Chapter Text
The winds had changed.
They had grown strong and violent within the week after the green bard’s visit to the neighbouring land. Vendors had noticed the change in atmosphere, how dark it had grown and how ashen the state of Mondstadt had become.
The worst of it came when the winds blew violently against the city of Mondstadt. Street vendors closed their shops and tucked away their goods while citizens were ordered to remain in their homes until the storm had left.
And when it left, it brought grief.
No one knew why Mondstadt was grieving. The winds blew somber, howling in sadness. The windmills spun softly as though it was lost in thought. Even the clouds had been swept across the sky to block the sun, drenching the city in a sort of darkness.
The nuns pray to their lord, but their connection to him feels greatly severed. Even Deaconess Barbara struggles to pray to Lord Barbatos.
“The winds have changed course.” Jean says as she peers out of the window of the grandmaster’s office. “I don’t know what’s happening, and frankly I’m worried.”
The next day was filled with playful winds and sunny skies, a complete turnabout from the previous day’s gloom.
The nuns are confused, but nonetheless happy that their prayers were heard.
The day following this weather whiplash, the party returns home with two bards missing, one having lost his life while the other lost in his grief.
Jean sends them to retrieve the young archon, but they return empty handed.
“He’s fled.” Diluc says. “The wind had probably whisked him away.”
Jean nods and sends them off, rewarding her knights generously while Diluc is paid handsomely by leaving him alone for the next year (no promises).
She sends out a search party to find the bard, having requested the search for the bard as a commission to the Adventurers Guild.
They come back empty handed unsurprisingly. As incompetent as Diluc complains the knights may be, at least they’re not as as useless as the Adventurers Guild.
Instead she sets a bounty of sorts on him. To whoever brings him back alive, a generous reward awaits.
And so begins the hunt for the blue bard named Cecilio.
Outrider Amber roams around Mondstadt to ensure nothing is out of the ordinary. With the whole mess that had transpired in both Liyue and Mondstadt over and done with, there hasn’t been much excitement to look forward to.
She walks through the grassy fields of Windrise, walking around and ensuring that the hilichurl camps do not increase in size of quantity.
Her legs ache at having to walk such a far distance, having used to gliding through the air. She needs to sit down and take a break, and hurriedly makes her way to the archon statue before she collapses.
Once she gets to the slab of stone below the statue, she drops herself and stretches her legs, sighing as they finally get to rest after walking through so much uneven land.
She sighs once again in content when she feels the blessings of the statue heal her aching legs, and she sends a prayer to her lord and archon.
She hears giggling behind her, and curiosity gets the better of her as she stands up to investigate the source of the noise.
She makes her way to the tree, carefully stepping through the thick roots of Lady Vanessa’s tree, looking around to see who was giggling. Unable to find anyone around her, she starts to walk back to continue her stroll, only to hear giggling again. From above.
She looks up, and her eyes widen at the familiar boy.
“Cecilio!”
The boy smiles high up from the tree. “Hi Amber!” He greets before disappearing with the wind, reappearing in front of her with a giggle and a hug to her waist.
She pats his head endearingly, until she remembers that this is her god and she should treat him with more respect. “Lord Venti.”
“Outrider Amber.” Cecilio looks up. “Come now there’s no need for such titles.”
“Hehe, right.” She goes back to patting him.
They stand under the tree with Cecilio’s arms wrapped her around for a moment, before they decide to take a seat against the big great tree.
Amber sits against the tree so she leans against the trunk of it, while Cecilio sits himself in front of her, leaning against her.
Instinctively she plays with his hair, a braided crown full of otherworldly flowers. She picks them off and places them beside her, before untying the string and letting loose his braids.
She carefully loosens the hair from its tightly woven design, the boy in her lap breathing evenly with a relaxed sigh. She untangles the knots in his hair as gently as possible, doing her best to ensure he does not wake from such peace.
Once she’s done tending to his braids, she loosely combs her fingers through his hair, lighting brushing through it whilst also caressing him softly.
He falls asleep in her lap, and purrs lightly as she combs her way through his hair. She plays with his long strands, fiddling them and their cyan tips.
Something within her takes over, and she watches as fingers she calls her own make work of the hair with orders that aren’t her own.
A white haired huntress comes to mind, and she lets herself be whisked away into the land of dreams to give them privacy for this reunion.
When Cecilio wakes up, it is under the cover of Vanessa’s blessing, and under the protective gaze of Lady Amos.
His hand reaches up to touch her face, and she holds his hand gently, caressing his knuckles with her thumb.
She kisses the back of his hand. “My lord.”
He laughs. “Miss Amos! How lovely it is to see you.” He retracts his hand. “And to wake with such a lovely view.”
Amos hums. “Yes, it is such a beautiful sight, Venti.” She combs through his hair. “To think that my husband thought this view to be dangerous.”
She snorts as he giggles at the sight of the O Mighty Lord of Storms being scared of such a peaceful landscape of fields and grass.
“Come now milady, context is needed in every situation.” He chides lightly. “We could only see this because Barbatos has reached a resolution.”
Amos hums and they fall into a peaceful silence.
“Miss Amos, why have you come to visit me?” He asks before shaking his head. “Nevermind. My friend Barbatos, how is he?”
“Your friend is a lively one, but he’s filled with a sadness greater than his little body could contain.” She says sadly. “I’m afraid something will happen.”
Cecilio tears his eyes away from her saddened ones, and instead fiddles around in his cloak, before bringing forth a present for her.
“A flower crown!” He announces with a cheer. “So hopefully you stop feeling so down!”
Amos smiles at her lord, and lowers her head so he can place it atop Amber’s head. “You’re as kind as ever, my lord.”
He giggles as he positions the crown so it may safely sit on her head without it falling out so easily. “I hereby crown you Huntress Amos of Mondstadt!” He smiles. “Let not the chains of marriage keep you down from what you once had.”
She smiles and lets her hand hover over her lord’s blessing. “Thank you, little one.” She caresses his head once more. “I must go now. Please stay safe my lord. I will try to visit you every now and then.”
He hugs her. “Thank you my huntress, but I’d rather you stay in celestia and rest. For you had already done your best.”
She departs with a smile, and Cecilio position’s Amber’s body comfortably against the tree’s trunk, and allows the wind to carry him atop the tree where he can watch over her vulnerable body.
When she wakes up, he lingers for a moment, before becoming one with the wind.