sun-touched
Some relationships are sudden, and most are fleeting. Yet theirs is a build-up of small moments, and for Amaya it burns brighter than the sun.
Janai/ Amaya drabbles leading up to the S3 finale + one future fic.
There's something significant about the moment when Amaya first sees her. For as long as she lives, she'll never be able to forget it.
The nameless three she has just dispatched – sent hurtling over the lava falls, in fact – fade from her mind as she takes in this new challenger. A helmet perches itself like a crown on gold-ringed horns, and her feline eyes regard Amaya; beautiful, contemptuous, and full of hate.
Amaya bares her teeth at the elf, just to let her know the sentiment is returned.
At some point, Amaya realises the elf is most likely a Sunfire knight. She has encountered enough during her time here to have a healthy level of caution, but this knight is unlike any Amaya has encountered before.
She imagines it was elves such as this that massacred her brother-in-law and countless others, that stole her nephews from their beds. Bile curdles in her throat.
Her opponent holds herself like a predator, and for once Amaya isn't certain of victory. The very air suddenly seems heavy and oppressive with anticipation.
Although could just be the river of lava. She hasn't decided yet.
But there's no time for curiosity. The Sunfire knight draws her burning sword, and Amaya darts forward. The elf moves just as fast as Amaya does, maybe faster, and that spirits-cursed sunforge blade is as much a worry as it is a wonder.
Especially when it shears straight through Amaya's sword. Her favourite fucking sword.
She scowls her attacker, and throws herself behind her shield. Amaya feels the moment that she loses the battle, and her muscles strain with effort as the elf pushes her against the rock, caging Amaya in.
All Amaya can think is that she has to distance herself now now now.
By a fine hair and a well-placed kick, Amaya's luck proves itself and before long she's speeding away on horseback. The curtain of lava blurs as she rides, the pulsing and inexorable heat Amaya's constant companion.
By all rights she should be exhausted, angry, and frustrated. And she is. But she finds herself also thinking, how interesting.
Over the next few weeks she finds her thoughts drifting back to the knight, and at the most inconvenient of times. Like when she should be scouting the fiery horizon for any and all Sunfire elves, when Amaya knows in her heart she is just looking for a glimpse of one in particular.
There are a hundred more worrying matters to go grey and wrinkly about, numbers one through fifty involving her missing nephews and their tiny, vicious, pointy-eared captor. And Gren. Who she still hasn't heard from.
She hates it. The distraction. And she hates the knight, too. Just for good measure.
If Fake Gren and her soldiers think her more grumpy than usual, they don't say anything and they certainly don't speculate as to why. At least within eyesight. Well, most of them – apparently her veterans are back to hazing the green recruits by telling them that she can't read lips.
Poor greenies. They'll beat them into shape in no time.
But all those thoughts are brushed aside when Amaya leads her soldiers back to the secret outpost on the Xadian side of the border. The hairs on the back of Amaya's neck rise and stay risen from the start, her knuckles white from gripping the reins so hard.
There's something wrong, she just doesn't know what it is yet. Suddenly her armour feels too restricting, trapping her in one spot.
But if the abandoned, still-steaming food they find didn't scream ambush, then one of her missing soldiers reappearing at the caves' entrance, frantically signing "Danger!" certainly does. A shadow moves behind him, and without thought she leaps forward, shield in hand, fending off the arrow that would have been for her soldier's heart.
But saving one soldier is not enough, not when the cave is suddenly teeming with Sunfire elves, their steel arrow tips and blades all glinting in the glow of the lava like some sort of perverse twilight.
It then that she appears from the shadows of the cave entrance, a fever dream made reality. Obviously the kind you get from heat stroke, Amaya reminds herself harshly.
There's a terse moment when they just glower at each other. The moment is shattered when the knight thrusts her sunforge sword forward, and the room descends into a chaotic, seething melee.
But inevitably Amaya comes back to her. It seems to be becoming a reoccurring problem. Taking the advantage, Amaya clambers up onto a roof, ramming an elven archer off with all the blunt force she can manage.
Amaya has just enough time to turn around before she is there. Amaya feels that spark return when she looks into those amber irises.
And then with Amaya's beckoning fingers and vicious smirk, their dance begins.
They duck and weave around each other, a cycle of push and pull. Amaya ignores the sizzling pain of the sunforge blade slicing through her armour and skin when the elf mimics Amaya, beckoning her forward with a smug smile.
Something twists low in Amaya's gut. Just like the burn on her shoulder, she ignores the burn in her cheeks and meets the knights's challenge with a snarl. Their hateful dance resumes.
