Chapter Text
The wind breeze was filled with freedom and songs. It traveled through the valleys and the meadows, past the Windrise tree and towards the gates of Mondstadt. It played with the city folks' hair and flowed through the bird's wings, as if saying good morning to the children of the wind.
The people of Mondstadt loved the winds just as much as the winds cherished them. The people know that their beloved Anemo Archon protected and adored their children from a far. But currently…
Venti was munching on an apple, tuning the strings of his lyre. Today the weather was sunny and perfect (as it usually was; thanks to the winds), making a perfect day for him to laze about and play music for the people of Mondstadt. And hopefully making a few mora along the way for wine, he shamelessly hoped.
Today the plaza was very empty, that's because most of the city was at the church today. He never went to the cathedral when most of the city was there. The one time he did think about going he got very embarrassed, he could already hear all the prayers from all the way down at the town square fountain and just the thought of being there made him uncomfortable and nauseous.
He finally finished tuning the last string of his lyre when he heard the sound of a bunch of little tiny feet rushing towards him. When he looked up he saw Klee with a bunch of other kids that he's met around Mondstadt. “Finally we found you.” Klee yelled out, gasping for breath.
“Oh hello there Klee, Sage, and..” he glances around to identify the other children around him, “Flora, Nora, Timmie”, Venti addressed. He took note that they were all staring at him, posing as if they’re trying to intimidate him-- but he also saw a spark of disbelief and wonder within their eyes.
Odd, he thought, wondering where this confrontation was going.
“What are you five doing here? I thought you'd all be at the church with everyone else today.” he said.
“Uh... well, we were at the church! But we couldn't find you there, so we left to find you." Flora said as she looks everywhere else except his face. Again…odd, Last time he hung out with Flora, or any of the children in front of him for that matter, was when he was with the traveler after they returned from Liyue and helped Hans (or Stanley, as most people know him by). That was about three weeks ago, and he still feels the heavy grief that he resurfaced that day.
“Mhm, Okay… why are you looking for me?” Venti asked.
Sage stares at the ground, nervous for a moment before starting to speak “It's because, well-"
“IT'S BECAUSE WE KNOW YOUR SECRET!” Timmie yelled over poor Sage who looks like he's about to sink himself into the floor.
'Huh?!' Venti on the outside remains neutral and calm, smiling before the five children without a fear in the world, but mentally, Venti was very confused. 'My secret?' He pondered. 'So vague, what could they even be talking about?'
“Yes! Your big, deep, dark secret! That you don't want anyone else to know about!”, Nora blurts out, trying her best to act as intimidating as a child possibly can act. “And we demand you listen to us and don’t run away or else! We will tell everyone in the city”. She continued to yell, at the end stretching her arms into the air to empathize just how serious she was.
Despite Venti finding all these children absolutely adorable, he is still extremely concerned. It sounds like they're trying to... blackmail me. Are a bunch of kids trying to blackmail me?!
“Okay… I'm listening," he said.
“We know that you’re the Anemo Archon! Heh, We figured it out Mr. Tone deaf bard! And now you have to hear our requests, or we will tell everyone at the church today! And your secret identity will be Exposed!” Klee said in a way too enthusiastic tone to be blackmailing an Archon with.
'They're actually trying to blackmail me… I'm kind of impressed,'
It's not like Venti didn't like having a secret identity, he quite enjoyed having the ability to be treated like a regular human rather than a god or a wisp. Additionally it helped Mondstadt stay independent from him. The only reason he has a secret identity now is because he fell asleep for thousands of years by force--- but it's not like all of Teyvat is going to believe that a wine loving teenage bard is a 2600-year-old god; just because five kids said so. So their attempted blackmail was quite... futile.
'Awww, but they look so proud of themselves for besting me! Maybe I'll just play along,' Venti internally decided.
It’s probably for the best as well, he doesn't want the city to fall into havoc and conspiracy over this if they do end up believing a bunch of kids. Plus, if they figured him out that probably meant they had some sort of evidence, and he would like to keep his secret identity a ‘secret’!
He gasped loudly, preforming his best shocked face and covered his mouth with his hand. “OH NO! I’ve been caught!”, Venti dramatically cried in horror, putting a faint hint of despair as he bows his head into his hands.
