I ran to the city after my outburst. I didn't know where I wanted to go, but I found myself standing in front of the site of where the man died. I fall to my knees, exhausted from running and remembering. I reach out to touch the ground. It's still stained with his blood. I cringe when I see a flower scored into the road. The man's blood makes it extremely obvious. My fingers touch the dried blood. Tears start to fall down my face.
"Star-" I want to start a conversation with Starshadow when I remember I left him behind. I panic a little bit. I'm truly alone in a place I don't know well. I curl into a ball and silently start to sob. I'm scared, terrified. Am I going to get kidnapped again? Starshadow, he won't know where I am. I need to go back. I try to stand, but my legs won't work and I just fall back down again. Starshadow, help me! I tuck my head into my arms and just shake.
"Miss?" I slowly look up to see a passerby standing at the end of the alleyway. "Are you alright?"
"Don't hurt me!" I scream and back away. My breathing becomes incredibly shallow as I panic. Everything warps into Bilgewater. The man becomes my tormenter, I feel backed into a corner and throw my hands up. Dirt flies up and the man jerks away. Wait..
"Miss, I'm not going to hurt you. Take a deep breath, ok?" He asks. I shove my hands into dirt.
I'm not in Bilgewater. I'm in Ionia. In Navori. I mentally chant until I start to take even breathing. I look up and see concern in the man's face.
"Miss, you don't look very good. Why don't you come with me?" He asks.
"No!" I yell and bolt past him. My heart is pounding in my head. I shove past him. Everything blurs around me. What feels like forever is only long enough for me to run into a crowded area. It's ok. I can yell. Someone will notice and care right? It doesn't exactly matter what I think. I'm just too tired to keep going. I sit next to a vendor stand to just center myself. I wipe my tears and cast a little magic to disguise my tears. It's a little draining, but I don't want to look weak. Maybe that's why I was caught in Bilgewater. The vendor looks at me closely.
"Do I know you?" She asks. I glance up, feeling a little confused and frightened. She takes a small gasp. "It's you, the girl that cried out for help to save that man! I know it's you, no one else has multi-colored eyes here!" She proclaims. A few of the other people turn when they hear her cry and stare at me. I glow a little bit, confirming that I had the exact magic that got the public's attention a few days ago. "That was very brave of you to try and help that man. Here, have this. You look exhausted." The kind vendor quickly grabs a kebab and hands it to me. I blink from her sudden kindness.
"T-t-thank you." I hesitantly take the kebab from her and nibble on it. It tastes great. My memories flash of not getting enough food and I wolf it down.
"It's nothing, dear. You did your best to help that man. I heard that even though he was dying, you brought him peace before he died. Now, don't forget to breath. Goodness, when was the last time you ate?"
"How did you-"
"It's a city, dear. With someone dead, nothing is kept quiet around here." She smirks before turning back to her booth. "Let me know if you need anything else. We could use more people like you."
"More people like me?" I ask, confused. Maybe she's nice.
"People who won't stand aside when someone they see needs help. The stupid colosseum isn't going to be doing the children any favors…"
"I'm sorry, colosseum?" I ask. Before she can reply, a young man a little taller than me comes to her booth. He's clothed in rags. He has two tufts of red hair sticking out from his head. He knocks on the lady's booth. She turns, sees the man, and sighs.
"What are you doing here, Settrigh? You know that no one wants you around." She sounds exasperated by the appearance of a child. I frown from her treatment of him.
"Please, Ahna. Mother's starving, and no one wants to let me do some work. Can you spare some scraps?" He asks. Ahna sighs before shaking her head sadly. She's sad?
"I have to think of my business, Settrigh. You know that when your father left, your mother is scorned, just like you." Ahna is apologetic. It's clear she wants to help him, but can't do it so openly. Mybe she's nice. Should I chance it?
"I get it." he sighs. My heart breaks a little bit for him.
"Hey, half-breed! What do you think you're doing, bastard!" Some teens taunt him. The man's hair flattens quickly before turning away. I finally realize that they are ears.
