Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?” Venti asked, gnawing his lip in worry. “I just have a bad feeling about today.”

“You have a bad feeling about leaving me alone every day,” Zhongli said in response, flashing his lover a quick smile. “It’s just separation anxiety.”

“Yeah but like, the feeling is really bad today!” Venti stomped his foot and huffed. “Argh, I normally just get the nerves, yes, but someone is at least here in the office with you at all times! Ganyu and Yanfei are at the bank making sure we get our weekly checks, Shenhe’s already worked her maximum number of hours an intern is legally allowed to work this week, and, for once in his life, Xiao’s out on sick leave!”

“Venti,” Zhongli sighed, rubbing at his temple. It was far too early for this. “It’s Friday morning. The coffee machine in the office is broken. We’ve both clocked over ten hours of overtime each this week already. I think we deserve some nice coffee to make it through the day. It will be a nice gesture for Ganyu and Yanfei as well, given how they’ve been working even more overtime this week.”

“The shop you like is still gonna be packed.” Venti whined and tugged on his braids. “It’s gonna take forever.”

Reaching into his wallet, Zhongli pulled out his credit card and offered it to Venti. “Then hop to it, my love. I trust your discretion on what to get everyone, snacks included.”

Venti scowled and snatched the card, slipping it into the breast pocket of his blouse. “I’m going to make everyone in this office so sick of apple pastries that they will form a union, revolt, and make sure my demands are met because the big bad boss is such a meanie.”

Humming, Zhongli tapped his lips with a pen. “A union wouldn't be a bad idea actually… Especially if we want to expand our offices next year to Mondstadt…”

“Ugh, well, I’m leaving now,” Venti shouted. He stomped over to his desk near the entryway and snatched up his coat and satchel. “If you need anything at all, message me and I will literally drop everything on the ground and come back.”

“We have security cameras and a panic button. Given that, should any of your worries come to pass, my first call would probably be to the police. Still, I promise to make you my immediate second call.” Zhongli swirled in his chair and watched as Venti bundled himself up for the late February weather. “Is that satisfactory to your demands?”

“No.” Venti stuck out his tongue and marched out of the office into the cold outdoors, leaving Zhongli all by his lonesome.

Truthfully, there were reasons other than coffee that required Venti to be out of the room. The upcoming, very important date circled in his personal calendar was quickly approaching, and there was no way he would be able to focus on any work while plans were not finalized. Zhongli waited a few minutes to be sure his lover had truly left before tabbing over to a flower arrangement website. He pulled out his phone as he did so, quickly plugging in a phone number.

“Hello, this is Yanwang-Dijun Zhongli and I’m calling for- Oh? It’s shipped? Excellent. When do you think it will be available for pick-up? …I see. Let me put that date range down in my calendar so I can be sure to find some time to come over. Thank you again, Ms. Xingxi. I’ll keep in touch.”

He hung up and pressed the checked out button on his computer screen.

The one year anniversary of Venti becoming human was coming up, and Zhongli needed everything to be perfect. He’d already booked the restaurant, secured a musical performance from the delightful young lady who busked in the park on Sundays, made sure their bedroom activities would be fully stocked with whatever they needed, and (just to be safe) acquired tickets for the Opera Troupe in town. It may have been over the top— especially with the amount of money he was dropping on an egregious number of cecilias and cecilia petals— but he needed it to be perfect; the last thing wanted was for Venti to feel unfulfilled on such an important anniversary.

Venti had been in charge of previous important dates and holidays and had gone out of his way to make Zhongli’s birthday a few months back particularly special. They’d enjoyed a nice night in with wine (truthfully, too much wine), takeout, and Sunset Boulevard. It was quaint, it was nostalgic and it brought a warmth to Zhongli’s chest whenever he remembered the careful thought that had been put into it— especially when Venti had whipped out his lyre and played a song he’d written specifically for the occasion. Zhongli didn’t really have any hobbies he could similarly capitalize on and didn’t want to seem like he was just copying his beloved’s ideas, so over the top experiences and money spending it had to be.

No sooner had the flower order confirmation email dinged into his mailbox did he hear the jingle of the bell on the front door as it opened.

A woman stood in the entryway, her fingers clenched tight around the handle of a briefcase as she looked around. Her long ginger curls poked out from under a wide-brimmed hat that she quickly removed along with her boar-patterned scarf.

“My apologies for just dropping in like this without an appointment,” she said when she caught sight of the staring Zhongli. “I’m in a bit of a bind and if it’s no trouble, I would appreciate some insight.”

Zhongli rose to his feet and ushered her over to the sign-in sheet on Venti’s reception desk. “Sign in here, and I will see what I can do,” he said. “In the meantime, may I take your hat and coat? We have a rack I can hang them from.”

The woman handed the clothing over with a soft, “thank you,” before turning her attention to the sign-in sheet. As Zhongli hung the coat, hat, and scarf, he noted that she seemed fond of patterns. The inner lining of the coat also featured boars, but a princess had been added to the various repeating scenes . It was cute, he decided. Something Venti would like. Perhaps, if she was amenable, he could ask where the woman had procured such items once they concluded their meeting.

He motioned for her to follow him over to his own desk, glancing at the sign in sheet as he passed.

Anya M. Andersdotter

“Now, Ms. Andersdotter, what can I help you with today?”

Andersdotter plopped her briefcase on the desk and began to rifle through the seemingly hundreds of papers stuffed to the brim. “I have tried everyone in Mondstadt, Snezhnaya, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine,” she started off with, “and most in Liyue. I fear you’re my last hope here, and I dread going to Natlan for this issue as no one in my research can truly help me over there.”

She set a stapled packet down then moved the briefcase off of the desk. Zhongli flipped through it, dread quickly seeping into his bones as he scanned the contents.

“I’m afraid this office isn’t well-versed in this area of creative copyright law,” he started with, double checking to make sure he’d read everything right the first time. “While we do handle copyrights and trademarks, they’re moreso for businesses and technology.”

“Please, you have to help me!” Andersdotter begged. “I told you— you’re the last person I can turn to for help! This company is trying to steal my novel by changing our contract and passing it off as the original! I even have a copy of the old one stating that all creative rights belong to me! Yet no one will touch it! Here! Take a look at the new one versus the old!”

She pulled her briefcase onto her lap and dug around in it again, quickly pulling out two more stapled packets. “Everything is signed and dated accordingly!”

With great reluctance, Zhongli took the contracts and looked them over. Sure enough, the differences were as plain as daylight, but there was still no good news he could give to her. “Can you prove you signed this specific paper on the date listed?” he asked.

Andersdotter paused. “What do you mean?” she asked, voice hesitant.

“Do you have any witnesses or emails? Digital footprints—such a photo uploaded to a computer?”

Andersdotter shook her head. “No, I never thought to do those. I signed the papers in person at the publishing office. Many people saw but… they all work for the publishing company. None of them have offered me any help in this fight, so I think they’re being paid handsomely for their compliance.”

Zhongli sighed, running a hand through his bangs. “Until you can provide some proof of tampering, I am afraid I cannot help you. The contract— the one you claim to be false—is very airtight. Did you perchance contact the lawyer who drafted the first one?”

By that point, Andersdotter was shaking in her seat. “I did, but they’re contracted by the company and refused to speak to me. I don’t… I can’t… Are you sure you can’t help me? Is there anything in the slightest you can do?!”

Zhongli shook his head. “My apologies, but I am afraid not. Perhaps a private investigator might be able to get the proof you need.”

“How can I trust them to not be in that company’s pockets?!” Andersdotter wailed. Her hands gripped the edge of the desk, her fingers losing colour from the sheer force. “Do you have any recommendations?”

Private Investigators were so touch-and-go, so Zhongli was inclined to side with her paranoia— that was why he employed his own in-house. Unfortunately, Xiao was out on sick leave and had given no indication of when he would return; they hadn’t spoken since he’d been released from the hospital into his boyfriend’s loving care, and while a house call was long overdue, there was no straight answer Zhongli could give to the distressed woman in front of him.

“Unfortunately, not at his time,” he said as gently as he could. It may have been a trick of the lights, but he could have sworn glittering sparks seemed to fly off of Andersdotter. “While there is one employed by the office, he is currently unavailable to take any cases nor will I bother him with work outside of his scheduled hours.”

“When will he be back?”

“I cannot give you an answer to that.”

A dark look came over the woman’s face. “Why?”

“I will not disclose my employee’s personal affairs,” Zhongli said smoothly, glancing at the clock and inwardly begging Venti to come back. He had a way with calming even the most irate of clients with his mere presence alone.

“Please!” Andersdotter shrieked, “Do you have kids? A wife? Someone you love with your whole heart and being?! That is what this book is to me! It is my child, and I care for it just as much as a mother cares for her baby! I cannot lose them to some corporate snake!”

“Ma’am,” Zhongli warned. His hand inched towards the panic button on the underside of his desk. “Please calm down. I do not want to forcefully have you evicted from the premises. “

“Answer the question!”

Zhongli took a deep breath through his nose, fingers paused over the button. Where was Venti?! “I do not have children nor do I have a wife. I do, however, have a partner I care for dearly.”

“And what would you do if you were on the brink of losing them?!” The sparks around Andersdotter were growing in luminosity and number— there was no way Zhongli was just seeing things. He’d discounted too many strange phenomena before in his life. Something… magical… was in the air.

The question couldn’t be answered truthfully; Even if the woman emitted magic from her being, there was absolutely no way Zhongli could openly admit to consorting with demons— arch demons at that— to bring Venti back to him, nor that he had forged and signed his lover’s final contract with the blessing of darkness.

“I would do anything,” was the simplest answer he could muster.

“Then why won’t you help me?!”

What came out of Zhongli’s mouth, in hindsight, was quite possibly the stupidest thing he could have possibly said to Anya M. Andersdotter. “Ms. Andersdotter. You are trying to compare this affair to a human life. I’m sorry, and I understand your frustration, but this is simply a book.”

Andersdotter’s eyes narrowed to slits as the air around them grew heavy with invisible pressure. Zhongli couldn’t move a muscle—couldn’t even muster the slightest of twitches to press the panic button his finger rested on. He gasped for breath. The magic sparks swirled around Andersdotter before shooting towards him and digging into his skin.

“You don’t understand,” the witch hissed. “How could you?! This office reeks of demonic energy! It’s obvious you have friends on the other side who could help! A contract lawyer and demons? Seems too fitting. Perhaps you are the one who’s really the villain here. It’s almost like I’m a knight, vying desperately to save my princess, my children, from an wicked dragon.”

A silent scream ripped its way out of Zhongli’s throat as his skin began to burn. Everything, from his toes to neck felt like it was on fire. Snapping sounds echoed in time with the blood rushing through his ears. He could barely make out what Andersdotter was saying next as his senses churned and broiled.

“...Oh. Oh dear. I was just… I was just angry. I didn’t mean to… I’m not supposed to be able to… Oh… Oh no. I need to talk to Alice. Um, hang tight, alright? I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry. I lost myself there.”

Perhaps, he thought, Venti had been right to be worried. Strange how he’d had those feelings and they ended up being right…

Then everything went dark and blissfully silent.

“Everything is fine, see?” Yanfei said before taking a swig of her coffee. “No cops swarming the place, which means no panic button pushed. You’ve just got anxiety for no reason.”

“If you need to see a professional, I can give you some recommendations,” Ganyu chimed in, rubbing at her eyes as she yawned. “I know where Xiao goes.”

“I don’t need meds,” Venti grumbled. His fingers gripped the side of the drink case carrier with force. “And I don’t need to talk to anyone. This feels… I don’t know, different. Like, this is not the anxiety I feel when I think about if I turned the stove off after I left. It’s… foreboding. Ominous. Like a dark shadow overtaking my entire being and telling me to run.”

Yanfei hummed as the trio stopped at the crosswalk across from the office and waited for the pedestrian walk sign to turn in their favor. “I didn’t want to go there but… Do you think there’s some lingering demon powers in you?”

Venti shook his head. “There shouldn’t be, but cases of demons turning human are so few and far between that no one can really say. I thought Zhongli’s contract was pretty solid. I shouldn’t be a demon anymore, so why would I have demon powers? The contract and boon literally sucked out that part of me.”

“The world works in mysterious ways.” Ganyu blew on her tea before taking a sip. “Maybe whatever it is that made you antsy wasn’t demonic. Are there other types of magic out there?”

The light changed and they quickly shuffled across the street. Yanfei opened the door for Venti while Ganyu checked the outdoor mailbox.

“Well yeah,” Venti said as he walked into the office. “There’s demonic magic and its counterpart, celestial. Magic can be drawn from the earth itself— and spirits, but that usually delves into stuff like necromancy, which is a big no-no in every single faction out there. And then of course there’s witches and magical creatures like… A DRAGON?!”

The blood drained from Venti’s face as it struck him that those feelings from earlier had not simply been, “just nerves.” His whole body shook as he stared at the creature on the office floor, barely managing to pull himself together to put the coffee tray down on his desk before rushing forward and kneeling. He froze, unsure of what to do. Ganyu and Yanfei were yelling something but it was all fuzz in Venti’s ears. The only sense in his body still working, it seemed, were his olfactory organs.

It smelled like a witch.

“Lord above,” Yanfei hissed, her voice suddenly becoming clear as Venti’s mind snapped back into place. “What is that?! And where’s Mister Zho- oh… His clothes…”

“Ganyu?” Venti croaked, reaching down and cradling the creature close to his chest. This couldn’t be happening… A witch?! “Can you perhaps see if there’s anything on the sign-in sheet?”

Ganyu hurried over and quickly yelled out, “After you left, a Ms. Anya M. Andersdotter signed in.”

Venti’s breath caught as he exhaled. “Shit.”

“Venti, what the hell is going on?!” Yanfei hissed. “You were gone for half an hour and now there’s sparkles everywhere, Mister Zhongli’s clothes are strewn about the place, and you’re holding a scaly noodle.”

“Give me a moment to collect my thoughts,” Venti murmured. He got to his feet and sank down into Zhongli’s office chair, the creature still in his arms “So I leave… and a walk-in appears. I know for a fact that Anya M. Andersdotter is the name of a witch. She actually isn’t very powerful and usually can’t even muster the tiniest spark of magic, but I’ve heard that others always sensed something deep and powerful in her. You all can’t sense it, but the air in here is rife with anger. Zhongli must have said something to make her extremely angry. More angry than she’d ever felt before so something… unexpected probably happened.”

Ganyu and Yanfei paused in their gathering of Zhongli’s clothing, the colour from their faces draining as realization dawned on them.

“I’m afraid our dear Mister Zhongli has found himself on the wrong end of a curse,” Venti sighed. The small copper dragon in his lap twitched and stirred. He was no bigger than a standard house cat, although his body was thin and elongated. A tuft of orange fur circled his neck and tipped the top of his tail. Tiny antlers branched from his head while the most minute of horns jutted from his nose. He was much more of a Liyuean dragon shape than those of Fontaine, Snezhnaya, and Mondstadt— which fit given they were in fact, in Liyue. “I’ve seen it a few times before and it’s easy enough to break but…”

Ganyu gnawed on her lip as the little dragon slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head. “But…?”

Tutting, Venti ran a finger down his lover’s back as he returned to the waking world with a big toothy yawn. “It’ll just be troublesome. You see, you need six tokens from six different witches. Then you place those tokens in a magic circle, say an incantation, and boom, you’re human again. It’s just, basically every witch lives in Mondstadt and most aren’t tech savvy. It’s not like there’s a witch directory in the phonebook with their video conference call numbers next to them. They usually know where each other are, though, so we really just have to find one.”

“But that means going to Mondstadt.” Yanfei crossed her arms and rested her chin on her fingers as she began to think. “You’re familiar with the place, yes?”

Venti nodded before turning back to Zhongli. “Welcome back, my love,” he cooed softly, pressing a kiss to the dragon’s crown. “Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything in a bit. Just know you’re safe here with me.” He looked back to Yanfei. “Yep! I’m from there originally. Surely it couldn’t have changed that much in 2000 years. I got summoned there a lot as well, so even if I’ve just seen things through bedroom windows, I think I could feel out everything easily enough.”

Yanfei laughed nervously. “You will probably want some back up then,” she said before whipping out her phone. “Let me call Xiao and Shenhe.”

“Don’t you dare breathe a word of this to anyone else,” Venti said. “I mean, eventually this will make its way back to Xianyun, but we need to delay that as long as possible. You know how she gets.”

The dragon in Venti’s lap squeaked as Ganyu’s face contorted in horror. “Oh absolutely not. Don’t worry, I will do my best to make sure mother doesn’t find out.”

Luckily, Shenhe and Xiao were in agreement. By lunch, the two… well, technically three with Xiao’s boyfriend hovering nervously over his shoulder… were all seated at the ramshackle conference table that, somehow, still needed to be replaced.

“So let me get this straight,” Xiao said, hands folded together as he looked at the dragon peeking over the edge of the table. “Everyone left Zhongli alone in the office for some reason or another, all completely valid in nature. A witch came in, got mad about something, and cursed him. So now he’s that and we need to go to Mondstadt to collect six tokens from reclusive magic-spewing women so that he can be normal again?”

“Well, not every witch is a woman,” Venti interjected. His wary gaze drifted over to Xiao’s boyfriend, an admittedly kindhearted young name named Aether. He didn’t really want to bring fresh faces into the fold, especially those who couldn’t comprehend what he’d gone through during his days as a succubus, but really, they had no choice at this point. Xiao had even vouched for him, and that was something Venti knew he could count on. It still didn’t help his personal anxiety, but what could he even begin to do about that? Aether refused to leave Xiao’s side while he was, “still recovering.” (Whatever that meant). “But yes. That is the general gist. Five witches. Five tokens. Magic Circle. Chanting. Poof, Zhongli will be fully human with his junk out for everyone to see because his clothes didn’t shift with him.”

The little dragon in his lap, now fully conscious, squawked in concern.

“This is all a lot to take in,” Aether said slowly. He shifted in his seat as all eyes locked on him. “I’m still not sure about all the magic stuff and demons and everything Mister Venti was talking about, but I can help with normal planning. Mondstadt has all the witches, like you said. How are you going to get there? Their airport shut down this morning for a week of renovations and upgrades. The ferry will take you up to Dornman’s Port, which is just as far away from the main city as Liyue Harbor. Can any of you drive?”

The group collectively grimaced.

“I only have my learner’s permit,” Shenhe admitted. “I have my bicycle and public transportation. On the off-chance I need a ride somewhere, Mother or Mister Zhongli are always happy to provide one.”

“You know I won’t go near the wheel of a car,” Xiao hissed, rubbing at his temple. His skin was more pallid than usual, Venti noted, and sweat seemed to permanently dot his brow.

“Yanfei and I both have our licenses but…” Ganyu trailed off, gnawing on her lip.

“We haven’t used them in years and we learned in compact cars,” Yanfei finished. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “We would definitely need a van or something larger and I believe Ganyu shares my sentiment of feeling uncomfortable in being the driver. Plus, we’re probably the best ones to stay back and run the office. We need to maintain the illusion that Mister Zhongli is alright because if clients get word that he’s missing or dropped off for an impromptu vacation, not only will the firm’s reputation be shattered, but long standing clients will drop us like flies and run over to the competition.”

Ganyu nodded in agreement.

“Hrm…” Venti groaned. He shifted the dragon on his lap to his shoulder, nervously crossing and uncrossing his legs. “Usually Zhongli drives me places if we take the car somewhere. He’s taught me a little but uh… I don’t even have my learner’s permit yet.”

A pregnant silence filled the room, broken only by Aether’s sigh as he pulled out his wallet and took out a card. “Well, you’re all in luck. I don’t know if Xiao’s mentioned it, but I do deliveries so I have my license and am familiar with driving large vehicles. I’m on vacation for the next few weeks to look after Xiao but—”

Venti didn’t let him finish, leaping from his chair and wrapping his arms around the boy he didn’t know. Zhongli wriggled between them, trapped. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!”

“Hold on!” Aether wheezed. He didn’t struggle against the tight hold. “I still need to do my base duty of looking after Xiao. He just got out of the hospital, and it all depends on if he thinks he can handle coming on such a trip.”

Xiao’s fingers tapped from where they rested on his side, wincing just the slightest as Venti’s piercing gaze landed on him. “I should be fine,” he said with a sigh. “And I would go regardless. I would… do anything to help Zhongli.”

Zhongli’s head peeked out between Venti and Aether’s shoulders, purring loudly enough for the room to hear.

“Shenhe, you should go with them,” Ganyu said, rubbing her arms. “I’ll come up with an excuse for Mother, so don’t worry about that. I just think it would be good to have someone with the ability to use magic, even the slightest. You never know what could go wrong.”

Releasing Aether, Venti snorted as he headed back to his seat. “I remember when she got super close to exorcizing me in the middle of Ping’s back hallway. Could have done it too if she really wanted to. I wouldn’t downplay Miss Shenhe’s abilities like that.”

Shenhe nodded. “I would be amenable to that. I will need some time to prepare spell tags, however. My nephew has more raw materials used in magic, so I will need to pay him a visit.”

“I don’t think anyone here actually owns a van,” Aether said. “So let me and Xiao be in charge of renting! I don’t mean to brag or anything, but I’m a pretty good cook, especially when camping, so leave grocery shopping to us as well! Xiao’s picky so I’ll just let him pick out whatever he wants.”

Xiao grumbled, his cheeks dusting pink as he snuggled up against his boyfriend.

“Alright then!” Venti said, clapping his hands together. Zhongli perched on his shoulder and surveyed the room. “I’ll pack for me and the noodle, then get a route ready. I’m sure things have changed since I last traveled Mondstadt’s roads, and a refresher couldn’t hurt!”

Zhongli nipped his cheek at the ‘noodle’ comment.

“I can’t help it!” Venti lamented, sighing dramatically. “That’s what you look like!”

The group left at the crack of dawn two days later. Teary goodbyes were exchanged with Ganyu and Yanfei, both of them promising to hold the fort and keep an eye out for Andersdotter in case she returned. Four duffle bags were tossed in the trunk of the small van Aether had procured, alongside a cooler and box of groceries. A large tote bag filled with snacks and bottled drinks sat in the gap between the two seats that made up the middle row, which Shenhe crawled into. Xiao sprawled across the entire back row, a blanket and small noodle-shaped dragon draped over him as he slept the morning away.

Venti was used to sitting in the front passenger’s seat, but it was admittedly strange to be there with the driver not being the man he was in love with. He was used to leaning against the door, chin propped in his hand as he looked out the window, eyes darting over to someone much taller, much darker, and more handsome. That last bit wasn’t anything he could admit outloud; Aether was cute, certainly— Venti could see the visuals appealing to Xiao quite easily— but he wasn’t Venti’s type. The pretty, babyfaced youths usually didn’t need to summon him back in the day and Venti himself was a pretty, babyfaced youth. It was strange to be after a vibe that matched his own!

The first hour was spent dwelling on those thoughts, wild and random as they were, while the city melted into suburbs then into fields. Had it been any season but late winter, the colours of the dawn would have matched the blooms and stalks of whatever was being grown out the fields. With the cold as prevalent as it was, nature was apt to sleep and wait for the warmth of spring to gently kiss it awake.

Venti glanced back at Zhongli, sleeping peacefully curled up on top of Xiao and blew him a kiss, hoping that somehow, his own human warmth could resonate with the cold scales of that draconian form. The past few days had been, admittedly, rough. Venti couldn’t figure out what Zhongli was trying to convey to him in any matter. Zhongli’s stomach required a very different diet as they unfortunately found out after dinner on the first night— the stains on the rug would probably still be there when they got back. The bed was cold and large and empty, and Venti was loath to admit how wanton it made him. The loneliness that had clawed at his stomach during that week as a succubus lurked at the edges of his psyche and that was something he never wanted to experience ever again.

They had to get Zhongli fixed as quickly as possible, or Venti was liable to lose his mind.

“How’s everyone doing?” he finally said, the veil of silence flying away in the wind.

“Perfectly fine so far!” Aether chirped. He had no right to be so sunny-eyed at the ass crack of dawn, Venti bemoaned. “According to the directions, we should be reaching a rest area with a gas station in about half an hour. If everyone’s bladders are okay, I’d like to hit it up and top off, because the next stretch will take us till just past lunch time.”

“I’ll be okay till then,” Shenhe said, voice soft as she flipped through a book. Venti hadn’t been able to catch the title when she’d pulled it out at the beginning of the drive, but something about it screamed dramatic historical romance.

Xiao and Zhongli snored softly from the back.

“I’ll be okay too!” Venti said. “You seemed to have figured everything out from the maps I got you.”

“It helps to have modern GPSs as well,” Aether laughed. “Between the two, I have this trip planned out perfectly. I already made reservations at a place just outside Mond’s borders. We won't reach the city by tomorrow, but there’s a whole bunch of cute Bed and Breakfasts lining the path, so I figured we would ask around and find one that vibes right.”

Venti frowned. “Why is it taking so long to get to the city?”

“I know you said it’s been a very long time since you actually experienced Mondstadt, but I’ve done a fair amount of traveling myself and nowadays, Mondstadt is full of extremely thick forests and cliffs. The roads are winding and dark even at midday, so I would prefer to take that part of the stretch slow,” Aether said with a shrug of his shoulders. “But! We should reach Mondstadt City the day after!”

It was a reasonable explanation, Venti was loath to admit. The forests of cedars, birches, and firs had been wild and vast back when he’d been at his friend’s side. The two of them had loved playing amongst the thick trunks and jutting roots, hiding and laughing all the while. They would gather glowing lamp grass and weave the streams together to create radiant crowns that would not let them get lost or separated in the dark. They would etch symbols into bark, their own secret language that allowed them to navigate the labyrinth of foliage. He wondered if those markings were still there over 2000 years later…

The morning passed quickly, and the rest stop was upon them before Venti could blink.

“Thank goodness we’re all synched,” Venti groaned as he washed his hands. The bathroom water came in one temperature: ice cold. “I don’t know how I could survive one of us, let alone three having to do pad and tampon stops. Especially if we camp at all. Wait… It is just three of us, right?”

“Aether never has and never will have a period in his life,” Xiao grumbled, shaking his hands in the air to dry them. “So yes. Three. And why do you think we’re synched? I haven’t had mine in like, three months.”

“Well last year at the Halloween party, everyone in the office was crowding the hotel bathrooms cuz— wait, what do you mean three months?” Venti’s eyes narrowed. “Isn’t birth control supposed to regulate that? That’s what mine does.”

“I get stressed, and my body forgets about it,” Xiao said with a shrug. “Been happening since I was a kid. Pills can’t do anything about it. T makes it more irregular, too. The doctors have run every test they can to try and figure it out. It just happens. Human bodies are weird, Venti.”

Venti made a twisted face as they exited the bathroom and joined up with Shenhe. “I learn more everyday,” he said with a sigh. Shenhe gave him a curious glance and he contemplated answering with a shrug, but his runaway mouth got the better of him. “Am I blessed to have my periods arrive on the dot the same day every month?”

Shenhe grimaced as Xiao groaned and ran a hand down his face. “Yeah. Yeah you are. Brag about it again and I’ll see if I can exorcize humans.”

“Huh.”

They wandered over to the van, parked nearby after Aether had finished filling up the gas tank nearby.

“You three took a while,” Aether noted. “Everything okay?” His gaze was locked on Xiao as he spoke.

Xiao slid into the unoccupied seat in the middle row and let out a slow deep breath. “As good as it ever is,” he replied.

Venti peeked into the very back, where Zhongli was still asleep, tangled up in a blanket before climbing into his own spot and buckling up. “I’m good too!”

“Thank you for your input, Venti, but I’m mostly concerned about Xiao,” Aether said, checking to make sure everyone was buckled up and doors were closed before backing out of the parking space. “He did just get out of the hospital.”

“Speaking of, why were you in the hospital, Xiao?” Venti drawled. He watched as the rest stop began to fade from view. “You gave us no warning, no explanation, no nothing! Zhongli only found out because he’s still your emergency contact.”

“Which I changed as soon as I could,” Xiao grunted. He rested his head against the window. “And it was nothing that you need to worry about. Just the body acting up like normal.”

“It’s not normal for bodies to act like yours.”

“Stop being nosy. I’ll tell you when I tell you.”

Venti turned the puppy dog eyes on Aether.

“Sorry Venti,” Aether laughed. “Once upon a time, might have been able to do whatever it is a succubus can do to wrangle answers out of me, but you’re human now. Your charms have no effect. I’m immune. Invulnerable. Untouchable.”

“If you weren’t driving this van I would launch an immediate tickle attack,” Venti grumbled. “Keep those eyes on the back of your head alert the next time we stop. I’ll be coming for you.”

“Please don’t tickle my boyfriend, Venti.”

Shenhe turned the page in her book.

The first day of driving was utterly uneventful— absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Pit stops roughly every two hours, sandwiches at lunch time, and not a lick of traffic or roadwork to be seen. When the silence of the van had been too much for even Aether to handle, he slipped in a mix CD his sister had made for him for the trip and a front-seat sing-along commenced. Shenhe read her book and Xiao catnapped off and on, Zhongli curled up on his lap the entire time, quite content to stare at the scenery as they passed by.

They set off on their journey when the sun had risen and pulled into the hotel parking lot as it set. ‘Hotel’ was a gracious word for it— it was more of a themed tavern. A traditional teahouse was attached to the side while the sound of a zither and jovial voices could be heard from inside the main building. It was about three stories tall and, if Venti had to gander, only the top two were used for guests. Given how out of the way they were and on the border of another country, he supposed a place like this would have to go out of its way to be unique enough to attract customers and tourists.

It was nice, Venti decided, as he swung his legs out of the van and hopped down onto the gravel. Zhongli slithered up his arm, stowing away under the sleeve of his sweater. The winter chill was even more prominent now as they traveled further north. A shiver ran through him, and he held the arm with the dragon closer to his body. His poor love was probably suffering even more than he.

“Let’s get inside,” he cooed, rushing off to the front door of the inn. The rest of the group followed close behind. As they gathered in the lobby, Venti took stock of how everyone was doing. He gawked when he looked at Shenhe.

“Aren’t you cold?!” he berated, eyeing her tanktop, leggings, and ballet flats. “It’s freezing outside!”

Shenhe shrugged. “The cold doesn’t bother me. It feels nice, in fact.”

“I’m not entirely convinced you’re human,” Venti grumbled, shuffling over to where Aether chatted with the receptionist. Xiao was already plastered to his side, shivers wracking his bundled up frame so Venti was apt to just slip in on his other side. “Us normal people are cold!”

Shenhe shrugged again as Aether held up the room keys in triumph. “I’m going to go get the luggage,” she said, snatching a key before turning heel and heading back out into the dusk.

“What a strange woman,” Venti huffed as he detached himself from Xiao and Aether. Zhongli nipped at him, having been enjoying the warmth. “And *I* have to room with her!”

“Sorry your boyfriend got turned into a tiny dragon,” Aether said with a laugh, handing him his key. “You can either help Shenhe bring stuff in, or come with us over to the teahouse and figure out dinner.”

“Dinner. Shenhe’s creeping me out too much right now. I wanna be with the normies.” Venti flapped his arm, wincing a sudden ache in his back bloomed. It was something that happened on occasion, with no rhyme or reason— just a prolonged burn between his shoulder blades where his wings had once been. Ah well, it would pass as always, he thought. No need to worry the others.

Zhongli’s coil on his arm tightened for the briefest of moments before relaxing.

Oh. He noticed. What a strange set of senses his beloved now possessed to be able to tell the slightest change in Venti’s body just by resting on him skin-to-skin.

“I’m okay, love,” he whispered, holding his sleeved arm up and planting a gentle kiss on the fabric above Zhongli’s head. “It’s just from sitting in the car all day. I’ll do some stretches before bed, but right now, I’m starving!”

The tea house was arranged in a communal dining setting rather than individual tables and booths. There was luckily a series of empty seats that could fit the whole group, and they were quick to claim them. Aether and Xiao sat next to each other while Venti made sure to leave an empty chair between them and him so that Shenhe had somewhere to sit, a stranger seated on his other side. He fiddled with the menu, unsure of what would appeal to his pallet. Usually he had Zhongli sitting next to him, analyzing the food descriptions, rambling about their composition and flavor profiles, and almost always finding the exact dish Venti liked.

But Zhongli was a little dragon now wrapped around his arm. Venti would look like a weirdo if he started trying to consult the other under the table. Shenhe was still gone, and Aether and Xiao were deep in quiet conversation, fingers laced together and menus untouched.

Venti frowned and turned to the stranger seated next to him.

“Excuse me, miss,” he said in the most cheerful, cordial tone he could muster. “Have you been here before? I’m unsure of what I want to order, so if you have, what would you recommend?”

The woman glanced up at him from the journal she was scribbling in.

“Oh, hello,” she said, voice tinted with an accent Venti couldn’t quite place. “Why yes, I do find myself here frequently. Tell me, is there anything you don’t like?” She lifted her own menu and scooted her chair closer so they could both peruse.

“Not a fan of cheese,” said Venti. He winced as a tiny set of fangs nipped at him. The woman, luckily, didn’t seem to notice.

“Alright then. Then I would recommend this soup here. It’s warm, it’s savory, it’s delicious, and most importantly, it’s cheap! Fits into any budget.” The woman smiled, seemingly proud of herself.

Venti blinked. “Oh, price isn’t an issue,” he said.

The woman cleared her throat, eyes darting to the side as a blush peppered her cheeks. “Oh then… I haven’t ever really… eaten anything else off of the menu before. The soup is fine! Fills all my needs.” She nodded, as if coming to an agreement with herself.

Zhongli nipped at Venti again, eliciting the smallest hiss of pain.

“Are you alright, dear?” the woman asked. She reached out in concern, but Venti was quick to brush her off with a laugh.

“I pulled a muscle from sitting wrong in the car all day,” he lied. “Moving even the slightest bit wrong can aggravate it. I’ll just sleep it off and live with it.”

The woman didn’t seem convinced.

“A-anyways, since money is a problem for me and you so graciously helped me with the menu, why don’t I pick up your tab?” Venti said, hoping it would change the subject. Money truly was not a problem with Zhongli’s bank account and credit card. A dent in his savings would simply be payback for getting himself turned into a tiny dragon.

The woman balked. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly-! I was just helping. You know… Like any good soul would. There’s no need. I-I have this covered… really!”

Venti glanced at her half portion of soup, already drained with not a speck of broth remaining.

“A-and besides! You have that little one in your sleeve to worry about-”

“EH?!” Venti slapped a hand over his mouth as curious eyes turned his way. “How do you know about that?!”

The woman twirled a dark strand of hair from her pigtails as she glanced down at where Zhongli was hidden. “Anyone gifted with Sight could see the little one wrapped around your arm. And you yourself have a distinct aura. I thought you approached me because we’re kindred spirits.”

Venti’s eyes narrowed. Shenhe slid into the empty seat finally on his other side, and he breathed a sigh of relief. At least… if things went south and the stranger happened to be a demon of ill intent, then their attack dog was here.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m perfectly human,” he said softly.

“If you insist.” The woman didn’t look convinced, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. “Let’s start over, shall we? My name is Mona Magistus and I am a witch’s apprentice.”

Venti’s gasp alerted the rest of the group, three heads turning in unison to look at them. Tiny fangs dug into his skin again, but this time he didn’t react. He was too busy gaping at the fortune that had landed in their lap.

“Based on… everything,” Mona gestured to all of him with her hands, “it seems as if you will be in need of my services.” She giggled and got to her feet. “Eat up. You’ve traveled a long way today. I shall meet you all in one of the private lounges on the second floor. Let me get ready and we’ll see if I can’t do anything to help you all out with your little… situation.”

