Chapter 2 - Reach for the Stars
Shon-Xan, City-State of Ionia, One Week Later
"Now arriving at port in Shon-Xan." a hextech voice modulator spoke through the speakers of the passenger deck as I slung my leather backpack over my shoulder, ready to get off the airship. To my luck, and my mentor's luck as well, I'd been given two months reprieve from Institute activities while I embarked on my quest of self-discovery. I managed to score a round-trip ticket on the Tailwind, which was making flights from Piltover to Ionia at this time of year in order to raise research funds, led by Janna's second-in-command while she was out doing other things. Though the ship was small, it can carry a surprisingly significant number of passengers and still have enough for legroom. It was an entire day and a half's journey to take an airship from the Institute over the Ironspike Mountains to Piltover, and then taking the Tailwind over the coast, around Zaun, to Ionia. It was smooth and uneventful, until I got off the the deck, across the gangplank, and into the docks.
The midday Ionian sun shone brightly, making bright reflections on the clear, tranquil waters of the island, as sailors and port hands hustled and bustled, carrying sacks of rice, vegetables, and other trade goods onto ships to exchange with neighboring city-states. Women and children strolled by on their way to market, and the elderly took their time taking in the cool ocean breeze from the docks. In the far distance, I could just barely see the mainland, with its towering, picturesque mountains and huge, radiant waterfalls. You can almost hear the roaring of the water from here.
It was refreshing, being out of the Institute for the first time after more than a year. When I broke the news of my journey to my parents immediately after that conversation I had with van de Berg and Kayle, they were excited and a couple of days after, I received a package from them containing a few sets of comfortable travelling clothes, and pocket-sized tools fit for a travelling mage: a rune book, a journal, and a small scepter, adorned with protection runes. They really shouldn't have, but my parents have been known to shower people with gifts, especially to their only child. In the end, I really liked the clothes, mostly because I've been getting sick of wearing the same robes day in and day out. It made me look sub-human with its sickly color. The sand-colored shirt and tunic that I was wearing now, coupled with an olive scarf around my neck, paired with matching pants and snug-fitting boots made feel as adventurous as the Prodigal Explorer himself, but I think that's just exaggerating things a bit.
I hadn't been very far out the docks when I heard the Tailwind suddenly burst to life, ascending and speeding off into the sky as the last of the passengers left the ship. I squinted and saw two peculiar characters go down into the docks.
"Ahh, home, sweet home." said a bearded man wearing an oddly out-of-place black trenchcoat and matching pants, paired with a pair of steel greaves. On his head he donned a contraption with seven green lenses on it, and on his back was his sheathed sword. Following him was a monkey in red, gold-trimmed armor, who was taller than him. The monkey was hunched over, his back overwhelmed with cases of luggage, which he began handing out to the people who were waiting.
"Here you go... ahh, is this yours? Here..." the monkey sorted through the luggage when he started sweating. "Boy, is it me or is it getting hot out?"
"That... that, my dearest disciple, is the radiant Ionian sun you're feeling off your back." the bearded man said, taking a swig from his waterskin.
"Well, it sure is a different kind of sun than the ones from the Plague Jungles." the monkey added, as he handed a sack to a waiting laborer. "It really has been a while."
"True. But your training is not over yet." as the monkey finished sorting the luggage, they spoke amongst themselves more quietly and I couldn't make out the conversation afterwards. Shrugging to myself, I headed into town, with its red, curved roofs and white-walled houses.
The market in Shon-Xan is busy, for lack of a better word, since it's such a small place with so many people making their way through it. It was loud too, as shopkeepers hawked their goods in loud, booming voices, screaming at you to buy something. It almost compels you to buy from them just to shut them up. Aside from the shops selling local food and livestock (like the ones they're hauling in the boats), some stalls were also selling herbal medicine, arts, and crafts. One stall sold what looked like a root with blue veins in it. I forgot the name, but I read in a research paper once that the root has water-breathing properties when diluted with water mixed with oil sanctified by the Starchild herself. It's an expensive procedure to make such a potion, but the root is surprisingly cheap for about ten to fifteen gold apiece. I'm tempted to buy some, but I figured I should take care of what I wanted to do first before I went sightseeing. Alas, my eye caught a particular stall that sold silver jewelry. His wares looked nice, so I took a closer look. The shopkeeper, a large bald-headed burly man with tanned skin, wearing pleasantly light-colored robes gave a rather modest smile.
