Work Text:
When the Wanderer woke up, he fell out of a tree. He had been a lot higher than he originally realized, and now he saw that the buildings around him were suddenly much bigger than they should have been. His confusion resolved itself momentarily when he looked down at his body. His eye level was barely a foot off the ground, and he was in a tiny cat’s body. The Wanderer blinked.
This couldn’t be right.
He tried to speak and found that he was lacking the faculties to do so, unable to do anything else but meow.
“Meow”, he meowed exasperatedly. He had no clue what was going on, but there was really only one person he could turn to that might be able to do something. He made a beeline for the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
One of the guards posted at the entrance cooed at him. “Hey there little guy. Oh, you can’t go in there!”
He ignored the guards yelling and ran straight through their legs, dashing through the doors of the Sanctuary. Lesser Lord Kusanali wasn’t there. He strolled through the inner residence, even into her room, but no matter where he checked, there was no sign of her. Even her workshop was full of dust, indicating that she was definitely not there. Fine. He couldn’t give up yet, although he was a little hesitant to show his face in public like this. If she wasn’t at the Sanctuary, then she was likely at the Akademiya. He took the winding path at the exterior of the Divine Tree and lamented the fact that he was unable to use his Vision to fly down faster.
Wait! His Vision? Where did it go? When he looked down at himself, all he saw was dark fur. The Vision was nowhere to be seen. At this thought he ran as fast as his little legs could take him, which wasn’t very fast at all.
Where are you, Lesser Lord Kusanali?
Inside of the Akademiya many students commented on the sudden appearance of a stray cat in their halls. Some chased him, others called to him, and still others tried to tempt him with snacks. How insulting. He wasn’t some plaything. It took a great deal of effort, but he was able to sneak into the House of Daena despite the stir he caused and activated the elevator to the (Acting) Grand Sage’s office. If she was anywhere, she would be there, conferring with the Sages in meetings. Right?
He just had to hope he was right. It wasn’t like he knew the layout of the faculty offices all that well. Most of his time inside the Akademiya proper was spent far underground. Perhaps he should look over one of those new student pamphlets sometime.
He called out a few times in the office, hoping to catch her attention. But in the end, the only one he saw there was the current Acting Grand Sage, Alhaitham, and he was looking over some documents. His eyebrows were drawn together as if frustrated, and he wrote something down.
He meowed. Alhaitham didn’t spare a glance. He tried again. Still, nothing. Finally, he jumped up on the desk and knocked over a cup.
A testament to his reflexes, Alhaitham managed to catch the cup before it fell to the ground and shattered into bits. “How did you get in here?” He asked, as if he was expecting a spoken answer from a cat. He reached up to the device over his ear and pressed a button. Ah, Wanderer realized. That’s why he couldn’t hear.
As much as he would like to explain or yell something like “I’ve been turned into a cat against my will and I need to see Lesser Lord Kusanali right now,” he couldn’t. He could only meow and put his head down to express his sadness. He needed help, and didn’t quite know how to ask for it.
But Alhaitham was smart. There must be something around here that was representative of the Dendro Archon, he reasoned. If he could direct the man’s attention to it, then he could determine his true motivations from his actions and conclude that it was Lesser Lord Kusanali he was looking for. His eyes scanned over the messy desk, skipping over all the useless documents and writing utensils and academic texts.
There! It was a carving, a wood carving of what looked like a game piece. It was like something out of her toy box, a closely held secret she only shared with her friends, and surely Alhaitham was one of that number. He knew she had all manner of prototypes and wooden constructions in the toy box. With a small white paw, he pushed it towards Alhaitham.
“Huh, this is…”
Alhaitham cut off his own train of thought, switching gears. “I’m not so good with animals, but I know someone who might be willing to help you. You’re lost, right?”
The Wanderer could only meow, meaning yes.
Alhaitham stood up, holding his hands out. “Then come with me.”
There were dozens of ways one could hold a cat. For one, you could hold them in your arms like a baby, or keep them close to your shoulder with one hand on its back. But this? What was this? He would claw Alhaitham’s eyes out if he wasn’t taking him to Lesser Lord Kusanali. The man held him in a strange, underhand grip that was not at all comfortable. It was only a mite better than being held up by the scruff of his neck, but this was certainly more humiliating.
“Enough hissing, we’re almost there.” Alhaitham scoffed.
Soon enough, the man lowered his hands as they presumably arrived at their destination. The Wanderer couldn’t jump out fast enough.
“Alhaitham, you’re home early. Something the matter? Oh!”
What was this? This wasn’t Lesser Lord Kusanali. It was just that obnoxious architect from the Akademiya.
Kaveh crouched down to meet his gaze, scratching lightly behind his ears. Well, that did feel nice. And his touch was certainly much gentler than Alhaitham’s.
“Hello there, I’m Kaveh.” He smiled.
Yes, I already know that, he thought. But again, he could only meow.
Alhaitham rolled his eyes. “Are you really introducing yourself to it? It’s not going to understand you.”
