Chapter Text
Nikador's above, please grant me patience.
Quite something unreasonable to ask for the mighty Titan of Strife, but bear with it. Because if Nikador were to grant Mydei strength, Cipher would be dead by now.
Okay, maybe not now ‘now’. Probably until whenever this farce ends, and he's back to being himself. Considering his paws can only do little to no damage compared to his gauntlets, his tail can only wag and hit the ground in frustration – sometimes involuntarily, and he can only make tiny noises of ‘Awoo’s.
Being turned into a Chimera with no way to shift back is not on his hit list and never will be. Giving that cat-thief of a Demigod a good lesson for messing with him is now on the list, though. Where is she, by the way? Surely she's not that heartless to leave Mydei by himself after all the mess she had caused, right?
Right?
Apparently, the answer is no.
And now, Mydei is walking through the quiet alleys of Okhema on all fours – he’d rather not bump into any acquaintance, he has suffered enough humiliation for a day, and it's only Action Hour – to reach a place suitable for him to sort out his thoughts. Preferably, the rooftop of Mamoreal marketplace, where he usually spends his time away from the bustling world below, basking in silence and the dawning day. Even without his usual body, Mydei can easily find the way to his secret hideout, climbing up the walls and roofs of nearby houses, reaching towards the light.
Light greets him in the form of flowing white hair and sparkling blue eyes that reflect the sky.
“Oh, what brings you here, little one?”
Right, he forgot this place isn't his secret alone.
Mydei halts, tiny body visibly freezing mid-step from the sight of Phainon as she flashes him a smile that could rival the light on Kephale’s hands. It is rare to see her free from the usual heavy armor, wearing only the tight black top which reveals too much of those beautiful curves and milky skin glistening with sweat–
What is he thinking?? Not knowing what to do with the rising heat to his face, Mydei instinctively blurts out the first thing on his mind, which is the native, familiar insult reserved only for one.
HKS.
“Awoo.”
Right, he forgot that he’s currently a Chimera.
“Aren't you Mydei's Chimera, Fig Stew? Where is your owner?”
Here. Unfortunately.
Not realizing Mydei's inner turmoil, Phainon spreads her arms in front of him and beckons him closer, her eyes twinkling with the promise of pets and cuddles. Of course, he stops himself from stepping into that inviting hug, as much as his traitorous mind (and body) wants to. The brief image of being able to plant his face into that huge chest is too much for Mydei's heart to bear, so instead, he steps back.
Phainon tilts her head in confusion at the rejection:
“Fig Stew?”
Looking down at his orange fur and curly mane around his neck, Mydei secretly thanks whatever Titans are there that his pet has yet to be spotted by Phainon. If she mistook him for Fig Stew, then he's off the hook–
“HKS!!”
The growl of the most common Kremnoan profanity shrieks through the Mamoreal Market as it pierces through their ears, even this high up. Following that fierce snarl, the sound of scampering tiny feet rushed all over the market, occasionally earning several yelps from nearby people. The noises caught Phainon’s attention. When she lowered her gaze, she found a Chimera of white-grey being chased around by another of his own kind, one that wears a familiar shade of fiery orange, with a literal fire on his tail. The scene caused quite a ruckus, yet the culprits do not seem to pay that any mind, for the wild little beast is dead set on the chase to hunt for its prey. Meanwhile, said ‘prey’ is currently having the time of his life as he dashes through the stalls, looking all smug and triumphant after setting his partner’s tail on fire like a gremlin he is.
Phainon has to scold Beagle Coconut for this, or else Aglaea will scold her. Though maybe it’s too late now, because her Chimera has already spread enough chaos for the citizens. Well, at least, there’s also Mydei to take the blame with her for being an irresponsible parent.
Wait…
Phainon did a double-take at the tiny orange beast, constantly throwing ‘HKS’ ‘HKS’ at her adorable baby, then back at the identical Chimera that is currently standing by her side and eyeing the situation with all the helplessness of someone who is absolutely done.
Same shade of fur, same tail, same bald– ahem, round head.
She blinks.
“Why are there two of you?”
The supposed Fig Stew jolted, and Phainon’s eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. Sparing one last glance at the Chimera couple below, the gears in her mind started to work.
