This wasn't Ezreal's first time flying.

Piltover may have had blimps, but blimps didn't roar - and blimps certainly didn't give him the adrenaline of having wind whipping across his coat and hair.

The gift of flight was one of the few powers not granted by his trusty gauntlet, so he couldn't help but wonder why Kai'Sa didn't use it to traverse the sands. Sure beats spending hours walking through Void-infested tunnels.

"Yahoo!" He shouts out as the sphinx banks. "This is great! Why can't we do this everyday?"

The wind was loud enough to mask his excited yelps, but Kai'Sa was sensitive enough to hear that. She looks over her shoulder, face hidden by her own built-in mask. Masks were mandatory when flying this high and this fast, Ezreal was just lucky that he and Peregrine had both brought scarves.

His trusty weather-worn (albeit decorative) goggles tinted the skies in a light shade of black, fluffy clouds drifting in and out of view with the speed of his sphinx mount. Even Piltover could not match the raw beauty of a Shuriman desert: a vast expanse of mottled browns rippling like the waters of an ocean.

There was so much to be said about its mystique. Shurima was the final frontier of every great explorer, a bastion of the ancient world trapped years in the future. It was untamed and wild, the ancient carcasses of its towering empire humbling even the greatest of engineers in Piltover, its mountains a monolith to the ancient world and those who built the world that Ezreal lived in today.

Who wouldn't want to uncover it all?

"Are we there yet?!"

Seeing as she was the only one who could hear his question, Kai'Sa leans forward: tapping on their driver's shoulder and gesturing at the explorer. Burn Peregrine only shrugs, and the sphinx flies on no faster or slower.

Some guide she turned out to be,

It banks underneath a layer of clouds, allowing the cool wind to tousle his fluffy hair. The explorer sighs in relief, slumping back and content to wait out the ride. Hands behind his head, Ezreal imagines the lush beaches of a Noxian province. Considering what he and Kai'Sa had been through this week, this was a much needed change of pace.

Suddenly, the beast drops downwards - the sand belt on his waist keeping him atop the sphinx's back. The jerk reaction takes away all pretense of calm, Ezreal scrambling to hold on tight in a red-faced panic.

"WAOH HOLY SH-"

The test flight turns into a tumble through the clouds, the sphinx bucking and turning seemingly at random. Ezreal grits his teeth and mutters a quick prayer for good luck. Piercing through the clouds, the explorer gasps for breath - his eyes popping out of his sockets. As an archeologist, he was used to seeing ruins, destroyed remnants of a long dead kingdom populated by Gods and monsters.

"Welcome to the Heart of the Empire." Their guide finally says, resounding with reverence. "Home to the Hawk Father and all of his faithful."

But this Empire was far from dead.

A winding river, the color of tourmaline and sapphires, twists through the entire city. The River of Life was said to have dried up along with the old empire, but Ezreal could make out shadows lurking beneath the sapphire waves - and the distant shadow of a towering wall.

With a roar, the sphinx banks upwards - over the towering perimeter walls and into Shurima City.

Golden figures strode across the tops of walls, marching silently and surveying the many murals dedicated to the bird-faced patron. In a perfect replica of the myths, Shurima City is a concentric maze of stone buildings: several ringed cities forming the reborn Capital of the Shuriman Empire. They were on the lowest of layers, dedicated to the common people and repurposed for the Children of the Hawk. Herds of farm animals moved beneath the shade of their vast pens, not bothering to look up at the majestic sight of a sphinx flying overhead.

Another roar, and the next set of walls part in a shower of sand revealing.

The second layer was a stark contrast to the first. Banners adorned the railings of the plethora of balconies, with rows of golden bird-faced ballistae pointed outwards. Towers of gilded gold and supported by ancient magic reached up into the sky, the banner of the old city flapping even without the wind. Some had huge stained glass windows, the creator of the work clearly having taken inspiration from Noxian art pieces with their use of bold colors. This layer had been built for magicians and the learned men of ancient Shurima.

But the buildings were all empty, and instead of magicians - there were only sand soldiers.

The towers disappear as they cross over a moat, the golden towers replaced by a lush emerald field. Sand soldiers manned the gardens with hoes and sickles, ignoring the carnivorous plants nipping at their heels. Thorny brambles and jaws turn toward the sphinx as they fly over, the sight igniting memories from the back of Ezreal's mind. Where had he seen these before? His thoughts are interrupted as one of the soldiers chops a stalk, earning a harsh scream from the plants of the garden.

"This - this is amazing."

The sphinx had finally begun to slow, allowing Ezreal to speak without being drowned out by the wind or earning a mouthful of sand.

"You haven't seen anything yet."

Breaking through the clouds, Ezreal can no longer hold back a childish squeal of excitement.

"Holy shit! The Sun Disc!"

The Sun Disc was well and truly a monument to the Gods, a powerful tower suspended above the entirety of the concentric city. It was said that the Sun Disc was once a star, plucked from the heavens by the hands of man, and now Ezreal could see why. The bulk of it was pure gold, hovering mid-air in defiance of gravity. Even after all this time, it still retains its hypnotic luster - a tinted mirror clear enough to show their faces as they pass.

He reaches out to touch it, but a golden staff pushes his hand back.

"The Sun Disc burns all who threaten to steal its power, so I suggest not subjecting yourself to divine retribution. At least, not before the Hawk Father passes his judgment."

Kai'Sa perks up at the implication of a threat. "Judgment?"

"Fear not, our God is fair and just. The Emperor is the Father of all of Shurima, he would never punish his children for a crime they did not commit."

"How bout if I'm not a child of Shurima?"

No response.

