Chapter Text
Kachina was devastated after losing in her first Pilgrimage.
Mualani, upon hearing the news about Kachina, searched for her everywhere - only to find her sulking in a corner, trying to hide her tears, unaware that her huge ears peeked out behind the stone cabinet.
“Easy now!” She said and crouched down. She patted Kachina’s shoulder. Her clothes were still tattered and dirtied from the tournament. “This is your first time, you obviously were at a disadvantage. Next time, I’m sure…”
“But what if next time I won’t even have a team?” She cried out.
“Why would you say that?” Mualani’s brows furrowed. Kachina never had much self-confidence before, but this was an all-time low…
The little girl was still snipping before answering.
“My teammates said that-that they had lost because-cause of me!”
Kachina dropped her head between her knees.
“That’s stupid! Next time you will be better. You have experience now and you can only get stronger. Don't listen to them!” She tried to reassure her, but Kachina was only bawling harder. “I will help you train!”
The Weary Inn echoed from her cries.
“Mualani?” Kachina raised her head. She could see how red brimmed her eyes were. “Do you question your ancient name a lot?”
“Huh? Why are you asking this? But no, not really.”
Kachina wiped her tears away. “Maybe my ancient name was given to me by a mistake.” She stood up, a bit lightheaded from the crying. Nonetheless, she still pushed a kind smile onto her expression. “Please don't worry about me for now. You have to fight the Abyss!”
Mualani didn't push it further.
Kachina seemed to have made her mind up about an even more rigorous training and working schedule.
Meanwhile, she knew perfectly well that the problem wouldn't be solved with her wiping her tears down this time. Whatever those idiots said to her truly struck a nerve. Unfortunately, Mualani knew them well enough that they didn't have enough brain cells to say sorry to Kachina.
When she returned from the Abyss, the situation got way worse.
To the point where Kachina didn't want to even participate in the next Pilgrimage.
Mualani asked her parents about her and the bullies, but they said they can't do anything about it and yada yada.
Seeing Kachina stripped from her dreams made Mualani’s stomach drop. Her fist became a ball when they walked past her.
She couldn’t beat them up for obvious reasons. First, her tribe would not tolerate any aggression or tension between other tribes. Secondly, Kachina wouldn't accept it, and she might go spiraling down even more.
However, in a previous tournament she was paired up against a Saurian Hunter who, by his fame, would do anything for enough mora. She couldn't remember his name, but she remembered that he was from the Scions of the Canopy. Lucky for her, she had some extra money to spare as the winner of the tournament.
The next morning, she climbed up to the Scions of the Canopy to meet with the chief.
Wayna was wearing the tribe’s usual green clothing and eccentric glasses that reflected the valley in yellowish haze. His headband covered most of his hair, but his rasta ponytail was way too long to hide.
“Sorry sir, I’m looking for a Saurian Hunter.” She approached him.
“Oh, you aren't from here… Wait, aren't you Mualani? From the People of Springs?”
Mualani scratched her head. She totally forgot that she is more well-known right now.
“Yes, that would be me. Can you help me?”
“A saurian-hunter you say?” He thought for a second. “We have plenty of them. Are you looking for someone specifically?”
“Yes, but I can’t really remember his name, haha,” she laughed. “Uh, he wore green.”
Wayna laughed too. “Well, most of us wear green - any other?”
Mualani pinched her nose bridge, trying to concentrate and clear out the silhouette in her mind. “It might be rude to say, but he looked kind of depressed? I don't know if it helps or not.”
Wayna almost slapped himself upon realisation. “Oh, you are searching for Kinich! I think he is kinda away right now, but he lived outside the tribe at Teticpac Peak’s feet.”
“Thank you very much!” She waved at him.
“It’s nothing but… are you sure about commissioning him?”
Mualani jerked her head, the braids brushing at her bare hips. “Why?”
Wayna seemed uncomfortable and looked back and forth. “It’s nothing between him and me, it's more like protecting you- I mean, he has some rumours. Most of the other Hunters are not so keen on him. They question whether he truly is worthy of being an ancient name bearer because he has some eccentric philosophies.”
Mualani huffed. She hates those who speak ill of others, but angering a village chief over someone he hadn't even met yet was even out of her bounds. “Don't worry, I only need a simple commission and that’s all.”