"Step right up, little man." he said. Upon closer examination, I could've sworn the man would be better off a blacksmith than a jeweler, given that he looks like a strong, heavy-handed fellow. Of course, I was proven wrong, when I took a closer look at his jewelry. They were finely crafted, with intricately etched lines, smooth edges, and a fine silvery sheen to it. They looked almost comfortable and empowering to wear; something really fit for an army general, or a politician. One particular ring caught my eye. It was in a shape of a dragon, with a ball of jade in its mouth. If you had it on your finger, it seemed like a small silver dragon was wrapped around it, and the jade would be sticking out. The ring had that silvery sheen to it like the rest of the jewelry, but the jade was something else. It glowed with a magical power: something that I can sense as a magician. It's unlike normal enchanted jade that I researched on in the Institute, which normally had a calming effect to it. If further enchanted, the jade had a tendency to crack or chip since it's such a delicate material to work with. This particular jade seemed flawless, and it fit the dragon's mouth snugly. Its power, coupled with silver as a conductor, gave it an empowering but foreboding feel.
"Can I ask about that ring? The one shaped like a dragon." I had to ask.
"Ah." the man beamed proudly. It was probably his finest work. "The other day, I heard from a friend of mine about a famed artificer, Doran. I was inspired." he sounded like your average salesman, speaking in a snazzy, motivated voice. "Before his accident, he made intricate crafts with hammer and metal. I sought to be just as good as he was, so I put my heart and soul into all my crafts from thereon. This one..." he unlocked the glass box that it was in and took out the ring from its resting place. "This is one of my masterpieces."
"How much for it?"
"I'm afraid... it's not for sale."
"Huh?" I was puzzled. Normally, if you wanted to sell something, you put it up at the stall for people to see. For this shopkeeper, it seemed like he put this one up just to show off.
"I haven't decided yet with this one." the shopkeeper said. "It makes for a good conversation piece, but a masterpiece such as this is... I feel it's worth more than the value of coin."
"I see..." I was crestfallen. It looked like such a good ring to have. Then again, I didn't really pack a lot of gold with me, so even if it did have a price, I probably wouldn't have been able to afford it. Man, if Avon was here right now, he'd probably talk the poor merchant's ear off until he gave it to him for free.
"The rest of my goods are for sale though, take a gander!" he continued hawking regardless, but at that point I wasn't interested anymore.
"...No thanks." shaking my head, I slowly walked off, realizing that I was wasting my time. Walking past the bedlam of people buying and selling, I made my way up a set of stone steps into a residential area, littered with both large estates and smaller houses of the same build and color as the ones from the marketplace. The town could use a bit more diversity with its architecture, because it's hard to tell which place is which. From what I remember though, in the map that I had examined a few hours before landing, the Temple of the Starchild should be straight ahead. It's almost smack-dab in the middle of town, given how Soraka's pretty much become the local, or should I say, national deity.
"You have business with the Starchild?" asked an old lady to my left as I stepped into the courtyard of a large estate. A strange tree with purple leaves grew in the centre of a small sea of sand in front of me, being raked by a young priestess in practical blue acolyte's robes. Other than that, the place looked deserted. The old lady had her white hair tied back in a bun, and she was hunched over in her red robes to about my size, her squinted eyes in her wrinkled, shrunken head quietly judging my character. She looked as though she was heading to market, but judging from the unfolded set of linens she carried in a woven basket by her waist, she was probably heading out to wash by the shore instead.
"I..." I hesitated, slightly intimidated by the new surroundings and the quiet judging of the lady in front of me, now squinting even more as she awaited my response. "I wish for an audience with her."
"Bah!" she turned away immediately in outright disgust. I was taken aback. "The Starchild does not wish any more audiences for the time being." she grumbled incoherently.
"What is the problem, Bahzhou?" I heard a distant voice. I snickered a little, triggering a scowl from the old lady. What a strange name. From the sand garden was a room in the far distance, the door sliding open to reveal Soraka, the Starchild herself. Her hooves clopped audibly along the stone of the courtyard, as she went around the garden to approach the two of us. She looked even more strange in person than she was in the middle of a League match. She stood out very much so with her ebony hooves striking the ground and the luminous horn sticking out of her forehead. Her dim azure skin shimmered in the sun, contrasting with her shimmering red lips, long silvery locks, and golden, ethereal eyes. Her outfit: a red cloak and a shiny sky-blue dress, paired with golden necklaces and long moonstone earrings, stood out compared to the average Ionian's manner of dress.
