Chapter 7

Welcome to Piltover, This is a Mugging

The air smelled worse than death, it was oblivion, every breath he took was fire in his lungs, the ground beneath his feet gave way with every step in a slosh of mud and blood. The earth had been turned over in ground, stone and root scattered and entangled in the dead that lay at his feet. There were thousands of them, more than thousands in every direction there were dead soldiers, mages, men and women, beasts unlike anything Zachariah had ever seen. In the distance there was a chorus of explosions, gazing to the west there was an entire city on fire. A dragon soared out of the columns of black smoke covered in armor and spikes, a mage riding it.

Zachariah leaned on his staff and the wood was different. Instead of the old faded chipped wood, it was freshly polished. Like it had been carved right out of the tree, a long bright purple cloth was woven around the staff. He followed the staff down to look down at his arm, that wasn't Zachariah's arm?

There was a red coat with an armored gauntlet around his first, chainmail clinked with every breath he took and around his finger was his grandpa's ring.

"GRANDPA!" Zachriah shouted.

He shot up from where he lay looking around, he was inside some sort of hut or wood branch tent. It was dark but a small fire lit from a lantern hanging in the corner showed him what he was in. It was a tent shape made of branches and sticks, sitting up he saw he was stripped naked and all the coats, cloaks and the two headed merk wolf as a blanket. His bag of books was at his feet and the staff lay beside him. He reached up to his chest and felt Grandpa's wring still around his neck, breathing a sigh of relief he still had it he sat up looking for his pants.

Why did he keep waking up without pants?

By the time he had found a pair of clothes, the reddish brown trousers he'd taken from Noxus were tucked into his dark green button down shirt, suspenders up he couldn't find his boots. Seeing a small sliver of light come from the shanty hut entrance he crawled toward it hearing the sound of rushing water and when he opened it he was met with something he never thought he'd see again. The Sun. Warm daylight washed over his face. He had almost forgotten what sunlight felt like on his face. He'd been so cold, that's when it all came flooding back to him, the mountain top, the storm, the dragon he created out of fire, but it was unlike any fire he'd ever conjured. Looking around he saw the sound of rushing water was a frozen waterfall in the distance falling into a pool of glacier covered water, falling out of the frozen fangs. His eyes followed the tower of ice that covered the waterfall up and saw the Great Barrier mountains, their peaks hidden under thick gray clouds cloaked in white snow. Turning his gaze in reverse he saw the water an icey blue, half submerged ice packing up against one another as they traveled downstream. The snow at the river edge was rounded around the water not yet entirely frozen and sitting at the edge was a familiar yordle.

"Teemo?" Zachariah gasped seeing the scout, he spun around holding a fishing rod pulling out a fish frozen strait like a popsicle, a fishsicle.

The yordle smiled as he took the fish off the hook and tossed it into a pile of fish that landed with a clak. They were all frozen. "You're awake, and you're not wearing pants?"

Zachariah looked down to see that was still true as ever. "Where are my pants- how'd I get here, why are you here?" he asked.

Teemo's slanted eyes looked ascounced and he gaped with a long "Uhhh, well they were frozen to you so i took them off, I dragged you here off the mountain and my second answer also answers the third, I think?" Teemo said.

After the great mystery of where Zachariah's pants were, he and Teemo were sitting by a fire the scout had made to defrost and cook the fish, Zachariah had also found his purple murk wolf hide like a blanket. While Teemo just has a hand knitted scarf around his fur neck, he descaled the fish and held them over the fire on a stick "You were almost dead when we found you, but that was some show you put on."

"Show?" Zachariah asked him.

Teemo nodded "Probably saw it for miles around that big a fire, in the shape of a dragon too, I haven't ever seen anything like it."

Zachariah looked over at the staff leaned up against the shack, "Where there… others?" Zachairah asked, wondering about the Magehunters. "Yeah those guys in the weird masks?"

Wondering at what Teemo said, the bloodthirsty maniacs who hate magic, can get past the greatest military force in Runeterra, chase you through woods, mountains, and a snow storm with guns, knives, and probably every other way to killing known to man or yordle, those guys "... yeah, the guys in the weird masks."

"I saw them, but we lost them in the storm and let me tell you I've seen storms, that was a nasty one." Teemo said wagging the stick at him, and being careful not to bring up Ruul.

The young mage rubbed his hands "What about the minotaurs and Alistar?"

Letting out a long sigh Teemo frowned "Alistar's agreed to peace talks, with any luck he and the Noxians aren't going to be fighting anymore." Zachariah let out a small sigh of relief at least then he wouldn't have to worry about Darius or Draven for a while. Between the storm, the magehuntes and the crazy axe twins, what else could try to kill him today. Zachariah thought about this as he reached for the fish, seeing it had about a dozen razor sharp teeth, he gulped suddenly losing his appetite. Zachariah looked at the flames, small black plumes of smoke rising up against the cold wind, the thick clouds above were split in patches as sunlight seeped in. Zachariah wasn't sure what day it was but he knew that by now Hamlet had already stored up all the food for the winter in the town grainery, the shipment of salt that had been lying in storage since fall was already sprinkled across the town square. The Wesely's were all working on their winter job and the Dancing Boar was as alive as ever with people wanting nothing more to wait out the winter with warm ale and good company. Even if it was morning, ale sounded great right now, if they had any left after the harvest festival before. Zachariah's mind went back to Jill, she probably had every boy in the village asking for a dance and all her brothers kicking their arses for even asking.

"Are you still heading to Piltover, Zachariah?" Teemo asked him, breaking his train of thought.

The boy reached up and squeezed his necklace holding Grandpa's ring, "I am, my Grandpa wanted me to go to Piltover, and with these magehunters after me I can either hide in the city or meet whoever this Vander." he reached for his bag that was next to him and pulled put the opened letter, the wax seal crumbling away after the Noxians had read it.

"A letter?" Teemo asked.

He nodded back "For this Vander, when I was captured by the Noxians, their Commander Cyrus read it."

"And have you, since it's been opened?" Teemo asked.

Shaking his head "Letters not for me." Zachariah said looking at it, he'd been tempted a few times to look but it's wrong to look through someone else's mail, at least he thought so. It's like opening a gift that doesn't have your name on it or eating the last piece of apple pie after you had one.

Teemo started to roast another fish "Want me to reseal it?"

