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What sort of fun will they find in the foreign land?", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Hailun and Kennen take a field trip to Ionia. What sort of fun will they find in the foreign land?", "writing": "Ionian Excursion by Pent Ghelsburg\n\nDisclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters You have been warned.\n\t\n\tSeveral weeks had passed and the normality of every day was much the same for our young hero. Hailun and his friends continued to go to school and live out their lives with the occasional day off. The red panda even became much more active in the Bandle Scouts, a change that Teemo enjoyed wholeheartedly. Hailun and Kennen seemed to grow a bit more distant as time went by, as the initial honeymoon period of their relationship had come and gone.\n\n\tThe two cubs occasionally hung out but they had taken things a bit fast and both boys had taken a step back. Even Teemo and Tristana had recognized this, an issue neither of them confronted since Tristana had told her boyfriend to keep out of it and let things pan out the way they should. Despite his desire to see them happy, Teemo decided to be true to his word and let them handle it themselves.\n\n\tIt was the beginning of a new week. Placards had begun to be placed around the school about a planned field trip that was in the works. The \"Ionian Excursion\" as it was being billed was a weekend-long trip to the far-off lands of Ionia. Each of the posters contained a different image of the places they would see. The school staff hoped it would generate enough interest as they knew they needed at least 15 kids to go or it wouldn't be worth the cost.\n\n\tHailun arrived at school that morning in the complete absence of hubbub that surrounded the school. The usual students hung around in front of the building. He looked around, wondering what was going on. It almost felt as if it was a holiday. The boy continued through the front doors of the school and was greeted by a small crowd of people. The noise immediately picked up inside as chatter filled the room.\n\n\tHailun tried to see through the crowd as to what was going on. Being one of the smaller students didn't help his situation. He then saw Teemo pushing his way back through the crowd, without so much of a thought as to disrupting the order of the moment. He pulled his friend to the side.\n\n\"What's going on, Tee?\" He said once they were a bit removed from the rest of the crowd.\n\nTeemo looked at him seeming caught off guard. \"Oh, hey Hailun. What do you mean?\"\n\n\"Why is everyone gathered around the wall? What's the commotion about?\" Curiosity was driving him mad and he wanted to get an idea as to the cause of the sudden rush of interest.\n\nTeemo pointed at one of the other posters nearby. \"The school is planning a field trip to Ionia.\"\n\n\"Ionia? Really?\" Hailun's face lit up at the possibilities.\n\nThe smaller cub nodded.\"Yeah, why? Are you interested?\"\n\n\"Maybe…I wonder if my parents would let me go.\" The red panda scratched his chin, thinking to himself a bit.\n\nTeemo cocked his head awkwardly. \"Aren't you originally from there?\"\n\n\"Yeah.\" The bigger boy seemed rather excited about the prospect.\n\nThe smaller boy shrugged. \"Then how come you want to go?\"\n\n\"I was thinking maybe I could invite Kennen and show him around. I don't think he's ever been there.\"\n\nTeemo smiled. \"That sounds nice.\"\n\n\"Have you seen him around?\" The red panda panned his head around, expecting to see Kennen around somewhere.\n\nThe other yordle shook his head. \"Nah but if I do I will let him know you're looking for him.\"\n\n\"Cool, thanks. See you around.\" The bigger boy waved to him before heading off.\n\nIt wasn't until later in the day that Hailun found Kennen. At lunchtime, they finally ran into each other. The two sitting together for the first time in what seemed like weeks.\n\n\"Hey, Kennen. How were classes?\" The red panda tried to start the conversation on a more casual note.\n\nKennen sat down next to his friend and smiled. \"Good. You? Teemo said you were looking for me?\"\n\n\"They were alright. Did you hear about the Trip to Ionia?\" Hailun was hoping the other boy was excited as he was about it.\n\nThe brown yordle began eating his meal, speaking between bites. \"Yeah, what about it?\"\n\n\"Do you want to go?\" The red panda touched the top of Kennen's left hand as if to appeal to him.\n\nThe bigger boy briefly shook his head. \"Nope.\"\n\n\"Huh? How come?\" The smaller boy's smile turned quickly to a frown.\n\nKennen gulped down the food he was eating. \"Because I have plans already for the weekend.\"\n\n\"You do? What are you doing?\" Hailun couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment.\n\nThe brown yordle hesitated before answering. \"I'm not sure yet.\"\n\nKennen was still grounded and he wasn't sure he wanted Hailun to know about it.\n\n\"Then why not go with me? I want to go. It would be fun.\" The red panda continued to try and convince him.\n\nThe bigger boy sighed. \"I don't want to go sorry. \"\n\n\"Oh, okay…\" Hailun hung his head low, not saying anything further.\n\nThe rest of lunch remained silent for the two. Hailun didn't eat much of his food, instead dangling it around on his fork. Not worried about his stomach rumbling to remind him to eat. He just didn't feel in the mood to eat. The boy remained aloof for most of the day and it wasn't until Teemo confronted him that he had to deal with the issue again.\n\n\"What's wrong, Hailun? You've been acting weird after we talked.\" The smaller boy assumed something must have happened but he wasn't sure what it was.\n\nHailun looked up but still looked defeated. \"Nothing. I'll be fine.\"\n\n\"Please don't like…I hate being lied to. I thought we were friends and past that?\" Teemo grasped the other boy's shoulder tightly.\n\nThe red panda confided in himself. \"I'm sorry. It's just Kennen didn't want to go to Ionia this weekend.