"Hello fine ladies may I offer you some of this wonderful Ionia lily flower perfume!" A salesman said as he approached Kai'sa as she entered the marketplace of Marrowmark. "Oh, um… sure," Kai'sa replied as she reached her hand out to accept the man's offer. "Get out of here you lowlife!" Taliyah snaps as she bats Kai'sa's hand down, stopping her from grabbing the perfume from the salesman. "Heeyy" Kai'sa pouts, "lowlife? I'm a respectable businessman," the man said. "Like hell you are, Come on Kai'sa," Taliyah said as she grabbed her hand and pulled her along, walking away from the man. Kai'sa was kinda sad she didn't get to even smell the perfume he was offering, but she also found it very endearing how Taliyah was trying to protect her; it was a trade she was happy with, Kai'sa thought as she held her hand guiding her through the marketplace. "Don't except anything here unless you ask for it first Kai'sa, this place is running over with cons." Taliyah said as they walked by many shops, most of them just selling weapons. "Should be something around here to eat that we can get," Taliyah said. "Whatever you want is fine," Kai'sa said softly, letting her thoughts slip out a little too much as she enjoyed Taliyah holding her hand. Oh shit I hope she didn't hear that, Kai'sa thought to herself as the panic set in again.
Taliyah didn't seem to think anything of what she said, instead leading them to the fresh scent of a bakery. "You ok with this?" Taliyah said as the two walked into the adobe bakery. "Yeah I'm fine with anything, it smells delicious." The bakery was crowded inside, filled with travelers passing through, "can you go claim two of those seats?" Taliyah asked as she pointed to a table in the corner of the restaurant, "Sure, I'll take whatever you're ordering," Kai'sa said as she hopped over to the table. Taliyah noticed her pleasant demeanor as she got the seats, she wasn't sure what made her so pleasant now, but here they were in a big crowd and Kai'sa didn't seem to be uncomfortable at all, she seemed, happy… the thought comforted Taliyah, even though she didn't know why she was happy. Taliyah decides to stop pondering on it as she steps up to the baker's counter to order some food. While she orders, Kai'sa sits still in her chair in the corner of the bakery, peering out the window, she watches all the activity of the marketplace. This town made her feel different, everyone was so busy that no one cared about her affliction, and the fact that her mind was free of worrying about people hunting her as a monster gave her the liberty to dream, just for a bit. "I wonder how I should tell her… or maybe I should give her a gift… I wonder what she would like," Kai'sa whispers to herself as she watches Taliyah accepting her order with a smile on her face, the smile seemed so radiant to Kai'sa as she stared. "Are you daydreaming about this? Hehe" Taliyah laughed as she walked up to the table and set the food down. "Um no, I mean, Yes." Kai'sa said confused as to what she was referring to, then realizing that she was talking about the food and figured it was best to lie and say it was the food she was daydreaming about.
"It's just buttered bread but it's a lot and it smells really good," Taliyah said. "It's fine" Kai'sa replied as she took a bite. "Oh my, it's been so long since I had bread. Was it always this good," Kai'sa said as she savored every bite. "Haha it is pretty good here, you also are probably really hungry so I'm sure that's a factor," Taliyah replied. "Mmmhmmm" Kai'sa muttered back with her mouth full. "I'm thinking about finding the caravan docks of this town when we are done here, people normally always need extra hands around there, and with my stone weaving my hands are worth ten normal ones." Taliyah said as she enjoyed her food more slowly. "Mmmhmm, sounds like a plan," Kai'sa muttered back while still enjoying her food. I'll have to work on her table manners, Taliyah thought to herself. "So… are you gonna be okay on your own for a bit?" Taliyah asked. "Oh, um, sure I guess, you don't need help?" Kai'sa replied as she stopped eating. "Yeah I'm good, I figured it would be better if we split up and each find a way to make a bit of money, that way we could have enough to get back on the road by tonight, just to be safe in case people are still following us." Taliyah said, her voice sounding worried from their encounter with the god-warrior. "Okay good point, I'll try and find something to do," Kai'sa replied. "Try to be discreet please Kai'sa, there are a lot of people here that live on edge ready for a fight, try not to get into one," Taliyah said. "I think I can handle myself Taliy," Kai'sa chuckled back. "It's not for your safety but for theirs. I know you will be okay," Taliyah said back with a small laugh. Kai'sa didn't reply, but the comment kinda hit a soft spot of hers, she was definitely more dangerous to others than herself.
