Chapter 2: Engage the Utopia
Disclaimers: League of Legends isn't mine.
The mighty doors heaved as they shut themselves close, a loud thunder-like clap locking the entrances in place. Runes made of the very same blue flame from inside suddenly appeared on the metal, carving itself on the material. Turning back, Grey saw the runes rearrange themselves into an English sentence.
The true enemy lies within.
"I'm still having a hard time believing all this. I mean, sure the multiverse theory seems to be true now, and I always thought that the League of Legends was only a game, but…infinite possibilities of infinite universes?"
Lux, noticing that her escort stopped abruptly, turned and walked towards him.
"Hey." She said, tapping his shoulder. Too wrapped up in his thoughts, he failed to notice her. She then tried another method.
"Ahem." She cleared her throat. The trick seemed to work as he snapped back to reality, though he still thinks this is unreal somewhat.
"Are you okay?" Concerned, she put her hand on his left shoulder.
"Yep, I'm fine. I'm just too…shocked, to see this universe as a reality, and even being sucked in it." He murmured.
"Well, what do you think?"
"Think about what?"
"This world, our world." She said, spreading her hands in the air as if showcasing everything in sight. Her head cocked up as she looked at the sky, the cotton field of clouds decorating the blue sunny day. Sunlight peeked through the white pillows as they floated away lazily. Unknown birds and the occasional small dragon-like creatures flew in the heavens as they went their way.
In contrast to the inside of the Judgement Pit, the outside was quite lively and scenic. The Institute of War, situated between Demacia and Noxus, housed the Judgement Pit, in which they came out of. It kept the peace within Runeterra ever since the last Rune War, and situating it right in the middle of the two most prominent factions in the land certainly helped.
"Wait a minute." Grey raised his hand as Lux took in the gentle breeze.
"Yes?"
"Isn't the Institute of War…underground?" He wondered. The door and it's surroundings disappeared when he tried looking back.
"What? That was there earlier!" He was shocked.
"What is there?" Lux wondered, tilting her head slightly.
"The door! It was there! The large steel double-doors. It even had runes carved on it." Grey replied, pointing at a large, innocent rock formation.
"It's been gone for quite some time now, Grey." She smiled gently.
"…"
"It's your first time experiencing a Bridge Door, huh?"
"What's a 'bridge door'?" He asked. No such thing was mentioned in the lore, so he was certainly curious.
"A bridge door is similar to the summoner spell called 'Teleport' in the sense that it's used to travel long distances. The difference is that it's normally installed in only two areas; the entrance and the exit."
"So it's a portal?" Grey asked, remembering how similar it is to waypoints from a certain RPG.
"Exactly, though Bridge Doors are rare outside the Institute. It's their way of sending off people without letting them know the whole structure." Lux explained as they continued walking to the west.
"But I can just remember where I left off, can't I? Security isn't as tight as I thought it would be."
"It doesn't work that way. Every now and then they change the side of the Door outside the Institute so that it won't get infiltrated. The landscape and lay of the land also changes from time to time. The door today won't be the same tomorrow, and even if you do somehow get lucky and find where it is, it will lead you to a random part of the Institute, where you'll get detected almost instantly. The Institute has heavy surveillance both inside and outside all day, every day." She replied. Grey just responded with a long, low 'ahhh…'. Without having a topic to talk about, an awkward silence fell on the two of them. Lux looked comfortable as she looked at the scenery with the occasional chariot passing them by. They were walking on a small dirt road in the country, so it was silent.
Grey wanted to try and converse with the champion, but he was having the unnecessary cold feet we are all familiar with.
"Ugh, this is hard. What can I say to her?" He worried. On one hand, he wanted to talk to her. The way was quiet and they were somewhat isolated, so it was boring. On the other hand, he was nervous. He didn't know exactly why he was nervous though. Suddenly, he remembered something.
"Oh…" He smacked his palm. Lux turned to face him as she approached an apple tree.
"Hey Lux, when we teleported here did you happen to notice my backpack?" Grey asked worriedly. It contains his gadgets, wallet and phone there so he's anxious someone else might take it in case they did leave it behind.
"Well, if I remember correctly the Institute confiscated it. It was the one you were dragging along, right?"
"Yeah."
"Before you woke up a few summoners came in and took your bag."
"Then why didn't you tell me?" He groaned, a hint of panic mixed in his voice.
"Don't worry, it's safe there! We can get it tomorrow, if not later, on our way to the Academy. But for now, we have to get back to Demacia. I need to speak with my brother about something. That, and also try to get acquainted to the land." She assured him, putting her hands on his shoulders again.
"Ugh…if you say so." He sighed.
