Chapter 13: On Golden Shores

Sarah Fortune was not a person to cater to a pleasant goodbye, and as such, the moment she could get rid of Kaldur and Ahri she did so. Giving them basic provisions and clothes, she strapped them to Grends ship and ordered him to take the trouble makers far away from Bilgewaters shores. Grend was already up to the task, and without further ado, his ship left high tide in the early morning, hailing for the sun gates of Piltover.

"So, why do they call it the Sun Gates?" Kaldur asked, strapping on a set of iron bracers as the waves split on the ships bow. It was the early morning a few days out from the slaughter docks, and while the sun beat down on the crew, Kaldur couldn't help but feel good that he was on the move once again.

"Piltover's a canal." Grend explained as he wrapped up a coil of rope. "Fastest way to get from one end of Valoran to the other. It has many gates and devices that pull ships from one end to the other."

"How advanced is this place?"

Kaldur stood up and bounded up and down to test his new equipment. It wasn't much, but it felt right for Kaldur. Sporting a light brown hooded gi that was tied together at the sides, he wore it over his light blue t-shirt with his scaled teal vest that hung over the top of it all. With a brown belt holding up a dark blue pair of pants that felt like it was made out of a combination of rubber and wool, his iron greaves covered the change from pants to maroon red boots that now protected his lower half. With a pair of iron bracers on each arm and a finally shaven face, Kaldur nodded in appreciation. His only regret was that his shoes had to be changed out as he had worn them down so much over his months of travel that they no longer worked as shoes.

"The pinnacle of technology. It's very much a trading station. People from all over come to trade as well as make a living."

"You sound like a fan." Kaldur teased.

"Fan?" Grend asked, confused at the term.

Kaldur moved to the hull edge and rested his arms on the sturdy wood, looking out at the vast ocean as the ship moved farther away from Bilgewater.

"You know, someone who admires and respects something, or someone."

"Ah." Grend nodded in comprehension. "You could say I did as a youngin'."

Putting away the rope, Grend leaned his back against the railing next to Kaldur, stretching before he pulled a large gold coin out of his pocket.

"Fortune asked me to give this to you once we left the shores." He said, changing the topic. "Said if you ever had a need to come back, that will get you by."

Kaldur reached over and took the coin out of his hand. It was solid gold, but was stamped with a large kraken face, the face of the Bearded Lady all Bilgewater residents worshipped.

"Looks like an oversized Gold Kraken to me. I know it's money, but how is this supposed to help?"

"Turn it over."

Spinning the coin around in his palm, Kaldur saw that the reverse side was not decorated in a series of tentacles that spun in a circle, but rather a large F was imprinted on it.

"It's her mark. Or rather the mark she uses for these." Grend explained.

Kaldur nodded and stuffed the coin in his pocket. "Too bad I won't need it. I don't plan on going back to that place."

Grend made a shrug. "Can't blame ya'. Just remember that you have friends there."

Kaldur made a small smirk. "You mean friends that capture you and put you into slavery?"

Grend opened his mouth, affronted. "I was a good master!"

Kaldur couldn't help but snicker. "Just glad you got out of that business." He said, leaning his head into his arms as he lay the front of himself on the railing, keeping his eyes on the ocean.

Grend stood up and moved over to the ropes once more, shifting them around. "I did apologize for that."

Kaldur spun around. "Grend, I already told you that I don't blame you for that. You were trying to make a living in a crooked place and I was…" He paused at the small sound of a chuckle.

Tilting his head in confusion, Kaldur looked at Grend as the man broke out in total laughter.

"Are you gonna fall for that guilt trip sob story every time, cuz that's never getting old."

Rolling his eyes to hide his embarrassment, Kaldur shoved himself away from the wall and walked away from the jokester.

"I'm gonna hit you." Kaldur threatened lightly.

"I'm sure I have it coming." Grend breathed as he wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. "Now, if you won't help me with the rigging while my crew is busy, head down and talk to your lady friend. She's been a little odd these past few days."

Kaldur shook his head and made his way below deck. Grend was not wrong in any capacity, Ahri had been a little off since the day of their job, and while Kaldur wanted to believe it was nothing, his gut kept telling him that it was something that couldn't be let to simmer. Sucking up his uneasiness, Kaldur rounded the small walkways until he reached the bunk that he and Ahri shared. Knocking on the door, he called out.

"You decent?" He asked.

"Come on in." Came Ahri's voice.

Walking into the small bunk room where two beds stood side by side, Kaldur watched as the large lantern lit up Ahri's face, but not as much as her yellow eyes. Taking a seat on the bed across the way he swung around and lay down to look at the plank wood ceiling.

"How goes life?"

"Life is fine." She answered, focusing on the two objects in her hands.

Tilting his head over he watched as she distracted herself, avoiding Kaldur's eyes.

"Alright." He said, sitting back up. "What's wrong?"

Ahri tilted her eyes up to look at Kaldur, keeping her head pointed downwards.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been strange the last few days. You shut yourself up in here and only come out when you need to. Not trying to judge, but at first you wouldn't let me out of your sight, now it's like you avoid me."

Ahri looked back down at the gems in her hands. "I hadn't noticed."

Kaldur groaned at the obvious lie, but decided it was best for a change of topic. "What are those?" he asked, leaned back against the wall.

"Gems. Each one looks like an individual piece, but when they fold together they make a seamless sphere."

