Bandle City, Forest
"I`m going to become the best scout that Bandle City has ever had!" The boy in front of me shouted.
The girl that was walking with us laughed before telling about her dream: "Hah, I`m going to join the Megling Gunners."
"You? With the gunners? That`s ridiculous!"
"Shut up Rumble."
"Well, I`ve already started building my machine, so I already know what I`m going to do later. How about you Marl? What`s your dream?"
I sighed, not completely sure if I wanted them to know about my dream. After all, it was rather weird for a twelve-year-old Yordle to long for something that they had never seen before, and only heard of in stories and fairy tales. Deciding that I didn't want to tell them, I answered with telling them that my aspirations were to join the engineers in Piltover. It was not a complete lie, considering the fact that it was my second choice. My first choice however, would be to sail the seas, cross the oceans and conquer the horizon.
Now, as I`ve said before, I have never seen the sea with my own eyes, nor have I ever met someone who could prove that he or she did. All I know about the sea comes from one of my most precious books: Of Merchants and Pirates. It is a book about adventure and undiscovered lands. I have lost count of how many times I`ve reread that particular book, and of how many times I`ve dreamed to be on the ship with Fitz the Tinker and his comrades.
A nudge with an elbow brought me back to attention, and the four of us strayed further into the forest. But all the plants, the trees and the animals just looked the same as allways. I lacked the enthusiasm that our "scout" showed, or the interest of our future gunner. I just wished that there could be a change every now and then. Like the sea. The sea was always changing…
Seven Years Later, Deepwater Bay
I looked over the water, as I did every day. I had been here for two years now, and ironically enough; I kind of missed the forest. The sea was amazing, and the many adventures that I`ve had were great, but…
My time had been well-spent, and in the two years that I`d worked on a ship, I`d earned my fair share of money. It was a huge amount of gold for a seventeen year old Yordle, even when it wouldn't even be enough to live in luxury in cities like Demacia or Piltover for a single month. Yet a sigh escaped my mouth, and I wondered what my friends from my youth would be doing right now.
Five Years Later, Marlo`s Hideout
A man came knocking on the door of my office before entering. "The Red Eagle has appeared on the horizon, sir. It has the green banner in the top. Looks like they were successful sir!"
"Thanks for letting me know. You can go." I said, no signs of excitement whatsoever.
"Aye sir."
Another sigh slipped out, as it did more and more these days. I was just, bored, I guess? I was widely known and feared as Captain Marlo, the first Yordle to ever become a pirate. It had been exciting, for a while. However, now I was just bored again. Sighing again, I decided that it might be good to just take a look at my treasure halls, but I already knew that that was idle hope.
Twelve Years Later, Marlo&Co. Head Office
I stared at the wall in front of me. On it were some pieces of paper, signaling that I had passed my exams for studies with names that I`d already forgotten. Marlo&Co was the biggest producer of weapons and vehicles in all of Valoran. Being a merchant had once excited me a great lot, as did most things that I started. But now, there were no companies left to buy, no concurrents left to fight with, and no friends of family to share my money with. I owned most of Piltover, had connections with the royal Demacian Court, played carts with Talon duCouteau and invested in the rebuilding of the Shurima Empire. But now, I found myself, again longing for something new and exciting to pass my time with.
Thirty Years Later, Bandle City
"The sea. Oh, she was beautiful, little one. Large and wonderful. Always changing, never standing still. Tell me, have I ever told you the story of when I met a Marai?"
Even though I knew for sure that I had told him the story before, little Doran shook his head, ears lagging behind at the movement. With a smile, I took a deep breath and started the stories about my adventures on the sea.
Bandle City, Forest
"... And you Doran? What are you going to do when you`re older?"
"I think… I think I want to be a sailor. Or a pirate. I want to see the sea."