Roots.

— Don’t you see that she’s about to freeze to death? Bring her something hot! — Am I the one paying? That’s your father, go ask him yourself. — Oh yes, thank you, smartass, as if he’s going to just let me steal from the owner. — Nothing wrong with taking some water for free! — N… ah, alright, Silco, to hell with you. Just watch her for the meantime. Sevika has never heard these voices before. She could barely open her eyes, having just woken up after losing consciousness Janna knows how long ago. The only thing she did understand, though, was the fact that she’s in some rather warm place. The past couple of minutes she was trying to figure out what the two people in the room were talking about yet her mind was in such a daze that understanding their motives was way beyond her mental abilities. Fighting the urge to immediately fall back into the abyss of sleep, she came to her senses fully and immediately flinched. Right in front of her (too close to feel comfortable) a pair of turquoise eyes was seemingly looking straight into her soul. Seeing that she’s finally awake, the stranger pulled away just a little, turning out to be just a boy as old as her with dirty strands of dark brown hair reaching his bony shoulders. — Oh, you’re awake! — the stranger smiled nervously. Right, this was the one with the high-pitched voice! Having somewhat of an overbite, he couldn’t pronounce some of the sounds clearly and his smile could not but remind Sevika of the cartoonishly happy mice faces that she loved drawing when she was little. This thought, so simple yet so nostalgic at the same time made her giggle a bit, despite all the shivering caused by the cold and, well, being soaking wet. Cold and wet. Of course, how could she forget! Sevika looked around her, studying the weird place she woke up in. Where is she? How did she get here? The last thing she could barely remember was the breeze against her cheeks as she was running along the embankment… but where on Runeterra was she heading? — Mom! — all of the memories came rushing back into her head. — I need… I really need to get to the uppercity, I… — Shhh, — the stranger covered her fingers with his palm which at that moment felt hotter than the fire of the candles lighting up the place. — You could’ve froze to death! Rather unexpectedly Sevika heard a door creak. The person behind it was no one else but a young man, much older than the boy in front of her. Tall and sturdy, he had a barely visible beard, exactly the type that the local careless youth considered to be unbelievably “badass”. In his hands was what Sevika soon found out to be a cup full of something hot, with clouds of steam rising from the dark drink. — Have some. Now everything finally fell into place: this was the owner of the lower voice, the one she first heard after waking up. — Hey, why the scared face? That’s just tea! — the man laughed uproariously. — You really think I’m that into the idea of poisoning you? Here, — he took a sip, — let’s die together if you’re that stubborn. Despite all of his sarcasm, something about this guy made Sevika feel at ease. Partly because if he actually was one of the shady people from the lower levels of Zaun, he would’ve already knocked her out and took all of the possible belongings that a child her age considered a fortune. The tea was a bit sweet which only added to the head-spinning taste of it and, no matter how flavorless it could’ve felt to her had she tried it mere hours ago, now it truly was a blessing. — So, I… borrowed Dad’s cloak, — the guy simply could not shut up, — because this one’s no good anymore, — he pointed at the piece of fabric that she was bundled up with. — We’re reeeeally sorry, — Sevika felt the younger one’s hands lift something resembling an old and dirty shawl and change it for a rather warm and dry blanket, — this is mine, I thought it’d be better to give it to you when you’re a bit less wet… Well, I mean… it’d be great if you’ve changed your clothes, but I… we kind of felt… uncomfortable with undressing you, you know. — Who are you? Such a sudden yet logical question confused the boy for a bit and the giant hand of his older friend jokingly patting him on the back made him even more embarrassed and puzzled than he already was. — Did you really spend all this time with her without giving her at least your name? The boy, already accepting the awful mistake he made right in front of this girl, buried his face in his hands just to straighten up and almost shout: — I forgot! But, — a light smile appeared on his face, — nothing I can’t fix! My name is Silco, — he shook her hand and Sevika felt how hot his fingers were compared to hers, — and this is my brother, Vander… — Friend. He’s my friend, — Vander quickly corrected the boy. — My father’s working on the Lanes… huh, don’t know what’s that? Well, — he spread out his hands with pride, as if the