Chapter Text
Cyno doesn't get hurt - badly.
Or so Alhaitham believed before he had the pleasure of carrying a seriously wounded Cyno, running towards Gandharva Ville. He had never seen nor heard the feared and powerful General Mahamatra sport any grievous wounds - maybe a bruise here and there with particularly difficult missions - but nothing major that would leave him out of commission for some time - if he made it through this.
Lumine, Dehya, and Nahida trailed behind them, watching their backs to make sure the remaining rogue Eremite mercenaries hired by the researchers did not get past them.
Then their footsteps suddenly stopped.
His suspicions were confirmed when seconds later, Alhaitham heard his friends’ shouts and clangs of weapons as they engaged some of the Eremites. The lone forest ranger and his trained canines that normally guarded the rear of the village joined them, as did a few others.
Not stopping, even when Cyno briefly opened his eyes from all the jostling, focused on him and whispered his name before passing out again, Alhaitham ran up the wooden steps towards Tighnari's home, calling the Forest Watcher in a panic.
"Bring him here!" Tighnari’s voice carried on the wind. He was probably already alerted to the commotion long before they stepped foot in the village, in the midst of clearing his table and bed. When Alhaitham shoved through the door, Tighnari gestured to his bed, "Put Cyno there. Collei, please boil water and get towels, bandages, and medicinal herbs!"
"Okay Master Tighnari!" came Collei's response from outside. The pair heard Collei's footsteps as she quickly got to her tasks.
"Is there anything I can do?" Alhaitham asked, catching his breath. He collapsed onto Tighnari's chair.
"Please stay back," Tighnari requested, peeling away the makeshift bandages Alhaitham had ripped from his cloak to stem Cyno's blood. Alhaitham watched as the Forest Watcher inspected the general’s wounds. A half-healed gash to Cyno's stomach, several large bruises and electro burns, and some scratches. The cut on his cheek became inflamed so quickly, much to their concern.
Cyno’s expression was scrunched up in pain, his eyelids fluttering, skin pale and sweaty, and his breathing unsteady. Blood trickled out of his mouth.
"Of course," Alhaitham acquiesced. Tighnari's ear twitched in surprise and he turned around to take stock of the Scribe’s condition as well.
He probably appeared to be quite a bloody mess, if Tighnari’s expressions were to go by. Most of it was Cyno’s - some of it was on his face and the rest was smeared all over his front and his hands. Alhaitham ran his hand through his hair…which was not the smartest thing to do, considering his friend fought a grimace, but said anyways, “You should get cleaned up, so I can look you over in a bit too.”
“Sure,” Alhaitham said rather absentmindedly. He felt Tighnari watching him intently as walked out. Everything felt like a living nightmare right now. The sounds of combat were a low buzz in his ears.
Collei nearly bumped into him with an “Eek!” while holding the bowl of hot water and the materials she procured, but caught herself in time. She looked up at him and it seemed like she was going to say something, but thought otherwise, since she ran past him.
“Collei, please put the bowl on my desk and help me,” he heard Tighnari instruct. Collei did as asked, then he heard the rustle of towels and shuffling as Tighnari explained how to treat Cyno.
—-------
Earlier in the week
Nahida oversaw the efforts of rebuilding Sumeru after she reclaimed her rightful place as the nation's Archon. While it was a massive undertaking, she had the support of the General Mahamatra, the Grand Scribe, Dehya, Rahman and his Eremites, and others at the Akademiya who were loyal to her. Even Candace offered to help establish trade routes through Aaru Village so merchants and Akademiya scholars could pass through with much needed resources and educational materials for those living in the desert. Nahida passed strict laws and punishments for anyone who tried to use the initiative to make large profits off of the desert people’s hardships.
She tasked Cyno and Alhaitham and commissioned Lumine and Paimon to look into a particularly large shipment of Divine Knowledge Capsules that had somehow made their way to the desert, despite the improved checks.
When Alhaitham asked if sending two of the most important advisors to the Archon on a possibly dangerous mission was a good idea, with Cyno's eyes widening at Alhaitham's boldness, Nahida took it in stride.
"You are both the most capable and familiar with the situation surrounding the Capsules, and I trust you two. It might do you some good to have another opportunity to work together too!" she smiled knowingly.
Alhaitham and Cyno could only stare at each other, trying not to let their faces flush in front of their Archon. Lumine and Paimon, who were also present, snickered.
The Grand Scribe and the General Mahamatra each broke eye contact with a "Hmph." Alhaitham crossed his arms, with Cyno putting his head in his hands. It wasn’t completely unpleasant to work together with the General, but they had vastly different methods of working, moreso when they resumed their normal duties.
"Try not to get in my way Scribe," Cyno gritted out with a glare.
"Of course. Compared to you, I'm merely a feeble scholar," Alhaitham shrugged.
Lumine and Paimon looked at Alhaitham like he grew two heads, or three.
"I would like to come too," Nahida declared, before the duo could continue their argument.
All heads turned towards her and they started to protest with variations of "It's dangerous," and "You are our Archon. Please think of your safety."
She waved them off. "It is my duty to take care of the people of Sumeru, but it is also an opportunity to go out to see the world!" Nahida had been briefed on the previous Divine Knowledge Capsule situation by Cyno when this case came up.
Everyone had come to learn that when Nahida made a decision involving herself, there was no persuading her otherwise.
“Alright, but please stay close to us,” Cyno sighed. Alhaitham watched Nahida steadily and Lumine nodded.
“Thank you. We set out tomorrow morning!” she said merrily.
—-------
The group made good time through the rainforest, with Nahida acting as the mediator with her presence. They stopped by Gandharva Ville to inform Tighnari and Collei of their mission, should they need emergency aid and to request any information the forest rangers may have gathered. They passed by Pardis Dhyai and Apam Woods by following small, beaten down paths that Cyno’s matra and Tighnari’s forest rangers tracked, all the way to Caravan Ribat.
The General Mahamatra and Grand Scribe continued their bickering, but it was more subdued. Alhaitham was actually glad for Nahida’s presence, despite the dangers of their Archon doing fieldwork, because traveling with this many people was already difficult without the added stress of conflict with Cyno. Paimon was chatty enough for everyone combined, while Lumine and Nahida made pleasant conversation.
When it came to Cyno, they disagreed on many things, from philosophical views to methodologies for conducting investigations and work styles. Cyno would run himself ragged at the pace he set for following his views of justice, similar to Kaveh’s idealism. There was only so much one person could do, and Alhaitham would prefer to accomplish what was within his means, which Cyno thought was unambitious compared to what Sumeru faced. The biggest topic of contention was Cyno trying to persuade Alhaitham into becoming Acting Grand Sage, even if temporarily, to face their current crises. They needed someone with his ability to reason and strategize. The Scribe strongly opposed this, since he didn’t want to make his life more difficult than his grandmother wished for him, not that he told Cyno or anyone that.
The one thing the two could agree on, rather implicitly, was the trust born out of the camaraderie in saving their Archon. Alhaitham didn’t have many friends, but the General could be considered one of them. Besides being one of the most important officials of the land, Cyno displayed tenacity, strength, and unwavering determination in his pursuit of justice, letting nothing deter him - which made him trustworthy in Alhaitham’s eyes. He had also put his trust in Alhaitham’s so-called insane plan, so he deemed that Cyno was worthy of his trust.
Though, if anything were to happen to him, well, Alhaitham would prefer not to go there, but he would do his utmost to make sure it didn’t happen. Cyno was one of the few, if not the only colleague, that he didn’t mind, aside from their Archon.
Since the trail pointed towards Caravan Ribat, Lumine teleported the group from Apam Woods to the top of a hill opposite of the outpost to rest, out of range of the eyes of potential enemies. They pitched tents and prepared a small campfire near a spherical home beneath the teleportation waypoint. Nahida also cast an illusionary spell that made everyone appear like regular civilians, despite all of them wearing traveling gear. “As a precaution,” she assured when everyone voiced their concerns about her expending energy.
“Though it pains me to mention this, there was a reason I wanted to join you all on this mission. I would prefer not to alarm you since you are all capable, but it would be remiss of me not to bring up the concern. I can’t explain it, but I feel we need to have a precaution. We need to enlist some aid from the Aranaras,” Nahida said.
"Aranaras…exist? I thought they were only a children’s fairytale," Cyno asked, perplexed.
