Chapter Text
“Did you have fun with Amber today, Collei?” Tighnari sat next to her bed and placed a glass of water on the nightstand. She silently nodded and swallowed her medicine. Her expression was solemn and he could see that it wasn’t from the bitter pills. “Your condition has gotten better and you were able to use knitting needles today. Maybe, one day, you can visit Amber’s house. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
Due to Collei’s rare illness, she couldn’t exert herself and she needed expensive medication. Yet, she tried to continue forward with a brave smile. She was the strongest child he met and he wanted to give her a better life by adopting her. Before Tighnari opened his flower shop, he was a doctor in the pharmaceutical industry. He didn’t like their practises but he was glad his knowledge could be used to help Collei. He cared for her like a daughter.
“Tighnari, do you think I’ll be able to see the fireworks on New Year’s?” Her voice was small when she asked the question. She usually hid her uncertainty behind a smile but, with Tighnari, her honest emotions appeared. His heart tightened with sympathy and he wanted to comfort her with a hug. Tighnari stopped himself because he knew how complicated her past was.
“You’ve made a lot of progress already and your eleazar has slowed to a manageable state. New Years is five months away. I’ll close the shop and drive you and Amber to watch the fireworks. I’ll ask Yoimiya for the best places to watch them too.” From his time as a doctor, Tighnari knew that it was better to be realistic but he wanted Collei to be hopeful for the future. “We’ll plan out the details once it’s closer to New Years. For now, get some rest”
“Goodnight, Tighnari.” She said and laid down on her bed. He repeated the words to her and pulled the blanket over her. He left the room and quietly closed the door behind him.
Tighnari was tired but he didn’t go to his bedroom immediately. He made his way down the stairs to the humble flower shop beneath their home. It was his nightly routine to count the flowers and ensure that the doors were locked before going to sleep. They lived in a good neighbourhood but he couldn’t be reckless with Collei’s safety.
As he reached the bottom of the steps, a soft glow from the marigolds caught his attention. The purple colour stood out against the yellow petals. The lights were off and he couldn’t think of anything that it could be. A mixture of fear and curiosity filled Tighnari. He cautiously walked to the marigolds on display and searched for anything that could make the violet light. Tighnari picked up a wilted marigold among the bouquet and he felt an invisible force against his hand. He strained his eyes against the light.
The violet light flickered slightly and he could see the outline of a claw. His heart dropped and he took his hand back as if the marigold had burned him. He turned sharply and he found a tall man standing next to him. Tighnari couldn’t see his face behind the jackal mask he wore. He didn’t know how the man could enter his shop without triggering the alarm.
He instinctively swung his fist at the stranger. The jackal didn’t expect him to punch him and the force of his attack made him stagger back a few steps. Tighnari grabbed the broom and then he placed himself between the man and the stairs. He didn’t fully understand the situation or how the man broke into the flower shop but Tighnari was determined to protect Collei.
“I called the police before I came down here. They’ll be here soon so I suggest you turn yourself in with only a trespassing charge.” Tighnari lied. He hoped the man would believe him and leave without fighting. “If you don’t go, the police will be the least of your problems.”
“You can see me?” He asked and his brows furrowed. The man looked past Tighnari to something over his shoulder. Tighnari worried that Collei had woken up and he turned around to warn her. The stairway was empty but an overwhelming sense of dread filled him. “They’re here for the girl.”
A white furred jackal jumped through Tighnari’s body and bounded up the stairs. He chased after the creature even as his mind was still racing to make sense of the situation. The jackal ran quickly and it seemingly disappeared at the top of the staircase. He mentioned a girl so Tighnari ran to Collei’s room and he threw open the door.
The jackal stood at the foot of Collei’s bed but it wasn’t growling at her or Tighnari. It bared its fangs at a large snake in the corner of the room. The snake was taller than the height of the room and it needed to twist its body to loom over them. The large dog leapt forward and sank its hand into the snake. The sound of fighting pulled Tighnari out of his shock and he ran to Collei’s bed. He intended to carry her away from the jackal and snake.
Suddenly, the room became deathly silent.
He looked over his shoulder to the jackal standing over the corpse of the snake. Their eyes met and it slowly crossed the room to them. With each step, the dog’s shape changed until a man was in front of him. He held a spear and it dragged against the wood floor. Tighnari hugged Collei protectively and glared at the man. He thought it was strange the noise hadn’t woken her but he thought it was better she didn’t see the dead snake. A part of him hoped the entire night was a strange nightmare.
“What are you?” Tighnari asked. He didn’t take his eyes off the spear that the man held. A million more questions flowed out of him. “What was that snake you were fighting? How were you able to transform into a jackal? What do you want with Collei? I won’t give my daughter to you. Who are you?”
“How can you see me?” He answered Tighnari’s question with one of his own. The man appeared equally confused with their situation as he was. They watched each other carefully, waiting to see who would attack first. Tighnari placed one hand on Collei’s head and reached for the glass on the nightstand. With a quick flick of his wrist, he knocked the glass away with his spear.
To the man’s surprise, Tighnari hurled a thick book at him and his mask fell from his face. He had reached for the glass as a distraction so he could use the book as a weapon. The man was able to parry the book easily. He stabbed the spear inches from Tighnari’s feet and the silent threat made Tighnari stiffen. However, he didn’t attack him. The man knelt down in front of him.
“You’re a brave human but you don’t need to fear me. My name is Cyno and I am a Jackal of Death.” He told him. Cyno let go of his spear to lessen the fear he could see in Tighnari’s green eyes. “My duty is to protect her until it’s time to deliver her soul to the other side. When a human approaches death, monsters will come to devour their souls.”
