The daytime in Freljord always looks the same, and it's even harder to travel at night, making it easy to lose track of time. However, Ekko can remember time very well.
For some reason, he's always been sensitive to the word 'time,' so he remembers when he left Zaun and how long he's been outside.
Honestly, Ekko has often missed home, but thankfully, Vi is here now.
Her arrival eases Ekko's longing for home.
Just like now, a fire burns at the center of the cabin, with a pot hanging over it for cooking.
The people from twin cities are quick learners. By the fourth day in Freljord, Ekko's group found ways to cook food and keep warm.
Wrapped in thick blankets, Vi sits like a gray lump, her hands poking out to warm by the fire.
"Vi, aren't you worried about Caitlyn?" Ekko watches Vi's back and asks after some thought.
"Worried? No need to worry about her." Vi stares at the fire, enjoying the warmth, while Caitlyn is out in the cold, keeping watch. She's a good sniper but also an excellent sentinel.
With Caitlyn on watch, they can sleep peacefully at night.
This place is indeed dangerous; there's no law in these harsh conditions.
Vi has only been in Freljord for three days, but in just that time, she's been in a fight. A group of rugged Freljordians approached the Hextech Station looking for valuable items. But when Vi showed up and punched a pine tree down with one blow, they scattered.
But as Ekko said, this place is full of bandits and raiders.
But Vi doesn't mind. It reminds her of Zaun in the past. Back then, she grew up under the protection of Vander and Linwin in a similar environment.
"What about you? When did you start drinking?" Vi turns around, looking at Ekko sipping his drink, and furrows her brows. "I don't remember my little brother being a drinker."
Ekko chuckles bitterly, shaking his head. "It's too cold here. Drinking warms the body."
"There are many ways to stay warm. You could spar with me," Vi suggests.
"I learned boxing from you when I was young, but I'm obviously not cut out for it. Even Powder is better than me." Ekko smiles and asks Vi, "Speaking of Powder, Vi, has she developed the Hextech Cannon yet?"
Thinking of Powder showing off, Vi makes a helpless expression and says, "Actually, it's the Hextech Super Death Magic Doom Missile."
"That's typical of Powder." Ekko smiles at the name and nods.
Vi and Ekko chat for a while. Even though they've been together for three days, Ekko still has a lot to say to Vi.
Honestly, it's been a while since they've sat down like this and talked, even back in Zaun. Everyone has their own things to do, their own work.
The pace in Zaun is getting faster. When Ekko was in Zaun, he had to teach and conduct experiments, while Vi trained or enforced the law.
But in Freljord, perhaps the only benefit here is that there's plenty of time at night. When everyone gathers, all they can do is sit by the fire and chat.
Soon, Captain Skite walks in.
"Captain Skite, want some soup?" Vi picks up a bowl and fills it with hot meat soup, handing it to Skite.
Skite takes the bowl and sips it slowly.
Then, after exhaling, Skite licks his lips and says comfortably, "Tastes really good, Vi. Did you make it?"
Vi awkwardly scratches her head and says, "Caitlyn made it."
"The little miss from Piltover's Kiramman family knows how to cook?" Skite says incredulously.
That's really unexpected. Noble ladies cooking, especially someone like Caitlyn.
"Vi's cooking..."
Upon hearing Skye's words, Ekko seemed to think of something and continued strangely, "I don't think you'd want to try it, Captain Skite."
"Shut up, Ekko!" Vi turned around and glared at Ekko.
Ekko immediately covered his mouth and stopped talking.
Ekko shrank back, feeling apprehensive. If they continued this topic, Vi would really hit someone.
Powder often mocked Vi's cooking, and as a result, got hit quite a bit.
Vi stood there itching to speak up. What's wrong with her cooking? After all these years, Powder survived eating her food, right?
But Caitlyn's cooking skills are indeed excellent.
Seeing Caitlyn praised by Skite, Vi thought for a moment and added, "Caitlyn is actually good at making desserts. Her cakes are delicious, especially the blueberry pie, sweet and savory."
Skite looked at Vi, unsure of how to respond. Seeing Vi seemingly boasting about Caitlyn's cooking, Skite felt a bit confused. In the end, he just silently finished his soup.
Vi seemed to want to continue the topic, but Skye had to forcefully change the subject, mentioning Vi and Ekko's earlier interaction. "You two have a good relationship. Vi, since you came, Ekko seems visibly happier."
"Captain Skite, Ekko has been like this since he was little. He followed me around, and I followed Vander around." Vi shrugged.
Ekko didn't object but nodded.
Vi's words were true. When he was young, he looked up to Vi as his big sister.
And Vander was the big boss for Ekko at the time.
Skite nodded.
"Dong!"