"Leave me alone." Sett snaps, clearly agitated. I stand up and look at Ahna. I'm scared, I don't know anyone, but I have to help.
"Do you have any more food, ma'am?" I ask, somehow managing to keep my voice steady. She turns to me with a frown. I glance over at Settrigh. Her eyes widen before she grins widely.
"I did say if you needed anything else. What do you need?" She smirks.
"Well, I need to grab some food for my friends." I smirk just as widely as her. She is nice. I think I can trust her.
"How many people?" She asks. I turn to the boy who is still on guard.
"Settrigh, was it?" I ask, getting his attention. His ears twist a bit towards me. "How many family members do you have?" I whisper.
"Just me and my momma." He turns to look at me out of the corner of his eye, confused. I smile and turn back to the vendor.
"Do you have enough food to spare for two more?" I ask sweetly. Ahna grins even brighter. I know I can.
"I'm sure I can." She quickly pulls off eight kebabs cooking and wraps them in a bag. She hands them to me. "Thank you for doing everything you could."
"Allow me to try to help a little bit more." I state before flicking my hands. Suddenly, her kebabs of delicious meats and veggies waft through the air, gaining the attention of many people. I even add a little bit of a glow to her stand. Seeing that glow makes me feel better. Lights from the borealis are comforting, even if they are on wood of a stall. Many customers are unable to ignore her shop. They come flocking, demanding that they get a little bit of her food. Ahna's eyes widen considerably before she begins to cook as fast as she could.
"Warn me next time you offer to help!" She yells. I give a light laugh before I look for Settrigh. It seems like he was swallowed up by the crowd as they all came pushing for some food at Ahna's stand. I weave my way through the crowd. I frown when I can't find Settrigh or the children who were insulting him. I look to the other vendors in the area, all trying to get some customers away from Ahna's booth. My anxiety spikes, but Settrigh might need help. I take a shaky breath and go to the first vendor I see.
"Excuse me, did you see a man with red hair and vulpine ears come this way?" I ask. The vendor glares at me.
"Why should I tell you that? That half-beast bastard deserves everything he gets. No dumbass deadbeat dad to help him out." He snarls. I glare and casually flick my hand to obscure his booth a bit. I take a deep breath and focus my magic into finding Settrigh. The light that I've come to understand as guidance appears in front of me and leads to a nearby alleyway behind me. My hands tremble. Could I fine Settrigh's dead body? Just the thought makes me push past my anxieties. I force myself through the crowd again, following the light. As I get closer to the opening, I hear grunts and the sound of someone being kicked. I run around the corner to see Settrigh curled up in a ball, holding still. The other teens don't care, just kicking him while he's down.
"Hey!" I yell. The teensagers don't even give a damn. They keep kicking him. "Leave him alone!" I scream. One of the teenagers leaves the group punches me. I fall down with a grunt.
"Have you got my eyes today, wench?" I feel dirt under my hands and use that to ground myself.
"Stay out of it, kid." The teen spits on me. I see Bilgewater and that feeling of hopelessness. I can't stand it. My magic is stronger now. It reacts violently this time, freezing all the children in place. That gives Settrigh a chance. He attacks right back, landing fist after fist on them. I blink in shock. Before he was just taking it. Now, he's dishing it out. The other teens run past me, crying about how the half-beast beat them up. In the end, Settrigh's standing, panting as he calms down from his adrenaline rush. He falls down against the wall, wincing. I push myself to stand and walk over to him.
"Are you ok?" I kneel down and check his face before checking the rest of his body for injuries. He looks away from me. He defended me. He won't hurt me. I think.
"Yeah, they just got the drop on me, bastards. You're not going to beat me up too?" He asks sullenly. I pull away for a moment.
"Why would I do that?"
"All the other kids do it."
"I'm not like other kids." I tell him before sighing. "Settrigh, could you pull your shirt? I need to check the rest of your body for injuries." Sett snaps back.
"What are you, a pervert?" He demands. I roll my eyes at his defensiveness.
