Chapter Text
Sunlight peacefully filtered through the glass windows of the hallway, shadows stretching and shrinking along the floor accordingly with the sun’s position. The place was filled with silence, only the occasional person walking to and fro as they tended to their work. Though, given the current situation that has been going on for the past couple of days, perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that little conversation is being made.
Meanwhile, sitting on one of the benches within the bimarstan was a young man whose padparadscha eyes continued to remain trained on a lone door down the hall. Occasionally his gaze would drift, though that was a result of his ever-growing impatience. The same could be said for the way he’d shift in his seat, have his fingers drum against his thigh, or have one of his legs bounce as he waited. Yet, every attempt to try and calm himself was thwarted by his persistent anxiety. It choked him with every breath he took, his airways full of that suffocating scent that was a mixture of herbs, medicines, and antiseptic. And the silence that permeated the air only made it harder for him to ignore his racing thoughts and feelings. It felt as if the very atmosphere itself was closing in on him, depriving him as it slowly sapped his life away. It made his heartbeat and the flow of his blood sound far too loud in his head. But there was nothing more he could do except be forced to wait, his mind simultaneously in a state of distant drifting and hyper-awareness.
It was of no surprise then, that he instantly stood up the moment he noticed that door beginning to open.
Kaveh practically marched his way over before the doctor could finish leaving the room, the other man startled by the architect’s swift and fierce approach. “Ah…! Mr. Ka-”
“How is he?”
“I-Well, as of now, it-”
Kaveh’s eyes immediately darkened, his voice becoming dangerously low. “ He .”
“R-Right, my a-apologies…!” The doctor stammered out, easily able to pick out the unsaid threat in the blonde’s tone. He shakily cleared his throat before continuing. “I-
He
is still not allowing anyone to get close. We have done our best to treat what wounds we could before he started trying to, uh, peck at us.”
Kaveh sighed deeply with an air of frustration. “So, he’s still got untreated wounds?”
“Yes, a-and there’s not much we can do about it until he allows treatment.”
“How is he right now?”
“He started curling up his body again.”
“I see…” Kaveh could only look to the floor in contemplation for a moment. “...Am I allowed to see him?”
“I…I don’t see why not, b-but I really wouldn’t-”
“Thanks.” Kaveh dismissed with a halfhearted wave, easily walking right past the nervous doctor. Without a word, Kaveh gently opened the door before him, making sure to be quiet as he stepped into the room. The door soon shut behind him with a tiny click.
The room was not nearly as bright as the hallway, the window curtains drawn and only allowing so much light to shine through as a result. However, that was not what held Kaveh’s attention.
In the middle of the room and laying on a makeshift bed of blankets was a large, avian-like creature. Due to the being’s size, a normal medical bed would not suffice. And so, at the time, doctors and nurses had quickly cleared the furniture out of the way to create as large of an open space as they could. It was the best they could do since they did not have the equipment to accommodate such an unusual patient.
Kaveh carefully made slow strides forward, taking in the other’s appearance properly now that he had the chance to. Ignoring the dried, bloodstained bandages, the first thing he noticed was the lovely silver feathers that made up most of that large body. He noticed how the ends of the wings and tail feathers seemed to be dipped in seafoam with traces of a golden color. Meanwhile, the upper body had highlights ranging from platinum white to a dusky black. Though, what mostly brought him a mixture of confusion and concern were the mysterious marks on that neck and even near the closed eyes. They were like cyan-blue veins that took an unnatural pattern. Additionally, embedded within the avian’s flesh, there were brilliant green crystals of various shapes and sizes. Kaveh did not know what these crystals or markings were, but he could only hope they were not causing pain.
He could tell the other had already suffered enough just from appearance alone.
The bundle of fur and feathers began to stir and Kaveh halted mid-step in response. Patiently, he waited with a held breath, allowing the other to decide whether or not to uncurl. Fortunately, it seems luck was on the architect’s side as that body cautiously unraveled itself. Massive wings rested against the floor by the being’s sides, head lifting and raising high.
It
He soon turned his head toward the blonde, and even though his eyes remained shut, Kaveh knew he was looking at him.
“Hey, it’s just me – Kaveh.” Kaveh let his voice turn soft, practically a soothing whisper as he spoke. Experimentally, he took a step forward, carefully observing the other for any signs of discomfort or aggression. Seeing nothing but natural wariness, Kaveh continued forth with another step. Then, another.
He continued like this for the next few minutes, giving the other plenty of time to show signs of wanting him to back off if desired. Much to Kaveh’s relief, it seems that his presence was welcomed, even if the air between them was tense.
Once he finally stood in front of the large avian, he quietly sat down as he kneeled. Looking up at the now looming creature’s head, he could spot the gentle sway of familiar locks of hair on top of that head.
“Here…” He slowly lifted a hand toward that head, pausing midway as he silently gave the other the right to reject the advance.
Tentatively, the avian leaned down, seemingly observing that offered hand for a bit. He then carefully and lightly bumped his beak against it, almost as if testing it to see if it was safe or not. Throughout the process, Kaveh did not lose heart or patience. He allowed the other to do whatever he felt was needed.
