Chapter Text
“Hello, Wanderer. How have you been?”
The man inclines his hat in acknowledgement without speaking, before turning back to gaze out into the distance. Nahida walks forward and sits down next to him, on the edge of the roof of the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Nahida didn’t think Wanderer would be much for sightseeing, but the view - stretching from the edge of Sumeru City, past the glow of Mawtiyima Forest, catching the highest peaks of Liyue’s Guyun Stone Forest - is rather beautiful. She might come here more often.
“Nothing has changed since the last time you asked me this question,” Wanderer drawls.
“There’s a lot to be done in a day,” Nahida says. “I heard you attended a Vahumana lecture yesterday. How was it?”
“Nothing I didn’t already know,” Wanderer shrugs. “The Inazuman Tri-Commission System of Governance and Their Role in the Sakoku Decree? Seriously?”
Nahida pouts. “I thought that topic might interest you.”
Wanderer sighs. “I orchestrated the Sakoku Decree. What could I possibly have needed to learn about it? Besides, the professor got so many things wrong it was infuriating to listen to.”
“Well, maybe you could write a correction about it,” Nahida suggests.
Wanderer shrugs non-committedly. “Maybe.”
Nahida frowns. “Um… well, how about your vision? Have you been practicing with it?”
Wanderer shuts his eyes. “I don’t need to.”
“Really?” Nahida says. “You’ve barely just gotten it.”
“I’ve been working with The Doctor for the past four hundred centuries. I’ve been his guinea pig for all matters of experiments, including delusions, and they’re not really any different from visions. I’ve been working with anemo longer than any existing anemo vision user alive.”
“Right,” Nahida sighs, her shoulders drooping. “So you’re bored.”
Wanderer’s gaze briefly flicks to her, before he stares skyward again. “I’m not bored. I’m just… thinking.”
Nahida perks up. “About what?”
“None of your business.”
Nahida glances at him from the corner of his eye. He has his chin tilted to the sky, fringe falling in front of his face. A breeze picks around them, weaving in and out of Nahida’s ponytail. She sees the anemo vision glow ever so slightly in resonance.
Wanderer’s eyes snaps open as he catches her looking. His hand come up to cradle it, and he must catch the way Nahida’s eyes twinkle, because he looks at her suspiciously. “What?”
“Oh, nothing,” Nahida says. “I was just wondering. You’ve made your opinion on Beelzebul clear, but what do you think of Barbatos? You are carrying his element right now, after all.”
“What I think of him?” Wanderer scoffs, then falls into a contemplative silence. “He’s… I don’t know. I don’t hold much opinion over him.”
“Really?” Nahida says.
“...Well, being the polar opposite of Beelzebul is pretty funny,” Wanderer admits. “She’s an oppressive tyrant that strikes the fear into everyone’s hearts, and Barbatos is so hands-off that his people don’t even know if he’s still alive.”
“Uh huh?” Nahida presses.
Wanderer glares at her. “Why do you even care about what I think?”
“I’m just making conversation!” Nahida said. “I myself haven’t spoken to Barbatos in centuries, so I was just curious to know what you think! Have you?”
“Spoken to Barbatos? Obviously not in this life! He wouldn’t know me.”
“I would have thought that would be more comforting,” Nahida mused. “Since he wouldn’t have knowledge of your past misdeeds or hold you to any expectations.”
“I… ugh.” Wanderer drags a hand down his face and turns away. “Nevermind.” He makes to leave the Sanctuary, but Nahida trails after him, wringing her hands in front of her.
“Did I say something to upset you?”
“No. Go away.”
“I was hoping you could be more forthcoming with your worries, especially now that your focus is on another Archon.”
Wanderer sighs. “It really isn’t anything that should involve you.”
“Anything that can help with your rehabilitation is my concern.”
“Really, you…” Wanderer says. “It’s not that big of a deal, alright? It’s just one of those, don’t meet your heroes type beats. They’ll just disappoint you and make you wonder why you even cared in the first place.”
