"Humans… such vile creatures."
Third POV:
Faces… that was the only thing Ahri can see. Everywhere she looked there were faces. All looking at her with fear, hatred, and betrayal. But, that wasn't the most disturbing thing to the Vastaya. The most disturbing thing is that Ahri knew these faces… they were all her victims.
Each and every one of them crying in pain, screaming for revenge… however, one of those faces stood out the most. The one in front of Ahri was a blurry image, but clear enough to for her to see some of its features. It was a man with dark hair, who was looking at her heartbroken.
Ahri was panicking. She wanted to look anywhere but the man in front of her, even to the other faces. Because she knew exactly who it was. But, she couldn't. Her face was frozen, and her eyes were locked into his.
"You betrayed me," the blurry face in front of her said. Ahri could feel the tears of regret appear in her eyes. "You killed me… you killed us," he said motioning to the faces around them.
Ahri didn't say anything. Either because she couldn't move a single muscle on her body, or because she had nothing to say to make up for what she did, she didn't know. She didn't believe she had the right to deny what she did, especially to 'him'.
"Now, it is time for you to pay," the man's voice turned dark as shadows of clawed hands appeared all around and started reaching out to her.
Ahri can feel the clawed hands on her body, piercing her skin and drawing blood. She wanted to scream in pain, but the man grew his own hand made of shadows and grabbed her face causing her to be unable to say anything.
Ahri closed her eyes, waiting for her death and finally the end of this suffering… only to feel something slap her across the face, waking her up from her slumber.
Ahri gasped loudly as she started breathing heavily as if she was denied air for a while. She put a hand on her stinging cheek, wondering what happened before she finally got a hold of her surroundings.
Ahri was still in the forest, in the place that she and Grey had decided to make camp last night. She was still laying on the ground, in the same position she went to sleep in.
There were a few differences, however. For one thing, Grey was currently kneeling beside her, with his right hand positioned as if he just swung it, making her realize that he probably slapped her awake. The second thing is that the sun was beaming from the horizon, indicating that it was dawn.
"You were screaming in your sleep," Grey said, explaining why he woke her up in such a manner.
Ahri simply unwrapped her tails from around her and sat up on the ground. She was still holding her cheek and her breath, while it calmed down slightly, was still quicker than average.
This isn't the first time that this has happened. The nightmares, that is. Ahri actually had them more times than she'd like to admit. However, this is the first time she was told that she screams in her sleep. Maybe it was because she usually slept on her own, away from people.
It was really ironic, in her opinion. Someone who can control the dreams of others can't stop herself from having nightmares. Ahri suspects that it was her guilt stopping her. That she was doing this to herself as some sort of punishment for her sins.
"Hey," she was broken out of her thoughts after hearing Grey's voice. "Do I need to slap you again to get your attention?" he asked, making her realize that he was probably trying to talk to her but she was too caught up in her thoughts to notice him before.
Thinking it was better to answer his question rather than get another strike on her cheek, Ahri shook her head. "No, I-I'm sorry," she apologized, thinking of how rude it was for her to ignore him. "Thank you," she said in gratitude about waking her up from her nightmare.
The only thing Grey did to acknowledge her thanks was nod before standing up again. "We should be moving soon, get ready," he informed her.
The Vastayan woman nodded, as she slowly brought her knees to her chest and started getting her breathing back in control. She didn't actually have anything else to do. Ahri took out her gemstones and started clipping them together, unclipping them, and then repeating the process. Each of her two gemstones was shaped like a flame. And, when clipped together, they formed a perfect blue orb.
This was a habit she picked up when either passing time as she traveled around, or to help herself calm down a little. These gemstones were the only thing of her mysterious past, and it helped remind her that she might have somewhere she belongs to out there.
After spending nearly fifteen minutes doing the same thing, Ahri put her gemstones away in a hidden pocket at the back of her skirt before standing up. "Alright," she started before looking back at Grey. "We should leave."
The Abyss Watcher nodded before he started leading them outside the forest with Ahri following. He had stayed quiet to let her get a hold of herself. This isn't the first time he saw something like this. It probably meant that the woman had a terrible past. However, that wasn't his business. After all, he has his own past to deal with.
After a few moments of silence and walking through the forest, something clicked in Ahri's head as she looked at the morning sky. "Why didn't you wake me up to switch watches?" she asked looking at her current traveling partner. She went to sleep with the belief that he would get her own turn to watch.
