Notes: this Au is kinda off-timed. You(traveler) meet zhongli, and you have suspicions that hes morax, but you have not yet done his archon quest and you are only just completing venti's archon quest. Oh! also! the scene where Signora takes his gnosis? it doesnt happen straight after the scene where we first meet her, but a little after that.
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"ehe.." Venti laughed awkwardly at the situation. Despite Dvalin, one of his oldest friends, being cured he couldn't help but feel as if something was off. A disturbance. It flows in the air, and with Venti's weakened state, he could barely grasp onto it. Barbaras mouth dropped in shock and it was silence for but a moment before a loud squeal breached the air, "AAAAAARGH!! THE HOLY LYRE!!" Barbaras knees gave way beneath her. "Oh, Lord Barbatos... Even if i atoned for these sins for the rest of my life.." Barbara started praying, before hurriedly continuing in a frantic tone of voice," ..It would still not be enough!!!" Silence filled the room again, before Venti's face contorted into that of guilt. a sigh rang through the hall. "oh, give it here." he all but muttered. Aether(or more known as traveller) passed it over and Venti's braids begun glowing a luminescent cyan. The lyre was quickly smothered in a greenish neon light, before it was returned to its former glory. Barbara gasped in shock,"The holy lyre.. but how?" she said relieved, before her face hardened again after Paimon demanded Barbara to let her see. "No! No! I don't know how you managed to fix it, but you'll never touch the lyre again!!" she said stubbornly before running off to return the lyre to its stand below the cathedral. "We.. ahh.. should really get going.." Venti started," That trick I used to restore the holy lyre... hehe.. I mean the magic I used,.. it isn't going to last forever you know." he whispered. Jean, Aether and Paimon all recoiled in shock, unease evident on their faces. "TONE-DEAF BARD!!!" Paimon screeched at the cheeky musician who was fleeing the scene. Despite Venti having short legs, he was extremely fast.
Aether did the best he could to catch up, but he just couldn't, instead finding resolve in teleporting to the Windrise Anemo statue, where he quickly spotted Venti underneath the large tree. "Venti! wow your fast.. even emergency food over here is panting despite always floating" Aether began before it slowly drifted off into complaining. "HEYY!!! PAIMON IS NOT EMERGENCY FOOD!!AND FLOATING IS TIRING TOO!!" Paimon shouted, her screech rendering those nearby deaf. "Ah! Traveller! Why are you here?"
Venti said, his cheerful tone sounding slightly out of place. "well.. i wa-" "oo! oo! Paimon wants to know how you did that holy lyre thingy!" The creature cut off the traveller, and he settled on giving her a blank stare. not even a side eye, a whole ass glare. Venti looked as if he was trying to decide something, he even opened his mouth once before shutting it again. "well.. i suppose you wont tell anyone.. You can keep a secret right?" Venti asked, sounding slightly strained. Venti sighed. "This isn't something i'm meant to discuss with ordinary people. But i suppose.. i can let you in on the secret." Venti sounded discontent. "As you know, visions are external magic foci that only a small minority of people possess. They use these visions to channel elemental power." Venti continues, " In truth, every wielder of a vision is one who can attain godhood and ascend to Celestia. We call such people allogenes. Before you ask, this is only a secret held between archons, so you have most likely never heard of such things." Venti inhaled a deep breath. " When mortals such as you attain godhood, you gain something called a gnosis, which gives us archons power, but do not be mistaken for we did not attain godhood for no small reason. A gnosis is the connection between and Archon and Celestia, and this is how we communicate." venti explained. A loud rumble came from Paimon. "..." "..." ".." all three were silent. "Paimons hungry from all this chatter, c'mon Traveller!" Paimon shouted, her loud voice echoing in Aethers mind like a parasite. "ask quickly child. i can see you have a question, its written all over you." Venti said, a soft smile playing on his lips. "well.. i was wondering.. your an archon.. but you didn't appear to want to fight and didn't deal very much damage during the fight with Dvalin.. i wanted to know why you held back." Aether explained, his voice small. "Well. Despite Mondstadt being very loyal to me, they have all lost hope that i will answer to their prayers and began to stop praying. Without believers or a nation to rule, or even hope all-together, an Archon is rendered useless, for what gives them power is how highly they are respected and the land they rule over. But i do not rule over Mondstadt and my only way of gaining power is by them praying which they- They no longer do unless in a great need, i guess what im trying to say is i am the weakest of the seven due to this fact. so i was not holding back." Venti said softly. "maybe.. you can begin helping people indirectly? like when children ask for help, direct them?" Aether suggested. "Maybe child, now hurry along for Paimon isn't very patient." Venti muttered, before sitting down and lying against the tree. Traveller walked away but quickly decided to use the teleport waypoint in
Mondstadt.
"Traveller... do you think Venti is alright? he seemed off.." Paimon said, worry etched in her voice. Traveller was silent. "oo! i know! lets pray to Venti!! maybe that will help him gain power!! if we start getting peoples hopes up again.." Paimon said, trailing off at the end. Traveller nodded, Before frowning and saying it wouldn't work because why would somebody believe them? Jean and Diluc knew Venti was Barbatos and possibly Kaeya, he IS very observant.
'oh lord Barbatos!! please help!! i've lost dolly!!'a five year old child, Waina Hemsworth, cried out, and the wind carried it to his ears. Venti thought to himself before sending a message through wind.
' To find the doll that you seek, where you last played you must peek.'
The child gasped, before squealing in delight and checking the garden outside her house. "dolly!!!" the girl shouted, and a woman ran outside. "Waina!! You know better then to run away from mummy!" the woman, presumably her mother, scolded. "But mummy! mummy! Barbatos helped me find dolly! He told me!!" the girl said, excitement lacing her voice. Her mother paused, "... hunny you know Barbatos has laid dormant for years- are you sure..?" the lady(bertha) asked, her voice trembling. "yes yes!!! ooohh!!! he answered!! mummy he answered!!" the girl repeated. Bertha picked up her daughter and rushed to the church, pushing past the bustling streets of Mondstadt. "Sister Victoria!! Its Barbatos!! He's no longer dormant! He's been awakened and answered my daughter!!" Bertha cried out, All heads in the Cathedral turned to look at the mother-daughter pair. "Are you sure? This is wonderful news!" Sister Victoria cried out. Some rushed out to spread the news, whereas others stayed to hear what was being said. Everyone had gained hope, and little by little, they were believing more and more.
Somewhere far a way, a young bard felt strange and tingly, but ultimately decided to sleep it off.
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