In Runeterra, many types of monsters and beasts inhabit the land. In forms and size that cannot be imagined by the mere mind. Man might have build walls to keep them out, but time to time the wild will make problems to show they are not to be taken lightly. And of all the forest that inhabit such fearful beast, The Forest of Tsarin was the most feared by man. Many people trek the forest, only to be mourn by their loved ones. No bodies to be found, they simply just disappeared.
But one man had the courage to walk through the forest alone, the beast and monster of the forest eyed him with glowing eyes. The man could feel the presence and stops, he turned and eyed back with equal if not more threatening eyes. The glowing eyes slowly faded to the darkness, decreasing in number and as they know that the man was not to be meddled with. Once the eyes were gone, the man continued his journey as if nothing happened.
The man was no other than Malcolm Graves, a criminal in every government across Runeterra, known simply as The Outlaw. He carried his shotgun Destiny by the shoulders, dismissing the fact that he was in the most dangerous forest of them all. Currently he had no mood to encounter beasts and monsters, if he had to, he would make sure that it would be quicker than taking a breath.
Malcolm's mouth had no cigar but not because of his mood, but because he had run out of stock. From time to time he would restock, but he was too busy and eventually smoked every cigars he had. It has been weeks since he had one, and his mood had turn sour to bitter as the weeks past. Graves did not care about the forest, the Bloodmoon could appear in a moment notice and he couldn't even care less. To him, the utmost important objective was to reach to The Place.
The Forest of Tsarin might have the most scariest stories to be told to a grown man, but little did people know that the forest was also the place where Malcolm Graves would get his cigars. The Place is an inn situated at the center of the forest, anyone that was careless in his journey would be loss and meet his inevitable end. But Graves knows where The Place was, he was so familiar of the path that he could arrive there blindfolded. Showing how long have he been buying his cigar from The Place.
Malcom Graves barges through a set of bushes and twigs, when he arrived to the other side, he saw an inn with the windows lighted by the fireplace inside. He smirks seeing The Place, then he approached towards the door with a slightly lighten mood. He arrived at the front door and knock the door a few times.
"What's the password?" Someone shouted from the inside with a dry voice.
"You're too old to remember it old man!" Graves answered.
"Come in then!"
Graves smiled and chuckled hearing the voice, he then turns the knob and enters the inn. He closed the door and put Destiny and his boots at the side of the door. It was the inn rules and he was respectful to it. Then he goes to the counter that was at the center of the inn, where he wanted to meet the owner of The Place named Jack. Jack was busy rolling cigars, but when Graves stands in front him, he stops and look with a stern face.
Jack is a one hundred year old troll that made money through people staying in his inn and buying his cigars. He was skinny and had the height of Graves knee if he would stand side by side with the man. The old troll wears spectacles had grey skin that was rough, abundant wrinkles and scars. Because of his age, he was always grumpy with the exception when he gets gold out of agreements or through his business.
"Been a long time old man. Miss me?" Smiled Graves.
"Well if it ain't Malcolm Graves, aren't supposed to be in prison?" Jack squinted his eyes, it seems he needs a new set of glasses.
"That was a long time ago old man, how many times do I have to tell you about that Jack." Graves took a cigar from a stack of finished cigars made by the old troll. "May I?"
A bug landed on Jack head, which he smacked it with his hand then chew it with his mouth. "You buying and staying right?"
"Of course Jack." Graves smells the cigar, such aroma exclusive to Jack's cigars. "Three months worth of it"
"Good." Jack continued to roll cigars. "Make yourself at home."
Graves chuckled and bites the cigar. He took out a matchbox and then burns one matchstick, lighting up the tip of the cigar to blazing red. He smokes the cigar, the flavours enters his lung and Graves was a happy man. Nothing better than a cigar freshly rolled by the finest cigar maker like Jack. Even though Graves preferred an aged cigar that was richer in flavour, nothing could beat a cigar from Jack, he was that good in making it.
Graves lean at the counter with his back and look at the inn, the place was dimly lighted with an impression of warmth and home. A lot of inns tried their best to recreate the atmosphere, adding bards and maidens to make it more hospitable but they failed. Only a true inn owner knew the formula and knowing the inn was owned by a hundred year old troll, Jack practically had mastered the business. Pity, trolls are not immortals.
