The crew now stood in front of the Bhuru temple, a giant building adjacent to the sea, made out of stone, with moss patches here and there.
"That's the place?" Rakan asked. Ahri nodded.
As everyone stepped inside, an elderly woman stood in front of them. She asked them something in a foreign language.
"We're sorry elder, but we don't speak Bhuru." Lanius replied.
The old lady looked at them. Her eyes landed upon Ahri and she smiled. "You're back, fox vastaya?" she asked in Ionian.
Ahri nodded. "We're here to speak to the Truth Bearer." she said. "Is she here, elder?"
"She is, follow me." The old lady walked, using her cane to support herself as she walked in the front and the rest followed.
They walked through the temple and made it a big circular room. At it's center stood a big woman, even taller and more muscular than Sett. The elderly lady spoke to her in their language. The muscular woman nodded and the elder left.
The woman had a big circular lantern next to her. She looked at each one present in the room, her eyes also stopped at Ahri. The woman named Illaoi smiled. "Long time, no see, Ahri." she greeted her.
"Good to see you too, Illaoi." the vesani greeted back.
"What brings you and your friends here?" Illaoi asked.
"We need the Bhuru's assistance to get to the Shadow Isles." Ahri replied.
Illaoi stood there in silence,as if she was thinking about something. "And...what does the Winter want at the Shadow Isles?" she asked again, directly looking at Lanius.
"How did she know?" the young man thought. "I need...to speak to the Ruined King." he finally replied.
"Why?" Illaoi asked. "Why do you need to go to the Shadow Isles and speak to him?" Illaoi picked up her artifact and stepped towards them.
She then stopped directly in front of Lanius. She was one and a half heads taller than him. Sett, who was sitting beside him and was half a head taller, unconsciously took a step back and his ears titled to the sides.
She noticed that and chuckled. "No need to be afraid boy, I don't eat vastaya." she joked. Sett's ears readjusted forward, but not all the way. Illaoi then turned her attention back at Lanius.
"A man that holds a bond with a distraction wishes to speak to an undead...how bizarre." she said.
"Distraction?"Lanius asked.
"Spirits are merely a distraction from the truth of the Nagakabouros..." Illaoi explained.
"I assume that the Nagakabouros is your Goddess?" Lanius guessed.
"The Mother Serpent, Nagakabouros is our Goddess." Illaoi confirmed his guess.
"Said...distraction you speak of has...as you, yourself said...bonded with me. The Spirit of the Winter is with me in my quest."
"And what is your quest?" Illaoi asked. Her luminescent green eyes were full of interest.
"Obtain answers...and avenge my tribe." Lanius said. "But to do this, I also need the aid of the Bearded Lady."
Illaoi's giant artifact then shook. The woman smiled. "Perhaps the Nagakabouros wants to test you."
She then turned towards the others. "Step aside!" she told them. As the others instantly stepped to the side, Illaoi picked up her artifact and pointed it towards the young man. Then, a sharp pain passed through his whole body. Lanius yelled in pain...and everything faded.
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Xayah watched in horror as wraith-like tentacles erupted from the artifact and wrapped around the young man's limbs, lifting him up in the air. His eyes shifted to a luminescent green color, similar to Illaoi's and dome odd glowing green tattoos instantly covered his entire body body. Lanius yelled,seemingly being in pain.
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The young man opened his eyes. He was deep underwater. He suddenly panicked, then a female voice talked to him...or rather inside his head.
"You can...breath." the voice didn't speak to him in Ionian or Demacian...but rather in Bhuru. Lanius was confused. How could he understand the voice?
A tall creature then appeared in front of him from below. It appeared as a muscular green-skinned woman with tattoos around her body. She wore clothing with ornate kraken patterns and a face mask only showing multiple sets of eyes. Tentacles extend from her head mimicking hair dreads.
Lanius stood there in awe. "So that's how the Nagakabouros looks like..." he thought.
"My avatar." The Bearded Lady said, reading his thoughts. "You are...worthy. You follow my beliefs...even if you don't worship me."
Lanius wanted to open his mouth to speak, but he was too afraid that this wouldn't be a vision and he'd end up drowning, that he didn't speak. The Nagakabouros' eyes seemed to fix on his, as if she was thinking about something. "Pay your tribute...to the sea when you leave...or else the sea will take you...in it's place."
"How?" he instinctively asked and simultaneously slammed his jaw shut.
The Bearded Lady looked at him. "Think..." she said and began descending down at the depths of the sea.
The young man's vision blurred again as the giant creature sank again. The last thing he heard was "Good luck."
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Lanius opened his eyes as he was dropped on the floor by the retracting tentacles. The crew rushed to his side and helped him get up.
"As it seems, you are worthy." Illaoi said with a smile.
"She...spoke to me...and said that you can help me get on the Isles." Lanius said, trying to catch his breath.
"Nagakabouros spoke to you?" Illaoi looked skeptical. "Perhaps it is more urgent than I thought." she then looked at him. "Tomorrow morning, we will leave for the Shadow Isles, get ready." she said. "The Bhuru are with you, may you have a safe travel, Winter."
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"Man...that woman was scary." Sett exclaimed as they left the Temple.
"She's strong and intimidating, that's why." Ahri said.
"Intimidating? She sure is...even for me, who rarely feels threatened." Sett mumbled.
"So, what do we do now?" Rakan asked.
"Any ideas?" Ahri asked.
"Go eat and return to the Inn again?" Kayn proposed.
"Good idea, we'll need energy for tomorrow."
"Are we going back to that tavern? The one with the tasty wine?" Xayah asked.
"Miella, you're not going to drink again." Rakan replied. "Do they have chocolate? I don't want that stew again." he asked Lanius.
"I will, can't tell me otherwise." Xayah protested.
"Xayah!" Rakan said with a serious tone.
"Only one cup!" Xayah stated with the same tone as him. Rakan rolled his eyes with a fake angry expression.
They continued to joke around when suddenly a familiar voice spoke behind them.
"Aye, we left some unfinished business yesterday."