Kaldur leaned in as she held out the gems. Each one was an individual bronze and golden piece, shaped like twin fires with a rounded bottom, much like Ahri's fox fires. With swirls of the less pure metal creating designs like the insides of a flame, it gave Kaldur the impression that the pieces could ignite on their own like something alive. Placing the tips together, Ahri slowly twisted them together till the smooth edges of flames connected and disappeared from view, leaving a perfect sphere.

"How long you had them?"

"As long as I can remember."

Kaldur paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Weren't you raised by a den of ice foxes?"

Ahri made a small hint of a smile before it vanished. "One of the first questions you asked I believe."

"The tails had me curious the whole time." Kaldur grinned. "I was trying to figure out how you could switch them to have anywhere from one to nine."

Ahri smiled as well. "And you were always so quick to the next question. You were like a child."

Kaldur shrugged. "Eh, not much has changed in that department. I still have many questions."

Almost as if a giant force struck his mind, Kaldur remembered what he had wanted to ask her.

"You remember a few days ago, when we were on the docks and you force fed me power so we could escape?"

It was only for a second, but Kaldur noticed the look in Ahri's eyes the moment he brought the subject up: worry.

"How could I forget." She answered, her breath becoming slightly shallower.

"There was something I saw, when you were connected to me."

Ahri's eyes widened slightly. Noticing the motion, Kaldur made a deep sigh.

"You know what, never mind. You probably …"

"Say it." She ordered, keeping her eyes pointed down.

"It … it was like I was looking through the eyes of a young girl, wandering through an icy forest calling out to her parents in Ionian. I'm not sure what that means but …"

Ahri let out the biggest sigh of relief in existence and closed her eyes. "It's not what I thought." She mumbled.

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "Ok, what does that mean?"

Looking up at Kaldur, Ahri's eyes became gentler with a hint of mischief behind them, and a smile appearing on her face.

"I thought you had taken a memory from me, one that I hoped you would never have to see."

Kaldur crossed his arms. "Wait… what?"

"I had never passed a memory on to another before, but when we were stuck in that place I figured that I had to try. If they give me power then I could assume that the same is true for someone else with magic. The problem, is that I couldn't control what memory left me, and if I would remember it. I was so desperate to get you out of there that I didn't think of the consequences."

Kaldur squinted his eyes and peered at Ahri suspiciously. "What was the memory you didn't want me to see?"

"Things I have done. Things that you would not forgive."

Kaldur scoffed. "I am quite positive we had this conversation before. I don't care what you did in your past, I just care what …"

"It is different when you retain a memory." Ahri interrupted. "I know you believe you would forgive me, Kaldur; but if you were to actually gain that memory from me, you would feel everything that I felt, and everything that I saw. You would feel like you were actually there. And when you take a memory, you may not feel the same as you once did; I am not even sure your world rune could protect you from that."

Kaldur leaned forward, grasping Ahri's hand in his and looking at her eyes. "You never know." He said, smiling. "You're right that I may see things differently after the memory; but there is always the chance that I won't. You can't be certain. I mean, you turned out fine."

"I am who I am because of the memories I have taken." She said, solemnly.

"I don't believe that's entirely true, but that's just me. I can't tell you who you are, you need to decide that for yourself."

Ahri paused for a moment to breath, then with a small smirk looked up at Kaldur. Glad that she was at least trying for his sake, Kaldur backed up and leaned against the wall, removing his hand form Ahri's.

"So, what is the memory I took about?"

"After the first few memories I had taken, I attempted to search for my parents in the woods they had left me at. It was only a few days, but it was the first time I felt the need to search for them."

"Your parents?"

"I was not raised by Ice Foxes due to fate. I was abandoned in the woods by my parents, no clue as to where I came from, with the exception of two gemstones."

Kaldur raised his hand in recognition. "So that's where they came from."

Ahri nodded. "Before I found you, that was what I had been searching for. Any clue, and any place it would take me, I followed."

"That also explains what Lee Sin meant by your quest." He commented, taking a breath of relief. Standing up, Kaldur moved to the door and opened it, looking back at Ahri as she put the gems away in her pouch.

"You know," Kaldur began, thinking of what to say. "You've helped me through a lot these months I've known you, and I haven't really returned the favor. I know this goes without saying, but as long as I am in this world I will be there for you, even …"

Kaldur took a deep breath as he realized he was rambling.

"All I'm saying is that I will help you. No matter where you go, or what it is."

It had been a long time since Kaldur had seen a genuine smile come from Ahri's lips, and as the corners of her mouth formed, he came to the conclusion that this was the happiest he had seen her in a long time.

"I know." She said.

With a nod and a smile of his own, Kaldur left the room.

With the tension partially alleviated on the ship, the remaining two weeks at sea went by quickly. Helping the crew, training, and having a grand time with his friends, Kaldur felt the bliss of a simple life on the waters; however much he knew it wouldn't last. Over many days, Grend would offer to teach Kaldur how to manage a ship and all of its inner workings. While Kaldur had read about much sailing he had never performed it himself, and was glad to learn when the offer came. Ahri was not as enthusiastic, but offered to watch, stating to Kaldur that her interests were purely selfish in nature.

It was on the early morning of a bright day when Kaldur was awoken by an excited Ahri, already packed and ready to depart.

"Kaldur!" She yelled, shaking the sleep out of him.