\"\n\n\"Oh? How come?\" The smaller boy folded his arms defensively.\n\nHailun sighed. \"He has plans.\"\n\n\"Oh, that sucks. Did he say what they were?\" Teemo hoped that Kennen had a good enough reason to turn down Hailun.\n\nThe red panda shook his head. \"Nah, he wouldn't tell me.\"\n\n\"I see. Do you want me to talk to him?\" The other yordle how much more he should be involved in their relationship any more than he already had been.\n\nThe bigger boy hummed a moment. \"It's alright. I will let him make his own decision.\"\n\n\"If you would like…I can go with you instead?\" Teemo tried to be friendly to perk up the other boy's spirits.\n\nHailun smiled. \"I appreciate it but I don't think I want to go anymore.\"\n\n\"Alright, I'm not sure my parents would have let me anyways. Well…try to feel better. Alright?\" Teemo shrugged as he knew who the boy wanted to go with.\n\nHailun hugged him briefly. \"Yeah, thanks.\"\n\nThe bigger cub walked away as Teemo watched him. The scout thought for a moment as to if he should interfere further. He liked to see Hailun happy but he didn't want to push it any further than he already had. Just as he was thinking about it, he saw Kennen walking by with Poppy. He thought about stopping the boy but decided to figure out another way to help his friend. The cub decided he would follow them a bit to see if he could figure out what was going on.\n\nTeemo cloaked himself and followed the other two yordles. It was the end of the day so there weren't many other people in the school. He couldn't hear much of what they were talking about but he made out bits and pieces of the conversation.\n\n\"Hailun asked me to go to Ionia today.\" Kennen said, confiding in his best friend about the issue he was battling within his head.\n\n A few moments of jargled words were shared between the two.\n\nPoppy slid her hips into the smaller boy. \"So? You're old enough to make your own decisions aren't you?\"\n\nTeemo tried to get closer to them without being detected. They soon stopped allowing him to be close by.\n\n\"I suppose but I can't just go and tell my mother otherwise.\" Kennen sat down on a stone bench on the side of the school garden.\n\nPoppy touched his shoulder. \"Maybe if you just talk to her. I think she's just upset you snuck out. You're still grounded aren't you?\"\n\n\"Yeah, I am. That's why I don't think it's worth even asking.\" The brown yordle looked up into the sky as if deep in thought.\n\nThe bigger girl shook her head. \"I think you need to figure this out yourself. You need to decide if you want to go. Then if you do you need to talk to her about it.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I know. Hailun seemed excited but I didn't want to tell him the truth.\" Kennen looked back over at his friend.\n\nPoppy rolled her eyes. \"You're silly you know that? That boy loves you. I think he needs to know you're grounded.\"\n\n\"I guess. I just don't want him to feel guilty about it.\" The boy patted the spot next to him coaxing her to join him.\n\nThe girl walked opposite him. \"Look, I told Lulu I would meet her today so I can't stay any longer. I told you what I thought. Do what you will with it.\"\n\nTeemo was glad he didn't interfere as he wanted them to figure it out themselves. Telling himself that time would tell if it was meant to be. It wasn't until the Middle of the week that Kennen confronted his mother about the issue. He had waited a day as he was still afraid of her response about it. Kennen didn't waste a single moment when he got home that night.\n\n\"So uh…have you got a moment to talk?\" He asked his mother who was sprawled out on the couch.\n\nShe peered over the sofa and patted the spot next to her. \"Yep.\"\n\n\"I was wondering if we could talk about my being grounded.\" He sat down next to her and folded his hands in his lap.\n\nThe mother eased her hands over his shoulder. \"Mhm?\"\n\n\"I was hoping I could delay it a bit…there is a field trip I'd like to go with the school this weekend.\"\n\nThe larger woman faced him. \"Is this the trip to Ionia?\"\n\n\"How did you know?\" A look of shock was on the cub's face.\n\nShe tapped her forehead. \"Because Hailun's mother told me about it.\"\n\n\"Oh…well…Can I go?\" He asked hoping that the other boy's mother had convinced her already.\n\nThe mother tapped her fingers on the couch. \"I am willing to make a deal with you.\"\n\n\"Okay, what is it?\" Kennen was willing to do anything to be able to go.\n\nShe turned around so she was facing him. \"I want you to promise me that you won't sneak out again.\n I know you like that boy but neither we nor his parents were pleased about that.\"\n\n\"I promise.\" He nodded trying to seem as sincere as possible.\n\nShe murmured. \"And I want you to promise to not lie to your friend again. His mother told me that he thinks you're dating someone else now.\"\n\n\"What? I didn't tell him that. I just told him I was busy this weekend.\" Kennen's heart sunk in his chest.\n\nShe shook her head. \"Be that as it may. That is not how he took it. I will allow you to go if you apologize to him. Do we have a deal?\"\n\n\"Yes, thank you, mom.\" He smiled widely seeming more upbeat about his situation.\n\nThe mother pointed at the door. \"Now…I think you owe him a visit but plan on being back before dinner. Are we clear?\"\n\n\"Yes, mom.\" Kennen picked himself up and bowed to her.\n\nShe chuckled at him. \"You're so silly…off with you, lover boy.\"\n\nKennen quickly darted out the door. He knew he didn't have much time and contemplated using his powers. Instead deciding to bike as fast as he could, keeping to all the back roads to avoid any traffic that he may have otherwise encountered. It took him about an hour to get to Hailun's. The cub had already worked up a bit of a sweat as he pulled into the boy's front yard. Jumping off his bike and rushing over toward the front door.