But, eventually, and much to Kaveh’s relief, the avian began to nestle his head against Kaveh’s palm with a quiet, squeaky chirp. At the sound, Kaveh’s face wore a relieved yet melancholy smile.
“Everything will be alright now, Alhaitham. I got you. I’m here with you.”
As the hours ticked by and the sky grew dark, he had continued to wait with growing nervousness. In his hands, he occasionally fiddled with a small, wooden box he had hand-crafted himself. Even though he was warned ahead of time by Alhaitham himself that he may return home late, it still did nothing to calm his nerves or impatience. He knew that, by now, it was no longer Alhaitham’s work hours, so the man was simply busy doing whatever he felt like. And, sometimes, that would keep him out of the house for a long while.
However, Kaveh had confronted the other that morning before the Scribe could leave for work, stating that he had something important to discuss with him. Though, something must have been noticed in his tone or expression because Alhaitham had not made any of his usual cutting remarks. Nor did the man attempt to brush him off. In a way, Kaveh was pleased that the other heard him out with such ease and Alhaitham had promise to come home so they could talk.
But it was growing later and later, and every time Kaveh checked outside, he still saw no sign of Alhaitham. Even for a day when Alhaitham comes back home late, this was going far beyond his usual time.
As a result, Kaveh had begun to feel worry blossoming in his heart, his mind constantly working to reassure him that the other was fine. He was already thinking to himself all sorts of scoldings he was planning to give Alhaitham for his unusual tardiness – for making him think something bad happened. But, surely, Alhaitham was fine. The man may be a Scribe for a living, but Kaveh personally knew how strong, intelligent, and resourceful Alhaitham is. If some sort of scuffle did occur, the architect was certain Alhaitham would manage. If it was some sort of verbal debate, he knew that he should be praying for the sanity of the poor soul speaking with Alhaitham.
It was fine. It would be fine.
Before Kaveh knew it, he had fallen asleep on the couch from how long he had been waiting, completed deadlines from previous nights having made it harder than usual for him to stay up so late. And yet…
He had woken up, the back of his mind noting the odd silence of the house before he began to head into the kitchen. He had given a drowsy “good morning, Alhaitham” as he began to prepare himself a drink. However, he was not met with his usual response. In fact, there was no response at all.
“...Alhaitham?” He had questionably called out with a raised brow. With a frown, he had paused what he was doing before beginning to check Alhaitham’s room. Everything was exactly as it was since Alhaitham left yesterday morning.
With an ill feeling churning in his gut, Kaveh had begun to search the whole house. Yet, everything looked exactly as it did yesterday. And he had lived in this house long enough to tell if something got shifted around, moved, or used. Hoping that he was simply being paranoid, he hastily got dressed before running out of the house, his first destination being the Akademiya.
By the time he got there, asking around for where the Scribe was, nobody was able to give him an answer. In fact, there were many who needed to speak with him or send in forums. Yet, they too could not find him anywhere. Normally, that was not a surprise. If Alhaitham wants to stay under the radar, he had the skills to do so. However, these were his work hours and Kaveh had already run like a madman to every single spot he knew Alhaitham liked to linger in both during and outside his work hours.
Kaveh could not find Alhaitham anywhere.
Soon, the Scribe’s absence was becoming noticed by the rest of the Akademiya. It was not just Kaveh.
After much struggle by many to find their Scribe, it was not long until an investigation was opened – Alhaitham was officially deemed a missing person.
It didn’t take long for people to figure out that Kaveh’s presence seemed to help soothe Alhaitham’s. However, even with Kaveh right there, Alhaitham continued to reject the presence of any doctors or nurses should they wander too close for his comfort.
At some point, Tighnari was called in. Perhaps, if met with someone Alhaitham was more familiar with, those wounds could be properly treated. In a way, it was a success, and the forest watcher got to work. He may have more experience with plants than animals, but his knowledge was enough to get the job done. Though, that did not mean it was an easy process as Alhaitham often flailed and squawked whenever Tighnari was trying to help. Kaveh did his best as he gently embraced the distressed avian, speaking soft reassurances and giving calming touches as he smoothed down those feathers. As unhappy as it made the architect to see those small fits of panic, he knew that they had to get those injuries treated.
Kaveh and Tighnari did not speak much throughout the process other than an occasional instruction here or there. What else could they say?
The sorrowful and concerned glances aimed Kaveh’s way said more than enough.
Once it was finally over, Alhaitham had retreated into himself, curling back up into a ball of feathers. And while Kaveh’s presence was not as unwelcome compared to Tighnari’s, Alhaitham would not relax.
Kaveh honestly wished to stay by Alhaitham’s side, but before Tighnari departed, he told him that that the General Mahamatra wished to see him. It was with reluctance that the blonde left Alhaitham behind, constantly checking behind himself until he finally left the room.
Just thinking about it was wearing Kaveh down, his gaze staring down at the still surface of his cup of steaming tea. Sitting across from him was none other than the General Mahamatra himself.
“How are you holding up?”
A sigh. “As well as I possibly could considering…”
Cyno quietly hummed with solemn understanding. “I heard that the bimarstan were finally able to patch up…Alhaitham’s wounds.”