"You can do that?" Teemo nodded happily pulling out his own pack and taking out a a small blue candle and set of tongs, with a small spoon. Zachariah handed the yordle the letter, taking it in his small mitten covered hands Teemo laid the letter down on a rock before he held the candle in the tongs over the fire above the spoon. Hot wax melted off the blue candle and into the spoon. Even with such tiny hands Zachariah saw Teemo were steady as a surgeon before he poured the blue wax over the red mixing with it and looked at Zachairah?

A quarter of a second the boy didn't know what Teemo wanted, then he remembered the ring was used to seal the letter "Oh right." Zachariah said, taking the dragon ring off quickly and handing it to Teemo who pressed it into the wax. In a few seconds it was dry, the dragon sigil embedded in the wax while Teemo blew on it before he gave it back to Zachariah.

"Thanks Teemo, you know I'm glad at least not everyone I've met on the road has tried to kill me." Zachariah half laughed before he shivered "Damn I was hoping to get over the mountain before Winter, are any passes that could be blocked?" he asked Teemo.

Teemo shrugged "We got through those last night, Piltover is only a day's walk away now."

"You know how to get there, I lost my map I think?" Zachariah said, looking through his pack.

"This river flows all the way down the mountains, so the salmon here swim up it to lay their eggs." he said pointing to the fish.

Zachariah finally pushed enough from the smell of the roasted meat bite into the fish with such vigor it was like he hadn't eaten in days, "Hmmm you're pretty well traveled aren't you Teemo?"

"All scouts of the wild should be, but why would your Grandpa want you to go to Piltover I wonder?" Teemo said, munching on his own fish.

Confused Zachairah wiped his mouth "What's wrong with Piltover, it's just a city?"

Teemo leaned his head to the side "Just a city, Piltover not just a city it's THE city." Teemo started to explain "Ships from across the world sail into its sea gates, carrying just about everything, and you can do anything you want too, people from Ionia to Demacia go there to learn at their academy, invent new things."

Zachariahs eyes were wide with wonder and awe just thinking about the bundle of light he had seen at the mountain peak "And they have… hotels there?" Zachairah asked.

The scout giggled "Yes they do, but they may not let you stay."

The smile jumped to a frown "What do you mean, I still have some coin?"

"Coins is fine in fact I think there isn't a city in the world that doesn't appreciate it more than Piltover, it's mages they can't stand."

Zachariah thought he heard a shift of snow fall off one of the trees hearing that "Can't stand mages, why?"

He didn't get an answer right away, in fact maybe a whole minute of silence passed before Teemo actually looked at Zachariah in the eye, the small seems where Teemo's eyes were partially opened in "The Rune Wars."

"What about them, that was hundreds of years ago?" Zachariah asked still confused.

So Teemo continued "Sorry I sometimes forget we Yordles live so long, Piltover, like Demacia and a few other places were founded after the Rune Wars, Demacia is hostile toward Mages, they may even be funding those Magehunters."

"I've heard stories about what happens to Mages in Demacia, Grandpa said he visited it long ago before had to flee, are you saying Piltover is like that?" Zachariah inquired.

"Who can say, I keep to the wilds mostly Pitlover may not enslave mages or conscript them like Noxus, but I do know they don't trust it, you may not find the warm welcome your looking for in Piltover." Teemo said back to him. Zachariah looked over at the staff, the large rune crystal at the top faintly glowing, the second he arrived, anyone with the slightest inkling of knowledge about magic would know what he was.

Zachariah rubbed his hands together "It's not like I can change who or what I am, I barely even use my own magic I'm sure I won't be noticed."

"Just thought you should know." Teemo finished off his fish.

Wiping the bits of fish out of his fur, Teemo wiped his mittens standing "Time I was on my way, follow this river south till you get to the shoreline, keep walking south and… Pitlover." Teemo said.

"Shoreline…. You mean the sea?" Zachariah said in awe.

"You've never seen the sea?" Teemo asked him.

Zachariah shook his head "I'd never left home until my Grandpa died."

Teemo smiled at him "It's a big world, Zachariah good luck." Teemo said waving before the small furry friend started to walk away, Zachariah jumped to his feet.

"Wait." He called out.

Stopping the scout turned his sock capped head back around "I won't forget this, you… saving my life, I swear I'll pay it back one day Teemo."

"I know you will." Teemo said before trudging off into the snow leaving Zachariah alone.

Zachariah spent the rest of the morning sorting through what remained of his supplies, in the mad rush to escape the Magehunters he had only managed to grab his books, his coin purse and a handful of clothes, one extra sock, the noxian trousers, now torn down the left seam. He still had his minotaur parka and winter trousers, but other than that he was running low on just about everything. He didn't even have the knife or any of the cooking utensils he'd stolen from the Noxian camp they belonged to the mountain now. Realizing he didn't have a choice he had to make it to Piltover or he'd starf. With winter on Valoran every animal would be in hibernation. Those who wouldn't would hear him coming a mile away because of the snow and most of the wood in the trees had to be too cold to make a bow.

He got dressed in his thick parka, winter trousers, boots and scarf, he pulled the Murkwolf hide over his shoulders and so it wouldn't drag in the snow, he wrapped it around his waist in a sash. Pulling the main wolf head over his head to shield his eyes from the sun he picked up the staff he looked at the runestone at the top, the crystal still glowing faintly blue. Maybe Teemo was onto something about Mages. Everywhere he'd gone when people found out he was a mage they considered him a threat. Not taking any chances Zachariah grabbed the red trousers and tore them into strips. Wrapping up the staff from the middle, till he completely mummified the orb at the top, he thought it looked satisfying enough to pass as any simple walking stick. "Alright, Piltover her we come." Zachariah said before he looked at the position of the sun. Turning southward he started to walk, to Piltover.

Within an hour the ground had started to level out from a steep descent, into a thick forest, the snow was lower here, easy for him to pass through. He came across a stone covered bridge with rays of light leaking between the trees. It reminded him of the greenwood outside of Hamlet. The forest felt like it went on forever following the sun as best as he could climbing up the trees. Whenever he lost it he had to slide back down and figure out which way was south. He hadn't even made it out when the sun started to go down, not looking forward to another cold night Zachariah spent the rest of the afternoon making a shelter similar to the one Teemo had made for him. Without his knife, Zachariah had to use a stone which took even longer till he managed to make a small hut laid up against a large rock. When he woke up the next day he was snowed into his hut. He had to punch his way out before he continued on the following morning.

