Quick Info~
No...it's not Monday. Psh. I was supposed to update this every Friday! Well, Fire Emblem Fates came out on Friday so is that a valid enough excuse as to where I've been since then? Anyway, this chapter is speeding things along quite nicely. Introducing some new characters, continuing some romance, furthering the general plot. It is also the longest chapter so far! I hope you guys enjoy! Thanks for checking this out, once again!
"I want to get out of here now," Jinx demanded.
The second she woke up she was in a panicked flurry, gathering all of their things and forcing Ekko to stand immediately upon waking up. The sun was already high in the sky and his stomach rumbled hungrily. The flames on the buildings had subsided, leaving behind crumbling, blackended chunks scattering the ground. Disoriented and hot, Ekko followed Jinx at a steady jog until Icathia was behind them.
As soon as they stepped through the final threshold, Ekko felt a two-ton weight lifted off of his shoulders. Jinx also looked noticeably less stressed out. Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out a can of beans and cracked it open on a nearby rock.
"Hungry?" she asked and Ekko nodded fervently.
She tossed him the can and he slurped the beans down like he hadn't eaten in days. Once he thought about it, he realized that he sort of hadn't. The Du Couteau estate was the last place he had a real, full meal and that was already days ago.
"Wha 'bout you?" Ekko asked, pointing to Jinx with his mouth full.
Jinx pulled her knees to her chest and shook her head. "Not hungry," she said shortly.
Ekko swallowed hard, his throat aching with the weight of the amount he tried to shove down at once. He glanced at her worriedly, but decided against saying anything. He knew that the vision of Ajuna was completely constructed out of his own fears. Ajuna wasn't like that. But if Jinx had a vision about Vi, or even him, there was no telling how realistic it was.
"As soon as we get to Bandle City, we are showering," Ekko said, trying to lighten the mood by smelling his pits and grimacing.
Jinx smiled. "Gross!" she said, smelling herself. "You're gonna have to crouch to fit in those puny showers."
"Won't be a problem for you," Ekko teased, patting her head to emphasize just how much taller he was than her.
Jinx laughed and stood up, stretching. "Let's keep going."
"Already? Someone's eager to get rid of me," Ekko said, pulling his backpack on and stepping with her stride.
"Nah," Jinx said, protectively hugging Fishbones to her body. "I'm just ready to blow off Caitlyn and Vi's heads."
Ekko instantly realized her vision must have involved Caitlyn and Vi. He was surprised, and satisfied, that he even got that much information out of her.
"Well it shouldn't take too much longer at this pace," Ekko said, panting as he struggled to keep up with her.
Ekko squinted in the distance, feeling dizzy as the ground looked like it was shifting. Jinx didn't seem to notice. Instead, she was occasionally stealing glances at him or soldiering onward with a furrowed, frustrated brow. It didn't take long for Ekko to realize what was in front of them.
He almost couldn't believe his eyes at first. He was worried it was merely a mirage or some leftover effects from tripping on Icathian grounds. But as soon as Jinx noticed it, too, his doubts subsided.
A small reservoir was sitting in the middle of the desert, looking almost perfectly clear. A few animals surrounded it, but besides that it was virtually abandoned. Ekko could practically feel the cool water on his skin, washing away all of the ash and grime and unwanted memories. Jinx seemed to be thinking the same thing, because they both began walking towards it despite it being slightly off course.
"This is really convenient for traveling Yordles," Ekko said, setting his backpack down and taking off his shoes.
"And us," Jinx said, removing her own boots.
Ekko hesitated, looking down at his dirty clothes. "We should probably wash these, too, huh?"
Jinx's face turned bright red. "Pervert," she said, covering her chest and grinning at him mischievously.
"No, not at all," Ekko said, holding up his hands in defense. "You take one side and I'll take the other. No peeking involved."
"Sounds good," Jinx said, and she turned her back to him.
He stepped into the water with his clothes in his hands tentatively. It was refreshing and felt nice against his hot skin. The water around him began to turn a dirty brown color, but he was just happy that it was no longer covering him.
He closed his eyes and sank underneath the water, running his fingers through his hair and rinsing it as best as he could. When he emerged, he kept everything from his mouth down under the water, his eyes still shut as he basked in his good fortune.
A tap on his shoulder stirred him from his daydream and he turned around without thinking. Jinx was standing behind him, submerged all the way up to her neck. She had taken out her braids, her hair floating in a giant blue mass around her. Ekko couldn't believe how different she looked. Still beautiful, but definitely different.
"I thought we said no peeking?" Ekko shouted, clapping both hands over his eyes.
