Chapter Text
Even so far from the village, the heat was almost unbearable.
The fire had been burning for a while, now licking at the forest's edge.
Kaveh finally found Alhaitham. Unconscious in a puddle of her own blood, she lay on the goddess’ doorsteps, wearing the flowy garments she disliked.
Her body beaten and battered, scraped and cut all over.
If only Kaveh had listened to Alhaitham’s words years ago instead of continuing her stubborn ways. All this suffering wouldn’t have happened. The goddess garnered too much attention, in the wrong ways.
Everything was because of Kaveh’s own foolishness, yet Alhaitham paid the price. Her village massacred, and the girl herself knocking upon death’s door.
In what could be her very last moments, she had pulled her failing body here.
Was it out of familiarity with a routine that had ended years ago? Or has Alhaitham finally regretted freeing the goddess from her golden shackles, ensuring that she would forever haunt Kaveh as her blood painted the goddess’ very temple a deep scarlet?
Nursing a fading soul used to be easy. Just a taste of the divine golden blood would pull back someone tiptoeing the line to afterlife. Now, through nothing but her own selfishness and foolishness, Kaveh was barely strong enough to heal a bone fracture.
It was not enough.
Alhaitham’s face unnaturally cold in her grasp, the girl’s sweat long mixed into blood. Her breath weak and shallow.
There’s only one thing left to do. The only thing she could do.
Some might call it atonement, others would think of it as benevolence. But Kaveh saw no other choice.
Her fingertips tingled with power as she channeled all her remaining divinity. Kaveh dug deep into her chest, carving out her heart - what’s left of her human shell that’s yet to crumble, proof that she too was once mortal - and gave it away.
Alhaitham’s body glowed gold as it accepted the boon. Open wounds sewn back together, angry reds fade into a warm hue of healthy skin. Everything was pristine, as if nothing had ever happened.
Her back met damp soil. Sweat stung Kaveh’s eyes, her lungs gasping for air as pain strangled her by the neck, squeezing every single breath out of her.
It took what’s left of her to pull herself towards Alhaitham, the girl's breath even and soft.
In and out, in and out, repeating the same rhythm Kaveh would often replicate during their naps under tree shades.
Kaveh cupped Alhaitham’s face with a shaky hand. The skin under her finger slowly warmed up as her own grew colder. Her eyes trailed up to the mortal’s sleeping face, almost peaceful under sliver moonlight.
For a moment, she could pretend that this was another ordinary day from years ago. Before Kaveh tore their friendship apart, before the goddess brought demise to anyone she helped.
Come morning, Alhaitham would wake up. Confused at her state of unharm and distraught to realize she was truly alone. Would she curse Kaveh for all the misfortune she had brought upon them? Surprised that her body had changed to fit herself?
Kaveh fell asleep holding Alhaitham in her arms.
Had it hurt, the night Kaveh carved out her heart for Alhaitham?
Finger sliding on the magical gem embedded in her chest, Alhaitham knew it would be futile to keep asking these kinds of questions.
It had been almost a decade since that day at the temple’s doorsteps where she last saw the goddess.
At twenty-seven, Alhaitham had long moved on. Currently occupying a decent position within the castle, she had long put aside those days lounging inside a forest beside their humble village with a goddess in the recesses of her mind.
For Alhaitham, such questions where there will never be an answer would only serve to hinder her daily life.
Alhaitham hoped Kaveh had not gotten too weak, enough to be shackled. Controlled by greedy humans.
That was until one autumn morning.
The castle bustled with a foreign energy. Servants running around left and right, feet in constant motion as they scatter all over.
Being busy did not hinder their penchant for gossip in the slightest. Maybe it was even a balm, soothing the aches of the servants’ ever increasing work.
In a way, Alhaitham was the same. While she did not appear overly chatty, a juicy piece of gossip wakes her from the tedious work coma without fail. But unfortunately, she’s heading to the throne room on Regent Azar’s orders, so any information gathering would have to be left for later.
She tried to slow her steps as much as possible. Meetings with Azar were never pleasant.
He always had a condescending air about him, despite all his current power belonging to his distant niece. Azar only possessed power because the rightful ruler’s too young to do so. Maybe the old man also knew that. That’s why he was dead set on delaying her ascension for as long as possible.