"This... fool of a child dares to set foot in this temple to have an audience with you." the old lady spat. She could use a bath in the hot springs with a temper like that. "What nerve, kids these days... never paying their respects to the precious time of a hallowed deity-"
"I will handle this matter from hereon." Soraka calmly assured her. "You may go ahead and finish your washing. I will be alright."
"But, your holiness...!" Bahzhou trembled, setting down her basket and kowtowing before her. "What of your health!"
"I will be fine for the time being. I have been expecting this child to arrive for some time."
"Actually, I'm twenty-two in Runeterran years, but-" I paused. I didn't need to explain myself like that.
"You may go now, Bahzhou, and leave us in peace." Soraka continued. The old woman trembled ever so intensely, but gradually calmed down, picking up her basket again.
"Very well, o hallowed one..." she slumped away, defeated, past the gates and out the temple, leaving only me and the Starchild, as well as the priestess in the garden, still raking as she minded her own business.
"Umm..." I scratched my head, thinking about what to say.
"My sincerest apologies for her behavior, summoner." Soraka said, sighing a little. "Bahzhou is an ardent worshipper of my likeness. You could say she is almost like my caretaker, but she does this out of her own volition, like a doting mother."
"You don't have to be sorry. I think I'm the one at fault here." I bowed curtly, respecting Soraka's title in the city-state. "I should've knocked before coming in." I grinned a little.
"Hmm, I guess we're even, then." the Starchild smiled slightly, then there was silence. Now would probably be the best time to introduce myself.
"My name is Ralko." I began. "I've recently become an Adjudicator for the League and I've taken a couple months reprieve in a journey of self-discovery. I was led to you by another champion of the League."
"Welcome, Summoner Ralko." Soraka went all-out with the formalities as well, but she threw open her arms at me and glimmered in a soft light, spinning and dancing like an oracle of the stars. "The stars have fortold of your coming. As the Starchild, it shall be my divine task to guide you into enlightenment."
I was a little speechless.
"Did you really have to do all that?" I asked.
The light immediately faded. Soraka stopped and shrugged.
"Not really." she said, her lip curling to the left. "But I missed my morning exercise, so I felt like moving around a bit."
I said nothing. I've heard about the Starchild's amazing sarcasm, but seeing it in action was much different than hearing about it. It's got a... certain charm about her.
"Oh, how very rude of me. I should bring you inside. Care for some tea?" Soraka turned and led the way to her interior sanctuary.
"Uhh... sure. I don't mind." I followed behind her, wondering what other kinds of antics will occur during my stay here. Not that I don't like encountering them, but it certainly is better than travelling from place to place in my quest and hearing a bunch of jumbled words from some holy being.
"Oh... was this a bad time, then?" how inconsiderate of me. As we talked Institute matters for a while, Soraka shifted to the topic of being in poor health recently, which was the reason for the old lady's being upset about my arrival. She didn't exactly say why and how she became sick, but merely brought it up just to let me know.
"Oh, no. Not at all." at this time, any trace of Soraka's legendary sarcasm disappeared, and she was as sincere as she could be with our conversation. I felt relieved. "The stars did fortell of your coming, so I suppose it's my job to cure what ails you at this point in time. This doesn't happen very often nowadays, what with my current situation and all..."
"You... haven't curried favor with the stars yet?"
"Not exactly. It's not a cakewalk by any means." Soraka said, shaking her head. "The stars are ever changing... ever moving. They are fickle beings. I merely have to be at the precise moment when I seek their favor once more." she closed her eyes momentarily, and I saw a face of someone human. Someone normal, if you count out the various other features that classify her as trans-human. Then she opened it again, making her astonishingly otherworldly. Those little glowing golden orbs with irises not visible to the naked eye... or at least, to yordle eyes, which aren't really that good to begin with. "My actions, which caused me to devolve into this form, were justified. During the occupation of the Noxians, one person who went by the name of 'The Deathmaker' did unspeakable things to my people, causing them to suffer most painful deaths. There was nothing I could do to ease their suffering as they passed, and this stirred within me unbound rage. I cursed this man and cursed him I did. Now the devil fights for Noxus in the League."
