Under The Foxes Gaze | CynoNari ✔

I Promise to Stay by Your Side.

Getting used to Cyno's new morning routine was certainly not one of the things he enjoyed. Getting up earlier than the sun itself was— well— a new thing for Cyno. Tighnari seemed to find it amusing, finding Cyno oversleeping and pouring cold water all over. Changing the soggy bedsheets wasn't Cyno's favorite activity.

And just right now, Cyno, who overslept, was panicking. He awoke to the sun shining into his face. Well, he did drink a lot last night with the lower-ranked forest rangers. The scarier thing was that, Tighnari was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps, he was already digging Cyno's grave.

With panick seizing Cyno's chest, in the speed of light, he threw his clothes on himself, and rushed outside.

***

Even after Cyno's desperate attempts to locate Tighnari, he just wasn't simply anywhere. And that bugged Cyno a lot. Was Tighnari that mad? Well, Cyno had to find him anyways.

Cyno was currently trailing after a path eastern of the small vilage. Tighnari's solo patrols were usually around that area. Cyno wasn't sure if he wanted to find Tighnari. The yell, and then the punishing penalty.

After Cyno finished circling the eastern area, worry filled up in his chest. What if something bad happened to Tighnari? Even if he wasn't the best person to get along with, he still didn't deserve anything bad happening to him. Plus, they were friends. At least from Cyno's perspective, though their relationship could be quite tricky at times. Cyno wasn't sure if Tighnari would call him his friend.

***

With the lowering sun, the uncomfortable, strange feeling at the back of Cyno's back only grew stronger. It seemed as if Tighnari just vanished into thin air. Maybe this would be the perfect oppurtunity for Cyno to run, without Tighnari's constant watch on him. However, something deep inside of his guts told him not to, at least not until he assured himself that Tighnari was safe.

On the way back to the Avidya village, Cyno somehow managed to bump into Collei, who seemed as surprised as him.

"Ah— Master Cyno! Very unusual to see you in this part of forest! How was your first solo patrol?" She asked, as she cheerfully clapped her hands together.

Solo patrol? What was Collei talking about?

"Solo patrol? No one told me I was supposed to have one. I was looking for Na— Ah, master Tighnari this entire day." Cyno cocked his head to the side, as he questioned Collei.

"Did no one inform you? Ack, these stupid rangers! Drunkards that can't remember anything, or do anything properly!" Collei angrily exclaimed, as she kicked into the ground. After she calmed down a little, she fakely coughed and cleared her voice. "Master Tighnari is preparing for tommorow. By the order of the One Above, all of the highest-ranked captains need to recite their words of trust towards the forest for tommorow. It's a tradition." Collei explained, crossing both of her arms.

Cyno looked up, and mentally slapped himself. He was so worried for Tighnari, who was only simply at the comfort of his own hut, reciting verses for tommorow.

"Collei, for the reciting tommorow, can we go together? We can be Master Tighnari's numbers one emotional supports." He said, giggling at his own sentence. Collei's eyes shined at that, and with a warm smile, she agreed.

***

Cyno spent the rest of the evening in his own hut, thinking about how stressed Tighnari must feel. The sun long gone, and moon shining into Cyno's window, made him feel even less sleepy. The mental picture of Tighnari trying very hard, just to get his father's approval, and get praised, made Cyno smile. Tighnari was adorable in his own way. And despite his rude and cold outside shell, he was still just a little child on the inside, that wanted to get praised from it's guardians. How cute!