“Protect her from monsters like that?” Tighnari glanced at the snake. The mythical creature contradicted the strict world of science he knew but he couldn’t deny everything he saw as a dream. Then, Cyno’s latter words sank in. “You’re going to take her to the other side like the Grim Reaper? Collei is sick but she’s not going to die.”
“I’m sorry.” Cyno didn’t know what else to say. He was invisible to humans and that allowed him to keep his distance from them. He couldn’t allow his emotions to affect his work. This was the first time he was confronted by a human’s grief. “You still have some time with her. Though, that advice may be pointless. My master requires I erase the memory of any human who sees me.”
“How long does she have to live?” He asked. Tighnari didn’t expect a death god to answer him truthfully but he still felt disappointed by Cyno’s silence. He let go of Collei and stood in front of Cyno. “How many years do I have?”
“My master told me that is the first question humans will ask us. It was your second question. I cannot tell you when you will die or how. It will interrupt the cycle of—”
“I don’t care! However many years I have, give some of them to Collei. Even if it’s just five months, seeing the fireworks with her friends will let her pass away without regret.” Tighnari was a proud person and he didn’t like leaning on emotional pleas but he promised Collei that she would see the fireworks.
“I cannot grant your wish. If my master knew I was speaking with a human, he would punish both of us. Cherish the time you have left with your daughter. This is the only compromise I can give you.” He said. From their brief interaction, Cyno knew that Tighnari wouldn’t accept his answer. “Maybe it will be easier for you if I erased your memories of this night.”
He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers over his soft cheek. The scent of marigolds circled them and a fog settled in Tighnari’s mind. Despite his efforts to stay awake, his eyes drifted closed. Cyno caught Tighnari before he could fall to the ground. He looked down at the man in his arms. At first glance, others would assume Tighnari was thin and weak. He had to admire his bravery when he argued with him. It was clear that he cared for his daughter.
Cyno recalled Tighnari’s willingness to trade his life for Collei’s. Unfortunately, he couldn’t grant his wish even if the laws of the world allowed him. Tighnari’s remaining time was shorter than hers.
Tighnari sat up in his bed, his mind still spinning from the previous night. He looked around his room but he couldn’t remember going to sleep. The last thing he remembered before falling unconscious was the man with white hair. He wanted to call the man a dream but everything felt far too vivid. Cyno’s words echoed in his mind and haunted him. My duty is to protect her until it’s time to deliver her soul to the other side. You have a few more months with your daughter.
His time as a doctor should’ve taught him how to cope with death yet Tighnari couldn’t accept fate so easily. While Cyno hadn’t told him how Collei would die, Tighnari reasoned her eleazar could be the cause. Her condition had been improving so he was surprised to learn that she could possibly die soon. There wasn’t a cure for eleazar though. Perhaps, he could adjust her treatment and give her a few more months to see the fireworks.
He threw off his blanket and marched to the living room. He could hear the clatter of cooking from the kitchen and he followed the sound. Tighnari found Collei in front of the stove. She happily greeted him. “Good morning, Tighnari! I knocked on your door but you didn’t wake up. I thought I should start breakfast first. This morning, I felt strong enough to cook! Isn’t that good?”
Tighnari didn’t answer her immediately. His focus was on Cyno standing in the corner of the room. Their eyes met and Cyno lifted a finger to his lips. “Collei cannot see me. She’ll become suspicious if you speak with me.”
“It’s good to hear that you’re feeling better. You can start eating first, Collei. There’s someone I need to speak with in my office.” Tighnari told her before he stepped into the hallway. He was glad that Cyno understood his words and followed him outside. They walked to the end of the hall where Collei couldn’t overhear their conversation.
Cyno leaned against the wall and studied Tighnari’s unique eyes. “You can still see me and I assume you remember last night as well. It’s strange that my powers don’t work on you. That makes my job more difficult. You might not trust me but I only wish to protect Collei’s soul.”
“I believe you.” His words surprised Cyno. He kept himself hidden from humans but he understood their fear of death all too well. Most humans would reject and fight him. Tighnari reached up and slipped the jackal mask off his face. “If you wanted Collei’s soul, you would’ve taken it last night. You protected her from that snake too. I have to thank you for that.”
“It was my duty.” Cyno’s flat tone appeared indifferent but a subtle warmth grew in his chest.
“I have a proposal for you, Cyno. Let’s work together so Collei can watch the fireworks.” To negotiate with death was fool hearted but Tighnari needed to try. “I’m human so I can’t protect her from monsters like the one from last night but there are things I can do with my knowledge of medicine. We can give her time. Together.”
“Do you truly believe you can change her fate?”
“I want to try.”
Tighnari had a determination that almost made him believe that it was possible. Silence stretched between them as he waited for Cyno’s answer. With a sigh, he said: “I will continue protecting her and I won’t stop you from trying to save her. However, when her time comes and nothing has changed, I will be forced to take her soul away.”
“Thank you.” Tighnari let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. While Cyno didn’t agree to change fate for him, he was glad that there was still a chance to help Collei.
“You should return to the kitchen before Collei gets worried and sees you talking to the wall.” Cyno said and nodded towards the kitchen. He could see that Tighnari was still tense so he added: “It smells like she’s making eggs. It’s an egg-cellent way to start the day.”
“What?” Tighnari thought he misheard Cyno for a minute. It was unlikely that a Jackal of Death would tell a joke after such a solemn conversation. “Never mind, we’ll talk more later.”