Chapter Text
Upon the scorching, vibrant peaks of Coatepec Mountain, those from the nearby Natlanese tribe - “Scions of the Canopy", could be found scurrying about the plains, engaging in multitudes of different activities. Navigating the ancient temples left behind by time, fishing and hunting near the winding river of Tetipac Peak, indulging in the extreme sport of bungee-jumping off to wind-blessed, serene blue skies…
…And still, Kinich couldn’t afford to enjoy a fleetingly spare moment of time. Not with such a formidable opponent to “hunt” as his honorary commission.
The foreign knight before him simply couldn’t seem to back down from his oppressive onslaught, his calculative strikes. Resounding, grating gongs of claymore against spear echoed throughout the terrain, with both men determined to see their battle through until the very end.
Kinich was nothing, after all, if not patient. If he couldn’t find an opening in his foe’s relentless tenacity and swift momentum to pursue head-on, then he would wait and continue to remain on the defensive course of action.
“Come on…COME ON! Haha, aren’t you going to hit me again? Send me flying? You were putting up such a good fight beforehand, Lizard Boy! Too scared to play dirty, is that it?” The mysterious man taunted, a twisted and fearless smile plastered upon his face. In the Nation of War, Kinich had become accustomed to those who saw battle not just for glory, but for the thrill of sparring and the traditions it carried. And yet…
This young man, when gazing into his eyes, all he could see was an abyss of pure, raw impulse. Something primal.
“I could say the same to you.” Kinich scoffed in retort, his claymore swinging forcefully to counter the mighty lunge, causing both to stagger and fall back for a moment from the impact of it all. The two were evenly matched, carrying the weight of their encounter through bruises and tears that remained, recovering their rugged breath and staring one another down. Too tattered to move, but too focused to retreat.
A prime opportunity to question and pry.
“You’re pretty good, y’know. Not many can keep up this closely with a Knight of Favonius in a fight. Color me impressed.” Lohen beamed, giving a smug little grin. Indeed, the young knight had known that Natlan bore strong, capable warriors who were as durable as they were cunning, but to be handed an opportunity like this on a silver platter? He was counting his luck! Who knew that it’d come with a little game of hunt-and-hunted, too?
All the while, the Saurian hunter couldn’t help but be perplexed. If the man before him was a Knight of Favonius…what was the reason for being given a large, abundant bounty to “hunt” him down? Something, in his mind, began to seem quite off. “...Knight of Favonius, huh?” Kinich asked, remaining cautious yet curious. His grip on his claymore remained steadfast. “Why are you here, then? Most of your men were seen at the Basin of Unnumbered Flames, guarding the office of our Archon. Shouldn’t you be among them, and your leader?” He asked, pointed yet curious.
“Eh.” Lohen shrugged, dusting off his cloak in a rather nonchalant manner before returning to the “lizard boy” before him. “Too boring. Besides, why would I wanna sit around—-I mean, remain stationed when my colleagues are more than capable of guarding the area? Natlan’s full of opportunities to fight, right? I’d be pretty foolish not to take the chance to get some prime combat experience in, considering we’ll be stationed for quite a few days!” The young man stated, matter-of-factly so. His lip cocked into a twisted little grin, uncertain if cocky or simply enjoying the absurdity between them. “Just when I thought it was going to be a pain to find a good sparring partner too, you just happened to just show up! I mean, not really a wasted opportunity when someone’s hunting me like I’m bait to slime out, right?”
Kinich wasn’t sure whether to be baffled by the lack of “tact” this so-called knight carried, or by the idea he’d actually seek a fight so passionately to the point of abandoning his post. Wasn’t a knight’s whole decorum to be prim, proper and chivalrous? Not only that, but he actually enjoyed the feeling of him hunting him down?
What a strange, quirky person. Even quirkier than the hyper-active, screechy Saurian that haunted his everyday life.
“...Sorry to say, then, but I’ll have to cut this short.” Kinich stated, blunt in his tone. He shifted, pulling his claymore to the side and standing his ground. Unwilling to fight, especially in the case of the knight being from an allied nation. If he were to truly carry out a targeted wetwork of this kind and finish the job, then it’d be too steep of a price to pay that even mora wouldn’t cover. It wouldn’t just deeply upset the Archon and Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, but it would very well cost any future relations Natlan would have with the nation of Freedom, Mondstadt. ”I only take bounties and commissions that are worth the price to me, but this isn’t something I’m willing to entertain further. Sorry for wasting your time and targeting you unfairly. I’ll make sure to deal with this properly.” He’d reassure, giving him a gentle nod of acknowledgement before turning the other way. He was certain the person who’d given him the bounty was bad news, wanting to investigate further.
“Uh-uh, Lizard Boy…” Lohen tutted, swiftly lunging forth to stop him in his tracks. He raised his polearm, pointing the tip to the back of his neck as if willing to strike him down in a brutal, swift impalement if he took even a single step forward. “Don’t you think you owe me a bit more than just a mere apology and running off? I mean, it’s rather rude to try and kill someone without a proper explanation, isn’t it? Ah, guilty as charged of course, but really…” He’d playfully rebuttal, the metal tip tracing, nearly grazing his opponent’s skin. A game of cat-and-mouse between them, with Lohen unwilling to part quite yet.
