Syryn was still asleep when Utsui arrived at his residence, carrying with him a comprehensive list of information. He had dug it out through a thorough historical investigation conducted on their rusma patient. The avian had spared no details about the identities of the healers and the prescriptions they'd made for the patient.

"You've gathered the information so fast.." Syryn's eyes scanned the barely legible handwriting on the paper.

"Can you discern what I've written?" The young avian peered at his own writing from behind the paper. Utsui was aware of his shortcomings, apparently.

"Yep." If Syryn placed a quill between the claws of milky, the result wouldn't have looked too different. "You're lucky I'm a seasoned reader of runes. Were you trying to summon a demon?"

The young avian snatched the paper out of Syryn's hands. "I'll ask someone else to transcribe it."

"I was joking, Utsui! Give that back."

The sheet was torn in half between the grabbing hands of the two healers.

"Syryn!"

"This isn't my fault!"

----

It turned out that elder Toka's home wasn't too far off from where Syryn had been staying. The elder's home was a beautifully constructed house that had three floors. The architecture was stylish but traditional. An artificial stream tinkled by the entrance of the house and over it was an arched ramp made from dark wood. A mixture of sun trees and other flora native to helios provided shade for the compound.

"Utsui, what happened to the ichor seller in the end?" Syryn asked as they walked companionably.

"He ran away and was caught trying to sneak out of Nua with a merchant band."

Utsui's reply was a sharp reminder of what had taken place last night. Would it take a day, or two? How much time would pass before the man's companions took notice that one of their own was missing? Syryn hadn't expected Akida to side with them, but in hindsight, the avian had grown up in a hotbed of criminal activity and had been exposed to all manners of unsavoury characters. Who knew what he'd seen while growing up?

"Eh? Is that Altaire?" Syryn whispered to Utsui. The alchemist was walking towards them with elder Toka right beside him.

"He's staying with grandfather," Utsui replied. "They're looking into the properties of ichor and what makes it such a powerful supplement."

"Syryn, you're here." Elder Toka's greeting was blandly neutral. "Before I take you to the dowager queen, I need to test your knowledge of neurology and its associated disorders."

It was a fair request. Not all healers were adept at all branches of anatomy. And this was no simple patient whose time could be wasted with a healer who didn't know what he was doing.

"When?" Syryn asked the elder.

The older man seemed surprised that Syryn was cooperating with him. He had expected the teen to react rebelliously. After the traumatic incident at the amphitheatre, the old man no longer wanted to antagonise the teen.

"After I send off master Altaire," elder Toka replied.

Unexpectedly, Altaire interjected in their civil conversation. "I'd like to observe the assessment of Syryn's medical understanding."

The teen felt a tiny throb in his heart. Was that excitement at the prospect of being watched by Altaire while he got to show off? Or could it be the thrill of knowing that the alchemist was interested in exploring Syryn's other academic pursuits?

"Why not?" Syryn replied. "If it is also acceptable to elder Toka, I don't have any problems."

The old man nodded. "Follow me."

----

Syryn was acutely aware of Altaire's unobtrusive but imposing presence in the room. He sat quietly with his elbow on the armchair and his chin resting in his palm.

Elder Toka began with easy questions that soon escalated into tricky ones set up to catch him unawares. A lesser healer would have faltered and fallen into the elder's traps but Syryn was a seasoned schemer.

"But Toka, you asked about the axillary nerve C6, not the median nerve C6." Syryn leaned into Utsui and rested his head on the young avian's shoulder.

Utsui's grandfather pressed his lips into a straight line and stared at where Syryn was resting his head. The teen couldn't see Utsui's reaction so he missed the way colour dusted the avian's cheekbones.

"Get your head off my grandson's shoulder!"

"Why?"

"It's inappropriate. An important assessment is taking place, Syryn. Please conduct yourself appropriately. At least for the sake of master Altaire who does not need to see such a display of-"

"Let it be, Toka. It does not displease me," Altaire calmly informed the old man.

Elder Toka puffed up like he had more to say. Syryn smiled. His hands strayed to the silky hair that lay against Utsui's chest. Twirling it around his forefinger, Syryn tugged at it gently so Utsui was forced to look at him. The young avian jerked at Syryn's tunic from under the table. A subtle warning to Syryn.

This time, Syryn ignored the warning. "Eh? Utsui, why are you touching me under the table? I'm sensitive so-"

"Grandfather, it's not like that!" Utsui blurted out to the old man whose hand had flown to his chest in shock.

"We're done here," elder Toka slammed his book shut and stared at Syryn with fire in his eyes. "I will speak to you later."

Syryn glanced at Altaire who was still leaning on a palm. What was he thinking? The teen wanted to know.

---

After elder Toka left with Altair, the young men were left to their devices. Syryn was appreciating a dragon feather flower when Utsui came to stand beside him.

"Why do you keep teasing me?" Utsui asked the teen. "Is it because you hate grandfather?"

Syryn turned to look at the avian. Their eyes met briefly and he looked away. An odd feeling was lodged in his chest. Ah guilt, he thought, hello old friend.

"I don't hate your grandfather," Syryn answered. "And I tease you because its fun to. Your reactions are very- cute."

Utsui tugged at Syryn's collar and he was suddenly inches away from the avian's face. A frown dipped the corner of Utsui's soft-looking lips. "Have a care for my feelings, Syryn. You can't seduce me and hope to get away with it unscathed."

Syryn blinked in surprise. "I'm not trying to seduce you. Physical proximity isn't seduction, Utsui."

"If you were to behave with a woman in the same manner as you do with me, she would think you were interested in more than friendship. Do you understand?" Utsui's warm breath skated past Syryn's lips.

"Y-yes.." Syryn was a damn fool. For once in his life, he felt sorry about teasing a good looking man.

"The next time you say or do something provocative, I will kiss you," Utsui threatened with a narrowing of his eyes.

"Right, understood," Syryn eased off the fingers that were holding his collar.

"Good. Let's have some tea while we wait for grandfather," Utsui said in a calm tone like nothing untoward had happened.