Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s already been two months, but Alhaitham can’t seem to get his new roommate out of his head. Usually, he finds himself reflecting on the conversation they had that morning over coffee, although conversation is often the incorrect connotation. Surely, the number of arguments they have is why Alhaitham finds himself always thinking of him. He’s never been the type to lose an argument, so he’s often arrived at work thinking about points he should make or resources he can bring home that will prove Kaveh wrong.

Even now the scribe wonders what his roommate is doing. Alhaitham imagines Kaveh is sitting at his desk, similarly to how Alhaitham is sitting writing a report. Unlike Alhaitham though, Kaveh probably has one if not both of his legs hiked up on the chair, knees held in place with his arm. Alhaitham has reminded Kaveh several times that this sort of posture will hurt his back, but every time Kaveh gets caught up in his work, he seems to forget Alhaitham’s reprimands and his legs drift back up to his chest. Perhaps tonight Alhaitham will purchase an ergonomic chair to avoid Kaveh’s complaints tomorrow.

Alhaitham muses at the thought for a few moments before finishing his report. He sets it down on his desk and leans back in his chair. He soon decides he has done enough for the day and exits his office, diligently locking the door behind him. He nods to the coworkers that he passes, but neglects to stop and chat. As soon as he reaches the city streets, his headphones are put on and he makes his way past the too noisy crowds.

He sighs with audible relief upon entering his home, setting his keys on the table next to the door. He is about to retire to his room, intending to continue the book he had been reading, when he notices a paper on the kitchen table. Picking up, he sees that it is from Kaveh, informing Alhaitham that he is over in the Vissudha Fields, scouting a location for a client, and that he will be back late. Alhaitham huffs as he places it back down, annoyed that he will now have to reassess his dinner plans now that he is only cooking for one. A heads notice would have been nice.

—-

All he can remember is falling. The rush of air that is deafening to the ears and the adrenaline that coursed through his body. The way his throat was raw with the desire to scream. The way he desperately grabbed for nothing.

Now, the air is disturbingly quiet. He is laying on his back on what feels to be soft flowers, and the chirping of the woods soothes his racing heart. He stays like this, breathing deeply for several moments before he is interrupted by voices.

“Is Nara Flower okay? Nara hasn’t moved since Aragaru found him.” The first voice is fairly high in pitch, somewhat like an exaggerated child.

“Nara Flower is breathing. Aranaga thinks he is still sleeping” The second voice is high too. Perhaps it's a group of children speaking? He opens his eyes and turns his head towards the voices. Standing next to him were three plant-like beings. Each had a hat on their head, one being a leaf and the other two reminiscent of acorns. The three jumped when he looked at them.

“Ah! Nara Flower is awake.” The first voice shouted. It belonged to the being on the right who was pale yellow in color with a blush pink dusting its features, and wore a burnt orange acorn hat. The being dots around in a circle as if searching for a place to hide. The other two beings join it, bumping into each other in panic.

“Be still, Aranakin.” The green one with the leaf hat says. The bumbling being, Aranakin, pauses his panic, and slowly returns to the other two’s side. It hangs its head as if in apology, though its painted smile remains unchanged.

“Aragaru doesn’t think this Nara is Bad Nara.” The green Aragaru assures, resting its hand- no arm- on Aranakin’s shoulder.

He blinks in disbelief. He sits up to rub his eyes, and is immediately hit with a wave of dizziness. He holds his head until it stops swimming, and turns to look back at the three, who are watching him expectantly.

“... What are you?” He finally says.

“We’re Aranara.” The third answer. It is also a pale yellow, though it's dusted with brown to match its brown acorn. “I am Aranaga. This is Aragaru and Aranakin.”

Aranaga points at himself, then to the green being, then to the pink one.

“Aranara…” He repeats. He looks down at his hands, which rest on his lap. His clothes are torn and stained. He wants to respond and introduce himself, but despite how hard he thinks, no name comes to mind. “Do you know who I am…?”

“Does Nara Flower not remember who he is?” Aragaru asks, taking a couple of gentle steps closer to him.

He shakes his head and lowers his gaze. He glances up at them once he registers what they have been calling him. “Nara Flower?”