“…a goddess!” a voice made Alhaitham halt her steps. The maid who said it seemed to realize she had shouted out loud. Her eyes wide, a hand covered her gaping mouth. Only a moment after did her friend drag her away from curious eyes.
Strange.
Ever since the kingdoms began hunting down gods years ago, gods appeared fewer and fewer. Let alone in Sumeru, where Azar has been rampaging for almost two decades, leaving everyone displeased in his wake.
It didn’t seem like Alhaitham would find any more interesting information though, so she continued on her way.
Pushing onto the ornate door, the throne room felt colder than usual. Then, inside her vision was someone Alhaitham thought she’d never see again.
Kaveh.
Her blonde hair matted with mud, puddles of iridescent blood sticking the clothes to their owner’s skin. She lacked her former bright halo - the one thing signifying a god's power or, more accurately, the goddess was so weakened that it was almost invisible.
Guards held her down in a kneeling position, pressing her knees onto cold tiles. Chains shackled the goddess’s neck to her wrists and ankles. Metal rust rubbed off on her clothes, leaving dusty specks of brown on the previously white material. Mud crawled up to her calves, grime trailing down the hallways.
Gold, lots of gold accessories. Alhaitham knew from experience that it’s enough to restrain a moderately powerful god. Something that Kaveh was not.
“Ah, scribe Alhaitham!” the regent greeted her, his face uncharacteristically bright. It did not remove the arrogant edge in his voice, unfortunately.
Kaveh flinched before she looked up, her eyes widening as they landed on Alhaitham.
The old man patted her shoulder. “It seems not even a joyous occasion could rush you.”
“We’ve been blessed by the presence of a goddess!” He languidly strode to Kaveh’s side. The regent then bended down, lifting her chin up.
“Isn’t this proof that we’re in a prosperous era indeed?”
“I wouldn’t say blessed, exactly.” The goddess replied with a sneer, having jerked away from his hold immediately after.
Azar’s face darkened immediately, pulling out a handkerchief as he shouted for the guards to drag Kaveh away.
“I’m sure you’ll find Sumeru to have a very bright future ahead, goddess.”
Azar wiped his hands, then threw the cloth down, as if a god’s blood was nothing but dirt to him. And when she thought that this entire ordeal was over, the man turned to her.
“Scribe Alhaitham. Starting today, you’ll accompany the goddess.”
“What about my work?” Azar waved dismissively.
“Someone else will do it. Focus on getting closer to her, gain her trust.”
“Do your best to treat our goddess well. She will be here for a long time.”
“…I understand.”
After two whole days of captivity, Kaveh has noticed one thing: this tower’s design was absolute shit.
It might have looked tolerable when she was first thrown here, but the more free time she has, the more problems she found.
Despite the era’s architecture being good for having lots of air ventilation, whoever built this made sure to keep it all in. Sunlight severely lacking, not to mention that the window sills themselves were horrendous and lacked any aesthetics.
Poorly insulated walls.
Her fingers twisted into the silk dress they had given her. If only there were something to draw on. Even their clothing choices were tacky. Despite being similarly vain, they clashed horribly with the abundance of gold jewelry they forced upon her.
Not that the goddess hadn’t tried to run away. It’s just that she failed every time she tried. Miserably.
Wounds limiting her mobility drastically, any escape route she found was strictly guarded. Almost as if someone already knew that she’d try them ahead of time.
At least the bed she’s on was more comfortable than the piles of leaves Kaveh has used these past years.
“You’ll die if you keep refusing to eat, Kaveh.” A familiar voice startled her out of an internal monologue.
That led to the biggest gripe with her current situation, Alhaitham.
Alhaitham knew well that such injuries were not fatal to a god, even one as weakened as Kaveh was. It might take a while to heal, yes, but she wouldn’t exactly die from it. Did she really have to sound so dramatic?
Kaveh turned to glare at the offending human. There’s a maid next to her, tasked to bring meals to the goddess. A young girl with bright red hair. She must’ve arrived when Kaveh was still deep in thoughts.
Kaveh finally took a closer look at Alhaitham, who had her arms crossed in front of her chest. “I dare not trouble you with a matter as trivial as this, almighty scribe.”
