Through Wine And Song [XiaoVen]

10. A Touch of Closure, A Finale

Suddenly, a blur of light barrelled towards Barbatos.

With a loud thud, the light reformed into the enigma it was before on the ground before the archon.

"Please...help me...I can't...I-" Asterios' voice was heard, loud and clearly as they begged, struggling to maintain a physical form.

A choking sound soon followed, the ground beneath them being dyed red with splatters of blood.

"I...I don't want to-" Another fit of choking and coughing cut them off, tears running down their ever changing face.

"You're begging for mercy and to be saved yet you helped to do all of this! You don't deserve pity!" Aether shouted, his grip on his sword tightening.

"I...I didn't have a choice..." They continued to struggle while talking. "Please...I'll...I'll be good."

The bard reached out, his gaze swirling with guilt and pity.

"Venti no! It might be a trick!" Lumine shouted, face still towards the army rogue spirits.

The archon stayed silent, briefly conflicted on what to do before he eventually deciding to listen to his values.

Conjuring hurricane like winds to surround his allies and Asterios, he spoke.

"Travellers, hold off the army! Alatus, come with me!" The twins hesitated for a moment, their ally's determined expression convincing them to agree.

As the winds subsided, the couple were off into the city, their pained companion on the archon's back.

"Barbatos, isn't this dangerous?" His partner asked as they ran.

"It's risky but our odds are high if we're fast enough."

A hand wrapped around the bard's neck, his lover now behind him ready to take the entity onto his own back.

"What do you plan to do that is so time sensitive?" Decarabian's voice sounded, attempting a mocking tone.

"Shut up! You have no right to talk Decarabian, not after making the innocent suffer!"

"Mondstadt was safe under my rule! They adored me!"

"Then why were you dethroned by an army of your own citizens?"

The bard stopped at the base of the statue in front of the cathedral, facing the anomaly rested on his partner's back.

"Look around, the people of Mond have been thriving ever since your demise." Venti spoke, causing the former ruler's soul to visibly flicker.

"I'm taking you into the cathedral and making sure Asterios suffers no more at your hand."

Without waiting for a reply, the archon turned and began to ascend to stairs leading to the famous Cathedral of Barbatos with the Vigilant Yaksha not far behind him.

Bursting through the doors, a series of gasps escaped the nuns in the main room of the building.

"Please, allow us to use an empty room to banish a spirit from this body." He gestured towards the ever-changing being. "It's urgent, we don't have much time."

With a nod, one of the nuns rushed off, the pair following after her.

"May the Anemo Archon protect you." She said to Xiao once they rested their companion down, leaving and closing the door before she could get a response.

"What, are you planning to perform an exorcism on me?" Decadabian teased despite his hands being restrained by the adeptus.

"No, not like you deserve to be told what will happen to you."