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“The Acting Grand Sage is missing?!”
The smell of ozone permeated the air in the Sanctuary of Surasthana, where Nahida, Cyno, Dehya, Lumine, and Paimon gathered when Dehya came bearing the news.
“My deepest apologies Lord Kusanali,” she bowed her head solemnly. “He asked that I retreat, as much as I would like to bash those traitors’ heads in.”
Lumine and Paimon looked at Cyno in alarm and quickly moved to rest their hands on his shoulders as Nahida closed her eyes, in a thoughtful posture.
A few minutes passed silently, the ever-present smell of ozone thickening, when she responded, “No need for apologies Dehya. He’s still out there, I can feel him.”
The ozone and crackle in the air dissipated, allowing everyone to breathe. Cyno’s shoulders were still tense and his head remained bowed, even with the revelation. Lumine and Paimon's touch grounded him though, since he nearly dashed out immediately, without a plan.
Though the Acting Grand Sage and General Mahamatra initially got off on the wrong foot, and despite the constant bickering during work, they got along relatively well these days. Hopefully, no one else noticed just how well they got along…
“Cyno, breathe,” Dehya squeezed his shoulder in reassurance.
He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. In and out, in and out, he mentally repeated, until his shoulders slowly relaxed and he could finally formulate more logical thoughts. When he opened his eyes, everyone looked expectantly at him, and he tried not to make eye contact with all the sudden attention on him.
Thankfully, Dehya broke the silence.
“Did you receive Alhaitham’s letter Cyno?”
Cyno unlatched the top of his Casket of Tomes, taking out a neatly folded piece of parchment. “Yes, it came several days ago. I assume you’re aware of the contents?”
“No, Alhaitham was strangely secretive about it,” Deyha crossed her arms.
Cyno scanned the letter. "It was written in code, but it says, Beware the eye of the son of the sky.” Everyone looked at the letter in confusion, except for Nahida.
The Archon waved her hand and a folder materialized from thin air. "For everyone's eyes in this room only," she instructed, holding it out to Cyno.
He took the folder and leafed through its contents, noting that this case was a joint research proposal by a Haravatat scholar and a Vahumana scholar who wanted to build upon previous research by deciphering the runes of Deshret’s civilization to piece together the true history of King Deshret and the Dendro Archon. The topic seemed strangely simple, but reasonable, considering the improving relationships between the two factions.
After having witnessed Priest Kasala's memories, Cyno could see why the case piqued Alhaitham's interest, as it would end in the pursuit of forbidden knowledge. Following this line of thought, he wasn’t surprised to see a stamp of rejection splayed across the cover page, with a small note in the corner saying that Alhaitham suspected the scholars would continue the research even without his approval. He also wrote another note in code - one only he, Nahida, and Cyno used for the most important matters - declaring he would scout out these scholars himself.
Normally, the Acting Grand Sage would leave these cases to the General Mahamatra and his subordinates, but to embark on the mission himself, maybe there was some other reason…
Nahida also informed them that while she couldn’t persuade him to let Cyno look into it, she did manage to persuade Alhaitham into accepting Dehya’s proposal to be his bodyguard, despite his protests about it being a reconnaissance mission that was easier to do solo.
Cyno could only shake his head wry amusement and thanked Dehya.
“It’s no problem. You would’ve done the same for him,” Dehya smirked.
Cyno pointedly ignored her.
—-----—-------
A week ago
Before the pair entered Caravan Ribat, Alhaitham whistled. A Dusk Bird that had been circling above them flew down and perched on his outstretched arm. This Dusk Bird was familiar to its owner’s closest allies, as it sported a small tuft of purple feathers on its belly. Fortunately, Alhaitham was privy to this secret, as was Dehya.
Alhaitham pulled a small piece of parchment from his pouch, scribbling a note as Dehya watched with her eyebrow raised. He attached the note to the bird's leg and let it go. Once the bird was out of sight, Alhaitham turned and walked towards Caravan Ribat.
"Mind filling me in?" Dehya asked. "I recognize that bird."
"For backup. It's prudent for this mission," Alhaitham explained. “Considering the case a few weeks ago with Siraj, I’m certain there will be more attempts. Unfortunately, my resignation was delayed for another three months.”
She laughed. “You’re more reliable than you let on.”
“The same could be said about you. It would be refreshing to have more perspectives like yours at the Akademiya,” Alhaitham mused.
“And listen to those boring debates and meetings all day long? Thanks, but I’ll pass,” Dehya yawned.
“The offer is open if you reconsider. Your area of expertise does tend to be more interesting and it could provide a new perspective for us scholars,” Alhaitham rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Dehya smirked. “Maybe you could tag along on some merc work if you feel that strongly. So, where are we heading?” she asked as the pair approached the entrance to Caravan Ribat.
“The tavern. A new one opened up near the Gilded Journey inn recently. I have a contact there, who may have some information on some wayward scholars,” Alhaitham answered.
“Taking Cyno’s job now?” Dehya chuckled. “Lumine told me about your dealings with the matra during that Siraj case.”
Alhaitham didn’t answer and continued walking. The pair strode through the bustling market on the way towards the tavern. Merchants called out their wares while customers from all over haggled prices. Several vendors selling street food also lined the walkway - the scents of grilled meat, Aaru Mixed Rice, Masala Cheese Balls, Panipuri, and Gilded Tajine filled the air. As tempting as the food was after living on rations for a few days, their mission took priority.
They arrived in the evening, so they could hear loud voices, laughter, and local music spilling out of the tavern.
“You enter first. Act normal. I’ll come and find my contact after getting some rooms at the inn,” Alhaitham whispered as they approached the tavern. She hummed an acknowledgement and strode in like she normally would. A roar of laughter and merry greetings could be heard one she entered.
Alhaitham walked around the general area, noting its current layout and the position of all the patrons and people outside while browsing the new stalls and shops that opened up. Thankfully, no one seemed to recognize him. He stocked up on supplies, then proceeded to rent two rooms at the Gilded Journey, depositing his travel pack in one of them. He slid their room keys into his pouch.
With everything settled, Alhaitham entered the tavern, noting Dehya was drinking and chatting with some Eremites, probably some friends or informants. His informant sat in the corner furthest away from the raucous crowd, nursing his own mug.
Alhaitham made his way up to the bar, ordered a drink, then headed over to that corner.
“Greetings Saleh.” He slid into the chair across from his informant. He was one of the administrative officials overseeing Caravan Ribat. A little low on the ladder, but that didn’t mean he didn’t notice the comings and goings in the village.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Alhaitham?” Saleh murmured, gaze never leaving his drink.
“A couple of Haravatat and Vahumana students may have passed by. Have you seen them?”
