Zarri and I had snuck out one time, because she wanted to get away from the Palace. We went to the woods behind the Palace training grounds. We were just running around. It was one of the few moments when Zarri seemed alive... It has been months now since we became friends and I started hanging around the Palace, helping her with her studies. I soon noticed how sad she looks during her lessons. She always put the brightest smile on her face when she looked at me, but I knew... Something was bothering her... So, I never argued when she wanted to skip a lesson or two... Maybe I should have... I regret not doing it once, the most. That was the first time in my life I was so afraid... A group of teenagers spotted us on their way to a hunt. Least that's what we thought. They approached us...and then they saw me...

    “Well now. Looky here. We have ourselves a freak!” One of them points to me and the rest laugh.

“Stay behind me. I'll protect you.” Zarri whispers to me.

“Oh? Why the sour look?” One leans in.

“Get lost!” Zarri snaps.

“Oooh! A though one, huh?”

“Not for long!” Another laugh.

“Leave us alone. Please.” I try too.

“Sure. Right after we take your horns.” A giant blade points to my head.

“DON’T TOUCH HER!” Zarri screams out and gets a punch to the gut. She keels over in front of me.

“ZARRI!!!!” I scream out.

“Told ya - not for long.” The brute takes Zarri's hands and crosses them on her back. Holding her down.

“NO!” I run to her, but another one grabs me by my hair. “AH!”

“Don’t. Touch. Heerrrrrrr.” Zarri growls. She tries to shift, but she can’t. He's holding her too tight. She can’t get loose. Even if she shifts, she won't be able to do much. And if she shifts like that, she can get her arms broken. Her paws don’t bend that way!

“Stop. Don’t. Please. Let her go.” I beg. “Please. Please...” More laughing.

“I heard that some powerful ancient magic is hidden with the Cornutese horns. I wonder if it's true.” One of them says.

“Yeah! They say that when a Cornutese horn breaks it glows and then magic comes pouring out!” Nonsense. No such thing exists...

“We have the perfect opportunity to find out for sure.” They laugh again.

“Let her go... Please. I beg you...” I cry, begging.

“LET HER GO! YOU HEAR ME!” Zarri struggles to get loose and the third one starts beating her down. No!

“Please, just let her go, please...” I keep begging. One of the three keeps beating Breeze down. Please. Stop... He leaves her alone and walks over to me. He takes the knife from the one holding me and puts it to Zarri's throat. NO! I struggle to get loose. The grip on me tightens. NO! Someone save her! Anyone! PLEASE! The man leans in and whispers something in Zarri's ear. Her eyes snap. They go insane, burning with rage. He turns around and punches me. My vision blurs up. It hurts...

“BASTARD! I’LL KILL YOU!” I feel something cold touch my horn. Metal...

“STOOOOP!” Zarri's screams pierce through my heart. SOMEONE! ANYONE!

“Be quiet!” A rough voice tells us. I shut my eyes tighter.

“GET AWAY FROM HER!” Zarri keeps screaming and I keep begging to let her go. I don’t dare to open my eyes. I’m so scared. A scream. I flinch. Another scream. Another flinch. Oh. I fall to the ground. I feel free, but I’m too scared to look.

“Run!” A voice calls out. I open my eyes and see Zarri urge me to get up. We start running. I look back and see a Noxian boy lure the teens away...

“Climb on!” Zarri tells me.

“On WHAT! Oh!” I see her shift with her clothes scattering to bits, the cat slides under me and throws me on her back. I grip the fur and hold on for dear life. She dashes away. I almost fly off her on a sudden turn. Zarri slides and falls to the side. I roll off her. A cave. She scribbles something on the ground.

“Stay here.” I read and she runs off.

“No! Wait!” I run after her. “Come BAAAAACK!!! NO! She'll get hurt! I! I have to help!” I run after her! “Oh! What can I do! I don’t have any claws!” I pace in place. “Oh! Zarriiii...” I pick my robe up and run back into the cave. I hide myself away deep into the darkness and hug my knees.

“Please be ok...”

    I drop Ammi off at a cave nearby and run back. I don’t know who he was, but I am not letting him get hurt on my watch! He helped us! I push my body and paws to go faster. Not again! Not again! I will not let it happen again! I hear them! I go faster, circling around the moronoids. I catch up with the boy and run next to him for a few paces. I like his surprised look. It makes me smile. I wink at him and dash off the other way. I quickly dive into the pool all the way in and get a kick of Mana. I stop, shift back and yell:

“Hey half-breeds! Over here!” One of them comes after me. I quickly turn back and run straight for the jerk. I push myself off and jump right on the bastard. Smacking him flat down on his back. I roar right in his face and push myself off him with my hind claws, scratching him up as I run to where our Helper is. I feel my body get heavy. I’m losing power... NO! Not yet... I watch as the one with the sliced arm closes in on our Helper! NO! NO! NO! I close my eyes for a second and dive into the pond one more time. Another kick. I pick up speed and jump on the back of the teen. I sink my jaws into his shoulder and jump down. I stare at the Helper for a quick second and run off. Hope he follows me. Few steps later I turn back over my shoulder. The boy is chasing after me. ALRIGHT! I lead him back to the cave, to where Ammi is. I feel myself slow down. The boy is right behind me. I run in and change back.

