Chapter 39 – Eastern Seafaring
The time it took to cross the sea from Noxus to Ionia was usual approximated at six days, based on the size of their ships. With longer days however, this figure had been shortened to around five. To those aboard Noxus' armada, it gave a gratifying illusion that time had gone faster than it actually had. Of course though, the camaraderie amongst Noxus was so firm that they had enough fun through card games, arm-wrestling and simple chatter to push boredom aside. Maintaining and running the ships itself was enough to keep your hands full. Steering against the wind required a pair of hands not just at the wheel, but also the sails. Cooking for three thousand Noxians called for plenty of people in the kitchens: for both cooking and washing up.
And of course, there were also the drake-hounds, with one on each of the ten ships. that they had brought. The beasts may have been only infants, chained and caged up, but their temperaments were volatile nonetheless. Since they were not allowed to walk freely on the decks, they had to be appeased frequently with slabs of meat. It was far from ideal, but they would undoubtedly be a useful tool in Vacuo's annexation.
Swain stood at the bow of the first ship, with his normal hand behind his back. The sun had almost sunk beyond the horizon, and the sky was a darkening but still so far pleasant shade of peach – it gave him a useful point to stare at as he contemplated Noxus' long-term goals. Very rarely was his mind free to wonder in a relaxing direction: he always had important matters to consider, or nerves to reassure.
Fae'lor was "legally" Noxian territory and had once housed a fortress that had been set up prior to the invasion of Ionia. Nonetheless, returning to Fae'lor brought unease that Swain himself was displeased to admit. Its current state was emblematic of Noxus' failure. A few small patches of land claimed in Ionia's southwest? It should've been the whole package: an entire continent overseas in their grasp. Additionally for Swain, he had his own bone to pick. Although in some ways he now considered it to be an inadvertent favour, the trauma of losing his left hand in battle was a memory that he could not shake off entirely, and a wound which forever changed his life. He may have willingly embraced the demon that graced him with his new hand, but what he wouldn't give to return the gesture to the impudent girl that committed her gravest mistake. Swain was still secretly impressed by her. She couldn't've been any older than fifteen at the time. How had she been able to possess so much charisma and leadership at such a young age? And her technique too with those levitating blades was closer in resemblance to a graceful dance, rather than an aggressive spiller of blood.
It was still within Noxus' intention to invade Ionia again at some point. Rumours had definitely been spreading for a long time. The young and zealous generation wanted to experience the Noxian dream for themselves. The slightly older cohort of veterans sought another chance to do what had not been fulfilled on their first outing. It was also considered lawful to return and deliver retribution to the deserters in the aftermath of the invasion. Among the sisterhood of Noxus, one name in particular was uttered with both dismay and spite.
Regardless of what reason you had to stand with Noxus, it was both business and personal. A score had to be settled. The only question that remained was: "How soon?". Almost a decade passing had given them time to evaluate the results of their first attempt and the forces that they had been up against, and better time to prepare. Their army was bigger, its soldiers had vastly improved, and they would be using more than the chemical warfare that had been provided by Zaun. Most importantly though, Noxus had a new leader at the helm. Boram Darkwill was no more. Swain did concede that it had been a prosperous acquisition to get Zaun's input. Whoever the chemist was that Darkwill had negotiated with was a breed of coldblooded, which was sinister for even Noxian standards. If only they didn't underestimate the weapons and their potency…
Swain shook his head. 'I really should not be dwelling on that now.' he told himself sternly. Vacuo was their target. The last thing he wanted was to draw Ionia's attention towards them and have the alarm sounded, forcing them to waste weapons and resources when it all needed to be directed at the new world.
Feeling no less anxious, yet also calmer after some time thinking to himself, Swain stepped away from the bow and returned to the deck. Only about twenty individuals were still above deck on the first ship: the steerer, sail handlers, deck sweepers, drake-hound attendee, and two new recruits who were stood on each side of a very large container that was tied to the ship's mast. Swain approached a boy who was mopping the starboard. He looked up from his work and saluted.
'Good evening, General Swain.' he greeted. 'Just finishing up here.'
'Excellent work.' Swain said simply but earnestly before moving on. He went next to the drake-hound, which was located closer to the back of the ship. It was currently snoozing. The noise it made was fairly obnoxious unfortunately. The young man, who was sitting in a foldup chair, immediately stood up and saluted. 'Pleasant evening, General Swain.'
'It is indeed. At ease now, Erath.' Swain invited. 'Are you handling yourself alright?
'Well enough I reckon. He's a bit of a step up from the sheep that I'm used to herding, but he's not too bad. I've decided to call him Talz, and he appears to respond to it now.'
'There hasn't been any commotion so far, thus I commend you on your effort.'
'Thank you. The snoring does get to you after a while, but it's reassuring to see them in this state. Definitely rather that than them being agitated.'
Swain nodded. 'Very good attitude. I'll leave you to it now.' He then proceeded to the stern of the ship where the steerer had his hands firmly around the wheel. 'No need to salute, Timop.' Swain said pre-emptively. 'Your job is more important.'
'Thank you, General.' he replied.
'We should have established that since day one with you and your friend, but I admire your sincerity.'
'It doesn't hurt to take my hands off the wheel for only a few seconds.'
'Maybe not, but I gather that a vessel of this size can be quite difficult to control.'
'She is a big one, and we haven't had any real sailing adventures for quite some time. Still though, nothing I can't handle.'
'I'm very glad to hear it. Anyway, I won't bother you for long. I just have one important instruction for you.'
'I'm all ears.'
'When we reach Fae'lor, manoeuvre the ship so that you dock the port side against the coast, and give the rear ships enough space to move behind us. We're due to arrive when it's dark, so once we get there, we're immediately going to sleep, with just a few people on watch duty from the decks. Then once the sun rises, we'll immediately set sail around southern Ionia and have breakfast along the way. No one is stepping off these ships unless absolutely necessary. At the moment, I really do not want Ionia knowing that a Noxian fleet is on their doorstep. Even at night, ten large ships are far from subtle, so we're trying to make as little noise as possible.'
'Understood.'
'As soon as Ionia comes into view, I shall come back here and shout to the second ship to follow your move, and for this order to be passed on. Just keep up your momentum for now.'
Swain stepped away from Timop and walked slowly towards the ship's mast and the enormous iron container, which was twice the size of Darius and was tied around it with equally tough iron chains. It was constantly being watched by at least two people. Currently a young man and a slightly older woman were standing on either side of it. The two of them were siblings, Swain had been told.
'Evening, General.' they both said, and saluted at the same time as if they were twins.