\n\nHe knocked on the door a single time and was greeted by Hailun's father. The man looked down at him and said nothing to him, instead calling back to his son.\n\n\"Hailun, someone is here to see you.\" He shouted to the rear of the home.\n\nIt took Hailun a few moments to arrive at the front door as he was still in a bit of a funk. When he arrived his father gently pushed him out of the door and left them alone.\n\n\"Hey, Hailun…\" Kennen kept his eyes on the ground, trying to avoid eye contact.\n\nThe red panda murmured a bit. \"What do you want?\"\n\n\"Look…I know you're upset but I just wanted you to know I feel bad for lying to you and that I'm sorry.\" The bigger boy tried to reach out to grab the other boy's hand but Hailun pulled back a bit.\n\nHailun stammered as he spoke. \"What do you mean…you lied?\"\n\n\"I didn't have plans this weekend…I just didn't want you to know I was grounded and feel bad about it.\" The brown yordle looked up at Hailun who was gazing into his eyes.\n\nThe red panda stepped in closer. \"Does that mean you want to go to Ionia?\"\n\n\"Yeah, but only if you still want to go. Do you want to come with me?\" Kennen tried reaching out again, this time able to touch the top of the other boy's furry paw.\n\nHailun nodded as his tail wagged gently behind him. \"Uh-huh. I would like that.\"\n\n\"Cool, so do you forgive me then?\" The brown yordle said with a renewed sense of hope kindled within him.\n\nThe smaller boy smiled a bit, gripping Kennen's hand in his own. \"Yeah, I forgive you. I understand.\"\n\nThe two remained silent for a moment before Kennen moved in closer to hug him. They shared a soft embrace for almost a minute before breaking. Kennen followed up with a soft kiss on the cheek.\n\n\"I have to get home so I don't get in trouble again. See you this weekend, Hailun!\" Kennen waved and went his way.\n\nHailun smiled and waved back. His heart soared high again. Asking his parents proved to be no issue. Anticipation began to build within him as he began to plan the trip. The school hosted a preliminary seminar that all of the students had to attend to go over rules and such. An itinerary and agenda were provided to the group as well as a meetup time for Saturday morning. The students were happy to learn that Heimerdinger had been assigned their chaperone.\n\nThe days had come by pretty quickly. The auspice of the trip to Ionia was something that grew ever closer. Hailun's parents reminded him constantly that he needed to get packed and be ready for the day in question. The red panda had done what he could to pack what he thought was needed but when his mother finally checked on the issue, she found that her son had packed only a mere number of things inside his backpack. She couldn't help but chuckle at the naïve practice and decided to help him along in the process.\n\n\tThe morning of the trip finally came to pass. Hailun sprang out of his bed rather quickly as he had been looking forward to the trip for weeks now. The red panda stretched and yawned, allowing his bedclothes to press against his form. He rubbed his eyes, trying to remove the crust on his eyelids. It was early in the morning, much earlier than he usually woke up for school but he wasn't about to let his fatigue get the better of him.\n\n\tHailun changed out of his pajamas into something more casual. He knew Ionia was a mountainous place so he decided to go with a long sleeve t-shirt with some jeans. He hadn't worn it in a while and so the clothing was rather stiff from sitting in his drawer for so long. The cub looked around his room for the bag he and his mother had prepared and had seen no signs of it. He proceeded to make his way out of his room and into the hallway leading towards the kitchen.\n\n\tHailun saw only a single light on in the home and it was coming from the kitchen. He was certain that one of his parents was up to see him off. Upon peering into the room, the boy saw his mother was hard at work preparing his breakfast.\n\n\"You're up early.\" Hailun said in a silent tone.\n\nShe peered over her shoulder. \"I wasn't about to let my boy go on a trip without saying goodbye.\"\n\n\"Aw Mom…but it's just to Ionia. It's not like we're going forever.\" The cub tried to console his mother's fear.\n\nThe woman turned around and walked over to her son before hugging him tightly. \"I know but my little boy is growing up so quickly.\"\n\n\"I'm not going anywhere I promise Mom. I'll come back soon.\" He hugged her back tightly.\n\nThe two hugged tightly for several moments before breaking up.\n\n\"I made you some breakfast before you leave. Go ahead and eat and I'll double-check your stuff to make sure you're ready.\" The mother said before turning around and heading out of the kitchen.\n\nHailun walked toward the kitchen table which had already been set up with a bowl, some fruit, and a glass of juice. He sat down at the table and looked at the bowl. A plume of steam poured from the oatmeal in the glass bowl. He quickly worked through the meal as he was in a rush to get out the door. Heimerdinger had instructed them to meet at the school promptly by the 6th turn of the clock. He knew he didn't have time to dilly-dally and never liked being late to start with.\n\nThe cub finished his meal and downed the remainder of his juice when he was done. Snatching an orange for good measure, he made his way back out of the living room. His mother was already waiting by the door for him. She crossed her arms patiently, holding the duffel bag they had prepared together. As he approached her, she held out the bag for him to take so he could be on his way.\n\nAs he was taking the bag from her, she stared at him. Hailun rolled his eyes, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. She smiled at him.\n\n\"Have a good trip honey, be safe.\" She opened the door and saw him out.