Chapter Text
Seems to me that you – you can’t sleep
Grab the shroud, and we’ll roar to the clouds,
Come and get us, and the wind picks up, up, up,
And I’ll never let you down
- The Amazing Devil, Not Yet / Love Run (Reprise)
Xiao was going through it. Mortals often speak about having a bad day. Well, frankly, Xiao was having a bad decade. The numbers of enemies he had to fight on behalf of Liyue grew by the day while his number of allies remained stagnant. The burden was becoming harder and harder to bear. Meanwhile, his own body was actively working against him; his karmic debt was becoming worse and worse each day. Any battle wound he had earned paled in comparison to the pain of this debt he owed and that was only the physical part of it. The psychological part was arguably worse, not that he would ever admit that. He did not have the luxury of admitting to his pains. Not here, not now.
He was in the middle of a battle with a particularly vicious creature. This being’s affinity for the Geo element was nothing to kid about. He found himself going all-out on his strength and, while he was confident he would win, he found himself a bit worried about the price he would have to pay in order for him to win. In order to best this beast he would need to fully focus on the offense, and he had nobody to cover for the defence he would be leaving open in that case. Still, he followed through with his plan. Even if the worst came to pass, and he had to lay down his life, he knew that by doing so he would have fulfilled the debt he owed Morax, by dying in service to Liyue. So, really, it would not be all that terrible.
That was all the motivation he needed to give himself that final push. With a well-aimed move of his polearm, he delivered the fatal blow to this creature. He watched as its body froze and then slumped, devoid of the life it had held mere moments ago. He focused on taking a few deep breaths. As soon as his body allowed him to, he turned on his heel to make his way back to the Wangshu Inn. He looked towards the sky to determine that dawn would not arrive for another two hours. At this, he sighed a breath of relief. He would be able to quietly sneak in and go unnoticed without any additional efforts.
He arrived at the docks of Liyue Harbour unnoticed and revelled in the quietness of the city. He found it quite pleasant to be able to slip past the houses and the shops without having to worry about making his presence as small as possible to avoid the notice of the mortals that wander the city by day. In fact, he only saw two people in the city on the way to the inn. One was a baker: it is not unusual for them to be awake before the light brightens the displays they spent the night preparing. The other was a drunkard, passed out against the door of the tavern he must have visited the evening before.
Xiao actually had not noticed the man at first. He did not have a particularly imposing stature. Much like Xiao himself, he had a smaller build. Unlike Xiao, he was a very heavy sleeper. The man did not seem to notice it when Xiao almost tripped over the other’s feet and mumbled out an apology. Having noticed that his apology had fallen on deaf ears, Xiao gazed at the man for a little bit. He had the kind of face that it was hard to attach an age to. When Xiao looked closer, he also noticed that the man was leaning against an instrument. An artist, huh? Xiao’s heart went out to him a little bit. He must not have earned much with his spiel to be out here on a cold night like this. Xiao conjured a small blanket from his belongings and covered the man. In apology, of course, for nearly tripping over the bard.
Back at Wangshu Inn, Xiao cleaned off the remains of the battlefield to the best of his abilities. He had a few deeper cuts and some bruising that he might not be rid of so soon, but for now this would be enough. He made his way to the sleeping area immediately after, feeling overcome with the wear and tear of the night. As he closed his eyes, he noticed a faint melody in the air. Was it already time for the bird’s morning song? Surely it could not be—He barely had time to contemplate before sleep overtook his senses. The next morning he woke up more well-rested than he had been in ages and his karmic debt did not feel quite as insurmountable as it had the day before. Maybe his luck was turning around.
A few decades passed and Xiao’s invigorated state had truly been a blessing during this period. After that battle where he was ready to give it his all and offer his final breath for the city he served, he woke up with his energies replenished. It almost felt like an act of divine intervention. However, this was shrugged off. It was not congruent with Morax’ preferred behaviour. Though Morax had certainly had such kindnesses attributed to him in the past, he never spared any effort for it to be an act of unknown intervention. After all, the reputation and the involvement of the God himself could certainly be called a key element of his rule.
These days Xiao still fought on Liyue’s behalf almost every night, but he also started to find other enjoyments. He wanted to know not only the lands of Liyue, but also the city. And so, making sure to keep his distance, he found himself wandering the quiet streets the early mornings and late evenings produced. This way he could keep his distance from the mortals, while still seeing some of the changes society has been privy to beyond the walls of Wangshu Inn. He found that the change he most enjoyed was the abundance of music that had found its way to the city from different parts of Teyvat.