Amaya thinks she might just win, when the elf starts to glow a terrifying golden, and Amaya turns from thoughts of victory to a continuous stream of get out get out you need to get out. It becomes a game of survival, and Amaya is determined to win.
But her luck pulls through once more, thank the bloody spirits. Taking the chance, she rounds up her soldiers and scrambles out as fast as her tired legs will carry her.
She tries not to think about her reaction to the knight on that frenetic sprint back to the fortress. Because she's starting to have a sneaking suspicion what it means.
And it's a problem.
Amaya loves blowing shit up. And that's a fact. There has been a rare few times in her life when she has had some semblance of hearing, or the closest thing to it, and all of those moments have been from reverberating shockwaves.
So the idea that she's about to give the order to collapse ten thousand tonnes of rock and lava via blasting jelly, cutting Xadia off from Katolis forever, lights the anticipation in her eyes.
Naturally, it's all ruined.
Amaya curls her lip as a figure steps out from behind a stream of fire. You again.
The knight drops the length of rope, and for Amaya it means defeat. In that moment Amaya hates this mystery Sunfire knight utterly and in her entirety. Her actions mean that Katolis will be defenceless. That Gren – who is mercifully alive and well – and her nephews will be defenceless.
Amaya cannot allow that. So before her soldiers and Gren can realise, she is mounted and racing forward, the stink of horse sweat ripe in the air.
She will not fail.
She doesn't.
But now Amaya is roasting in a Lux Aurean cell. Literally. Like a duck. In an oven. Someone better come in soon with some herbs and spices or she won't have any flavour when she is plated up at a feast table.
She's temporarily resigned herself to her fate when she feels footsteps vibrating against the stone tiled floor. Amaya looks up to see the knight, veins pulsing and eyes verdant with Xadian magic.
"Welcome to Lux Aurea, human."
As much as Amaya wishes she could curse at the Sunfire knight, she cannot with both her hands tied behind her back. Instead, Amaya settles with glaring.
By the Orphan Queen, Amaya saved her life. And this is her thanks. Bitch.
The timid mouse with eye-glasses speaking in (albeit heavily accented) Katolis sign language is a surprise, though. "I am Kazi. I'm here to translate for Her Highness, the Golden Sun Knight Janai of Lux Aurea, sister to Her Radiance, Queen Khessa."
So this knight is a general of sorts. And a royal. Amaya huffs. It all makes so much sense now.
The knight moves behind Amaya and starts releasing Amaya's cuffs. She can see from the corner of her eyes the knight is saying something, but if the elf had even the slightest understanding of human anatomy, she'd know heads cannot turn that far.
Idiot. Ah well, for the knight's sake hopefully it was nothing important.
"What were your human soldiers doing on this side of the border?" The knight asks her imperiously.
Amaya resists rolling her eyes, and averts her gaze with pursed lips.
"What are the humans planning?"
Again Amaya averts her eyes, focusing on the tiled floor. She feels footsteps coming closer before red braids enter her vision.
The knight crouches down and snarls. "Say something."
Right. Good. Just fine. Amaya will say something. Amaya's brows crease and her smile turns sly. "How about I turn you around and shove this sword up your arse."
The translator flushes a dark pink, and Amaya takes the opportunity to twist away, arms crossed. Right before her head is unceremoniously wrenched up by the furious knight. Ow.
"I suppose you think that is funny."
Very. Amaya nods and feels very comfortable in her smugness...
The little mouse translates to the knight, who growls and turns back to Amaya. "We'll see if you have the same attitude as our Queen."
...maybe she is a little less comfortable now.
Amaya is terrified.
The light is all-consuming, and it will blind her. She did not bow to their interrogation, so instead the Sunfire Queen will take her sight with magic as punishment.
Her breathing hitches. If they take her sight, she will lose everything. She will be able to save no one and nothing. Panic overwhelms her, and she desperately tries to struggle out of her bonds.
Strong hands suddenly grip her, and swing her around. It is the knight. Janai. Her mouth is moving and urgent, and although it is torture, Amaya keeps her eyes open.
"You have to look! If you want to live, you have to look into the light!"
It could be a trick. Janai hates her, wants her dead. But Janai is honourable, and she could have killed Amaya multiple times before this moment.
Amaya is standing on the edge of a precipice, one she willingly throws herself off by putting her trust in her elf. Amaya turns to embrace the light, bright as any sun, and tears of agony run down her cheeks with the effort of keeping her eyes open. Everything fades to white.
But she survives. And she can see.
"A human with a pure heart. How original." Amaya doesn't have to be able to hear to understand the sarcasm and disappointment in the Sunfire Queen's voice.
Amaya, for one, relishes in the fact she has aggravated the Queen.
She is grateful when Janai picks her up, arms under Amaya's shoulders. Amaya doesn't think she would have been able to stand by herself.