"The water isn't that clear," Jinx said, splashing around so that their bodies were distorted in ripples.
He felt her hands grab his and she placed them back down.
"See?" she breathed, her voice suddenly extremely quiet. "You can't see anything you don't want to see."
Ekko's hands hesitated, resting on top of the water.
"You took your hair down," he said lamely, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"I might be crazy, but I don't want all of that shit staying in my hair," she said, dunking her head underwater.
Ekko instinctively covered his nether region with his hands, just in case she tried to sneak a peek. He winced, hating how infuriatingly hot she was making him feel.
When she emerged, she was significantly closer to him, their chests almost touching. She was looking at him with wide eyes, water glistening on the tips of her lashes and falling onto her cheeks whenever she blinked.
Ekko felt strange looking at her like this. It was almost as though he was staring at an entirely different person. Like she was taken straight out of a storybook. Like a princess.
Of course he'd never tell her that. It wasn't worth getting slapped.
"It's not fair," Jinx said suddenly, frowning.
"Hmm, what?" Ekko asked, blinking and shaking his head to free his mind from her spell.
"When you dared me," she said, her eyes shooting back up to look at his.
"I took it back, but then you—"
"You haven't kissed me since," she interrupted, looking as serious as serious could be.
"I thought that you didn't—"
Ekko was floundering in a sea of excuses. None of which made any sense if he thought about them for more than a couple of seconds.
"Well, I do, Weirdo," Jinx said, drooping her head in embarrassment.
"Oh, okay," Ekko said lamely.
Jinx frowned and reared back. Ekko got a face full of water immediately after and Jinx was staring at him, obviously disappointed.
"I thought you were supposed to be Mr. Smooth?" she retorted, getting ready to splash him again.
Before she had a chance to push her hand forward through the water, Ekko grabbed her waist and pulled her close, their feet brushing together against the muddy ground. Her eyes widened in surprise and Ekko's lips muffled anything she was getting ready to say.
His hands found themselves getting tangled up in her hair as he tilted her head back to kiss her more fully. Her hands hung limp at her sides for a moment before she slid them up and down his bare chest. He was rough and he was worn. Her fingers traced the scars along his rib cage, causing him to shiver and pull her closer.
After slow, passionate kisses, Ekko felt Jinx open her lips. She slowly and hesitantly teased his lips with her tongue. Every one of his senses felt like they were on fire. The smell of fresh water mixed with an odd hint of vanilla on her skin and it intoxicated him. Everywhere she touched was set ablaze, like she was shocking him back to life. Helping him feel. Really feel.
She intertwined her fingers with his, and brought his hand closer to her body. He trailed one finger down her neck and across her collarbones. Goosebumps rose up on her skin and he heard her sigh softly. Her teeth nipped at his lower lip in response, making his knees feel like they were about to buckle.
"Do it," she said, spreading out his fingers and placing them in between her breasts.
"Please, for the love of everything good in this world, don't do it!"
Jinx sprung backwards like a frightened cat at the noise, pushing Ekko as far as she possibly could away from her.
Ekko squinted at the shore, failing to see anyone at first. His gaze quickly dropped to the ground where Rumble, Tristana, and Lulu were standing. Rumble was looking particularly peeved, his arms crossed and his toes tapping. Tristana was more amused than anything else, and Lulu either didn't seem to notice or just didn't care. Ekko assumed it was the former. She had a tendency to live her life on the same wavelength as Jinx.
"Humans are more like rabbits than Yordles!" Rumble scoffed.
Tristana laughed. "Ekko! Who's the siren trying to lure you to your death?"
"Cut the crap, rocket girl. You know who it is," Jinx said, ringing her hair out and beginning to braid it again.
"Jinx?" Tristana squeaked, clearly surprised. "You could give Miss Fortune or Nidalee a run for their money with hair like that."
"Pretty bangin', right? But stupid for blowing stuff up. It gets in the way too much," Jinx said, sliding her bikini top back over her chest.
Ekko couldn't believe the scene unfolding before him. Jinx was friends with Tristana? When did they ever hang out? And what were Tristana, Lulu, and Rumble even doing all the way out there?
Ekko put his wet clothes back on underwater, hoping he managed to get most of the dirt out of them before he got…distracted. Wading to shore, he stepped out and shook the water off of him like a dog.
"It's raining!" Lulu said, giggling and holding out her arms to catch the drops that flew off of Ekko.
"Gross," Rumble said, shielding is face with his furry hands.
"What are you doing out here?" Ekko asked, pushing up his hair back into a limp mohawk.
"I could say the same to you, buddy," Rumble said, pointing an accusatory finger at Ekko.