“You five wise children have quite surprised little old me! My freedom is in your hands for the time being. What do you require so that my secret won’t expire?” He rhymes dramatically, only to look at them and be met with all their confused faces.
“He sounds just like Fischl-” Flora muttered bluntly. She always had to deal with Ms Fischl’s fancy talking when she came to buy flowers from her.
Sage still looked frightened but also quite guilty, Klee was straight up confused but still bouncing with excitement, Nora and Timmie… looked ready to fight a god… literally.
Venti should keep an eye on them… or run.
“To clarify, I’m asking what you want from me in exchange for your silence,” Venti bluntly corrected. Guess he should have been less dramatic. Poor Sage looks like he’s going to faint.
“OH!”, Klee gasped as she realized, excitement and giddiness seeping through her bright smile! “Well why didn’t you say so?!” she continued.
Venti tilted his head innocently in confusion “but- I did?”
“No you didn’t! You said nonsense that reminded Klee of her big brother Albedo when he gets lost his alchemy notes,” Klee mumbled.
Venti pouted at that, making Nora and Sage more relaxed, finding their Archon quite harmless. “Anyways! What do you want from me?” Venti asked again clapping his hands together, he was still curious as to why the five staged such an operation. But now all the kids suddenly looked shy, and embarrassed?
“Well Mister, we were hoping you could hang out with us?” Nora mumbled as she fiddled with the hems of her dress skirt.
“Oh and teach us how to glide!” Timmie and Flora yelled in unison, both now extremely excitement. Sage stayed silent as the others yelled.
“I want to go fish blasting!” Klee yelled.
'Oh no' Venti internally realized, 'there forcing me to become their babysitter. But they are adorable… I can’t tell them no!' the bard sighed, accepting his fate. “So you want me to be your friend?”
“Yes!” they all yelled," Please Mr, Archon sir?” Sage asked giving a hopeful look.
Venti played a little pout as he folded his arms and huffed, “And here I thought we were all already friends.”
The children were silent for a moment before Timmie stammered “Well... now you have to hang out with us! Like, whenever we want you to!”
'Fine as long as it doesn't get in the way of my performance at the taverns', Venti thought bluntly. “So, What do you want to do-?”
“Play with us right now!”, Timmie again yelled very loudly, Good thing everyone’s at the church right now, Venti is pretty sure his identity would have already been leaked if that weren't that fact.
“Can you teach us how to glide?,” Sage suggested very quietly.
“Yeah! I tried to teach my friends, But it was really hard and Master Jean said I’m not a le-leeg gentament instructor?”, Klee mumbles out trying to remember how to say the word.
“She also said that most of us were too young and that Klee only had her license because she’s a vision bearer,” Flora added on. The others nod in agreement showing that they all had a similar problem.
“I actually planned on taking the appropriate classes to get a gliding license so I could fly but…''Nora trails off until Timmie interrupts her. Very loudly “Amber has been soo busy and I’m done waiting to fly! I want to be one with the birds!"
Venti understood where they were coming from, as children of the wind they must be antsy to gain the freedom of flight but something isn’t adding up here, “Huh, I'm also not an official gliding instructor either," He tried to explain.
“Yeah but you're thee. Anemo. Archon, so you can still help us!” Klee dubbed.
“But I still can’t help them get a license.”
All the children grow a mischievous smirk, “Who said anything about getting a license? We just want to fly!”
___
And that’s how Venti found himself breaking into the Knights of Favonius headquarters to steal four wind gliders for four kids (not including Klee who already had a license) who wanted to illegally learn how to fly with the Anemo Archon. Venti felt kind of bad for making the traveler steal the holy lyre now-
“Nora don’t touch those! They're not yours! Ah! Sage get back behind the bush we need to be stealthy! —No Klee, we’re not pranking the Acting Grandmaster by putting a bomb in her desk that is rude— TIMMIE?! Put. The. Pigeon. Down! Drop Him! He’s not one of yours and he doesn't want to go with you!” Venti frantically yelled once he noticed Timmie holding the poor bird.
“But-“, Timmie started.
“No But’s! I don't want to hear it! We came here to take gliders! Not Otto's pet bird!”