By midday the air had changed, it wasn't frozen bark and dead leaves, no, the air smelled like salt, the air was thick with it and besides a salt mine the only thing that made that stench from what he'd heard, was the sea. Zachariah followed his nose further south pushing through thick bushes and under low branches till he came out of the woods to see blinding white hills leading down to the bluest thing he'd ever seen.

The Ocean.

Zachariah looked to his left and then to his right and as far as the eye could see, there was the ocean blue as the sky and capped with white heads crashing waves down onto a sandy beach. Frozen foam blew across the beachfront. Wading knee deep across the snow he felt dormant grass crunch under his boots and matted snow over one hill then another till coming across a low stone wall. Zachariah saw a parallel one a toss across the other one it was road.

He never thought he'd be so happy to see one in his life, hopping the stone wall he followed it's most southern route and started to feel like things were looking up much like in the hot spring. Humming to himself, another song popped out of his memory, one he'd heard at the Dancing Boar by two minstrels who'd stopped in Hamlet before moving on. He would sneak out every night to go listen to them singing about winter ending and the coming of spring and how the spring and summer months were all like a lovely woman.

"Aaaaaaaaaapril, come she will

When streams are ripe and swelled with rain

May, she will stay

Resting in my arms again"

He laid his staff across his shoulder and draped his other arm over it so he could dance a bit to the song, kicking up some snow.

"June, she'll change her tune

In restless walks, she'll prowl the night

July, she will fly

And give no warning to her flight"

Humming the melody he thought of the warm sunny days that would come after this winter chill, but even then those wouldn't last. Hopping onto one of the stone walls he walked across it sining.

"August, die she must

The autumn winds blow chilly and cold

September, I'll remember

A love once new has now grown old"

"Aaaaaaaaaapril, come she will

When streams are ripe and swelled with rain

May, she will stay

Resting in my arms again"

"June, she'll change her tune

In restless walks, she'll prowl the night

July, she will fly

And give no warning to her flight"

"August, die she must

The autumn winds blow chilly and cold

September, I'll remember

A love once new has now grown oooooooold"

Looking up at the passing clouds he wasn't watching where he was going and stepped on a frozen slick rock and slipped landing in the snow before he sat up laughing at himself. Nothing like a song to lift the spirits and…

There it was…

Zachariah could see it, gleaming in the sunlight with gold capped roofs and a skyline with a great palace at its peak, airships flew in and out of the city like birds. It was breathtaking, and he'd finally made it. It took him an hour to make it the rest of the way and as he approached the city he could see carts on the road, drawn by oxen or horses. Boats on the sea side docks more buildings than he'd ever seen in his entire life and deeper in. He began to fall into a crowd of people all dressed in thick winter clothing, minotaurs among them, a yordle or two. Then people he'd never seen looked like animals, others were tall and their bodies hidden behind white masks.

He could see a white stone gate that people were lined up in, in carts, on horseback, or on foot like. Zachariah looked around his face covered by his scarf and walked ahead to a nearby cart where a fat man sat with barres behind him. "Excuse me sir, why is there a line?" he asked.

The man looked down "For the toll you dumbass?"

"...Toll?" Zachariah asked.

Later, Zachariah had found out just what a toll was when he finally passed through the city gate. "A toll, just to walk into town?" Zachairah muttered under his breath, he pulled his cap down over his head as he trudged across the salt laden cobbled street. At least the guard didn't ask to see what was under the strips of cloth he'd tied over his staff to hide the runestone. Now it just looked like any other walking stick. Too bad he didn't realize how he didn't look like any other pedestrian walking the streets of the outer city. Among the Piltovians they were all dressed in warm winter apparel men dressed in thick silk stitched peacoats with fur lined hats. Women the same with the hides of animals around their necks and the finest scarves he'd ever seen. Even the children were dressed in nice clothing as they played in the snow pilled up on the street corners, they only stopped when they saw the only person on the street wearing a literal animal skin over his shoulders. When Zachairah finally caught a look of himself in a glass window he stopped, unable to recognize himself, the murk wolf hide's draped over his shoulders and wrapped around his back and waist with purple fur was sprinkled with light dust of snow, one head on his right shoulder the other pulled over his own as a hood, the ears giving him something of a fiercesome or stupid look he wasn't sure. The minotaur parka the wild pattens of mountain life had been tested to their limit by the storm, even his leather trousers had holes in them. Even weirder still the layers of leather, fur and cloth made him look bigger then he actually was or had he finally started to hit the long fabled growth spurt all boys wanted.

Zachariah reached out to touch the glass when he heard the door next to it open "Hey you!" A man with blonde hair and mutton chops popped out of the store in an apron with spetacles appeared.

"Me?" Zachairah asked.

"Get away from my store you git!" He snapped.

The raised voices drew the eyes of passerbyers who were already starring at the stranger in purple, "Uh sorry, I didn't mean to-" "I don't care what you didn't or did mean freak, get out of here before you sare my customers off or I'l lall the Wardens." Zachariah felt everyone watching him and he raised his hand.

Unsure of what Wardens were, Zachariah had no intention of finding out. "I'm sorry— I'll be on my way." Zachariah said backing up not wanting to cause a scene.

Turning his heels on his boots he walked away his staff claking on the cold stone as he walked deepr into Piltover. It really wasn't like anything he'd ever seen, all the houses looked so clean and modern. There wasn't a single one with straw for a roof or made of piled stone, laid with clay instead they had flat shingles or metal and the walls were solid brick painted white, blue, some even brighter colors which Zachariah couldn't tell if it was yellow or orange. The further in he went the grander the buildings became even the streets. Metal tubes came in and out of the ground up the building walls hot steam spewing out their vents. Machines which Zachariah couldn't even begin to guess what for were everywhere some were moving across the street on their own without any horses to draw them. One almost ran him over when he wasn't paying attetnion another one was shaped like a globe spinning on top of a building. Up above there were airships, actual airships he'd heard onlys stories about. Zachariah couldn't actually belive they were reeal, suddenly he saw one of the horseless carriages driving right at him the driver a man in a top hat with goggles shouting "Move!" Jumping out of the way Zachariah used his staff to steady himself looking back down at streetlevel everyone seemed to be either in some sort of hurry or a steady pace to not look like they were in a hurry.

Moving on Zachariah wasn't even sure where to start to find out who or where this Vander was? He reached back around his pack under the murk wolf hide and felt the books inside, and the letter they were really all he had left after his mad dash from the hot spring cave. What he wouldn't give to have a bath right now, but could he even afford one he wondered? Zachariah walked down another street keeping to the edges like he noticed everyone else seemed to do, the grounde was uneven for some reason. The main road appeared to be for carriages, carts and even on one large one Zachariah starred speechless at a long box on a track be dragged along by cables. As he stood entranced by the city of progress a small gaggle of hooligans with mismatched hair who just spotted an easy mark.