"I see. Your sacrifice certainly was benevolent." I gave a faint smile, imagining the Starchild as she was once said to be the most beautiful deity of the city-state, torn with sadness at seeing her people oppressed, suffering. I imagined her gritting her teeth as she looked to the stars, cursing Warwick's name as she slowly felt the pain of devolution, becoming grotesque in the process. It was a sad thought.
"Thank you, summoner." she smiled back. "But enough about me. My task is to aid you. What seems to be the problem?"
"Err..." she switched the topic ever so quickly that I was momentarily lost. I cleared my throat and began to explain myself. "I guess... you could say I'm here to seek enlightenment on a certain topic."
"Many people come here to Ionia for such a thing." she looked at me funny. "Perhaps... you can tell me your story."
"Well... I was recently appointed Adjudicator in the League." I began. Soraka smiled as if to congratulate me. "I worked very hard to get this far within the Institute. However, I've gotten to a point where I feel that hardwork alone will not get me any farther. I feel like something is missing."
"I see."
"I just lost my very first match yesterday." I added.
"Now that sounds like you're being too hard on yourself." Soraka frowned a little. "Especially for a yordle."
"I know. Everybody keeps telling me that."
"Perhaps you should heed their words."
"I can't do that." I shook my head.
"Then how am I supposed to help you?" the Starchild sighed. Slowly, she stood up. She turned her head to the side and gestured with it, urging me to follow her. Soon, we were out in the sandy courtyard once again.
"Perhaps... I'll be able to better understand your situation if you use your magic against me." she said. I was puzzled.
"I can't risk hurting you... not when you just said you were sick a while ago."
"Look, it's just part of the job. Just do it." from out of nowhere, she summoned her crescent scepter, seemingly ready to fight. Reluctantly, I readied my stance: bending my knees and directing my palms toward the ground, drawing mana from the earth.
"I don't get where you're going with this, but..." after drawing enough, I whirled my arms about in a windmill-like motion, and drew hot flames from the aether. Surrounded by flame, I readied to make my shot. Soraka nodded. With a silent incantation, the flames launched and charged towards her, but suddenly... they missed. She didn't even move, nor did she have any sort of protective aura around her. The spears of flame that shot out went past her by mere inches before disappearing in a heap when it hit the ground. I was stunned.
"Do you always fight so poorly?" Soraka asked, shaking her head in disappointment. I retreated my stance, wondering what the heck just happened there.
"I... don't know what-"
"Let me explain." Soraka began. "You have been taught at a young age to manipulate and use magic, correct?"
"Y-yes... But, I've only ever used magic as a tool, not as a weapon."
"And that's why you hesitated on hitting me."
"Yeah..."
"But I'm a champion of the League. Do you not trust me?" she frowned. I felt horrible all of a sudden.
"I-"
"No matter." she quickly changed the subject. "When you were casting that spell, did you feel as if the magic... almost represents you?"
"No... not really. But now that I think about it..." maybe it did, to some degree. I never really gave too much feeling in casting magic. I learned magic just like any school magician by practicing forms and putting effort into these forms to garner the best result. Adding feeling to it was usually considered a sign of weakness and lack of control over the force itself, so when we casted magic, it was controlled and precise.
"Indoctrination can do that to you, but with a little bit of practice, the spells you cast can become a manifestation of who you are." Soraka said. I don't know if she was reading my mind or not. Given her powers, she could be. "No scholar or professor of the arcane arts can teach you that. You learn to do it on your own."
"I see."
"Then try again." and she held a finger out as if chiding. "And no pouting this time."
Taking a long breath, I went through the process again. Drawing mana and invoking the elements, I tried shaking off any lingering uncertainties and anxieties, to some degree of success. Clearing my mind, I focused on putting all my hard-work in this spell. As the flames swirled furiously around me in its embrace, cold to the touch of a practiced magician, I took aim straight at Soraka, staring straight at her eyes. In a single moment, I took the shot and fired. Unfurling themselves, the spears of flame darted across the courtyard. In a flash, Soraka sidestepped as most of the spears scattered and hit about her previous general vicinity, vanishing as they hit the ground.
