A Boy and His Fox Ch. 25
Author's note: Hey everyone :D You guys have been super awesome and I just wanted to say thank you for your patience while I try to get over the small amounts of writer's block I've been running into lately. A Boy and His Fox is racing towards its final conclusion quickly and I just want to say thank you guys for all the support you've given me thus far. Just as a heads up, I've checked to see how many faves I'll need to reach top ten thus resulting in the Youtube Vlog I promised you guys. The tenth position has 77 favorites as of right now and currently ABAHF has 57. So spread the word :D get twenty more faves and that Youtube Channel is as good as made :3 thanks again everyone. Also, chances are I'll publish the ending that I want to use then I'll provide you guys with a "AX" or Author's Cut, explaining what my other idea would have been. –Kiba Elunal
Lucian yawned bored as he leaned back in Ezreal's chair. He'd been here for almost a week now and still no word from Kal on the rings or even where to find him. Tracking them down through the orb had been a bust. Within a day of getting it Raine had informed him that the thing deteriorated the instant he tried to examine it. What he did manage to find out however is that they were all linked to one Sphere of Influence that controlled the whole lot of them allowing the summoner who used it to control multiple champions at once, something that was supposed to be impossible. It was just then that the door to the Grand Master Explorer's office opened revealing Ezreal wearing a leather fedora with a whip in his belt. Lucian raised an eyebrow looking at him and his strange dress.
"Why the hell are you dressed like that?" Ezreal looked at him strangely.
"This is what I always wear when I go exploring temples and stuff."
"Bullshit! You weren't wearing that when you were in the mines with us fighting Thresh."
"Well that wasn't a temple now was it?" Ezreal snapped back causing Lucian to let out an irritated huff. "Anyway I managed to find the artifact I was telling you about, the one that will help us contact Kal. If he's a summoner we can tune into his Sphere of Influence and project you through it so he can see and hear you." Lucian looked up with a smile.
"Bout damned time. Gotta say Ezreal, even for a kid you do a good job living up to your title. At any rate, we need to get this puppy on the road. Who knows what sort of trouble Kal has gotten himself in to?" Ezreal nodded in agreement. Stepping back he tossed the disk in the middle of the floor causing it to unfold a small pillar of blue light creating something of a three dimensional screen.
"Summoner's name please." The thing requested in a feminine robotic voice.
"Kal." The system beeped and whirred.
"Apologies, there is no record of a Kal in the League's database. If you believe to have received this message in error, state the name once more and be sure to do so clearly." Lucian frowned. He hated machines.
"KAL." He enunciated. The machine once more the machine whirred to life.
"Apologies, there is no record of a KAL in the League's database. If you believe to have received this message in error, state the name once more and be sure to do so clearly." Lucian growled and was ready to blast this thing into bits before Ezreal put his hands on Lucian's shoulders.
"Easy Lucian…let me give it a try." Stepping towards the machine Ezreal smiled and put his hands behind his back. "I am searching for Kal'Adamsul, a summoner of Ionia. Bound Champion is Ahri of Ionia." The machine whirred before produce a high pitched ding.
"Target located, activating interface." Ezreal flashed an arrogant grin at Lucian who stepped forward pushing him out of the way.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep your mouth shut Ez, I don't need any of your lip."
"I didn't say anything." Ezreal said innocently.
As the four of us began to head towards the mountain pass again after our awkward night we stared at the ground in silence. All this time we had thought it was Katarina who had burned down the village, but if not her…then who? The most obvious suspect was Magnus, but why would he have kept it a secret from his right-hand man…err…woman. It was highly suspicious. To top things off none of them had any idea on how to get in contact with Lucian in Piltover so that he could begin to prepare for their ambush on Malzahar at the Hall of Justice. That's when Annie looked down from my shoulders where she sat before gently tugging on my hair to get my attention. "Yes Annie?" I asked, the first words uttered since we had awoken this morning.
"Look Kal!" She said pointing at my pocket. Inside of it the small blue marble was glowing brightly in a way I'd never seen before. Reaching in I pulled it out and dropped it on to the ground causing it to swell before creating a small platform that balanced on top of it. The image of Lucian appeared with a beaming Ezreal standing next to him.
