether took his chance to push Lumine over, making her yelp when she hit the ground. Aether flipped Lumine face down, folding her arms behind her back quietly as she shouted for Aether to release her.
Venti shot the arrow, piercing the mage in a single shot.
''Gah! Let me go!'' Lumine fumed, ''Aether!''
''Not until you tell me what the hell you're doing.'' Aether gripped Lumine's arms harder.