“We found Nara in a bed of flowers.” Aragaru gestures to the soft, purple flowers that surround where he sits. He takes a flower into his hands and brushes his thumb across its soft texture. “Nara Flower must be hungry! Aragaru has some peaches back home that Nara Flower can eat.”

The brown Aranara turns and starts bobbling away. Aranakin quickly follows, and Aranaga gestures for Nara Flower to follow. He hesitates for a moment before he does, standing at least three times the Aranara’s height. Pain radiates from his leg, presumably from whatever he had fallen from. He does his best to walk them, a small smile coming to his face at their gleeful banter.

It fortunately was a short walk, though it was lengthened by how slow the Aranara were with their little legs. The home Aragaru spoke of sits in a crevice under a tall hill. Flower wouldn’t have noticed it if the Aranara hadn’t led him there. The space opened up into a soft clearing, where a large structure sat. It seemed to be made from a giant turnip, though how one grew that big, Flower wasn’t sure. The turnip seemed to be their home, windows had been fashioned out of holes and wooden furniture sat inside. The space was lit by a narrow opening that exposed the top of the crevice, and bathed the cave in a warm evening glow.

Aragaru runs inside the turnip and rummages around for a moment before coming back out with a bowl containing what Flower assumes are the peaches. The Aranara lead him to a table positioned next to the turnip, and encourage him to sit. He does so, and accepts a peach. He examines its orange pink color, turning it over in his hands curiously, before taking a bite. The fruit is sweet and Flower has to hold his free hand under his chin to prevent the juice from getting on him.

“Thank you. That was good.” Flower says as he finishes the peach. Aragaru nods happily. The four of them sit there for a few moments before Aranakin speaks up.

“So does Nara Flower really not remember their name?” The four leafed stem atop Aranakin’s hat bobs hesitantly as they tilt their head curiously.

Flower shakes his head. “No. I don’t. I actually can’t remember much of anything before you guys found me.”

“Oh well that’s no good. Aranaga will have to help you get your memories back.” They hold their arms out in prideful hope, and the other two Aranara join in eager nods.

“Until then, Nara Flower is welcome to stay here with us.” Aragaru dances side to side joyfully. Flower can’t help but smile. He’s aware that he should be more concerned with his situation, but the new friends he’s made make staying seem enjoyable.

Chapter Text

Alhaitham would have paid more attention to where Kaveh said he was going if he knew Kaveh would be gone for so long. It’s been a whole day since he left the note, and Alhaitham is irritated by Kaveh’s poor punctuality. It’s not unusual for the architect to lose track of time during a project, or forget to tell Alhaitham that he’s staying with Tighnari for the night, but every time this happens Alhaitham can’t help but replay every dangerous scenario Kaveh could have gotten himself into. Thinking like this occupies too much of Alhaitham’s time, and he’s got deadlines to meet. If Kaveh was going to be this irresponsible, he should have been more specific with his letter.

The door to Alhaitham’s office opens, and Alhaithim is quick to hide the disappointment on his face when it’s not Kaveh who opens it. Instead, it’s just a coworker delivering more papers to sign.

Alhaitham doesn’t bother to hide his sigh as he takes the papers from her with a quick thanks. He flips through the documents, taking index of their contents. All of which can be done tomorrow. Alhaitham would rather make sure Kaveh hasn’t made the habitual mess that results from him unpacking after a trip like this.

His keys jingle softly as he lays them on the empty entryway key holder. The house is quiet. Too quiet. Kaveh still hasn’t come home. Alhaitham tries to still the movement in his chest by heading to the kitchen to cook dinner. Kaveh will be home soon. He must have had a meeting with whatever client he’s been working for. After scanning the pantry, Ahaitham begins to make fatteh, as if the presence of his favorite food will encourage the architect to return from his meeting faster.

It doesn’t work. Alhaitham is forced to put the remaining portion into a glass container and leave it in the ice box for Kaveh to heat up later. It’s not Alhaitham’s problem that Kaveh is late for dinner. He cleans his dish, making sure to not touch the dishes Kaveh forgot from yesterday. Afterward, he goes to his room and pulls a book from the shelf, determined to rid himself of the hesitation he feels.

But when Alhaitham fails to be woken in the night and wakes to an undisturbed kitchen, he can't shake the feeling that something is wrong.