It was on one of these evening strolls that he spotted a familiar get-up in one of the taverns. He was glancing around inside from his place outside of the establishment, shielded by the roof of a building on the opposite side of the street, when he saw a familiar green get-up. He probably would not have remembered the man if that particular day had not been edged into his memory so well because of the other circumstances that had befallen him that day. The fact that the bard had barely changed at all also helped. He still wore either the same or a very similar get-up to the one he did then, and time had been kind to his face. He must’ve been younger back then than Xiao had thought.
Xiao took a moment to actually listen to his song. It was quite entrapping, even against all the ruckus of the tavern itself. While the people where bustling and howling for another round, the bard remained a clear focus on his instrument and seemed to remain unbothered by the lack of audience engagement. He closed his eyes and sunk into the music. Today, he was playing on a lyre. Xiao couldn’t make out the design of it, but if he had to guess by the sound, he would say it was quite a beautiful instrument. The notes that stringed through the air had a deep, warm sound to them. The melody filled Xiao’s senses and flooded his mind with memories of sunny days and clear meadows. The effects of his karmic debt were almost silent. He felt that if he were to go to sleep, he would sleep well. And so, he guided himself back to the inn and fell into a deep sleep with bright dreams of calm landscapes and green scenery that felt both familiar, and so very different from the rugged scenes he was used to in Liyue.
Xiao was deeply loyal to Morax, and therefore, Liyue, and much of its protection depended on him. Which is why he found himself in a state of surprise when the Archon requested for him to oversee a delivery that had to be made to Mondstadt. He would never want to refuse the God he was so deeply loyal to anything, but at the same time this may prove quite difficult for him. Mondstadt was a city of a similar reputation as that of Liyue Harbour, but one that he was not familiar with. He would not know the paths and times that would allow him to best avoid people. He did not see any way out of this that would not mean refusing the Geo Archon anything. So, he swore to the Archon that he would do his very best to complete the mission.
The mission was not quite as he expected. Rather than a big entourage of people and goods, he was sent by his lonesome with a small package with the instructions to not open it under any circumstances and to meet a person that would know the codewords at the Angel’s Share tavern. Still, it might be a nice break. He has spent so many centuries in Liyue now, without ever taking his leave. He finds he has no clear image of what Mondstadt would even look like anymore. He embarks on his journey with a smile, hoping to quench his curiosity on this well-welcomed break from protecting Liyue.
The journey to Mondstadt was shorter than Xiao had expected. The weather was very much on his side. The wind was but a teasing breeze and the landscape was a lot less rugged than the landscape he was used to in Liyue. Even the mountains looked very different. Almost as if one had taken a blade and just razed the tops right off. Xiao huffed at the ludicrous thought. These plains really called to the imagination, he supposed.
He was nearing the city gates when he took a short pause. He could see from here that the city was buzzing with people, but it did not seem as bad as he had feared. He was sure that so long as he did not mingle with the locals beyond what was necessary, his karmic debt would not form a particular threat. And, anyway, he would not be here for all that long. He was merely giving off a package as a service to the God to which he owed so much. He was not here for the sole purpose of enjoying the reprieve of his duties that Morax had granted him to fulfil this request. That was only a happy by-product of the circumstances.
When he arrived at the tavern it was still early in the evening. The patrons were not quite past the point of no return in their inebriation yet, which Xiao found he quite appreciated, and the music was still quite soft. There was a harpist seeing over the musical entertainment for this part of the evening and Xiao could see that, though she was quite talented and guided the room with the sweet lull of her instrument, she was not the type of main act that people would purposefully seek out.
He took a seat on the first floor of the tavern, as per instruction, and awaited the arrival of Morax’ associate. He had been waiting for around an hour, focusing on the soft push and pull of the music all around, when a familiar bard plopped down in front of him. Xiao found himself at a slight loss for words. He had only seen the man twice before, but it must have been around a century since the first time he had seen him. Yet, the man still looked the same. Not quite as mortal as he had thought then.