The two finished up their meal and left the restaurant with stomachs full and satisfied. "So you sure you're ok?" Taliyah asked. "Yeah I'm good, I'll see you tonight, don't worry I'll be good," Kai'sa replied. Taliyah nodded her head as she accepted Kai'sa's assurance. "Okay, cya!" Taliyah then said as she jogged off down the street. Kai'sa stands still for the moment, watching her disappear into the crowd of people, "get it together girl," Kai'sa whispered to herself realizing she was staring and daydreaming again. "Now finding some way to make some money can't be that hard," Kai'sa said to herself as she started walking down the street looking for any signs of need. She noticed a pottery shop that had very large vases that they were loading into a mule cart. "Hello friends, um, would you all be interested in some help? I can lift what 3 people my size could," Kai'sa steps up and asks the shopkeeper, hoping she wasn't making a fool of herself. "We don't give jobs to your kind!" The grumpy shopkeeper snorted out. "My kind!? Which is?" Kai'sa replied. "You mercenaries, vagabonds, only passing through for a day and want a job then quit the next day." The pottery owner said. Kai'sa wanted to reply on the fact that she wasn't a mercenary, but the fact that she did only want a job for a few hours like the man said made arguing pointless.
A little over an hour passes with no luck for Kai'sa in finding work. People either don't want help for just a day or they just flat out ignored her questions. Hmmm I wonder what I'm doing wrong here, Kai'sa thought as she noticed a large adobe arena with cheers ringing out from inside. "What do we have here," she said to herself as she walked up to the gate of the building. "Excuse me miss! Competitors use the entrance around the back, this is for betting customers only." A guard said to her as he moved to block her path into the front gate. "Oh, right, um I'm sorry what was I competing for again?" Kai'sa asked, not having a clue what she was playing along with. "Haha you gladiators are all the same! Too drunk to remember who you are fighting, and what's the payout. And then you complain when people screw you over for being an idiot," The guard laughed at her. "Oh nevermind… you know I just remembered why I was here," Kai'sa lied, for she had heard all she needed to hear; she knew that this was a fighting ring and she could win some money. "This should be easy, I just need to not use my void plasma shots and they will live." Kai'sa reasoned to herself as she walked around to the back side of the arena where there was another metal gate with two guards in front of it. "Hello, I'm here to compete," Kai'sa said as she walked up to the guards. "Hmm, everyone always trying to bring new strange tricks into the ring nowadays… what's this, contraption you wearing missy." The guard asked, her voice confused as to what Kai'sa was wearing. "Is it, illegal to bring my own armor?" Kai'sa asked back. "Haha nothing is illegal here child, I once saw someone use a Xer'sia werner as a weapon aahaaha" the other guard laughed in his deep voice. Kai'sa paused for a moment, her mind wanting to gag at the strangeness of what he just said. "I was just curious, ur free to go. What class do you wish to be drawn into?" The other guard asked.
"Um, which class pays the most," Kai'sa asked. "Greedy are ya. We don't pay you to fight here ahaha" the male guard laughed. "You place a wager down on yourself to win coin," the lady guard then said. "But I don't have anything to wager," Kai'sa said, her voice growing desperate. "Then what good are you to us!" Both the guards replied in unison. "Come on, there gotta be someone I can beat that has a reward!" Kai'sa demanded."Ahahaha" the male guard laughed, "Hehehehe, you wanna take on the champion!?" The female guard questioned while laughing also. "Um, yeess," Kai'sa replied in an unsure tone. "HEY Matchmaker! Wake up the Hunter, he has a challenger!" The lady shouted through the gates into the arena. The gates then start shaking and clamoring as the portcullis were hosted up allowing Kai'sa to pass on into the building, "It's your funeral," the guard teased as she gestured Kai'sa to walk on in. Kai'sa has a chill up her spin as she walks past cages, each having one battle hardened warrior after another, some even seemed to have mindless creatures in them.