“Fineeee”, Timmie whined before dropping the frightened pigeon. The bird quickly flew out of the office that Venti and the kids were currently scavenging.
After the children basically blackmailed him at the fountain, they all snuck into the Favonius headquarters while most of the citizens and knights were still at the cathedral.
Klee was supposed to show them the way to the wind glider storage room; but she forgot which room it was. Which in turn, lead to Venti having to play a game of hide and seek; Attempting to seek through each room they found, hoping to locate the gliders. And to hide himself and five chaotic children while dodging the knights still at the headquarters.
It has been… a mess.
Venti can’t keep his head on straight! 'Those little bundles of joy are filled with so much energy? Heck I’m the Anemo Archon and I’m losing my breath! Oh no Flora's climbing the cabinets again she's going to fall!' Venti quickly caught Flora before she hit the floor. “Oh- thanks Mr. Bard, '' Flora laughed and continued to rummage as if nothing happened.
Venti sighed and took a deep breath before speaking. “Alright guys we’re not going to find anything in Sir Otto's office we might as well continue elsewhere.”
Venti has been to the Favonius headquarters loads of times. He even helped build it when his dear Vanessa became the first Grand Master, but things have changed since then. Like the wind always changing, the layout has drastically changed (apparently about a year before Venti’s arrival Klee blew up half of the headquarters making her first experimental bombs-)
Even when he visited the Acting Grandmaster —Via her request or just him wanting to bother her these past few months— he never really got the chance to explore.
So looking for one room that supposedly held all pre-made wind gliders is quite the nightmare. Vanessa would probably know where the knights kept the wind gliders now; but the Falcon of the west was currently keeping an eye on Varka's expedition. Making sure they stayed safe, —so she couldn’t help at the moment.
The six of them quickly shuffled out of the office and into the dark hallway, one of Timmie’s pigeons letting them know the hallway was empty beforehand.
They quietly walked down the hallway, out of all of them, only Sage looked slightly scared, basically breaking the law and all~ The rest of the children looked bored. “Ugh! I want to go gliding, where do they keep their stupid gliders!?" Nora whined.
“Maybe we should ask Keaya for help!” Klee innocently suggested.
“And get caught stealing?! Sir Keaya’s a knight!” Sage frantically yelled. Klee didn’t really seem to understand what Sage was trying to tell her. “But brother Keaya’s nice.” Klee replied.
While Klee and Sage continued to pester about how they could/couldn’t trust Sir Kaeya, Venti felt a shift in the wind within the headquarters. He mentally reached out using his Wind and felt a presence coming towards them…a knight. Shoot.
“GUYS- GUYS- QUICK! SHUSH—” Venti loudly whispered as he nabbed all five children into his arms and shoves himself and the five into a closet down the hall. All the children quickly became confused and start loudly protesting as Venti tries to shush them.
While Venti hopelessly failed at quieting the children, Sir Otto walks into the hallway and heard whispering coming from the closest down the hall.
“Why are we in here??” One of the problem children asked.
“It’s soo stuffy- wait feathers?” A voice sounding like Klee muttered.
“Tone deaf bard what do you think you're doing?!” A familiar voice shrieked like a crow. Oh boy. Venti closed his eyes, internally screaming.
“Shhhhh!” Venti panicked.
“I’m freaking out you guys!” 'was that Sage?!' Venti’s mind tried to figure out.
“Hey I don’t know why we’re whispering but I found the wind gliders haha!” Klee yelled out, Everyone then went silent as they hear boots hitting the floor towards them.
'Oh no' everyone thought as the children realized why Venti was shushing them so rudely. The air around them became tense and Venti suddenly feels cramped in the closet full of kids and glider wings.
'Why are they keeping wind gliders in a closet?! Who thought this was a even a good idea?!' As everyone held their breath as the door opened.
Sir Otto of the knights of Favonius has barely a second to take in what he saw; six small people possibly children, all cramped in the wind glider closet— he’s unable to make any of them out before one of them screamed at the top of her lungs and ran towards him, before Otto realized what was going on he passed out of the floor.
Venti is now scared for his immortal life- he was ready to transport himself and the kids out of the wind glider closet when FLORA- Sweet kind innocent Flora, screamed at the top of her lungs and roundhouse kicked a knight! Knocking the knight out within seconds!