“Hi, I’m Venti. The winds are very pink today.” The bard said with a cheerful smile and held out his hand, expectant. “And who do I have the honour of speaking with?” Xiao was a bit taken back by the contrast between the polite manner of speech and the way he held out his hand like he was expecting something, Ah, yes. The package, of course. He had said the code phrase, after all.
“Xiao.” He said, as he handed Venti the package. It was a bit awkward, as Venti’s hand was not quite positioned well to receive it and he looked a bit dazed, like he was expecting something else, big eyes blinking at Xiao. Maybe he too had expected the package to be something more imposing, rather than the relatively non-descript delivery that it was.
Venti recovered quickly. The bard cleared his throat and addressed Xiao once more.
“Well, Xiao, how are you enjoying Mondstadt so far?” The bard’s smile showed a more mischievous hint this time around. He rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward a bit, awaiting Xiao’s response.
“Very well, thank you.” Xiao had a bit of difficulty trying to figure out the person in front of him. He had a hundred questions running through his mind but thought it would be rude to ask. The bard was an associate of Morax, so he must be important in some way. Furthermore, he was entitled to his own privacy. Still, he could still not keep one question from escaping the confines of his mind.
“Do you ever play here?” Xiao asked. Venti looked towards the ground, his cheeks sporting a slightly redder hue than before. A warm draft of air must have passed him.
“Sometimes, yeah.” Venti looked up at him. “How did you know I play?”
Xiao looked at his outfit, which screamed ‘bard’, but he did not wish to be rude. His other answer would be that he heard him play once, very many decades ago, and still remembered the song. That did not seem like a better answer either. So he decided to shrug and gesture to Venti’s being anyway. Venti huffed out a laugh at that.
“I’m actually the next to go up. I would love to have you in my audience.” Xiao heard the clear invitation to stay for the show. He wanted to accept immediately, remembering how captivated his song had been last time. But he also felt he had an obligation to go back to Liyue as soon as possible.
Venti must have seen something on his face because he added, “You do not need to stay for the whole set, but stay for one song at the very least?” There was something in his voice that Xiao could not quite place. Then Venti added, with a teasing smirk, “I promise you’ll enjoy it.” Xiao acquiesced. He would stay for a song.
Venti took to the stage with a big grin and winked at Xiao. “Then this first one is for you.” He strummed the opening chords on his instrument and broke out in a cheerful tune that seemed to fill the air around them with electricity. The attention of the rest of the patrons was much more focused on the stage than it had been for the previous act. Xiao was happy that Venti had managed to find his audience in these past decades. Music like Venti’s deserved to be appreciated. Xiao was by no means an expert on music, but Venti’s songs gave him a light, fuzzy feeling, like a breeze taking on some of the weight on his shoulders. It reminded him of lying in a field of green, occupied by nothing but dreams and the comfort of the surrounding visage, though Xiao did not recall ever having done such a thing himself. He imagined it would be nice.
When the song ended, Xiao felt much lighter than he had when it began. He joined the people applauding the bard, who basked in the attention. Yet, the man’s eyes still searched the crowd, as if looking for something. When he met Xiao’s gaze there seemed to be a question written on Venti’s face, but whatever he found when he looked at Xiao seemed to satisfy him, and his gaze turned away with a contented smile. He must have wanted to check in with Xiao because he had been the one to ask the adeptus to stay for a song.
When Venti started another song, a lively one that had the crowd singing along, Xiao took advantage of the clamour to quietly slip out. He did not know how Liyue would be faring without his protection, even if he trusted that Morax would take care of the lands. Just because he trusted his God, did not mean that he wanted to make more troubles for him by extending his leave. So, he made his way back to Liyue with a good speed.
Still, the journey back to Liyue proved to be a bit more arduous than the trip to Mondstadt had been. Whereas the winds had all but guided him to the entrance of Mondstadt with a slight nudge in his back on his way there, the winds now seemed to be protesting his leave. They wailed through the trees, creating what almost sounded like a song to Xiao’s ears. He felt strangely comforted by its tune.
In the following decades, Xiao found himself seeking out the soothing feeling of music as much as he could. Sometimes he would sit outside of the taverns when they had bards playing there, or sometimes he would find a cliff and listen to the melodies of the wind. He found himself enjoying those more and more. Still, no song quite matched Venti’s in tune and none evoked those same feelings in him.
