3rd person's POV

-Stormterror's Lair-

As promised, Barbatos happily holds his mentor's hand in his and guides her to where she can meet his best friend. Of course, Izel insisted on tagging along and the bard didn't mind at all. Despite his usual and comfortable silence, the servant holds the tools needed for a canvas. Venti knows his Sensei plans to paint a gift, and because of that he can't help but to hum a melody together with her along the way.
Dvalin arrived earlier for as the one who should thank the woman who sedated his pain until Venti and Aether intervened, he shouldn't let her wait. He recognizes her singing voice within miles, and when his eyes spot her, the dragon fully bows and waits for her to get closer. In the meantime he can bask himself in the voices of the Eden carried by his best friend Barbatos and that odd yet kind mentor.

"Well arrived, Milady." he talks with a calm voice, but gets a bit agitated when the woman cutely chuckles. "Please make yourself at home."

"Hear my plea, majestic Dvalin of the Four Winds." surprisingly for the dragon, he finds the lady knelt, head low and her hand palm exposed as to embrace her surroundings. "Keep your head unbowed in my presence; I wish friendship to bloom between us."

"So shall be then." Dvalin does as told and with a smile, he gently uses his muzzle to make the Noble stand back on her feet. "The same goes for you, Milady. Never bow before me, for as friends we shall equally stand next to one another."

From there, Izel takes the lead. He sets all for his mistress to paint, and after that, he surprises both the god and his dragon with a full course picnic, accurately made for the occasion. Harmonia bathes the tallest in the sweetest and purest love with her eyes and a little smile only, that to the interested one is loud enough to make him blush. Venti on the other side, brags about his master and her pupil's unmatched culinary skills, which result in exquisite dishes that never fail to impress. With that train of compliments and seeing Barbatos himself devouring everything with almost tears of happiness, Dvalin also dares to try something, careful to not ruin something with his big sizes.

"Shall I turn you into a human for a few hours, Dvalin?" inquires Harmonia, sipping her warm tea. "So that you may have the pleasure to eat comfortably."

"That'll be unnecessary, Milady." the dragon snorts happily that someone is so considerate to go to such lenght just to make his life a bit easier. "As you already know, I do not require food to survive. A spark of curiosity has been lit inside me from my dear friend, fear not. Thank you for the thought."

"I see." she smiles in return and pets the nose of the animal with a tender, almost ghosting touch. "Keep my offer in mind, Dvalin. I also have a dragon in my family and living with a smaller body has its perks."

"Tsk, Ahlstarr is just short, Sensei." Venti snorts, pissed off. "But I do agree that he has a small brain."

"Little one." a hint of scolding in that call makes Venti pouts. "Have you forgot how you showed yourself before me the very first time?"

"No..."

"That is good. Shall I also add that this shape you opted to mingle with your people with, is more on the short side? I shall say, shorter than Ahlstarr's."

"I know! But I like this!" Venti has a little tantrum that makes his mentor chuckle, Izel sighs but takes the wind dragon a little off guard.

"I saw Ahlstarr's true form. When you arrived, he was already sealing off most of his powers." Harmonia asks for a refill but looks at Venti with eyes that hides a soft threat. "Unhinged and cruel, Ahlstarr is also taller, his voice splits for how deep and growling it is, it seems two people are talking at the same time, his jaws and claws cut through metal. I bet you'll be terrified if you will ever have the chance to see how he really is."

"I call bullshit on this, Sensei." Venti slaps his hand on the soft grass. "Then why if he's so full of pride, greed and such a thrist for blood and money, he chose to be so short? He could have been taller, like you for example, and be rich just by walking down any streets."

"Who knows..." that grin hidden in the rim of the cup sparks jealousy in the bard as he shakes the woman left and right to have an answer, which his mentor clearly knows but refuses to say.

"Izel, you must know it!" Venti climbs the tallest to his shoulders and holds himself on his hair, not remembering that Izel does not like people touching him, especially his hair. "You were by Sensei's side before any of us, so you saw! Tell me!"

"I'm afraid my old friend, I lack the answer you seek." he replies pulling the shorter off of him and sits him back where he was. "I was not interested that much, nor I am now, in what Ahlstarr does or thinks. As long as his decisions don't bring inconveniences to My Lady, I couldn't care less." he puts down his cup and let his eyes be clearly seen for his next words. "However, if I really have to try and answer, I assume he chose that for either two reasons. First guess; it's easier for him to craft and/or find items in smaller sizes. Second guess; to give the spotlight to someone else."