The walk back to the cells is long, and Amaya is barely conscious for most of it, her feet dragging heavy on the ground as Janai and a guard support her.
It feels good to close her eyes, and so she doesn't realise until they stop in front of the ring of fire. Janai and the guard let go of Amaya. She tries not to sway too much.
"Back to the oven?" Amaya signs groggily to the little mouse, who has since joined their party.
From this angle, Amaya sees Janai step forward and the corner of her mouth move. Amaya can guess she is questioning the translator on what she said.
Amaya watches the translator's chapped lips hawkishly for a reply – she is a nervous thing, this mouse.
"Your Highness, she asked if she was going back to the oven. I'm not quite sure what she—,"
Amaya sees Janai raise her hand to stop the timid elf's answer. Janai turns back to Amaya with quirked brows and an amused expression. Amaya is glad someone thinks her joke is funny, even if it's the knight that can't decide if she wants to kill Amaya or not.
"Yes. And I'm assigning two guards, just in case. I'm getting to know you too well."
Amaya does her best wicked grin.
Janai's smile drops, and her face becomes unreadable. Instead after a moment she motions to the guards. With rigid postures, they open a gap in the fire for Amaya.
Amaya winces. Spirits, this place is almost as blinding as the magic fire stick. Even though she is exhausted, Amaya gathers up enough strength to send a withering look back at Janai.
Janai looks thoroughly unimpressed.
The next few moments are awkward. There is no reason for Janai to still be here, no reason for anyone but Amaya's guards to be here, and yet the Golden Knight of Lux Aurea is...loitering, for lack of a better word.
But Amaya doesn't want this encounter to end, for some reason. Not yet.
Before she can think better of it, Amaya darts out and grasps Janai's hand. Even when Janai jerks back in surprise, Amaya holds on. Out of the corner of her eyes, Amaya can see the guards poised to attack. She ignores them.
Locking onto Janai's amber stare, Amaya tries to pour all the gratitude she can into their temporary bond. Janai's palms feel as calloused as Amaya's own, and they are damp.
A moment passes of them staring at each other, before they hear a small cough beside them. Janai's eyes widen, and she rips her hand from Amaya's.
Refusing to acknowledge the small twinge of disappointment for what it is, Amaya turns to the not-so-oblivious mouse that had just cleared her throat. "Can you tell her that I said thank you for saving my life?" Amaya asks quickly.
The elf turns to Janai and repeats her message. But Janai doesn't look at her. Apparently there is a more fascinating scratch on the wall. Gaze averted, she nods once and starts toward the stairs, shoulders broad and stride long.
After she leaves and the ring of fire is sealed, Amaya can't help but think that there could be only one reason why Janai's palms were damp in the throne room.
Janai had been worried for her.
"No matter. Queen sentenced him to be purified. After the ritual, I doubt there will be anything left of him."
If only. Amaya needs a moment she cannot afford, that they cannot afford, to process and piece together what she has just been told. Viren is King of Katolis. He is in Xadia with an army, seeking passage. He is here in Lux Aurea, being taken to the Sunfire Elves' source of Primal magic at the Sunforge Spire.
And Ezran is...is most likely...
Amaya feels sick.
But she can't afford to grieve properly. She tucks the information away in her mind, and races after Janai before she can exit the ring of fire. Gripping her arm to bring her back, Amaya starts signing madly, desperately hoping the translator can keep up.
"If he's here, everyone is in danger! We have to stop him!"
Janai's brows crease, troubled eyes framed by shimmering golden war paint and ochre braids. "Are you certain?" She asks Amaya directly. Amaya nods in return without hesitation.
Her knight's jaws clench and she gives a short sigh. "Then we need to hurry."
Thank the ancestor spirits. Janai believes her. They take flight from the cells, and Amaya is right on her heels.
But they are too late.
They have run themselves close to exhaustion from the palace through the streets and mulling citizens of Lux Aurea, so close to the looming Sunforge Spire, when Amaya bears witness to sheer horror.
A purple eclipse consumes the miniature sun crowning the tower, haloed by bleeding reds and oranges. That's when people start to panic. She can see them open their mouths screaming as they flee. Amaya can feel the ground shaking and rumbling beneath them.
That's when they're close enough to watch a crowned figure burning to ash, fluttering off the spire into nothingness. Janai opens her mouth in a wail.
It was her sister.
Watching Janai's anguish turn to rage is almost comforting in its familiarity. When Janai's skin starts to burn in rivulets of lava, Amaya is not afraid. She understands. Amaya knows Janai's experience intimately, but she cannot allow her knight to throw herself into Dark Magic's grasp.
