Lanius and the rest of the Ionians walked through the forest, heading straight for Demacia. Throughout the whole journey from the port till the part they were, they constantly went over the plan they had.
"Can we recap again?" Rakan asked.
"You forgot the plan, didn't you?" Xayah asked.
"No...yes...hey, have you seen this new cloak?" The Charmer tried to change the subject.
"Ok...we will stay for two days max. Lay low, don't cause trouble and don't use magic. We don't want the Mageseekers after us." Lanius explained.
"Ok, got it. Do they have chocolate here?" Rakan exclaimed.
"Maybe. By the way, wouldn't our ears attract attention?" Sett wondered.
"Not really. Mageseekers don't actively and openly crack down on vastaya, unless they use magic." Lanius replied.
"How do you know all this?" Kayn asked.
"Thank my encyclopaedia, Freida." the young man replied.
"Hilarious..." Freida sounded.
"What about the Rune?" Ahri questioned as they left the forest and made it to a gigantic glade.
"The Rune? It's safe. They'll probably not find it and I'm not expecting any reason to use it." Lanius tapped his satchel.
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The Ionians finally made it to the city, and stopped outside the walls.
"Stop right there, travellers. What is your purpose in the great city of Demacia?" a guard yelled from the walls.
Lanius looked at the rest and then turned towards the guard once more. "We're simple travelers that wish to stay for a few days in the great city! We mean no harm."
The guard looked at them and disappeared.
A few minutes later, the tremendous gate began to open.
"It's easy...till now." Kayn whispered.
As the gate fully opened, the Ionians passed through the walls and into the city, where a dozen of guards were waiting for them. One of them, presumably the commander, stepped forward and signaled them to stop, before he approached them.
"What is your purpose here?" he asked them.
"We're travellers that decided to stop here for a few days." Xayah explained.
The Commander turned towards the Lhotlan, and eyed her from top to bottom. Then he turned his attention towards Rakan and Sett.
He then looked towards Ahri, who was wearing her white cloak." You there, take the hood off."
Ahri sighed and did so. The Commander frowned and waved them away. "If it's for a few days, fine. But don't cause any trouble." he muttered.
As they moved in, Lanius heard him muttered "Vastaya..." in disbelief. Xayah went to turn around, but Rakan pulled her close to him.
"Not here, not him and especially not now, babe." He whispered to her.
While Demacia was a good city, the magic there was weak.
The Demacian citizens seemed to look at them with concern whenever they passed near them, whispering and turning around.
"Paranoid, aren't they?" Kayn muttered in disbelief.
"They sure are, the Rune Wars did a heavy toll on them." Lanius replied, though he had a bizarre feeling that he was... being watched?
They finally stopped in front of an Inn. Sett pushed the door and entered, being followed by the rest.
The Inn seemed full of people that talked loudly. They sat at a table and the owner came to serve them. By the time he returned, the sun was already setting.
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"Stew?" Kayn wondered as he raised his spoon.
"Maybe, it's best to not to know." Ahri replied, as she took a sip from a cup.
"So, ya want rooms?" the owner asked Lanius.
The young man nodded. "Four rooms, two days. Three meals included."
"I got rooms for you, don't worry about it. What I worry about is having trouble with the Mageseekers."the owner said and leaned closer. I'm surprised they didn't cause you any trouble so far." he whispered.
"Well, we're not fond of causing trouble ourselves." Kayn replied.
Just as he said that, the door opened and two individuals entered. They were dressed in blue, with a white half cloak covering their left shoulder. Both of them also wore a half porcelain mask.
The Inn went completely silent.
"Speak of the devil." the ower mumbled and went to approach the two visitors. "Good evening, how may we assist, seekers?"
One of them, a woman with ginger hair, tied to a bun answered. "Just here for a drink, continue with your jobs." she prompted.
The Inn became alive again, as the two Mageseekers strolled around.
The woman with the ginger hair must have located one of the three Vastaya, because she made a small turn and stopped in front of their table.
"You're not from here, aren't you?" she asked the Ionians.
"Is it that obvious?" Rakan joked.
The Mageseeker chuckled. "We don't see vastaya here that often. Mind if I sit?"
Xayah opened her mouth to say something, but Sett replied before her. "No, not at all, go ahead." he said and gestured towards an empty seat.
The Mageseeker sat down and took her mask off. "So, you've come from far?"
"Quite far, actually." Sett replied. "We don't intend to stay here for long though, don't worry about it."
"So, what do you intend to do here then?" the Mageseeker asked.
"Not much, we'll just rest." Lanius exclaimed.
"I see. Well, sorry to bother you, have a good night." the Mageseeker got up, grabbed her mask and went to join her fellow Mageseeker.
Sett nodded and took a few bites from his stew.
"Smart way to interrogate." Kayn mumbled after he took a bite.
"W-what the hell was th...at?" Xayah asked the Beast-Man. She had a mild stutter. Lanius wondered how much she had drank.
Sett chuckled and took a sip from his cup. "My father used to say "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer". It's the only advise that I ever listened to."
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"Still hungry?" Lanius then asked her.
After they finished dinning, Lanius and Ahri went in their room to relax. It was mainly due to Ahri wanting her dose, but both of them wanted some alone time together.
Their room was relatively medium sized, with a double bed, two nightstands, one stool and a table.
Ahri lied on the bed next to him, after having just received her "dose". She waited for a few seconds to stop huffing and then replied. "I'm hungry...but not for souls this time."
Lanius chuckled "Well I'm still hungry too. Hungry for some vesani though."
Ahri faked a gasp, then let out a chirp.
Lanius chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her. "Nothing tastes better than a juicy vesani." he exclaimed and chirped himself, then pretended he took a bite out of Ahri's shoulder.
The vesani giggled and leaned on him. "Well then, Wolfy. Indulge me."