[closed] Song of the Dragon and Freedom

[rotacalamitas]

🧙 WHO: Bennett, Venti, Xiao
️️⚔️️ WHAT: Tracking down a dragon.
🕒 WHEN: Early-to-mid November
🗺️ WHERE: Lotus Pod Mountain
⚠️ WARNINGS:None so far.


[A dragon attacking Celliwig... The news about it reminded Bennett of the stories about Stormterror's attacks on Mondstadt. It gave him a knot deep in his stomach, and made him want to do something about it. People lost their homes and even their lives because of it...

And yet, Venti, despite having similar feelings as a Mondstadter, came to him with a different solution. Save the dragon, show it mercy, and let it go free instead. Venti's proposed course of action seemed strange to the young adventurer; if someone submitted a commission to the Adventurer's Guild about dangerous monsters, it wouldn't make sense to spare the monsters' lives instead.

...But Bennett trusted Venti's judgment here, and Xiao didn't seem to have any particular objections at the moment. So if the bard said they needed to give the dragon a chance, then he was willing to go along with it. A good leader trusts his teammates, after all.

Their search takes them up the side of the mountain. Judging by the state of the mountain, they had searching to do. There was no telling whether they'd be able to find the dragon, much less before someone else gets to it. It was a race against time...]

Why are you so concerned about this dragon anyway, Venti? It sounds like you're really invested here.

Comments

[concierto]

[A race against time... with this tag already being almost two weeks late Venti had come to the forefront of this quest with a certain vigour because of it. He had watched the chaos surrounding Celliwig and Lestari and even before that the chaos with Dvalin in the past. Dragons had a terrible reputation of being destroyers, always littering songs and stories with how wicked and vile they are...

But one has to always ask where that wickedness comes from. Or why it's even there. Or if those parts of the stories are even true. It leaves an unsettling feeling in Venti's chest. Aching like a growing piece of ice from Dragonspine itself.]

It's quite simple, Bennett! If someone came encroaching on your home wouldn't you want to protect it too? Have you ever thought that the top of this mountain is where this dragon calls his home and hearth?

[Dvalin had gone through such turmoil in the past. When he tried so hard to protect the land only to have the people scorn him for it. It had created such a wound inside of the dragon that he fell sick. Only to lose himself to that corruption and pain. How can a dragon, who's only trying to live, be punished for that?]

Although... I do wish he called his home a little closer to the... base ... of the mountain.

[Sweet Celestia he really hates walking up mountains. If only he had anemo...]

[whirlwindthrust]

[ It's true. Xiao doesn't have an opinion on the matter. Not truly. If the creature is a threat after this, then he will suggest putting it down. However he is somewhat aware of Mondstadt's struggles with their dragon and somehow that had turned out all right in the end - due to a certain Traveler's interference. Thus he cannot say whether or not the immediate course of action should be slaying the creature.

He just knows that the Archon has some pretty strong feelings about it. ]

Were you to get out and exercise more often, perhaps you would not struggle so with a hike such as this.

[ Since it doesn't seem like Bennett and Xiao are struggling? ]

[rotacalamitas]

[Bennett stays quiet for a moment, thinking over Venti's words. It was a pretty insightful response, one that sounds very much like something Venti would say. So he just... believes that the dragon isn't inherently evil and was just trying to defend its home? It makes sense to Bennett.]

Xiao's right. Aren't bards supposed to be wanderers, anyway? How do you manage to do cross-country traveling in that kind of shape?

[To an Adventurer, hiking a mountain of this size should be nothing.]

1/2

[concierto]

[He looks at Xiao.

The fucking audacity.]

2/2

[concierto]

[He smiles sweetly.]

A wanderer I may be but I always made use of my vision to make my travels easier.

[Or as the anemo archon, to be precise. But he can't clarify that to Bennett.]

You could always carry me, Xiao. If you enjoy exercise so much. Ehe!

[whirlwindthrust]

[ Xiao is not bothered. Honestly the mortal boy has a valid point especially since visions - or certain energies - are not readily available to them. ]

Such powers are not at play here, so it would do you good to remember this.

[ Carry him indeed. ]

I believe that I do enough carrying for you. [ Emotionally, that is. ] You can at least carry your own weight in this.

[ He turns toward Bennett and gives a nod. ]

Continue to lead the way please. If he cannot keep up, then he cannot decide the fate of this dragon.

[rotacalamitas]

[Bennett looks at Xiao and Venti. The way they interact... He had no idea they were so close. What leads a humble bard and an immortal yaksha to become such good friends...?]

Right. We've got a lot of ground to cover if we want to be the first ones to find him!

[If only they were so lucky...]

[concierto]

[Oh yes- They're just super peachy friends.]

I see, well allow me to rid you of your heavy burdens.

[Venti's voice is quite sweet but there is this hidden lace of sharpness in his tone as he brushes past Xiao to walk ahead... See- He can walk if he wants to.]

This way, then.

[Stay pure, Bennett.]

Once we find the poor dragon we can learn all about his story.

[whirlwindthrust]

[ Just super peach friends indeed. Don't think about it too much, Bennett. Xiao sighs at the tone said bard carries. Look, he says things out of some form of concern. But also because he doesn't always approve of that flighty nature.

He might... Have to apologize later. Or soften the blow. ]

Let's hope that we find it before another with vengeance on the mind.