Fifth Chapter: Farewell

Two more months had passed in the blink of an eye.

In those two months, Jia Ruo had completely mastered the common tongue spoken across Runeterra.

He had the shard to thank for that. Otherwise, someone like Jia Ruo, who had gone through nine years of compulsory education and three years of high school without even passing his English exams, would have had a pretty rough time.

To put it plainly, the shard had made Jia Ruo smarter. It had improved, among other things, his insight, memory, comprehension, logical thinking, and his ability to sense magic.

At the same time, the wound on Jia Ruo's chest had healed completely, leaving only a somewhat savage-looking scar.

----A brief interlude------

Many years later

In the frozen wastes of Freljord, the bitter wind howled, whipping up great sheets of snow.

Jia Ruo sat facing a giant. Both were bare-chested, each clutching an enormous wineskin made of yak hide as they drank liquor together.

Even sitting down, the giant was still two heads taller than Jia Ruo.

Beside the giant stood a huge, heavy shield—it looked more like a wall, or perhaps a thick door.

"Jia Ruo, I'm curious. Who could have left a scar like that on a powerful warrior like you?" The giant stared at Jia Ruo's chest.

"You might not believe me if I told you."

Jia Ruo wiped his mouth. The liquor spilling from the corner of his lips froze in the frigid wind.

"It was a Rift Scuttler."

"You're pulling my leg." The giant rubbed his bald head.

"Of course not. It's my secret, so don't tell anyone."

"Don't worry!"

The giant raised both arms and flexed his muscular biceps. "You can trust Braum completely!"

-----End of interlude------

That very night, to celebrate Jia Ruo's recovery, the three of them decided to have a little bonfire party.

Nidalee had gone out of her way to hunt a sturdy wild boar. They weren't worried about finishing it all; several cubs had recently joined Nidalee's Lion Pride, and the lionesses needed plenty of milk.

"Sizzle~" A huge pork rib turned golden over the flames, its fat dripping steadily into the firewood.

"To Jia Ruo's recovery!" Neeko shouted excitedly.

She and Jia Ruo held bowls carved from coconut shells, filled with a juice made from Honey Fruit and other berries. It was cool and sweet, and went perfectly with the roasted meat.

Nidalee didn't drink. She disliked the beverage because it contained Honey Fruit juice, which could make people drunk.

Nidalee wouldn't let herself become so vulnerable. Her instincts were closer to those of a beast.

As they ate and drank, the cheerful mood grew merrier by the moment.

"Jia Ruo, Jia Ruo, tell us about your past," Neeko said. She was already half-drunk, nestled in Nidalee's arms with her head resting on her shoulder.

"What's there to tell?"

Jia Ruo burped, then said, "You've already seen everything through my Shuoma, haven't you?"

"No fair. I want to hear you tell it yourself. Besides, Nidalee doesn't know everything." Neeko's flushed little face glowed in the firelight, turning even redder.

Nidalee looked toward Jia Ruo as well, ready to listen.

"All right, all right."

Jia Ruo had grown very familiar with them—close, even—so he stopped resisting.

"Where I come from, there are clouds in the sky, trees grow beneath them, and rivers flow beside the trees."

Jia Ruo tilted his head back and drained the rest of his juice. Then he continued, "It's just that pollution has gotten pretty bad lately. The clouds aren't as white as they are here, the trees aren't as green, and the rivers aren't as clear."

"Doesn't that mean you're happier here, then? And you have two beauties to keep you company."

In the three months she'd spent with Jia Ruo, Neeko had learned to banter, too. "You can't tell me you don't like us."

"I wouldn't call what I feel liking you. I clearly—"

Jia Ruo didn't finish his sentence, while Neeko giggled behind her hand.

Nidalee didn't understand. She only gathered Neeko closer when she nearly slipped from her arms.

"But I did grow up there. Just as Nidalee loves this jungle, I love my homeland."

Jia Ruo hurriedly changed the subject.

"We invented all sorts of things. Some kept hundreds of millions from going hungry, some helped us prevent disease, and some let one person talk to another from a thousand miles away... Most people there had enough to eat and warm clothes to wear. Oh, and we had nine years of compulsory education, hahaha!"

Jia Ruo got carried away as he spoke. He was drunk, too.

"I went to school for a long, long time, always with people my own age. I even had a childhood sweetheart, a girl I'd known since we were little. But I never dared to confess, and I didn't know how she felt either..."

At that point, Neeko suddenly stood up and, with a turn, transformed into a girl with long, straight black hair. In her white dress, she was quite the beauty.

A gentle, familiar face appeared before Jia Ruo's eyes.

"Si Ying!"

Jia Ruo sprang to his feet.

Neeko came over, took Jia Ruo's hand, and pulled him into a wild run around the camp.

Their laughter grew more and more uninhibited.

Suddenly, as if he'd been transported to another life, Jia Ruo felt as though something had lodged in his heart.

He missed his childhood sweetheart, and he missed his parents, too: an ordinary couple, but a loving father and a gentle mother—the people who had been by his side longer than anyone else.

Jia Ruo abruptly stopped.

"I... miss home."

Two tear tracks already streaked his face.

Of the three of them, Jia Ruo was alone, stranded in a foreign land; no one knew whether Neeko's entire clan was alive or dead; and Nidalee was an abandoned orphan.

Even the night breeze seemed to stop.

All three had touched upon some fragile place deep in their hearts.

"Neeko misses home, too."

Neeko began to sob. She burrowed back into Nidalee's arms. "Neeko has to go back and find them. Neeko has to go back and find her home."

Neeko fell asleep in Nidalee's arms.

In her dream, she met her ancestors. They led her to see the pale branches on dead trees, again and again.

Trees needed color. They needed to flourish once more—Neeko was certain of that.

The next morning, Neeko found Nidalee. "Nidalee, I'm going to find my people. Jia Ruo has already agreed to come with me. You... will you come, too?"

"No, I can't leave them."

Nidalee meant the Lion Pride. The lions were her family.

Though dejected and reluctant to part, Neeko didn't change her mind. Even if she couldn't find her people, she had to uncover the truth about who had destroyed the Wu Wei Clan.

Her days living alongside the Wu Wei Clan might have been gone for good, but Neeko couldn't help imagining an almost magical future—a larger tribe made up of kindred-spirited Vastaya, Yordles, humans, and any creatures willing to share the same dream.

In her vision, everyone could find a place in this new tribe.

She longed to find kindred spirits, befriend them, and give her life to protect their Shuoma.

Once you understand Neeko, you'll love her. And once you love Neeko, you'll become her.