There’s a long pause, punctuated by the clicks of Wanderer’s heels and Nahida’s soft steps puttering after him. Razan Gardens are quiet in midday when it’s a bit too warm for students to think about sitting out. The leaves wave as Nahida brushes by, a little tongue-tied, but she finally gathers the little popping bubbles in her mind to say-
“You think of Barbatos as your hero?”
Wanderer stops sharply and whips around. “I never said that!”
“You just said-”
“It’s an analogy!” He tips his hat to hide his eyes. “And it’s none of your business!”
Her ward is bashful. How cute. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met with Barbatos,” she says. “He’s been asleep for as long as I’ve been locked up, or so I hear. But the Traveler reported that he had recently awoken.”
“Yes, and one of my colleagues took his gnosis.” Wanderer turns around again and faces his back towards her. But he doesn’t walk away from her, so she thinks he is just shy. “I doubt he has anything nice to say about me.”
“So you wish to apologize?”
“I don’t have to apologize for anything. It’s not like I was the one who took it. Even if I was, he wouldn’t remember it.”
“Who did, then?”
“The Fair Lady.” Wanderer crosses his arms and looks to his side. “She practically begged for the assignment. She had a lot of bad blood with Barbatos, as it were.”
“Really?”
“Isn’t that something you should already know?” Wanderer chides, but gives her the answer anyways. “She was a citizen of Mondstadt five hundred years ago during the cataclysm. Her lover perished in the war due to Barbatos’s inaction. She held a grudge ever since.”
“The Irminsul has vast quantities of knowledge, I cannot read through everything even if I wanted to,” Nahida points out. “La Signora was not on my list of research priorities when I was looking into the Fatui Harbingers given that she was dead. Did you believe she was right?”
“I’m not going to take revenge against Barbatos on her behalf, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That is not what I meant to insinuate at all,” Nahida says. “I was simply curious as to where you stood on the matter.”
“You just want to hear me say it’s not a good idea to hold petty grudges for centuries against your patron archon. Fine, I won’t do it again.”
“That is also not what I meant!” Nahida says, resisting the urge to stamp her foot. When she looks up, Wanderer is smirking at her. He is being difficult on purpose.
But then he sighs. “I can’t give you a satisfactory answer. It’s not like I ever met the guy. He did an alright job during the cataclysm, I guess. Not like I had any personal stake in it… unless you count my aunt dying, but that didn’t really have anything to do with Mondstadt.”
“I see,” Nahida nods. “Thank you. That is an answer in itself.”
“Good, because I don’t have anything else to say about him.” Pause. Wanderer scratches his head. “He killed a giant dragon.. That’s cool… I guess…”
Nahida smiles. “It is kind of cool.”
Wanderer covers his mouth with his hand. His cheeks are tinted pink. “Don’t mock me.”
“I am not!” Nahida reassures. “It is just insightful to get your opinion. You are, after all, one of the few people in Teyvat to have exclusively met multiple archons in a unique capacity. And I myself have not interacted with Barbatos for a long time. I do not know if he is even aware of the happenings in Sumeru, given his circumstances. As you know, we Archons try not to interfere with each others’ domains, and Barbatos is more hands-off than most.”
Wanderer sighs, arms falling to his side. “Right.”
“It’d be valuable for me to catch up with him, don’t you think?” Nahida thinks. “He is one of the oldest of us, and his nation has persevered through not one, but two rebellions in a similar nature as Sumeru’s current situation. Surely he has some wisdom to impart onto me.”
“You’re the God of Wisdom,” Wanderer looks at her skeptically. “And you can access the Irminsul. Just go look at the past memories of Mondstadt.”
Nahida shakes her head. “I don’t want to interfere with the Irminsul unnecessarily, especially now that we know how easily it can be tampered with. Besides, observing his actions does not mean understanding his underlying motivations.”
Wanderer sighs. “Fine, suit yourself.”
