[Location: Whispering Woods – Deep Grove]
[Time: 14:00 PM]
The lingering taste of corruption was still at the back of my throat. It was like mint and battery acid. Not pleasant, but the power boost was undeniable. My scales felt harder, and I could feel a low hum of dark energy in my stomach, sitting alongside the Anemo and Cryo energy I'd already absorbed.
I was prowling through the woods, testing my [Magic Sense]. Mondstadt was restless. The elemental flows were chaotic.
Suddenly, I picked up a melody.
It wasn't just sound; it was Anemo power woven into song. Pure, ancient, and incredibly sad.
"Great Sage, analyze the source."
[Great Sage]
My claws dug into the dirt. The Seven. That meant Barbatos. Venti.
I crept forward, keeping my belly low to the ground, moving like a shadow. I parted the bushes silently and saw them.
In a small clearing, a massive blue dragon—Dvalin—was resting his head on the ground. Standing before him was a boy in green, playing a lyre.
"It's alright now," the boy whispered, his voice carrying on the wind. "Be at peace."
Dvalin let out a shuddering breath, his corrupted eyes fluttering closed. The boy was purifying him, slowly. It was working.
I watched, mesmerized. This was a moment of history.
Then, I felt it. Another presence. Clumsy. Loud.
"Great Sage, behind me?"
[Great Sage]
The Traveler. And Paimon.
In the game, the Traveler steps forward, scares Dvalin, and ruins everything. I couldn't let that happen. If Venti healed Dvalin now, the whole crisis would be over, and I wouldn't have to fight a crazy dragon later.
I turned my head, spotting the blonde boy (Aether) peering out from behind a tree, his eyes wide. The floating fairy (Paimon) was about to open her mouth.
"STOP," I projected the thought violently into their minds.
Aether flinched, grabbing his head. Paimon squeaked, clasping her hands over her mouth.
But the burst of telepathic energy was too loud.
Dvalin's eyes snapped open. He sensed me. He sensed the Abyss inside me (from the clot I ate earlier) and the Telepathy.
ROOOAAAAR!
Dvalin reared up, panic overriding Venti's soothing magic. He thought he was being ambushed. He thrashed, his wings smashing into the trees.
"Dvalin! Wait!" Venti shouted, reaching out.
Dvalin didn't listen. He unleashed a shockwave of wind. Venti was blown back.
"Dammit!"
I broke cover. I launched myself from the bushes, landing between Venti and the thrashing Stormterror.
I was small compared to Dvalin—like a dog vs. a bear—but I stood my ground. I flared my wings and roared, using [Dragon's Haki].
"CALM DOWN, YOU OVERGROWN LIZARD!"
My voice boomed physically this time, amplified by magic.
Dvalin paused for a microsecond, confused by a smaller dragon yelling at him. But the corruption in his blood was too strong. He shrieked, a sound of pure agony, and launched himself into the sky, creating a hurricane that stripped the leaves off the trees.
He was gone.
Silence returned to the grove.
I let out a huff of smoke, annoyed. "Well. That went poorly."
"Indeed," a light, airy voice said behind me. "You scared him off just as I was getting to the good part."
I turned around. Venti was dusting off his green hat. He didn't look afraid. He looked curious. His teal eyes bore into mine, seeing far more than a normal human should.
"You possess a strange aura," Venti said, tilting his head. "You smell of the Wolf... of the Abyss... and of a world that isn't this one. Who are you, little anomaly?"
Before I could answer, Aether and Paimon stumbled into the clearing.
"Whoa!" Paimon shrieked, pointing at me. "Another dragon?! Why are there so many dragons today?! Is this a dragon convention?"
Aether drew his dull sword, stepping in front of Paimon. "Is it hostile?"
I looked at the Traveler. The protagonist. The "Descender."
I sat down on my haunches, retracting my claws to show I wasn't going to eat them.
"I am Raiden," I said, telepathically addressing all three of them. "And no, I am not hostile. Unless you taste like sweet madame. Then I might reconsider."
Paimon blinked. "It... it talks? And it makes jokes about food?" She drooled slightly. "Wait, did you say Sweet Madame?"
Venti chuckled, stepping closer to me. He reached out a hand. Most people would be terrified to touch a black dragon with glowing veins, but he was a God. He poked my nose.
Boop.
I went cross-eyed looking at his finger. "Do you mind?"
"You have a strong wind inside you, Raiden," Venti said, his tone dropping the playfulness for a second. "But that other thing... that purple energy you ate. It sits heavy in your stomach. Be careful. Gluttony can be a dangerous sin."
I froze. He knew. Of course he knew.
"I manage," I replied curtly. "I tried to stop Dvalin from freaking out, but..." I glanced at Aether. "Our silent friend here has loud footsteps."
Aether looked embarrassed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."
"It is fate, I suppose," Venti sighed. He looked at the sky. "Dvalin is suffering. He believes he has been abandoned. And now..." He looked at me. "We have a new variable."
Venti winked at me. "Since you seem to be on the side of Mondstadt, Raiden, why not accompany this Outlander? I have a feeling the Knights of Favonius will want to ask him some questions... and they'll certainly want to ask you why you're terrorizing the woods."
"I'm not terrorizing," I grumbled, standing up. "I'm patrolling."
"Right, right," Paimon bobbed in the air. "So, Mr. Dragon Raiden... are you gonna eat us?"
"No, Paimon," I said, turning toward the city of Mondstadt visible in the distance. "But I suggest we move. I sense Amber running this way, and she's loud."
Aether sheathed his sword. "You know Amber?"
"I know many things," I said mysteriously. "Come on, Outlander. Let's go get you your wind glider. I have a feeling we're going to need to fly soon."
[Great Sage]
As we walked out of the woods—me plodding along like a scaly bodyguard, Paimon floating, and Aether walking warily—I realized the timeline was changing.
I wasn't just watching the story anymore. I was driving it.
And I really, really hoped the Knights of Favonius had a cafeteria. I was starving.