Time has done Alhaitham well. The girl who used to be shorter than her shoulder has grown so much. She might even tower over Kaveh now. Her baby cheeks gave way to sharp jaws and even sharper eyes. If Kaveh didn’t know better, Alhaitham might’ve been a god herself.
You would’ve witnessed her growth yourself, something in the back of Kaveh’s mind chimed.
Alhaitham was only doing this because she had no other choice. How could she care for Kaveh, not after everything that the goddess had done to her, to her village?
With a huff, Kaveh turned back to face the window once again.
Someone, probably Alhaitham, sighed. In a series of actions the goddess couldn’t possibly predict, she took the food tray, pulled out a chair, and plopped herself down.
“Then I’m eating it,” Alhaitham said with full seriousness. Kaveh only managed to stare at her, mouth agape as the gray haired woman ate in earnest.
At first, Kaveh only looked at her in disbelief as she ate. But as Alhaitham predicted, the woman eventually caved in.
Having meals together became a routine for them. Alhaitham would eat breakfast in the tower, work, return during lunch, and dinner. It was quite convenient that she didn’t have to take care of her own food anymore. The servants just gave her whatever they served Kaveh.
Their first few meals were enveloped in silence. Fortunately, she was not one to be deterred by it. Kaveh, on the other hand…
“Don’t read while you’re eating.” Kaveh glared at the book in Alhaitham’s possession as if it would magically burst into flames.
“I’m still eating perfectly fine,” she flicked her head towards Kaveh’s mostly full plate, “maybe you’re the one who should be focusing on her food.”
The blonde sputtered, “You!”
“I keep telling you, it’s bad for your digestive system.” Kaveh tugged on the gold collar around her neck, face red. “One day, you’ll have to live with a bad stomach.”
Alhaitham stood up.
Scarlet eyes followed her as she came to a stop right in front of the blonde.
Alhaitham leaned down. With a tilt of her head, she would be close enough to kiss Kaveh. “But I’ve been healthy as hale so far, have I not?”
Meanwhile, Kaveh slowly scooted her chair back the closer Alhaitham got. “What are you doing?”
She laid a hand on Kaveh’s head, fingers sliding down soft strands of hair.
Clink. Sounds of metal chains releasing. The gold collar fell down to Kaveh’s lap as she took advantage of this to caress the soft skin underneath. It was cold, almost freezing under her touch.
The scribe pulled back before she got tempted to do anything more.
Kaveh seemed to be recovering well during the past week. Her wounds had mostly scabbed over, others only remaining as red patches of skin. They would’ve been really fatal had she been any weaker.
The blonde herself stared at her with wide eyes. She looked down at the collar on her lap then back at Alhaitham again, mouth forming words but no sound came out.
Was she surprised that she’d be unchained this early, if at all?
“It would be improper not to treat you with utmost hospitality. I am assigned to take care of you. A weakened god only brings unnecessary trouble.” The lie tasted bitter in her mouth, clinging like oil.
Never in her life did Alhaitham believe it’s okay to leave her chains on. Not when gold weakens gods in irreversible ways, not when Kaveh had been stuck with them for more than a century.
But if this was the only way she’d accept help, then Alhaitham’s willing to go along.
Alhaitham stepped back to grab the coat hung on her chair, made sure her face was neutral, and strode to the door. Hand on its handle, she glanced at Kaveh.
“Do you want me to get anything from outside?” Alhaitham watched as her eyes lit up as she was about to say something, only to dim after a moment.
“No…”
She turned away, leaving for her office.
Alhaitham finished her weekly spar with Dehya and Cyno when she asked them a question that’s on her mind.
“What to give a person currently cooped up inside?” Dehya turned to Alhaitham in disbelief. The arm polishing her claymore went slack.
“That’s what I said.” Her ears felt warm. It’s not every day that she has to ask someone for advice.
Cyno handed her a water sachet. “I never knew you were the type to bring gifts, Alhaitham.”
“Well, it’s the perfect opportunity to start then.”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Cyno patted her back. She immediately dreaded his next words. “Don’t gift up.”
“Aww, is our Alhaitham’s ice cold heart finally melting?” The mercenary pushed past Cyno, weaving her arm over Alhaitham’s shoulders. “So, what does the person like? Any hobbies?”