Nahida puts her hands together. “Thank you. Now, if you could-”
“No.”
“I haven’t even put forth my request,” she pouts.
“You don’t need me to go over to summon him. That’s old fashioned. You can contact him via dreams or whatever it is that you do.”
“I have purview over the dreams of people in Sumeru, but my hold over anyone outside of the nation is shaky at best. Besides, I’ve never tried speaking to another Archon and I can’t guarantee it’d go well. I’m not even sure Barbatos sleeps, for that matter, so I can’t contact him via dreams.”
Wanderer narrows his eyes. “You don’t want me to go over. Me, a war criminal, left to my own devices in a nation you can’t oversee? You can send anyone else.”
Nahida smiles. “You’ll have to cross over Liyue to get to Mondstadt. Do you think you’ll have the opportunity for mischief under Morax’s and his adepti’s watchful eyes? Besides, no one else will recognize Barbatos in his human guise.”
“...” Wanderer folds his arms and huffs. “...he has a giant statue of himself. Anyone who can’t recognize him is just an idiot.”
“Or,” Nahida says, “is the real reason you’re reluctant to go because you’re shy-”
“Fine!” Wanderer snaps. “Don’t regret it if I start a war. I’m leaving now, then. The sooner I depart the quicker I can get this insipid task over and done with.”
Nahida giggles. “I don’t think you will.” Wanderer glances back at her, starts walking away a little bit faster. Nahida blinks. “Er, please try not to. I don’t think Morax is as merciful as I am. He might try to seal you up indefinitely.”
Wanderer snorts. “Been there, done that.”
“Remember that Barbatos killed a giant dragon so don’t cross him!” Nahida yells after him. She just gets a cackle in reply. Oh dear. Should she send someone else after him?
Wanderer’s journey through Liyue is largely uneventful. The Chasm is mostly deserted, save for a few camps of Fatui and Treasure Hoarders scattered across the uneven terrain. The Fatui waves him along, not having anything to do with him, the lone unaffiliated traveler that he is. The Treasure Hoarders are drawn in by his fancy clothes and shiny hat, so Wanderer tosses them over the cliff. Oopsie.
The Millelith stationed near the entrance of the mine stop him for questions. He shows them his anemo vision, his diplomatic passport (the Akademiya Scholarship card with the Vahumana logo and the words “Hat Guy” printed next next to his face, thank you Nahida, he always gets amusing looks for that one) and gets a Liyue Entry Permit in return. The walk to Liyue Harbour should take half a day, which means a flight should take two hours. But Wanderer does not feel like attracting the attention of any belligerent adepti, and a merchant who had stopped to walk his horses to the lake offers him a ride.
“I do not have mora to pay you,” Wanderer tells him, “but I’ll handle any monsters that approach us.” They shake on it, as is customary for the Land of Contracts.
The temporary party runs into one ruin guard, a hilichurl camp who pays them no mind as the caravan carries ore and not food, a lone Fatui Cicin Mage glances at his anemo vision and then looks away, and then half a ruin guard which the horses balk at until Wanderer walks over to kick a stone at it.
They part ways with another handshake at the entrance to Liyue Harbour. Wanderer… wanders for a bit, and sees that Liyue hasn’t changed much at all. And here, Wanderer thought Inazuma City stayed the same on account of their archon’s obsession for eternity. The only thing notable about Liyue Harbour is the sight of Morax being dragged around by a girl with brown pigtails. He doesn’t glance at Wanderer, but he feels the ground beneath his feet shift almost imperceptibly. He does not know if Morax suspects anything about his true identity, or if he is just wary of powerful vision users with unknown intentions on his lands. Regardless, Wanderer decides he shall not risk overstaying his welcome.
Wangshu Inn sits at the halfway point between Liyue Harbour and Stone’s Gate. A waitress tells him about the view, trying to tout a meal; he briefly considers the suggestion since it has been decades since he’d tried Liyuen food, but 1. He has no mora and 2. He’s acutely aware of an adeptus on the top floor. He declines and heads on his way.
