Chapter 4
The lesson went horribly.
Ezreal insisted it was because Lydia's magical affinity was probably so low that things did not go as well as they initially hoped, but Lydia strongly suspected that it had more to do with Ezreal's teaching.
She had to admit that at the very least, Ezreal seemed adept at using magic. Jaheje had watched with admiration when Ezreal demonstrated some of the spells he could use. But no matter how good Ezreal may be in magic, he was a terrible teacher. When Lydia asked about the basics of magic and what she should focus on, Ezreal stared back blankly and, after a momentary pause, said "Your gut I guess?"
His lesson did not get any better. He had procured a candle out of his knapsack and lit it. "Now, extinguish that flame using only your magic energy. Or make it stronger, that works as well."
Lydia stared at the candle, then stared back at Ezreal. "And how the hell am I supposed to do that?"
"Hell?" Ezreal asked. "What's that?"
"It's…you know what, never mind that!" Lydia rubbed her temples. "Do you expect me to just automatically know how to do that?"
Ezreal scratched his head. "Strange," he mumbled. "I think it's supposed to be easy? My tutors always liked to use this to gauge my aptitude."
"Keep in mind I am entirely new to this magic stuff," Lydia said dryly. "So I would like a more detailed explanation on how to do this."
"I keep telling you, it's all about how your gut feels! I guess it kinda feels like when you ate something bad, and you really gotta go I guess?"
"That is both unhelpful and horrifying!"
Lydia did not manage to extinguish the flame of the candle.
"We have arrived," Jaheje announced. Lydia blearily raised her head.
It had been a few days since Lydia had added magic training to her silent stepping practice, so she had been feeling a tad bit grumpy from all the exhaustion.
The rest of the trip was surprisingly uneventful. They did manage to chance upon what Jaheje said was a baby Xer'sai, but its shell was so cracked and broken up it gave little idea how exactly a Xer'sai looked like. She could make out what was most likely its head, based off what she assumed were teeth. It was surprisingly hard to tell when the creature did not have eyes.
"Well, Lyd, we are officially out of Sai Kahleek!" Ezreal said. "And here you were worried we might get eaten by a Xer'sai."
Lydia merely grunted in response. "I'll just be happy to finally have a place to sleep under," she grumbled. "We are staying the night, right?"
"Yeah," Ezreal replied. "I'm thinking we might spend tomorrow shopping for supplies, then head towards Piltover."
"Piltover? That's, uh, your hometown, isn't it?" Lydia said. "Why are we going there?"
"I was thinking we could check out the library at the Academy might have an idea where we should look," Ezreal said. "I mean, we could keep randomly searching every ruin in Shurima, but there's no guarantee that there's another of those gateways here. So instead of blindly running around hoping to find something, we should gather information first."
Lydia nodded. It was a logical decision. For an explorer who went around in search of adventure and mysterious quests, Ezreal was surprisingly a realist. Then again, it's probably what helped him survive in this kind of occupation. It was then she noticed something.
"Hey, Ez, is the village normally this crowded?" she asked. She noticed that there many people clogging the road that they were walking down, sww which she normally would not have considered unusual if Ezreal had not told her this was a quiet small village.
"Now that you mention it, it is unusual," Ezreal admitted. "Jaheje, do you have any idea why? Is there a festival happening or something?"
Jaheje shook his head. "I do not know either. I will ask." He gave a few terse instructions to the rest of the boys before heading towards a sentry. The other boys guided the camels to an adobe building slightly larger than the rest. Lydia and Ezreal walked inside.
The place was empty save for an old man who was wiping a mug with a rag. He looked up in surprise when he heard the door creak open.
"Well that's shocking," he said. "Didn't expect to find adventurers at this time, what with all that's been happening."
"Why? Did something happen?" Lydia asked.
He rubbed his grizzly chin. "Guess you haven't heard the news then."
"What news?" Ezreal piped in.
The old man eyed them for a second, then sighed. "I guess you'll find out sooner or later," he grumbled. "The whole village is moving soon."