dank cellar was a whole kingdom of his, — the heart of the Lanes is riiight here, just so you know. “The Last Drop”, the one and only! He was clearly expecting a reaction somewhere between admiration, amazement and thrill yet, clearly not receiving any, immediately continued: — Me ‘nd Silco were heading to Piltover, decided to take a cut along the shore. Then, out of nowhere, he sees someone lying near the water, completely blacked out and all. So, we came closer and then (dear Janna!) there you were, bruised up and about to be carried away to Void knows how far away into the sea… — The waves were enormous! — Silco interrupted. — A second more and you could’ve drowned! — So, — Vander continued, — we decided to help you out a bit. The owner of the place isn’t too into random people hangin’ around here, but Dad said it’s fine if you don’t stay for long. I really don’t think that drying your clothes takes forever, so we figured it’d be better for you to stay here for a while. Sevika nodded slowly. Having finished her tea, she became much more tense, glancing at the exit door every now and then. She wanted, no, needed to get away from here as fast as humanly possible. To rush to the uppercity, leaving the two strangers in the depths of the Lanes. Especially now that she was feeling much warmer and was able to get up… only to be immediately stopped by Vander’s massive hand. — What’s the whole rush about? — And who are you? — Silco added irresolutely. — Sevika, — she answered and immediately regretted telling these strangers her actual name. — Thanks for the tea, but I really should get going. The following couple of seconds (together with the unflappable expression on Vander’s face) made the last hopes to get out of this place disappear and Sevika accepted her defeat, sitting down and covering herself with the blanket this weird Silco boy offered. — I’m… from the Promenade, — she started hesitantly. — We’re getting evicted, my mother’s sick… you know, not the best time to have a rest in a bar. My father’s living in Piltover, I need to meet him, like… badly. Understanding that these explanations would bring nothing but even more questions, Sevika gave up on the secrecy entirely, opening up even more. Maybe, if her story seemed worthy of pity, these two would let her go. — I thought that getting through the waterfront would give me some extra time buuut it only gave me extra problems. Some idiots, dumb as rocks, but still, they had a couple knives and no mental capacity to understand what “no” means. Told them time and time again that I don’t have any money. At all! Do you think they got it? No! Barely escaped from there, but, you know, being tired and all… I haven’t slept for a day or something and… — her rambling came to an abrupt end, — look, guys, thank you, really. But I need to head out. Silco, not being sure what to say, gave Vander a worried look that was immediately met with a nod. — It’s not a really good idea to get yourself killed out there at this time of day. We have some business to do up there as well so, once you’ve dried up a bit, we’ll give pilties a visit together. Sounds great? Sevika was just about to refuse but hesitated. At the end of the day, the idea itself wasn’t that bad — Vander did look like a tough guy or at least someone beating some sense in (or out) of snarky idiots on the streets. The chances of some scrawny pickpocket trying to mess with him were so slim and Sevika desperately needed someone like this to have her back while she desperately tries to make it to the uppercity. And who knows, maybe all of this would be in vain? Maybe her father who she was supposed to see on that day wouldn’t even open the door? Well, then she would be left tired and disappointed, having to go home with nothing, devastated but at least alive. The hot tea and the warm cloth were coping with their duties rather well and soon Sevika felt good enough to take a better look at her surroundings. Her first observations were just right — she was, in fact, in a basement. All around her were wooden boxes and barrels that were clearly lacking some alcohol inside — it was way too warm for a wine cellar. In the dim light of the few candles, right in the corner, Sevika saw something that was certainly unusual for this type of room: a dirty mattress and a small pillow. Turned out that the blanket she was initially covered with was actually of great use to the owner of this bed — Silco decided to hang it in between the boxes so that it would dry sooner and he’s be able to use it again. — So… do you… live here? Sevika’s voice was much more confident than before but she did have to take a pause to make sure she formulated the question right. — I do, Vander doesn’t, — clarified Silco. — You know, helping around in the bar, carrying some barrels, the average stuff. But it’s a good place to stay the night, so I don’t have anything to