"No, I'm not a pervert, I'm a healer. Let me look at you." I snap. He backs away.
"Why would you want to heal me? Ever since my dad left no one wants to help. Even Ahna didn't want to help!" He cries out. The longer I'm in here, the more chances I get to be kidnapped. I allow my worries to control my actions, but I refuse to let him see it.
"You're acting like a child, Settrigh. Besides, why wouldn't I help? It's the nice thing to do. Now hold still!" I grab his right arm. He winces. I narrow my eyes and pull up his sleeve. His arm has two bends in it, one at the elbow and one below, indicating a broken bone.
"You're going to make it worse!" Settrigh complains. I glance around for anyone hidden in the shadows before glaring at him.
"Sit down now before I make you." I snap. Settrigh glares at me, challenging my claim. I sigh and cast a little extra magic to force Settrigh to sit. I feel a little more drained, but it's nothing I can't handle. What happens if someone- Settrigh can fight. He'll see them and tell me. I feel my thoughts try to make me afraid and do my best to stop it.
"What the hell?" He yells. He sits in front of me with his legs crossed with his arm held out to me. I close my hands over the break.
"Hold still or it won't be fixed!" I take a deep breath and concentrate on healing his arm. The bones slip right back into place and heal up as nausea swarms me. I let go of his arm and body with a gasp and blink rapidly to clear my vision. I can't help myself and do another quick scan.
"You… Healed my arm?" Settrigh sounds amazed. I nod, reaching up to rub my eyes. "Why?"
"I don't care who your parents are, or what you are. No one should be treated like that." I pant. I fumble with the bag of kebabs I got and hold them out in his general direction. I feel him grab the bag.
"Wha- but this is your food!" Settrigh sounds so confused.
"I got the food for you and your Mother, kid. Now go home and give that to her."
"You don't look good." I hear Sett stand up before he places his hands under my arms and pulls me up. I immediately try to find a surface I can brace myself against if I need to defend myself. Settrigh pulls one arm around his shoulders to support me. "And I'm not a kid. I'm almost seventeen and I'm taller than you." He complains.
"That makes you sixteen. Maybe not a kid, but you sure do act like one." I snark back. It seems like Starshadow's rubbing off on me. That and I'm still nervous.
"Hey, you want help or not." Settrigh's voice cracks.
"I never asked for help. Thank you for that by the way."
"You're annoying." Sett tries to make a comeback. I roll my head towards his direction.
"I'm sorry, did you just say 'you're annoying'? What kind of comeback is that?" I laugh. That's right, focus on banter. No one is here to get you for your eyes or kill you. There's too many people
"Shut up." He grumbles. He takes me out of the alley and into the marketplace. I hear people gasping and crying out.
"What did you do to her!"
"How dare you!"
"You animal!" I hear the crowd scream at him. Settrigh shrugs his shoulders in a bit, as if trying to brace himself. It is rather overwhelming with how loud the crowd is getting. I hear something hit his side. He grunts, and I have enough. All the anxiety that I hold just bursts out.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I scream as loudly as I can. I feel even more tired as my magic enhances my voice. Everything quiets down to food sizzling. "What is wrong with you people? You attack someone for something he has no control over. Should I treat you poorly just because you're human? Because you have human ears?"
"You're human too!" Someone cries out. I lift my head weakly into their direction.
"I'm not a pure human anymore. I have more power in my pinky finger than any of you could dream of! Why should I treat you kindly? Because it's right! Because it's kind! Because it makes the world a better place! You all take a moment to think. He is a member of this community. A part of your city! And you all allow him to be beaten? What in all the countries in Runeterra lets you think that you can treat someone who has done nothing wrong to you like that?" I scream no one speaks. "Well?"
"He's a beast." A bold person cries out.
"To me, everyone who partook in his treatment is more of a beast than him." I snarl. My legs give out. Settrigh is quick to react, cradling me. "Would any of you have caught me like Settrigh did, or would you let me fall." I ask. No one speaks. "Now leave him alone." I finish weakly. The marketplace is extremely quiet. Settrigh starts to walk, very tense. I hear people shuffle away. Settrigh takes more confident steps. I allow myself to pass out once I'm sure that Settrigh won't be attacked as we walk.
