Chapter Text
Halfway through Ghulam’s impassioned plea for him to rejoin the Akademiya, Tighnari hears the traveller and Paimon approaching. Ears twitching in that direction, he forces his eyes to remain on Ghulam’s annoyed expression.
Tighnari knows that someone like Ghulam will never understand why he left, or why he’ll never return.
Few people do.
“I’m afraid I must decline,” he says, echoing the words from his earlier letter to Sage Naphis. “Something is ailing the forests, and just as a doctor will not abandon their patients, I will not abandon the forest.”
Tighnari takes a small amount of pride in the way that Ghulam’s face reddens with anger. Perhaps Ghulam wants the position that Sage Khajeh is offering. Ghulam should be a bit happier then, with Tighnari’s refusal.
Or perhaps Ghulam’s standing with his Sage is somehow tied to the success of their desperate mission here, to convince Tighnari to come with them back to Sumeru City.
“Think about it, Tighnari, refusing to join is tantamount to burying your head in the sand!” Ghulam yells.
Tighnari winces from the noise and then glares at the indignant man for disturbing the relative peace of Gandharva Ville. Fortunately, Collei has recovered well enough and is no longer recuperating in the main house, but Tighnari is still annoyed at Ghulam’s lack of tact.
People like Ghulam, who blindly believe in the Akademiya as a force of good always, are the people that Tighnari despises the most.
They are the ones with their heads buried in sand. Tighnari shakes his head, thinking of the many bitter arguments he has had over the years with Cyno on this very subject.
“I understand that you're a Forest Watcher and that it's your duty to combat the effects of Withering Zones, but isn't it evident that such work is not a lasting solution to the problem? As Sage Khajeh clearly stated, your presence and guidance in Sumeru City is pivotal in finding a cure for Irminsul. How could you possibly refuse!?”
Before Tighnari can respond, Sage Khajeh takes a step forward, positioning himself between them.
“Keep your emotions in check, Ghulam. Let's at least listen to Tighnari's reason for declining. We're here to invite him to the Akademiya, not to cause a scene.”
Even with a lingering respect for his master at the Amurta Darshan, Tighnari doesn’t trust any of the sages fully. Not before, when he had quickly become disillusioned with the Akademiya during his studies, and certainly not now, when he has just rejected a sought-after position.
Still, he nods his head towards Sage Kajeh in recognition now that the older man has spoken.
“Sage Khajeh, I am truly honored that you came here in person, but I'm afraid I must still decline your invitation.I am merely a Forest Watcher. How could the great minds of the Haravatat have any need of someone like me?”
To Tighnari’s surprise, Sage Kajeh laughs. It’s wheezing and bitter in Tighnari’s sensitive ears.
In a way, it reminds him of the Withering, decayed and brittle over what once had been verdant forests.
“Well it turns out that your refusal letter had some implications on your master's reputation,” Sage Kajeh says. The Sage keeps his voice bright and jovial, but Tighnari recognizes a threat when he hears one. “He is a renowned Sage of the Amurta, after all. So now, I've come here in his stead.”
“I see. Huh, and I figured that, given his temper, he would come here and berate me personally.”
Sage Naphis isn’t known for his patience, after all. An interesting relation to the field of biology itself, Tighnari muses, given how rapidly things evolve and change over time.
His ears twitch again and Tighnari listens beyond what Sage Kajeh is saying towards a high-pitched birdcall from the forests. It’s one that he usually associates more with Mawtiyima Forest than Gandharva Ville and makes a mental note to investigate later.
“Tighnari, your master is an integral part of this effort, and now he requires your assistance,” Sage Kajeh says, bringing Tighnari back to the conversation.
“And what exactly does my master need of me, Sage Khajeh?”
“You'll know, once you've arrived in Sumeru City, that is.”
“And how long will I be required to stay?”
“There's no definite answer as of now.” Sage Kajeh looks more weary as if he’s recognizing the futility of his visit with each word.
Tighnari shakes his head. Despite every plan to refuse the position for himself, he had outlined key flaws in the proposal in his first letter to Sage Naphis. The absence of a more specific description for the position — all Sage Naphis mentioned had been promises of increased reputation and renown within the Akademiya itself — and the amount of time one would have to spend in the city were merely two of many he had listed.
