The Puppet

The Calm...

"Helen, for the millionth time!" Amber shouted up to the female bard as Venti walked up. "Your songs aren't going to help us! You need to leave with the rest of Mondstadt!"

"My songs quelled the storm created by Stormterror!" She proclaimed. "I've been blessed by Barbatos to keep this city safe with my music! You knights need me!"

"I don't even know who you are..." The Ameno bard muttered as the Outrider growled in frustration. It's been a day since Springvile was blown up and the majority of Mondstadt has gotten ready to leave the city. Only a few stubborn people are still left. "Having a little bit of trouble there?"

"You try to convince this bard that she needs to leave!" She yelled, throwing up her hands in the air. "I can't deal with this! And can't deal with some delusional woman who has her head up her ass and sitting on the highest horse I've ever seen!"

"And you call yourself a knight!" Helen snapped.

Venti was surprised at her outburst. He looked at her closer and notices that there were bags under her eyes. "Amber... have you been awake since Springvile?"

"Ugh... honestly, I think all of us have." She said, "Other than you since you don't seem tired."

"I took a nap." He said before turning to Helen. "Miss, Hilichurls are too stupid and Abyss Mages aren't going to be scared off by music."

"Hmph! A drunkard bard wouldn't know anything about the gift that Lord Barbatos has given me."

"That's assuming he even gave you anything!" While Venti wasn't as tired as Amber and most of the knights, he was still stressed out since his country is in danger of going up in flames and this woman isn't helping. "You don't even have a Vision!"

"Just because I don't a Vision doesn't mean that Lord Barbatos didn't bless me!"

"What is all the yelling about?" Kaeya asked, rubbing his eye and yawning.

"Oh look, it's the napping Captain." Amber scolded. Kaeya, too, has bags under his eye. "How was your beauty nap?"

"Amber, do you have that much distaste for me? I'm hurt." Kaeya said with a look of mock pity. "I was checking in on Razor and see if he could give me more information with the Inferno Mage. Sadly, he wasn't much help." As much as her lack of sleep was making her irritated, Amber held back a sigh of relief. She had asked the wolf boy to not tell Kaeya that he smelled Diluc on the Mage. Celestia knows how well THAT would go. He looked up at Helen. "Would you like me to try?"

"Be my guest. I need to find Diona anyway." She said, walking away in a huff. Venti followed her as Kaeya climbed up the walk to the bard.

"Amber, Diona has already left. I saw her with Daff." Venti said.

"Wait?"

"You sure you can't take a short nap?"

The Outrider stopped and looked around the main square of Mondstadt. Once busy with people, now only the wind occupies it. "Venti... Barbatos... The Inferno Mage nearly killed Razor in one blast of his fire. It took one attack and Razor was down. Razor is one of the strongest people I know... A-and I could do nothing to help." She held herself. "I've helped fight off a dragon, faced off against the Wind of the North, wrestled with a Harbinger, and stopped an ancient water god from forcing Liyue to be a part of the sea! And despite all of that! Despite nearly losing my life more than once to gods, spirits, and a psychopath..." She sighed. "I'm scared..."

Venti put a hand on her shoulder. "So, you are too scared to sleep. I get that." He said, "The Archon War, the uprising against the God of Storms, freeing Dvalin... I was scared then as well. There is nothing to be ashamed of."