How cumbersome.
With a non-chalant wave of his hand to bat the weapon away from his body, Kinich looked back with a firm yet hesitant expression. Was he willing to entertain someone this irregular and manic further? To drag them into his plan to confront the commissioner? Weighing the choices and consequences in his mind, he’d let out a small sigh, crossing his arms as sun-dyed eyes met deep, gradient ones.
“Someone came to the Scions of the Canopy today to give me an offer on a bounty. The reward was high, considering I don’t do wetwork commissions without proper compensation and a good enough reason as to the “why” such a job should be carried out. The commissioner said a “foreigner with mint hair” had been causing trouble for him and his men working in the fields on the peak near the scions, and gave me a description that matched yours to take you down,” Kinich explained, to the point and genuine in his words. Never once breaking eye contact, nor attempting to slip away. “But thinking back on it…he seemed to fidget whenever I tried to get a closer look at him, or ask more questions. I placed it as being anxious to commission something as major as this, but it could’ve been something else they were hiding. This doesn’t add up…and I’d like to get to the bottom of it.”
Lohen pondered his words for a moment, gazing firmly to ensure not a hint of deceit or hidden motive could be found within his eyes. Words were easy to fake and twist, but expressions laid all bare. With him seeing Kinich was speaking the truth, he withdrew his weapon for the time being. “Hah…very well then, it doesn’t seem like you’re trying to pull anything funny. And as for the commissioner in question…wouldn’t it be easier if we both worked together to find them? Call it a little truce between us, if you will.” Lohen proposed, a small smile curling upon his lips. “Plus, for sending you after me in an attempt to have me assassinated, let's just say this steps right into personal territory for me…”
Kinich wanted to reject the offer outright, not wishing to complicate things further. After all, the hunter was used to working alone for his bounties, including the inevitable “aftermath” to those he’d come to decline in the end. Though, seeing the Knight was unlikely to be persuaded to leave the incident alone, he’d relent with a sigh.
“Fine. Since the commissioner stated he was working in the fields on Teticpac Peak, let’s reconvene at the Scion’s base this afternoon. There’s a courier station among the different homes and shops, and I’ll meet you there so we can discuss a plan together before we confront them head-on. For now,let’s break off so we can prepare for whatever we might find.” Kinich concluded, needing to give the pair time to finish whatever else they’d need before focusing their combined efforts.
“Alright. Looking forward to wiping the floor with—-I mean, meeting this interesting requestor personally. I’m intrigued to see what their excuse is going to be…especially since I’d like to believe I’ve not wronged anyone. At least…heh, not yet.” Lohen chortled, mischievous and mysterious as he was.”And thanks, Lizard Boy. You proved to be pretty agreeable in the end.”
“It’s Kinich.” He corrected, looking unimpressed with the assigned nickname. “Kinich is fine.”
“Lohen.” The Knight stated in return, smiling his way. “A pleasure doing business with you, Kinich.”
And as the two went their temporary separate ways, Kinich couldn’t help but notice a mixed feeling in his heart. On one hand, working together with someone he wasn’t fully acquainted with could lead to more complications than he’d begun with. Yet, on the other, having a knight at his side would surely make dealing with declining the commission all the more swift. To place his trust in someone he’d just met was a greater gamble than he’d typically be willing to make…
…But at least he’d not have to deal with the constant back and forth between him and—
“KINIICCCHHHH!”
He had thought too soon.
“WHAT is the meaning of you stumbling and bumbling back home like a moron?! You didn’t even finish the job! You had that mint-flavored pest right in your measly little hands, and you LET HIM GO JUST LIKE THAT?!” The pixelated saurian screeched, his frustration palpable from his tone alone.
“Relax, he’s not worth the price anyways. He’s a knight, and I can’t just take out one of our allies’ men for a bit of cash.”
“A bit of cash? A BIT OF CASH?! Do you know what I, the Almighty Dragonlord, K’uhul Ajaw, was planning to BUY with that sweet, sweet bundle of mora?!”
“Something useless, no doubt.” Kinich grumbled.
“SHUT YOUR FILTHY TRAP! I will have you know, you absolute sniveling sucker, that I was planning to reward our plentiful efforts by purchasing the finest, sweetest supply of Quenepa juice! Freshly squeezed and prepared from the hands of lowly peasants in the Canopy! That is…until you let our bounty go like a complete IMBECIL!” Ajaw yelled.
“Ugh…can you lower your voice? It’s like nails against steel.”
“HARUMPH! You’re lucky that all I DO is rip you apart with my voice, Kinich! Next time, it’ll be setting up my own bounty for your insignificant little life!”
“Whatever you say. Anyway, we need to get back to base. That Knight is planning to help us for something, and I’m not about to give him any reason to cause more havoc with how eager he seems to fight. He seems…a little off.”
“Good, maybe he’ll actually set you straight! Beat you up! Give you a real run for your money!”
“Shut it, Ajaw. You’re lucky I didn’t ask him to take you back to the Knights.” Kinich sneered, ignoring the contempt on the saurian’s face as they walked back together.
“WHY YOU…!!”
And thus, Kinich found himself in yet another eventful day.