"Settrigh! Are you alright, son?" A female cries out. I open my eyes weakly to see a beautiful light purple haired fox human race out of a shack. She glides over to him and checks him for injuries. She barely even knows that I'm there.
"Momma, I'm alright. I even got some food." Sett pulls his head out of her grasp. He gestures to his hand with the food. She takes it from him before finally noticing me.
"Son, why did you bring a human back with you?" She asks while getting defensive. Sett places me down on the ground to hold his hands up to her.
"Momma, she's a nice one. She helped me out when I was in a bind and some dumbasses got the jump on me." Settrigh tries to calm her down. She looks at her son carefully for lies. I struggle to sit up. My hands dig into the dirt when I see her claws. I'm in Ionia. I'm not a captive. I'm in Ionia.
"Ma'am, he was definitely in a bit of trouble. I think one of them ambushed him from what I could tell. His arm was broken." I rat him out. Sett glares at me as the lady makes a mad dash towards him and checks his arms. "I healed his arms and strengthened his bones. That should help him not get injured as badly." I explain. She freezes before glaring at me again.
"What do you want? A debt? What do you want from him!" She screams. She looks ready to kill. Settrigh sees her aggravation and stands between the two of us. My vision flashes between Bilgewater and Ionia. I'M IN IONIA!
"Mom, please! She just helped out! You know how you are when you're hungry!"
"I won't let anyone take advantage of you, Settrigh! The vastaya are too strong to be slaves to anyone!"
"Mom, she doesn't want anything. She's not like that." Settrigh really tries to calm her down. "Just… get to know her." The vastaya mother freezes, glaring daggers at me before nodding and relaxing.
"The moment she makes a bad move, I'm killing her." She snarls.
"I just need some time to recover. I won't move a muscle." I whisper, completely afraid. She snarls and takes a step.
"I'm keeping my eye on you!" She snaps. Settrigh pulls out a kabab and offers her the food. She takes it and eats it quickly before smiling at him. "What a kind young man you are." She coos. I blink from her rapid change in behaviour.
"I know what you're like when you're hungry, Mom." Settrigh hugs her. She sighs before turning to me.
"I apologize for my behaviour, uh, what's your name?" She asks.
"Leilah. My name is Leilah." I introduce myself shyly.
"Leilah. That's a nice- what is going on with your eyes?" She narrows. Her hands grab my face and tilt it up to stare directly in her eyes. I struggle to stay still as her gold fox eyes peer into mine. It's like staring into the eyes of a predator. Or someone who wants your eyes to themself."Wow, you are an interesting one. A possible match for my son." She almost squeals. I pull away at the same time Settrigh balks. She didn't dig out my eyes. She didn't try to kill me.
"Woah woah woah, Mom. I'm sixteen!" Settrigh protests.
"Well, she's the only person we know that is kind to you. She's pretty. She has two unique magics." She spills.
"How do you-"
"I'm a vastaya, dear. I am a being of magic. I'm sure I can recognize it, though I've never seen magic come from the stars instead of the ground." She looks even closer at me. "There's another magic too. I've never seen it black though." She pokes at my chest. "What does that magic do?"
"Uh, um. That's something I don't even know." I squeak. She doesn't want my eyes, but what does she want?
"Mom, you're being a little bit pushy there." Settrigh grabs his Mother's arm and pulls her away. I relax onto the ground.
"Just let me breath for a bit and I'll be on my way." I murmur as I close my eyes. I don't sleep though. I don't know if someone will want to kidnap me, even if there's a vastaya nearby. I hear Settrigh and his mother start to murmur to each other.
"Mom, please don't-"
"Just think about it Settrigh. After your father left, it must be hard for you to-"
"Mom, I really don't-"
"You wouldn't have brought her back if you didn't think she was something."
"She helped me, that's all."