Tonight was another one of those evenings where he chose the comforting voice of a nameless bard to listen to. He was sat leaning against the tavern, close to the employees’ entrance of the building. Their shifts would not be ending for another two hours at least, as this was the part of the city that went to sleep the very last. So nobody would be coming through here.
Xiao was trying to make out the words to the song. His spot outside was not bad by any means. There was a small window right above him and though it could not offer much of a view, it let the music through quite well. Still, the melodies were diluted by the distance and the sentences sloshed through the air with no particular vigour. Though the tunes permeated the air, Xiao found himself unable to make out the story the song was supposed to tell. It disappointed him to always be on the outside, but there was no other choice. He would always be haunted by his karmic debt and thus he would never be able to get too close to the mortals. They would suffer the consequences, and that would not be fair to them. Plus, Xiao would not be able to live with that.
So, he got up off the streets and set out for the night. He still had many enemies to fight. He had just needed the reminder of what he was fighting for. He needed to know of the people he protected, to know it was worth it. And they were. As he set out, he found he was content. He was quietly humming along to the tunes of the tavern as he made his way to the plains where he would be expecting his enemies today.
The battle did not go as planned. Xiao was expecting about twenty, maybe thirty, enemies in straight-forward battle. What he was not expecting was another hundred or so lying in wait in the surrounding area, to strike when he was down. That, along with the initially bigger number of about fifty beasts in the plains he was to be ridding of them today, made for a less than ideal night for the adeptus. He was able to overcome them only by pure force and reckless carnage. (He thanked his lucky stars that they were at least far from the inhabited areas.) But in the annihilation of his opponents, he took more hits than he would have liked. A particularly deep gash over his stomach was causing him the most trouble. Though it probably would have been manageable if not for the dozens of other bruises and cuts.
More so, the thrill of battle had made his karmic debt quiet as its demand for destruction was met, which made it come back all the worse now that his hands had no more necks to wrung. The new blood on his hands joined the whispers of the old that ate away at his mind with their pleas and their cries. He wanted them to quiet down. He wanted to get out of his own head. He wanted this to end. But no matter how he pleaded with his body, eventually it gave away from under him and he sunk to his knees. Xiao’s senses were overcome by the stench of blood and the sight of too many desecrated bodies. He had but a moment of clarity, where he felt he knew what was going to happen, no matter how opposed he was to the notion, before he lost consciousness.
Hours later, still shrouded in the darkness of the night, Xiao woke up once more. Everything was hazy and his mind felt clouded, as if red clouds had spawned from the blood around him and were obstructing his thoughts, making it impossible for them to fully fledge. Somehow, he still managed to get up and start walking. He was only half-aware of the direction he was going in, enough to know it was not the way to the Wangshu Inn, but not enough to consider changing course.
In what Xiao would possibly consider the longest minutes of his life, he dragged himself over to the next clearing. This one was untainted by the cost of battle, unlike the field Xiao had just vacated. He saw a statue with the familiar face of Morax and managed to stumble some more to make his way to the foot of it. There, comforted by the familiar sight of his God, he started drifting in and out of consciousness once more.
It was when the sun was starting to come up, that Xiao gathered his thoughts enough to realize that a familiar face meant nothing. These plains had been long abandoned in favour of the newer parts of Liyue where trade buzzed. No one would be coming out here to pay their respects to a statue so hidden away in nature’s vast roaming. Xiao would have to find his way back to the city himself if he wanted to be able to properly take care of his wounds. He was not sure if he could. He was already losing spots in his vision again and his karmic debt was a constant drum that pressed against his mind with the weight of thunderstorms. Not to mention the flashes of pain that fought like lightning to be heard by him. Xiao knew he could not give into their pleas yet.
From a distance, the image was a peaceful one, though it was laced with something deeper. Something that would have been hard to place for any passers-by. Maybe it was the time of it that stood out. Though the geo Archon’s days were not yet over, it had been a long time since he had truly received worship as a deity, rather than the respect he earned as one of the ruling bodies of the lands of Liyue. Many years had passed since any mortals had set out for this specific statue, with the goal of showing their devotion. And yet, here a believer was, unmovable against the foot of the statue, as if waiting for a time that would not return.
The meadow itself was as calm as it had ever been: the birds were lazing into their morning song, the trees where whispering under the guided breath of the spring breeze, and light was spilling into the fields, illuminating the statue of one of the Gods of old. There was just one peculiarity, one disturbance that had not been there before: the man that was hidden away against the foot of the statue. He was positioned quite elegantly, his back straight against the effigy, and he looked almost as if he was in silent prayer. He looked every bit the image of the loyal devotee.