"How… with no magic?" Zachariah asked under his breath leaning over the street corner to look at the rails, he squated down reaching for the metal bars made of some sort of bronze or copper before he felt a bolt of energy jump out of the metal and bit him.

Zachariah jumped back before he heard a chorus of laughter, and looked up to see a pack of children starring at him from the corner of an alleway. They two girls, two boys all smirking at him, Zachariah stood up slowly slightly embrassed at how he had to look.

"Not from around here are you?" The leader he assumed said, she lookedl like she was Zachariahs age, wearing a sock cap over deep pink hair. She was dressed in layers of mismatched and patched up clothes, a striped scarf that was torn at the end. Her leather jacket was brown, also torn and stitched up in a dozen places. The trousers she wore… wait… Zachariah had never seen a girl in trouses let alone with pink hair?

The others were dressed in similar fashion, unlike most of the people he'd seen on the street all dressed in a finner cloth or fashion. These kids were dressed like they'd just thrown on whatever they could find, the two boys behind the girl both had slivers of brown hair coming out from under their hats. One a large boy with light skin like all of them wore fogged up goggles wore a winter hat that had a puff on the top and two strings at the side so one could tie it around their neck, he had a puffy coat on that made him only look bigger Some sort of sweater with moth ridden holes was over his belly and he had patchwork pants tucked into wrapped up boots.

Next to him, the only other boy was brown haired same complexion but totally opposite he was slender, narrow faced like a rat wearing an ushanka cap that had some sort of stain on teh top, the fleece linning falling off around his ears. Wearing an raggedy coat, with it tied around his waist, mismatched boots stuffed with cloth around the edge to keep snow out.

Lastly was the youngest and smallest of the four, a girl with hair bluer then the sky and eyes like saphires, freckle faced wearing a scarf like the older girl Her blue hair was matted down by a hand stitched wool hat and her oversized jacket went down to her stripped stockings and ugly boots.

"Helloooooo new guy, you all there?" The older girl asked.

"Hahaha don't think he speaks Vi." The rat faced boy said showing off a set of teeth to match a rat face.

The girl named Vi looked back hands in her coat pockets, "Now you know about making assumptions Mylo, makes an ass at of you well anymore then you already are?"

The little girl giggled "Shut up Powder." The boy called Mylo snapped at the girl named Powder. Zachairah hadn't heard a girl laugh in so long he didn't notice the large boy moving around him from the side.

"Well stranger, is Mylo an ass?" Vi asked smirking.

"Almost forgot what that sounded like." Zachariah said.

The four kids gave him puzzled looks "huh?" Vi asked.

"A girls laugh?" He said looking at Powder.

Vi gave a "pfft… hahaha well guess you're a double ass Mylo."

"Grrr screw you Vi. Mylo hissed at her folding his arms against his chest before she looked back at Zachariah, seeing the green eyes hidden under the parka and murk wolf hide "So stranger, you just blow in from wherever you're from?"

Zachariah felt himself smiling at her, she seemed to radiant some warmth about her "Just arrived, I'm actually looking for someone here in the city, at least I think he's here?"

Vi chewed her lower lip "Well your in luck, we know the city like the back of our hands." She said taking her hands out of her pockets Zachariah could see she wore fingerless gloves and udner them her hands were wrapped up from the tip of her fingers to her forearms.

"We can show you around." The younger girl said her voice was high, soft and eager like she was waiting for him to say yes.

Zachariah felt a rush of relief "Wow, really I'm pretty low on coin, but I'll give you what I can."

"Oh I'm sure you will, but let me be the first to say Welcome to Piltover, right Clagger?" Vi said looking behind Zachariah, who turned around seeing a fat mitten covered fist heading right for his face.

Zachariah felt someone shaking him "Hey wake up bum."

His eyes peeped open and he blinked seeing a mustached face looking right at him, the man was dressed in a blue uniform of some kind. HIs mustache was lightly trimmed, black like his hair and eyes. While narrow they were like two sharp spears pointed at him. He grabbed Zachariah's by the scruff of his parka head was throbbing worse then when he drank to much with George. But his nose didn't hurt as much that time or the rest of his face "owwww." Zachariah grabbed his scarf feeling the swolllen and bruised parts of his face, but keeping his face hidden.

Zachariah shook his head, looking at him he saw another man across the street dressed in a similar uniform, he wore a high top constable hat lined with gold like the rest of his blue uniform. Zachariah still in a daze didn't take time to notice he felt suddenly lighter and reached around his back "Don't try it!" The guardsman snapped grabbing his wrist.

"My bag- my bags gone." Zachariah said looking around for it. The guard suddenly turned him loose.

Groaning he scratched the underside of his helemt "Mrrr mugging huh, thats what you get for sticking to close to the alley talking to gutter trash."

"Gutter trash?" Zachairah asked unfamilar with the term.

The Guard dropped his arms "Ugh outsiders, I should have guesed who else would dress like… sniff sniff." The guard backed up "Smell like that." Zachariah looked in every direction for his pack, his staff but it was gone too. He hadn't been in the city a full day and he'd already been robbed.

"Those fox facet tossers!" Zachariah shouted checking for his coin purse, no that was gone too and so was…

No…

No, no, no, he thought reaching underh is parka he couldn't feel the string or the golden ring it held. His grandfathers ring was gone too "Noooooooo." He moaned "They took it, they took it."

"Whoa, whoa slow down they took what, your money?" The guard asked, knitting his thick brows.

Zachariah looked up at him "No, screw the money they took his ring, have to find them have to-" Zachariah was about to run off before he felt the guard pull him back with one strong white gloved tug."Your not going anywhere until I get some answers drifter." The guard said standing him up and pushing Zachariah up the wall "Who are you, why are you in Piltover your obviously not from here?"the guard interrogated reaching to pull back his cloaks hood.

The sudden push against the rock and barrage of questions pushed Zachariah in way he hadn't felt before, he'd been trying to get to Piltover for so long now and in less then an hour of entering it he'd been shouted at, robbed and now interrogated for being a victim of the crime, needless to say, he was getting ticked off "I didn't do anything wrong?" Zachariah asked heated as the guard snarled his mustached lip at him.

"Loitering, vagrancy, disturbing the peace and by the smell of you public indecency?" The guard said listing off charge after charge.