Fig Stew inherited Mydei’s rude tongue, always flinging ‘HKS’ here and there like its owner. Phainon has always thought that it was a bad influence on her Beagle Coconut, but she will graciously let it slide because the Kremnoan dictionary doesn’t have that many words. Nonetheless, Fig Stew is the only Chimera she knows capable of speaking, or swearing, so the mini beast yelling profanities down there must be the real one.
Then what about this one?
Mydei is sweating bullets internally as he feels Phainon’s eyes square up on him. He knows she’s catching up. Quickly, he racks his mind to come up with ways to make his false identity as Fig Stew more believable. Mydei is never a good liar, so the task felt awfully strenuous. Why must his Chimera spew curses right at this moment??
Finally, he concludes: If Fig Stew swears due to his influence and Phainon relies on that difference to identify who, then surely, he can just swear and convince her he’s Fig Stew. ‘HKS’ is originally his, after all, surely he can curse.
What comes out is, pathetically,...
“Awoo.”
Mydei is fooling no one.
When the man is sure of his dignity’s doom, Phainon also reaches a conclusion, albeit completely off the track, as she clasps her hands together and excitedly lets out the most genius (and incorrect) discovery:
“You must be Fig Stew’s twin, right?”
Because Mydei is now a Chimera and is always weak to that pure smile, he responds with a hesitant ‘Awoo’ that Phainon gloriously mistook as confirmation. Though she does halt for a bit, wondering why she has never heard of Fig Stew having a sibling from Mydei, but then decides to shrug it off. Maybe he got separated from his family at a young age, became a stray, and wandered around until she found him.
Phainon's heart pains at the image. If that’s the case, then she must take good care of the poor boy!
Seeing the Chimera is still reluctant, Phainon contemplates. That's a bit unusual, because Chimeras are known to be friendly and affectionate towards humans. He must have been frightened by an unfamiliar face. How did Phainon adopt Beagle Coconut back then?
She arrives at another revelation: Names! Names are crucial in forming bonds. Maybe this child doesn't have one. But no worries, because Phainon already has a perfect name for him!
“You look like Fig Stew, but since you're not him, you'll be Coconut Stew from now on!!”
Proud of her own naming abilities, Phainon casually ignores the deadpan look on the Chimera's – Coconut Stew's – face.
What's up with all these Coconuts? And who in their right mind would make Coconut Stew?!
–Is what Mydei wants to scream, he considers growling to show objection because the lion refuses to concern himself with cooking catastrophe names. But Phainon looks so happy with herself, so he refrains from bursting her bubble. Instead, with full resignation, he lowers his head and lets out a sigh. It came out as a whine, but Mydei is too tired to feel embarrassed anymore.
That is, until the ground leaves him. Before he knows it, Mydei is scooped into Phainon's arms as she lifts him high up like a newborn fawn. His own amber eyes bear into deep blue ones, and all he sees is the Sun lighting up the whole sky.
A beautiful Sun that had stolen his breath and heart.
“It's decided! Nice to meet you, Coconut Stew!”
Mydei's breath is taken away, in literal terms. By being stuffed face-first into Phainon's (massive) bosom as she snuggles him with all the cuteness aggression of someone who absolutely adores tiny beasts, not knowing she is further spelling his doom.
With nowhere to escape, all Mydei can feel is the softness of those breasts as they suffocate him, along with the sweet scent of flowers – one he has yet to learn the name of. Feeling the heat rise even more aggressively than before, he instinctively raises his paws in an attempt to push her away, but halts midair when realizing that such an act means he'll have to grab them… maybe even actively squishing them…
Thus, Mydei gives up on resisting, as well as functioning.
Feeling the little Chimera in her arms gone stiff as a rock, Phainon pauses her cuddles for a sec and looks down in confusion. Which immediately transforms into utter shock.
A terrified gasp escaped her lips when she met the dazed look and deep flush on Coconut Stew’s face. Then, to add more to the horror, a trail of gold that faintly carries the scent of iron trickles down the Chimera’s nose. Is it blood?? Is he having a nosebleed??? Is he sick????
She must bring him to a vet!!
