Chapter Text
The overpowering scent of flowers makes your nose itch and eyes water.
Despite living so far from ground level, your living space is completely adorned with flowers and plants. Clay pots containing plants that have yet to bear fruit. You're stuck here instead of roaming the plateaus in search of leylines. That would be infinitely more exciting than crushing up an assortment of leaves you can barely distinguish.
Leylines are ever constant yet malleable. Shifting but never changing. They’re like roots of a memory, but far more interesting. They grow with time and are difficult to manage, if such a thing is possible at all.
You rise to peek above the desk. Knees bent to stay relatively hidden. The wax of the newly polished desk catches your eye. The wood’s marbling is one you often trace your fingers on slow days. Smooth to the touch as the rings expand to the edge of the table. Laodice said that is how trees grow. Their outer layer becomes a foundation to become strong.
Your eyes linger on the wooden table a moment longer before it flicks. The guest isn't able to reach the desk like you can. Your hand can reach the center with ease. He’d probably have to stand on his toes to match your height. The kid speaks in clipped sentences with clumsy words.
“You were listening, right?” You return to your full height when Laodice turns her back to the guest. “It’ll take me a full day and then some to prepare the ingredients. We’ve recently used up all of Saurian Claw Succulent, and there shouldn’t be any left in the areas where they typically grow. Where can I get more?”
“You always do this…” You grab a cup off to the side for your poor throat. Water laps the brim. Then you spill it on the table, watching the water spread. Droplets that splatter. Hidden by the shadows of the desk. The sun is bright enough to peak through the windows for the desk to cast a long shadow. “It’s dark. The rocks are… floating? With crystals. Lots of cliffs.”
“The Sulfurous Veins, huh?” Heels click on the wooden floors as you hear Laodice shuffle her belongings around. You open your mouth to say that you can go, but she beats you to it. “Keep watch of the store.”
“She never lets me go…” You only grumble for a moment before brushing off dust over the smooth desk. Her footsteps fade until they are no longer audible on the wooden surface. Then you tumble over the desk to greet your guest.
Kinich is an even more disgusting sight up close. He reeks of iron and sweat. Hair would cling to his forehead were it not for his headband. It’s almost a surprise he didn't clean off his prey before coming here.
“You have to clean up before presenting your kill!” You cross the house to get the necessary preparations. Special soap blend that you’ve created yourself. Laodice doesn’t give you any instructions for your own blends, so you snag whatever spares around to practice. You haven’t used them yet, but now is as good a time as any! “All that blood will scare people off!”
“Warriors.”
You unceremoniously dump all the stuff in a basket. Then bring it over to him and turn over the single word in your mind. There’s a supply and demand in the village with the ongoing war. The blood probably isn’t that off-putting to hardened warriors and couriers.
“Yeah, but we only get the weirdos around here. Even if I tell them that we’re closed, they’ll just say ‘oh okay,’ and they’ll come back on a different day!” Laodice would never leave you to handle important customers anyway. They have a weird means of communication that you can hardly wrap your head around. Maybe if you stay here longer, she’d allow privy to the shop’s mechanics. In the meantime, you’re left to do tasks like cleaning the mess her disgusting clients leave. His shirt is beyond ruined. Gaze lingers on his eyes like a sun on a grassy horizon. He stares back until you wipe a thumb under his eye to wipe away the blood. You then shove him into the bathroom with the bar of tallow in his hands. “You’re tracking blood on our floors! And presentation matters a lot! I know it’s superficial to you, but implicit biases do exist!”
“Necessary?”
“Yes! You’ll probably sit in a tub of your own filth and cold water!”
You start the water for to shower. Setting the faucet to warm, but nothing but cold water comes out. When you turn back, Kinich hasn’t rid himself of his filthy rags. The boy stands there with a pensive expression. He grabs your wrist to pull you up before pushing you out.
“I know how to do this.” These are his last words before he slams the door.
“But do you!?”
You pound the door only to stop at the sound of a click and curtains ruffling. You pout and slide down with your back to the door. The sound of water bounces against the ceramic loud enough to be heard even through the barrier. Your gaze turns down. Red from how he grabbed your wrist. The liquid starts to brown and flake. You sniff and wrinkle your nose. It’s not as pungent as when it’s wet, but the scent is still foul. You wonder if some of this is his blood.