The Undead Swordsman looked at her over his shoulder. "I never said we would switch," was his reply, causing her to groan in annoyance.
This day was not starting out well for her. First, there was the nightmare, which wasn't weird usually, then there was the fact she was woken up with a slap on the face, and now her traveling partner was being semantic. The only upside was that he didn't ask her about why she was screaming.
Remembering his request last night, Ahri asked, "You said you needed help with directions?" trying to pay him back for saving her and maybe go on their separate ways.
The Abyss Watcher suddenly stopped, causing the Nine-Tailed Vastayan to almost crash on his back not expecting that. She saw him searching for something in his cape before pulling out a rolled piece of paper. "Here," he gave her the paper. Ahri took the paper and unfurled it to see it was a map of Runeterra. It was a little old, but still accurate. However, she was about to point out that she didn't know in which part of the forest they were in since she didn't know which direction they left the village in, but she didn't need to. "We should be here," Grey came from her side and pointed at a spot in Ionia. "At the northwest of the village we were in."
Ahri had to admit that it was impressive that he can tell which direction the village they left was since she herself didn't know how to keep track of that after leaving it in one direction, and then going around it in another. "Alright, where do you want to go?" she asked.
"The Institute of War," Grey's answer received a shocked look from Ahri.
"You're… going to the Institute of War?" the Nine-Tailed Vastayan asked, making sure of what she heard.
Seeing her reaction, along with remembering that she said she travels for personal reasons, it was easy for Grey to understand why she was shocked. "You're going there yourself," it was more of a statement rather than a question.
Ahri sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand while holding the map in the other. "I guess we're going to be around each other for a while," she didn't want to make it sound like she was forced into something she hates, but it still didn't change the fact that she was now traveling with an unknown stranger with an unnatural amount of mysteries.
True, she can give him the directions to another road, and she can take another one. However, the area around the way they're supposed to take is surrounded by mountains, which means there aren't any other roads to take.
"Can you lead us there?" Grey asked, wanting to find out if she can either help him or if he has to look for someone else to help.
Ahri held the map with both her hands again and nodded. "Yes, I can take us there, but it will be a long journey," she informed him as she believed that getting to the Institute should take around two weeks, less if they managed to find any rides.
"That won't be an issue," the Abyss Watcher couldn't care less about how long it takes. Being an undead that has lived for nearly centuries, his sense of time grew dull. "As long as you can take us there," he added, making it obvious that she would be on her own if she couldn't.
The Nine-Tailed Vastayan got the message, and she couldn't exactly hold it against him, mainly because she believed that she would have done the same. "Right," Ahri turned her attention back to the map. Looking at their location, along with where their position from the village, she managed to find out what direction to go. "Alright, follow me," she instructed as she began walking deeper into the forest.
The Abyss Watcher nodded and, this time, it was his turn to follow her as she started leading him through the forest, she kept looking through the map. He took this chance to start looking around the forest and to get a better idea of where he is.
Despite being here for a few days, he did not acquire much knowledge of where he was. All he knew is that this region was called Ionia, and, from what he saw, it has a nature-like traditional structure, he also heard a few villagers speaking about people called 'Noxians' in a hatred, whoever they were. But, that was pretty much it.
"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Grey requested, breaking the silence that had taken over them.
Normally, Ahri would be suspicious of someone asking her questions. But, after the other day, she didn't actually know what to expect. "What is it?" she asked while taking glances at the map to make sure that they were on the right track.
"Can you tell me about this land, about Ionia?" Grey asked, getting straight to the point.
Ahri looked at him over her shoulder in confusion. He obviously didn't know anything about where he was. How can this person not know anything about the land he was in was surprising. "Where are you from?" she asked, knowing that the man could not be Ionian.
The Abyss Watcher decided to test something. "Farron Keep," when he saw Ahri's confused look, he had to resist the urge to groan. He was hoping that at least one person knows about the swamps of Farron, but since no one seemed to have even heard of them.
Meanwhile, Ahri found another mystery about Grey. Never, in her own memories or any of those she has stolen, has she heard of a place called 'Farron Keep'. The Nine-Tailed Vastayan can tell the name he gave her was not fake since she heard him take a deep breath of frustration thanks to her ears, which means he was disappointed that she didn't know.
"How did you get here?" Ahri asked, hoping that the way he got into Ionia might give her a clue.