“That's all?”
“Yes.”
“If you say so,” Wayna adjusted his glasses. “Although I must add that he certainly has some stingy flair to him, so get ready.”
Mualani was done with the conversation the moment the man started gossiping. “Thanks.” She summoned her surfboard and with phlogiston and her hydro vision's power, she drew off to the mountain’s feet.
“You're welcome! Good luck at the next Pilgrimage!”
Kinich’s muscles were sore from all the running and flying-fighting around. He accepted more work for today, and his body was fighting against the repeating strain. He also felt lightheaded from the slight sunburn.
Worst of all, during the entire route back to his house, Ajaw felt the urge to describe to him how he once made someone choke themselves to death.
“...and after that, boom! I say - here have some water, and they go like-”
“I don't think anyone would do that by their own will.” He added once he got annoyed. (Which he didn't do often, mind you. Sometimes even Ajaw wondered if Kinich's patience was endless.) “You had to force them with something.”
“You dare accuse me K’uhul Ajaw, the almighty dragonlord of lying?! You insolent pest, you-you!”
Kinich didn't take any of Ajaw’s mindless rambling on himself. He had already heard worse things before, and in comparison to his father, Ajaw was rather mild. Tame even.
However, he stopped the miniature dragon when he sensed that someone was waiting for him at his house. He took a moment to catch his breath before walking up to the young girl.
He remembered her, she was the latest Pilgrimage’s winner. Her brightly colored clothes were easily distinguishable from the red stone and dry grass.
“Hi! I’m Mualani!” She waved at him. “Are you Kinich? The Saurian-hunter?”
“Yes, I am. If you have any commissions, you could have left them at the chief, there is no need to come all the way here.” He explained, hping that she would turn around and just walked away. The girl, Mualani, didn't even notice that he wanted her to leave. She instead smiled widely. Maybe he should tell her straight up to leave.
“Oh, I see. But my commission isn't something I would like others to know, so I thought maybe we could talk privately.”
He could hear Ajaw’s evil laughter. ‘Oh, here goes your precious rest!’
“Sure. Come inside.” He opened the door to the half desolated, half-run-down house.
Mualani took his offer and entered.
Inside, there was almost nothing personal - it was empty besides the pack of bandages, papers (presumably for commissions), and a spare change of clothes. No trinkets, no flowers, no thing that could make the home feel personal.
“Sit down,” Kinich instructed, and took a paper and pen. “What is the commission about?”
Mualani seemed hesitant. She fidgeted with her fingers and bit her lips before speaking up.
“Uh, I have a friend. She is really kind and ambitious. This was her first time entering the Pilgrimage, and as expected, she didn't win. Don't get me wrong!” She moved her hands as if he would have accused her of murder. “She is strong and capable, but it is really rare to enter the Pilgrimage so young.”
“But you did.” He added with a low voice.
“Eh? Where do you know that?” She blinked.
“I also competed in the next years’ and they introduced you as ‘the young prodigy who won the Pilgrimage on her first try’.” He explained. Kinich didn't mean to meddle so much with her at the moment, as he was hungry and still had to fetch himself something to eat. Mualani, however, had a different opinion on it. She was bubbly and talkative and didn't think about decreasing her speech's length.
Kinich's only blessing for the moment was that Ajaw was still hidden in his watch, and despite the gremlin’s efforts, he couldn't escape yet.
“Ah, I see. Yes, that's correct, but Pilgrimage more or less depends on your luck.” She trailed off. “You have also competed, so you must know.”
“Yes.” He didn't know. Not only this, but he knew that Mualani and her friend presumably didn't have a huge need to win the Pilgrimage. The girl looked completely fine and stable before him, no struggles and no financial need to enter it. However, Kinich kept his mouth shut. He knew from the villagers that his desires weren't that amiable.
“But back to the topic, she had lost and she feels extremely down…”
Ajaw suddenly escaped Kinich’s watch and, in his full 8-bit glory, floated above the desk. “Ahahaha! Kinich, you hear that? You have to hold a cheer up party for some puny-”
“Shut it.”
“What is that… thing?” Mualani observed Ajaw and pointed her finger at him.