A squawk makes you jump out of your skin. An Iktomisaur barely half your size wobbles over. Your heart pangs at the sight of her settling by your side. The texture of the Saurian soft under your hand. Her fur was always matted when you’d combed her. She nuzzles into your touch before your wrist before her tongue makes contact. You giggle at the sensation.
“Ewww!” You laugh as you push the saurian away. The bathroom is being used, so you wash your wrist with the fancy soap Laodice always uses. You go to the kitchen to wash your wrist. Lots of hanging plants above your window sill and below.
The scent of flowers is always strongest here. “Go away, Inky!”
Dishes are piled to the brim. You head straight to the soap to wash your hands. You’ll be quick not to ruin Kinich’s shower! Although you’re not sure if he’d even notice the difference. Dried blood chips off your skin into the dishes below. The water flows into the drain as you scrub it off.
“Okay!” You turn to Inky. An array of tools appears between your fingers. “Your turn!”
It’s not like you’re actually going to get customers at this time of day, and your one source of entertainment has disappeared into the bathroom. You turn your attention to Inky. Brush her, clean her teeth, clean her ears. Her claws… She whines and squirms under your attention, but you keep steady. Feeding lots of berries to tide Inky over her bad mood. The moment you finish up, Inky tries to scramble away. You scoop her up for one more squeeze, then you push her out the door. You watch her glide away from the store, hidden by the cliffsides and trees. You don’t move even when she becomes a speck on the horizon. Or when she makes a turn to be hidden by the cliffs.
What breaks you away is the sound of a door opening. You take a perk up and bounce over. Kinich looks absolutely ghastly in your clothes. Hollow cheeks. Arms you could wrap your entire hand around. Pale for a Natlan boy.
“You're sopping wet!” You click your tongue. Snatching the towel from the counter that he’s not using. You push him to the couch to dry his hair. “You're gonna get everything all wet!”
You rub his hair dry, and he sits with his head tilted down. You sniff and nod. The soap has a more earthy than beef scent. You’ll use it on yourself next time. He’s not covered in grease anymore, but in front of you is matted hair. A scar that stretches up into his scalp that would be covered by a headband. A common accessory in the tribe.
You glance down and notice his eyelashes. Wanting a better look, you take his face and tilt it up. Thick eyelashes covering eyes that blaze like the sun. You run your fingertips on his eyelid. One folds at the touch, but the other watches carefully. Kinich doesn't move even when you press down on the one thing that protects such precious little suns. It would be easy to put even more pressure on breaking the thin barrier.
Kinich reaches out as well. You blink as his hand wraps around your arm. He squeezes.
“Owowow!!” You let go of him to yank your hand back, but his grip is crazy strong! “Don’t squeeze so hard!”
“Bruises.”
“They’re because you’re squeezing so hard!” You whine. The once dull pain is now throbbing the more he tightens his grip as you try to get your arm back. “I’m not a brute who can take a hit like you! Let go!!”
He does. Sure enough, the place he grabbed is discolored and throbbing with pain
“If you didn’t want me to dry your hair, just say that…” You try to say in a sulky tone, but it does nothing for the kid in front of you. Kinich pokes the splotchy bruise, but you swat his hand away. “Now get your clothes and go away, you little weirdo.”
You were going to offer him dinner, but he can forget it after trying to rupture your skin! With the way he treats everything so flippantly, Kinich is sure to make a mess at the dinner table. That you would have to clean! Laodice can barely function as a human to begin with; you don’t need another person adding to the disaster of a house. You’re about to yell at him some more, but see Kinich putting on the filthy garbs he came over in.
“No!” You wrangle the bloody shirt off of him. Stomping off to retrieve and shove your old clothes into his hands. Laodice was supposed to get rid of these ages ago, but she hasn’t gotten around to it. That’s what she tells you. “I gave you a really nice soap that I made from Tatankasaurs' tallow! You’re not going to waste it by being filthy again!”
It’s a whole ordeal. He stands by the door with his haul. Your clothes pool awkwardly on Kinich. Even more tiny as he stares at you with the sunlight flickering in his eyes.
“Yes?” You ask.
“Come.”
What is going on about this time? You can’t make heads or tails of his one-word answer sometimes. This guy really needs to go to class more…
“Laodice will be back with them. Might take a while until she’s back.” You take a stab in the dark with your guess. From Kinich's frown, you don’t think that’s what he’s talking about. You sigh and ruffle his hair. “You’re hopeless. Just… talk.”
