How long until the sea ?
Yi didn't know, this wasn't exactly the land he grew up in nor his island of birth. Even once he would get to Bahrl it was going to take a long time before he reached the mountains and nature he was at last familiar with. Till then, he had to walk and run, be patient and stealthy. It would be stupid to run into noxian forces randomly, for their moves were difficult to predict.
So far he had already covered a certain distance, it wasn't that bad. On purpose or not Yi ended up crossing lands he had already seen, stopping quickly by a few monasteries or villages visited before. It really stung to see a few places and landscapes filled with memories of a year ago, when he had company. Melancholia was harsh to make him miss a time when war raged exactly like now, without interruption. Yet despite the constant tension of the fights, there was still happiness and love found. Love that made Yi's heart ache when he had to go south and barely spare a glance to the place he had last seen Yasuo.
Focus.
No need to live in the past, what mattered was present day to ensure they would see each other in the future. Which in his particular case couldn't be assured because Yi was heading back to his village and only the gods knew what his people would do to him at his return. The only thing he was certain about it was that he would suffer greatly. In no way he would get away with that decision.
Another sigh broke out of him as he gave a last glance to this scenery that colored his loving memories. This was something Noxus wouldn't be able to touch and destroy. Yi would cherish it forever. These nights spent sharing warmth and presence, these difficult mornings trying not to get killed. This beautiful feeling of at last finding his soulmate.
To move forward felt like he was leaving all this behind, even as he knew it wasn't the case. He wouldn't forget, he wasn't trying to. What he was doing was to keep his mind at peace and ensure the safety of the village. Then he would find a way to join Yasuo, no matter what.
Plus it wasn't so bad. Somewhere his soulmate was doing well, more than that considering the echoes at night. It didn't happen often but it was still good to know that Yasuo wasn't at his worst if he was still able to find some sweet time.
A soft blush colored Yi's cheeks at the mere thought of that one time. He didn't mean to but after these few occasions of feeling his soulmate having fun on his own, he indulged so shortly. That time he felt so ashamed of himself because he knew Yasuo would have an echo of it through their link. Easy to blame the latter but it was his part to actually do it too. We're a bit too desperate. At least they were both, it wouldn't shock any of them.
Except that his return home wasn't that interesting. Sometimes he found a few noxian soldiers lost in that hellish environment that they couldn't understand and these times new bodies joined the number of deads of this useless war.
Sometimes, for a change, he found other fellow ionians that would first be wary of any stranger but soon enough Yi was recognized as child of the First Lands too. No need to kill each other in times like these. Though the different regions of Ionia often made it difficult to recognize people from afar, there were slight variations and nuances. For his case, no one knew about his village and that was normal so he was understanding when people failed to identify his armor and weapon. Anyway, he was a just a lost soul among many, bound to no one but a man that was too far in the North. No one could question him.
No pause. I have to move. Then maybe he would rest a little and think about what he could do next.
What.
Something was wrong. Really wrong. It made Yi stop in his tracks without reason, not even thinking about it. There, frozen in the middle of nowhere on his journey back home.
What is that ?
Fear struck him, out of nowhere, making him turn around in distress to look for a threat. There was nothing but this alarming horror seizing his being, making his instinct of survival kick in. Where is it ?
Nothing happened but the fear remained. Strong, vicious. Fear that refused to go and made his heart race. There was something to fear and Yi didn't know what it was.
It increased as time went. A few minutes went by, each second going like ice in his veins.
A breath. Then everything crashed down.
What is that ?
A scream rang in his mind, turning into a cry. It didn't end before a long time, dying little by little. A cry that shook Yi as he turned around in panick to find the source. Again there was no one here, just him and nature till next hills and valleys and the cry didn't stop.
Pain. Sadness. Anger. Many things struck him at once, leaving him shocked for a time as if out of breath. Then he felt it. The link. All came from the link and it burned, throbbing like an open wound. It hurt so bad that he could feel it himself.
Yasuo ?
It took Yi some time to realize tears had blurred his vision, falling without restrain. Oh… All this going on, for a time he thought that his own body had an issue, ill or hurt. But no, all came from his soulmate, everything from the tears to the constant cry in his mind. It never stopped. Pain radiated in the link and Yi felt a start of distress against such development.
What's happening ? Yasuo ?
It had him sit on the ground before his body would just shut down from the sudden assault of emotions in their connection. Not once it had given as much, this was sickly horrifying. Never Yi had felt that much from the other side and it made him so worried, more than the tears that streamed down his face in disbelief. His love was hurt in a way he had never seen or felt before.
Yet he was sure Yasuo was alive. This was one of the things he deeply feared as reflex, to feel his soulmate's death. It would be the worst thing to ever happen to him. However after thinking – with some difficulties because the pain enevr stopped – Yi realized it couldn't be that, he knew the latter to give not much to his own end. At least not to that level. No, something happened and it broke both their hearts.
The cry was still here, torturous lament that seemed to go on forever. This was another level of pain. Yasuo ? The thing with the connection was that there was no voices, nothing particular to characterize their soulmates. There was a cry but it didn't have the warmth of Yasuo's voice. It was pain as a sound, thrumming in their link.
Soon it became sobs, whispers low like wind threatening to become a storm. It was frightening to see, sadness taking over with an attempt at fury to mask it yet it was useless. Pain, so much pain.
What happened ? Someone hurt you ?
Talking into their connection never changed anything, this was useless yet Yi still tried.
Please, I need to know…