The man would not be alone for long. The winds held his company and were whispering against him to hold on. They were calling out for any other people in the area, but alas, it had been left a long time ago by the people of Liyue. Still, the winds persevered. They razed around the man in an almost haphazard way but did not touch the man himself with their cold caress.
After a time, the winds quieted down, as they parted in answer to the arrival of a new figure. The figure spilled down from the skies like a light and went straight to the only other person that could be found in the field. He gently snuck an arm behind his back and another under his legs. He whispered something that only the quiet winds would be able to catch, before he picked up the man in the gentlest manner he could and carried him back to safer havens.
Xiao came to in an unfamiliar place. He no longer felt quite as helpless, his body mostly having returned to only being weighed down by the pains of his karmic debt. He was used to those. He felt as if he would be able to fight for a few years more. Maybe he would not be able to rush into another fight like the last, but he should be able to bear another few years of protection for Liyue, to repay the geo Archon for the debt he owed him.
After having checked his pain levels, he tried to focus on the space around him. He took care to not open his eyes all the way, to maintain any advantage he could have in this unfamiliar situation. The room looked about what you would expect of that of a typical inn and there was only one other person in the room.
Xiao could not make out the details of this person too much through his own eyelashes, but from what he could tell he should not form too much of a threat. He was already laying out his strategy in his head. The man was seated in a chair next to the bed Xiao was resting on, so he would be able to reach out for him without leaving the bed. The man’s focus also did not seem to be on Xiao, but rather on the book in his hands, which could also be to Xiao’s advantage.
Xiao reached out at once and in a fluid motion pulled the other by his collar and flipped him over. The other man was on the bed and had a hand clasped around his neck before he had any clue what was going on. It was only when Xiao was already pressing his thumb over the man’s windpipe that Xiao realized he recognized the other. It was the bard who had played the loveliest tunes he knew. He eased up on pressing onto the other’s windpipe. He needed to know more to decide if he actually wanted to damage those vocal cords. He cocked up an eyebrow in question.
Venti, sensing he could speak again, cried out in mild protest. “I was just getting to the good part.” And he motioned his hands to gesture toward the book that had been left abandoned on the floor. Xiao had just grabbed him by the throat and tried to press his windpipe closed in threat and that’s what Venti was worried about? That almost amused Xiao, but he had to remember that he had a goal here.
“Where am I?” He demanded.
“Mondstadt.” Venti said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Xiao huffed in frustration. “Why am I here?”
Venti started sputtering exasperatedly. “You were like—” He moves two of his fingers together to make a circle. “This close to bleeding out when I found you.”
It was hard to imagine now for Xiao. He did not know how long he was passed out for, but Xiao had always been the type of person to push the pain to the back of his mind and forget it was ever there. Had it really been that close a call?
He released Venti’s neck and started climbing out of the bed.
“Okay, if that’s all, I’ll be taking my leave now.” He started walking out of the door, expecting Venti to stay behind. The bard, however, seemed to have different plans.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Venti matched his pace and glared at him with his arms crossed. Coming from Venti, it was not very intimidating. Xiao just raised an eyebrow.
“Back to Liyue.” Then he added, for good measure, “Obviously.”
“No.” Venti said.
“No?” Xiao repeated.
Venti started flapping his arms around. “I did not clean up and bandage that plethora of wounds you garnered for you to just tear them all open again at the first chance you get.”
Xiao’s face hardened. “I don’t think that’s really up to you.”
Venti started muttering something along the lines of ‘stupid adeptus’ and ‘needs a damned nap’ but Xiao did not listen. He set out with a quicker pace than before. Still, despite his muttering, Venti followed. He figured he would lose the bard soon enough. There was no way that he would follow Xiao all the way back to Liyue.
The bard followed him all the way to Liyue.
When Xiao first started suspecting that the bard was not going to be leaving anytime soon, he started purposefully taking the more treacherous paths to Liyue. He went over the cliffs of Mondstadt and decided to pass over the less commonly passed mountains of Liyue. He even made sure to not follow the set paths and instead powered right through the bushes and various other plants, jumped right over the springs, and sometimes even climbed right up the mountains. But still, every time he looked over his shoulder, the bard was right there. And if he noticed the paths Xiao took were unusual, he did not say anything.