Just to spite him, he hissed at him again before pushing his head back into Kaveh’s hand. Kaveh looked overjoyed at his antics. “I think he likes me better than you. Where did you find him, anyway?”
“In my office. I have no idea where he came from. I just don’t know what to do with it. Strangely enough, he seemed interested in your carving, so I thought to bring him to you.”
“My carving?” Kaveh stood. “You mean you keep that on your desk?”
For reasons unknown to him, Alhaitham cleared his throat with some terribly hidden embarrassment. “Uh, yes. You gifted it to me, so I wouldn’t just throw it away. I moved it from the Scribe’s office to my new, temporary office.”
“Huh, but I’m pretty sure I gave that to you years ago.”
Their conversation trailed off into random nonsense the Wanderer didn’t care about. As nice as Kaveh’s petting was, he had to focus. He couldn’t stay here. The door was locked, so there was no use in trying for that escape route. Perhaps a window might do. In the meantime he swiped at a houseplant and hoped that they might make the connection to what he really wanted to say. For two scholars, neither of them were all that bright or attentive. All that got him was a scolding, and Kaveh set him down on the couch and sat down beside him.
“Well, maybe one of my acquaintances would be interested in adopting a cat. Unless you want to keep him?”
“Absolutely not.” Alhaitham crossed his arms. The Wanderer hissed. He was in agreement— he was not staying with that man.
“Please? I’ll train him!” Kaveh pleaded as he dropped the cat in his lap to pet him. At least this one knew how to treat a cat. He noted the Dendro Vision the man bore, and swatted at it gently. This was the most obvious sign he could get. But without a working voice box, there was no way for him to explain his situation. He just looked like a cat constantly playing with the things around him.
As expected, Kaveh didn’t understand. He lifted the cat up to his eye level, and the Wanderer stared back blankly. “Oh, do you like shiny things? I’ll get you shiny toys!”
“Kaveh, please be serious. Can you really afford to take care of a pet with all your other debts?”
Kaveh pouted. He set the cat down. After he did so, he opened up the window absentmindedly, but the Wanderer took his chance. He leapt outside and ran out of their house, much to Kaveh’s chagrin.
“Kitty! Come back!”
“Just let him go, Kaveh. It’s a lost cause.”
“You’re cruel, Alhaitham! He won’t survive out there!”
He couldn’t be sure what the other replied as he was out of earshot by then, but he did roll his eyes. He may not have his Vision at the moment, but he did have claws and nimble feet. He should be fine. He ran down the streets and into the cafe next, finding it unlikely that the god he sought should be there, but starting to run out of options nonetheless.
It would be just his luck if she was out of the city today. Or even worse, out in the desert. But that was nearly impossible. He hoped.
A few other cats lingered outside the cafe, including the owner’s cat, Gata. Maybe it’s because he was a puppet turned cat and not the real deal, but he couldn't understand the others at all when they meowed at him. They didn’t get his meaning either. He was doomed to be alone in this existence, it seemed. Understood by no one at all.
These circumstances produced a scary thought. What if Lesser Lord Kusanali didn’t recognize him either? What if she thought he was just a regular stray and didn’t make any effort to help him? But when she didn’t see the Wanderer in a while, she would have to realize something was wrong, right? This day was becoming more convoluted by the minute.
“—See, I rolled the dice and got 3 Omni and two Hydro. That should be more than enough to use my skill and even switch characters and use that character’s skill. With that, I can plan elemental reactions accordingly.”
“Got it! Then with my dice, I have enough to use an elemental burst, right?”
The voices drew his attention, and there he recognized a common figure at the Akademiya paired with an unfamiliar girl. It was the General Mahamatra Cyno, and a green-haired companion he was teaching some card game to. They looked very focused on it, but he had no qualms about interrupting them. If there’s any chance the General Mahamatra knew Lesser Lord Kusanali’s whereabouts, he needed to take it.
“Cyno look, a kitty!” The girl exclaimed. She picked him up suddenly and put him in her lap. Is this really what cats have to deal with all the time? Just being lifted up against their will everywhere they went? “Want some cake?” She offered. He flashed his teeth in distaste. Her cake looked like it was layers upon layers of icing with barely any bread at all.
“Careful, Collei. Where did he even come from?”
This girl also had a Dendro Vision at her hip, and he tapped at it until they both looked.
“Do you think he’s trying to tell us something?”
He meowed, gently tapping at the Vision again. So they were slightly smarter than those bickering so-called scholars.
“Could he be injured? Maybe we should take him to Tighnari.” Cyno mused.
He yowled and jumped off Collei’s lap. No way was he allowing himself to be taken on another trip around Sumeru again. This was getting him nowhere!
He was running out of options, and time. The sun was already setting and so far no one had any idea what he was asking for. Frustrated, he made his way to the Grand Bazaar next. He was sure she wasn’t there, but the list was growing shorter and shorter.
He walked up and down the entire market, thoroughly checking each and every stall. He got chased away by angry merchants that didn’t want strays around, and again chased by some mean children who thought it might be fun to poke him with a stick. He tried to deter them by hissing, but it only seemed to spur them on even further.
