(Cyno fanart made by 41097772s on Twitter)
Welcome, y/n, to my very late 10k special!
As noted in my previous chapter, this oneshot was supposed to be uploaded a lot earlier, but due to the lack of plot and fluff, I decided to play around more with different kinds of conflicts.
Of course, Genshin seemed to be a life-saver in this scenario because of the recently posted 3.1 trailer, which gave a lot of ideas for what major canon conflicts are to be expected.
This oneshot, however, is in no way canon or officially correct lore-wise. I just took what I thought may or may not happen based on what we can infer from the trailer and put it into a decent (in my opinion) oneshot.
Anyway,
I hope you enjoy this oneshot as much as I did making it, and again, thank you so much for 10k reads!
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Desert Protector. General Mahamatra. Cyno.
These are all but words used to describe your beloved.
The one who would do anything and everything for you.
"Are you alright, my love?" The albino wraps his protective arms around you, a soft gesture only he would do for you.
You let out a sigh, "It's not me you should be worrying about, Cyno. The desert-"
"Is a scary place to be alone in, I get it. But I've received orders from the Akademiya not to interfere with their business." He states, sorrow clearly shown in his voice.
"Then why don't you send one of the other mahamatras to help those poor souls who are just willingly walking into the Scarlet King's trap?!" You can't help but to yell at Cyno. You knew he, of all people, didn't deserve to be scolded like this, but who else were you going to spit the truth out to?
"I won't and likely can't, Y/n, and you know that. They're all too scared to attempt going against the higher-ups. Trust me, please, when I say that even I don't think what the Akademiya is doing is right," He begins, "So if we're to help the ones the sages sacrificed, whether we're on the side of good or bad doesn't objectively matter. We'll be the enemies of both the Akademiya and the Scarlet King."
You didn't want to admit it, but he's right. Just a few days ago, the Akademiya announced their plan of trading knowledge with the Scarlet King, in return for temporary peace. They would send their most trusted adventurers to hand the knowledge capsules to the Eremites, the King's most loyal followers, and to return safely with zero casualties.
At least, that's what they said to the general public.
To the higher-ranking individuals of Sumeru, however, there was a completely different idea.
The knowledge capsules the Akademiya were to trade is poison. Once the capsules are activated, hell's to be unleashed in the desert. The adventurers they picked to go to the Eremites would suffer, both from the poison and the Scarlet King's wrath once he'd figure out what's truly going on.
And that wasn't even the worst of it.
Just a few hours ago, Candace got intel from the Eremites.
King Deshret had already figured things out, and now those oblivious adventurers are now walking into his trap like fools.
Fools that deserve to be saved.
You gulp down your last sip of water. Nothing was left in your bottle. If you were to not find Aaru village soon, or even just someone willing to help, you'd die in a desert completely unbeknown to you.
You'd die a lost child, with nobody having a clue as to where you've disappeared. If anyone even cared to know you've gone missing.
You continue to tread along the desert, its endless amount of sand depriving you of your hope. Illusions are created all around you, such as water sources, and even a village. But you know better than to chase after objects of your imagination. Voices keep ringing in your head, and at one point you think it's a real voice.
"Hey, are you okay?"
You ignore the voice. It doesn't sound familiar, but it doesn't sound too strange either.
"Here, drink this." You see yet another illusion of water, but in a sealed container being held by someone.
When you refuse to take another glance at it, knowing full well that you wouldn't be able to resist your inner temptations, you suddenly feel a cold liquid moisturizing your throat and mouth.
Your vision seems to clear, and you can now see a moon-haired guy that looks to be asking you a question.
"-ou feeling better?" Is all you can hear, before the realization kicks in.
He gave you water. Real water. That means he's real too.
"P-pardon?" You say, stuttering from shock.
"I asked if you were feeling better, and I suppose you are if you're able to speak and move. Thank both the lesser and greater lord." He says, before giving you another bottle to drink.
You take it, and drink it desperately. He only chuckles softly in response.
"Go on, no need to fear anymore. You can come with me to Aaru Village to rest up. We can figure out everything else later. Is that okay with you?" He asks, lending out his hand, waiting for you to take it.
You finish drinking your water, and take his hand without hesitation.
You didn't know why, but you felt as if you could trust this guy. The guy who helped you.
Whose name just happens to be...
Cyno.
"I know, I know. It's a danger for everyone who wants to defy the Akademiya's orders right now, but it'll only put everyone, even the common folk, in even more danger if we don't act now." You say, the memory of being lost in the wicked desert still spiraling through your mind.
You were only lucky that Cyno was able to save you that day, but what about those people who are evidently walking towards their death?
There's no luck involved with the game the Akademiya is playing. There's only truth and one certainty.
If no one does anything to prevent this, even the sages and Lesser Lord Kusanali can't do anything to stop Sumeru from facing King Deshret's demonic wrath.
As if the desert protector has just read your mind, he suddenly speaks, "Fine. I'll try to do something about this, if that's what you want, my love."
He smiles as he begins to notice your face light up. You are beyond grateful to him.
He turns to face the desert. You both take a moment to look at the bone-dry desert from the balcony of the General Mahamatra's headquarters.
Somewhere out there, there are innocent people who are only trying to do their jobs, but are being tricked by the Sages themselves. And the price they're going to have to pay for being so easily deceived are their lives and many more.
At least, that's what you thought until the General Mahamatra said otherwise.
...
Cyno sighs only a minute after, "But my immediate decision does not stand to contradict my eternal verdict of the situation. I still think that the consensus we've come to will only cause peril in the eyes of everyone around us."
"But...then again, without peril, we wouldn't have met, now would we?" He raised your chin with his hand. It hurts to look at him when the sun's rays are just directly behind him, but you still can't help but to stare at his features.
How his gentle reddish eyes would always find its way to you, and how his moon-colored hair would stand out, even in the darkest of nights. His giant headpiece in which you'd always ask to wear, and would always get permission to do so.
And once again, he's right.
You wouldn't have met him if you decided not to venture out into the desert that day.
And you swear to Celestia itself that you'd do it again ten thousand times over if it meant you'd meet him.
"Am...I interrupting something?"