Disclaimer : All hail the might lord Gaben and his Valv Kingdom who owns DotA!
Warnings : Although there won't be any 'Mature' content on this particular chapter, but I couldn't guarantee it will be like this for the rest of the story. This ain't rated M for nuthin.
I dedicated this very first chapter of Footsteps to my dearest, senpai-est, one-and-only, Nat (aka Marquands on Tumblr and Twitter). The one whose arts has moved my heart and soul and life, to utterly shipped Sven and CM. I'm so grateful we have you in our community of DotA. And thanks for responding so nicely when I said I wanted to make a FF out of your drawings.
Oh, and also, to you guys! Please enjoy the very first chapter of Footsteps, and welcome abroad to SS. DotoDrama.
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Chapter 1 — The Loss
.
Led through the mist
by the milk-light of moon
All that was lost
is revealed
Our long bygone burdens,
Mere echoes of the spring..
.
I stopped my steps when I'm about to hit my hips to the library table.
Carefully, I eluded the object and continued walking, with my head down to a book that was wide open on my palm.
.
..But where have we come?
And where shall we end?
If dreams can't come true,
Then why not pretend?
.
I raised my face when I'm arrived at my destination, the end of Icewrack Library's main hall. A fine lady with pale silver hair that flows through her shoulder looked up to me from behind the counter with interest,
"Rylai, leaving so soon? Well, that's anew"
She smiled while reaching for a book that I gave her —Into the Unknown, by Patrick McHale.
"Yeah, Mrs. Auroth, I don't want to miss my last dinner with the long lost sister of mine. You see, she's going back 'home' tomorrow.." I explain while throwing last glance to a book that I still longed to read. Mrs. Auroth followed my sight,
"Oh, what beautiful poets, aren't they? But don't let a book ruined your precious moment, Belle. You know you are welcome in here anytime"
I gave a soft giggle hearing her calling me 'Belle',
"You right, I better go. Evening, Mrs. Auroth"
She nodded, but when my hands are about to twist the door knob, I hear her calling me,
"Belle"
"Yes?"
"Please consider my offer from a while back, Okay?"
I watch her closely before finally nodded,
"Will do, Mrs. Auroth"
.
"So, you kinda raised her hope up high, right?" Lina was munching a mouthful of Pizza while saying that, right after I tell her a little chit-chat with Mrs. Auroth earlier. The dinner that I mention was not meant to be so grand — with Roasted Chicken or Steak and such. That's the thing with Lina. You don't need anything bizarre to feel special.
"Uh-huh. And I didn't plan to reject her either," I answered,
"She asked me to work at her library, which is a place where I spent most of my time since I arrived at Icewrack. This means, I just do what I did, but this time, with me being paid. It's a win-win situation" I explained,
She nodded a few times before take another bite of pizza.
"Plus, she had a cute nickname for me"
"Yeh? Wazzad?" Her mouth were full
"Belle"
Her eyebrow rose,
"Belle? Like, in the Beauty and the Beast?"
I nodded steadily,
Lina was almost out of breath while she chokes herself with pizza, laughing.
She drinks hastily, straighten her sit, and then start singing
"Little town, It's a quite village.."
"Hey!" I voiced my guff
"..Every day, like the one before.."
"Stop it!" I'm throwing the couch pillow at her while holding back my grin,
"..Little town, full of little people.."
"Lina!"
"Okay, Okay. Hahaha" She laughed with satisfaction along with a burst of redden hint on my cheek, the mixture of embarrassment and amused.
"But, seriously, you're gonna spend the rest of your life in this pathetic place?" She looked at me seriously, although the grin never leaves her lips.
"Yeah, and Icewrack isn't that pathetic"
"Whatever you say, lil sis. I'm glad that a bookworm like you have finally find the rightful nest" I laugh hastily before taking another bite of a pizza.
It is kinda nice to have a company after spending a dozen year of loneliness.
.
It's morning already.
The thing I enjoyed the most is winter. When the white snow pile up and agglomerate to fills our lungs with a sense of cool, I'll inhale as deeply as I could; close my eyes and savoring the moment.
"Hey wanna-be-Belle, haven't you got frozen yet?" Lina's voice woke me up from my daydream.
I was standing right behind an open window. The snow has not yet fall, but the cold wind blows to tell it's not long before that happen.
"Lina, you've done packing?" I switch my attention to a girl that was just hurtle a giant trunk. Her reddish orange hair were tied up, giving an impression of a fiery flame tail.
"Yeah, yeah. You must be glad to see my ass outta here, right?" she fold up her hands on her chest, I share a giggle while walking right to her,
"What're you talking about? Of course no..." I hugged her —the thing I don't usually do to anyone, but knowing that I'm not going to see her for a long while defeated my cold pride as ever. She hugged me back, tightly.
.
Me and Lina, my sister, have been apart for more than a half time of our lives.
Mum and Dad decided to send us in separate ways. They purposely send me to a boarding school far away in Northern Icewrack, while Lina lived with our Aunt and Uncle in a tropical country far away in South.
That happened when we were just finished our Elementary School. About 13 years ago. Never knew what goes there inside of our parent's head.
We reunite a couple months ago. When she visited Icewrack because she thought 'its time'. I'm a little bit flattered that she took a break out of her Modelling career back there in the big city of south, just to spend some time with her long lost sister that —I thought— she never cared.
We used to just meet at holidays in our parent's house. And we fought —-a lot. I even called her a 'hellfire hell bitch' a couple years back, and she tells me that I was adopted in return. We never spoke weeks after that. But when farewell comes, we work it out with loud cries and a deep regrets.
