Chapter Text
Paimon glanced at her new traveling partner as he walked along the beach shore, her floating alongside and chattering aimlessly. She didn't know why he was traveling, where he was going, nor what type of person he was besides the strong, real silent sort. He hadn't spoken once and never acknowledged her words beyond a nod and a head tilt, so she was starting to wonder if he was actually listening to her or not. But that was okay if he wasn't. Most people didn't listen to Paimon anyway. At least he hadn't told her to go away yet, and because of that, she would follow him until he did.
"And Paimon doesn't know the recipe, but it's suuuper delicious and goes "shakalaka-zing!" in Paimon's mouth!" Paimon floated ahead and turned back to the Traveler just in time to see his neutral face twist into… confusion? Did he not understand Paimon? But she was speaking common though…
"It's like "boom-bzat" you know?" His face only twisted worse and she sighed.
"Have you not been able to understand Paimon describing food this whole time?" He turned a little sheepish and slowly shook his head. Paimon puffed up, partially in annoyance, partially because it felt good that she could read his expressions so well after only knowing him for a few weeks. "Then why didn't you say something to Paimon?!"
That got his expression to change drastically, though she didn't know if she liked this one or not. He seemed almost in anguish, but on a milder scale, and stopped in his tracks.
"Traveler?" She called to him. He still said nothing, unmoving as the waves from the shore lapped against his bare feet. He set down the pair of boots that had been dangling from one hand, crouched, and began drawing in the sand with a finger.
Paimon didn't understand what they were at first, but quickly realized that he was drawing a boy and a girl. He wrote the word 'me' over the boy, and 'sister' above the girl before putting a question mark beneath her picture.
"Ohhh. Your sister is missing so you're looking for her? Paimon understands, but what does that have to do with you not saying anything?" He grimaced, and Paimon realized she might have touched a sore subject.
Agonizingly slowly, the Traveler crossed out his own mouth in the sand.
Then Paimon got it.
"Oh," she said, a little quieter than before, because of course. Of course he hadn't told Paimon to go away yet, because he physically couldn't. She couldn't help the sadness that welled up inside because he would leave her now, but… he still hadn't pushed her away, or gotten mad and tried to hit her yet, and looking at how his posture drooped down, pain etched across his face, she didn't think he would.
In fact, he was probably hurting thinking about it because his sister likely understood him enough to where words weren't necessary, and now she was missing and no one knew who he truly was. Even Paimon was only starting to get his expressions, not including his mannerisms. To keep his mind off the matter that clearly hurt him, she changed the subject.
"But, if that's the case, why don't you know sign language?" The sad expression bled into a mildly confused one, and he blinked at her, completely uncomprehending. Paimon blinked right back.
"You… You have no idea what sign language is, do you?"
He blinked again.
Paimon almost groaned out loud, but she realized that would probably be mean considering the subject. Instead, she fit a hand to her chin, expression thoughtful. "Um, Paimon doesn't know exactly what it is since Paimon never learned, but Paimon knows that it's a language that uses your hands to create words."
Paimon looked up from her musings and locked eyes with the Traveler, whose own eyes were sparkling with his sandy hands clasped together. She nearly dropped out of the air from the imaginary arrow that pierced her heart. His expression was adorable .
"P-Paimon doesn't think the city of Mondstadt is too far from here, and maybe you can get a book on sign language while we look for clues on your sister there!" Seeing his expression soften was worth not asking more questions. She could ask them later.
Amber wasn't sure what to think of Paimon and the Traveler. They didn't seem like threats, but then again, the worst threats often appeared mundane at first, and—if nothing else—they were suspicious. She hadn't even gotten the boy's name. Trust her, she tried. When she had asked, Paimon suddenly started yelling about smelling food and zipped off as fast as a lightning bat, and Amber still wasn't sure if that had been purposeful or not. She couldn't even get the Traveler's name in passing, as even Paimon only referred to him as "Traveler."
"Strange but respectable travelers" was right, if nothing else.