As she turned to leave, she paused, and pivoted on her heel. “Also! Keep an eye on little trickents and small objects! Things have been going missing around the hotel and I’m actually here to investigate! My own pack of nice fountain pens disappeared this morning, so it can happen to anyone! Toodle-loo~!”

Mona had been right. After finishing their meals, the group split off into the two rooms they’d rented and sorted through the things Shenhe brought in.

“Where are my headphones…?” Aether mumbled as he dug through his bag.

“My bookmark is missing…” Shenhe grumbled, flipping through her book to find where she’d left off. She folded the corner of the page down when she found it.

“My sleeping pills are not in the medicine box and I know for a fact I put them in there. Aether watched me to make sure I did!” Xiao hissed.

Venti stared down at his hand, instantly clocking what was missing. Zhongli whined and nudged at his bare ring finger, the ring made from the summons stone gifted on the anniversary of his summoning gone. He inhaled, shakily, and curled his hand into a fist.

It was somewhere nearby, he knew. Despite becoming a human, he still retained a deep connection to the stone. He couldn’t place when it had disappeared from his finger, but it had to have happened after arriving at the hotel.

The wind rattled the windows of the room, trees scraping against the glass as a sudden storm swept up in the darkness outside. There was no way he could go outside and look then, but perhaps come morning, when the sun was out and the winds died down, he would see if he could track it via that supernatural connection. Perhaps, all the other missing things would be there as well.

“The wind has been horrid lately,” Mona said as the group joined her in the private lounge. She sat cross-legged on a chair, surrounded by cards, journals, star charts, and other various strange contraptions.

“Do you think it could be in connection with the disappearing objects?” Shenhe asked.

Venti’s empty hand curled again while Zhongli looked out the window and hissed.

“It might, it might not. The stars were terribly clear in that regard when I went peeking around,” Mona said with a sigh. “But now it’s time to focus on your current problem. That little dragon scratching at the window… He was once a person, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah…” Venti groaned. “No one was around to see what happened, but he made a witch mad and we came back to find him… like that.”

“Hmmmm.” Mona eyed the dragon then scribbled something down in a notebook. “Do you perchance know which witch cast the spell?”

“Andersdotter.”

“Oh!” Mona squeaked in surprise. “She usually isn’t on to cast curses! Then again she has been on edge as of late due to her publisher pulling the rug out from under her. It’s possible it slipped out by accident. How unfortunate. Well, we can’t do anything about the past, and a single witch like me can’t do much about the present, but I can help with his future.”

She held up a glittering star-shaped pendant.

“I’m sure you’re aware you need five gifts from five witches to undo the curse, yes?”

The group nodded— it was almost tiring to hear the rule repeated so many times by this point.

“Well, here is mine! BUT! It doesn’t come free!”

Venti’s hands twitched as he yearned to leap from his seat and snatch it away. Surely a deal with a witch couldn’t be any worse than a deal with a demon, could it? “What do you want?”

Mona smiled and pinned the pendant to her sparkling blouse. “I said earlier that I’m a witch’s apprentice. While I’m still learning, I still count as a witch as far as the curse is concerned. But, as an apprentice, I am still learning! I would like it if you all would let me tell you your fortunes!”

She gestured to one of the contraptions and Venti could make out the faint lines and dots of constellations dotting its golden surface. “Astrology is my specialty, you see, and the stars can glean so many things— such as love, fate, and fortune. I’m forbidden to use it on myself and it hasn’t been much use in solving the mysteriously disappearing objects case, so it would be a big help to me if you agreed.”

An excited grin bloomed on Aether’s face and even Xiao looked a little curious. Shenhe’s lips were pursed, but she was first to get to her feet and take the seat directly across from Mona.

“Do you have the energy to tell five fortunes?” she asked. She held her hands out, palms up and Mona began to inspect them.

“Technically four fortunes,” the witch said, pausing frequently to note things down on her pad. “Sadly, a dragon is not a human, and I cannot tell the fortune of those in such a shape.”

“What about demons?” Venti asked, something tugging at the back of his mind that made him hesitate to accept the task.

“Demons and celestials are more difficult, for sure, but are possible.” Mona let go of Shenhe’s hands then began to twist and turn her golden device. “It’s more like… I cannot offer any guidance towards their future but more so glean insight on their pasts. The divine are bound by different rules of fate than us and those paths are not open to even my Sight. At least, not at my current skill level.”

She tweaked the device once, twice more then sat back and giggled. “Oh ho ho, Miss Shenhe. From what I can see, you’re a powerful exorcist in and of your own right. I’m surprised you let me do this, in fact.”

“Mister Zhongli needs to be returned to normal,” Shenhe grunted. “So I will do what I must to see that happen.”

Zhongli let out a yip of appreciation from the window sill before going back to staring at the whipping winds outside.

“Well, thank you for your sacrifice,” Mona said. “You are a fan of historical romances, fantasy, and the like. Novels are your preferred method of experiencing a story due to the quiet, comforting solitude they bring. Tell me, have you ever thought of expanding that view? For example, has it ever crossed your mind to see an opera?”

Shenhe paused, eyes widening. She seemed unsure of whether to nod or shake her head.

Mona smirked. “There is a play starting when you return at the Liyue Harbor Opera House. It’s performed by the Yun Opera Troupe. I recommend you go take a look. You might see something you like.”

She winked, giggling again as Shenhe’s normal pallid complexion bloomed into an embarrassed red. Shenhe pushed off and away from her chair, racing over to a corner far away from the witch before settling in on her phone.

“Her mom was planning to take her on her birthday, regardless. She loves the Yun Opera Toupe,” Aether said, taking the hot seat. “I think… she’s excited? Zhongli’s checking on her. If anything’s wrong, he’ll let us know.”

“Oh, she’s definitely excited,” Mona laughed. “But now it is your turn, so let us clean the slate.” She ripped the top piece of paper off of her pad and started on a new sheet. “Give me your hands!”

“What’s the device you were playing with after you read Shenhe’s palms?” Aether asked as he handed over his palms.

“It’s an astrolabe!” Mona said proudly, poking and prodding the skin before her. “I align it with the secrets written on your palms, the time, the weather, how we met, your general demeanor, your aura, etc etc. And then it reveals to me hints of a fortune that I can extract with my magic and make whole.”

“Oh wow. I didn’t see you do any of that, really.” Aether turned his head and grinned at Xiao, who was grumping all by his lonesome on a couch. “I thought magic was more bright and sparkly. Everyone here’s seen it in action but me.”

“This is all mostly mental and invisible,” Mona said. She quickly wrote a few things down on her notepad before turning the astrolabe. “The notes help me remember the key details, but it’s all flow of energy and internal churning. There certainly is bright, sparkly, flashy magic out there, and I can perform it, but now isn’t the time, I’m afraid. Perhaps you’ll meet a witch… who…”

She blanched, checked her notes, checked the astrolabe, grabbed Aether’s hand and inspected it a second time, before croaking out, “Oh… yes you are definitely going to meet some of the flashier witches. And they will become your friends. As well as others. Good heavens, your attachments and friendships seem never ending. Is this normal for you?”

“Most people like me when they meet me,” Aether said with a cheeky grin. “Anything else?”

“I’m sorry, but…” Mona aggressively tapped her astrolabe, “you have so many external connections, in fact, that it makes it hard to decipher the strands of fate that solely belong to you. I can’t seem to glean your future without delving into the futures of all of those deeply connected to you which is a number far greater than I can safely work with.”

She looked at Aether, the colour having drained from her face. “You will make friends. You will make many friends. It might be a problem.”

Aether laughed nervously. “How can having too many friends be a problem?”

Mona didn’t answer. She turned to Xiao and gestured for him to come forward. Instead of allowing Aether to leave, he simply settled onto top of him and held out his hands.

“Oh dear, you’re trembling. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Mona cooed, taking a gnarled hand in her own.

“It’s actually nerve damage,” Xiao grunted. He relaxed as Aether rested his chin atop his shoulder. “But you don’t have to be overly gentle. I can handle it.”

“I will be overly gentle because I want to be!” Mona huffed. Still, even from where Venti sat, he could see her gingerly trace invisible lines and softly press on knuckles. While still new at her craft, she seemed well-versed in the care of becoming tender when the need arose. For that, he was grateful.

“Hmmmmmmm…”

“What does that mean, witch?” Xiao’s nervous gaze met Venti’s, and all he could do was shrug?

“Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm…” Mona turned her astrolabe a single time then sunk into her chair, deep in thought.

“Is it that bad?” Aether asked worriedly.

“No, it’s not that,” Mona said, tapping a manicured nail against her lips. “It’s just… I’m not quite sure how to put it and how to be… let’s say… tactful in its delivery.”

She hummed again as Xiao began to squirm in his seat.

“Hm, how about… Let me put it this way. Keep an ear out for your phone. There’s a call you will want to answer,” Mona settled on. Pink dusted her cheeks and she shooed the two lovebirds away from her workspace. “I cannot elaborate anymore for both ethical and moral reasons! Shoo, shoo! Let me see the last one!”

Venti slipped into the seat as soon as Aether and Xiao got to their feet. He held his hands out, waiting anxiously for Mona to begin. The witch’s fingers brushed over his palm, and instantly her eyes widened. She began to laugh nervously again.

“Um, I have a request for those not currently getting their fortunes told. Yes, even you Little One,” she said. Three heads and one dragon turned to her. “I need privacy for this one, so if you would please vacate outisde and wait for me to finish, it would be most appreciated.”

“Will you be alright by yourself, Venti?” Shenhe asked. “I can cast a protection spell on you if you want.”

“None of that, none of that,” Venti chirped. He forced a smile on his face. “I’ll be fine. I feel like Zhongli will be able to sense what’s wrong and be alert in case anything goes awry. Hey if anything, baby, sniff around the lobby! Maybe you can catch a whiff of whatever’s been stealing people’s stuff!” His voice softened. “You know what to look for.”

Zhongli nodded and slithered off, the three humans right behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Mona let out a breath that Venti hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Oh, the wind’s died down,” she said, glancing out the window. Indeed, there was an eerie, vast emptiness of silence that overtook the room without the rattling and wailing. “Anyways, you’re probably wondering why I sent them out.”

Venti nodded.

“Well, for one thing, it’s for your own privacy. I am unaware of your comfort level of what can be let out with what I’m about to do,” Mona said. Her fingers danced down to Venti’s wrists and rested there. “And secondly, well, it’s embarrassing for me. Yes, the magic is all bright and sparkly, but my voice gets strange of no fault of my own and I-”

“I won’t tell anyone, I promise,” Venti said softly. “But um… You just said it was all internal magic… why sparkles and brightness?”

Mona sighed. “You… really don’t know do you…? It’s because of your association with the divine. Celestials, demons, and the like. There’s too much of their energy clinging to your skin and swirling around in your blood that I will have to do some actual flashy magic to pull the strings of your fortune forward to read.”

“Oh…” Venti could feel the blood drain from his face. “Um, if it helps, I was turned human almost a year ago and…”

“Shush, now, and let me work.”

The room dimmed as Mona closed her eyes and began to chant. Bright sparkles of starlight began to glimmer, illuminating the ethereal darkness that surrounded them. True to her word, Mona’s voice grew deeper and multiple in nature, and the words spilled from her lips. Her grip on Venti’s wrists tightened, but not so much that it was uncomfortable. Even in a trance, she held control.

Then, all of a sudden, Mona’s eyes shot open and she gasped. The starlight seemed to vibrate at unfathomable speeds, their illuminating light becoming blinding in nature. Venti cried out and closed his eyes.

CRASH! WHOOSH!

The caress of wind on his skin coaxed his eyes open. Venti gasped for breath as he tried to register the scene in front of him.

Mona had jumped out of her seat and away from the table. Her chair lay haphazardly on the floor, her notes scattered across the room, and her astrolabe slice clean in two. Gusts of wind whipped around the room, pouring in from the shattered window.

“Oh thank fuck you’re rich as balls, Zhongli” Venti mummbled under his breath as he got to his feet and rushed over to Mona. “What happened?!”

The witch’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. “I… I don’t know… There are no words in existence that can properly describe what I saw…” she gasped.

Venti helped her into one of the lounge’s many other chairs.

“Your… fortune… I could not tell,” Mona stuttered. She was paler than a ghost and sweat lined her brow. “But your past… I… Your mother…”

Time seemed to stand still. Sounds became garbled ringing white noise while the taste of dinner, once fresh on Venti’s tongue, turned rancid and stale. He couldn’t breathe, and his fingertips tingled, as if blood refused to flow through them.

As soon as it started, however, it stopped, and reality came crashing back into focus.

“I don’t have a mother,” Venti said slowly.

Mona’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “Do you now…”

A momentary silence draped over the two, both unsure of how to proceed from there. Venti perked up as a great racket started up outside. Screeching, hissing, and yowling somewhere near the tree that now had branches sticking inside the lounge via the broken window. It almost sounded like a pair of fighting cats… almost…

“ZHONGLI!” Aether’s voice sounded, also outside and near the tree. “XIAO, IT GRABBED HIM! GIVE ME A BOOST, I’M GOING UP!”

Venti raced to the window, the wind buffeting him yet also pulling him closer. “What’s happening?!” he yelled, poking his head out while being mindful of broken glass.

“Venti!” Aether looked up at him, relieved. “We were following him around out here because the storm had calmed. Then all of a sudden, the wind came back and something swooped down and grabbed Zhongli. They’re up in the tree making all that noise!”

Venti’s heart began to pump wildly in his chest. Oh no… In his current form, Zhongli was liable to be prey to larger animals. Why hadn’t he thought of that?! There were now many, many things that could hurt his beloved… Why had he listened and left the office for coffee when he’d known something was going to happen?! Why, why, why?!

Shoving away to the loose glass and stray broken pieces still attached to the sill, Venti crawled through the window and into the tree. His legs stung when his stockings ripped and skin prickled with freshly drawn blood , but luckily his sweater, despite being mangled in the process, was able to keep his arms safe.

“Zhongli?!” Venti called, climbing up and up towards where the animalistic squeals were coming from. The wind rattled the tree, but he did not fear falling. “Baby, can you hear me?! I’m coming to get you!”

A shrill whine sounded. The sound of claws scuttling against bark was close by, Venti noted, and he went another branch higher.

“Zhongli?”

Tiny talons slipped on the ripped sweater as scales slid across exposed skin. A snout snuffled and whined against his ear. But Venti couldn’t find it in him to relax as a second, similar weight, and similar feeling scaled creature settled on his other shoulder.

Zhongli hissed directly in Venti’s ear, and he winced. The wind rocked the tree back and forth while rain began to spit down into the darkness around them. Whatever was on his other shoulder cawed in return, triggering a wave of irritation deep within Venti’s core.

“That’s enough, you two!” he shrieked. A rubber band within him snapped, and for a moment, all he could see was a bright teal light overtaking everything before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. The ache in his back throbbed. The wind was gone.

“Venti, what the hell was that?!” Aether yelled, far closer than Venti anticipated. Oh… he must have climbed up the tree as well. “Can you get down? Do you have Zhongli?”

“I…” Venti wasn’t sure. His thoughts were all garbled as he failed to take stock of his situation. Two little snouts brushed against his cheek, one familiar and one not. It was grounding, in a way. “Yeah, I do. And um. Something else. Give me a second and I’ll get down. Please… um…”

“Let me hop down first,” Aether said. “Don’t worry, we’re all here to catch you in case you fall. Even Miss Mona came out.”

“T-thank you…”

Venti wasn’t entirely sure how he got out of the tree without slipping on the wet bark and falling to his doom, but he did. Hands, he was unsure of whom they belonged to as he was really only aware of the two weights on his shoulder braced his back (oh how it ached and yearned to stretch out and- and led him inside, up some stairs, and into a room. Only once he was seated did everything come back into focus.

On his left shoulder was Zhongli, his familiar brown and golden scales a comfort. He seemed unharmed— no knicks or scraped or missing chunks of flesh. He nuzzled against Venti’s cheek before turning and rasping out a quiet hiss at the creature atop his left shoulder.

“Back with us, Venti?” Aether said as he closed the door behind him. “So it turns out, the culprit behind all the stolen items was that little guy right there.”

The “little guy” in question crawled off of Venti’s right shoulder and onto his lap, staring up at him with big sparkling eyes. It was safe to call it a little dragon, but it was vastly different looking from Zhongli. Its wings were a kaleidoscope of blues and purples, its body more compact and covered in teal fur. Venti rested a hand on its beak-like face and stroked it softly.

“Oh, hello. Now why were you causing all that trouble? People are very mad at you. Stealing isn’t good at all. Didn’t your mother teach you that?” Venti cooed. He continued to gently stroke the little dragon’s face, much like one would a cat.

“Mama gone. Body… broken.”

Venti startled upon hearing the voice in his head. It’d been a long time since he experienced telepathy, but it seemed this little dragon had the ability. Funny, he thought, how nature worked.

“Dvalin raised self. Saw shiny. Wanted. Saw food. Wanted. Felt safe. Might help for winter. Winter hurts. Don’t like winter.”

“How many winters have you seen?” Venti asked softly.

“This second. Warm. Divine warm…”

So the dragon was at most two years old. An infant, practically. “Zhongli, did you pick a fight with a baby?!”

Zhongli huffed, but did not argue. Oh how Venti wished he had the special dragon telepathy as well to know what he was thinking…

“Lord above, what happened to your legs, Venti?!” Shenhe scolded, racing over with the first aid kit. “How did any of the rest of you miss this?”

Oh, now that he was actually noticing things again, it seemed as if they were in his hotel room. Shenhe was ripping his ruined stockings away and dabbing at blood with a wad of toilet paper. Aether swore and ducked into the bathroom while Xiao began rooting around in Venti’s clothing. Mona stood awkwardly at the door.

“How did you know it was a baby?” Shenhe asked as she continued to clean his legs. “Is there some sort of special connection you two have?”

Venti shrugged. “We can talk, but I don’t know why.”

“Divine warm.”

“I hugged him once and he imprinted on me like a baby duck. Hey, Zhongli, I think we’re parents now, so don’t fight your son anymore, okay? His name is Dvalin, by the way” he giggled, turning and quickling pecking his dragon boyfriend on the snout.

Zhongli grumbled but didn’t argue, draping his coils loosely over Venti’s shoulders as he relaxed.

After changing clothes and getting his cuts cleaned and dressed, Venti shooed everyone who didn’t belong in the room out. Aether quickly said something about staying up late to help Mona sort through the stolen items found in the tree hollow Dvalin had been living in while Xiao, bags under his eyes, beelined over to his own room.

“I might…” Shenhe said quietly, “go talk to reception and see if we need to pay for the window. It was just the wind but I would like to double check with how we should proceed in case we are somehow found at fault. Get some rest, Venti. It’s been… a day.”

Venti snorted, one dragon curled up next to his head while the other slept on his chest. “It certainly has. We’ll… figure this all out in the morning. Good night, Shenhe.”

“Good night, Venti. I’ll be quiet coming to bed myself.”

And soon, it was dark and it was quiet. The wind storm hasn’t started back up, although rain was softly falling, its pitter patter breaking up the silence just the slightest. Dvalin snored softly on his chest, twitching on occasion as he dreamed. Zhongli watched him from their pillow, nudging his hand as Venti relaxed and pets slowed as a result.

“You’re very needy,” Venti giggled. “But I get it. Some other dragon has just wormed his way into our lives. Don’t worry my love, you’ll always be my number one. Perhaps you could learn a thing or two about being a dragon from Dvalin.

Zhongli leveled a tired look at him, expressive enough that Venti could almost see his human visage mimic it perfectly.

“Or maybe, he can learn a thing or two about being a dragon from you!” Venti smiled at him, soft and loving. “You are a kind and patient teacher, and I know this curse has taken its toll on you, but you’re also one of the most stubborn and persistent men I’ve ever met in my life. A mountain unmoved. We will get through this. The curse. This baby. Everything. Nothing can tear me from your side. This, I promise.”

Zhongli nudged his hand, having long since stilled as sleep began to drape itself over Venti. Something cold dropped into his palm, and as his eyes closed, he could feel Zhongli wriggling something onto his ring finger.

“Oh, you found it…” Venti yawned. “See… Everything is gonna work out just fine…”

Chapter Text

The creak of her door was faint, neigh impossible to perceive by normal ears in part due to the many wards etched into its wood. Istaroth was not normal, not human— she was as far from those labels as one could land, and thus the noise stirred her attention. A multitude of tiny eyes peeked in from the crack. Curious in nature, the wind spirits whispered from one to another.

Istaroth set down her quill, careful to not let any stray marks or dribbling ink mar the letter she was penning before turning to her children.

“Come in, my loves,” she said with a beckoning of her hand. The door flew open as a gale whipped around the room. Hundreds of wisps flew into her abode, only about a quarter of the normal hoard, all of them chattering at once.

It was easy enough to know what had made them nervous and concerned, but the sheer noise grated on Istaroth’s nerves. She quickly shushed them. “Hush hush, my children,” she said. “One of you: come forward and tell me what all ails you.”

The wisps exchanged glances, muttering, before all pushed forward a single one of their number. This one Istaroth quickly recognized— Venti had always been a little peculiar, the odd one out of the bunch. He often strayed from the Winds, wandering wherever his heart took him until his mother collected him to return home. His own ramblings tended to not match those of the rest of his siblings whenever they chatted, and he took human form more often than not. What made Istaroth wary of this particular wisp was that he quite frequently stuck his nose in places where it didn’t belong. Of course this would be the wisp that the Winds chose to speak for all of them.

“Mother,” Venti began. His legs, peeking out from under the tiny robe that engulfed his body, twitched nervously. He could not meet her gaze. “We have been hearing whispers. The demonic realm has been strange lately. Their attacks are more targeted, more precise. Ronova and the others think that there’s a mole within the Heavens. They’re looking at us, because we hear all the whispers and prayers that make their way here. They said if we have heard such imperceivable things, then we can return the speech in the same way.”

Istaroth hummed and tapped her fingers on the desk. “I will speak with them,” she said with a sigh. “I know you are not capable of such feats, nor is it possible for you to commit such treachery without a guiding hand. I created you all, so I know your limitations. Ronova and the others are aware of this, and should be able to pardon you all based on my words.”

The wisps let out a collective sigh of relief. “Thank you, mother! Thank you!”

“Now run along,” Istaroth said with a wave of her hand. “I have important work to do, as do you. The winter chill is due to be ushered in, so go and begin preparations for that.”

“Yes, mother!”

Another gale whipped around the room, rustling papers and the silken curtains on her poster bed as the collection of wisps hurried out of the room.

Istaroth’s shoulders slumped as they flew out of sight. The times ahead would be hard for them, she knew, but her promise would also be enacted unbeknownst to them. Her letter only needed to be signed, the begging of forgiveness for her children already spelled out. They truly had nothing to do with her actions, and didn’t deserve such a punishment. If she could, she would have brought them all with her, but it was hard to manage a thousand tiny wisps and she couldn’t even fathom hiding that number away from a multitude of prying divine gazes.

Her breath shuddered as she fought back her despair. She pushed out of her chair and hurried over to her bed, pulling back the opaque curtains to where a bag of clothes and necessities lay half-packed. Her shaking hands began to neatly fold the clothes that had yet to be attended to, the monotony of it all bound to numb her guilt.

“Mama, what are you doing?” a quiet voice asked.

Istaroth’s hands froze. She knew that voice— it was the only wisp she should instantly recognize by both sight and sound.

She couldn’t even bring herself to turn around and face him.

The air felt heavier as she felt her child shift into his preferred human form. The papers on her desk rustled, and after a time she heard a quiet, “Oh…”

Footsteps padded over to where she stood, frozen. Small hands reached out and began to help with the packing.

“You need to get out of here, mama,” Venti said. His eyes were wide as he stood next to her, his face having lost all colour to it. He was as pale white as the robes adorning his body. “If the rest of the Heavens suspect us, then you are their next target. It’s only a matter of time before they come looking for you and find your letter. You need to be far away from here when that happens. Do you have somewhere to go?”

The frog in Istaroth’s throat began to clear, and she hurriedly joined her child in stuffing bags. “Yes. I know someone who can help,” she muttered. “Venti… I… I’m sorry…”

Venti shook his head. “I don’t understand it, but I’m just a wisp.” He paused as he buttoned a bag closed. “...This is a lot of stuff you’re taking with you.”

Istaroth nodded. “I’m not planning on returning and if I do, it will either be in shackles or pieces.”

“...Can you carry this all by yourself?”

“I will have to.”

Venti gnawed at his lips and his big white wings (ones that matched hers) drooped. “Mama, I… I saw you with a woman. You’ve met her several times, and each time it looked like you were trying to hide it. It… didn’t look like a lover’s rendezvous and… your letter makes sense now, I guess. Whenever you sent us away, I felt as if something was off, so I followed you. I never told anyone. A-and you know we can’t lie to Ronova and the others. We’ll be questioned, and they’ll know that I knew and never reported it…”

Istraoth’s heart almost stopped as a wave of dread overtook her. Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find the right words.

“Venti… I…” she gasped. “Do you need to pack anything?”

Venti shook his head, his knuckles white from how hard he clenched the strap of the bag he’d just finished securing.

Istaroth’s lips pursed tightly as she swung one of the bags onto her shoulder before heading over to her desk and signing her letter with large, swooping cursive. “Take the other bag,” she said, pushing stray papers and quills to the side so the letter would be visible, front and center when the others eventually came calling. “And keep close to me. I will not risk disclosing where we are heading.”

She unlatched the window and threw it open. Her wings spread as she perched on the sill. A small hand reached out and grasped hers. They squeezed each other tight.

Istraoth took a leap of faith, Venti following under the shadow of her vast, snowy white wings. She kept her gaze forward, using the stars in the twinkling sky as her guide. She dared not look anywhere else, knowing the familiar sights of home would cause her will to falter.

“Goodbye reed and lotus garden,” Venti whispered behind her. Her child was always more susceptible to sentiment than herself. “Goodbye golden cloud desert. Goodbye nests of thunder and seas of song. Goodbye… to the rest of the Thousand Winds. Although, they really aren’t a thousand anymore since I’m… We’re…”

“I doubt anyone will care enough to count each individual one every time they float by,” Isatroth said. “Perhaps the only time a roll-call will be held will be when they notice our absence.”

“What if they try to drag us back? What’s gonna happen then?” Worry tinged her child’s voice, heavy enough to be present over the wind rushing in their ears and flaps of their wings. “Mama, I’m scared…”

“Listen well, Venti.” Istaroth squeezed his hand again. She recognized the dip in space coming up— the entryway into the Human realm. It would soon be time to Descend. “I will never let anything happen to you. I will die before anyone- human, demon, or celestial- can even touch you. All my power now will go into ensuring our safety. Do you understand me? I will be by your side until Time ceases to exist as a concept. You are my child, Venti, the only one I know could be by my side for… this. Do not ever think that I will ever stop loving you or betray you.”

Venti sniffled. “Can I know… why?” His voice wobbled— Istaroth could not spare him even a comforting glance as she shifted their position to catch the current leading down, down, down…

She was silent for a long time as she guided them down a luminescent aether waterfall, going further and further until the speck of divinity in the air disappeared completely. She was silent as they sailed above a vast forest of evergreens, primitive road networks only barely perceivable from the height. She was silent as they dipped into a copse of trees, the sweet scent of cedar overtaking their senses. Venti sneezed as their feet touched the ground, and only then did she speak.

“For a long time, those that govern the heavens, excluding myself, have been moving in a direction that I haven’t agreed with,” Istaroth said carefully. She braced her child’s shoulders as he doubled over and sneezed again. The poor thing. Despite his frequent excursions out and about, even when following her, their time on the human world’s surface was few and far between. He still needed to acclimate. “I will not go into the details, but what we need is peace with the demonic realm and I fear I am the only one in favour of such a thing. The last attempt at parlay from the demonic realm ended with the cursed death of one of the Archdemons. That was when I realized that everything we as celestials did and stood for had long since spiraled out of control. I was hoping, that by getting in the good graces of the demonic realm, I could be a branch between the two worlds. Keep our noncombatants and humans from getting hurt in skirmishes at the very least.”

She wrapped her arms around Venti, who in turn buried his face in her collar. “I hope you can understand,” she whispered. “I fear I might be making things worse, but I am tired of the meaningless slaughter. Thus I will lower myself for any chance of a reprieve for everyone.”

“Peace is a noble thing to work for,” Venti said. He pulled away and wiped at his eyes. “You are noble and kind, mama, to wish for such a thing when others don’t. You aren’t lowering yourself for anything.”

Istaroth smiled weakly at him. “You are a sweet child,” she cooed.

Venti set his bag down and stretched, wings flapping. His gaze wandered around their surroundings, taking in the cedars’ leaves, the mushrooms growing around the trees’ bases, the glowing small lamp grass that illuminated the night. “This world is beautiful,” he murmured. “Are we going to hide here?”

Istaroth shook her head and motioned for him to grab his bag and start walking. Her wings folded into her back, disappearing with a shower of fine golden sparkles— Venti quickly followed suit.

“Unfortunately not,” Istaroth said. “Our enemies on both sides could easily track us here and rain their wrath down upon us. We would be lucky to last a few days.”

Venti gnawed on his lip as he trailed behind her. “Then where will we stay? Will it be beautiful as well?”

“Venti…” Istaroth sighed. “I fear you know the answer to that.”

“Have you ever seen the demonic realm?” her child chirpped. “Is it beautiful?”

“I have never been there, no. I fear I don’t have an answer. Do you think it is beautiful, whatever awaits?”

Venti shrugged. The two stepped out into an open area. A road winded before them, carefully bordered by twin treelines on either side. Carefully, they left the forest and began to follow the path. It seemed to be well traveled, with how packed in the dirt was. Cart marks were deeply embedded in some parts, and manure from beasts of burden (both fresh and old) were frequently peppered enough that they had to watch their steps given their feet bore no coverings.

“I think,” Venti eventually said, “that beauty is subjective. I don’t think it will be like anything we’re used to, so it might be hard for us to find beauty in it. But, the demons live there. They have to look at their realm every day just like we do. They’re just as tenacious as us, despite being on opposite ends of the power spectrum. Why wouldn’t they go out of their way to mold their surroundings into something they view as beautiful? Humanity is much the same, and most likely falls in between both realm’s aesthetics.”

Istaroth smiled warmly at her child and ran a gentle hand through his dark locks. “You are young, Venti, but you are wise beyond your years.”

Venti’s grin glowed as it bloomed. “You taught me well, mama.”

“Flatter me all you like, but I did not teach you that. You have been spending time in the reed and lotus garden.” Istaroth halted as they reached a crossroads, setting her bag down and carefully ran a hand down the old rotting wood sign. The aged letters were indiscernible— only those who knew where they were going could truly understand their meaning.

“You’re right,” Venti said, although his voice seemed rather far away the harder she stared at the post. She pushed a parcel of power, the smallest she could muster, into the ancient words. They glowed faintly in the dark night. “It was Nabu Malikata. She gave me some apples from her garden when I visited her last week and we talked a lot. You see, she said that—”

A loud buzzing rang throughout the area, silencing Venti quite effectively. It was a sound reminiscent of a fly, but also a cicada and locust. They both covered their ears and winced as a dark void swirled into existence in front of them, growing larger and larger until it was big enough to let through the being that waited on the other side.

She looked human enough, had her eyes not been slit like those of a snake. Her hair fell long past her shoulders, violet in nature but with the colour sapped just enough to not call it white. Her armored attire was dark, its accents vibrant. A gnarled sword that glinted like space was strapped to her hip. She was familiar in nature to Istaroth, but Venti shrunk behind his mother in an attempt to hide his presence from the envoy demon.

“Istaroth,” the demon said, voice cool and emotionless.

“Skirk,” Istraoth said in reply, matching the other’s tone. “Is our deal settled?”

Skirk held out a clawed hand. “Information first,” she grunted. “You know how the game is played.”

Istaroth’s hands brushed at her robes and the scroll hidden beneath them, strapped to her waist. “And how do I know you won’t double cross us?”

Gaze flitting to what little of Venti peeked out, Skirk sighed. “Your contract was signed and sealed,” she said. “The Archdemons have declared you an ally seeking amnesty within our borders. I can show you the document again, if you so desire.”

“Does such amnesty apply to my son as well?” The hand not resting on the scroll reached behind her in a protective manner. “He was never named as a collaborator.”

“Is he a collaborator now?”

“Yes. He gained knowledge of our plans, eavesdropped on our conversations, and failed to report it. He’s the reason we haven’t been caught yet.” Istaroth stood her ground, eyes locked with the lightless, dull stare of the demon.

“If he is a collaborator, then he will be welcomed with the same offerings as yourself,” Skirk said with a shrug. “I have no opinion on the matter, and I know that the Archdemons won’t be worried over a small wind spirit causing any problems.”

She smirked. “Nine-hundred ninety-nine Winds left in the Celestial Heavens, huh?”

Venti whimpered behind his mother as she shushed him.

“Then I will give you the information on who the Heavens will be targeting next.”

Isaroth pulled back her robe and carefully undid the bindings on the scroll before handing them over to the waiting demon. Skirk quickly skimmed over it, lips pursed in concentration before she rolled it back up and slipped it into a pouch resting on her waist. She turned back to the portal and with two fingers, gestured for the celestials to join her.

Taking a deep breath, Istaroth grabbed Venti’s wrist hard and before she could talk herself out of it, followed Skirk into the abyss.

Istaroth begrudgingly admitted that her child had been correct in his assessment of beauty. She herself saw no appeal to the bubbling tar pits, the dark bark of trees with stinging violet branches, the pools of water lined with sleeping drakes. Her face was easily kept neutral as Skirk led them through the realm, but a faint worry tingled in the back of her mind that, even though she had prepared herself, she had not prepared Venti. If he would offend anyone… then there would surely be consequences.

She glanced back, and her eyes widened.

Venti looked around with as much awe and joy as he had in humanity’s forests. He giggled under his breath as a drake kicked its leg in the air as it napped. His mouth formed a curious, “o,” as his eyes followed the formation of bubbles in the tar pits. She was all too familiar with the impulsive glimmer in his gaze as he stared up at the sparking sakura trees— he would climb them if no one told him not to.

“I know it’s not for you,” he whispered after reluctantly turning his attention away from a small, cabbage shaped creature that watched them from the brush, “but I find it very pretty here, mama.”

Istaroth’s smile was soft and she gently gripped his shoulder to steer him along behind Skirk. “I’m glad you find it so, Venti.”

Venti hummed in return and leaned into her embrace. He was starting to tire, she noted. Hopefully, once they reached the Grand Demonic Palace, he would be able to rest. She herself knew that there were meetings and even more negotiations to be had. Her own reprieve would have to wait.

The palace came into view soon enough, its towering spires reaching into the golden clouds that littered the space demons called a, “Sky”. It looked nothing how she expected— there was something evocative of nature in the architectural design. Floral motifs swirled into waves that morphed into flames that bloomed into lightning that straightened out into ice. The doors and arches were curved that formed at a point— it reminded her of a broad leaf that her dear friend Nabu Malikata had once shown her. Something tinged at her heart as the face of the other celestial flashed through her mind, but she quickly shook it off. They were here now, inside the palace, inside the demonic realm, and there was absolutely no turning back.

The doors closed behind them with a loud bang, and suddenly the grand foyer seemed so vast and empty as the sound echoed round and round. Venti shrunk behind Istaroth again as tens of hundreds of gazes locked on the two of them.