She stops and notices a young Xer'sai, her second skin crawls as her first instinct is to kill it, but that instinct quickly fades as she noticed how badly wounded it was, she never thought she would have pity on a voidborne, but seeing the Xer'sia in a cage, exhausted from countless beatings, Kai'sa found it hard to coupe with. "Name," another guard asks her as she approaches the final portcullis leading to the main arena. "Hmmm?" Kai'sa replied, she failed to hear him because her mind was distracted by the abused Xer'sai. "YOUR NAME! For the betting boards." The guard demanded again. "Oh, um," Kai'sa thought for a minute, thinking about the many names people had called her over the years, Voidborne, Monster, Demon, Daughter of the Void, she tried to think of one she approved of. "Hello!" The guard snaps again. "The girl who came back, Kaisa." She finally said. She always liked that title, to be the one that survived the Void, not some creature that was born in it. The guard stopped and looked perplexed at the title she gave him, but he was in a hurry and didn't care too much to think about its meaning, so he handed the title she gave him off to the cashier to place it up on the betting board.
Kai'sa looks up at the board, she sees the title of her opponent ambiguously says "The Hunter" hhmmp that doesn't sound too hard, she thinks to herself. "Ok, you got fifteen minutes till the fight starts, the match is until one of you surrenders or one is knocked out or dead, you have any possessions on you that I need to pass on to relatives incase of your demise!?" The guard asked as he shouted so she could hear him over the crowd chanting "Hunter! Hunter! Hunter!". Kai'sa looks up to the clear skies above the arena, then she looks behind her to the cages, filled with warriors who had evil in their eyes staring at her, this place is beneath me, let's make this quick, she thought to herself. "No that won't be necessary, I'm not dying here," Kai'sa replied. The man nodded his head as he let her be, Kai'sa decided to then sit on the ground and ready herself for the coming fight. She sits still with her legs crossed, she closes her eyes from the sight of her surroundings, closes her ears to the noise of the arena, tries to close her mind, she takes deep breath "mhmhmhhmhhh" the sound of Taliyah's melodious singing filled the silence she was trying to make in her head, and it was making it hard for her to take the deep slow breaths she wanted. "I have to tell her how I feel, holding it in is eating me up inside too much, it making me weak." She whispered to herself under her breath.
A smile lingered on her face, for even though she didn't like being weak vulnerable to anything normally, part of her adored feeling weak at the thoughts of the weaver. Kai'sa slowly opens her eyes, letting her thoughts fade and fixing her eyes on her target that could now be seen getting geared up on the other side of the arena. He was a vastaya in the shape of a lion, he had white fur and it was braided into thick locks on his head, he was missing a eye, a golden gem seemed to fill the other eye socket, he welded a large machete in one hand and and two long fist claws in the other hand. "Hhhmmpp, still doubt those can pierce my skin," Kai'sa said as she studied her opponent. "BBRDRDRDRING" The arena alarm sounds, "combatants, are you ready!?" The announcer asks both sides through his metal cone amplifier. "I'm ready!" Kai'sa raises her voice so she can be heard. "RAHG, THERE IS ONLY THE HUNTER, AND THE HUNTED!" The vastaya roars, his deep voice rumbling over the entire building. "On the left side, we have are challenger, The Girl Who Came Back, Kaissaaa" the announcer shouted over the booing of the crowd. "On the right side, your undefeated champion, the beast of Ixtal, THE HUNTER, Rengaaar!" The announcer shouted as the crowd chanted his title "HUNTER! HUNTER! HUNTER!" A smirked appeared on Kai'sa's face as she walked onto the arena, Rengar mirroring her movements but remaining nothing but serious on his face. "Let's shut these people up," she says to herself.