Since then, Sage Naphis’ letters had only increased in volume, but something had been off about the latest ones and they had missed his master’s specific weather tracking on the back of them. His mentor’s absence, sending Sage Kajeh and Ghulam in his stead, also is at odds with what Tighnari knows of his master.
“Do you mean to tell me that despite coming all the way here to Gandharva Ville, you still can't answer the questions I laid out in the letter to my master? If that's the case, then I'm afraid I cannot give you a definite answer either.”
“Tighnari! But you—” Ghulam looks beside himself, face red with rage, but is interrupted by a long sigh from Sage Kajeh.
“So be it... Come, Ghulam, we're leaving.”
Ghulam glares at him again. Tighnari nods his head in their direction politely as they turn.
No sooner do their figures fade into the distant path leading towards Sumeru City than the telltale hollow wooden sound of the traveller’s shoes on the steps of the ranger’s lookout. The traveller is quiet as always, relying on their floating companion Paimon to do most of the talking.
Tighnari wonders if the traveller isn’t yet fluent in his language, or simply prefers not to speak. There’s a wealth of experience in their eyes — weary yet attentive — that piques Tighnari interest.
Not to mention the state in which the traveller had arrived and their quick ability to adapt to their surroundings, in addition to their control of the elements.
It puts Tighnari on edge, but also makes him overwhelmingly curious about their existence. From his admittedly rudimentary observations, the traveller is almost like a shroom-kin, able to take in whatever elements they come across and become something different.
“Uh Tighnari, what was that all about?” Paimon asks as they stop in front of him.
“It’s nothing. Some people from the Akademiya wanted me to go to Sumeru City to assist them with a project, but I had to refuse on account of all my responsibilities here.”
Tighnari shakes his head again, unsure of just how much they overheard. It’s no matter either way. The traveller surely will not try to drag him to Sumeru City. “But all that can wait, how did things go with Haypasia?”
“It was quite the eventful trip! But the main thing is that she's safe and sound. She answered a bunch of questions for us, too.”
“Very good.” Tighnari turns towards the traveller. “Now that you have made a full recovery, there shouldn't be any reason for you to tarry here longer. I assume you will be heading to Sumeru City, correct?”
“That's right! We want to meet Lesser Lord Kusanali and ask her for advice. Do you have any idea how we can find her?”
Tighnari’s ears twitch as he hears a very familiar sound on the wind. He smiles and nods at the traveller, all while considering their words.
It’s rare that someone purposefully seeks out Lesser Lord Kusanali. Tighnari has not heard much about her outside of the whispers that she sequesters herself in the sanctuary. Few people in the Akademiya speak of her, which makes Tighnari more curious.
When the Akademiya governing body deems something unworthy of attention it never fails to increase Tighnari’s interest, especially in this particular case, with how the Dendro element itself and the forests are interconnected.
Perhaps Lesser Lord Kusanali would be able to explain that connection better in service of aiding Collei.
However, there’s little need for the traveller to know any of this. Tighnari still doesn’t wholeheartedly trust them, although they appear to not be aligned with any one party in Sumeru.
“Sorry, I'm afraid I don't have any advice for you there,” he says honestly.
“Well, do you at least know anyone we can try asking in Sumeru City?” Paimon asks. The traveller watches him silently, arms crossed over their chest.
Tighnari hums. “Let me think... My trips to Sumeru City have been fairly short, and most of my acquaintances are researchers…”
There’s always Rohawi. He’s a poor excuse for a researcher — his last paper had been riddled with inaccuracies — but if anyone would know the latest Sumeru City gossip, it would be Rohawi.
“How about this... I'll write you a letter of introduction that you can give to a researcher I know,” he tells the traveller. “He's from the Amurta Darshan and is adept at gathering information. Asking him might prove worthwhile. Also, when you enter Sumeru City, you'll probably end up receiving something like this item here. I'm not sure if it will ever come in handy for you, but maybe you can give it a try.”
The traveller looks at the device now in the palm of their hand and looks back at Tighnari with a confused expression.
“Oh? What is it?” Paimon asks.