There is not much to do at Stone’s Gate. An elderly woman tries to get him to sit for a cup of tea, and then insists when he tells her he has nothing to pay her with. In return, he makes quick work of the small geovishap hatchling sniffing around the area. Then the neighboring elderly man presses two steamed buns in his hand and asks him to get the birds’ nest on the roof of his store.
The first landmark heading into Mondstadt is the Dawn Winery manor, located strategically in by the Mondstadt-Liyue border for efficient transport… and, of course, to conceal the Winery Owners’ (Junior and Senior) suspicious comings-and-goings away from the prying eyes of the City Knights. Who is Wanderer to judge? He’s just a passing traveler from Sumeru.
The mountain ranges in the northeast conceal Lupus Boreas and Dvalin’s domains, neither of whom Wanderer have any desire to interact with; with Mondstadt small enough to keep the Four Winds in such close proximity to one another, he elects to travel on foot.
He runs into a Pyro Wielder en route to Mondstadt City. “Hey, you, stop right there!” She has the Knights’ emblem stitched onto her uniform, so Wanderer does not immediately toss an anemo bolt her way.
“Is that how you greet all your guests?” Wanderer says.
“Huh? Well, er, I, ahem! I am Amber, Outrider for the Knights of Favonius! You don’t look like a citizen of Mondstadt or a merchant coming here for work, so I’ll have to ask you to state your business here!”
“I see,” Wanderer says. “The Knights of Favonius really are diligent about their work.”
“Eh?” Amber rubs the back of her head. “Haha, that’s really nice of you to say, Mister!”
“No worries.” Wanderer hands over his Akademiya identity card. “You can consider me to be here on a pilgrimage of sorts. I recently came into an anemo vision, you see, and I thought I’d come to pay my respects to Barbatos.”
“Congratulations on your vision!” Amber claps. “That’s wonderful. Come, I’ll escort you to the city, Mister… er, Hat Guy?”
“My guardian fancies herself a comedian.”
“I’m not judging! I think it’s a very lovely name. Very, um, fitting.” She skips alongside him as they head towards the City. “Anyways, when did you get your vision?”
“Just last month.”
“Really? Wow, and you’re traveling alone already. Not that I think it’s a bad thing, of course! But you better be careful. As a Knight, I’ve met plenty of new vision users who overestimate themselves and get into trouble. There are many monsters in Teyvat that can easily overpower strong and experienced vision users, so you better be careful.”
Wanderer stifles a smile. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”
There’s a boy feeding the birds by the bridge, and Amber steers him away (“That’s Timmie. He gets cranky when we scare the birds, so we best avoid them!”) towards the two Knights by the front gates. “Swan, Lawrence! Mind whipping up an entry permit for our new friend, Hat Guy over here!”
“Huh?” “What?”
Wanderer hands over his identity card. Swan and Lawrence poorly hide their snickers, and Amber kicks one of them in the knee. “I’d offer to give you a tour, Hat Guy, but I’m still on my shift.”
“It’s okay. I don’t think the giant Barbatos statue will be hard to miss.”
“Well, you got that right! Anyways, I’m off. Enjoy your stay in Mondstadt!” Wanderer watches her leap off the side of the bridge into the water - nope, she barely skims it with her glider. Huh. Barbatos’s children are all nuts.
“Hiya, you there! With the large hat!” Barbatos waves at him. Oh, that was easy. “Never seen you around before!”
Underneath his own statue, surrounded by cross-legged children and idle adults, sits the Anemo Archon himself. He has a lyre on his lap and an anemo vision clipped to his belt. Wanderer nods at him. “I’m visiting.”
Barbatos blinks at him. His eyes are large and green, and very disconcerting. Swirling with the promise of unfettered energy beneath. Nobody else seems to notice, or maybe it’s because Wanderer knows what to look for.