complain about. These words made Sevika thank Janna for the fact that she had the luxury of living in a house. Probably not for long, considering the unfortunate situation her mother was in. And the worst thing about it? Her mother’s poor health simply wouldn’t allow the to move anywhere lower than Promenade. — The average stuff, you say? — Sevika set up in a more comfortable way, taking the cloth off of her shoulders. — I mean, no offence, but it’s hard to tell just by looking at you. Where’s all the strength coming from? Surprisingly, Silco took that as a compliment, smiling just a bit and then turning around to push a couple of boxes to stand up on. At first, Sevika didn’t get why he was reaching for the candle but just in a moment saw one more light appear in the room — too weak to make it brighter but still playful and unbelievably warm. And it didn’t even matter that it was coming from a cheap candle in a poorly made holder. — Should’ve asked me, I could lend a lighter. Saying so, Vander demonstrated the exact lighter he was talking about — small but practical, with it’s goldish surface reflecting the flame that Silco carried right in front of him. Not taking another second to hear his answer, Vander shrugged and used the thing to light a cheap cigarette almost every single idiot with soon-to-come lung problems was happily smoking almost every day. — Here. For your hands, — Silco placed the candle in front of Sevika. — Thanks, but I’m fine, really. You didn’t answer my question. — He used to work in the quarry. Ever heard of the Sump level? — Vander let the smoke out. These words, no matter how calm they were pronounced, immediately changed something in Silco. With an angry squint he turned to Vander as if had let out his deepest secret. — Not now, — he almost hissed. — And stop smoking in here, I never get to sleep without this awful stench ruining everything! You have the entirety of the Lanes to fill with poison, what is so special about this place? Vander grinned, lifting his hands up as if to jokingly say sorry, still not putting out the cigarette. — Yeah, yeah, not me being a bad example for the kids. Both Sevika and Silco seemed to be offended by the clear truth of Vander’s sarcastic words, as they simultaneously answered: — We aren’t kids! This made Vander laugh, almost enough to fall down the barrel he was comfortably sitting on. — Are you even fifteen yet? — he tilted his head, sceptically looking at Sevika. Hearing nothing but silence for an answer, he let the smoke out again, now from his nose as if an old Ixtal dragon. — That’s what I thought. When Vander finished his cigarette, Sevika was confident to remind him that she was all dry and warm, all ready to go and not willing to listen to any excuses for her to stay here any longer. But Vander wasn’t even trying to think up of a reason to keep her in the cellar. He jumped down of the floor and made his way to the stairs leading up to the door Sevika first saw him enter. Taking a big bag and a couple of coats — one for him and one for Silco — he opened the door and invited everyone out. — Here you go, — he let Sevika and Silco walk in front of him and then took out his keys to lock the basement. They went up the stairs, soon finding themselves in a bar that was full of loud customers that were clearly not paying attention to them, unlike the man behind the counter. — Already leaving? Vander’s father. Easy to guess from how similar they looked. There was something about him that made Sevika immediately feel at ease and gave a weird feeling of safety even though she had never seen him before. Tall and stout, he had a very sincere smile and this very particular face expression that could calm anyone down, giving hope to live for another day. Not surprising that the bar had so many visitors after all. — Yep, Dad, she also has some business in the uppercity. The man nodded, slightly smiling once more. — And what’s the name of our guest? — Sevika, — she smiled back. — Well, Sevika, be careful out there. The boys said they saved you last minute. — Thanks, I will. Having said his final goodbyes to his father, Vander rushed out of the “Last Drop” and caught up to Silco and Sevika who were already walking across the streets of the upper Lanes which were not as crowded as usual on this time of the day. Compared to the bar they seemed like a quiet heaven and Sevika caught herself thinking about how she almost never went down as low as the Lanes. Most of the time she would stop a level higher — just to get some cheap food on the market. Soon they reached a small public descender, entering the cabin with a couple of yordles who were actively discussing their magnificent dinner the previous night. Sevika could not but listen and didn’t even notice how fast they had reached the upper level. Promenade was much more familiar to her yet still she did not dare to walk in