I guess she learned from that.
It was an awkward week at start, because even though we are sisters, we looked as different as it could.
Lina with her flowy flame-colored hair, and sun-tanned gold complexion, completed with outgoing attitude. Her manner was as lived as her looks. A whole upside-down contrary with me. I'm as pale as a human being can, caused by lack of sunlight of Icewrack. And my hair colored like dull-edelweiss flowers that gobble up high above the mountain. I practically feel jealous of her. I felt myself as a minor boring soul that no one bats an eye with.
But that didn't stay long. It doesn't took a while to be sister again with your sister. With an attitude like Lina, you can even make a snowball melts. Just like what she did to me.
But every good thing must come to an end —well, for now. Lina is going back to the big city called Oldenburg to prepare for her special-winter-shot-catalogue-stuff-that-will-boost-her-career that I didn't really care of. Well, you don't really want to care to see your sister in a minimalist 'winter' gown posed up and stapled in front of magazines. It's not that she's that kind of model. But, you know. Our society is fucked up.
Anyway, enough history lesson of us. Now she's going to walk out of my life —again. I'm utterly mad and sad and upset, but what can I do? I've spent 13 years without her. I'm sure I can handle the next years also.
"Oh, Rylai.. I'm gonna miss you so damn much" She mumbled, and I can't bear to hold my frown.
"Well, I'm gonna do the same. I'll miss you.." I say softly, savoring the warmth of her arms.
"Visit me next time, aight?" She chuckled to fight back a tear. I nodded, and find myself tearing also.
We broke up our hug, and walk side by side to the door.
This winter is going to be colder than ever.
.
I gazed onto the dark bitumen that looks slightly glittering. No, it's my eyes. Everything looked glittering and diffused into blur.
The warm drop of tears left my cheek opens for a cold track, blowed by the cold of winter air. I felt my chest empty. Not broken, but empty as hell. Losing Lina felt way worse when she's actually gone.
I'm still sitting on the side of the parking lot, giving my back to a gate which has 'International Departure' titled in a capital yellow brightly-lit letter.
The fresh memory of Lina's back that walked away from me, before once again, turn around and waving for the last time before gone, has made another tear slide through my cheek. Drops.
"Hey, are you all right?"
A low and heavy sound heard, and before I know what happened, my eyes widen, as I looked into a figure that I never saw before. A total stranger.
A man, with a robust chest and firm arm, half bowing to me.
He did not smile, but both of his hands were holding each cup of warm coffee —one of them are stretched out to me, holding a cup of warm coffee that let out a thin steam.
His eyes —dark and deep, with the color of ocean blue, looking straight to my puffy eyed face. His hair were dark, and it makes his overall looks even more trenchant.
He wore a thick leather jacket and a scarf, also, a huge backpack were emerging behind his back.
I blinked and start to stutter, awkwardly accepting the glass he offer.
"N- Y.. Yeah" I mumbled quietly, while looking down and focusing on a dark liquid inside the cup. It felt warm.
"You're not moving from this spot for like an half hour, and the show starts to falling down.." He said, while sitting next to me. I can feel the clop when he drops his backpack.
"T..Thanks.." I said, quietly.
"Hm?"
"For.. The coffee" I hastily sip the cup that I've been holding on, and felt the warm liquid touching my lips. The rich-scented steam blows up into my face, and it make me realize how cold the weather actually are. I was just wearing a pale blue cardigan that wraps my chest and arms over a cotton dress and a sneaker. I'm shivering.
"You're welcome" That deep voice touches my hearing, and it makes me look toward him, while gulping my coffee. Seeing me turned my sight, he also did, facing me, and with raised eyebrow, he though saying a 'what?' without opening his mouth.
Suddenly, I lowered the cup,
"You.. didn't put anything in this, right?"
He choked instantly,
"Are you trying to rob me?! You-You're trying to- Do bad stuff, Aren't you?!" My voice cracked, while he coughed and patting his chest numerous times.
I moved myself away a little from him. He's trying to catch his breath.
"Oh, Miss. Please forgive me if I looked too suspicious. I didn't know the Icewrack locales are so aware of those kind of stuff."
I instantly speechless,
"Um.." Is only a brilliant word that came out of my mouth. I observe his figure once more,
The way he sits is a bit hunch, and even though he's wearing a thick jacket, I can see clearly the muscle that fills his arms and shoulder.
He looks strong. That's the first thought across my head.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to rob you" His voice was making me blink dumbly, and at that exact moment, I realize how fool and embarrassing I was.
"I- Um, well, sorry.." I talked more likely to my cup,
"..for accusing you such thing" I continued.
The man next to me let out a clear laugh, I can see his eyes narrowing while his lips diminish, his chest were shaking up and down, while his laugh slowly filled my entire skull.
Oh my God. I thought,
He's gorgeous.
A/N : Well well well, There must be more than an Icewrack's provincial live, amiright?
I do notice that I did put a lot of 'outside stuff' in here. Just to make the character feels more alive and realistic, hopefully that not gonna make them too out-of-character. If you have spare time, I recommend listening to "Into the Unknown" that covered by Lizz Robinett on YT. I mention this earlier up there just to get the feels of... like.. entering the world you never know. Which is Rylai's going to do. soon. not in this chapter tho. but soon. And, yes, Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Because Sven is a Beast when his ult on. jk.
It's just an upstart so I didn't put a hollot of action into this chapter. Please bare with me, but I'll make it up on the future chapters. perhaps.