She had to admit though, he was the more responsible of the two, even if he didn't speak, and he fought like a whirlwind. They had come across a hilichurl camp on their way to Mondstadt, small, only four with no Mitachurl or Samachurl, but before she'd even noticed it, he was sprinting past her, sword in hand. He went up a small incline beside the camp and jumped off with no hesitation (even she would have hesitated, and she had a glider. For her own piece of mind, she just might give him one of his own), landing on top of a hilichurl and impaling it through the mask. Deftly pulling his sword out as the monster dissolved, he swung at the next nearest hilichurl and knocked it back towards another. He held a hand out towards the hilichurls, and the wind practically leapt to his fingertips, spiralling beneath his palm and heavily damaging the two hilichurls before exploding outwards and throwing them back. Seconds later, they too dissolved, but the Traveler was already gone and fighting the last one. With a final double strike, all the hilichurls were gone.
Amber hadn't even pulled her bow out, frozen halfway after reaching into her Vision for it.
(She only briefly thought of it during the fight and had forgotten it quickly after, but for a second, she'd questioned whether she'd seen an Anemo Vision on the Traveler at all.)
After that Amber had deemed that it was probably okay to let them in Mondstadt. Even though the Traveler hadn't revealed his name and had a frankly terrifying battle prowess, he had attacked and killed the hilichurls before they even noticed them, eliminating the threat before it could become one. That, and Paimon didn't seem like the kind of… whatever she was, to stick around someone who made a habit of deceiving people to cause harm.
The Traveler seemed honest enough, looking for his sister and all, and apparently a library for a specific book? Before Paimon could say what book they were looking for, he'd clamped a hand over her mouth as she squirmed.
Well, whatever. Amber could introduce them to Acting Grandmaster Jean so she could help keep an eye on the duo and assist him in finding his sister at the same time.
When Amber gave the Traveler the windglider, the brown fabric melted into a pure white, looking just like angel wings, and the trio gawked. "Is it supposed to do that?" Paimon squeaked out, and no, no it was not supposed to do that. To his credit, the Traveler looked just as bewildered as she felt, so she didn't think it was purposeful on his part if he did do it. For a split second, he'd looked almost wistful, but she never got the chance to ask.
Stormterror whipped up a, well, storm , and the Traveler showed such a natural talent for gliding that she'd never seen before, and couldn't help but be a little jealous of. She pushed it down. There were more important things to worry about than the Traveler who was probably good at everything. Like the fact that Stormterror was directly attacking Mondstadt for instance.
Kaeya knew an outstanding variable when he saw one, and the so-called "Traveler" was just that. Without speaking, he held a presence that Kaeya hadn't felt from anyone except the Grandmaster, like he was naturally powerful and in control of the situation. His presence would have filled a room if they weren't outside. He was silent, calm, observant, and absolutely not one to be trifled with. Not to mention that he'd just stayed afloat in the air much longer than reasonable and went toe to toe with Stormterror of all things. It could mean that he's flown a windglider before, or that he's a natural.
Either way, it meant he was a dangerous wild card.
Kaeya was usually the one to plan for inconsistencies and variables, seeing as he did most—if not all—the plotting in the Knights of Favonius, but the Traveler had been out of his expectations. Then again it was hard to plan for the appearance of a traveling powerhouse who was obviously foreign in nature. If the choice of clothing wasn't evidence enough (though, Kaeya could admit, the Traveler could really pull off a crop top) then the fact he was curious about the most common things would have been an indicator.
There were multiple things beyond the suspicious "they come from afar" that irked Kaeya though. Like his lack of a name, or that fact that the floating marshmallow did all the talking when the Traveler was clearly the one in charge of their little duo. Amber had vouched for his fighting capabilities, though she'd seemed a little on edge when she'd mentioned it, so Kaeya didn't doubt that the Traveler could likely fight on equal grounds with Acting Grandmaster Jean, or himself at the very least. Kaeya hadn't spotted a Vision on him, which was odd, but then again one didn't need elemental abilities to be a great swordsman. (Later, Amber would recount to him the fight, or rather, the one-sided slaughter, and Kaeya would recall the fact that the Traveler didn't have a Vision on him, but that hasn't happened yet.)
Then of course there was the matter of the Traveler's missing sister. It was odd that he was looking for his sister of an unspecified age in a foreign country. That in it of itself reeked of lies and deception, but the Traveler was so… genuine in his reactions, that Kaeya hesitated to label it as such. He was either a really good actor, or he and his sister had gotten involved in something major and they were now suffering the consequences. If the latter was the case, the Traveler just might be dragging his problems along behind him and into Mondstadt in the process.