"Yes. They watch from afar, only straying close enough if they knew someone was in danger. They agreed to aid our cause at my request," Nahida said.
Everyone stared at her in silence, until Lumine spoke up. "It's true, they helped save another friend of ours."
"The Aranara lost their memories in the process though!" Paimon added.
"But they still recognize us as friends," Lumine finished, albeit dejectedly.
"...Alright," Cyno said with an arched eyebrow.
Alhaitham briefly recalled a memory of when he was a child. It was shortly after his parents passed. He didn’t have many memories of them, but it was difficult watching his grandmother grieve for them. He stayed with her in those moments, but whenever it got to be too much, he would bring a book to read in a small forest clearing close to home. One day, the pages ended up blurring so much, and a benevolent presence startled him. Alhaitham couldn’t recall its face or name, but he could suspect who or what it was.
"Please come. I will imbue you with some of my power so you can see them." Nahida beckoned to the Grand Scribe and General Mahamatra. They knelt in front of her. Their Archon's powers glowed brightly, so they closed their eyes. Then Alhaitham felt a tap his forehead, a brief feeling of warmth, similar to his own Dendro power, washing over him.
When he opened his eyes, a network of green pixels fell away, revealing two Aranaras standing on either side of Nahida. One was red and yellow with a bow and music note on its hat, the other was blue with a wooden sword. They had a similar presence to the missing figure in that missing part of his childhood memory.
“Aranakin! Ararycan! Good to see you again!” Paimon waved. Lumine smiled and waved back, her eyes shiny.
“Hello Golden Nara, White Floaty.” The red and yellow Aranara bowed.
“So you are Golden Nara and White Floaty!” the blue Aranara waved its hands excitedly. “Ararycan heard from Aranakin that you two are friends of Aranara!”
“Yes! We helped you heal the “sickness” of the forest!” Paimon exclaimed, “But you probably don’t remember that…”
Alhaitham watched as Cyno mumbled, “So it’s true…” with a hand on his chin and the other on his waist.
“In the case I am unavailable or unable to use my powers, the Aranara will help you. I will try my best not to be in harm’s way though,” Nahida assured everyone. “Here, please take these leaves to summon them if needed. They understand if I’m not around.”
Everyone each took a glowing leaf from Nahida’s outstretched hand, gingerly pocketing them.
—-------
The group passed easily through Caravan Ribat and made it safely to Aaru Village within a few days, where they would meet up with Candace and Dehya to see if they had anymore information. Cyno had sent word by Dusk Bird a few days prior so Candace could prepare, but did not include the reason due to the sensitive nature of the mission.
Better than last time when they all, sans Nahida, showed up out of the blue. Then the sandstorm forced them all into Uncle Anpu’s home without much prepared for the weary travelers’ impromptu extended stay. That situation was an anomaly.
“Hello everyone,” a familiar figure with heterochromatic eyes greeted the travelers at the entrance to Aaru Village. Another woman wearing leather gear and armored knuckles stood next to her. At the sight of Nahida, the former bowed. “I am Candace, Guardian of Aaru Village. It is a pleasure to finally meet you Lord Kusanali.”
“Please, call me Nahida.”
“As you wish, Nahida,” Candace smiled warmly.
“Thank you for helping everyone save me,” Nahida bowed back. Everyone stared in shock.
“Please, there is no need for that. I am simply doing what is right,” Candace replied, “I will protect you as well, should the need arise.”
“Thank you. As will I, for the people of Aaru Village,” Nahida smiled back.
"Apologies for cutting the pleasantries short. Candace, we would like to request your help for a mission," Cyno said urgently, straight to the point. "We have reports that an unusually large number of Divine Knowledge Capsules could have possibly passed through here. If any of those dealers are here…"
Candace's grip on her spear tightened minutely, the gesture not unnoticed by Alhaitham.
“Please state the purpose of your visit,” she said formally. The sudden shift in tone caused everyone to tense. Paimon floated downwards.
“We are investigating an important case and would like to replenish our supplies before heading out to the desert,” Cyno said cooly.
“We’ll keep out of trouble while we’re here,” Alhaitham added. Candace locked eyes with him, holding his gaze. He stared back, hoping she would understand his sincerity like last time. He never wanted to involve others unnecessarily if it wasn’t by their choice.
A moment passed. “Alright, but I will hold you to your word,” she said firmly. She passed a glance at Dehya and they had a quick, silent conversation.
“Please allow me to accompany you all,” Dehya asked their Archon. Alhaitham raised an eyebrow at her uncharacteristic formality, but realized it made sense for Candace to send her. To act as a bodyguard and to keep an eye on them, in case they posed a danger to Aaru Village, despite being friends. Well, they were on official business this time.
“You may,” Nahida returned with the same seriousness. Dehya bowed and Candace relaxed the grip on her polearm, satisfied that the Lord of Dendro respected the rules of her village and her request.
“As for your inquiry Cyno, there is someone who wanted to meet you in the chief’s home,” the guardian said. “I’m afraid she is only willing to talk to you though. Maruf agreed to host everyone else this evening. My apologies for not being able to arrange larger accommodations.”
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Nahida said, bowing to Candace once again.
Cyno followed Candace while the rest of the group followed Dehya to Maruf’s. Alhaitham was in awe at how Aaru Village slowly improved with the new trade routes and opportunities. The village was livelier with more merchants about and a new building for travelers and passersby to stay in near the front of the village. Dehya led them past Uncle Anpu’s home, around Shani’s home, where Alhaitham nodded in greeting when she waved politely, and then the group stopped in front of Maruf’s home.
A second level was added, with windows covered by linen curtains. Dehya knocked. Quick footsteps approached, then Maruf opened the door with a hasty greeting. “Welcome! Please come in. Apologies, I was treating a patient.” He stepped aside and everyone shuffled in.
The healer’s home was rather homey compared to the Bimarstan. The ground floor was clean and had three beds in the back with curtain separations - one of the beds was occupied by a sleeping child. Children’s books and stuffed animals were gathered on a bookshelf near the child. An Athel wood table with two seats sat on the left side, with clay mugs, a simple clay tea pot, and TCG card decks sitting on top. To their right was a small desk, chair, and a two tall shelves filled with boxes labeled with various medical supplies, medical books, and scrolls. Closest to them on the same side was a flight of stairs, where Maruf led them upstairs.
The second floor was barer, with six beds and six nightstands - two beds on each side, opposite of the stairs. The beds were covered with clean sheets and folded blankets laid on top of each bed. Each bed was sectioned off as well to allow privacy. The window curtains were currently pulled closed with a single lamp lit on one of the nightstands.
“Please let me know if there is anything I can provide,” Maruf said, bowing to the group.
“Thank you, Master Maruf,” Nahida smiled.
Maruf straightened, coughing into his hand. “Maruf is fine. Please make yourselves at home.” He left hastily.
“He’s not used to titles. In fact, I think you’re the only one who called him that!” Dehya laughed. Nahida and Lumine giggled and Alhaitham chuckled. Lord Kusanali had a tendency to be overly formal with titles, unless informed otherwise.
The scribe turned to walk back downstairs.
“Where to, Alhaitham?” Dehya asked with a slight warning tone.
“I’m taking a walk,” he replied evenly. Nahida glanced at him and Dehya shot him a warning glare, while Lumine and Paimon were preoccupied about debating what they’ll have for dinner that night. He ignored them and walked leisurely downstairs, then out the door.
Things were not adding up.
Alhaitham made his way towards Shani’s home. She wasn’t around this time, so he walked past and lucky for him, no one was around on this side of the village chief’s home either, so Alhaitham teleported to Uncle Anpu’s roof, leapt down and crouched behind the fencing on the lower level rooftop. Making sure no one was watching, he quietly pushed open the window and darted in, hearing voices from downstairs.
“This is the person I mentioned earlier,” Candace said. “She told me she had something important to share with you.”
“...L-l-lord Cyno,” a feminine voice said shakily.
“Yes?” the General Mahamatra said firmly. Alhaitham could picture him crossing his arms with a piercing glare at the poor woman.
“I…I know what you’re pursuing, and I came to warn you,” she said, after a moment’s hesitation. Alhaitham could hear the low growl in Cyno’s reply.
“What do you mean?” Cyno said with an edge to his voice. “If you withhold anything, you will not be let off easily when I find out.”