"Rumble, stop," Tristana said, lowering his finger gently. "Lulu said that Pix told her there might be a way to enhance our weapons with magic. She lead us all the way out here."
Lulu smiled innocently. "Pix isn't ever wrong!"
Rumble sighed, rubbing his temple exasperatedly. "Sometimes I think Pix might be a glorified version of Fishbones."
Jinx glared at him, debating whether to finish braiding her hair or blow Rumble's brains out of his head first.
"But I am curious why you're here," Tristana said.
"Pix says that they are on a top secret mission," Lulu said, cupping her fairy companion in both of her hands.
Rumble raised his eyebrows at her but held his tongue.
"Is the floating purple blob right?" Rumble asked.
"I guess," Ekko said. "It's not a huge secret or anything, though. We're just trying to get to Bilgewater."
Tristana's smile fell at his words. Even Lulu looked worried. Rumble, however, was turning bright red. His eyes squinted into dangerously pissed off slits and his mouth contorted into some sort of snarl.
"You know what they're doing to our city, don't you?" Rumble asked, clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides.
"Katarina mentioned something, but I didn't—" Ekko started, but was immediately cut off.
"Yeah, those good-for-nothing pirate shits from Bilgewater are trying to blow everything up," Rumble spat.
"Sounds like a Jinx kind of party," Jinx said, joining the group and giggling maniacally.
Rumble scowled at her, but quickly realized that Fishbones was practically the size of him. One bullet could probably tear right through his stomach, his head, or any other area of her choosing.
"Don't expect us to help you get to Bandle City, then," Tristana said.
"Psh, that's fine. You should have seen the last place we destroyed. Way scarier than Bandle City," Jinx said, flipping one braid behind her head cockily.
"Wait," Ekko said, remembering the certain something a certain someone owed him. "What if we made it worth your while?"
"I don't think anything you can offer up will be worth helping the enemy," Rumble said.
Lulu's eyes widened suddenly. She brought Pix up to her ear and smiled brightly. "Pix thinks it will be a good deal," she said, patting Pix on his tiny head gently.
Rumble rolled his eyes and scoffed.
"Might as well hear me out," Ekko said, shooting a grateful grin in Lulu's direction.
"Alright, shoot," Tristana said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Awhile ago, I helped Miss Fortune with something. She's in my debt. Pirate's code, you know? Anyway, if you'd be willing to help us get to Bandle City, I'm sure I could get her to stop fighting in your city. At least while she takes us to Bilgewater," Ekko explained.
Rumble and Tristana exchanged tentative glances.
"Deal!" Lulu said, raising her fist in the air excitedly.
"Lulu!" Rumble and Tristana yelled.
Lulu instantly shrunk back, lowering her fist and staring at them with wide, apologetic eyes.
"Looks like you have no choice," Ekko said matter-of-factly, shrugging his shoulders. "One of you is willing to take us and that's more than enough."
"Damnit," Rumble swore.
"Fine. We'll take you," Tristana said. "We need Lulu to take us to the Glade anyway."
"Great," Ekko said, reaching for his backpack to pull out his map. "We were thinking of heading through the Sablestone Mountains, then—"
Rumble laughed. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Trist and I have a boat run ashore a few hours away. It should hold you, but humans always weigh more than they say, so who knows?"
"Okay," Ekko said, ignoring Rumble's rude comment.
For a little Yordle, he had more than enough bitterness accumulated for someone as big as a fully stacked Cho'Gath.
"Let's get started, then," Tristana said.
"Jinx, we're leaving," Ekko called, cursing the way his face now flushed merely hearing her name come out of his mouth.
Jinx was bent over by Lulu, the two talking quietly and giggling. Once they finished their conversation, Jinx quickly caught up to Ekko and fell into step beside him.
"Pix is a riot," Jinx said, wiping a tear from her eye from laughing so hard. "Pretty sure I almost busted a gut."
"You can hear that thing?" Ekko asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Yeah. You can't?" Jinx asked.
Ekko shook his head. "I guess you are just full of surprises today."
Jinx flushed and she instantly looked away from him; although she could still feel his satisfied grin and mischievous eyes boring into the back of her skull like a laser beam.
The journey to the boat consisted of only a few things. Rumble continuously muttered complaints about how "Yordles shouldn't be under controlled by the whims and manipulations of humans so much" and how he "should have ignored Lulu completely and stayed home" under his breath. Tristana tried to calm him down, but gave up after a few minutes of taking heat on Lulu's behalf. Ekko and Jinx walked in silence, trading off between who felt more embarrassed and who really wanted to talk about what happened between them.