Zachariah gawked as if this was all some sort of joke "What, I was robbed and I'm in trouble?" Zachariah asked him squirming in is grip.

"Stop resisiting." The Guard said slamming him against the wall again with the full force of the mans strength. On instinct Zachariah felt the same knot in his stomach the day he met his first Magehunter, the day he first killed someone and this guard was pushing him in all the right places.

"Let…" Zachariah started to say his anger rising "Me…" he looked the guard right in the eye blue flickers of magic glowing behind his iris's, burning sensation running up and down his body "Go…" the guard looked at Zachariahs eyes seeingthe light from them. Zachariah felt something smoking nearby and the guard smelt it to looking down he saw Zachariahs right hand had summoned a ball of magical fire.

The Guard snapped back and shouted "MAGE!" Fumbling inside his coat the guardsman pulled out a whistle and blew it, the high pitched ear shattering tune of the whistle echoed down the street corners and seconds later a chorus of more whistles echoed followed by any of the same blue and gold dressed guardsmen appearing around corners and suddenly surrounding him. Zachariah looked down at the flames in his hand, he hadn't even drawn any ruins, thought of anything hot, the flames they just appeared.

"Gett any enforcer units in the area here now." The Guard who'd been harassing him barked at his men.

"Yes Captain Marcus." One said blowing his whistle.

Zachariah rememembred what the store owner who had yelled at him said, something about enforcers, he had to show them he wasn't a threat. Zachairah tried to calm down but the shouting of guards with their billy club and one even reaching for his pistol made Zachairah start to panic "Whoa, whoa, whoa I didn't do anything lads." Zachariah dug his hand into the nearby snow to douse the flames a hiss of steam spouting from the frozen powder.

"Threatening an officero f the law, practicing magic in piltover without a liscence, endangering the public that enough wrong for you mage." Captain Grayson said holding up a pistol pointed right at him "Hands where I can see them."

Zachariah didn't want to get shot again so he slowly held up his hands in compliance, the magical flames had burnt a set of holes in the palm of his mitten "Okay…. Okay… see them, see my hands." Zachariah said waving them jokingly trying to ease the tension.

"He's casting a spell!" Evidently trying to joke with already panicaing cops was a bad idea.

BLAM

One of the guareds let loose with his pistol and Zachariah felt the bullet whiz past his head and richoet off the stone wall behind him, dropping to the side Zachariah grabbed the side of his head to see if he'd been hit again, no, he was okay "Cease fire!" Captain Marcus shouted at his men "We'll wait for the Enforcers to arrive, Mage hands behind your head." With one shot off already Zachariah's heart was pounding, for once he actually wished he had his staff right about now any magic he tried to use would surely get him riddled with holes, but he couldn't get arrested without doing anything wrong, but these guards were just trying to do their job. He couldn't hurt them even if he wanted to, thats when out of the corner of his eye he saw a small gust of wind pick up the snow in a powdery cloud, there may be a way out of this yet he thought.

Zachariah raised his hands behind his head "Cuff him." Captain Marcus ordered as two guards approached him, one with handcuffs shaped like gears the other holding a pistol all while they did this Zachariah moved his fingers behind hish ead to draw a simple set of runes for an effective wind spell. Remembering the feeling of the wind swept days in Hamlet when the fields of wheat and grass moved like the tides on a river, trees dancing among the gusts of music and rolling clouds a monsoon of wind flodded the street side sweeping up all the snow off the sidewalk and street into a thick cloud blinding them all.

Without hesitating the guards started to pull their triggers "Hold your fire, we'll shoot our own men!" Captain Marcus shouted at his fellow guards as the dust started to settle and Zachariah was gone.

Captain Marcus let out long growl of frustratin "Find him, find him!" All while shouting, Zachariah was already running down the narrow alleways in Piltover taking so many turns left and right he wasn't sure where he was going. But the further he got away from that unhinged Captain the better.

By the time he was out of breath he was leaning on a brick wall around trash cans trying to recover from his flight. He could hear whistles in the distance as he peeped around some corners hoping the coast was clear, but he knew he wouldn't exactly blend in dressed like the mountain man he looked like. Slumping up against the wall feeling so stupid for letting his anger get the best of him. He didn't even hesitate to use magic for violence now, what was wrong with him he could have killed the man if he hadn't regained control. Gods above he couldn't remember the last time he actually sat down and practiced his magic, but how could he now without his books. He didn't even care about the books now, or the staff, he just wanted his Grandpa's ring back.

That fox faced lass, he should have known better when he finds her, Zachariah was going to "Man that was the easiest score we've had all month." A rat like voice said from around the alley corner said.

Zachariah remembered that voice "Did you hear him, 'almost forgot what a girls laugh sounded like' nice work Powder." And a fox's voice too.

Saying a silent thank you to the gods of luck, Zachariah got to his feet following the voices peeking around the alley, he saw the small pack of hoodlums who'd mugged him sitting in the middle of a crossroads of alleway going through his things. Their leader, the bitch Vi was yanking stuff out of his bag tossing it to the fat one and the little girl all while the one named Mylo was leaning the staff on his boney shoulders. "Ah here we are." Vi said pulling out the coin purse from the bag, she opened it up and poured out the remaining coins all four of them.

"Four gold coins, some smelly clothes and dusty books?" Mylo sneered "Thats it?"

Vi rolled her eyes as she flipped the coins to each of them "Better then nothing, besides I'm sure we can fence these crummy books to someone, Benzo maybe." Vi said gathering up the books and clothes into the bag.

She looke to Clagger, the fat one "What do you say Clagger?" Vi asked.

He was already switching out his snow cap for Zachariah's greenish gray one, before he gave a soft nod, not much a talker apparently.

"And hey Mylo, at least you got another stick for your hole." She said over to him.

"For my wh- oh har har." Mylo rolled his eyes when he saw Vi reach into her pocket and pull out the real prize.

All the kids looked at it as the light caught the golden surface of the ring "But this, this I think I'm going to keep for myself." Vi said looking at the ring, she held up her finger and started to get ready to— she woudln't dare.

"Hand it over." Zachariah pratically jumped out from behind cover when she was about to wear the ring. Mylo let out a yelp dropping the staff and picking it back up weilding it like a club, the little girl Powder dropped the book she'd been holding after going through his stuff. It was his copy of The Adventures of Lina Inverse the Magnificent by Lina Inverse, he couldn't blame her it had the best pictures anyway. The fat one, Clagger had stiffened too but their leader, the fox she didn't even flinch.