"Lucian?! How the hell are you doing this?" I asked, stunned by such a feat. Lucian smirked before he began to speak, his voice crackling slightly as the image flickered.
"Hey Kal. Looking good for someone I had half assumed was dead by now. Did you find what you were looking for?" I nodded. "Yes, though they weren't in the temple. We've gotten three of them now and the fourth one is on a champion named Malzahar who's in the Institute of War right now. Needless to say we're still a few days away from reaching there." Lucian frowned before his eyes shifted to Katarina.
"Holy crap! Kal you managed to capture her? Damn Kal, you must have some sort of God throwing women in your path or something. I mean damn, how many more women are going to throw themselves at you?" Kat rolled her eyes before flipping Lucian the bird. "Oh and she's still got an attitude. Kal you really impress me sometimes."
"Shut up Lucian this is important. Kat has defected to our side. She doesn't want Ahri under Magnus control any more than we do." Lucian frowned softly.
"Speaking about Magnus…the sphere we found in Annie was a bust. The thing disintegrated as soon as Raine looked at it." I raised an eyebrow confused.
"Raine?" Lucian laughed softly.
"Right sorry, forgot you two hadn't met quite yet. He's Vi's new partner, though I suspect he's more like her squeeze judging by the bite marks she always seems to have on her shoulder." I laughed and shook my head.
"Lucian, leave the poor kids alone. But still, the sphere's destruction is not a huge hindrance. Katarina has offered to give us the location of Magnus' hide out so that we can get the league to summon him. That way he will have to fight me in Summoner's Rift or have his powers stripped. Even he can't disobey a direct order from the council without putting a huge target on his back." Lucian nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. Anyway, what would you like me to do about this Malzahar guy? If he's alone I may be able to take him but if you suspect he's got back up I'll just head that way and slow him down a bit. That way you can meet me here as soon as you can and we'll all work to take him down." I looked to Lux who nodded before gesturing to tell him of the others we faced.
"Lucian, do not engage him. I repeat, do not fight him. Wait for us to get there. We've had to pick up the rings off three of his friends and each one's nearly killed us. They are incredibly powerful and they are not to be trifled with. The best thing you can do is wrap him up in red tape. Talk to the council and demand to see him pass the League Judgement. That should buy you at least a few days of preparation. If they give you hassle tell them that Summoner #1337 has evidence that his cheated in his first Judgement. That should confuse them enough to hold him there until we get there." Lucian nodded eagerly before Ezreal pushed him out of the way.
"Actually…Kal I think I may have another friend who can help you. Are you familiar with the Solari." I groaned frowning. "Ah I see you've met them. Perfect. Find Leona, tell her Ezreal sent you to get her help. You're a day away from their base camp and they'll be able to shave your travel time down by almost five days." I beamed.
"Nice work Ez, we'll take it. Hopefully we'll be able to get there without another incident like last time." Ez looked confused.
"What incident?"
"Long story, you'll have to wait for me to get back before I tell you." Ez nodded.
"I look forward to it. At any rate Kal, I only have one more thing to say to you. Help Ahri, you're her only hope." And with that the transmission was cut off leaving my Sphere sitting in the sand, the glow faded away. Picking it up the thing shrunk back to the size of a marble before I slipped it back into my pocket.
"Well…that was interesting." Kat said softly causing me to tense up in shock. "Gods Kat, I forgot you were standing behind me." I let out a deep breath placing a hand over my heart to feel if it was calming down after such a startle.
"What exactly did he mean by women throwing themselves at you?" She asked crossing her arms lifting an eyebrow.
"Well…umm…" I looked to Lux who immediately turned beet red before looking away. "There have been a large amount of women who…may or may not have succeeded in an attempt to seduce me." Thinking back on all of the interactions I'd had on my journey so far I began to wonder if Lucian was right. Perhaps there was some sort of weird omnipotent being that was controlling my fate somehow. Kat just stood there staring at me.
"I hope you don't expect…" I immediately raised my hands shaking my head.
"No no! Absolutely not, I'd never…"
"So you're saying that I'm not good enough for you to be attracted to me?"