'Good evening you two.' Swain returned. His attention was on the container though. It was truly a miracle how they had managed to haul the damn thing onto the ship. A few small holes had been purposefully pierced through various spots, although this probably wasn't really necessary. He frequently found himself continuously peeping into some of the lower ones every so often when he passed it. Through a hole near the bottom, Swain could see the end of a handle. Inside the highest one that Swain could reach himself, was what looked like a large waist. The thought of what was truly inside made even Swain shudder. 'Are things all good here?'
'Yeah. Across these six days, there's been no issues so far, you'll be glad to know.' the brother replied.
'Very grateful indeed. Just stay there for a bit longer. Oh and, at ease…'
Swain had lost count of how many times he had walked up to the front of the ship. Darkness had finally descended, and the two moons were shining once again. A truly stunning view. It illuminated Ionia only slightly, but enough to showcase some of the land's magically organic colours amidst the slumbering landscape. This was no time for sightseeing though. Swain stepped down and made his way back to Timop. 'We're here. Get ready to dock soon and rest your arms and legs.'
'Ready as ever, General.'
He leaned over the gunwale, cleared his throat and shouted at the ship behind him. 'Attention! Ionia is in sight! Do you hear my voice?!'
'Loud and clear, General!' a slight high-pitched voice replied. Swain couldn't see who it was and didn't recognise the voice either, but at least he had caught hold of someone who recognised his authority.
'Ship No. 1 will dock on the starboard side against the coastline! All subsequent ships must do the same in a line! Once we have arrived and release the anchors, all the lights go off and we sleep for the night onboard the ships, with at least four people standing guard on the deck for two hours before swapping! Arrange amongst yourselves who is fulfilling that duty! You are to stay onboard at all times; no one is setting foot on Ionian soil unless absolutely necessary! Once the sun rises, we set sail again immediately, going around the south of Ionia! Vacuo is the priority! Have you got all that?!'
'I think so!'
'I said: have you got all that?!' Swain repeated louder.
'I mean, of course, General Swain!'
'Good! Now relay this order to all the other ships now!'
'As per instruction, post-hast!' the soldier obeyed and immediately ran to the back of Ship No. 2.
Swain could hear his directive being passed on from one ship to another, with the volume gradually decreasing until he was too far away to hear. Definitely not the most efficient method of communication, but it sufficed. The message had been delivered.
Timop carefully turned the wheel to the left, easing Ship No. 1 into position until they came to a stop. Swain looked overboard at the water below. They were perfectly parallel with the white rocks, about seven metres apart. He went to Timop and patted him on his left shoulder. 'Excellent work, now go and get some sleep.'
'Thank you, General Swain.' Timop saluted before abandoning the wheel, and climbed down the ladder inside the hatch door on the centre-port side of the deck.
Without even needing to ask, Swain heard a splash. He looked over the gunwale to see a chain protruding from a porthole that had been fed into the sea, just one deck below him. 'Anchor's in place. Good.' The sails had been closed too. It was just Swain, Erath, and the drake-hounds left on the deck. Swain strolled back to him and gave Erath a thin smile, who wasn't showing any signs of leaving. 'You can stop now. One of the Noxians keeping watch can handle him.'
'Unless you give it to me as an order, I'm perfectly fine staying here.' Erath said keenly. 'I can sleep in this chair and Talz is asleep right now. If anything happens with him, I can be woken up and attend to him.'
Swain hesitated. It was better to let someone else take over, but he also did not want to immediately extinguish the boy's enthusiasm. It was commendable for him to willingly trade a blanket and a pillow for this. 'Well, so long as you get some rest, that's what's important.'
'Your understanding is much appreciated, General Swain.' Erath smiled.
Swain nodded before observing as the other ships behind him docked into place and brought down their sails. He was waiting for four people to come on deck from below, and was rather pleased therefore that he only had to wait for one minute. Two men and two women. The man who climbed out first immediately saluted Swain after he made eye contact with him, and ushered the other three to do the same once they were back on their feet. Swain eyed them with curiosity. He guessed that they were around the same age, probably in their early thirties. It was also natural to assume they knew each other. Noxus was one large team, but with around three hundred people on each ship, you'd have the inclination to stick with who you knew well.
He didn't bother asking for their names, and instead only gave them basic instructions. 'Just stay up here and keep a lookout. Focus on the land rather than the sea because it's mainly Ionians who we're looking out for. If you see anything suspicious or catch a glimpse of anyone on the shore or inland that might've seen these ships, report it to me immediately. Otherwise just try not to make too much noise and refrain from lighting any lanterns. This moonlight should do you just fine. Again, we don't want anyone spotting us. Once you've been up here for about two hours, go and wake up four other people and go to sleep. Understood?'
'Yes, General Swain.' the four of them said.
'Oh and just to let you know, Erath over there is staying up here with the drake-hound. He'll be sleeping, but if there's any issues with it, give him a shake and get him to handle the problem. I bid you goodnight now.'
Feeling relieved that they had finally reached a crucial checkpoint in their journey, he almost leisurely descended to his own private compartment, which was two decks below, and at the very front of the ship. As usual, he was satisfied to see how seriously they took his commands. Everyone was at least lying down with a pillow beneath their heads, chatter was nowhere to be heard and all the candles and lanterns had been blown out.
Swain pulled the musty red curtain aside, which acted as the door to his compartment, stepped inside and drew them back. He pulled off his boots, lay down on his thin mattress, pulled the blanket over himself and closed his eyes. It was slightly awkward sleeping against the curvature of the bow, but Swain was at least glad that he had a space to himself. The living conditions in the majority of the sleeping quarters were far from great. Limited space forced two people to sleep right next to each other on the same mattress and share a blanket, with someone else sleeping above them in a hammock. Hygiene was therefore a factor, which Swain knew wasn't properly accounted for. In such a confined area, the risk of disease was also fairly high. Still though, if it meant that a conquest of Vacuo was possible, then they could definitely put up with it.
It didn't take long for sleep to find him. The sounds of the waves lapsing against the rocks was soothing, and thank goodness that Kled hadn't drank any mushroom juice that night.
I open my eyes. All around me, I see nothing but nature at its barest. The grass is green and the sky is blue, with a sun to accompany it, but I already know that. I've been aware of being here for less than ten seconds and I already wanna see something different. I do like this familiar feeling of the wind blowing through my hair though and the looks on the ladies' faces when they see how wavy it is. Darn it though there aren't any around here, and where am I for that matter? I never get lost, but how did I get here? I've been through crumbling Shuriman temples and the sweltering jungles of Ixtal and never once did I need a compass or a map. Heh, who needs them? Only amateurs, that's who.
I scour the area with my perfectly dazzling eyes, which I obviously have perfect vision with. The dark ain't no challenge to me. I've been eating my carrots, which I was told by some university professor helps you see better. I don't need supports warding for me. And because not, I've just realised that I can see a perfectly curved hill in the distance; about almost one mile from here. That's my educated guess based on years of experience. We're talking in the thousands, after all. No one knows Runeterra better than I do. This must be the Demacian countryside. Okay, that's a start. Guess I'll head over there then to get myself a better view.