“The…the Divine Knowledge Capsules are being used in experiments. I’m not sure what for, but when I found out we were delivering them to Akademiya researchers in the desert, it took all I had to make my way here…The experiments are being held at the old Eleazar hospital,” the woman said all in one breath.
“Is there anything else?” Cyno demanded.
The woman probably flinched. “S-sorry, I didn’t overhear anything about what they would be used for. I needed the money. Please spare me.”
“I can’t promise you that at this point. I will take this matter into consideration, but you will stand trial,” Cyno said less harshly.
“O-of course,” she exhaled.
Alhaitham heard the telltale swish and clink of Cyno’s regalia. “Thank you Candace,” he said sincerely.
“I hope this is enough for you to continue your journey?” Candace asked with a slight warning tone.
“Yes,” Cyno replied, unperturbed. “We will set out at first light tomorrow.”
“Then I will come by with supplies later,” she replied. “I will see to it she is escorted back safely to Sumeru City.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course.”
Alhaitham heard the pair exit the village chief’s home. With that, he quickly and quietly left through the same window he came in.
“Alhaitham.” A calm voice sounded near him.
The scribe nearly took off the person’s head, but his sword was deflected by a familiar staff in a shower of sparks. When he regained his bearings, Alhaitham scowled.
“Cyno.”
“You were eavesdropping.”
“...”
“You’re lucky Candace let you off.”
“I was gathering information.”
“As much as I would argue your actions went against Candace’s order this time, we have a bigger problem than this.” Cyno gestured between them.
“Care to enlighten me?”
“You already know. I will discuss this with the others. However, this was almost too easy, but it's the best lead we got."
Cyno dropped down gracefully to ground level, with Alhaitham following. The General lead the way silently, seemingly having been down this path many times to Maruf’s. Alhaitham was content to not have Cyno’s full ire directed at him this time.
Cyno rapped on Maruf’s door, then pushed it open. Maruf didn’t seem surprised to see them, but left them to it. Alhaitham brushed past Cyno and went upstairs.
“What’cha up to?” Dehya called in greeting, twirling a glowing leaf in her hand, like the ones Nahida gave him and Cyno. The others were engaged in a game of Genius Invokation TCG. Nahida was clearly winning while Paimon shouted at Lumine.
“Cyno is the best person to ask,” Alhaitham said, leaning against the railing of the stairs, crossing his arms. Everyone snapped to attention when Cyno appeared.
“I have some concerning information,” he started and filled everyone in.
—-------
Present
Tighnari stuffed a roll of fabric into the general’s mouth before he and Collei could clean and bandage Cyno’s wounds. Considering the size and depth of them, he wouldn’t be having a very good day.
Collei’s eyes widened once Tighnari fully uncovered Cyno’s makeshift bandages, but thankfully she did not immediately hurl at the gruesome sight. The master and student had their fair share of cleaning and bandaging wounds of varying severity from both their fellow forest rangers and any wayward travelers or scholars who got themselves into trouble.
With Tighnari’s quick, but firm instructions, he helped her concentrate on the task at hand. Collei did everything he asked quickly and steadily, pulling off Cyno’s Vision, lest he accidentally zap them, preparing towels and disinfectants, and tying down Cyno’s legs.
It was then that Alhaitham came back in, most of the blood gone from his hair and hands, but unfortunately, it still stained his clothing. His eyes were more alert as he took the scene in.
“Alhaitham, could you do me a favor, and hold him down?” Tighnari asked.
Wordlessly, Alhaitham circled the bed until he was across from Tighnari and Collei, pinning Cyno's arms down.
When Tighnari began to clean and apply the disinfectants, Cyno’s eyes flew open and screamed, his hands curled reflexively into claws. There was a slight crackle as Electro gathered in his fingertips, but the energy singed them instead. It was only a few seconds before the pain overrode his senses and Cyno flopped back down, while his body still reflexively tried to resist. His physical strength was so immense, Alhaitham had to put all his weight into holding down both of his arms. It was a wonder that when they previously fought at Aaru Village with Lumine and Paimon present, that he was able to parry any of Cyno's strikes. Even when the General Mahamatra admitted he wasn't using his full strength.
It pained Alhaitham to see the Cyno like this, suffering, as he felt helpless to ease Cyno's pain.
Wait. When did he–
"Cyno, you'll be alright. Please hold still." Tighnari continued muttering reassurances as he did his best to quickly clean up and stitch Cyno's wounds, seemingly unfazed, but his tail flicked back and forth.
It took a better part of two hours for the trio to complete their tasks while the General Mahamatra cried out in pain.
—-------
Yesterday Night
The woman’s information led to the abandoned Eleazar hospital in Dar al-Shifa. Alhaitham thought it odd that someone would try to use this site again for their experiments, after he and Lumine previously recovered his senior here. Guess he would need to make a formal request to Lord Kusanali regarding the future of the building.
The group stood outside the entrance, after clearing up the Eremite mercenaries in the area. There were more stationed here than the last time he and Lumine were around…
Peering into the entrance slowly, Alhaitham had barely a second to react before he heard the woosh of a dagger fly towards the right side of his head. In what felt like slow-motion, he tried to pull his head back to let it sail by, but felt crackling energy snap forward to deflect the dagger into the wall in front of him. Then a violet streak of lightning sailed past him into the room adjacent to them. He heard a cry of pain, followed by a heavy thump.
Everyone rushed into the next room to see Cyno pointing his staff at an Eremite mercenary, who was on his back, clutching his stomach and gasping harshly.
“Is this where the Divine Knowledge Capsules were shipped to?” the General Mahamatra growled, channeling Electro through his staff.
The mercenary glared defiantly at him, then bit hard on something.
“No!” Cyno rushed forward, hauling the mercenary up by the lapels, but it was too late. Foam dripped down his lips, his eyes rolled back, and his body became limp. Cursing loudly, Cyno dropped the mercenary onto the ground.
“Well, that settles it,” Dehya said, peering down at the mercenary. She closed his eyes.
Alhaitham approached the General, intending to say something, but thought better of it when he felt the tension roll off Cyno’s shoulders. Instead, he crouched and observed the wooden hatch on the ground. It hadn’t changed much from the last time due to the dry air, but there were small patches of mold forming on the sides now.
"We need a plan before we go down there. I will lead and be the decoy," Cyno declared.
Alhaitham looked up at him. "No, you will not. I will be the decoy."
Cyno leveled him with a glare, "I'm a stronger and faster target Alhaitham, in case it comes to a fight."
“We can’t afford to risk the General Mahamatra,” Alhaitham shot back.
Cyno could only stare at him and crossed his arms. “You said it yourself, ‘I’m merely a feeble scholar,’ Scribe. ”
Alhaitham’s eye twitched, yet he remained silent.
“I thought so,” Cyno huffed. He dispersed his polearm and crouched in front of the hatch, pulling it back and tossing it aside.
A chorus of very faint groaning noises rose up. He froze.
“Is everything alright Cyno?” Nahida asked from where she crouched next to him. “Alhaitham, Dehya, or Lumine can lead us if you would prefer that.”
“No need, I’m fine Lord Kusanali,” Cyno shook his head. He quickly jumped down. Alhaitham followed, then Dehya and Nahida, and finally, Lumine and Paimon.
The group followed the path and turned the corner slowly. Rows of glowing Divine Knowledge Capsules lined the table to their left, with fresh rolls of parchments sitting on the shelves. Dehya whistled, “They aren’t pulling any punches with whatever they’re doing here.”
The groans became louder when Alhaitham walked into the room where he found his senior, Razak. He raised an eyebrow at the dull Divine Knowledge Capsules deposited in a haphazard pile near the large bioluminescent mushrooms in the corner. To his right, the giant board filled with notes still stood, but it was positioned at a very slight diagonal, instead of parallel to the wall as it initially was. A small draft of cold air whistled through and the sound of groaning was louder from behind it when he walked over to examine it.
"Dehya, please help me move this," Alhaitham asked when she emerged into the room. She nodded, and together, with a large heave, they moved it away from the wall.
“This looks newly constructed.” Alhaitham studied the stone door barricading their way. There was no handle. He switched to Elemental Sight, searching every section of the door and wall, fixating on a small glowing Electro symbol near the bottom of the door, close to the floor.