\n\nHailun waved to her and began walking in the direction of the school. They were instructed to meet in the courtyard at the rear of the school. He wondered how many kids had signed up for the trip as they never made the list public. All he knew was that Kennen was going and that was all that mattered to him. Hailun quickened his pace to get to school before they started assigning groups.\n\nThe cub made his way the same route he took every day. Traffic was a lot less than normal since it was still early in the morning and not many people worked this early. The breeze outside was rather nice as he hunched his bag on his bag to reduce the load on his arms. The bag wasn't very heavy but he wasn't used to carrying that type of bag and the way it swayed back and forth made it more difficult to handle than his usual book bag.\n\nIt didn't take him much longer before he arrived at the school. When he arrived he only found a few people were out and out about. Some other kids were being walked by their parents to the rear of the building. Hailun huffed and made a concerted effort to do it all on his own. He did not like to rely on other people to get things done and today was no different. Hailun followed the crowd to the back of the building.\n\nA small spotlight had been affixed near the center of the courtyard. Even from the front of the building he could see the light scouring the skies above. Peering towards the clouds he could make out a few birds that were gliding overhead with their wings extended outward. Hailun continued walking until he was at the rear of the building. A more prominent crowd stood all around, with no particular line or order to them.\n\nHailun began to look around for signs of Kennen or any other friend he could locate until things got underway. He kept to the outskirts of the crowd, occasionally peeping his head in between the groups of people. Most of the kids he didn't recognize and saw no signs of Kennen anywhere. He decided to wait idly until he saw someone he knew. He placed his bag on the ground and sat on it while he waited.\n\nA while passed and some of the parents had filtered out. Heimerdinger had begun checking in the kids to make sure they had arrived. When Heimerdinger came to Hailun, the red panda looked up at him and smiled.\n\n\"Ah, yes. Hailun correct? Do you have a group yet, my child?\" The older yordle's bristled mustache twitched as he spoke.\n\nHailun hesitated a moment before answering. \"Is Kennen signed up for the trip?\"\n\nHeimerdinger looked at the list for a moment. \"It appears he has but he hasn't checked in yet. Shall I group you with him?\"\n\nThe red panda nodded. \"Uh-huh. Please.\"\n\n\"Very well. We will be leaving shortly. If he doesn't arrive soon, you will have to be placed in someone else's group.\" The chaperone walked away without a second thought about the issue.\n\nHailun nodded, still hopeful that Kennen would arrive on time to make it for their departure. Time continued to pass and Heimerdinger had finished checking people in. Everyone had been given groups, except for Hailun as the number happened to be odd. The chaperone made his way over to check on the red panda as he hadn't forgotten about the fact he hadn't been assigned a group quite yet.\n\n\"So did you find a group yet?\" Heimerdinger asked with only a hint of a smile on his face.\n\nHailun looked around once more. \"I guess Kennen didn't show up?\"\n\n\"No, he hasn't.\" The older yordle checked his list one more time just to be certain that Kennen had checked in and he forgot about it.\n\nA moment later and a flash of light sparked through the area. Streaking back and forth before ultimately stopping right next to them. Hailun smirked as he knew all too well who it was. Looking at him, Kennen's body gave off a slight illumination as the sparks of his power bounced from his form.\n\n\"Reporting in…Mr. Heimergdiner.\" He huffed and puffed trying to catch his breath as he hunched over and gripped his knees.\n\nHeimerdinger examined the boy for a second and then crossed out his name. \"Kennen, I presume?\"\n\nThe boy nodded but did not answer back.\n\n\"Very well, we shall be on our way shortly. You will be grouped up with Hailun for the trip.\" The chaperone walked away and towards the center of the group.\n\nHailun touched Kennen's back and stroked it a single time. \"You alright? You remember you're not supposed to overdo it, right?\"\n\n\"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine. It wasn't a very far trip anyways.\" He stood up and brushed himself off trying to seem like it was no big deal.\n\nHailun looked over at him suspecting otherwise but said nothing. He didn't have long to think about it before Heimerdinger began speaking to the whole group.\n\n\"In a moment, I will be opening a portal. While it is certainly not your first time traveling through a portal, I'd like to go over a few things. You will enter the portal in pairs. You are expected to hold onto your bag during the duration of travel so it is not lost in the nexus. Mind your hands and legs as the conduit transports you through the network. It should not be a long travel. Do we understand?\"\n\nA muffled response from most of the students was elicited as many of them were still fighting the morning blues.\n\n\"Our first stop will be the island of Ralin. We will be surmounting Mount Hirana itself. At the peak of which is the Hirana Monastery. I would like to remind you that while they welcome visitors, you are best to mind your manners and remain as quiet as possible as it is first and foremost a place of worship. Additionally, please respect the wildlife as the Ionian wilds do not respond well to dissonance. I have no issue with sending students home early. Do I make myself clear?\" \n\nAnother muffled response from the cloud was sounded. It was enough for Heimerdinger to begin to open the portal. He reached behind him and held open his arms. He said nothing as a bright yellow light began to arise from the center of where he focused his arms. The little spec of light began to enlarge and more golden light flowed from within. Soon it was bigger than Heimerdinger himself and it continued to expand until its light was enough to illuminate the entire area surrounding it.