Wait, what is that light, tapping sensation on top of my head? I hold out my gauntlet-less hand (try saying that five times fast) and feel it there too on my fingers. I look up to see a lot more grey now. That's not good! I don't want to get my hair wet!
It starts pouring it down. Going from a light pitter-patter to a bucket being knocked over in a matter of seconds. Man, couldn't those clouds have held it in a bit longer? Which direction do I go in though? There's no shelter or coverage anywhere to be seen. Might as well go to that hill then. I know it doesn't make sense to try and get higher altitude, but ehh… whatever. I could spot something behind it.
My feet are getting spiced up, and my legs, plus my instinct to get dry, force me into a run. I'm glad that I have high stamina. Good thing also that I've have practice running with my life literally depending on it from crumbling tombs. This grass is becoming increasingly slippery. No problem though. I've also braced the icy tundras of the Freljord before, without ice skates. Just gotta focus on that hill! My next point of interest awaits!
Suddenly… I hear something. It's growling menacingly. Hold on, that's not a growl, it's a…. YIKES!
I use an Arcane Shift just in time to blink a few metres in front of me, and I look back to the spot where I was standing and see the grass burnt to a crisp. Oh no, I've just realised that I'm the tallest thing in this plain! No wonder I was almost struck! But I have a theory though. If I can get to the base of that hill, that'll become the tallest thing. Either that or I'll be out of its line of sight. It did go for me after all. Can you believe it? Even thunderclouds are envious of my looks.
This time I'm anticipating it. I keep my fingers at the ready, looking upwards in case Ao Shin wants to blow his nose over me again.
I'm about halfway to the hill. It's getting progressively bigger with every stride. I really hope that I'm right about this, because I don't have a clue how long this storm will last, and I'd rather not be presentable at a restaurant main course or a funeral.
The thunder is rumbling once more: lining up its next shot no doubt. A crackle also escapes from the cloud, but I press the button before it even comes. The lighting once again hits where I was, not where I am currently. Gotta keep running though!
Not far off now. The rain hasn't thinned out in the slightest, and the storm hasn't cooled off yet either. I can feel my lungs struggling for air. I'm almost at my limit. Just a bit further, I can do it! The homestret-ahh! My right foot gets caught on the side of a small mud hole in the soil and I trip over and fall face-first onto the grass. My head is spinning. With difficulty I use my hands to lift up my head and torso whilst spitting some grass out of my mouth in the process.
I can see it – the hill! It's so close! Probably one about one hundred metres from where I lay like an idiot. The lightning is readying again. I've heard the expression "The third time's the charm" before. Good thing I've still got my nifty gauntle-what?! I wriggle my fingers and confirm my suspicions. Where's it gone?! I look at the ground in front of me.
There it is! Must've fallen off and slid when I tripped over, but how did it get so far away from me? I don't think I can get up and grab it in time. I'm scared, as in, genuinely scared. The lightning is building up inside the cloud. Oh man, this can't be it! I never even got to… you know, consummation. I cover my head with my arms, in a pathetic and futile effort to shield myself.
Suddenly, I find my eyes being almost blinded by white light shining off the wet grass, even with them being closed. With my remaining strength, I look up to see a huge pillar of light being shot into the sky from behind the hill. It penetrates the clouds and begins expanding in a circle like a big explosion, washing away all the clouds in the process. I watch the display hypnotically with both awe and gratefulness.
The sun re-emerges, as does the blue sky. But what's this? There's also a… 'double rainbow?!' I say out loud.
I look up at the top of a hill to see someone gently sliding down on the soles of their shoes, in a stance that almost seems to give the impression that they're riding on a surfboard. What the? Hold the phone, I can see who it is!
The fairly tall, blonde girl with a staff in her hands runs towards me with a look of concern on her beautiful face. I cloddishly get to my feet and wipe as much of the dirt as I can off my front before she reaches me.
'Goodness gracious, are you hurt?!' she asks me and drops her staff.
I try and say something back, but I just can't seem to manage. Not even my brain knows. All I am able to do is stutter: 'L-l-l-lux.'
'Yes, that's my name, and you are?'
'E-ezreal.'
'Nice to meet you Ezreal, but what happened to you? You look dreadful.'
She's so gorgeous. I can't honestly remember when I first laid eyes on her, but I've sought her hand ever since. Don't mess this up, Ezreal. Don't mess this up! 'I was on a… an expedition to Noxus, but then I got caught in the storm just now, so I tried to run to this hill to stop myself from getting struck.'
'Why didn't you just lie or crouch down then? You would've stopped yourself from being targeted by the lightning.' Lux responded.
I slap myself on the forehead. How could I have been so stupid?! I'm never stupid, so this is a first for me. 'Guess I didn't think of that. I was too busy being caught up in the moment.'
'Well, if there's a next time, you'll know what to do.' Lux smiles.
'Yeah I will, thanks for that. Oh and also, did you do that?' I ask, pointing to the clear sky.
'Yes, it was me. I positively hate rainy and stormy days. So whenever it does, I just use light magic to bring the sun back. Oh, but don't tell anyone about that.' she whispers. 'I'll get in trouble if anyone finds out.'
'Finds out what?'
'Nothing at all.'
'Alright.' My eyes wonder to the rainbows again, because I do feel nervous about the fact that I might be blushing. 'How are there two rainbows? Did you make those as well?'
'I did that too. A double rainbow is a phenomenon of optics that displays a spectrum of light due to the sun shining on droplets of moisture in the atmosphere. Does that explain it?'
I'll admit that I don't understand what she just said, but she's so dorky, and she's like a mage. She's perfect! 'I like you.' I said without thinking.
'What?' she asks.
Just go for it! 'Wanna go out?'
She stares at me with a straight face. I can't read what she's thinking. Please don't slap me…
'Yes.' she responded.
'Wait, really?!'
'Yes!' she repeats more emphatically before throwing herself into my arms and wrapping hers around me.
It's happening. It's actually happening! I run the fingers on my left hand through her hair. I shouldn't take things too fast, but I've been waiting for so long for this moment. I rear my head back and move my face slowly towards her. She understands what I'm trying to do and does the same. My lips make contact with hers. They're so soft. It's official. This is the greatest moment of my life!
Ezreal murmured euphorically as he kept his left hand held tightly around hers. He felt so snug under the bedcovers, with her warm body so close. 'Don't leave me.' he mumbled quietly.
'I won't.' she whispered back.
The sun's light made its way into the cabin and Ezreal could feel the heat against the hair on his head – his version of an alarm clock, since the old 24 hours ones were no longer any use. The trance was cut short, and Ezreal took his hands back and rubbed the dust out of his eyes.