"What did you think?" she asked. I didn't know what to think of it. I was impressed. I nodded to acknowledge her. "Well, let's try again. We're gonna do this until you actually manage to hit me."
"But..." firstly, I wasn't here to practice magic, and secondly, I'm not here to throw hot fire at someone... especially a champion. What does this have to do with anything regarding enlightenment? It was confusing.
I did hear that Ionians are a strange lot, but this is ridiculous.
So, for most of the day, we practiced. I drew mana, conjured fire, and launched it at Soraka. At some point, I managed to get her to summon an aura to shield against the flames. Each time, she kept saying to express my feelings: past and present, into each spell. I didn't get it right away, but she was patient. Slowly, as I went through the process time and time again, I began to realize that my past toilings weren't in vain, as I'd thought they were. My hard work made me strong, little by little, but I never thought of it much. I kept looking for a bigger change; kept expecting some kind of spectacle or miracle that I'd be really good at something, but then I'd get very disappointed when it doesn't happen. I thought of a time when my mentor kept saying that my skills aren't mastered overnight, but tempered slowly and surely through diligent practice and dedication. Reflecting on it some more, I felt that Soraka wanted me to show that feeling of frustration, preserverance, and achievement, rolled into some primal force. In this case, it was magic.
Was it meant to be some sort of reminder? A testament to my failures and successes? Only I could understand this concept, Soraka said. Nobody else can teach me this process.
By the time I had finally landed a direct hit on Soraka, it was nightfall. I dropped to my hands and knees, very exhausted. I hadn't had a good run in ages, so my stamina couldn't take me far. The heat was killing me, and I had to take my hat off and unbutton my shirt a bit. The white fur covering me wasn't helping me cool down, and my long lop ears felt sticky to the touch. For a few minutes, I was there, panting. I'd finally hit her that she had been knocked back by the blast. I couldn't tell whether she was hurt or not. I was too tired to be concerned, and I felt like collapsing any minute now.
Suddenly, a light surrounded me, and I felt invigorated. I looked up, and I saw the Starchild, standing there. She was smiling that same smile she wore since this morning. She didn't look tired at all, even though we'd been on our feet for most of the day. How is she able to keep such remarkable poise?
"It's about time I gave you a reward for your work." she said. "You're a very remarkable individual."
"Uhh... thanks?" I'm not used to receiving compliments. It's something you need to work on.
"You have the potential of being so much more." she said. "Once you've reached the peak of your achievements, you will experience confidence and self-worth like you've never experienced them before."
"Everybody keeps saying that." I said passively, scratching my head as I stood up, dusting sand off my clothes.
"That's because it's true." Soraka's eyes glanced at mine. "When I observed your movements, you demonstrated great skill. However, your anxious thoughts hindered your full capabilities, and hence, I had you under this little exercise. I hope you learned a lot from it."
"I sure did, I think." I went over to pick up my hat, which I left by the strange-looking tree. Looking around, the sun had almost vanished from view, leaving only an indigo haze in the clear sky. The lanterns in the temple had lit simultaneously, dotting the coming night like little fireflies. It was a pretty sight.
"Well, it's nightfall now, and it wouldn't be very hospitable for me to just lead you out of here." the Starchild said. "Before your arrival, I've already arranged a room for you to stay within the temple. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?"
I didn't want to pass up such a random act, and so I bowed to her. "I'm very grateful that you wish to receive me for the night."
"Oh, no problem." she waved her hand passively. "The temple receives all kinds of visitors and we treat them all the same." Soraka began to walk into the temple, and I followed her when I heard a sound of the gates behind us bursting open. Heavy breathing followed. In the distance was a plump figure running towards us. It was Bahzhou from this morning.
"Your holiness! Your holiness!" she ran up to us, panting. She seemed in distress.
"What seems to be the problem, Bahzhou?" Soraka gazed at the old lady and her eyes suddenly became ones of seriousness and urgency.
"Th-the jeweller... the jeweller's gone mad!" she exclaimed. "I was on my way back through the marketplace after washing and drying the linens for the day, when the jeweller suddenly lashed out and began attacking the villagers."
"Kaslo? Hmm... this is a cause of concern."
"Let me come with you." I said to Soraka. "I was with that jeweller this morning."
"Alright. Let's not waste any more time..." we headed out, with Bahzhou following closely behind us. Dinner can wait. This was a more urgent matter to attend to.