But Graves forgets about the cruel reality and focus on the present, you live and die and there was no way out of it. In fact, Graves have made a long thought about immortality and he felt it was just a useless effort, who wants to live forever? The world that Graves knew was cruel and sometimes he himself can't go over it.
The counter was at the center of the inn, overseeing every thing. Acting the counter as the center point, the south was the entrance to the inn. On the west, was the eating area where a fire place was put and a lot of round tables surrounded the fire. There was a few Yordles cooking at the fire, a welcome addition to the inn. Just by the smell of it, Graves knows that they're making some good grub.
At the north of the inn was the bathing place, where the customers would take a shower or bath. Lastly, were the rooms at the west side of the inn. There were a total of eight rooms that the inn had and rarely it was a full house. If memory serves Graves well, not even once since the first time he visited The Place had a full house. It shows how many people that trek The Forest of Tsarin, that is not much.
Graves moved to the dining area and goes to the bookshelves while happily smoking the cigar on his mouth. He looked at the old book covers and was amazed by the fact of the old troll having such collections. Graves never liked reading, but never despise it. He took one book and blows the dust off, he reads the title.
"Illiad's Journal of The Sky Gods." Graves shrugged and goes to the empty round table that was near to the fire.
Malcolm pulled a chair and sit down, he smoked his cigar and then put it at the ash tray that was at the middle of the table. He opens the book and the contents was in beautiful writing, even to the eyes of The Outlaw. A blue yordle approached to him and asked him.
"Do you want to eat sir?" The yordle said politely.
"Not hungry but I'm kinda want something good to drink." Graves looks at the yordle and thought. "You got some Freljord Vodka?"
"Yes we do sir."
"Gimme a bottle and one shot glass, that would be enough."
"Right away sir." The yordle leaves.
Graves continues to his book and turn to the next page, the book was showing some ancient illustration of a god. It was starting to give a good impression for Graves and he was interested in the contents that the book was about offer.
A door of one the rooms opens then closes, the sound attracted Jack attention to look. The person walks pass the counter and smiled at the old troll. The old troll smack another bug and chews it, continuing his work. The person walks to the dining area and smiled seeing Graves at the round table.
"Well how small is this world, if it isn't Malcolm 'The Outlaw' Graves spending the night at The Place." Said the person happily.
Graves look at the person and he was happy to see who it was. "Amanda 'Frostbite' Snow, been a long time."
Amanda Snow was a chestnut skinned woman of Shuriman and Freljord descent. Amanda wore a black singlet and baggy pants that was white and silver in colour. She had long white hair and her eyes were icy blue, having a beautiful face and fit body that was similar to any military trained soldier. Her white hair and icy blue eyes made her known as Frostbite by the likes of people like The Outlaw.
"Didn't know you're a bookworm Outlaw?" She joked.
"Well, as long as it has my interest, a book or two won't hurt." Graves closed the book and put it down.
"Mind if I sit down?" Snow put one hand on a chair that was opposite to Graves.
"Please, help yourself. We ain't breaking any laws by sitting down and chat are we?" Graves took his cigar from the ashtray and called the yordle. "Yordle, bring one extra shot glass while you're at it!"
"Coming right up sir." The yordle answered.
Graves looks at Snow and bite his cigar. "Can't have a chat without wetting our throat with some fine vodka don't ya think?"
"As long as you're paying Graves." Amanda giggles and sat down. "I thought you stopped smoking Graves?"
"Well let's say I was too busy to smoke but suddenly it caught me back after a few years." Graves smoked his cigar. "Never regret it ever since. Heck, I'm here because I want to refill my stock."
"Some urges has to be fulfilled." Amanda shrugged. "Especially a man like you Graves."
The yordle put a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses. Graves gave the payment that the yordle asked and he give more than demanded,which made the yordle happy. Graves pours the two shot glass full and offered one to Snow, which she gratefully accepted. Another for him that Graves drank instantly, he groan of satisfaction and refilled his glass.
"So what brings Amanda Snow to The Place? Been shooting heads lately?" Graves asked.
"I just got back from a job, Freljord specifically. Been staying here for a few nights wanted to be of the grid for a while." Snow drinks and moan of satisfaction just like Graves, then took the bottle refill her glass. "I got a guy named Ragnar for a payment that was really too good to pass."