He goes about his morning like normal, he brews up some coffee and makes two pieces of toast (evenly browned only buttered). He eats his breakfast at the dinner table, his book open and to the side but his eyes glued to the empty chair across from him. He showers, changes, and then grabs his keys to leave.

This is where his routine changes. Instead of going straight to work as he usually does, he makes a slight deviation towards Tighnari’s. Alhaitham had overheard that the ranger had returned for town for the next while and was a frequent informant of Kaveh’s trips. If anyone knows where Kaveh had run off to, it would be him.

The apartment that Tighnari stays at is rather plain. Its exterior has been painted a light shade of brown so that it can be commercialized to a cascade of applicants. The door marking Tighnari’s unit has a sign hung from a nail, displaying local mushroom flora that has medicinal uses. On the ground is a potted plant that Collei had given him, its vining structure already grown halfway up the building.

He knocks thrice on the door before taking a step back as he waits for an answer. Tighnari must have just gotten in or about to have been on his way out, as it’s only a moment before the door opens.

Tighnari seems somewhat surprised by Alhaitham’s visit. It’s not usual for Ahaitham to visit Tighnari at his home, especially so alone. Alhaitham much prefers avoiding the obligated necessities of host entertaining, whether that’s being the host or the entertainee.

Tighnari blinks before remembering his pleasantries.

“Oh, Alhaitham. What brings you here so early in the morning?” Tighnari shifts his weight, leaning against the open door frame.

“It’s about Kaveh. Do you know where he was commissioned to draw?”

“Where he was commissioned…?” He holds his chin and his ears droop slightly in thought. “Ah. You must mean his commission in the Vissudha Fields. Yes, he had me help him decide on the safest path to follow. That was… four days ago now. Did he ever get to go?”

Alhaitham hesitates before he answers. “Yes. He left a note saying he would be gone for a few hours, but that was two days ago.”

Tighnari’s mouth drops, agape at the realization. “Two days? Have you not heard anything from him?”

Alhaitham shakes his head. “I have not. It appears that you have not heard from him either. If you can, can you take me to the location of his commission?”

“Of course. Just give me a second to get ready.” Tighnari steps inside, leaving the door open so that Alhaitham can enter as well. He does just that and watches as Tighnari goes into another room to change. Voices can be heard from the other room. Cyno must be in town as well and had stayed with Tighnari. It's too early to be anyone else.

Sure enough, Alhaitham is correct in his assessment. Tighari and Cyno soon emerge, dressed in jungle traversing clothing and backpacks in hand. Cyno nods solemnly in greeting. Tighnari must have already briefed him on what's going on.

They walk in silence as they make their way out of the city. Tighnari leads the way with Cyno to his side. Alhaitham walks behind them, forcing himself to walk in the center of them and not make room for another like he’s accustomed to. It's not until the path comes fairly close that someone speaks.

“It should be coming into view soon. Once we get past this bend.” Tighnari was the one to break the quiet, gesturing to his left through the trees obscuring their view.

Alhaitham nods, and as the three round the corner, he understands why Kaveh was so quick to hurry here. The clearing was atop a small hill, overlooking the forest and a nearby ravine, in perfect sight of its waterfalls. Alhaitham can imagine Kaveh building a grand, towering structure, full of stained glass that refracts morning rainbows throughout the building.

At the clearing though, very few signs of Kaveh’s presence exist. There are some stray, windblown pencil shavings and a couple of stray papers that Kaveh seemed to have not noticed leaving behind, indicating that he was here, but none of his equipment remains. Not his bag, an easel, anything. It’s as if Kaveh had disappeared.

—

The Aranara insisted on getting Flower some new clothes. His were practically destroyed, torn, and stained to near beyond recognition, so the Aranara brought him some clothes that a previous friend of theirs had left.

“A dress?” Flower held the soft white fabric between his hands. It was rather pretty. The fabric seemed to hang off of the shoulders, coming down to a v on the chest. The neckline was lined with embroidered flowers, the pattern cascading throughout the dress.

“It belonged to Padisarah Nara a long time ago. Nara Flower reminds us of her a lot.” Aragaru beamed, proud of their gift. They give Flower a gentle push, urging him to put it on.

“It does?” Aragaru gives Flower a gentle push, urging him to put it on. Flower chuckles pleasantly at his attempt. “Fine, fine. I’ll go put it on.”

