So I've decided on a Monday upload schedule. I hope you're enjoying the story and without further ado here's chapter 3.
The Road to Ruin
Leo took off his typical overcoat and other standard clothing as he equipped the armor that had been put inside of the lock box. When he slid the sleeves onto him he noticed that the arcane bindings inside of them shifted their shape into something more fitting to his body. All of it was rather easy to put on, the chain under wrappings slid on quickly, and hugged tight to his body over the black cloth that was used as a buffer between him and the armor. Once he shifted the warrior like over-armor on he noted its deep maroon color outlined by white faded trims. He exited the small bathroom and slid the red neck wrapping up over his nose to hide his face, collecting his sword and Diana as they made their passage to Windy Gulch. The journey was short in terms of Ionian travel, most of which was done on foot and took a day or two. The house the Leo lived in was only about an hour and a half away so the small talk between him and Diana occupied them thoroughly through the trip. Each of them took turns revealing small things about their life.
"So," Leo glanced at Diana who had her hands behind her back as she strolled to his left, "why do you think that my parents want me to meet a man at Windy Gulch?" To this Diana only shrugged before looking straight at Leo as she spoke.
"It could be that this man is of your family, or more likely, this man was close to your parents and they know they can trust him with you." She looked off to the side slightly before returning her attention to the young man. "Even more likely than either of those, it is a man who knows something about the Ionian-Solari pact that is meant to be kept secret. Though we will find out soon enough."
Diana turned her head towards her shoulder and her eyes went straight forward once again, resting her sight on the gulch only about a mile away now. She peered at the ground and spoke quietly, as if the small forest graced with orange trees might be suspicious of her thoughts.
"We're being followed" she stated in almost a whisper her eyes rotating in my direction yet seeming to look past me. "We need to pick up the pace." We both began jogging in the direction of the gulch closing the distance rapidly but whoever was following them had no intention of letting the two reach it. A man stepped calmly into the road in front of them blocking their path and before they knew it they were surrounded by four others closing the distance slowly. Leo flicked his sword into a draw ready position with a slight 'click' and Diana readied her moon sliver blade for combat channeling her powers into it. The man in front of them broke the silence before Leo had a chance to do so.
"I have been ordered to kill the both of you, I warn you now I shall not take mercy, only justice." He grabbed the crossbow on his back and took aim at Diana, she didn't have any room to dodge but before the man took a shot another voice rang from above us.
"Justice… That's a pretty word." Before any of us had time to react a vortex of fog surrounded the pair in the road. It was impossible to see more than a couple of feet in front of them and Leo took Diana into a defensive hold ensuring that nothing had happened to her. What shattered the eerie silence was the sound of a sword swiftly putting an end to the men that were ready to kill them, and the sound of it being sheathed once again. The fog dropped back to the forest floor and the man in front of them stood tall and defined, a blue wrapping covering the bottom of his face. Even through the wrapping, Diana was able to decipher the man's identity quickly.
"Yasuo, it is an honor to meet you outside of the institute." Diana swiftly bowed in front of him as Leo stood astonished. Yasuo returned the bow as they greeted each other then he turned his attention to Leo.
"I suppose you are Leo, you really have grown up since the last time I saw you." Leo began to speak but this completely threw him off guard, Yasuo had seen him before? He bowed swiftly before meeting Yasuo's eyes with his own.
"What might you mean by, 'the last time I saw you'?" To this Yasuo gave a humored laugh and put his hand on Leo's shoulder, the hand was muscular and connected itself to an extremely defined and toned arm. His eyes were happy and endearing, one of the qualities the League talked about in Yasuo's short bio were the eyes that could disarm you of all hostility one moment, then meet you with the cold stare of death the next. Useful, seeing as that's the most that some people get to see of him. Yasuo took his hand away and refocused once again turning on his heels.
"Leo, there may be somethings about you your parents haven't quite, told you about. Though I'm sure that they haven't told you only to protect you. They are wise but they are cautious, so once we reach my encampment in the gulch I shall explain to you whatever you wish. His voice was deep yet not intimidating, it had a sense of wisdom about it that reminded you of the hardships that this man has faced throughout his life. Leo, Diana, and Yasuo all began their journey together, swiftly leaving the forest and entering the large gulch. Yasuo led them into a small cave with rock slopes leading into the space were a ceiling would be if it had one. These slopes continued for quite a while heading to the very top of the valleys highest Cliffside. Here stood a small house lined with lanterns and outside of it a small fire blazed radiating heat onto the benches that sat around it. Yasuo took them inside and served each of them a small glass of tea, infused with cinnamon giving the liquid a soft orange glow as they all sat around the fire, lit with scrolls allowing for an infinite burn.
"Well then," Yasuo's voice rang over the fire as he sipped at his tea lightly, "let's begin Leo, what are you wishing to know?" Both Yasuo and Diana shifted towards Leo, but Diana seemed to move slightly closer to him as well, Yasuo took note of this, finding it interesting that she is so peaceful in his presence.