"What? No I never said that Kat! I just mean that-"
"Oh I know exactly what you meant Kal'adamsul and you can forget it. You're not getting any of this." She said gesturing to her body. I threw up my hands in frustration.
"I'm not trying to!"
"So you don't want me?"
"Yes, I mean yes meaning no. I mean…gah!" I walked off with a huff as Lux stepped beside Kat. Kat smirked at her giving her a wink.
"That was rather mean of you Kat…"Lux said softly.
"Oh come on Lux even you've got to admit it's fun teasing the boys every now and then." Lux shook her head in disagreement.
"Huh…kill joy." Kat walked off to follow me as Lux proceeded onward as well.
I whimpered softly as I waited impatiently in the restroom at Magnus' house. I looked at the small white strip which was slowly forming a green check mark and I frowned. That shouldn't be possible. I mean the last person I had sex with was…I stopped, blinking softly. What was his name…why couldn't I remember his name? I remember being bound to him through some sort of flaw in the system but I couldn't remember who he was or even why we had sex. My mind felt completely blank and I was so shocked that I couldn't even remember his face anymore. I sat on the toilet and buried my face in my hands. Pregnant…I couldn't believe I was pregnant. How was I going to tell Magnus? What would he say? He'd probably want to get rid of it, I could understand that. But I don't know…something inside of me was telling me to keep it, that it would be better for everyone if I just kept this to myself. So that's what I decided I would do. I knew Magnus would find out eventually but for now it would be best to pretend like none of this ever happened. Taking the pregnancy test I snapped it in half and flushed it, removing the evidence. The last thing I wanted was for Magnus to find out before I was ready with an argument on why I should be allowed to keep the child. He was pretty cranky lately after he found out that Katarina had disappeared and hadn't returned in nearly three days.
I used to not mind…in fact I was actually thrilled at the opportunity to pleasure him. But since she left he'd gotten a lot rougher. The other night when I was giving him head he had shoved it so far down my throat and held it there that I thought he was literally going to kill me with his dick. Luckily I was able to pull back enough to breathe through my nose before he forced me back down. I don't know what was going through that head of his, but I knew one thing: I had started to become worried about my safety here…and now with the baby…I needed to be more careful about not upsetting him. The others had returned informing him there was no sign of Kal…who ever that was. He didn't seem too pleased at that prospect and so he simply sent them out of the house and told them not to return until they found him.
I'm sure this Kal guy was up to no good, otherwise why would Magnus want him dead so badly. I stepped out of the bathroom to come face to face with Magnus himself. "Hello Ahri, is something wrong?" He asked me in that seductive voice he used that got me all hot and bothered. I softly shook my head.
"No summoner; my stomach just wasn't feeling very good. I think I'm going to lie down for a bit now." Magnus grabbed my wrist tight jerking me back as I went to leave before growling.
"Don't walk away from me when I'm speaking to you Ahri." He said through bared teeth that made my heart pound in nervousness before he took a deep breath. "I mean…I'm just concerned is all…I would hate for you to get sick my love." He gently tilted my chin up and placed a soft kiss on my lips before pulling away. "Go ahead and get some rest my dear, you'll need it for later tonight." He spanked my ass as I turned to head back to my room my tails swishing side to side. Laying down in my bed I looked out the window and wondered why he hadn't sent me out to find this 'Kal' person. I was sure that he was hiding something from me...but what could it be?
I watched as Kal and Lux trailed ahead of me leading the way up the mountain. I still couldn't believe I was doing this. I was traveling with my Summoner's sworn enemy and plotting against him. It was for a good cause of course, that bitch could never please him like I could. Although…if Kal is so dedicated to find her…maybe she could. Even with as much sex I gave Magnus I hadn't even heard word of him attempting to find me from my sources. When I got back to him I was going to ask him about what happened to Annie's village. After all he was the one who had stayed behind after we captured her to 'throw off the trail'. It was one thing to murder the occasional Demacian envoy or scouting party. They had signed up for the military, they knew the risks involved. But even though I didn't have any love for the Grey Order, they were just civilians. They didn't want to be involved in any fight. In fact, had Annie not been there they'd never even know of what we were doing.