Eventually, the ocean came into view and the tension in the group slowly began to dissipate. Ekko worried about how big the boat was really going to be. Yordles did not exactly have the greatest concept of size. Part of him wished that he and Jinx had gone off on their own, for more reasons than one.
The sand on the shore was extremely gritty and it crunched awkwardly underneath their feet. It was almost as if an ocean was never supposed to exist there in the first place, causing the desert confusion when it appeared and, in turn, becoming a strange combination of sand and mud.
The water was lapping up on the shore in happy, little waves. It was clear for the most part, with grains of sand tumbling around in the water. Lulu instantly began splashing around in it, getting her shoes, tights, and dress soaked with seawater.
"She'll get bored soon," Tristana said.
"She did this on the way here, too," Rumble explained.
Ekko couldn't help but smile. She was so carefree, even in the state of war her home was in. He wondered if Jinx felt like that sometimes, too. Getting out of your own head from time to time doesn't do much for your sanity's reputation, but it probably helps a hell of a lot with stress.
"Jinx gets on last," Rumble instructed, hopping into the boat and helping Tristana and Lulu in after him.
It wasn't exactly a rowboat, but it certainly wasn't a yacht, either. It had an engine with a steering stick that Rumble operated. The inside was lined with three rows of benches and the weight that the Yordles put in it hardly seemed to affect its buoyancy.
Ekko stepped in next, trying to evenly distribute his weight by sitting directly in the middle. The boat bobbed up and down for a few moments, but it still was not close to filling with water.
Jinx stepped in next, first tentatively, and then all at once. Her foot caught on the edge of the boat, sending her crashing downward into Ekko's lap.
"This isn't how I thought we'd get to third base," Jinx said, her voice muffled by Ekko's pants.
Ekko smiled sheepishly at Tristana, who was casting him a rather judgmental look. Jinx sat and situated herself across from Lulu, where she would more than likely remain talking to Pix for the duration of their journey.
"How far is it from here to Bandle City?" Ekko asked, staring out at the seemingly endless expanse of water.
"About an hour or two, depending on the current," Rumble said.
Ekko sighed, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The wooden rows were definitely not meant for extended trips, and Ekko could already feel himself growing restless. Living poorer than dirt for most of his life in Zaun, he rarely experienced any type of sea travel. The first time he went on a boat, he got so seasick within the first thirty minutes that he actually jumped ship to try and swim back to shore. The amount of people crammed in the small space coupled with the hot sun beating down on them wasn't a good mixture in his stomach.
"Got the Jolly Green Giant over here," Jinx said, elbowing him in the side gently.
Ekko chuckled weakly. "Sea travel sucks," he said, clutching his stomach and staring straight out towards the water.
"Puke and you're going overboard," Rumble said sternly, visibly shrinking away from him.
"Aye aye, captain," Ekko responded sarcastically, wishing that his voice didn't sound so shaky.
"Just don't think about it," Jinx whispered.
Ekko flinched when she grabbed his hand at first, as if it was some foreign, intruding object. He soon realized that he had never actually held her hand before. It was small and strangely smooth despite the callouses on her palms. His hand engulfed hers entirely, and her thumb peaked out from the side to stroke the back of his hand comfortingly.
He took a deep breath and hunkered down for what seemed like a tediously long, but relatively easy, trip. They did not pass much of anything on their way. Lulu occasionally claimed to have seen a fish, but nothing that was big or worrisome. Rumble seemed as though he was speeding through the water as fast as the little boat could carry them. Ekko could tell that it was struggling to hold them all, coughing out exhaust in sputtered puffs. Then again, perhaps it was merely Rumble's design techniques? It strangely resembled the organized chaos that was Rumble's battle machine.
When they finally approached the shore, Ekko was the first to jump out. He fell onto the ground sloppily, the ocean water splashing around him as he sloshed towards the sand. Jinx followed quickly behind, picking up Lulu on her shoulders and tooling around in the water for a few moments.
"Alright, Pix! Lead the way!" Lulu exclaimed, holding out her hand to let Pix free.
Pix stared back at her for a moment before hesitantly flying out of her palm and into the open air. Ekko noticed that Pix refused to go very far without Lulu, and vice versa. It had to have been much more than Lulu's sorcery abilities; Pix was her family. Ekko couldn't help but smile at the thought, knowing that having a family to go to when everyone else turns their backs on you is the most important thing a person can have.
"You can risk the other Yordles viewing you as a threat, or you can come with us to the forest and we'll get you into Bandle City with zero problems," Tristana said.
"Why would the Yordles think we're threats?" Ekko asked.