—-------
Present Day
That night, everyone huddled around Nahida’s meditation panel at the Sanctuary of Surasthana to devise a plan while munching on several plates of Duel Soul, Goldflame Tajine, and Candied Ajilenakh Nuts, washing them down with some rich coffee from Puspa Café.
Considering the contents of Alhaitham’s letter, Cyno deduced it was related to King Deshret’s Mausoleum, to which Dehya nodded. She unrolled a crudely drawn map and pointed at the location where she and Alhaitham were investigating before everything fell apart and they got separated.
She and Alhaitham studied the area around the sarcophagus that according to Lumine, was activated due to one of her previous commissions with a particularly irritating scholar. Dehya then traced a path from the elevator they took to an upper floor, where they encountered the Fatui and rogue scholars, then got overwhelmed there.
She took out a music player from her pouch, which glowed teal when she pressed play.
Cyno’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that…?”
“Yes, he wanted me to bring it as evidence for you,” Dehya said. The contents of the recording spurred Cyno on.
He arranged the groups so Lumine would teleport them from the entrance of the Sanctuary of Surasthana to the teleport waypoint near Aaru Village to stock up on desert supplies, since it was a far distance that would drain Lumine. They would rest overnight. Once they reached the Mausoleum by foot, which would take a few days, Lumine would teleport them from the waypoint at the front entrance to the one deeper in the Mausoleum that was closest to the Fatui camp she scoped out on a previous commission. She suspected they took Alhaitham there since it was the largest Fatui camp she encountered underground. Then Lumine and Paimon would remain on standby at the waypoint while he, Nahida, and Dehya tracked down Alhaitham. Hopefully the Acting Grand Sage was alright, but in the case of an emergency, Lumine only needed to expend energy to bring the group back to Aaru Village since teleportation easily drained her with repeated uses.
The plan took a few hours to settle with some contingencies, but once they had a solid one, Nahida called it a night.
“Meeting adjourned. Everyone, please rest well.” She bade them good night as everyone left, except Cyno, who stared at the map with his eyebrows furrowed. He started when she asked if everything was alright.
A moment passed as Cyno came to a decision, after seeing the earnest look in her eyes. “Lord Kusanali, if I may make a selfish request?”
“Please, call me Nahida. We went over this several times,” Nahida giggled. “We are friends after all.”
“I…Nahida…” Cyno tried, a slight flush on his face. He could never get used to the familiarity with which his Archon regarded even her most trusted allies. It felt almost sacrilegious to address her by name. He cleared his throat and continued, “Please stay here. With the Fatui being so active, you would be safer in Sumeru City.”
“My General, I appreciate the sentiment. However, I feel partially responsible for this situation too,” Nahida frowned. “It would lighten my heart to personally see the Acting Grand Sage brought back.”
Cyno saw the determined set in her eyes, then bowed. “As you wish.”
Nahida hopped and tapped Cyno’s headdress up, “None of that! We’ll rescue him.” She smiled. “So turn that frown upside down, otherwise, you look like an angry Rishboland Tiger! Alhaitham will be happy to see you. Now go rest! We leave at dawn.”
With a final good night while trying to will his blush down, Cyno exited the Sanctuary.
As he walked down the path towards his home, he thought back to all the times he and Alhaitham stole kisses in the quiet hallways at the Akademiya and at the Acting Grand Sage’s desk in-between meetings, or dined at Puspa Café or Lambad’s Tavern when their schedules aligned. He hoped Alhaitham was still alive by the time they arrived, otherwise, he honestly wouldn’t know what to do with himself. He couldn’t bear the thought of failing the one he cared about most.
Slipping inside his house, Cyno brushed his fingers along the spines of the books on their shared bookshelf. Since his place was closer to the Akademiya, Alhaitham would occasionally crash on the couch after a long day or shared the bed with Cyno if he was around. Cyno had given him the key after he caught the Acting Grand Sage sleeping at his desk in the Grand Sage’s office a few times.
Sometimes, when Cyno came home from long missions, even if Alhaitham wasn’t around, his books were. The Acting Grand Sage often lugged the books from the House of Daena that he didn’t get to read with him. Eventually, Cyno bought a bookcase that Kaveh would be proud of, to organize the growing stacks of books and his own tomes. It was simple, made of Adhigama Wood with Dusk birds carved into the sides.
Cyno smiled wistfully as he packed his travel bag for desert missions and got ready for bed. He lighted an incense Tighnari gave him that would help him sleep through the night.
When sunlight bathed Sumeru City in its warm embrace, the group set off.
—----------
A week ago
The duo scouted and cleared the Mausoleum entrance of rogue Eremites in record time. Alhaitham didn’t think the scholars had the funds to hire bodyguards, but it made sense if they anticipated the General Mahamatra’s arrival. Or fellow tomb raiders. Piles of treasures raided from the Mausoleum were stacked neatly outside. While he could understand the need for Mora to live, he mourned the loss of the knowledge and culture of past civilizations in the pursuit of survival.
“No need to escort me further Dehya. I don’t need a bodyguard from here on out,” Alhaitham walked ahead into the ruins, dispersing his sword. Dehya jogged to catch up with his long strides.
“The terms of our agreement was that I would protect you as a bodyguard, as a cover,” Dehya said, “Even if you claim you can protect yourself, we still need to look otherwise. You are the Acting Grand Sage.”
“A temporary position,” Alhaitham answered without glacing back. “We aren’t in the vicinity of anyone that could jeopardize our arrangement. I can take it from here to investigate on my own.”
“Duly noted, but I will follow through with my contract,” Dehya said. "Besides, what is it with you and Cyno recently? You have both been acting awfully chummy lately."
"He and I are colleagues. That is all,” Alhaitham answered cooly.
“Mmhmm, sure,” Dehya hummed, and let the matter drop.
Alhaitham continued walking, the air in the Mausoleum becoming cooler, but it wasn’t too uncomfortable, yet. He thought back to his conversation with Cyno, when they first talked about their relationship.
—---------------
A few months ago
“We can try this, but on one condition: no one must know that we’re together. Considering our positions, I could put you in danger.” Cyno reached up and ran his hand through Alhaitham’s soft hair, as soft as Tighnari’s tail.
The pair were resting on Alhaitham’s couch. Cyno’s head laid on Alhaitham’s lap as he read. Cyno came late in the evening sans headgear, when no one would be likely to catch the General Mahamatra entering the Acting Grand Sage’s home. Kaveh was out for a few weeks on an architectural project in Port Ormos.
“I wouldn’t normally oppose that reasoning, but not even our friends? I’m surprised.” Alhaitham turned another page in his book, one from his father’s collection.
“I do not want to paint too many targets on their backs,” Cyno responded. “We’re already high profile, especially after rescuing our Archon and with you becoming Acting Grand Sage.”
Moments passed as Cyno continuing running his fingers through Alhaitham’s hair. Alhaitham was silent, probably considering Cyno’s point as he read a few pages, then sighed.