"She's special, Settrigh. She can help you, be by your side!"
"Mom, please just-"
"She's a healer too. She's a powerful girl."
"Mom-"
"Just think about it son. In the meantime, keep an eye on her until she looks a bit better. Alright?" Settrigh's mother whispers to him. There's silence for a moment.
"Alright, mom. You win." Settrigh sounds fond of her.
"Thank you son." She hugs him tightly. Time passes by peacefully. When I feel much better, I open my eyes and stand up. I'm a little bit shaky, but I stay upright. Settrigh jolts when he realizes that I'm awake.
"How are you feeling?"
"Much better than before, thank you."
"Sorry about my mom. Magic is disappearing from Ionia. It makes it hard for her to concentrate. From what I hear, most Vastaya are physically ill. She's been going a bit mental since Dad left and she loves me, even more so than before. I remember when she'd wipe my tears with her claws. I want her to be happy, but it's hard when your genes are thrown in your face constantly." Sett explains, a hand running through his hair. "I don't think I've ever told another person about my life."
"That's ok. I have a mother who's just as protective. I get where you're coming from." I give a smile, hoping to comfort him. He nods his acceptance. He is still calm, and that keeps me calm. I clear my throat. "If you don't mind, could you take me back to where we met? I have some friends and an overprotective snarky brother that are probably really concerned about me." I tell him.
"Sure, but do you mind if we make a pit stop real quick?" He asks with a smirk. I raise an eyebrow. He's watched over me and done nothing, so I should be able to trust him.
"What are you asking for, Sett?"
"Huh, Sett. I kinda like that." He comments lightly before shaking his head. "I'd like to take you somewhere I heard was cool. As a thanks for helping." Sett's face turns a little bit red before he clears his throat and offers me a hand. "Will you?" He asks. I bite my lip before sighing. I need to get home, but I… I don't want to be held back. Besides, Sett will be there, right?
"It can't hurt too much, can it?" I give a soft smile before taking his hand. His face lightens a bit before he runs off. I follow him closely. "Aren't you a little young to be looking for a life partner?" I call out.
"You heard that?" Sett freezes.
"I said I needed to recover, not that I needed to sleep." I retort. Sett shakes his head.
"Momma has always done her best to take care of me. If she says you're ok, you're ok. Besides, I'd rather be your friend first. Huh. Never had a friend before. That's interestin'" Sett comments while we run. He takes us through the marketplace. I wave a hand at Ahna as we pass by. She rolls her eyes with a smile as she waves back. We round a corner and I freeze for a moment, stuned over the massive building that I've never seen before.
"What is that?" I ask.
"That's the colosseum, but that's not where we're going. There's a pit fight nearby. I'm kinda curious to see what that's about." Sett smirks.
"Your mom doesn't seem like the kind that wants her son running off and hiding things from her." I protest as he pulls me into an alcove. I don't want to be here. He knocks on a trapdoor before turning to me.
"No, which is why she won't know about it." Sett smirks at me.
"She will when I tell her."
"Look, my dad left when I was young. From what I remember, he was a pit fighter. I want to know what kind of world he was a part of." Sett pleads. I take a deep breath and nod. I need to get past this fear. It's consuming me.
"Fine. We'll go see." I give in while also telling myself that I can do it. He smiles as the door opens to reveal a heavy weight, sweaty man.
"You got money to bet?" He asks. Sett freezes for a moment. I casually pull out an illusion of coins and pull a few coins out. His eyes stare greedily at me. I almost take a step backwards and bolt, but seeing Sett's face look so interested and hopeful, I force myself to stay. "Well, come on in then, and bring your boy toy with you." He somehow manages to get out of our way. Sett goes in first before offering his hand. I raise my eyebrows.
"You seem more like a ruffian than a gentleman." I tease, trying to put my mind at ease.
"Mama didn't raise an animal." Sett snorts. He pulls me to his side. The fat man closes the door and leads the way. I notice him glancing at me every now and then and press myself closer to Sett. He notices and glares at the man. The man straightens and continues to walk us into a hidden arena. I pull away slightly to look at the place.