Well—he did not say anything about the paths at least. About the other things, like every little flower, whatever animal he saw in passing, or even just a breeze, he seemed to love to talk. Strangely, especially about the last one. Xiao often found him making all sorts of comments about how nice the weather was being, and how the winds were really blessing them, with a sort of self-satisfied smirk. Must be his pride as a citizen from Mondstadt.
Xiao will admit that there is one benefit to travelling with Venti: every time they laid down to rest for the night, Venti played him a song. Either on his lyre or on his flute, and some of the nights he even sang or hummed along with it. And every time, without fail, Xiao found himself falling asleep before the song's end and the sleep offered by those moments was a much more peaceful sleep than he would ever be able to get on his own.
After a few days of travelling, Xiao found himself unable to make up any more elaborate routes to get to his simple destination, and thus, they arrived at the Wangshu Inn as the last rays of light were starting to fade in the sky, and the mood made its way to the scene. Xiao walked to his room and Venti followed him. When Xiao went into his room, however, Venti found the door slapped in his face.
“Rude.” Venti muttered. Xiao heard him.
“Find a different room.” Xiao told him. He was not going to share his room with a bard who he definitely had not invited here, but who had followed him, regardless. Xiao had not asked him to, so Xiao did not feel responsible for his well-being, he told himself. And, anyway, they were in an inn, it’s not like free rooms were a sparsity here.
It was only when Xiao laid down to rest, that he realized his oversight. No Venti meant no song and no song meant no easy sleep. No matter how much he tried to rest, he could feel the voices creeping up on him, slowly infiltrating his mind. They took advantage of his resting state, knowing that he had no distraction. Very well, he would just have to distract himself.
Xiao went out to the balcony where he would be able to see his favourite view of Liyue. The distraction meant that his karmic debt was pushed down a bit and he would be able to refamiliarize himself with the scenery at the same time. Nothing much changed, but he was able to make out some new settlements in the mountain plains that he would have to check out later. Though maybe—he already knew he was not getting any sleep tonight, so he may as well do it now.
When he made his way to leave the balcony, he saw Venti standing there, in what looked like a position of him trying to be intimidating. His arms were crossed, and the usual smile was wiped from his face.
“You are not going out to fight things on your first night back.” Venti probably tried to sound stern, but instead it came out a bit petulant.
“I am.” Xiao stared him down. Venti matched his gaze. Neither relented for a long time, but eventually Venti’s head was turned when he heard the noise of new people coming to the balcony.
“Fine, but I’m going with you.” If Venti wanted to be in the heat of battle so badly, Xiao was not going to stop him. The man had lived for at least over a hundred years so he was at least not a mortal and could probably look after himself.
Xiao huffed out, “Just don’t get in my way.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Venti said, sounding somewhat sarcastic. Xiao brushed past him to go to the suspicious clearing he had spotted. Venti, as he had said, followed him. And started threatening Xiao, stating that he had to make sure not to tear open any of the wounds he had. Xiao ignored him. Venti had all the intimidating aura of a drenched kitten. Logically, Xiao knew that he must not be completely harmless, because he was an associate of Morax and obviously not as young as he looked, but Xiao still could not find it in himself to be moved by the threats.
When they arrived at the clearing, Venti split from him and went into the tree-filled area on the side. Xiao figured he must have wanted to get out of harm’s way. When Xiao actually sees enemies approaching, though, Xiao realizes Venti did not just make himself sparse and leave completely. Venti had climbed up the trees and shot down any enemies that tried to get close to Xiao. Xiao figures he would just wait until one of them managed to find its way past Venti’s line of defence, but none did.
The battle ended pretty soon, the twenty-one (Xiao had counted, since he had nothing better to do) adversaries had all been shot down by Venti’s arrows and aside from one particularly stubborn one, they had all collapsed at once. And even the particularly stubborn one had been staggering after two arrows and hit the ground after the third, still heaps away from Xiao.
Xiao glared at Venti as he made his way down from the tree. Venti sported a big grin. Xiao’s glare eased a bit. The bard had just helped him. Maybe he should not be too rude.
“You’re good with the bow.” Xiao stated. Venti’s face somehow lit up even more. Xiao had not thought that possible before.
“Thank you.”