Morning arrives, accompanied by sweetly singing birds signalling the beginning of the duo's adventure. The warm rays of sunlight, rustling and scampering around stirs a slumbering, snoring Ahri awake. Groggily she sits up, wondering what could be making such noise and ruining her beauty sleep. Scanning the cramped, chaotic space, she finds her new sidekick shoving garments, bandages and tins into a satchel. "Can't you do that more quietly?" She asks through yawn, turning away from him and closing her eyes once more.
"Hey—don't you dare go back to sleep!" He chides, hopping on the bed and shaking her by her shoulder, "we have a boat to catch remember?"
As if she had actually forgotten, she rises back up, much more gracefully and alert this time. "I just wanted to get back to that wonderful dream I was having…," she sighs, recalling her blissful dream of enjoying the Spirit Blossom Festival with both familiar and unfamiliar company.
"We have no time for dreams—the first boats leave very early, we gotta get a move on!" He instructs, readying his satchel over his shoulder and heading out the door with Ahri not far behind. "I packed everything you need, you don't seem to have much to your name anyway," he says, tapping the satchel to hint at the whereabouts of her few possessions.
At the Tevasa port, the two easily find a suitable ship for the journey, namely, a worn-out cargo ship stinking of fish and crowded with a dozen-odd passengers and sailors. Getting on board predictably proved a tad tedious. Passengers and sailors were hesitant to let the duo hitch a ride to Weh'le; despite it being a simple trip down and across the river. Thankfully, the crew were more interested in coin than the alleged dangers of Vesani and half-Noxians, and Ahri, for whatever reason had coin in spades. The journey was uneventful, a welcomed change of pace for the two considering their strange preceding days. Sidekick, under the tutelage of his master, spends his time huddled away in accommodation practising his energy control by creating sparks of lightning between his hands; aiming to keep the spark at a consistent size for as long as possible. Eventually, a knock on the door and a crudely speaking sailor ends their reprieve, informing them that they have made it to Weh'le. The two gather their belongings and head to the deck, joining the other passengers readying to disembark.
Sidekick peers over the railing as the ship eases gracefully along the dock, watching the sailors expertly work together to drop the heavy anchor and fasten the ship to a sturdy cleat. While observing, Sidekick notices a fancy cruiser, one that's larger than life and so clean and polished that it sparkles. The contrast between the greasy, dank ship he was on and the marvellous one across the dock was akin to night and day. Littered across the deck of the cruiser were decorated and disciplined sailors, ushering pale and shaky passengers across the gangplank with urgency. At the end of the arriving crowd was a tightly-knit group, led by a man carrying a large person-shaped lump draped in a green and red-stained blanket; it didn't take Sidekick much deduction to realise that under the cloth was a corpse.
Ahri perches up beside him, watching the group carry the deceased into town. "Magic lingers, sometimes long after its use, and that corpse reeks of something sinister."
"It's a corpse, of course it stinks," he says, chuckling at his joke.
She rolls her eyes. "Not that kind of reek, magic, like mine or yours."
He leans over the railing, half of his body hanging off the edge as he tries to get a better look at the corpse. "Are you sure? Maybe you're imagining it?"
"Don't question my senses," she retorts, barely hiding her offence. "It's hard to explain. What I'm feeling from the corpse are remnants of magic that's bitter, sour, malicious, and even familiar. I can't quite put my finger on where I've felt it before."
Sidekick bubbles up with curiosity. "I've never heard you describe anything like that, we should investigate."
She shakes her head as they walk down to the dock, kicking her brewing curiosity to the curb. "No. We have more important things to do—besides, it's in bad taste, have some respect for the dead."
Not bothered by the lack of inquisition, Sidekick cheerfully falls into step alongside her, passing dozens of groups preparing to find the vault just as they were. Each adventurer armed to the teeth with bows, arrows, spears, swords and shields. In preparation, everyone seemed to have an important role, some sharpening weapons, others checking supplies and a few studying dusty, battered maps of the mountains. Many heads turn as Ahri comes into view, some clutch their weapons, others back away, all of which earn a sigh from her, she's used to it and right now she can't afford to maintain a 'safe' distance to keep people unworried, getting to the vault early and stopping other adventurers from entering is far more important.
"Do you know exactly where the vault is?" Sidekick asks, clumsily dodging people as the crowd becomes denser.
"Somewhat. Considering the previous vaults I'd wager its entry is somewhere close to the centre of the mountains. Thankfully, the dangers of the mountains will keep most people out." Ahri replies while gracefully weaving between people.
"Dangers? What makes the mountains so dangerous?"
"Raptors and sentinels among other creatures tend to live in and around mountains like the one ahead. Beyond that, the land is cruel with many steep climbs, jagged rocks, deep falls and no carved paths—fun stuff." She informs wryly as they emerge from the hustle and bustle and enter the Weh'le town centre.
