The City Is My Hunting Ground

Chapter 13: Dead End

Zaun will be redeemed... in the flames

"I think I owe you an explanation", Ziggs said carefully.

"I gotta mind some my own business, give me a summary when I get back", Teemo yelled from doorway.

Rumble and Tristana sat between Ziggs and the door so he couldn't escape. They had also locked the window with an easy locking spell.

"Do you want the long or short story?"

"Just give the long", Rumble yawned.

"We spent three hours just searching you from the book", Tristana agreed.

"Okay. So, this started at Ionia when I was almost sixteen. I had just packed my things and decided to leave, but it was so late I didn't want to leave yet. I went to a lakeside nearby to watch some stars. But then I heard a painful and quiet voice."

"Wasn't it the sorceress you've told about?" Rumble asked.

"Yes. I found her on a small tent. She was sick, and my minor knowledge about medicational things was enough to tell she couldn't make it. I think she had a tumor or something. When she saw me, she looked like the happiest person in the world. Can you guess what she asked?"

"You to heal her?" Tristana made the 'oh I don't think so' face.

"No. She asked me to blow her up. Her pain had to be unbearable, if she asked something like that. I agreed. As I was just gonna light the fuse up, she gave me her ring and a notebook. I just nodded, took them and made it blow."

"I found out that her name was apparently Zhonya, and the ring was a powerful magical artifact. I decoded the notes. The ring turned to be a summoning ring so powerful that it protects from all harm that could happen while summoning. So I started to study it, too."

"Why didn't you register?"

"No one other than me can perform a hundred percent safe summoning. If anyone knew that I have this, I wouldn't live much longer. Just think, how mighty things could be done by this!"

Ziggs coughed a little. The Zaun Gray does no good to anyone's lungs.

"It's good to hear that you have kept this as a secret. But you should make summonings inside now on. Zaun's streets are never safe", Tristana mentioned.

Ziggs took a coffee mug Rumble offered to him. "Sorry for changing the subject, but I've noticed something. Zaun Gray's gotten thicker during our trip, and I found out from the archives I checked out that it has thickened 89% in last 1,5 years."

"Weird", Rumble shrugged. "It must be tough living in the bottom levels."

"Yea, the difference between here from the fourth level to the sewer level is huge", Tristana said. She sat on a couch and took a coffee as well.

Rumble doesn't stutter when he talks to me anymore. Maybe his courage has grewn during this journey. He's actually cuter when he isn't so childish anymore. Am I really falling to him? Geez, 'the toughest commando' with the smallest yordle. I everyone would laugh to me.

Rumble didn't drink coffee, but he had ordered a bottle of something stronger. Few knew he had a very strong hollow leg. He still rarely drank.

Tristana's falled to her thoughts again. She's most likely thinking about Teemo. I don't mind he left, but Tristana seems to miss him. What a dead end. It's nice that she got Teemo to stop bullying me. She still thinks me as a child, propably.

Knock knock.

"I'll open", Tristana said, she was closest to the door.

It was the bartender.

"Ekko just came back. He has nothing to do now, so you can go talk to him."

...

"He is obnoxious and unpredictable, but might still be helpful to us", Camille said while sitting on her throne.

"You took a great risk, my lady. Even Urgot is unable to kill the Wolf."

"Do you think I couldn't beat him, or even escape, Seamus?"

Seamus bowed. "Expect the unexpectable."

"Besides, reward from taking that risk is outrageously big. Political reasons prevent me from eliminating all of Barons, but Warwick has no such ties. No beast is untameable."

"Of course, my lady. Anyone can be bought. If you would like to hear, I have other news."

"What is it?"

"The thing that Urgot is searching has revealed itself. He has also set up the trap."

"Perfect, Seamus, perfect", Camille said while petting Seamus's head.

To him, there was no bigger reward than the attention of his mistress.