'I finally made it happen. Lux is mine!' Ezreal thought to himself smugly as he drowsily stared up at the ceiling of the cabin, having not quite adjusted to the morning sunlight. 'Wonder what we should do today? Maybe we could go and see a movie, or have a picnic? Or she could come with me on my expedition to the new… world. Hold on.'
Ezreal's joy was replaced with confusion.
'I saw her in that Demacian field after she saved me from that nasty storm. But right now, I'm in the boat! It never happened!' He let out a sigh. Of course, it had been too good to be true… 'But, if it was a dream, then what happened last night?!'
And his confusion was replaced with panic. He slowly turned his head to the right, dreading whatever it was that lay there next to him.
The memories of the night before crawled uncomfortably all over him as if he was being abducted by an army of ants. The little girl who had seemingly arrived on the boat from out of nowhere; the girl who had apparently been fantasising about him for a long time; and the girl who had even had the gall to watch him get undressed… was lying right beside him, still asleep, and with her hand still around his chest.
Ezreal recoiled and pressed his body against the wall. He held his gauntlet hand over his mouth as well to stop himself from screaming. 'Zoe?! Oh no, what did I do last night with her?!' The image of her being on top of him, and the feeling of her mouth against his own flashed before his eyes. 'I kissed her! Not only that, I made out with her! She shared my bed!'
He climbed over her and scrambled for the medicine cabinet, which was on the other side of the cabin, beneath the sink. He pulled the doors open, grabbed an unused bar of lilac soap and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth. He gnawed on it and used his tongue to rub the soap across every millimetre possible, desperately wanting to wash away the memory, the disgust and the saliva which remained.
After almost a minute of overreacting, Ezreal spat the bar of soap back into the sink and rinsed his mouth with water. It definitely didn't taste as good as it smelled. He still only felt marginally clean. How was he going to get rid of this feeling of shame? Ezreal climbed out of the cabin, went around to the starboard side of the boat and wretched over the railing continuously, making a ghastly noise as he did so.
'Is something wrong?' a voice asked.
Ezreal stopped trying to cough up his own stomach and gasped. He turned around to see Zoe a few metres away from him, near the cabin entrance. She had her hands behind her back and was shuffling her feet awkwardly, with a look of concern on her face.
'Ahh shoot. Must've woken her up with the noise I was making.' He forced himself to look at her in the eyes. 'I… you… kissed me.' Ezreal said with a voice crack.
'Did you enjoy it though, because I did.'
'I… kinda did at the time.'
'So what's the problem then?'
'Well, now I regret it.'
'But why? If we both liked it, then what's wrong?'
'It's because… you're a kid! And as an adult – well almost one – it feels wrong to kiss you.'
'But Ezreal, I already told you: I'm old enough to do boy and girlfriend stuff.'
'Ugh, okay, humour me then: how old are you exactly?'
'Umm, to be honest… I've lost count.'
'What, so you're telling me that you can't count past twelve or something?'
'No, no, no! I mean, it's been so many years that I don't know anymore. I don't know exactly, but I'm at least over one thousand.'
Ezreal snorted. 'Don't be silly. There's no way that you can be any older than fifteen. And here's a newsflash for you: people don't tend to live for even one tenth of a thousand years, let alone the whole thing. You're not fooling anyone. Especially not me.'
'It's because I don't want to grow up, so I don't. Hehe.'
'That's not how ageing works.'
'It is for me, because I'm an Aspect. Do you know what those are?'
'An Aspect?! You mean, from Targon?'
'Yeah, exactly.'
Ezreal scratched his head with his right hand. 'Come to think of it, she was floating about yesterday, and her hair seems too celestial-like to belong to a mere girl. But she looks like a child. Is this normal? I thought people became Aspects if they were deemed worthy, once they climbed Targon. At least that's the legend I've heard.'
'Prove it to me, that you're an Aspect.'
'Okay, I will! Do you want an ice cream?!' she asked excitedly.
'Umm, sure. But why ice cream?'
Zoe began to levitate, and she clapped her hands together once. A small, purple portal emerged out of thin air on her right. She reached inside with her arm and pulled out an ice cream cone with a scoop of vanilla on top. Once it was in her hand, the portal closed and Zoe floated back down to the deck. She beamed as she walked up to Ezreal and handed it to him. 'For you, my dreamy boy.'
Ezreal cringed as he took the cone from her. 'Thanks.' he said. 'But I don't think I should be having this now before breakfast. Is it possible for you to save it for later?'
'Sure!' Zoe said. She took the ice cream cone back and summoned the portal again, and then placed it back inside before the portal closed up for the second time. 'Is that enough proof for you? If not, I can do so many other things, like smashing rocks with star dust; putting people to sleep with bubbles; warping realities; summoning sweets and candy; and one-shotting people! Y'know, stuff.'
Ezreal sighed. The ice cream wormhole thing was more of a party trick than anything else, but amazing nonetheless. Was she exaggerating about everything else though? Was she actually over one thousand years old? It was impossible to look past her face that clearly belonged to a child. Undeniably, she behaved like one and therefore might as well have been regarded as such, but he couldn't deny what he had seen of her so far, and he wasn't in the mood for arguing. 'Yes, it is.' he submitted.
'Great! Will you be my boyfriend then?!'
'No Zoe. In fact, if what you're saying is true, then I'm the one who's too young for you. Cradle robber…'
Zoe fought to hold back her disappointment. 'Well, can I at least still stay with you? I really have nowhere else to go or anyone to play with.'
Ezreal pondered her request, without the defect of being tired like he was last night. So long as she wasn't a hinderance to the expedition, he wouldn't object to having someone to talk to. If Zoe was actually an Aspect and had the capability to do a bunch of cool things, then she could prove to be quite useful, and Ezreal did admittedly want to see more of them in action. Lastly, Ezreal shamefully confessed to himself that he had genuinely enjoyed her kissing him! The actual thought of it made him want to vomit. How could he even contemplate the idea of doing it again? Yet, if she was technically "old enough", then should he feel guilty of transgressing some kind of divine law? 'Maybe I could pretend that she's Lux. Although I doubt that would work. Ah, whatever. I'll treat her like a protégé explorer of mine. Yeah, that's more appropriate.'
'Okay, yes you can, but if you annoy me too much or cause any trouble, you're going. Got it?'
'Yes!' Zoe jumped towards him and put her arms around Ezreal in eerily the same fashion as Lux had done in his dream. 'Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou-thank you!' she cried out. 'I swear that I'll do my best for you!'
'Alright, easy now.' urged Ezreal. He unwrapped Zoe's arms and put her back on the deck. 'I still need to get changed and have some breakfast.' He walked past her and went into the cabin, with Zoe following suit. 'Please stay outside.' Ezreal enjoined.
'Why do I need to?' Zoe asked teasingly.