DING, "LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!" The Announcer rang out, sending a cheer through the crowd. Kai'sa paces herself, keeping her arms up in a defensive position while slowly side stepping, waiting for the vastaya to make the first move. "You weld that wretched power don't you, the Void as they call it. Your head I shall enjoy taking!" Rengar said in his menacing voice. "RAHG" He roars as he jumps high into the air and bears down on Kai'sa with his machete. Kai'sa rolls to the side, his blade smacking the earth. He immediately recovers and swings his claws at her, she blocks them with one arm, the lion rages and swings the machete again, she blocks it with her other arm before she counters with a quick kick to the beast's stomach making him retreat a few steps. After a brief pause, he goes in again slashing in a fury with both weapons, Kai'sa is pushed back from the barrage, the sound of Rengar's steel impacting her blocking arms rang throughout the arena like steel on steel. Kai'sa wants to strike back but his blows are too rapid for her to have time, she knew she would have to break defense if she was to land a blow on him. She smacks one of his attacking jabs to the side, then takes her opening and sends a strong right punch right into the vastaya's face, the hit lands on his face solidly but before she can pull her arm back he slashes at the inside of her arm that was exposed from the punch and draws blood. "Damn it" Kai'sa whispered as the second skin covered the wound, stopping it from bleeding. The beast resumed his unslant, Kai'sa bobbing and weaving as she held her arms up blocking. She was running out of room, the Lion was pushing her to the edge of the ring with every blocked blow, and it was getting hard to keep up her arms with the force of his blows as he tried to break her guard.
"Enough of this" she says to herself as she breaks her defensive stance and readies to throw a strong right haymaker. Rengar sees this and adjusts his slashes angle, as he hopes to slice the inside of her arm again. Seeing this, Kai'sa pulls the right punch back, revealing it to be a bluff, she swings her left knee hard into the vastaya's side, sending him falling over beside her from him losing his balance. Rengar falls face first into the dirt, the crowd gasps in shock, "Come on, no time for a cat nap" Kai'sa teases as she gestures him to get up. Rengar in the blink of an eye swept his leg under her, tripping her off of her feet, he immediately pounced on top of her slashing his machete down, she blocked but struggled as he pressed his blade in-between her arms onto her chest. She moves her hands and grabs the hilt of his blade, desperately fighting him from plunging it into her chest. With a burst of adrenaline, she used all her strength and pushed the blade away from her just a few inches, then she closed her helmet and headbutted Rengar in the face, she could hear the crack of his nose as he stumbled back off of her in a daze. "I'm tougher than I look," she hisses at him through her mask and stands back up defiantly. He then wiped the blood from his nose and smiled, he enjoyed a good fight.
Kai'sa also smiled, though no one could see it under her mask. Rengar slashes again, leading with his right arm using the machete as he normally did. Kai'sa dodged right, her movement blindingly fast as her second skin fuelled her reflexes, she then landed three fast jabs, two into his ribcage and then a more powerful hook into his face. RARG! He roared as he slashed his claw fist down upon her head. The blow surprised Kai'sa, as she noticed her helmet was ripped open, the light from the outside made her eye dilate quickly. The Lion raged and swung again, hoping to exploit the weakness, she put her arms up again shielding her head as the blows pounded down upon her, bits and pieces of armor she could feel being ripped off as her second skin began to burn in discontentment. She began pulling the energy from her shoulder pods and channeling it into her body, the burning of the purple fire filled her veins, the pain made her lips quiver under her broken mask, the strange whispers also started to fill her head, but she needed the strength to knock this cat out. Rengar continued to pound her, delighted at the sight of bits of armor getting ripped off of her. She feels one strike breakthrough and cuts into her flesh, Rengar sees this, he sees her violet blood. She breaks her defense and bluff strikes, Rengar swings his machete in seeing her defense brake, she then grabs his blade and twists it upwards, he roars in pain as his hand gets caught in the hilt. She then strikes a fist into his throat, interrupting his roar and making him struggle to breathe. Void energy burns in Kai'sa's right arm as she swings the finishing haymaker, Rengar falls to the ground knocked out cold. The crowd gasps in shock, Kai'sa lets the second skin pull the Void energy from her body, easing her pain.