“What did you find?” Cyno’s voice came from behind him. Alhaitham’s Sight snapped back to normal, unnerved by the silence with which Cyno was able to approach him, especially from behind. He took a brief moment to gather his thoughts.
“If you use Elemental Sight, there’s a small Electro symbol at the base of the door,” Alhaitham instructed.
For a brief moment, Cyno stared at the door, then knelt down to channel some Electro energy into said symbol. With a harsh grating sound, the door slid aside, revealing a tunnel. It was held up by numerous planks of wood and the ceiling was only slightly taller than Alhaitham. Without the boulder’s obstruction, the voices grew louder. Suddenly, a shrill scream pierced the cacophony of pained voices.
Cyno charged ahead, materializing his staff. Cursing under his breath at the General’s impulsivity, Alhaitham followed. The tunnels twisted and turned, sometimes coming to forks in the road, but Cyno seemed to know which direction they needed to go since he sped along his chosen paths after sniffing them out. Alhaitham could hear Dehya, Nahida, Lumine, and Paimon keeping pace behind them.
After a few minutes, an eerie mix of glowing green, red, and violet light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Cyno suddenly stopped where the light began. Alhaitham nearly toppled him over, if not for his fast reflexes, skidding on the sand to a stop to Cyno’s right.
“What gives Cyno?!” Paimon nearly flew into the back of his head as well. Lumine also came to a stop on the other side of the General Mahamatra, carrying Nahida piggyback-style. Dehya came up in the rear with her claymore drawn.
What the group saw sent them into a stunned silence.
They stood at the edge of a huge sandy cavern, arranged like a small amphitheater with ceilings twice Alhaitham’s height. Simple clay sconces lined the clay walls, illuminating the area in low lighting.
Carved into the wall were five small cells containing cloaked people, numbering around fifty, who were chained by their wrists and ankles. Some looked healthy, while others looked emaciated, riddled with grime. Some were from the rainforest, others were desert dwellers. A few had white hair similar to Cyno’s, though in streaks rather than a full head of white hair.
A pile of four freshly deceased bodies piled to their right. Their hair was streaked with white, faces and bodies covered with ribbons of violet-colored burn marks, and they all wore frozen expressions of wide-eyed silent screams.
In the middle of the area stood a stone table with a victim strapped to it, encircled by five people, three of which wore Akademiya regalia - two male and one female. They held quills and parchments. The other two wore dark cloaks with hoods to ward off sandstorms, their wrists and ears covered with golden bracelets and earrings decorated with a similar eye symbol as Cyno’s headdress, but more sinister with rubies and sharper shapes. One of them had an Electro Vision pinned to their cloak.
Smoke curled up from the victim’s body, in a similar state to the deceased, but their chest rose and fell. Their hair was snow white, with glowing ruby eyes. An Akasha terminal was fixated to their ear, the fading violet and crimson light of a Divine Knowledge Capsule in one of the researcher’s hands.
The five figures froze as they stared at the group before them too, the only sounds being the pained groans of the victim on the table and the surprised gasps of the prisoners.
Alhaitham’s gaze darted to Cyno’s form. He was trembling with a white-knuckled grip on his staff. He couldn’t see it at his angle, but he could only imagine Cyno’s expression, if he didn’t immediately leap into action like he normally would. It didn’t look like he was breathing either. Alhaitham gingerly placed his hand on Cyno’s shoulder, calling his name firmly. That seemed to make the General Mahamatra snap out of whatever state he was in.
“Explain yourselves!” Cyno growled, his Vision shining brightly.
“So even the General Mahamatra found this place when we were being so careful,” one researcher muttered. “It seems our dealers were unreliable.”
Unperturbed, another researcher spoke up with manic glee, “To create another you, of course! Since you were able to contain and harness the power of Hermanubis, we should be able to do the same again. Only this time, they will be stronger, and answer to us. We will create a new group of Sages to lead Sumeru, with this vessel becoming our new General Mahamatra!”
Nahida gasped. Everyone summoned their weapons and Paimon disappeared into the aether.
“You will face judgment for your crimes!” Cyno activated his Pactsworth Pathclearer state, the air crackling with electricity.
Two things happened in quick succession.
A rumbling sound emerged from beneath their feet as the cloaked figure closest to them stepped on a mechanism and whipped a knife towards Alhaitham’s head.
“Get away!” Cyno shouted, using Electro to propel himself forward and shove Alhaitham towards the area where the deceased prisoners were, falling near the bodies. Being this close to dead bodies was not on his bucket list, but Alhaitham tried not to look at them as he scrambled to his feet. Cyno got to his knees shakily, but he was hunched over, hugging himself with ragged breaths. Alhaitham followed his line of sight, seeing that the bodies had numbers burned onto their necks. The knife also grazed Cyno’s cheek, the sharp point stuck in the sand in front of him.
“Cyno! Get ahold of yourself!”
A metal gate shot up from where their feet were moments before, with the other sides of the gates shooting out from above them and around them, creating a cage.
The sound alerted the General Mahamatra, who then leapt to his feet, spinning around with a feral snarl directed at their enemies, startling even Alhaitham. His body tensed, the energy swirling around him wildly, ready to spring into action.
Alhaitham did not want to become a kebab in this cage, so he probably did the stupidest thing he had ever attempted, and grabbed Cyno’s Electro-charged arm. The shape of Cyno’s Pactsworn Pathclearer state stretched and pulled apart like clay, making the General Mahamatra appear like every scholars’ nightmare brought to life. The air charged with energy that could implode at any second.
He couldn’t believe he needed to use what Cyno taught him during a sparring session. He closed his eyes and inhaled, focusing on channeling the erratic elemental energy emanating from Cyno’s arm through his own, letting it settle in his stomach, then feeling it travel through his other arm while he quickly drew his Foliar Incision, infusing it with Dendro and pointing it at the metal gate in front of them.
With a cry, he released the energy, causing a Spread reaction that melted the gate instantly. Enshrouded with Cyno’s lingering Electro energy, the duo were shielded from the sparks that flew. He wasn’t a vain man per say, but luckily, his hair was spared from sticking out at odd angles, as was Cyno’s.
The five figures spurred into action. The cloaked figure that threw the knife slashed at the bonds that fixed the victim to the table. The Akademiya researchers started running towards the back of the amphitheater while the other cloaked figure started chanting incantations, imbuing the victim with an added layer of Electro energy.
With a huge burst of energy, Nahida marked the six figures with the Seed of Skandha, then unleashed the Shrine of Maya with a command: “Detain them!”
“Destroy them!” The cloaked figure who muttered incantations pointed at Cyno and Alhaitham.
The figure, a young desert dweller woman, leapt off the table and fixated her gaze on Alhaitham first. The added Electro made her vacant eyes glow brighter. Her hair was white and her eyes ruby like Cyno’s. A split second thought ran through his mind of how unnerving it was to fight someone who looked similar to and supposedly had similar powers to Cyno, despite having sparred with him on several occasions. Did Cyno go through a similar process…?
Time slowed to a crawl when he teleported away as she darted forward, a bolt of Electro hitting the spot where he stood a moment ago, but not before the shockwave threw him several meters. He grunted as his head and back made contact with the metal doors of a cell.
“...-HAITHAM!!!”
A shout cut through the ringing in his ears.
Alhaitham tried to raise himself on his elbows, but the headache that started to form made him feel like he was moving through mud..
The next instant, he felt an Electro hand encircling his waist and got flung sideways, out of the way of a crimson and violet Electro hand. He felt his cloak snag on a rock that jutted out of the sand as he skidded to a stop and got whiplash from the tug. That headache will be something.
He blinked a few times until he could make out a hazy figure enshrouded with flickering Electro whipping around the woman. Lumine circled her, slashing with sprays of Dendro leaves, causing Spread reactions with Cyno’s Electro, trying to divert the woman’s attention onto herself.
The woman roared and charged towards Cyno with dual Electro claws poised to kill, the ribbons glowing both violet and crimson red. She had a distant, but manic look in her eyes. Cyno ran towards her too, but leaped at the last second before her claws could sink into him, gracefully vaulting over and landing behind her.
Nahida and Dehya chased the wayward researchers and mysterious figures before they could escape. The Archon marked them again with the Seed of Skadha and Dehya swung her claymore, infusing it with a bit of Pyro to incapacitate them simultaneously. One collapsed onto their back, most definitely unconscious with the bruise that was forming on the side of their face, unfortunately the first to be whacked by the claymore. Another one of the cloaked figures dropped to the ground rolling and screaming, being scorched by Dehya’s flames. The Akademiya researchers screamed and fell, trying to put out the fires while writhing from broken bones.