No, she was smiling "Huh you came too faster then I thought new guy and most people go running to the enforcers, anyway, look nothing personal but we got to eat." She said flipping the ring in her hand and catching it in her fist.

"I don't care about the money, keep it, just give me the books, the staff and the ring back." Zachariah said fuming, worse is how hard it was not wanting to use some magic to scare them off. But he was worried if he did that could bring more of these 'Enforcers' down on them.

Vi's smile added a cocked brow "You see now that you say that, makes me think this ring, these books and that stick, what you call it a staff are worth a lot more then the money?" She said her words seeping into her gangs ears making them eye the stolen stuff as prizes now. She took the bag off her shoulder and tossed it to Powder who almost dropped it, it was so heavy with book. Even the top flap came open and she looked in, to see slipped between the books was the sealed letter that Zachariah had carried all the way from Hamlet. She blinked at it as she saw the name on the envelope.

"So new guy, how's about you forget this stuff and walkway or did you want more punishment." She said walking forward punching her fist into her open palm with a loud slap between them. Now Zachariah new what the bandages around her arms weren't just for warmth, they were for fighting too. Zachariah had his fair share of scrapes even before the Magehunters, Noxians and Murkwolves, Hamlet's boys would always have some sort of contest, wrestling mostly or games of ball turning into brawls over a cheap shot. He usually avoided them but he couldn't afford to this time not when they had his staff and ring.

Vi and Zachariah locked eyes like wo beasts ready to see who'd back off first, "… Vi." Powder whisperedp ulling at her jacket's tail. Zachairah saw Vi look back and Powder hold up the sealed letter for her, the name Vander on the back facing Zachariah before she turned it over unamused until she saw the writing, reading it in a second her frown transfigured to a glare even meaner then the pyscho guards.

"How do you now Vander?" She asked

"What- wait you now who Vander is?" He asked her back.

She slipped the letter in her pocket and gave a look to Mylo who then gave a look to Clagger who gave a look to Powder, "Scatter!" Vi shouted charging him, Clagger ran the opposite way, Mylo went left, Powder right. He didn't have time to follow their escape because Vi was heading right for him with a closed fist. Zachariah barely had time to dodge when she wheeled back around with another. Her shoulders right, fists up moving like a cobra with each jab and punch. She wasn't just a brawler she was a trained fighter and Zachariah could tell after she landed a punch right into his gut with the force of a bull. A flurry of body shots bombarded Zachariah's parka torso and then a strike aross the face then another, followed by an uppercut that knocked the young mage clear off his feet and on his ass into the cold snow and stone.

"Hrrrnnnn" Zachariah grabbed his jaw as Vi, barely out of breath looked down on him.

"If you know whats good for you—" She said adding her boot right onto his chest "You'll go back to wherever it is you came from, or this city is going to swallow you up." She said taking her foot off and kicking him in the side for good measure.

Zachariah coughed and gasped the wind knocked out of him, a few thoughts swam in his fist rocked head. One being he should be use to having his arse kicked, the second he should go home if this was his first day in Piltover, but the third was, now he wasn't just ticked he was pissed. Groaning Zachariah rolled over as Vi jogged off she looked back actually suprised he was getting up from that thrashing "Stay down new guy." She said walking back over to him, Zachariah pulled his scarf down and spat some gunk out that had gotten knocked into the back of his throat as Vi got ready to stomp him in the head "I said stay-" she shoved her boot down and Zachariah caught it at the last second "Down."

"GRAHH!" Zachairah pushed Vi's boot back making her stumble back as he got to his feet.

"Ok, then catch me if you can." Vi said turning around and running down the allewaym, Zachariah gave chase like she'd just made off with his prized hen. She ran down the alleway with such speed every time he made it around a corner she was vanishing behind another. He ran into the open street looking in every direction the bustling people and carriages moving around him when he spotted the little girl Powder holding his bag running. Chasing after her Zachariah pushed past people knocking over crates and creating enough noise for Powder to hear him. She gulped running away before she flung the bag into the air. Zachariah thought she'd half given up before he saw Clagger appear out of nowhere grabbing it and running into another alleway.

Chasing after him he started to gain on the large hefty ox before something jumped out to strip him, Zachariah hit th ground again and saw Mylo standing over him with his owns staff laughing "See ya next fall looser." Mylo said.

It took Zachariah seconds to get up at such a cliche line yelling "I"m going to shove that staff up your arse, rat face and turn you into a popsicle!"

Mylo went buggeyed at the threat before he burst out laughing "If you catch us." He said turning around, Zachariah chased after him if he could get the staff back those kids wouldn't stand a chance. But when they headed back into the street Mylo jumped on one of the larger carriages from the back speeding off waving him goodbye. Zachairah started to loose pace with it soon after before he stopped looking around in the middle of an intersection at streetlevel. Then he saw a shadow overhead looking up he saw Vi again and Powder, both of them were on the ceiling "How'd they…" he started to ask before he followed them.

Powder noticed him out of the corner of his eye "He's still here?" She said.

Vi now annoyed said "Geez doesn't this guy know when to quit, come on we're taking the exrpess." Vi said pulling her sister along going over the roof to the other side. Zachariah sprinted around the building to see the alleawy between it and the next block and saw Vi and Powder coming down the walls like trained acrobats. At least Vi was the younger girl Powder looked to be having some trouble even as Vi hit the cobble ground and started to run as Zachariah came into the alleway she hadn't even noticeda as Powder came down on a firescape latter with a thud- and then a crack.

The firescape's metal shifted, lurched and Zachariah knew that sound. He'd heard it at the end of last winter, it was unsually long and they needed to get the field ready. So When the old Plow they used to get rid ofs tones and roots, moaned before the metal snapping it was still so cold, the fire escape snappe the same way, halfway coming out of the wall fifteen feet above the alleway, Powder screamed dropping Zachairahs bag "VIIII!" She shouted.

"Powder!" Vi spun around seeing her danlge their. Zachariah saw her slipping on the ice ridden metal, that fall would kill her. Powder tried to hold on with her tiny hands but her mittens couldn't find a grip and she slipped off. Forgetting the bag, the staff, the ring, Zachariah dove just before she met the pavement catching her. Sighing in relief he looked up at her the pale faced blue eyed girl breathing fast at the near death experience.

