Samir I

My childhood consisted of clambering on top of a dormun's back, playing tag on the moving, uneven 'streets' of the village with surety of foot and travelling to passing dormun villages using ropes, pulleys and hooks. My sisters and I have been landlocked for the past few years but you can never truly take the dormun dweller out of a boy.

Mount Targon was a daunting climb, but the unstable stones that littered the slope, the sharp edges on the cliffside and the gaps in the path were more nostalgic than anything. Still...

"That's a long way up." I sighed as a I stared at the massive mountain side, the peak still obscured by thick white fog. I've been climbing for a good couple of days already and I wasn't even a quarter of the way to the top. I gulped down the last few droplets in my waterskin and stood up from rocky outcrop I was sitting, unbothered by the sheer drop that my legs were dangling from just a few seconds ago. The empty quiver on my back, and the thought of all the bolts I spent just to survive the various xer'sai encounters on my way to the mountain, weighed heavily on my mind. I clapped my cheeks with my hands to clear my thoughts.

"Get it together, you rockdoubb. This is just a climb. Just like dad used to do after oasis drops."

I resumed my ascent, walking up a narrow path on the mountainside. The silence was deafening, interrupted only by the occasional falling pebble. The sound of crumbling rock echoed in the chasm between the cliffs, my gaze, and my empty crossbow, snapping to the source of the noise.

It was a goat, a large white beast with violet horns, perched on the mountainside as though it was flat ground. It stared at me with beady black eyes and my finger itched to pull the trigger despite my lack of ammunition. After what felt like hours, it turned away and started climbing the mountainside, hopping from one barely visible foothold to another.

I sighed in relief.

"Whatchu doin'?"

The voice was high pitched and squeaky but was unexpected enough to send me scrambling, back pressed to the wall and reflexively pulling the trigger, the sound of the crossbow's string snapping harmlessly back into place echoing in the silence.

"W-Who's there?" I called out, dropping the crossbow in favor of pulling out a small carving knife.

"Hi! I'm Chip!"

The squeaky voice came from somewhere near my feet and with some trepidation, I looked down to see a rock, gazing up at me, glowing blue openings on its front - its face? - carved in what could be considered a curious expression. As I stared at the thing in wonder, the openings closed and opened again a couple of times.

It's blinking!?

"You're a rock." I say, feeling numb. Lord Renekton's stories of moving mountains and magic rocks echoed in my head.

"Yeah! I'm a wok!" Came the squeaky reply.

Okay. Moving, talking rocks. Nothing strange there. Get a grip, Samir. You've seen stranger. Kinda.

"Uh, hi, Chip?" At the rock's encouraging nod - or at least a strange up and down movement I interpreted as a nod - I continued. "I'm Samir."

"Sah-Meer?" It asked, tilting its entire body sideways the same way Lord Renekton tilts his head when he was curious.

"Right, right, talking rock. I guess you live here?" I asked it, gesturing to the surroundings.

"Yeah!"

"So, you know the best way to the top?"

It blinked.

"The top?"

"Yeah, I wanna climb to the top and become strong enough to protect my precious people." I told it, not entirely sure why I was telling this to a rock of all things.

"Pwotecc?"

My lips twitched. It was cute, once you get past the strangeness. Taliyah would have loved it.

"Someone once told me that people who climb to the top of Mount Targon can get great power and wisdom."

It blinked again.

"But Mount Targon's soooo biiiiig!" It exclaimed in wonder, staring at me like I was doing something amazing. I laughed. Strange as it is, talking to it - Chip, it said its name was - beside a drop that would probably kill me or shatter Chip if we fell was kind of nostalgic. It felt like talking to my friends at the edge of the dormun.

"It is big, yes." I grinned at it.

"Sooo, why aren't you using the stairs, Sah-meer?"

What?

"Stairs?"

There are stairs?

"Yeah! Widdle steps for widdle wegs!"

I pursed my lips, holding back the vitriol I wanted to spew out.