\n\nOnce the portal reached its full-size Heimerdinger began guiding each of the groups into the portal entrance. Each pair approached the golden light and it flickered, a flash of light absorbing the passengers as they were taken into the nexus of travel. Hailun and Kennen proceeded to wait in line until it was their turn. It didn't take very long for the queue to work its way through to the portal.\n\nWhen it was finally their turn, the two friends walked through the portal together. They were the last one in the line so Heimerdinger followed them shortly after, making sure to close the portal. Hailun and Kennen drifted through the nexus stream. Their bodies rotated around as gravity longer had the same sway on their bodies. It was always an odd experience to deal with but they had gone through it enough times that it was more of a novelty now.\n\nTraveling through the portal never took very long. It was designed to be short as it could be somewhat taxing on the body. As they neared the other side of the portal, they could make out the exit. A portal had been situated at the base of Mount Hirana and a yordle guide was standing by to make sure that each of the students made it to the other side and didn't cause any mischief. After about half an hour of waiting, Heimerdinger appeared on the arrival side and nodded to his old friend to indicate everyone was clear.\n\nHailun and Kennen arrived one after the other at the arrival side of the portal. The wind immediately brushed against their fur as they exited from it. Kennen looked around noticing that the leaves were turning in this part of the world, though the flowers were still in bloom. Many pink, red, and purple colors bloomed across the land. He tilted his up upward. Rocks and coiled roots went as far up as the eye could see. Only to the side was there a small stairwell that lead to a dirt path.\n\nHeimerdinger soon appeared and was waved over by the guide the school had hired to show them around. The chaperone turned around and touched the portal. The golden light shrunk in size before entirely dissipating from sight.\n\n\"I take it you are Makino? The one who is supposed to show us around Ionia?\" Heimerdinger asked the obvious question on his mind.\n\nThe younger yordle shook his head. \"Hai, I am she.\" The grizzled yordle looked no younger than Heimerdinger himself was.\n\n\"Alright, students. Our next step is Hirano Monastery. As I said previously, please be silent at the place of worship. Our goal for today is to make it to the mid part of the mountain. A campsite has been established for weary travelers. This is where we will stop and rest for the night but we have a lot of ground to cover between now and then. Is everyone ready?\"\n\nThe students hummed in affirmation as Heimerdnger took point along with the guide. The guide held a small rope with a metal clasp in her hand. Kennen was still looking around, seeming rather transfixed by all the new sights he was unfamiliar with.\n\n\"Come on, they want to get going.\" Hailun patted his friend on the back to gain his attention.\n\nKennen looked in front of him. \"Right, let's go.\"\n\nThey began treading up the path up the mountain. It was a winding path that swooped back and forth between the ridges of the various points of the mountain basin. Eventually, they wrapped around to the rear part of the mountain, where they were able to look out into the vast forest and valley that surrounded the area. Staring out into the beyond, both boys could even see the Ionian sea in the distance through the fog somewhat obstructed their view.\n\nThe group continued walking up the path until the path finally cut off. A small sign in Ionian read to beware the treacherous passing. A bridge overlooked a crevice that separated two parts of the mountain. They stopped once they came up to it. The guide made sure that not too many of them went at once. The rickety wood foundations of the bridge creak with each passenger that might their way across.\n\nWhen it was Hailun and Kennen's turn, they went together one after the other. The bridge was narrow enough that the kids had to position their bodies so they slid along rather than just walking straight. Kennen and Hailun grasped the rope that acted like a railing. Each step they took caused the bridge to sway in either direction. It was a slow process but eventually, they made it to the other side without much of an issue.\n\nAfter getting past the bridge, the group continued around a corner edge of the mountain. They were getting higher up now and so the fog was much thicker now and only the occasional bird could be seen flitting by. Once they had cleared the corner, they again came upon an area with stairs. Two stone dragons sat at the bottom of them looking ominously in the beyond, fog seemingly billowing from their nostrils as if they were blowing smoke.\n\nThis group was able to ascend the stairs much faster than the rest of the mountain so far as it was a relatively straight trip to the top. Spiraling hand rails curled at either side of the stone platforms at each level. Some of the students tried running but the crumbling staircase deterred them from rushing it after only a few seconds. Neither Kennen nor Hailun was brash enough to run up the stairs and took it slow and easy instead.\n\nAt the top of the stairs, the group arrived at Hirana Monastery. A monk in flowing grey robes bowed to greet them. The shaven human man said nothing to them but instead gestured for them to follow him. The human was far larger than any of the yordles but it was far from the first time that they'd seen a human before.