Just then, the door of the cabin was kicked open. With boots thudding, Caitlyn, previously discussed by Vi and Skite, appeared outside the cabin, carrying her sniper rifle and leaning against the door.
She spoke sternly, "Trouble's here, Captain Skite. Could you inform everyone?"
"What? It's nighttime." Skite said.
"Indeed, but I saw torches, a giant wild boar, and a woman on the boar," Caitlyn said softly.
"Sejuani, Linwin warned me about her."
"Winter's Claw."
Caitlyn walked into the cabin, still composed, calmly stating, "Mr. Skite, I think you'll be working late tonight."
"Also, Vi, put on your gauntlets quickly."
Twisting her shoulders, Vi walked to a corner of the cabin where two huge Hextech gauntlets were placed.
Approaching, she inserted her arms into the gauntlets. In the next moment, Vi activated the Hextech gauntlets.
Raising the enormous pair of gauntlets, Vi clapped her hands.
"Bang bang!"
With the sound echoing, Skite also walked out of the door.
"Didn't Linwin say you should negotiate with them? We need to make a deal with them."
Vi shrugged, a smirk forming at the corner of her mouth. "Linwin said we should fight first, then talk. Otherwise, she won't listen to us."
"Let's go, we're going to crush those fuckers." With that, Vi left the cabin with her gauntlets.
Caitlyn followed immediately with her sniper rifle, but she also said disapprovingly, "Watch your words, Vi."
"Okay, okay."
"Let's move out!"
"Why are you letting Vi and the Winter's Claw clash? Weren't you supposed to negotiate with them and then solve the Demacian and guarding Hex Gate issues?"
Linwin stood on the balcony. The humid summer was irritating, the combination of heat and humidity akin to a sauna. But Linwin could summon refreshing cool winds.
Taliyah, with her eyes squinting, enjoyed the cool breeze her master conjured. She reclined comfortably, feeling at ease, her body swaying with relaxation.
"Kai'Sa, you don't understand."
Sitting on a chair, Linwin closed his eyes. Everything that happened in Zaun made Linwin understand one thing.
Opening his eyes, Linwin smiled and said, "Those on the defensive can't negotiate; we need to give the enemy a good hard slap first."
The certain someone who was cooking couldn't understand, wanting to interject but afraid the comfortable breeze would stop.
Of course, Shurimans also feared the heat, especially in the stuffiness of underground coastal-like place in Zaun.
Heat and humidity, humidity would be more uncomfortable.
Unable to breathe under the intense heat, drenched in sweat, just thinking about it made one feel uncomfortable.
So, to keep the cool breeze blowing, Kai'Sa muttered softly, "Just keep pretending...."
---
"Secure the high ground, stop them, don't let them pass!"
Skite shouted loudly, his Hextech rifle emitting blue light downward, illuminating the area. He added, "Don't charge up, avoid vital spots, prevent unnecessary killing!"
Three instructions issued, and Skite fired his own gun.
A shot was fired, a blue light sphere the size of a peanut shot out, then with a "hiss," it penetrated the snow.
Skite intentionally missed, but even so, the man walking in the snow was startled.
"Warmother, we're under attack!"
"Damn it, Ashe! She must have leaked the information!" The massive boar ignored the trees in its path, Sejuani riding Bristle, wielding her chains, charged straight ahead.
Her beast's head slammed into a pine tree, breaking it in half, with half landing on its tusks. The roar of a woman echoed in the snow, "This weapon, it's from the south!"
"Winter's Claw! Break through them!"
"Yes!"
Upon hearing the Warmother's command, several true ice weapons appeared, and the iceborn soldiers advanced through the snow.
On the ice mountain, a woman holding a sniper rifle stood straight, squinting ahead.
After a while, she lifted her leg and kicked the woman crouching in front of her. Caitlyn spoke, "Found her, about two kilometers away. She's riding that boar, very fast. Even in this terrain, at most a minute and a half, she'll be below us."
"A boar? Is she really fighting on a boar as Linwin said?" Vi, listening to Caitlyn, showed a wry expression and stood up, placing her huge hand on her head, looking down. "What kind of woman rides a boar? Wouldn't that look ridiculous?"
Caitlyn responded softly, "No, quite the opposite of what you think. She looks imposing."
"Even if she's imposing, she's still riding a pig. I've seen pigs before." Vi shrugged, indifferent.
But after a few seconds, Vi's ears clearly heard the roar of beasts, the agonizing screams of the frozen earth, and the snow making crackling sounds.
Vi looked at the giant beast under the light, her mouth twitching, turning to Caitlyn, she questioned, "You call this thing a boar?"
Caitlyn lowered her rifle, feeling a bit uneasy inside, but knowing she wasn't the one dealing with her, Caitlyn breathed a sigh of relief.
Facing such a creature, saying she wasn't afraid was impossible.
