The Arcane Trilogy: Sins of the Past - Book 2

Chapter 12: Friends in High Places

Upon the conclusion of her speech, the Lanes became a rushed hub of bustling activity, with everyone serving Sevika rushing off to complete their various assignments that she had given to them. Throughout the morning, she visited some of the Shimmer plants that began their resurgence, wanting to see with her own eyes the state of the facilities. The manpower they possessed meant that Shimmer distribution would take a serious hit, but she was content for a time that their operation was not completely starved of resources. There were elements that needed financial support that she did not have. The plant that suffered the topsider raid being the primary location as to where repairs were needed, but for the moment, the new leader of Zaun had to make do with the manpower she had at hand and Shimmer production facilities that still remained untouched. With any luck, they could get more chemtanks ready to go sooner rather than later, with any shimmer they had being offered out for pocket change, or for free in some cases. The better Paul did his job, the better it would be for her. The more time he could buy them would be more time for Zaun to prepare a true army to battle the might of Piltover. Just as the midday sun reached it's peak, Sevika also attended to a personal matter, alone.

Silco's burial.

It was nothing lavish or extravagant, as Sevika did not have the time or patience for such a task. She knew he would understand.

There was a particular spot deep in the lower levels of the Undercity, tucked away in a discrete corner, far away from the snaking dingy jungle that was the underground. A collection of rubble had caved in the front of a collapsed mine. The railways inside that ran deep into Zaun's core had been blocked off for the longest time after that particular mine caved in years ago, but at the mouth, a small opening existed behind the metallic sheets that had been placed to cover up the entrance. After removing the panels that covered the cave in, Sevika was satisfied with the small gap that existed behind where the panels would be placed and before the mountain of rock that barred further entry.

She gently placed Silco down in the gap, laying him down and neatly organising his body into a respectable manner. Before she began moving the panels back in place to seal his makeshift tomb, she removed the white tie remained firmly knotted to his neck. His body was not returned with his coat, so she deemed his tie a suitable mark for his grave.

Her mechanical arm may have lost its combat functionality, but using her many years of tinkering and becoming familiar with her amputated state, she was able to reattach the limb in a manner that allowed it to function as normal. She did not know how long her makeshift repairs would hold up, but it was better than working off one arm. Having to compensate in favour of her natural arm was not a feeling Sevika was used to, but she was able to move the metal sheets in front of the mine's entrance with little hassle. Just as she was about to place the final panel across the opening, she paused, looking down on Silco's lifeless face for a time.

The man she risked her life for, time and time again, was dead. Being alone and looking upon his lifeless features with nothing but the low rumbling of Zaun to accompany her was the final nail that rammed that point home to her. She was the sole bastion of the dream he started. A man fuelled with conviction, who seized the Lanes for himself to make the dream a reality. A man who crushed any opposition to his plans without any hesitation. For so many years, Sevika truly believed he was the man that would lead them all into a golden age.

However, she was not blind or naïve. She could sense Silco's resolve waning ever so slightly in his final days. It culminated when Finn tried to take control, with Sevika in a position where she could have single handily changed the fate of Zaun forever. The fact that Finn, a worm that had been following Silco for well over a year, tried his luck at seizing power, showed Sevika that Silco was slowly losing his fearful reputation. Sevika knew that the lack of dread being subjected to his enemies and his subjects would make his dream collapse into nothing more than hopeful optimism. As she thought back to all the years she had given to him, and to the events that had transpired over the last week, she further realised that ever since Jinx had come into Silco's life, his grip on Zaun was running out. His approaching demise was like a ticking time bomb, with Finn's attempt to take over serving as an ill omen of the fate that would befall him that very same day.