Chapter Text
Sunlight filtered slowly through the Grove as the sun began to rise. It landed straight on Anaxa’s face, causing the scholar to groan. He hadn’t slept a wink. His experiment- a nymph- hopped around within its boxy constraints as Anaxa dripped a slight amount of his own blood into the temporary shelter. The nymph licked it up, and Anaxa set it free. It began hopping to the door slowly.
Wiping his hands, he checked the calendar on his wall. Class to teach in four hours. Better get some rest. He sat into his chair, already feeling himself nodding off.
Click. It was barely audible. But someone had just opened his door. Anaxa kept his eyes closed- if it was a thief, it was either a stupid one or an ignorant one. He waited several seconds, but he heard no further noise. Strange. He slowly opened his eyes, taking the area in. No changes. Cautiously, he slid out of his chair. “I should warn you- you’re breaking into the home of a demigod.” No response. He turned to his doorway.
The nymph was gone. In its place was the slight imprint of a footprint, a scrape against the ground, and a wide open door.
Cipher felt bored. She lay across one of the rooftops of Okhema, lounging in the warm afternoon sun. There was nothing going on. Hyacine had been swamped with patients since the morning- something about a front near Janusopolis going wrong-, Phainon and Mydei were training their butts off, she really didn’t want to face Aglaea or Tribbie right now, Castorice was nowhere to be found, and Anaxa was teaching. Booooooring. She didn’t want to bother Hyacine yet.
Suddenly, as if responding to her thoughts, her teleslate buzzed. It was Anaxa. Problem. Will arrive in Okhema soon. The baths. Help would be appreciated. It snapped Cipher out of her boredom in an instant, writhing back up to an upright position. She messaged back Sounds good, Prof Nax. I’ll bring along your favorite student, too~
I don’t play favorites. Please elaborate.
Miss Hyacine, of course~
Good. Be there soon. Cipher rolled off the roof onto the ground, scaring some poor kid running in the road, before taking a leisurely stroll to the Twilight Courtyard. It was still warm out, and she yawned as she took the journey. People were bustling all around her- heading to shops, fixing up problems, working their butts off for themselves or for the Flame-Chase. It made her feel proud to be a part of it.
The Twilight Courtyard had calmed down from its early morning panic. Hyacine was sitting in one of the nearby trees, taking a nap. Cipher almost felt bad for waking her. Almost. She scrambled up slightly higher in a branch, staring down. She looked so cute like this. The Dolosian girl wondered if she was like the Mnestia in the tales they told to children- who was put fast asleep by mischievous Zagreus, only woken if her lover, Cerces, kissed her. If she kissed Hyacine here, what would happen? She felt herself leaning down unconsciously, tail wrapped around the tree to support her.
Hyacine eyes flew open suddenly. Cipher pounced back up, praying the healer didn’t notice how close she was. “Morning, Little Hyacine. Sleep well?”
“Cipher… are you hurt? Why did you wake me up?” Hyacine rubbed her eyes, grabbing her staff. “Where’s the injury?”
“I’m not hurt, Cinny. Prof Nax wants us for something. Come on, lazybones.” Cipher scampered down the tree, as Hycine leapt into her arms. “Whoa!” She spun her around, placing her on the ground. “Warn me next time, c’mon…”
“Hehe. Thanks for the lift, Miss Cipher.” Hyacine curtseyed. “Let’s be off. Where will he be meeting us?”
“The baths, he said. I’ll make sure to stay on the outskirts in case a certain Goldweaver decides to make her appearance~” Cipher led the way, Hyacine and Little Ica in tow. Little Ica was a favorite among the children, so Cipher had to slow down a couple times so the pegasi could be pet to its heart's content. It looked very pleased with itself as it fluttered into the grand baths.
It was late afternoon, so the baths were completely packed. People of all ages and sizes gathered around the water, the tables, or the sauna’s, dressed loosely. Chatter filled Cipher’s ear- if she was here alone, she’d listen in on anything she could, but it was more important to find Anaxa. Luckily, he was insane enough to wear a full scholar’s outfit while in the baths. He was standing off to the side in one of the social rooms, arms crossed, seemingly annoyed (but he almost always was, so nothing too shocking there.) “The calvary arrives,” he said, almost mockingly.
“Good afternoon, Professor Anaxa.” Hyacine did another curtsey. “How are you doing?”
“Terrible. I’ve been robbed.”
“What?” Hyacine glanced at Cipher immediately, to which the cat girl immediately started waving her hands no.
“Hey, don’t look at me this time. I’ve been in Okhema all day.”