Humans have an innate fear of large creatures.
Caitlyn was no exception.
Standing at three to four meters tall, the giant beast was wide and tall, its limbs treading on the snow, leaving footprints the size of two human heads. It emitted heat all over, and atop the mist, the woman wearing a helmet with broken horns saw Vi and Caitlyn above.
"Bristle!"
Sejuani growled softly, and her life companion understood her meaning.
The beast's head turned, and the half of the pine tree on its tusk was suddenly thrown upward, like a mammoth, with immense force. The half pine tree accurately rushed toward Vi and Caitlyn's position, its strength resembling a catapult.
"Damn it!" Vi exclaimed.
Caitlyn quickly raised her head backward and immediately squatted down to protect herself.
She didn't want her face scratched by wood chips.
Knowing Vi so well, Caitlyn knew what impulsive actions this woman would take.
Sure enough, just as Caitlyn thought, Vi leaped high into the air, directly rushing towards the incoming pine tree, loudly shouting, "Come!"
In mid-air, Vi raised her right fist high, and the Atlas gauntlet emitted a loud buzzing sound. The engine started in an instant, and the energy meter on the gauntlet was maxed out. Vi widened her eyes, and with a punch.
"Ha!"
"Boom!"
Like crushed stones, large chunks of wood splattered everywhere. Caitlyn's idea was not wrong, but maybe she didn't need to be so afraid? She had a shield on her body.
But Vi was thrown backward by the tremendous impact, flying out and crashing into the snow.
Under the thick snow, Vi's situation couldn't be seen clearly.
"So you seek death."
Sejuani lifted her head coldly, her hand raised forward, and the shackle quietly aimed ahead. She looked at Caitlyn, who had poked her head out above, and saw the men holding strange weapons above Caitlyn.
Upon seeing their strange weapons and attire, Sejuani frowned inwardly.
These attackers were indeed Southerners! Only Southerners dressed like that and wielded such weapons.
But they didn't seem like Demacians. Sejuani had raided Demacians many times, and she knew one thing: Demacians never crossed borders. They would resist but not trespass.
As for Noxians? They didn't seem like Noxians either.
Taking a deep breath, Sejuani raised her shackle-like weapon and swung her true ice weapon, surrounded by icy magic.
"Southerners!"
"I am Sejuani, Warmother of the Winter's Claw! I am the Fury of the North! The chains of the North Wind!"
The shackles danced faster, and cold air spread from Sejuani's weapon in all directions. Behind her, the true ice warriors appeared behind Bristle. These warriors showed fierceness in their eyes, many with thumb-sized wounds oozing blood, yet they paid no heed.
"You can't stop me!"
As the shackles moved faster, Sejuani's arms grew increasingly sore, and the chill around intensified. With a furious shout, she flung the shackle forward.
"Clang!!!"
A huge ice block appeared like a shackle, flying towards the Southerners on the ice mountain.
Behind Sejuani, the iceborn warriors roared excitedly.
This was the Fury of the North!
But a figure suddenly leaped into the air, accompanied by a wave of heat that burned through the snowstorm—it was Vi.
"Vault Breaker!"
The atlas gauntlet ignited with blue flames as several copper pipes at the end spewed out flames, propelling Vi high into the air.
Like a blazing sun, like a meteor, Vi soared towards the massive ice block.
Towards the ice block that froze the surrounding air solid.
"Break!"
"Boom!"
A crisp sound rang out as the ice was knocked back, crashing beside Bristle. The huge ice block was only sent flying but remained undamaged, yet even so, surprise flashed in Sejuani's eyes.
The one who deflected the ice was the woman Sejuani thought was dead, thrown away by Bristle using a pine tree earlier.
The hat on her head was nowhere to be seen, her pink hair scattered in the air. She wasn't dead, and the true ice's power hadn't affected her.
She even looked better.
"Come on, Sejuani, let's have a second round."
Vi stood in place, gracefully jumping up, relaxing her body. She gritted her teeth secretly.
Cold.... It was so cold!
Her shield's energy had dropped by almost eighty percent in an instant!
This shocked Vi. A block of ice was just a block of ice, yet its power was higher than the weapons Powder personally made?
"You're fine?"
Compared to Vi's shock, Sejuani was even more astonished!
That was true ice!
That was something that would freeze anything to death upon contact unless you're a iceborn!
"I told you, Sejuani, let's have a second round."
Vi raised her eyebrows provocatively, raising both her fists, her left hand wide open, and her right hand clenched.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The sound of steel striking, Vi taunted Sejuani.
Taking strides, quickly advancing, Vi viciously opened her mouth, saying, "Someone wants me to punch your face first."
"Arrogant fool!"
Sejuani put away her surprise, raising her head indifferently.
"Who do you think I am?"