It's dark outside of a ring. Men are cheering and trading coins with each other. In the middle two men are fighting. They continue to match blow for blow. I cringe as each man slams their fists into the other. I feel Sett pull forward, drawn to the adrenaline of the ring.
"Exciting, isn't it?" Sett asks.
"Not my preferred past time, I'm afraid." I whisper. Sett turns to me before nodding.
"Right. Healer. Sorry." He moves to go back to where we came from. I pull his arm back.
"No, no, it's ok. You want to feel a connection with your dad. This is the place. I can tell you enjoy it too." I assure him. There are fighters here. Maybe one will help you. Even then, Sett's here. He took care of those teens like nothing. I can help. He freezes for a moment before giving a genuine smile.
"Ya know, you're not that bad. I might be tempted to offer you a date."
"You're going to have to compete for someone on that." I try to dissuade him.
"Oh? I got some competition?" Sett sounds intrigued. I sigh before patting his arm.
"I'm not looking for a relationship." I state firmly. He nods.
"Yet." There's a loud bell that grabs our attention. I turn back to see a man knocked out and bloody. I wince and do my best not to move closer to heal him.
"The big man has been taken down! Give it up for Goliath!" He yells. The audience cheers. "Place your bets here, boys. Goliath vs Spider!" he calls out. The man fighting turns around and smirks as a lean, thin man crawls into the ring. I cringe when I notice his limbs are almost bent backwards. Sett leans onto the wall of the ring and joins in with the cheering crowd.
"Get him!" He yells. I smile and stay right where I am. I don't want to get closer, but I don't feel safe. The fat man comes towards me.
"Don't you want to get in on the action?" He asks, looking for my bag of gold.
"My friend is more interested than I am. He's got the bag." I explain, hoping he'd leave me alone. There's a loud crunch as Goliath punches Spider out. I wince at the sound. Sett returns to my side.
"That was amazing!" Sett says excitedly. I sigh in relief and nudge his arm. Sett looks down at me.
Your dad? I mouth. Sett's eyes widen before he nods and turns to the man.
"These pit fights are awesome! I heard about them. My dad used to fight in the pits. Maybe you've heard of him?" Sett asks hopefully.
"Gonna need some clues before I can say." The man gruffs.
"He's got red hair, large build, might've talked about his vastaya family." Sett tries.
"Oh, that man! I heard about him. Heard he found a better contract to fight. Said he never cared about the family. They weigh him down. Held him back. Glad to hear he ditched 'em finally. Though, if he'd known what kind of man you'd grow into, I'm sure he wouldn't have ditched ya." The man sneers in Sett's face. "Now if you'll excuse me, I got a match to set up."
"Put me in the ring." Sett's dark voice echoes. I bite my lip and grab his shoulder. No. No no no. I need you to stay here.
"Sett, can you take me back now?" I ask, scared by what he is thinking.
"Put me… In the ring…" Sett snarls. He actually moves forward and grabs the fat man's collar and pulls him forward. I grab his hands and pull on him.
"Sett, please-"
"Alright kid. Goliath needs another doll to punch." The man agrees. "But I need a bit of gold from ya."
"Leilah?" Sett sounds enraged. I shiver before I fake some gold and hand it to the man. He takes it with a grin.
"Goliath has a new doll to fight! Place your bets as his next victim takes the ring!" I finally walk up to the ring and mentally prepare to watch the fight. Sett might be a big sixteen year old, but he's tiny compared to Goliath.
Please, Sett, don't get hurt.
Poor Leilah. it looks like she got sett back a little bit from that death and being separated. XD. Had to throw in the pun. And she's on her own without her best friend of Starshadow. And now she's in a pit fight. Hope you guys are excited for Thursday. I'm wrapping up Sett's interaction with her for her thursday and on Sunday, We're back to hunting down the Golden Demon.
I'm super glad you guys are reading and following. I'd love some more reviews, hint hint. May your ordinary day be extraordinary with you in it!