The Paradisaea and the Vultur

10

The wagon is pulled by sumpter beasts that have adapted over the centuries to tolerate the heat of the desert and the sand beneath their paws. Al-Haitham sits at the front of the wagon with a book about ancient runes settled in his hands. He stares at the page unseeingly, unable to close the book even when the rocking of the wagon makes all the inked letters blur together. His thumb presses down on one of the pages, feeling the way the parchment absorbs the heat that wafts underneath the shade of the wagon's cloth roof.

Another distraction comes in the form of the other people in the wagon with him. A servant sits at the front of the wagon, controlling the sumpter beasts with reins. Kaveh sits across from him, his eyes closed and head tilted towards the roof to expose his neck. His mechanical companion, Mehrak, settles into Kaveh's lap, silent as if it were sleeping. Nilou sits right beside Al-Haitham, fiddling with the cloth of her skirts as she speaks to Tighnari on the opposite side of the wagon. Collei is half-asleep at Tighnari's side, her notepad flipped open and slipping from her grasp. Candace watches out for the notepad with as much attention as she scans the area behind the wagon, her spear and shield gripped tightly in her hands. Nilou and Tighnari are both fairly quiet as they speak, and Candace often adds her input at certain intervals, but Al-Haitham cannot read his book with their chattering so close to his ear.

There is another wagon traveling alongside the one they are in. Regent Azar sits in that wagon, accompanied by Faruzan, Layla, and Cyno. Sethos was also allowed to partake in the journey as formal training underneath Cyno in the same way that Collei was allowed. Technically speaking, Collei was told she must come with them, and Sethos wiggled his way into an invitation from the regents with a friendly smile and clever words. Al-Haitham personally oversaw the formation of the journey, so he was there to witness Azar's half-hearted attempt at hiding his disdain for Sethos' attendance. Azar said nothing about casting Sethos out, however, and the other regents were also silent on the matter.

The purpose of their trip was to one of the far cities in the nation, Gurabad. It was near the former heart of the rebellion that cropped up some years ago. Each of the sages was meant to inspect the physical manifestation of their respective job descriptions. Nilou was going to supply rain to the city, and Candace was her guard while Dehyra remained behind to protect Sumeru City. Azar was going to double-check that the rebellion had been subdued, and Al-Haitham was going to write whatever was dictated to him. That fact alone made Al-Haitham suspicious about why Collei was forced to attend which is the biggest reason why he cannot read the book in his hands. Al-Haitham had suspected Azar knew the truth behind Collei's past. This nearly proves it, but it opens the question of why Azar hasn't revealed it yet.

What did Kaveh exchange in place of Collei's freedom? It was a question they all held. Al-Haitham hasn't been able to ask it since Kaveh has been blatantly ignoring him. Al-Haitham is not the only one, though. Kaveh hasn't gone to the tavern with Cyno and Tighnari since the deal has been struck. Kaveh greets Collei and Sethos in the street, but even the children are barely given a moment with the blonde architect. The servants have told Al-Haitham that Kaveh only leaves the house for work, but that he spends the majority of his time at home working on a project that keeps him in his office for unhealthily long stretches of time. Al-Haitham hasn't been able to see the blueprints for the project, nor has he been able to have a proper conversation with the architect.

Although Al-Haitham usually dislikes trips, he is hoping to use this one to back Kaveh into a corner. The architect won't talk unless he feels as if it is his only choice. At this point, it might be Kaveh's only option. There is a part of Al-Haitham, a mix of his heart's emotions and his mind's ability to see patterns, that tells him Kaveh is about to make a decision that he won't regret but shouldn't have to make. Al-Haitham knows it because Kaveh's habit of disappearing— if that is the only term Al-Haitham can find for it— has gotten worse.