Falling for You

Chapter 44 - Words of the wind

3rd person POV

 Taking out his lyre, Venti sat down in the middle of the deck and plucked a few strings, gathering the attention of the crew.

 The wind around them quieted as if waiting for the bard's song, and even the sea remained calm, allowing the crew to listen to the story in peace.

 A melody as old as new Mondsadt soon rose on the silent ship, bringing the tale of a dragon, a child of the heavens, to the mortal world once again.

What is to be sung transpired in days of yore,When the divine archons still walked the earth.A dragon cast his curious gaze on the world belowAs he parted from the heavens that gave his birth.
The dragon sought truth amongst common folk,But mortal trifles only fogged his mind.
The windborne bard strummed his strings dolceAnd the Holy Lyre answered his questions kind.The dragon was but a child full of wonder,And soared the heavens free from care.
The bard's songs invited him to sing along,For he yearned to let all perceive him fair.
Enchanting legends the bard and dragon were,But the tides of despair soon engulfed the land;The lion fang perished and the falcon flag slept.As a vile dragon approached Mondstadt in lone stand,
Over the Cathedral loomed death and his friends.Of the people's agony the bard soon sang.
The soaring dragon heeded his grave calls,And amidst the windstorms a brutal war sprang.Blood of venom sent the sky dragon into slumber,Only to awake to be expelled in abhor.
"Why do people in this age loathe me so?"But the Holy Lyre replied no more.
Wrath and woe, vigor and venom,Poured from the dragon's bitter eyes.The dragon's curse sprawled in silence,But the Lyre could no longer soothe his cries.
But like always, winds change their course,One from a far land heeded the desperate calls.

Winds, flames, and swords, came to aid,
And battle commenced where a tyrant had been slain.
Swords slashed, arrows flew, songs were sung,
And the lyre's strings were once again strung.

Storms stilled and the people's cries calmed,
Freedom had returned to them once more.

 Winds soared, and a loud cry rang, as a large shadow was cast on the Alcor's men. A dragon, blue as the sky appeared before their eyes, roaring as if answering the bard's last lines.

Venti's POV

 I knew it, he came.

 As I sang the last lines of the now-finished song, I felt the winds change, and the sea move, announcing his arrival.

 "Barbatos." His voice sounded in my head.

 "Good to see you again, Dvalin." I answered out loud

 I expected him to land on the ship in his human form, but instead, he circled around the ship, turning smaller with each flap of his wings. he finally landed on my lap, snuggling into my arms.

 "What's wrong, Dvalin?" He only ever does this if he's in a bad mood.

 "It's nothing." He answered and from his tone, I knew I wouldn't get a truthful answer even if I asked again.

 "So this is a dragon. I have never seen one before." Kazuha looked at Dvalin with great interest.

 "I have seen the Exuvia, but a living dragon is something else." Beidou also stepped closer.

 Xiao on the other hand, just exchanged a silent greeting with Dvalin, no doubt feeling his complicated mood.

 "Can I touch him?" Kazuha asked extending his hand, but he didn't dare reach too close.

 "I'm not the one who can give you permission. Whether you can touch him depends solely on Dvalin." I expressed my standing.

 To my surprise, however, Dvalin looked at Kazuha's hand and grew in size a little, just enough for his head to reach the outstretched hand.

 "Aren't you being friendly today?" I chuckled.

 "He resembles you, Barbatos. He feels the same as your winds, calm." His words sounded in my mind.

 "Is that so?" I couldn't help but look up at Kazuha with interest.

 "What?" His hand petting Dvalin faltered when he met my gaze

 "You just became even more interesting than you were before."

 "What did I do this time?"

 "Nothing in particular."

 Before he could come up with an answer, Dvalin moved again, turning even smaller than he had before. After turning to a size that was barely bigger than the palm of my hand, he flew up, landing on Kazuha's shoulder.

 "Captain Beidou, will you mind if I speed your ship up a little?" Dvalin's voice sounded, this time loudly.

 "No, no, of course not! But, may I ask, how do you know my name?"

 "There's not much the wind doesn't know. The Crux fleet's achievements are especially well known among the winds of the sea."

 "Is- is that so?" She looked a little lost.

 "That was meant to be a praise, captain Beidou. If the wind sings your tales, it means they are great tales indeed." I explained, and immediately her face brightened up.

 "I'll go inform the crew!" With that, she ran off.

 "Barbatos, I wish to talk to him." His voice sounded in my mind again.

 "Do as you wish, Dvalin. I have told you already, your life is yours, do as you wish." This time, I too answered through our consciousness.

 He just looked at me for a moment before turning to Kazuha. I saw shock fill the samurai's face and the next second he started floating up towards one of the crow's nests.

 "Woah!" He let out a surprised cry at the sudden lack of footing.

 "Have a good time, Kazuha." I waved at him as he floated up higher.

 The moment he landed, the wind also began to rise, pushing the ship along in the direction of Inazuma. I could hear Beidou shouting orders to the crew and soon the sail tensed, catching the wind fully.

 The Alcor began to sail with at least twice the speed as before, but everyone seemed to enjoy the rush. Well, except maybe just one person...

 "Xiao?" he looked worse than before.

 "Ugh!" Before I could even reach him, he leaned over the railing, throwing up whatever food he still had in him.

 I saw him stagger, and the next moment, he passed out.

Xiao's POV

 I opened my eyes to see an unfamiliar landscape. Islands floating in a sea of clouds, and in front of me, a building that looked like some kind of temple.

 "Where is this?"

 "Enkanomiya." Venti said as he came to stand beside me.

 "Enkanomiya?" I was strangely calm, even when faced with this unfamiliar environment. Maybe it was because Venti was here too.

 "A shadow of it anyway. A way to always remember it even if it's gone."

 "I suppose we aren't really in Enkonomiya then."

 "Just a wold of illusions, nothing more."

 "Why?" Why are we here? Why do you sound a little sad?

 "I had been thinking of taking you in here since we boarded the ship since you can't possibly feel seasick in here. Now that Dvalin is around, I felt it was safe enough to bring our minds in here."

 "It is a beautiful place." It really is.

 "Allow me to lead you around then." He stretched out his hand.

 "Gladly."

 I took his hand and for the duration of the rest of our journey to Inazuma, he led me around, showing me every hidden corner of this mysterious world.