However, Grey suddenly stopped walking, causing Ahri to do the same and turn to face him. "I… don't know," he answered, sounding troubled. Ahri gave him a look that demanded more explanation. "I was fighting a few enemies, and… something grabbed me before I found myself in this land," he summarized what happened to him. He didn't mention the Abyss or the Darkwraiths, mainly because he didn't believe she would know what those were.
In her entire life, Ahri has never been so confused. The more she tried to understand Grey, the more mysterious he would become. She can tell that he isn't lying since he seems genuinely frustrated that she didn't know where he was from. So, he was telling the truth… or he could be crazy. Ahri has not completely rolled out that possibility yet.
Sighing at realizing that she would have to start from scratch, Ahri turned back to the direction she was walking a few moments ago and started speaking. "Well, this is going to be a long walk, so we might as well talk along the way," truthfully, Ahri was glad. She came to realize that the Abyss Watcher was not much of a talker while traveling. And, while she did enjoy some quiet time to enjoy the nature of the land, it gets really awkward if they stay silent for such a long time. "Alright, as you know, the land is called Ionia," Ahri started explaining while Grey followed her through the forest while listening to what she was saying.
...
Grey and Ahri had spent the entire day walking through the forest, and by now, they managed to pass by the mountains without any trouble. They didn't even encounter any animals, which Ahri suspected was because of that menacing aura that was coming off Grey. It was like pure blood-lust ready to be unleashed. She didn't feel threatened herself because she didn't feel any of it directed at her.
Most of the time was spent on the Nine-Tailed Vastayan explaining to the Abyss Watcher about the land to the best of her abilities. She always avoided any personal subjects or information, which Grey didn't ask about, much to her relief.
Meanwhile, the Undead Swordsman managed to understand plenty about the land thanks to his current traveling companion. Apparently, Ionia was a land of nature and spiritual arts, which is pretty self-explanatory, even though he didn't understand what was the difference between souls and spirits.
From what Ahri told him, the land used to be far more peaceful and kind, to the point where the attack on Ahri would have never happened in the past. However, after a land called Noxus invaded Ionia a few years ago and almost succeeded in conquering the land, Ionians grew much colder and violent, which wasn't surprising after war.
Truthfully, Grey thought that Ionia got lucky. If it was really as peaceful as Ahri had told him in its past, then that means that Noxus, a land already accustomed to war, could have succeeded in conquering it within months since Ionians have no experience in war. He had seen that happen before to victims of the Catacombs of Carthus or Wolnier the Conqueror. But, they still managed to fight back, and drive away the invaders. They were resilient if anything in Grey's eyes.
Ahri also informed him that the land was not ruled by any king or lord, but a council called the Ionian Elders, a group of supposedly the most spiritual and wisest people. However, she also informed him that there have been questionable things about the elders in recent years, so they aren't completely trustworthy.
The sun had already set on the horizon. Stars started appearing as the sky slowly turned black. Grey and Ahri were currently walking the side of the final mountain in the area. The moonlight was the only thing that shined through the forest as they walked through the trees.
However, Ahri came to a sudden stop as she started looking around. Grey saw her ears twitching in a few directions, meaning that she heard something. "There's… people around here, but something isn't right," she explained. She can hear people, that's for sure. But, she also hear chains, what seems to be weapons, and… crying. "We should see what that is," she suggested and Grey nodded.
Changing direction to where she heard the noise, the Nine-Tailed Vastayan led them through the forest before they stopped by a few bushes. Pushing the leaves away, the managed to see what was going on.
What they saw was a camp. More than a dozen tents were spread out in a clearing in the middle of the forest. There were also a few racks where weapons were being kept. However, what drew their attention was the people in it.
There were two kinds of people in the camp. The first kind of people was a group of men that was wearing black armor on their shoulders, chests, and legs. Red silk was attached to the shoulders of the armor, and their heads were covered by spartan like helmets. It didn't take Ahri even a minute before knowing they were Noxians.
The other group of people was a few men, women, and children who were on their knees being held by chains. They were all wearing Ionian robes that looked a little roughed up, implying that they were obviously forced into being here after being beaten up.
The Noxians were apparently celebrating, each of them had a mug made of wood in their hand and were drinking. The captive people were looking down. Their faces showing fear, hatred, anger, and desperation.
"Do you have any idea what's going on here?" Grey whispered to her, looking around the camp.
