Lanius opened the door and stepped inside the room. He took his coat off and hanged it on the wall. The coat looked different, was this a dream? Instead of the usual ankle lenght long black coat, he wore a grey cropped trenchcoat.
The young man looked at himself in the mirror that was next to the door. He looked kinda different. A large scar now runned across his nose, and the style of his hair had changed, he had now cut them shoulder length. He was also wearing deep purple bandages and black fingerless silk gloves that were up to his elbows in length.
The young man made his way into the living. Ahri was outside in the balcony, and currently looked at the piltovan sea. Not much had changed on her, aside from her trying her hair into a bun, using two silver hair pins (like the dynasty skin hairstyle).
"How did the meeting go?" she asked as she turned around and gave him a smile that warmed his heart.
"Good, the Noxian ambassadors had the brains to not get cocky. Not after what happened at the Immortal Bastion." Lanius approached her. Ahri also approached and gave him a quick kiss.
Something barked behind him and the young man turned around to see a tiny poro that jumped on him. It was missing half of its left horn and had a replacement made out of ice.
" Wolfy? Can I show you something?" Ahri sounded behind him. Her voice hid something. Lanius set the poro down and turned around.
"Is there something wrong, Foxy?" he asked her. He then noticed that her hands were gently placed on her stomach. The young man was shocked.
"Lanius..." Ahri opened her mouth to say something.
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"...Wake up~" Ahri's voice woke him up.
The Winter opened his eyes to see her in bed next to him with a bright smile.
"Look who's finally awake~." she said with a playful tone.
What happened for her to be so cheerful? She usually wasn't that affectionate, unless she had a nightmare...something that only happened twice so far.
Lanius rubbed his eyes and looked around him. They were inside yet another Inn room.
"How...many hours was I asleep?" he asked.
"Well, it's about midday." she said.
The you man then remembered the events of the previous day. Ahri and how he saved her. He looked down. Last night he didn't even bother to get under the sheets. He just took off his boots and coat and lied on the bed.
The young man looked at the vesani next to him. She was in her usual sleeping attire.
"Midday? Gee, I better get up. The others are gonna be waiting for us." the young man moved to get up, but Ahri softly pushed him back down.
"Nu-uh, you have to stay in bed, otherwise your wound won't heal." Ahri insisted.
The young man looked down once again. The icy patch he used to seal the hole was gone, being red by stitches. He didn't remember how he got those.
"Bu-" he tried to protest.
"No "buts". Let's just take a few days off, shall we~?" Ahri giggled and cuddled up to him, placing her head onto his chest.
This caught the young man off guard. "Foxy, is something wrong?"
She rose her head and smiled at him. "Remember a few weeks ago, when you told me that you'd wait? Well, you don't have to wait any longer, Wolfy."
"Eh? Are you sure?" Lanius asked as he raised his hand and rubbed her nape.
"Mhm. It's been a long time since someone looked at me that way. I also think that the lonewolf over here deserves to not be a lonewolf any more." Ahri placed her head back down with a sigh.
Lanius chuckled and placed his arms on her back. Ahri responded by wrapping hers around his neck. The two remained there purring in synchronisation.
"Lanius the Lonewolf...heh. Not bad." he remarked with a smile.
Ahri rose her head once more and pinned her amber eyes on his crystal blue. "No, not the Lonewolf. Lanius the Winter, my Winter, my wolf~" she let out a chirp.
Lanius chirped back and leaned forward, kissing one of her ears. Ahri crawled up highed and buried her face in his neck, remaining there with her arms still wrapped around it. The young man could feel her breath on his skin. Said breath then became slower and relaxed.
"Ahri?" Lanius whispered.
He got no response. The young man began to softly caress her hair. His heart was filled with joy and relaxation. Perhaps he'd take a few days off from the travel. After Bilgewater, they'd need to go to Mount Targon. There they'll find the first half of the runestone. The other one would be at the Howling Abyss in Freljord.
"So I'll have to cross every land in front of me to get to ny main objective...so be it." Lanius kissed the vesani on the head again.
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Ahri continued to be on top of the young man, faking that she was asleep. She inhaled his scent, cinnamon and lavender with a faint taste of mint. This smell had an effect similar to a drug for her. Ahri listened to the young man's heart beat, hoping that her ears didn't flinch that much to give her away. She felt the warmth of his skin. If she could pause time, she'd surely pause it to remain like this for the rest of time.
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A month ago, the Immortal Bastion, Noxus.
The woman was slender and paper-like white skinned. She wore notorious noble raiment with a distinct purple, black and gold palette. The most distinct ornament on her attire was her golden three point crown and a metallic staff with floating jewels on its tip.
Those not from her ranks called her The Pale Woman...or The Pale Sorcererss...or for the commoners of Noxus, The Pale Witch.
To be true...she had dozens of names, dozens of identities. Some fake...some real.
She now walked in her room like a lion in its cage. Her face was full of distress and unease.
"Marton...is there anything that I could assist you with?" the young acolyte asked after a few seconds of hesitation.
Her head turned towards him and her purple eyes glared daggers at him, causing the young acolyte to tremble in fear and shut his mouth.
Then, she stopped and looked at him more carefully. "Go and find Patron Vladimir. Tell him that the blue seal was broken." she said with a calm voice...that hid many things.
The acolyte nodded and left the room, leaving the woman alone. She turned around and sat in front of a round table filled with artifacts. One of them in particular was a bit odd. A small spiky sphere made out of ice, literal ice, with golden veins engraved onto it. The sphere had now broken in three pieces and the veins had vanished.
The witch grabbed her forehead. She feared of what might happen. She had manipulated others for a millennia and a half now. She had schemed, plotted, lied, backstabbed and betrayed hundreds of times...but to fight nature? No, she couldn't. And yet she did, not seeing what would happen in the future.
The witch sighed as she heard a knock on her door.
"Come in..." she said.
The door opened and the Witch turned around. Her face changed again, this time depicting confusion.
"Grand General?"