" 風の神が嫌い "
━━━━━━━

Amidst the city of Monstadt was a snake. A snake that had been around for thousands of years, serving its master to its best.

The serpent named Nyx.

If Barbatos were to ever catch a glimpse of the onyx scaled snake, he would immediately be warned of the awakened god. Well... That was his plan anyway.

As Venti sang his song, he caught a glimpse of a stygian figure, slithering by the walls of the cathedral. His curiosity took a jab at him causing the Bard to go up the flight of stairs. His eyes widened at the large snake sitting by the statue of 'Barbatos'.

No one other than him seemed to see it, making the situation even more perplexed. To avoid suspicion, he neared the statue, pretending to check the grass below it.

"Nyx?" He whispered, and the snake hissed quietly.

"Barbatosss~"

The one and only talking serpent of the Sceo Archon, Nyx. The basilisk of twilight.

"It really is you- H-Hey wait!!" Venti whisper yelled as the snake sank into the shadows. He huffed in frustration at the serpent who left be. His relationship with the god of Chaos's familiar had always been strained, as both would jab at each other like bickering children. Astaroth didn't mind, seeing it as a form of entertainment.

"Wait... Nyx is here?!" He yelled, startling the civilian around him. He laughed sheepishly, scurrying to Windrise.

Arriving at the great hero of Monstadt, he gazed up at the statue of seven. Hope sparkled in his eyes, as the fantasy of his old friend rising from, whatever state he was in, swallowed his mind.

He was jumping in glee, singing merrily as if nothing else mattered. The winds started to feel more pleasant as the city of Monstadt basked in the divine feeling of the north's free winds.

"So the pesky bard is still so irresponsible~"

He here's the familiar hissing voice, snapping his head upwards. Resting on the statue's hands was Nyx, seemingly mocking the archon.

"Master would be so disssapointed~" she snarkily said, irking the windborne bard. It was her favorite past time 'Insult-Barbatos'. For a familiar, she had an odd relationship with the other two of the original seven, as she's herself was one of the eldest. What annoyed her was that her own master noted that she was closer to Barbatos's age, rather than Morax.

Venti glared at the snake, before regaling a smug smirk. "now, now~ For so long you treat me like an imbecile. We wouldn't want you to be a mere shell." Venti retorted.

"A shell? Threatening me is pointless, now that you've lost your Gnosis to a mortal!" Nyx hissed back, slithering down to the statue, and 'stood' at Venti's height. The Archon and Familiar glared fiercely at one another, neither yielding.

"Pray tell how did you come to that information?"

"I am one with the shadows. Of course, I know!"

Venti huffed irritatedly, avoiding eye contact with the white-eyed snake. People would find it odd that the Archon of Anemo bickered like a child with a snake. But oh did they mistake themselves.

Nyx was somewhat like Morax's Adepti, but more... Free. Her sole duty was to serve and protect Astaroth, and her powers were no joke. The control of Sceo, she manipulated the shadows at her will becoming one with the 'element'.

She was the basilisk of twilight, and only because those who looked her in the eyes froze from fear.

"Nyx... Has Astaroth returned?" Venti- Barbatos asked hopefully, genuinely asking the snake with sincerity that Nyx would never see.

"... Not... Completely" she lied. Her master was well and walking on Teyvat. He was merely resting in the inn Venti himself had directed him to.

Nyx was eternally loyal to her master. But as she sensed that the Archons did nothing to remind the world of his existence, she was angered to the brink of hell.

This would only be the time she defied her master's orders, to gain her own revenge on the woeful Archons that rules over Teyvat.

"I search for a way to awaken master. Which you shall not interfere in." She hissed, slapping the archon with her tail. It was uncalled for, but she saw fit for the windborne bard to be slapped for once.

Venti rubbed his cheek. If he ever thought Signora's slap was hard, Nyx would be hellish. Her obsidian snake tail was not one to trifle with, even in her smaller form she was a force to be weakened with.

"For now. I shall serve one of the master's followers. He is blessed, and will prevail to awaken the lord of shadows." She hissed. Nyx was... A snake. Figuratively and Literally. Her skills in lying were a blessing, as almost everyone was been deceives by her silver tongue.

"Goodbye Barbatos." She bid him adieu, sinking into the shadows once again. Venti stared at the area nyx previously was, perplexed of what the serpent had spoken of.

"'He is blessed'?" He questioned, wondering who is 'he', that Nyx mentioned. Trudging back to mond, his thoughts were clouded by the cunning snake, wondering whether to trust her or not.

.

"Nyx Von Kaiserin! What in the name of Celestia have you done?!" Noir yelled at his familiar, who laid lazily on the bed. She refused to look back at him, huffing in annoyance to her master. In the eyes of Nyx, Noir- Astaroth had become soft over the millennia of his slumber and it was displeasing.

"M'lord, must you forgive those wretched gods? They have left your name as bygone and the whole of teyvat has forgotten you!" Nyx hissed, swinging her tail in annoyance, as she twisted and turned on the pillow.

Noir groaned, pinching his nose. "Well, it is because of my accountability that I have been obliterated from Mortal history."

[ - Noir/Astaroth has a faint British accent ]

"My return is not because I wish to be recollected by mortals, is because I wish to apologize to my old friends and finally fade in peace." Nyx frowned at her master's bleak output.

As Teyvat no longer needs the sustainer of balance, Astaroth had planned to ascend to Celestia, now that he doesn't have a relevant role in the world. His only regret was that his comrades of the seven were unaware he was still alive for the past millennia.

"What did you tell him?"

Nyx lowered her head sheepishly, "I may... I may have implied that I follow the last Sceo user, which is you."

Noir's jaw dropped to the floor, "E-Excuse me?! follow the only remaining Sceo possessor?!" Nyx flinched cowering back under the silk blankets.

"Nyx, Barbatos- The rest of the seven, will think that Noir can either revive Astaroth or become the next Sustainer of balance! You've made it more complicated!"

"I-I apologize' Master. My indignation at Barbatos blinded me from the bigger picture." Nyx apologized, making the archon in disguise sigh.

"No need. I am fully aware of the squabbling between you and Venti. Although you did stray from the task of simply searching for the anomaly walking among the citizens of Teyvat, it is clear that seeing Barbatos had vexed you."

Outstretching his hand, the familiar slithered up Noir's arm, nuzzling on his cheek. Noir smiled contentedly, rubbing a thumb on the snake's head.

"Sleep, mein vertrauter."

"My thanks, mein Schattenmeister"