Ahri then noticed a few horses near a couple of carriages of Ionian built nearby. After a few seconds of thinking, she managed to piece it together. "Those are probably Noxian strays," Ahri explained while pointing at the Noxians. "There's still a few of them left ever since the war," she then pointed at the captives. "Those are probably just Ionian merchants who got unlucky. The Institute of War forbids actions like these, so that also means that these Noxians are doing this on their own," she explained.
The Abyss Watcher nodded, understanding the situation. Ahri then turned around and started walking away. "Where are you going?" Grey asked her.
The Nine-Tailed Vastayan sighed. "Look, this isn't our business. So, let's do the smart thing, and just walk away before we're caught," she knew very well that she was being cruel by both literally and figuratively turning her back on these people. However, her luck with people has been nothing short of terrible in her life, so she thought it would be better to just leave them.
Grey can understand her reasoning. After all, why would she risk her life for total strangers without any benefit in return? He didn't need to help either. However, upon looking back at the camp, he caught sight of one of the Noxians kicking down a little child, seemingly just for the fun of it as the others laughed. Seeing this cruelty, something clicked in Grey's head.
"(Why!? Why didn't you save us!?)"
"(You Abyss Watchers are a curse!)"
"(No! Please! No!)"
"(I was once human like you!)"
"(All of you Farron's Watchdogs are monsters!)"
"(Blood… Blood… Blood!... BLOOD!... FEAR THE WOLF'S BLOOD!)"
If one was to look closely, they would have seen Grey's eyes turn red as his pupils turned to slits and wolf's growling was heard.
Meanwhile, the Noxian that had kicked the child a few moments ago picked up his sword and started walking forward, most likely to finish the job. The child started crawling backward, praying to the spirits of Ionia that anyone would come to his rescue.
The Noxian raised his sword in the air. However, he didn't even get the chance to fully raise it before a red blur came out of the forest and passed by him while the sound of flesh being cut was heard.
Suddenly, the Noxian fell down in two pieces, having been cut from the waist. The rest of the Noxians looked in shock at where their friend used to stand, only to see Grey standing in front of his two halves.
The Undead Swordsman cast his now red eyes on the rest of the Noxians, who immediately started picking up their weapons. He didn't even pay mind to the Ionians that were currently cowering behind him as he raised his sword and got ready for the battle.
Meanwhile, Ahri could not believe what she just saw. Her traveling companion just did exactly the opposite of what she asked him to do. She could only stare in shock as he began fighting the Noxians.
The Nine-Tailed Vastayan groaned and started rubbing her forehead. "Well, he got himself into this trouble, he can get himself out," she said as she turned away and got ready to leave.
Ahri can just walk away. She had the map, and she can get to the Institute on her own easily. All she has to do… is turn her back on someone who saved her life… and innocent people that were obviously in danger.
She clenched her hands and shut her eyes while shaking her head in anger. "That son of a…" Ahri groaned in frustration before turning back to the camp and moving in.
Back in the battle, Grey has cut down another Noxian before another one came in swinging down a battle ax. The Abyss Watcher used his dagger to parry the strike, causing the ax to turn and end up hitting the ground. Before the Noxian has the chance to raise his ax again, Grey swung down his sword, cutting his head off.
Two more Noxians were running towards the Abyss Watcher from the back. Grey was ready to deal with them… only for Ahri to suddenly jump in behind Grey and in front of the two Noxians, create two large orbs of fox-fire, and through them at the incoming attackers, burning them and sending them away.
Ahri glared at her traveling companion over her shoulder. "I hate you," she had never thought that she'd say those words with such passion before.
"You are not the first," Grey replied, and Ahri could honestly feel one of her eyes twitching.
They both turned back towards the Noxians as they surrounded them. There were around twenty Noxians, all armed, and there were just the two of them… truthfully, Ahri and Grey both wondered how this was fair for the Noxians.
(A/N: Thank you for reading this.
First, about the man that showed up in Ahri's dream. If you read her short story, the Garden of the Forgotten, then you should have a pretty good idea of who it was.
Second, as you can see, Grey is less trusting in this story, which is something I noticed about the old version. That he was too trusting.
Third, if you noticed, Grey had something similar to a trauma, which some of you pointed out that it should happen considering where he comes from. So, I decided it should happen.
Again, thank you for reading this. Please comment, review, and give me your thoughts on my story.)