\n\nThe monk brought them to the rear of the shrine. A large statue sat next to a bell. Some people were kneeling and bowing toward the statue. Their guide bowed deeply before heading over to the bell and picking up the huge wooden gong that sat nearby. He offered it out in his hands, before kneeling expecting one of the students to take it and ring the bell. It took a few more seconds before one of them braved up enough to go up and grab the gong before ringing the bell.\n\nThe bell chimed a deep tone, causing the nearby trees and leaves to shake hard enough to cause them to shed from the canopy above. The student handed off the gong and walked back toward the group. The monk deeply before straightening up to an upright posture. The monk extended his arm out to get the yordles to follow them. Heimerdinger and his charges soon followed in pursuit.\n\nThey were brought to a smaller split-off of land that overlooked the vast valley below the mountain overlooked. A small shrine dedicated to one of the old Vastayan gods of Ionia stood with its hands flattened in prayer. The monk motioned towards the lookout area and stood to the side so they could access it. Heimerdinger cautioned the students to be careful as nothing was stopping them from careening over the side.\n\nKennen and Hailun walked up together to the ledge. Kennen reached over and touched the side of Hailun's hand with his own but stopped short of actually holding it. The two looked into the horizon for a second. The sun was somewhat obstructed by the clouds and fog covering the area so they didn't have to shield their eyes. They stood there for a few minutes before they were tapped on the shoulder to move to the side for the next group.\n\nThe group soon finished rotating students through the sight and they were ushered off by the monk to the rear of the building. They bowed deeply once again and returned to the inside of the temple to attend to their duties. Heimerdinger took the lead once again and motioned for the students to follow him to a nearby area. They proceeded along a stone path to one that looked up the distance up the mountain path.\n\n\"Alright students, our next stop for today is a bit far off. We will stop here for a brief picnic but the next time we stop after that won't be until our camp sight near the middle of the mountain. So go ahead and help yourselves to the small snacks I prepared.\" Heimerdinger reached into the bag on his back and pulled out a small parcel before delivering it onto the floor.\n\nHeimerdinger knelt and touched the side of the sack. The sack expanded into a picnic blanket with a basket and some cartons of various drinks on it. The students approached the blanket and sat on it, keeping close to each other since the space wasn't overly large. Kennen and Hailun sat nearest to the Mountain with their backs facing it. Neither of them thought much of the lack of variety in options. Still, both boys reached forward and took the first thing they could find.\n\nKennen made a silly face at Hailun who stuck his tongue back out at the other boy. The two giggled for a few seconds before beginning to unwrap the paper that covered it. Inside them were some sandwiches. Kennen scowled at the poorly made sandwich but he wasn't about to turn down the meal. The bigger yordle wasn't very hungry but he was able to finish the meal without much more of a fuss.\n\nHailun scarfed his own down without so much as looking at it. He wasn't very picky when it came to food and he had worked up a bit of an appetite from their hike up the mountain. Still, it wasn't much of an option for lunch and it didn't satisfy him. The two cubs sat there idly without saying much to each other. The breeze in the area blew through their fur, ruffling their otherwise well-kept visage.\n\nThe group didn't take long to work through the small pickings of food. Each of them whetted their whistles. When everyone was done, Heimerdinger stood up and motioned for everyone to get up so they could be on their way. The clouds were beginning to grey, so he was concerned it might rain and wanted to move fast. The cubs weren't as fast in getting up and he tried rushing them to quicken their pace.\n\nWhen they were finally up, Heimerdinger touched the tip of the blanket and it immediately folded up containing all of the garbage within. He stashed the compacted parcel in his bag before motioning for them to follow him. The group soon congregated around him and he counted their heads to make sure no one had gotten left behind. Once he had confirmed that was the case, he spoke out again.\n\n\"Alright, I need you all to make some form of a line. The path from here will likely narrow and I don't want anyone falling below.\"\n\nHeimerdinger reached into his sack and pulled out a small rod. He touched the button on the side of it, causing the rod to extend into a makeshift pole. A red flag soon rose itself to the top, serving as a marker so that the students could easily Heimerdinger from a distance behind him. Kennen and Hailun found themselves coming up at the rear of the line, though neither of them seemed to mind.\n\nThe students worked themselves into some semblance of a line. The group began to work its way down a path that worked itself around the mountain. The path was an old one that crumbled as they made their way past it. Railings lined the side of the route that looked into the crevice below, However, the railings did very little for the yordles since it was designed for beings of a larger statue.\n\nEventually, the path wound its way through the middle of the path. Heimerdinger touched the button on his stick again, causing light to illuminate. The light wasn't strong enough to illuminate very far. They began traveling through the tunnel. The thin crevice of the pathing acted as a guide to lead them along. A chilled air passed through the air, causing echoes of a wind that almost sounded as if it were whining. Soon they made it out to the other end.\n\nHeimerdinger pursued to wait at the other side to make sure everyone had made it through without an issue. When he saw Kennen and Hailun walk out at the end of the line, he proceeded to stick the lighted end of his staff into the tunnel to check if anyone had lagged. Just as an extra precaution, he shouted down there and there was no response. Once he had satiated his fears, he took the lead and pursued going forward.