“Alright. However, they are smarter than you give them credit for,” Alhaitham shut his book with a snap and placed it on the coffee table. He then looked Cyno in the eye. “They’re also capable of protecting themselves.”
Cyno sat up. “I’m well aware, however, I want to keep everyone safe as long as possible, including you.” He tucked Alhaitham’s hair back and brought their foreheads together.
—---------------
A week ago
At his request, Lumine lent him a map of the area with the notable sections and passageways marked. As they walked through the Mausoleum, Alhaitham started scrawling some notes in hieroglyphs on the ruin walls and any surface that was available by using his Dendro powers. They would dissipate after some time, not leaving any physical marks, but it was one of his backup plans. Only those with Elemental Sight would be able to see them.
Dehya remained silent and vigilant now that they were on enemy turf. Alhaitham saw some dancing lights from a holographic projection in the distance. It was a little unsettling how there wasn’t anyone around after their encounter outside…
“Alhaitham!” Dehya suddenly yanked hard on his cloak, pulling him backwards and nearly ripping the thick material. He stumbled backwards. To think he was so lost in thought to nearly walk off a ledge into a large, man-made cave in the ground, where an elevator must’ve been…the heat must be getting to him.
At the end of the path, they entered a chamber containing the sarcophagus that was also marked on Lumine’s map. Alhaitham ascended the steps to it, then etched another hieroglyph on the stone at its feet. He knelt to examine the various pieces of parchment with notes scattered haphazardly around it. Cloths with half-eaten Zaytun Peaches and Ajilenakh nuts also laid around. Alhaitham sighed at the blatant disrespect.
The notes themselves were in various stages of decoding and translations, with some passages of notes blotted out with ink. Alhaitham could make out “forbidden knowledge” scribbled repeatedly amongst King Deshret’s name and the Dendro Archon’s.
“Find anything interesting?” Dehya came up behind him.
“Yes, but I would like to investigate further,” he said, pocketing the notes. Dehya raised an eyebrow, but Alhaitham ignored it. He stood up and studied the hologram projecting from the coffin.
“The camp looks fresh,” Dehya said, kneeling down on the steps. “It seems at least five people were here recently, two of them being the scholars in question.” She pointed at the footprints in the shape of the footwear of the Akademiya uniform leading up to the sarcophagus, then veering off to the left. “Then those ones…look like Fatui.” Various large and irregularly shaped footprints followed the footprints of the scholars’, towards the flight of steps up to the second level above the sarcophagus.
“Let’s go.” Alhaitham walked up the stairs with Dehya following closely behind. He stepped on the blue switch on the ground that Lumine indicated would bring down the elevator. The duo stepped onto the elevator and Alhaitham activated it, bringing them up to the higher level.
Faint footprints, left behind by dust and sand, led to an ascending staircase on the right. The pair followed them up quietly and rounded the corners slowly, ready to draw their weapons if needed. There weren’t any guards stationed, making the trek up strangely easy, until they heard voices.
"Curses." Alhaitham swore there weren't that many Fatui to deal with from his intel. The two scholars in question conversed with the Fatui soldier that seemed to be the leader.
He signaled to Dehya and they moved closer, flattening themselves against the wall to a room that opened up to a large storage vault for King Deshret’s “organs,” according to Lumine’s notes. He reached behind and ruffled through his pouch, taking out his music player and hitting a button on it.
“Our funds are nearly spent. We need more, so if you can capture the Acting Grand Sage, we could use him as ransom to bargain with that puny Dendro Archon,” one scholar said. “I don’t care how it’s done, but we need him alive. We’ll even split the ransom with you, fifty-fifty.”
“Why should we be risking our necks for an internal dispute?” the Fatui leader said. His subordinates grunted in affirmation.
“Consider it a favor from us to help you win favor with your Lord Harbinger,” the same scholar said, with slight impatience. “Once we persuade her to do what we want, we’ll dispose of her and hand the Acting Grand Sage over to you. Then we’ll get rid of the General Mahamatra with poison. He frequents a few restaurants in the city. Maybe get one of your men to work at one of them and serve him there. Sumeru would be yours again and we can continue our research in peace with the Lord Harbinger overseeing the Akademiya. I’ve heard he conducts experiments even the current Akademiya would disapprove of, with its rigid laws.”
“Besides, we’re close to a breakthrough,” the other scholar declared. “Soon, we will uncover the true history of King Deshret and finally expel those fraudulent desert dweller researchers from the Akademiya! They don’t deserve to be within the sacred halls of our school!”
Dehya growled behind Alhaitham. He had heard enough.
He calmly stepped out from behind the ruin wall, willing his hands from becoming fists.
“Amir, I believe I rejected your project proposal,” Alhaitham crossed his arms.
“Ah, so the Acting Grand Sage decides to make a personal visit?” the Haravatat scholar turned around and sneered.
“I have no interest in you, but the matra would,” Alhaitham said unfazed.
“How dare you make threats? You just want to steal all the glory and riches that your research project would bring!” he practically shouted. “If you hadn’t overthrown Grand Sage Azar, our thesis could have made strides in our understanding of Sumeru’s history, not to mention the Mora!”
“So you say. It’s true my research was related to the runes of King Deshret’s civilization, but it was to improve upon our understanding of architectural engineering. However, your project was headed towards a more dubious reason, considering the timing,” Alhaitham said. “The General Mahamatra would be quite interested in this case.”
A click resounded in the still air, with Alhaitham holding up his small music player.
“What is that? You think that’s supposed to scare me? Ha! Guards, seize them!” Amir shouted and pointed at the Acting Grand Sage. “Let him suffer for his crimes!”
Dehya took that cue to show herself, catching the music player that Alhaitham tossed backwards at her and pocketing it.
Alhaitham summoned his sword, teleporting towards the Haravatat scholar to subdue him, but Amir quickly pulled out a sword infused with Pyro, parrying his strike. Alhaitham’s eyes widened a fraction when the strength in the clashing of their swords reverberated through his arm. He tsked. This would be more troublesome than anticipated.
As he pulled back for another strike, a Fatui Pyrogunner reacted quickly and pulled the scholar out of the way, throwing him far away from the Acting Grand Sage. He tried to ready his gun, but with a few well-placed slashes, Alhaitham subdued the Fatui before teleporting to the Hydrogunner.
Dehya immediately unleashed her Blazing Lionness state, running towards the Mirror Maiden that tried to ensnare her with her hydro mirrors. She threw herself sideways when a mirror underneath her foot formed, clawing the ground and swinging her momentum forward, mirroring Cyno’s technique. With a battle cry, she punched the Mirror Maiden multiple times with a ferocity that earned her fearsome reputation, then moved onto the other Fatui that attempted to surround the Acting Grand Sage, punching the daylights out of them, but not killing them.
