lirvothethird

  The ruin underneath the unnamed emperor's tomb was an open corridor leading straight to the coffin. Simply decorations carved out of stone was attached to the wall, where if you closely scrutinized it, was full of geometric symbols. EVERY single one was exactly the same, like it was duplicated, yet the small patterned grains showed that it was all hand carved.

  "Stop looking at the wall, let's go check out the coffin."

  I raised my head as I stopped touching the walls.

  "Hey, let's say we take all of these decorations, how much money would we make? Like if we bel it as royal goods and ancient art?"

  He waved dismissively.

  "Stone's not the trend, everyone uses brass now, besides, how're you gonna carry it back?"

  "The strange thing is something else in the walls..."

  "Slowpoke! You know what, I'm just gonna do it myself..."

  "Yeah yeah, you do you."

  I knocked on the walls, feeling everything in it. It felt seamless, but there was something strange about it... Wait. Don't. No. Don't tell me!!!

  "WAI -"

  RUMBLE*

  Mystical symbols floated through the air as mana condensed into triangles. The ceiling shook as it started to fracture, sending dust from above. Golden ropes shot from the walls as the ground sparked.

  How's he going to escape!? I started scooping away at the wall, reaching from behind the wards to push them down, disconnecting them from the array. It would take some time but-

  "Coming through!!!"

  A crescent of yellow energy bsted through the mechanisms. I watched in shock as it tore through the wall on the far side, stopping only after digging deep into the sand. Ezreal breezed past the destroyed sparkles as he almost passed me, stopping as he windmilled his arms.

  "C'mon! Don't just stand there! Meet you up top!"

  He vanished in some golden sparkles, appearing back at the area where we came in. He waved as he started climbing up, disappearing from my view. I started moving through the wall, as the ceiling finally crashed down.

  Silently, I appeared from the sand right behind him. He looked forlorn as he squatted there, looking at the sinkhole we caused. After a bit of silence, listening to the wind, he asked a question.

  "Does your journey end here?"

  I shook my head, even though he wouldn't feel it.

  "No. It continues. I have many pces I want to be. Some pce, somewhere, I will be needed. Just like you. The right person at the right pce at the right time. If you never go, it will never habben."

  Oh no.

  Ezreal turned around, as his face twitched. Now all of the buildup, the atmosphere, all gone...

  "It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes but me."

  But you? What a damn brat.

  "AHHH!!! Whoff. Feels better after letting it out. Let's GOOOOO!!!"

  "Goooo... Yay."

  The sand in the pit started to darken slightly, becoming wet. In due time, all traces of the ruins will disappear. Now how do we go back? We need something quicker than walking because of the dwindling food supplies. Or, we could just hunt for food following the river.

  Like it was pnned, we walked in synchrony towards the river. I stopped as I got near a sturdy pnt, forcing him to stop as well after he noticed that I stopped.

  "What's the matter."

  I pointed towards the small tree, before making a slicing motion. He shouted in disbelief while pointing at himself.

  "Cut it? Me?"

  "Go on. I know you can do it. Didn't you bst the way out? Go on. Do it. I'm watching."

  "Heh. Watch me."

  Raising his gauntlet, he drew a mystical yellow line in front of him. A complete color change from his cyan mana. Yet the cyan markings on his face still lit up. How curious!

  He flung his hand forwards as the yellow energy coalesced into a circle? The circle was flung forwards, wrapping around the tree. Where's the glowing crescent? Wasn't it supposed to cut down the tree in an instant?

  Sweat started to flow from his head. Waving his hand again, he flung forwards. Another dud. Two circles wrapped around the tree.

  "Well, guess you'll have to cut it down with your normal magic shot then."

  Helpless, Ezreal sat down, getting ready to cut down the tree slowly by chipping away at it. One casual point, and the cyan arcane shot flew out to hit the tree.

  "Huh?""What?"

  I looked up and down the tree. There's a gash caused by the shot. And then there's two circur scars where the yellow circles were.

  "Haha! I told you I can do it!"

  "We need more than one tree."

  His ughter stopped. Now it's my turn to cut some trees down. Walking towards another tree, I turned around to see him slowly forming lines and throwing them before firing a shot to trigger it.

  Pressing my hand against the short tree, I thought of how to do it. When I stomp my feet, it spreads far and wide, causing a minor earthquake. I could also shake it using my hands, breaking the entire thing apart. But now? I needed to preserve the wood.

  If only I could make it so only the part I want to cut is broken. Should I push it down? Or punch it and hope that only the area I punched break?

  I got straight to work.

  First punch. I lightly swung my fist to hit the tree after wrapping it in some stone. Dirt and stone were the best for me to conduct my magic. The leaves wobbled after I tapped the tree.

  Hurriedly, I stepped back. It wasn't going to explode right? Just like a rock that gotten shaken too hard. After a few seconds of the tree just vibrating to a stop, it was safe. Phew.

  "No need to cut down trees! I already did four while you just started! C'mon, help me make the raft!"

  The voice behind me shook my convictions. I just moved to a long and thin reed, and pushed it down. Making another pole, I turned around, greeted with a nearly complete raft.

  Four trees split in half with rope connecting the important parts and fresh cordage securing the rest. Working together, we lifted and dropped it in the water.

  Stepping on the raft made it rock, as I stabilized my footing before lowering the stick to the riverbed. Thankfully it reached, otherwise we would need to combine the sticks, with a high chance of it breaking.

  Ezreal hopped on behind, before pcing some dry leaves to sit on. As I guided the raft up the river, he pestered me.

  "Hey! Make a stone tip for this one. Thanks! Oh, add a hook as well thanks!"

  Fish was stabbed and flopped on the raft. Somehow frogs started riding as well, with 'logs' floating around the river. I knew better than the animals the logs were.

  "Do frogs taste good?"

  At noon, we stopped to take a break, starting a fire to grill the fish (and some frogs).

  The journey continued for a week, passing by convoys getting water.