“Leave them be,” Skirk commanded, her voice booming in a matching echo. Dark shadows skittered away at her call, and she strode forward. The two celestials trailed closely behind her. “I’ll be taking you to your new quarters. You will both likely be expected to keep separate rooms for an observation period. However, given your unexpected… attachment… only one room has been prepared in advance. The little one can stay with you for the night while another is manifested. For the observation period, you will be staying in a wing reserved for… guests.”

Venti whined at the way she said the word and was quickly hushed by his mother.

“Keep true to our people, and you will see yourselves with proper living spaces in the main palace proper with every other demon,” Skirk continued. “Shouldn’t be too different from your own living arrangements up in the heavens, if rumor proves to be correct.”

“We all share a communal palace as well,” Istaroth confirmed. She neglected to mention she had had her own private wing and spire. A single room would be an adjustment for sure, but she and Venti would learn to manage in due time. Sacrifices had to be made for the greater good, after all.

“Good.” Skrik continued to mark forward, leading them down hallways and through many other doors. Demons stared at them as they passed by, curious and judging in their glances but keeping their opinions to themselves due to Skirk’s presence.

One demon, however, seemed to be the exception. He didn’t seem to care much for Skrik’s warning glare, his own eyes sweeping over the two of them. A shiver ran down Istaroth’s spine as his gaze lingered on Venti before he smiled and continued on his way. Venti muttered something into her robes, but his voice was muffled and incomprehensible. His tone was one of anxiety, though, and Istraoth’s grip on his tightened as she pulled him closer.

“Meals are held in the Great Hall, which is that way,” Skirk drawled, pointing in a direction. “If you keep going down the opposite hallway, you’ll enter the greenhouse where we have a specimen of every divine celestial, demonic, and human flower. They have been perfectly cultivated and tended to for centuries by the Archdemon Buer. The gardens are open to the public. You will probably be allowed there.”

“That sounds lovely. Thank you,” Istaroth said softly. She made a note of all the passageways and where they led— she would need to map out exits and escape routes just in case when she had the time and freedom.

Hah… time and freedom. How ironic.

Skirk eventually led them to their quarters. The windows were wide and open while scrying seals littered the walls and furniture. There was nothing that could be said or done that would go unnoticed by whoever had placed the seals. Istaroth knew they had a right to be cautious to such extremes, but she still felt deeply uncomfortable by it all. She and Venti would have to help each other dress but bathing…. Skirk had mentioned communal baths for them to use until they reached the end of their probationary period. Private rooms for trusted allies, was what the demon had said.

Isaroth was already bracing herself for the care she would need to provide for her child.

“The bed isn’t very big,” Venti said as he wandered over, plopping down on the plush surface. “It’s okay. I can turn into a sprite and you’ll have all the room in the world! Just save me a spot on your pillow and don’t squish me, please.”

Istaroth joined him, sitting on the bed as she began to root through one of her bags. “You’re awfully optimistic and chipper about this whole situation,” she noted as she pulled out carefully folded bundles of clothing. Venti hadn’t brought anything and she was already making notes of what she could spare and tailor to fit his smaller body.

“There’s no point in being dower,” Venti said. He stretched, his wings popping out in a smaller form to flap. “We live here now. That’s a fact. Might as well make the best of it. Focusing on what we lost and what we hate about this place will only lead to us meeting a bitter end, I fear.”

“I admire your optimism.” Istaroth leaned over and placed a kiss on his temple. “I shall strive to follow your lead. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Nor I, you, mother,” Venti said softly. The smile on his face downturned slightly as his brow furrowed. “I admit that I don’t feel entirely safe here. That one demon from earlier… I did not like the way he looked at me.”

Istaroth’s eyes narrowed as she petted her child’s hair. “He will not lay a finger on you, I swear it. We are under the protection of the Archdemons and I am still a Shade. It may be uncomfortable to endure, but wicked gazes will be the extent of what others can inflict upon you. I promise.”

Venti rolled over and wrapped his mother up in a tight hug. “Okay… Okay.” He didn’t sound entirely convinced, moreso like he was reassuring himself.

It pained Istaroth, but all she could do in that moment was hug him back and turn their room into some semblance of a home. They spent the next few hours moving furniture around and putting things away. Istaroth was holding a robe up against Venti and pinning hems when a knock came at their door.

“It’s time for your welcome party,” Skirk grunted from the other side. “Don’t worry about fancy clothes. We know you don’t have any. Just wash up and be out here soon. I’ll walk you there.”

Istaroth quickly splashed water on her hand and hands from the sink in the corner of the room, then used a spare cloth to rub the grime off of Venti’s face until he whined. She took his hand and they joined Skirk in the hallway. The route to the Great Hall was once again etched into her mind as they walked. There were no lingering demons in the corridors this time, however, and the trip seemed quicker than it had previously. Their pace was brisk, and Istaroth couldn’t help but feel as if they were running late.

The Great Hall was bustling with activity. Multiple tables filled to the brim with demons watched as they entered. A blanket of quiet enveloped the area— stares burned into the celestials’ skins as Skirk stood to the side and bowed. A much larger, more decadent table sat on a dias on the far end of the room. Demons dressed in grand garb and crowns lined every seat except two. They also joined in the staring until one, a woman with braided violet hair and an unexpectedly kind smile rose. Sakura laced with lightning was woven into her hair and her kimono glinted under the chandelier light, obviously made of the finest silks. A wisteria pattern was woven into the garb, although the distance made it hard to discern details. Red horns jutted from the skin of her brow but they did not make her look terrifying. No, the woman was hauntingly beautiful, Istaroth was loath to admit.

“Welcome, honored guests,” the woman said. “We have not parlayed before, and thus, your face is as unfamiliar to me as mine is to you. Thus, it is fitting to introduce myself to you. I am Baal, Archdemon of Remembrance. Present yourself to us, honored guests, and join us in revelry this fine morning!”

Venti froze, but Istaroth stepped forward, chin held high and proud. “I am Istaroth, the now former Shade of Time. Accompanying me is my son, Venti. I hope our communion is fruitful in the time to come, my information priceless in nature, and our aid unparalleled in nature.”

Baal smirked as she traded stares with the Shade, before she waved a hand and gestured for them to join her at the high table. Skirk trailed behind him as they walked through a parted sea of demons, pulled their chairs out for them, and then vanished into the shadows. Istaroth sat at Baal’s left with Venti at her right. Another Archdemon, unknown to both of them, flanked Venti’s other side.

“Let the feast begin!” Baal said before she too took her seat. Demons began to tear into the meal of seasoned meats, soups, pastries, and every other food one could imagine.

Venti picked at a pie, making a face when his fork came back with strings of cheese. Istaroth opened her mouth to remind him not to offend anyone, but the demon at his side spoke first.

“If you’re not a fan of cheese, then try this vegetable soup,” he said, pushing it forward. “It's popular in Mondstadt. They call it ratatouille, I believe. There is no meat either.”

Venti blew on a spoonful before carefully slurping it up. His face brightened as the flavours danced on his tongue, and he quickly dove in for more. “I’m not a fan of meat or cheese,” he admitted between mouthfuls.

“More for me then, little one,” the Archdemon chuckled. His overly large, wolf-like fangs glinted under the chandelier’s glowing lights.

Istaroth’s shoulders slumped as the crisis solved itself. She turned to her own meal, her stomach twisting and turning her appetite null.

“It’s perfectly normal to be nervous,” Baal said. She plucked at her rice with a gentle dexterity. “I had to introduce you to everyone like that simply because it was the easiest method. You signed the contract, so they need to know that you are under our protection. It helps that they know what you look like as well.”

Baal moved another bowl of rice in front of Istaroth and offered her both a fork and chopsticks. “Rice is easy on the stomach and filling as well. It won’t be any offense if you don’t wish to eat the delicacies. Your information has saved so many of our people and allowed them to partake in this feast as well. Eat what you like. You are a friend.”

“You say I am a friend and yet my walls are covered in scrying seals,” Istaroth remarked, opting for the chopsticks. “Are my son and I allowed even the slightest bit of privacy while dressing?”

“Mmmm,” Baal hummed, tapping her own chopsticks against her lips. “We weren’t expecting the young one, that was for sure. Unfortunately, for now, we can’t risk you being unsupervised for any moment and at any angle. Work hard to prove yourself of keeping our trust, and your first reward will be the privacy you so desire. I will see to it myself when your handler has relayed your reliability to me.”

The world seemed to freeze for a second. “Our handler?” Istaroth whispered, feeling the blood drain from her face. She quickly glanced at Venti, who was in the middle of an explanation about harps versus lyres with the Archdemon seated next to him. A wide smile graced his face and his hands flew in time with his mouth. She returned her attention to Baal. “Skirk?”

Baal shook her head. “Skirk is an envoy,” she explained. “Not human, but also not demon. Her job was to retrieve information from you and to see your safe arrival here. Nothing more, nothing less. I would be surprised if you ever saw her again. No, we will be using someone from inside the palace.”

The Archdemon snapped her fingers and two dark forms coalesced next to her chair. One was the spitting image of Baal, albeit in darker garb. Her face was carefully masked, a stark contrast to her Archdemon doppelganger's soft smiles.

“Thank you for retrieving him, imouto,” Baal said, patting the other woman on the arm. “You may join us, or go back to lurking in the shadows. Whatever you please.”

“I will stand guard,” the other said. “We can do tea later.”

“Alright then, Beelzebul. Go have fun.”

Istaroth did not catch Beelzebul’s name, did not even catch her visage as her entire attention was focused on the other demon. She’d seen him before, not that long ago, lingering in the hallway as he’d stared at Venti for far too long.

“Now then,” Baal said, clapping her hands together. “Istaroth, this is your handler, Decarabian. He works under the Crossroads Archdemon, who…” She craned her neck to get a better look on the other side of Istaroth. “...is in deep conversation with your son, in fact. Oh good. You see, crossroads are the prime way of traveling between the demonic and human realms other than summonings. I figured having the ones that monitor the roads would be best to keep an eye out not only for celestials attempting to follow your trail, but also to keep you from running away. Now play nice. This unagi chazuke is calling my name.”

Istaroth did not shrink under Decarabian’s unnerving smile, much to her credit, and she kept her gaze neutral. The demon held out a clawed hand towards her and she hesitantly took it, matching the strength of his grip as she shook it.

“It’s a pleasure to be working with you, Lady of Time,” Decarabian said. “I will do my utmost to see to your comfort, as well as that of your son’s. My job is not only to surveil you, but keep you safe. Please remember that, and come to me with any concerns.”

“I can see to my child’s safety,” Istaroth replied stiffly. “That is my one request.”

Decarabian shrugged and stood to move behind and in between the two celestials’ chairs. As his presence neared, Venti’s hands stopped moving and his words stopped flowing. He looked nervously behind him as the Archdemon to his side gently explained the situation.

“Very well,” Decarabian said, turning to her again. “I have no qualms about your ability but do remember….” His grin was toothy and sharp. “You aren’t in Celestia anymore, little girl.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Demon Cat

“Mondstadt doesn’t have cats this big,” Aether muttered while Venti nodded in agreement. “And these don’t look like wolf prints either… Is there any history of Mondstadt even remotely having something like mountain lions?”

The pair stared at the footprints littering the hood of the van, both sharing looks of concern. Zhongli, draped across Venti’s shoulder and Dvalin, curled up in his arms, did not share their worries as they snuggled up for warmth.

“No,” Venti said, his breath fogging in the cold morning air, “and Liyue’s tigers live further east. They’ve never been recorded venturing past Chenyu Vale.”

Aether swiped a finger through one of the muddy paw prints and rubbed the dirt between his fingers. “Huh… Do you think it could be something… strange?”

“Strange in what way?” Venti asked. His eyes flickered over to a nearby family packing up their car. Bracing Dvalin, he zipped up his jacket and secured his scarf to hide the two little creatures resting on his person. “Like, an, ‘I don’t even know’ way or a ‘why we’re on this trip’ way?”

“The latter.” Aether stepped back and sighed. “Aren’t there magical cats out in the world?”

“Magical cats are probably one of the most common magic animals out there.” Venti sighed. “It would be impossible to determine what they were based on these tracks. The smaller species can be ruled out, but there are so many different ones out there as well as a good handful that can change size, that I don’t even know where to begin. I don’t even know if the myths about each one are true, even. Legends lie, and myths are myths for a reason.”

“Maybe Mona knows?”

“About abnormally big cats?”

Zhongli snuffled up near Venti’s ear, giving it a gentle lick before he settled back into the scarf. Venti cooed, blowing him a kiss in return before he and Aether turned to head back inside. Most of the branches and debris from the windstorm had been cleared, but the flowers lining the path leading back to the hotel were ragged and drooping. Barely formed buds were tinted with a rotten brown while ragged leaves began to return to the soil that’d birthed them. The hotel itself had luckily only suffered that single broken window as far as damage was concerned. They had attributed it to the windstorm when questioned, and thus saw no reason why Venti and his group were insistent that they pay for damages.

“Hey, Mona. We could use some help. Ahh, what’s the cryptid called?” Aether groaned as they wiped their shoes on the lobby mat and settled into a pair of chairs near where the witch flipped through a book. A roaring fireplace warmed the area. “A…. large cat? Something, something ABC…?”

“Alien Big Cats?” Mona chirped, not even bothering to look up. “What about them?”

“Are they real?” Aether peeked over her shoulder, earning a flick to the nose. “Ow!”

“Nosy lad,” Mona huffed while Venti giggled. “Alien Big Cat is just a general term for any large cat that had no immediate identification. Five times out of ten they’re just normal house cats with big bones, four times out of ten they’re some form of wild cat like a tiger or mountain lion, and the remaining percentage is usually something… strange.”

“Strange?”

“Strange.” Mona nodded and snapped her book closed. “There are many strange things in this world, Mister Venti, as I’m sure you know.”

Venti smiled, patting his chest where the dragons rested as Aether launched into rapid fire questions.

“How big do magic cats get? Are there any with really false stories? Can you look at the footprints on the car and immediately tell what made them? What creatures does Mondstadt have?”

In the midst of Mona’s sputters as she sorted through the questions, Venti heard soft footsteps approaching. He twisted in his seat to see Shenhe perch on the arm of his chair.

“How’s Xiao doing?” Venti whispered. Zhongli poked his head out of the scarf and blinked sleepily at Shenhe.

“Better. I think he’s finally done,” she sighed, reaching out and giving Zhongli a little scritchle under the chin. Dvalin wormed his way out from the depths of Venti’s jacked and whined until he received scritchles too. “Luckily, it was just throwing up. He doesn’t have a fever and was able to keep whatever mystery pills he has with him down. Still refuses to elaborate.”

Venti groaned. “Aether won’t talk about it either. Says it’s a ‘breach of Xiao’s privacy and trust.’”

“What do you think is wrong with him?”

“I think he got his appendix removed, or some other routine procedure. He knows how much we all care and doesn’t want the doting so he’s being shady about it,” Venti whispered. Zhongli nodded in agreement. “And is now either not taking it easy enough or is having a reaction to his antibiotics.”

“But this morning’s illness was before he took his meds,” Shenhe retorted. “I think it’s another pregnancy scare.”

Venti groaned as Zhongli whined, shaking his little dragon head in dismay. “We’re never going to let him forget that, are we?” he hissed. “Well, maybe he got his tubes tied! As much as I adore the kid, his health issues make it hard to single out. Don’t sweat it though. We’ll get information out of him one way or another. In the meantime, keep an eye out for stitches and fresh scars on his right abdomen. I wanna know if I’m right.”

Rolling her eyes, Shenhe pushed off from the chair and sauntered over to Mona and Aether. “We’ll be heading out soon,” she said. “Xiao’s cleaning up and he’ll be down in a minute.”

Aether breathed a sigh of relief. “Mona was actually just about to tell me where we should look for witches.”

“Mhm!” Mona proudly held up a map and a small list. With Aether’s help, she rolled the map out so everyone could take a look.

“So my recommendations would be to start with either Lisa or Alice,” she said, pointing to a purple circle deep in the woods, then a bright red circle in the middle of Mondstadt City. “They’re both very well connected in the witch community and would love to help out. I’d bet all the cash on me that Andersdotter went crying to Alice for help, so she will most likely be waiting for you.”

Mona pointed at a gold circle over Dragonspine Mountain. “Rhinedottir lives here, but she’s very reclusive. You can try your luck— I want to give you options— but it’s a snowy mountain in the winter, so I would at least try Lisa and Alice first.”

The group nodded.

Finally, Mona tapped at a dark red symbol in the woods. Venti squinted and leaned in closer. The drawing itself wasn’t very apparent to what it was at first glance. If he had to take a gander, it most likely resembled a crimson moth of some kind. Or a butterfly. Or some other adjacently related creature.

“This,” Mona said, “is a no-go area. Do not go here. Do not attempt to talk to this witch. When you reach this fork in the road, turn left, not right. The left path will take you straight to Lisa’s place. The right will take you to a horrible hag of a witch who would rather see all of you dead than help you out. Do. Not. Go. Right.”

“Okay, okay.” Aether held his hands up to calm Mona. “We won’t go right.”

Mona’s shoulders sagged before she took a deep breath and rolled up the map. She forced it and the list of witches into Aether’s hands then stood and stretched. “Well, that’s all I can do for you,” she huffed. “Are you all ready for my trinket?”

Venti held up the jar he’d brought, and Mona placed it gently inside. The star-shaped broach glittered under the hotel’s LEDs.

“Good good. Now don’t lose it! I’m a busy woman and constantly traveling around. It would certainly be a hassle to track me down for a new one.” Once she was finished with her lecture, Mona walked around the group and demanded a quick hug from everyone. “Alice will surely let me know if everything is successful. Now, I wish you the best of luck and safe travels!”

“It was an Alien Big Cat!” Aether insisted while Venti groaned. “Shenhe, Xiao— you saw the tracks when we got in! What do you think?”

“I think it was just a really big house cat,” Xiao groaned. His seat was reclined and he had a half-dried lukewarm washcloth over his eyes. “Have you guys ever seen a cat in your life?”

“I’m allergic!” Venti proclaimed. “I think it was a tiger who wandered too far from home. Look, if we can catch evidence of it, scientists will go crazy and we can get credited for the discovery in scientific papers. They’ll want us on talk shows. That sounds so cool!”

“Hardly,” Shenhe said dryly. Her book lay closed on her lap as she watched the scenery flash by. Trees were starting to pepper the landscape, growing more and more dense with each passing minute. “You’d have to reveal why you found tigers in the Mondstadt woods, and I have a feeling that scientists will be more excited about Mister Zhongli and Dvalin than a big striped cat.”

Zhongli squeaked from his seat in the far back; Dvalin let out a long, high-pitched gargling noise. Before they’d left, Shenhe had fished out a box from the hotel trash in the back that looked to be in near perfect condition. They’d stuffed it with Venti’s ruined clothes from the night before as well as a blanket before they buckled it into the middle of the last row of seats. The two dragons were curled up in it, having at some point, finally made peace with each other.

“Awh, don’t worry, My Loves,” Venti cooed, twisted around in the passenger seat. He gave them both a loose, cutesy wave of his fingers. “I would never let the government take you.”

“Which government?” Aether asked.

“Any government! I’ll fight them ‘till I’m dead.” Venti thumped his head back on his headrest and fakely glowered at the roof. “And before anyone says it, yes, I know that’s what the government wants.”

“As far as governments go, Liyue and Mondstadt are pretty lax,” Aether said with a sheepish look. His grip on the steering wheel was lax, just enough force necessary to exert a finely tuned control that only came with a high level of experience. “My guess is you’ll be fighting off Sumeru Akademiya officials.”

“Ah, the only thing more feared than us demons: High and mighty college professors. What are they gonna do to stop me?” Venti laughed, crossing his arms. The seatbelt refused to losen at the movement, causing a momentary choke and struggle before it behaved. Venti’s lips curled into a smirk as he relaxed again. “Spritz holy water and attar at me? I’m human now; those won’t work on me.”

“So there were other ways to send you back?” Xiao asked. He peeked out from under his cloth as the dark shade of the forest overtook them.

“Well, yeah. You perform an exorcism,” said Venti in reply. He twirled a finger around a strand of hair that had escaped his braids while memories of the past popped into mind. “Which can vary from person to person and place to place but regardless, they all have the same effect. I prefer the spell Zhongli used and will always be grateful for it existing. Exorcism is rough and painful on everyone involved. It might have killed me or put me out of commission for a good thousand years since I was so starved and weak.”

“I’m still surprised it never came up as an option, even in the book,” Shenhe said.

Venti looked back at her, confused. “As much as I don’t like it, it absolutely should have been—”

THUMP!

A body collided into the hood of the van. Aether slammed the breaks, everyone lurching at the sudden stop. The entire group gaped, faces pallid as they tried to process what had just happened.

“They just came out of nowhere,” Aether gasped. His grip on the steering wheel was tight enough to leave his knuckles a ghastly white. “I didn’t even see them until…”

“Aether, you need to calm down,” Xiao whispered as Venti unbuckled himself and kicked his door open. “Deep breaths, okay? We were going slow, because you are a safe driver, and this road is not safe. Whatever that was, you were taking…”

Leaving Xiao to calm down his boyfriend, Venti jumped out onto the road and hurried to the front of the van.

Welp, no one had hallucinated it, it seemed. The body of a young man lay face down on the road, twitching ever so slightly.

“We killed a person,” he muttered in horror, tugging at his braids. He glanced back into the van, catching sight of Shenhe digging through a bag for the first aid kit. Xiao had taken Venti’s seat and was still working on calming Aether.

Zhongli and Dvalin had their faces plastered against the glass, watching what was occurring outside. Something in them changed in a split second, and they started scratching at the glass. Zhongli’s tail moved in a way that it seemed to point behind Venti.

“I’m okay,” the body groaned, holding a weak thumbs up. Venti whipped back around, only for the stranger to fall limp once more.

Shenhe jumped out of the van, the med kit under her arm. She and Venti raced over to the young man and began to look him over.

“Are you still conscious?” Shenhe asked, feeling around his neck.

“Yeah…”

“Do you feel any pain anywhere?” Venti made quick work of checking his legs for any signs of swelling or lacerations. There wasn’t any blood visible so far,but they also hadn’t turned the kid over yet.

“Just bruising, I’m sure,” the young man said. “I’m used to worse, so I would probably know if something was really bad.” He lifted his (miraculously) lightly scraped-up face and gave a dazzling grin.

“Ugh, don’t move,” Shenhe chided. “I’m not done checking your spine for injuries– which could actually contribute to you not feeling certain trauma.”

“Okay, then.”

Venti took off his coat, carefully folded it, and placed it under his head so he wouldn’t be laying cheek-first on the concrete. “What’s your name, and what are you doing out here?”

“I”m Bennett!” the boy chirped. “But you can call me Benny. Everyone else does!”

“Okay, and what about my second question?” Venti helped Shenhe turn him over as she finished up with his back inspection. He was relieved to see no pools of blood forming— there were some superficial scrapes and some pretty purple bruises already blooming, but he would be fine. “Why are you out here wandering around where you can get hit by vans?!”

Benny laughed nervously. “It’s a long story…”

“Well…” Venti tapped his chin and looked at the van while Shenhe cleaned the boy’s scraped knees and applied bandages. “I think you’ll have time to tell us. I would feel a lot better if you got checked out by a medical professional. Do you know where the nearest hospital or clinic is?”

They helped Benny to his feet.

“Probably Springvale!” he said, stretching his arms and back. Bennett truly didn’t look like someone they just plowed their van into. “Which is due… uh… West? Hm, not entirely sure where I ended up, to be honest.”

Venti groaned. “We’ll check the map. It’s in the van… The detour shouldn’t be too long.”

“We actually can’t take the detour at all, let alone our actual route,” Aether said, walking up to the group. He looked guilty at Benny. “I’m so sorry about all that. Are you good?”

Benny gave two thumbs up while Venti balked. “Wait, what do you mean we can’t go our actual route or detour?!”

“The van refuses to start,” Aether sighed. “I have no idea why. Also, neither my phone nor Xiao’s has a signal so I’m assuming neither of yours works either. I checked the GPS and the wit— uh, woman’s place that Mona recommended is about a three hour walk. But, Xiao’s feet are hurting so if you guys are up for it, you can head to the… place… and we can stay back to work on the van. I packed an emergency repair kit for small easy fixes. If we can get it up and running, we’ll just pick you up on the side of the road. If not, you can get someone to come tow us.”

Venti and Shenhe exchanged glances before both shrugged in unison.

“Yeah we can do that,” Venti sighed. Bennett handed him his coat and he shrugged it back on. “I am gonna grab the map and…” He paused, glancing at their new friend before making a noodle-y wave with his arm, “from the car though, so the other one can keep you guys company.”

Aether nodded. “Sounds good. Ugh, I’m so sorry about all this again…”

Venti wandered back over to the van, leaving Aether to plead for forgiveness with Shenhe standing idly by.

“How are you doing?” he asked as he hopped into the back. Xiao was in the middle of wrapping a brace around a foot and gave his answer in the form of a shrug. Wrist braces were also already tight and snug around his arms. “Ah. Understood.”

The dragons had returned to their box to keep out of sight from the stranger. They chittered nervously as Venti peeked in.

“Hello, My Loves,” Venti cooed. He opened his jacket and placed Zhongli in the inside pocket. “The car isn’t starting so me, Shenhe, and our new friend Benny are going to walk to Lisa’s for help. It’ll be a bit of a hike and we’ll be gone a while, but I promise we’re going to be back. Zhongli, you will be coming with me and Dvalin—” The little blue dragon stared up at him sadly. “—I have a very important job for you. Xiao is hurting, and Aether is a mess. Since they’re staying back here, I need you to be on guard and let them know if anything is wrong. Can I count on you to keep them safe?”

Dvalin squawked and nodded, his wings flaring as he took off to land on Xiao’s lap.

Venti set about grabbing the map and a few more essentials— a camping multitool, some hand warmers, a few extra scarfs, a roll of toilet paper, etc. He stuffed them into a backpack that Shenhe was kind enough to sling over her shoulder.

“Why don’t you stay behind too, Benny,” Venti said while he made sure his boot laces were secure. “You did just get hit by a van. I would rather you rest your injuries than aggravate them on a long hike to a hospital.”

“Nawh, the walk will be good!” he said. “While you were grabbing stuff, Miss Shenhe was kind enough to tell me where we are. You guys are heading in the direction I’m headed too, actually, so it would be nice to have the company. I rarely get walking buddies.”

Shenhe and Venti exchanged glances, and they could hear Zhongli’s muffled snort of amusement from inside the coat, but started forward nonetheless. They waved goodbye to Aether and Xiao then started down the path.

Venti was grateful as Benny started chattering away to fill the silence of the looming woods. He went on and on about the cool plants he’d seen on the side of the road earlier that morning; about how he’d choked on his dinner the night before; and about his professional LARPer friend who had a really cool meet that weekend, but had politely asked him cheer for her in spirit rather than in person. Every five minutes on the dot he would trip, stumble, or somehow in other ways lose his balance momentarily. Each time he quickly picked himself up and continued on as if nothing had happened.

Shenhe and Venti lingered behind, letting the boy lead them.

“Have you ever considered he’s trying to scam or mug us?” Venti whispered, about thirty minutes down the road. He walked on his tiptoes to reach the other’s ear. “Like, this is too weird, right?”

“I don’t think so,” Shenhe grimaced. “I think he’s genuine, sadly. I was also thinking that at first but when I frisked him while looking him over I found no weapons, no phone, no nothing really. I’m more baffled than anything else.”

Venti tapped his lips in thought. Stealthily, Zhongli poked his snout out from the top of the coat to give his neck a tiny lick. “Well, he said he had a long story, and we have a long walk, so why don’t we try and coax it out of him?”

“He seems happy enough to talk,” Shenhe agreed. They both quickened their pace till they were side by side with Benny.

“Bennett, my boy,” Venti laughed, slinging an arm over the kid’s shoulders— darn him for being the same height! Shenhe flanked Benny’s other side. “While we have this long walk ahead of us, it seems we have all the time in the world. Why don’t you regale us with why you’re really getting hit by random vans in this forest.”

Benny gnawed on his lip, already torn to shreds and in desperate need of ointment, before his shoulders slumped and he sighed. “You’re not gonna believe me,” he groaned. “So just a heads up. It’s gonna get really weird.”

Raising an eyebrow, Venti let out a laugh. He shifted slightly to support Zhongli who was snuffling about in his coat. “I can promise you, everyone in that van has seen weirder.”

“No no, you don’t get it. Agh!” Benny slipped out from under Venti’s grasp and immediately tripped on a tree root. Shenhe managed to grab him before he hit the ground, luckily, and he muttered a quiet thanks. “I’m cursed!”

His two companions hummed lightly. “Like, actually or figuratively?” Venti asked.

“Actually.” Benny scratched at the back of his head, looking awkward as hell. “I don’t have any memory of it beginning because I’ve had it as long as I can remember. I don’t know exactly how it came about, either. It’s bad luck. Worse than everyone else’s. Not enough to kill me, but enough to drive people away”

Venti exchanged a glance with Shenhe, who didn’t seem phased in the slightest. She’d probably been able to sense something was amiss, especially given her family’s ancient profession.

“Oh, okay then.” Venti gave the warmest smile he could, trying to ease the nerves flowing off Benny. “Were you also on your way to see a witch, then?”

“No actually, I just left Miss Lisa’s and— wait, you're going to see a witch too?” Benny’s eyes widened, their sparkle returning. “Is that why you aren’t laughing or calling me crazy?”

Venti giggled and unzipped his coat to reveal Zhongli, who flicked his tongue at Bennet before diving back into the warmth of the coat. “That’s my boyfriend.”

“Ahhh!” Benny gasped. He pumped his fists. “That’s so cool?! I have so many questions!!!!”

Holding up a finger was enough to shush the kid. “He, unfortunately, was on the wrong end of a witch’s temper tantrum so before you ask, no, he wasn’t always like this. We need five witch tokens to break the curse so we’re headed to Miss Lisa’s for help. We already have one.”

“Oh, you’re doing the same as me then!” Benny patted one of the cargo pockets on his pants. “I have three!”

“Ah,” Shenhe muttered under her breath. “So that’s what those things were.”

“A flower from Miss Lisa, a ballet slipper ribbon from…”

Benny was right in that his story was a long one. The time passed quickly as he regaled them with stories about how he’d struggled through his youth, despite having a loving community supporting him. Miss Lisa the witch had always been a constant in his life, and when he’d finally mustered the courage to ask for her help, she’d sent him off on his journey to collect five witch tokens. Once he’d collected a few and proven his dedication, she’d said, he could come back to her and get one from her. Giving him one right off the bat would not provide the necessary requirements for breaking the spell.

“Moreso than the physical objects,” Benny explained, “the journey is what really matters when it comes to breaking the curse. Struggle and perseverance are signs of strength. If you’re not truly dedicated to breaking the curse, then a witch will see no point in wasting her time and magic on it. At least, that’s how Miss Lisa explained it.”

“It seems harsh, but I get it,” Venti said. Zhongli had long since come out of Venti’s jacket and was draped across Benny’s shoulders. The boy had a natural inner warmth that he gravitated towards. “Curses aren’t cast for no reason most of the time. If you are in a position to easily obtain items needed to break one, then why would one be cast in the first place? And let’s be real, those are usually the types of people being cursed for good reasons. Teaches life lessons and all that.”

Benny nodded. “Yeah I get it. I don’t mind going on a journey either! I’ve seen so many cool things and met so many awesome people doing this. It almost feels like I’ve been blessed in that regard.”

“Oh the irony,” Shenhe said, not even bothering to glance up from the map she was studying. “I hate to break up the lively conversation, but the fork is right up ahead. We can rest there for a bit, then continue on. Benny, I think you’re starting to bleed through the bandage on your knee. If you’ll allow me, I can redress it.”

“Oh, you don’t have to, but thank you!” Benny glanced down at his pants, ripped at the knees and exposing bandaid-laden skin. “I think I still have some on me.”

“You do not.” Shenhe sighed. “I told you earlier that being an exorcist comes with certain gifts and I can cool the inflamed skin. Please rely on my assistance until we reach Miss Lisa’s house.”

Benny groaned, but nodded his head. “I’m still surprised you’re involved in all that. Heck, that you even knew about which haunted graveyard I was talking about!”

“My nephew has been there before,” Shenhe said with a shrug. “Although you still didn’t explain why you were there… Ah! The fork.”

The trees seemed to bend out of the way of the road split, each side holding a drastic difference in terms of ambience. To the left there was a sweet floral fragrance overpowering the cedars. Little purple sparks danced along the bark and leaves while glowing violet lanterns lined the roadway, keeping it well lit. There was nothing malicious about any of it, just a welcome cozy sense that reminded Venti of home.

To the right, however, a feeling of foreboding overtook the woods. Red moths landed and took off from broad leaves, leaving behind burned holes in the foliage from where they once perched. The heat from the torches lining that road could be felt even from the distance the group still had to traverse. Despite the light of the fire, the path was cloaked in an eerie, suffocating darkness, making it impossible to discern the trials along the route.

“Ooookay,” Venti whistled under his breath. “Even without Mona’s directions, there are very clear indicators on which path to take here.” He began to stretch, arms above his head. Shenhe sat Benny down on a tree stump and began to change his bandages. “Wild how different the vibes are.”

Zhongli, now perched on top of Benny’s head, nodded in agreement. He sniffed the air, balking at the right road while inhaling the scent on the left.

“What do you think?” Venti giggled. “Cecilia’s?”

Zhongli shook his head.

“Silk flowers?”

Another no.

“Roses?”

The little dragon cooed and bobbed.

“Yeah, Miss Lisa loves roses!” Benny chirped. “She cultivates her own purple variety and sells them in the city. They smell amazing so perfume makers are her most frequent customers. They’re also edible and go great in tea blends!”

“Aren’t you a little marketing specialist,” Venti laughed. “Well maybe I’ll purchase some when we get to the city. Noodle Man over there is a big tea fan. I’m sure he’ll have opinions, both good and bad, and will certainly let Miss Lisa kno- ZHONGLI!”

Something big and black swooped over them, snatching Zhongli right off of Bennett’s head. It happened so fast that not even Shenhe had time to react. It was a blur as it moved, and only when it paused in front of the right fork before bounding down the path did anyone get a good look at what it was.

A cat.

It was about the size of a serval, the tips of its ears meeting Venti’s hip. Dark fur covered its body, the exceptions being white tipped paws and strange red markings around the eyes. A hissing sound escaped its throat, muffled due to a screeching Zhongli being trapped in its maw. Its tail twitched before it darted off back down the path lit by flames.

They wasted no time running after it. Neither Venti nor Shenhe hesitated from Benny’s yelps of pain as he tripped and smacked into things in the pervasive shadows that leached into the air. The torches grew in fervor and heat as they passed, yet the darkness did not abade until the road ended and a cobblestone path leading into a clearing began.

Firelight lined the edge, illuminating the ashen remains of trees and shrubs. Moths, crimson of colour and trailing embers behind them, flew about overhead. The grass was withered and long dead while red flaming flowers bloomed in scattered clusters. In the center stood a cottage, a fence surprisingly ash and burn-free surrounding it and a small garden. A mailbox bearing the name Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter was perched just outside the encirclement. The gate was open, and they watched as the cat sauntered in, pausing to look Venti directly in the eye, before dragging the still screaming Zhongli into the house via a cat door.