Flower starts to remove the destroyed clothing, setting it neatly to the side, but he hesitates when he reaches the earring hanging from his ear. It's made of golden metal with two green and one red gen laid in it. He can tell that he should have another, his left ear has a matching hole, but there's something comforting about having the weight hanging from his ear, even if it's only on one side. He leaves it on and pulls the dress on. It hangs off of Flower's frame rather beautifully. He is surprised that he fits so well. The waistline of the dress rests firmly against the small of his before draping out in a flowy pattern. The fabric was light and billowed in the wind, much more gracefully than any fabric that he’d ever seen- though he hadn't seen a lot of fabric for that to be accurate.

“You look just like Nara Paddisarah!” Aranakin squeaks as Kaveh finally exits the turnip-shaped house. The leaves on Arakins head spin excitedly. Flower indulges in a turn, minding his injured leg so that the Aranara can get a full view of him.

“If your hair were a bit longer and your eyes purple, you would be identical.” Aranaga agrees, nodding their head.

Flower asks about the Nara Paddisarah the Aranara seem so excited about. It turns out that she had created Vanara, where the Aranara and now Flower live, in order to protect them from something called Marana. Flower tried to ask more about the Marana but backed off when he saw how nervous it made them. From what he could gather, the Marana was spreading and was- is- very dangerous.

Flower is told that Nara Paddisarah stayed with the Aranara for some time, and she was the one who had taught the Aranara how to use Ararakalari. As an example, Aragaru used their Ararakalari to destroy a large rock sitting on the edge of their clearing.

Nara Paddisarah also was the reason why so many of the namesake Paddisarah flowers littered the surrounding forest. Apparently, she would leave behind the flowers under each of her steps, though they don’t look the same as they did back then.

Overall, Flower felt flattered by the Aranara’s comparison of the Nara to himself. Despite how powerful she must have been, she sounds extremely kind and generous

When Flower later went to examine the paddisarah flowers a bit more closely, Aranaga tagged along, humming a tune. It felt comforting to hear, and Flower felt like he saw the flowers lean towards Aranaga as if to listen. He chooses not to dwell on it. After seeing Aragaru use their Ararakalri, Flower supposes there is a lot about the Aranara he doesn't know.

Flower sits down on the ground and takes one of the flowers in his hands before leaning forward to smell it. The scent is comforting, reminding Flower of home, wherever that might be. Aranaga joins him, though Flower can’t tell if they are even smelling properly. Can Aranra even smell? Do they have noses?

“Can Aranaga make you a flower crown?” They tug gently on the skirt of Flower’s dress, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Sure, but only if you teach me how so you can have one too.” Flowers feels a small smile come to his face as he watches the Aranara gleefully start gathering up flowers. He imagines this must be what it feels like to have a little sibling. Maybe he used to have one before. Flower imagines if so they must be missing Flower terribly.

Aranaga hands Flower a small stack of flowers before sitting next to him. They slowly go through the steps of making a flower crown, making sure that Flower is able to follow along. It's easier than Flower thought it would be, weaving the ends of the flowers comes intuitively for him, as if he has done this before.

Flower places the crown on Aranaga’s head, being careful to be gentle maneuvering the two leaves atop their head. Aranaga does the same for Flower, situating the crown on Flower's golden blonde hair.

—

Alhaitham feels restless. He knows he shouldn’t, there is no point in worrying until they find something, but still the feeling still lingers. He has to shove the countless hypotheticals out of his mind in order to focus on the search. Though, it’s not like the two were very close in the first place. Sure, Kaveh was one of the few people who had actually seen Alhaitham, but most of the time the two bickered to no end. So much so that it had become a running joke among Alhaitham’s peers. Hopefully, Kaveh will show up soon so that Alhaitham won't be so stressed.

After confirming the building site is empty, they set out to search the surrounding area, trying to figure out where Kaveh had gone. Yet, the foliage remains undisturbed, the ground still fresh with dew, and the wildlife calm.

It's not until three hours later that finally something comes up. They had intended to reconvene to take a break and eat lunch, but as Alhaitham followed the path back towards the clearing, he noticed a brown cloth strap poking out of a bush neighboring the cliffside. He picks it up and finds that it is attached to a bag. The bag is empty, clearly having been ransacked and tossed aside. After further investigation, he actually notices signs of a fight littered throughout the area. Branches are broken, plants crushed, and ground scourged. He can see two- no three sets of feet, two sets angled towards the third. Could the third have been robbed?

