To the unknown Future

Chapter 11:

Venti, who was stuck outside of the building inside Uriel's Serenitea pot, made a conversation with the Serenitea pot spirit inside and they both wondered together why Uriel was both ashamed and embarrassed while bleeding.

"Y-You're still here?!" The door opened a little and Uriel peeked out and found Venti talking with the Serenitea pot Spirit. he saw that she changed her clothes already and she seemed to have taken a bath.

"Uriel! You're finally out, What happened?" Venti stood up and looked at her way with worry in his voice.

"T-This, just stay right there! Don't come close!" Uriel pointed at him that made Venti pause and look at her with a weird gaze.

"Really now, why are you acting like this, Uriel? It's just the two of us- oh right, Tubby is here too, Anyways, please enlighten me why are you suddenly putting distance between us?" Venti asked confused and slightly hurt about her stubbornness.

"I-It's something personal, Just go for today Venti, I'll be fine," Uriel still didn't want to tell him that made him feel left out and lost.

"Was it too much for you to tell me what's wrong with your being? I was just worried about you, I have no ill intent on you, Uriel," Venti said in a sad tone. Uriel pursed her lips before, sighing as if she gives up.

"It's embarrassing for me to tell this to you but... I-I'm on my... p-period," She said in mumbles that made Venti lean and walk closer to her to hear her.

"Period? What's that all about?" Venti asked confused. Uriel glared at his way in exasperation, He doesn't know?!

"Y-You, you must be joking, no? Y-You have no clue about p-periods?" Uriel asked in astonishment.

"I- I don't understand, what do you mean Uriel?"

"Y-You... get out and ask someone else!" Uriel got angry again and this time, kicked him outside of the Serenitea pot.

"B-But what did I do?" Venti was still confused and wanted to ask someone about this 'period' thing. And so he did.

He asked a few girls about this period and they gave him weird looks, and when he asked the males some were also oblivious about it too. It was not until Francis stopped him at the tavern and answered his question.

"That's a menstrual cycle of a female, they have that the first time and they were deemed as a new woman because of their ability to conceive children you know? Venti, I can't believe you were naive and asked around the city about that." Francis also didn't let the chance slip to educate the bard after a few teasing in between.

"..." Venti was too speechless and ashamed of himself. He lived for thousands of years and yet this period even slipped his mind and made a fool out of himself! So embarrassing.

'It was no wonder that Uriel was so shy talking about it, let alone having an opposite-sex see her at that state... aye, it's my fault this time. No wonder she was moody,' Venti wanted to slap himself for being indecisive.

After Francis' lectures, Venti decided to just let Uriel have her own time alone and continue on his daily life as a bard, it was in his favor when the people of Mondstadt slowly forgot about his embarrassment, and it took him at least a week to do that.

While walking towards the Springvale, He met someone on the road by a coincidence- no, it was just pure chance. In front of him were a group of treasure hoarders and they were targeting a cart with goods with two people protecting it. One was the girl merchant and the other one- It was Uriel back in her usual green Liyue clothes. 

"Give it up, Missy, you cannot win with all of us as your opponents," One of the hoarders threatened Uriel who was still in her attack-stance, the Merchant girl clinging on her leg fearing for her life. 

"I will give you one last warning, leave or die by my blade," The tone that Uriel used was unfriendly, and judging by her expression she was very serious with her threat. The treasure hoarders were not afraid and decided to continue with their harassment. 

Venti wanted to step in and help, but he knows that Uriel is a capable adventurer, he will just act as a support if she will be in danger. He watched as she used her Anemo vision to create a whirlwind and catch the treasure hoarders in one spot, she used the wind to jump higher, and with just a few seconds, She plunged down the dissipating whirlwind and killed three out of the nine treasure hoarders. 

"It will be quick, crossing the afterlife," Uriel said in a serious tone as she sprinted and clashed swords with a treasure hoarder. From a distance, he can see two who were aiming for her back while the other was rushing to the defenseless merchant. 

"URIEL AT THE BACK!" Venti shouted at her way as he readied his bow to shoot at the treasure hoarder going to the merchant. Uriel rolled down sideways and used her sword to injure the treasure hoarder from the back before standing up and killing them on the spot. 

Venti jumped down from the tree and went towards Uriel who was staring into the sky again. He called her name with a soft tone, looking at her expression and her mood. 

"...I killed humans..." Uriel suddenly whispered that made Venti pause and look down at the grasses and the ground died in red. 

"M-Miss Uriel-" The Merchant girl walked towards them but Venti signaled her to not take a step further. 

"Can you give us a few minutes to take care of the corpse here? Please see if your goods are still in good condition," Venti said and went closer to Uriel and held her hand. It was trembling and she seem to be in a state of shock. 

He wrapped his arms around him and hug her inside his arms, letting her head lean on his neck. He started to rub her back in a gentle manner. 

"Take deep breaths, Uriel, It's going to be fine now, You did the right thing," Venti tried to soothe her and the grip she have on the hem of his clothes was tight. 

"I-I warned them many times... I tried to not draw my sword... In the end... In the end... I still k-killed h-humans..." Uriel seemed to be more shaken than earlier and Venti know that she was getting sensitive from the sight of the corpses. 

"Go back to the Serenitea pot first and wait for me, I'll finish your commissions here," Venti offered to her and helped her take the Serenitea Pot from her bag and let her enter the Serenitea pot first and escorted the Merchant girl after he took care of the corpses of the treasure hoarders.

Venti took two hours to complete the other commissions before going to the Windrise and going inside the Serenitea pot after placing it in a safe spot next to the Statue of the Seven. 

Entering the Serenitea pot, a surprise met him there.