"Really? Why is that?" Ezreal asked, barely able to hide his shock.
"It's those stupid Xer'sai. We've been seeing more tunnels in our area, and it seems like eventually the Xer'sai will take over this area soon enough. They might under our village any day now. Got everyone in a frenzy since we're moving to safer ground." He sighed again. "You're probably going to have a hard time getting supplies, by the way, since everyone's planning a journey."
Ezreal nodded in understanding. The issue with Sai Kahleek was that it was constantly expanding. While he himself did not belief that these Xer'sai were Void-spawns, it was undeniable they were not a natural part of the habitat. The Xer'sai would eat anything and lay waste to the area, and when they found none, would move further on. Centuries of this has caused Shurima to become an ever-increasing wasteland. Ezreal had read that in the past, Shurima was a lush paradise, foliage abounding as far as the eye could see, but looking at it now, it was hard to imagine that was the case.
Ezreal mulled over their situation. The village moving was an issue, both in the long-term and short-term. Most Shurimans were nomadic, and this was one of the few spots where travelers could certainly find and rest. And like the innkeeper said, everyone trying to move would make gathering supplies difficult. He might have been able to manage if he was by himself, but now…
He glanced back at Lydia, who was now looking around the place with interest.
Well, they can manage. He could figure it out somehow, he decided.
"Well, thanks for the info. Now, can we get a room for two? With meals as well." And with that he slipped a few coins to the innkeeper
The man grunted, examining the coins before taking a few and handing the rest back. "Of course. Normally I'd only give you one room, but what with all the moving, I'm willing to let you have an extra room for the miss."
"That would be great," Ezreal said. He handed a couple of coins over. "For the information," he said. The man silently took it and continued wiping his mug. "The rooms are upstairs. Take your pick."
Ezreal smiled before heading upstairs, Lydia following.
"Are the Xer'sai really that bad?" Lydia asked.
"I think so. I heard their hide is really tough, so you have to aim between the chinks to actually kill them," Ezreal said.
"Are we going to be ok traveling to Piltover then?"
"I think we'll be fine. We'll spend tomorrow trying to find out about where they saw the tunnels and go around the area. Besides, they're preparing now, so that technically means the Xer'sai aren't here yet. As long as we don't stay too long, we should be fine."
"As long as you don't jinx us," Lydia muttered, which Ezreal decided to ignore.
Jaheje later arrived and confirmed what the innkeeper had told them. The village was preparing to leave, and just about a week ago, a tunnel was sighted about ten miles of here, causing panic amongst most of the village. There were even claims that a huge tunnel, spanning at least thirty feet in diameter, had been found.
"Perhaps I should accompany further," he said worriedly. "I would not wish for you to fall prey to the Xer'sai."
"Thanks for worrying about us, but it'll be fine," Ezreal reassured him. "You also have to leave too, right? You should focus on that and your boys. Besides, like you said, the Xer'sai are not here yet, right? We'll just leave as fast as we can."
"But the rumors of Rek'sai—"
"Are not confirmed. Don't worry!" Ezreal patted Jaheje on the back, who sighed.
"I will at least help find supplies for you," Jaheje relented. "They know me better than you, so I can at least convince them to sell some of their stuff."
"That would be great. Oh, and if you can, can you try to get a Doran's set if they have them?" Ezreal pulled out his purse and handed it to Jaheje. "Try to leave some money leftover please."
Jaheje nodded. And with that he left.
"Well, I think we should get some sleep for the day tomorrow." He said to Lydia, who nodded. And with that, they both headed to their respective rooms and sunk into blissful sleep.
The next day, they went around the village asking about the tunnel sightings. Most were too much in a hurry to speak to them, but a few were chatty. They met in the town square as they tried to figure out their path.
"So you said the lady heard there were tunnels near the rock precipe?" Ezreal said, a map spread, quill in hand as he methodically marked—well, tried to mark—the approximate places the Xer'sai could be.
