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When the Traveler’s presence blinked off Venti’s radar, the Anemo Archon was instantly worried. He tired to shove the panic down, things like this had happened before, after all, but something told him that things were different this time. Usually, whenever Aether ventured into a new land, he would be untraceable until he visited a Statue of the Seven. It happened when he left for Liyue, then Inazuma, then Sumeru, and most recently, Fontaine. There were still Statues in Fontaine that Aether had yet to discover, so no big deal, right?
But Aether’s absence lasted an entire day. It never took him more than a few hours to interact with a Statue. Something was very wrong, indeed.
So, of course, Venti’s first course of action was to contact Lady Furina, and by extension, Chief Justice Neuvillette. Venti had no doubt that Neuvillette would be more knowledgeable in Aether’s Fontainian travel patterns than Furina would be, but contacting her first was a sort of formality. Having expertly penned a letter, the bard folded it up and sent it on its way to Fontaine, guiding the small piece of paper on the winds. When he was sure it had reached its destination, all he could do was wait patiently for a reply.
The reply came only hours later. As Venti sat atop the branches of his favorite Windrise tree, the stream that ran beside the roots began to gurgle and burst. A small letter not unlike his own was brought forth from the rapids, the bard hastily snatching it up.
To whom it may concern,
We regret to inform you that we do not keep tabs on each and every person currently in Fontaine. Though we do recognize the importance of your request and of the whereabouts of the esteemed Traveler, we cannot provide you with any information in his current location. However, I have instructed the Marechaussee Phantom to be on the lookout as time progresses. Should you need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us again.
Regards,
Chief Justice of Fontaine, Iudex Neuvillette
Such a timely response… And so formal too. As expected of someone like Neuvillette. Still, though the response was about as Venti expected, his instincts told him that Aether wasn’t just exploring uncharted Fontainian waters. No, something was amiss.
The next course of action: contacting the other Archons. Sometimes, as Aether forged ever closer to the truths of this world, he would descend into realms untouched by the Archons. This had happened when he visited Enkanomiya, which caused Venti to enter a panic much like he was experiencing now, back when that was happening. Venti duplicated his letter into three more copies, sending them out along the winds once again. This time, he requested that each of them convene at Stone Gate, to more thoroughly discuss the matter at hand. He hoped they would respond. Then, he folded himself into the gales and traveled directly to the aforementioned meeting place.
•
“I thought he was with you?” Ei stated simply, one finger pointed at Nahida. The god of wisdom sighed but otherwise did not flinch under the scrutiny of the Shogun.
“Please, Ei, I’ve already reported that Aether left Sumeru over two months ago.”
“Yeah! Would it kill you to be more aware of things going on outside of Inazuma?” interjected Venti, ready to defend Nahida as best he could. He knew he was the only person that consistently kept tabs on Aether and his travel patterns, so he could at least back up Nahida’s statements. What she said was true.
“Would it kill you to act like the Archon you are instead of an over-dramatic child?”
“That’s rich, Miss Sits-In-Her-Room-For-Decades-While-Her-People-Are-Corrupted-By-The-Fatui.”
The air sizzled with Ei’s rising temper. “Oh, really? That’s how you’d like to play this?”
“Damn right, you—“
“Enough! Now is not the time to be fighting,” Nahida interrupted forcefully, “We should focus our energy on finding Aether, not fighting each other.”
Venti exhaled pointedly. “You’re right, sorry Nahida.” The bard slid his gaze to a bemused looking Zhongli, watching the argument with far too much scrutiny in his eyes. “Well, Mr. Zhongli? Have anything to add?”
“None at all. The Traveler has not returned to Liyue for some time.”
“Some help you are…” grumbled Venti.
“Where did you sense him last, Venti? Somewhere in Fontaine?” Nahida directed again.
The bard nodded. “Yeah, around the Fontaine Research Institute.”
“Okay, that’s a good place to start. Let’s start—“
Abruptly, the light flickered back on in Venti’s brain, Aether’s faint presence registering itself back on his wind-radar. “He’s back!” Venti shouted without regard to the current conversation.
“What?” Nahida flinched in her seat, “You can sense him again?”
“Yes! He’s… He’s near the edge of Fontaine’s northern ocean, and, oh goodness…”
Ei and Zhongli both leaned forward. “What? What’s wrong?” Ei pressed.
The realization punched Venti right in the gut. “He’s barely breathing.”
•
There’s a reason the Archons rarely convene. That much unchecked power in one place was severely dangerous, and it left their respective nations extremely vulnerable. When united, the Archons truly lived up to their titles.
So when all four of them descended on a wounded Traveler, worried sick, most life forms tended to stay out of the way. It was like the universe had collectively decided to give them a personal, mile-wide bubble, the entirety of the wilderness falling silent in an instant.
Venti arrived first, being the most experienced in long-distance teleportation. The others popped in shortly after, but the bard wasted no time in rushing to the Traveler’s side. Aether lay there, bloody and bruised, squirming in his sleep. Paimon lay atop one of his arms, the other draped over her middle in protection. When Venti dropped to his knees at Aether’s side, he must have been a little more worried than he thought, for the grass and the pair’s garments ruffled with anxious wind. Paimon woke immediately.
“Don’t! Don’t touch…him.” Paimon jolted upright and spread her hands outwards in a protective stance on instinct, only relaxing when she finally recognized the faces before here. “Tone-Deaf Bard? And… Zhongli? Ei? Nahida? What are you all doing here?”
“I’ll explain everything later,” Venti replied swiftly, “Aether needs help. Do you know of any place close by that has medical supplies?”
Paimon thought for a moment, swaying him place a little. “Mmmm, no, not close by. We could always use the Sereniteapot, though. Why? Did something happen…?” Paimon finally looked to her beloved travel companion and nearly fell out of the air in shock. She brought up a small hand to cover her chest, unintelligible noises her only reaction. Nahida slowly walked over and grabbed Paimon’s free hand, the fairy promptly latching on for dear life.
“Paimon,” she urged, “We need to get into the Sereniteapot. Can you show us the way?”
Paimon nodded and produced an Adeptal teapot from who knows where, one hand hovering over the lid. “Everyone needs to make contact with Paimon to get pulled in…” she sniffled.
Venti laid one hand on Aether’s feverish forehead and placed the other on Paimon’s leg, the fairy too upset to be concerned about the awkwardness. Zhongli and Ei each made contact with one of Paimon’s shoulders. Then, she opened the lid, and together, they were pulled into the personal pocket realm of the Traveler.