front of Vander, allowing him to pave the way for her and Silco. — No need to take any shortcuts at this point, — Vander slowed down a bit. — Don’t think that the local street rabble would dare touch us. — Authority much? This wasn’t exactly a question, rather a joke-comment but Vander took it quite seriously and started to show off, making Sevika listen to one of the thousands stories he got into on these streets. However long and chronologically questionable they were, it was still extremely interesting to hear them, especially with the rare additions that Silco made in order to paint a more vivid picture. He, to say the least, greatly succeeded. Vander turned out to be an extremely talkative guy so that, in and hour that they’d spent walking towards the bridge, Sevika learnt most of his biography, starting with his work in the Drop and finishing with how much he wanted to buy the place one day. He also spared a couple of minutes to enthusiastically talk about the things he got up to on the streets, about his old miner gauntlets and how amazing they were at shutting up any punks that ever dared to mess with him. Silco, on the other hand, wasn’t that interested in making any sort of long conversation and, the closer they got to the bridge, the more passive and brooding he became. When they finally crossed the river, he all of a sudden interrupted Vander and asked Sevika in a very serious tone: — So… you say your father lives here? He’s rich, isn’t he? — Silco! — Vander looked at him warningly. — Nah, I’m not asking her about that. Sevika had no clue what these two were talking about but since Vander told her what seemed to be the story of his life, she didn’t see an issue in talking about herself a bit more than she originally planned. — Not rich, no. I’d say he’s just not poor enough to live in the Promenade, — Sevika sighed. — Once we had to huddle in a tiny house of the outskirts of Piltover but then he… well, to cut a long story short, he has a new family now. Not that it’s any of my business but my mother’s sick and we need some money to buy her the pills. They make them here, so buying them in Zaun isn’t an option. And, well, since dad and his wife are doctors I thought to give them a visit. Not that I want to make myself a beggar in front of him but Mom’s not doing good so I’d be happy to at least try. Vander didn’t say anything in what looked like silent sympathy but Silco, to Sevika’s surprised, brightened up a bit. — Aren’t you tired of that? — Of what? — This. The humiliation. Don’t you think you deserve a bit more? Vander was just about to stop Silco but there was no need: Sevika took a long pause and then confidently answered: — Well, I am tired. At least… I think so. I’ve been thinking about it and to be honest, we do deserve more than some piltie’s leftovers. The entire undercity does. This was exactly the answer that Silco so desperately needed. He continued, now without any fear of Vander interrupting him. — You know, — he started in a quiet voice, — this can go on forever, is getting nothing and them having everything, unless we try and change that. We aren’t just some undercity kids, this place has a name, a beautiful one. Zaun. Get around to reading some history books — that’s a whole nation on its own and we shouldn’t be living in such conditions with shut dwn ventilation and child labour. Progress my ass! They are doing nothing but killing us off! Silco’s voice was filled with ardour and energy and the way he was actively gesticulating made him look like he wasn’t exactly right in the head. Vander even had to look around from time to time, checking whether someone else is listening to their conversation. Sevika was on Silco’s side, fully and undoubtedly because, even though she never travelled as low as the Mesonin, she understood Silco perfectly well. Piltover took away her childhood and now that she was about to enter the years of her youth, she could not but think about how the whole situation needed to be dealt with, one way or another. These thoughts would usually flood her mind in the late evenings that she spent cooking dinner and trying to give her mother a bigger portion than her own, or during the cold nights when she fell asleep listening to the never-ending coughing. The hatred that she had for the rich was showing more and more but, nonetheless, the was still a small problem: — But what can I do on my own? Vander’s stare said much more than words could. He nodded towards a narrow passage between some piltovan houses and, having checked that no one is eavesdropping on them, leaned towards Sevika and almost whispered: — You can’t do a damn thing on your own. But together… He took out a small coin, not like any of those used in Piltover. This one was either from some other part of Runeterra or simply fake but Sevika didn’t have the time to take a closer look as Vander shoved it down her