"Yeah, whatever that means," Lydia said.
Ezreal sighed. "These accounts are too conflicting," he grumbled. "If they were all true, we're practically surrounded…" He crossed his arms. "Maybe we'll just have to continue on our original plan and just leave as soon as possible. Time is of the essence after all." He glanced at the sun, which was starting to set. "Depending on how much of the supplies Jaheje gets, we might try to leave as soon as tomorrow. It's probably the best thing we can do." He rolled up the map. "Come on, let's head back. Jaheje is probably already there."
They did find Jaheje inside the inn, who waved at them from a table, but there was somebody else with him. A dark-haired lady with olive skin was leaning back against her chair, her hand casually over a curious weapon, a gold crossblade that glinted dimly with green gems.
Lydia rolled her eyes when she noticed that Ezreal was hurriedly fixing his hair. She walked past him and strode over to Jaheje.
"Hello, Jaheje. Did you manage to get all the supplies?" she said.
"All of them, though perhaps not as much as we hoped for," he replied. He gestured to the two knapsacks next to him.
"And who is this pretty lady, if I may ask?" piped in Ezreal, flashing a smile.
Jaheje nodded towards the lady. "While I was out shopping for supplies, she approached me, having heard about travelers who intend to leave Shurima. She wishes to offer her services in escorting you."
"For the right price," the lady added.
Ezreal was still smiling, but now it looked strained. "Um, well, miss, while I appreciate the offer, we really are fine."
"Are you now?" she replied disinterestedly. "So you're confident that not only you can avoid the Xer'sai, but you can survive off the meager supplies you've scrounged up? And that you can fend off the Kthaon tribe, who definitely has heard about this move and will pick off any straggler?"
Lydia stirred. "The Kthaon?" she asked.
The lady smiled sweetly. "A raider tribe in Shurima that likes to attack travelers and caravans, especially when they're most vulnerable. Most people end up dead."
"But there's no way the Kthaon would risk trying to get us when there are rumors of the Xer'sai expanding their area," Ezreal argued.
The lady snorted. "Are you willing to bet your life on that?" she challenged Ezreal. "The Kthaon are brave, to the point of stupidity. If you want to take your chances, then go ahead."
"You didn't mention anything about raider tribes!" Lydia hissed at Ezreal.
"I didn't think it was going to be an issue!" Ezreal said defensively. He eyed the lady, who had a small smile.
"Ok, so even if I accept that you may have a point, what do you have to offer? I don't think that one extra person will change our odds that much."
"Oh, I'm not by myself," the lady said. "I have my own group, ready to follow when I tell them to."
"But I don't have much money." Ezreal said warily.
"I think you have enough, pretty boy," the lady said. "I'm in a good mood anyways, so I'd be willing to lower my prices. Not too much though."
Ezreal scratched his head. "Can you give us a moment?" he finally said. She nodded. Ezreal led Jaheje and Lydia away, glancing back at the lady.
"What do you say, Jaheje?" Ezreal asked. "Do you recommend her?"
"If you can afford it, I see no reason not to hire Sivir," Jaheje replied.
"You know her?"
"She is well known across Shurima. She is rather expensive, but she gets the job done. I have heard though that her loyalty only goes so far as the coin."
Ezreal mulled over this. "If she's right about the Kthaon, then she might hand us over if it means getting more money then," he muttered.
Jaheje shook his head. "I very much doubt it. I do not know why, but I hear the Kthaon hates Sivir specifically. They may even pay you to give her up sooner than Sivir giving you up."
"I think it's probably fine if we go with her," Lydia said.
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Ezreal said.
Lydia shrugged. "She seems pretty reliable. More so than you at least."
"Hey, I'm plenty reliable!" Ezreal protested, but Lydia just rolled her eyes. Ezreal sighed in resignation.
"Fine, I'll hire you. But that depends on the price." They walked back to the table where Sivir was waiting. She smiled at Ezreal's sullen face.
"Well then," she said. "Shall we negotiate?"