"Ladies and gentlemen! We have a winner! The girl who came back, KAISAAA!" The crowd bursted out cheering as a group of women in skimpy clothing ran onto the arena and picked up Kai'sa, while another group came with a stretcher and picked up Rengar. "Wooh wooh okay oookay put me down" Kai'sa demanded as she was. Carried off the arena floor. "Bravo, Bravo, I'm truly impressed, and taking how few people bet on you, you've made me quite the good profit," A well dressed businessman said to her as the ladies set her down and walked off back onto the arena. "Any chance I can convince you to stay awhile? You and I could make quite the fortune…" he asked. "No, I'm good, That Rengar is a good fighter, I'm sure he'll be back to winning when I'm gone, hope he recovers fine," Kai'sa replied, her voice weak and soft as the pain from her wounds started to be noticeable now that the adrenaline was wearing off. "Well, if I can't convince you to stay, then here you go, 5% of the wagers placed on the opponent is the challenger pot." He said as he handed her a bag full of gold coins. It must have had at least 300 gold coins in it for it was the size of a bag of oranges and weighed about 5x more than one. "Thank you" Kai'sa casually said as she shook his hand and walked out the building, hiding the shock of how much she just won and what the hell they were going to do with this much gold.
Her daze was interrupted by a crowd of people cheering her name "Kaisa! Kaisa! Kaisa!" The people swarmed around her in the street, apparently many poorer people were listening to the fight outside the arena and had placed tiny bets on the underdog to try and escape the hand life dealt them. "Okay. Okaay OKAY ENOUGH!" Kai'sa snaps back at the crowd, her broken helmet closing from instinct, she demands they give her some space in a monstrous distorted tone, the crowd backs down realizing the hostility in her voice, she sees a couple of young children in the front of the crowd nervously standing still. She retracts her helmet, and lets the suit draw the Void power from her veins, relieving her of its pain and whispers. She then kneels down in front of them "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I'm just not used to this many people." She says softly. "We hear stories about you, are they true?" One child asked. "I don't know, I don't see how the stories could be true darling, since I'm never around people much, I would think the writers of the stories are taking a lot of liberty in their storytelling." Kai'sa replied to the child as she smiled and patted him on his head. She then stood up and walked away, the crowd leaving her to be. "Uuhg" Kai'sa let out a sigh of pain as she felt her arm, she then noticed she could see her skin on her arm because a chunk of her armor was ripped off. Her arm was pale white from being out of the sunlight for so long, but she was pleased her skin beneath the armor still looked human, at least for now it still looks normal, she thought as she walked down the street looking for something to eat again and to rest for a bit till Taliyah was ready.
The time was almost 5:00pm and Taliyah was just finishing up helping some people at the merchant docks, "here I know it's kind of a low ball offer but I can't give you anything more, the full time employees would get jealous, even though you did the work of 5 of them with your stoneweaving," a elderly man said as he handed Taliyah 50 silver coins. She was disappointed at this, but it was enough for them to live off of for a while, "I know how you can make it up to me," Taliyah said, teasing the old man. "How is that?" He replied. "I need a messenger to send word to the nomads of the Sia, can you arrange that?" She asked. "Of course darling, just give me the message, i'll make sure the messenger is sent out tonight." He replied. "You sure? I really need them to hear from me, they will be worried." Taliyah said. "Well if it's an urgent, short message I can get it to the messenger condors, they will have the message delivered in a day or two." He replied. "Hmm, okay tell them this, "Xolan not safe, heading west to capital, regroup there." There can you send that on a condor?" Taliyah asked. "Well the limit is ten words per message so yes you are good. I'll send this note right away" the man said as he closed up the merchant docks. "Thank you good sir," Taliyah said as she waved goodbye.
Now I sure hope Kai'sa hasn't gotten into trouble, she thought to herself as she walked back towards the main marketplace. She continued walking down the street, the town was so small that if she just looped from the one main street to the other she was bound to run into Kai'sa eventually. Taliyah notices a nice pair of boots hanging from a shop and immediately feels envious of them, her boots she had were getting old and weren't really comfortable anymore. She side steps into the shop and checks the price on the boots, 40 silver, "Uhhgg" Taliyah said as she put them back, she needed to save money for food and water for the traveling ahead. A smell hits her that catches her attention, it's a coffee stand across the street, "Oh Great Weaver thank you," she says as she hops over to buy a cup of coffee for herself. She sees the price, 4 silver coins, "Damn you guys are expensive here!" She says to herself but loud enough for everyone to hear. She takes the coffee and sips it, "oh that's good," she sighs. "YOU WHO!" Taliyah hears Kai'sa's voice and turns around to see her at the fruit stand next to the coffee stand she was just at. She notices the large bag Kai'sa was holding and was curious what it was but then notices peaches on top of the bag so she just assumes its a bag full of peaches.
