My Savior

Chapter Eight

Vi

Our trip into the markets of the lanes only had one objective; find parts for Powder's new gun. Other than that we are only here to get out of the Firelights base and have some fun. It's only been two days of having nothing to do and Mira was already feeling restless, so I'm glad we're trying to get her out of her head.

As soon as we enter the bumbling city, Pow is tugging on the sleeve of my jacket and pulling me toward a small jewelry store. Inside are walls lined with rows and rows of ornate necklaces made of wire, some with simple gemstones in the middle, some without, some of the simple dainty designs and some so intricate that they look like they're a million pounds, but all of them are different and no two are exactly the same.

Without warning Powder plows through the small throng of people shopping and straight to the back counter where she gives the teenage girl behind the register a fistbump and then plops herself unceremoniously on top of the counter like she owns the place.

As I begin to make my way closer to where she is, I start to pick up on the conversation the two are having. I don't get the first half of the conversation as I lean against the counter right beside Powder as she speaks, "-not exactly. I know you don't make the same necklace twice but I want to have a matching set with my sister. I'm willing to pay double for both of them."

"What? The sister that's been MIA for the past seven years? Yeah, good luck with that." She scoffs playfully, not noticing the amused look on Powder's face, as she turns to me quickly with a sneer. "Can't you see I'm having a conversation here? It's rude to eavesdrop, go stand somewhere else. I'll call you over when I'm ready to ring up your items."

"It's not technically eavesdropping if the conversation is about you though, is it?" The sneer is wiped off her face immediately as she looks between me and Powder with a surprised expression, letting my words sink in yet confused all the same.

"Alice," Powder speaks, "meet Vi, Vi meet Alice. Alice is my go-to for when I need to get my hands on things people don't usually sell down here." She gives me a wink, which means she must be talking about stolen technology from Piltover. She turns herself around on the counter so she's fully facing me, her legs dangling over the edge as she lowers her voice so only the two of us can hear her.

"Mira and Ekko have forbade me from taking jobs up there until this whole Silco situation is dealt with if you know what I mean. Though Mira's convinced that if we can get rid of things, that our relationship with Piltover will improve, 'hopefully you won't have to do that anymore, Jinx, we might just be able to trade with one another peacefully'", she lowers her voice just slightly so that she sounds similar to Miriem before she continues in her normal voice.

"Which I think is a massive load of shit, but I'm not allowed to speak negatively on what-if's anymore since it comes off as "pessimistic" and "lowers the moral of our fighters", whatever that means."

She shakes her head dramatically as if recollecting her thoughts, "Anyway, I now come here for anything I need but can't get while stuck down here. Alice is a great pick-pocketter and I trust her enough to not spill all of our secrets."

"Well." I start only once I'm sure my sister is done blabbering (not that I didn't enjoy it but I don't want to interrupt her, it's refreshing to hear her talk so freely), "It's nice to meet you, Alice. Now, what is this I heard about matching necklaces?"

Powder straightens her back as if she completely forgot why we even came here and I chuckle at the look in her eye. Her face splits into a grin as she leans in close.

"Do you remember those matching friendship bracelets Vander found for us when we were little?" I nod. "Well, the other day I saw Alice sketch a necklace that looked incredibly similar."