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For a weak spirit born of wind and a fearsome dragon born of stone, many would not expect the two to be acquaintances, let alone friends. And yet, no one, not even their closest friends, expected the two to become romantically attached to one another.
Why would they? After all, the weak Anemo spirit just so happened to be the God of Freedom and the fearsome Geo dragon just so happened to be the God of Contracts. There was nothing similar between the two that indicated that the God of Contracts would fall for the God of Freedom. Indeed, it was the dragon who had prostrated himself before the weak sprite, charmed by the songs the wind god sang.
The two met every year by the borders that separated their countries, just the two of them without the other Archons attending this meeting. Every year, the two would spend their time away from their duties and their other companions, to just be themselves away from the eyes of many. They would spend the time exploring both Liyue and Mondstadt, where Morax would show off the great city of Liyue Harbour, where Barbatos would show the great vineyards that grow the fruits that would be made into his favourite wine.
Even if they wished to meet more frequently, Morax, the Geo Archon, had duties to his country where Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, lacked. Though, it was not to say that the Anemo Archon lacked duties but it was more to say that the Anemo Archon preferred to allow his people to freely decide their future.
Despite such a thing going against his very nature, Morax was intrigued by Barbatos’ way of ruling. And in turn, Barbatos listened as Morax told him of any interesting happenings during the Rite of Descension. However, it was not always the case where the two would talk of their way of ruling whenever they met. Sometimes Morax would show up with a jug of osmanthus wine to share with Barbatos. Other times, Barbatos would perform a solo performance for Morax’s eyes only.
One day, out of the blue, Morax showed up with a contract in hand and he gave that contract to Barbatos.
“What is this?” Barbatos asked as he stared at the contract with revolt.
“A contract,” Morax answered, quickly lifting his hand to stop Barbatos from interrupting him. “It is a one-sided contract, binding me, not you, to its terms. The contract states that should anything happen to you then I will protect you and Mondstadt on your behalf. I will not step in as a ruler, only as a protector when I deem that the people are unable to defend themselves against the threat, be it demons or even Celestia itself. If you find yourself in peril, I will come to your aid no matter where you may be.”
“Why? Why would you go so far?”
“I merely wish to show my love to you and if anything happens to you, I want to be there for you.”
“You dumb blockhead!” Barbatos shouted as he angrily threw the contract on the ground. “What good would I have with shackles taken in my stead? What made you think I wanted this? Has your mind ceased to exist?”
Morax looked shocked at Barbatos’ reaction, and Barbatos had to reign his anger in lest he turned his fury unto his loved one. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, quelling the rising storm in his chest that threatened to spill out.
“Love cannot be bound by ink and paper, it exists as something far greater. I would never ask you to bind yourself to me, nor would I ask you to become my devotee. Your love must be free, and in both our hearts, we must agree. Will you stay with me together, unbound by ink and paper, only by the words we swore without falter, stay with me now and forever?”
Morax smiled, gentle and with the confidence Barbatos always associated him with, and the two sealed their vows with a kiss.
Even though there was no physical proof of their marriage status, the other Archons were well-aware of it before the two informed them. Rather, they had already known that Morax and Barbatos would end up together before the two even knew it themselves.
“My apologies, I thought you two were already together from the way the both of you interact. It was as if both of you were stuck in your own little world. It was so obvious that Ei came to me and asked if we missed your wedding at some point because she couldn’t remember if she attended it or not,” Makoto said in surprise after Barbatos revealed their relationship status during the next Archon meeting. “Don’t worry, we both found it cute and endearing. Still, congratulations on your marriage! So, when’s the wedding?”
Barbatos was tempted to blow a gust of wind to throw Makoto’s clothes into disarray for her comment but he refrained when Morax told him that his pouting face was adorable to look at.