Alhaitham did his best to fight his way back towards Dehya to regroup, shooting down Dendro blades and using his Chisel-Light mirrors to cut through the Fatui. They were tougher than he realized, as a Fatui Agent and another Mirror Maiden appeared seemingly out of nowhere and engaged him in combat. Dodging the mirrors that threatened to encase him while trying to find an invisible enemy was wearing him down steadily. Sweat rolled down his face as he was almost caught in the Vaporize reactions that bombarded him, the humidity being greater than the rainforests, teleporting out in the nick of time. He breathed heavily, feeling faint as each teleport made him more sluggish.
"Alhaitham!" Dehya brought her claymore down upon several Fatui, cleaving her way through them to get to the Acting Grand Sage. They seemed to be never-ending. When Dehya routed a few, another would take their place, not to mention the difficulty of fighting on sandy ground for an extended period of time, despite her experience. Where were they coming from?!
Alhaitham wasn't faring much better, being less experienced at fighting in these conditions compared to Dehya. He managed to hold them off, but even then, he could only keep on going for so long. He managed to position himself so that the Mirror Maiden and Fatui Agent knocked each other out with their attacks, teleporting out of the way at the last second. He rolled to the side, coming back onto the balls of his feet in a smooth motion.
Seeing all the Fatui were out cold, Alhaitham caught his breath and surveyed his surroundings as he looked around for Dehya. She stood a ways to his side and sported a few scratches and bruises, but otherwise looked unharmed, trying to catch her breath as well too. She leaned on her claymore, with sweat pouring down her face, though her makeup still looked immaculate.
He, on the other hand, despite being just as fit, felt the elemental fatigue. His hands trembled, a rare occurrence, but Alhaitham didn’t think he would need to muster the energy to activate his Vision anytime soon. Dehya looked him up and down, scanning for any wounds that needed treatment. Alhaitham waved her off - he had cuts and bruises that stung a little after plowing through the Fatui as well, but nothing grievous.
“We should head back–,” Alhaitham started.
Quick footsteps came up behind him and before Dehya could shout a warning, Alhaitham felt a hard hit to the back of his head. He cursed himself for forgetting about that damned scholar - he hadn’t seen him among the bodies. He fell on all fours, dropping his sword, then a sharp kick to his side caused him to fall, hearing something crack. The fatigue settled in when he fell onto his back.
“Dehya…run!” Alhaitham gasped and shouted with his last remaining energy before Amir kicked him in the side of the head. The Acting Grand Sage went still.
As much as she wanted to fight her way back, Alhaitham was right. She needed to get to Cyno quickly, and hopefully, rescue their friend in time. Throwing a glare at Amir and his thesis partner, who cowered further away, Dehya reluctantly ran back the way she and Alhaitham came.
—--
Present Day
Dubbed the “Feeble Scholar Rescue Team” by Paimon, the group teleported to Aaru Village to stock up on supplies and prepare for the trip into the desert as planned. They also shared a hearty dinner with Candace and Uncle Anpu, feasting on her signature dish, Utmost Care. There was so much food that they barely finished it, even with Paimon’s help.
After dinner, Cyno couldn’t help but pace outside as Lumine, Paimon, and Nahida updated Candace on the situation inside the chief’s home. Dehya followed him out and sat on a crate, polishing her equipment.
She heaved a sigh. “Cyno, you’re going to wear a path in the ground. What’s on your mind?”
The General Mahamatra briefly paused in his step, then continued pacing again.
Silence.
Dehya tried again. “It might help to get it off your chest. I’m a pretty good listener.”
It was Cyno’s turn to sigh. “You’re not going to leave me be until I do, are you,” he stated.
“Nope!” Dehya smiled as bright as the sun.
Cyno looked away and sighed again. “...I’m afraid I won’t save him in time. I can’t understand why he took this upon himself instead of letting me know immediately? We’ve been working together for this long now.”
Dehya continued polishing her claymore. "Considering it's him, he has something in mind, not to mention his tendency to run off on his own when something intriguing pops up."
“Without informing me, but just you and Lord Kusanali?”
“Point taken. Have you considered maybe he was trying to protect you?” Dehya moved onto polishing her armor. “After last time, none of us are too keen to see you at Death’s door again.”
That stopped Cyno in his tracks, as he considered Alhaitham’s thought process. Why would Alhaitham protect him? He was perfectly capable of protecting himself, minus the previous incident. Not to mention that between the two of them, Alhaitham was a greater asset in restoring order to Sumeru, with his ability to plan and strategize.
His role, on the other hand, was to keep the Acting Grand Sage, their Archon, his friends and family, and their country and its citizens safe. There were several good candidates Cyno had in mind for General Mahamatra should anything happen to him, not to mention they were in the midst of training. Not that anyone knew about the documents in his drawer, except for Nahida.
“I can take care of myself,” Cyno finally answered Dehya, crossing his arms. He knew he sounded a little petulant, but he didn’t care.
Dehya raised her eyebrow. “Uh-huh. Well, he’s not the most articulate type as you may have noticed, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t show his concern in other ways. The fact he sent the message for backup to you first, despite wanting to protect you, means something,” she said with a note of finality after finishing up inspection of her claymore and armor. “Let’s get some rest while we can.”
Cyno grunted and followed Dehya back into the village chief’s home. The hearty dinner and comfortable lodgings did wonders to settle their nerves and allow them to sleep through the cool night.
The next day, the group set off, promising Candace they would be careful.
With Dehya's and Cyno's knowledge of the land, everyone made good time, even after encountering sandstorms that added a couple days’ journey to the Mausoleum. Both took turns cooking the various meat and fruits they scavenged, even grilling couple scorpions with the spices on hand. Paimon tried them while Nahida declined the scorpions and ate the Ajilenakh Nuts instead.
When they were half a day's walk away, they made camp at an oasis nearby. Lumine prepared some Mint Jellies, Tea Break Pancakes, and a hearty Steak with Mondstadt ingredients to lift morale. Cyno made a mental note to ask her where she got a pack that could carry all of those ingredients and still kept them fresh.
Everyone played a few rounds of Genius Invokation TCG with him, probably in an attempt to distract him. His play-by-plays were half-hearted at best, but he still beat them all though, his pride in his dueling preventing him from becoming too distracted.
Cyno called first watch, summoning his polearm and walked to the edge of their camp, leaning against a tree. He didn’t miss the way everyone looked at him with concern in their eyes, but he also didn’t want to be subject to their pity.
He heard them pull out their bedrolls and prepare for the night. Within a few minutes, some of them fell asleep. However, he heard someone’s footsteps approaching. Lumine’s, by the soft, but firm cadence of her steps. He didn’t look back, but her footsteps stopped when she appeared by his side.