"What, what?" He groaned as he jerked up to see an enthusiastic look in Ahri's eyes, her tail swaying slowly from side to side.

"We are short an hour out. Time to get up."

Rubbing his eyes and shaking his head awake, Kaldur stood up to get dressed as Ahri dashed out the door to the deck of the ship. With his clothes on, Kaldur crept out onto the deck and joined a haggard looking Grend at the bow of the ship as he watched the encroaching landmass.

"Your lady is eager. Haven't seen her this excited since … well never." Grend observed as he drank what Kaldur could only assume was coffee from a small tin mug.

"Where is she?"

"In the nest." He answered, gesturing above him.

Turning around, Kaldur looked up to the rafters to see Ahri leaning on the railing of the crows' nest as she watched the horizon.

"Yeah, she can be like that sometimes. You would think that someone as poised as she is wouldn't have a child like side, but I've been with her so long and I am still learning stuff, so I guess anything's possible."

Grend grunted. "If she's cheery this early in the morning, there is no way she's normal."

"She's a Vastayan, define normal."

Grend tipped his cup at Kaldur, conceding the point, and continued to gaze out at the approaching city.

"When we get there it's gonna be a bit rough for you. Neither o' you have been here before, and I won't be around to drag your butt out of the trouble you'll make."

Kaldur's smile dropped from his face as he followed Grends' gaze. "I know. We'll figure something out."

"Where you plannin' to start?"

"Well, this place is a hub for information; and Lee Sin said that our best chance of finding answers would be here, so we might just start with a library and go from there."

"Heard of that from Doc, that's a collection of books right?"

Kaldur almost laughed, but realized that most of Bilgewaters residence probably couldn't, or didn't want to, read let alone know what to read.

"Yeah. A collection of knowledge."

Sitting in silence for the drift into the harbor, Kaldur looked up to see the busiest city he had ever laid eyes on.

Piltover was a city far into the throes of a steam-punks greatest dream. Technological marvels shone on every corner while the feel of the city was easily part of a nineteenth century Victorian era.

To the north of their ship, as they meandered through the gaggle of other vessels, was a line of boats waiting as an underwater conveyor belt gripped them and carried them at a slight angle upwards to the far end of the city from east to west. All the while, other ships left a similar belt that had carried them from the upper western side to the current harbor. In between, and around the conveyors, stood thin bridges and equipment lodgings as people ran to and from in a state of hurried importance while cogs, wheels, and engines filled the air with a small humming sound.

With steam rising in the air from the machines, Piltover was filled with an assortment of blues, greys, golds, and a light red tint. Stretching along the coast, the housing filled the spaces that could be seen with the people and their machines walking the cobble streets. With small waterfalls donning the cliffsides that could be seen, it was a marvel to see a large bridge that towered above the city connecting the northern more industrial side to the southern housing area.

In front of Kaldur, as he watched the excited city, were a series of large fences and bridges that crossed the harbors waters, each with a gate in the center of them that stood open and welcoming. With a bronze metal creating the actual gate that lifted itself by a cogged pulley, the decorated archway that held the gate was a slight shade darker that held tactile patterns which seemed to embrace the rest of the large fencing. With a nod, it came to Kaldur that these were the sun gates he was told of.

Passing through the final sun gate, Kaldur was greeted by a large trade harbor where ships of all shapes and sizes stood docked near the stone walkway that shored a good deal of people bustling with goods to sell and barter. With buildings surrounding the harbor, all decorated with bright colors and grappling systems meant to remove goods from parked ships, Kaldur was surprised to see hundreds of people surrounding a few of the larger ships in anticipation this early in the morning.

"Don't get the goods by sleeping in." Grend prodded, noticing Kaldur's expression.

Kaldur shook his head at the remark as a smaller vessel pulled up to the side of Grend's ship. It looked much like a patrol boat that his world had used, but instead of an engine in the rear, it had two larger cylinders pointed sideways on the sides of it, making a low wave sound as the small boat came closer.

"Term of business?" Called a man on the boat. There were two of them on the boat, both dressed in a similar uniform. With a golden embroidered dark blue vest that had a white trimmed belt holding it closed, the man wore a sky blue plaid pair of khakis that tucked under his large blue boots with multiple buckles and a high heel on the back end. On their shoulders, the pair sported a hard-metallic pad that was decorated in crisscrossing brass with the dark blue filling in the lines. What was the most noticeable, however, were the hats. Each member wore a dark blue hat where the front looked like a military officers bill while the back flayed behind him like a fin. With the top rim covered in a golden ring, it had five golden dots that ran evenly around the sides and the front.

"Traveler transportation, Warden." Grend responded as he looked over the side at the man.

Looking at a small device that Kaldur couldn't quite see, the warden faced Grend once more before pointing at an area farther down the dock. "Alright, you have space at dock three. If there are any problems don't be afraid to ask."

"Will do." Grend said.

With a small wave at the helmsman, Grends ship moved farther along the shores till they came across an empty area that fit the ship nicely. Stopping the vessel, Kaldur helped tie it down and drop the loading platform as they weighed anchor. Pulling himself below deck, Kaldur grabbed the one duffle bag he used to carry his things and slung it over his shoulder, making sure to grab Ahri's as well. Coming back upstairs, he almost jumped as Ahri fell right in front of him.

"Jeez! Don't do that!"

Ahri made a small smile as she grabbed her bag from his hand. "Are you ready?"