“...You hesitated.”
It was the sincerity in Cyno’s naturally intense gaze that kept Kaveh at ease. “I apologize. I meant nothing by it. It’s just that…when I think of Alhaitham, I associate his name with his…original appearance.”
“N…No, no, I get it.” And Kaveh truly does. The differences were like night and day, but multiply it by a hundred. Maybe even a thousand. Every single one of them was stunned into shock when they initially discovered the once-missing Scribe.
Kaveh slowly breathed in before reaching over and taking a careful sip of his tea. He used it to swallow his nervousness before finding his voice again. “...So, what has been happening now?”
“The rest of the Matra have been arresting the remaining scholars that were in on the project. The investigation is still ongoing though to make sure we catch everyone involved. We also discovered that two of the six Sages were being imprisoned because they disagreed with the idea of creating a god.” Cyno crossed his arms with a grim expression, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He still could not believe the audacity the Sages had to pull such a stunt. “With some more digging around and the fortunate cooperation of the Sages of Vahumana and Amurta, we also accessed the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Turns out that Lesser Lord Kusanali has been trapped there all this time.”
“...What? They were…” Kaveh has always heard of Lesser Lord Kusanali growing up. Of course, he has. However, speaking about her was almost like telling a fairytale and many within the Akademiya seldom acknowledged her existence. But to find out that this was the reason why their god was so scarce…
His grip tightened around the handle of his cup from his outrage, eyes narrowing into a glare as he felt himself at a loss for words. No, scratch that. He had plenty of words to say, but they were too numerous to speak coherently. Cyno observed the blonde’s obvious anger but did not question it. After all, he had felt a righteous and burning anger when he had found out the truth as well.
“Fortunately,” Cyno continued. “The remaining Sages were able to assist us in freeing her and I have already gotten the chance to speak with her myself a couple of times. Even though I still know little about her, I can tell that she is different – that she is worthy of being our Archon. What decisions she has been making are telling of her wise and merciful nature. I am confident that she will be able to right the wrongs that have been done.”
Kaveh breathed in deeply, holding it as he tried to organize his thoughts before he exhaled sharply. For a long moment, he remained quiet as he processed the other’s words before finally managing to speak up again. “...Does…Does she know about…?”
“She has been informed about the Sages’ god creation plan and knows who was used for it.” Cyno’s gaze turned sympathetic. “She has been looking into the project’s records that exist inside and outside of the Akasha to see if there is anything that can be done to help.”
“And how is that going?” Kaveh looked up, meeting Cyno’s eyes, and felt his heart drop a little at the other’s expression.
“To be completely honest with you, it’s not good. Most of the physical records found in the workshop were destroyed during the incident. As for the records within the Akasha, there’s information that was not inputted and there is information that is securely locked and will take time to unravel. It will be a while until a verdict can be made.”
Kaveh nervously swirled the remaining tea that sat at the bottom of his cup, his eyes looking at Cyno hopefully. “...And what will happen to Alhaitham until then? He…He can come back home with me, right?”
“I don't see why not. He certainly will not be able to stay at the bimarstan and it would be unwise to try and leave him in someone else’s hands.”
Kaveh’s lips turned down into a bitter frown. “...People are scared of him. They keep calling him an “it” and act like he’s like a monster.”
“Kaveh, you know very well how dangerous he can be.” Cyno looked at the architect sternly. “I understand that Alhaitham’s actions are fueled by whatever horrendous experiences he went through, but he’s already taken the lives of seventeen Matra, eight researchers, and two of the Sages.”
Kaveh slightly flinched at the reminder and Cyno took that as a sign to relax a little, speaking up again but a bit more gently. “Kaveh, if you were not there at the time, things could have gone significantly worse. At the moment, you are the only one most suitable to care for him while in this state. But try to understand that people have a very good reason to feel uneasy.”
“I…I know.” Kaveh frowned deeply, an aching despair forming within his chest. He could never forget what happened that day. “I’m sorry, I just… It’s Alhaitham. This…-None of this should have…”
Cyno reached over, placing a comforting hand on Kaveh’s shoulder as he gave it a light squeeze. “I know… And we’ll figure something out. For now, we can only take things one step at a time. So, focus on what we can all do for now, and then we can sort out the rest later.”
Kaveh could only nod in agreement, somewhat soothed by the words. Mentally, he truly appreciated the sentiment and the dedication Cyno has carried ever since Alhaitham was deemed missing. And, as one of Cyno’s friends, it meant even more to Kaveh that the other was still working hard to help.
When he looked over, mouth opening to try and convey his gratefulness, he paused as his eyes met Cyno’s. From one look alone, a wordless conversation passed between them. It was easy to tell that Cyno understood and was clearly aware of what Kaveh was going to express.
Kaveh, despite the still bleak circumstances, soon stood up, giving Cyno a faint smile. “I’ll be heading back to the bimarstan.”
Cyno faintly rose a brow. “You are going to go home first and take care of yourself before going to the bimartstan.”
“Alright, alright, I get it. Geez, don’t look at me like that. You look too much like Tighnari.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”