Tighnari definitely wonders about their relationship and how they’ve grown to know each other this well.
A small snapping of a twig in the distance catches his attention and his ears move in that direction. Smiling up into the sun, Tighnari looks towards the forest and back at the traveller and Paimon again.
“It's called an Akasha Terminal,” he says, noting that the traveller’s eyes never leave him as he speaks. Perhaps they can sense his reluctance and growing ire with the Akademiya. “It's a tool produced by the Akademiya that utilizes the legacy of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Some say that this very item is the basis of Sumeru's reputation as the City of Wisdom.”
Or a way to keep the populace of Sumeru City under the Akademiya’s figurative thumb.
Tighnari does not say this aloud. He’ll be sure to keep an eye on the traveller’s excursions from a distance through his own connections. For now, Collei trusts them and while that’s not enough for Tighnari to do the same, he finds himself wanting to believe that they’re trustworthy.
“Needless to say, this device and its usage fall under the Akademiya's expertise,” he continues, gesturing towards the devices that he placed in the traveller’s hands. “So I'll leave it to them to show you how to use it.”
The traveller looks up at Tighnari’s ears and then opens their mouth to speak. Tighnari anticipates the question that many have asked him over the years — Why do you not wear an Akasha Terminal? — but Paimon interrupts them before they say a word.
“Great! Next stop, Sumeru City! Ah, but wait, before that…”
“We need to say goodbye to Collei,” the traveller says.
It’s the first time they’ve spoken all afternoon.
“That's right! Tighnari, we have something important to say to Collei before we leave,” Paimon says, a guilty expression crossing the small fairy’s face. “Is she doing better now?”
Tighnari cannot help but smile a bit more softly at both of them. Their genuine concern for Collei is their greatest observable character trait thus far. He had fought with Collei when she had told him that she wanted them to know the truth of her illness, but he’s happy to find his fears unfounded.
“Yes, she's doing much better,” he says, watching the traveller’s face brighten a bit. “After being confined to her bed all this time, I thought a little walk would do her some good. Last I saw her, she was taking the path towards the north crossing. She knew you two would be leaving soon, so she must have wanted to see you off.”
“Thanks, Tighnari!” Paimon says, waving so wildly that her body bounces on the wind. “Alright, let's go.”
“Farewell, and good luck to you both,” Tighnari says. They walk towards where Collei is waiting for them at the edge of the village. When their figures fade from his view, Tighnari turns around and looks back into the forest.
“You can come out now,” he says.
An exasperated sigh accompanies a loud crashing sound as a man appears in front of him, having jumped from the roof of the ranger station.
Cyno looks just as intimidating as the day that Tighnari remembers meeting him — jackal-shaped cape suiting the scowl on his face.
“Do you mind if I share this table? It’s rather busy and there’s nowhere else to sit.”
Tighnari remembers that voice from years ago when he first entered the Akademiya.
He hasn’t heard it again until now, but hasn’t forgotten it.
Suddenly all of the rumours and whispers of that first day rush into his ears.
General Mahamatra only seeks out Akademiya scholars who have broken some sort of rule.
A conference in his office is near-synonymous with expulsion.
Tighnari cannot remember doing anything against the rules of Amurta or the Akademiya outside of occasionally expressing his displeasure at the existence of the Akasha Terminals, which he generally refuses to use himself.
When he looks up, the long dark jackal ears and gleaming gold accents of General Mahamatra loom over him. A single orange eye stares at him as the General frowns, the other hidden by a curtain of white bangs.
“G-general Mahamatra!”
To his embarrassment, Tighnari stutters and shifts nervously, nearly knocking over his now-lukewarm cup of coffee onto his research journals.
Fortunately, he catches it in his hands, carefully placing it at the corner of the small table in front of him. That should keep it away from his journals in case he is surprised again.
Or forcibly dragged away.
Racking his brain for any sort of academic misstep in the past few days — he still cannot think of anything, save perhaps one of the collaborations he had agreed to last month. In that case, Tighnari would certainly be able to prove his own innocence should his partner turn out to be unsavoury.
He considers it a privilege to have been sought out by scholars from so many other Darshans although he still doesn’t understand why.