Kaldur smiled. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Turning to Grend as the man ordered his crew about, Kaldur reached his hand out. "It's been a journey, thanks for being there."

With a hearty laugh, Grend clasped hands and shook. "You're a good man, Kaldur. Keep out of trouble."

"Will do."

As Ahri gave a farewell hug and a kiss on the cheek, the pair made their way off the boat and onto the dock. It was strange for Kaldur, but he had a feeling that it would be a while before he would be on a ship again and so he took one last look at Grend and his crew, waving a last goodbye.

Turning around, Kaldur and Ahri departed farther into the city. The docks themselves were just as crowded as expected, but it was more apparent how tight the city was the farther they went through. With merchants on every corner and people appearing and disappearing through the small walkways that lead to the upper city, it was a wonder to Kaldur that anyone could get anything done. Taking a turn through the alleyways, the pair meandered the stone and wooden houses till they came across a larger walkway that stretched from the south to the north. With bronze trappings and clockwork that hummed on the exterior buildings, it was clear this place was far more detailed than the docking stations. With the roads and walls made of marble, the windows were made of a light blue glass where the hinges and cogs turned with the same bronze that made the machines.

"Huh," Kaldur began, thinking out loud. "Smart to use bronze, it's one of the least heat conductive metals. At first I thought it was copper."

Ahri raised an eyebrow.

"What? I used to be an engineer." Kaldur defended.

Ahri made a small smirk. "Adorable."

Kaldur blushed and spun to follow the road.

"So, where is our destination?" Ahri asked as she eyed the people who managed to notice her tail under her cloak.

"I have no clue. Not like I have a map to this place. I thought you had an idea."

"I was only told that bringing you here would be your best option. It is not as if most of Ionia knows the details of Piltover."

Kaldur made a disgruntled sigh. "Alright, looks like I have to ask. We're gonna have to find a place to stay as well, not to mention a place to do research."

Kaldur put his palm to his forehead. "I also forgot that we may not have enough money. I don't even know how long we'll be staying."

Ahri put her hand against his shoulder. "No worries about the money. Sarah was insistent that we take a small amount."

Kaldur turned his head to face her as they kept walking. "How much is 'small'?"

"Three hundred golden Krakens."

Kaldur almost stopped mid stride. "Woah. Then all we have to do is find a bank that can trade it out for whatever currency they use here."

Passing by an elderly woman, Kaldur skidded to a halt and turned to greet her. With a light red shawl over an impressive dark green dress, the woman looked to be in her mid-sixties. With frills around her wrists and neck, and a small pair of elongated black boots that came to her knees, the woman seemed quite pleasant. Sporting a pair of large glasses, the woman kept her hair in a small bun in the back of her head.

"Excuse me ma'am?"

The woman paused and turned around to look at Kaldur.

"I apologize, do you speak Noxian by any chance?"

"It's called the common tongue dear. Don't be so arrogant as to believe Noxus is the only place that uses that language."

Kaldur spared a confused glance at Ahri who shrugged.

"Sorry, I didn't know that." Kaldur began, returning his attention to the older woman. "Is there perhaps a bank around here, one that I could trade currency?"

"New here dear?" The woman asked, a small smile on her face.

"Yes, just got into town."

"Most shops allow for different currency dear, but if you want to trade for Golden Hex's, I suggest the Ecliptic Vaults. They are on Sidereal Avenue which is just south across the large bridge that separates the city. It's a large road made of bronze, you can't miss it."

"Thank you, ma'am. Now if …"

It was a loud crash that interrupted Kaldur, and as he turned to look at the commotion he came face to face with a haggard man. Dressed in dark grey clothing that was stained with oil, the man had a beard the size of Grends with no hair on his head and a thin demeanor standing a few inches shorter than Kaldur.

"Hey, man, I need your help."

Kaldur paused, looking back at the older woman who was walking away at the upcoming ruckus. Taking a slight stance Kaldur reared his attention back to the man in caution.

"Who are you?"

"Doesn't matter. Look, I'll pay you five silver cogs if you tell that woman I went to the docks."

"Wait, what?" Kaldur asked, confused. "What woman?

"Just take them!" The man begged, holding up his arm.

In the mans' palm were three silver coins, all with a small symbol that looked like a gear with a long hinge connected to the center, but it wasn't the coins that grabbed Kaldurs' attention, it was the mans' arm. Metallic with bronze and tin, the man's hand only had four fingers that were sealed to a tin joint, each with a small wire that lead into the mechanism. Connected to the arm itself was a large glass container that was sideways in a cylindrical form with pipes leading to the arm from both sides. Inside the container was a green liquid which bubbled whenever the man made a movement.

"What the …" Kaldur was almost too distracted by the arm that he almost missed the slight glare that passed his vision. Looking up at the red tiled roofs that seemed to cover the entire street, Kaldurs' view fell upon a single individual that was kneeling by a type of chimney, aiming a rifle at the man who was in front of him.

"Kaldur!" Ahri yelled as she readied, dropping her cloak.

"I see him."

Wide eyed, Kaldur shoved the man to the side and conjured a shield just as the loud bang of the rifle erupted, sending a round into the shield that bounded off into the street. With a long beam that trailed back to the shooter, Kaldur watched as the person skidded across the tile to the edge of the roof. Pulling out a large hook that strapped to the end of the roof, the assailant belayed down to the ground. While there were a few raised voices, Kaldur was surprised that most people had not run from the scene, and while there were still few people, it gave Kaldur the sneaking suspicion that something was up.