Kinich, stopping the future catastrophe, quickly held back Ajaw from biting Mualani’s finger. “YOU VERMIN, DO YOU NOT KNOW THE ALMIGHTY K’UHUL-”
“His name is Ajaw. He is my saurian companion. Please do not bother answering him or taking anything on yourself.” He monotoned as if he had said it a million times.
“It’s interesting for sure. I hadn't seen anything similar to him. But! I’m not here for a party request or whatever. The story is longer than that. So Ka- I mean, my friend besides being absolutely lethargic from her loss, also got bullied by her teammates for losing.”
Ajaw was on the bullies side. “Good, make the weaklings lose, so the strong ones survive! This is how it should be!”
“They recently also threatened that they would kill her saurian companion and…”
Kinich slapped the dragon to the wall before he had the opportunity to comment. “I understand, however, I still do not understand what it is that you need me for.”
Mualani seemed uncomfortable. “Uh? You don’t? Well, I want to commission you to, uhm, teach them a lesson .” She looked down at the paper on the table.
Kinich’s face didn't change. “Sure, first I will need some information as…” He got stopped by a loud growl from his empty stomach. “Sorry about that, I was about to ask-”
“Are you hungry?” Mualani perked. Her fleeting awkwardness was over by now. “You must have wanted to have some time to rest, but I interrupted you, sorry! So let me make it up with something. I know, let’s go to the village to a tavern!”
Kinich almost visibly shrugged. “I think it’s better if we don't. I will be fine, don't worry.”
Mualani almost said something, but Ajaw interrupted her. “Yes! Yes! Don't eat!”
“What is wrong with you?” Mualani side-eyed the floating lizard.
“Me?! How dare you question me? You would never understand my way of thinking because you are a lowly mortal, not worthy of even my gaze! So now, stay quiet!”
“He wants me dead, that’s all,” Kinich noted. Mualani's jaw dropped at the quiet remark. “But I will be fine, so let's continue. How many targets are we talking about?”
Mualani gasped, still baffled by the situation. “You both are idiots. I will make some food, you just wait.” She stormed out of the building.
Kinich blinked twice. His straight face turned into a confused scowl.
Ajaw was also bamboozled by her entitled and infuriating statement (or at least, that's how he interpreted it).
“I hate that stupid b-”
Kinich caught Ajaw between his two hands, and despite the dragon’s bites, he closed it into a wooden box.
Outside, Mualani collected some mint, grainfruit, and from Archons know where, she also got a tomato.
“Do you have onions by chance?” She asked Kinich once he tagged up with her.
“There is no need for that, truly.”
Mulani dropped some vegetables into his hands to hold while she stroked the ground for any stray onions. “No. I really should have asked. I was way too lost in my thoughts to act reasonably, and for that I must apologize.”
Mualani’s determined glare told Kinich that now he has no chance of stopping her.
“Here it is!” She clapped once she found a vegetable. “Now let’s get back and make Forest of Color!”
Kinich followed her.
The house got filled with the smell of cooked vegetables and the faint sound of sizzling oil. (If one had a really good ear, Ajaw’s attempts to escape could also be heard from the box.)
“And here it is! Voilá!” She smiled as she held the dish in her hands.
“Voilá?”
“I think that is how they say it in Fontaine.” She scratched her head. “Now then, let’s dig in!”
She also got a portion of food for herself, to her luck, as Kinich only had two plates. He forgot to replace the broken ones, and he never needed more than one, overall.
The food was quite good, or well, he couldn't tell it for sure. He was way too hungry, and at this point, he would have found the dry glass tasty too.
“You have been really quiet, is this that good?” Mulani laughed with a wide smile.
“Thank you.”
“Aw, it really is nothing! But hey, are you really going to eat that much?” Mualani questioned when Kinich took the third plate. The boy glared at her with such an empty look that made the girl step back. “Not that I mind it, but you might get a stomach ache.” She apologized. “When was the last time you ate?”
Kinich swallowed the bite he had in his mouth. “I think the day before yesterday.”
“What? Two days ago?” Her eyes widened with shock. “This isn't healthy!”
Kinich just blinked at her.
“Don't give me that look! Wait, I know it, you are invited to the People of the Springs for lunch tomorrow!” She clapped joyously.
“I’m sorry, but I can't go.” Kinich stated.
“What? Why not?”