The Electro Archon’s comment aside, Barbatos and Morax were glad that all the Archons looked favourably at their relationship and new marriage status. Celestia had yet to smite both Barbatos and Morax from their throne in the sky so Barbatos could only assume that they approved of their marriage. Morax had been a little more cautious about their new status, always looking towards Celestia and wondering if today might be the day the world ended. It was only by Barbatos' surprisingly stubborn will that Morax gave in and lived without having to constantly watch his back.
The first time Morax came to Barbatos’ aid, it was over a misunderstanding. Dvalin had been born in the skies of Mondstadt and Barbatos had gone off to meet and befriend him. The two played in the boundless skies, leading Barbatos to forget about the time. Morax flew over to Mondstadt, worried when Barbatos failed to show up, only to see a giant dragon nipping at Barbatos.
It was fortunate then that Barbatos was blessed with sharp instincts.
Morax had thrown a boulder, furious at the dragon for trying to hurt his beloved, only for his boulder to be tossed away into the ocean by Barbatos’ wind.
“Wait! I can explain!” Barbatos shouted as he moved to place himself between the two dragons.
Morax huffed a breath, his draconic eyes staring down at Barbatos, urging his beloved to continue.
“Ehehehe, so uh…Dvalin, meet Morax, my husband. Morax, meet Dvalin.”
Morax left once he was satisfied with Barbatos’ explanation of Dvalin’s origin, not before he licked and nuzzled his beloved and glared daggers at the other dragon, taking immense pleasure at his cowering.
“Mine,” Morax growled at Dvalin while Barbatos smacked his face with his palm at the behaviour of his very overprotective husband.
Barbatos could not fault his husband for his innate jealousy for a dragon would always protect its hoard and to Morax, his hoard was none other than Barbatos. But still, there was no need to stalk the Four Winds just because he was a little jealous!
After smacking his husband upside his head one time and lecturing him, Barbatos hoped that Morax had learned his lesson, otherwise…well, he hoped Morax would never have to find out.
Years continued to pass and the countries that they watched over changed with time. The city of Liyue Harbour grew quickly, spewing out landwards from the sea. What was once a small port was now a bustling city of commerce where mora flowed the streets like fine wine. In contrast, the city of Mondstadt grew slowly. Small towns popped up in the countryside, spreading the people around the vast land of the Anemo Archon’s domain. Where Liyue Harbour was ruled by a council of people, Mondstadt remained unmoved to the times of old, reigned by a monarchy, a single entity to determine the fate of the country. And yet, even when the land continued to change, and the wind brought forth new life, the two Archons remained untouched by time.
They continued to meet year after year by the borders of Liyue and Mondstadt, continuing to see each other until Barbatos felt the beginnings of erosion. It was subtle, a memory lost to the ravages of time, a memory that Morax had remembered but Barbatos had forgotten. It was, however, enough of an ominous sign to send the Anemo Archon into an uncontrolled panic. Only by Morax’s gentle words and touch was Barbatos able to calm himself before his emotions set loose a destructive cyclone upon his land.
However, not even Morax was able to convince Barbatos from leaving his side. Barbatos wished to sleep, to preserve the memories he still had, to delay the inevitable erosion as much as he could. He would wake one day, but only when his country needed his power. Morax could only look on sadly as his beloved faded with the wind, scattered to the four corners of Mondstadt, where none could disturb him from his sleep.
“Why do you continue to cherish me so? My decisions were unfair and my love to you I have failed to bestow.”
Morax huffed, as if amused at his husband’s words. “Were you not the one to tell me that our love must be free? Were you not the one to say our love cannot be bound? My love for you remains free, Barbatos. You think yourself unfair to me, unworthy perhaps, but have you asked yourself if I think differently from you?”
Even as Barbatos continued to sleep the years away, Morax continued to return to the borders between Liyue and Mondstadt, awaiting the day when his husband would stand waiting for him for their usual meetings. And year after year, Morax waited from dawn to dusk, only to return to his abode in disappointment.
Time continued to tick by ever so slowly and the world continued to change unimpeded.