Regardless of what it was, he would notify Acting Grandmaster Jean, and she would appreciate an actual name to call the Traveler by.
"So Traveler, I don't think I ever caught wind of a proper name to call you." The intent was clear, and the boy clearly understood it if the way he became distinctly uncomfortable with the statement, was anything to go by.
However, his pint-sized companion hopped in front of him with her hand on her hips, not really obscuring him from view but it seemed that was the attempt. In any other situation, Kaeya would find the puffed cheeks of Paimon's pout hilarious and tease her about it, but he really needed that name. A name meant friends, families, connections, or lack of indicating a false identity. Without a name, it became much harder to find information about someone, and the Traveler seemed to know that. Then Paimon spoke.
"Traveler is Traveler and that's all anyone needs to know him by!"
Kaeya blinked.
Not convincing at all and definitely more than a little suspicious, but… there the boy went again with his genuine expressions. He looked so touched at Paimon's words that Kaeya lost the will to contradict them.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his head with an amiable smile. "Alright, alright. I give. Traveler it is."
Kaeya would keep an eye out for the Traveler, and if he did anything that categorized him as a threat, Kaeya would take action in an instant. Until that point, he'd play along with their little game.
Regardless of who's side the Traveler was on, he was definitely a new storm.
Jean was grateful for the help. Though the Traveler was odd to say the least, everyone has their eccentricities, so who was she to judge? Though the lack of a proper name was concerning, she was sure he had his reasons, even if they weren't good ones. She didn't completely trust him of course, as that would be foolish of someone of her standing, but that didn't mean she couldn't be grateful. The Traveler was clearly capable and the Knights of Favonius were short staffed after the Grandmaster went on an expedition with the majority of their forces. She wanted to make use of his skills to assist in their Stormterror issue, which would also garner her trust. By the knowing look in the Traveler's eyes as she talked, he knew it too, which was likely why he went along with her orders even if they weren't phrased as such.
Jean still wasn't sure if he could be categorized as a danger to Mondstadt, so she wouldn't give him much information. She was willing to trust, but he was a powerful outsider and could use it against them, so she'd only give what was needed to accomplish the mission (little did she know, if he didn't receive the information, he'd go looking for it—and find it—elsewhere).
The Traveler had an oddball companion who went by the name of Paimon, and it was clear that he cared about her quite a bit. Those two also seemed to be able to converse without speaking, now being a prime example. The Traveler used only their eyes and the occasional twitch in expression to convey meaning while Paimon appeared to be gesturing just as dramatic as when she spoke.
Eventually they came to some agreement because Paimon was downtrodden and the Traveler had straightened triumphantly. Paimon picked up the conversation where they left off afterwards, so Jean never found out what it was they had debated over. The five of them, plus a silent Traveler, had been talking about Lisa and how she was the Librarian of Mondstadt, and Jean couldn't help but wonder whether their discussion related to that or not.
Regardless, she'd use them for as long as they'd let her, with adequate compensation of course, and pray to Barbados that it wouldn't come to bite her back later.
(Spoiler alert: it would)
Lisa thought the Traveler and Paimon were just the cutest. Yes they were suspicious Jean, no Jean she wouldn't reveal any information to them, why of course she'd keep an eye on them Kaeya. Her associates were all too worked up about the Traveler. It was true he was suspicious, but in her experience, those who warranted suspicion were rarely ever actually suspicious. With so many secrets to hide, most of them were probably personal to the Traveler and wouldn't affect Mondstadt. On the contrary, should they treat him right, he could likely immensely benefit the city.
She watched with a placid expression as Jean detailed the bare minimum amount of information needed for the mission she was sending him on. Take care of three of the four temples of the Four Winds with little to no information and lack of assistance? Tall order for even a Knight of Favonius, and while Amber had vouched for his skill in battle, skills only went so far before more than just that was needed.
Not everyone could do things alone.
Kaeya analyzed everyone, seemingly content with the mindset that if someone was suspicious enough, they were guilty until proven innocent. His masked wariness was to be expected. What wasn't expected was how Jean was acting. The Traveler was looking for his sister, and was graciously willing to assist in a matter that he had absolutely no connection to while he was here.