"We'll look at you, must have made some money to buy those, unless, please tell me that you did pay for them?" Taliyah asked. "No no don't worry I paid for them," Kai'sa replied. "Well bravo, I'm so proud of you, another day another lesson learned," Taliyah cheered. "So how much do you get? Or did you burn it all on the peaches? You know what never mind I don't care, I'm just happy you could be apart of civilization for a day hehe." Taliyah laughed and teased. "Well, are we ready to go, sunset coming soon." Kai'sa asked. "I suppose so sport. Just need to get a few supplies on the way out of town" Taliyah replied. "Okay, I'm fine with that," Kai'sa replied, her voice sounding tired as she stood up from the chair next to the fruit stand. "Awww, someone sleepy from their first job?" Taliyah teased as she popped Kai'sa on the shoulder, "Eehssss, something like that." Kai'sa replied with pain in her voice at Taliyah's playful punch. Taliyah pauses a moment and notices the damage in Kai'sa's armor, it hadn't been visible because it was on the backside of her arms which were hidden when she was sitting down. "What, what is this?" Taliyah asks, her tone growing soft and concerned at seeing her injuries. Taliyah reaches over to examine her arms with one hand while holding her coffee in the other, she sees the gashes in her armor and sees the cut that slashed her flesh and feels heartbroken. "Who did this to you!" She asks, concerned. Kai'sa doesn't reply, Taliyah goes back to examining the wound.
"Here give me this!" Taliyah says as she grabs the bag of peaches, only to drop it to the ground from it being ten times heavier than she expected. Taliyah pauses a second, confused as to what just happened, she bends down and moves the peaches aside to see what's under them, she sees all the gold. "HOLY SH…" Taliyah silences herself so she doesn't draw attention, "Explain! Now!" Taliyah demanded. "Um, well, no one was hiring me, so I thought I could win some money in the fighting ring… annd… I won a lot more than I thought I would from one fight," Kai'sa explained sheepishly. "Uuhg, violence is not the answer to everything…" Taliyah replied, her voice turning angry. "I thought…" Kai'sa started to talk only to be interrupted by Taliyah, "I, I don't wanna hear it, sigh… let's just go." Taliyah said as she stood up and started walking. Kai'sa just follows, she felt no remorse for how she won the money, but Taliyah being upset did trouble her. Kai'sa noticed they weren't leaving the town but instead were walking into the center of it, I sure hope she is gonna make me return this money, would be a shame to take that beating for nothing, Kai'sa thought to herself as she decided to not talk and just follow Taliyah for the moment. She led them to a nicer adobe building in the town, it was the only true hotel the town offered. "But what about leaving?" Kai'sa decided to ask. "I'm not taking you into the desert with those wounds, you'll get infected by sand flies. Plus it's not like money is a problem now is it!" Taliyah said, her tone growing more agitated.
"Two single bed rooms please just for tonight," Taliyah spoke up to the hotel cashier. "The running rate is 20 gold per night, will that be okay?" The cashier asked. "Good Weaver, these people are thieves…" Taliyah whispered under her breath, "Yes that will be fine," she then spoke up as she pulled the necessary coin out. "Very well, also there is a 10 gold deposit needed for each room, you can pick it up when you check out," The cashier said. "Grrrr," Taliyah grumbled as she placed the 20 more gold coins on the counter. "Thank you dear," the cashier said in the most fake tone, "your rooms are number 4 and number 5, losing the keys or any damage to the room will make you lose your deposit and…" Taliyah grabbed the keys before she finished talking, ignoring whatever else she was saying. Taliyah walked up to the rooms and unlocked the doors, she took the bag of money and was about to walk into her room and shut the door behind her when she stopped herself and paused, "here, take this, get some rest, I want to hit the road at first light," Taliyah said as she tossed Kai'sa a peach. "Okay, good… goodnight," Kai'sa said sheepishly, not knowing if she was still mad at her. "Goodnigt," Taliyah replied as she shut her door. Kai'sa then shut her door and laid onto the bed, "I gotta think of something to make it up to her," Kai'sa said to herself as she enjoyed her peach before she went to bed.