The doubts begin to kick in - he was never actually given a clear answer on why he was to come here. This situation smelt of a trap, but there was no better option then - and there was certainly none now. Thankfully, Ezreal didn't recall doing anything to offend any powerful people in Shurima: and no, archeology didn't count as a crime. It was only stealing, after all, if the owners were still alive to complain about it - right?

Still, he tucks the gauntlet a little deeper into his coat.

"You two will be staying in the innermost sector of the City. While one of the smaller of the buildings have been cleared for your use, I would not advise exploring it past sundown. The Hawk Father does not like guests prying into his innermost activities."

"B-building? As in, a whole building?"

"None live in the Inner City but the Hawk Father. You two should count yourselves lucky, I myself have only been here a scant few times even as the Head Seeker."

The fourth and innermost sanctum of the ringed city is right above the River of Life: there was probably something to be said about that. There is no wall between the garden and the Hawk Father's private sanctum, but the air grows electric with power as they phase through the barrier. Ezreal had dealt with magical force fields before, most of them at temples with important sounding names: but the pressure from this one nearly made the boy throw up.

"Here we are."

The Hawk Father's palace is within an upside down pyramid, suspended in the air by nothing but sheer force of will. Ezreal feels a wave of pressure: like he had just wandered into a dragon's nest. The explorer gulps, suddenly self-conscious about every single detail of his appearance. They weren't going to go inside today, would they?

Thankfully, the sphinx descends near the outskirts: closer to the moat. Closer to the garden of thorns.

It lands in front of a large squarish building with numerous windows, each one rimmed with gold and marble. If he wanted a house this big in Piltover, Ezreal would have to be either royalty or a member of the Council. Maybe both.

"Thank you."

"Do not thank me." Peregrine waves her hand; the sphinx slowly disintegrating back into sand. Solid ground beneath his feet, Ezreal quickly leaps up and stretches his aching legs. "I am but a servant of Fate, and of the Hawk."

"Well we literally couldn't have done this without you, so I think I will thank you."

"Much appreciated."

Popping out of the ground, Kog'Maw sniffs the air curiously: wide eyed at all the new sights. The creature hisses at the upside down temple, backing away uneasily. In the case of the Voidborn, it seemed the pressure was even worse - both of his friends tense and rigid.

"H-hey buddy, are you good?"

Instead of a destructive rage, the Voidborn chirps excitedly upon seeing him - visibly relieved. The Voidborn rubs up at his open palm, before feeling safe enough to break off. Nearby, the huntress rolls her eyes and scoffs disdainfully. Kog'Maw ignores the criticisms, blissfully ignorant of the circumstances and sniffing at a palm tree.

"So." The explorer starts. "How are we going to keep him?"

"Don't worry, I've got this."

A green berry soars in the air, and Peregrine smiles warmly as the Voidborn runs up to her expecting more. The holy woman wears a rare smile as she rubs the creature's head, Kog'Maw somehow managing to look cute despite being an interdimensional monster that could spit acid.

"I know a few children in the Outer City who would love this creature."

Ezreal can't help but laugh at how easily he was swayed, Kog'Maw practically slurping the treats out of the fortune teller's leather pouch. He briefly worries about the Voidpuppy's safety, but decides against acting. Kog'Maw could probably survive on his own for the few days they would be here, if anything Peregrine would have to be more focused on keeping Kog'Maw away from danger.

"Thanks, again. At this rate, I don't know how much I owe you."

"Do not think I do this out of kindness." Her tone darkens ever so slightly. "I have foreseen your futures, and you will need all the help you can get. "

"What do you mean by that? Is he in danger?"

"I cannot tell you that."

"Why not?"

Kai'Sa is quick to flicker plasma, a silent but effective warning. The huntress' tension had not once left her expression, even beneath the mask he could tell she was wearing a deeper frown than usual.

"If I told you, it would only make things worse. I have seen the path you are on, and for all its hardships - it is the only one you can take. Deviating from Fate's plans only brings doom."

Ah yes, divination magic and its caveats. Ezreal hated working with magic, and he could tell Kai'Sa wasn't a fan of it either. He slips to the girl's side, one hand on her shoulder in reassurance. However, the huntress slips away from his grip - maintaining her harsh glare on Peregrine.

"Let's just get some rest first, the future is for future us to deal with, amirite?"

"Hm."

WHOOSH!

An armored figure shoots out of the ground, a swarm of plasma missiles narrowly missing its head. If the sand statue felt offended, its helmeted face kept its emotions unclear.

"Ah." Peregrine hums. "This must be your new guide. Try not to be too aggressive, will you?"

He doesn't know who she is referring to: the sand guard or Kai'Sa. The impassive soldier nods at her directions as the sandweaver walks off with Kog'Maw in tow, occasionally feeding the puppy a few berries and earning a few barks. The Voidpuppy really did have a stomach instead of a brain.

"How are you feeling?"

"I will live." The huntress says evenly, though it comes off as condescending and cold. "But this place feels unsafe."

"Unsafe?"

"I sense an enemy. A powerful enemy. We will have to leave soon."

Her weariness is all too clear, the sight of her violet eyes a spark of color within the yellows and whites of their new apartment. Ezreal returns as her concern with an unsteady nod, looking towards the ominous shadow of the pyramid.

"So, I guess we can-"

The guard slams the butt of their spear impatiently. Kai'Sa walks off before he can even finish, deliberately bumping into the guards' shoulders. Ezreal face-palms and groans to himself, the selfishness of his actions twisting like a knife to the gut.

"So moody." He grumbles to himself. "Nevermind then."

His thoughts grow dark and brooding. This should have been his pinnacle, the highest moment of his career. If the Hawk Father was who he thought it was, then this could very well solve all of Ezreal's problems here and in Piltover with one fell swoop.

Would it kill Kai'Sa to be happy for him for just one second?

Then again, knowing her, Ezreal had a feeling it might kill her just to smile.