\n\nThe path had widened up a bit and they were going up the incline of a ramp. It caused the group to trudge forward at a slower pace. It wasn't a very steep incline but it was more abrupt than the path they had taken to this point. The incline led up to a flatter area that was faced by a relatively big wall. A rope had already been fastened on the ledge above it, hanging loosely with a few steps that led upward.\n\nHeimerdinger looked up at the climbable wall. He reached into a bag and grabbed a single glove before putting it in his hand. Touching the rope with his hand, he was immediately whisked away up the length of the rope with no physical labor. At the top, he loosened the glove and refastened it to the rope itself. Once it was free of his hand, he allowed it to sling back down the rope to the base of the climb.\n\n\"Alright, kiddos. For those of you that want an easy climb up the wall, all you have to do is fasten the glove to your hand and grip the rope. The glove will do the rest. Those of you who want a challenge…you may climb the wall of your own volition.\"\n\nKennen looked over at Hailun who smirked back at him. Both boys competitive spirits sparked up the moment a prospect of a challenge was mentioned. It took a while before it was their turn. Even with the quick climb feature of the glove, the putting on and taking off of the device slowed things down. Still, only a few of the kids were complaining about the wait. It took almost an hour before it was finally Kennen and Hailun's turn.\n\nThe glove was lowered back down the rope and Kennen looked at the glove, considering it but for a moment. He shook his head up at Heimerdinger before shouting up at him. The older yordle nodded and retrieved the glove by recalling it with a simple tap of the rope. Kennen gripped the rope and began pulling himself up. The rope swayed back and forth as he repelled off the wall and continued to climb up using the fold holds as support.\n\nAs he started up the rope, the cubs watching above cheered him on. Kennen was known for being one of the most athletic kids in school and so it didn't surprise Heimerdinger that he took on the challenge. Kennen continued to make slow and methodical progress up the rope as he continued up the length of the wall. As he was nearing the top of it, he could feel his body aching a bit but he was able to overcome the stress and was met with jubilation at the peak.\n\nIt was now Hailun's turn. He took a deep breath and gripped the rope the same way his friend had. It was the first time he'd ever tried something like this but he wasn't about to let Kennen outdo him. The red panda began slowly at first as he was worried about losing his grip. Within seconds the crowd at the top of the wall began cheering him on as if to spur him on further and to give him even more of a reason to press forward.\n\nHand after hand he continued to climb up the rope, like so many he had done with gym class in the past. But having a wall to bounce off from made it entirely different. He looked down to check his progress, seeing that he was about halfway. He snorted and continued his way up the rope as he dragged on. Hailun continued much in the same fashion until he gave a final huff and climbed overtop the peak with his final bit of energy.\n\n\"Good job, everyone. Let's take another short break and then we'll make the final stint toward the camp sight. I'm sure everyone is tired but we are almost there.\" Heimerdinger reached into his bag and pulled out a small water canteen before starting to hand it around to the group.\n\nHailun sat right next to Kennen. He had overexerted himself and both boys were sweating a bit from the physical activity. The bigger boy hung his arm over his friend and pulled him in closer. Hailun could pick up a whiff of what he assumed to be the other cub. He didn't say anything about it as it didn't bother him that much. \n\n\"That was fun, hehe.\" Kennen said, easing himself into the other boy.\n\nHailun nodded. \"Yeah, but that was hard for sure…nothing like what we do at school.\"\n\n\"Right, but we still did it right?\" The bigger yordle said, trying to relax a bit on the other's shoulder.\n\nThe red panda sniffed ever so lightly, his nose brushing right against Kennen's neck. The other boy could feel his breathing.\n\n\"I hope I don't smell bad.\" Kennen blushed a bit thinking that might be the case.\n\nThe smaller cub shook his head slightly. \"Nah, I don't mind it at all.\"\n\nHeimerdinger looked over at the two boys who were almost on top of one another. He had seen them holding hands before so the prospect of their relationship didn't alarm him. He cracked a smile before standing up to announce they were making the move. Some of the kids grunted and moaned. It had been a long day and many of them were tired. The sun was already beginning to set, so he knew they had to move fast or the weather might turn on them.\n \nOnce all of the kids were up and about, Heimerdinger counted them again just to make sure everyone was there. After confirming, they began treading down the path to a wider area. The wider area was much more full of trees and other foliage. The breeze blew through the opening, making a brisk but cool wind blow through the fur of the harried travelers. Heimerdinger shielded himself as broke the wind so the students behind him didn't have to deal with the brunt of it.\n\nThe path to the camp was a much less treacherous one than they had taken before. It was much more well-lit with torches leading up to the camp itself. Several signs are directed towards it, making it almost impossible to get lost. The sight of a campfire in the distance and rising smoke made it even more obvious where they were headed. As they got closer and closer some of the kids ran off towards the camp in hopes of taking a load off sooner rather than later.