"Did you get him, Cait?" Came a loud female voice to his right.

With the man rolling up to his feet, Kaldur reached over and grabbed him by his collar and jerked the man closer.

"Not till I figure out what's going on." Kaldur murmured.

With Ahri igniting her fox fires, Kaldur watched as another figure ran up the street to their location while the first walked up to reveal themselves.

The first person was a woman. Tall and steady, the person radiated pure confidence even with the outfit she was wearing. Light skinned with a slight tan and sky blue eyes, the woman had violet purple hair that drew down to her lower back. Wearing a strapless, no sleeve, dress that went to her knees, it contained white frills at the bottom and was covered in a purple that matched her hair. On her head the woman wore a purple and bronze top hat the slunk just to over her eyes, while a pair of bracelets rested on her arms next to her shoulders each with a large teal gem in the middle. Sporting belted combat boots, and two gloves, the left one fingerless, the assailant carried a large rifle that looked like it was out of a comic book. Painted white and gold, the chamber mechanism carried a tube in it that glowed with a pink-red hue, while the top held three optical glasses of assorted sizes. The rifle itself was nearly the length of the woman herself, with a barrel that could easily fit a golf ball within it.

"Not quite." The woman said, whom Kaldur could only assume was Cait, as the second one came up.

The second woman was almost the inverse of the first. With rough pink hair and a pair of large goggles on her head, the woman felt far more like a punk that would sooner hit than talk in any given situation. With dark violet eyes, and a large 'VI' tattooed under her left eye, the woman was plastered with a large assortment of armor that covered her arms and legs. Each segment was painted a dark grey with a bronze outer trim, making the large shoulder pads she had look decent for someone of her size. Many belts strapped the armor to her, giving a look that made it seem like the woman was wearing a one-piece suit. With a gleaming silver plate that formed around her upper body and breasts, the lover half of her midsection was a frilly white piece that was formed to her body by a large belt across her waste. Her hands, however, where what Kaldur was aiming his attention at. Each hand contained a large mechanical glove, and each one looked like a weapon that could destroy the ground with a single hit. With small ejections of steam, the gloves were a combination of metal and gears with a dial that rested on the forearm constantly shifting where a dark blue crystalline triangle rested in between the two middle fingers on the back of the hand. Each glove was the size of the woman chest and torso, making them look far heavier than a woman of her size could carry.

"You know, I have seen some weird outfits, but yours takes the cake." Kaldur remarked.

"What did you say?" The pink haired woman yelled as she took a few steps forward.

Ahri was immediate to react and stepped in between Kaldur and the woman.

"Calm down Vi." Cait ordered as she moved to stop her companion. "The man's holding Jaklyn."

Moving up to Kaldur's shield, the first woman paused to look at it before casting her gaze of Kaldur himself.

"A foreigner I assume?" The woman asked, slinging her rifle over her shoulder.

Realizing that there was very little threat here, Kaldur dropped his shield as he watched Ahri extinguish her fires.

"It's been a bit since I've seen a Vastayan here in Piltover. Your kind normally doesn't leave Ionia."

Ahri remained silent at the comment.

"Just looking for something." Kaldur answered. "So, what's the deal with this guy?" He said, pulling the mechanical armed man closer as the guy shook in fear.

"He's wanted for questioning." Reaching out her hand in greeting, she continued. "I'm Caitlyn, sheriff of Piltover. This is my partner Vi."

Kaldur reached out and took her hand, shaking it as he nodded to Vi.

"Now that we have our pleasantries out of the way, can we get our guy?" Vi interjected. "I have a hot date."

Kaldur almost laughed at the comment, but decided against it and pulled the man towards Caitlyn. Reaching out, Caitlyn grabbed the man by his arms and pulled out a pair of bronze handcuffs, strapping them on the man's wrists as his arms were put behind him.

"Come on Vi." Jaklyn pleaded. "You know me, we can work something out, right?"

Vi shrugged. "Depends on how you answer our questions, Jak."

"Thanks for your help." Caitlyn said.

"No problem." Kaldur acknowledged. "You had me a little confused there at the start but it's good to see something familiar."

Vi paused and put one of her gloved hands on her hips. "Wait, Noxus has sheriffs now?"

"Not from Noxus." Kaldur answered.

Caitlyn, who held the man by the cuffs turned around. "You said you were looking for something?"

"A place to stay to start with. Then hopefully a library."

"The southern end has most accommodations, I recommend Finley's. Man has the right stuff for travelers. As for libraries, you could check out Esoteric Factual; it's near Finley's. Large building with the image of an eclipse in front of it… You know what an eclipse is?"

"Which one, lunar or solar?"

Caitlyn smiled. "You'll fit in well here. I didn't get your name."

"Kaldur, this here is my friend Ahri." He said, gesturing to Ahri who was giving the pair a death stare.

" 'Nice to meet you.' 'Oh, why thank you.' 'Can you date me, I am so lonely?'" Vi joked, changing her voice to match a little girl. "Can we leave now? You can talk with your boyfriend later."

Caitlyn stared at her partner, wide mouthed and eyes that planned to murder.

"I think I'll take my leave." Kaldur said, feeling the awkwardness of the situation. "I have a few things I need to do, and I don't want to keep you from your duties."