Barbatos woke up, a century later, seemingly to a world still at peace. He did not know what had woken him up from his slumber but the first thing he decided to do was to check on the state of his domain and to find his husband.
Mondstadt had changed much in the short time he had slept.
Tyranny ran rampant among the monarchy that ruled the city of Mondstadt where the fair kings once sat upon the throne. People were enslaved, forced to obey the whims of the nobles. It was nothing that Barbatos represented. It was irony at its finest, a country that Barbatos had freed from the cruel shackles of a tyrant was once again shackled, not by a god but by the people this time. And yet, in a way, this was what the people chose. Barbatos had given the people of his domain the freedom to choose and this was what they had chosen.
“Sometimes I wonder if I had made a mistake, to allow the people to choose the path to take. Had I chosen to reign as is my right to rule, would I still have been a fool?”
Morax nuzzled Barbatos and the latter buried himself deeper into the warmth of the dragon’s body. “It is not my place to tell you how to rule but I admire your way of rule. I envy the freedom your people have, to be able to spread their wings to go anywhere they want. At the very least, your choice is not a mistake.”
The people cried for freedom and Barbatos answered the cry. He freed a leader, someone who could pave a way and destroy the foundations that shackled the people into eternal servitude. It was a cascading effect as Vennessa stood up, the flames of freedom rising to her cause. The people yearning for freedom were quick to assemble under her banner and it helped that Barbatos had openly given his support to her.
From afar, Barbatos watched as the people freed themselves, as the monarchy toppled, as the descendants of those who had once fought by his side were punished for their sins against the people. And he left, knowing his duty to the people was fulfilled.
He left for Liyue, surprised at how much had changed in the short time compared to Mondstadt. New towns had popped up all over Liyue, people were travelling from all over Teyvat to the country, and the city of Liyue Harbour had expanded greatly. At the same time, there were many things unchanged since the last time he visited the country. Morax still ruled the nation upon his gilded throne. The adepti remained uncaring of the mortals, choosing to hide away in their abode. The people who worshipped the adepti mostly did it out of greed.
“It is difficult to change the nature of people even if their hearts are easily swayed,” Morax said as he gazed at his city with his amber eyes. “We too are no different from them.”
Barbatos chose to sleep at the borders of Liyue and Mondstadt this time. He chose to sleep, not in his abode but within the folds of Morax’s serpentine body. His husband obliged him, nuzzling him and keeping the little wind sprite company until his consciousness was swept away by the wind until the next time the people of Mondstadt cried for his aid once again.
The next time Barbatos woke, it was to Celestia’s summons, a call to arms.
Teyvat was engulfed in the flames of war once more and monsters born of man-made corruption rose to attack every nation in the world. Morax had been occupied, both in defending his own country and attacking Khaenri’ah at the behest of Celestia. He had seen Barbatos take flight, flying away in the direction of Mondstadt. Whatever had happened there must have been beyond what the Four Winds could handle. Morax had faith in his husband’s abilities and power, he had faith that his husband would return victorious.
His faith had not been misplaced for Barbatos had succeeded in subjugating Durin, a corrupted dragon who had attacked Mondstadt. What he had failed to account for was the corrupted blood infecting those who touched it. Barbatos had known what the blood would have done had Durin been slain on the lands of Mondstadt and so with the help of Dvalin, he had killed the dragon upon the mountaintops south of Mondstadt, the same mountains that touched the land of Liyue. The corrupted blood seeped into the snow and tainted the land but had not spread beyond the icy stone.
Barbatos knew what the corrupted blood would do to any living being who touched it, any living being including gods. The blood burned as it seeped into his flesh and Dvalin cried in pain as the corruption ravaged his body. He sent Dvalin away to sleep the corruption away, even lending him a part of his power to help his friend fly away. However, that left him vulnerable and he collapsed into the snow, weakened as the Anemo tried to remove the corruption that had seeped into his body. He cried for Morax, his husband, pleading to the air for him to take the pain away even as the world around him burned.