Something was very wrong here; I could feel it in my chest. I looked up at Kal and Lux again and as my eyes fell upon Kal something stirred inside of me. I wonder what it was all these women saw in Kal that made them want him so badly. I mean sure he wasn't bad looking, but he wasn't exactly an Adonis either. I mean he was about average to be honest, and nothing's worse than being stuck right in the middle. Was there something I was missing about him? I shook my head. Even if there was something it'd be ridiculous to try to get his attention, I mean what sort of omnipotent being would dangle beautiful women in front of him and tempt him to infidelity.
We didn't walk much further until I heard a twig snap nearby. Pulling out two daggers I became on high alert instantly. "Guys." I said softly turning towards the source of the noise. Lux held up her hand forming a ball of light before hurtling it in the direction I was looking igniting the trees in bright light and revealing the faces of nearly ten warriors. "Time to go." I said as I ran towards them the warriors charging after us. Looking over my shoulder there were nearly twenty before a large weighted net fell over head trapping us beneath it.
"Wait." A voice said stepping forward revealing a beautiful brown haired woman dressed in shining golden armor. "I know these people…well most of these people. They helped us; they are not ones of the moon like Diana." As the net was cut free I stood up on guard in case they ambushed us again but Kal gently put his hand on my wrist to lower it. His touch was warm and I quickly jerked back as if he had touched my arm with a hot iron. What the hell was wrong with me? I was letting what that preacher man said get to my head. I shook my head clear of distractions as I watched the golden woman in armor approach. Kal offered her his hand and she took it before leaning in and kissing his cheek. Maybe…maybe it was a custom! That's it, a custom! I mean surely he didn't have sex in front of Ahri while she was with him.
"Leona! It's good to see you again. Is Diana still incarcerated?" Kal asked.
Leona frowned softly and shook her head in disappointment. "After we managed to get her to the village she used her magic to burn through the ropes before blasting me with a radiant light. I couldn't get to her in order to stop her before she disappeared through the wilderness again. I apologize for wasting your efforts Kal." Kal smiled at her and laughed softly.
"You give me way too much credit Leona. It was you who saved me remember, not the other way around." Leona smiled softly at him before sheathing her sword on her hip.
"Thank you for that compliment Kal. But I must ask, what brings you back to our mountain. I thought you had business in the Voodoo Lands." Kal nodded softly.
"Yeah we were looking for this one." He said indicating the sleeping Annie on his shoulders. Leona smiled brightly at her before turning back to him.
"Your daughter is very beautiful Kal, I am surprised that someone as young as you has a daughter so grown." Kal laughed hard shaking his head.
"Oh no, no. It's not like that. I mean yeah she calls me dad, but she's only twelve years younger than me. And believe me I wasn't having sex when I was 12. Didn't even have my first kiss until a month or so ago." Leona giggled softly before nodding her head.
"Come with us back to the village Kal, we'll get you set up there. You look as if you could use some rest as well as some supplies." Kal bowed appreciatively as we followed them up a winding path. I was impressed by their hospitality. I had heard that the mountain folk here were incredibly distrustful of strangers so it was amazing that he had befriended their champion so quickly.
"I appreciate the help Leona…but I'm afraid I have to ask for a favor. Ezreal said you may be able to assist us." Her eyes lit up as she turned to Kal.
"You are friends with Ezreal? Whatever you need Kal, just name it. Ezreal was the one who returned my ancestral armor and blade to us when he found it in an ancient sun temple on this very mountain that even our elders didn't know existed."
"Well…we need a way to get to Piltover as fast as we possibly can. See…there is a summoner who captured Ahri and I need something from one of the champions at the Hall of Justice in order to stop him, not to mention I have to appeal to them to allow me to battle with another summoner."
Leona held up her hand. "Say no more, you'll stay the night with us while we arrange for transportation for you and your allies." Kal bowed his head in gratitude as the Solari left us to settle in to our quarters.
"Kal…" Lux said softly. "About the last time we were here…I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…" Shouldn't have what? Was there something I was missing? Kal frowned softly as he set the slumbering Annie down on a cot making sure she was asleep before walking over to Lux and giving her a hug.
"Lux, don't be sorry. To be honest…I'm the one who should be apologizing. I should have said no and left it at that. So please…forgive me." Lux smiled leaning into the hug.