“I know it wasn’t you, because the thief left a footprint and a scrape. Cipher would’ve been much too clean.” Anaxa produced his telelate, swiping to the picture he took. Just as he said, a small footprint in the dust and a small scrape in the stone showed evidence of someone’s arrival. “I hadn’t swept in a while, nor did I come through the front door last night.”
“Where… Did you come in from?”
“The roof.” Anaxa said, swiping to the next picture of a small grasshopper nymph. “I was capturing this little guy for an experiment with my blood.”
Cipher nodded. “And I’ll assume that’s what’s been so brutally stolen?”
“Yes.” Anaxa said, putting the telestale away. “Now. I cannot expect you to find the nymph itself, Cipher. But… there should be clues around that let you find at least the identity of the thief.”
“Of course, Naxy. Could you be a dear and text me the images? Me and Hyacine have a lot of work to do, after all.”
“Hmph.” Anaxa obliged, then turned to leave. “Stay safe, you two. A thief who trifles with a demigod is a dangerous one indeed.”
“Or a fool.” Hyacine said. “Isn’t that what you taught us? Something that seems like a mistake could be a deliberate ploy, and a deliberate ploy could just be a mistake.”
“Good on you for paying attention.” Anaxa said, still walking away. “Keep that in mind, students.”
“I’m not a student…” Cipher muttered. “Alright, Little Cinny! Where shall we go to debate our theories?”
“Let’s just head back to the courtyard. They may still need my assistance.”
Back at the courtyard, Cipher and Hyacine stared into each other's eyes as they pondered their idea.
“Drunk man.”
“A drunk man stealing a grasshopper nymph? C’mon, Lady Cipher. You’re smarter than that, I know. Perhaps a new strain of the black tide?”
“That leaves nothing behind? I know you’re smarter than that, Hyacine.” Cipher reached out to flick her forehead. “Ugh. It just doesn’t make sense. They have to be smart and skilled enough to move that silently, but stupid enough to both try to rob Anaxa and take a nymph instead of anything important.”
“Could they have been watching Anaxa do his experiment?”
“From where? Naxy’s window is small, and nearby one of the Garden’s cliffs. You’d have to be incredibly fleet-footed to not fall…”
“Which you know from experience, I guess?” Hyacine giggled, flicking Cipher’s forehead. “I think the only answer is someone just as skilled as you watching him, then once Professor Anaxa let his head down to rest, stole it.”
“Motive is still a problem…” Cipher’s voice lost its standard luster. “Ugh. Doesn’t add up. Especially not the scrape.”
“What do you mean?”
“It doesn’t make sense. Unless you have knives on your gloves, what is there to scrape against the ground?”
Hyacine stared at the image on Cipher’s teleslate. “Hey… it’s near the edge of the footprint.”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe… the shoe left it?”
“Who’s shoes would leave that, though? No sandal is that strong, and anyone with enough gold in their pocket to buy a sturdier pair wouldn’t be turning to a life of petty crime~”
“A foreigner?” Hyacine said, resting her head on her fist, trying to think. “Someone from far away, maybe? Where they have better shoes?”
“Huh.” Cipher looked at the healer, her eyebrows cutely furrowed in deep thought. Adorable. “That’d make sense why they were robbing Anaxa, too. Wouldn’t know his… mm, legacy among the people.”
Hyacine giggled again. “I think that’s the only conclusion that makes sense. So, we’re on the lookout for a foreigner with good shoes and is fleet of foot.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard.” Cipher stretched, letting her signature goofiness slide back in tone. “So, little Hyacine, the sun's a little too low to go searching today. Would you mind accompanying me for some dinner?”
“Oh? Will you be cooking?”
“Mm, I could certainly try. But I was thinking more along the lines of Marmoreal Diner?” Cipher took Hyacine’s hand. “Unless you like burnt food~”
“If it's made by you, I feel like it’d always taste good.” Hyacine said, letting Cipher lead the way. Cipher was glad Hyacine was behind her, so she couldn’t see the blush spreading across her face. She shook her head. We can worry about this later. Another part of her spoke back. But her hand is so warm. Wouldn’t you want to be able to hold it any time you wanted?
Shut up, me. Cipher let go of Hyacine’s hand as the pink girl walked up to her side. “Hey, Lady Cipher… What’s wrong?”
“What?”
“You seem distracted. You know, it’s my job as a healer to make sure everyone is a-ok! Especially mentally.”
“I’m just hungry. I’ll be fine once I get some food in me, but thanks for worrying about me anyway.” Cipher smiled at Hyacine, hoping she didn’t see through the lie. “You’re too kind for your own good, you know that?”
“Well, if I’m not kind, who will be?” Hyacine said as they walked into Marmoreal Diner. “Let me know any time you need anything, Lady Cipher.”