He closed his eyes, wondering if this was how the Anemo Archon would perish, only to open his eyes when he felt his body being lifted up from the snow.
“Morax, you came for me,” Barbatos said as Morax wrapped his arms tighter around him.
“I will always come for you, no matter where you are.”
“Take me to Windrise please, while there is still time.”
Barbatos fell asleep to cleanse himself of the corruption under Morax’s sad watchful eyes. He continued to sleep as Teyvat changed in the aftermath of Khaenri’ah’s fall. He continued to sleep as Morax looked over his country with aged eyes, no longer wanting the throne of blood he sat on. He continued to sleep as the people of Mondstadt claimed their god had gone missing, or worse, had abandoned them. He continued to sleep as the corruption grew in Dvalin, polluting his mind and emotions. He continued to sleep as the world feared for what Celestia might do next, only to be met with silence as the years went on.
The next time he awoke, it was to the pained cry of his friend.
He awoke at Windrise beneath the great tree, taking flight immediately when the wind brought Dvalin’s painful cries to him again. He found his friend writhing in agony and roaring in anger as the corrupted blood clots on his back pulsed ominously. However, even in his pain, Dvalin still recognised Barbatos. He begged for an end, only for his friend to refuse.
“Not yet, don’t give up hope yet, I can still save you.”
Barbatos had considered going to Liyue to ask for his husband’s aid. However, Dvalin was one of the Four Winds and they were his responsibility. It was also personal, with Dvalin being his closest friend. How could he face his friend if he were to dump the responsibility of helping him on Morax’s shoulders?
He spent day after day, year after year, slowly chipping away the corruption festering in Dvalin’s body. His music was the only thing that calmed the azure dragon, it was his songs that soothe the pain.
But it was not enough.
Unlike Barbatos who could cleanse the corruption with Celestia’s powers, Dvalin had nothing. No divine power to remove the corruption, no hidden ability to cleanse the corruption from his blood. There was nothing Barbatos could do to help his friend more.
The thought of asking Morax if he knew how to cleanse the corruption had crossed his mind but if his husband did not use his knowledge to remove the corruption from the Anemo Archon then it stands to reason that he knew not how to do so.
Barbatos was close to losing hope and as he was about to resign himself to losing another close friend once more, a miracle happened.
A traveller from another world with the ability to purify other beings appeared before him, as if fate itself had brought them to where they needed to be. Using his human name ‘Venti’, he got close to the otherworldly traveller. He had not intended to become personally attached to them but in the short time they spent together, Barbatos began opening himself a little to them.
There was just something about the Traveller that drew him to them. Was it the untold stories that they carried with them or the freedom they embodied as they roamed the lands? Barbatos believed that not even his husband would be immune to their charm. Morax would love listening to their history just as he loved to hear and learn to sing the songs from beyond Teyvat. He could not wait to introduce the Traveller to his husband!
(There would be a time for that but that time is not now.)
It took a while before Barbatos could free Dvalin from the corruption with the Traveller’s help. So much detours, so much unnecessary conflicts, and all of it was worth it to help his friend. What was one extra day or week compared to the years he thought himself powerless to save a friend, to the time he spent thinking of ways to avoid killing his friend only to come up with nothing?
“What do you think would have happened if the Traveller hadn’t appeared?” Venti asked as he buried himself deeper into the comforts of Zhongli’s arms.
“He did appear, and he did save Dvalin.”
“A moment longer and it would have been too late.”
Zhongli shushed him gently. “And it didn’t happen. Everything is okay, Dvalin is freed of his corruption and he still lives.”
Barbatos had let his guard down at the sight of victory. He knew the Fatui had been up to something since they stole his harp. The wind had brought rumours of the Tsaritsa plans, nothing concrete but worrying rumours all the same. He thought nothing of those rumours, thinking himself to be inconsequential to the Cryo Archon’s schemes. And so when the Fatui attacked him and the Harbinger stole his Gnosis right under his nose, Barbatos could do nothing.