Alhaitham assessed all of this quickly. Adrenaline coursed through him and he forced himself to get to his feet, using his sword as a crutch. He willed his headache back, trying to focus his aim on Cyno's counterpart.
A loud crack followed by an agonized howl reverberated through the air when Cyno kicked and slashed at the desert dweller as she tried to fight him off with one arm at an odd angle. Alhaitham gritted his teeth against the harsh sound, but things needed to be done. The woman spun around, her other Electro clawed hand extending towards Cyno, just like the power of his claws.
In a flash, the scribe teleported above the woman, and with a midair twist, slammed the hilt of his sword onto the side of her head. She fell harshly to the ground with a grunt, the violet and crimson Electro energy dispersing.
Alhaitham nearly faceplanted himself, if not for stabbing his sword into the ground and using it to catch his landing. He breathed heavily as that stunt exacerbated the dizziness. Black spots danced in his vision, but he couldn’t rest until he made sure Cyno and Lumine were alright.
A pair of clothed feet padded into his field of vision. Alhaitham slowly looked up, forcing his sight to focus, and saw Cyno’s face. The knife wound on his cheek was inflamed, worryingly so, and various bruises, burns, and scratches littered his arms and legs, but nothing to be concerned about. The most striking feature was Cyno’s eyes. They scanned him from head to toe, but with a slight faraway look in them.
The scribe opened his mouth to ask the general if he was alright, when the hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end…He was getting really tired of being on edge in split seconds. Alhaitham tried to will his exhausted body to move, but his eyes widened when it couldn’t. A violet blur slammed into him with a yell, pushing him onto his back and causing him to once again, hit his head on the sandy ground, the whiplash causing him to black out.
.
..
...
Something wet dripped onto his cheeks.
Alhaitham gasped, slowly blinking back into awareness. A figure with white and dark brown clothing and gold regalia stood over him, white hair falling and casting a shadow across a face, bright ruby eyes looking down at him. Blood dripped from the corners of their mouth, which explained the wet feeling on his cheeks. A violet and crimson red claw also pierced the figure’s stomach. Red rivulets trailed down the wound in concerning amounts.
He dazedly traced the claw back to its owner, the poor desert dweller woman who probably tried to kill him from behind when the figure in front - Cyno - fatally pierced her with his Electro claws, but not quick enough, considering his physical state.
“Cyno?!”
“Glad…to see…you’re okay,” he smiled, then coughed up blood, splattering it all over Alhaitham.
Cyno immediately fell sideways, taking the woman down with him.
Alhaitham sat up quickly. His head spun and he nearly passed out again, but saw four figures rushing towards them.
Their Archon kneeled next to him, patting his cheek, so that his eyes met hers. A soft green glow flowed from her hands to his head, which cleared up his headache enough so that he wouldn’t keel over and he didn’t feel as nauseous. Her lips moved, but the words sounded like they were flowing through water. Then she got up and turned towards Cyno.
Lumine and Dehya dragged the woman’s corpse away and covered it. The researchers and cloaked figures were unconscious, gagged, and bound nearby as well.
Alhaitham looked back when a large burst of Dendro energy encircled the General Mahamatra, slowing the pool of blood that gathered underneath him.
Crawling over, he forced himself to remain calm as he analyzed Cyno’s condition, ripping up his cloak to provide temporary bandages. “You don’t get to do this to me, Cyno.” He cursed and willed his tears back. He could never have imagined seeing his friend in such a fragile state and now the image will be forever burned into his memory.
If his Archon noticed his momentary loss of self control, she remained indifferent to it, concentrating on the task at hand with sweat beading on her brow. Her eyes shined with tears and her lips silently mouthed “Stay with us” repeatedly. He and Nahida worked quickly with the elemental energy they had left to stabilize the general, enough to get him back to Gandharva Ville without bleeding out. Cyno remained silent the entire time, his face rapidly paling and the rise and fall of his chest slowing.
When Nahida nodded at him, Alhaitham muttered an apology, not that Cyno could hear him, before lifting the General Mahamatra into his arms.
He ran back towards the entrance of the old hospital as fast as he could without further injuring Cyno. Nahida floated next to him, guiding him forward with the light of her Dendro energy. She looked exhausted, but there was a determined set to her mouth. Familiar heavy footsteps followed behind him, probably Dehya and Lumine carrying their prisoners along.
It took a herculean effort, but they eventually surfaced. With a heave, Lumine dragged her prisoners, the two unconscious cloaked figures along to the front. “Follow me! We need to get to the teleport nearest here!”
With renewed energy, the group raced towards the teleport waypoint near Dar al-Shifa and Lumine transported them all to the best healer they knew.
—-------
"Green Nara, worry about Purple Nara!" Ararycan shouted as they held off the projectiles of Fetid Boughs that shot at the group. Dehya and Nahida went in fast to take out the Withering Branches with the help of Dendrograna.
Lumine had teleported the group to a small hill to the south of Sumeru City, but it was near the back road to Gandharva Ville. Unfortunately, she said didn’t have enough energy to teleport them to the Statue of the Seven there in one go. It was their luck that another Withering Zone re-emerged so close to this waypoint sometime after they visited the forest rangers. With Nahida’s strength nearly depleted and Lumine needing to rest briefly before making the last jump, Dehya pulled out her leaf and blew on it, summoning the Aranara. They left their prisoners with Lumine.
Alhaitham sat atop the hill, debating on helping them clear out the Withering Zone so Lumine wouldn’t have to expend anymore energy too soon, but at a weak groan from Cyno in his arms, he turned towards the traveler. She stood at the base of the teleport waypoint, watching the scene anxiously while finishing up some Aaru Mixed Rice wrapped in leaves (where did that come from?).
When he walked up to her with what must’ve been a frantic look on his face, Lumine grabbed onto Alhaitham’s arm, teleporting them off the hill to the Statue of the Seven near Gandharva Ville. Pure life energy instantly rejuvenated the trio and managed to close most of their wounds, but Cyno was getting paler by the second with sweat running down his face. He lost too much blood from his still open wounds and whatever poison was in his system could not be expelled by magic.
As Alhaitham debated on attempting to jump or glide down with Cyno in his arms, Lumine flickered back with Dehya and Nahida and their prisoners in tow.
Seeing the scribe in distress, Nahida created a bridge of vines from their location to the ground. With another flick of her wrist, more vines emerged from the hill, wrapping around the prisoners to prevent their escape. Everyone else then rushed down, noticing some Eremites that spotted them - most likely the remnants of the researchers’ hired muscle, when they surged forward upon the group on sight.
"Go, we'll take care of them!" Dehya shouted, summoning her claymore. Nahida stood some ways behind Dehya, while Lumine leaped into the fray.
Alhaitham nodded and ran towards the Forest Watcher's home, trying not to glance down at the lifeblood that was still leaving the General Mahamatra.
—-------
Present
It was late into the night and Alhaitham just nodded off in his chair when the door creaked open. He started, leaping to his feet with his sword in hand.
“Apologies, it’s just me,” Tighnari said with his ears perked and hands raised in a placating gesture.
Alhaitham tried to rub the exhaustion from his eyes and dispersed his sword. “It’s alright.” He sat back down heavily in his - no, Tighnari’s chair. “Though, I have probably overstayed my welcome. I can find somewhere else to sleep.”
When he moved to get up, Tighnari pulled another chair to sit across him instead, cutting off Alhaitham’s path to his door. Alhaitham froze. The Forest Watcher waved at him to sit back down, so he did.
“Thank you for bringing him here– ” Tighnari started.
“Apologies for bringing him to you in this state. We did our best, but we found an underground prison with scholars doing human experimentation…” Alhaitham interjected. He stared at Cyno with a frown.
“...I see." Tighnari's gaze turned thoughtful when he followed Alhaitham's line of sight. The scribe’s cloak laid on top of Cyno's blanket, staving off the night chill. "I take it that he rushed into the situation that put him in this state?"
Alhaitham let out a long sigh.
