Sequence Of Orders
As an architect, Kaveh has been quite busy with his own situations — most likely when it comes to a huge dedication of his work. He may not be much of a perfectionist but he does try to be presentable about it.
He would roam around the Akademiya to take in some more of its inspiration. Perhaps it was a boost to his confidence — or maybe the silent judging in his brain, who knows.
“Kaveh? Is that you?”
A somewhat familiar voice has stirred up into Kaveh’s ear. He looks to his side to see three scholars from Kshahrewar.
”Why yes, that’s me. You’re Daya right?” Kaveh walks over to the three scholars, Daya nods.
“We were just speaking about the desert, have you been to the desert?”
He nods, “I have, actually. Mainly for project purposes. Even if I’m not in the Akademiya anymore, growing up, your darshan is what helps you in the future”
He could see the glimpse of the scholars' sparkling eyes from how wise his words were. Despite being a whiny other half, he indeed was intelligent in his own way.
”I take it you know ‘The Dune Of Carouses’ then?” The other scholar says to Kaveh.
”I…” He gives a slight frown as he looks back at the three. “No…no I haven’t. What is that?”
The three scholars look at one another then back at Kaveh.
“Really? It’s just another Pyramid up at North, not many people got there”
”What’s interesting is, our Sage refused to give us a field trip there, it could be anyplace else but there” The other scholar frowns.
Kaveh also frowned at that. “Was it a class majority vote to go to that place?” The three nod.
”Well, your Sage not wanting to bring you to a majority voted place is dumb – but smart in a way? I can understand why he wouldn’t want you guys to go to that place. Maybe there’s a reason why many people don’t go there”
His words didn’t make them feel better, but it was understandable. Kaveh thought for a bit until coming up with a solution.
”Hey, how about…I go to the place you mentioned? Then I can come back and confirm whether or not the place is safe for you to have a field trip to, sounds good?”
Their eyes light up once more.
”Really? Y-You’d do that?” Daya asks, believing this was some sort of scam or dream. He nods, “don’t worry, I’ll even talk to your Sage if he still refuses even if it’s confirmed safe”
Maybe that’s how he got himself into this situation.
Kaveh was packing some stuff for the trip towards the desert. He grabbed a couple things such as some spare clothes in case he falls into some inconveniences.
He also brought some water, a map that the scholars had given him, some tools, and of course Mehrak.
While packing, of course, he can’t go on without a few words from his ‘oh so beloved’ Alhaitham.
“What are you doing?” That aggravating voice fills the air as Kaveh screams in his head. He exhales a deep sigh as he turns around with a slight smile.
”I’m just cleaning is all” He knows that if he mentioned anything about ‘packing’ Alhaitham would probably have a long argument with him again. ‘ Definitely ’ not because this had happened more than once.
”You sure? Cause it looks like your pack-“ Kaveh coughs as he cuts him off, “Yes, I’m sure. And if I were even doing anything, why would it matter to you?”
Kaveh goes back to packing, and wondering if he should go alone or not.
“It matters to me”
Kaveh turns around once more, Alhaitham cares? Of course he cares, he had even when he didn’t show it, and that’s what Kaveh loves about him.
”Because who knows if you’d be running off like an idiot again. You sure you’re not getting yourself scammed and being unproductive?”
Kaveh takes back everything he just said.
”Shut it Alhaitham,” He grumbles as he finishes packing. “I’m off, don’t even try to think about tracking me down this time” He sneers.
Alhaitham just shrugs. “Hey, Mehrak. Make sure your owner isn’t doing stupid stuff again, yeah?” Mehrak obliges with a happy noise.
”I- Mehrak let’s go. Don’t listen to the gray haired grandpa”
Once he left with Mehrak, he decided to include Faruzan, Candace, and Tighnari into his adventure.
Candace immediately said yes, she said she heard about that place before and wanted to check it out as well.
Faruzan on the other hand decided to test a mechanic she had been working on. Basically, it is a mechanic for people who can’t go through the desert because of heat, and she thought that this would be a good time to test it out. Who else would be good candidates than the four of them —yes, four, Tighnari is being dragged into this once again.
Tighnari? Yeah he’s just there.
”Why am I here?” Tighnari sighs.
His clothing has changed to lessen any heat strokes, his black sleeves were gone and his baggy pants were replaced with shorts. He only had a single glove on his left hand and his hair was tied back.
“Look, I may know the desert, but I need more pairs of eyes you know?” Kaveh says as he fixes his bag.
”You’ll be fine. I brought my great invention to test out, it's a type of cooling system you can use while being in the desert” Faruzan proudly says, her hands on her hips.
”Oh great… Madam Faruzan’s inventions…” It seems like Tighnari wasn’t fond of that idea.
“We may as well get going, if we time it right, we might arrive at night time. It’ll be cooler by then” Candace suggests, probably the only one with desert brain cells.
They all agreed to head out before any setbacks could commence.
Just like the Scholar Daya had said, this was indeed like any other pyramid, with elemental monuments in some areas.
“It looks all similar, but maybe the inside would be much different?” Faruzan says, hanging onto some hope to not give up on interesting facts just yet.
Mehrak itself has been wandering around as well. Searching for anything interesting that the four could take a look at.
”We need some type of key or, maybe it needs some missing Stone Slates” Tighnari points out, it indeed needed some Stone Slates.
They all started to look for some, they needed about four of them. All while this was happening, Madam Faruzan’s invention was doing great wonders.
None of them felt like the scorching sun was suffocating any of them. It felt like ordinary air and wind. Maybe because it was powered by her anemo vision.