When the Gnosis was ripped out from his core, he was overwhelmed with pain. He felt himself destabilised, the storm yearning to be released to punish those who dared inflict pain upon his being. He struggled to pull the storm back into himself, to reign it back before it exploded out and destroyed everything around him. He burned away unstable remnants of power granted to him by Celestia to stop it but it was only delaying the inevitable, forcing Venti to teleport away to Dvalin’s lair, lest the storm be unleashed upon the city he loved.
He wished not to trouble his friend but the dragon knew how to control a chaotic storm. He only hoped that his husband would not catch wind of what happened, or at least he hoped that Morax would not find out until he found a way to tell him without sending him into a panic.
Barbatos soon fell asleep after sending the Traveller off to Liyue. He slept beneath the giant oak tree in Windrise, the same tree Vennessa had planted all those years ago. He had blessed that tree when Vennessa ascended to Celestia, his final gift to his friend and it would be by this ancient tree whose roots touched the leylines beneath the world that he would fill the space left behind by his missing Gnosis.
He wondered what Morax would think if he told him that he had never once cared for the Gnosis, not when it had silently shackled him, caging him. He was glad to be freed, even with the pain that came with the broken binds.
“If I had known, I would have freed you.”
“I knew that you would, but it would have drawn Celestia’s ire to you.”
He woke up days later, to the gentle wind caressing his face and his core stabilised. He could no longer feel Celestia’s presence within him, no binding will shackling him to his nation. For once, since the day he became an Archon, Barbatos was free.
(How ironic for a god of freedom.)
Now that he no longer had the Gnosis, he no longer wanted to use the name ‘Barbatos’. It was a name given to him by Celestia and it was one associated with the Archon of Mondstadt, one that he was no longer. And so, Barbatos fell into an endless slumber and Venti rose up in his place.
The first order of business in Venti’s new life was to go visit his husband in Liyue. He closed his eyes to focus on the wind, listening to the voices, the whispers of rumours in the air… Only to open them in shock when he heard them talk about Morax’s death.
Morax was dead? But that was impossible! He was still alive before he slept a few days ago!
Venti took off towards Mondstadt, soaring through the sky and uncaring of those who might see. He needed to know what happened, to know if the rumours were unfounded, if these lies had any semblance of truth to them. And yet, no matter where he went or who he asked, the rumours remained unchanged, the truth remained unchanged: Morax was dead.
What were Morax’s final thoughts? What were his words at his final moments? Had he thought of him as a husband or as someone who never showed up when he needed him the most? The wind did not carry Morax’s final words, either they were lost to time or the dying dragon had nothing to say.
“Will you think of me in your final days?” Morax asked, his eyes glancing down at Barbatos but his face unreadable.
“What makes you say that I was not thinking of you every day?”
He had to go to Liyue to find out what happened. He had to find the truth, he needed evidence.
(He still cannot, will not believe that Morax is dead.)
Venti rode the winds with his pure white wings as he travelled to Liyue. He crossed the borders high up in the sky, hidden amongst the clouds. He used the swiftest tailwind, almost reaching the city of Liyue Harbour in a single day. He landed in the outskirts of the city, on the cliff overlooking the harbour. Morax should have felt his arrival, he should be coming to him to ask what was wrong, why was he not at their usual meeting spot. And yet, even as Venti waited and waited, no one came to meet him on that lonely cliff.
The moon was bright that night, casting its false light upon the land. Morax would have brought out his finest liquor to share with his husband and Venti, in return, would have sung songs on the adeptus or legends of Liyue that Morax loved.
A tear fell unbidden. Those wonderful times are now gone in this lonely world, only to live on in the memories of one lonely god. No one to sing for under the twinkling stars. No one to laugh with when he pranked them. No one who would give him the warmest hugs that could chase the cold away.
There would be no Morax and Venti did not know how to move on from this.