Lumine spoke softly, “May I join you Cyno?”
He glanced up, seeing her sincere expression, then waved at the space across from him. She sat down on a rock, smoothing her skirts. He scanned the area once more, before his gaze landed on hers.
“Thinking about Alhaitham?" Lumine asked, meeting his gaze.
Cyno shrugged.
"He'll be alright. He has to be." Lumine's hands shook and she bit her lip.
Cyno arched an eyebrow and kept his tone neutral. “What makes you say that?”
“The way Electro crackles when his name is mentioned. Or those vacant looks when we might not be paying attention,” Lumine winked and smiled.
The feared General Mahamatra blushed fiercely and looked away. Before he could say otherwise, his friend continued.
“It’s okay to be worried about him around us. We understand. He’s important to us too…and none of us want to lose another friend…” she trailed off. Cyno’s head snapped back when Lumine quickly stood up and started walking back towards camp. He couldn’t see her expression, but he caught her wrist.
“Thank you,” he said.
Lumine nodded and left Cyno to his thoughts. Alhaitham was right about their friends.
A few hours later, Dehya switched out with Cyno to take the second watch. He curled up on his bedroll, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
He usually had dreamless nights since he normally slept when he was downright exhausted, but tonight was different.
When Cyno opened his eyes, he felt weightless. He looked down at his arms - they were semi-transparent. With a gasp, he surveyed his surroundings. He hovered above a camp underground, within a huge cavern with sand everywhere, as far as the eye could see.
No one was around, except a figure with an ornate green and black cloak laying on the ground, their back facing his way and they were semi-transparent like he was. Hoping it wasn't who he thought it was, Cyno floated closer. He tentatively touched their shoulder and found he could feel the material, thankfully. He gently flipped them over and nearly sobbed on the spot.
It was Alhaitham.
He looked worse for wear. Cyno gingerly touched his cheek where a fresh bruise was forming and saw blood trickling out of his mouth.
"Haitham?" he whispered. For the longest minute of his life, Cyno thought the worst came to pass.
Then Alhaitham’s eyes cracked open. It took a moment for his eyes to focus, and when they did, they widened in surprise at Cyno. "Am I dreaming?" His voice sounded hoarse.
"That would make two of us," Cyno weakly chuckled. "What happened?"
“Too much,” Alhaitham groaned. “How long has it been since…?”
“A little over a week,” Cyno said. He bowed his head. “I’m sorry, if we had been faster…”
“No, it was expected. I knew what would happen by staying behind,” Alhaitham coughed. “I am happy to see you though.”
Before Cyno could get another word in, the dreamscape suddenly shook like an earthquake. He curled protectively over Alhaitham, gritting his teeth. “What’s going on?”
“Ugh, I’m probably waking up. They’re having too much fun with this situation, even though I warned them you would be coming,” Alhaitham said sardonically.
Cyno wasn’t sure if he wanted to facepalm or smack Alhaitham for being so calm and finding this situation funny. This man has an even worse sense of humor than he did.
The scenery changed so it looked like they were watching through Alhaitham’s half-lidded eyes. Everything was slightly blurry, with some light glowing from a nearby campfire, causing him to squint. His head felt so heavy and the nausea was unbearable.
Someone in an Akademiya uniform stood in front of him.
"Not so tough after all, huh Acting Grand Sage?" The rather heavy set Akademiya scholar kicked him. "It's anyone's guess how someone like you came to be into that position. Did you want Grand Sage Azar's title that badly, so you could do whatever you want? Make all the rules you wished? Research all you desired?"
Cyno’s fear morphed into anger at feeling the state the Acting Grand Sage was in through the dream. Alhaitham's arms were bound tight behind him with thick strips of leather, a pole being the only thing keeping him upright. His face hurt and stung, with blood dripping steadily out of his mouth. His body ached all over.
"Alhaitham!" Cyno screamed when he felt something slice one of Alhaitham’s legs, deep enough to hurt, but not so deep he couldn’t walk, followed by a harsh stomp on the fresh wound and another sharp kick to his ribs, ending with a loud crack. The real Alhaitham screamed, coughing up a generous amount of blood as pain completely enveloped all his senses. "I'm on my way!"
"It-it hurts," dream Alhaitham panted. His face scrunched and rapidly paled. Despair clawed at Cyno’s heart. For him to admit that, he needed help. Desperately.
"I know. We're close. We'll be there soon, I promise. Please hold on, they’ll get what’s coming to them," Cyno snarled. He felt the spirit of Hermanubis respond to his emotions, the protective rage washing over him.
Alhaitham squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled shakily, “I..will try.” He weakly held up a trembling hand.
Cyno managed to squeeze his hand back just as the dreamscape dissipated.
—--
As dawn broke on the horizon, Cyno woke up gasping in a cold sweat after a nightmare that followed the meeting with Alhaitham in his dreamscape. His nightmare being that he couldn’t reach his beloved quickly, no matter what he did. Alhaitham crumbled to dust in his arms, scattering among the desert winds. Cyno felt wetness down his face and quickly wiped them away.
Nahida woke up instantly, but Lumine groaned, rubbing her eyes.
“Cyno, what happened?” Nahida asked gently, seeing the General shaking. She took his hand into her own, rubbing circles into it.
“I saw Alhaitham…in a dream,” he replied. “I experienced everything he did, up to his semi-waking state.”
"Hmm, when two people have a strong connection to each other, it's possible to share it through dreams too, allowing them access to each other's dreams. It's rare, but not unheard of," Nahida said thoughtfully. "To experience the other's dream so vividly though, I've never heard anything like this…"
"We need to hurry," Cyno panted, trying to calm his racing heart. "I felt all the pain he was in, in that moment."
The group ate a quick breakfast of rations in silence, some with more nervous energy than others. When they finished, they did a quick inspection of their weapons, then headed off with Cyno in the lead, Lumine and Nahida behind him, and Dehya in the back. Cyno set a brisk pace.
At the entrance to King Deshret’s Mausoleum, Lumine touched the teleport waypoint and teleported them to the southwest part of the Mausoleum.
After a few moments to settle the slight dizziness that accompanied such a mode of travel, Cyno called upon his Vision to switch his eyesight to Elemental Sight. He scanned the area, noting the faint traces of Dendro and Pyro energy lingering in the vast underground cave. Some places were more concentrated, indicating struggles. Cyno smirked since he knew Alhaitham wouldn’t go quietly, no matter what shape he was in.
Then he saw a fainter, yet steadily pulsating line of Dendro leading north and let the group know what he discovered.
“Lumine?” Nahida glanced at her. “We might need you to teleport us when we come back.”
Lumine nodded and sat down at the base of the teleportation device, as they discussed.
“Please holler if you need my help!” Lumine called as the trio made their way down. Cyno raised his arm up in acknowledgement, the tails of his headdress swishing with his strides.