Kinich startles at the touch but doesn’t move away. When you make sure his head doesn’t have lice, he tugs on your sleeve. Surprisingly gentle in contrast to how he made the bruise worse.
“Follow.”
“Yeah? Where?”
He tugs more insistently, but the grip on your sleeve seems fragile. Like if you were to yank your arm back, he’d give up this unusual whining. The orange hue from the sun highlights his eyes.
“Follow,” Kinich repeats.
“...Sure. It’s almost time to close up anyway.”
You go with a smile. It doesn’t leave your face even as you walk on the wooden bridge at the village. The sun is dipping on the horizon, now hidden by the cliff sides. Follow the river. Wandering to more unfamiliar territory with Kinich in hand. His hand is bony and rough in yours. Your eyes flit around as the sky and buildings become the foliage of the ground. There’s a heaviness in the air you’re not sure how to dispel. You grab a stick to hit nearby trees. Kicking wildlife to stir up the dirt.
“Stop that.”
“Party pooper.” You stop anyway.
Soon enough, the aphid lights up a path. You’re not sure how long you walked for. Only that you arrive at a cavern. Secure and dry. Straw flooring with matting on top. There are two bundles.
“I thought you lived with Chief Lief?” You settle down on the mat. Looking around more. It’s functional, you suppose. A bit dreary for your liking.
“Sometimes.”
He lights up a lantern. Seems like a fire hazard, but this is his house. Kinich can burn down here if he wants. Kinich prepares for what seems like his nightly routine as you settle into the space. You thought it would be chilly, but the structure is surprisingly good at keeping the warmth trapped in. The straws act as proper insulation.
Sensing your boredom, Kinich shoves what initially appears to be a pile of papers onto your lap as he busies himself. Upon closer inspection, it’s a battered old book. The cover is frayed, and each page is wrinkled with random spots of water damage. You only know this to be the case because Laodice spills stuff on her documents all the time, expecting you to do something about it… You do because you’re awesome, but she’s still the worst for pawning off the task when it has nothing to do with your apprenticeship.
The Hill of Silent Crickets must be a manuscript because there isn’t even an ending to these pages. The final scene is of the main character giving life to another.
“Kind of boring.”
By the time you’ve finished the manuscript, Kinich blows out the candle. He settles in the bedroll next to you, and you start to count in your head. It’s peaceful here. You can hear the river in the distance. Water flows by the bank. The quiet buzz of insects flying about. Even louder on the ground than in your normal bed. Where vultures circle Laodice’s home like they’re ready to snatch you the moment you drop your guard. When the noisiness of the forest lulls you, a number jolts you back awake. When you reach 1000, his breath finally evens out.
You gently sit up. Trying to make as little noise as possible to slip out of your sleeping bag.
A hand shoots out.
A flash of white flickers through your vision from the pain shooting behind your eyes. The silence while Kinich grips your arm with a strength that you couldn’t match, despite your age difference.
“You always talk about leaving.” Kinich rises to sit from his own spot. Even if there’s only the barest essence of the moon to illuminate the dark shelter, it feels like he’s able to stare straight through you. “Stay here.”
“...Hey, Kinich? Do you have a dream?” You ask. Despite his iron grip on your bruise, you use your other hand to guide his own down. To squeeze your hand instead of your arm. Kinich’s eyes are blazing with an emotion you can’t identify, but he still follows your guidance and allows you to guide him out into the darkness. You can’t see the open sky from here. Unlike in the village. Even with the tall trees blocking the path, the moon’s radiance still shines through. You look beyond the “Laodice is amazing. Even though the Abyss has enemies filled with abyssal energy, she still finds a way to poison them back. And when the poisons don’t work anymore, she makes an even stronger one to take them down.”
You turn back to him. His gaze grows even more stern.
“So I have to go back. Who else would take on Laodice’s role once she kicks the bucket?”
“She has an ancient name,” Kinich counters. “The Wayob would bring her back.“
“And if the Wayob doesn’t?”
You let go. His hand falls back to his side limply while you cradle yours. The pensive knit of his eyebrows tells you that he’s not convinced, but he’s stopped arguing with you. That’s enough.
“Let me take you back,” Kinich breaks the silence.
“No biggie!” You chirp. “I remember the way back!”
“What if the Abyss ambushes?”
