Chapter Text
“Oh, Barsibatos, where is Razor?” Rosaria complained as she walked through Wolvendom. The convoy from Fontaine are arriving any moment, and Rosaria, someone who has a deep level of trust that her adoptive younger brother was going to come through, is starting to get restless.
She’s asked Razor, with his friends, the luck-forsaken Bennett, and the smart child, at least, in Rosaria’s eyes, Amy, (Though Amy would rather be called Fischl, her innocent brother seems to respect this the most, since he still calls her Fischl, or Fisch, affectionately) to harvest some wolfhook. The cooks at the Good Hunter wanted to make a different drink, and the three were going out to a commission for Dawn Winery, either way, so it was like hitting two birds with one stone.
The problem is: It’s been almost twelve hours, and she hasn’t seen a flock of Razor’s head anywhere.
Her too naive younger brother is too kind. Sure, he smells evil and good apart, and sure, he lacks the ability to converse in full sentences, but Razor is too kind for his own good. Something Rosaria often complains about. She adores him, that much is an open secret among nuns in Mondstadt, but she doesn’t like being worried about him. She knows he’s strong, but in her eyes, he’s forever the pup she originally complained about to Varka.
Speaking of her innocent younger brother, she walked through the bushes of Wolvendom with evident worry in her eyes. Bennett’s with them, so a part of her chest seems to be constrained. The kid is good. But what she doesn’t like is hearing from the deaconess that Razor got into another fight because of Bennett. She knows they’re friends, and she has her fair share of dangerous friends, but Razor’s barely an adult. Varka, in some ways, entrusted him to her, and while she has disdain over the old man, he did adopt both of them.
“Razor!” She yelled through the forest, preparing to pull her spear the moment rifthounds show up. Her heightened senses began to try and listen to the forest, for a sound, or a spark. She knew Amy had a talking bird. She knew the bird’s voice.
So she tried.
And tried.
“Shit,” Rosaria cursed. “Razor!” She ran through Wolvendom before her eyes caught on a familiar black hood, caught in a shrub of Wolfhook. She walked towards it, and she found her little pup, entangled in pricks and pricks of wolfhook.
“Sister…?” Razor asked, with his wide eyes, almost as if he couldn’t believe she was there, standing, or rather, watching him fumble.
“How long..?” Rosaria managed to ask.
“Two hours.” Razor tried to move his arm, and he pointed towards another bush. “Fisch and Bennett. In other bush.”
Rosaria crooked her head and sighed. “Fine.” Defeated, she sighed, before helping her brother out of the bush. She took out the thorns, and she applied cryo to his bruised arm. “Help me with your friends, and let’s go back. The ones from Fontaine should be arriving within tonight to tomorrow morning, so we have to go.” Rosaria’s heart finally stopped panicking as she watched Razor run off to Fischl and Bennett’s bushes, which are significantly farther from his.
She shook her head and massaged her temples. When she heard that the Knights of Favonius and the Church were preparing to attend to at least twenty international visitors, Rosaria thought Jean and Diluc went mad — well, everyone did. But they did. Rosaria wanted to do an initial investigation on the guests, but Jean basically forbade her to do so.
Either way, things are going to go really well, or really bad for Mondstadt. With one week before the start of Windblume, and extreme preparations uncovering, she’s stuck on patrol and preparations as well.
She glanced at her brother who’s now laughing as he tended to Bennett and Amy’s wounds.
It would be nice if Razor got new friends, she thought. She finally called the small group and they walked back to Mondstadt.
“Found them.” Rosaria plainly said as Jean watched the nun physically push, albeit gently, the young wolf towards Jean. Razor and his friends then went to Sara as they gave her the ingredients she asked for.
The Acting Grandmaster and Diluc were now at the Good Hunter, ensuring that their guests would have enough food. Venti got them into this situation, and right now, the archon, himself, is also helping out. Truth be told, this is the most Venti’s worked, Jean thought. But she watched her Archon arrange specialties and sweets for the Hydro and Electro Archons, some of the finest tea for the Geo Archon, and the best stories for the Dendro Archon, she realized that maybe, just maybe,
The Archon felt alone.
Venti never told anyone that he needs someone. He often took trips to Liyue, he talks to his constituents in incognito, and he’s always happy. Jean thought that perhaps that was just a mask he wore.
She’s never seen him this worked up. He was sober, and he was firm, almost like a leader.
“Venti,” She whispered to Diluc. “He’s been working hard.”
Diluc simply raised her a brow. “He has friends coming over.” He then let out a chuckle. “And Venti works hard — especially for Mondstadt Festivals. You just don’t see it that much because you’re cooped up in your office.”
Jean wrinkled her nose, before breaking into a soft smile. “Do you think we’re ready?” She asked Diluc. They’ve been working hand-in-hand for this to work. Being the few people aware of the identity of their Archon, it was like an automatic responsibility has been bestowed on them — they have to be sure that their Archon was happy and safe. Because of this, Jean and Diluc made sure that the guests will be attended to. They chose residences for their three-week stays, they stocked up on food, and Jean even asked Varka to send back a few knights.
“We can never be prepared enough. All we can do now is hope for the best.” Diluc sighed. He, too, has been preparing to lend his home temporarily. As Kaeya once said, “and what is the use of your mansion’s rooms if you were not to lend them, right?” Kaeya has a point but Diluc is nowhere ready to admit that.
In the midst of the busy preparations, Venti suddenly stopped in the middle of the plaza.
The wind blew and Venti looked up. “She’s coming.” Diluc and Jean both glanced at their Archon.
“She?” Jean asked. There’s now three possibilities: the group from either Fontaine, Inazuma, or Sumeru. Most likely, though, it would be the group from Fontaine.
“Furina.” Venti whispered, but still loud enough for Jean to hear.
Jean nodded and stood. “I shall call the Reconnaissance Company to escort them to Mondstadt.”
Venti looked over at Jean before he broke into a sad, yet soft smile. “Please do. We can’t let her go through anything more.” Jean didn’t get what Venti was talking about, but she guessed it had something to do with the Hydro Archon’s retirement.
For the first time in a long time, it was like Jean felt sorry for her own Archon.
“They’re bringing a carriage?” Amber asked Eula, as she used her telescope to wait for the boat that came with the former Hydro Archon.
Eula, her friend and the captain of the Reconnaissance Company, nodded. “The Iudex of Fontaine made sure that she has one.” She flicked her short hair and looked over at Mika and Noelle, who were making sure that the carriage is nothing less than perfect. Noelle tagged along because Jean wanted to make sure that someone attends to the Hydro Archon. How she thought of sending Noelle is beyond Eula’s paycheck, so she just doesn’t ask.
“How are you planning on spending your Windblume, Eula?” Windblume Festival. The festival of the Thousand Winds. The festival of the Thousand Winds of Time. Time.
Eula knows someone from her past was coming from Inazuma. An old friend. An old rival. The very reason why she wanted to bring her own family to ruins. She sighed. “I intend to meet new people.”
Amber smiled, the outrider obviously proud of her friend for branching out. “Good to hear! I’m with Mika and Noelle for the rest of the festival, we’ll be on frequent patrol.”
“I see.”
The wind blew strongly, almost blowing Eula’s cape away. It was at this moment she knew. This was the moment she knew exactly.
The Anemo Archon is rejoicing.
“They’re here.” Eula looked straight at Dornman Port. “The Hydro Archon is here.”