"No. It's okay, I don't regret it at all." He laughed softly and proceeded to tickle her playfully causing her to shriek and push him away laughing. I simply sat on my own cot watching the two play. Was this how a team was supposed to be? I couldn't remember even so much as cracking a smile with Sarah and the others. So far…this team was looking to be a lot more fun than my previous one…but I couldn't help but wonder…why wasn't I there playing with them?
The next morning came early for us. The sun shone brightly over the mountain casting golden rays of light upon its face. The beauty of the scene was spectacular and it was little wonder now why the Solari worshiped the sun. I yawned as I turned over to see Kat simply sitting on her cot staring at the floor. I frowned softly, swinging my legs out over the edge of my cot. "Kat? Are you alright?" Kat seemed startled that someone was speaking to her before seeing it was me.
"Huh? Oh good morning Kal. Yeah I'm fine I guess…I've just been thinking about a lot of things." I frowned and tried to lighten things up by teasing her.
"Ah, I thought I smelled something burning."
"That's not very nice Kal."She said flatly and I shook my head chuckling.
"Relax Kat, I'm kidding. I was trying to cheer you up. Now tell me…what's the matter?" Kat swallowed softly as she turned to me frowning.
"It's just…I don't know. It's weird for me that you're treating me so well. I mean, for that last two months I've been trying to kill you and your friends. I wouldn't have hesitated for a second to slit your throat. One of your best friends even died because I led Warwick there. You should hate me! Why don't you hate me?!" She cried as she tried to wrap her head around it. I frowned softly and walked over to her cot sitting beside her.
"Kat…I don't hate you. I don't hate you because I know that underneath your cold, tough exterior lays a warm heart. You were raised to be an assassin but even with all of the training in the world someone can't force compassion out of you." I wrapped an arm around her shoulder so she could lay her head on me. "Look…I'll be honest with you Kat. When you first came to us…I didn't trust you. I was certain you would stab me or someone else in the back and I was sure that you would kill us the first chance you got. For the first couple of nights you were with us I couldn't sleep because I was worried you'd come into my tent and try to kill me. But when you saved me from Kha'zix…I knew then that I could trust you."
Kat looked at me with tears in her eyes her scarlet bangs draped over her forehead. "I don't understand Kal. Why are you being so nice to me? What do you want from me? Are you trying to sleep with me? Cause if you are, just say so. Is this why women throw themselves at you? You play on their insecurities and make them think you're some sort of gentleman who loves them?" I frowned softly.
"Kat, I've no interest in doing anything like that. I'm being nice to you because you've been nice to me. The only thing I want is to make sure that my friends are happy, and whether you count yourself one of them or not, I can tell you that I view you as a friend. And as my friend my shoulder is there for your crying pleasure, no strings attached." I could tell by the expression on her face that she still had trouble understanding and believing me. I closed my eyes softly and patted my lap. "Here, lay your head in my lap."
"What?" She asked blushing profusely.
"You heard me, just do it there's a point to all this, I promise." She sighed softly and tucking her hair behind her ears she laid down using my legs as a pillow. I smiled at her and gently stroked her hair.
"Kal, I don't understand…what is this for?" I smiled down at her as she looked up at me.
"Absolutely nothing. I'm proving to you that it's okay to lean on me. You don't have to be a hardcore bad ass all the time Kat, I'm more than willing to take up your share of problems every now and then. I know…it may seem hypocritical to tell you this, especially since I'm so inclined to handle everyone else's troubles when I can't even handle my own…but I want you to know that when the time comes Kat, you can rely on me to help you. And I don't expect anything from you in return. Not one thing." Kat smiled softly in my lap before gently closing her eyes, her cheeks a soft embarrassed pink. She mouthed a silent thank you before rolling over and nuzzling against me.
It was almost funny to me that Kat could be so cute…she was like a child who'd never had a friend before attempting to find out why another child was inviting her to play with them. The world she must have experienced must be cold and unfair. I don't envy her confusion in the slightest. I sat there with her for quite some time before she finally spoke up again. "Kal…thank you. Thank you for telling me these things. I appreciate the chance you've given me…and I promise I won't waste it." I smiled softly at her .