Barbatos smiles. “My name is Venti, the best bard in all of Mondstadt! Care for a song?”
Wanderer shrugs. “Sure.”
“Anything you have in mind, my dear friend?”
“You’re the poet. You can decide.”
Barbatos giggles. “Alright then. Where do you hail from, traveler?”
Hm… “Sumeru.”
“Wonderful! I happen to know a few ballads from Sumeru.” A strum of a lyre, and then another. Barbatos tilts his head to the sky, his braids blowing in the wind, and yet his voice carries over without interference. Of course.
“Leaves in the wind from the tree of time…”
Wanderer closes his eyes. The best bard of Mondstadt, indeed.
“...there’s a girl in a cage…”
Ah, Nahida.
“...a boy on a rooftop…”
What?
“...she asks, what did you do today?”
Wanderer’s eyes snap open.
“...I’m afraid of falling, won’t you catch me…”
No.
“...Darling I’m sorry, won’t you learn how to fly?”
He clenches his fist.
“...Call it a heart for a heart and an eye for an eye…”
A hand comes up to his vision.
“...How many times will you watch me die?”
It’s a bad idea to have come here.
Wanderer pivots on his foot.
“Hey, wait!”
Wanderer walks faster.
He’s not going to outrun the God of Anemo, silly boy. “Wait!” A hand in his sleeve.
Wanderer whirls around and rips it away. “Don’t touch me!”
Barbatos’s arm is outstretched. It falls like his fake smile. “I’m sorry.” Then, “you didn’t like my song?”
Wanderer grits his teeth. “No.”
“I’m sorry,” Barbatos repeats. “Do you want me to sing you another one?”
“No!” Wanderer snaps. Shuts his mouth quickly. He just yelled at the Anemo Archon. All Barbatos does is look sad, not try to smite him into oblivion or seal him in a domain. Not in front of all these witnesses, that is. “Leave me alone.” He turns around again and stalks off, this time glancing back to make sure Barbatos doesn’t follow him. Good riddance. He’d already told Nahida this was a bad idea.
Shit. He’s supposed to pass on a message.
…He’ll make it a letter.
“Kill me, and make it quick.”
Lambad would laugh. The red-headed bartender just looks at him judgmentally. “Are you even old enough to drink?”
Diluc Ragnvindr, Darknight Hero, bearer of Delusion #65-4B. One of the Doctor’s segments had a thing for him. A murderous thing or an affectionate thing, Wanderer doesn’t know, but given the Doctor, it would mean the same sentiment.
“I can assure you, I am.”
“...Alright. A Death in the Afternoon.” The bartender slides over a glass.
“Thank you.” Sure, he’d swiped some mora that was spilling off a drunk patron’s table. So what? They’re not going to even remember it was there, not in the state they’re in.
Diluc starts polishing a glass. “Heard you got into a fight with Venti the Bard by the statue.”
A fight is exaggerating it. Wanderer narrows his eyes. “That happened hardly two hours ago.”
Diluc shrugs. “It’s a small city, and Venti is popular.” Of course. “What happened?”
“...” Wanderer huffs.
Diluc inclines his head. “He’s a bad singer?”
“Pretty sure it’s blasphemy to say that,” Wanderer mutters, taking a sip of his drink. He does not miss the rising of Diluc’s eyebrows. “No. Just sang a song that I… wasn’t a fan of.”
“He can be provocative sometimes,” Diluc says. “I warn him not to scare off my patrons.”
Wanderer whips around to stare at the door behind his back. “He plays here?”
“Some nights. He’s not scheduled tonight.” Diluc sets the clean glass down and picks up another. “You must really not want to see him.”
“...It’s complicated.” Wanderer stares at Diluc, assessing. “How patriotic are you?”
Diluc stiffens. “What?”
“Nothing. That was a strange question. The alcohol must be getting to me faster than I thought.” That’s a lie, on account of his physiology, he can’t get drunk.