“Unfortunately, it’s typical of him, the big lummox.” Tighnari hummed, regarding the bags under the scribe's eyes, tousled hair, and rumpled clothing. "For someone as smart as you to not have noticed, I would’ve thought otherwise. Perhaps we scholars have rightfully earned that admonishment about our lack of intelligence in these types of situations. Cyno doesn’t throw himself out there like that for just anyone.”
Alhaitham stared at him questioningly.
Collei suddenly peeked in, with a bowl filled with hot water, towels, and bandages. "Master Tighnari! Here is everything you requested!"
"Ah, thank you Collei. Can you please change Cyno's bandages? I need to go fetch more medicine for him," Tighnari said.
"Sure!" Collei said, then noticed Alhaitham and stood up straighter. Tighnari left without another word, the sound of the door closing behind him.
An awkward silence descended upon the two. Alhaitham didn’t know much about Collei, since he and Cyno weren’t that close. The only information that the general volunteered was that she was a trainee forest ranger under Tighnari’s care. He took that opportunity to study her. She seemed a little frail, but there was a determination in her posture and eyes that rivaled the students of the Akademiya. Various scars covered her small, but calloused hands, which trembled slightly. Friendly, but there was also something underneath the cheerful exterior, similar to Cyno, Alhaitham realized with a start.
“Umm, I heard you like reading?” Collei started with a slight tremor to her voice, not meeting Alhaitham’s piercing eyes. She placed the bowl and bandages on the table.
His attention snapped back to her. “Yes. Usually linguistics, history, philosophy, and mathematics. Sometimes other things if they catch my eye. What do you like?”
“Oh...umm…fairytales and Inazuman light novels!” the trainee blushed. “They’re easier to read than the books Master Tighnari assigned me…but please don’t tell him I said that! Learning how to read from them makes it easier for me to learn from his lesson books.”
“I see. If there’s anything you wish to read, I would be happy to bring them from the Akademiya or the Grand Bazaar to supplement your studies.”
“Please, no need to trouble yourself! It’s a long way from Sumeru City…” Collei waved her arms.
“It’s no trouble if I’m offering,” Alhaitham softened his tone. In that moment, he could sense that whatever she set her mind to, she will succeed. If Tighnari allowed it, he would be willing to tutor Collei too, whenever he passed by. He watched as her expression changed from bashfulness to astonishment, then settled on joy with a hint of confusion.
“Something else on your mind?” he asked.
“You’re very kind, Mister Grand Scribe, sir,” Collei mumbled. “Much different from how Kaveh and Cyno described you…”
Alhaitham’s eyes widened at Collei’s casual use of Cyno’s name. “Alhaitham is fine. I’m sure they had some interesting things to say, but that matters little to me,” he replied with amusement, seeing Collei’s reddening face. “Perhaps we could attend to Cyno?”
“Ah, yes, of course!” Collei turned to grab the bowl, splashing some water in the process. She patiently instructed Alhaitham on how to change and re-bandage Cyno’s various wounds, taking on a clinical and professional air. The scribe was impressed by her depth of knowledge, noting how her deft hands worked quickly as to not disturb the general’s rest. There were a few moments where the pair froze when he groaned, probably due to the sting of the salves on the more inflamed wounds, but luckily, he didn’t wake.
"Just like those Inazuman light novels,” Collei said suddenly, gazing at Alhaitham with wonder in her eyes.
“How do you mean?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.
“Nothing! I was just thinking about the novels I read in my spare time!” the trainee shrieked.
“Collei.”
She fidgeted while wiping her hands on a towel, not meeting Alhaitham’s eyes. “With how Cyno spoke of you, I thought that you two…” she blushed.
“I see him as a friend and we work well as colleagues. He is worthy of respect.” Alhaitham tried not to let his blush creep up too.
“But I heard differently from Lumine and Paimon! And you clearly treat Cyno as more than that!” Collei clamped her mouth. Alhaitham stood up straighter.
“Uhh…I mean…it’s not my place to say…but, I think you two are good for each other!” She nearly bolted at that outburst, but Alhaitham gently put a hand on her shoulder. He could feel her shaking, but she stayed, watching him with wide eyes.
“...Thank you. I will consider that,” Alhaitham smiled softly, looking over at the sleeping general.
Then Collei did the unexpected. She hugged him, then darted out.
Alhaitham stood there in stunned silence, then chuckled. Life can be strange and spontaneous, but it wasn’t always unpleasant. Despite their bickering, he and Cyno were able to put aside their differences when it mattered, albeit a bit grudgingly. He could count on Cyno to have his back as well and he would do the same.
Oh. Maybe Collei was right.
That moment, soft groans came from the unconscious general. Alhaitham turned towards Cyno with a frown. Those groans then turned into distressed sounds and frantic gasps for air, as Cyno’s knuckles turned white with his grip on the blanket. Alhaitham pressed firmly on his shoulders.
“Cyno, breathe! It’s me, Alhaitham. You’re okay, you’re safe and you’re with friends. Whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real. It’s okay…” The scribe continually and calmly repeated the reassurances, but to no avail. Cyno started thrashing instead.
Footsteps rushed up and the door quickly flew open.
“What’s going on?” Tighnari demanded, his ears twitching.
“Cyno’s having a nightmare.”
“Please try to hold him down. I’ll prepare a sleeping draught.” Tighnari pulled various ingredients out of his shelves - mint and activated starshroom - crushed them, and mixed them in a cup of water nearby. The clinking of the jars and grinding of the mortar and pestle only served to agitate Cyno more. Alhaitham tried not to exert too much force to keep Cyno from hurting himself, considering what he witnessed in the abandoned hospital.
A young voice called from outside. “I can help! May I come in?”
“Lord Kusanali!” Tighnari quickly opened the door and bowed as Nahida walked in.
“Please, no need for the formalities,” the Archon said cheerfully, then turned serious. “It seems Cyno is having a hard time sleeping?”
“Ahh, I’m sorry Master Tighnari!” Collei followed in, on the verge of tears. “Our Archon insisted on helping after I said she didn’t need to trouble herself!”
“It’s no trouble. I’m always happy to help my people however I can,” Nahida said. She hovered up to the side of Cyno’s bed, studying his pained expression, then put her hand on his forehead and closed her eyes. A soft green light with geometric and floral patterns flowed from her hand into Cyno, bathing everyone in the calming light.
Within a few minutes, Alhaitham noted that the stress lines in Cyno’s faced smoothed out, his body relaxed, and his breathing evened out. His clenched grip on the blanket also loosened.
As the light faded, Alhaitham caught Nahida when she fell backwards, breathing heavily with sweat glistening on her brow again.
“Thank you, I’m alright. I managed to halt the nightmares that plagued his mind and guided him towards better dreams,” she said. The scribe set her down in his seat and Collei brought over some water with crushed mint. Nahida sipped it, watching Cyno’s expression. “He should be okay for the next few nights, but should his mind lapse back into nightmares, please use the leaf I gave you to call upon the Aranara to help him. I’m sorry I can’t be of anymore help, as I have to resume my responsibilities in the city.” Alhaitham nodded.
“No worries, we appreciate your kindness,” Tighnari spoke up. “Please let us know if we can be of any help in the coming days.”
“I will, thank you Master Tighnari,” Nahida smiled.
—-------
Three weeks passed slowly.
Since the poison turned out to be from scorpions mixed with the crushed shells of Consecrated Beast Scorpions, Tighnari expedited the importation of rare herbs to create an antidote that Alhaitham fed to Cyno twice a day.
Cyno's fever raged as his body fought off the poison. He tossed and turned, and several times, Alhaitham had to catch him from falling onto the floor. He changed the wet cloth across Cyno's brow several times a day, usually in between each book he finished, books that Collei graciously provided. How he managed to read even a little was beyond him, but he had to keep himself distracted.
If only his Dendro Vision could be used for healing too.
Alhaitham stayed by Cyno's side the entire time, only taking breaks to eat and sleep. His colleagues brought over work for him to catch up on, and boring books and documents to read as part of his job, but even they couldn't distract him long enough to check in on Cyno's condition constantly.
Lord Kusanali returned to Sumeru City to take care of affairs, as she couldn't be absent for too long. She assured him that she had some help from the other matra while Cyno recovered, and other administrative staff that could take over some of Alhaitham's more important duties temporarily.
Lumine, Paimon, and Dehya went off to occupy themselves with commissions, sometimes bringing back medical ingredients that Tighnari asked for to speed up Cyno’s healing process. They checked in on Cyno too, with whispered words of encouragement at Alhaitham’s usually despondent expression.