Cyno lead the way down the cave, with Nahida and Dehya trailing behind him, watching their every step in the semi-darkness. They followed the small, nearly dry river that also led towards the exit of the cave. The trio agreed not to use their elemental powers or Visions to light their way, lest they run into unsavory company.
Cyno's sharp eyes roamed the area, his staff at the ready. One of the benefits of the spirit dwelling within him was his sharpened senses, such as sight, smell, and sound. He used Elemental Sight to trace the remnants of Dendro energy that led through twisting paths and underground ruins. Nahida and Dehya took care to watch their steps, as there were various large rocks and debris among the sand. Scorpions and fungi roamed the tunnels, but the trio cleared them out with ease.
Halfway there, the path lead into ruins filled with water up to their shins. Some monsters roamed the area too, but with well-placed Hyperbloom reactions and some Burgeon explosions, they were eliminated within minutes.
As they approached the Fatui camps, they met a Geo Chanter in a narrow ruin tunnel. There was some difficulty as they started to tire, but they managed with Nahida’s All Schemes to Know, Dehya’s Fiery Sanctum, and Cyno’s quick Electro thrusts. They took a moment to rest and ingest some stamina recovery foods.
They carefully made their way up the ruin stairs, the commotion probably alerting their enemies above, but thankfully, they didn’t hear footsteps approach them.
Then Cyno perked up, signaling for everyone to remain silent and tapped his ear, pointing in the direction of voices. With another motion of his hand, he indicated they crouch behind a tall wall of stone ruins. The General Mahamatra peeked around the corner, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
“How’s the Acting Grand Sage doing?” A haughty voice asked.
“He’s seen better days,” came a voice-modulated reply - a Fatui. “He’s tough for a scholar, but those other scholars must’ve had it out for him.”
Cyno’s heart soared, but he clenched his fists and was about to turn the corner when he felt a clawed hand on his shoulder. He looked back to Dehya shaking her head and Nahida tugging on the tails of his headdress. He stayed his hand and continued listening.
“Gotta admit, this was one of our more interesting jobs,” a third one chimed in. “The Mora from the ransom sounds nice. My little sister could use some of the money.”
The first voice snorted, “Look at them, noses buried so deep in their books…Hold on, they’re coming.”
Two pairs of footsteps approached the group of Fatui.
“We’ll set up a meeting with the Archon and you bring the Acting Grand Sage,” the rogue Haravatat scholar said arrogantly. “I sent a Dusk Bird a while ago. Hopefully we’ll hear back soon. Either way, it’s time to go. We’ve already wasted enough time waiting for a response.” He turned around, with everyone following.
“It’d better be worth it,” the second Fatui grumbled.
“Don’t worry! It will be!” the second researcher clapped the Fatui on his back.
That was his cue.
Cyno summoned Electro energy, zipping towards the Fatui and leaving a smoking trail as Dehya and Nahida rushed to knock out and pull the scholars back, using the element of surprise.
The Fatui camp contained some Eremites, an Anemo boxer, and another Geochanter. Once the scholars and initial Fatui were dealt with, Nahida locked onto the other Fatui from afar while Dehya dashed in with her elemental burst, punching them with renewed vigor as they attempted to defend themselves against the onslaught. Cyno activated his Pactsworn Pathclearer state, attacking them ferociously, zipping back and forth with the extended reach of his claws, causing Aggravate and Overloaded reactions in sync with Nahida’s skill and Dehya’s fiery punches.
Just as Dehya cleared the Geochanter, a Mirror Maiden burst forth from a mirror behind her and encased the Flame Mane in her Mirror Cage, dowsing the flames. Dehya tried to summon more flames, but with her powers dampened, the effort caused her to fall to her knee.
"Dehya!" Nahida shouted and locked onto the Mirror Maiden. Cyno sprinted towards the Maiden, knocking her sideways as fast as lightning before she could attack his friend. The movement broke the Mirror Cage.
At the same time, Dehya unleashed her Fiery Sanctum field with the two in it. Cyno’s swift Electro strikes with the coordinated attacks caused Overloaded reactions that wore down the Maiden in moments.
With the incapacitated Fatui and tied-up scholars out of commission, and a survey of the surrounding area for any lingering enemies, Cyno and Dehya motioned they were in the clear.
Cyno then focused his attention on the two rogue scholars, stalking up to where they sat, tied back-to-back against the ruin walls. He grabbed the collar of the Haravatat scholar’s uniform and pulled him up, shaking him fiercely from unconsciousness. The scholar gasped in pain, eyes blown wide from Cyno’s probably murderous expression.
“I will only ask once. Where is he?” Cyno seethed.
“Will you lighten my sentence if I do?” the scholar sneered.
Cyno made a show of considering, watching the smirk widen on the scholar’s face grow, then growled, “Not a chance. You’ve committed high treason by kidnapping and torturing the Acting Grand Sage for ransom.”
He gestured at Nahida, “With our Archon here, it’s unlikely anyways.” Nahida smiled sweetly at them, but her eyes reflected none of the usual mirth.
Cyno watched in smug satisfaction as the smirk disappeared from the scholar’s face, replaced by fear and resignation.
“He’s in that tent, over there,” the scholar jutted his chin out in that direction.
Cyno nodded, releasing the scholar, then punched his jaw with an Electro fist for good measure. The scholar was out again, blood dripping down his chin. The general kicked up clouds of sand as he rushed over to the prone form lying in the middle of the tent in the Fatui camp.
Between the glow of both of their Visions, Cyno could see several cuts and bruises marring the Acting Grand Sage’s face, just like in his dream. His face even was paler in person. The back of his head was matted with blood. His wrists were raw and chafed, also bleeding steadily, probably from freeing himself from the bonds using Dendro energy.
"Alhaitham," he breathed, gingerly touching Alhaitham's shoulder, the one with the dimming Dendro Vision. When he didn't respond, Cyno shook his shoulder a little harder.
Thankfully, it elicited a groan, albeit a weak one. "...Cy…no?" Dull verdant and scarlet eyes opened blearily, slowly focusing on bright ruby eyes. He let out a light, but pained cough. "Is this…a dream…too?" His voice broke on the last word.
Cyno's heart fell. "I’m real," he replied. "I got your letter. We’re here to rescue you. Can you stand?"
“I…don’t think so…” Alhaitham said, with a slur to his words. “They managed to catch me from behind. Would've been nice if I could have…prevented that.”
“I’m going to flip you onto your back,” Cyno gingerly placed his hand underneath. With Alhaitham’s nod, Cyno gently flipped him over, which caused him to grunt in pain.