pocket. — You’re welcome in the Drop, if you ever decide to, you know… continue the little talk you two just started. If my old man’s not there, give the bartender the coin. He’ll tell you where to find us. Sevika nodded and couldn’t even think of an answer when Vander went back to the broad and sunny street leaving her with no other choice than to follow him. Now they were heading towards the main square, as arranged. Any traces of seriousness were wiped off from Vander’s face and Sevika relaxed a bit. She was happy to know that there were people out there having the same ideas she did and even though she knew them for less than a day, the tough guy and his scrawny friend seemed like those she could trust. Obviously she wouldn’t give up everything in the world just to rush to that loud bar of theirs but it was nice to have that as an option. And, no matter whether she’d ever get tangled up in their revolutionary adventures, it was still great to know someone with authority and a pair of fists. Only in the square could Sevika take a full breath of fresh air, clean and almost sweet, absolutely incomparable to the one people were suffocating on in Promenade or on any of the lower levels. Right in the centre of the square stood a fountain that cheerful and care-free children were running around. Sevika could barely remember but she too was once a part of that easy-going lifestyle, being more than happy to splash her peers with some clean water as her parents were watching. Her good-for-nothing father. Her precious Mom. Happy and healthy. She was so full life, not even knowing how soon it would shatter, leaving her with nothing but coughing up blood on the daily basis. It Vander who brought Sevika back to reality. — So, here we are. Good luck with whatever you have going on, kid. Me and Silco have some… stuff to do. Silco nodded, grinning and giving the yet empty bag an ambiguous look. Just from that Sevika could guess what all of this “stuff” meant but decided not to voice her thoughts. She thanked her new acquaintances for everything they did for her and headed straight as they turned somewhere left, probably heading out to Sidereal Avenue. But just as she was about to pass the fountain, she heard Silco’s voice. She turned around to see him running towards her with what turned out to be a small bag of coins in his hands. — Take them. You know, if your father’s not in the mood to talk. Don’t worry, — he quickly added, — these aren’t stolen. I worked for them. Sevika was about to reject his offer but Silco still managed to hand it over. — You’d have more use for that! No worries! And, — he added as he was already on his way back to Vander, — it was great meeting you! Sevika did have more use for this coins, Silco was absolutely right about that. Walking away form the fountain, Sevika hadn’t known that her own father wouldn’t let her into his house, leaving her to bang on the door for almost an hour. He would open then but definitely not to talk, no, he’d do it just to give her a pharmaceutical recipe with the signature of his colleague and, concurrently, his new wife. A handful of pills and money not enough to buy clean water wouldn’t be much of addition to this humiliating encounter. The coins given by Silco would save her in way he couldn’t even imagine. Not only was she able to buy more medicine, but also get some goods on the piltovan market. Not some undercity apples, all rotten and tasteless, or overpriced buckwheat that was impossible to eat. On that day she came back home with good news, managed to have a proper dinner and finally sleep in peaceful silence. At that moment, when she was all curled up in a thin blanket, she was closing her eyes without any idea of what was about to happen on the following day. That she actually would risk it all and come to the “Last Drop” and that it would dramatically change not just her life, but the fate of Zaun itself. That this buff idiot Vander and his little brother Silco would become more than just family to her. Oh, how many things were awaiting them! Things that Sevika couldn’t imagine in her wildest dreams — all the trips to the upper city and the secret gatherings in the bar. Singing songs to the sounds of an old guitar and the bright stars in the sky. The resonant strike of Vander’s gauntlets, the rush of emotions that one could feel only while running away from enforcers. Trust and betrayal, love and hatred, happiness and complete disappointment. But all of this, however exiting, was only about to happen. Right now she, a poor girl from the undercity was falling asleep, while right beside her, on a small and rickety nightstand, glimmering in the blue moonlight was a coin that Vander gave her. The coin of the brave. The coin of the fighters. The coin of the revolutionists that were ready to take what was rightfully theirs. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