Chapter Four: Intentions

The first sun rays of the day showed up, as well as some of the members of the Firelight community. The market Ekko mentioned during their conversation at The Heart was becoming alive as the traders and shop-keepers were finishing off setting up their stands. Caitlyn looked up and gently closed her eyes, the sun caressing her skin. She took a deep breath in… and out.

The Great Giant looked magnificent. The small market was placed at the feet of the stunning tree, thus encircling it. There were fruits and vegetables she recognized, but there were also other produce and even animals she was seeing for the first time. The vendors were loud and vibrant. She walked around with curiosity, but not enough to try anything. Plus, she didn't have any money on her either.

As the morning was advancing, the small village got more active; people were going out and about with their business, although Caitlyn was most intrigued by where Vince, the buffed sentinel, had gone, so that she could try to join him in his task. However, then she became aware of a few glances that let her know her presence was making most of the villagers uneasy.

Unexpectedly, a kid of around 7 years old approached her with a bowl of something very similar to what Vi had had as her first meal out of prison. Caitlyn smiled as a sign of appreciation for his kindness and politely rejected his offer. Next, she encouraged him to go on in order to not draw more attention towards her.

– It's actually pretty good –a voice she recognized spoke beside her.

– Taric!

– It doesn't look great but it's quite tasty –Caitlyn looked immediately left to right, searching for Vi–. Oh, your girlfriend isn't here. She went to have some rest.

Her cheeks blushed–. What? Vi isn't… –she cleared her throat at once– She isn't my girlfriend.

– Oh, she is not?

Taric looked genuinely confused, and Caitlyn got caught off guard with that out-of-the-blue comment. Before she could say a word, however, a group of preteens bumped on her shoulder on purpose, making her lose balance. She didn't fall, but she did turn around wondering what the heck was that for. The three boys scoffed and laughed about it – one of them even gave her the finger.

– Hey, you three! That was rude and unnecessary! –Taric yelled–. Come back here and apologize at once!

Nevertheless, Caitlyn realized she could use the situation to her advantage. A bit nervous, Caitlyn put her hand on Taric's large shoulder for him to turn around.

– That's OK. I appreciate your intentions, Taric. The truth is… that I don't feel comfortable wearing these clothes. You can see why.. Could you help me get some Undercity clothing?

– Absolutely! Glad to help. Let's go find the village's best tailor –he winked.

They began to walk along the vendors' stands. Caitlyn saw a few dresses that piqued her interest, but none of them seemed adequate enough to embark on a solo mission against Jinx. They were either too flashy, too tight, or simply not matching her energy at all.

When they had only two stands left to have completed the full circle around the Great Giant, the coughs of an infant caught their attention. A woman was holding a one year old girl in her arms, gently patting her on the back. She had a worried face.

– Is your daughter OK, ma'am? –Caitlyn asked with care.

The woman had a sweet look on her face.

– She has been coughing non-stop for the last couple of days. We gave her the only medicine we have but it didn't work. In all honesty, I don't know what's wrong… I worry it might be something more serious than just a cold.

Taric immediately stepped in and offered to take a look at the little girl. Caitlyn observed the stand and realized they sold silverware and diverse home objects. There were a couple of paintings, too, and then, she saw it: an outstanding 3-piece outfit, steampunk style, made mostly of black linen and golden details at the end of the sleeves and lapel, together with two lines of golden buttons at the center. Wide-eyed, Caitlyn had a heart-stopper. The high boots went right below the knee and had a thick sole that seemed comfortable for action.

– She has a fever –Taric said, suddenly bringing Caitlyn back to their current matter–. I can heal her.

– You can? –the woman almost yipped.

– May I?

– Of course!

Taric placed his hands around the little girl and closed his eyes. He started to mumble words in a language neither the woman nor Caitlyn understood. The girl stopped coughing but didn't move. Her eyes were closed as well. A breeze of air began whirling around Taric, who continued to mumble. A few curious faces stopped to look at what was going on. Everybody was holding their breaths.

A few moments later, Taric removed his hands and opened his eyes. He seemed a bit tired.

– Give her lots of water and a bit of honey. She'll be OK.

The woman looked at her daughter, who had indeed recovered some colour. The little girl looked back at her mother, who immediately saw there had been a remarkable improvement, indeed. She showered Taric with deep gratitude and insisted in gifting him anything he wanted from the shop.

– How about that outfit? –Caitlyn pointed at it with her finger.

– Yes! I had just finished making it last night. It's beautiful, isn't it? –both Caitlyn and Taric nodded with a big smile– One of my best works by far. If you want it, it is all yours.

Taric accepted the gift, for he had accomplished two missions in one action. Caitlyn asked the woman if she could get changed at the backstore, where a long sheet was being used as a courtin to cover some boxes full of plates and other utensils. The woman invited her in with a big "of course!" and even cleared the way for Caitlyn to reach the area. She got dressed immediately and put her enforcer uniform in one of the empty cardboard boxes that were available.

Now wearing her new outfit, which fit like a glove, Caitlyn felt invigorated and grateful.

– Thank you so much, truly –she said to the woman.

– No, thank you! It's such an honor to have guests like you two. You are welcome anytime.

Taric and Caitlyn waved goodbye at the woman and her daughter, who blessed them with a joyous smile. Happy and overly content, the two champions strolled their way out of the market in the direction of the entrance to the hidden village.

– It looks nice on you!

– It does, doesn't it? –Caitlyn replied with a genuine smile–. I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you, Taric.

– My pleasure.

