Champions of Zaun

Chapter Nine

Ekko knew they were in trouble as soon as they started nearing the top of the rock. While he'd told Martin the hoverboards could reach about three hundred feet of height, that was with a single occupant in mind, and right then and there he was saddled with Martin's sister, Malea, standing in front of him on his board. The board was really starting to sound strained, even his enhanced version with the Hextech gem powering it. The woman didn't weigh much more than a hundred-thirty pounds if he had to guess, but the board still didn't appreciate the extra weight this high up.

It had taken them about five minutes or so to make their way to the rock after the flare had gone up from the Council tower. As they got nearer, he'd begun holding onto her hips to make sure she wouldn't fall off. While she was strong and incredible agile, she wouldn't be able to react quickly enough if he had to make any sudden movements. It was probably due to the fact that he kept gripping her more and more tightly that she finally asked, "We're in trouble, aren't we?"

"Yeah," he grunted. It wasn't just the height either, it was also the sheer crosswinds. He'd warned Martin about those, but even he was surprised at how strong they were, barreling along the side of the giant, sheer rock face. Several times he had to make severe corrections to their course or wind up pancaked against the rock face, and all the strain started adding up on the board. It was really starting to sound ragged, and they still had a good thirty or forty feet to climb.

"I'll jump off," Malea said suddenly.

"What? Don't be crazy!" Ekko countered.

"It's not crazy. We're not gonna make it with both of us on your hoverboard! I'll be fine! Get me closer to that damned rock!" she said, the order clear in her tone.

"Even if you make that jump and manage to stick to that rock face, you'd still have to get through all that barbed wire! It'll take you hours, and we don't have that kind of time! Now stop fucking moving!"

He felt her tense up, as if she was getting ready to jump, and he quickly clamped his right arm around her neck. He leaned in close to her ear and said harshly, "If you jump, you're taking me with you! Now stand still! This is hard enough without you screwing around!"

He prayed to Janna she'd listen, but he could no longer devote any attention to it, as the wind got more violent again. With agonizing slowness, he managed to get another twenty feet of height out of the board... twenty-five... thirty...

The engine coughed, once, and they dropped a good ten feet. It was useless, it wasn't going to make it to the top, and they both knew it. He felt Malea get ready to jump again, right as a massive gust of wind rocketed around the rock. Ekko took a gamble, locked both arms around her stomach and put the board nearly vertical, clenching his feet in the stirrups.

Malea let out a little squeal, but he managed to hold on to her, and the wind hit the flat undersection of the board full on, thrusting them forward with nearly double the velocity. He let it push them forward a few more seconds, then angled the board back up and put every last shred of thrust into the hoverboard's engine.

The engine and the wind made them quickly gain height, but it only lasted for a second or two until the engine coughed again, then died right as they crested the top. He threw them sideways, using their last bit of momentum to jump off with her in his arms, crashing them both into the slanted top section of the rock.

For a second, he felt elated that they'd made it, then he began to slide, down towards that awful chasm and the barbed wire that hung just beneath it. His feet and hands scrabbled for purchase, but all the found was gravel and loose grass, and he inexorably slid further.

"Fuuuu—" he yelled out, then a hand clasped him by the scruff of his coat, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Is your coat strong?" Malea hissed at him from above. He looked up, seeing her dangling, with him in one hand while the other was holding on to a metal weapon of some kind that she'd obviously just jammed straight into the sheer rock.