Zachariah smiled "Are you oka-AAH!" Powder smashed her forehead right into his and he yelled "Aaahhh again with the face!" He snapped while Powder wobbly got up dizzy from the headbutt. Slowly starting to get up Vi appeared over him kicking him right in the chest

"Get away from my sister creep!" Vi barked grabbing Powder's hand and pulling her along and picking up the bag. Zachariah was glad the Parka was thick because he'd probably have a few broken ribs by now. Jogging after them now he was thinking more and more she had to be part fox with how quickly she- they were gone! Zachariah came skidding on the ice at the dead end of an alleway no where for her to go, then he smelled someting fowler then a hogs nest. Looking to his right he saw a half open sewage grate covered in dried forzen shite and still steaming grime.

Zachariah gaped "You've got to be joking."

Down below VI slid down the sewage pipe like going down a slide smriking as she saw no one behind her before she came down into a pile of stuff no words could describe at how rank and vile. Waiting for her already with plugged noses were the other kids Mylo looking heart broken "Uhhh we can't keep coming down this shit pipe Vi, this is my favorite shirt." Mylo said looking at a brown stain on his white undershirt.

"Last time Pylo, promise at least it's not summer." She said getting off the excriment pile.

"Powder how's your head?" Vi asked him.

Shaking it a few times as she rubbed the side "I'm okay— uhhh." Powder almost fell over before Clagger caught her with one big hand "Maybe not."

Vi knelt down "It's okay, we're almost home, get you some ice okay?" Vi said dotting on her as Mylo rolled his eyes.

"What did she screw up again?" Mylo said.

Vi was about to yell at Mylo when they heard a rumbling from the pipe, "What is this guys problem?" Mylo said stunned he was following them this far.

"Shut up and run, the elevators not far." Vi said leading them down the exit, back into an outer alleway looking over her shoulder she saw Zachriah burst from the pipe, and into the pile of shit already softened by the four kids, he hit the gooey, brown shit. Vi giggled seeing him sink but Zachariah burst out now covered in it "GET BACK HERE YOU WANKERS!"

Hearing him shout and chase after them Powder asked "What's a Wanker?", they ran into an abandoned building and opened the secret lever to the other side where an elevator was waiting they jumped in just as Zachariah saw them close the cage. Mylo stuck his tongue out taunting him before the elevator droppped down to the undercity sealing the door behind. Zachariah smased into banging his fists.

"Ok… just a little magic." He said as he drew some ruins in the air, enough for a strike spell.

Down in the elevator halfway down to the green tinted undercity's underline, all the kids breathed in relief "Well, that was enough excitment for one day." Vi told them, before the elevator reached the bottom.

"Man, I bet that kind is going to smell like shit for weeks?" Mylo laughed.

Clagger smirkec supressing a laugh, opening the elevator cage the kids all started to shed some unncessary layers like hats and scarves as it was so much warmer in the undercity then above. "What do you think he wants with Vander Vi?" Powder asked her older sister.

"I'm not sure but-"

BOOM

The whole hidden wall from above blew open with wood, wallpaper and wall filling raining down, the kids and half the undercity looked up to see Zacharia hstanding their shit stained and madder then a freshly branded mustang. Zachariah could spot them out from Vi and Powder's bright colored hair, through the wires and pipes that "Don't worry it's not like he can find a way down." Vi said confidently to her frinds looking back at them.

"Vi." Mylo said pointing at him Zachariah took a few steps back "He wouldn't?" Vi said guessing what he was about to do.

With a running start Zachariah jumped out of the hole in the wall and into the hundred foot drop into the undercity with no plan on how he was going to survive the landing. "He did." Mylo gasped. Zacharah plummeted down, down, down, down ripping through wires, crashing into a pipe making so much noise as he came down people in the under city streets who could see him couldn't help but wonder if this was a suicide attempt or something esle. Reaching out his ahnd to grab onto something, anything Zachariah felt his fingers catch onto a thick cord and— SNAP

The cord broke from where it was attached and swung Zachariah down the rest of the way right to the Kids, who all screamed running away before he was swung right past them and into a rickety old building reading 'Bill's Reusable Feather Pillows and Cushions'. Leaving a boy sized hole in the wall followed by the sounds of more crashing with more stuff shattering. "Okay… this guy is crazy, let's just drop the stuff and run." Mylo said to Vi.

"What are you chicken?" Vi bocked at him.

Powder watched Mylo's reaction before they heard the door to the building Zachariah had crashed into swung open, "No, he's not." Powder said pointing over "But he is." Zachariah walked out his whole body not just covered in shit anymore, but feathers sticking to it head to toe. Even as he had terrifed them a second ago now all four kids were in a riot of laughter at their pursuer new appearnce.

"Give me…. Back…" Zachariah panted trying to walk forward but wobbled like Powder had a few minutes ag, Zachariah stumbled forward before he lost his balance falling into stall of some vendor selling some exotic fruit or maybe they were mushrooms. The merchant who owned the stall started shouting in a language Zachariah couldn't understand or even hear with all the ringing in his ears, he had hit his head on the way down and was in a daze. The kids seeing he was pretty much done strode past him gloatingly.

"Good effort, nice form but maybe try to stick the landing some time?" Mylo said leaning the stolen staff on his shoulder.

Vi and Powder walked by with Clagger "Told you to stay down."

Head swirling, Zachariah was almost spent on mana and gulped as he grabbed the side of his head and said a quick healing spell Grandpa taught him for headaches like the one he had now. It would have to do, they weren't getting away with his Grandpa's ring or staff. Forcing himself to stand Zachariah out of breath and aching all over he hadn't come this far just to loose to a bunch of kids his own age. Not to this pink haired fox with a bad attidue or her cronies, this ended now.

"HEY BITCH!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

There was silence then, everyone in the street had heard him and so had Vi, "Now you did it." Powder said seeing Vi's stone face twitch, she turned slowly "What did you call me?"

Zachariah limping toward her said "You heard me, you pink haired fox toothed…. Bitch."

Vi handed the bag back to her sister "I'm going to kill'em." She said walking toward him.

Mylo, Clagger and Powder all looked fearful "She's going to kill him." Mylo said.

"She's going to kill him." Powder agreed.

Clagger just nodded without repeating it, but showing he'd say as much.

"Well it was nice not knowing you new dead guy." Mylo said walking away with Clagger and Powder who gave Zachariah one last remorseful look, as Vi walked toward him cracking her knuckles.