“Hey, leave that kitty alone!” A woman called out. She picked him up, and once again the Wanderer-cat was stripped of his freedom of movement. Though he couldn’t be mad. This woman had just saved him after all. Another friend of hers came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Miss Dunyarzard!” The kids cried sheepishly. He mentally laughed at their ashamed faces while they received a stern lecture from Dunyarzad. Served them right.
“My lady, I think you’ve talked their ears off by now.” Her bodyguard laughed. “Just make sure to listen to Miss Dunyarzad, alright? Don’t go bullying defenseless animals. Now get out of here.” Dehya told the kids, and they scurried off.
“You’re right, Dehya, I’m sorry. Let’s hurry to Zubayr Theatre. Oh, but I don’t want to leave him.” She laughed and scratched behind his ears. He scrunched his eyes closed. The women continued to discuss something, and their voices faded in and out as his focus drifted. Dunyarzard was wondering whether or not her father would approve of her adopting a cat, but Dehya didn’t think the Homayani’s would be very happy about it given it was a stray. He imagined the life of luxury a noblewoman's cat would lead— all the food in the world, and the most expensive cat toys one could get their hands on. It was certainly a life any cat would aspire to, but not for him. Unfortunately, he didn’t think these two would have any information on Lesser Lord Kusanali’s whereabouts. He allowed himself to be carried to the theater stage without making a fuss, where the women sat in the back and Dunyarzad placed him at her feet. According to their conversation, they were invited to watch one of Nilou’s practices, and she was already partway through her performance.
He watched for a while, tired and defeated. The image of a graceful dancer twirled across his vision, from one end of the stage to the next. If this should be the last sight of the day, then so be it. He would try again tomorrow, and so he resigned himself to spending the night as a cat. He closed his eyes.
Two gentle hands picked him up and cradled him close to their chest.
Nilou gasped. “Lesser Lord Kusanali!”
His eyes shot open, and he raised his head to meet the sight of verdant green, peering down at him with the slightest hint of amusement.
So this was funny to her, huh?!
“I’m sorry to interrupt your performance, Nilou. I just came to collect my cat. He ran away from me.”
“Your cat?” Dehya asked.
The God of Wisdom nodded, running her hand down the cat’s back. “Yes, thank you for saving him, Dehya, Dunyarzad. I saw you in the Bazaar.” He purred involuntarily. Her touch was gentle and caring, and he sank into her hold. Normally he would be more on edge around her, but the fact that he finally found her comforted him so greatly, that he forgot himself.
“It’s nothing.” Dunyarzard said, still somewhat stunned at the sudden appearance of her god.
“Can I pet him? He looks so sweet!” Nilou gushed as she came closer to the girls all huddled around the kitty.
“Go ahead!”
He stiffened when Nilou moved to pet him, baring his teeth ever so slightly.
“Play nice.” Lesser Lord Kusanali warned.
He relented, if only to get this over with.
“I’ll be on my way now, everyone. Good luck with your performance, Nilou!”
The childlike god didn’t return to the Sanctuary immediately. Instead she bought some snacks at the Bazaar and took a seat on the bench, seating the cat beside her. She placed a small plate of cooked fish in front of him, pushing the plate towards him. It was admittedly tempting. Yet it was obvious to him now that she must have known who he was, so why did she not make haste?
“There’s no rush, Wanderer. Aren’t you hungry? You’ve had quite the adventure.”
He gave in, nibbling at the fish she bought him.
It seemed like she couldn’t resist petting him any longer. He gave in to that too, easily pliant under her tiny hands. “It’s funny to see you like this.” She laughed, scratching under his chin. “You give in much easier. Perhaps it’s because of frustration or desperation but… you don’t have to be a cat to accept affection from others. Including me. We’re friends, after all!”
He wanted to hiss or something, but she was right, as she often was. There wasn’t much he could say to her like this anyway.
“This will be nothing but a dream, soon. But for now…”
She lifted him up to her eye level. She pressed her nose to his, and he closed his eyes.
When the Wanderer woke up, he fell out of a tree. He caught himself using the power of the wind, landing gracefully on his feet. He was glad to be bipedal again. When he first climbed up the tree and closed his eyes, he meant to only doze off for a minute before he was trapped in the strangest lucid dream he’s ever had. Finally out of there, he leisurely strolled up and into the Sanctuary in his rightful, human-puppet form.
Lesser Lord Kusanali was there, with apologies written all over her expression. He crossed his arms and didn’t say a word.
“I’m sorry, Wanderer! I was looking through my private collection of data and Irminsul records at the same time, trying to do a comparative analysis… One thing led to another, and I accidentally gave you a strange mixture of information in the form of a dream!”
He laughed until his stomach hurt, and laughed some more. How ridiculous. It was only a dream, a strange one, but a dream nonetheless. No one besides them would remember it, and that was just how things were anyway. Her words made him think. She must have been looking at whatever records she had related to his memories. So why did he turn into that of all things?
He had to ask,
“Is that really how you think of me?” An annoying little cat?
“Well…”
He put his hand up. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”