Lisa had to wonder why Jean was doing what she was though. There was caution, and then there whatever she was doing. Lisa normally sided with her on subjects because the way the Acting Grandmaster ran the knights was often efficient and logical, but sometimes the Librarian needed to act as the voice of reason when she became a little too protective.
"Jean, why don't we send someone to go with the Traveler to each temple," she interjected neatly. "That way we can make sure that the Traveler knows exactly where each temple is and can receive assistance if needed. No offense, cutie," Lisa turned to the Traveler, a wry smile on her face, "But we haven't seen you fight yet, so can't be sure just how good you are." He nodded in understanding like the absolute darling he was.
Jean frowned, considering, before sharply nodding her head. "Indeed, Lisa. If we are to send the Traveler to the temples we must make sure he gets there." Lisa had no doubt that she only agreed because Lisa had asked, and so someone could keep an eye on the Traveler when he did his mission. Nonetheless it would give the Traveler the help he'll quite possibly need.
Regardless, she'd done what she needed, and would make sure that she accompanied the Traveler to at least one of the temples so that she could give him the information he was lacking. Who knows? Maybe he would figure it out before they did. (He would, and she would be smug about it for a long time after it was all over.)
A day later, Lisa stood inside the Temple of the Lion with the Traveler beside her, focused and trained on her every word with a small smile as she explained the Four Winds and the situation regarding Dvalin. She couldn't help but believe she'd made the right decision.
Even if the others wouldn't see it that way.
The first time Diluc saw the Traveler, it was only briefly as he ran by him through the temple. Only the passing thought of "there's a kid in here" before tucking the thought away so he could focus on the issue he came here for. He dealt with the Abyss Mage quickly.
Seeing Kaeya was an unpleasant surprise as usual, but he'd caught Diluc off guard for the first time in a while when he asked with a coy smile, "Did you happen pass by the Traveler on your way through?"
It took a second, but the first thing to pop into Diluc's head was the kid he saw. He almost spit out "That kid?" but bit his tongue, because the more pressing concern was, "Traveler?" It wasn't like Kaeya to not get a name.
It's only because of years of experience that he noticed the almost bitter shape Kaeya's mouth turned. "Yes, well, I'm afraid that's about the extent of my knowledge on the Traveler."
Diluc could help but raise an incredulous eyebrow at that. That was it? An alias, not even a name? Kaeya's information network may not have been as detailed or connected as Diluc's, but they didn't skimp out on information. Not to mention that Kaeya had even physically spoken to the one in question. Meaning that this Traveler was either so important that his information was under more than merely lock and key, or he didn't exist. Diluc liked to think people existed, leaving only the former option a possibility. By Kaeya's expression, even if Diluc loathed to even consider it, he was clearly thinking along the same lines.
Kaeya held his hands up in mock surrender. "I tried, but there was nothing on him before a week ago when he passed through a small fishing village on the ocean, not far from Starsnatch Cliff."
Now that was odd. Everyone, even fake personas, had histories that could be tracked. Unless they were terribly done, but that didn't happen enough to warrant much consideration. Only incompetent enemies created no background, and from the sounds of it, the Traveler didn't seem to be an enemy, at least not directly. Threat? Definitely, but to whom was up in the air.
Diluc wanted to sigh. Fine, he'd try to dig up information as well considering he wouldn't have much contact with the Traveler to keep an eye on him (he would though, and he'd regret every second of the Traveler's presence, not because of the boy himself, but because where he went, both Paimon and that damn bard followed).
"Anything else that the incompetent Knights of Favonius can't do and need me to?" Diluc groused dryly, but Kaeya didn't shoot back a witty remark like he usually did, instead shifting his weight to the other foot. If Diluc had been any one else and hadn't grown up with the terror that had become Kaeya, he wouldn't have known the movement to be the nervous gesture it was. That, of all things, was what set Diluc on edge.
"...What?" Dilus asked uncertainly, unsure if he really wanted to know. Kaeya said nothing, but the way he stood gave Diluc an uneasy vibe.
It took nearly a minute, but eventually Kaeya said, "As I'm sure you're already aware, the Traveler and I were the ones to proceed through the dungeon in order to destroy it's core Anemo stone." Diluc nodded, but it took Kaeya a few seconds to continue. "Naturally with the Abyss Mage here, there were plentiful enemies."
"Obviously."