“Right,” Diluc says slowly. He doesn’t relax, which means Wanderer has hit the nail on the head. Nobody unsuspecting will be this defensive over a connection drawn between Venti and nationalism.
“Mm. You said Venti comes here often?”
The bartop feels awfully warm. Wanderer would be concerned if he could get burnt. Ah, but his clothes are expensive.
“Yeah?” Diluc says, smiling a little bit too wide. “Want me to pass a message to him?”
How convenient. “Yes, actually. Could you tell him Lesser Lord Kusanali wants to see him?”
The pyro building under the table dissipates just as quickly. Diluc blinks once, twice. “Pardon?”
“I know you know what I’m talking about, but we’ll play coy. You’ve heard what happened in Sumeru recently, yes?”
Diluc nods slowly.
“Put down that glass, you’re going to break it. My employer,” Wanderer makes a vague gesture in the air, “sent me to tell your employer,” he grins, and Diluc’s eye twitches, “that she wants advice from someone older than her, who has experience in leading two rebellions.”
Diluc stares at him.
Wanderer rolls his eyes. “They have a colleague who died a few months ago.”
Diluc sets the glass down with a very long sigh. He rubs his temples. “...Right. Alright. Yeah, I’ll… I’ll pass the message.”
“Good. That’s all I came here to do.” He downs the rest of the glass in a shot - Diluc blinks hard - and puts the mora on the counter.
Diluc shakes his head. “Keep the money.”
“Okay.” He’ll toss it back to the unconscious patron. Then, just to validate himself, “Venti is usually this insufferable, isn’t he?”
Diluc keeps his expression placid. “I can’t comment on that.”
“Whatever. Bye.” Wanderer leaves the tavern and the side gate to get out of Mondstadt City as soon as possible, ignoring the eyes that follow him.
“I’m back.”
“Eh? That fast?” Nahida pops out of a flowerpot. It’s one of the pieces of furniture Wanderer acquired to make the Sanctuary less empty. If he knew she was planning on… sleeping… in it, he might have gotten a bigger one. Or, more likely, not have gotten it at all.
“You have a perfectly good bed.”
“The Aranara recommended I try to sleep on soil to commune better with nature!”
Who is he to doubt the wisdom of tree seed spirits? “Sure, whatever.”
Nahida stifles a yawn. There’s soil in her hair. “Where’s Barbatos? I thought you went to get him.”
“I passed a message. He’ll come.”
“You didn’t see him personally?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Nahida hurries after him. Wanderer shoots a puff of air into her ponytail, which she sneezes at. “Did something happen? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. He’s just…” Wanderer purses his lip. “Nothing.”
“Huh?”
“It’s nothing, Buer.”
Nahida’s steps slow. “Alright. But you’ll join us when he arrives?”
Wanderer sighs and shuts his eyes. “...If you require my presence.”
“I would like you here, yes, but only if you want to be.”
“Then no.”
“Alright,” Nahida says softly. “I imagine he must be coming as his mortal guise. You’ll make sure he arrives here safe?”
“...Sure.” That’s the least of his job he could do, he supposes.
Nahida informs him of Barbatos’s arrival at the edge of Avidya Forest just a day later. By the time he makes it to Gandharva Ville, the bard has captured the attention of the villagers with his songs. Fortunately, none of them are the blasted one from the week before. “Venti.”
Barbatos looks up. “Oh, it’s you!”
“Hm?” The Forest Watcher - Tighnari, Wanderer unwittingly softens his gaze when he looks at him, the man still moves with a slight stiffness to his shoulders - stands up to greet him. “Oh, you’re… hm.” He must recognize Wanderer, not as the Balladeer but as Hat Guy, because the General Mahamatra tells the Forest Watcher everything and he has a case file open on him for sulking around the Sanctuary. Everything, as always, is Nahida’s fault.
He nods at Tighnari. “I’m here to pick up the bard.”
Barbatos beams. “You didn’t have to, really! I was going to hitch a ride on one of the Sumpter Beast carts, here! The only payment I can offer is song, though!”
