Chapter Text
“Traveler!” Venti called, waving across the square beneath the great statue. He saw Lumine come up the stairs to the cathedral courtyard. He stood at the feet of the statue, lyre in hand. Having been playing for a while, he concluded his melody and excused himself from the small crowd, thanking them as they dispersed.
“I caught wind of your return from Inazuma. What brings you back to the glorious city of the wind?” Venti said stowing the mora he collected.
“You Tone Deaf Bard!” Paimon cried. “Still just as lazy as when we last saw you. Would you stop with the puns? Still… at least you aren’t drinking ...”
“You wound me, Bards work hard to craft their melodies. I’ve been here all day sharing some of the best melodies I know. And as you know songs are a Bard’s work. And they aren’t just puns, this word play happens to stir the mind and soul. And ‘puns’ are to conversation and music as grapes are to wine.” Venti affirmed.
Paimon scratched her head in confusion.
Lumine laughed at her friends banter. “It’s good to see you Venti, I see Mondstadt hasn’t changed much since we’ve been gone.”
“Oh that’s a great song, but that’s besides the point. I’m glad to hear we didn’t blow our last chance.” Venti said. Winking, he playing a playful arpeggio on his lyre.
Lumine laughed again, she didn’t understand the reference but she missed Venti and Mondstadt’s light hearted charm. “Glad to hear it.” She sighed but her gaze growing distant.
Venti isn’t much taller but still he tilted his head down to the side to meet her gaze. “A sigh? But how? Oh we can’t have any of those. That’s the one type of wind I’m sure Lord Barbatos would never allow. What weighs on you mind so heavy? Is there some assistance I may levy?” Venti said trickling a few chords.
Lumine smiled in spite of herself. That’s why she came back in the first place.
“You know-” the Bard went on. “I’ve been working on poem called ‘Wind of the Traveler,’ you’ve arrived at the perfect time. Perhaps you could help me by filling in the gaps of some of your adventures? While we’re at it, I’ve been working hard all day. I have enough mora for a glass or two, what say you?”
Lumine smiled half heated. She seemed distracted. “Sure, maybe later.”
Venti raised an eyebrow, casually playing another stanza on the lyre. “Is that sadness you are hiding? Something distressing? Speak up! I’m sure to find out so either endow me now or in a time biding. If there’s one thing I don’t know, it is digressing.”
Lumine seemed distracted from the rhymes and didn’t answer.
Paimon looked at Lumine, usually Venti was the secretive one. What was bothering her? Before she could ask too she changed the subject.
“Actually Venti, how about you tell us about what’s been happening in Mondstat instead?” Lumine asked.
“Oh? Well just preparations for the upcoming Windblume festival. And everyone has calmed down a lot since you saved Dvalin.”
“That’s great to hear, but that’s not what we’re asking. Have you noticed anything weird outside the city?” Paimon interjected.
“Weird you say?”
“Yeah! We sure had to fight a lot of monsters to get in.”
“Interesting, I can’t say I have heard anything noteworthy. Doesn’t sound like anything Master Jean and the other knights can’t handle.”
“We were actually looking for her. The monsters seemed to have this dark energy. It was super weird.”
“Hehe, well I’m sure she’s out taking care of it.”
“And nothing else weird has happened since losing your Gnosis?” Lumine asked.
“Eh-heh… Nothing noteworthy.” He said.
“Huh. Well that’s good to hear.”
“Ulgh!” Venti doubled over, clutching his chest.
“Whoa, Tone Deaf Bard are you okay?” Paimon asked.
A sharp pain shot through his chest in the hollow spot right where the gnosis used to be followed by an unprovoked gust of warm heavy wind blowing through the square, pushing Paimon down the path several paces. The wind always blew in Mondstadt but not usually so forcefully, several people cried out grabbing onto hats and their belongings to keep them from going airborne. The windmills creaked at the sudden extra force.
So it was back, Venti thought. He hadn’t felt that for a while, he hadn’t felt it this bad since Signora took it in the first place. Still, the hollow spot ached a little more than it had before. Through the Bard’s tossing braids he noticed Lumine’s concerned gaze on him he quickly straightened his spine, mustering up his power he willed the wind to die down. Moving his lyre to cover the space he just held he played off the event.
“What was that!” Paimon yelled more than asked, floating back to them. “Tone deaf Bard, was that you?”
“Hehe, it’s nothing. The wind always blows in Mondstadt.”
“Not like that.” Lumine said but Venti cut her off.
“Just a hand cramp, you know I’ve been playing all day.” He said shaking out his hand. “The wind is easily influenced, it comes and goes as easily as a traveler.” He winked. “But about the city, like I said nothing unusually noteworthy.”
“Really? Nothing? No more Fatui either?”
The Bard shook his head. “Most of them were removed from the city after a rumor that Signora lost a duel. Now I wonder who could have done that?”
Lumine raised a suspicious eyebrow, Venti rarely told them the full story but he usually stayed on topic. He was acting suspicious.
Venti waved the lyre away with a small Anemo burst. “Oh speaking of noteworthy, you know what is? Master Diluc just released this amazing new drink over at Angel’s Share you have to try it-” another tinge and he gritted his teeth and another gust of wind. “My offer still stands if you are in need of a break?”
“Sounds good.” Lumine agreed, shielding her eyes from the warm wind.
“Good! Then we can convene there after the sunset and you can tell me about your travels and I can share my new songs.” He rushed, the wind was picking up again.
“We need to keep looking for Jean, but we’ll see you then!” Paimon tried to say but the wind grew stronger. Paimon grabbed onto Lumine’s scarf to hold on. Venti tried to calm the breeze but it wasn’t working as fast as before.
“Venti?” Paimon cried over the gust. “You think you could cool it with the awesome power of Anemo for a minute!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. See you later!”
Lumine waved goodbye her gaze lingering as they turned head to the Favonius Headquarters. Lumine looked back briefly at the Bard. She had her suspicions but if he wasn’t going to share neither would she. A god who spends his time as a Bard wouldn’t get hand cramps.