Alhaitham looks back at the bag. Could Kaveh have been robbed? The bag doesn’t look very familiar to him; traveling bags like this are very common and could have belonged to anyone in Sumeru.

His heart beats in his ears as he turns to find Tighnari and Cyno to get help searching the area, but a flash of light causes his step to falter. He looks to see where the reflection came from. Peeking out from beneath a fallen leaf is a golden metal. Removing the leaf reveals one-half of a pair of earrings.

He picks the lone earring up, holding it between cupped hands. This is Kaveh’s earring. Alhaitham remembers when Kaveh had purchased the jewelry from a struggling artisan. He claimed that it was because he felt bad for the artisan and wanted to help out, but Alhaitham could see how Kaveh’s face lit up when he saw it, and how he wore them almost every day.

Alhaitham’s heart begins to race, the beating loud in his ears. The only reason this would be left behind would be because he was unable to retrieve it. Something must have happened to him.

Alhaitham scrambles back to his feet to continue his search, lunch long forgotten. He doesn’t stop until he hears Cyno and Tighnari looking for him.

“Alhaitham,” Cyno calls out. It seems he has spotted Alhaitham. “What are you doing? We were supposed to meet at the building site nearly an hour ago.”

Alhaitham stands to face them, his face grim. “I found something. He was here.” He holds out his hand, and drops the earring into Tighnari’s palm when he extends it out. Alhaitham doesn’t miss the way that Cyno and Tighnari’s faces drop when they realize what they’re holding. He also doesn’t miss the red marks pressed into his hand from how tightly he was holding it.

“Where did you find this?” Tighnari finally says, his voice quiet.

“Over here.” Alhaitham leads them to where he initially found the earring. Immediately, Cyno is crouched down, examining the scourged earth.

“I see three people.” Cyno says, coming to the same conclusion.

“Was there some kind of fight?” Tighnari asks, looking over Cyno’s shoulder.

“It looks like it.” Cyno stands back to full height, eyes still analyzing the ground before breaking away to look at Alhaitham. “Did you find anything else?”

“Yes. The only other thing was an empty bag, presumably his.” Alhaitham walks over to the bag, picking it up and handing it to Cyno. “Whoever attacked him seems to have taken his things.”

Cyno hums, turning the bag over. “The question becomes who were his attackers, and what were they after.”

They sit in silence for a few moments, Alhaitham can’t help but think of another question, and he’s certain the other two are thinking it as well.

Chapter Text

Flower laughed so hard water came out his nose. He’s sat with the aranara not far from their little clearing, getting a drink from the stream. Their quiet had been interrupted when a frog jumped out of the stream and onto the head of Aranakin, causing him to panic.

“Manduka! Manduka!” Aranakin repeatedly cried, running around in circles until the frog eventually got bored and jumped away. The burn in Flower’s nostrils was worth seeing the look on their face.

Aranakin realized they were laughing and stomped over.

“Nara Flower! It is not nice to laugh at Aranakin.” They then turned to the aranara at Flower’s side. “That goes for you, too!”

“Sorry, Aranakin.” Aragaru giggles. “You screamed so loud, Aragaru was certain you woke Arachatora!”

“I did not!” They snapped back, though not nearly as heated as before

“You know I hate Madukas...”

“I know, I know.” Aragaru places a reassuring hand on Aranakin’s shoulder. For a moment, the aranara seems to be comforted, but the continued grumbles Aranakin’s breath said otherwise, as they complain that Arachatora is way far away and couldn’t have heard Aranakin even if their screams had been loud.

Flower wanted to ask who or what they were talking about, but decided the answer would be more confusing than what it's worth. Besides, watching the Aranara tease each other was entertaining.

While the two Aranara exchanged apologies, Aranaga tugged on the side of Flower’s dress.

“Nara Flower really enjoyed the mushrooms Aranaga brought to eat yesterday. Would Nara Flower want to see where I find them?” Aranaga asks.

“Sure, that sounds like fun.” Flower smiles at the idea. Vanarana is pretty and nice to look at, but Flower has been itching to see more of the forest in hopes something will spark his memory.

