|A Lone Adeptus| xiaoven

十

The moon peered down with its bright eye, shining down its solemn and soothing light to the Adeptus. The chirping of crickets almost seemed to quiet down, watching and listening as the hymn was played. 

Like the land of freedom and the vision at his side, the wind flowed through the flute and into the chilled air of darkness and enchantment.

"It was you." 

The Yaksha turned to the voice, the bard now awake and with wide eyes. He smiled, his eyes reflecting the moon and its hope. He stood up and sat down next to him. Moonlight poured onto their skin and clothes, almost illuminating their eyes like riches.

"So you knew," Xiao responded, placing the flute on his lap. He did not want to be discovered so soon. The past that he held was revealed, and the true character of a monster was made known. What did the human think of a demon like him?

Venti turned his eyes to the night sky, the stars hidden behind the moon's brightness. He took the flute from the Adeptus' lap, blowing into the instrument and creating that same melody as that night many decades ago. 

Realization hit Xiao in the heart. This was no mere mortal as he had believed. He almost felt to be a fool to act this way towards him. He wanted to apologize for being so crude, for brushing the kindness of the anemo archon's pity away like trash, and for appearing so pitiful before him. 

The wind lifted through them, making the sandbearers' branches dance with gold and melancholy. The song played on the karma, making him silent with a pleasant feeling swelling in its place.

"I didn't think we would meet again," Venti spoke as he placed the flute down next to Xiao's spear, the music settling in their ears like a lullaby. "I had my suspicions, but I didn't want to rush and make you run away."

Run away? Why would he ever? In a way, Xiao took insult to the remark. "I would never run."

His statement was met with laughter. He turned to Barbatos, flustered. "What is the meaning of this?" he fumbled with a furrowed brow.

The bard quieted down, wiping a tear with a smile. "You really are nothing as the tales say."

"I could say the same to you." 

It was quiet as the two looked up to the stars, their minds heavy with questions waiting to be answered. They both started at the same time as they turned to each other. 

"Lord Barbatos-"

"Adeptus Xiao-"

Barbatos laughed, shaking his head. "You go on first."

Xiao chewed on his lips, swallowing hard. Sitting so close to a bard-no, the archon of Mondstadt, made him feel self-conscious of all that Barbatos knew about him. Yet he, himself, knows nothing about the archon. 

"How long have you known?" he started, taking in a breath to slow his heart. Compared to when they first met, Xiao was not aware of the great aura of the archon. The peace, love, and tranquility of his heart made Xiao feel like the purest of evil and murk, not worth even the slightest of mercy. 

Venti hummed, fiddling with his braids as he looked up to the moon.  "After you opened your eyes in the snow." Even as Xiao hadn't seen the archon in so long, meeting him again felt like the return of an instant remedy.

Thinking of how they met made Xiao cringe; to be overcome by human emotions and resulting in such a state before the presence of Barbatos. "I apologize that you had to see me like that."

"Don't be sorry," Venti replied, shaking his head. "I understand that you've been through a lot." He tried to sympathize with Xiao, but he really didn't know much about the Adeptus, given even as he was an archon. All that he knew was from Morax, and he hadn't seen the archon in what seemed to be millennia. 

"What did you want to say?" He glanced into the eyes of the archon, hesitant. 

Venti stumbled with his words, almost afraid of being rude. "I was just wondering what you were doing in Dragonspine- under the snow..Of course, you don't have to tell me." He had known then and now that it was because of the karma, but he wanted to relieve the adeptus of his pain, even for a moment. 

The Yaksha was silent, the bitterness of the karma becoming poison to his mind. How would he be able to explain? Never would he dare lie to the archon, but it was far too cruel for him to reveal so easily. 

"I was just..unstable." He didn't want to be vague, but he knew human emotions would trigger him again into a similar response. 

"Unstable, huh?" Venti repeated, drawing in a breath. "Is there any way I can make it easier for you to bear?" He turned to the Adeptus, smiling with sympathy.

Xiao faltered for a moment, his eyebrows raising as the cool wind brushed between them. His chest felt tight, and his muscles tensed. Was the archon of freedom truly willing to spare mercy on a corrupt being as he?

"There's no need." He stood with his spear, turning away from Venti. He wouldn't--no, couldn't show such weakness before the archon, not while he could be a danger, not when he was with great sin.

"Xiao." The name rang in his ears, the voice full of nothing but a will for song and peace. His name always tied him down, making him susceptible to human emotions. It hurt him more than to let down his walls, but he was not allowed to be weak.

"Won't you stay?" Venti spoke again, urging with sadness in his voice. "I'd like to play you a song, if you're willing." 

How could he refuse an archon? Xiao sat back down with a sigh, deep down glad Venti had called him back. 

Barbatos laughed, his voice like a chorale itself. "Any requests?" 

His heart lifted with a hope, one he wished would fade away before more connections would be made. "Anything is fine." 

"Alright," Barbatos smiled and picked up the flute. "Do relax. Just think of the melody."

Xiao only nodded, his heart beating with anticipation to the long-awaited song. Never would he have thought to meet the archon again in a situation like this. 

Barbatos cleared his throat and took in a breath before pressing his lips to the flute and playing.

The song came as light and peaceful as the wind, bringing the feeble Yaksha to unwind and open to his senses. 

The cool night air seemed to clear in his lungs, his sore muscles relaxing, the voices of the damned quieting,  and the sounds of nature responding in a chorus to the song. 

It was just like that night so long ago, though he was not plagued with such anguish and pain. Now, all he could feel was a gentle cradle to his soul--a true serenity. 

They closed their eyes, feeling the rise and fall of the notes in the air, their visions' glow beating together as one. They felt for the song as a string to each other's hearts, of a similar ache and lost memory. 

As the song finished, Barbatos turned to the Adeptus with a small smile. "Did you like it?" He gaped and setting down his flute to approach the other with worry. "Why're you crying? I didn't mean for this to happen."

The archon wiped tears from Xiao's face, his expression like still water. He was confused himself what had happened to bring him to tears. "I...I don't know." 

Xiao felt Venti's hand which touched his cheek, almost savoring the warmth of the archon's touch. "I liked it."

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Author's Note:

I hope that all of you enjoy the fanfic so far, and happy New Year's!

“Celebrate endings—for they precede new beginnings.”

-Xueyun