"I know you won't Kat. I'm happy to have you as part of my team, don't think otherwise." She smiled softly again.
"Kal…can I ask…what are the rings for…you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'd understand wanting to keep it a secret from me." I sighed softly.
"I'll tell you Kat. I trust you. The rings are an ancient relic dedicated to the binding magic between a summoner and a champion. The gold ones permanently bond two people together, the silver ones make it so a summoner and the champion can never bond with anyone again. The plan is to slip one of these on to Magnus' finger, preferably the silver one. If I can find a champion who's ready to leave the life…well then I'd be able to remove his summoning powers forever. And if I can't find a champion…well I'll just have to put the other ring on myself. I can't stand the thought of that bastard controlling Ahri…or anyone else for that matter. From everything I've heard about him I'm certain of one thing: he doesn't deserve to be called a summoner, and I would gladly give up my powers to make sure he couldn't hurt anyone ever again." Kat nodded softly and I could tell she was weighing my words carefully. I trusted her now, I was sure that she wouldn't betray me with this information and it was all in due time that we'd be set to leave the Solari.
"Kal…" Kat whispered softly to me.
"Yes Kat?" She smiled up at me and nuzzled against my stomach.
"Thank you…for everything." I softly brushed her bangs from her face and for the first time since I had met her I could see peace and happiness in her eyes.
"You're welcome Kat. You can always count on me alright? You're one of us now." She smiled softly and rolled over to get some sleep. I smiled softly before looking up at Lux and Annie, both still sleeping soundly in their beds. I could never ask any of them to give up their status as champion for me. Slipping softly from underneath Kat's head I stepped outside into the sunshine with a sigh as I basked in its warmth.
Leona seeing me standing outside approached with a smile. "Good morning Kal, I trust you slept well?" I turned to her with a smile and nodded.
"Yes, thank you so much for your hospitality Leona." She beamed back at me with her radiant smile.
"At any rate Kal, I was just about to inform you that your transportation is set up. Shall I awaken your friends?" I turned taking a look back at the tent before turning back to Leona and shaking my head.
"They won't be coming with me. I'm ready to leave as soon as possible." Leona looked at me perplexed but simply shrugged as she escorted me up the mountain's cliff face. Standing there on the precipice I saw the outline of a woman wearing scaled armor. When she turned to me I was shocked to find that her skin was in fact a dark blue color and giving me a fanged grin Leona approached her with a smile.
"Kal, I'd like you meet my good friend Shyvana. Shyvana, this man is Kal, the one I told you about who helped with Di." Shyvana smiled and bowed politely and I returned the gesture.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Kal, Leona has said great things about you. It will be a pleasure to escort you on your journey."
"Thank you Shyvana, though I must ask…what exactly will be our transport. I do not see any mounts of any sort here." Shyvana gave me a wicked grin as Leona smiled.
"Shyvana shall be your mount." She said. My cheeks became a deep red.
"Leona…that's not exactly what I meant…" Shyvana laughed softly.
"No, that's not quite what she meant either. Allow me to show you." I watched as her body became cloaked in flames and soon standing before me was a small dragon, just big enough for a rider. My eyes went wide as the dragon turned to me its eyes burning with pride. "This is my true form human. I am a half-dragon, and I would be honored to take you to Piltover." I just stood there my mouth agape unable to look away. I had only heard of such magnificent creatures in legends and stories, I was unaware that any still existed in the world. Leona chuckle closing my mouth.
"I had the same reaction when I first met her." She laughed. "I assure you though; there is no reason to be intimidated. She doesn't bite…often. Just make sure you don't upset her and you should be fine." Shyvana playfully smacked Leona with her tail.
"Don't scare the poor man Leona." She said turning back to face me. "Really Kal, it is fine. You will not hurt me and I will not hurt you. Just hop on to my back and wrap your arms around my neck." I nodded as she lowered one of her wings crouching low to the ground. Grabbing on to one of the spines that ran down her graceful neck I swung my leg over her and held on tightly.
"Farewell Kal! What shall I tell your friends when they awaken?" Leona called.