"Well first of all, why do my parents want me to bring down the Ionian-Solari pact?" He glared directly at Yasuo as he spoke, emphasizing every word that escaped his dried lips, then he welcomed the flow of tasteful tea into his impatient mouth. Yasuo closed his eyes and looked down at the settled dirt as he began.
"The Ionians have forgotten about the most important part of their history, one that the Solari remember fully thanks to their extensive archives." Diana nodded, affirming what Yasuo was telling Leo. "The Solari wish to topple the Ionian empire, and usher in more followers in this land." Both Diana and Leo looked up gravely their breathing hesitating for a split second as those words passed through their minds a seemingly infinite amount of times.
Leo broke the dreadful silence with his next question. "What makes the Solari wish to topple Ionia?" To this, Yasuo looked directly at Diana, and let the words strongly escape his mouth.
"There is a history here in Ionia that there are no records of, after the rune wars Ionia was completely destroyed by the Solari." He shifted his weight slightly, "The Solari kept record of this and occupied the space around Ionia but slowly they drew their forces away and settlers began to rebuild this town." Now he was looking straight between me and Diana. "The name of this town was originally, Luna, and this Diana, is where the worshipers of the moon used to reside." Diana dropped her sword on the ground and looked wide-eyed at Yasuo as Leo stood completely still. The Solari were planning to topple Ionia in order to purge any followers of the moon, they really were this insane.
"I see…" Leo took a moment to collect himself now sitting straight up on the bench instead of in his relaxed poise from before. "Then I suppose I should ask my last question. How do you know me?" It almost came out as a statement, as if Leo demanded to know this information, but Yasuo knew that the young man was not prepared for his answer. With a deep breath he began his revelation.
"Leo," Yasuo breathed in deeply once more, "have you attempted to harness the energy of the Steel Tempest yet?" To this Leo nodded and Diana looked curiously between them. "Were you able to control any wind at all?"
"Yes, though it was only a small vortex and not enough to move the dummy I was practicing on." Yasuo nodded with eyes that studied Leo's features curiously. He had grown quite well since he had last seen him, his white hair resembling his mothers and his features representing his father's calmer nature. 'Ironic' Yasuo thought to himself.
"There is only one reason that you were able to control the tempest, Leo." Leo looked curiously with Diana at Yasuo as he revealed the secret he held within.
"You are my son, Leo."
The two sitting near each other turned their heads and met eyes, Leo looking into Diana's as she looked back concerned about the warriors feelings towards this. Yasuo chuckled slightly and nodded once again to confirm that they could indeed believe this.
"Your mother was the last original warrior of the moon until Diana broke away from the Solari," He looked over to Diana shortly after that, "she told me that we would be hunted by Ionia, and with her finally beginning to age once again, she died shortly after. Though not before you were born, I was only a teenager at the time and I had my duties to Ionia, so I had my best friend Alex take care of you in their home and train you the way I asked for them to. I knew that eventually the Solari would come back but they poisoned my master and framed me for doing so, they've gone around eliminating high level Ionian military and framing their underlings for years now as they prepare their attacks with our forces crippled under lost men." He looked between Leo and Diana but settled for looking at Diana.
"You didn't try to kill him once you saw him?" Yasuo asked in a curious tone. She looked down and then peered at Leo to her side.
"Something was different about him, I could sense a similar presence that I can inside of my blade. It felt as if the moon is in this boy, and possibly the tempest as well, passed down from you and his mother." Diana finished her sentence then crossed her legs still with a concerned look centered on Leo. She eventually trailed it down to the dirt as Yasuo began to speak once more.
"I think you may be correct in your idea, so come to an agreement with me Diana?" She glanced up at Yasuo and motioned with her hands for him to continue. "I can teach him how to harness the wind, but I have no knowledge on the abilities of the moon. I wish for you to teach him the powers of the moon, and make him your warrior. Yet beyond that…" His words trailed off carefully as Diana examined everything coming from him. "I want you to watch over him for me." Diana was startled both by this and by Leo taking her hand in his and mouthing the words 'you don't have to'. She nodded in resistance to Leo before assuring Yasuo that she would do her best with a simple nod.
Yasuo took them inside and settled them into their room. Leo and Diana would have to get used to sleeping together for a bit before Yasuo could expand the house to accommodate them. While Leo was falling asleep and Yasuo began to snuff the last lanterns out around the house he felt Diana tap his shoulder, as he turned to face her she only took her hand back and held it in front of her chest.
"I promise to protect you Leo, goodnight." She closed her eyes and the soft glow gave way to closed eyelids as they drifted to sleep near each other's warmth, ready to face tomorrows trials by Yasuo, Leo shed a small smirk, and fell into dreariness for the night.