'If you don't, I'm kicking you out!'
'Okay, okay, say no more!' Zoe skipped out of the cabin and went to the bow and looked out at the sea beyond – anything to keep her temptation at bay.
Ezreal hurriedly took his pyjamas off and threw his day clothes on, anxious of her peeking. Once he was done, he called for her to come back.
'That was quick.' Zoe commented.
'Didn't want to keep you waiting.' Ezreal replied. 'I'm gonna have some breakfast now. You want something too?'
'I dunno. What have you got to eat on this boat, because if it's not sweet enough, I'll just stick to mooncakes.'
'Don't really have a lot of food under that category I'm afraid.' Most of Ezreal's food supplies was non-perishable and didn't require cooking. He had defaulted to cereal for all mornings so far. Even though he had no milk to go with it, the fibre and nutrients on their own made it a good choice.
He opened the crate of food at the back of the cabin, and pulled out the cornflakes box that was currently in use. Ezreal then took out a food bowl and a spare, plus two spoons out of the cupboard, which was next to the sink. There wasn't an extra seat at his desk, so eating there together wasn't an option.
Ezreal poured a serving for both himself and Zoe, and they sat on the bed instead.
'Tell me what you think.' Ezreal asked after having his first mouthful.
Zoe put the spoon into her mouth, chewed the cereal slowly and swallowed. 'Kinda bland, to be honest.' she replied. 'Needs more sugar.' she pulled out another chocolate mooncake from her hair and used the spoon to mash its contents with her cereal. She then took another spoonful and ate it with more visible delight. 'Much better. You want one too?'
'No thanks, Zoe. I'd prefer to have plain cereal.'
'Well, okay.' said Zoe perplexedly. 'Is that what boys like to eat? Just nothingness?'
'Not exactly, but because I'm on this boat for a while, plain foods are the easiest ones to store.'
'Pfft, how boring.'
'Say, you couldn't get me some milk, could you?' Ezreal asked curiously.
'Milk? Of course I can! I can summon ice cream, after all!' Zoe put down her bowl and created a small portal above Ezreal's, and it poured the perfect amount of milk to fill it up.'
'Gee, thanks.' Ezreal said.
'Anything for you.' Zoe smiled at him.
They ate their cereal mostly in silence. Following their breakfast, Ezreal took their bowls and spoons, and dumped them in the sink for them to be cleaned later. Washing up was pretty lame, but an otherwise integral part of maintaining a healthy life on a boat. Ezreal also took the time to brush his teeth. He retrieved the soap bar from the sink and rinsed it before putting it away. He realised how long it had been in his mouth based on the number of teeth marks it had.
'Is that how boys get such shiny teeth?' Zoe asked after Ezreal had finished with the toothbrush and toothpaste.
'Pretty much. Everyone can brush their teeth, although not everyone is blessed with smiles as good as mine.'
Zoe stared at him dreamily.
'Uh, not that it means anything to me.' Ezreal added quickly. 'It's a good idea to brush your teeth every morning and evening if possible.'
'That's nice, but I wanna talk about something else.'
'Um, about what?' Ezreal asked, worried about her answer. They sat back down on the bed, with Ezreal being closer to the cabin door.
'You still haven't told me why you're on this boat and where you're going.'
'Oh, okay. Phew.'
'So are you gonna tell me or what?'
'Yeah, alright. So, I'm a professional and certified explorer, and I've been tasked with sailing to and exploring land that has only recently been discovered. Simple as that really.'
'Oooh, new land you say?'
'Mhm. Back in my home in Piltover, we found out that new land has just somehow appeared out of thin air. There's more than one moon in the sky at night now, and Runeterra appears to be rotating slower than usual.'
Zoe began to giggle, for more than ten seconds.
'What's got ya cracking up?' Ezreal questioned suspiciously.
'Nothing. It's just funny because you don't fully realise what's going on!'
'What do you mean by that, and what is going on then?' Ezreal demanded.
'What you've said is true, but it's more than that! Runeterra has been merged with an entirely different planet! That's why there's two moons in the sky at night, and why you're having more hours of sunshine and night-time!'
Ezreal analysed her explanation. It was crazy, and a huge leap in induction from the meeting in Piltover. Was Zoe even smart enough to induce anything at a scientific level? Was she even telling the truth or just making it up to coincide with what he already knew? It was frankly absurd. Another moon entering Runeterra's orbit and the planet's rotation slowing was one thing; Runeterra getting stuck to another planet was something else entirely. Although perhaps it did explain the seemingly inexplainable new land. 'I'll buy it for now, and see if I can squeeze anything else out of her. I'm definitely the one with more brain cells here.'
'Okay, that's interesting, but how do you know that that's the case? Anyone can just make up some theory and preach it as fact.'
'What do you think caused it? Or more like, who did it?' Zoe winked.
'What? Are you implying that… you did it?'
'Yep! It was me and me alone! Are you impressed with me now?!'
'I, well…' Ezreal faltered. There was no way, no way that Zoe could have done that all by herself. Aspect or not, it was too ridiculous to take seriously. But if Zoe wasn't responsible, then what was the cause? And for what reason, if there was one?
'Alright, assuming that you're telling the truth, why did you do it? What made you think to yourself: "Ooh, it seems like a good idea to take a whole planet and merge it with Runeterra!"?'
'I dunno – I was just bored.' Zoe answered frankly. 'I found this new planet called Remnant and its moon in another galaxy. So I went down to its surface out of curiosity and I found that it's a lot like ours! It's got humans who can speak and do people things! They even speak the same language as us!' she said excitedly. 'I've been to three places in Remnant so far! Well, two I suppose. The first was some kind of fighting arena where these kids were competing against each other with transforming weapons! There was also this girl I thought was so cool and cute, just like you! She wore a stylish, red outfit and used a large scythe which could turn into a gun! Then I eavesdropped on a meeting with a bunch of adults, who had only just realised that their planet was acting weirdly. And then later I went to some witch's lair and tried to play a game with her and her pawns, but they were mean and didn't wanna play with me… I did promise though that I would find one of her guys who I might have "accidentally" sent somewhere completely random with one of my portals, although I don't know where to look. But yeah, I just wanted to see what would happen if another planet came into contact with ours, so I sent both it and the moon through and out of a portal next to Runeterra. Fun, right?'
Ezreal wasn't even going to attempt to rationalise the physics or the magic that was involved with merging Runeterra and Remnant together. What mattered to him was her involvement with the planetary unification and how much she already knew. He had to take it for granted that she was not lying about this matter. Zoe may have only visited a few actual locations on the planet itself, but she had already been able to answer one Ezreal's most important questions.
Was there life and even civilisation on this new land? Yes.