“I know the places to hide! Wouldn't have survived this long without knowing how to.”
He doesn’t say more. Neither do you. Your leave is unceremonious. Kinich’s gaze pricks your back until passing through the foliage.
You follow the traces left behind. Trails you know the warriors have made, and the ones you made a mess of the shrubbery.
A thick miasma of elemental energy surrounds you. You can’t see the air’s thickness, but it can certainly be felt. Kinich sure knows how to pick his hiding spots. Maybe you should come over to wreck his place the next time you swing by. Then he’d had to pick a safer spot to make his home.
You pluck a quenepa berry. Crush it in your hands. The juices and fiber burst in your hand. Chunks falling into the dirt. Dripping messily. Staining your clothes. You frown at the lack of vision. Nerves too frazzled to conjure the elemental energy around you.
A rustle in the bushes makes you freeze. Then Inky stumbles out of them like a messenger sent by the Pyro Archon herself. You release a sigh you didn’t realize you were holding and shake the berry chunks off.
“Can you take me home?”
Inky only leads you up to a certain point. Out of the woods and back on the main path. You smooth the tuft of fur on her head before she toddles away.
A familiar wooden door is thrumming with energy. You give it a small push, but predictably, it doesn’t budge. You look. There's a small sigil by the doorknob. You decipher the code. The air feels lighter somehow. You push open the heavy door. There’s still plenty of resistance.
“You can't keep skirting your responsibility with the Night War Wardens! It is your honor and privilege to at least attend!”
Your stomach drops down to your feet. Does Laodice have customers right now? If it’s at this time of night, then it’s an important one that might take hours… you can’t just stay out here for that long! But she’ll skin you alive if you interrupt… So you should unseal the door quietly and sneak into your room…
That was the plan anyway. You’re barely able to decode the first layer before heavy footsteps approach. You try to hide only to stumble as the door swings open.
“Child, what are you doing?”
You jolt at the voice. Too focused on the door to hear another set of footsteps. You rise to your feet to face the intruder.
“Chief Liek…”
The door swings wide open to reveal another silhouette.
“Ah, that’s who was trying to break into the house.”
Lief’s expression hardens. “You knew the child was locked out?”
“Hmm… not quite.” Laodice fixes you with a look that makes you shrink. She had been teaching you to unlock the door yourself, but Chief Liek caught you before you could finish breaking the spell. You want to hide behind the man, but wring your wrist instead. “Just that someone was trying to open the door.”
“I was out trying to get some quenepa berry,” you cut in. Even shoving your stained hand out for good measure. “I always do this. I just lost track of time.”
“...Child, you can stay with me if you'd like,” Chief Liek says. A surge of panic spikes. “Kinich stays with me often as well.”
A picture flashes in your head. Living with the village chief and Kinich. Playing together whenever he visits your new home. The thought of it makes your chest ache. Another way to leave. What is it with people today? You’re here for a reason. Why can’t they see that?
“No, thank you,” you say. “Laodice still has a lot to teach me.”
“I could teach you as well.”
“Thank you, but it's okay. I… I’m okay.”
Laodice places a hand on your shoulder. You can’t lift your gaze to meet Chief Liek. Only the small thumps of his footsteps fade until you can only hear the blood rushing in your body.
“On the table.”
Laodice breaks the silence with a command. You grit your teeth but follow. Climbing on the cleared table.
“It's not my fault.” Your voice comes out more petulant than expected. That frustrates you even more. How your nerves get in the way of achieving what you have accomplished before.
“Then whose is it?” Laodice shoots back. Cutting circulation. “You did well by coming back, but failed to unlock the door. And got caught by Chief Leif. We're upping the dosage by 0.5 times today.”
“How is it my fault that you had guests past closing?” You snap. She feels for your veins and mercilessly injects a needle in one. “What if this kills me?”
“If you die, then I guess you weren't all that to begin with.” Laodice cleans up the station.
“Chief Lief will notice if you suddenly have one less ‘apprentice.’”
“Then I’ll say that feral child was going to snatch up my apprentice.” Your mouth snaps shut. She doesn’t even look up from her tools. “Go to your room. No dinner.”
Tonight, you writhe on your bed until spots appear in your vision. Writing sigils on your arms to mitigate the pain in vain. Maybe you should have stayed with Kinich to at least avoid this. At least for the night. As your eyelids close, you think of a blazing yellow glow and in the midst of hellfire green.