Then he did a quick once-over, taking stock of Alhaitham’s injuries by the light of his Vision. His cloak was in tatters, just barely enough to keep him warm in the cool caves, though he saw loose bandages made from the cloak wrapped around the nasty thigh wound. A small pool of blood had gathered underneath it, the rancid smell of infection hit Cyno's nose. Alhaitham’s soundproof earpieces were nowhere to be found, so his eyes were ringed with dark circles. Cyno poked and prodded his ribs, finding they were fractured as he feared, if Alhaitham's short breaths and grimaces were to go by. Then he carefully examined the back of Alhaitham's head, feeling a sizable lump, to which the Acting Grand Sage winced.
"Sorry," Cyno whispered, after performing the initial checks.
"It's…alright," Alhaitham sighed. He closed his eyes, exhaustion evident. Beads of sweat slid down his face, a fever dusting his cheeks pink.
Cyno shook him gently. "Stay awake. We need to get you to Aaru Village."
Alhaitham grumbled an acquiescence and cracked his eyes open, the dark circles becoming more pronounced.
"Here, I'll carry you." Cyno helped Alhaitham up into a sitting position, then slipped his arms underneath Alhaitham's knees and behind his back. With a slight heave, Cyno noticed how much weight he had lost in the past week as he let out a pained huff, his jaw clenching. Alhaitham remained uncharacteristically quiet at being carried this way, except for a few gasps of pain as the pair made their way back to Nahida and Dehya.
"Alhaitham!" The pair exclaimed. Upon seeing his wince, they immediately lowered their voices. Cyno gently lowered Alhaitham to the ground, letting their Archon better assess his condition.
“My Sage…” Nahida bowed her head, “I am so sorry for letting this happen to you…” She raised her hands over his Dendro Vision and his forehead, replenishing some of his elemental energy and healing his wounds enough to get him to Aaru Village safely.
“No…it’s…my own doing,” Alhaitham slid his eyes over to her. “For once…I was outsmarted.”
Nahida chuckled, “No, at least, not in a battle of wits. It seems there were more Fatui than we realized.”
“They thought…they could…use me for ransom,” Alhaitham smirked, then coughed.
“Conserve your energy Hai-Alhaitham,” Cyno said. “Lumine’s waiting outside for us.”
Nahida and Dehya looked sharply at him, but didn’t comment. He lifted Alhaitham into his arms again and this time, the Acting Grand Sage protested, saying he could walk now.
“No, it seems your ribs aren’t fully mended and you lost a substantial amount of blood, not to mention the fever,” Cyno glared at him. Alhaitham glared back, then pouted and kept silent.
If the pair heard snickers behind them as the quartet exited the cave with the two scholars in tow, they didn’t comment.
When they reached the teleportation device, Lumine and Paimon were chatting about food, as usual. Lumine noticed them first.
“Hey! Is he…?” she said, concern written on her face. Alhaitham seemed to be dozing, but gave a slight start at her voice. He blinked at her and Paimon, but otherwise didn’t say anything.
“Yes, but we need to get him to Aaru Village. Can you teleport us?” Cyno said, shifting his feet. Lumine did mention there was a limit to how many times she could transport a day and with a number of people before she tired.
"Of course." Lumine squeezed Cyno's shoulder lightly, then touched the mysterious teleportation device.
When they blinked into existence at the Statue of the Seven at the entrance of Aaru Village, Cyno stumbled and nearly dropped Alhaitham due to the usual dizziness that accompanied the jump. When he got his bearings, he noticed Alhaitham felt lax in his arms.
"Haitham?" Cyno shook him gently.
Alhaitham's head lolled against Cyno's shoulder. Cyno could feel soft puffs of air against his neck, but at irregular intervals. It wasn't ideal, but he sighed in relief.
"Can you please inform Candace of the situation?" Cyno asked Lumine and Paimon. The pair looked at Alhaitham with worry.
"Sure thing, but you owe Paimon some snacks for helping save him!" Paimon exclaimed. Lumine glared at her before Paimon could continue. “Nevermind! We’ll get to it!”
The pair sped up the hill as Cyno walked as quickly as he could without jostling Alhaitham too much. The Acting Grand Sage started murmuring incomprehensible things, Cyno’s name among them.
Candace greeted him as he approached the home of the village chief, ushering them upstairs to a room that the healer Maruf set aside to see particularly injured or the sick and would guarantee privacy. He, Lumine, and Paimon were in a flurry, gathering all the items needed.
Cyno carefully laid Alhaitham on the freshly-made bed. The sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating all of Alhaitham’s injuries and Cyno’s knees almost gave out. He’d seen his fair share of gruesome sights and delivered judgment to those who earned it, but to see someone he cared about with all these injuries…His Electro Vision crackled.
He felt a gentle tug on his arm. When he looked up, he saw Candace’s concern when she glanced at him, then Alhaitham.
“Come, please rest so Maruf can help him,” she said. Cyno let her drag him along, her soft tone riddled with warning. His elemental energy dissipated, as he couldn’t deny her request.
—--------—--
"...is he?" A soft voice murmured. Another voice spoke too softly for him to make out what they were saying.
Alhaitham groaned and tried, but failed to open his eyes to the familiar voice nearby. Pain wracked his entire body, not to mention the exhaustion.
The voices stopped.
Then, he felt someone gently pour a bitter liquid into his mouth, but he didn't have the strength to resist. Almost immediately, the pain ebbed away, enough for him to start to think clearly past the pain, but not before the medicine dragged him down under again.
The last thing he heard was a humming of a tune, long thought forgotten when he grew older.
—--------—--
Cyno just finished another mission when he came by Aaru Village to check in again, when he noticed Candace at the entrance. Adjusting his pack, he walked up wearily towards her, thinking about a warm meal and a roof over his head for a night.
As he approached, Candace regarded him with her knowing gaze and smiled softly. Cyno raised an eyebrow.
"He woke up,” she said in way of greeting. Cyno’s eyes widened. Muttering a quick thanks, he ran towards the village chief’s home. Some of the villagers probably looked at him like he was crazy, but he didn’t care.
Cyno nearly pulled the door off its hinges when he ran to Alhaitham’s room. Alhaitham dropped his book in a start, watching as Cyno marched up to the chair next to his bed and plopped down on it.
"You weren't here," Alhaitham stated. He watched Cyno with guarded eyes. As expected.
"I'm sorry. An important case came up that I couldn't overlook. I also interrogated those scholars we captured," Cyno said. He noted the various pills and a glass of water on the nightstand next to Alhaitham's bed. Some fresh bandages, a pitcher of water, some salves, and a clay bowl sat on a small table opposite the bed. A half eaten bowl of soup and pita bread was also there.
"We need to talk." A pause. “I was afraid of this,” Cyno’s lip trembled when he regarded Alhaitham’s state. He wore a linen gown designed for the hot desert weather. Bandages covered every part of his body that was visible. The headphones were back in place (how many did he have?), yet his eyes still looked weary and slightly glassy. Alhaitham's hair was mussed and his expression withdrew slightly under the General Mahamatra’s scrutiny.