Other questions were still to be determined, such as whether or not food was edible for humankind on Runeterra, or what the overall temperament of the new land's population was and whether or not they were inclined more towards "good or evil", but it was a starting point, and with the newfound understanding that Ezreal might have an entire planet on his hands to explore, Zoe's potential as a companion, with her being a powerful Aspect and having insight into Remnant already, was growing by the minute.
'Yeah, I guess I can see why you'd want to do that.' Ezreal replied. 'Well you've definitely given me a large playground to work with, so I won't hesitate at this point to say that I'd actually value you being with me as I fulfil my mission of exploring Remnant.'
Zoe's eyes widened. 'Really?! Oh I just knew that'd see it my way! Wanna be my boyfriend then?!'
'No! Stop bringing that up!' Ezreal snapped. 'What I'm saying is that, if you really have nowhere else to be, I think we'd make a great team. Normally I'd go solo, because I'm usually able to handle myself, but this might well be the most difficult and longest expedition I've had yet. Again, don't misinterpret this, but I do think that you'll make this quest more fun and more manageable.'
'I get it.' said Zoe, who was still trying to contain her dismay at having to be held at arm's length, rather than having his hand in her own, but it was far better than nothing and being told to push off. 'Count me in!'
'Alright then, I'm gonna turn on the motor so we can get moving again.' Ezreal went to the engine at the back of the stern before standing at the wheel. 'Time to resume the sailing!'
Zoe stood by the side of him and watched as his hands and fingers altered the very direction of the boat. 'Seems pretty slow.' she remarked after they had been moving for only two minutes. 'How long have you been out at sea?'
'Six days so far.'
'Six days?!' Zoe exclaimed in disbelief. 'And we have how many left?!'
'Can't be sure. But it's really far away.'
'Bleh, let's get there faster! I've got an idea!'
'I mean if you can, then that would help out a lot. You managed to take a whole planet and its moon from one galaxy to another. Surely you must be able to get this boat to Remnant by sending it through a portal or something?'
'I could do that, but I have something more fun in mind! Stop the boat for now.'
Zoe jumped onto the roof of the cabin and stood upright with her back straight. She held out both of her arms on her sides, and opened her hands. Pink, sparkly dust started streaming out of her fingertips. The dust kept coming and expanded, filling up the whole of the air until it was impossible to see beyond it, like a thick, glittery fog.
'What have you done?' Ezreal asked, holding back his alarm.
'Creating a stream of motion.' she said. 'When the boat starts moving through these sparkles, it'll go extremely fast!'
Ezreal scratched his head. 'Are you sure this is safe? What about fragile stuff that I have aboard?'
'It's fine! I made it so that Remnant and Runeterra's gravity wouldn't be affected by a size increase in the surface area! I also made sure that the tides wouldn't overflow because of two moons! I don't follow the rules of reality, I make them!'
'Well, okay. If you say so…' Ezreal returned, who was still feeling apprehensive. 'How fast will we be travelling though?'
'I don't know: let's find out!' Zoe leapt off the cabin and stood by the wheel and Ezreal again. 'Turn on that machine thingy.' she instructed.
'Wait, will I even be able to see where I'm steering in this sea of pink?'
'You don't need to. Just trust me! I can take over from here.'
Ezreal did so and held on tightly to the wheel to stop himself from falling over. The boat began to accelerate. It started off gentle at first and reached the speed in which it ran by the engine normally, but then it quickly rose beyond that point. They were going faster and faster and faster. Ezreal closed his eyes and braced himself to feel the wind on his face and the uncomfortable feeling of acceleration to a ludicrous degree.
But it never came. Ezreal opened his eyes and looked around him. He could see through the sparkly mist that they were indeed going exceptionally fast. The wind was loudly blowing against him, and he could also hear the water being pushed out of the boat's way with more force than usual, yet it didn't seem like it. Ezreal felt nothing of the boat shaking violently beneath him in the way he had imaged. In actuality, he felt like he was standing still on solid ground. 'This is truly something!' Ezreal commended Zoe. 'Will this thing get us all the way to Remnant!?'
'Yeah! Shouldn't take us much longer now! Weeeeeeeee!'
Ezreal wondered how soon "not much longer" meant from her perspective. It could be two minutes. It could even be a whole day. For someone who claimed to be over one thousand years old, a day probably felt like no time at all. Despite the ride being virtually devoid of bumps ahead of them, looking at the sea rushing past made him feel motion sick. He kept his head down, looking at the floor. 'Do you have any how fast we're going?!' Ezreal asked.
'I dunno! Very fast!'
Ezreal didn't bother to keep track of time; he was too busy focusing on staying relaxed. Could he be sure that Zoe wouldn't accidentally tip the boat over, or destroy it because it was never designed to withstand such speeds. 'It's alright, Ezreal. Zoe should have it under control. But… will the boat be able to stop in time before we reach the land?' The question that he asked himself brought Ezreal back to reality in a panic. The last thing he wanted to do was be part of boat wreck and lose all his supplies – or even his own life. He looked ahead of him, still unable to see through the sparkles. 'Can you turn this mist off soon?! You know, so that we don't crash!?' he said forcefully to Zoe.
'Don't worry, the trail ends any second now! Get a hold of the controls though!'
'Okay!' Ezreal gripped his hands firmly on the wheel.
They broke through the end of the sparkly mist, and were greeted by a daylight from a sun higher in the sky than it had been before Zoe had sent them rocketing to Remnant – a different time zone. The boat began to slow down and Ezreal fought to keep it from turning and capsizing. 'Please stay afloat, please stay afloat.' he pleaded. It decelerated for over twenty seconds before finally returning to a calm speed. Ezreal turned off the engine and lay down on the deck, holding his right hand over his rapidly beating heart.
'Tee-hee, you're so cute when you're scared.' Zoe teased. She was standing next to Ezreal's head and was looking down at him, her visage alight with childish bliss.
Ezreal raised his other hand to object. 'I wasn't scared… at all.' he said. 'That was all perfectly calculated.'
'Yeah, thanks to me!'
'That may be true, but it was my steering skills that prevented us from crashing. So, you know, I'll give myself a nice pat on the back.'
'Can I do it for you?'
'Umm, sure.' Ezreal sat up to allow Zoe to do so. Her hands were too small for the wholehearted pat that he had hoped for, but he appreciated it no less.
'Your shoulder is so broad.' she remarked.
'It happens when guys get older, in case you didn't know.'
'I meant it as a compliment!' Zoe said quickly. 'Could I sit on them, or have you give me a piggyback ride?'
Ezreal stood up. 'Not now. Maybe later, if I feel like it.'
'Awesome, awesome!'