With a quick farewell, Kaldur and Ahri took off to the southernmost end of the road and followed the alleyways that lead to the large bridge in the center of the city.

"You were quiet back there." Kaldur commented to Ahri as they rounded a corner.

"Felt as if there was nothing to say."

Kaldur turned his head to look at his companion, noticing that she was as stoic faced as she could make herself.

"Alright, just hope it wasn't awkward."

"You were fine, I just have no like for potentially dangerous encounters."

Kaldur tilted his head a little farther back and noticed that Ahri's tail was swaying back and forth, if ever so slightly.

"You were excited." He commented, a smug smile appearing on his face.

"I was not!" Ahri reacted, aghast with her tail swaying even more.

"Ha, you totally were!" Kaldur laughed. "You were so excited to see this place with your own eyes, and on the first day you get to see a cop."

"Good luck getting to the other side on your own." Ahri said as she bolted to the other side of the alleyway as it led up to the hill.

"Ahri! Come on!" Kaldur protested, still laughing a little.

Running up, Kaldur attempted to catch up with her. He was nowhere near as fast as she was but he kept a steady beat behind her, and as they made their way through the droves of people and machines, he found that he was enjoying himself. With her it was one turn after the other as she bolted to keep away, and when she finally slowed down they had passed onto a large bridge that flowed in the open area. Catching her at the edge of the railing, Kaldur stopped to look as the sun passed behind them.

The water was clear from here, and in front of them two bridges that connected to some small islands on the far side of the city. From his observation they were easily a few hundred feet high on this side of the canal; whereas on the other side it looked as if they were a mountain looking down on a large lake. People collected across the bridge, wandering to and from as trolley like carts carried people from one end to the other.

"It's beautiful here." Ahri commented as she watched the small mechanoid suits near the base of the water repair a part of the trusses that held the bridge.

"Coming from you, that says a lot."

"It is sad. I never had the time to enjoy Bilgewater as much as I had hoped; but it doesn't compare to this."

"Yeah, we were kinda waylaid there; but, now that we are here, we can take our time. Not like we have anyone hunting us."

"Do you think you will find your answers here?" Ahri asked as she leaned on the railing.

"I hope so. Though I can't say for sure."

Taking a glimpse at the horizon, Kaldur leaned in next to Ahri, and took a deep breath.

"The answer's out there somewhere, I just have to find it."

Kaldur and Ahri stood where they were, watching the scenery for a while, and it wasn't until a loud horn below them sounded that Kaldur realized they had been there for over a half an hour. Standing up, he beckoned for Ahri to follow.

"We may want to go."

Taking the bridge to the southern edge of the city, Kaldur examined the architecture of the streets for any hint of an inn that looked like it would house travelers, but was sorely disappointed when he remembered that he couldn't read the language. After a few stopped persons, and a mass of confusing directions, the pair finally made their way to the door of a larger building that was older in style to the rest of the avenues surrounding it. With dark red tiles on the roof, and a creamy white coating on the walls, the building was made of a somber oak that reminded Kaldur of a house in the late sixteen hundreds. Opening the front wooden door, the two walked into a pleasant entryway with a darker skinned man in bright colored clothing standing behind a desk.

"Can I help you?" The man asked, his voice rough and deep from apparent age.

"Yes, hoping we could get a pair of rooms."

The man reached into the desk and pulled out a drawer where in lied a stack of papers. Reaching over to grab a quill, the gentleman dipped the tip into the ink and held it over the parchment.

"How long is your stay?"

Kaldur shrugged a little. "Until further notice."

The man gave Kaldur a questioning look but appeared to write that down.

"That will be six silver cogs a night. For the first seven that will be forty two."

"What is the trade ratio for a Golden Hex to a Golden Kraken?"

The man paused for a moment, then he reached back into his desk and pulled out a chart that seemed to have numerical figures that Kaldur recognized.

"One and a tenth to one. Seems Bilgewater's currency is changing in value."

Looking at Ahri, Kaldur watched as she pulled out a larger bag from her container and handed the man four Golden Krakens. Reaching back into his desk, the man brought forth a small chest and opened it where he removed two silver cogs and placed them on the table, retrieving the four gold coins and placing them into the chest.

"Payment is due by midday every seven days for the next seven days. If you leave before your seven days are expired you may return to me to receive the payment that you have not used. If you do not return to collect your expected payment, than the excess you have not used will be kept here and will be forfeit from retrieval."

"Understood."

"Your rooms will be the two in the back hallway on the second floor. They stand across from each other. Here are your keys, if you lose them there is a fine of one golden hex to replace. The public baths are two blocks to the north, if you request our private bath that is five bronze washers. Restrooms are on the base floor."

Kaldur nodded as he grabbed the bronze and tin decorated keys, each one had a small blue gem embedded in the handle as the pin extended a good three inches. Shrugging at Ahri, the two made their way to the stairs but stopped the moment the man cleared his throat to get their attention.

"One more thing: no violence is prohibited in the building. If damage is done to the building, the payment comes from you."