"Can you show me?"

It hopped up and down excitedly.

"Yeah! Chip is smawt! Follow me!"

It started waddling down the path and I followed with only the tiniest bit of hesitation.

Smart rock, huh?

"Hey Chip?"

"Yeah?"

A story came floating to the forefront of my mind. The story of a young boy, like me, and a magic rock, like Chip.

Lord Renekton, have you seen this far ahead already?

"Have you ever heard of the Philosopher's Stone?"

"Fee-wo-sher Stone?"
====

Taric I

The tavern was a familiar place on the outskirts of the city, nestled on the road leading to Demacia's white marble walls. The small hamlet around it acted as a convenient stop for travelers and merchants on their way to the city itself.

"So, what's dis about yeh planning tah join the Vanguard, boy?"

I scoffed at the obvious incredulity in the barkeep's voice.

"How many times do I have to tell you, old man. I'm signing up for the Vanguard tomorrow! So keep the drinks coming, eh?"

The dubious look the old man shot me made me bristle. The jeers of the other patrons didn't help.

"That's stupid, boy! Yeh spent yer life going from tavern tah tavern when children ten years younger than yeh've been holding swords since they can stand! Dauntless Vanguard, mah foot. At least join one of the garrisons first and learn how tah fight!"

I glared at him balefully.

"It's a great honor for a Demacian to join the Dauntless Vanguard!"

The man sniffed and I can hear the cheers and laughter of my so-called 'friends' as our argument heated up.

"Yeh cannae even swing a hammer proper-like! Look, boy, yeh've talent with flowery words and all that, and yeh spend enough time frolicking in places like this to be a damn good bard, if I do say so mahself. Forget about this Dauntless Vanguard stuff, eh, and yeh're next round's on me."

Bards are great and all, but I want to be the one the bards sing about. Piss on honor, getting into the Dauntless Vanguard will get me all the girls and the fame. I narrowed my eyes at the man, gulped down my ale and stormed out of the tavern.

Just as I slammed the door behind me, I heard panicked screams erupting everywhere. I saw lines of them, marching authoritatively, silver masks gleaming in the sun. My blood ran cold as I saw flashing blades and fallen bodies. I saw the people being dragged behind them, stripped of clothes and dignity, limbs locked in stone shackles.

"By the authority of the Grand Inquisitor, anyone seen collaborating with mages," the speaker, an armored man clad in white robes, his face covered with a silver mask, spat out the word with disgust, "will be executed where they stand."

I remained frozen there, staring at the horror occurring before me. One of the silver-clad faces turned and our eyes met. I could see the black eyes behind the mask narrow suspiciously.

A strong grip clutched the back of my neck and pulled me back and the tavern's door slammed shut.

"By the flippin' Light, boy, wot are yeh doin' standin' around like that? Everyone's gone through the back door, already! Yeh should-"

The door slams open, the gleaming flash of steel caught my eye and before I knew it, the old man's head was rolling on the floor. As I struggled to keep the bile from rising up my throat, the silver-face masked stepped over the old man's still warm body and glared down at me.

"W-Why?" I blurted out. The old man was rough around the edges, spitting out harsh language and constant criticisms, but he's been there, been the barkeep of this run down place sine I was but a boy. He didn't deserve this.

"Hiding a mage is grounds for execution. On your feet, mage."

Mage?

"I-I'm not a mage!" I scrambled backwards. "My name is Taric! I'm not a mage!"

I felt the wet warmth spreading in my pants, but my fear left no space for shame.

The mageseeker, for that was obviously what he was, sniffed in derision and I could feel my blood boiling at this murderer doing something that the old man he killed had habit of doing. A girl was pushed through the door, a young girl barely in puberty, naked and shackled. The man struck her behind the head, causing the girl to whimper in pain, and pointed at me.

"N-not a mage." The girl stuttered out and the man smacked her face with the back of his hand. I could see the girl's lips and nose bleeding profusely.

"Don't lie to me, girl!"