Kaeya smiled wryly, like he knew something Diluc didn't, and it grated on his nerves. "We flew through them, almost literally. His combat abilities are honestly quite frightening." Diluc couldn't help but be internally surprised. For someone like Kaeya, who honed his skills like the fine point of a blade, to call someone else frightening, the Traveler must have been amazing. If Kaeya was actually being honest, that is.
"His movements were fluid and graceful, and there's no hesitation when he strikes." Kaeya chuckled in a way Diluc hadn't heard in years (when they were both kids and Kaeya had no confidence in himself. It was a bad memory that Diluc would rather not remember. It reminded the red-head that Kaeya was human too). "With the way he moved, it felt like he'd been fighting for centuries." Diluc just rolled his eyes. He gets it, the kid was experienced, but it wouldn't have been Kaeya if he hadn't dramatized it at least somewhat. Always had, even when they were younger.
(But Diluc couldn't have known that Kaeya was serious. He hadn't seen the way the Traveler had cut through the enemy numbers like it was child's play, effortlessly ducking and dodging every enemy strike save for one arrow that skimmed his side and drew a thin line of blood. He hadn't heard the soundless footfalls and the enemy screeches of terror in battle, hadn't felt the overwhelming pressure of the Traveler as he fought, the weight pressing down on him like an Archon revealing themself in their true form. Diluc couldn't have known, not yet, but he would.)
Barbados had never felt an energy like the boy held before.
The Archon usually kept a piece of his attention on his statues when they sensed people approach them. Most of the visitors wanted his blessing for safe passage, or for freedom if they were trapped in a situation they wished to escape. There were even an occasional few who came asking to be granted an anemo vision. Though he commended their courage, he never gave those people his visions, because that took away the freedom of other Archons to choose them. A person could only ever hold one vision in a lifetime, after all.
This boy did none of that. He clasped his hands together, knelt, and prayed, " Hello, sir. My name is Aether. I don't know what kind of God you are, nor if you are harsh or benevolent, but I pray that you help me. " Save for the introduction, it was typical so far, but the next part gave Barbados pause. " Please guide me to find my sister. Someone took her and trapped me here, and all I want to do is find her. Please, help me find the only family I have left. "
Barbados' heart swelled. There were so many other things the boy could have asked for, to be given enough power to find her, or for the Archon to simply free his sister, but no. He simply asked for guidance. Both he and his sister's freedoms were taken from them, and they'd been separated in the process. Barbados smiled. He'd give the boy that guidance he asked for and more.
Barbados had never found someone more worthy of his power than the one that knelt before his statue now.
Barbados pulled the anemo energy from the surrounding air, meaning to crystalize it to form a vision, but it slipped away, and the boy's energy practically absorbed it, shifting to match. The Archon blinked. That was odd.
Usually, people's energy were set from birth, and a vision filled the hole the energy occupied, melding the two together and becoming solid in nature. It was what allowed elemental energy to flow from the vision and into the wielder. This boy's energy, rather than solidifying and resonating with the vision like most, resonated directly with anemo, like the pure anemo Barbados provided was enough for it to recognize the energy and connect directly to it. Amazing.
(Barbados wondered, for a split second, if that meant the boy's energy could recognize and resonate with other elements too.)
(The answer, as he would come to find, was yes.)
The boy's energy was also unique in that it was… Fluid, perhaps. It never solidified, constantly shifting just like elemental anemo energy tended to do. There wasn't even a hole for a vision that all other humans had. For the first time, Barbados considered that he'd stumbled upon, or rather, had been stumbled upon, by a candidate for the next Anemo Archon (in fact, the boy already felt like an Archon, no, more than that, but Barbados didn't know what kind of entity could be stronger or higher than an Archon. He'd have to ask Morax, as the other Archon was just as old as himself). The anemo curled around the boy in much the same manner that it did with the Archon himself, loving brushing against his bare sides and tousling his hair playfully as the boy stood and walked towards Mondstadt.
Barbados smiled as he stepped into the moral plane and donned the name Venti. If this boy, who was brave enough to venture out alone to find his sister in the dangers of the world and face the people who took her, then Venti could reconnect with an old friend who lived in his very backyard.
Venti's smile widened.
He had a feeling he'd be seeing the boy much more often from now on. Especially if the Archon was to fulfill his promise.