Destiny across domains

CHAPTER 3: The Dragon's Domain

At night, Lumine requested assistance from Knight of Favonius in entering the Dragon's Lair, and Grand Master gratefully accepted the invitation. "It is our solemn responsibility to protect our dear homeland. Rest assured, we are completely devoted to assisting you in defeating the dragon." With the words of wisdom and having dependable allies beside Lumine and Paimon.

"Should we spill the beans about Venti?" Paimon whispered in Lumine's ear.

"It's probably best to keep Venti's true identity under wraps for now," Lumine responded. "I mean, imagine us trying to spill the beans: 'Hey everyone, guess what? That drunk guy from last night is actually the Anemo Archon!' Yeah, not exactly a convincing story. Let's leave the big reveal to Venti in the morning. It'll be like the grand unveiling of a surprise guest star!"

"Want to share something?" Lisa whispered in Paimon's ear, leaving her in a constant state of shock.

"You'll understand everything come morning. But for now, get some rest. Tomorrow's a big day, and you'll need all the energy you can muster for what's ahead," Lumine interjected, changing the topic.

In the morning, near the statue of Seven, Lumine and Paimon arrived ahead of schedule, waiting for everyone to assemble. Past the designated meeting time, everyone else showed up except for Venti, which came as no surprise to Paimon and Lumine.

"Where's that guy who's always hitting the bottle? Well, he's probably still at it! Now we gotta go searching through every little alley just to find him," Paimon exclaimed in frustration.

"Who are you looking for?" Venti's voice suddenly came from behind them. Startled, Paimon and Lumine whirled around to face him.

"YOU!" they both shouted at Venti in unison. "It's been half an hour past the meeting time, and everyone's been waiting for you," Paimon scolded, her frustration evident in her tone.

"Ehe," Venti replied with a mischievous wink.

"WHAT ON TEVYAT IS 'ehe'?" Paimon exploded, her anger reaching new heights in that moment. It seemed she had ascended to the rank of the 8th god, becoming the Avatar of Wrath.

Changing the topic swiftly to avoid the brunt of Paimon's wrath, Venti introduced himself to the others. "Greetings, everyone. I am Venti. But you may also know me as Barbatos," he announced.

Upon hearing this revelation, Jean promptly pointed towards a nearby guard and called him over. "Quickly, fetch Sister Barbara! We've encountered someone who seems a bit... out of sorts, if you understand my meaning. He could use some mental recalibration," Jean said with genuine concern etched on her features as she regarded Venti.

Venti proceeded to offer the same explanation he had given to Lumine, shedding light on his true identity and the circumstances surrounding the recent events.

"So, let me get this straight," Jean interjected, her tone conveying a sense of determination as she sought clarity. "You're Barbatos, the esteemed creator of Mondstadt. Alright, moving forward with the plan. We'll require someone to weaken the dragon, or Dvalin, while Barbatos here administers the cure for the curse. Now, where does the Knight of Favonius come into play in all of this?"

As Jean posed these pertinent questions, Venti responded with confidence, as if he had foreseen this very scenario and orchestrated the gathering of these specific individuals for their assistance.

After a concise discussion of the plan and the allocation of roles to each individual, the group set out towards the north of Mondstadt, where the dragon's Lair lay, known locally as "The Abandoned Fortress." Upon arrival at the location, powerful elemental energy began to interfere with them, inducing severe headaches and numbness in their limbs. Nevertheless, everyone held their ground and proceeded towards the entrance of the fortress.