Alhaitham stared pointedly at him with his arms crossed. “I’m alive, aren’t I?” He shrugged. “Maybe now, Lord Kusanali will reconsider my resignation as Acting Grand Sage.”
“That’s not the point,” Cyno snapped. He wrung his hands. “This is the third time I’ve seen someone close to me almost die.”
Alhaitham knew he shouldn’t have asked, but curiosity won. “And…the first two?”
Cyno regarded him warily, his visible eye staring at him with something that looked like sadness, but with resolution.
“The first was another friend. She is a Spantamad scholar, just as I am.” Cyno sighed. “We worked on a few projects together. However, she encountered forbidden knowledge during one of the failed projects, so it cut her lifespan short. I was about to check in on her that night when I heard the explosion…She’s okay now, but it’s not something I would like to relive, if possible. It’s the reason I became a Matra, to prevent others from being hurt during their research. But in exchange, it’s…difficult to have too many relationships due to my position.”
Neither spoke as Cyno took a deep breath, tapping his leg nervously.
“The second time…was shortly after rescuing our Archon. Tighnari sustained heavy injuries from lightning strikes in addition to other injuries. It took him weeks to recover, but it was touch and go for a while. If I hadn’t let him know about the Sages, maybe he wouldn’t have gotten involved…”
When Cyno finished his explanation, he wasn’t looking at Alhaitham anymore. Rather, he stared down at the book Alhaitham dropped when he entered the room earlier.
The silence stretched on. Cyno could practically hear the gears turning in Alhaitham’s head as he felt his gaze on him, hoping Alhaitham would say something.
The silence became too much.
“Maybe…maybe, this wasn’t meant to be,” Cyno curled his fingers. He shook as tears threatened to fall.
An inhale of breath. “Wait, Cyno…what are you saying?” Alhaitham’s voice trembled slightly. He reached out to place his less injured hand on Cyno's, but Cyno pulled back. Alhaitham flinched.
“I can’t put anyone else in danger because of me. I shouldn't have asked you to become Acting Grand Sage. I’m sorry Haitham, but this is it.” Cyno quickly stood up and turned without looking back, but not before Alhaitham lunged from his bed, encircling his bandaged arms around Cyno’s waist, nearly falling off his bed.
“No, Cyno, please, this isn’t your fault. None of it is,” Alhaitham's voice broke, which stopped Cyno in his tracks. The General Mahamatra felt tears dampening the back of his cloak as Alhaitham’s arms tightened around Cyno’s waist. “All of us chose to be friends with you. We knew the consequences. And most importantly, we stand by you.”
Cyno closed his eyes and squared his shoulders. Just when he steeled his resolve to push away Alhaitham for good, words tumbled out of Alhaitham’s mouth.
“I can’t lose you too. I’ve lost so much…my parents, my grandmother, and now the one good thing in my life…I…I…” he sobbed quietly. Cyno could feel Alhaitham’s body trembling with exertion trying to hold Cyno in place.
He bit his lip. “Haitham, there is someone out there who won’t constantly put you in danger. I can’t be the one who willingly does. I could never live with myself if…if…” He sniffled.
Alhaitham interjected, “I took the Acting Grand Sage position, however temporary, with the knowledge of what could happen, Cyno. I’m taking the same risk.”
Cyno’s shoulders slumped. “When you put it like that, it’s hard to argue,” he chuckled ruefully.
“Thank you,” Alhaitham whispered. He suddenly went slack, but Cyno caught the Acting Grand Sage in his arms. He observed Alhaitham’s tear tracks with a frown, dabbing them away with the sleeve of his cloak.
He laid Alhaitham back gently in bed, noting some of the bandages were slowly staining red again, especially the ones around his torso. Ruby eyes widened, quickly placing a gentle kiss on Alhaitham’s forehead before stepping out and calling for Maruf.
—--------—--
It took a month of prescribed bed rest for Alhaitham’s numerous injuries to heal. Tighnari, Dehya, Lumine, and Paimon came over often to bring herbs that would ease his pain and to help heal his injuries quickly and effectively. They also brought over some books from his home to ease his boredom. Over time, the room accumulated many piles of books akin to his home due to the speed at which Alhaitham read.
Back at home, Kaveh sighed in relief when he could finally see the furniture again.
Candace continued patrolling Aaru Village, but also visited Alhaitham to check in on him and wrote to Cyno about his condition. Whatever Alhaitham had caught himself up in, it rendered his writing hand unable to grip a quill, much less a sword, for some time.
Cyno continued his missions as per normal, as many cases required his attention. Rebuilding Sumeru without its Acting Grand Sage caused some scholars to become bolder. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time to visit Alhaitham, but every now and then, his Dusk Bird would come bearing letters from everyone updating him on the status of the Acting Grand Sage and with any mundane thoughts they may have or small gifts, such as new Genius Invokation TCG cards, to cheer him up.
When Cyno finished a particularly difficult mission and was about to get some sleep at his camp near Pardis Dhyai, his Dusk Bird landed in front of him. He looked at it quizzically, but took the folded note from its leg once he saw Lord Kusanali’s seal. Cyno quickly unrolled it, reading the note scrawled in her handwriting, “He has returned :)”
Cyno blushed bright red, throwing the letter into the camp fire. Their relationship wasn’t exactly a secret from their circle now, but it still embarrassed him when even their Archon teased him about it.
With a huff, he extinguished the campfire, unrolled his sleeping roll, and settled in for the night. He couldn’t afford to collapse halfway on the way home. Alhaitham would surely scold him for being so reckless, even to see him.
—--------—--
Cyno managed to catch him outside the Akademiya at the end of the next work day.
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” Alhaitham said, as Cyno matched his strides.
“So you said to Dehya,” Cyno said with a slight edge to his voice, “Besides, we’re off the clock.”
Alhaitham hummed thoughtfully. “And?”
The pair continued down the floral path from the Akademiya towards Cyno’s home, the last of the students retiring for the night, making their descent peaceful. The cool night air carried with it the scent of Padisarahs.
Cyno slipped his hand into Alhaitham’s cool, calloused hand, causing the Acting Grand Sage to pause in his stride. He couldn’t look Alhaitham directly in the eye, but felt his gaze on him.
“...We haven’t had a chance to do this,” Cyno softly replied. He missed the way Alhaitham’s eyes widened for a split second, then Alhaitham gently squeezed his hand back.
Then he raised Cyno’s hand to his lips. Cyno’s head shot up, following Alhaitham’s gesture with a questioning look, when Alhaitham kissed the back of it.
“Nor this, my General,” Alhaitham winked.
If Alhaitham’s face could turn as red as a tomato, Cyno’s did too.