【蝴蝶】ᵇᵘᵗᵗᵉʳᶠˡⁱᵉˢ [ʸᵃⁿ!ᴳᵉⁿˢʰⁱⁿ ᴵᵐᵖᵃᶜᵗ]

ᴛᴡᴏ

ᴛɪᴍᴇ ꜰᴀɪʟᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴀꜱꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴇᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ꜱʜᴇ ʟᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ꜰᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴍɪʟʟɪᴏɴ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ

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"Give me some time...I'll organize a few contacts."

Diluc nodded at the group before turning to the door and leaving, probably headed off to the Dawn Winery. Venti, Paimon and Lumine ventured upstairs once more to remain hidden from any knights that might roam into Angel's Share.

Once Lumine was seated- BANG! "Where did you find her?! How did you find her?! Tell me where she is!" Venti slammed his fists onto the table, the look from earlier returning to his face.

He stared directly into Lumine's eyes, a frightening desire behind them. What was the meaning behind that carving? Lumine wondered, hand gripping her sword, ready to swing in self defence if she had to. Their eyes narrowed at each other.

"Woah! Calm down Venti! We didn't find...whoever it is you're looking for- We didn't find anyone!" Paimon said defensively, trying her best to calm the bard down. Meanwhile, Lumine did not take her hand off the handle of her sword.

Venti blinked and seemed to realise how he had reacted...inappropriately. He smiled, "My sincerest apologies traveller, that was uncalled for." He said, fiddling the strings of his lyre, a soft improvised melody resulting from it.

Lumine just narrowed her eyes further. She couldn't trust this bard, but it seemed she had to if she wanted to defeat Stormterror and find her brother. And to find whoever this wacko is talking about. She reminded herself, because if the poem was right, the girl in the poem wasn't going to spend eons suffering if she could do anything about it.

Venti gave his signature laugh, trying to play off his actions as just him being drunk again, but Lumine wasn't buying it. Something was going on here, and Venti was somehow involved.

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"On behalf of the Knight's of Favonius, we thank you for saving Mondstadt from Dvalin  and for saving Dvalin himself."

Jean held her hand over her heart gratefully. Lumine and Paimon smiled, Mondstadt was amazing but it was about time to leave to continue the search for her dear brother.

But they had a few things to do first.

"Tone-deaf Bard!" Paimon called out to the Archon that stood under the tree, playing his lyre solemnly. "Venti, why the long face?" Lumine asked, standing in front of him. "I went to the spot you met me and Dvalin. In the woods. Where you saw the carving." He explained sadly.

Lumine raised her eyebrow, confused. She still didn't know anything about that, nobody had taken the time to tell her. "What's behind that rock that has you so obsessed?" She queried, taking a seat next to him on the tree root.

Venti merely sighed and looked off into the distant sunset fondly. "It's...a long story." He said, hugging his knee. "We have time for it! Paimon wants to here a story!" Paimon said  floating closer. Venti smiled sadly.

"Ok, but listen closely..."

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Long, long ago,
When the Archon war had just ended,

A curious mortal girl found her way into a meeting between the seven archons, who were discussing land and borders.

Nobody knew how she got into the abode, not even the girl herself. But nobody was complaining.

I was there at the table, drinking dandelion wine. She looked so confused, it was adorable.

She looked at the table of omnipotent Archons and smiled sheepishly. She nearly feinted from fright, all of the Archons smiled back at her.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

I had heard of her, the winds told me of a girl in Teyvat once. A stunning mortal, most everyone fell infatuated with the girl. I didn't believe it at first.

I did now.

My good friend Morax, the Lord of Geo, stood up, and offered her a hand. Shakily, she took it and Morax led her over to his seat, where she was asked to sit.

I could feel everyone in the room fall in love when the mortal girl that had mysteriously stumbled into the meeting ended up falling asleep in Rex Lapis' chair.

I had hoped that it was just me, but from the way everyone looked at her, I knew I wouldn't have an easy time keeping her to myself.

The meeting ended, and I took her home to Mondstadt before anyone could say anything. She was so sweet, she sung along to the melodies I composed, she did her best to cook and clean, though she did not always succeed.

But the next week, she was gone.

I learned that she was taken by Morax, then by Baal from Inazuma, and then by each and every Archon of  Teyvat.

I was surprised that it only took a week for all of us to fall for a girl, a mortal, no less.

A new a meeting was called, to discuss how we could go about the troublesome mortal.
We all wanted nothing but to have her to ourselves.

A heated argument broke out, a physical fight nearly started, but we were interrupted.

A Celestial God walked into the meeting, eyes narrowed in fury, and yet she appeared so calm.

All of us new not to mess with this Unknown God, for she carried direct Celestial power, nobody knew what it could do, and nobody wanted to find out.

She grabbed the girl's arm and took her away, we stood up in retaliation, but we were all seated once more when a hand was held over the mortal girl's neck.

I remember the words she spoke
"This foolish feud ends here, focus yourselves on your countries instead of this foolish mortal, with whom you shouldn't have made contact with in the first place!"

And that was the last time I saw her. I haven't seen her in centuries, I could never forget her.
I knew she was alive. I heard her screams and cries, the wind carried them to me.

But I could never find her, nobody could.

I searched everywhere in Mondstadt, I left my people to manage themselves to search for her across the seven nations.

Nothing.

So how did you find her without even looking?

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