HE
IS
SHOOK -
The silence was loud among the six of them. That is until Klee broke said silence, “Guys! I found the wind gliders!” she proudly giggled as she held a giant wing above her head.
___
After hiding Sir Otto's knocked out body in the wind glider closet ( Venti left a bottle of half empty wine so he would think he was just drunk haha, he’s going to be so confused when he wakes up~) the group ran over to the Whispering Woods; an area full of thick tree brush and quite peaceful. A perfect place to teach four technically five chaotic children how to fly.
“Okay! So children I know you're all eager to fly. But first! Some safety rules!”, Venti started as he gently finishes tying the straps of Sage’s glider.
“And I thought you were the god of freedom.", Nora blankly remarked.
“Is that sass I hear”? Venti chuckled. “Anyways it’s not a lot of rules, just two really; Only practice gliding when I’m around. Secondly, don’t do anything you know will put you in danger, I don’t want any of you getting hurt alright. So while I’ll give you all creative freedom, I need to be here in case you fall.” Venti said this without room for judgment, but the five children look quite pleased and even Sage has stopped looking nervous. They all look almost reassured by Venti’s rule. “Oh- and have fun. That’s very important; I can’t be a good god if my children aren't having any fun!” Venti whined out the last statement before he forgot.
“Yes! fun!”, Nora yelled as she jumped up and down, her little glider wings flopping around with her movement.
From there, Venti taught the children to fly; he same to realize that he’s actually quite protective over the kids; teaching them at a slow place. He showed them how to untangle the wings of the glider so they don’t malfunction midflight. He helped them practice taking off from rocks only three feet off the air before advancing to taking off from tree tops.
Although this is quite a slow method to use for teaching children how to fly, they're all just having fun. Timmie jumped from treetop to treetop with his pigeon companions by his side yelling. “I'm the king of the birds!”
Klee helped Venti teach the others and she asked Venti to help her teach her friend Dodoko, Venti happily agreed and makes a tiny wind current so that the little fluff ball levitated a few Millimeters off the ground.
After what he witnessed at the Knight's of Favonius headquarters, seeing Flora take gliding like a fish to water wasn’t all that surprising. He helped Nora get used to releasing her glider when he realized that Sage had not been practicing. When he asks what’s wrong Sage told him that “I’ve always been scared of high places, But I want to fly and I want to explore! So I need to get over my fear. I’m just so scared though, I’m afraid I’ll fall."
Ventis' eyes soften- he realized Sage is just like the birds in that one story a dear friend of his wrote long long ago, a little bird afraid of the howling wind. “Have you ever read that story about the birds who learned how to fly, Wind courage and wings?"
Sage nodded “You helped them, that’s why we ask you to help us!” That story was quite popular to the children of Mondstadt, every time Venti was able to walk among his people he’d always see a group of children reading the fable, to know that these five came to him to learn to fly because of that book... well it’s always been a Mondstadt favorite.
“Then you’ll know that all it takes is courage, let go of your fear my little dandelion, I’ll be here to catch you.” The bard reassured.
Seeing the courage shine in the Sage's eyes was all the payment Venti could ask for. It reminded him of the courage he saw in his first friend. Venti will always be grateful that his dear friend's bravery will forever shine with the children of Mondstadt no matter how many centuries pass.
As he continued to help the five that day he was lost in joy of the moment. The wind chimed and sang through the leaves. The children flew in joy, and although they still needed a lot of practice before becoming pro gliders, they all felt free.
As the sun began to set over the horizon Venti found himself giggling with his children as they trekked back home to the city. Sage and Nora, both tired from the day, leaned close to him; with trust and comfort. He watched Timmie and Klee run though the grassy fields, and Flora picked up every colorful flower whether it was a common sweet flower or a glowing Bellgrass.
He realized that today wasn’t so bad, that he should allow himself to become closer to his people- his children. These five found out his status as their god, (who knows how) but they still treated him as a person, an equal, a brother. Maybe he could watch over them without becoming something he feared.
He realized something he thought he already knew, -that he loves the people of Mondstadt and that he’d do anything for his children of the wind.