Ezreal checked inside the cabin. It probably shouldn't have surprised him at this point, but there was no damage of any sort. Everything had survived the extreme journey across the ocean. The only question that remained was: how much further did they have to go? He walked down the side of the boat to the bow and looked straight ahead. The corners of his mouth stood up. There it was: the shoreline. From left to right, Ezreal saw the first signs of dry land, less than two hundred metres away. 'I've gotta hand it to you, Zoe. You've definitely done me a big favour in getting us here so quickly.' He shared his smile with her. 'Saved me from using up more food and even more boredom.'
'You're very welcome, my dreamboat.'
'Although I do have to ask, would it not have been easier to just create a portal to get us here even quicker?'
'You don't wanna know what it's like going through one.' Zoe laughed.
'Well I won't complain since this worked fine.' Ezreal turned on the engine to carry them the rest of the way to the shore. The boat gently pulled up over the sand, and Ezreal switched off the engine. He returned to the bow to gather a small idea of the environment that they were dealing with. 'Hmm, a sandy beach with a far-reaching jungle as far as the eye can see. This could be fun. Well, let's get ready to explore!' he declared enthusiastically. 'I'm gonna pack some stuff that we'll need for our first outing. Hope you don't mind carrying some of it for me.'
'Anything for you, Ezreal. Anything that will please you.'
'Great.' Ezreal went back into the cabin and pulled out a large hiking backpack from underneath the bed and went across the room, collecting supplies and equipment to stuff inside. The survival kit, first aid kit, dried food, bottled water, a hextech flare gun, a foldable shovel and the tent. He then pulled out a smaller backpack – intended for shorter walks – and packed this one with what wasn't as essential, but was still very useful: his journal, cartography paper and pens, a towel, a rope, a camera, a pair of binoculars, and a change of clothes for himself. Ezreal also took out a belt with a machete in a sheath and tied it around his waist, a white sun cap that he placed gently on his head and finally got out his gauntlet from its own private draw in the desk by the window.
'You know, I can always portal back here if we need anything else.' Zoe reminded him as she was given the smaller of the two backpacks. She put the straps over her shoulders; it was still quite big for her.
'True, and I'll keep that in mind, but to keep the feeling of exploration authentic, I'd rather not depend on it. You know, it's that intrepid explorer's mindset. Anyway. Got one last thing to do before we set off.'
'What is it?' Zoe questioned eagerly.
Without answering, Ezreal opened his journal, which he kept on the desk, flicked off the lid of a pen and began to write.
Ezreal's Field Notes
Here at last:
I've finally made it to the new world! This day will definitely be one for posterity, for many reasons, and this is before I've even started exploring. Never did I suspect that I would have the "luck" of being aided by an Aspect of Targon, and one who appears to have a crush on me no less. Must admit that I'm flattered.
She got me to the new world, which she has referred to as "Remnant", so much faster than I otherwise would have been able to, and she's offering to continue helping me, obviously with the best intentions. Her powers will definitely come in handy though, and I truly am grateful in that regard.
Still though, I can't fight the discomfort that I recall from kissing her. She may claim to be over a millennium in age, but a thousand-year-old child is still a child from my point of view.
I'll write more later when I have done some actual exploring. She's waiting for me to go, and she's definitely wondering what I've just written. I bet that's the first thing she'll ask.
-Ez
Ezreal placed the journal and pen into Zoe's bag.
'What were you writing about?' Zoe questioned.
'It's just a journal with some notes about my expeditions.' he replied truthfully as he put his gauntlet on. 'Now, let's get to exploring!'
The two of them exited the cabin and closed the door shut. Ezreal climbed down the ladder at the back of the boat. His feet made a satisfying crunch as he made contact with the sand. 'That's one small step for Ezreal, and many more to go!'
Zoe floated down and joined him.
'Looks like no one's around here. Should be okay to leave the boat where it is.' Ezreal determined as he looked in towards the jungle, and then back at the sea for any signs of society. 'Whoa, your speed up zone is still at sea.' Ezreal realised. He pointed at the pink, sparkly fog, which was just as thick as it had been when Zoe first conjured it.'
'Oh yeah. It'll stay there for a while if I don't get rid of it myself.' she explained offhandedly.
'Would it affect other boats going through it?'
'If anything else enters, they'll go zooming too, yes.'
'I see.'
'So, where do we go then?'
'You've never been to this part of Remnant before then, correct?'
'Never ever before.'
'Well, it doesn't look like there are any distinguishing features amidst these trees to decide for us. So let's just go straight on.'
They began walking forward towards the perimeter of the jungle. Ezreal much preferred going lightweight and not having a rucksack full of gear to slow him down, but he had no idea how far they were going to go before stopping, because there was no way of telling how big the jungle was, or if it was even safe to traverse. No doubt the possibility that there would be parts of Remnant that were uninhabited because they were too inhospitable. For most of his treks in Runeterra, he had some prior knowledge of what he was getting himself into, based on word of mouth from other people and a general understanding of how Runeterra's geography typically operated. Here though, Ezreal only had the foundations from Zoe, which didn't even appear to apply to this region. He had no idea if there were any indigenous animals, plants or pathogens that would be fatal to him. This was completely unchartered territory, with more potential risks than he had ever had to keep an eye out for at once.
In spite of this though and the immense scope of his quest, Ezreal's mettle did not waver. His passion for the thrills of exploration and the unknown heavily outweighed the reasons to be scared. Plus, he now had an extra pair of celestial hands to aid him. Caitlyn had told him to take care of himself and not "do anything awfully stupid." Well it wasn't like fun was mutually exclusive from safety.
Ezreal took a deep breath. 'Ready to go, Zoe?'
'If you're ready, then I'm ready.'
Together, they stepped into the jungle.
At last, Ezreal's New Challenge had truly begun.
'Rise and shine!' Swain yelled. 'The sun is up, time to get going!'
More like one third of the sun had broke free of the horizon. The Noxian fleet were collectively graceful and coordinated at getting up early in the morning. Two hours of extra sleep though from the longer days did help to alleviate the agony of waking up.
Just as Swain had ordered, breakfast was to start after they had started sailing. The last of the night watchers went back inside the ships, and fresh sets of hands were called to man the wheels and sails; all except for Erath. Swain went towards him. The boy was still sitting in the chair next to Talz' box. 'Your dedication to this mundanity is indeed exemplary.'
'I would hardly call it that, General Swain. There's a simple pleasure from befriending a beast like this.'
Swain nodded with approval. 'Just don't let fatigue get the better of you.'
'Of course.' Erath saluted.
Swain went to the ship's wheel to talk with the next person in the list to steer Ship No. 1. Gieffrey had been a fugitive from Bilgewater and had years of first-hand experience with sailing large ships. 'I'm entrusting you with this very important part of the conquest.' said Swain stringently. 'Once we've gone around Ionia, we'll be within entirely new waters. There's no telling how calm or violent they'll be, but Vacuo will be straight ahead, and I know that you are one of the few people aboard this ship whom I trust to handle such a responsibility.'