“This wasn’t my fault, I swear,” Benny wheezed as they all took off towards the house. “Or at least, I really hope not…”

“No, don’t worry about it,” Shenhe hissed. “That cat did nothing to harm Mister Zhongli. It used him as bait to lure us down the wrong path to this house. Specifically.” Her hand drifted to her back pocket where Venti knew she kept her paper spell tags. “Something is up, so be on guard.”

“I agree,” he said, holding the gate open for the others. A slight shiver ran down his back involuntarily, for reasons he could not identify. After they passed through, he marched up to the bright red door and pounded his fists. “Something fishy is going on here.”

Loud stomps and muttered swears got closer and closer to the door, their intensity causing the group to take a step back in caution. The door swung open, and Venti couldn’t even get a good look at the homeowner before they growled out a, “LEAVE!” and slammed the door.

Something deep within Venti snapped, and later one he would admit to not being proud of how he acted.

“OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR THIS INSTANT! YOUR STUPID CAT TOOK MY STUPID BOYFRIEND! GIVE HIM BACK! GIVE HIM BACK!” Venti screeched as he pounded on the door. The thick wood hurt his fists while he made every attempt to create the loudest racket possible. If there was one thing he was good at, it was being obnoxiously tenacious until he got what he wanted. “TELL YOUR CAT TO BRING HIM BACK OUT! I SWEAR I WILL KNOCK THIS DOOR DOWN, STOMP IN YOUR GARDEN, THROW ROCKS AT YOUR WINDOWS, STEAL YOUR MAIL-”

The door opened again. A scowl graced the beautiful features of the tall woman who answered. She did not close the door on their faces this time, merely glowered and crossed her arms over her (admittedly well-endowed) bosom. Blonde hair fell in waves down her shoulders, half of it pulled into a low bun that rested under the brim of her crimson witch’s hat.

“What business do you have with me?” she hissed, taking her time to look over each of the three strangers on her doorstep. “I am a very busy woman, and I don’t have time to entertain childr-....en…”

The colour from her face drained as she cast her gaze on Venti, before instantly blazing into angry-red lividness.

“You!” she hissed. Before any of them could react, she lashed out, grabbing Venti by a braid then yanking him into her abode. The door slammed behind them just as Shenhe and Bennett began to protest. “What do you think you’re doing here?! What right?! What nerve?!”

Venti flinched when she tugged him around, dragging him into an admittedly cozy living space. Whereas the rest of the house was strangely ice-cold, this room was decorated with elegant plush chairs, lace decor, and a roaring fireplace where flame-kissed moths fluttered about. The damned cat was curled up on a round pillow near the heat, its purrs loud enough to be heard from outside in the hall. Zhongli was nowhere to be seen.

“Ow ow ow,” Venti whined as his braid was released and he was pushed into a chair. Instantly the chair sprung to life, fibers wrapping around his body and arms keeping him perfectly restrained. Moths from the fireplace flew over and added their own warmed silk to the mix. In seconds, he was cocooned. Unable to move, unable to glance around, unable to run away. “What’s going on?! Where is the little dragon your cat dragged in?”

Rosalyne pursed her painted lips and snapped her nails, indicating that she seemed to remember something. She opened a curio cabinet and pushed things around, muttering to herself until she emerged with a glass jar.

A glass jar with holes poked into the lid that contained a brown and gold, elongated, tiny dragon. Zhongli scratched at the sides, opening and closing his mouth, but no sound escaped from his prison.

“Look. Here he is,” the witch sighed. She placed the jar on the coffee table atop a scarlet lace doily, well within Venti’s line of sight. “Now. Answer my questions, demon! Why do you have the gall to even show your face to me after all these years?!”

She wasn’t anyone Venti recognized, he realized with a sinking feeling. Being regularly summoned for over 2000 years meant his remembrance of most encounters was a bit hazy at best. Given their elongated lifespans, he couldn’t even narrow down the timespan based on her looks. She didn’t match any of the witches in his memory… so she had to have started up the craft after his summoning.

None of that helped him remember.

“I’m truly sorry, fair maiden,” Venti said, “but I can’t seem to recall our time together. And please don’t refer to me as ‘demon’. I’ve since managed to shed my contract and become human.”

Rosalyne’s face turned purple. Her fists clenched and unclenched as her shoulders shook. “The audacity…” she seethed. Steam hissed and broiled off of her. “How dare you!”

Venti was starting to sweat under the cocoon. His human body was no longer built for such heat. It felt like his blood was on the brink of boiling. His systems were starting to wail from the sensory overload of registering each and every fiber of silk and chair. “I’m really sorry. I don’t remember. Neither my dragon nor I mean any harm towards you. We just want to leave.”

“IT WAS YOUR FAULT!” Rosalyne screeched. Her heeled foot stomped on the ground. “YOU’RE ALWAYS LEAVING! YOU LEFT US THEN, AND NOW YOU WANT TO LEAVE AGAIN!”

She buried her face in her hands, body shaking uncontrollably.

Venti gnawed on his lip, having no clue how to diffuse the situation. She probably had wards up around the house because otherwise, Shenhe would have smashed a window in and grabbed him already. He had to stall for time so she could bypass them and get him and Zhongli the fuck outta dodge. Mona had been right about this lady being off her rocker.

“Rostam.”

Despite the sweltering heat, ice flooded Venti’s veins.

Oh. That.

“His name was Rostam. And you left us to die.”

It all came back to him right then. The time he’d spent with the couple was not something he wished to remember, and had buried it as deep as it could go. Unfortunately, what happened and the memory of the event wasn’t something that could just go away.

The night had started simply enough. Rostam and Rosa were nice enough— she’d been starting to dabble in the mystical arts and he was all too happy to support her in her endeavors. Barbatos had been their first successful demon summoning. The sex was nice at first, and they’d been able to get a few rounds in before everything turned sideways.

Looking at her now, Venti would admit that her beauty had not waned, but there was a malicious fierncess to her now that even back then, he wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. A moth landed on his nose, triggering a sneeze that had it flying back over to the fireplace.

Usually, Venti made it a point to not involve himself with a summoner’s outside affairs. He did not care if they were married, had three days left to live, or had just committed a murder. It wouldn’t matter in the end— he’d arrive, he’d eat, he’d leave. It was only when he was sure he wanted to grant a boon did he ask about a summoner’s life. Rostam and Rosa’s summoning had been the single time he wished he’d known about the inner workings of their lives.

The guilt from all that time ago flooded him, churning with the heat and making him nauseous.

It wasn’t easy getting one’s hands on magic books and spells, especially to learn. Back then especially, around 500 years ago, there hadn’t been the internet or libraries. You had to know the right people, go the right places, and speak the right words. The two had bypassed all of that, instead, by “liberating” what material they could. Aka, committing theft.

Now, one who had their magic items stolen couldn’t just go to the local knight order or constable for help. By then, the use of magic had died down so significantly that, like the present day, it was considered a myth. Witches, wizards, warlocks, and the like had to watch their own backs, and therefore, take justice into their own hands.

The two had brought it on themselves, Venti thought. He half-heartedly struggled against his restraints as Rosalyne stood by and watched, waiting for him to finish remembering the tragedy she blamed him for.

The three had been resting in-between sessions— Venti flipping through one elemental manipulation pamphlet with Rosa and making note of different things to try, which steps to absolutely follow, and which to absolutely not. Rostam had just come out with some homemade apple shortbread he’d prepared before the summoning (and was subsequently what lured Venti to them) when the front door was blown inwards off its hinges.

Rostam had fought back the intruders as best he could while Rosa flipped through her notes with deep anxiety, trying to figure out a way out of the situation. Venti… had technically already had his contract filled. As he slipped back into the demonic plane, he’d heard an ear piercing shriek and the squelch of a sword sinking to wet flesh. A wave of heat followed, singing the ends of his braid before he fully stepped back into his home.

He’d tried not to think about that ever since.

“Oh…” Venti muttered while shoving the memories down again. “...You made it out then, Rosa.”

“Of course I did,” Rosalyne spat. She lifted her head just the slightest to continue glaring at him. “Your notes were particularly… helpful; they remain so to this day, as you can see. Rostam… my dear Rostam… He wasn’t so lucky.”

Venti sighed as deeply as he could under the restriction of the cocoon. “Rosa, there wasn’t anything I could do,” he said. “My contract with you both was plain and simple: it covered sex, and only sex. Not what happened. With it technically being fulfilled by that point, my only course of action was to leave. Even if I hadn’t made that choice, had any of your assailants come after me, I would have been forcefully yanked back to the demonic plane.”

The cat, still curled up by the fire, twitched an ear and lazily looked up to watch the exchange.

“That’s not true,” Rosalyne ground out. She stomped over and grabbed Venti by the chin, her nails digging into his skin and drawing tiny pinpricks of blood. “Demons can grant boons. Did I, did Rostam, did we not please you enough?”

“Boons aren’t that simple-” Venti started, the sudden tightening of the grip on his chin cutting him off.

“We had a moment, and you left us in our time of need. Now, Rostam is dead, and I must continue on living without him. If you are human now, as you claim, then it will be a lot easier to hurt you. Let you feel the pain that’s been burning away in my chest for centuries.”

There was something blazing in her gaze, as Rosalyne glowered down at him. Pointing out that they’d gotten themselves into their mess would do no good to the situation, he knew. Shenhe had still not broken through— unsurprising given that this was the house of a 500 year old witch. There were bound to be things like insulation overlaid with runes and charms, spell tags hidden on the support beams, and circles etched into the foundation as cement dried.

Rosalyne seemed to be done ranting, releasing Venti’s face and taking a step back. He stretched his jaw, sore and bloody from her vice grip and glanced up at Zhongli. His love stared down at him with such a deep worry in his beady eyes.

“Rosa, I’m sorry,” Venti panted. Sweat dripped from his brow onto his silk restraints. He needed to stall some more, as much as his body was suffering. “It’s all my fault. Mine alone, okay? I might still be human, but I also won’t hesitate to do what I must to keep myself safe. My friends are in danger right now. My little dragon is in danger right now. He could really use your help, in all honesty. Please, fair lady Rosalyne, if you help him, I won’t fight back. I’ll be all yours to do whatever you desire to me. Just like our first contract before.”

Rosalyne wandered over to the coffee table and picked up the jar holding Zhongli. “What is this creature to you?” she purred, fingernails tapping against the glass.

She must not have heard his screaming earlier with the muffling of the door, Venti realized. Perhaps there was a spell somewhere that blocked voices but not knocks… “He’s a poor soul who was cursed when one of your fellow witches had an accidental spell misfire,” he said, only twisting the truth a little.

“I have no fellows,” Rosalyn snorted. “I belong to no coven.”

“Which is perfect, because you won’t need a coven head’s permission to do this,” Venti continued. He prayed with every fiber of his being that his silver tongue would be of use and that his gamble would work. “As you know, the thing about curses is that they require witchly tokens to break. Please grant him one, then let him leave with my friends in peace. He can tell them that I went willingly so they will bear no grudge.”

Rosalyn’s demeanor did not soften in the slightest. “You’re not in any position to negoti-”

“Actually, those are fair terms,” the cat suddenly said. It got to its feet and stretched before padding over to Rosalyn’s side. “Any demon would agree to them, and you know how picky we can be.”

The witch’s eyes narrowed as she regarded the cat. “...There’s something you’re not telling me.”

“Nothing of importance,” the cat said with a shrug. “Of course, this is just my advice, coming from a demon who deals with other demons. The choice is ultimately yours. If you want to consult me more, I will be in your kitchen eating the last of the eel.”

With that, the creature sauntered off, disappearing into the depth of the witch’s abode.

Venti held his breath while Rosalyne thought over the offer. Eventually, she nodded to herself, then stalked over to the fireplace. Venti opened his mouth to protest, only to snap it shut when the witch snatched one of the moths and quickly stuffed it in the jar with Zhongli. She tightened the lid over both creatures, sauntered over to the nearest window, and without warning, chucked it as far outside as she could.

“Your friends can pick him up over there. He’s past the wards,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I’m washing my hands of this matter. I agree to your proposal.”

Rosalyne snapped her fingers and the silk binding Venti unraveled. Venti gasped and caught his breath, watching the with warily in the mean time. She began moving furniture around with a wave of her hand, creating a large open space with only a round rug in the center. The rug itself was emblazoned with runes and a magic circle. Rosalyne grabbed Venti by the arm and began to drag him towards the circle.

Every fiber of his being screamed at Venti to run. The closer he was pulled, the clearer the meaning of those runes and circle became. He’d helped her perfect that circle that night 500 years ago. Its intent was perfectly clear.

Panicking, he began to struggle against his will and promise.

Rosalyne kneed him in the gut, causing him to double over stunned, before she continued to drag him over. “You wanted this,” she hissed. “Don’t run away this time. Pay the price for your cowardice.”

With that, she threw him into the circle.

Instantly, Venti’s body ignited. His clothes became ash in seconds as the flames ate and ate and ate. Heat even greater than before overtook him to the point where his nerves couldn’t register anything anymore. Ash and smoke clogged his nose and throat like hands wrapping around and squeezing. Despite that, scream instinctively tore its from his chest and he curled up best he could to mitigate the damage. The smoke and fire were thick; he couldn’t make out anything but roaring orange and crimson red.

Then, after a moment, as the breath left his chest from his wails and he went to suck in new air, he noticed something odd. No smoke came with that inhale— in fact, as he calmed down, he realized his breathing leveled back to something akin to normal. His clothes and everything in his pockets were obliterated, but not even ash marred his skin. The heat began to lessen to a warm blanketing embrace as his nerves turned back on. His skin itself was glowing a low teal, barely discernible in the glow of the pyre.

It was a form of magic he was aware of, but had never personally experienced before given its divine celestial origins. He could have never hoped to cast such a thing when he’d been a demon or wisp.

A protective aura.

The roar of the flames was near-deafening in his ears, but above it all he could hear Rosalyne’s enraged shrieks. Heat still enveloped him, and Venti knew that the aura could only take so much before the fire broke through its defenses and devoured him like his clothing.

As he staggered to his feet, a wave of soothing cold erupted over the space, quenching the fire in its entirety while the circle and runes frosted over. A hand wrapped around his waist and hoisted him up on top of a strong shoulder. His face was buried in snow white hair and he let himself relax in Shenhe’s grip.

“Come on, Benny!” Shenhe yelled, turning heel and racing out of the hole she’d blasted in the ward and walls. “I got them both. We’re leaving!”

“Gotcha!” Bennett replied.

They raced off, leaving the stunned witch and her now frozen house behind.

It took a few moments before Venti could find it in him to speak.

“Where’s… where’s Zhongli?” he asked, voice muffled by Shenhe’s hair. “Is he okay? Is he safe?”

“Ya, Miss Shenhe’s got em!” Benny piped up from somewhere nearby. “And the moth too! We’re gonna wait to take Zhongli out though so we don’t accidentally lose the moth. He’s settled down though. Don’t worry, Mister Venti. You’re safe now.”

Venti’s body may have calmed but his mind was going a million miles a minute. What had that encounter even been?! A strange demon cat luring them a witch that had a vendetta specifically against Venti… She could have summoned him at any time to get the revenge she’d concocted in her head. Why now? Why use these means?

But also why… had a protective aura, a magic he could have never used, popped up around him?

But also the cat… How was it involved in all of this?

He groaned, then shivered. The aura was gone and he was quickly realizing he was without clothes in the winter.

“‘M cold,” he whispered. Benny and Shenhe stopped the hastened pace, and seemed to notice his nakedness for the first time. Benny’s cheeks with bright red as he looked away. Shenhe, in the meantime, carefully set Venti down on the ground then went to work digging a blanket out from her pack.

“Thank goodness I grabbed this at least,” she said, wrapping him up. She then took Zhongli and the moth’s jar out of one of her cargo short pockets, nestled it in his lap, then began to carry him bridal style. “That was going to burn a hole in my pocket. It should keep you warm until we can get you some clothes.”

Zhongli stared at him through the jar’s glass, unharmed in any manner with the moth perched atop his head. His tongue flicked and he relaxed as Venti flashed him a tired smile.

A wave of tiredness overtook Venti, the adrenaline draining from his system. It would be fine if he just closed his eyes for a second, right?

“We’re almost back at the fork,” Benny said. “Miss Lisa’s is still a hike but it’s still closer than the van.”

“Nawh,” Shenhe grunted. “Van’s closer. Come on, Venti, stay awake for a little longer.”

His eyes were closed, but he kept his mind and ears alert. The sound of wheels rumbling down asphalt was akin to an angelic chorus breaking out overhead. It pulled to a stop in front of them, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“I managed to get it back up and running. Not entirely sure what was wrong, it just came to life after I kicked it and— Woah, what happened?!” Oh sweet Aether. Bless him and whatever magical being had blessed his kicking foot.

“I lost my clothes again,” Venti slurred, following it up with a snicker. “Happening more as a human than as a succubus, I swear.”

He heard Aether groan. “Okay, everyone in. I’m going to break the speed limit. Can someone get some clothes on him?”

Someone volunteered, but Venti wasn’t entirely sure who. He was nestled into the backseat, car heat on blast, and drifted off to sleep.

Rosalyne scowled. She flicked her wrist in annoyance while she continued to melt the ice coating her sitting room. It was her own fault, really. That girl from Liyue took advantage of when she’d tossed the dragon’s jar out of the window. The brief moment had caused the wards to thin, and it was all it took for a wedge to be planted.

“I should have never agreed to that deal and just let him burn anyways,” Rosalyne complained. The demon cat watched from the room’s entrance, a slab of marinated eel next to him resting on her hardwood. “Your advice was useless.”

“Well, you wouldn’t listen to me when I said you couldn’t hurt him,” the cat drawled, taking a bite of eel. “But you insisted, so I came up with the next best thing.”

“Tch.” Rosalyne finished with one icicle and moved onto the next. “You demons are all useless.”

“Hey now, fair lady,” the cat laughed, “we’ve had our contract set up for hundreds of years now and I’ve filled it to a T. If you didn’t want the outcome I said would happen, then you had all that time to cancel our contract. There wasn’t even a clause for punishment should you break it. You wanted my advice and help, I gave it, so don’t take your anger out on me. I don’t even have to stick around and watch you clean up.

Find Barbatos and when you have a chance, lure him to me so that I might exact revenge. That was it. Again, you had all that time to make it a bit more precise. You should have hired a lawyer.”

“It should not have taken you 300 years to find him! Had you done so sooner, then he would have still been a demon and I could have killed him. Allowing him to connect to some celestial source after he recently became human is on you.”

The flooring would need replacing, Rosalyne tutted amidst her hissing and spitting. Moisture would luckily not be retained so mold wasn’t a risk, but the water stains themselves were unsightly. The wall also would need immediate repairs with a hole in it. That should probably be her priority once the ice was gone, she pondered.

“Also not my fault you underestimated a bunch of kids,” the cat continued. “You should have at least kept a closer eye on that girl. Had me watch her.”

“And what would you have done in that regard?” Rosalyne snapped. “Absolutely nothing, because it’s not in your damn contract.”

The cat shrugged, not denying her accusation.

“I will admit in some ways underestimating them,” Rosalyne said after a moment of silence. While still tense, her tone was quieter. “Especially with the window. My lapse in judgment was not ideal. However…”

The icicle under her hands began to boil and bubble as her rage began to grow. “That aura Barabtos threw up when he entered the circle… That was not the exorcist's doing nor the cursed boy’s. That was celestial!” She narrowed her eyes and glanced at the cat, who was unsurprised in light of all things. “You knew something I didn’t. You knew exactly how this was going to play out, and you didn’t warn me. How was it that Barbatos got himself celestial protection?”

“Not in the contract.” The cat yawned and stretched after gulping up the last of the eel. Then, cracks rang out through the house as the cat’s body began to bend and break, morphing into something now. Fur sunk back into porcelain skin, claws changed to ball joints, whiskered vanished behind vermillion red eye shadow. “And speaking on contracts, as I said earlier, ours is complete. Watching you clean and complain has gotten boring.”

“Tell me what you know, Belial! You planned all this! What were you really after?!” Rosalyne screamed.

“No, I don’t think I will tell you. I have better things to do, and more schemes to observe.” With that, Belial sank into the shadows, leaving behind a wrecked sitting room and a heartbroken witch.

The fight drained out of her, Rosalyne slumped against the wall. The last of the ice was almost melted and soon, she would need to begin her house repairs. A draft flew in, blowing her hat off her head, and she resigned herself to work. Her spell books were unharmed amidst the chaos and her finger brushed against each and every individual spine. She went down them one by one, picking out a few here and there that would help with reconstruction.

Then, as she passed by an old ratty tomb that she’d admittedly forgotten about, Rosalyne paused. She hummed, tilted her head, and pondered the title. A wicked grin bloomed on her fair face and she pulled it out, eyes glinting as she took in the title.

Observations, Summonings, and Destructions: A Manual on Celestial Beings

Chapter Text

Interlude 2: Aura

Venti started at the bouquet of windwheel asters resting on his bed. His hands wrung his robes tight enough that they’d started to fray.

“Oh dear,” his mother gasped, covering her mouth with a hand. Her wings flared behind her and wrapped around Venti. “Another one?”

“Yes…” Venti muttered before burying his face in Istaroth’s feathers. “They’re lovely, but I don’t really want them.”

“Our tenure under his gaze should be finished soon.” Istaroth scowled and muttered something incomprehensible under her breath. She closed the door behind them as they moved into the room. “Remember my warnings. Never ask for his aid, always seek me or any of our allies out so you’re not alone with him, and never, ever, ever sign a contract with him. If for some reason, a contract is unavoidable, you need to be the only one dictating terms. Read between the lines, imagine the worst case scenario for every word printed, and demand changes where they need to be. I pray it will never come to that.”

Venti tiptoed over to his bed and gently lifted the bouquet. He tossed it out of the small hole in the wall he called a window. “I’m still not entirely sure who to trust,” he admitted, closing the shutter and pulling a curtain back over it. The window was useless— there was no way he could perch on something so small, and there truly wasn’t any light to be let in from the outside. No warm sunbeams to nap in nor light kissing his skin to wake him with the rise of dawn.

“Miss Baal is fond of you, as is Miss Buer,” Istaroth said. She began to poke around her son’s room, looking behind the small bits of decor that came with it to double check that nothing else was amiss. “Leviathan is not one I would go to for help. Haborym is nice enough but is a bit much for even me to handle.”

She lifted the mirror from the wall and checked behind. Nothing. “Oh… that one from the dinner you sat next to. I haven’t spoken to him and can’t remember his name, but he was sweet on you at the time. My protective aura did not instinctively flare upon being in his presence.”

Heart pounding, but sated nonetheless, Istaroth stopped her rummaging and took a seat next to her son on his bed. He perked up at the mention of his new friend and leaned into her side, relishing in her touch while a smile bloomed on his face. Oh how he missed staying with her, wrapped tight in her arms while he slept with the knowledge that he was safe in her presence.

“Oh, he’s really nice!” Venti chirped, forcing himself back into reality. “He was helping me with my archery earlier. His name is A-”

A knock came at the door and, after a pause that wasn’t long enough to even be considered one, Decarabian opened the door. He strode in, perfectly shined boots thumping on the ground as his shoulders squared into a perfectly authoritative posture. His tail swished behind him, keeping close to the ground.

“Doors are to be kept open outside of curfew,” he grunted. His eyes swept the room, narrowing at the lack of flower bouquets present. He made no mention of the missing windwheel asters, yet Venti stiffened all the same. The annoyed tint to the other’s gaze and the barely perceivable tightening of his grip on the doorframe set off warning bells all over the celestial’s nervous system.

“My apologies,” Istaroth said, bowing her head. “It slipped my mind.”

It really hadn’t, Venti knew, but any other excuse would be a sign of blatant disrespect. Better to come across as forgetful than traitorous. Closing the door was a risk they had to take, lest they be caught searching for hidden runes or spying circles.

“Be glad that I find myself in a rather good mood today. I won’t report about so minor as a door closed for a moment. However, Istaroth, you are also wanted by the Court of Arch Demons. There were whispers about where the other Shaded Angels keep their forces,” Decarabian continued. As they both got to their feet, he raised a hand and they paused. “Just Istaroth. The little wisp will not be needed.”

“I would feel better bringing him with me.” Istaroth wrapped wings around Venti and placed a hand on his shoulder. “He might know something I do not. The Thousand Winds were my eyes, after all.”

Decarabian shook his head, the smile on his face feeling out of place alongside the tense gravity of the situation. It did not quite meet his glinting eyes. “I have been very patient with you thus far, but the court was explicitly clear this time. You are to make your audience with them. Alone. Perhaps later they will have a separate audience with him to make sure you aren’t influencing each other. Your trust still has yet to be earned, after all.”

Venti bit his lip as his mother’s vice grip tightened, fighting back the urge to wince as her nails dug into his skin just shy of breaking it. He was unsure how much time had passed ever since their arrival. It could have been weeks, it could have been months, it could have been years. The sun and moon did not follow the laws of the human world— they existed in any capacity at all. They slept when they were tired, and rose when they felt that their bodies had refreshed enough. Perhaps Istaroth knew the exact details, but it was not something she ever cared to share. At least, not unprompted. On the other hand, Venti had never mustered enough courage to ask.

Every minute the two celestials spent in the demonic realm, every ounce of energy they could muster, were all put towards proving their loyalty. An eternity seemed to have passed, yet Decarabian still held them at an arm’s length. Venti was well aware of how it tore at his mother— perhaps with her connections, they could get off of probationary status soon. He would love to be rid of Decarabian, and that time could not come fast enough.

“I do not feel comfortable leaving Venti alone,” Istraoth argued, breaking Venti’s anxious train of thought. She held her chin high and proud, matching Decarabian’s gaze in what seemed to be a silent battle of wits. “It would be akin to throwing him to the wolves, if what your ‘untrustworthy’ claims are true.”

“He is a divine being just as much as yourself.” Decarabian scoffed and turned in the doorway before gesturing for them to follow. “I will look after him, don’t you worry. No harm will come to him— the Archdemons would have my head if something were to happen.”

Venti’s fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms hard enough to bruise. While the demon was right, he was also the last person Venti wanted to be alone with, regardless of his promises. All the gifts, the little touches, the wistful looks when no one thought he was watching. Panic seemed to permanently reside in Venti’s veins whenever he was around the man. Istaroth’s paranoia was not helping matters.

He’d asked a few other demons about Decarabian’s behavior, quietly and on the downlow, but they’d all said it was normal and to just ignore him. He would go away in due time. He was a romantic at heart and just wanted them to feel welcomed. He was like that with everyone. Excuse after excuse poured out of everyone around him, and yet, Venti couldn’t bring himself to believe them.

They followed Decarabian to the meeting hall, stopping only when they were outside the large doors covered in bas-reliefs. Venti would have liked to stay and appreciate the artistry longer, but as soon as his mother slipped in, out of sight, a hand clamped around his wrist and dragged him away.

“Hey!” Venti yelped as he began to struggle. “We’re supposed to wait for mother outside!”

“I said no such thing,” Decarabian said with a shrug of his shoulders, looking deceptively innocent in that regard. “We’re going to the gardens until she is finished. This season’s batch of blooms are beginning to open and I’m sure you would love to see them.”

Venti hated that, under other circumstances, Decarabian might’ve been right. He wanted… he wanted to go with his mother, where she would stand back and admire serenely as he whooped and awed over each unfurled petal and budding leaf. He wanted to be watched by someone who loved him, not under the gaze of mistrust and… something else.

The flowers were, admittedly, beautiful. They weren’t a species he was familiar with, but he wasn’t about to engage and ask for their name. Venti knelt in the soil and brushed stray dirt off of viridian green leaves. “There you go,” he whispered. “All clean now.”

A multitude of other demons loitered and strolled around the garden’s grounds. The presence of so many others allowed Venti to breathe a little easier. If Decarabian’s own safety and reputation were on the line contingent upon Venti’s safety, then no other demon would dare harm him. Decarabian himself stood a ways away, watching him with a careful eye but leaving him be. To any of the others present, he looked the perfect part of a vigilant guardian.

Venti crossed his legs and breathed in the fresh, fragrant air. Again, he had no knowledge of the flowers in bloom, and the words to describe their scent eluded his grasp at all. As he muttered to himself (loamy, billowy, heady…), he watched the other demons. A couple was huddled under a tree, reading a book together. A gaggle of younglings made a clamour as they took turns pushing each other into a nearby fountain. A solitary artist was hard at work behind their sketch pad, already covered head to toe in charcoal and coloured chalk dust. Others just wandered nearby and took in the beauty of the flowers themselves.

People, whether they were demons, celestials, or humans, were always so wonderful to watch. It was perhaps one of Venti’s favourite hobbies, and he couldn’t help the smile that bloomed.

“You’re enjoying yourself, I see.”

The smile dropped in an instant when Decarabian stepped over the blooms to join him in the dirt. “I told you they were lovely.”

Venti hummed and played with a leaf. He kept his gaze focused on the line upon line of parallel veins that ran down it, attention forcefully focused on the subtle ridges his fingers slowly brushed over. He didn’t want to share this moment with the other and thought, perhaps ignoring him would get him to go back to his post. Away…

“Might I give a word of advice?” Decarabian said, crouching down closer.

Venti shrugged, his shoulders and arms hunching in closer to take up the least amount of space possible. It wasn’t like he could stop him from speaking his mind.

“The reason your mother worries herself to death over you is not because you aren’t powerful. As a divine being, you naturally come equipped with various powers and self-defense systems. You could hold your own against an enemy if you want to. Your weakness, however, is that you are soft,” Decarabian whispered. He plucked the bloom off of a nearby stem and carefully placed it behind Venti’s ear.

Ignoring the way his skin burned underneath, Venti quietly asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“Right now, my dear, you are cleaning dirt off of flowers despite it being the place they thrive in. Come a few hours and all your hard work will go to waste. You misplace your kindness and tenderness,” Decarabian said. “While that may have been the way of the Divine up above, it is far from how we act here. You need to learn to bite back.”

Venti’s brow furrowed. “Don’t you mean ‘fight’?”

“Not at all,” Decarabian said with a shake of his head. “A fight is what most instigators will be looking for. They go after tenderhearted, benevolent fools such as yourself. A fight back is what they want as well. A proverbial bite, though? Now that can produce the desired results. Fighting back for yourself is meaningless. Fighting back for the sake of someone else is equally meaningless. Fighting back to ruin the other? That is how you establish yourself down here. That is how you earn the respect and space to be a tenderhearted, benevolent fool. You cannot have peace without struggle.”

“Haven’t you ever heard of, ‘kill them with kindness’?” Venti asked. His ear prickled and itched in a way that wasn’t physical, but tied directly to panic. He fought the urge to scratch at it and dislodge the flower.

Decarabian barked out a laugh. “Hm, perhaps, little wisp. Not that anyone’s really tried before, but if anyone could do it, it would certainly be you.” He reached out, unprompted, and ran a hand through Venti’s wings. “The bite still goes hand in hand with that, regardless. Practice what you preach, wisp. Your little barks are only an invitation.”

Red, hot anger boiled within the pits of Venti’s stomach, shooting pure adrenaline through his veins. He jumped up and backed away, his feet trampling the beautiful flowers until he finally made it to the garden’s walking path.

“Stop that!” he yelped, voice unwillingly high pitched. It was difficult to piece together the right words to verbalize his complaint; this had never happened before back when he’d lived in the heavens. “Y-you need to… to ask before you do that!” His wings trembled and, though he longed to wrap them around his vulnerable form, he could not will them to move. His body felt completely confused as dual senses of “run away” and “freeze” battled within him. Every part of him felt clamped together, and yet he still twitched as his fingers fought to open and close.

Decarabian laughed again, his mocking, echoing tone triggering another wave of panic to electrify Venti’s spine. “I told you, you need to back this all up with a bite. Why should I not touch you if you’re not even going to put up a little bit of a fight?”

Nearby demons were starting to look at them, all wearing matching looks of bemusement at the scene. Decarabian got his feet and, tiptoeing over snapped stems and bruised petals, headed over to the celestial. Before Venti could react, his wrist was once again trapped in the other’s vice grip. Venti screeched and kicked Decarabians shins while the demon continued to laugh.

“Is this really all Celestia has to offer? A child of Time and this is all you can do? I guess you really are just a pitiful little creature in the guise of the divine, unable to survive without your dear mother,” Decarabian sneered, pulling Venti closer to him. He grabbed his round cheeks, and leaned down until their lips were a hair’s breadth apart. “You know, I could help you. I could keep you safe from all the dangers of this world, more than your mother ever could. We can sign a contract. Make a deal. You don’t know how to use those powers of yours, do you? If you did, if you truly didn’t want this, then I wouldn’t be as close as I am. Doing good for others is fine and all that, but if you can’t use your Celestial powers to protect yourself, then they are of no use to anyone.”

Venti bit his nose.

Decarabian drew back with a sharp swear. His hands instinctively flew to his face, giving Venti time to pull away and fly further down the path His wings flapped and beat until they burned, but still he pressed onwards. He wasn’t entirely sure where he was going— the garden itself could be a plane of existence all on its own— but anywhere without that wretched demon would be preferrable.h His skin crawled like millions of ants were burrowed deep within. Tears pickled in the corners of his eyes. He’d failed his mother by misbehaving; there were sure to be consequences to actions, he knew. But he… In that moment, all he wanted to do was get away.

A willow tree reaching out over the edges of a placid lake, far from the gardens in an area Venti and his mother had yet to explore, beckoned him over. Within its veil of leaves and dropping branches, Venti curled up into a ball to become as small as he could for the next few hours. With his mind as much of a mess as it was, he couldn’t even begin to think about changing back into wisp form. Everything was confusing; his vision blurred into a kaleidoscope from the saline water flowing down his face.

In that nebulous time he spent alone, Venti prayed and prayed and prayed (to whom, he did not know) that it would be his mother who found him. One of the archdemons. A random passerby. Anyone but Decarabian.

But he’d forgotten he was in the demonic realm, and that prayers by angels would land on deaf ears.

The moment he finished his prayer, hands wrapped around his neck, yanking him from the safety of his nest and back down to the earth and lake below. The grip was light, controlled— a warning. Ice cold water sloshed around his ankles. Decarabian glowered down at him, veins a stark red against the vast white of his bulging pupils. His mouth was twisted into furious snarl, fangs on full display while his spaded tail curled up, its tip poised to strike much like a scorpion's. This skin on his nose hadn’t broken, but the imprints left behind were a bright crimson rimmed with purple.

“Coward,” he spat. “You think that was enough to make me fear you? I could snap you in two if I so desired.”

Wind whipped around them, dark stormy gales overpowering gentle breezes. Venti didn’t know how to answer, or even if he should, so he kept his mouth clamped shut.

“See?” Decarabian squeezed just a little tighter, smirking while Venti clawed at his wrists. “You fear me, and because of that, I can do whatever I want to you. Little wind wisp, you have been very rude to me ever since you arrived. Hiding under your mother’s skirts, having her answer for you, throwing away every single gift I so carefully picked out. You know, I just wanted to make you feel welcome.”

Venti struggled to breathe. He lost the strength to listen to Decarabian’s rambling, to keep their gazes locked. It was a sign of a surrender, he knew, but his eyes darted down to the waters around them. He locked onto his reflection. The sides of his vision were starting to blur, causing the face that was supposedly his to turn fuzzy.

Huh… it could have very well been a different person in the water. Perhaps this was a dream. Perhaps Venti has been tasked with protecting a human, and that poor soul was being strangled in the shallows of a lake. How unfortunate... He’d failed such a precious task. The higher celestials would all shame him for such a poor performance. He wouldn’t be allowed in Nabu Malikata’s lotus gardens to play. His siblings would shun him— how could he bring such dishonor upon them all?