Nodding in agreement, the pair made their way to the back rooms of the hallway above. Unlocking the door, Kaldur was surprised to see that the room was quite furnished. With a single queen-sized bed laced with purple and grey sheets, the room contained a desk near the window and a closet to store his clothing in. Wandering into his room, Kaldur noticed a nightstand next to his bed with a small book written in what he could only assume was the common tongue. On the desk itself was a large lamp that looked to be powered by a manufactured red hextech crystal in the base. Dropping his bag into the closet, Kaldur wandered over to the lamp and turned it on. With a shock, he was surprised to see light coming out of the glass bulb at the top. With a smile, Kaldur embraced the sense of familiarity that came with this city, it was very much like home.

"So that's how that works." Ahri's voice came from his doorway.

Turning around, Kaldur kept his goofy grin as he explained. "I used to have something similar in my world. We called them lightbulbs, while the thing that held it was called a lamp. With a flick of the switch," Kaldur turned the lamp off. "the light goes away or comes on."

"You seem at home here." Ahri observed, a small smirk appearing on her face.

"Not quite, but it's close." Spinning around, Kaldur put his hands on his hips in a joking manner. "Now, what do you say we take a look at that library?"

With a nod from Ahri, the two locked up their rooms and made their way outside of Finley's. It took a bit of asking, but Kaldur had finally learned the location of all the library's in the area, including the location of the prosperous Sidereal Avenue that contained much of Plovers flaunted wealth. Heading farther south, and a little east away from the bridge, Kaldur began to notice a slight change in the architecture as he wandered the larger streets. While most of Piltover was indeed made of bronze and marble structures, it seemed that there were parts where towers of iron and colored glass would come out of the ground, but never reach higher than the buildings on the floor.

Taking a slight detour from his initial path, Kaldur wandered up to one of the towers. Blocked by a railing that outlined the road around it, the tower came from below the ground, and when Kaldur looked down he nearly gasped out loud.

The city was far larger than he had thought.

The tower was just one of many, and as he looked down Kaldur could not tell where the sheer drop ended. Below the ground he stood on was almost an entirely different city that extended into the bowels of the earth. With a dark green and grey hue, and a fog that seemed ever present, there were hundreds of levels of buildings that sank into the abyss. With pullies that drew elevator like devices upwards and down from the lower sections, the cobbled streets were decorated with buildings of hard metals and lovely colored glass, while domes in certain sections were held living plants and wildlife.

It was an entirely different world below him, and while Kaldur was more than tempted to explore the ginormous depths below him, he was still debating whether it would be a good idea in his current situation.

"What in the world is this place? Piltover is waaay bigger than I thought."

"That is not Piltover, young man." Came a voice from behind.

Kaldur turned around to see a middle aged gentleman sporting a red tailed coat and a nice vest standing near him.

"That would be Zuan." The stranger continued. "The under-half of Piltover. I suggest staying away if I were you, lawless vagabonds the lot of them."

Kaldur took another look at the upper levels of Zuan. While it was indeed different, he could definitely see Piltover residents trading goods with people on some of the smaller platforms.

"Wait, then why do you work with them?"

The man shrugged. "Trade is trade." The man said, walking away.

Despite his impending curiosity, Kaldur decided to at least explore Piltover first before he took off into the other city of Zuan. Ahri, on the other hand, was confused.

"Why do you suppose people live outside of balance with nature?"

Kaldur paused at the question, then remembered the Ionian way of doing things.

"Progress I suppose. Some people are willing to do anything to improve while others, like Ionia, understand some type of balance. Can't say I agree with either of those principals entirely but they both have their points."

Ahri cocked her head to the side at the dropping abyss before she moved to catch up with Kaldur. Returning to their original pathway, Kaldur and Ahri made their way through the many turns till they came across the Esoteric Factual at the corner of Sidereal Avenue. With the picture of a solar eclipse above the door, the double bronze doors stood below a large window that was shaped like a simple diamond. In it were cross threading bronze lines that formed a smaller diamond in the middle with a small Y in the dead center.

Wandering into the building, Kaldur was stunned by the size of the shelves that housed a cornucopia of books. At least four stories high, the library held a large room in the dead center that contained tables and chairs where the walls on the upper levels were decorated with thousands of books. On the base floor, stood multiple openings that lead to both other collections of books and the stairs that moved to the upper floors. With lanterns lighting the inside, it was a wonder there were no windows in the building.

Moving up to the first set of books, Kaldur wandered the bindings in search of anything he could recognize. While most of the books seemed written in the common tongue, with a few in Ionian and others in languages he didn't recognize, he was still disappointed that he couldn't read any of it.

"This might be a problem." Kaldur whispered. "I can't read any of this. I mean, I can read a little Ionian, but other than that…"

Ahri shook her head. "I can only read the language of the first lands. Others will be difficult."

Pulling a book off the shelf, Kaldur began to flip through it. "Great … we get all this way and now I have to spend most of my time …" Kaldur paused, looking at the words on the page.

Moving over to the front desk that stood in the corner next to the front door, Kaldur looked at the older woman who rested there.

"Do you, by any chance, have a writing utensil and an object to write on?"

The older woman gave Kaldur an odd look and pointed to the tables in the center of the larger room. Looking back, Kaldur realized that he hadn't noticed there was writing equipment on most of the tables, and that a few of them were actually desks.

"Thank you." He said as he moved to the first open table, Ahri following behind him in confusion.

Taking a seat at the table, Kaldur opened the book back to the page he had noticed the abnormality. Taking a quill with his left hand, and holding the parchment with his write, Kaldur scribbled the word "forest" onto it and held it next to the word he saw in the book.

