Chapter 238: Bond
The latent power of Runeterra was her innate bond, and the primordial magic condensed into orbs of magic in her hands. The Vastaya Ahri is obsessed with the emotions of playing with their prey, then devouring their vital spirits.
Although Ahri is a natural predator, she always retains a sympathy for her prey, because every soul she devours is accompanied by their memories during their lifetime.
Originally abandoned in the perennial snowy woods of northern Ionia, Ahri knew nothing about her original family, leaving behind only one token:
A pair of twin gemstones that can be put together and fitted. She joined a group of icefield foxes on their morning hunt, and it didn't take long for them to accept her.
Although no one has taught her the magic unique to her species, Ahri has learned to draw magic from the world around her with her instincts, creating lethal orbs that enhance her reflexes and make it easier to kill her prey.
If her prey is close enough, she can even soothe the panicked fawn into a state of serenity, even if it is pierced into flesh by her sharp teeth.
Ahri first encountered humans when a group of soldiers from across the ocean camped near her lair. Their actions were strange and curious to Ahri, and she looked at them from afar.
One hunter caught her attention, and compared to the extravagance of others, this hunter used every part of her prey, like her fox family.
Later, the hunter was wounded by a bow and arrow, and Ahri felt that his life was slipping. Her instincts allowed her to devour his gurgling spirit.
At the same time, she gains the hunter's scattered memories—the death of his beloved in battle, the children waiting at home, and a strange land of steel and rock. She found herself able to pry the hunter's emotions from fear to sorrow, from sorrow to joy, and she enveloped him with beauty and warmth, and he died in a sunny and grassy scene.
Intrigued by the lives of hunters, Ahri never felt so energized and traveled to other parts of Ionia in search of more humans.
She likes to savor the joy of playing with her prey, manipulating their emotions before grabbing their spirits. She has tried different visionary dreams, from beautiful days to primal longings, and occasionally to poignant sorrows.
She revels in memories that don't belong to her and immerses herself in other people's lives. Through stolen memories, Ahri sees their prey swear allegiance to the Temple of Shadows, pay tribute to the incarnation of the Sun, explore the song-speaking bird Vastaya tribe, and experience unheard of mountains.
Brief but delicate fragments of memory gave her a heartache and happiness, and she fell deeper and deeper, even mourning the tragic death of the Ionian villagers at the hands of the Noxian invaders.
Later, a memory tells of a terrifying legend about a demonic demon fox, and she is shocked. As she grabbed more and more spirits, she became more and more empathetic to her prey, and therefore felt guilty about her hunting.
She feared that the legends about herself were true, that she was really a cruel monster. But as long as she doesn't eat for too long, she will feel her strength slowly fade and she will start eating again.
Ahri tried self-control, grabbing only a fraction of the life spirit, enough to absorb one or two memories, but not enough to kill people.
Her attempt was successful, but it was short-lived, and she was tormented by endless hunger, and soon she succumbed to temptation and feasted on the sleep of all the inhabitants of a coastal village.
This wrong thing torments Ahri, she can't forgive herself, and a deep sadness makes her doubt her true nature. She hides in a cave in the forest, isolated from the rest of the world, hoping to control her cruel desires.
A few years later, she reappeared, now determined to experience every taste of life with her own eyes. Although she may occasionally indulge and enjoy the essence of life, she has always resisted the urge not to devour the whole life of others.
The twin gems were Ahri's only clue to her roots, and she began to search for her own kind. She wants to live her life and stop relying on borrowed memories and strange dreams.
……
The market smells of incense and rotten vegetables. Ahri wrapped his cloak around his nine tails and fiddled with his twin sunstone tokens in his hands, trying not to pay attention to the strong smell.
The two stones tumbled and jumped between her fingers, then pressed together in perfect fit. The individual stones are shaped like flames, but the clever carving allows the sharp spikes to bite into each other to form a perfect orb.
The golden stones had been with her for as long as she could remember, but she never knew where they came from.
Although Ahri has arrived in a new and unfamiliar environment, the magic lurking around her is whispering, making her feel at ease.
She walked past a stall filled with dozens of baskets filled with all sorts of small items. There are smooth and round pebbles, seashells engraved with nautical legends, dice carved from oracle bones, and other novelties. But none of them resemble the style of the token in Ahri's hand.
"Do you want a gem like a clear sky?" The gray-bearded merchant asked. "If you want, a little blue bead will only cost the price of a crow feather, or a jubi seed. I don't pick. ”
Ahri smiled at him, shook his head, and walked on, clutching the pair of Sun Stones in his hands. She passed by a variety of stalls and vendors, one of which was filled with thorny orange vegetables.
A child is selling a fruit that changes color depending on the weather, and at least three vendors are shaking incense tin cans, each claiming to have found the most profound method of meditation.
"Divination! Fortune Divination! "A young woman is hawking, her eyes are the color of lavender and her chin is round." Find your true lover and use burdock root to dispel calamity.
Or if you want to leave the future to heaven to decide, I can also answer your questions about the past. However, I would advise you to divinate yourself if you are in danger of being poisoned. ”
In front of the stall stood a tall cat-eared Vastaya, about to put a piece of spicy shortbread in his mouth. Hearing this, he was stunned for a moment, and stared at the soothsayer warily.
From Ahri's natural acuity, she always felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't say it, so she could only be more cautious.