The two leaves on Aranaga’s head twirl pleasently. “I think Nara Flower will like it. At night, the mushroom trees glow so bright Aranaga doesn’t need to bring glowshrooms to be able to see.”

“Is Aranaga talking about Mawtiyima?” Aranakin walks over, seemingly having forgotten that Flower and Aranaga also laughed at Aranakin. “It has been many moons since Aranakin has last been there. Is Nara Flower wanting to visit?”

“Yes, it sounds very pretty.” Flower answers, feeling more excited than what he thinks he should be.

“If we leave now, we can make it before it gets dark. Would Nara Flower be okay staying in the Mawtiyma tonight? There is a house there that we can stay in.” Aranaga stands and takes a few steps in the direction that the forest must be.

“I’m fine with that.” Flower smiles, standing as the Aranara gather and start walking towards the Mawtiyma Forest. Flower follows, listening to Aranakin describe the last time they had been at the forest.

Aranakin had been following the scent of something cooking, assuming it to be Arapacti who Aranakin had heard was staying in the forest with their two siblings. As soon as they got close enough to hear voices, though, fungi sprouted from the ground and swarmed the lone aranara. Fortunately, the three siblings heard the commotion and came to help, but Aranakins luck had run out as by the time they got away, the food had burned into an unrecognizable crisp.

The story earned a laugh from Aranaga. “Don't worry, Aranakin. You aren’t going alone this time. Plus, we have Nara flower with us. He’s big and can scare any fungi off.”

With that the group set off, soon reaching a dirt lined path. The path led to a different part of the forest, covered in increasingly large plants, branching up into a giant mushroom. At first, the plants were only a pale blue in color, but as they grew denser and taller, Flower could already see that Aranaga wasn’t joking. The sun was just starting to set, and the way ahead was basked in a blue glow. When the passing stream then came in view, Flower almost cried. The entire valley was basked in blue light, and water flowed from the tops of mushrooms, converging at the far base of the valley in a small pool.

“This is where Aranakin got attacked by the fungi.” Aranakin huffed, hurrying forwards past the other two aranara and Flower.

Flower scans the valley for movement, but he hardly sees any creatures, let alone the fungi Aranakin is so fussy about. He shrugs and decides the fewer fungi they have to deal with, the better.

The turnip shaped house is a bit smaller than the one they had been staying with, but Flower is still able to lay full length so it will be fine for one night. Aranaga and Aragaru leave to search for some more mushrooms, while Aranakin stays to gather some berries and mint that are growing nearby. Flower goes with him and yanks the leaf off of a too large plant and lays it down on a crate inside so that they have a clean surface to eat on.

“Thank you for setting up, Nara Flower. Aranakin can’t reach those leaves on my own.” Their painted smile momentarily widens as Aranakin waddles up and places the food they collected on the covered crate.

“Of course.” Flower steps outside, Aranakin not far behind him. His eyes trail across the valley in front of him. The tops of the tree sized mushrooms emitted cold, blue light, and in their branches often housed families of birds, their young still waiting to hatch. Along the ground, shorter, possibly younger mushrooms lit the forest floor, and other flora following the paths glowed in similar fashion. Flower can’t help but wonder how everything began to glow to begin with. Was it just evolutionary luck? And what of the valley? The meager stream flowing through the center of it isn’t nearly enough to have hollowed the area out. Something must have eroded it.

His rambling thoughts are cut short by the return of Aranaga and Aragaru. Each is carrying an armful of purple-blue mushrooms. Flower wonders how they have managed to not drop any.

“We’re back!” Aragaru cheers. The Aranara set their findings down inside the little house, and Aranaga goes to help Aranakin cut up the food into bite size pieces while Aragaru joins Flower outside.

“What does Nara Flower think? Do you like it?” Aragaru’s expression brightens. Well, as much as it can with a fixed smile.

“I do. It’s amazing here.” Flower’s eyes instinctively close when he smiles in return. When he opens his eyes again, he finds that the Aranara is already heading back. Flower goes ahead and does the same, joining them at the makeshift table.

That night, Aranakin told stories of places far east of here, full of tall mountains and glowing stones. Despite being the one to tell the story, Aranakin fell asleep first, though the rest soon followed.

