Meraki

Part 1 Chapter 5: Wings of Freedom

Sying made his way to the storm barrier in front of Stormterror's lair. He had killed the Cryo Abyss Mage the night before, and planned to meet Venti and Aether before they fought the dragon. The adeptus looked down from his position on the cliff, to see a Shieldwall mitachurl, an Anemo samachurl, and a Pyro hilichurl about to attack the group. Sying pulled out his midnight black sword and jumped down, covering his weapon in Nova energy. Once he was close enough to his former citizens, he swung his blade, killing the three monsters instantly.

"I'm sorry. May your souls ascend to Celestia in peace." Sying prayed before joining his friends at the storm barrier.

"Sying! You're back!" Aether exclaimed.

"Yeah. Sorry about running off like that. I killed the Abyss Mage, so we shouldn't have any more problems on that end." He laughed.

"We were worried about you. Don't run off like that again!" Venti scolded.

"Yes, sir." Sying teased with a smile. He looked at the dead bodies of the hilichurls. "Hilichurls don't normally venture into areas with high elemental concentrations. It puts a heavy burden on their bodies. The Abyss must have been controlling them." As Sying was explaining this to the rest of the group, Venti brought down the storm barrier.

"This is it. We are now entering Stormterror's lair. Watch yourselves. Let's move." Jean warned. Then, they entered the ruins of Old Mondstadt. Sying kept a close eye on Venti. He hadn't been here since his friend died, and Sying knew it must be hard to return. In the middle of Stormterror's lair was a tall building surrounded in an Anemo forcefield. The group walked across a stone bridge leading to it. Aether looked upward and noticed something.

"Hey, check out that roof. Is there a giant hole in it?"

"I suppose I could fly us in." Sying said.

"You can fly?" Aether asked.

"I can change into my dragon form and fly us all up there." Sying explained. The adeptus jumped off the stone bridge and turned into a large black chinese dragon with purple fur. The others jumped onto his back and Sying flew up the tall stone building to the hole in the roof. Once close enough, Sying transformed back into his adeptus form and they glided down to the top floor of the building.

"Normally we wouldn't be able to continue due to the seals, but it seems someone activated the light actuators for us." Venti informed them. "Now, I'm thinking about turning these adventures into songs after we're done."

"Well, we certainly have gone through quite a lot recently." Aether said.

"Hopefully, this song will be sung for years to come by the people of Mondstadt, just like The Legend of Venessa." Venti stated.

"I have loved that song since I was small." Jean told him. "How are you feeling today Aether, Sying? I am completely prepared and fully confident that we can do this."

"Rest assured, I'm also completely prepared!" Aether announced.

"I'm totally ready. This will be fun." Sying laughed.

"Even Master Diluc accompanied us to the very end. Despite being an accidentally involved bystander." Sying noticed.

"You shared your secret with me, and I only returned your trust to the same extent." Diluc replied.

"What about you Venti?" Aether wondered.

"It's freedom." The bard answered. "You see, Mondstadt is a romantic city, without the reign of a king. And its citizens enjoy the most freedom amongst the seven nations. I hope the dragon that once protected Mondstadt will soon be free too. No one should have deceived him by telling him that Mondstadt betrayed him. And no one should have told him that it was his eternal duty to protect the city. He has the right and freedom to choose his own way of life."

"And you, Sying?" Aether questioned.

"I don't want to see another nation destroyed. So, I'll fight. I'll fight to keep Mondstadt alive." Sying declared.

"Well, then, Aether, may the thousand years of wind that have blown through Mondstadt go with you. Just like the last time, I shall channel Anemo energy for you." Venti said. Venti activated a wind current for Aether and the traveler glided up to Dvalin, who was trying to leave. Sying transformed into a dragon and shot a Nova blast at him, hitting one of the blood clots on his back. Aether channeled the Anemo energy Venti was giving him, and shot it at the blood around Dvalin's tail. While Aether fought, Sying helped wherever he could. He almost shot the Outlander a few times by mistake. With a combined attack of Nova and Anemo energy, Dvalin landed on a nearby stone platform where Diluc, Venti, and Jean were waiting. Aether and Sying landed as the fight continued. Dvalin clawed the stone surface, cracking it, and disrupting an attack. The dragon shot a blast of Anemo energy, which was blocked by Venti creating a shield. Diluc hit the remaining blood clot with his Pyro infused claymore, followed by an attack from Jean. Stormterror roared, and swung his claws at the two, making them back away. Aether tried to go in for an attack, but was knocked back by Dvalin's tail. Sying grabbed the boy before he fell off the platform, saving him from falling to his death. Venti shot an arrow at the blood before dodging an incoming strike.

"I think we should strike at the same time. Individual attacks will take too long." Sying suggested. "We'll infuse Aether's sword with Anemo, Pyro, and Nova. Then, make a wind current to send him into the air. That way, he'll be able to plunge his sword into the blood clot, destroying it."

"Alright. Here we go!" Venti yelled, agreeing with the plan. Jean, Diluc, and Sying transferred their elemental energy to Aether's Harbinger of Dawn sword, making it glow three different colors. Barbatos created a wind current which sent Aether upward toward Dvalin. He plunged down, making his sword break the blood clot on Dvalin's neck. He jumped down onto the stone platform as the dragon fell out of sight. Suddenly, the platform and their surrounding area began to crumble.

"This place is gonna collapse!" Aether exclaimed. A rock hit the platform, breaking it to pieces. The group was sent tumbling down as Sying reached for the person closest to him, Jean. He managed to grab her hand before Dvalin flew underneath the group and carried them on his back.

"Thank you, Sying." Jean said. The adeptus smiled and let out a small laugh.

"It's been a while since we flew like this together, huh, Dvalin?" Venti recalled.

"Just now, why did you not ask me to protect you like the last time?" Dvalin asked.

"Me not wanting you to listen to the Abyss Order, doesn't mean that you have to listen to me. Freedom, if demanded of you by an Archon, is really no freedom at all." Venti explained.

"But I am no longer part of the Four Winds." Dvalin reminded him.

"Even if that's so, you still protected us regardless. Now spread your wings of freedom and go with my blessing." Venti decided.

And so, the Stormterror threat was quelled. The misunderstanding was cleared up to the citizens of Mondstadt to let them know that they are safe. To them, it seems Stormterror attacked Mondstadt out of nowhere and then vanished just as quickly. They must be finding the whole ordeal very confusing, however, winds change their course. Someday, they will blow towards a brighter future.