"Tell them that I said thank you for all they've done, but I can't put them in danger anymore." Leona nodded as Shyvana took a couple of steps back from the cliff face. "I'll be honest I've never flown before Shyvana…" I said softly. "I'm a bit nervous."
"Don't be, I can't fly anyway." She began running full speed towards the cliff face.
"Wait what?!" I screamed as she dove from the cliff's ledge dive bombing at a near vertical drop as I clung to her for dear life. In a quick movement her wings spread around her catching the warm thermals coming from Valoran's surface as she soared through the air. Trembling I released my death grip on her as she laughed. "What the hell was that?! I thought you said you couldn't fly! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"
Shyvana turned her head to look at me giving me a wink. "I can't fly. We're technically gliding. Now hold tight Kal, we'll be in Piltover in a couple of hours. Just relax and enjoy the feeling of being in the air." Nodding I lowered myself against her to keep the wind from my face my pony tail flailing behind me. Swallowing I braved a look down at the earth below us and immediately I regretted it. I spent most of the ride staring intently at the back of her neck repeating to myself that the key is to not look down.
I yawned softly as I brushed the blond curls from my face sitting up in the cot and stretching. As I turned to look for the rest of our travelling group I saw Annie still sleeping and Kat was lying on her side, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. I chuckled softly before looking to Kal's bunk and finding it empty. His pack and belongings were also missing and getting out of bed I pushed my way outside of the tent to see if he had perhaps gone outside to talk to Leona. I was shocked to find that there was still no sign of him and that was when I saw Leona talking to a few of the elders. "Leona? Have you seen Kal? He wasn't in bed when I woke up this morning." Leona excused herself from the elders before turning towards me and leading me where we could speak in private.
"I'm afraid Lux that Kal has already left the mountain and is en route to Piltover as we speak." What? Why the hell would he leave like that. Before I could question her further she smiled softly. "He gave me a message for you and your companions. He says thank you for all your help and that he went on his own because he didn't wish to put any of you in further danger." I was stunned speechless…that idiot was going to go after Malzahar all by himself. We needed to get up and leave. Now. Turning from Leona I ran back to the tint bursting in.
"Everyone wake up! Kal's gone!" Immediately Annie and Kat opened their eyes and got up.
"What do you mean Kal's gone?" Annie asked.
"I mean he's left. He's going to try to take on Malzahar alone." Kat frowned.
"That idiot…" she muttered. I went over to her and grabbed her by her shirt pulling her towards me.
"What did you say to him?! What did you do to make him leave huh? Tell me!" Kat looked frightened as she put her hands on my wrists, but there was another emotion in there…one of sadness.
"I didn't say or do anything…he told me earlier this morning that he cared for us…all of us…and that he always wanted to be there for us when we needed him. I didn't know that meant he was going to leave, honest. If I did…I would have tried to stop him." Angrily I threw her back on her bed.
"Whatever. Right now we need to get to the Institute of War before anything bad can happen to him. He's heading to Piltover which means he must need something from someone there before he can head back to the Halls of Justice. We need to find quick transport and get there before he does." I said as I quickly began to gather my things. "Get your stuff, both of you. We need to move as quickly as possible." Within minutes we had all of our gear and were standing before Leona.
"Leona…we need to get to the Institute of War quickly. Any ideas?" Leona frowned softly.
"I'm afraid that I don't have anything for you guys to get there within the day. However…I can provide you with some horses. They will shorten your travel time to maybe a day or two at the most." I nodded.
"We'll take them. Thank you Leona, we're sorry to burden you like this but it's important. Kal is in extreme danger." Leona nodded understanding and whistling the Solarians brought us two powerful looking horses that stomped their hooves and brayed at the wind. Helping Annie onto the saddle, I swung my leg over the powerful beast's back so that I was sitting behind her. I watched as Kat gave me a nervous look and mounted her own horse.
"Do you think we'll make it there in time?" She asked softly. And I flashed her a fiery look.
"For your sake…I hope so." Immediately I pressed my heels into the horse's side causing it to take off into a gallop as Kat followed my lead. Kal…don't do anything rash…I don't want to see you get hurt for our sake. I prayed to the Gods that we'd make it in time and soon we were charging down the mountain path towards Demacia.
To be continued…