Rolling her sleeves up "I'm going to enjoy this." She said getting into her boxing stance still walking, "Not as much as I am fox." Zachariah said she went for a punch but Zachariah ducked and tackled her into another stand knocking goods everywhere. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rolled over now on top she started to punch at his arms while be blocked. Zacharia reached for the nearest piece of wood and smashed her aross the head with it. Vi rolled over grabbing her head before he got up and kicked her straight in side.

Vi screamed, loudaly "aaahhh- How could you hit a girl." She whimpered.

"I'll let you know when I do." Zachariah replied.

Vi gave a bloody smile wiping her cut head, seeing her ruse failed "Worth a shot."

She went for an uppercut but Zachariah backed up and then pounced back pushing her up against a rust covered wall trying to pin her arms. But Vi still had her legs and her knee which she promptly delivered into Zachariah's groin. Instead of yellowing he let out a painful squeak falling to his knees.

Vi now starting to get winded from all the running and fighting pointed out "That… what…" Zachariah looked up and with the raging fury of equality between genders delivered a nasty uppercut right back to where Vi had struck. The onlookers all groaned at the sound Vi made everyone feeling both shots now in their own unmentionable region.

"Oh…. Now I'm… really going to kill you." Vi said, limping away to walk it off.

Zachariah, recovering first said "Get in line." Before holding up his fists.

Vi raised her "Come on." She hissed.

A few blocks away, the kids walked into one of Undercity's most popular establishments, the Last Drop, a well lit bar with a jukebox playing popular music. People making deals, playing cards or drinking the day away with good beer. Behind the counter stood the proprietor of the establishment Vander washing a glass as he hadn't seen three of his four runts walk in. They acted small as if they didn't want to be seen "So where's Vi?" Vander said, noticing them without even looking.

Powder and Mylo hid their bounty behind their back as Vander walked around the bar passing by a tall black haired muscular woman with dark skin, smoking a cigar "Oh she's… uh around?" Mylo said.

"And where exactly are the kids?" Vander asked, taking the staff out of Mylo's hand looking at. He turned to Powder who showed him the bag and the nat Clagger who held out nothing in his hands.

Vander set the staff down against the bar and opened the bag "Now where'd you get all this?" He asked to see the books, not paying attention to the titles he saw in the letter.

Mylo patted his hands together nervously "Oh you know just fell of the truck?" Vander looked at the letter the handwriting starting to become familar to him then the answer to which came crashing through the outer window into the bar, Vi and Zachairah landing, subsequently breaking a table covered in playing cards. Vi sprung up first and smashed a bottle on his head, Zachariah answered with a wooden chair. The whole Last Drop answered with loud shouts and cheers at the fight for their entertainment.

Vander slapped his forehead rolling his eyes "…. Not again." As if this had happened before.

"So who's the poor soul who pissed Vi off now?" Vander said walking around the bar, getting a bucket and filling it with ice then some water.

The kids all sat at the bar like the fight wasn't even going on "Some guy from out of town, called her a…. Well, you know." Powder said sitting next to the tall smoking woman "Hi Svika." She said. The older zaunite just grunted while she smoked watching the fight, Vi put Zachariah in a headlock punching him.

Vander filled the bucket with the col water and nodded shrugging "That'll do it, suprsied he's lasted this long." Vander said before Zachairah swept out Vi's feet and in a wrestling move slammed her into the floorboards. Vi wrestled him of and punced him again, then kicked him onto another table before she jumped with an elbow slamming down into the boy, breaking another table. "Well we might as well stop them before we're out of furniture." Vander said.

"And it was just getting good." Svika said disappointed as everyone kept cheering and shouting, even placing a few bets to see who the winner would be.

Vander pushed through everyone parting for the man who poured the drinks so he could take the bucket an throw the water on to both Vi and Zachariah "Alright, alright yoi've had your fun Vi." Vander laughed the cold water dousing their hod heads and making Zachariah drip off the feathers and shit. Zacharia shewed off all the onlookers back to their drinks.

"Vander he started it." Vi said pointing a finger like she was taddling him.

Zachariah's sore jaw almost hit the floor "I started it, you robbed me you bi-" "I don't care who started it, its done I take it your the mark these sorry excuse for thieves tried to steal from?" Vander snapped crossing his arms at the two of them.

Zachariah starting to feel the water seep into his many layers he said "Yeah… who are you?" Zachariah asked.

"I'm the guy who pours the drinks around here, and I'm the one in charge of these rugrats, so what they take, Vi?" Vander asked looking at her holding out his hand.

"I stole it fair and square." Vi said wiping the water off her brow.

Zachariah couldn't even begin to wrap his head around that explaination "Viiiii." Vander said flicking his fingers for her to cough it over. Stomping her foot like she'd just been caught cheating at a game, she reached into her jacket and a bunch of stuff started to fall out. Watches, bracelets wallets, small purses, a pair of spetacles even a pair of brozne knuckles before she found the ring. "Thats mine." Zachariah snapped reahing for it but Vander pushed him back with his big paw like hands.

"Whoa, easy… woof you chased them down the sewage line, I'd be impressed if I wasn't so damn thats nasty." Vander said as he took the ring.

Taking a look at it for a brief moment, he double looked, triple looked, before it slipped from his fingers. Zachariah stepped out to catch it in his hand to see Vander staring right at him "Where'd you get that?" He asked his voice soft, faint in disbelief. Everyone in the bar who had lost interest had started to pay even more attention when they saw how weird Vander was acting.

Vi and the other kids too "Vander, who is this guy?" She asked.

"It was my grandfather's— wait your Vander, the Vander." Zachariah said.

Vander knelt down in front of Zachariah slowly reaching for him, Zachariah flinched expecting another headbut or cheapshot but no, Vander was gently as a lamb reaching behind his back he pulled out a rag and started to wipe the crap and feathers awway before he pulled back the murk wolf hood. He did his left cheek then his right cheek, then Vander slowly wiped off the rest with one gentle brush. Still no answer from him, Vi walked around to look Vander in the eye "Vander what are you-" She shut her mouth, Vander was doing something she'd never seen before. That no one in the under-city had ever seen Vander do, he was crying.

"…. I never thought…" Vander whispered before he pulled him into a tight hug "It is you Zachariah.".

Zachairah looked over at Vi, her clamped shut jaw on the floor with half the bar "How do- do you know my name?" Zachariah asked in a stutter unsure of what was happening.

Still holding him tight like he'd never let go again "Because I'm the one who named you, son."

Zachariah has finally made it to Piltover, to discover a family he never even knew. But can he call this city of progress a home, will his new siblings accept him and will be able to face new enemies or rely on new friends.