"Can't wait to hear this." Graves drinks his shot glass and refilled with a chuckle.
"So here I am, in the middle of the Freljord trying to snipe a guy that was connected with Ashe. You know her right? The Queen about to be and all of that. Ragnar was at his tribe camp and was meeting with his soldiers. It was freezing cold to a point where if you don't shiver, you'd be dead. So I was at hill with my sniper rifle Dusk, and I couldn't even see what's in front me."
"That must be one fucking storm." Graves commented.
"It was and timing could not be better. So here's the thing, Ragnar was too far for me to see and of course you can't shoot something that you can't see. Rather than going to the camp and kill Ragnar, why don't Ragnar come to me instead. I buried myself under the snow and shoot one sniper shot at the sky. The whole fucking tribe got out from their houses and Ragnar too, a second later, I got the tribe surrounding me but couldn't find me.
"Ragnar was right in front, at my sights like a food in a plate. Boom, a bullet to the head and the guy was dead. Ragnar was down and his men was screaming like "Ragnar is down!". They all grouped at the body that was right in front of me and brought the body back to the camp, then guess what?"
"They didn't find you." Graves answered.
"There, that what I want to hear." She smiled and drinks her shot glass. "By far, one of the craziest job I have ever done."
"Damn Snow, what a job you did there." Graves could not believe the story and laughs. "If it was to me, I had to kill every single one of them."
"Well Dusk is not like Destiny Graves. Since I talked about her, where is Destiny?" Snow wondered.
"There." Graves pointed using his brow. "Beside the door with my boots."
Snow looked behind and found the shotgun where it was leaning at the wall. "Mind if I hold the beast?"
"Sure, just make sure you hold them with two hands. A woman of your size can't lift it like I usually would."
"Hah! You think I can't lift the gun with one hand?" Snow got up and walked to the unique shotgun.
"Don't get yourself hurt, I'm just saying." Graves warned but deep down, he wanted to Snow to be wrong for once.
Frostbite hold Destiny by the handle and readies herself to lift it with her right hand. She lifted the gun, her bicep started to show but eventually Destiny fall to the ground. Snow was in shock while Graves can't help but laugh to see his friend struggling to lift Destiny. Snows try and try again, but failed. She eventually hold the shotgun with two hands and goes back to the table.
"What the hell is this? A shotgun or weights?" Snow questioned and put it on top of the table slowly. Though she cannot denied that it was greatly crafted shotgun, despite it being needlessly heavy.
"That, lady, is a quality gun." Graves refilled his shot glass and drinks it for the last time. He got up and stands beside Snow, explaining proudly. "Been with me after prison break, never once did she ever jammed on me."
"Bullshit." Snow crossed her arms and leaned to one leg. "Dusk is a bolt action sniper rifle and even he jammed a couple of times."
"Well I designed the gun myself and guess it proves that everything possible. And at one moment, I had a job on killing this Noxian guy in a battlefield. The only way to kill that sum a bitch was through a few kilometers of mud. The gun had mud on every part, from stock to barrel. I had a gunfight with his soldiers before I killed that guy and guess what?"
"It didn't jammed." Snow said while looking at the gun, impressed with the performance. "What's the secret, Outlaw?"
"Secret?" Graves hold the gun with one hand and leaned it on his shoulder. "Big components. As long the components moving, the thing will shoot."
"Ah, explains why the mud didn't effected the gun." Said Snow. "Can't help myself to see how she roars in the field."
"Tell you what Snow." Graves offered. "Tomorrow I'll be hunting in the forest, you can join me if you want to."
"Since I'm on vacation, a bit of hunting seem to be a good idea. Plus, I want to see who is a better hunter. Frostbite or Outlaw?" Amanda Snow accepted the offer.
Hey, author here.
Hope you guys like the first chapter of this new story that I made. It's a story that I've been keeping for awhile and I just felt wanted to post it. Now it's not connected to my other stories, it's just a story that I made out of an idea of 'What if Graves had this sniper friend?'. I wrote for fun, out of boredom and never planned on posting it. Until now of course.
So follow this story if you want to see what will happen to the story. Review it if you have some thoughts on it and have a nice day to all my fellow readers. We will meet again in the next chapter.
C'ya Mates_