The town centre, like the port, is chaotic, full of opportunistic merchants and their quickly set-up stalls selling weaponry, food, clothes, and shady vials of medicine that likely cause more problems than they cure. Not being very worldly, the sights of the new town and how different it is to Tevasa fascinates Sidekick, each detail, whether they're small or large sparking his interest. Tevasa is bright and hot thanks to the beaming, unobstructed sun, and calming crashing waves always a provide refreshing salty sea breeze. Weh'le comparatively is more gloomy, the thick grey clouds overhead and peppered across the looming mountain tops cast a cool shade across the town, the air also feels heavier and more humid due to the dense forests nearby. Even the buildings are different, most structures in Tevasa are made of wood and tin, whereas those in Weh'le are made of heavy stone, timber and metal, giving buildings a darker, more imposing feeling. Of all the differences however, Sidekick was most interested in the plants abundant along the roads and houses. The tropical, monotonous fauna of Tevasa incomparable with the dozens, if not hundreds of strange species; each uniquely colourful and blooming vibrantly. Bright maple and violet-coloured trees occupy gardens and tower above the town's crude walls, vines stealthily creep along the walls of homes as if to claim them as their own and shrubs and flowers are everywhere; peppering the town with a thick, comforting floral aroma.
"We aren't that far from Tevasa but everything is so different!" Sidekick beams, spinning to Ahri who was kneeling and inspecting a beautiful blue flower with a wistful gleam in her eyes.
"It's because of the mountain, the closer we get to the heart of it, the stranger things will become, the land and people here are deeply connected to the magic of nature." She informs, still inspecting the flower tenderly.
Sidekick notices her downcast expression, but thinks better of prying into her thoughts, especially as there are more pressing matters at hand; namely a group of adventurers who've been beaten and battered, crowding the nearby front gate. Their leather armour was torn and weapons scratched or broken, some limping on makeshift crutches and others supported by the generous shoulders of their companions as they struggled through the front gates. The sight a sobering one for Sidekick, a reminder that this is no vacation, but a serious quest where his life is certainly in danger. A pair from the wounded group argue passionately while leading the rest towards the town centre, causing Ahri's keen ears perk up eavesdrop, she's able to hear them clearly despite the surrounding distractions and noise.
"I told you those beasts wouldn't listen!" Shouted one of them, a burly man who was clutching his arm as he attempted to stride forward, his limp notwithstanding.
"Negotiating was the best chance we had at getting out safely…" The other, much smaller man replies timidly. "Vastaya are human enough, I thought they might take pity on us."
"And how did that work out?" Snarks the burly man.
"Follow—and for the love of god let me do the talking," Ahri says sternly to Sidekick. Sensing her seriousness, he nods in agreement as they approach the bickering pair.
An audible gulp can be heard as the group spots the approaching Vastaya, one wondering aloud whether she's here to finish the job and others wondering why a human is travelling with her. "Trouble in the mountains?" Ahri asks the arguing pair.
"You could say that. Your kind are ruthless." The burly man replies with a slight tremble, stomaching any fears and trying to maintain his confident disposition.
"I doubt they were 'my kind,' pretty sure I'm one of a kind. Regardless, mind giving me the full story? In exchange, I'll heal you and your friends." She offers with a warm, rehearsed smile, hoping her offer is more attractive than however scary she appears.
Reluctantly, the duo agree on behalf of their party, all of them more sick of limping around, but also keenly aware that other parties may prey on them due to their weakness. Moving to the side of the road and away from prying eyes and sharp ears, Ahri and Sidekick begin making the rounds. Ahri uses her magic to mend broken bones, deep gashes and dark, tender bruises while Sidekick suppresses his curiosities and aids her by keeping her patients steady. While the two worked their way through the party, the more timid of the bickering duo recounted their journey into the mountains.
"It took a few days for us to get to the heart of the mountains, the monsters and path to the heart were horrible, yet somehow we made it in one piece. As we suspected, the dungeon was there and surprisingly we were the first ones to arrive, unfortunately we couldn't get inside. The doors you see, were locked behind some sort of barrier powered by a tablet above the entry." The timid man recounted, his brow furrowing as he struggled to recall more details, prompting the burly man to interrupt.
"The tablet had text that none of us understood and no amount of brute force could get those heavy doors open. We gave up and made camp nearby, with no other groups in sight we believed it was safe enough. But in the dead of night we were attacked by a small number of Vastaya, all with wings, led by a crass little lady. We had no chance to rally ourselves, and that idiot thought we could reason with them while they were raining feathers! Most of us got out… some not so lucky."
"Wings and feathers… Lhotlan most likely." Ahri murmurs as she finishes up her end of the bargain. The previously damaged party members shocked at her ability, stretching their limbs and examining where their old wounds and broken bones were while thanking her. She's not used to gratitude; each thanks making her more fidgety and flushed. Bidding them farewell and thanking them for the information, she briskly leaves via the gate with Sidekick again trailing behind.
Sidekick, unable to contain himself any longer he begins firing off a barrage of questions, "What's a Lhotlan? Was the language on the tablet the language of your people? How can feathers hurt anyone? Wha—"
"Quiet." She snaps, her head also spinning with questions, too many to answer his. "We have a long trek ahead, save your questions for when there's a lull in the action."
With that out of the way, an eerie silence falls upon them they follow the dingy road that leads to the foot of the mountain. Ahri's eyes dart to the side, sensing a presence fixed on them. She looks up into the tree line for a few moments but sees nothing before she turns her attention back to the road. Despite not seeing anything, her instincts were dead-on. A figure hidden in a faraway tree, crouching on a sturdy branch and slurping from a bowl of steaming noodles she eyes the pair below maliciously, quietly muttering to herself, "Target spotted."