There are significantly fewer scholars of the Avidya Forest Withering now that there used to be, Tighnari supposes. It’s accepted as a natural phenomenon after all — one that’s intrinsically-tied to the existence of the Irminsul despite also being an affliction.
A gravelly throat-clearing sound makes his ears twitch and Tighnari looks up, realizing that he lost track of General Mahamatra’s presence in his musings.
Embarrassed, he feels a flush spread across his face.
The general sighs and taps his foot against the wood floor. His sandal makes a hollow sound that resonates in Tighnari’s ears.
“Do you mind if I sit here?” the general asks again. Tighnari notes that it looks like he’s grinding his teeth in frustration.
Shaking his head immediately, Tighnari realizes that this could be taken as a rejection instead of acceptance. He nods and begins to move a stack of his research journals to the side so the general can sit down.
“Of course not! Let me just move some of my papers…”
Tighnari smiles. Even that initial exchange had ended in one of Cyno’s horrible jokes.
“Ahhhh I thought I had snuck up on you this time!”
Cyno’s petulant whine is wholly at-odds with his appearance. Even as his gold belt makes a formidable jingling sound, Cyno’s childish pout ruins any potential intimidating aspects of his appearance or personality.
Although Tighnari knows better, he cannot help but twitch his ears in Cyno’s direction. “You can’t fool these,” he says.
Cyno hums and reaches forward, grazing the backs of his fingers against the outside of Tighnari’s left ear.
Startled at the frisson of desire that courses through his body, Tighnari gasps. At Cyno’s low laughter, Tighnari clears his throat and reaches up to catch Cyno’s wrist in a tight grip.
The harder he squeezes the more Cyno laughs at him.
“Collei won’t be back for a while if that’s who you were looking for General Mahamatra,” Tighnari says, noting that a few of the other forest watchers have gathered around them, awestruck at the sight of the Akademiya’s Judicator of Secrets. “You may rest inside until she returns.”
Cyno sighs again, this time less petulant and more exhausted. A blank expression crosses his face and he drops his hands to his sides when Tighnari releases him. “I seem to have attracted some attention. This was not my intent. Would you mind making me a cup of tea? I’ve travelled a long way today.”
Nodding brusquely, Tighnari leads Cyno into the small rangers’ station and gestures to the cot arranged against the wall. He doesn’t have a place for Cyno to sit save the cot — where the traveller had slept until today — and the small hard-backed chair at his desk. They could go back outside to one of the wooden table setups scattered throughout the village walk, but at the cost of any privacy.
“Nice of you to let me know you were coming,” Tighnari says as he hands a steaming mug to Cyno.
Despite Cyno’s good mood and humour, the visit seems ominous considering what Tighnari had asked of Cyno.
Cyno takes a deep breath, smelling the curling steam in the air. “I told you I’d visit to check up on Collei.”
“So you did.” Tighnari pours another small mug for himself and pulls out his desk chair to face Cyno. Finally, he allows himself to relax, rolling his shoulders back and grinning at Cyno directly.
He watches as Cyno’s blank expression immediately fades into a soft smile.
The footsteps from the path outside fall away — Tighnari hopes that the other rangers’ curiosity has been met for now, or that they’ll at least have the courtesy to leave the two of them alone — and Tighnari closes his eyes.
A cry of a messenger bird is the first thing he hears, accompanied by the continued metallic tinkling noises from the gold plating on Cyno’s outfit. Cyno smells like the arid desert air and sand with a metallic hint of blood and sweet candied dates.
It’s been so long since they’ve seen each other last.
Tighnari had feared that Cyno would exile himself without visiting at all — the safer option by a significant margin. That being said, Cyno had always been the more emotional one between the two of them, despite appearances. Tighnari laughs softly to himself.
When he opens his eyes, Cyno is staring at him.
“What?”
Cyno continues smiling warmly — if only the students at the Akademiya could see their General Mahamatra now — and sips his tea. “Nothing. Who was that you were talking to when I arrived?”
Narrowing his eyes, Tighnari stares into his reflection in the murky green tea. “I don’t know. But they could control the elements at will. They were also able to connect to the Irminsul.”
At this, Cyno starts and tilts his head to the side, scowling. “That is interesting.”
