Chapter Text
It was always windy at the Stormbearer Point.
Even in the middle of the hottest summer it was chilly on the cliffs, with winds bringing cooling ocean currents all the way from the north.
Apart from a couple of brave adventurers, very few dared to defy the winds gusting dangerously at the cliff area. The local Hilichurl settlements kept most tourists away, so its nature remained mainly untouched.
Venti didn’t mind the monsters. He knew they would leave him alone, if he also left them alone. He defied the cold, because he loved hearing what kind of stories the currents had to tell. The ocean winds were full of interesting tales from other nations. Sometimes they were in the form of a poem, ballad or a rumor. They were unpredictable, coming and going on a whim.
He took a deep breath. The wind here was brisk, different from the mainland. In the city, it was gentler. Every place in Mondstadt had its own scent, all familiar to Venti. He knew every nook and cranny out there.
That’s how he immediately noticed there was something different—a new, unknown essence emerging from the direction of the Brightcrown Mountains. Wind’s pace picked up, and Venti sensed Dvalin’s presence getting closer. But what was that smaller one next to him? That barely recognizable ball of Anemo energy couldn’t be anything but...
Soon the mighty form of Stormterror emerged amongst the clouds. His looming shadow scared the local Hilichurl tribes, causing them to flee into the woods.
Next to the massive dragon hovered a small turquoise orb, sticking closely to Dvalin’s side. The large wings protected the child from the strong gale-force winds. Occasionally a gust made through the barrier, disturbing the little one’s flight.
“Yahoo~!” Venti waved his hands excitedly. “Over here~! Let’s meet up at the meadow!”
He made his way to a field full of wildflowers and soft leafy plants for a dragonling to make a safe landing in. Grassy terrain was a lot better choice than the cliffside. The sea below the cliff was full of sharp rocks and stones.
He looked up. The two dragons flew in circles. Venti heard a low rumbling voice in the wind, Dvalin was probably instructing the small one how to land. It seemed a bit uncertain.
“Don’t worry! I’ll catch you!” Venti shouted, inviting the dragon into his arms. The small dragonling built up his courage and started its landing. It dived from the sky with wavering wings. The descent was rapid. Dvalin followed the child, circling around them, ready to swoop in for rescue if needed. The wind whipped Venti’s hair, and he steadied himself, planting his feet firmly on the ground. The dragonling’s wings waved distressed, struggling to control the speed. He adjusted the winds below it to soften its speed, to ease its landing. Just when it looked like the dragon would crash into the ground, Venti took a deep breath and braced himself.
In a heavy force, the dragonling collided with Venti’s chest.
“Woaah!!”
The impact was strong and knocked the air out of him. The archon tumbled, but managed to keep his balance and hold the dragonling securely in his arms.
The small dragonling trembled, its cerulean eyes wide with fear and confusion. It clung to Vent, its tiny claws digged deeper into his cloak.
“Aww, there, there, little one. You’re safe now,” Venti sang in a soothing voice, giving the baby gentle pats on the head. “You did so great! Yes, you did!”
The archon’s voice had a familiar tone. The dragonling couldn’t remember where it had heard the voice before, but it knew it could be trusted. It brought back hazy memories that it couldn’t quite make sense of. The fear of the sudden landing gradually disappeared, and it began to feel calmer. The dragonling cooed softly, nuzzling closer to Venti, seeking comfort. Dvalin landed next to them, carefully observing the two, with a warm glow in his eyes.
“What a precious baby you are”, Venti sang, stroking the dragonling’s soft, iridescent scales. “And look at your scales! So shiny and pretty - like teal, sparkly sapphires!”
Its face melted under the pampering and praising, it leaned stronger against the bard to get the most out of the petting. Despite being still a baby, the dragonling was very heavy.
*THUD*
Its weight knocked them both down onto the grass.
“Ohhoh~”
“Roaarw!” The dragonling screeched, displeased that the petting had stopped. It growled again, letting out what it thought of as a mighty roar. It had learned from its parent, whose magnificent voice could divide the skies. Venti tried to sit up, laughing at the dragon’s cuteness.
“Groaar”, it growled and suddenly headbutted Venti’s face, launching the bard back to the ground.
“Ouch!” He yelped.
Dvalin barked a sharp command, a warning for the baby, and it crouched down timidly.
“Oh, no no, that’s okay. You can headbutt me all you want. It was my fault for stopping the petting anyway!” Venti hurried to soothe the dragonling, but it ran away and laid down in the grass, licking its own tail in shame.
Then it noticed something moving. A vibrant Valberry bush, full of ripe berries, swaying in the wind. The dragonling crouched, tail wagging back and forth while it waited for the perfect time to leap.
“It’s great to see you again”, Venti praised, “your baby is soo cute, you did such a good job!”
“Thank you for your words, Lord Barbatos”, Dvalin looked at his daughter, pride evident in his eyes. ”She is fond of flying but landing is still challenging for her.”
“Aww, the daughter of the Stormterror has a majestic sound to it, don’t you think?”
They exchanged their greetings while watching the small one attacking everything in its sight.. The dandelions, blades of grass, butterflies, leaves drifting in the wind and others didn’t stand a chance against the dragonling’s fierce and calculated attacks.
Venti tilted his head, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “Did you come up with a name yet?”
“Tyrfing”, the dragon answered, “to ensure she will grow up strong and kind. It will be years before she’ll learn how to have a basic conversation with humans—and with you.. I need to keep her close until that happens. To make sure she doesn’t wreak havoc on anyone.”
Venti hummed in agreement, and chuckled when Tyrfing got scared by her own tail and attacked it. “You have a huge responsibility in your claws! I guess you can’t soar the skies so freely anymore, huh…”
“Flying freely has its merits but I am not upset”, Dvalin answered, “I cannot compare it to this.”
“If you need a day off every now and then, I’m willing to babysit!” Venti grinned. “Well… she’ll need to get used to me first, but that just means you’ll need to visit more!”
“Thank you, my lord, I’ll keep that in mind.”
They fell silent to listen to the wind - and the baby dragon rustling among the grass.
“Maybe I should celebrate this moment with a song”, Venti hummed, summoning his lyre. “Let’s see if she recognizes this one!”
The appearance of the lyre caught her attention. Tyrfing tilted her head, her emerald eyes fixed on Venti and the instrument.
When the first notes formed into a verse, she dashed to their side. But instead of attacking, she lowered herself comfortably onto the grass. As the song went on, Tyrfing’s small form relaxed further, her eyes half-closed in a state of bliss. As the lullaby changed to another lullaby, Tyrfing fell asleep, and his soft snoring accompanied the rhythm. Venti heard the song through a low purring, but also a deeper growl. He had been so focused on the small baby dragon that he hadn’t noticed the bigger (baby) dragon had fallen asleep as well!
Venti giggled and stopped playing. He sat down to lay against Dvalin’s side, focusing on the mismatched snoring and breathing around him. Despite being a master of lullabies himself, Venti found the sounds to be more soothing than any of the songs he knew, and they lulled him to a peaceful sleep as well.