After a bit of a look, Kaldur made a sigh of relief as he noticed that the word "forest" looked like a word in the book, with only the consonants slightly changed in symbol.

"They are the same. It just looks slightly different."

Rushing up to the woman at the desk, who was taken aback by his approach, Kaldur held up the book to her face and pointed at the word.

"Does this word mean 'forest' by any chance?"

The woman took a look at the book and then nodded her head in confirmation.

"And this one, does it stand for 'formation'?"

The woman nodded once more, confusion still lining her face.

"They are the same." Kaldur explained with excitement to Ahri. "It will take me a bit to read it, but the words are essentially the exact same words."

"That's good." Ahri acknowledged, a small smile on her face. "As you read these, I can see if any of the Ionian texts contain anything."

Putting the book back, while Ahri dived up the stairs to the second level, Kaldur began to browse the shelves for anything that hinted at the statements of 'World Rune' or otherwise. Problem was, there were hundreds of books in the first shelf that related to magic, or magical artifacts. Narrowing his search parameters, Kaldur began to select books that were of a more mysterious nature. With a collection in his hands, Kaldur moved over to the table and began to read.

It was a long process, and by the time Ahri had arrived with her own collection, excited at the fact that there were thousands of books in a single building, Kaldur had barely made it past the first few pages. As Ahri dug through her own spectacle of books, Kaldur began to write down everything that he could about runes and mystic travelers. Between the tales of aging folk, and ravages that came from the country side, it was hard to tell what was fiction and what was real when it came to mystical objects.

"Here is something." Ahri said, making Kaldur poke his head out from behind 'Crystals of the Shuriman Coast.'

Turning the book around, Kaldur was able to see a vivid picture of a piece of coastal terrain being torn by streams of red painted arcs. Taking a look at the text underneath, Kaldur realized that this was the account of an old Ionian fisherman who had seen this many centuries ago.

"Ok, cool, but how does this have to do with world runes or magically appearing people?"

"The fisherman recalled that there were objects in the world that could shape the world around them. It isn't specified what these objects are, but if they have the same potential as a world rune, that could be something."

Kaldur shrugged. "Alright, keep that one tabbed for future use. Maybe we'll run across something that explains the odd phenomenon."

"That may be hard. I looked and it seems that this book has had thousands of rewrites over the years."

"Huh, just my luck. Well, at least it's something."

Looking around, Kaldur managed to find a clock on the wall.

"At least the time's the same here. It's almost past seven, we may want to be headed out."

"Can we take them with us?" Ahri asked, an innocent look appearing on her face.

Kaldur shrugged. Walking up to the woman at the front desk, Kaldur pulled up the book.

"Is there a possibility we could check out these books?"

The woman shook her head. "Only members may remove published knowledge." She said, her voice cracking with age.

Kaldur looked back at Ahri and shook his head. With drooping ears, Ahri began to collect the books and move them to the upper storage bins that had a label telling readers to place them gently. Halting her partway, Kaldur brought forth a piece of parchment and wrote down the name of the book before she walked upstairs. Keeping the notes in his pocket, Kaldur moved to the desk and began to place his own books away.

After the books had been placed away, Ahri thanked the older woman and the two departed outside of the Esoteric Factual onto the corner of Sidereal Avenue. With a quick motion towards their inn, Kaldur was about to say something to Ahri when the loud sounds of footsteps on tile stopped him.

"Look out!" Came a high pitched male voice.

Backing up slightly and looking up, Kaldur almost jumped when he saw a man land right in front of him with an impending thud of shoes on stone.

"What is with everyone jumping in front of my face!?" Kaldur yelled as the other man got up. "That's three times today!"

"Sorry about that." The young man said standing up to stretch his back. "I mean, it's hard having a face this nice land in front of you."

The lighting was a little dark as the sun was setting, so Kaldur was not able to see the man clearly, especially with the grey fog that was lining the floor. Yet, just as he thought of backhanding the individual in front of him, the lamp posts ignited to life, revealing the strange person in front of him.

The guy was easily Kaldur's height, and with the same build and skin tone it looked like there was a copy of himself standing in the roadway, but as he gave a second look, it was quite apparent this man was different. With longer, and messier, light blond hair that spread out to his sides, the man's face was a little more chiseled than Kaldur's and his eyes were of a deeper blue. On both of the mans' cheeks, right under his eyes, were two upside down triangles that mimicked the same blue as his eyes. Wearing an odd pair of square goggles on his head, and a leather brown jacket with a large fur hood on the back that covered his tan tunic, the man also contained a pair of blue pants that looked like jeans being held up by a brown belt with a pack strap connecting to his leg. On the mans' left arm he wore a golden gauntlet that had four blue gems imbedded within it. A circular one on the back of the hand, two small ovals on the sides and a large oval gem that spanned the back of the forearm.

Shaking his head, Kaldur had an odd feeling that he had seen this man before. But he couldn't place where.

"Alright, who are you?" Kaldur asked.

"Ezreal," The man began, introducing himself. "Adventurer, artifact collector, and soon to be explorer's guild member. Now, if you don't mind, I have a bell to hide and a Feljordian to get away from."

The lightbulb went off in Kaldur's mind.

"I KNOW YOU!" He shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. "You were at the island when I first appeared!"

At first, Ezreal looked at Kaldur, confusion lining his face, but after a quick moment, he too had the same look of recognition.

"Oh."