The next morning, Flower wakes to the sound of a nearby bird, singing into the wind. He sits up to see the Aranara still asleep; Aranagu sleeping on one side of Flower, and Aranakin sleeping on top of Aragaru on the other. Flower can’t help but smile. Aranakin hadn’t been like that when Flower fell asleep last night.

Not wanting to wake the Aranara, Flower stands and walks outside as quietly as he can. Once outside, he takes a deep breath of the morning air, the scent of fresh dew hitting his nose. He starts to walk, following the path nearby. The sound of crunching grass follows behind him, and upon turning to look, Flower finds that Aragaru is walking behind him.

“Good morning, Nara Flower.” They chirp as they catch up. “What are you doing out here?”

“Just thought I’d go for a walk.” Flower answers, receiving a hum in response.

The two continue down the path, Flower grabbing mushrooms as Aragaru points them out. The forest is quiet. It seems even the birds have yet to come out to sing. Several moments pass before either of them break the silence.

“How did you three come to know each other?” Flower eventually asks, watching the small aranara bob beside him.

“Aragaru has always known Aranakin and Aranaga. We fell from the same tree after leaving Sarva, so we stayed together.”

“Sarva? What’s that?”

“Sarva is Sarva.” Aragaru answers unhelpfully, though to Flower’s relief after a moment they continue. “We are in Sarva until it is time for us to become seeds. Then long after we’re planted and have become tall trees we go back and wait to become seeds again.”

“It's like some kind of afterlife then.” Flower hums thoughtfully as they reach the edge of the Mawtiyima Forest. The sun is high in the sky now, casting the forest in more day white light than the blue glow that’s deeper in the forest.

“Araja says Sarva is a place of rest. Though Aranakin, Aranaga, and I liked to play there instead.”

Flower hums, finding himself a bit more confused than before he had asked. It seems like the concept matches what he would call an afterlife, but Aragaru seems to hold none of the grief or sadness Flower expected to come from that topic. Flower opens mouth to ask another question, but before he can ask, a distant shout cuts him off.

The two freeze, heads fixed in the direction of the sound. The forest has gone quiet. Maybe it was just a wild animal…

A loud clash of metal echoes through the valley.

A scream shortly follows.

The scream sounded human.

Aragaru jumps at the sound. He tugs on Flower’s clothes, urging him to run, but Flower can’t seem to let himself just abandon someone who may be in need of help. He runs forward, dropping all of the mushrooms he had been carrying.

Rounding the edge of the valley reveals two menacing looking men and one woman, their weapons brandished as they laugh. They’re dressed lightly, their skin tanned from the sun, and have cloth tied around their eyes. They’re standing over a man who lays wounded on the ground.

“We told you there is no point in fighting us. What makes you think a scholar would be able to defeat the strongest of our tribe.” The tallest of the three taunts, using the end of his sword to force the injured man to look at him. “Now give it to us.”

The injured man shakes his head as much as he can without nicking himself on the blade.

“I’m telling you, I don’t have it!” He cries. He clutches his side tightly, blood slowly seeping out between his fingers.

The woman steps forward, leaning over him with a threatening glow from catalyst. “We have direct word that you stole it from the Rahman.”

The man seems hesitant to answer, so she presses her foot into his side. He cries out in pain.

“I already sold it! I… already sold it…” He gasps, not even trying to push her foot off of him because of the severity of the pain.

“To who?” She hisses.

“I- I don’t know! She didn’t tell me her name and wore a cloak! Just said she was a merchant!”

The woman removes her foot with an annoyed tsk, seeing that she’s not going to get any useful information from him.

“What now, boss?” She leans back, shifting her weight as she crosses her arms.

The tallest one sighs. He must be the leader of the group. His expression hardens as he thinks, but before he can come to a decision, their attention shifts to the sound of something falling.

What fell was Flower, having tripped over a rock in his attempt to slowly back away. An amnesiac isn't going to be able to hold his own in a fight, especially not with how skilled those three looked. Aragaru was right. He shouldn’t have come to help.

“Sorry! Sorry. I was just passing through.” Flower stumbles to his feet. “I promise I didn't see anything. I’ll just be leaving now-”

“No, you won't.” The tallest sneers. He waves his hand forward and the two at his side dash forward, straight for Flower.

With no choice but to run, Flower takes off back the way he came.