More tears fell now as Venti fell to his knees and sobbed. There would be no one to tell him stories as they walked down the streets of Liyue Harbour. There would be no one to stay by his side before he fell into slumber. There would be no one who would share drinks with when he dropped by. There would be no one to listen to his songs of stories forgotten.
He had taken his husband for granted and now that he was gone, Venti felt as if a part of him had died with him.
Venti wiped away the tears, a useless endeavour as more continued to fall. He took flight and landed silently in a quiet alley in the city, walking out as soon as he composed himself as much as he could.
He strolled down the streets, remembering the way Morax would lead him through it and telling him bits and pieces of history from anything that caught his interest. He remembered listening to Morax, the way he explained enthusiastically about something Venti had no interest in but paid attention to anyway. He passed by an antique shop, remembering the way Morax would point out the real from the fake, the way his eyes gleamed the moment he saw a priceless artefact being sold. He passed by a restaurant, remembering how Morax made Venti his specialty, remembering how long it took and how much he had complained about being hungry while he waited for Morax to finish cooking.
Liyue Harbour used to carry fond memories for Venti but now, the streets are lain with painful reminders of the past.
There was a loud roar as the sky darkened without warning, breaking Venti out of his thoughts. The roar was followed by loud gasps all around as Osial rose from the ocean’s depths. Venti snuck away as the people’s attention was drawn to the enraged god. He flew back to the cliffs and watched, his eyes immediately honing in on the floating building near the ocean god. He closed his eyes to listen to the wind as it told him who was on it. The Traveller and his companion, as well as the yaksha he had saved long ago. There were others as well but none of them were Morax.
Venti opened his eyes as Osial roared again. He watched as the ocean god unleashed its fury and swallowed part of the city with a large tidal wave. The city was being attacked but where was their god who signed a contract with its people to protect them?
(But Morax cannot protect them anymore, not when he is dead.)
Venti continued to watch as the people fought back against the god. He continued to watch as their weapons were destroyed. He continued to watch as the hope of the people in the city began to crumble. He continued to watch, even as his hands trembled to draw his bow and protect the country in his late husband’s place. He continued to watch as Osial was sealed back into the ocean’s depth, not by Morax but by the people he was supposed to protect. He continued to watch as the people in the city cheered in victory. He continued to watch, even as his heart shattered.
He remained in his spot, unmoving. The tears had long dried up and all Venti could feel was the creeping cold and numbness. All the pain he felt when he lost his Gnosis, when he saw Dvalin become corrupted, all of that pain was nothing compared to the overwhelming loss of his loved one. His breath shuddered as he breathed. He should return to Mondstadt, there was nothing left for him in Liyue, in Teyvat. And yet, Venti could not bring himself to move.
He remained there, even when he heard the grass crunch behind him. Either there was a lost adventurer or an adeptus was here to chase him out. Venti could care less about them, he was beyond caring at this point. He was too far gone in his grief to care about anything.
“Barbatos?”
Venti opened his eyes, unaware of when he had closed them. That voice he had just heard… But that was impossible… Unless…
“Morax?” Venti softly said, his voice wavering and unsure, so unlike his usual self.
He pushed himself off the ground, spinning around to face the person in one smooth motion. And right there, standing right before him, was Morax.
“How? You’re dead,” Venti said as tears began to fall again.
Morax approached him, shushing him as he opened his arms and embraced him. Venti’s arms reached out on its own accord, wrapping around the taller man. He leaned into the warm hug, leeching the heat away to chase away the lingering cold.
“I apologise,” Morax apologised softly as Venti cried in his arms. “I did not know when you would wake up so I could not tell you of my plans.”
“Plans?” Venti asked, confused as he blinked away the tears and pushed himself out of the embrace.
“I wanted to give up my position as an Archon. I was tired of it but I needed to know if Liyue was ready for a world without me.”
There was silence as Venti processed what Morax had said. The grass rustled with the wind and the crickets sung in the night. Then there was a loud slap when Venti raised his hand against the strongest of the seven Archons.
