The Paradisaea and the Vultur

3

Sumeru is one of the largest nations in Tevyat, but most of the land is inhospitable. The desert is unforgiving with a golden sea ready to drown travelers and a fiery sun with a gaze that turns flesh into ash. Sumeru's prosperity comes from the obelisks, divine constructs created by the god-king Rukkhadevata. She made them when she was still ruling, and the other god-kings, Deshret and Nabu Malikata, assisted Rukkhadevata in filling the obelisks with divine power. This power flowed back into the earth, creating artificial oases that the people of Sumeru would create sprawling cities around. Travel between the cities could only be performed by borrowing divine power using devices called Akasha terminals. Individuals naturally blessed with divine power from these obelisks could also travel without needing to worry about the desert, but there are very few of those people in Sumeru, especially after the death of Rukkhadevata.

One of the largest settlements in Sumeru is, naturally, the capital city, aptly named Sumeru City. Instead of a normal obelisk, the divine power is stored in the three thrones that belonged to the god-kings when they still governed. All three thrones belong to Kusanali now, even if she's never shown the people that she sits upon one. Despite being empty, they continue to radiate enough divine power to fill the aqueducts and encourage plant life to blossom. A thin layer of divine power creates a bubble around the city, protecting the citizens inside from the wrath of the natural world.

Since it is the capital, Sumeru City is filled with all sorts of establishments and businesses. The Sanctuary of Surasthana, the official name of the royal palace, along with the famous Akademiya are inside the domain of the city. To be close to these two important government buildings, many nobles owned a house in Sumeru City, and the regents forced the sages to live in manors near the outskirts of the city. Treasure Street is the main road that runs through the entire city, and any shop that lines its polished stones is guaranteed a successful venture. The branching streets also provide ample room for other businesses to thrive, including a popular tavern with a homely atmosphere.

This tavern wasn't a frequent setting in The Water Lily and the Vulture , mainly because neither of the main protagonists was an avid drinker, but Kaveh remembered it when he first decided that being friends with Tighnari and Cyno wasn't a horrible idea. While unnecessary for Kaveh's plan to bring his comfort character happiness and to snag a cozy life himself, Kaveh realized how nice it was to have friends. He never had people to rely on in his former life. He only had people who would use him for his kindness, and that didn't really constitute friendship no matter how desperate Kaveh's heart was. Tighnari and Cyno had no reason to extort Kaveh since they were both sages, so he decided that their precious kindness was something he was allowed to have because it could only be real.

Truly, it was one of Kaveh's best decisions. These days, they would meet every week for a round of drinking and playing card games, if their schedules permitted, of course. Kaveh always did his best to show up because he enjoyed the conversations they would have. There was no one else Kaveh could complain about Al-Haitham to. They would also talk about other stuff, too. Tighnari took full advantage of the divine power to cultivate a garden, and Cyno would sometimes mention the criminals he was told to find. However, Cyno mostly talked about his favorite book series, new cards he had bought for TCG, and bad jokes he had recently picked up. Tighnari would complain about Cyno's jokes, but he showed up every week with a positive attitude. These two were Kaveh's friends, a fact that still made Kaveh seize with happiness when he thought about it.

Al-Haitham used to join them, but in recent times, he hadn't shown up. This was mostly because Kaveh was giving Al-Haitham space to not confuse the man's feelings.

"Kaveh. How much does a chimney cost?" Cyno asks as he waits for Tighnari to finish the round. Cyno looks over at Kaveh as he asks the question. Although his expression is defined by seriousness, Kaveh knows that tone of voice. He holds back a sigh, glancing over at Tighnari's glaring expression. Cyno doesn't seem to notice either of their misgivings because he keeps going, "Nothing, it's on the house."