"Because you're humans," Rumble said matter-of-factly.
"No," Tristana said, shooting a glare at Rumble. "Because they won't know if you're fighting for Bilgewater. Bandle City doesn't exactly get tourists on a regular basis—especially tourists of human descent."
"Looks like we don't have a choice, then," Ekko said.
"Yordle prisons are like a miniature, scary amusement park, right?" Jinx asked. "Where everything is super bright and colorful but so small that you eventually die of asphyxiation?"
"Who do you think we are, Crazy?" Rumble asked, rolling up his sleeves and rearing back his fist.
Upon his release, he punched Jinx in the thigh, sending her to the ground in a fit of ticklish giggles.
"Stop!" she said, clutching at her sides. "That tickles!"
Rumble continued to beat on her. "Oh yeah? You think you're so funny? You're nothing but a deranged maniac!"
Tristana pulled Rumble off of Jinx, her tiny arms wrapping around his entire chest. He was panting, glaring at Jinx like she was the sole fuel for his hatred. Ekko helped Jinx off of the ground.
"Stop antagonizing him," Ekko hissed in Jinx's ear.
"I can't help laughing," Jinx hissed back.
"Just don't mention anything else about Yordles or Bandle City or height, okay?"
Jinx rolled her eyes. "Fine."
Ekko shivered, and realized that nighttime was settling in quickly. The forest was looking less like inviting greenery and a lot more like a terrifying black mass. Pix's purple hue was starting to light up, and the group stuck close by. Lulu's wide smile could be seen even in the dark and the closer they got to the forest, the happier she became.
"Right through here, please," Lulu said, pulling back a few branches to let the group step through.
"It's pitch black in here!" Tristana said, grasping onto Ekko's shirt.
"Just trust me," Lulu said, stomping her foot indignantly.
"I can't see anything!" Rumble said, turning around.
Unfortunately, he was met with a face-full of Jinx's torso. He angrily shoved her, causing her to side step his touch and trip over his foot. The commotion caused Ekko and Tristana to fall forward as well. A mass of limbs tangled together, grunts and curses filled the air as they tried to regain their footing.
Ekko pushed his way to the front, pulling back branch after branch until his breath caught in his throat. The darkened branches disappeared, and were replaced by a blur of rainbow color, flickering like candlelight. The spots of color seemed to be dancing, bobbing up and down rhythmically.
Lulu soon pushed her way through Ekko's legs and Pix followed enthusiastically behind her. As soon as the pair saw their family members, they were greeted with a swarm of colored faeries. Lulu threw her head back and smiled, lifting her arms as Pix and the others lifted her into the air.
"Wow," Tristana breathed.
Jinx was staring at the faeries in awe, the multicolor lighting up her face and making her look like she was made of magic. Ekko was convinced by now that she was.
"So not to break up your reunion, but are we getting magic weapons or what?" Rumble called, cupping his hands around his mouth like a makeshift megaphone.
"Of course!" Lulu said, falling wistfully to the ground and catching her hat lopsidedly on her head. "Pix, go get the Chief and take Rumble and Tristana to him."
Pix nodded and disappeared into a cluster of unidentifiable faeries.
"You live here?" Ekko asked incredulously.
Lulu nodded. "Yordle games are boring, so Pix brought me here when I was really little and the faeries adopted me into their family!"
"That's awesome!" Jinx said, holding out her hand and watching in wonder as a few faeries landed in it.
"If you weren't with me, they'd probably attack you," Lulu said, giggling and twirling as a swarm of faeries surrounded her. "Wait. What?"
Lulu stopped suddenly, holding out her hand so that Pix could land near her ear. Her eyes grew wide and she smiled, nodding fervently as it seemed Pix was giving her some sort of information.
"Ekko?" Lulu asked. "Faeries pick up on emotions easily. Humans are confusing to us sometimes, though. The Chief asked Pix if you are feeling…armored?"
"Armored?" Ekko asked. "I don't—"
Pix slapped one hand to his forehead and whispered in Lulu's ear once again.
"Oh! Enamored?" Lulu corrected herself.
"Enamored?" Ekko shook his head, clearly still confused.
"Are you enamored with Jinx?" Lulu asked, her eyes darting curiously between the pair.
"Like am I in love with her? That's what your Chief wants to know?" Ekko asked.
Jinx dropped her hands to her sides, the faeries darting away from her as she grew instantly timid. Ekko felt his cheeks heat, wanting something—anything—to come out of his mouth. Lulu continued to watch them, completely oblivious to the obvious strain she just put between them.
"Well, I mean…" Ekko started, his hand on his chin and his eyes plastered on the ground.