***
And that's how Phainon found herself in the Twilight Courtyard, waiting for Hyacine to do a full checkup on Coconut Stew. The calming atmosphere of the clinic did nothing to soothe her raging heart as the previous events unfolded in her mind. The concern still lingers, but now piques with a bit of curiosity when her head gets a bit clearer. Phainon has never seen a Chimera having a nosebleed before, although her baby Beagle did often get into fights with Fig Stew, but she is quite sure that Chimeras don't usually bleed gold.
They're not Chrysos Heirs like her and Mydei, after all.
Maybe this little one is different? Is this a genetic thing? She doesn't recall Fig Stew having golden blood, though. Is there some kind of special bloodline akin to the Chrysos Heirs in the Chimera species? She might need to ask Professor Anaxa for some answers.
But not in the meantime. Now, Phainon has more urgent matters to attend to. And that is to check on how Coconut Stew is doing. Thankfully, Hyacine finally finishes her examination on the Chimera and calls for her.
“He's perfectly healthy, just a bit overwhelmed.” Came Hyacine's (suspiciously) cheerful answer, as she presents Phainon an even more burnt-out, Coconut Stew.
“Really?”
Phainon doesn't mean to doubt Hyacine's abilities, especially when her friend is among the best healers of Amphoreus. Not just talent, her heart and compassion are also as vast as the sky, so there's no way Hyacine would treat a patient – even if it's just a Chimera — willy-nilly.
It's just that… Coconut Stew's mood had her deeply concerned, and Hyacine's unusual knowing giggle as she hands the little guy to Phainon does nothing to ease the worry. If anything, the Deliverer grows even more skeptical. To which, the healer simply throws her (or Coconut Stew) a wink:
“Really. He's just being dramatic.”
Phainon can hear the growl rumbling from the creature in her arms. That's odd, animals usually love Hyacine and her bright, healing smile. Why is Coconut Stew so hostile? And why does the healer seem to be delighted with herself?
What exactly has happened during the checkup?
***
Probably half an hour before…
While the Twilight Courtyard commonly serves as a universal clinic for Amphoreus citizens, Hyacine does not restrict her patients to ‘humans’ alone. Dromas, Chimeras, and hard-headed Demigods with no sense of self-preservation alike, the door to her clinic is always wide open as the Sky welcomes them all.
And yet, she does not expect to see a panicked Phainon appear with a bleeding Chimera in her arms. Shamefully, as a healer, Hyacine has to admit that she spots the dazed, goofy smile on said Chimera’s face before she notices the nosebleed, which should serve as the first warning that something’s wrong.
(‘Coconut Stew’ is what seems to be his name, based on Fig Stew, who was assumed to be his ‘long-lost twin’. Snowy really should focus on improving her naming skills instead of her creative writing skills.)
After reassuring the worried Chrysos Heir and taking the Chimera into her examination room, Hyacine seriously scans him for any signs of trauma, active bleeding, or poisoning. Those are the most common reasons Chimeras in Okhema were brought to the vet, after all.
No visible injuries detected, no evidence of poisoning either.
The professional act persisted for the first 15 minutes because Hyacine was a clueless healer then, and because Coconut Stew did not do anything suspicious – an image of a perfectly well-behaved Chimera, save for the cautious look he gave her every time their eyes met.
That should not have been a problem. Animals were always frightened when first brought to an unfamiliar place to meet an unfamiliar person, especially a vet. However, there was something in his gaze that had her thinking. Those amber pupils felt less like terrified prey and more like a highly alert predator, slowly eying each and every move she made. Not with scrutiny or malice, but with the full wariness of a lion guarding something.
Guarding a secret, maybe?
Hyacine doesn't know why she suddenly has that thought, but it lingers. Anyways, that is the second warning.
The third and last one, though, is much more direct. It came in the form of a syringe and a very panicked Chimera.
“I'll be taking your blood for an examination now, so stay still.”
Hyacine swore she saw life flashing through Coconut Stew's eyes as she stepped closer – syringe in hand. He immediately thrashed, but the healer was quick on her feet to grab him; her grip was surprisingly firm, leaving him no room to bulge.