Tighnari and Collei gave Alhaitham space, but they also dragged him out with reprimands to take care of himself more so he could take care of Cyno. It became harder to eat and sleep properly the longer Cyno remained unconscious. Master and student took turns watching Cyno while Alhaitham was out, with the promise that they would inform him first if Cyno woke up. It was a process that ended in arguments sometimes, but Alhaitham knew they did it because they cared. It had been a long time since anyone but Kaveh looked out for him, plus he was intruding on their hospitality. It was the least he could do by listening to them.
A week after they arrived in Gandharva Ville, at Nahida’s request, Tighnari traveled to the abandoned hospital to help with the retrieval and care of the victims. According to the Forest Watcher’s letter, Kaveh also accompanied him to make sure the hospital wouldn’t collapse as the teams extracted the prisoners. It was a week of grueling work, but Tighnari came back with the good news that everyone who was alive was able to be saved. It would take a while, but the victims would recover with the Bimarstan’s excellent medical and mental health support.
The Aranara Aranakin visited when Alhaitham blew on Nahida’s leaf, soothing Cyno’s nightmares when they were particularly bad. Alhaitham tried not to use it too often, but the Aranara understood how important Cyno was to Nahida when she explained to them. Thankfully, Aranakin didn’t mind appearing when it was just the scribe and the general.
One night, Alhaitham fell asleep, resting his head on his arms next to Cyno after Aranakin soothed a horrible bout of Cyno’s nightmares. Cyno still wasn’t waking up and it concerned Alhaitham to no end, on top of the frightened gasps and thrashing.
He opened his eyes to a dreamscape, which seemed to be impossible, but according to Nahida, if the Akasha stopped harvesting dreams, then…
Alhaitham looked around, noting that he stood in a starless void, with a weakly pulsating violet light shining in front of him. Breath catching, he took a tentative step forward. When he didn’t fall, he took another and another, eventually running towards the light.
As he got closer, he heard crying. The light morphed into a raggedly cloaked shape with familiar long white hair shining like moonlight sticking out of the hood. Its hunched back faced him.
“Cyno?” Alhaitham called, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
Before he could make contact, Cyno screamed and smacked his hand away, summoning the spirit that normally protected him. Only this time, the spirit had a corporeal form and snarled at Alhaitham with its claws extended, violet ribbons and sparks of Electro encircling the general. Cyno looked at him with fear and a glassy look in his eyes, tears streaming down his face. Harsh, ragged breaths escaped him.
“Cyno, it’s me, Alhaitham.” He raised his hands up in a gesture of peace. “I’m–, we’re worried about you. Please come back.”
Cyno stared blankly at Alhaitham. “I-I can’t,” he held his head between his hands, turning away.
“How come?” Alhaitham asked softly, watching the spirit warily. Even in dreams, it seemed to act on Cyno’s will, and the fact it hasn’t attacked yet seemed to be a good sign.
“Those people we saw in the abandoned hospital…I can’t…it’s too much…and I never got to apologize to that woman, or ask for her name before I…” Cyno managed to get out, his voice sounding thick.
“For the woman, it was a mercy Cyno. For those still alive, Nahida sent help after Lumine and Dehya brought the five criminals back to Sumeru City. They will be put on trial. She then ordered the matra and Corps of Thirty to section off the area and rescue them with Tighnari and Kaveh’s aid. Tighnari reported back saying that everything will be fine. They were all taken to the Bimarstan and they will recover,” Alhaitham explained slowly while watching Cyno’s reactions.
“But their experiences…their mental scars,” Cyno said shakily.
“I’m sorry to ask, but…you had similar experiences?” Alhaitham asked. In hindsight, Cyno’s slight hesitations and outbursts of anger made sense when they found the victims and confronted the researchers and cloaked figures.
The general nodded, still clutching his head.
“And those cloaked figures?” he dared to ask.
Cyno stilled. Alhaitham instantly regretted his question, but he wanted to - no, needed - to know in case they came after the General Mahamatra again. If they did, he would not hesitate. It was a promise he could make to himself to do whatever it took to protect his friend.
It sounded like it was taking Cyno a conscious effort to try to breathe somewhat steadily since he was syncing his breathing with the taps on his head, before he replied. “...They were from the Temple of Silence. In the past, they…and some Akademiya researchers…experimented on countless people to find a vessel for the spirit of Hermanubis…to control them for their own ends,” Cyno said clinically, as if he were explaining someone else’s history.
Hazy images projected in the dreamscape around them, flitting by and fading in and out of focus: A child’s hands and feet shackled to a stone table in a large underground cavern with low lighting. Needles filled with opaque liquid. Masked cloaked figures with gold jewelry and Akademiya researchers with sinister expressions. Obelisks with glowing runes surrounded them. The sounds of low chanting. Glowing violet light. The sound of retching. Puddles of blood. Long strands of ebony hair mixed with white streaks that fell to the ground.
Alhaitham could feel the physical pain as he watched the images, his body tensing in response. His breaths hitched at the cruelty of what this child had experienced.
Out of nowhere, a heart-wrenching scream sounded in the distance, followed by a flash of familiar violet lightning, then the screaming cut off. Cyno flinched hard.
If those were Cyno's memories, Alhaitham definitely regretted asking now, but what’s done is done. “If we had known what this case entailed, we would have asked that you stay back,” he said gently. “However, we can’t fix the past, but I want you to know that what I saw doesn’t change my perception of you.”
Cyno stilled again, his hands falling to the ground. He whispered, “...and the others?”
“I doubt they would think any differently of you either. We all have our own battles. I do too…and we became stronger because of them. Even you.”
Cyno made a choked sound that sounded like a laugh. “So, you too huh…”
“I’m here for you. As are they,” Alhaitham said, holding his hand out. “No matter how hard the coming days will be, we will be here for you.”
At that, the spirit dispersed. A violet glow still emanated from Cyno, but became brighter and warmer. The general slowly turned around. His hair was mussed, but his eyes sparkled with laughter at him. Alhaitham looked at him questioningly, to which Cyno replied, “You look unusually disheveled.”
The scribe scoffed and tried not to flush. Cyno took his offered hand with a soft smile and the dreamscape fell away, the general disappearing in front of him before he could utter another word.
—-------
Alhaitham suddenly woke up, wiping the tears tracking down his face. When did that happen?
A groan cut through the silence.
Alhaitham sat up in his chair, the sudden sound bringing him back to awareness of what had transpired in his dreams. Sleepiness gone, his sharp gaze flew to a pair of half-lidded, exhausted ruby eyes that struggled to focus. He slowly reached out to brush his fingertips on the top of Cyno’s hand.
With another groan, those eyes flitted and focused on his. Cyno coughed.
Alhaitham took the wet cloth off his brow, carefully propped him up with some extra pillows, then filled a mug with cool, minty water that Collei brought in earlier. He offered it to Cyno, who shook his head with a grimace while looking down at his shaking hands. Cyno then looked back up at Alhaitham with a threat in his eye. The scribe could clearly hear the warning in the General Mahamatra’s voice: Don’t you dare mention this to anyone.
Without another word, Alhaitham brought the mug to Cyno’s lips, who sipped slowly. He managed to drain the entire mug and muttered a soft “thanks.”
“Of course,” Alhaitham replied. He set the mug aside.
“How long?” Cyno said, his voice shaky and hoarse from disuse.
“Twenty two days,” came the scribe’s reply. “I–, we thought you weren’t going to make it.” He held Cyno’s gaze during the slip-up, but the general’s eyes said otherwise. “Everyone has been stopping by, taking turns to watch over you.”
“And you?” Cyno’s gaze bored into his.
“It’s my turn,” Alhaitham simply said.
Cyno hummed. He fiddled with the wet cloth that was set aside. “Why?”
“Why what?” Alhaitham said.
“Stop deflecting. It’s unlike you,” Cyno said impatiently.
“...Because you matter,” Alhaitham said softly. “To our Archon, to our friends, to Sumeru.” He sat back in his chair, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “...and...to me.”
A long silence permeated the air. Alhaitham’s heart felt like it would rip out of his chest if Cyno didn’t say something. He nearly walked out when his friend spoke up.