"I just hope they won't break my stuff to irreparable condition." He mentally added, biting his lower lip.
An hour of small chat later and they were sitting atop a hill, resting beneath the shade of an old apple tree. Apparently they are headed for Demacia which is just a bit farther down the hill. In fact, it was visible from where they were sitting should they climb up the tree.
"Wanna see it? I'll support you." She offered sincerely.
"Um, no, no thanks. We're going there in the first place, so what's the point? I'll just see it all the same." He replied, standing up and patting off dust from his pants.
"Eh?! But-ah, if that's what you want. Of course the plan was exactly that, but still…" Lux said, leading the way. The relatively small dirt track finally joined the main road which was paved in stone, with lamps lining the avenue for night time visibility. Marble benches decorated the edges of the path, with beautiful flowers within expensive vases sitting beside them. Said road was very large in width, so large in fact that it can easily fit four to five modern military tanks resting side by side. It was also lined with a tall fence that gradually lowered in height and increased in open arches as they got closer. Beautiful arches of white led to the large parks surrounding the city, with gazebos and fountains abundant. Flowers in bloom, animals wondering about blissfully, and the spring is in full blast. Where once they tread on a road meant for peasants and farmers was now meant for kings and their armies.
"Wow…" Grey muttered out as his jaw hanged. Even from outside the walls, the city looked beautiful and pristine. Said metropolis almost glittered in the sun as the buildings reflected the light off their sturdy structure.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" She grinned at him. Perhaps out of her happiness for her guest or simply a subconscious accident, Lux cast a veil of light behind her, giving off a halo effect.
"Yeah…" He stared on. Since Lux was standing just a few feet in front of the city gates, she thought that Grey was admiring the city. The young man in question, however, isn't very far away.
"Yeah…you're beautiful…wait a minute, get a grip Grey!" He shook his head.
"Why are you blushing?" Lux asked innocently, complete with her left index finger on the tip of her lips.
"Dammit, just freaking move on and enter the damned city, for Christ's sakes!" He brushed aside his rapidly blushing face and rushed past the onlooking crowd (he was wearing a strange robe after all) and into the arched gate.
"Hey, wait!" Lux shouted, running towards the town central in pursuit.
Meanwhile, a group of hex-technicians looked on Grey's laptop, which took them half a day to turn on, and stared at it stupidly.
"What now?" One of them asked emptily. They had no idea what to do now with the thing, though they did understand the language. It's the same as the system of writing that they use; English.
"Should we return this back to it's owner? We've checked every appliance inside the bag, and none of us can get past this 'password' thing. Everything else seems to be harmless. Some food, a drink, a replica of Jax's temple outfit—" One of the technicians inspected. His outfit suggested being a superior to the two other technicians in the room.
"Temple outfit? You mean from that time?" One of the juniors asked incredulously. That was a serious event concerning Jax, and only very few people outside the League knew about it.
"Yeah, that time."
"But how did—"
At that moment, they were interrupted as the official from the Judgement arrived. Still wearing his sophisticated cloak, he revealed himself to be Heyward Relivash, the current leader of the League High Council.
"Sire, you must see this! The young man we brought in has—" One hex-technician rushed to him in urgency but he was waved off.
"Calm down, Baba. I know that already. This particular boy is quite strange…and interesting, isn't he?" He said, taking off his robe and hanging it on the rack.
"Yes sir."
"Now, what seems to be the problem here?" He continued, sitting in front of the laptop.
"There seems to be a…some sort of security measure that keeps us from seeing further. Do you have any idea what it is, sire?" The official asked him.
"It looks like a lock of some sort…though I've never encountered something like this. Better yet, why not send it back to the boy already? He's bound to be looking for all this." Relivash sighed, closing the laptop and putting back all the stuff back in the bag.
"But, sir! Surely, you'd want us to inspect this more and gain some results?" The senior of the three technicians begged, his own thirst for knowledge consuming him.
"I understand that but we will gain no more further analysis through brute-forcing these gadgets. Besides, we do not want to damage these technology, do we? Furthermore, we are not so churlish as to break something that we only borrowed without permission." He finished, zipping the bag up. He closed and opened it in rapid succession, finding the mechanism amusing, especially the bzzt sound it gives off. So enamored was he that he did not notice the surreal stares his juniors were giving him.
"Um, sire. Am I to deliver the backpack now or should I return later?" The suited-up Baba asked like it's nobody's business.
An awkward silence filled the room.
"Ahem. Thank you Baba. Please deliver this to the young boy and plant an observer rune on him, of course without anyone else outside this room knowing. I'd like to see what happens from now on…" He smiled to himself, meeting the tips of his fingers together in a thinking man's pose.