"Now that I think about it, why none of you have your previous physical features-"

"Great Dvalin, please don't feel outcasted." Izel immediately shuts Venti off, completely ignoring him when he repeats the question more than one time. "Have you tried the desserts yet?"

The morning goes by in peace between food and old tales. Harmonia knows how attached Barbatos is, therefore when she feels weak and sleepy, she just hugs the bard and using Dvalin as a pillow, she closes her eyes. In mere minutes, Venti followed his mentor even to dreamlands and after a while, Dvalin relaxes too, resting for a few hours while Izel stays awake to clean and be sure that nothing bothers, nor ruins the moment.

-A few hours later-
In the early afternoon, the trio wakes up. The goddess invites Barbatos to stay with Dvalin for her portrait and the two indulge. Venti summons his lyre and pinches the strings, singing old words that none nowadays could understand, but nevertheless the beauty of those phonetics remains untouched by new generations.

As Harmonia sits, she starts to feel uneasy. She questions the source for long minutes as Izel kindly prepares the kit for her. When determined that is not the Black Rot acting up, the woman becomes confused. Something is stirring up her insides, her soul feels it too, yet she senses no threat in the vicinity.

What in the heavens is happening to me? She speaks to herself, making sure to remain as calm as always. Something is going on in this world that's affecting me this much? Once again she looks around and for a split second, she sees like a distorsion far from there. I don't have any more time at my disposal to investigate, nor help who's in need.... However, I do admit that the scales of this world are odd, I cannot tell if it's broke or is being controlled by someone higher. If a calamity rises, the so called Archons will intervene, my powers will not be needed.

Hours go accompanied by Barbatos' lyre and the Noble's songs, occasionally the air is sweetly broken by the sound of the brushes sliding on the canvas. What the two friends don't notice because they keep their eyes closed to enjoy to the fullest the experience of absolute peace, is that the Noble often frowns her brows and looks behind her back as to check what's going on in a place far from there. Izel's attentive nature caught it the first time but opted for silence to not alarm anyone over a silly reason. But now that his mistress keep doing it for literally hours, he decides to investigate.

"My Lady, is something bothering you?" he whispers once he approached the deity. "May I be of assistance?"

"No dear, but I have a bad feeling I can't shrug off." she whispers back, carefully dragging the brush over the painting to create shadows.

"May I ask you to elaborate for me?" Izel bends his knees so his face is a few inches away from the woman's.

"I feel like something bad is about to happen, but I'm unable to locate the source. I know it comes from over there, but not knowing where exaclty makes me anxious...." she pauses and sighs, adding: "Which also intrigues me. Why should I be unseattled? I don't have a reason to, yet..." she turns once more and this time looks with great attention, even using her skills to zoom and see better if someone is in danger. But also to give Izel an idea where it is. "Guess the Black Rot is starting to bring me to insanity."

"My Lady, please do not say such horrible things." Izel's eyes softens with sadness. "If it will bring you peace of mind, shall I go and inve-"

"Argh!" suddenly, the piece of gold that adorns Harmonia's forearm becomes incandescent, instantly burning the goddess' skin and making it bleed.

"Sensei?" Venti heard the distress call and he stopped playing the harp. "Are you ok?" he gets suspicious when even Izel does not reply to him. So Barbatos stands and when he approaches the two his soul freezes. "S-Sensei....?"

"It hurts...." Harmonia hisses between her teeth, holding her arm like it was cut off, and the reason is the jewellery itself. Not only it burnt her, but now is tightening around her flesh, increasing the bleeding to the point blood drips like a fountain on the green grass. This is not a good sign... Each piece is linked to my boys' soul and if it reacts this way it means that Arius- The train of thoughts is halted by a single, but desperate scream.

HARMONIA!!!!

A scream that triggers the deity's reflexes. In a span of time less than a blink of an eye, she and Izel disappear in the thin air, leaving Barbatos and Dvalin alone.

It came from Mondstadt... Venti knows where his mentor is, but unlike her, he does not know how to teleport that fast. However, he knows a way to arrive to town faster than a teleport. "Dvalin!"

"I was thinking the same!" the dragon let the bard on and without wasting a single second, he takes flight, heading to town as fast as he can.