And his mother… If she found out he’d lost an innocent soul on his watch… a soul that looked so much like his own…

Oh, Mother…

She wouldn’t speak to him ever again. Never hold him or tell him stories or fix his braids or preen his wings. She would… she would…

She was screaming.

The pressure on his neck lifted and he fell back into the shallow water, coughing and wheezing as air rushed back into his lungs.

“-GONE FOR AN HOUR TO FIND MY SON MISSING AND YOU AS WELL! HOW DARE YOU, HOW DARE YOU LAY A HAND ON HIM!”

He was vaguely aware of clawed hands gently helping him out of the water. Despite his vision going in and out, he could make out the vaguely blurred outline of his mother. Her wings, all sets having folded out of her back, were flared. Claws had burst from her hands, a multitude of eyes splitting open all over her body. The storm winds swirled at her command, with her as the eye.

“Up you go,” a soft voice hissed in his ear. “Let's get you and everyone else back to the palace and sort out this affair.”

Venti whined, but allowed the stranger to haul him out of the water.

“HE ATTACKED ME FIRST, YOU WITCH! EVERY DEMON IN THE GARDENS CAN ATTEST TO THAT! I HAVE THE MARKINGS TO PROVE IT!” Decarabian lashed out at Istaroth. None of his hits landed, barred by a protective golden aura that surrounded her skin. “And when I tried to bring him back, he attacked again! Your son is clearly a traitor given his actions, and as the one who raised him, then you are just as guilty as well! TRAITORS DON’T GET TO LIVE! That is the law the Archdemons decreed long ago back when you wretched celestials escalated this war! Every demon in this realm is tasked with a single, uniting duty. Thus I will uphold the dignity of my kind.”

The demon summoned a swirl of knife-sharp winds around his hand and made a move to swipe at Istaroth again. At the last second, he feinted, ducking around her and charged at Venti. Venti screeched and covered his face with his arms as the blur of movement advanced.

Except the pain never came.

A golden glow enveloped him, repelling Decarabian away and sending him flying across the lake to where the water was much deeper.

“Shit,” said the voice of the stranger. “Well, that’s his problem now. Istaroth, let’s get back. The Archdemons will no doubt be summoning you again once he makes his complaints. You don’t wanna deal with that in soaked white robes.”

Istaroth scowled. Her hems were indeed completely soaked through. She tutted, tucking away her extra wings and eyes before moving to Venti’s side.

“Are you okay?” she gasped, the fury draining from her face in an instant as she gently cupped his face. “I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

Venti was very much not okay. He hadn’t been very lucky when it came to wet clothes— everything was showing through his waterlogged robes. His wings felt so heavy, he couldn’t even move them to feel more modest. His shoulders shook as he started to break down.

“Shhh, you’re okay now. You’re safe,” Istaroth cooed. She held his head to her breast, the sound of her heartbeat soothing away sobs as soon as they started to form. “I’m right here.”

“Istaroth, we need to go,” the other urged. Their clothes rustled and Venti suddenly felt something heavy drape on his shoulders. “Cover up, little one. Decarabian will figure out how to get out of that water soon.”

“You’re right,” Istaroth said with a pained sigh. She adjusted the white scaled coat, lined with electric violet fur until Venti was properly covered then scooped him up into her arms. “Thank you, Orobashi.”

“It’s not a problem,” the stranger, Orobashi, said before the three of them rushed away from the scene.

From this angle, and with air back in his lungs, Venti could get a good look at him. He was tall, not as tall as his mother, and very white. White hair, white scales peppering his skin, white eyes with purple slits… If Venti had to compare him to an animal, he would choose a snake. Something about the way he blinked, how his forked tongue flicked out every few minutes, how he seemed to sidewind his way down the garden path leading back up to the palace.

His mother seemed to trust him, if their hushed, under the breath conversations were any indication. So, Venti decided, as he buried his face in the fur of the man’s coat, he could trust him as well.

Orobashi left them at the doors to their quarters.

“I’m fine, mama, I can walk now. I promise,” Venti rasped. His hand flew to his throat in horror at the sound of his voice; his knees wobbled like a newborn fawn as his mother placed him on the ground. They buckled, and he landed on his bed.

“You are not well,” Istaroth insisted, throwing open drawers and tossing a clean pair of robes at him. “Not after what the demon did to you. He must have known what the Archdemons wanted to speak to me about. We were released from probation. We were to be free of him…”

She was quiet for a moment, before softly saying, “At the end of the meeting, Baal asked why I had not brought you. I knew then that it was imperative to find you.”

A wave of fatigue washed over Venti’s body while he changed his robes and listened to his mother. His head hurt. His throat hurt. His wrists hurt. His hair was wet. He was probably starting to bruise. Most of all, his heart hurt.

Perhaps… if what Decarabian had said was true… if he really had to add a “bite” to himself… he could have protected himself better. It wasn’t like he couldn’t do it. After all, his aura had flared to life… eventually…

“Venti. Venti, I need you to pay attention.” Istaroth snapped her fingers in front of his face, dragging him out of his head. “Please stay with me for a while longer. I’m sorry. But there are still matters to settle.”

She glanced at the far wall, the one that this room shared with her own. A pinched, pained look overtook her features before she embraced her son in a tight embrace.

“I can send you home,” she whispered, voice ragged and breaking. “I can send you back to the Heavens and Celestia. I can even provide you with a list of important demonic figures. My own movements and whereabouts. Every loophole and blindspot that I took advantage of to make it down here. You will be welcomed back, then. You won’t ever have to deal with this again.”

Venti was quiet for a long time. The pounding at the back of his skull had yet to subside, making it hard to think straight.

Send him back?

The other Shades and higher Celestials would hail him as a hero. He would be welcome in Nabu Malikata’s lotus garden whenever he wanted. His siblings would be so proud and never call him strange and out of sorts again.

But… Mother…

She wouldn’t speak to him ever again. Never hold him or tell him stories or fix his braids or preen his wings. She would… she would…

She was sobbing in his ear.

Venti glanced at the mirror on the wall and stared at the reflection that looked like him, but also not quite. Someone, not him, looked back at and slowly shook their head.

“Mama,” Venti croaked. He gently pried her away and steeled his gaze. “Mama, I am staying here with you.”

Istaroth looked as if her world was shattering. Her shoulders slumped, the sleeve of her robe slipping down her arm. Her face strained from her dropped jaw while a bead sweat formed on her forehead.

“Mama, if you let me go back like that, then who would protect you from Celestia? They would know where you were, how to find you, and how to eliminate you. By ‘saving’ me, you would be damning yourself, and I would not be able to live in peace knowing that.”

“Venti, please-... Don’t worry about me, okay? Remember, I am a Shade. One of the most powerful divine beings out there. Celestia cannot touch me.” Istaroth took Venti’s hands into her own.

“Mama,” Venti sighed. “You may be a Shade, but please remember: there are three others and they are all loyal to the Heavens. All at the same power level as you. You cannot survive if all three attack. And don’t tell me they wouldn’t do that; they know as well that it’s the easiest way to eliminate? of you.”

Istaroth was quiet, unable to come up with a response.

A knock on the door broke them from their reverie, and Orobashi poked his head in.

“It’s time,” he said. “They want you both now.”

Venti and his mother quickly got to their feet and rushed to follow the demon down the hall.

“I left your coat back in the room,” Venti apologized. “I’ll get it back to you as soon as I can.”

“It's no problem,” Orobashi said. His face did not change expressions ever, the cold, snake-like gaze seemly permanent. “Keep it as long as you like. I can make another.”

Venti gasped. “Wait, you, made it?”

“The outer lining is made from layers of my shed skin. The inner lining and fur come from an island on earth I like to frequent.” Despite his hard expression, Orobashi spoke with the warmth and passion befitting an artist.

“Where’s the island? What’s its name?” Venti could feel warmth returning to his cheeks, the chill from the water starting to drift away. “How do you get the shed to create such a thin layer?”

Orobashi halted in front of the door covered in bas-reliefs. “If you make it through this alive, then I will show you,” he said. “Come on now. Decarabian has already made his formal complaint. The Archdemons will hear his full testimony, and then you will be able to speak. After that, the Archdemons will ask questions to both parties, then render judgment.”

“We were defending ourselves,” Istaroth hissed. “The proof is all over my son’s body.”

Sighing, Ororbashi opened the door, gesturing for them to enter. “And yet, a demon’s greatest skill is twisting the story in their favour.”

All seven Archdemons sat upon their thrones. The normally kind, gentle auras from Buer and Baal were gone, replaced with something deeply serious and cold. Leviathan lounged, looking uninterested as he flipped through some stray paperwork. Haborym looked contemplative as she studied the celestials, akin to how one would carefully referee a heated sporting game. Two seats, one wreathed in gold and the other in frost, were empty. The old wolf of a man who had befriended Venti at the banquet took up the last seat at the end. He himself looked deeply worried, his thick brow furrowed.

Venti curled into his mother’s side, her wings shielding him from having to see Decarabian as he approached the thrones.

“You don’t have to listen to him,” Istaroth whispered. Her hands slipped over his ears, blocking out the spitting vitriol. “I will handle this all.”

“Mama,” Venti muttered back. He slipped out from under her grasp. “Please. I need to do this and be… brave.”

Istaroth paused, a flash of disbelief striking her before she settled her features and nodded. “Very well then.”

It was hard, Venti realized, listening to the deeply false depiction of what happened. Decarabians descriptions clashed with the pain in his body and violent images in his mind. Yet somehow, that only made him more resolved to see this through until the end.

“-and then finally, the wisp blasted me with divine power and sent me into the lake,” Decarabian finished. He hadn’t bothered to change, his clothes waterlogged and covered in stray strands of lake grass probably for maximum sympathetic effect. “They were gone when I reached the shore and I headed directly here to report their transgressions.”

Baal lounged on her throne, manicured fingers tapping against her lips and a calculating gleam in her eye. “And you have found witnesses, you say?” she asked.

“All of the names on the list I gave you should be able to verify my claims,” Decarabian said, bowing his head in penance.

Humming, Baal daintily held up a rolled scroll. “This one, presented with your evidence, I presume? Focalors, come. Find every demon named and bring them here.”

The shadows next to Leviathan’s throne stirred as a girl emerged. She took the scroll from Baals’ hands, then disappeared just as quickly as she’d appeared. Venti could barely even catch a glimpse of long white hair.

“Now then,” Baal said, voice booming as she turned to the two divine beings, “I presume you know how our courts work, given the fact that Orobashi escorted you here?”

Istaroth stepped forward. “Indeed, esteemed Archdemon. During my time parlaying with you hours ago, I was unaware that-”

“Your testimony will not be necessary yet, Istaroth,” Buer interrupted. She gestured towards Venti. “The complaint is centered around this child, and so your version of events can only be presented as ‘secondary’ and ‘supplementary’. Please, Venti. Step forward.”

Casting a wary glance at Decarabian, who was still a fair ways away, Venti inched forward until he was in front of the thrones.

“Where do you want me to start?” he asked. “Because, truthfully, what happened today was set in motion the moment we entered the palace.”

The Archdemons all exchanged wary glances with each other.

“Stick with today, for now,” Haborym said. “Depending on judgment, we may require such ‘secondary’ and ‘supplementary’ information. What is being judged is ultimately centered around today’s events.”

Venti nodded. “I understand. To further clarify where I should start, should I start before my mother met with you? Or after, when Decarabian and I were alone?”

“Start before, please.

“Alright.” Venti went to rub his hands together, nervous, and flinched as he brushed around his bruising wrists. “After breakfast with mother, we arrived back at my room to find a bouquet of flowers from Decarabian. They were unmarked, and while he later admitted to me while we were alone that he sent them, I cannot provide any evidence for that other than my word.

“Um, I threw them out for personal reasons, but I promise they’re important to this series of events. Shortly after, he fetched my mother and me for your meeting. He claimed that only my mother would be allowed to speak with you, and that I would be summoned at a later date. Mother can corroborate this and I believe you all should as well, given what she told me of the talks.”

Buer nodded, and scribbled something on a scroll resting on her throne’s armrest.

“He took me to the gardens, and…”

He paused. Would it be beneficial to add all the touching he’d never consented to? The words from other demons, that it was all normal, echoed through his head. It probably would not be necessary to add. It could be detrimental, in fact.

“I got… angry… about something innocuous,” he continued. “And walked away to cool off. He followed me, grabbed me, continued escalating the situation, so I panicked and bit his nose. Which is… fairly evident given the current bruising.”

Venti made a point not to look over at Decarabian.

“My panic continued, so I ran and hid. When he found me, he uh… dragged me out of my hiding place, and continued where we’d left off. This continued until mother and Orobashi found us and pulled him off of me. When he moved to attack me again, I reacted with divine instinct and threw up an aura. I’ve never done it in quite a way before, and probably could not replicate it, I’m afraid. Mother and Orobashi escorted me back to my room where I could change, because the latter half of the events occurred in a lake.”

He let out a nervous laugh. “As you can see, my mother and I prefer white robes, it would be indecent to show up in court with everything on display. I’m sure that not even Monsieur Leviathan’s succubi would dare do such a thing.”

As the Archdemons leaned in to whisper amongst themselves, Venti turned back to his mother. He was surprised by the look of horror gracing her fair features.

“Why did you lie?” she gasped, voice woven into a breeze that only Venti could distinguish.

“It would have just made everything worse,” Venti replied. “I’m not… good at manipulating the situation like everyone else is. And they weren’t lies, it was all… an abridged version of the truth with the facts that really mattered.”

“Venti…”

The door creaked open, and the waif of a girl with white hair slipped back in. A handful of demons followed— all of them Venti recognized from the garden. His heart sank. There were so many people here to backup Decarabian’s claims and he had… Two. His mother probably didn’t even count, given her obvious bias.

“Ah, now that everyone is here, we will begin with our own questions,” Baal announced. “My question is to Orobashi, who was present at our meeting and with Istaroth following her departure at our request.”

Orobashi lightly patted Venti’s back and stepped forward.

“Orobashi, as a member of my own legion, that of Remembrance and Eternity, I ask this of you,” Baal continued. “Did Istaroth at any time during our meeting remark that Decarabian claimed that only she was intended to attend?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Orobashi said stiffly.

“And prior to the meeting, during our planning stages, were you not involved?”

“Yes, ma’am. I was your aid, given Beelzebul’s current extended absence.”

Baal smiled softly at the mention of her sister before hardening her expression once more. “Were you aware that both Istaroth and her son were invited to the meeting?”

“I was aware and informed Decarabian of this myself, per the letter you wrote containing instructions for him, ma’am.” Orobashi remained as impassive as ever.

“During our meeting, did both Buer and I remark that it was strange that Venti here had not attended the meeting?”

“You did so, ma’am. Several times, in fact. Lord Andrius, according to the written minutes, was actually more concerned than yourselves.”

The wolf of a man shifted on his throne at the mention of his name.

Baal dismissed Orobashi with the wave of her hand. “Those are my questions, thank you. Haborym, do you wish to ask anything?”

Haborym grinned but shook her head. “Nope. I’m just extremely curious how this will all turn out.”

“Leviathan?”

He shook his head. “Everything we need for judgment is before us,” he said. “Continue.”

“Andrius?”

Andrius got to his feet. “Little wisp,” he said, voice booming and commanding. “Come forth. I fear you neglected to share some vital information.”

Venti’s heart sank and his blood turned cold. His legs froze, moving forward only when Orobashi led him back up to the thrones.

“Little wisp, as much as Orobashi here told you, I’m afraid he didn’t mention why this procedure is the way it is,” Andrius continued. “Between Leviathan and Baal, as well as faint similar powers that come with being an Archdemon, we can see through all lies. In a similar manner, we can also see through all half-truths as well. Such things are commonplace, here in the demonic realm, and even evidence can be falsified. Nothing, however, can escape Our gaze. Now, little wisp, your half-truths are on par with Decarabian’s, except that you both seemed to be skirting around the same thing.”

Andrius stepped forward and hoved a hand over Venti’s arm. “May I?”

Shaking, Venti nodded his head.

Time seemed to slow as, with great gentleness, Andrius rolled down the arm coverings until the bruises were bared for all to see.

“This one is a few hours older than this one,” the demon remarked, pointing at the different markings, “but still recent. Decararbian, from your version of the story, I’m sure such force was not needed. Twice, especially.”

He almost sounded like a disappointed parent scolding a child. Decarabian paled, his mouth opening, but no sound coming out.

“Now, little wisp, I wish you no harm, but you wear such a high collar and I need you to uncover your neck,” Andrius continued.

Venti’s hand shook as he hooked his fingers under the brim of collar and slowly tugged it down.

The Archdemons still on their thrones gave collected wince.

“Don’t think we didn’t hear the rasp in your voice either, Venti,” Andrius said. “Your lips even still have a tinge of blue to them. Decarabian, whatever prompted this?”

“He bit my nose!” Decarabian yelled, jabbing a finger at the bruises on his face.

“And you thought to strangle the living daylights out of our esteemed guest?” Andrius scoffed. “I fear your pride was more wounded than your face.”

“Sir, they are outsiders,” Decarabian pleaded. “I was protecting myself and the rest of the demonic realm. He showed his true colours when he reacted with violence towards me. These celestials cannot be trusted.”

“Yet the only one caught lying is you,” Buer said softly. She stood and turned to the gathered witnesses. “I believe Andrius has made his point, so it is my turn. My dear subjects, please recount what happened in the garden.”

Venti remembered the way they’d watched everything, like it was a show made exclusively for their entertainment. Their words, “this is normal,” “oh he’s just like that, it’s fine,” “it means he likes you,” echoed in his head.

“Well, Decarabian was all over the guest,” one demon said. She’d been the one sketching. “Would not stop touching him, putting flowers in his hair, petting his wings. Me and my fellow succubi are all well aware of wing etiquette and touching like that is enough reason to drag a perpetrator to court due to Monsieur Leviathan’s laws.”

Leviathan nodded, smiling to himself. His own wings stretched and flared.

Oh, Venti remembered, that was right… The only demons blessed with wings were succubi.

“Yeah, the wisp wasn’t happy about the wing thing at all,” one of the younglings piped in. “He jumped so far to get away that he would have won our jumping contest.”

“Decarabian followed him,” one half of the couple said with a sigh. “Took hold of him, and looked like he was going to kiss him.”

“That’s when the guest bit him and ran off,” the other half supplied. “We are unsure what happened deeper in the garden, but Decarabian was remarking how he would kill the guest, consequences be damned.”

The little remaining colour in Decarabian’s face drained. Venti felt as if his heart stopped.

Buer relaxed back onto her throne. “That is all,” she said. “You witnesses are free to go. Thank you for your time.”

As the other demons shuffled back out the door, the breath caught in Venti’s throat. He wasn’t entirely sure of what to make of the situation. It kinda felt like all of the Archdemons had ganged up on Decarabian… like it was planned. Perhaps a moment of opportunity for a long lasting grudge? Spur of the moment scorn?

Something wasn’t right… Why had the witnesses taken his side?

Large hands prodded him back to his mother, who took him into her arms.

“Thank you, Andrius,” his mother whispered.

The demon nodded and headed back to his throne.

“Now, based on the evidence presented,” Leviathan proclaimed, “Decarbian, you are found to be at fault for your own injuries. In addition, you have disgraced this plane and your fellows due to your actions against esteemed and protected guests. Given that your job was to protect and guide these guests moreso than keep them in suspicion, you will be rendered a punishment fitting for your misdeeds.”

“You will no longer serve under my command,” Baal said coolly. “Andrius has so kindly offered to take you under his wing. With this transfer, you additionally lose all formerly accumulated rank.”

Decarabian balked. “That isn’t fair!”

“What isn’t fair,” Baal spat, “is that your mistreatment of our guests had the potential to send them flying back to Celestia with all of our secrets. Then not only would you have brought dishonor upon your own kind, but their doom as well.”

“No disrespect intended, ma’am, but how do we know they won't go flying back to Celestia, regardless?” Decarabian pleaded.

“I apologize,” Baal hissed, “but that information is not privy to a demon ranked as lowly as yourself. You are all dismissed.”

Decarabian gaped at her as she and the other Archdemons stood, then turned his furious gaze on Venti. There was a pause, before he snarled and lunged, much like he had at the pond.

And just like at the pond, Venti yelped as a golden glow enveloped his body, sending Decarabian flying to the other side of the room as he made contact with it.

Andrius let out a deep gut laugh at the sight. “You’re lucky that that’s deeply amusing, Decarbian,” he chortled. “Such unruliness before your leaders would normally lead to a beheading. Alas, today I am feeling generous. You’ve been tossed around many times today, and if that lesson hasn’t been burned into your skin just yet… Under my command, it will be.”

That night, after everything calmed down, Istaroth sat on Venti’s bed next to him. She sung softly as she braided his hair. “Tomorrow we will have new rooms,” she said. “They will be adjoined, so if you ever need anything from me, I will be there. And of course, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. All of the previous restrictions are gone.”

“So I can go anywhere I want now?” Venti said. His fingers were buried deep in feathers as he preened his wings.

“Yes, of course,” Istaroth said. “For my own anxiety, would you be okay if Orobashi escorts you around for a while? He has offered. It doesn’t have to be him, it can be anyone else. I believe I could convince Leviathan to give up his gopher if you prefer a girl.”

“No, no. Orobashi is fine.” Venti smiled. “He’s still supposed to show me how he makes his coat.”

Istaroth placed a gentle kiss atop his forehead. “He has been most helpful this entire time. You never interacted with him, but we’ve grown close during all of those meetings. I trust him with myself, and I would trust him with you, if you are comfortable.”

“Mama, I just told you I am!” Venti giggled. “We’ll plan something with him in the morning, okay? Are my braids done? I’m sleepy. It’s been a long day.”

“Your braids are as perfect as always, my dear,” Istaroth said. She cupped his cheek, gaze flickering down to the bruising on his throat. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”

“Yeah.” The words came out as an unsure whisper, betraying Venti’s own wavering feelings on the matter. Truthfully, he wanted to say, “yes!” with his whole heart, but… The day’s events were eye opening, to say the least. He couldn’t treat himself like a kid anymore. He didn’t need to sleep with his mother because he was scared. “I’ll be okay.”

Istraoth didn’t look convinced, but she left for her own room after tucking him in, drawing the curtains, and turning out the light. The door creaked shut behind her, leaving Venti alone in the darkness.

Well, perhaps, not entirely alone.

The feeling of being watched never abated, despite Venti trying to rationalize it all. His skin prickled, his neck felt like hands were wrapped around it again, he felt the burning in his wings of unwanted fingers digging into them. He whimpered as the soft golden glow of his protective aura kicked in.

He almost wanted to laugh. Never before had he been able to trigger it on himself and now it seemed like it didn’t want to turn off.

Regardless, the glow was warm and comforting. It illuminated the room just a little, just enough to keep the soft darkness of sleep but also chase the shadows of fear away.

He could see the other in the mirror, watching him with deep worry on their face.

“What’s your name?” Venti whispered. He noticed the bruises around the other’s neck. “What happened to you?

“Sleep, Venti,” the other whispered back. “There will be more time to converse later. I will be here when you wake.”

“Okay…” Venti yawned. The other’s words were as warm and comforting as his softly glowing aura. The worries, the pain, all the anxieties and fear seemed to ebb away as he was enveloped.

It wasn’t long until a dreamless sleep pulled him under, and in the morning, he would have no memory of the other’s visit.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Dawn

“If you can taste salt in the air…”

Venti stirred as the van bounced, possibly running over a rock or root. Muted voices lingered in the back of mind as he resisted the call of the waking world. He was much more comfortable sleeping.

“Smell the fragrance of earthen incense…”

Something warm uncurled atop his chest. It moved up his body, tiny claws pinpricking against his skin. A snuffling noise started up in his ear as a tiny snout began to lick his cheek.

“Hear the scrap of scale against stone…”

Tiny teeth nipped at Venti’s fingers where they rested under the blanket. He jolted, before groaning and closing his eyes again. That voice lingering from whatever dream he’d just forgotten was familiar… And yet, he’d never heard it before.

Had he?

“It is your duty as a █████████ to keep ██████ ██████ from ravaging the land once again…”

Perhaps his friend was trying to speak to him. They’d both been avoiding each other’s reflection as of late… But the voice did not match his, as feminine in nature as it was, nor were they words he would ever speak.

How strange…

Was it something from Rosaly-

Hands tightened around his neck, a voice far different from the one before spewing venom. Smoke clogged his lungs. He couldn’t breathe- He couldn’t-

Venti’s eyes snapped open as Dvalin bit his hand with much greater force than before. He choked on a gasp that had only halfway wormed its way up his throat. Saliva trickled down the wrong pipe, and he doubled over, hacking, as far as his seatbelt would allow. Zhongli worridly thumped his little tail against his back, the action providing little to no help. Regardless, Venti appreciated the gesture while his body quickly righted the clog.

“Are you okay?” Shenhe said, glancing over at him from the other middle seat. “Say your name.”

“V-venti,” Venti wheezed out. “Venti. Okay I think… We’re good. Spit went down the wrong pipe, is all.”

He rubbed at his throat, lips pursing. It still felt like fingers were brushing over it, threatening to constrict once again. Had Rosalyne cursed him when he hadn’t been paying attention? A million thoughts raced through his head, but he also knew that there were greater problems to address in the meantime.

First and foremost being that the van did not feel like it was moving, and that Shenhe was the only human in there with him.

“Where are we?” Venti groaned. He ran a hand through his ragged, undone hair. There weren’t any singed ends thankfully, but he reeked of smoke. “How long was I out?”

“You were conscious enough for me to get new clothes on you,” said Shenhe. She’d moved the armrest on her seat up and away so she could sit facing him. Her fingers were laced together as she stared at him with as worried of an expression that she was capable of making. “I only got pants and a shirt on, though. They seemed like more of a priority than anything else.”

Dvalin hopped off of Venti and scamped over to curl up on Shenhe’s lap. His tongue poked out, smacking his lips before he started to groom his face.

“We reached the bed and breakfast not too long ago,” Shenhe continued. “The others went inside. We wanted to avoid moving you, just in case something was wrong. Bennett insisted that ‘Miss Lisa’ could help you out should you be injured.”

She paused, hand unconsciously stroking Dvalin’s back.

“Well. Are you injured?”

Venti did a quick pat down, ignoring Zhongli’s grumbling as he was forced to crawl on top of the seat’s headrest.

“Nothing hurts,” Venti said. “No burns, no hot spots, no singes. A bit of bruising on my arms from the binds she used but… How’s my face? Am I still pretty?”

“You’ve got some bags under your eyes.” Shenhe gestured under her own, fingers moving to mime a half moon. “They’re pretty dark so they might be bruised too. You’re pretty pale and pallid. But other than that, I promise you are still aligning with modern beauty standards.”

Venti puffed his chest. “I’ll have you know this face has always been in line with the beauty standards of the time. Back 2000 years ago, humans used me as the standard. That was a key part in my succubus resume. Leviathan was so mad…”

Zhongli started to growl in his ear, but Venti was quick to shush him with a tiny bob on the nose.

“You didn’t even meet Leviathan face to face,” Venti chided. “The stick up his ass isn’t as far up as one would assume, I promise you.”

“Leviathan…” Shenhe muttered. “He sounds familiar… One of the demons that helped get you back?”

Venti nodded, flicking Zhongli when he again began to hiss. “Yes and no. He was my boss despite my contract being with an entirely different subsect of demons. The demon realm had the most uptight bureaucracy that usually doesn’t make sense, but succubi are a subsect that are extremely taken care of. The vast majority of demons are just that. Demons. You could use multiple terms to describe them, and they can work multiple jobs. Succubi though? We… They’re rare. Very rarely do they come into existence. In fact, you could almost call them ‘endangered’.”

Shenhe leaned in, soaking up his words with wide-eyed fascination glinting behind her resting deadpan.

“Demons don’t actually have wings! But succubi do. I couldn’t tell you why, but I think we look..ed… cute with them. And then there’s the… ah… food issue. Because Succubi can only feed off of humans in… such a manner… they really aren’t suited for any other normal demon work. If you know what I mean.”

Shenhe grimaced, but nodded nonetheless.

“So we all work under Monsieur Leviathan, who really isn’t a demon, but his task is basically just managing us and keeping us safe, despite any other contracts in place. No one can reassign us to another Archdemon and one of the worst crimes one could commit in the Demonic Realm would be to harm one of us. Monsieur Leviathan takes his job very seriously despite being a grumpy pants.” Venti stretched, his stiff muscles aching from being stuck in the van for so long. “Oh wait… I keep saying “us” and “we”. It’s hard to stop a habit, it seems.”

Zhongli nudged at his cheek and licked it.

“Regardless,” Venti sighed, turning his head to give a small kiss to his dragon boyfriend, “shouldn’t the others be out soon? It’s been a while, it feels like.”

Brow furrowed, Shenhe twisted around in her seat to sneak a peek out of the window. “Yeah, we might want to go check on them,” she said, nudging a purring Dvalin out of her lap. “...Later, could you tell me more about Leviathan? I’m curious about what you said about him not really being a demon.”

Venti giggled as he nudged his blanket off and unbuckled himself. “Oh that’s definitely a ‘for later’ story. But let’s just say that when Non Demons spend too long in the Demonic Realm, they start to take on demonic… assets… if you will. But Leviathan involves a long history of infighting and factions and other stuff that I haven’t ever mentioned so… Remind me when we have time, and I will continue to regale you with my artfully woven tales. If you wait long enough, I might even have figured out how to rhyme the whole saga.”

“Now you’re just dropping overly descriptive words because you can,” Shenhe huffed. “It seems you are doing better, thought, if you are able to make such remarks. I’m actually quite glad to see it.”

She opened her side of the van and slid out, quickly going around and opening Venti’s door for him. “But I don’t think you should be doing an exertive activity until you get checked out. Come on, I’ll help you inside.”

With one very strong arm bracing his side, Venti allowed himself to be helped out of the van. As they headed towards the nearby building, Venti took a moment to truly take in his surroundings. Night had long since fallen, allowing sparkling stars and wayward wispy clouds to take over the sky above. Woods thick with perfumed conifers surrounded the little plot of land, the scent of cedars as heavy in the air as a morning fog. Despite the hour and looming forest, the area was not blanketed by ominous shadows; instead, vines and bushes covered in lightly glowing purple roses. Fireflies blinked in and out near the outskirts, their dance not quite finished for the night.

The building they were parked outside of was small, but welcoming. It was dated in style, but well kept. The same violet roses bloomed in window planters and wove their way around support pillars. A large porch wrapped around the building, metal chairs and tables decorated with curling designs strategically placed around. The structure itself was tall, about three stories. The tiled roof curved up at the ends, bird nests peppered throughout in nooks and crannies along with large flower-shaped mushrooms. Warm light flooded from the windows, bustling shadows passing by frequently. Muffled voices and laughter could be heard amidst crickets chirping in the dark. The entrance consisted of two different doors, the building spilling out into two separate wings behind them.

A folding sign sat next to the small staircase and ramp leading up to the entrance, reading in swirling handwritten script, “Purple Rose Library- Right Door. Remember your due dates! Dandelion Bed and Breakfast- Left Door. Welcome weary travelers! Come stay with us for a while! All are welcome.”

The entire scene seemed like something out of a fairytale.

Shenhe led Venti to the ramp.

“Did you finish the novel you brought?” Venti asked. The two dragons perched on his shoulder, both purring. Dvalin snapped at moths and fireflies that wandered too close while Zhongli was content to drape his coils and observe.

Shenhe nodded. “Since this place is a library, I might see about borrowing something. I can return it on the way home. But I’m not entirely sure what I want.”

“With any luck, you can talk to the librarian,” Venti said. “I’m sure you’ll find something that suits your fancy. I’m not knowledge about what the youth are into these days, so I’m afraid I won’t be of much use.”

Smiling, Shenhe shook her head. “We will see.”

As they slowly made their way across the deck, a wolf’s howl pieced the night. Moths darted into the shadows. Fireflies immediately winked out of existence. The forest fell deathly silent and an icy breeze (word) its way across the clearing. It lingered on Venti’s skin when it passed him by, pausing as if stunned— had Venti not had such an innate connection to the wind, he would not have understood its sudden change of mood.

Zhongli let out a low, rumbling growl right next to his ear. It was a sound he’d never made before; menacing, territorial, protective…

The wind flew back into the trees, rustling the leaves in its wake. From where he was halfway up the bed and breakfast’s ramp, Venti could make out something in the trees. A form… a figure… The right word danced on the tip of his tongue. A way to describe its shape eluded him, but one thing was for certain: Whatever it was, had wings.

As Venti’s gaze loitered upon it, it seemed to take notice. It shivered, and disappeared back into the night’s darkness with the frost touched gust. Dvalin cawed and puffed his chest, acting for sure like he’d been the one to chase away the creature instead of being as tangled as he was underneath Zhongli’s tense coils.

Venti felt cold, but not in the way a chilly touch brought. No, this was something laced with fear and uncertainty. Whatever was out there, whatever had watched them meant them harm. For whatever reason, it had stayed its hand.

Shenhe’s teeth chattered as she shivered violently next to him.

“W-what w-was th-th-that?” she gasped, knees close to buckling.

Quickly activating his aura, Venti swapped places with her and led her up the remaining paces left on the ramp. The soft golden glow warmed them both with Shenhe gaining her footing once more as they reached the bed and breakfast’s threshold.

“Let’s get inside,” Venti whispered, words hurried. He opened the door with his hip and pulled Shenhe in with him. They were immediately met with a welcoming, blooming warmth. Both dragons hopped of his shoulder and began snuffling around the decorative vases and potpourri that sat atop wooden side tables.“I have no idea what that was, but if this place is run by a witch, then we should be safe in here.”

“And which place exactly, cutie pie, would be run by a witch?” a voice cooed.

Venti whipped around and spotted a woman lingering near the right wing’s entryway. She smiled at them before turning back to the task she’s apparently been performing before they’d entered. One of her hands waved, tiny sparks of purple electricity dancing on her fingertips. A violet curtain decorated with golden filigrees came to life— with a swoosh it raced across the rod keeping it up and covered the library’s door.

Dvalin trilled and immediately leapt over to bat at the fabric.

“There we go, all locked up,” the woman said. She tucked a curl of golden brown hair escaping her low ponytail back behind her ear then adjusted the wide-brimmed, triangle shaped hat (also purple, much like everything else) that rested atop her head. “I’m Lisa, one of this fine establishment’s owners. Can I help you two with anything?”

She paused, tapping her lip for a brief second before seeming to come to a realization. “Oh, are you with that sweet boy Aether’s party? I do believe I overheard that two…ish… more members were still in the car.”

Her gaze passed over Dvalin, tangled in the curtain still, and then Zhongli, who had curled up in a basket of potpourri while keeping a watchful eye on the area.

“Is this all of you?” Lisa asked. Her heels clicked on the hardwood as she wandered over close to Zhongli.

“It should be, yeah,” Venti said. He and Shenhe released each other and he watched as the young exorcist ambled over into the bed and breakfast proper, leaving him alone with a witch and two dragons. “Um… I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it yet but-”

Lisa stopped him with a raised finger, her attention focused on Zhongli. “Let me take a peek at the situation first, okay?” she said, tone gentle and patient. “Firstly, you will want to turn that off. I assure you, this building is perfectly protected from any being that wishes you harm. I would hate to see you drop unconscious from all the energy you’re using keeping it up.”

