Chapter Text
Elder Leik couldn’t help but sigh as he watched Kinich return to their camp with a dead boar in his arms. It hadn’t been very long since he had taken the young child into his care, but as he had worked as a teacher and a counselor for many years, he could see that the boy had already been through way too much for anyone.
Observing the way Kinich worked gave the older man much insight into his circumstances from before. He had known the boy for years through being involved in helping his parents throughout their rocky marriage. Particularly his mother Ixazaluoh, but once they had moved away from the tribe, Leik had lost almost all contact with them.
He would only see them when Kinich and his mother would come to the markets once a month, and every time he would beg and plead for her to leave the man who tormented her and her son. She would always say that he loved them, that they relied on him to provide for them, but those words rang hollow. Her eyes were devoid of the bright light they had once held.
Leik’s biggest regret is not having done more for her. He truly cared for her, and yet…
Well there wasn’t much point in dwelling on it now. She had gone and vanished without a trace, leaving her young son behind with a shell of a man, who broke and beat him down. He had the same eyes as his mother. The very same.
Kinich had recently turned 7 years of age, yet he was already adept in the art of survival. He had been completely self-sufficient for a while now with how skilled he seemed to be at cooking, cleaning, and hunting. His methods were just like his mother, she must’ve taught him all she could before she left.
He was a quiet kid. Rarely spoke and never spoke without being addressed first, as if he was nervous or scared to speak up. It had been really tough to get Kinich to tell him what had happened to his parents, not to mention a hefty chunk of mora. "The price of information," he had said when the elder had asked.
Kinich was very distrustful of everyone around. Always guarded and distant, it made sense that he wouldn’t give personal information out without getting compensated first. However, Leik had no clue how this mindset had developed. His father had been obsessed with mora. Perhaps Kinich had picked it up from him?
Leik had the feeling he was missing a key piece to the puzzle there, but in order for him to gain the boy’s trust, he’ll have to keep negotiating and compensating the boy in the ways that are favorable to the both of them.
Enrolling Kinich into school hadn’t been Leik's greatest idea, he had to admit. Sticking a traumatized young boy in a room full of rambunctious kids? What had he been thinking? He had been worried that he’d run off and not come back after all the other kids had bullied him out of the classroom, but his words must’ve gotten through to the boy since he’d come searching for guidance a few days later, wanting to learn more about how to become a hero.
However, instead of introducing a bit of normalcy through a traditional five year education, maybe Leik could give him a semblance of a childhood in a different way. Which brings them to this camping trip.
“Mm it’s starting to smell real good over there. There’s nothing more fulfilling than a stomach filled with hard work. Don’t you agree?” Elder Leik said, leaning back into his chair.
“...” Kinich remained silent, preferring to stay focused on stirring the pot in front of him.
“Natlan is truly a beautiful nation. Its grass is vibrant, and the sun shines brighter here than any other place in Teyvat.” Kinich turned his head to listen to the elder speak.
“Yet our home is plagued by the scourge known as the abyss. Our eternal enemy. For eons it has fallen to the Natlanese people to fight and hold them back from destroying the rest of the world.”
“Our country has been broken and ruined time and time again. Our people have always lived on the brink of destruction, yet despite that, we continue to endure. To fight on. For the glory and pride of our home.”
“This is what we were taught as the children of Natlan, and it is what will be taught to future generations of our people. However, it has never even been a choice.”
“We Natlanese were born for the purpose of fighting the abyss. Dictated by the heavens above. We cannot leave our home, for our leylines have been severely damaged in this neverending war.”
“It’s easy to start questioning why we even fight at all. Why even bother fighting on, when it seems like victory seems so far away, yet the answer is simple.”
“Our people just want to survive. We fight in order to live, for the only other option is death. All living beings inherently fear death deep down inside, but that fear fuels our determination to survive.”
“Throughout the history of Natlan, people have risen up to face the Primordial Abyss just to protect the people they love and cherish, the home they live in, and the nation they belong to. Even if their fate was death, their stories live on to this day. Passed down through the generations. We refer to these people as the heroes of Natlan”
Elder Leik paused to pour a cup of tea, watching in amusement as the young boy seemed to be deep in thought. Processing the tale the older man had told.
“At the end of big battles and great pilgrimages, there would be a great big feast. All the best meat and alco- fruit juice in Natlan in one place. Some of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life I must say.” The elder finished. Taking a sip of his herbal tea.
Kinich stood up and served the blazed meat stew he’d been cooking. Giving the first serving to the older man before fixing his own portion and sitting back down in his chair.
The pair began eating in precious silence. It was truly a peaceful evening. It was a nice getaway from the usual bustling tribe. Not being hounded by the other elders was also a blessing in Leik’s mind. Natlan really was beautiful.
“Mama always told me to savor every bite of every meal because you never know when your next one might be, and I realized the value of a full tummy when I had to pay the price for not getting enough food.” Kinich quietly spoke. Fidgeting with the feather on his necklace.
Leik’s heart sank. No child should ever have to starve. No wonder he was malnourished when he was taken in.
“Your mother was a very smart woman, lad.” Leik reminisced. Picking up the kettle he had brought.
“Is. She’s not dead.” Kinch corrected.
“Right. My apologies.” Leik chuckled. Pouring a cup of tea for the young child. Despite everything that Kinich had been through. He had something truly rare within his heart. He had hope, hope that one day he’d see her again.
It was a strange contradiction to the ‘everything has a price mentality’. Idealism and realism didn’t truly go hand in hand. However it’s only natural that a son would long for their mother. He just hopes that that ‘hope’ doesn’t have a price the kid would not be able to pay. He’s paid for enough already.
Kinich took a careful sip of the tea he’d been handed, his eyes widening before gulping the rest down. A small smile growing on his lips, the boy looked towards the elder all the while reaching for his bag on the ground.
“How much for another cup?” Kinich asked. Grabbing a pouch of mora.
“Hmm let’s see here. How about you tell me your favorite food? Oh and of course one whole mora.” Leik suggested.
Kinich put his hand to his chin and closed his eyes. Earnestly thinking about the deal the elder had put on the table.
“...My favorite food is the stew mama used to make. I’m not as good as her at making it though.” He tossed the single coin towards the older man. The kid turned his head away before speaking again. “...I don’t really like grainfruit that much, but I’ll eat it if I have no other choice.”
He looked back. Brilliant reptilian eyes meeting soft amber ones.
“Now the price has been paid.” He held out his cup towards the elder.
The elder could only blink at that. He hadn’t expected to get so much information out of him. He poured the second cup, observing the boy as he took his time with it.
It would seem that Kinich really liked the herbal tea he had brought. He couldn’t blame him, It was one of his own favorites after all.
He had asked for the boy’s favorite meal, and a piece of mora, yet he got that and his least favorite in one go. Kinich had given more than what was asked.
Kinich had given the tea a higher value than the elder had, and paid the price he saw fit.
The elder couldn’t help but laugh. What a funny kid Kinich had grown up to be.
Kinch paused and looked over at Leik. Looking quite confused and if Leik had to guess, a little smidge of judgement in those lizard eyes of his, before turning his attention back to his tea.
The elder may have failed his mother Ixazaluoh, but he would not make the same mistake with Kinich.
He kept watch over the boy well into the night after he had fallen asleep.
No matter what, Leik was gonna make sure that Kinich had a home. He was gonna make sure that Kinich had the guidance he needed to fulfill his goal of being a hero, and he would swear to never let him suffer loneliness ever again, lest the turnfire burn him to nothingness.