“We’ll go faster, just the two of us. You don’t have to pay me anything.”
“How generous of you!” Barbatos giggles. “Alright, then. Thank you for the escort!”
Wanderer nods. He leads them off the path because there’s a good cliff to serve as a launching pad. “We’ll fly over.”
“Oh, how fun!” His eyes twinkle. “You wouldn’t mind if I give us a little bit of a boost, would you?”
Wanderer shrugs. “Suit yourself.”
“Alright then.” Venti raises an arm, snaps a finger, and-
A wind column bursts underneath their feet, whisking Wanderer into the air. Next to him, Barbatos ascends in a burst of teal, wings spread - no, that’s a glider. Why is he wearing one?
“Why are you wearing a glider?”
Barbatos shrugs. “Why aren’t you?”
“I… can fly without one?”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Barbatos claps. “It’s amazing how many ways that visions can manifest abilities to suit our needs, yes?”
“But… why do you… you’re the…”
Barbatos continues smiling at him.
Wanderer gives up. “Never mind.”
“Hehe, race you there!”
“What?!” Childish competition. What a shame that he’s competitive. Wanderer speeds off after him.
Barbatos wins. Of course he does, he’s the Anemo Archon. That doesn't mean Wanderer can’t be salty about it, though. “You cheated. You went ahead first.”
“Eh? Oopsie! Next time we race, I’ll let you have a head start, how about that?”
Now Wanderer feels childish. “Nevermind.”
“No, I insist! What will happen of my integrity as a bard otherwise?”
Wanderer rubs his temples. “What does being a bard have to do with gliding?”
“Everything, my friend!” Barbatos says. “Bards play an important role in telling stories that want to be told. If people can’t trust in our words, then they won’t hold our stories with any value!”
“You’re so strange.”
“Hehe, I’ll take that as a compliment!” Barbatos stretches, and Wanderer looks around. They’ve landed on the rooftop of the Sanctuary of Surasthana, but he cannot sense Nahida underneath. She must have gone out. “We’ll wait here until Lesser Lord Kusanali returns.”
“Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve seen her,” Barbatos says. “I hope she’s doing well!” There’s a beat of silence, and Wanderer registers Barbatos staring at him. Ah, he’s expecting a reply.
“She’s been alright.”
“You’ve been taking good care of her, I presume?”
“...” Wanderer eyes Barbatos skeptically. “You are aware I’m her prisoner, right?”
“Really?” Barbatos says, eyes widening. It’d be a cold day in the desert before Wanderer believes he doesn’t know that information. But then he says, “what did you do?”
Wanderer opens his mouth. Shuts it. Wait.
If Barbatos doesn’t know, then…
Wanderer swallows. “It’s nothing. I make her dinner every night.”
“That’s amazing! Wow, I wish I had a personal chef.”
Wanderer does not know what to reply to that, so he says nothing. There’s a brief beat of silence, but before it stretches to awkwardness, Barbatos says, “so, what’s your name?”
“What?”
“Your name. You know mine, but I don’t know yours!”
“What, Ragnvindr didn’t tell you?” Wanderer says, before remembering he didn’t introduce himself to him, either.
“Nope! But I heard you met Amber, and she said your name is Hat Guy! I can call you that if you want!”
“...No. Call me Wanderer.”
“Okay! Hi, Wanderer. I’m Venti.”
“...”
Barbatos looks down over the edge of the roof. “Oh, that’s Nahida!”
Wanderer nods. “In that case, I’ll be leaving.”
“Eh?” Barbatos looks at him with those wide, weird eyes. “You’re not staying?”
“No. I do not need to be involved.” Barbatos opens his mouth, but Wanderer leaps off the roof and disappears into Sumeru City below.
Barbatos watches him go, lips pursed. Then he hops down off the ledge and lands in front of a startled Dendro Archon, who shrieks and narrowly avoids hitting him with a spike of dendro.