“I see,” Cyno said numbly. “I’m sorry that you had to oversee my well-being.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Alhaitham nearly facepalmed. Of course he had to be almost as infuriating as his roommate. “I did not feel obligated. I wanted to be here Cyno.”
“I…Can I please have a moment?” Cyno withdrew his gaze from Alhaitham’s and looked down at his clasped hands.
“As you wish. I’ll be outside.” Alhaitham couldn’t leave fast enough, the heavy feeling in his chest growing with every step he took. He needed the fresh air. This wasn’t the conversation he imagined to have with Cyno when he woke up. He wanted to give Cyno some time to heal before addressing the Sumpter Beast in the room.
He jogged and glided towards the northwest, where the Nilotpala lotuses grew near Gandharva Ville. The sight of the flowers had a way of calming him down. Unfortunately, Tighnari and Collei were there gathering the flowers. He tried to swerve away from their line of sight, but Tighnari’s ear twitched. Drat.
Alhaitham landed near them, collapsing his glider.
“Everything alright?” Collei asked, her eyebrows scrunched up. Both Forest Watcher and his trainee got accustomed to Alhaitham’s constant presence in the past few weeks, in addition to Alhaitham helping Collei out with patrols at Tighnari’s insistence. Things were still slightly awkward between them, but Collei no longer shied away from Alhaitham’s presence.
“Cyno woke up,” Alhaitham said. “He seems okay, but he wanted some space.”
Tighnari’s tail swished and he raised an eyebrow. “What for? Does he need anything else?”
“No. He…I…” Words were hard right now. What was his Haravatat degree for?
The pair waited patiently, resuming gathering the lotuses in contemplative silence. Collei splashed around, as the summer heat was unforgiving.
Alhaitham sat down on the riverbank. “He asked why I was looking out for him. I essentially said that it wasn’t out of obligation and that I wanted to. Then he asked for a moment and I left.”
Collei sucked in a breath. Tighnari let out a long suffering sigh and facepalmed.
“People may say that when they need some time to process, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the other person needs to be absent,” Tighnari said patiently and kindly.
“Yeah! I think he’s just shocked that you admitted it first!” Collei’s eyes brightened. “After he met you, whenever he came over for dinner, he would talk about you. He wasn’t sure how you felt, but Master and I were confident!”
Alhaitham’s mind replayed every conversation he had with Cyno after Nahida took office. Their paths didn’t cross as often like before they freed their Archon, but when it did, Cyno usually sought him out for documents relating to matra cases or notes about the meetings he did attend where Cyno was present. It was odd that the General Mahamatra would personally visit him, rather than one of his subordinates, until the day Alhaitham brought it up.
—-------
Last Month
“To what do I owe the pleasure of yet another visit, General Mahamatra?” Alhaitham said breezily, quill scratching across the parchment. He didn’t look up.
“I managed to catch you when you’re actually in-office, Scribe,” Cyno approached him with yet another folder, voice ladened with amusement.
“So you have. Since Lord Kusanali took office, the paperwork seems to have multiplied,” Alhaitham grumbled. He took the folder that Cyno offered, flipping through its contents.
“I’ve been investigating another black market shipment of Divine Knowledge Capsules for Lord Kusanali,” Cyno said sternly, but not unkindly. “Do you know anything about the information stored in them?”
“No, but I’ll see what I can find. Anyways, why not have one of your subordinates run all of these requests to me? I thought this type of work wasn’t in the General Mahamatra’s job description,” Alhaitham arched an eyebrow and set down his quill.
“It’s faster for me to run them to you personally,” Cyno said. “Besides, it’s easier for me than my subordinates to talk to you. You don’t mince words and it’s refreshing. Pleasant even, compared to the others here.”
Alhaitham’s eyes widened. Cyno usually never spoke more than a few sentences at a time with him, much less carry a civil conversation with him after they resumed their duties. “I see. Likewise, it’s not often I can speak freely with anyone here, especially with someone of your position. You are, however, an exception.” He almost did a double take when Cyno’s lips curled slightly.
“I’ll leave you to it then. Please let me know what you can find within the next week, even if it’s something insignificant. I will need every lead I can get.” He turned around and padded out of Alhaitham’s office, closing the door will a resounding click.
Alhaitham looked down at the folder and smiled.
—-------
Present
“Thought of something Alhaitham?” Tighnari called out. He and Collei were wringing the water out of the hems of their clothing. Numerous Nilotpala lotuses sat in a wooden basket beside them.
“Yes, I think so. Please excuse me.” The scribe quickly got to his feet and made his back to Tighari’s hut. He didn’t miss the way Collei giggled and called out some encouragement, and his face heated up. Luckily, they could not see it. Still, he would probably never hear the end of it even if things worked out.
When he stood outside the door, he took a deep breath, then called out, “I’m coming in.” Met with silence, Alhaitham prepared for the worst and brushed the leaves aside.
What he didn’t expect to see was that Cyno fell asleep while sitting up, still propped up by the pillows. Alhaitham sighed in resignation, the tension immediately flooding out of his body. He approached Cyno slowly and quietly, smiling when he saw the serene expression on the other man’s face. He didn’t want to disturb him, but Cyno would have the worst crick in his neck if Alhaitham allowed him to sleep like this.
He gently laid Cyno down again, hearing him mutter Alhaitham’s name and curling towards the scribe. Alhaitham couldn’t help but brush Cyno’s bangs aside and marvel at how soft his expression was in his sleep now. He looked younger and more approachable this way. Alhaitham considered kissing his forehead, but he had a feeling Cyno would not appreciate that.
Alhaitham took vigil at Cyno’s side once again, watching his chest rise and fall steadily, until he too, fell asleep in his chair.
The next morning, Alhaitham woke up with a crick in his neck, but it was worth it. Cyno seemed to be in better spirits when he woke up as Tighnari and Collei brought the pair a hearty breakfast of sweet Pita Pockets stuffed with Zaytun peach jam and savory ones stuffed with meat and veggies alongside coffee and tea. The pockets were baked to golden perfection, the jam spilling out with every bite and the meat lightly seasoned to accommodate Cyno’s recovering stomach.
After cleaning up their dishes, Alhaitham and Cyno sat in a companionable silence. The scribe was reading for leisure while Cyno built new Genius Invokation TCG decks. Earlier, Collei brought in a box full of new cards that arrived from Sumeru City for the inhabitants of Gandharva Ville. She asked the general for help to build a new deck for her so they could play test it when Cyno recovered completely.
Alhaitham watched Cyno out of the corner of his eye, surprised at the speed at which Cyno sorted through the cards and built a few new decks.
Here goes nothing.
“There’s a Genius Invokation TCG tournament next week at Puspa Café, if that is something you would be interested in watching together,” he started and his ears turned pink, despite his posture remaining impassive. Cyno raised an eyebrow.
"You…know how to play? Are you asking to court me, Scribe?" Cyno said with a crinkle in his visible eye and a slight upturn of his mouth.
"Yes," Alhaitham said immediately, trying to hide the growing blush behind the collar of his cloak. He flipped a page of his book without missing a beat.
A few heartbeats passed, as Cyno stared at Alhaitham with his mouth agape. Alhaitham couldn’t help but almost laugh at the sight of Cyno’s expression in corner of his eye, while trying to concentrate on his book. He felt the general’s gaze bore into the side of his head.
Then, finally, a bandaged hand crossed over into Alhaitham's line of sight, gently turning his head towards Cyno.
Up this close, the first thing Alhaitham noticed was Cyno’s breathtaking ruby eyes, glittering with mirth, staring back in as much surprise as he must be. Neither said a word, but their breaths mingled as their lips drew closer.
“Us being together…is probably the biggest joke no one would be prepared for,” Cyno whispered against Alhaitham’s lips. The scribe looked at him questioningly, then quickly prayed to his grandmother and his Archon (for once) about what could possibly happen next, his heart pounding fiercely.
Then Cyno kissed Alhaitham.
It was a soft press of lips, if a little inexperienced, but with no less passion. Alhaitham closed his eyes and dropped his book onto his lap, reaching up to cup Cyno's cheek as well, melting into the kiss. Cyno hummed, smiling against Alhaitham's lips.
When they broke apart, Cyno smirked, to Alhaitham’s dismay. Alhaitham hoped his eyes conveyed his question because it was too embarrassing to repeat.
“I accept your invitation…my dear Scribe.”
Alhaitham’s face flushed as red as a tomato.