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The setting sun cast a warm orange light onto Gandharva Ville. Collei and Tighnari walked at a relaxed pace back to their home, having just finished the girl's field training for the day.
The village was beginning to settle down. Merchants packing up their wares and travelers returning to their lodgings. The crowd of children slowly dispersed as parents called them back for dinner.
And then. . . silence.
People stilled like statues, the rowdiest children snuffed their laughter. Even the crickets and birds were nowhere to be heard. The joyous air tensed. Bodies slinked into the shadows, giving a wide berth for whatever or whoever was approaching.
Spooked, Collei hid behind her mentor, the latter shielding her with an arm. Tighnari's ears twitched, trying to deduce the identity of the incoming threat.
He let out a gasp and raced to meet the silhouette. Whoever it was, her master seemed to recognize them. That fact eased the fear in her heart, allowing her to follow behind him.
The silhoutte turned into a hooded figure and that figure turned into---
Collei skidded to a halt. The General Mahamatra staggered closer, clutching his abdomen. Blood dripped onto the ground with every step he took. His crimson glare burned with rage.
The trainee averted her eyes, trying not to bring attention to herself. The General Mahamatra was already scary enough when he wasn't angry.
"What happened?" Tighnari asked but decided that it wasn't important at the moment. He pried the Mahamatra's arm away. "We'll have to clean the wound first." He commanded Collei to rush home and prepare the necessary equipment.
The adolescent girl turned to obey but a single word of protest from the General Mahamatra froze her in her tracks.
"No," he rasped. "Just stop the bleeding. I need to go."
"In this state? You look like you might keel over any second!" The Forest Watcher chided. "You're going to rest and get your wound treated."
The Mahamatra's voice dropped. "I'm serious, Tighnari."
"So am I! You're my patient and as your doctor I order you to lie down."
By now, the scene had drawn in an audience. They collectively sucked in a breath when Tighnari argued against the General Mahamatra, wondering what would happen to the Forest Watcher.
The pair glared at each other. Neither one backing down.
Then the Mahamatra sighed. "Fine." He slung an arm around Tighnari for support.
"Collei," the Forest Watcher prompted, snapping her out of shock. Remembering her duties, she rushed back to their house.
Even after filling a large bowl with clean water and fetching bandages and a fresh towel, Collei still couldn't fully wrap her head around what had happened.
In her mind, the General Mahamatra /was/ the terrifying and harsh law. Nobody went against him and made it out unharmed. All the criminals he locked behind bars were the evidence. If he caught a whiff of your wrongdoings, he would hunt you down and made sure you paid, no exceptions.
Collei knew her master was stern but to outright order the General Mahamatra? It sounded like he was asking for trouble. What astounded her more was that the Mahamatra had yielded first!
Heavy footsteps weighed down on the wooden boards, making them creak. Tighnari guided his patient to the other room. Both of them were panting and sweating. The trainee carried the supplies and followed suit.
"Place them down here," her mentor instructed. "Thank you, Collei. You can go rest now."
She left without complaint, eager to be far away from the patient. However, her curiosity was piqued regarding her master and the Mahamatra. They seemed to be closer than they let on. Maybe the latter wasn't as scary as she had originally thought. Or maybe it was the former who held more power than she had known.
Collei settled behind the door, peeking through a slit.
The Forest Watcher worked in silence, deft hands cleaning the wound and dressing it in record time. Nothing else needed his tending to, but he seemed reluctant to part with the man lying on the bed.
"I'm sorry." They said in unison.
"I knew you were right," the Mahamatra began. "I was just angry at myself and took it out on you."
"No, it's alright." Tighnari curled up next to the Mahamatra and lay his head in the crook of his neck, careful not to aggravate his wound. "Tell me what happened?"
"A corrupt matra." Cyno spat the name like it was acid. "He was working with an organization that I have been hunting down. I didn't suspect him at all. He ambushed me and got away."
Rage returned to the Mahamatra's eyes. By the entrance, Collei shrunk back at the intensity.
"I should have known. I was careless, I was---"
Tighnari pressed a kiss to his lips. "It's not your fault. You've done all that you can."
"But still, at least as the General Mahamatra, I should be the one to catch him."
"You're in no condition to do so! Do you understand how close you were to dying? I heard your weakening heartbeat and then I saw you with all your blood outside your body!" The Forest Watcher choked on a sob. He sucked in a sharp breath in an attempt to steady himself but ultimately, his emotions won.
Cyno wrapped an arm around the shaking figure, pulling him closer. He pressed kisses to Tighnari's head and face, muttering apologies as he did.
"I'm sorry, Nari. I won't scare you like that again. I'll send a message to the other matras, okay?"
Collei felt guilty for intruding on such a private moment just to satisfy her curiosity. Her mentor and the General Mahamatra were always stoic and stern. She had never seen the former cry nor the latter be so soft.
What's more, they seemed to be. . . lovers? She would never have guessed!
As quietly as possible, the trainee tip-toed away to her room.
For the next few days, the General Mahamatra stayed at their house. He spent most of his time resting so Collei didn't have much trouble avoiding him. Even after seeing his kinder side, she still wasn't eager to be in his presence.