So Amaya catches up to her, and hurtles them both down to the ground. Amaya captures Janai's raised fist, meeting her eyes and willing her to understand, ignoring the searing pain and the smell of Amaya's own burning flesh to do so.
Don't be an idiot, she wishes she could tell Janai, there's nothing you can do now. She would want you to survive.
As if she heard Amaya, the rivulets seep back into Janai's skin, and the fight goes out of her. Instead she turns away from Amaya and toward the tower, hands outstretched as if she could still save her sister, and Amaya can feel the heart-wrenching howl leave Janai's body.
They needed to get out. Now. Amaya swallows roughly and moves forward.
Just as Janai did for her once, Amaya grips Janai underneath her shoulders and lifts. Janai doesn't struggle and doesn't look at Amaya at all as Amaya leads her away as fast as they can move.
She is completely pliant in Amaya's grasp. That is almost more disturbing than anything else.
Thankfully in the distance she sees the translator. The translator sees her in return and runs towards them. As they get closer, Amaya can see the girl is petrified and sobbing, wilting into herself.
Amaya lets go of Janai to speak to the translator, gripping her chin tight briefly. "Cry if you need to, little mouse," she tells her. "But then you need to pull yourself together. Run. Tell everyone you can find to meet on the far side of the city towards the riverland forests. Viren and his army are going another direction, toward the Dragon Queen, so we should be safe."
"How do you know this?"
Amaya curls her lip at the thought of the fucking traitor. "I know Viren. That is enough."
The elven girl nods, and swallows roughly. "And Her Radiance?"
Amaya shakes her head. "Let me worry about Janai." She clasps the girl in an embrace then, for just a moment. There is nothing wrong about wanting comfort in the face of disaster.
"Fly, little mouse," Amaya urges her, and the girl begins to run.
Amaya glances to Janai, now slumped and catatonic on the pavement. She sighs.
Now their work begins.
At some point along the way they find a horse. They're riding together, Janai cradled against Amaya's shoulders, when they enter the forest. Amaya's sight is sharper than most humans, thank the spirits for that, because heads start popping out of the darkness and Amaya can barely contain a sharp gasp.
They have gathered in the forest by the thousands. Tens of thousands. At its head is the little mouse, whom Amaya should really start calling by her name. Kazi.
She shouldn't be surprised that a translator is skilled in communication, but, well, she is.
The quiet is eerie, given how vibrant and alive Lux Aurea was. People crowd around Janai, hovering as she dismounts and walks past them numbly toward a small stream, bending down to wash her face.
A male elf approaches, and Kazi comes up by Amaya's side, ready to translate. Amaya smiles, and nods her head toward the girl in deep appreciation.
"Your Radiance. Please. We need your leadership."
That gets a reaction out Janai. She hisses, and rises to stalk forward, grabbing the speaker by his throat and pinning him against a thick tree trunk. No one stops her, and that is when Amaya realises what is happening. She could bloody kick herself for being so slow.
Because Janai's elder sister is dead, her knight is now the Sunfire Queen.
It may or may not get Amaya killed, but she has to do something. Cautiously, as if approaching a wild horse – a carnivorous wild horse – Amaya walks up to Janai and puts a hand on her arm.
Janai turns to glare at Amaya, and doesn't let go of the elf's throat. Amaya shakes her head, and lifts her hands. "Can you please translate, Kazi? Tell her this isn't the way. That it will not bring her sister back. I should know; my sister was killed. I was also helpless to stop it."
Janai's gaze moves behind Amaya, and Amaya just has to trust that her words are being heard because she refuses to take her eyes off Janai. Slowly, Amaya prises Janai's fingers off the now violet-faced elf.
Janai lets her.
After the elf catches his breath and shoots a grateful look at Amaya, he rushes shame-faced back into the whispering crowd. Amaya watches him go, and turns back to see Janai staring at her intently. Amaya narrows her eyes in return, and Janai flushes.
Amaya reaches to grasp Janai's shoulder to comfort her. It'll be alright. But first you need to help your people.
Janai closes her eyes, and breathes deep. When she opens them again, her amber eyes are alert and resolute. They are ready.
A/N: Headcanon is Amaya blowing stuff up except it's a meme of Edna Mode. Also it's absolutely canon that she swears like a sailor. Don't me.
So basically this fic has been sitting in the depths of my half-finished stories file since S2 came out. I shipped Janai and Amaya since their first scene together – basically just prayin' it wasn't a queer-baiting thing.
And boy was I fucking glad I held out. So I'm writing this legit ten minutes after I finished S3, and I hope you've all enjoyed my small contribution to an amazingly canon (!) ship.
I'll upload the next chapter sometime in the next week.