The warm thrum of the aura pulsed against Venti’s skin.

“Oh,” he whispered, before filling it away. Truthfully, he’d forgotten about it. “Ehehe, I’m still not used to it.”

“Strange a celestial isn’t used to such a power,” Lisa said. She cupped Zhongli’s face with two fingers, turning his head from side to side as she examined him. “Unless you’re newly ascended? My apologies, I’m very unsure of how your kind works. It is rare to encounter such reclusive creatures, even in my line of work.”

“Um…” Venti bit his lip nervously. “I’m actually human.”

Lisa just hummed, her tone indicating that she didn’t quite believe him. “Well, I can’t help you with that,” she sighed, “but it does look like I can do something about this.”

She released Zhongli, who scurried back over to his normal perch atop Venti’s shoulders. “The poor dear is reeking with cursed energy, just like my poor Bennett. Your companions were vague when checking in, and I admit I was too busy closing up the library for the night to listen into what they were saying to Jean. I assume you are here for a token?”

Venti sighed with relief. “Yes! The witch who cast the curse is known as Andersdotter, if that helps you at all.”

“Hmm…” Lisa stroked her chin in thought. “Are you sure? Andersdotter can’t so much as will a flower to bloom, let alone cast a curse of this magnitude.”

“Absolutely positive.” Zhongli nodded alongside Venti’s firm statement.

“Then there must have been another factor involved.” Lisa seemed troubled by the situation, her brow furrowing as she twirled a strand of hair around a finger. “Not even an outpouring of unrestrained emotion could achieve this… Who else have you retrieved tokens from?”

Venti’s face scrunched, the memories surging back into his head. “Mona Magistus and Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalter…”

Lisa grimaced at the mention of the latter. “Mona, while quite proficient at magic, still has much to learn. And La Signora… Well, she isn’t nice to anyone. I assume that scent of ash clinging to you is her doing?”

Instinctively, Venti sniffed his shoulder and gagged. He’d gotten so used to the smell by that point that he’d forgotten about it. He really did reek… A shower was certainly in order as soon as possible.

“I will take that as a ‘yes’, then,” Lisa giggled. “Well, we’ve dallied over here for far too long, I think. Let’s go see where Jeanie’d put you all! It’s late— we can discuss a token arrangement in the morning when we’ve all freshened up.”

Venti nodded and began to follow her over to the left wing’s entrance. “That sounds like a great pla-”

Crash!

The two whipped around, catching sight of the curtain covering the library’s door falling to the ground. Dvalin squealed and rolled around, tangled in the purple fabric.

“Oh, I am so sorry!” Venti gasped, hand flying to cover his mouth as he stared aghast. “He’s been pent up from the van trip…”

Zhongli left from his shoulder, quickly scurrying over to the bundle of blue and violet. He snapped at the air, small sounds worming their way out of his tiny body. Dvalin stilled and Zhongli got to work unraveling him. He was careful not to damage the curtain any more than it already had been, and had the baby dragon freed in no time at all.

“I can help put it back up,” Venti said. He fought the urge to bite at his nails as nerves wracked his body, instead focusing on wringing his ring. It couldn’t be helped— he had, after all, just barely survived the wrath of a witch.

Luckily, Lisa seemed nonplussed by the whole affair. She shrugged before huffing out a small laugh. “It’s no trouble at all. I can fix it.”

She snapped her fingers, and in a bright spark of violet light, the curtain shot back into place. The small rips and snags sparkled as they mended in an instant.

“There we go,” Lisa said. She clapped her hands together. “No harm done. Littles ones do and they do, and with magic, cleaning up their messes is a very easy task.” She winked at Venti. “Bennett hangs around here a lot so I promise, this is the easiest clean up I’ve had in a while.”

“I guess that’s true…” Venti giggled, body relaxing. “Well… if that’s all settled, I’m going to go find out where I can get a shower.”

“Jeanie should be over by the front desk still,” Lisa said. “I still have some cleaning to do outside, so go on ahead. As we agreed, we can talk more in the morning.”

Venti paused, the memory of the howl shivering down his spine. “Um wait…” He twisted around, catching Lisa with her hand on the doorknob, a curious look on her face as she cocked her head. “There’s something out there…”

The smile that graced Lisa’s lips in response was sly. “Oh, absolutely,” she said. A wicked light glinted in her peridot eyes. “The night brings with it certain terrors. But we have an… agreement… so to speak, so don’t worry. No harm will come to anyone. I promise, I’m much scarier than any monster out there.”

With that, she winked and slipped outside.

Another shiver shook Venti’s body, moreso in response to Lisa’s chilling words than whatever lurked outside. There was no doubt in his mind that the witch could hold her own against… well… anything. Even if was still a demon, he was certain he would be afraid of her just as he was now.

Scary…

He glanced down at the floor, spotting both Zhongli and Dvalin sitting patiently next to him. Well, one moreso than the other, as Dvalin lightly chewed on the tuft of fur that covered the tip of Zhongli’s tail.

Venti sighed and placed his hands on his hips. “Well, let's get settled. I’m sure we’ve kept everyone waiting long enough.”

Zhongli nodded, then leaned over and clamped down on the scruff of Dvalin’s neck. He padded forward, using his noodle-like shape to give him the height to haul the grumbling baby dragon into the left wing.

The scene brought a bemused smile to Venti’s face as he followed close behind. It seemed as if Zhongli was taking Venti’s request at teaching the baby manners seriously. He wasn’t surprised— Zhongli was the type to do such things on his own— but it still brought a warmth to Venti’s heart to see him act… fatherly…

The only problem was that it wasn’t only his heart that felt that gentle rush of heat…

Gnawing on his lip was all Venti could do to suppress those buried impulses. Had Zhongli been human at that moment, he would have made no promises on behaving himself, but the situation at had was precarious. The dry spell certainly wasn’t helping matters, but damned if Venti allowed his wanton needs overtake saving his beloved. He may not be a succubus anymore, but he still enjoyed a good romp quite often!

He distracted himself by taking in the decor of the bed and breakfast’s lounge. Unlike what little he’d seen of the library, this section of the building was more gold and blue in its theme. Dandelions in various stages of their lives were the subject of paintings hanging on the light slate-blue walls. The chairs had little lion decorations carefully carved into the wood. The scent of potpourri was lighter here, only a few bowls scattered on side tables. Neat stacks of magazines sat next to them, their titles indistinguishable due to the low light of nearby lamps.

Most importantly, to Venti at least, there were vases. While the vases themselves were beautifully decorated with golden dandelion and falcon motifs, what truly had him gasping in delight were the bundles of cecilias in full bloom resting within.

If… and if Venti still retained some semblance of power within him… perhaps Lisa would be inclined to teach him the spell she’d used to keep these flowers ever fresh and ever blooming.

“Oh, are you the last of Aether’s party?” a woman behind the reception desk asked. She looked tired, Venti noted— bags under her eyes visible as her make up wore off for the day, hair falling out of her ponytail, and a heavy air about her. It was late… Venti felt slightly guilty being the one keeping her up.

“Ahah, yeah,” he said, scratching his cheek. “Me and -”

Zhongli shuffled by, still dragging Dvalin around by his scruff. He paid no mind to the two humans following his movements, heading instead back behind the counter and into a side room. Venti stood on his tiptoes and craned his neck to get a peek at where he went. All he could glimpse were some pots scattered on a counter— a kitchen, it seemed.

“Please don’t make too much of a mess,” the woman called. “I’ve already set some food and water out for you two in the corner.”

She turned her attention back to Venti, her smile worn but gentle. “I’m Jean, Lisa’s wife. If I remember correctly, you’re Venti?”

Venti nodded.

Jean stepped out from behind the desk and beckoned him to follow. In her hand she held a small silver key with a lion’s head carved on top.

“It’s just up the stairs here,” she said, Venti following her closely. “Your friends already brought everything up and explained the situation. It’s not our busy season so I was able to get you all individual rooms at no extra cost. It’s the least we can do since you took care of Bennett.”

She stopped at a door that had a small sign wreathed in cecilias and lamp grass buds reading, “001”. “Lisa has enchanted the door so that if your little friends want it, a small opening will appear at the base then close once they’re inside. If they want to leave, it will function in the same way. I’ll make sure to go tell them that.”

Jean looked dead on her feet as she handed Venti the key. “Please have a restful night, and if you need anything at all, there is a magic bell on your bedside table that should be able to get our attention. The cable box has also been enchanted so feel free to access any channel in existence if you want to watch some television.”

Venti held the key close to his chest. His skin itched and his mind wandered. Oh, he was so ready to fall down on a soft bed and half wondered if his fantasies would beat out the exhaustion ladening his bones.

“Get some rest yourself,” he joked, trying to keep his mind in the present. “And thank you for your hospitality.”

Luckily, Jean didn’t linger and Venti slipped into his room, slumping against the door when it closed. He covered his mouth, shoulders shaking while blood rushed to his cheeks. There was… a lot… he needed to process. Rosalyne, the dream, the aura… But oh wow, he could not find it in him to focus on those at the current moment.

His pants dropped to the floor as his spare hand slipped between his legs.

Something about Zhongli… always caring for him even in that form… taking to heart his plea to help take care of Dvalin despite his joking tone at the time… the protective growl he’d let out when the thing in the woods made its presence known…

It was just too much and Venti couldn’t restrain himself any longer from the inevitable.

He was so horny it wasn’t even funny.

Every fiber of his being not consumed with Zhongli Zhongli Zhongli focused on keeping the pants and moans slipping through his lips as muffled as possible. Pull yourself together, you heat-stricken hare, he thought to himself, pushing off from the door. The dragons can come in at any time.

He stepped out of his pants and hurriedly rushed over to the other side of the room where the bathroom door stood. After a moment of thought, he tossed his shirt and coat on the floor as well— a shower was needed anyways and Zhongli would get way too suspicious about his… activities… if only the pants were on the floor. Venti only hoped that Zhongli wouldn’t pick up on the scent of his slick that had definitely started to soak into the fabric. He probably would, given his heightened dragon senses but it would still be nice if he didn’t bring it up. This whole thing was embarrassing enough.

Venti hadn’t actually masturbated solo before.

There hadn’t been a need when he was a succubus. In fact, it was pretty much a useless waste of energy, much like sleeping with other demons. Sex was fun and nice and he greatly enjoyed it, but it was so much better if he could get a meal out of it. The act in and of itself was draining enough on human to human relations, as he’d recently come to find out.

“Take your impulses out on the humans,” Leviathan always said, usually not even deigning to glance at his subjects as paperwork seemed to be his one and only passion. “Keeping you all alive is why I’m assigned to this hellhole. Your kind is dying out and I suggest you act like the endangered species you are.”

So he had.

Only one time had he ever seen one of his fellows pursue an escapade with another demon was also coincidentally the only other time he’d seen Leviathan’s pure primal fury. It had been a magnificent sight— glittering iridescent-white and blue scales, wings fully unfurled, maw dripping with the blood of the demon who had dared lay a hand on one of his charges. The poor succubus had collapsed from starvation after their tryst and ultimately passed away despite the round-the-clock care Leviathan put into them. He’d been there holding their hand when they breathed their last, Venti watching quietly from the doorway with a few of his fellow succubi. Focalors had buried her face in his shoulder as she wept, but Venti could offer her little comfort at that time.

No, he’d been far too lost in his thoughts like he was wont to do. As he watched Leviathan pull the bedsheet over the still form beneath him, Venti knew deep down to his core that while he feared the terrifying creature his Archdemon had become, the man would not hurt them. Despite his supposed indifference, Leviathan would care for them. He could be trusted.

So Venti did whatever the other decreed.

There hadn’t been a need for Leviathan to pull out that draconian form of his ever since, but Venti couldn’t help but wonder…

What if Zhongli was that big…

As he was currently, there wasn’t anything Venti could do with him that he’d be okay with. A little too small… a little too cute… a little too unable to communicate. It would have been like fucking a squeaky toy, the nature of which was startlingly off-putting.

But… if he was massive… Then all Venti would really only need to rely on the safewords Zhongli was so insistent about…

His breath hitched as he slipped a finger into his dripping entrance, walls eagerly welcoming him in.

What would he want first… Probably that maw. The tongue on a dragon could easily pry him open and fuck him just as easily as any cock. And the texture… Pebbled, a little rough. Enough to drive him insane, that was for sure. The tip of its tapered end continually poking and abusing the entrance to his womb, getting it ready for…

It was quickly becoming apparent that one finger was not enough. Venti’s hand floundered behind him as he reached into the shower to turn it on. He grabbed a washcloth and stuffed it into his mouth, his moan muffled as he added another finger. His other hand gathered slick and began to circle around his puffed clit.

He might as well indulge more in the unrealistic fantasy that absolutely no one could find out about ever.

The vision of Zhongli’s hulking dragon form towering over him, his muzzle glistening with wetness had Venti arching his back against the side of the tub. He would press his chest against smooth scales. Their hearts would beat together as close as they possibly could be, separately only by skin, scale, muscle, and scar tissue. Zhongli’s neck would arch over his head and nuzzle his shoulder blades. Urging… coaxing…

Venti ignored the sharp twin pains in his back as he added a third finger— it was probably all in his mind. A byproduct of a vivid hallucination that hazed his mind as he got closer and closer to his breaking point. It really had been too long… he was going to come so soon…

It was the image of Zhongli mounting him that did him in. The orgasm wracked his body as he slid to the floor, knees shaking. The fantasy was all he knew in that moment. It wasn’t his fingers he clenched around, it was the rough, bumpy, absolutely gargantuan dragon cock shoved deep into his being. He knew his stomach would bulge at the size, but it was fine— succubi were made to take every size and shape in existence. The second, because of course there had to be two, brushed between his legs, his rim twitching in response. Poor thing hadn’t even had the chance to penetrate him…

Venti gasped for breath around the washcloth, the texture of the fabric against his tongue reminding him of where exactly he was. The fog around his mind began to fade and the bathroom came back into view. He took a moment to breathe, to hold onto that feeling of release and bliss as it slowly slipped through his fingers like a fine mist.

It was time to go back to reality.

The shower was still nice and hot, so he hopped right in and gave himself a good scrub. The shampoo and body wash were a pleasant rose-scent while the labels indicated they were made in house. Miss Lisa, it seemed, was a woman of many talents.

Refreshed and not smelling like sex and ash anymore, Venti took the time to pat himself dry, squeeze the water from his hair, and wash his face with the provided scrubs and toners. He’d left his pajamas in the bedroom area, so he wrapped around him for at least some modicum of modesty in case little baby dragons were wandering around his room.

He gripped the sides of the sink and stared into the mirror. Worry began to worm its way back into his bones. The weight of everything felt crushing, almost too much to handle.

His friend stared back at him and shook his head.

“Get back out there,” he said. “I’ve tried to keep you safe from the truth, but at this point, there’s no turning back.”

“What truth?” Venti whispered in reply.

“Everything.” His friend looked sad as he spoke. “It’s unraveling at the seams. I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean?” Venti’s grip on the sink tightened. His back ached. “Does it have to do with… with everything non-human I’ve been experiencing?”

“I can’t tell you,” the shade in the mirror said. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry… But you can’t stop what’s coming. The moment he summoned you, the wheel that’s churned your existence was kickstarted back to life. We’ve lived stagnantly together ever since… then…”

“When was ‘then’?”

“‘Then’... ‘Then’ will be the final piece to the puzzle.” His friend’s image began to blur in and out of focus. It was almost time for him to go once again. “Until then, let everything happen as it is meant to be.”

The frog in Venti’s throat choked at him. “Will…” he forced out, “will everything be alright?”

With lips pursed and braids swaying as shoulders shrugged, his friend disappeared, leaving only Venti’s visage present in the mirror’s reflection.

Venti wiped his eyes. They burned with unshed tears, and yet, he couldn’t allow them to fall. There was too much at stake— Zhongli needed to be fixed still— and crying would only hold everyone back.

It was late, he noted, as he slipped into the bedroom. Venti tightened the towel around him when he spotted two softly snoring lumps in the middle of the bed. He tiptoed over to his bag and fished out some underwear and pajamas. Another glance at the bed confirmed that Dvalin was passed out, so he dropped the towel and slipped into his clothes. He frowned as he dug around inside, confirming that amidst all the accidents the past few days, he was only down to a single pair of fresh, clean clothes. Hopefully Lisa would be able to help him replenish his stock, via magic or credit card.

How unfortunate. He’d really liked the blouse Rosalynne incinerated…

“Up, up,” he whispered, nudging the dragons awake. “Make room for me.”

Dvalin yawned widely and rolled over two inches. Zhongli gave a big, long stretch then crawled off to perch on the top of the pillows. As Venti settled into bed, he coiled around his head, nestling into dark strands of hair. He snuffled happily and began to purr. The noise startled Dvalin, who then decided that yeah, Venti was the best place to sleep. He crawled up on top of Venti’s chest before curling into a ball and drifting back off.

Venti should have been relaxed, should have been content… But the nerves from the day were eating away at him much too hard. Yet exhaustion tugged at his consciousness— he would surely have nightmares.

He inhaled deeply, using Zhongli’s familiar scent to ground him. Earthy and dark… Before, it had been hard to find the right words to describe it. Now, somehow, earthen incense felt like it fit perfectly, with notes of salt dancing on his tongue.

Familiar. Warm. Comforting.

Sleep came quickly, and Venti didn’t even know that drifted off with a small, relieved smile on his face.

“Now, as I’m sure you’re all aware,” Lisa said, dropping sugar cubes into her tea, “you will need to perform a task in order to receive my token.” She passed the little platter to Aether as she stirred her cup.

Xiao, with large dark bags under his eyes and looking like he was about to pass out at any second despite the fact that it was well past 8 in the morning, glanced at her warily. “Please get to the point,” he grumbled before glowering at the decaf herbal tea Lisa had insisted he have instead of the caffeinated brew.

“It shouldn’t be too hard,” Lisa giggled. She tapped her spoon against her cup and took a sip of her tea. “But you are more than welcome to stay and help me in the library while I send the others off, Xiao. You’re still recovering, after all.”

“From what?” Venti hissed under his breath before glancing around to see if anyone had heard. Only Zhongli gave him a solemn nod in return from his lap, and he returned to picking at his pancakes. They were delicious, but also beautiful— fluffy as could be and topped with edible flowers and powdered sugar when Jean had heard that he didn’t like the stickiness of syrup. It would be a crime to destroy such beautiful art, he lamented inwardly. Then he glanced over at Shenhe’s half-demolished plate and resigned himself.

“Anyways,” Lisa continued, “Jean and I have booked you all a tour at the nearby Dawn Winery since that’s where you’ll need to go for my task.”

Zhongli groaned as Venti immediately perked up, his cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk. A small claw reached up and touched his lips to stop him from yelling excitedly with his mouth full.

“The Dawn Winery does tours?” Aether asked. He passed the sugar platter to Benny, who immediately fumbled it and set it flying to the floor. It stopped just before shattering, plate and cubes levitating back into place on the table. “I’ve always heard that they’re quite secretive about their practices and trade, especially given that they’re the leader in Mondstadt’s wine industry.”

“You mean the world’s wine industry,” Venti said as soon as he swallowed. “If Mondstadt is the number one supplier of wine in the world, and the Dawn Winery is the number one supplier in all of Mondstadt, therefore……”

“Your math is correct,” Jean said with a smile. She walked around the table, taking plates and lace placemats as people finished. “And the fact that they don’t do tours is also correct. However, the current master of the estate is a childhood friend of mine. So it was easy enough to pull some strings. The fact that Lisa won’t be accompanying you is a bonus as well to them.”

Lisa smirked behind her teacup, her gaze dark. “Master Diluc borrowed a book from my library and it’s overdue,” she said with a shrug. “I might as well let you all have fun with it while you fetch it for me. I’m in a good mood today and I really didn’t want to zap that poor boy until he gave it back.”

A shiver ran down the spine of every guest at the table. What a scary woman…

“But yes. Go have fun on the tour, get my book back, and once I’ve logged it back into my collection, I’ll give you a token.” Lisa set her cup down and dabbed daintily at her lips with an embroidered napkin. “I must warn you though, it’s very possible it could take a while and it won’t be necessarily safe either.”

“I knew there was a catch,” Shenhe sighed. She watched, forlorn, as Jean took away her empty plate.

Lisa hummed. “Isn’t there always? You see, Master Diluc isn’t ah…. Active… during the day. To put it lightly. He’s very much a creature of the night. I wouldn’t be surprised if the sun could burn away his skin.” She snickered to herself, stopping only when her wife shot her a look. “Goes out into the woods a lot, dressed in all black. The woods are dangerous, though, especially past dusk.”

Venti’s fingers on his fork clenched as he remembered the eerie chill. “What’s in the woods?” he asked as casually as he could. He could feel Shenhe’s gaze turn to him.

A bottle of syrup close to Benny tipped over on its own accord, and Lisa snapped her fingers to stop it from making a mess all over the white table cloth. “Nothing much. Wolves, large winged creatures enveloped in darkness, the usual run-of-the-mill spooky forest creatures.”

“I saw a werewolf once!” Benny chimed in. “I almost got mauled!”

“Yeah that would happen to you,” Xiao groaned, rubbing his temple. “I’ll help out around the library and watch the tokens.”

He paused, craning his neck to look at the little blue dragon on the floor ripping apart a piece of raw chicken in a dog bowl.

“And Dvalin, I guess. He’s just a baby.”

“I wouldn’t mind a little extra help around the place today,” Jean said, smiling softly down at the little dragon. “The library takes up a lot of Lisa’s time, so sometimes I can get lonely when I need to clean visitor rooms.”

Dvalin perked up from his chicken and cooed, wings fluttering briefly before he went back to his breakfast.

The group finished up and went their separate ways to finish freshening up for the day. Venti lingered behind Aether and Xiao— both he and Zhongli from what he could tell were a little concerned about the health of the latter. He plastered himself against the corner of a wall where the two could not see him as they continued to head down the hall.

It turned out very quickly that they weren’t the only ones noticing Xiao’s troubles, either.

“It’s infected, I think…” he heard Xiao mutter.

“Maybe Lisa can do something about it in exchange for helping?” It sounded as if Aether was trying to keep his voice down, but his tense tone spoke volumes.

“I think that was her plan, yeah.”

“...I don’t mean this in a rude way, but… If it was bugging you this bad, why did you come on this trip?”

“...”

“I don’t want to insinuate that you’re a burden— please understand. It’s just… I think you would be healing better and feeling better if you had stayed home.”

“...”

“You still have stitches in your side and if the doctor knew, they would blow a gasket because they specifically wrote down in your post-op ‘bedrest for a week, minimal activity for the week after.’”

“Okay, then why didn’t you stop me?”

“Because you would have gone anyway! So… that’s the main reason I came. To make sure your poor choices were kept to the bare minimum.”

“...I’m sorry.”

“I know… And I’m sorry for, I don’t know, sounding mean about it?”

“You weren’t mean, and it needed to be said. I will… try and take it easy.”

“Thank you.” There was a pause before Aether spoke again. “Oh, uh… For another note on the to-do list, maybe see about getting Venti some new clothes? He’s already lost two pairs and at this rate, I don’t think he’ll make it to the city proper fully dressed.”

Xiao snorted and Venti bit into his fist to fight back his own laugh. “Yeah I can do that. We’re about the same size, so it shouldn’t be a problem in regards to size.”

“Awesome. Also, is your phone working yet? I have signal again.”

“No…”

Xiao’s voice trailed off as he and Aether slipped into their room, leaving Venti and Zhongli alone in the hallway. Venti scratched under the dragon’s chin as they both pondered what they had overheard.

“What do you think, my darling noodle?” Venti cooed before planting a kiss on the tip of Zhongli’s horn.

Zhongli growled out something in response. Venti had no idea what he said, but it was easy enough to pretend— he was awfully familiar with the man’s way of thinking as a human.

“Mmmm you’re right. Another point towards Appendix removal.” Zhongli grumbled again, leading to Venti rolling his eyes as he headed back to his room. “He told me before he didn’t want a hysterectomy since everything seemed broken down there anyways.”

Another grumble.

“I’m just telling you what he told me! Doesn’t mean it’s right. Okay, look… the point is still going towards an appendectomy. We’ll confer with Shenhe later.”

Venti really didn’t need much time to finish sprucing up for the day. He cleaned his face and redid his braids, adding a green ribbon patterned with cecilias in with it as a nice touch. Zhongli had gifted him the ribbon a few weeks prior, and he’d been looking for an excuse to wear it. A winery tour seemed like the perfect opportunity to look cute.

It was a strange feeling, dressing up for himself rather than seducing someone. Yeah, he’d always added a little bit of himself into his get-ups, but… He was wearing a ribbon because he wanted to wear a ribbon. He was wearing a baggy sweater because he wanted to wear a baggy sweater. It was strange and yet… it also brought a warmth to his soul that he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

“Well, what do you think?” he asked Zhongli, holding up his braids. His little love nodded and gave a high pitched chirp of approval. “Eh heh, I knew they would be perfect from the moment you gave them to me. Now, I’m ready to go. Are you?”

He pulled the bottom of the baggy sweater away from his body. Zhongli crawled up the hole and settled on his chest once more. He trilled again and poked his head out from the collar, nudging Venti’s braids and rubbing against the ribbon.

“I will have to break these out again when you’re back to normal,” Venti said with a smirk. “If they’re making you this happy as a lizard, then what will they do then~?”

Zhongli gave him a leveled look that spoke to the effect of, don’t even start that right now, then went back to snuffling the ribbon.

Venti was not last to join the group in the foyer, luckily. He slid up to Shenhe, tutting his disapproval at her shorts and sandals. “You were cold last night! Why aren’t you bundled up?!”

She shrugged and tucked a stray lock of white hair back behind her ear. “That was an anomaly,” she said, as passive as ever. “Should it arise again, I will be able to distinguish whether it is something otherworldly or a normal winter draft.”

“You just don’t like socks,” Venti huffed. He crossed his arms and pouted. “Well… If you get cold later, you can have my sweater at least.”

“Your thoughtfulness is appreciated.” Shenhe gave him a small smile and went back to fiddling with her phone.

Remembering what he overheard in the hallway, Venti stood on his tiptoes to be nosy. “Is your phone working?” he asked, trying to catch a glimpse of the screen.

Shenhe turned away from him, holding her phone close to her chest while eyeing him suspiciously. “Yeah. Why do you wanna know? Is yours?”

“Xiao’s isn’t.” Venti thought for a moment, having completely forgotten about the existence of his own device. “I don’t know where mine is.”

“Was it in your clothes that the witch incinerated?”

Venti shrugged. If it turned up, it turned up. If not, well… Zhongli had money to burn and they could make a date out of going to the store when he was better. Ah, he missed that… The sex, the dates, the pet names, the everything…

He slapped his cheeks, forcing himself away from the dangerous rabbit hole that was reminiscing. That was how he’d ended up with his fingers up his cunt last night and he would be damned if such feelings distracted him from such a pivotal task.

Soon enough, Lisa, Aether, and Bennett joined them in the foyer.

“I hope you don’t mind taking Bennett with you,” Lisa said. She patted the boy on his head as he grinned. “Since he’s on the same journey as you all and has already gained tokens from Nicole, Scarlett, and myself, could I trouble you to take him along? Alice is in Mondstadt, which is your final destination, no? She should be able to take care of him from there. Bennett doesn’t have many friends, in all honesty, but the one I do know about is there as well. Getting through the forest has already presented some, ah, challenges.”

“And what do we get out of this? We’re already going after your book,” Aether asked, crossing his arms.

Venti, who had been ready to accept within a second, twiddled his fingers together. The caution was warranted, but he couldn’t help his bleeding heart. A rough tongue gave a small, gentle lick against his collarbone.

A coy smile curled to life on Lisa’s face. “I will return this favour in due time, I promise. I suspect that Miss Shenhe can actually be of some help in mitigating his curse. At least, just a little.”

Shenhe looked up from her phone, confused. “Me?” she said, brow furrowed as she slipped her phone into the back pocket of her shorts.

“Yes. You’re an exorcist, are you not? Well those paper tags of yours are what I’m referring to.” Lisa spun her finger and one of the spell tags flew out of Shenhe’s pocket. “Their primary function is to exorcise and subdue evil spirits and beings. Well, in certain definitions, a ‘curse’ could be defined as an evil spirit, given that they are spells made manifest by ill will. Now, curses aren’t exactly that, of course, but they can be lessened by paper tags-” Lisa eyed Venti as his jaw began to drop, “dependant on the type of a curse. Something like bad luck would be able to be reigned in. Something like… a physical transformation… not so much, unfortunately.”

Venti sighed what he believed to be the biggest sigh of his life as the split second hope he’d had shattered into a million pieces. Oh well… Zhongli licked his collarbone again and began to purr against his heart.

Meanwhile, Shenhe seemed to be contemplating Lisa’s words. “I guess… it could work?” she said with a shrug, snatching the paper tag out of the air. “Wouldn’t hurt. Hold still, kid.”

“I am 19!” Bennett chirped as Shenhe stuck the tag on his forehead.

“That’s just a year or two younger than y-” Venti wheezed a sudden chill overtook his body, timed perfectly with Shenhe’s glower that flickered over him. Zhongli whined against his chest and purred louder.

There was a moment of silence as everyone anxiously waited to see if the tag’s effects worked.

“...Does it have to be on my face?” Benny asked. “I kinda can’t see…”

Shenhe hummed and moved it into one of the pockets on his vest. “Based on what I can feel, there is a positive effect. Some of the curse’s aura has dampened. I believe we can work with this. How do you feel?”

“A little tingly, I guess,” Benny said with a shrug. “It’s not hurting you, is it?”

Shenhe shook her head, and Venti took that as a sign that they should get a move on. “The day is wasting away!” he said, latching onto Aether’s arm. “There is wine to be sampled and books to be returned!”

“Do you even know where we’re going?” Aether asked, letting himself be tugged around. “Like, the exact address and directions?”

Venti paused.

“...That’s what I thought.”

Lisa giggled and handed a slip of paper to Aether. “This is the address as well as some directions. And… back-up detour directions…” Her gaze split to Bennett for a split second. “And… back-up back-up detour directions.”

“Thank you very much!” Aether said with a grin as dazzling as starlight. “Xiao will be down to help you in a little bit. He’s… a little ill right now.”

Lisa’s mouth morphed into a thin straight line. “Yeah… sick…” She refused to meet Aether’s eyes. “Well, as your little angel said, off you go! Bring back my book! It’s been overdue for three weeks now!”

She and Jean waved from the porch as the group made their way into the woods.

“...So you just let her say you have no friends?” Aether asked, turning to Benny.

“Well, it’s true,” Benny said, his strange optimism never faltering. “Fischl lives in Mondstadt City and she’s off at a LARPing event this week, so even if we were to make it to the city tomorrow, it would still be a bit before I saw her. I don’t think Miss Alice would mind me sticking around, but it would still feel weird. I do have another friend but his location is often hard to pin down, and he doesn’t have internet access.”

“Does he live under a rock?” Shenhe asked dryly, her face once again glued to her phone. Venti chanced a peek over her shoulder, spotting what seemed to be an intensely heated forum thread about Liyuean opera.

“Nawh, he’s just… hm…” Bennett gripped his chin as he thought. “...Eh. It’s kind of a wild story but I don’t know if he’d be comfortable with me telling people. He’s very private.”

“Understandable,” Aether said.

The conversation continued, but it felt like static in Venti’s ears the thicker the brush became. They were traveling down a well worn footpath, but the trees seemed taller, closer together, and thicker in girth. The morning sun still cast dappled light upon them, but a small worried voice in the back of his head wondered how long that would last before an icy chill overtook them all.

…

Did he want to admit whatever he saw last night had scared him? No, not really. Aether, Bennett, and Shenhe were kids really… Venti was over 2000 years old! He had to be the one to keep things together and spirits up. When he’d been a succubus, he hadn’t really known fear. He was untouchable in the demonic plane, and the only real scare he’d had was when Zhongli was unintentionally starving him. Even then, it hadn’t been so much fear as it’d been yearning.

When was the last time he’d felt such bone chilling fear?

Hands wrapped around his neck, choking, tugging his braids.

“MOTHER!” he screeched, voice one with the whipping gales.

“How could you… She loved you!” he wailed, hands dripping red with the blood of a mortal.

A blur of shifting scenes and screams jolted through his head, eliciting a pained gasp as he gripped his head in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut to block out whatever it was he was seeing— it certainly wasn’t the real world. Zhongli squawked and raced up his body, pressing his warm, scaly forehead against Venti’s clammy one.

“Venti!”

“Venti, are you okay?”

“Do you need hel- YELP thud!”

Venti’s eyes snapped open. The forest had returned. Shenhe had an icy hand on the back of his neck, grounding him. Aether was trying to split his attention between Venti and Bennett, who looked like he’d tripped over a root.

Venti took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He wove off Shenhe and gently muttered, “I’m okay. You can go back. It’s cold out,” to Zhongli. The dragon eyed him warily before slipping back into his sweater, resting his head above his heart once again.

It would do no good to worry the children…

He broke into a wide smile. “Well, it looks like the spell tag is working!” he chirped, skipping over to Benny and helping him to his feet. “Under normal circumstances, I fear you may have tripped over at least four roots by now!”

Benny, taken aback by Venti’s sudden shift, laughed nervously. “Ahah, I guess you’re right. Miss Lisa and Miss Shenhe are truly exceptional.”

“Aren’t they? I love magic people. They make life so much easier.” Venti patted the boy’s back and urged him forward. He could hear the other two follow along behind, and felt their gazes upon his back.

Eyes in the woods.

He walked faster.

Barbatos!

His grip around Bennett’s vest tightened.

Watching him… waiting for the moment when he was unaware to strike.

Zhongli grumbled and purred against his quickened heart.

BARBATOS!

The winery was, in all actuality, not too far from the Bed and Breakfast. A mere 20 minute walk through the forest that turned into 30 due to various mishaps caused by Bennett’s curse. They stumbled out of the brush and onto the well kept path lined with short, intrinsically sculpted, iron fence posts shaped like various birds.

Shenhe was still trying to get crushed wolfhooks out of her hair.

“No one expects squirrels,” Bennett groaned. He’d added a new plaster to his cheek. “At least Miss Lisa’s charmed this area of the forest to be rabies-free.”

“This is going to stain,” Shenhe groaned, combing her hands through her hair. The once beautiful white strands were spotted with blue and purple.

“At least it’s a unique look now,” Venti offered. His back ached, and as always, he ignored it. “Just tell your mom you’re going through your rebellious phase.”

Shenhe and Bennett lead the group, the two of them continuing to lament about the sudden squirrel ambush. Venti tried to follow directly behind them, but Aether grabbed his arm and tugged him further back.

“Do you need to go back?” Aether asked in all seriousness. “Whatever happened back in the forest… Are you okay?”

Venti paused, wanting to instinctively lie— the kid would see right through him, he knew, so the energy would be wasted. But how much did he want to reveal…

“I’m okay now,” he settled on. “Going back into the woods would… make it start again I think.”

“Are you having like, I don’t know, flashbacks to the fire witch? She set you on fire. That’s not an easy thing to get over regardless of your history.”

Oh this sweet child, Venti couldn’t help but think. So close to the answer yet not quite there.

“It’s possible,” Venti said, dancing around the answer. “I don’t know. Or it could be claustrophobia. There’s lots of things it could be.”

Aether pursed his lips. “Could it be something magical?”

“Maybe,” was all Venti could answer.