The two women ordered quickly and were guided to seats outside. The sun was beginning to set, and dromas riders were pouring in from their hard labor, making the restaurant swamped. The silence between them was deafening. Cipher didn’t want to lie to Hyacine anymore.
“So, Lady Ciper-”
“Why do you call me that?”
“Huh?”
Cipher, flustered, stumbled over her words. “I-i mean, why do you put Lady in front? You could just call me Cipher, you know. Or Ciphy. Or Kitty.”
“It’s to show respect, as a fellow demigod!”
“Are we not good friends by now? I’d hate to be nothing more than a fellow demigod after everything we’ve experienced together~”
“We’re so much more, Lady Cipher! But if we’re in public… I don’t want to seem rude.” Hyacine seemed surprisingly bashful.
“Oh? So I’ll need to get you all alone, hmm~”
“...I’d like that a lot, Lady Cipher.” Hyacine started at the ground, a blush evident on her face. “T-to spend time… a-alone with you.”
Cipher’s own face felt hot. She wasn’t expecting that at all. Hyacine was way too cute for her heart to handle. “Well then… guess we’ll have to set that up later.” The silence became awkward. “Miss Hyacine, do you have any stories from the Courtyard?" Cipher said, attempting to move on.
“Oh, you wouldn’t believe the people who come in sometimes, Lady Cipher! Just today a young man came in with a broken arm… his mother said he had been hurt for almost a week! And when I told him about the cast he needed to wear…” Hyacine’s ranting went on for a while as they waited for their food to arrive. Cipher found it cute. It was getting harder and harder for her to try to pretend she would be just fine being friends. Her tail was whapping against the chair, which interrupted Hyacine’s monologue.
“Miss Cipher… are you having fun? With me?” Hyacine gave one of her grins- Cipher had heard Aglaea call it a “dromas-dung eating grin” the other day- while leaning forward. “I never would’ve guessed.”
“Well, I can tolerate you sometimes, ahaha. Oh, look. Our food.” The server put their dinner on the table and walked off, and Cipher was grateful for the distraction. She didn’t know how to handle Hyacine. Something about the healer made her want to tell the truth, and sadly, the truth wasn’t always the best idea. Cipher’s burger was decent. Hyacine had- surprisingly- gotten a dromas steak, which she was plodding away at surprisingly swiftly. Little Ica had gotten a salad. It appeared to be good, considering the muffled, but contended, “doot-doot” Cipher heard as the pegasi devoured it. Her own appetite wasn’t really there, but she got the food down anyway. Hyacine somehow finished the steak first.
“You can really eat, huh?” Cipher said, impressed.
“Hehe, well, I need to treat myself every now and then.” Hyacine cleaned her hands as Cipher stood up, the burger broken up to pretend she had eaten more than she actually had. “Well, Lady Cipher, it was a pleasure to spend time with you today.”
“Likewise, Hyacine. Should we meet up tomorrow morning for our search?” Cipher said, watching as Hyacine cleaned up Little Ica, who looked zoinked out of its mind.
“Sounds good. You know where to find me!” Hyacine gave Cipher a quick hug, before waving goodbye, a stuffed looking Ica in tow. Cipher watched them go, before turning to go back to her place. She might need a drink, but she didn’t want to oversleep for their investigation tomorrow. Or be hungover. Sighing, she passed by the bar on her way out of Okehma.
Her return to her abode was silent as she snuck through the window again. She hadn't used the front door in a few days, just like Anaxa. No footprints were in the dust, though. Stripping out of her bodysuit and into comfier clothes, she lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her hideout wasn’t much. Just a bed, a table with two chairs, and a light that was almost never turned on. She thought of Hyacine, who would be living at the Courtyard, with a comfy room and carpet, with friends surrounding her. Why would she want to be with someone like her, anyway? A loner, a thief, and a liar?
She tossed and turned for a while. She couldn’t get these doubts out of her mind. If only they could be normal together. Sleep slowly began to take her, and she hoped her doubts dissipated in the morning.
Hyacine lay awake as well. Little Ica snored in a corner, wrapped in a blanket on its bed. Hyacine’s own bed was full of plushies, but the one in her arms was that of a silver-haired cat. Aglaea had given her a weird look when she asked to have it made. She wished that she could summon the courage to confess to her. The bravado she put on in front of Cipher was almost entirely false, only there so she could still be seen as the woman Cipher could trust with anything. She wished the two of them could just be together, but as demigods… every move they’d make would be studied by the people. And she knew she couldn’t handle it if Cipher died before she did.
She pulled the plushie closer to her chest, and tried to sleep away the doubts in her mind.