“You stupid dumb blockhead! You could have left me a letter, a message, anything to know what was going on in your head! Instead you made me think you were dead!” Venti shouted while Morax curled into himself. He was breathing harshly, taking a shuddering breath as he whispered to his beloved, “I thought you died, I thought you were gone forever, I thought I would be alone for the rest of my life… Please, never do that again, Morax. Please.”
“I’m sorry,” Morax said, over and over again until Venti gently placed a finger over his lips to silence him.
“I’ve already forgiven you, 岩穴之士.”
Morax scowled as he gently moved Venti’s hand away. “Who taught you those words?”
“Ehe,” Venti answered with a tease instead.
He embraced Morax again, closing his eyes, humming a soft tune as he heard his husband’s beating heart. They soaked in the presence of each other under the twinkling stars. Venti knew that they should move, the cliff overlooking Liyue Harbour was no place for an important conversation and yet, he could not bring himself to break away again. In the end, it was Morax who broke away this time. He kept his hand with Venti’s, fingers intertwined as he led his husband to his adeptal abode in Liyue, far from any curious eyes. He sat Venti down on the stone stool and placed a pot of Qingxin tea on the circular stone table in front of him. Morax sat down on the other side and poured a cup for both of them. He sat the pot down and lifted the cup to his lips, breathing in the scent before taking a sip.
“Zhongli. That is the name of this vessel,” Morax—no, Zhongli—said as he set the cup down. “I have relinquished my Gnosis and stepped down from my position as Archon. As such, I will no longer use the name Celestia has given to me. Barbatos, we swore our vows with the names Celestia gave us, would you swear a new vow with me, with my new name?”
“Ah… Yeah… About that… I don’t have the Gnosis either…”
“…Explain.”
And Venti did. He spun his story into a song and sang his tale, he sang about when he woke to Dvalin’s painful cries, when he met the Traveller as fate dictated, when he saved his friend with the Traveller’s help, when he was attacked, when he lost the Gnosis. Zhongli listened in silence, sipping his tea at times as Venti strummed his lyre. When the song came to an end and the lyre was placed away, Venti returned to his seat and took a sip from his cold tea.
“Venti is the name this vessel has claimed.”
Zhongli remained silent but on his face, Venti could see the cold anger seeping into his eyes. Who was he angry at and why? When Zhongli stood up, fury evident on his face, Venti had to step in to stop his husband from walking away.
“Who are you angry at?” he asked as he soothed the raging dragon with his words.
“The Harbinger. She hurt you.”
“That pain is my own to bear, but to the pain of your death it would not compare.”
Zhongli flinched as if he was struck before he folded into himself as he sat back down. “I’m sorry,” he apologised even as Venti shushed him.
“And I’ve told you that I’ve forgiven you. Rather, do you not have something important to do?”
Zhongli made a noise of confusion and Venti laughed, joyful and mischievous where not a few hours before he had been downcast and despairing over his husband’s death.
(But he did not die, did he? He still lives and Venti is thankful.)
“Our vows! Did you think it was something I would disallow? We must renew them with our present names while our precious life and mind still remains,” Venti said, teasing as he reminded Zhongli what he had said hours before.
“Then I will call someone to be our witness.”
“Nay, let the moon and stars be our witnesses for this day. Let destiny and fate dictate what they so wish, but it is our bond we will never relinquish.”
Zhongli stood up from his seat and made his way over to Venti’s side. He pulled the bard up to stand, pulling him gently over to the side where the edge overlooked the entirety of the adeptal realm. Under the twinkling stars and the bright moon that hung on a painted canvas within a realm existing outside of Teyvat, the two gods renewed their vows under no eyes but their own. They spoke their faithful words, unheard by anyone but themselves. They shared a kiss in a place where time stood still, where no life existed but their own. And to the two gods, one born of freedom and one born of contracts, a world where there was only the two of them, it was their perfect world.