Aether didn’t look too happy with his answers, but dropped the subject. They quickly caught up to the other two and soon enough, they were at the entrance to the winery. Fields upon fields of grape vines sprawled on either side of them, leaf and fruitless from the winter season. A massive mansion sat in the middle right outside the gate, a greenhouse taking up twice as much space behind it. Various other work buildings peppered the landscape. There were few workers due to the off season, but those that were there were mostly hauling barrels back and forth between various buildings.

A middle-aged woman waited for them by the front gate. She wore a coat and boots, but Venti was able to glimpse the usual prim and proper uniform of a maid underneath.

“Welcome in, guests,” she said, opening the gate to let them in. “Master Diluc unfortunately cannot see to the tour today, but I am more than happy to show you all around. You have all come a far way based on Ms. Minci’s letter and it would be improper to cancel with his absence. My name is Adelinde and I am the manor’s head housemaid.”

“Thank you for your time,” Venti said, reaching out a hand to clasp around hers. “Before we go, I must inquire— would you happen to know where the book Master Diluc owes the library is?”

Adelinde shook her head before squeezing Venti’s hand in return. “Unfortunately I do not, I have turned over every piece of furniture in that house in an attempt to find it. Rest assured, this is something Master Diluc is taking very seriously. He has been attempting a partnership with Ms. Minci for a purple rose floral wine and we don’t want it to sour because of this.”

Venti sighed and shrugged before turning back to the kids. “Welp, worth a try. We’ll figure out something later.”

The tour itself was quaint and pleasant. They spent a while in the greenhouse as Adelinde went over each strain of grape they were cultivating as well as the more climate sensitive fruits and flowers that needed the facility’s extra care. The winery had a long history of producing both quality and experimental wines that carried the weight of a centuries long reputation behind them. The current young master and his adopted brother were pushing the boundaries of the experimental half and it seemed to be a smash hit thus far.

Venti happily listened as Adelinde went into the history of the older heritage grape strains. He recalled when the mansion was new and the size of the fields were about an eighth of what was currently occupied. The young master back then had been just as enthusiastic to spend their pillow talk envisioning his plans for where he wanted the Dawn Winery to end up. It was heartwarming to see the man’s dream now come true— Venti wasn’t about to let anyone know about his past with the place, however. It was his little secret. Perhaps one day, when Zhongli was feeling more human, he would share but for now, the warm memories chased out the chilled shadows that had plagued his mind previously.

The production area was just as interesting. Adelinde explained that during the harvest season they would host grape stomping for tourists and children. Of course, with it being winter that was not a viable activity but she invited them back nonetheless. Venti would need to break out the puppy dog eyes given how Zhongli huffed under his sweater.

“We have our own tavern in the city called Angel’s Share,” Adelinde continued as she led them down to the barrel cellar. Rows and rows of caskets with dates, labels, and stamped brands had Venti softly gasping in delight. “When wine is in the fermenting stage, a certain percentage of it is lost due to evaporation. We like to say the wine is blessed, and the portion that disappears is for the angels who look over us and keep our harvests plentiful. The angel’s share.”

“Clever,” Shenhe hummed. At the maid’s behest, she snapped a photo of a barrel.

Venti stuck his tongue out in the air, gagging as something purely alcoholic in the air graced his tongue. “I breathed in some dust, my bad,” he coughed as worried glances passed his way.

Well, his share sucked.

Luckily, the foul taste was swept away when Adelinde finished by bringing them into the manor for lunch. Her fellow maids brought out some piping hot stew, hors d'oeuvres, and bread, as well as a tasting flight for both Venti and Shenhe. Cider and non-alcoholic wine was set in front of Bennett and Aether after the latter politely stated that he did not drink.

“Please enjoy,” Adelinde said with a bow. “If you need anything, I will be in the kitchen behind that door. Please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Venti immediately moved to the dandelion wine. He would openly admit to the squee he gave as the sugar sweet taste danced in his mouth. Much better than the angel’s share down in the cellar and just as good as it had been all those years ago.

“What do you know, Benny? No accidents so far!” he said between sips. Zhongli poked his nose out, to which he was gifted a piece of sausage.

“I know it’s amazin-!!!” Bennett’s soup fork went flying, unprompted. You win some, you lose some, Venti supposed.

“So what are we going to do about that book?” Shenhe asked, dipping her bread in the soup and ripping into it with vigor. “Adelinde said it wasn’t anywhere around here.”

“I fear only the young master knows.” Venti moved on to a red blend and fed Zhongli another bite of sausage. “And if we can’t get the book then we at least need his concrete statement on how it got lost to give to Lisa.”

“But doesn’t he only come out at night?” Benny almost fumbled his spoon again. “Are we just going to wait around here?”

“Mmmmm not on the mansion grounds. But we can stake out in the forest. See if we can catch him running about.” The red bled was smooth on his tongue and carried with it the woody essence of the barrel it had been fermented in.

Aether, who had been quietly shoveling food down his throat until then, glanced nervously over at Venti. “You sure about that?”

Venti waved him off. “It’ll be fine. Shenhe can just spell tag the area so that nothing awful happens to us.”

Aether’s eyes narrowed, catching Venti’s avoidance of the subject but opted to not say anything further.

“You know those tags take energy to make,” Shenhe said. “And I’ve been making a lot of them lately.”

“It will be fine,” Venti hissed. The red blend was gone far too quickly like the dandelion, and he moved on to the dry white. Zhongli nudged at his hand and he handed him more sausage. “If you all are that worried, I’ll stay at the edge of the forest, okay? I will-” he inhaled sharply in displeasure, “-trust things to you.”

“Thank you,” Aether said softly. “And you might want to slow down. You haven’t put anything in your stomach yet.”

Venti rolled his eyes, set his glass down, and sipped on his soup. “Okay mom.”

Zhongli’s small laugh vibrated against his ribcage.

“Keep that up lizard boy and you won’t get any more sausage.”

Zhongli continued to laugh and Venti begrudgingly continued to feed him.

It was early afternoon when they waved goodbye to Adelinde. The group headed back into the forest (Aether’s grip tight on Venti’s shoulder as if he could fight off whatever spirits plagued his mind), loitered a bit, and then detoured to circle the winery.

“So… if Master Diluc is sneaking out at night, this would be the best place to for him to get past anyone that might be working late outside,” Aether said when they finished surveying the area. “And it’s out of sight enough for you to sit this one out, Venti.”

Venti grumbled, still unhappy with the arrangement. “I mean, nothing’s happened in the last few hours,” he whined. “I could still go.”

Shenhe, to his surprise, shook her head. “Not with whatever’s out there. I’m more prepared than I was last night should we encounter it.”

Bennett, the traitor, nodded in agreement. “Yeah and not to mention the wolves that lurk in there. I know for a fact there’s werewolves in there! I told you earlier I’ve run into one. You said you’re human now, right? It’s probably safer to stay out here than risk losing what you worked so hard to gain!”

Oh, he hated how insightful that bright eyed fool was. Venti inwardly lamented, huffed, and plopped his butt down onto a rock. “Fine.” Zhongli purred against his heart, softening the betrayal.

As dusk overtook the sky, the group split up. Aether, Shenhe, and Bennett headed further into the brush to the spots Diluc would most likely pass by. Should anything not go according to plan, Venti was to be a lookout and call Aether on Shenhe’s borrowed phone.

The wait was mind numbing, to say the least.

Venti plopped back on the rock and stared up at the stars above. “Bite me babe. I’m about to get philosophical, I think.”

Zhongli, curled up on his chest, snorted, but made no extra movements.

“I’m serious! I’m about to start waxing poetic about the stars and how insignificant we are compared to their majesty as we are but tiny tiny specks of space dust in the end.”

Zhongli snuffled up to his cheek, giving it a small lick.

“Yeah, and I know that’s normally your job, but I think you’re psychically feeding me your need to prattle on and on about weird stuff.”

Zhongli nipped at his ear, and he sat up with a laugh.

“There it is. Now… I think I might break the rules. Else I start going on about some other topic in all seriousness.”

Zhongli cocked his head, but he at least didn’t look judgemental.

Venti scooped him up and placed him on his shoulders. “Start sniffing. Nothing’s happened, it’s been hours, the signal in this area is awful, and I think we should go find them. There’s been no weird cold and all I’ve heard all night are owls.”

Not waiting for Zhongli’s answer, he marched off into the brush.

It only took a few minutes for him to realize he had absolutely no idea where he was.

“Zhongliiiiiii, can’t you sniff out someone?” he whined, nervously twirling a braid. “You have a dragon nose! Aren’t you supposed to be good at that?”

Zhongli sneezed in response.

“You’re no help at all, ugh.” Venti pulled out Shenhe’s phone, dismayed to see there was absolutely no signal. “This was a bad idea. You should have stopped me.”

Zhongli sneezed again then nipped his ear.

“I know, I know… You wouldn’t have even if you were big. Well, come on. There has to be something to tell us if anyone’s been by here.”

The two started inspecting the nearby bushes. Not so much as a scrap of fabric or strand of hair. As they continued on in whatever random direction caught their fancy, they came across squished wolfhooks and tufts of fur caught on the brambles. Venti’s brow furrowed when he spotted the tracts littering the dirt.

“This feels like wolf territory,” he whispered. “Let’s go before anything happens… I think we came back from that direction. The tree burl looks familiar.”

As Venti got to his feet and dusted off his pants, Zhongli started to growl. It was low and eerily similar to the one he’d given the previous night. Venti froze as the dragon’s coils tensed around his neck.

The otherworldly chill wasn’t present so… something else?

Heart pounding loudly in his ear, Venti dared to glance up. He yelped when he caught sight of it. Tall and dark… feathered… A monster of the woods perhaps? It in turn froze upon hearing Venti.

For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then, whatever it was, took off deeper into the woods.

Venti couldn’t explain why he gave chase. Perhaps it was because he knew the kids were out there and he was feeling protective. Perhaps because he wanted to pummel the thing for scaring the daylights out of him. Or, perhaps, it was something else compelling him to go deeper and deeper into the woods, this creature a guide to answers for questions he didn’t even know he had.

They reached a clearing and the thing darted forward, faster now that it didn’t have any foliage hindering its way.

“Oh no you don’t,” Venti hissed. He let instinct take over and reached out a hand. The wind swirled around the creature, buffeting it and throwing off its balance until it landed on the ground with a hard thud. Zhongli was still growling and gripping his shoulders with enough force that his sweater was surely tearing, but that wasn’t important right now. He leapt onto the thing, straddling it and pinning it down.

“Okay, monster, what is going… on?”

Venti paused, and briefly wondered if he’d fucked up. An annoyed man scowled up at him, blowing strands of crimson red hair out of his face. Having been entangled with Ragnvindrs of days yore, Venti knew how to clock one when he saw them. And if this was a Ragnvindr under him, and not some strange monster, then it could only be one person.

“....Master Diluc?”

The man groaned. “Yeah, that’s my name, now can you get off? I’m in the middle of something very important.”

Venti blinked down at him and made no move to change his position. “No actually! I’ve been looking for you. I’m Venti.”

Diluc eyed him warily before he caught sight of the bristled dragon wrapped around Venti’s shoulders. “Did Lisa send you?”

“Yes. We need your overdue book. And also, just to make sure, you’re not some vampire, werewolf, or moth man, are you? I need to make sure I’m not letting some weird creature go. Quick, what year was the Dawn Winery Founded, what was its signature grape, and what was the secret ingredient the original owner used to make his wine stand out?” Venti only shifted slightly, making sure the man couldn’t wriggle out from under him.

“Are you nuts? I don’t have the book, and I know you did the tour earlier so all of those questions should be common knowledge.” Diluc watched Zhongli warily as the dragon growled. “...Fine. The Dawn Winery was founded 1000 years ago during Mondstadt’s Aristocracy Era. The first grape cultivated was a Riesling, and what made it a big hit was the infusion of Dandelion. Since then, it served as a base for our famous Dandelion wine. There, happy?”

Venti’s smirk grew. “Oh yes, that was all in the tour, but if you were really Diluc Ragnvindr and not some strange monster pretending to be him, then you would know that that answer is not complete. Here, I’ll give you a hint, even to show I’m being sincere. The sugar used to enhance dandelion wine’s sweet taste was not normal beet sugar, nor sugar cane. If I remember correctly, the original Ragnvindr was quite insistent on finding something else to make it special.”

He leaned in close, lips barely brushing Diluc’s ear. “And I gave him the idea for it. It was a lovely night spent together and I felt so gracious I had to give him those otherworldly seeds.”

Diluc paled. “...Sweetflowers,” he finally said. “They’re abundant now, but no one knows… their actual origins, hey wait! You’re interrogating me, but you’re not human yourself!”

“Errrrnt, wrong!” Venti hopped off of him and offered a hand, helping the young man up to his feet. “100% human! At least I am now. Back then, ehhhhh not so much.” He flicked his gaze over to Zhongli who was giving him A Look. “We’ll talk more about that later, my love. Don’t worry, I won’t be lured back into the arms of a dashing winery owner. Although I must say, the genes have hardly changed over the last thousand and a half years.”

Zhongli bit his ear hard as he let out a low whistle.

The scowl on Diluc’s face seemed permanent. “Thank you. Now, I have business to attend to and the forest is dangerous, so get yourself back to Lisa and Jean’s if that’s where you’re staying.”

He took a step towards the edge of the clearing, and much to his disdain, Venti followed suit. “I told you, I don’t have the book!”

“Well, where is it?” Venti retorted. “I can’t go back to Lisa without the book or at least a plausible explanation as to why it’s gone. And besides, my friends are somewhere out in the woods and I need help finding them. Since, according to rumor, you come out here often, I was maybe hoping you could help me find them… And the exit.”

Diluc ran an exasperated hand down his face. “You’re lost, aren’t you.”

“Absolutely.”

“Well… For starters, the book is no longer in my possession. And as for why I’m out here every night, I’m trying to catch the culprit. I don’t need Lisa frying my ass over this but it’s more annoying than anything else. I guess… I can help you find your friends and get you all out of here. But in doing so, I’m losing the night looking for the book.”

“Why do you need to hunt down the book at night?” Venti crossed his arms and tapped his foot.

“Ugh, look. We are wasting moonlight let’s just-”

A howl cut through the air, followed by a sudden bone-deep chill.

Barbatos!

Barbatos!

Venti’s vision blurred as he clutched his head. Diluc was yelling something at him, tugging him behind him. Dark shapes strode into the moonlit clearing, not quite man and not quite wolf. Snarling from both Zhongli and the creatures echoed in his head with the screeching voice.

“Crap. My target found me. Venti, stay behind me,” Diluc hissed. “I can reason with them. RAZOR! Call them off.”

“Can’t,” a distant voice replied. With the world spinning as it was, Venti couldn’t clock where it was coming from. “Something... Wrong.”

The snarling was getting louder from both the wolf-men and Zhongli.

BARBATOS!

BARBATOS!

“Who is saying my name?!” Venti whined through clenched teeth. He was cold… so cold… His fingertips didn’t feel like they existed any longer.

His shoulders suddenly felt heavy, his knees buckling and collapsing in response. Diluc said something unintelligible but panicked. A shadow overtook them and Venti dared a glance upward. Zhongli was roughly the size of a horse, curled protectively over both Diluc and Venti as best he could. His eyes were locked on the wolves, lips curled up into a snarl.

Fear accompanied the sheer cold biting at Venti’s bones. No, no— Zhongli didn’t know what those were, didn’t know how to move at that size, didn’t know how to fight as a dragon…

“No, stop,” he gasped out, trying to grip the dragon’s scales and do… he wasn’t sure what. “Get back in my sweater, we have to run. You’re going to get hurt.”

How did that aura work again? How could he get it to trigger?

Zhongli didn’t seem to hear him, focused on the quick dart of an open-jawed wolf man. Venti was simultaneously pushed away by the dragon and pulled back by the collar by Diluc. His eyes widened in panic as teeth sank into Zhongli’s scaly hide.

“STOP STOP!” he screamed.

Barbatos, put a stop to this.

His hands reached out, as if an instinct overtook his body again. Wind whirled around the two struggling creatures, separating them and shoving the wolves away. The creatures found themselves unable to come any closer, lest the sharp gales cut and slice their skin. Venti glimpsed the source of the other voice as he latched onto a quickly shrinking Zhongli; a boy, a normal, fully human boy about Bennett’s age looking relieved as he similarly rushed to look over the dazed wolves.

“This is nuts,” Diluc muttered under his breath. He shrugged off his jacket and began ripping his fine silk shirt sleeve into ribbons. “Razor! What’s going on?”

The boy looked up at his name and shrugged. “They want. Um. Angel?” he said, speech and cadence broken as if he wasn’t used to speaking. “Angel for Alpha.”

Diluc glanced at the shaking Venti as he began to wrap Zhongli’s wounds. “Is that you? You led me to believe you were a demon at some point in your life.”

“I was…” Venti murmured. “But I’m… human. I was never a divine celestial?” He wasn’t quite sure he even believed that claim anymore, using it as a crutch of an excuse that he stubbornly held onto.

“Packs says Angel. Smell,” Razor piped in. “Smell like flowers and mountain. Dragon smell no good. Pack says Evil.”

“He is not evil!” Venti spat. He reached down and cupped the little dragon in his hands. It seemed whatever energy Zhongli had used in that temporary growth spurt had drained him. His chest rose and fell, but he seemed to have fallen unconscious. “He’s just cursed. And I’m trying to break that curse so back off.”

“Oh Barbatos, just what have you found yourself involved with this time?”

The temperature in the clearing dropped even further, but the voice itself caused more distress than the biting cold. Venti gasped and clutched at his head while the world twisted and churned once more.

That voice… It was the one…

“I was surprised when none of the pups showed up for our midnight headcount. I can see why, now. Razor, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Sorry, Alpha. Razor was curious about angel.”

“I see. Razor, pups, head back to the dens. I will deal with this matter myself.”

“Hey, wait!” Ah, Diluc’s voice. “Razor, I need Lisa’s book back! She’ll fry me alive if I don’t get it back to her soon.”

“Oh, sorry. Here. Razor enjoyed pictures. Kept safe.”

“Thank goodness, it’s all in one piece. Hey, Venti… Get a hold of yourself. What’s wrong?”

“Move, little one. I’ll see to Barbatos’s condition myself.”

“Great Boreas, I know and respect your place in the hierarchy of these woods but—”

There came a great snuffling next to Venti’s ear, a massive wet nose and a large wet tongue gently pulling him from the spell of vertigo. It was strange how he reacted. His shoulders slumped and his body relaxed. Something deep within him told him it was safe, this thing could be trusted. A familiarity calmed his frayed nerves and he opened his eyes to take in the giant, ghostly, winged wolf sitting before him.

“Welcome back, Barbatos,” the wolf hummed. “I see your fortune has not improved much given your choice of companion.”

“That’s not my name anymore,” Venti breathed.

“It is good to see that it is not. I did not smell any demonic stench within your soul despite the rumors I heard over these last few millennia.” The wolf laid down, folding one paw over the other as he stared curiously at Venti. “Did you revert to ‘Venti’, perhaps?”

Venti nodded. “Diluc said it earlier, didn’t he?”

“Master Ragnvindr did indeed, but I needed to double check. You also needn’t worry about any of the injuries your… partner… sustained resulting in lycanthropy. A being can only hold a single curse at a time after all,” the wolf said. He pointed his snout towards Zhongli as he spoke. His gaze softened as he looked over Venti. “It’s been a while, Venti. Given everything, how are you faring?”

Venti’s heart jumped into his throat, his eyes widening. “I don’t know you?” he asked, the question being the best way to express all the confusion coursing through him.

The great wolf’s eyes widened and he began to sniff Venti over again. “What did you do, little one?” he wondered aloud. “Ah. I see now. How very unexpected.”

“Can you please tell me what’s going on? We got attacked by your wolves, you’re claiming you know me, and I swear you were haunting me the other night when I got to the inn,” Venti pleaded. He held Zhongli’s slumbering form close to his chest. The cold seemed to have dissipated for himself, but judging from how Diluc shivered even under his thick coat, it was not a privilege all were granted.

“There was a disturbance yesterday at the crimson flame witch’s abode,” the wolf continued. “I was merely investigating the situation and all those involved to ensure the safety of the pack and the woods. Imagine my surprise when I saw you, someone I had not seen in over 2000 years, wander into the purple rose witch’s inn.”

“I have never seen you before in my life,” Venti reiterated, already tiring of this looping conversation. “Please, why do you keep talking like that?”

“It’s not that we’ve never met, little wisp, it’s that you simply don’t remember.” The wolf rested his head on his paws as he met Venti at eye level.

“How could I not remember?” Venti wasn’t a fool. He knew there were many gaps in his memory. Things as of late didn’t seem to be lining up and that illusion in the mirror didn’t seem to be helping matters. Why was the question he was more concerned about rather than the differences.

“I would not know,” the wolf sighed. “It appears to have happened long after my passing.”

Venti paused, taking a moment to tuck Zhongli up into his sweater. He patted him before clenching his fist and looking the wolf straight in the eye. “Then tell me who you are.”

The wolf was quiet for a long time, looking as if he was carefully choosing the right words to explain the situation. “The sun will be up before long, little wisp,” he eventually sighed. “I do not have the time to divulge everything you wish to know, much to both of our chagrins. But… you may call me Andrius.”

Now that was a name Venti was familiar with. “Archdemon of the Crossroads,” he gasped.

“Former Archdemon of the Crossroads,” Andrius said. “When I knew you, my time was coming to an end. I tried my best to mitigate the damage my passing would bring by choosing an heir. Unfortunately, as you would know, that plan backfired.”

Venti knew better than to question his memory out loud anymore. The way he’d been told the story was that Andrius had indeed chosen to pass on as a nature spirit versus sinking into the land to spread malice with their dying breath. He’d chosen an heir to inherit his title and throne, and Decarabian was the one who emerged with it in the end. It was always assumed that Decarabian was the heir, and Venti always felt a little bit of resentment at anyone who put that man in a place of power.

“Backfired? I see… Who was supposed to be the heir?” Venti asked as calmly as he could.

Andrius stared at the bundle under Venti’s sweater. “I shouldn’t be surprised,” he grumbled, as if he hadn’t heard any of Venti’s words at all. “It brings me back to the days we spent talking and singing. Before this mess occurred. I’d warned you and yet… I guess it was inevitable. I couldn’t keep you safe back then and that luck continues even onward now.”

“Andrius, what do you mean?” The sun was starting to peak over the top of the treeline.

“Barbatos was the name we had picked out for you. Your mother even begrudgingly approved of it.”

“Andrius!” The wolf’s ghostly form grew more and more transparent as the sun’s rays inched closer and closer.

“It was always supposed to be you…”

“ANDRIUS! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!”

“You’ll remember soon enough. I’m sorry I couldn’t-”

The wolf faded from view as the dawn bloomed anew.

Venti sat curled up in his bed, pretending he couldn’t hear the gossip outside of the cracked door.

“Razor could have at least brought it to me when he was done with it,” Lisa huffed. “There’s only a few cuts and dents luckily, and those can be mended with a little witchcraft.”

“I think Razor was scared of what you might do if he gave you the book in this state,” Diluc said.

“Oh nonsense. He’s still learning! I’ll happily mend a thousand banged up books if it means he’s reading. You, on the other hand…”

Diluc yelped as a small zap zipped through the air.

“You are a grownass man. This could have all been avoided if you had just come and told me Razor stole it!”

“You would have zapped me.”

“Well, yes, but this situation also ended in you getting zapped, did it not?”

Aether snorted back a laugh. “At least we all got out of there okay with the book intact,” he said. “I think the spell tag’s potency faded at midnight. It took Shenhe and I a while to get Benny out of that tree. I wasn’t expecting to see Mister Diluc happen upon us with Venti thrown over his shoulder. What all happened anyways? I warned him not to go in with all the weird stuff happening to his head.”

Diluc inhaled sharply. “Werewolves. Razor was able to interfere. The little dragon got a bit banged up, but that was all. His curse already cancels out any werewolf bite magic so he just needs to watch out for an infection.”

“I’ll see if Venti will let me near him so I can treat them,” Lisa said softly. “Did… anything else happen?”

Diluc did not answer her, at least, outloud.

“Ah. I see.” Lisa’s voice got quieter, Venti’s ears straining to catch it. “Why don’t we go downstairs. I’ll put on some tea. Cutie, can you see about retrieving Zhongli for me? I can get him some breakfast as well. I know Dvalin is helping Jean, but we needn’t bother them right now. The others are resting as well, so you can help me plan some lunches. I’m shocked you don’t want to sleep right now.”

“Will do. I might try and get some rest after I eat some. I’m pretty starving right now,” Aether laughed. His voice got louder the closer he got to the door. Venti cringed and curled up in himself further, holding tighter to Zhongli. “Venti? Can I take Zhongli for a minute? His cuts need to be treated so he doesn’t get infected. I don’t think you want your boyfriend coming back with one leg instead of two.”

Venti turned away from him. “Please don’t…” he whispered. “Please don’t leave me alone in here. I need him.”

A gentle hand brushed the crown of his head. It was grounding, soothing, and Venti leaned up into it.

“It’ll be just for a few minutes. I’ll bring him straight back, okay?”

I don’t want to be alone with these jumbled thoughts and memories Venti inwardly screamed. The rational part of him, however, was relinquishing a very sleepy and just starting to wake Zhongli. “Straight back?”

“Straight back,” Aether said with a nod. “Five minutes tops.”

Five minutes sounded like an eternity, Venti lamented. “I don’t want to be alone.”

Aether grunted as he tried to formulate a response. They both glanced up at a rap of the door.

“I can stay with him,” Xiao said, peeking in. “Lisa filled me in.”

“Thanks.” Aether sighed in relief. “I’ll be right back, just like I promised.”

He hurried out of the room with Zhongli, Xiao slipping in meanwhile like two ships passing in the night.

Xiao sat down on the bed next to Venti, giving him a once over. “Wanna talk about it?”

“No.”

Xiao did not prod further, instead curling up next to him and holding him close. “Get some rest. We’re leaving in a few hours. There are still two more tokens to find. We’re almost there.”

Venti nodded, relishing in the other’s warmth— warmth he missed so dearly. The chill of the wolf’s ghost may have vanished with the dawn, but no matter how tightly Xiao held him, his body felt cold and empty. Two more tokens… Just two more tokens and he would feel whole once again. Wake from this frigid nightmare.

When would his dawn come?

Chapter Text

Venti waited patiently outside his mother’s room, biting his lip as he tried not to laugh. Still not used to the jagged edge of a fanged canine, he hissed when the tooth accidentally pierced his skin. The taste of iron-riddled blood was minimal from the tiny pin prick but it was enough to remind him to be mindful of his new features.

The last few decades in the demonic realm had riddled both his and his mother’s body with demonic energy. While it wasn’t harmful to them in the slightest, being divine beings and all, it did manifest in them by altering their physical forms. Canines sharpened into fangs, small itchy horn nubs sprouted from their crowns, and based on how much his tailbone ached, he was sure a tail would start to grow soon enough. And yet, through it all, their angelic features continued to shine as well. Baal and her cohorts, with the exception of Leviathan, carefully documented the changes— as no celestial had ever resided in the demonic realm that long, the phenomenon was unprecedented and warranted study.

Istaroth was happy to provide her body as the test subject, leaving Venti the freedom to do as he pleased without being poked and prodded. Baal had placed Orobashi in charge of said documentation, and it was one such ongoing session that had Venti waiting in the hall long past their agreed upon meeting time. He pondered on whether he should mention that Mother’s bed’s headboard smashing into the wall over and over could be heard throughout the corridor or if she was doing it loudly on purpose.

He placed a finger on his poked lip, holding pressure to alleviate the tiny amount of bleeding. His wings flexed behind him and fluttered— oh how he longed to stretch them out and take to the sky, which was part of what Orobashi promised but had probably lost track of time entertaining his mother. So long as he didn’t end up with another sibling, Venti was content to wait. There was plenty he could do in the meantime, like strum together a half-formed melody that’d been in the works for a few months.

So as to not let his mother catch on that he was lurking nearby, he couldn’t pull out the lyre strapped to his hip. Instead, Venti dug out a quill and notebook from his satchel and began scribbling together notes. Some he scratched out after playing them over in his head. The ones that held promise he circled and decorated with little star marks. Anything he was unsure of, he drew an arrow riddled with question marks next to.

Time passed, as it was wont to do, and eventually the door opened. His mother hurriedly readjusted her robes before catching sight of her son sitting cross-legged on the floor.

“Oh?” Istaroth said, not quite meeting his gaze. “Venti… How long have you been waiting? Did you need something?”

“I just got here,” Venti lied. He slipped his notebook and quill back into his satchel. “And I was waiting for Orobashi. He promised to take me out today. Your exams always take so long so I loitered in the garden with Buer, tending to the cecilias she was gifted. Seems I arrived just in time.”

The latter part of his claim wasn’t a complete lie. He had indeed been with Buer, giving her detailed instructions on how to care for his favourite flowers, but they’d finished up hours ago. So long as his mother didn’t pry too deeply into the timeline, he would be safe.

Orobashi staggered to the doorway, using the frame as a crutch as he tried to shrug on his coat with one hand. “Give me a moment,” he muttered, mostly to himself, before he turned his attention to Venti. “My apologies, little one. We were… deep into analysis of the formation of tails. Bone structure, new ligaments generating, potential issues that could arise… All of that.”

A lie for a lie, both quietly accepted so long as to keep the embarrassing truth from being shoved into the light.

Venti smiled, carefully reigning in his amusement to put on an air of infinite patience. “I’ve been feeling a little pain, and am more hungry lately if any of those observations help with your studies.”

Orobashi made to move towards him, winced, let out a heavy exhale from his nostrils, then righted himself. “I’ll be sure to note that down. Increased appetite should be from your body using vast energy reserves to make your new features.”

Increased appetite indeed, Venti thought before getting to his feet and bouncing over to the demon. “That makes sense. Also, you don’t look too good. Do I need to find another chaperone for today? I was really looking forward to our trip.”

“Ah, that…” Istaroth interjected. She pulled Venti into a hug and placed a kiss on one of his tiny horns. The persisting itch they always produced faded away with her healing touch. “He should be fine in a moment. The uh… chair broke when he sat down in it. You remember that old thing, right? I’ll have to talk to Baal about replacing it. I just haven’t had a chance to fix him up yet. Give me one moment.”

His mother released him and laid a hand on Orobashi’s shoulders. Venti pretended he didn’t see her hand snake around to his backside. Heavens above only knew what she was fondling back there.

The wince on Orobashi’s face faded as the light healing a celestial’s touch brought eased his discomfort.

“There we go,” Istaroth said, backing away. She still would not look Venti directly into the eyes. “Well um… I have the report back in my room so I’ll go ahead and deliver it to Baal and Buer. Please, have a nice outing you two.”

She rushed away, leaving Venti and Orobashi standing in the hallway.

Venti hummed and took Orobashi’s scaled hand. “Are we going there again?” he giggled.

Orobashi’s shoulders slumped, relieved that the little angel wasn’t bringing up what had obviously occurred in the room. “Yes. They have a contract with me after all, even if Baal isn’t pleased about it. Come along, there is work to be done.”

There was a small island in the human realm. Natural resources were few and far between. Poverty was rampant. The weather fluctuated between drought and typhoon with no rhyme or reason. Lizard-like monsters lurked outside the singular village, ready to snap up any poor soul who wandered outside the barrier. Venti wasn’t entirely sure why people lived in Enkanomiya, but he did not judge them for it. A home, no matter how terrible, was still a home, and the people there were determined to survive despite the dangers.

The dangers, great as they were, were what drove them to make a contract with Orobashi in the meantime. Higher ranking demons deemed the island a lost cause, leaving a more middle-grade level individual like Orobashi to pick up the slack. He kept up the protective barrier, provided enough food and resources for them to get by, and arrived to help clean up after storms— all he asked for in exchange were books. Given that very few trees and flora grew on the island, paper was out of the question for the most part; anything written on paper was the greatest of gifts they could offer their protector and thus, the rare tomes were always exquisite works of art that Orobashi treated with the utmost care. For the rest of their offerings, denizens of Enkanomiya would instead engrave anything and everything. Folk tales, diary entries, inventory logs, anything that sprouted from one’s imagination were etched into slate and gifted in exchange for a few more months of haggard existence.

Venti loved accompanying Orobashi on his trips. While demons worked on a give and take contract system, celestials were free to bless goodwill upon creatures on a whim with no expectation of repayment. He suspected Orobashi brought him along on purpose in order to circumvent the stipulations of the contract, a soft heart hidden behind a demonic facade being able to shine through.

They were quick to get to work after exiting Orobashi’s portal. The demon himself was swarmed by villagers, all shouting their requests at once. Venti slipped away unseen, grabbed a basket and bucket of water, and headed to his first chore.

The graveyard at the outskirts of Orobashi’s barrier was unkempt as always. Large flat pebbles with names engraved were the only markers of who had been laid to rest. Lichen and moss grew quickly over them, and Venti got to work cleaning them off. He kneeled down next to the first grave and began to peel the greens off, placing them in the basket— while not the tastiest of snacks, they were edible. The gravestone was then placed in the bucket of water and scrubbed until the label was legible. Venti went to each one, whispering soft prayers as he returned each freshly cleaned stone. Not just anyone was buried there, after all. The graveyard was a testament to the island’s sins before Orobashi stepped in. Each child’s memory deserved to be well-kept at the very least, in Venti’s opinion.

After the graveyard upkeep was done, Venti returned to Orobashi’s side. The man was still writing down requests, looking harried as his quill moved as fast as it could while keeping up with the villagers’ yelled plights. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed Venti peering over his shoulder. “The last storm was bad,” he said while handing over one of the many request pages. “Prioritize houses, then food storage and stables, then other buildings. I’ll have you go purify their water sources after. Apparently they’ve been contaminated with monster droppings.”

Venti took the paper and nodded before heading off to the first house. The roof was badly damaged and in desperate need of patches. He perched atop it and placed his hands around the largest hole. Power flowed through his hands while he muttered magic words under his breath. He’d spent the last century or so fine-tuning the spells required, and thought himself to be pretty adept at his point.

The elderly homeowner looked up from the ground, calmly watching him as he worked. “Will you give us your name this time?” she asked, wrinkles crinkling into a smile. “Lord Orobashi always brings you along, and we never know what to call you.”

It was something she asked time after time, and yet, Venti could never acquiesce. It would not be fit to give a celestial’s name when he and his mother were still public enemies numbers one and two in the eyes of Celestia. He answered with a smile and shrug, then turned back to his work.

Finally freed from the crowd, Orobashi made his way over to the home to do his own inspection of damages from the ground. He tutted and reached out a hand, the mold growing along the wooden walls shrinking back and dissipating.

“Lord Orobashi,” the homeowner said with a bow. “As I have asked since I was a little girl, won’t you tell us your little helper’s name?”

Orobashi paused, his eyes darting up and meeting Venti’s. He took longer to answer than normal, and when he did, it took Venti by surprise. “His name is Barbatos.”

“Barbatos?” the old woman and the angel asked at the same time.

Orobashi nodded, moving on to reinforce a rotted support beam. “It’s about time you were recognized for your work, little demon,” he said. “Public anonymity has its perks, but also its cons as well.”

Venti knew what he was implying. A mysterious unnamed being that didn’t quite follow the demonic code aiding an ailing village in the middle of nowhere… It would eventually attract just as much suspicion as using his true name, he assumed. He would have to ask about the choice of moniker later— his mother was probably in on it as well. Perhaps they were supposed to tell him before and just forgot in the throes of his mother’s examination.