Caitlyn looked at the two sentinels who guarded the gate, wondering how she would be able to get her hands onto a rifle now. She hadn't seen any weaponry amongst the market's stands, and she doubted it'd be as easy to acquire as the outfit. Then, she lifted her head up, covering her eyes from the sun. For its height, chances were that Vince and his team were long gone. She sighed, having no option but to wait for their return.

[Play Steve Jablonsky - We Have to Go (Slowed + reverb)]

The night had been long, but the conversations amongst the Council members had finally gotten to a unanimous decision: Zaun had been granted its independence. However, none of the people sitting in that room could have predicted what happened next.

A fling of intuition, call it fate or call it luck, hit Mel Medarda like an extrasensorial warning. And in the blink of an eye, the window behind her shattered in a thousand pieces. Her golden tattoos glowed, their light creating a shield around her and those who were nearest.

The rocket Jinx had launched clashed against Mel's magic barrier and exploded, fire spreading in all directions at once. The walls blew off, the windows blasted, and the roof was reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds. Mel had a split moment to extend her magic barrier to protect the rest of the Councilors before the floor collapsed; thus, engulfing all of them down with it.

Next, it all went black.

The sound of distant sirens woke Jayce from his unconsciousness. He had fallen onto a pile of rubble but was left with no serious injuries, only bruises and a sore back. Scared and confused, he sat up and looked around while coughing. The air was filled with dust and smoke, which made it difficult to see further than 3 meters away.

A weak flare of light amongst the rubble drew his attention in.

– Mel!

He got up as fast as he could, his feet stumbling upon a rubble mountain. Once he reached her, Jayce had to remove some blocks from her torso, which had been buried during the floor's collapse. She was breathing and seemed to not have any signs of serious injuries either, beyond a scratch or two.

– Mel, are you alright?

– I am –Mel uttered, then extended her hand– Help me up.

The imperative tone left no room for hesitation. Jayce obeyed, and he moved aside to allow Councilor Medarda to sit up. With a concerned look on her face, she immediately began looking around, searching for the rest of the Council. Jayce told her to cover her mouth and nose in order to not inhale the polluted air, and even though she followed his advice, she got up without losing focus. Jayce stared at her in silence, a million questions running through his mind.

The smoke was getting thicker due to the fire expanding on the upper level, which allowed for some light to illuminate the space. The silhouettes of the small mountains of rubble became evident, as well as the shape of the location of the door that led outside the building.

A grunt made both Mel and Jayce turn around. Councilor Salo emerged from a pile of rubble, his hand pressing against his ribcage. He did not look so good.

– Horkel…! Horkel! –he urged, crawling a few meters to his right.

Mel moved towards his direction to help get Councilor Horkel out of the rubble.

– Viktor –Jayce turned around looking for his friend– Viktor!

Another grunt came from the opposite side. It was Councilor Bolbok, who despite being made of metal was still in one piece; only a few scratches on his back and minor injuries on his legs. Nothing a skilled mechanic couldn't fix. Suddenly, a bunch of bricks blasted out from a pile of rubble. It was Viktor, who had just used his shimmer powered leg to bust out. Jayce rushed to help him get up.

– Are you OK?

– Yeah, I'm OK.

– How did you do that? –Jayce asked in disbelief.

– I'll… explain later. Is everybody alright?

– I don't know, we haven't found everyone yet.

Salo and Mel were finally able to dig Councilor Horkel out of the rubble. His eyes were closed, and there was blood on several parts of his body. Mel checked his pulse. He was gone.

– No… –Salo mourned with tears in his eyes.

Mel clenched her jaw, her fists closed against the cold stone. Her magic hadn't acted quick enough. With a knot in his stomach, Jayce then realized Caitlyn's mother was still missing.

– Help! Over here!

The voice of Councilor Shoola made Jayce and Viktor move quickly in her direction. Her arm was bleeding, but she hadn't asked for help because of it. It was Cassandra Kiramman who was unconscious and in need of help.

– Her legs are buried and I can't move her –Shoola explained–. She's still alive.

Mel approached Shoola and did a tourniquet on her arm to stop the bleeding, stripping away part of her own dress to do so.

– Let me see.

Jayce moved closer to the blocks of stone that trapped Councilor Kiramman's legs. He tried to move them but they were too heavy. He looked around, searching for something he could use as a lever. But the heat was increasing; they had to leave soon if they didn't want to die asphyxiated.

– Would this work? –Councilor Bolbok offered a large broken bar as a lever.

Jayce was unsure it would hold, yet he had no choice but to give it a try. He put the bar in position while Bolbok and Mel prepared to apply force onto it.

– On my count! –Jayce said– One, two, three!

They all pushed together and the blocks moved. Shoola and Viktor pulled Cassandra from under the rubble. She had blood on her legs and on her forehead, but she was still breathing. The team let go and the block fell heavily on the ground. The whole structure trembled.

– We have to get out of here, come on! –Jayce commanded at once.

The flames were getting bigger and closer. Coughing, Bolbok and Shoola hurried towards the exit. Jayce pulled Viktor in the same direction, then took Councilor Kiramman in his arms and watched out not to spring an ankle on his way out.

– Salo! –Mel yelled at him from across the room– We have to go!

He hadn't moved from Councilor Horkel's side, still sobbing.

– We can't leave him here!

But before Mel could even respond, a piece of the North wall fell off right on top of him. She screamed his name, but there was nothing she could have done to help.

– Mel, let's go! –Jayce screamed from the top of his lungs.

The fire was catching up to them as well. It was now or never. Crying, and with an aching heart, Mel had no other option but to leave immediately.

To be continued…

Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a comment on how this story is making you feel so far, what you liked and why, or any constructive feedback that can help me improve my writing skills, character development, etc.

Much love, and until the next episode!