'I won't let you down, General Swain.' Gieffrey saluted.
'Let your nautical prowess fulfil that statement.'
The Noxians' efficiency let them weigh all ten anchors in just over twenty minutes, and the sun had barely moved visibly in that time - Swain was very impressed with them all, especially those who were taking charge of the rest of the ships. In a perfect world, he would have preferred to oversee all of them at once, therefore he was glad that the other nine were doing his job so brilliantly.
Swain suspected that some of the Ionian residents would soon be emerging from their homes to give their due reverence to the land and the spirits. His understanding of Ionian culture, folklore and "truths" were limited, but the time that he had spent researching the continent gave him a fair idea of what some of their daily practices and activities involved. With any luck, they would remain out of sight, even if they were going to be sailing so close to Ionia's coastlines.
The quickest way get past Ionia was actually to sail in the sea's crevice between the main northern landmass and its neighbouring southern island. However this was far from the most pragmatic option. Going through the narrow space would be difficult with ships as large as those, and they would surely be spotted. Unlike Fae'lore, and the outskirts of Wel'he and Wuju, they would be truly encroaching in Ionian waters, with ten very conspicuous ships. There was no other choice. They had to go the long way around.
Throughout the day that they spent following the edge of Ionia, Swain was constantly analysing the land. Realistically there was not much they could do if anyone saw them. The best they could hope for was to sail on before any action was taken. It still felt better to be observant than complacent though, and he was so relieved when they finally sailed past the southern tip of Ionia: Sudaro. Swain went below deck and ate a bowl of carrot and broccoli soup before he retook his position by the bow and gazed out at the ocean before them. It was the evening again. Vacuo was a straight line away from them, and all that was left to be determined was how much further or longer they had to travel.
Swain had only done it once more since he had first seen a glimpse of Vacuo through his demonic eye: when they were closing in on their first night at sea, but he had uncovered nothing new. Now that he was even closer, it was an ideal time to refresh.
He closed his eyes and summoned his Vision of Empire far out in the east. 'It's night-time. A few people walking around in shorts and t-shirts – summer clothes. And another building, situated at the centre of this settlement. It seems a bit more archaic than what I saw before, but there are lights shining through a lot of the windows. Ahh, but what's this?'
Swain fixated on the words on the sign outside the building. "Shade Academy." he said out loud. 'Interesting. I wonder what discipline is taught there.'
'General Swain, what should we do?!' Erath's voice called out.
Swain snapped his demonic eye shut and reopened his normal ones. 'What is it?' he turned around to ask.
'What do we do about that pink mist straight ahead of us?'
'A pink mist?' Swain looked back at the sea, confused about what he was referring to. But sure enough, a huge fog of what looked like pink dust hung before them and it extended from both north to south with no end.
'Gieffrey is asking how to get past it.' Erath went on. 'Is it safe to go through?'
As they sailed closer towards it, Swain was able to give it a closer inspection. It was very thick, and aside from the unnatural colour, it also sparkled heavily.
Swain could have ordered for all the ships to stop, but he did not want to spend any more time waiting about. Pink also wasn't the most threatening colour around. 'Sail through it.' he answered. 'We're not turning back now just because of some mist. Tell Gieffrey to proceed normally as if nothing is there.'
'Understood, General Swain.' Erath saluted.
Swain detected the uncertainty in the tone of his voice. The first time Erath's had any sort of dubiousness. It was understandable at least. Unknown waters could mean a lot of weird phenomena, including this. Although it didn't look very natural, but rather celestial in its aesthetic and shape, almost like a hedge that had been precisely trimmed. Swain could tell from where he stood that its height did not quite reach the top of their ship's mast. He quickly made his way to Gieffrey and the back of the ship. 'Have no fear.' Swain said to him, and Gieffrey nodded. Swain then shouted for the attention of the ships behind him. 'We're sailing through that pink fog up ahead! Do not turn around! Do you understand?!'
'Got it, General!' replied the voice of a male recruit.
'Relay this order back to every ship! Retreat is not an option!'
The tip of the bow pierced through the mist and nothing happened. But the moment the whole ship was inside, it immediately began to speed up. Swain quickly held onto the gunwale to stop himself from falling over. It kept going faster and faster, and he could fear the confused murmuring and cries from the decks below. He looked behind him to see the rest of the ships also entering the fog and speeding up. There had been way to tell from the outside that they had began to go really fast once they were inside, and they had all gone in on Swain's orders. Had he sent them all to their deaths?! 'I definitely did not expect this to happen of all things!'
How had the ships not fallen apart yet? There was no way that they could hold out against such immense speeds that they were never intended to deal with.
Swain looked at Gieffrey. His gaze was transfixed on the mist in front of them and he had his grip so firmly on the wheel that the veins in his hands and arms were bulging. 'Keep her in a straight line, whatever you do!' Swain ordered.
'Yes, General...!' he managed to respond with.
Even though he had to shout to get his word across over the noise of the wind, it occurred to him that he wasn't feeling any actual wind pushing against his face, or even the sails of the ship for that matter. Swain cautiously let go of the gunwale. 'Strange, it feels as if I'm standing still on the balcony of my fortress in Noxus, yet we are clearly travelling extremely fast…' He then took a few steps forward to see what would happen. Nothing still. Regaining confidence in the situation, he moved to Erath, who was sitting back in his chair by Talz's cage and was clutching it tightly. 'It's safe to move!'
Erath looked astonished. 'Really?! But, how are you…?!'
'Don't be afraid and just stand!'
Gingerly Erath did as he was advised. 'Wow, you're right!'
'Good! Now go below deck and inform everyone that everything is under control.'
'Yes, General!'
Around two minutes later, Erath returned up the ladder. 'They seem alright! In fact, pretty much everything does! No crates or dishes have toppled over or anything like that!'
'Looks like we're safe for the time being then! This mist might be our ticket to get to Vacuo much sooner than expected!'
'Hooray for that then!'
'Keep an eye on your drake-hound though! Make sure he doesn't go crazy because of this!'
'Absolutely, General!' Erath went to Talz and patted him gently on his head.
Swain directed his attention to the giant metal container that was tied around the mast. The two siblings, who were watching over it, were huddled on the floor together. 'It is safe to stand and walk!'
The two of them looked up at Swain. 'Oh, okay! That's good to know.' said the brother almost out of hysterical disbelief.
'Yeah, I thought we were doomed!' his sister remarked.
'Stay strong! At this rate, we'll be arriving in Vacuo in no time! I don't know what's causing this, but it might be a blessing in disguise!'
Swain stared at the iron container. In his mind, he grimaced at it. Retreating had never been an option in Swain's mind, and now it was quite literally not possible to do so now. He hoped to goodness therefore that their extreme speed was not upsetting the contents of what was inside.