It wasn’t a bad name, he decided, fluttering over to the next roof when his work was finished. It was sweet on his tongue like a rose petal candied with honey. Something he could get used to if he really wanted. It could be a lot worse— everyone was always mispronouncing poor Bune’s name after all.

Byoon?

Boon-eh?

Bunny?

Venti himself could never remember and felt a little bad about it. The itch in his horns started to creep back in, his wings flexing and flapping in response. He cleared his head with a quick shiver, and set about finding the holes on this roof.

The next few days were spent continuing Enkanomiya’s cleanup and getting used to the name Barbatos. By the time the pair departed, both with arms laden in slate tablets and a single paper book, Venti was able to train himself to react to it. It still felt foreign, but he pushed through the strangeness of it all. It was, he reminded himself over and over again, another added layer of security. His mother could handle herself against Heaven's forces; Venti could not.

“You did well,” Orobashi told him upon their return to the demonic realm. The scent of brimstone was comforting at this point. “Perhaps I’ll even have you do some trips solo. My own visits are few and far between due to what is written in our contract, but I think they would get more out of you being able to visit more frequently.”

Venti pursed his lips. “But I still need to be chaperoned. I…”

They both went silent.

“You’re right,” Orobashi sighed. “Apologies. I let my fantasies get the better of me.”

“It’s okay,” Venti said with gritted teeth. “It’s neither of our faults. I wish I could do it too.”

His neck itched from centuries-long phantom pains.

Orobashi grunted, gesturing for Venti to follow while they walked back to the grand demonic palace. “Andrius’s leash on Decarabian has been kept tight, but it’s still better to be safe than sorry,” he murmured. “Us demons are crafty. Even under each other’s watch, we’re good about scheming. That’s how I get away with so much in Enkanomiya. My contract shouldn’t be as it is. I should be demanding more than just books and yet… Baal hasn’t caught on.”

Venti grinned, his little fangs glinting. “Mum’s the word.”

“Mum’s the word, indeed. Thank you for your continued silence on the matter.”

They went quiet again as they headed inside and bee-lined to Orobashi’s private study. Venti wasn’t entirely sure how to approach the topic of the whole “Barbatos” thing. Had someone been supposed to tell him? Was it supposed to be a surprise? Did Orobashi just act on his own at the moment? A thousand different ways to phrase the question flooded his mind. It took some time to filter them out one by one until the most obvious choice stood front and center.

“So uh…” Venti started with, his usual eloquence fumbling in the middle of sorting (and reading) slate tablets, “about what you called me earlier…?”

“Oh that.” Orobashi did not look away from his task of carefully sliding tablets onto his bookshelves. “It’s been something in the works for a while now. I’m supposed to take you to Andrius here in a little bit. He was supposed to inform you, but the opportunity presented itself at that moment. I hope you don’t mind.”

Venti shook his head. “It’s a nice name! I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“Well, best get used to it quickly.” Orobashi slithered over to another shelf, arms laden with more tablets. “We haven’t wanted to bring you unnecessary stress but unfortunately, it’s reached a point where things cannot be hidden from you any longer.”

Venti looked up from the hydrological study he’d been reading. Worry shot through him alongside irritation— his mother and her cohorts had taken coddling him to an extreme ever since the Decarabian incident. It had been so long since… While he rightfully still feared Celestia, his magic was more proficient, his silver tongue sharper. The secrets and hiding were tiresome and no fun at all when they pertained to more serious matters. He was a child no longer.

“What’s happening?” he asked, tone deadpan. His fingers gripped the tablet.

“I need to preface this with the fact that you specifically are not under any suspicion given that you are constantly accompanied by a chaperone,” Orobashi began. “Your mother however… and many, many, other parties are all under suspicion, though.”

Venti’s brow furrowed. Hadn’t they moved past all of that? What was going on?

“Fights over territory with the Heavens have been escalating over the last decade or so,” Orobashi continued. He picked through the tablets in his arm, tutting quietly as he moved to another bookcase. “Within the last few months, the Heavens have won certain skirmishes and battles in ways that could only have been achieved through a leak within our own ranks.”

The blood drained from Venti’s face and he sat up straighter.

“The rumors and signs seem to point towards your mother as the leak.”

“But why would she-”

“It is whispered that she is feeding information in order to secure you safe passage back to Celestia.” Orobashi paused for a brief moment with both his words and his sorting. “Constantly being chaperoned in fear of a demon retaliating against you for what happened with Decarabian with no end in sight… Some say she seeks your freedom from that.”

Venti got to his feet and flared his wings. “No, no, no! We discussed this! She told me at the very beginning that she wouldn’t do that be I asked her not to. I don’t mind… well, I do mind, actually, but my discomfort is a small price to pay for our safety. I like learning about all of you. I like spending time with all of you. You’re all my family now. In fact, I enjoy your company more than my own siblings’!”

“Your mother said she wouldn’t do that a long time ago, Venti,” Orobashi said with a sigh. He finished placing the last tablet in his arms into its new home on the bookcase. “What was said then has a chance of not being true now. After all, your mother also sold us information in the past. She is not constantly monitored. She is invited by Master Baal and the others into their private war room sessions. The signs are not in her favour.”

Venti huffed and crossed his arms. “Well… I just know it isn’t true. Didn’t you just tell me that demons are crafty? That you all are very good at finding ways to slip under others’ gazes for personal goals, or something?”

Orobashi nodded, scooching past Venti for the next pile of slates and taking a moment to ruffle his hair. “I did indeed say that, which is why it is not out of the realm of possibility that it could be a demon leaking it as well.”

“So what does all this have to do with ‘Barbatos’?” Venti grumbled, shuffling away from the demon and fixing his hair.

“A safety measure, for one,” Orobashi said, “as well as a trump card. Andrius has more details than I, so help me finish this up. The quicker we finish, the sooner I can escort you to him.”

He left Venti in the public gardens— Andrius was running late, it seemed, and the place was filled with enough demons that should anything occur, there would be both witnesses and protectors. After the trial, even the most lowly of demons were under order to keep the little angel safe from Decarabian under punishment of obliteration.

Venti strummed his lyre, trying out the bars he’d penned earlier. Every so often he would amend his notes, and continue on. The lyrics were still ever fresh in his mind and he inwardly sang them as he continued his work.

“What are you working on, little wisp?” a deep voice asked from behind him.

Used to the old wolf’s looming, sudden appearances, Venti’s only reaction was to tilt his head back and give a bright dazzling smile. “A present for my mother.”

Andrius offered a hand and helped Venti up from the bench he sat at. “Walk with me. What we need to discuss is private, but why don’t you tell me more about this present. Don’t worry about your mother hearing— she’s speaking with Baal right now and they will be in conference for a little while longer.”

Venti laughed nervously as he followed, his puffing feathers traitorously revealing his uneasiness with the topic at hand. How to go about it…

“Well, there is a popular folktale in Celestia,” he began, dismayed at how gentle and encouraging Andrius’s gaze was. “And it’s probably true— just embellished a bit. But it’s of an… exploit… of mother’s. And I wanted to put music to it to surprise her. It’s uh… supposed to be for her ears only.”

“Ah,” Andrius said in acknowledgement. “I believe I know the one. Lady Istaroth was formidable on the battlefield, but was most widely known for a specific incident.”

Venti fiddled with his lyre, and pursed his lips. His shoulders felt very heavy in that moment. “I’m sorry… She’s just been very stressed and I wanted to bring something back from our past home for her. Maybe make her feel better. I don’t know, it sounds silly now that I say it out loud.”

They stopped outside the throne room. Andrius waved a hand and the massive doors opened. He gently nudged Venti into the room, the doors closing with a loud bang behind them. The room was empty, seeming larger and more ominous than when six of the seven thrones had their rulers seated on them.

Both demon and celestial eyes locked on the one covered with millennia of dust. A seed of guilt started to take root in the pit of Venti’s stomach.

“The incident in question would have resulted in your birth, if I’m not mistaken,” Andrius said, meandering over to the empty throne. He rested a hand atop it and sighed. “You would only know about it secondhand. I’m sure the Heavens’ version of events is vastly different from our own accounts.”

Venti kept quiet, still fiddling with his lyre. It was a beautiful instrument, gifted by the archdemon before him. Silver inlays, strings woven from the tail hair of a unicorn, an ever-blooming cecilia planted within the body…

“I promise I’m asking merely out of curiosity,” Andrius continued, “which I assume you might reciprocate given that we’ve never explained as to why we keep this seat empty with no seventh archdemon coming to take up the mantle.”

Venti nodded slowly.

“So please share with me: what do the Heavens say happened to Morax?”

The air left Venti’s lungs as a sinister pressure seemed to befall him. It was not of Andrius’s making, but his own nerves, he knew.

“Little wisp, why don’t you play me what you’ve composed?”

Venti’s hands shook as he adjusted the lyre in his hands, but words failed to come out of his mouth.

A cold touch cupped his shoulders, and the nerves subsided. Andrius knelt before him, gazing up at him with a gentleness no demon, let alone archdemon, should have possessed. It was comforting, like a winter breeze carrying delicate snowflakes as it weaved through the branches of barren trees.

A deep breath steeled him, and Venti began to strum at the lyre.

“One day, an evil dragon born from the bowels of hell clawed his way up and out onto human land. He was driven by a fierce hunger and devoured all who came across his path. But the denizens of the mortal realm could not quench his thirst for blood— he craved that of the heavenly divine.

“Using his immense power, he smashed through the barriers that kept the celestial realm safe from evil-doers, and began to gobble up every little winged child who had their souls tainted with sin. It was not a fair end to those who could still be redeemed, the heavenly principles declared. They were but innocent angels who could return to righteous paths.

“Thus did they call down divine judgment. The Four Shining Shade did battle with the evil dragon for forty days and forty nights. In the end, the Righteous Istaroth struck the final, lethal blow. Of the one thousand arrows she launched, one did pierce his heart, thus saving the Heavens and humans from his indomitable wrath.”

Venti stopped there.

“Of course, it still needs a lot of fine tuning,” he babbled, feeling his cheeks turn red. “I haven’t settled on a melody yet, and I want to change around some of the wording to make it rhyme. Fix up stanzas. Probably get rid of some of it… I’m not sure yet.”

Andrius gave a few light claps. “I believe it is on the road to becoming something beautiful,” he said. “But I do wonder as well, is there anything that comes after? I believe the curse should be included as well.”

“I feel bad about that part…”

“But it is still a part of history, is it not? Please continue.”

Venti groaned. “I don’t have anything composed for it but…

“That much darkness cannot be so easily quelled. The dragon reincarnated and manifests over and over again, ravaging the human realm once again before turning his head skyward. Every passing minute does he dwell on consuming the souls of our fellow divine, and thus every second he spends in corporeal form is a danger to all realms. Every celestial has a duty to seek out and slay the personification of evil lest they be gobbled when they least expect it.

“One may find him by ethereal scent. When salt meets shore, when the soil is thick with flood water, when the putrid scent of a perfumed marsh lily mill together, when earthen incense hangs heavy in the air, be warned the dragon is near. He will not always take such a beastial form, thus one may not leave any alive for the sake and safety of the many.”

Andrius frowned. “What does that last bit mean?” he asked.

Venti grimaced. “Should any celestial happen upon Morax’s reincarnation, we are duty bound to slay it… and any bystanders as well. Just in case.”

Andrius got to his feet with a snort. “Hypocrites, the lot of them. And what do you believe?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Venti said. “I was inclined to believe what I was told but now… It doesn’t sound quite right.”

“The thousand arrows launched by Istaroth subsequently became her thousand winds.” Andrius headed back over to the thrones and took a seat upon his own. He gestured for Venti to join him with a pat on his lap. “As one of the thousand winds, which one of you was the single arrow that pierced Morax’s heart?”

It was a question Venti and his siblings fiercely debated back when he’d still been with them. Each one would present their case for being the demon-slaying arrow, but an agreement could never be reached. Time and time again they begged their mother, begged Naberius and Ronova, begged every other angel who had been present at the battle for the answer so that they may laud that sibling with the highest of honors, but their questions were never answered. It was for the best, they were always told. With that knowledge came a price, and thus for their own safety, said knowledge was forbidden to ever be uttered.

Andrius tapped his chin, lost in thought as Venti relayed this to him. “I, of course, could not give you an answer as to who, but I can probably guess the reasons for the why the heavens didn’t dare speak of it. It is a pretty simple explanation, if you are curious.”

Venti nodded without hesitation from his perch atop Andrius’s lap.

“The arrows took a corporeal form upon meeting a mark, be it the ground, a tree, or scaled hide. Whichever one of you pierced Morax’s heart became sentient, gained a soul if you will, at the exact moment Morax’s left him. For a brief moment, as both things occurred in the same space at the same time, both the Wind and Morax’s soul were intertwined. The Heavens fear that the Wind’s soul would be tainted from such an event. Keep it under lock and key, and no temptation would ever befall them. No darkness could sprout within their ranks. No need to worry about a disaster devastating their realm again.”

Andrius laughed. “Fate works in strange ways, however. They probably also feared your sibling leaving to find whatever Morax reincarnated as. What would happen with a reunification, one has to wonder…”

The thought sent a shiver down Venti’s spine. He worried for whichever sibling it was. Tied down to such a fate… it made the entire situation feel cruel almost.

“Okay then,” Venti said, eager to steer the topic away from his siblings. “Since no one wants to talk about it down here, rightfully so given my mother’s involvement, what do the demons have to say about the incident?”

Andrius fondly scratched at Venti’s horns, bringing relief from the itch that had resurfaced. “Let me see… What was that old lizard up to…? Well for starters, he was not actually a dragon.”

“What?!”

“Leviathan is a dragon, bound by a long standing peace agreement to take a seat within our court. Morax… simply took the shape of one. Normally he was in a form similar to the ones we wear now. But he was powerful… Very, very powerful. He had a fondness for the otherworldly creatures up top and thus was able to mold his form into his favourite. Leviathan was thankfully not around during his time— I’m sure fights would have been started.”

Andrius chuckled fondly at the thought.

“Morax a fool, however, first and foremost. He was a dreamer and deeply believed he could settle the war with Celestia through talks and understanding. He was the Archdemon of Contracts, and his silver tongue tended to work wonders. Curious in nature as well, he traveled through the human realm for a very long time, meeting many people and relaying his experiences back home. He even went so far as to bring human flower samples to the demon gardens. Many of the plants in Buer’s gardens were gifts from him.”

Venti found himself smiling at the thought, himself having a fondness for the peace the gardens brought him.

“Eventually he was invited by the heavenly principles to meet with them within the heavens. Hoping that his good-natured deeds would have been what spurred the invitation, he was unaware that he was headed into a trap. Morax was ambushed when he set foot in Celestia and the divine gate was locked before he could escape. He battled for forty days and forty nights, defeating many celestials and almost escaping. However, as he began to slip through the gate, Lady Time herself rained a thousand arrows of wind down upon him. A single arrow pierced his heart, and in that moment, the creature that formed from the collision felt pity for him as his life slipped away.”

Venti cocked an eyebrow in surprise.

“That wind whisked Morax's dying spirit down to the mortal lands and planted it within the earth to grow anew, this time perhaps, into something less hated by its own kind. The divine wind was tainted, and Celestia took a personal affront to that. After concealing which wind committed such an offense and wiping their memory, they ordered a permanent hunt, of every incarnation Morax sprouted as. They spared none in his vicinity, taking many innocents in their so-called righteous crusade while using the excuse that they too were tainted by the evil leaking from his being. Morax cannot return to his home due to his tether in the earth, and is thus sentenced to a cursed karmic existence until eternity ceases to be.”

Andrius pointed at the dust covered throne. “That is why we keep his seat open, in hopes that one day, something will occur that will return him to our ranks.”

“That’s… sadder than I imagined it would be,” Venti muttered. He plucked a few notes on his lyre. “So where would the bias within your own story be?”

Andrius shrugged. “When you both first arrived, at one point when you were not present, we all convened with your mother to put together the pieces of the puzzle. What I told you was from our collected notes. If there is a bias, then I am unsure as to where it would be. That might be something to figure out for yourself should you become curious enough and decide to hunt down Morax’s new form. But that would also put you directly in Celestia’s line of fire, so I don’t exactly recommend it.”

“Why is he stuck in a reincarnation cycle?” Venti asked, pondering more and more of the story. His aimless plucking began to form a tuned melody.

“Because Morax was also a deviously crafty fellow.” Andrius swirled a finger, a small wind decorated with snowflakes forming to dance to Venti’s tune. “He was the one who established the baseline for everything that happens down here. Afterall, he was the Archdemon of Contracts. All contracts forged between demons and humans are the result of his hard work. Even if we were to put his soul to rest, there would be no other that could perform at his level.”

Venti hummed, continuing to strum.

“His most important contract was the one he poured the most energy into. He was bedridden for a century from the sheer drain of power on him, but… it is the answer to your question. A normal celestial can kill a normal demon. A normal demon can kill a normal celestial. This is a well known fact. Normal celestials cannot kill Archdemons, and normal demons cannot kill Shade. Under normal circumstances, a Shade, like your mother, could have the power to kill an Archdemon, and vis-versa. However, with your sibling’s interference, that chance was ruined. A celestial using their divine power only has one shot. I don’t know how it works up above, but an Archdemon cannot kill another Archdemon. It encourages us to work together instead of scheme behind each others’ backs. At this point, the only way to end Morax’s existence would be to kill his incarnation with a Godkiller Sword.”

Venti shivered at the mention of the weapon.

“And we both know why even the Heavens are nervous to bring one of those into existence again. It was hard enough destroying the first one and probably the only time both sides united for a single cause,” Andrius grumbled. “So they let Morax cycle. Again and again and again.”

“Is there any other way for that curse to be broken?” Venti asked with caution.

The question, for some reason, brought about a smirk on Andrius’s rugged and scared features. “Morax may have been a fool, but the man was a chronic micro-manager until his first demise. He did in fact, make his own contract upon himself just in case the exact scenario that unfolded happened, as one of his millions of safeguards. I don’t remember the exact wording, but it was along the lines of, ‘a contract sealed with the kiss of an angel,’ or something like that. A cunning fool, and a romantic at heart.”

Venti grimaced. “A fool is right,” he said. “No angel, not with that story and our orders, would dare even begin to think of doing that.”

“You never know, your sibling who merged with him might.”

Venti shook his head. “Even then, I think the fear would overtake anything else. They’d do as they were told without question.”

“Did you? When your mother asked you to turn against the Heavens?”

Venti’s fingers halted, the final note on his lyre reverberating around the room. Andrius cupped his face, staring down at him as if searching for something deep within his soul.

“Why did you follow your mother?”

“Because I love her.” The statement was easy enough to form, to say, to believe, for it was the only truth he knew.

“If you had swapped places with any of your siblings, would they have done the same?”

It took a moment to think of an answer— there were nine hundred ninety-nine possibilities to consider, after all, but it all boiled down to the same thing. “Yes. Yes they would.”

“Now, if you were the one soul-bound to Morax, and you innately loved him like you innately love your mother, would you defy Celestia’s orders?”

Venti pressed his cheek into Andrius’s paw of a hand, the chill being a grounding factor for his racing thoughts. “Probably, I guess.”

“Would you still be afraid?”

Venti nodded.

“What if I were to offer you power that could elevate you to a position where you did not have to fear the Heavens’ wrath?”

The chill in Andrius’s gaze sent a bone-deep shudder throughout Venti’s body. He remembered his mother’s words when they’d first arrived in the demonic realm: he was not, under any circumstances, to make a contract with any demon.

He shook his head, quickly thinking of excuses. “I’m not the one who pierced Morax’s heart,” he claimed.

“Perhaps not,” Andrius sighed, “but your mother still holds your heart.”

“She’s a Shade. She can protect herself.”

“And yet, you remain a liability,” Andrius hummed. “Your mother and I have agreed on this topic, and she herself has endorsed it.”

Venti shook his head again. “I want to hear the words from her lips,” he stated. “I won’t believe anything unless it comes from her.”

“What he said is correct, my love,” a voice said, echoing throughout the “empty” room. Venti’s neck craned as he caught sight of his mother weaving her way through the thrones. Her hands brushed each one before resting atop Morax’s. She looked down at it sadly before turning her attention to her son and Andrius. “You ultimately have the final say, but the situation has changed.”

“Orobashi told you about the leaks, did he not?” Andrius asked.

Venti nodded slowly, his gaze fixated on his mother. She looked tired, all things considered. Her hair had lost its pearly sheen, unwashed for days. Dark circles sat beneath her eyes, lack of sleep taking its toll. Her skin had lost its healthy glow, stressed as she was. He chided himself for not noticing any of this earlier— she’d hidden it well, it seemed.

“He did,” Venti said. “What’s going on here?”

“We need to talk,” Istaroth said. She sat down on the arm of Morax’s throne. “While I have a few archdemons on my side, there are still a good number who believe I am the leak. My greatest fear is not being able to protect you should either the demons or the heavens rip into me. You have done nothing wrong. This is all my fault. So… Baal, Buer, Andrius and I have schemed.”

Her wings drooped, feathers askew and in deep need of preening. “We… can make you an archdemon.”

Venti’s eyes widened until his sockets ached from the strain. He whipped around to face Andrius. “You said you weren’t filling Morax’s throne!”

“You wouldn’t be filling Morax’s throne,” Andrius said gently, shifting the angel on his lap only slightly to a more comfortable position. “You would be filling mine.”

Venti balked at him.

“I think… Morax had the right idea, being planted and rooted in the earth,” he continued. “Well, it wasn’t his choice, but it’s one I would happily make for myself. Venti, I am old. I remember the eons before Morax’s fall. Of the current archdemon council, I am the eldest. The politics and policing have left me weary. It’s time for a fresh face to bring new ideas and views to the table, and time for me to find some semblance of peace and solitude.”

“But you keep me safe from him,” Venti gasped. Phantom pains bloomed along his wrists. “What will happen if-”

“You will be an archdemon,” Istaroth said, a slight hiss to her voice. “He will not be able to lay a finger on you.”

“I don’t understand. I’m a celestial-”

“Which therein lies your greatest strength,” Istaroth interrupted. “We’ve run tests. We’ve gone through scenarios. Venti, my darling child, if we were to merge an angelic being with a demonic energy… You would be more powerful than all the Heavens and the Demonic realm combined. You would be the one to shape the outcome of this war. You could bring peace. You could be safe. As a mother, that’s all I wish for you.”

Venti had no answer for her as he reeled from the request.

“Archdemon of the Crossroads is no small amount of work,” Andrius said, picking up where his mother left off. “But it will be fulfilling for you, I feel. With your divine half, you could circumvent the rules of the contracts left behind by Morax. Your kind heart could shine through, and you could use your position for the good you possess.”

Venti furiously shook his head.

“You could reunite your sibling with Morax. Even put his soul to rest after eons of cycles should you so desire.”

Venti shook his head again.

Both Istaroth and Andrius sighed.

“Then,” the archdemon said, tilting Venti’s head up to look him straight in the eye, “would you do it for me? Help this old wolf finally find some peace, Barbatos?”

Venti stiffened, now aware of the implications the name brought.

“It’s a fine name, one befitting of an archdemon,” Andrius continued.

“Please, Venti,” Istaroth whispered. She looked desperately at him. “I cannot protect you any longer. This is our only option.”

Resignation overtook him. His bones felt like jelly as he slumped, head resting atop Andrius’s chest as he started to cry.

His nod felt like a death sentence.

Of everyone in the demonic realm, the only ones who knew about the ceremony about to take place were Venti, his mother, Andrius, Orobashi, Buer, and Baal. Not even the latter’s beloved sister was informed. Baal and Buer were to stall the other archdemons while Orobashi ran interference. Istaroth would run the power transference ceremony, and all Venti had to do was stand in a circle.

“We will use this book at a catalyst,” his mother explained, holding the paper tome from Enkanomiya. “It’s a middle ground to stabilize and acclimate energies going into the receiver so that you don’t explode from the sheer amount of power. My power in turn will be poured into the ‘soup’ to attune it to a divine body.”

Venti gnawed on his lips, wincing as he once again poked a hole in his skin. He was more okay with the idea after having time to accept it. What they’d offered him, the hypothetical scenarios, were ones he was more than okay with. He could do good in the world without fear of retaliation. He could bring a sense of ease to his mother and keep her safe himself. He could find meaning and purpose outside of being a child that was coddled, hidden away, seen as a liability… It was a chance at freedom.

“Won’t that put you in danger?” he asked. “What happens if something interrupts the power flow?”

“We’ve already seen to protecting this room,” Andrius said. “This place was previously used as an armory, but everything has long since been moved and the room long forgotten. As you can see, only the storage structures are left. The windows have been bolted shut and closed off from prying eyes. Orobashi himself put up protective runes and Buer looked them over.”

“But what happens if something interrupts the power flow?” Venti insisted again. He wrung his hands, nerves making it impossible for him to not be in constant motion. “What happens if I step outside the circle before the ritual is done? What happens-”

“Venti,” Istaroth said, voice firm as she gripped her child’s shoulders. “Listen to me. Do not, under any circumstances, step outside of the circle. Not until the ritual is complete. The interrupted energy flow, with no place to go, would explode this entire wing of the palace. With everyone’s own personal energy flow out of sorts, none of us would survive, even with our understanding of how Shades, celestials, Archdemons, and demons live. Do not step out of the circle.”

Venti nodded. “The interrupting flow…?”

Istaroth shook her head. “If something happens concerning the catalyst, then it would be restrained only to myself. It is far less dangerous a scenario than you leaving the circle.”

“But you’ll be hurt-”

“Venti,” Istaroth hissed. There was a tension to her face that made her look far older than Venti was used to seeing. “Stay in the circle. The time for questions is done.”

He nodded, opting to do as his mother said.

Orobashi peeked into the room, gave a thumbs up. As he began to slip out, only Venti caught a confused look on his face as he left, attention turning to something happening outside the room. It was probably nothing, just turning stray passersby away.

“Now,” Andrius said, “I will flow my power into the catalyst via this line.” He gestured to the chalk line linking his own circle to Istaroth’s. “Then after she tunes it, it will flow through the corresponding line into your circle, Barbatos. Once this process starts, it cannot stop. The energy needs somewhere to flow, but it cannot go in reverse.”

Venti’s lip wobbled. “And what will happen to you? You were born a demon… without your demonic energy, you’ll-”

“I will pass, yes,” Andrius said with a nod. “I’ve prepared for this, though. As I told you, the thought of returning to the earth has brought me great comfort. I may die, but I will not cease to exist. There is a forest in the nation of Mondstadt that I frequently visit. On my last excursion, I placed a specific rune. Upon departing the world of the living, I will be able to manifest within the forest. I won’t be able to leave, but as you will find new purpose with my powers, I too will be able to experience a new way of life.”

“He’ll become a ghost,” Istaroth said, translating his long-winded rambles.

Andrius cracked a smile at Venti. “And you will be welcome to visit me at any time. During the night, of course. Ghosts can’t manifest when the sun has blossomed over the horizon.”

Venti smiled back, albeit one laced with anxiety. His wings continually fluffed and unfluffed. His horns no longer itched, but the sensation had long since moved to the protruding nub he called a tail. It took every ounce of self control to not reach around back and scratch at it. From the way his mother shifted uncomfortably, she was undergoing the same struggle of restraint.

“Orobashi gave us the all clear,” Istaroth said. Her face tightened even more in tension. A single tear ran down her pale cheek. “Venti… would you allow your mother to hold you tight just one more time? Hold you as you are, how I made you, before you change? Hold you one more time as ‘Venti’ and not ‘Barbatos’?”

The wobble to her voice was enough to shake Venti’s own shaky confidence. “Mama!” he wailed, launching himself into her arms. He held onto her just as tightly as she held him. A secret bubbled within his throat the more he breathed in her scent, and it was far too much effort to keep it contained any longer. “I know you’re sleeping with Orobashi!”

His mother choked through her tears. “Ahhh… and I thought I was being subtle…”

“You were not subtle at all!” Venti sobbed.

“He’s right,” Andrius confirmed, awkwardly standing a ways away from the mother-son embrace.

“Ah….”

“AND-!” Venti continued. “And I know you’re sleeping with Baal too!”

“W-where did you get that idea?” his mother nervously laughed, her grip somehow tightening on him. Even Andrius let out a noise of confusion.

“You had a hickey after your meeting with her,” Venti sniffled, attempting to contain his dripping snot, “that wasn’t there before it.”

Istaroth groaned, and Venti let out a blubbery laugh. “I don’t mind. Just don’t give me anymore siblings. Nine hundred ninety-nine is enough. I’m glad… that you’ve found happiness here.”

He pulled away from her and wiped his eyes, steeling his gaze and straightening his shoulders. “And now… I have the chance to protect the happiness you’ve long deserved.”

“Oh…” Istaroth breathed in disbelief. She clutched the book close to her chest, frame shaking as she started to cry again. It was the first time Venti’d had the chance to get a good look at the book— when it’d been given to Orobashi initially, it had been the first to be shelved. It felt out of place for something from that ragged island. It was thick, both from the number of pages and the type of parchment bound within. An unlatched lock rested on the cover, and the binding itself was a midnight blue peppered with stars. Tendrils of teal danced around the gilded title. The entire design was awfully beautiful up close and almost seemed… unnatural.

Before Sun and Moon

What a beautiful book, he thought. It seemed perfect for the moment they were about to share.

“It’s time to begin,” Andrius whispered. He moved to stand behind Istaroth and gently he nudged her into her circle. Venti moved into his own, then the old wolf entered his.

There was no turning back.

Tendrils of turquoise energy flowed from Andrius’s body, lighting the chalk lines up. They sparked and crackled, as if possessed by lightning. Istaroth, having settled herself, opened the book and began to chant. In a dazzling display, the power flew into the book and swirled around and around. Wind began to pick up, rustling the pages of the book and sending stray feathers flying.

Andrius collapsed in his circle, watching with a heavy gaze as the life was slowly sapped from his body. It took everything within Venti not to rush over to his side and render aid.

It was supposed to happen.

He was not to leave his circle.

All was going according to plan.

Then the rune above the door fizzled and winked out. Istaroth fumbled over her words as each rune etched into the walls quickly followed suit. She could not stop the chant, not even as the door flew open. Andrius’s eyes widened, a look of horror the last thing that graced his face before the last bit of life left his body.

Venti almost sprinted out of the circle, a look of panic from his mother and the shake of her head being the only thing that stopped him.

The floor… glitched, for lack of a better word, once barren stone producing another set of conduit lines and circle. The winds around them turned harsh and wild, cutting into the conduit leading to Venti’s circle and severing his connection. With nowhere else to go, and no need to be tuned to an angelic body, the power Istaroth held slammed into her. It raced down the newly formed branch and into the being that stood triumphantly in the circle.

Venti wanted to throw up.

“MOTHER!” he screeched, voice one with the whipping gales. His knees buckled and he fell onto the ground as the atmosphere around him intensified. The pressure was impossible to fight, and all he could do was watch as Decarabian strode out of his circle and over to Istaroth.

The demon kicked her, smiling as she let out a gasp. Everyone in the room knew she was completely drained from the recoil. Burns riddled her body, parts of her face and arms torn completely to shreds. Each breath she took was laced with a horrifying rattle. A helpless Shade under the boot of a newly crowned Archdemon.

“Looks like my illusions worked,” Decarabian said, throwing his arms out in a display of power. “It was tricky getting in to set the trap after Buer left. And luckily, your little snake has been on edge as of late. All it took was the smallest hint of trouble, like his precious little book stash being set aflame, to have him go scurrying off.”

“Mother, mother, mother,” Venti mumbled, over and over again as he tried to move his arms and reach for her. This couldn’t be happening— this wasn’t real. His mother had defeated Morax. His mother had defied the heavens. His mother had carved her place in many realms. She was a legendary figure. She wasn’t supposed to be on the ground, unable to move, unable to defend herself, open to danger. She wasn’t supposed to be helpless…

Istaroth scowled up at Decarabian. “You fucker…” she ground out before gasping in pain as the pressure on her intensified. Blood trickled out from the corner of her shredded mouth, staining an exposed mandible.

“This power is certainly a lot,” Decarabian mused, staring down at a hand that crackled with energy. “Luckily, I was able to wield it to defeat the traitor who has sold all of our secrets to the Heavens. Luckily, I was able to enact vengeance for an old Archdemon much beloved to us all. Luckily, I was able to stop the birth of a being far too powerful to exist in this world. I feel like the demonic realm owes so much in that regard.”

Istaroth gurgled and gasped when he placed his boot upon his throat.

“Now… what to do with the traitor who broke every rule of hospitality we demons have to offer,” he mused. “As an Archdemon now, I have the power to take out a Shade if I so desire. It would be a great obstacle to overcome in our war… But I think I have something better for you. You’re still linked to that book, correct?”

Istaroth’s eyes widened in horror, the pieces falling into place one by one.

“STOP IT!” Venti screeched. The only thing he knew was panic. Everything he could beg for, plead for, and offer tumbled out of his mouth with no careful consideration. “Please! Leave her alone! I’ll do anything! I’ll accept our flowers. I’ll let you kiss me. Touch my wings. Whatever you want. ANYTHING!”

He had to protect his mother— that was what he was supposed to do when he got the power. And power or not, he’d made a personal vow to see it through. But all he could do was beg, and begging was something Decarabian was not interested in when it came to bartering.

“You’ll do anything I want anyways,” the demon said languidly with a wave of his hand. “Now… this tether to the book… What if I just amplify it a bit more…”

Decarabian reached out, both the prone Shade and the book glowing in response.

Istraroth turned away from Decarabian, locking eyes with Venti. “Never, ever think I don’t love you,” she whispered. “You must live. I will find a way back to you, I promise, even if I must shatter this world to do so.”

Her form began to flicker as the glow intensified.

“MAMA!” Her waning image blurred as tears obstructed Venti’s vision.

“Survive this, my darling. I love you.”

Istaroth smiled sadly at her child as she faded, reduced to an essence that flew into the book. It thunked to the ground where her body had once been.

The sound that ripped through Venti’s throat was something guttural, something primal, something that shattered the windows and reduced the empty shelves and boxes into splitters with its ferocity. A protective barrier shielded Decarabian from the blast while the demon stared down at him with the same disgust of how one stared at a squashed bug on their shoe. He stood patiently, nonetheless, and let Venti wail and wail and wail. It was only when the little angel’s voice gave out, reduced to a horace cough, did Decarabian remove the pressured force off of him.

Venti wheezed, body violently reacting to attack. He couldn’t bring himself to move off of the ground. Every bit of his body ached, but most of all his mind. He was completely drained. Not even an aura would manifest around him.

He’d lost.

Where was his mother? Why wasn’t she protecting him?

Decarabian knelt down next to him and cooed, smiling down at the celestial’s wet face.

Where was his mother?

“Now now, today is a joyous occasion,” Decarabian said. “There’s no need for tears.”

Why wasn’t she protecting him?

“Oh? No aura this time? You’ve become weak, it looks like. Rusty, perhaps, in your century of being cocooned in luxury. Don’t worry, you shouldn’t be using such a dangerous self-defense mechanism anyway.”

Where was his mother?!

A hand gripped both of his braids and dragged his limp aching body to its feet.

“Come now, love, for we must announce the rise of the new Archdemon of the Crossroads to the entire realm. Decarabian has risen, and you are lucky enough to have caught his favour, angel.”

The light outside of the room was blinding, yet Venti had no choice but to stumble towards it into a new era, his scalp on fire as the tight hold on his braids dragged him forward.

MOTHER-!