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“Ammi. It’s me. We’re safe now.” I call out. “You’re safe.”

    “Ammi. It’s me. We’re safe now.” Zarri calls out. “You’re safe.” I come out from the dark. Hugging myself. As soon as I see Zarri, I run to her and hug her. Then I turn to the boy and hug him too.

“Thank you.” I tell him. Least she wasn’t harmed this time.

“Sure.” Is everything the boy says.

“So where did you come from?” Zarri asks him.

“Zarri!” I look at her in horror.

“What?” She turns to me.

“You’re naked.” The boy says, turning his head away. Zarri blushes. She blushed?

“AMMI!” She barks at me, covering herself up with her hands.

“Here, put this on.” I take my robe off and hand it to her.

“Don’t be stupid.” She shakes her head.

“It’s fine, I still have some clothes left on me, while you have none.” I answer, standing in my undergarments. I learned to wear thicker ones. This tends to happen often... “Put it on.” I say again and Zarri wraps it around herself.

“Thanks.” She says and I smile.

“Now then, back to you.” Zarri looks at the boy again. He raises his head back to her. “Where did you come from? And why did you help us?”

“Would you’ve preferred I let those guys finish what they started?” He answers. She grins. That's weird... Somehow I feel like this is a different smile...

“I’m Zarri. That’s Starlight. Her name’s Amana, but she doesn’t like it so, don’t call her that.”

“GAZARRIA!” I punch her on the shoulder and quickly regret it. The punch and the name...

“Ouch...” She rubs her shoulder. “And you are?”

“Crile.” The boy says, extending his hand to her. She shakes it. “Nice to meet you” He says. “Both of you.” Offering me a handshake too. I take it.

“You know;” He looks at Zarri; “the name doesn’t suit you. Not from what I just saw.” He says. Oh honestly now!

“Oh, really now?” Zarri crosses her arms on her chest.

“Yes.” He nods.

“So, what, you have a better one for me then?” Zarri does not seem impressed. I stay out of it. For now. Crile takes a few minutes to answer.

“Deathbreeze.” He says. Death...what! Of all the! I open my mouth, but then I notice that grin on Zarri's face again. Something hurts inside of me. I can’t say it...

“It suits you.” I say and Zarri laughs. Then I laugh and he.

“Deathbreeze it is.” Zarri looks at Crile and smiles again... Another pounding pain floods over me.

“So then, can I call, you, Star?” Crile leans in.

“Huh?”

“You're Starlight, right? Can I call you, Star, for short?”

“I...aaah...”

“Star?” Zarri says and I wait. “I like it.” She smiles at me.

“If you say so...” I mumble.

“Thanks!” Crile smiles at me too. “So, question #2: What are you two gals doing all the way out here?”

“We're out for a walk.” Zarri snaps quickly.

“And um, do you often meet jerks like that;” he points over his shoulder with his thumb; “on your "walks?" He clearly didn’t buy that...

“No.” I answer.

“First time for everything, as they say.” Zarri shrugs her shoulders.

“Riiiight.” Crile glances us over. “Mind if I-ya, keep an eye on you two? Just in case you need back up again some time?”

“No, than–”

“Sure. You seem ok.” Zarri! Whyyy! I bite my tongue.

“Thanks! You two are my first friends!” Crile puts his hand back on his head and giggles clumsily.

“How come?” Zarri asks.

“I don’t get to go out much. I’m training...”

“For?”

“To be an Assassin.” He answers that one with pride. I roll my eyes.

“Cool. You train out here often?”

“Sometimes. You?”

“Sometimes.” Zarri answers the same way. What is this bitter feeling inside my chest? I clench my shirt.

“Does it hurt?” Crile walks over to me and I step back.

“Are you injured?” Zarri turns to me too. I shake my head.

“No. I’m fine. Just getting hungry, I guess.” I try to smile.

“Oh here.” Crile hands us a few biscuits from the pouch on his hip.

“Thanks!” Zarri takes one, puts it in her mouth and collapses.

“ZARRI!” I drop the biscuit too, as I drop to my knees next to her.

“What happened!” Crile hovers over her too.

“She's exhausted her Mana from her shift. She did last more than usual... Her training is paying off.” I keep my hands above her not knowing what to do... “I don’t have my potions with me...”

“Here. I have some.” Crile hands me three vials. I stare at them. “Take them! They're yours!” He urges me. I take one.

“Thank you.” I slide my knees under Zarri's head, open the potion and slowly pour it down her throat in short, small gulps. I feel the piercing gaze staring at me.

“If I go any faster, she'll choke.” I glare at Crile.

“Oh. Right. Sorry. I’m just worried, is all. You seem to know what you're doing.” He takes a knee back. I finish with the first vial and check her pulse. Steady. Another two vials come into my view. A health potion?

“It's ok. Don’t worry about it.” He smiles at me again. I wait. His smile... It pisses me off. Why? He's been nothing, but nice to me and he just met me... That smile. It's so... Warm... I take the next vial and drink it. It eases up my pulsing face. I take the Mana vial next... Why does it hurt me so much to have him next to me? Next to her...

    Ever since that day Ammi and I would meet up with Crile as soon as we'd free up from the lessons... Till one day Ira introduced my new bodyguard to me. Crile Shadowkill...