On the morning of the seventh day, her mentor didn't bring a tray of breakfast to his patient's room like he had done so before.
"Master Tighnari? Where's the breakfast for the General Mahamatra?" She asked, handing over her empty plate.
The Forest Watcher accepted it and took their dishes away. "Cyno left at dawn but he's coming over for dinner so I can check on the wound." The stack rattled noisily when he set them down. "If it reopens because of his stubbornness, I will kill him myself."
Collei thought it would be best not to get involved in their lover's spat so she busied herself with wiping down the table.
"Oh, and Collei?"
"Yes?"
"Just call him Cyno. He may not look it but he's actually rather easygoing. You don't have to walk on eggshells around him."
The trainee gripped the rag in her hands. Could she? The General Mahamatra. . . /Cyno/ was important to Master Tighnari and if she could be close to him, her mentor would surely be happy.
"You don't have to force yourself." The Forest Watcher added, sensing her hesitance. "Take baby steps."
Collei nodded. "I'll do my best."
That evening, they prepared dinner for three.
Knock, knock, knock.
"I'll get the door!" The trainee announced as she rushed to the entrance. With a deep breath, she pulled the handle.
A set of intimidating crimson eyes met hers.
"Uh, um, good evening, C-Cyno," she stammered.
The Mahamatra blinked. "Hello, Collei. How's your studies?"
The girl shifted her gaze to the ground. "Not very good," she admitted. "My reading doesn't seem to be improving."
Cyno chuckled softly. Surprised, Collei lifted her head. The man reached out a hand and ruffled her hair. "You've already made great progress. Don't be too hard on yourself now, okay?"
"You're one to speak," Tighnari remarked. "Get over here. Let me inspect your wound. Collei, set the table, please."
With a final smile at the adolescent, Cyno went to the Forest Watcher while the trainee grabbed the utensils.
After confirming that the wound was undisturbed, they sat down at the dinner table. The aromatic biryani coupled with the fresh selva salad made everyone's stomach rumble.
Cyno hummed in approval. "It smells rice. You must be proud of your selva."
It took a minute for Collei's mind to catch up with her ears. Did the General Mahamatra. . . make a joke?
Tighnari rolled his eyes. "You're not funny, Cyno."
"Lettuce eat before our food gets cold."
"One more joke and I will shove my spoon down your throat." He brandished his silverware.
Collei could only smile awkwardly and eat her food. At least the rest of dinner was peaceful.
As usual, the trainee cleaned the table after their meal while Tighnari washed the dishes. Even though Cyno was a guest, that didn't make him immune to chores. He was tasked with helping Tighnari.
The couple seemed to be in their own bubble. They stood pressed to each other's sides, chatting about something Collei couldn't hear. Her mentor even laughed!
Not wanting to disturb them, the girl tried to sneak back to her room, but nothing escaped her master's ears.
"Night, Collei."
Cyno echoed him, an arm around his lover's waist, twin blissful expressions etched across their faces.
"Good night, Master Tighnari. Cyno." She shut her bedroom door.
Collei had never seen her mentor smile with such pure joy before. She wanted that smile to make a permanent stay on his face. He had taken her under his wing and given her that happiness after all. If Cyno was the person who could make it possible, then she wished he would never leave.
Wouldn't it be nice if the three of them could live together?
. . . . . .
Bonus epilogue:
Sunlight streamed in from the window, casting on the sleeping couple. Tighnari's eyelids fluttered open. He stretched, the movement making Cyno stir and tighten his hold on the Forest Watcher's waist.
"Cyno, wake up." He patted the pale-haired one's cheek. "Don't you have an early mission today? You're going to make the other matras wait."
The Mahamatra groaned. "They would to if they had you in their beds."
Heat rushed to Tighnari's cheeks. He slapped the sleeping figure.
"Ow."
"The things you say in your sleep."
He pried strong tan arms from his midriff and hopped out of bed.
A shower later, Tighnari got started on breakfast. Starting a fire, chopping the vegetables and meat. Cyno emerged from their room soon after.
"Smells delicious," he commented, placing a kiss on Tighnari's temple before setting the table.
The door creaked open. Standing behind it was a yawning adolescent girl.
"Good morning." She greeted while rubbing her eyes.
"Morning, Collei." The pair said in unison.
Cyno helped Tighnari serve breakfast.
"I finished that book for my literacy homework last night!" The trainee announced with glee after remembering that fact.
"That's great! I'll assign you a new one later."
The Mahamatra wolfed down his meal. "I'd better get going now. Let's play some TCG when I get back, Collei."
"Okay! I think I'm getting the hang of it!"
The Forest Watcher clicked his tongue. "Stop turning her into you. One is enough, I don't need two of you."
Cyno smiled. "You should join us for lessons. It'll be more fun if all three of us played."
"Absolutely not. Go to work, you." Tighnari pushed him to the entrance, making the tanned one chuckle.
"See you later, Nari." He pecked his cheek.
"Mhm, be safe."
They kissed goodbye and parted for the day.