As Dehya ruffled her hair beyond recognition, Alhaitham remembered the Kaveh from her childhood. Ethereal, yet gentle and passionate. Alhaitham would sit under tree shades, comfortable under an afternoon sun as the goddess recounted her adventures as a human architect when sketching whatever designs her mind came up with. Clothing messed up while frolicking in the forest, yet Kaveh’s eyes glimmered as brightly as the lake in Alhaitham’s hometown.
“She likes drawing, and jewels too.” Kaveh adored the color gold. It’s a pity that divinity did not agree.
“Make sure not to act too obviously when you’re preparing the gift, otherwise it’d be a dead-gift-away.” Cyno chimed.
Alhaitham gave her a box one day.
Packed full with art materials - charcoal, pigment pouches containing various colors, a paint binder jar - and a sketchbook.
Kaveh opened the sketchbook. Fingers gliding through its pages, their texture slightly rough. Its hue a golden tan, devoid of the pungent smell papers have in recent years. Tailored exactly to Kaveh’s preferences.
The hollow in her chest twinged. She didn’t want to know what it meant.
These things must’ve cost a lot.
When Kaveh mentioned that out loud, the woman only crossed her arms, a smug smile resting on her face. “With my salary, I can buy them a thousand times over.”
“In fact, I even got something for your room.”
She felt blood rushing up her brain as Alhaitham’s face grew more and more smug.
While Kaveh strongly purports that every creation was valuable and thus treasured, what came out of Alhaitham’s pocket could only be called an abomination. Probably the most hideous thing Kaveh has ever seen in her long, long life.
It would be more accurate to describe the wooden carving as a mass of misshapen blob. Was it a failed attempt to recreate an animal? Kaveh saw two lumps that might be ears or limbs. Two protruding orbs resembling eyes, but the irises pointed in opposite directions.
Kaveh shivered. Imagining the creature sitting there with its beady little crossed eyes, staring into Kaveh’s soul as she lay in bed.
Whatever it took, she had to bar that thing from entering her bedroom.
They eventually compromised by settling it in the main room. Not long after she started watching Kaveh like a hawk full-time, Alhaitham had turned a place to receive guests into her personal reading nook. Pillows and all.
It was then that Alhaitham told Kaveh she wanted to name the statue Ferungus, dousing Kaveh’s simmering fire with gunpowder.
Settling the statue took a while.
Alhaitham was sure she had to buy it the moment she laid eyes on the carving.
Kaveh didn’t seem to appreciate its charm as much as she did, but oh well.
Before she knew it, the sky had already brewed to a deep orange hue, dimming the room they’re in. Alhaitham looked up from her book, over to where Kaveh sat down to draw on her new sketchbook.
On top of the window side table, Kaveh fell asleep. Arms cushioning her head, sketchbook left open. Golden hair spilled onto its pages, fanning out into a halo as warm afternoon light caressed her face.
It’s starting to get colder, so Alhaitham pulled the softest blanket she owned and draped it over Kaveh’s shoulders.
Her eyes trailed the blonde’s features. From her fluttering eyelashes, through the curve of her nose, down to her plump, pink lips. Their journey landed on the tiny figure etched on the sketchbook.
Though only drawn in the margins of a window’s redesign draft, its hairstyle, its eyes, and even the gem in its chest.
Undoubtedly Alhaitham.
She wanted to laugh, maybe even cry. A part of Alhaitham has always favored Kaveh, from the moment they first met, ethereal in afternoon’s light.
It took root in the languid afternoons by Kaveh’s temple, propagated as they confided in each other, learning secrets no one else knew. Flowered as she watched Kaveh’s eyes shining full of hopes and dreams.
Then tossed into the flames their ideals sparked.
The current Kaveh got her edges dulled with time, scrubbed raw and falling apart. Yet that light in her eyes never really died.
Only fools would say that they exist to love another. But that same part, the soft insides of her hard shell, screamed that loving Kaveh was the only thing that mattered.
From a time unbeknownst to even the scribe herself, her heart had already lain entirely on Kaveh.
It reminded Alhaitham of the fairytales she read. Even in ancient literature, people had always blamed love on their hearts. But hasn’t it been their brains this entire time? The same “logical”, “rational” organ.
Against all reason, Alhaitham kissed Kaveh’s forehead.