Chapter Text
A few weeks have past since the magician duo had to face the wrath of hundreds of pukekos. Due to their busy work however, they've failed to gather any outside information on where the pukekos have been transported ever since Lynette and Aether used the power of Anemo to send those birds flying away.
After an afternoon show, Lynette was dusting her tea cup collection when Lyney busted in her room carrying a briefcase.
"Lynette! My dearest sister! Pack your bags!" Lyney exclaimed excitedly.
Lynette carefully placed a cup down, glaring at her hyped up brother.
"Ever heard of polite knocking?"
Lyney chuckled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Anyways, why are you so excited to travel now? What about our shows? Does 'Father' know of this?" Lynette asked, crossing her arms.
"'Father'... doesn't know and she won't know! I have Freminet keeping Father entertained so we have to hurry there and hurry back!"
Lynette raised an eyebrow, "And our shows?"
Lyney grinned, "I cancelled them."
Lynette tapped her foot slightly mad.
"Relax! We'll get there, get information, then come back! Trust me... with my tricks, we'll be gone and back in a blink of an eye!" Lyney proudly exclaimed.
"Get where exactly?"
"Mondstadt!"
Lynette raised an eyebrow slightly, "And why should we go there?"
"Remember...! A couple of weeks ago, you and our dearest Traveler sent those... rabid birds out the window!"
Before Lyney could say anymore, Lynette finished his thought, "You're saying you suspect those birds are now in Mondstadt? Why should we be concerned?"
"Because!" Lyney continued, "It's we that sent those birds to the Anemo Nation in the first place, it's only right for us to get a current status on those creatures!"
"...What makes you think I'll go?"
"Come on..! I'll... I'll buy as much shellfish as you want!" Lyney bribed.
Lynette smiled, "Fine. However, if we get in trouble, I'm blaming it all on you."
Lyney giggled, "Hehe! Don't worry! We won't! Now pack your bags and meet me at the Aquabus Station!"
Lyney swayed his briefcase in the air as he skipped out of Lynette's room, forgetting to close the door behind him.
"As I was saying! Next time, I'll pay for the wine, I swear!" Venti said, holding hands with Dahlia.
Dahlia rolled his eyes, "If you don't get all drunk before we pay, then sure."
It was a nice and sunny day in Mondstadt, perfect for the couple to stroll around, engaging in whatever they find interesting. The two of them had just exited the tavern, although only one of them actually drank.
"Also, my beautiful bat... why didn't you drink anything again? Not even apple cider?" Venti stumbles over his words, just like how he almost just tripped over a rock.
Dahlia sighed, "I'm just not fond of drinking in general, it's not my taste."
Venti laughed, "Oh but anyone will eventually succumb to the sweetness of alcohol... or juice... mhm.."
Venti leaned against Dahlia, seems like he drank too much again.
"Venti... I'm not against you drinking, but please refrain from drinking much... especially during noon..."
Although the streets of Mondstadt were fairly empty, Dahlia still felt a bit of embarrassment having to practically babysit the drunk Archon of this nation. Having now been reminded that his boyfriend was the Anemo Archon only made his face slightly more red.
"Your face is getting red... did you sneak a drink in while I wasn't looking?" Venti teased him.
"No.." Dahlia snapped back to reality, shaking his head as Venti lets go of his hand.
Venti jumps on a bench, proudly walking back and forth on the bench seat as he begins to recite a ballad he's making up on the spot.
"Oh... my dear! When shall we hear of the eternal land of nod! There shouldn't be enough... cod?"
Dahlia chuckled as Venti stops midway to try to rethink his messy poem.
Dahlia glanced outside the gates of Mondstadt, only to be dumbfounded by what seems to be a big blob of black... are those birds?
He pulled Venti off of the bench, turning him towards the bridge's direction.
"Venti, are those birds right there? Since when and how were that many black pigeons?" Dahlia questioned, a bit cautious.
Venti used his hands to form binocular shapes, looking through them as if they actually were binoculars, "I don't know... let's ask Timmie, the pigeon kid!"
Before Dahlia can say anything, Venti rushes ahead towards the bridge.
"Venti! Stop! Wait for me!" Dahlia yells as he chases after the still-drunk Archon/boyfriend.
The duo skidded to a halt a couple feet from the mob of birds. Up close, those don't seem like pigeons.
"Pigeon kid! Timmie! Over here!" Venti yelled, jumping up and down, waving at the little boy in the middle of the bird group.
"Huh? Hello Mr. Bard! Is something bothering you or the birds?" Timmie replied, turning around with a sack of bird feed in his tiny arms.
"Ahem. May we inquire about these... birds?" Dahlia stopped Venti from saying anything.
"Oh yes! One day, I was feeding my pigeons when all of a sudden... all of these wonderful birds descended from the distant sky! Truly a blessing from Barbatos himself!" he praised, looking up at the sky with happiness.
"I don't remember blessing anyone.. mhmph!" Venti wondered out loud, only to have his mouth muffled by Dahlia.
"You're saying all of these creatures came from the sky? Can you please relocate them so that way they won't block the bridge pathway?" Dahlia quickly glared at Venti then politely smiled at Timmie.
"To where? I'm scared that all of them will get hurt..." the little boy saddened.
"Don't worry, we'll find a good enclosure for all of them. They won't be harmed." Dahlia comforted the kid.
"Actually, why don't you leave this to the adults? We'll be careful relocating them..." Dahlia proposed, feeling Venti's tongue licking his hand.
"You promise? I better not see one missing!" Timmie said, carefully stepping out of the hurdle of birds cradling the bag of bird feed.
"I promise. Lord Barbatos also promises."
"Okay!" Timmie says excitedly, skipping off.
After a brief moment of pure noises of birds stepping around, Dahlia sighed and withdrew his hand from Venti's mouth.
"Did you really have to lick my hand?" Dahlia playfully scolded Venti, wiping it on his shorts.
"Do we really have to move hundreds of birds somewhere? Where even? Where will we transport them with care?" Venti began to recite a made-up poem again.
Dahlia scanned the surroundings and tried to think, where would be an ideal place to store all of these birds?
After a moment of thinking occasionally stopping due to Venti poking Dahlia's shoulders and asking for rhyme suggestions, there was a strange voice coming from the other side of the bridge.
"Salutations! Can you hear us clearly?" a Fontainian-looking duo stood at the opposite side of the bridge.
STAY TUNED FOR NEXT CHAPTER.