We hide out at diluc's tavern.
We enter looking around for somewhere good to sit.
Venti entered first, "We'd like a seat at your, ahh least conspicuous table."
Diluc answered us, "Uhm.. the second floor has fewer customers. You'd be less conspicuous up there. But aren't you a bard? why not sit front and center?"
Venti laughed, "lets save the paid performance for next time. We'll be heading up now see you in a bit!"
Diluc said suspiciously, "Hey keep an eye on them. There's something strange about that bard. I'll go ask around."
We head upstairs and hide in the second floor of the tavern.
Just in time too because just as we found a good table to hide, two knights from the knights of favonius arrived screaming, "master diluc. Have you seen two theives around?"
Diluc asked, "what happened? why have you mobilized so many guards?"
The knights of favonius replied breathelessly, "Haven't you heard master diluc? Two theives were trying to steal the holy lyre!"
Diluc replied, "Oh? how odd. Why would one want to steal something they can't sell off? would pay better to steal from my cellars."
Venti shivers thinking how close they were to discovering us.
Then they left, and after hiding out upstairs a little more until we were sure that its totally safe to go down we headed back downstairs.
Diluc immediately said to us, "right I want answers."
Venti replied, "let me finish my drink first? I'll pay you - well with a performance"
Venti finishes his drink and explains the situation with a song on his lyre. Diluc was shocked, "what did I just witness" he excalimed, "This is confidential information why did you let me know."
Venti replied, "why? Hmm prehaps the winds are changing. What say you master Diluc?"
"Interesting." he said, "give me some time. I'll organise some contacts. Outlander as one of the knights it seems you're a not a suspect. Blonde is the only description on the wanted poster you should be safe. Alright lets meet here tomorrow night after the tavern closes"
Jean was also there tommorow night. When she saw us she was shocked, "wait you're Livvy and traveler?" Aether spoke, "Why is the acting grandmaster here?"
Diluc repiled, "well, first of all I contacted more than one person. Secondly, she came here as 'jean' herself, not as the acting grandmaster.
I frown, so there's a difference to jean when shes not working? Is she less likely to rat us out?
Jean spoke up, "What a suprise. I heard about the holy lyre, but I never suspected it was you. So, the sound of the holy lyre can purify stormterror, and return it to normal... is that true?"
"That's right," Venti replied, "Livvy, and traveler are putting themselves on the frontline to try and resolve this stormterror issue."
"Feels like we're breaking the law though..." Paimon said.
Diluc said, "I understand this kind of absurd explaination is hard to believe. " but Jean immediately says, "I believe you."
Diluc then says, "Outlanders, ready to go?" I reply, "Let's go!"
So then we head to the Fatui hideout.
Once we enter we are met with a path lined with flamethrower, we carefully make our way across. Once we made it across we head up the stairs and go to interogate a guard.
The fatui guard was obviously terrified, "no No! don't eat me! ah... You're... you're human? The entire floor's defenses have been broken. I thought the abyss order was attacking.
I puff out my chest and say in an intimidating way, "Haha! We have come for the holy lyre de himmel!"
"If you're here for the key look for the guards and find it yourself. One of the eleven harbringers are already in mondstadt." He squeeked.
We head further in, finally arriving at the inner chamber, after stealing the key.
We find a fatui agent guarding the holy lyre, time to put our excellent fighting skills to work, Diluc swings him sword and a falcon flies out damaging the fatui agent but not enough.
I continously cast spells, more and more starry swoops but it only damages the fatui agent by a tiny fraction
Aether comes up and yells, "Windblade!" and then uses his palm vortex elemental skill, damaging the fatui agent more.
I use my elemental skill, meteor shower and it finishes the fatui agent off.
We find the switch that opens the cage holding the holy lyre and take it.
Paimon exclaims once we got it, "Finally the lyre is back in safe hands!"
The defeated fatui agent spoke to us scathingly, "signora is going to end you!"
So, we head back to the tavern.
We are greeted by Venti and jean, "Welcom back!" venti greets us, " ah this is the holy lyre, so you managed to retrieve it!"
Unfortunately the lyre's power had bean exhausted so we head out to find teardrop crystals to restore it power.
We head to the dawn winery and restore the holy lyre then head to talk to dvalin.
"What a view... Paimon said. Venti replies, "lovely for our fated reunion isn't it. Well we must be prepared for a fight."
Venti plays the lyre and dvalin appears, "You have come" he says, "what has been done cannot be undone."
Venti replies to him, "then why do i see sadness in your eyes? Sadness that speaks of your yearning for this song..."
Dvalin strikes the holy lyre de himmel. An abyss mage appears, "do not be fooled by him again dragon." it said, "he left you to rot alone... now he attempts to deceive you once more..."
"Barbatos.." Dvalin roared, "You! You were planning this all along! To have me slain by them?
"No its not like that" Venti yelled desperately, then dvalin left with the abyss mage.
Far away on a left overlooking stormterrors lair, the abyss sibling Lumine stood with two abyss mages.
A third mage magically appeared, "your highness your humble servent returned" he said to Lumine, "when your homeland returns to this world. We shall revel in its glory!"
After a short talk at dawn winery, we headed towards stormterror's lair