Through the fog of fear that clouded my mind, I felt pity for the girl and rage, rage at this madman who slew an old man who was kind in his own harsh way and showed inhuman cruelty to an innocent child.

I rose to my feet, and I could have sworn that the very earth trembled with my rage. The mageseeker looked at me with growing panic.

"Stop that!"

The ground itself rose up, a massive pillar of marble crashing into the man's face. I could see the shattered remnants of the silver masks, glittering in midair as the man stumbled backwards. Through the open door, I saw a massive wall of white marble rise up and block the passage of the other mageseekers who were rushing to help their friend.

The young girl was staring in awe and hope at our saviour, a brown haired woman with sun-kissed skin, giving us a reassuring smile.

"Come on! We should get you somewhere safe!" The woman effortlessly lifted the girl in her eyes and as her gaze landed on me, I couldn't help but be aware of the smell of piss emanating from my pants.

We made our way out the back door and sprinted into the cover of the forest. We trekked in silence with no clear destination in mind before the curiosity overwhelmed me.

"Thank you for saving us! My name is Taric, may I know yours."

I saw the raised eyebrow and felt the disappointment in the air.
====

Taliyah VII

I smiled in what I hoped to be a comforting way at the young girl. She returned the smile hesitantly but her face lit up when I placed my hand on her stone shackles and they crumbled into pieces. The material they were made of felt weird. I've used my power on stones that have felt more eager or more reluctant to follow my will than others but, never anything as excited to receive my power as these ones. It's as if they hungered for it.

I pat the girl's head and swaddled her still naked form with my feathery cloak before turning to the man. He was dry now but I couldn't help but recall his piss-covered form, mostly because of the discrepancy in my expectations.

This was Taric? The Protector? He doesn't look fabulous at all!

Then again, there are probably a lot of people named Taric in Demacia.

"So, what's going on here? The last thing I expected when I got here were silver masked people killing and enslaving everyone?"

I regretted voicing out my curiosity as the girl flinched and curled up, her small frame disappearing into my cloak. I saw the anger materialize in Taric's face and he growled, a vivid change from his previous demeanor. See, Sivir? I know big words too!

"They were saying some nonsense about us being mages and that hiding mages and collaborating with mages were grounds for execution!" He ground out, his hands clenched tightly. The girl, still cocooned in my cloak poked her face out and nodded. She was in chains when I found them so she must be a mage.

Something about this was prickling in the back of my head.

"Those bastards killed the old man because they thought I was a mage! Because he pulled me into the tavern just when they were looking at me! I-I, if I hadn't been standing there like an idiot..." Tears started streaming down his cheeks and I felt guilty for expecting a superhuman with shiny rock powers instead of a human being with emotions and hardships of their own.

"Hey-" I started but he continued speaking, spilling out the emotions that his fear must have kept bottled up until now.

"He just wanted to keep me safe. We argued this morning. He knew I wasn't cut out for the Vanguard, for the war against Noxus,"

Morning? War?

"I was stupid. I wanted all the fame and the women and now he's dead because of me."

I vaguely noticed the little girl - I really should ask her name at some point -giving him a comforting pat on the knee, but I was too lost in my thoughts to do anything more.

"Why do you call me Tali Zorah, Lord Senpai?"

"Once upon a time, there was a successful civilization known as the Quarians. And from their minds sprung forth the magical creatures known as Geth. But the Quarians feared the Geth."

Hiding mages was grounds for execution.

"Some Quarians defended the Geth, hid them in their homes."

Taric and the girl stared at me with concern as rocks started swirling at my feet, my fists clenched and my power barely constrained.

"Tali Zorah was the name of the Quarian who worked with the Shepherd and a Geth known as Legion to bring peace."

I glanced at Taric. He didn't look like a shepherd at all. Nor did the girl look like someone that can be called a Legion. But Lord Senpai works in mysterious ways.

I gave them a confident grin and they relaxed a bit.

I won't let you down, Lord Senpai.