The Wind is Alive - Xiaoven

3.

The wind is insistent, and it seeps into the crevices of spaces it can fit into.

It presses itself against old and crumbling stone walls, feeling around for cracks to slip into and make itself home. It knocks relentlessly against closed windows, searching for any possible opening it can go through to make it to the other side. The wind is curious and inquisitive, always exploring the world before it and relishing the allure of the unpredictable and unknown. The wind prods and pries, always bearing the itch to touch what draws its attention and holding things in its hands to get to know them properly. Therefore, it's only fitting that the god of it has wormed his way into the space in Alatus's heart somehow.

Barbatos visits him every so often, and comes just as suddenly as he goes. He seems to do as he please, riding the winds and finding his place at Alatus's side no matter the time or location. Sometimes he drops from the sky to land in front of him as he walks around on patrol, sometimes he calls out his name from behind him when he's wiping off the blood that stains the end of his weapon, and sometimes he sneaks in during the dead of night and sits at the edge of his bed at Wangshu Inn. Sometimes he chatters away about anything and everything, sometimes he seems to partake in a contemplative silence, and sometimes he takes out his lyre and plays wonderful tunes from times long past. Along the way, the moments that used to be mild annoyances turned into heartwarming comforts.

He is like a towering tornado, a turbulent twister that invites itself into Alatus's tidy life and sweeps it away into an array of shreds and tatters. And yet, when he sits shell-shocked in the aftermath of the winds and with the remnants of a monotonous cycle, he finds that he doesn't really mind. Tonight is no different, it seems.

"Lord Barbatos." Alatus greets, if only absentmindedly. He had been sat at the base of a tree, overlooking the valleys of Tianqiu from his vantage point. He tells himself that he needs to keep watch, but his gaze finds its way on a bright smile and glowing braids anyway.

"Hello there, Alatus." Barbatos brushes off the anemo energy clinging to his clothes from his travel, landing nimble on his feet on the damp grass. "Busy as always, I see."

"State your business."

"My, my, how demanding for a lesser being." The warrior stiffens up considerably and the god stifles a laugh at that, grinning behind the hand covering his mouth. He's overstepped his boundaries there and has to remedy it, but Barbatos shushes Alatus before he can say anything about it. "Ah, don't fret. I'm only teasing, why so upset?"

Alatus clears his throat, turning away to hide the flush of embarrassment rising to his cheeks. So long as the other isn't bothered, he has no reason to dwell on the topic. "You command attention."

No, you don't. You never have. I'm simply too enamored that I can't help giving it anyway.

"Do I, now?" Barbatos's lips twitch and curl upwards, and he can hear it in the tone of his voice.

"It's distracting." He admits, mumbling the statement under his breath knowing that the winds will carry it to its recipient.

The god's smile softens. "Then I won't disturb you."

True to his word, Barbatos only leans against the trunk of the tree next to him and hums a song Alatus doesn't recognize. His eyes remain on the distant horizon, but his ears have clearly found something new to pay heed to. The tune curls around his limbs, dragging them down and making them feel heavy until he eventually puts his spear down. The melody takes his head in its hands, cupping his cheeks and urging his eyelids shut. The music pries his heart wide open, filling the hollow emptiness with sensations of lightness that he hasn't felt in such a long time. He hasn't even realized he was dozing off until he jerks awake to the sound of the god's voice.