That, or Mydei is just getting weak in this Chimera form.
Nonetheless, he had a good reason not to let Hyacine take his blood. Golden blood aside, she has all of the Chrysos Heirs’ health records stored in her clinic. He couldn't risk her examining him and finding out that a random Chimera has the exact lab results as Mydeimos – the Crown Prince of Castrum Kremnos, as well as the Demigod of Strife. His dignity will go down in flames, then and there.
(Mydei did not learn professional medicine, or else he would have known that the Complete Blood Count of a single person varies in different periods of time. So there would be nothing for Hyacine to confirm, much less figure out his identity.)
Still, he didn't stop resisting. Hyacine was having a hard time drawing out his blood, and it should be like that. After ten minutes of wiggling and squirming, Mydei finally broke free. With internal apologies for making things harder for the healer, he scampered onto the ground and ran off.
“Wait!”
No, Mydei did not wait. And that was a mistake.
Because, amidst his struggles, he knocked himself against the medical tray. Mydei didn't notice the sharp edge dragging his skin until he turned back and saw a streak of gold on the white tiles, leading to his hind foot. A thin cut lay among the fur, shallow but visibly bleeding.
Oh no.
To Hyacine's bewilderment and the Chimera's horror, the wound slowly closed itself upon his skin, eliminating his final chance of feigning innocence to preserve the last bit of honour. The moment the healer narrowed her eyes as realization slowly dawns on her cyan pupils, he knows he's doomed.
There could only be one person who was born with golden blood, as well as the ability to heal…
“Lord Mydei?”
Damn it all.
“Awoo.”
***
Back to the present…
After laughing her guts out for a solid 5 minutes, Hyacine finally learns of Mydei's horrific (and terribly hilarious) situation. He had expected sympathy – maybe even support – after the humiliation; at least he deserves that. And because she is still a professional, Hyacine did check on his vitals to make sure there isn't any critical damage from his Chimeric transformation. He heard her mutter something to herself. Something like:
“Maybe it's the perfect opportunity for him to rest…”
Mydei assumes she's talking about him, but he trusted her judgment. Emphasis on trusted in past tense, because Hyacine later betrayed his faith by calling for Phainon.
“Snowy! We're done!”
What?? No we're not!
Mydei has to stop himself from growling.
When Phainon comes in, thanks all the Titans that Hyacine did not reveal his identity to the worried Deliverer (yet). Nonetheless, the healer's menacing giggle diminishes any signs of subtlety as she hands him over to Phainon.
“Overwhelmed,” she said, as if that was the perfect reason to explain his miserable state. Even Phainon does not buy it immediately, as she cradles him close again. And Mydei finds his face heating up the moment the sweet scent of flowers fills his mind. Again.
“Really?”
“Really. He's just being dramatic.”
Excuse me?!
The audacity of those words had Mydei growling in protest, which Hyacine completely understands. Meanwhile, Phainon completely misunderstands it as discomfort. Hence, a more believable and objective diagnosis was provided to soothe the guardian’s heart:
“He might be uncomfortable in a new environment, which can cause stress on his tiny body.” Mydei does not ignore the tilt in Hyacine’s voice when she spoke the word ‘tiny’, “So we should not let him out in the fields just yet. It’d be best to have someone keep a close eye on him…”
Mydei feels dread as Hyacine trails off, leaving a hint of suspense in the air. He doesn’t like the direction they are heading.
And her later words proved his doubts true. He shouldn’t place his trust in someone who knows too much about his misfortune, his dilemma, and his undying crush for a certain white-haired Deliverer.
“Snowy, could you take him in for the meantime?”
The arms around him tightened, and Mydei was once again pressed into something utterly soft and warm and smells really good that he does not dare to name, as Phainon’s earnest voice rings from the top of his head. He does not need to look at her face to know that she is vibrating with excitement, determination, and absolute obliviousness.
“Of course!”
He can see Hyacine’s smile widen. The traitor.
“Oh, and Snowy, I think you should refrain from hugging him too much; it won’t be good for his cardiac system.”
As Phainon visibly pouts and offers a deflating ‘okay’, Mydei finds himself thanking Hyacine, against all odds. Much appreciated.