“Do not tell your colleagues,” Tighnari quickly says. “I still trust them more than the Akademiya.”
Cyno shakes his head, but Tighnari still doesn’t like the look in his eyes. “I won’t. But it would sometimes serve you better not to antagonize them directly.”
“I don’t need your advice. How much did you hear earlier?”
“I lack your hearing ability,” Cyno teases, reaching forward to stroke Tighnari’s ears — a figurative olive branch that Tighnari gladly accepts, leaning into Cyno’s gentle touch. “But I knew that Sage Naphis would send for you.”
Tighnari snorts. “I’m surprised he didn’t come abduct me himself.”
His worry over his argumentative mentor seeps into his tone, light but still present. Having already told Cyno of his concerns at Pardis Dhyai, all there is to do is wait for Cyno’s investigation to be complete.
Cyno only smiles in return, rubbing the palm of his hand over Tighnari’s cheek.
“I missed you,” Cyno says simply and without context. “How is Collei?”
As grateful as Tighnari is that Cyno didn’t continue to talk of the Akademiya further — it always leads to their worst arguments and a fight is the last thing that Tighnari wants right now — Tighnari feels his ears droop. Any lingering warmth in Cyno’s expression shutters behind his eyes as he scowls into the air.
“She’s getting worse,” Cyno says, answering his own question.
Nodding, Tighnari slowly sips his own cup of tea, gripping it tightly in his hands, bristling even as the warmth from Cyno’s hand still cradling his face pleasantly tingles on his skin. “Eleazar is affected by the Withering, and the Withering zones have increased exponentially over the past few months.”
Another messenger bird cries in the distance. The muffled voice of Amir echoes from outside the tent and then grows quieter as Amir walks away.
Tea finished, Tighnari places the empty clay mug onto his desk and leans towards Cyno. “She’s doing significantly better mentally. However, I am afraid for what will happen if her physical condition continues to deteriorate. Collei is most happy when she can contribute to patrols and classes.”
“I’ll ignore the part where you’re running illegal classes without the Akademiya’s position,” Cyno says wryly.
“Oh you don’t have to. They’ve already harassed me about it.”
“Naturally, you’ve now seen the error of your ways,” Cyno snarks.
“Naturally.” Tighnari rolls his eyes. Now with the benefit of hindsight, the fact that he ever found Cyno intimidating is humorous, and Tighnari giggles.
You’ve done well, Tighnari,” Cyno whispers softly. “Although I would have preferred if your workaholic nature hadn’t influenced her so quickly.”
Cyno’s hand sneaks around the back of his neck as the general pulls Tighnari forward, their foreheads touching in an odd half-hug. Tighnari can taste the sourness of green tea on Cyno’s breath and watches Cyno’s pupils dilate, knowing that his own are doing the same.
“I brought you something,” Cyno says, pulling a small cloth from behind his back. “What do you say to having lunch in the forest with me and Collei?”
Tighnari pulls away from Cyno. He knows that grin on Cyno’s face all too well.
“It’s a date,” Cyno laughs, answering for him and holding out a honeyed date towards Tighnari.
Later, they will inevitably fight about the nature of the Akademiya and its latest mysterious project.
Later, Cyno will pepper him with questions about the traveller who had just stopped by and Tighnari will have to choose between being honest and protecting the traveller from the Akademiya’s influence.
Later, they will both furiously search for ideas on how to cure Collei. They will talk about how the Withering zones have become more of an accepted common nuisance rather than formidable outliers while Tighnari marvels at humans’ natural adaptability.
But now, Cyno is in front of him and they’re alone for the foreseeable future while Collei is out and so Tighnari moves, nipping at Cyno’s fingers and eating the date right out of his hands. Cyno’s eyes widen and Tighnari can hear the soft panting of Cyno’s breath roaring in his ears as he slowly moves his tongue up and down Cyno’s fingers, sucking the leftover honey slowly.
“Ah…Tighnari…”
“That’s what you get for making such a terrible joke.” Yet, Tighnari’s voice is equally breathless as he shifts into Cyno’s lap. He looks up and sees both love and desire in Cyno’s eyes.
“I missed you too,” Tighnari says.