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Anemo: The Price of Freedom (3)

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It felt almost ironic for Venti to avoid Mondstadt for a while considering this wouldn't be the first time he did such a thing.

Yet, the Anemo Archon was not planning for this departure to be as lengthy as last time. Maybe a few days were going to be enough for him to return and go back to his usual antics, but he had to be out of the city as he had to secure Dvalin some more.

After what happened to his harp, it was fair to say that the Abyss was more active and clearly more aggressive than usual due to their most recent visitor. It was curious for sure that the Abyss Order had also recruited Lumine's brother, but for them to shift their absolute focus on Kratos felt both logical and worrisome at the same time.

It made sense they would aim to damage someone that was quite stronger than the average Archon, but their effort had been a gamble- and one that had blown up on their faces. If Venti had to make a raw assumption from what little he knew and saw through those events, he would eagerly say that the Abyss Order had seen how Kratos seemed to favor 'Leviathan' and thought it was his main weapon- his tool of power.

Had it been an archon, that assumption would have been a rather smart one. Many of his fellow 'gods' would be keen to use weapons to store their Gnosis. Their abilities amplified in combat through it but... not all of them were like that. An example of that was Morax as he had used his to create the money that rendered the economy in Teyvat as robust as it could ever hope to be.

Venti kept it close out of general unease with how adventurers tended to find some interesting things around and... he didn't need any of those to be found by the Fatui or the Abyss Order in that regard. Speaking of the former, the Anemo Archon did notice how the Fatui had grown a bit weary in these days, so his brief departure from Mondstadt should be good enough to prevent any surprises in that regard.

Stormterror's Lair was the perfect place to not only hide away from troublemakers, but also fortify and rebuild the old structures in a safer haven for people- just in case something happened to Mondstadt. Albeit Venti was not keen to expect something as terrible as the Calamity to happen once more, having a place for his people to go that was far safer and far bigger than their current homes felt like a smart move.

If there's something Morax can't stop to yap about is about having Plan Bs over Plan Bs.

Truth be told, it made sense the Geo Archon was of this mindset considering how his original civilization and effort to create an unitary pantheon had all failed due to the Archon War.

Still, Venti found it somewhat refreshing to 'clean up' this place. He hardly visited it since the rebellion that made him what he was now, thinking back of the lives that were spent in these ruins, but then... he started to consider how this place was not meant to be a ruined reminder of the past.

He wouldn't be pleased with that, Venti could tell, and he felt a hint of shame for ignoring this for that long. A sacrifice that big should have not be left buried. And while history was still taught of what was before the current Mondstadt, denying the descendants a chance to visit their 'birthplace' felt a bit hypocritical of him.

Sitting and pacing, he ultimately started to make the place livelier. Dvalin joined, the dragon bored despite trying to appear 'tired and weak'. He definitely could enjoy a rest or two, but Venti could tell his old friend was aching to do something rather than just sit down and see the sky clouds shift around.

And as he spent time talking with Dvalin while they both cleared some areas and set up a few basic constructions to then elevate the rest from, his musings were interrupted by a sharp feeling of 'attachment'. As if someone was suddenly tugging him by the chest, lifting him up and... giving him a rather scary glare.

"Is everything alright?" Dvalin's voice pulled Venti out of that strange sensation.

"Y-Yes. It's... something happened," Venti hummed, turning his gaze to Dragonspire. "Something about that big guy I told you about."

"Oh," The dragon quietly replied, then frowning. "The one you say you are not thinking too much about?"

The Archon's jaw dropped at that inquiry. "That's- I told you- I told you already that's not why I am so focused on him!"

"Yet you now felt something about him."

"B-Bad wording! I just- he was supposed to go to Dragonspire, but something happened and... I feel him through my Gnosis."

"I see, and?"

"And this feels... different. It is akin to a Vision, but rather than be 'controlled' and limited, it is freer and stronger and- and more personal."

"So, this is not your way to say that he may have stolen your heart?"

Venti couldn't believe it that he was being questioned on such an easy 'no' in his life.

Sure, he made no distinction between men and women when it came to interest, but that wasn't the case. As much as Kratos did have that kind of rough charm that had him squirm a little, this feeling was easily crushed by the fact the man didn't seem to be willing to partake in that sort of things and that he was a terrifying monster if pissed off.

He doubted any sort of booze could get him drunk-brave to face that kind of storm. He may succeed, in a hopeless dream, but the chances of failing and getting wrecked the 'not-nice way' was scary enough to put the horny mood out of business when it came to that bald entity.

Nonetheless, there was work to do and Kratos could wait for now as he sorted out the rest of the lair with Dvalin. Speaking of which-

"No, and fuck off, you feathered moron."

The dragon chuckled loudly, leaving the poor Archon huffing about dumb dragons and dumb scarousing men.


AN

Next time will see... Kratos planning the next stop with Lumine, but getting delayed due to a few new situations that may or may not have been created by an intrigued Fatui Agent. Also... MIMIR POV!