“Because I don't want to be in debt to anyone. So if you don't mind, can we get back to business?” He pushed the plate away from himself and took out the half-written paper. “Just leave the plate there, I will clean it up.”
Mualani’s mood had visibly dropped with the refusal.
She gave all the information Kinich needed - their names, their address, visions, and so on.
“I can join, if you want.” She added. She knew that she probably shouldn't get involved with it, but looking at the boy who was younger than her to carry out the task was absolutely pitiful.
“No. You are famous right now, and you would be uncovered in a minute.” He said while counting the price for his services.
“Oh, you are right. I keep forgetting that.” Mualani sat in silence. It got awkward once again.
She looked at Kinich. His clothes were slightly dirty, but the dark color hid it. Now that she thought about it, those dark and long clothes must be hot in the day, and he still wears a bandana covering his temple. And he can't even take a bath in a hot spring! She looked at him for longer, noticing that he didn't have a vision. It was quite rare that he had an ancient name but not a vision.
She wanted to ask him about it, but his soulless eyes stopped her. Maybe he doesn't have any ambitions at all. It is not that weird, some travelers from other nations said that not all of them want to fight.
“It will be a hundred thousand mora.” He spoke up.
Mualani shivered when she remembered that they were still in conversation.
“Yeah, sure. When are you, well, planning to do it?”
“Maybe tomorrow. I will find a moment when I can ambush them quietly.” He pushed the paper to her. “Here, sign it.”
Mualani quickly read through the paper. It mentioned “taking out abyss corrupted animals at the border of the Children of Echoes” instead of “bullying Kachina’s bullies”.
She smiled to herself at the considerate composition and signed it.
“Thank you. I will inform you once I have completed it.”
“Sure.” Mualani stood up.
She probably should leave, but her heart said otherwise. She felt bad leaving Kinich alone with the high chance of dying from hunger.
She also had a question that she couldn't decide whether to ask or not - her curiosity, however strangled her good manners.
“Where are your parents?”
Kinich’s sun-like eyes lingered on her for a moment before trailing to the box where Ajaw was having a tantrum.
“They are dead.”
Mualani gasped. “I’m sorry. I didn't mean to ask that.”
“No problem.”
Mualani waved him off and summoned her surfboard.
“Bye then, I will wait for you!” She skated away on phlogiston, leaving Kinich behind.
He opened Ajaw’s box.
“HOW DARE YOU ENCLOSE MY HIGHNESS INTO A WOODEN BOX?”
“Because you can't escape from that.” He said, washing the plates in the bucket that he filled with water from the nearby pond.
“Uh, to think so lowly of me!” Ajaw growled and boxed Kinich in the shoulders.
“Stop that, I’m still sore.”
“Ahaha, you are so weak!” Ajaw shouted but still stopped. “Did you manage the deal with the outside-bright girl?”
Kinich stopped in his tracks. “Outside-bright?”
“Because she is dark inside!” Ajaw laughed at his self-presumed joke.
Kinich deadpanned. “Aren't all people dark inside? We don't have phlogiston in our intestines.”
“You really are not worthy of me, you grasshopper. The most intelligent you will ever be will be once I take over your body!”
Kinich listened patiently as Ajaw went forth with his speech about what will happen once he gains full power and Kinich dies.
“So then answer me, my lowly mortal, did you make a deal?”
“Why are you so interested? You would know if you hadn't have been whimpering inside the box like a lost kitten.” Kinich bit back. “Yes, we made an agreement.” Before Ajaw could protest, he answered his question.
“Good!”
Kinich was now taking off his coat and boots, getting ready to have some rest.
He had a commission for tomorrow morning.
“Why is it important to you?”
Ajaw followed him while he washed his face. Kinich’s bandana got wet, but he didn't take it off. “I crave some souls, that's all!”
“I’m not feeding them to you, we only need to scare them. It would be hard this time to cover up if they died.”
Ajaw raised his voice to a screech. “Kinich! I know you want to release your anger! Just remember how they say those things about you! If I were you-”
Kinich dropped to his bed. “Good night Ajaw. Wake me up at sunrise, I’m off to sleep.”
“Kinich! Don't you dare doze off while I’m talking to you!” He screamed, but Kinich didn't listen.
He obviously didn't feel great about those things they say about him in the village but he would never end anyone because of that. This and the fact that for an assassination he would charge more.