Mehrak found two Stone Slates, Candace found one. Tighnari found one as well, but as he picked it up, it was near a broken half Stone Tablet.
It didn’t look like a Stone Tablet, more like a gravestone.
He looked at the gravestone for a bit, the name was not visible from being broken in half — he quickly takes the Stone Slate and leaves to go back, but doesn’t mention it.
”I got the last one,” Tighnari holds up the last piece as the three, including Mehrak, nodded.
They enter the Stone Slates to its designated place before letting the entrance to the pyramid open upon them.
So Faruzan was right, the inside was more different than any other pyramid. There were writings and drawings on the walls.
Dates were numbered and a bunch of names were written in a language they could barely understand. It didn’t seem like any language from Teyvat.
”This is a bit eerie,” Candace breaks the silence as they were silent when they first entered the pyramid. “I feel like we shouldn’t be here..”
Kaveh nodded, “I had promised to some scholars, so I’m not backing out now.”
Faruzan looked high and low. There were statues of different people with the Anubis structure, and the bottom dates stated years upon years.
”Could this be all the people who were associated with the spiritual Anubis?” Faruzan points out.
They all directed their gazes to the statues.
“Possibly, some of them have similar last names. It is possible that they were ancestors in a way”
Tighnari’s mind immediately went to Cyno. “Then wouldn’t Cyno be built upon here as well?” Candace laughs at that.
”I hardly doubt it, whoever made these statues probably ditched this place. Perhaps this was meant as a memorial, so there is no way Cyno would be built here, unless he was dead.” She explains.
”Right, and who knows if these people are actually his ancestors.They could just be random people who were also involved with the Anubis Spiritually” Faruzan adds on.
Kaveh seemed quiet. “Kaveh?” Tighnari asks, he wasn’t in the room with them anymore. Mehrak was though.
”Beep?” Mehrak was also confused. “Kaveh? You shouldn’t wander off, who knows how old some puzzles in this pyramid would-“
Tighnari shuts up. Mehrak, Faruzan, and Candace follow behind Tighnari, as they were also stunned from the view, they look up.
A statue of Cyno was just built, newly, and the date was also recent.
Kaveh turned to look at Tighnari in horror. “…this doesn’t mean anything…right..?”
Tighnari was too stunned to speak.
“If this was newly built…it means someone is here with us…” Candace takes a hold of her shield.
”Candace! Don’t scare us like that!” Faruzan worries, this was all too sudden and it felt off, even when Candace first said she has a vibe that they shouldn’t be here.
Mehrak makes a beeping noise. Mehrak was near Cyno’s statue on the right. There was a chest, and a note on top of it.
Mehrak signaled only Tighnari to come look at it, Mehrak didn’t seem happy when he did.
”What’s wrong buddy?” Kaveh said, taking a step forward towards Mehrak, but was held back by his buddy to let Tighnari see for himself.
Tighnari kneels down to look at the chest, then he picks up the note.
To: Tighnari
From: Anis
10/29/1960
”Tighnari?” Faruzan calls out. He looks up from the letter and up at the four. “1960…this was written exactly on my birthday. As if she knew I would see this today…today is my birthday….”
”She? Who’s she? Also, we really need to celebrate your birthday when we get back, I definitely didn’t forget your birthday!” They all chuckle nervously.
He completely ignored the fact that they forgot his birthday.
”Anis…my ancestor, she’s around 62 now if I were to count from this letter's date to now…”
The three only looked at one another in confusion.
Tighnari decided to open the letter.
Sage Naphis was closing up his office for the day. The Amurta Scholars were off to their homes or wherever they may be for the rest of the day.
Cleaning the rest of his files, he could sense a presence of some sort. He could feel the familiar aura coming from his left.
”Lord Kusanali, what brings you here at this hour?” He smiles, greeting her as he sits back down on his seat.
“I was just going to close my office for the day. Don’t tell me you're enrolling wanderer as an Amurta now” He jokes.
She giggles, “Of course not. I’m here to speak to you about something, do you have time?”
He lifts his hand and presents the seat across from him. “Any beverages? Or would you like a juice box like last time?”
“Oh come on, I’m not a child!” Yet she still took the juice box anyway.
Once they settle in with some small conversations about the latest activities around the Akademiya, Nahida gets to the point.
”I have a gut feeling, Sage Naphis” She starts. “That all of Teyvat doesn’t actually make a dook dook?” Her short feets step on Sage Naphis’s feet to let him know this isn’t a joking matter.
”Alright, alright. Continue,” she clears her throat. “I have a gut feeling that Tighnari is starting to learn the truth about everything.”
Sage Naphis was now interested as he listened attentively to what she had to say. “I also have a gut feeling that something is arising. You know that day don’t you?”
He knew very well.
“Yes.. yes I do. But I’m not partaking into such democracy. If I were, then I would be betraying my son.”
Nahida smiles at his words, “This is why you're one of the Sages I trust. You kept your promises multiple times, so it wouldn’t be an issue if you made more right?”
”Is it only promises that you believe to trust me with?” She shakes her head. “You just called Tighnari your son”
Sage Naphis turns silent, he lets his words slip off. “That was a mere accident. I meant to say he’s an important student, or you could say alumni of mine”
She hums, not buying his words. “Right, but please promise me to keep quiet if they ever ask about Tighnari’s whereabouts, I will inform the Aranara’s that both Gandharva Ville and the Avidya Forest will have to be shut down completely and moved temporarily to a place far away.”
Sage Naphis agreed. For the sake of everything, the rights, the community itself, for Tighnari, and for Teyvat as a whole. Who knows how big this damage could be?
The Akademiya was plotting something, again.