\n\nThe entirety of the group arrived before long. Heimerdinger took a sigh of relief upon seeing the sight of the open flame at the center of it. Everyone had made it and nothing had happened as yet so far. Only a few days to go…he told himself as he took a deep breath. The chaperone blew the whistle he had brought one final time to make sure everyone got a bunk and that they didn't fight over it. After all, he knew kids argued over stupider things than where to sleep.\n\n\"Alright, we are here. Dinner will be served shortly. Go ahead and get yourselves showered and cleaned up. Curfew will be as soon as we finish dinner. We have a long day tomorrow and I want everyone to get rest. Everyone follow me and I will assign them tents.\" He thanked the guide before dismissing them.\n\nHeimerdigner began to walk towards the area of the camp where small tents had been assembled. Pointing at each of them and calling off the groups of students who peeled off when their names were called. It wasn't until the very end that Hailun and Kennen's names were called since Kennen was the last one to arrive. Heimerdinger saved himself the biggest tent as he needed to take a load off before worrying about food for the night.\n\nKennen looked over at Hailun who had already poked his head inside the small canvas enclosure. He stashed his bag inside before withdrawing himself from the zippered opening. Kennen didn't bother to look inside and instead just threw his bag into the tent.\n\n\"So uh…I guess we should go take a shower?\" Hailun suggested since both of them had worked up a sweat over the course of the day.\n\nKennen smirked. \"Yeah, unless you like the way I smell.\"\n\nHailun stuck his tongue out at Kennen before playfully shoving him. \"Come on, let's check out the campgrounds first.\"\n\nThey began walking around the camp area. They found there were mostly tents and two larger buildings that were set on the opposite side of the tent area. Signs were affixed on the top indicating which one was the bathing area and the other was a makeshift shop. The door to the shop was currently closed since it was so late and it wasn't open for business. Some of the other kids were horsing around the bath area but neither boy paid attention to them.\n\nEventually, they came to a cliff that overlooked the vast beyond. The light blue moon shone above with its gazing offering a soft illumination to the world below. They crept over to the side and Kennen sat down before patting the space next to him. Hailun made no hesitation in joining him, despite it being so close to the ledge. Kennen put his arm over the other cub and the two looked out into the distance and simply gazed for a moment.\n\nNeither boy said a word, instead just taking in the sights before them. The night sky stared back at them. Sparkling lights of stars above and the omnipresent Lunari moon above. Kennen leaned over and kissed Hailun on the cheek, causing him to blush. The smaller boy clutched the others and they held hands tightly for a few moments. They remained still for a few minutes until the bigger boy roused once again.\n\n\"Come on, let's get a shower so we can have dinner with the rest of the group. I'm hungry.\" Kennen got up and offered his paw as a helpful gesture to the other boy.\n\nHailun took the hand and pulled himself up. \"Thanks, yeah me too.\"\n\nThe two walked back together towards the bathing area of the campsite, forgetting all about the fact they were still holding hands. Some of the other kids pointed and stared at them as they made their way past, though neither of them noticed. Once they arrived at the bathing stalls, they made their way into the wooden building. They walked into the building and saw a few dry towels hanging up, each of them taking one for themselves.\n\nGoing further they found the inside was warmer than the outside, likely from the overabundance of steam and permeation of mist. They could hear that some of the showers were still running, which likely meant that people were still bathing. Looking at each of the doors that barricaded the stalls off a small dial indicated which ones were taken with a bright red label. Eventually, they arrived upon one near the end that was vacant, though it appeared to be the only one.\n\nKennen leaned into the other boy's ear and whispered. \"Wanna shower together?\"\n\nHailun blushed again and whispered back. \"Uh…I guess since there aren't any other free stalls, we don't have a choice.\"\n\n\"Well…I mean I can wait if you want.\" The bigger boy didn't want to make a big deal about it.\n\nThe smaller yordle shook his head. \"Nah it's okay…I don't mind.\"\n\nKennen nodded and look off his shirt before placing it on a nearby peg. The water from inside the stall was already running from its previous user. He looked over at Hailun who was starting to get undressed as well. The two continued to strip down to their birthday suits before proceeding to the inside of the stall. Hailun walked in first since he was the smaller of the two and wanted to test the water before getting under it entirely.\n\nPlacing his hand underneath the spicket, the water was a bit warmer than he expected but he saw no signs of an adjustment knob. He approached the spraying water slowly and allowed each of his legs to reach out underneath before allowing the rest of his body to follow suit. Kennen wasn't far behind as he was more used to warm water than the other boy. Pushing himself in right behind the other cub but not close enough to bodies together.\n\n\"Heh, I've never shown with anyone else before except in gym and that's different…\" Hailun commented as he tried to ease himself into the idea.\n\nKennen rubbed the other boy's shoulder. \"Me either but it can't be that bad since we're boyfriends now…right?\"\n\n\"Yeah. I guess you're right.\" Hailun looked around and grabbed the nearby bar of soap and held it in his hand.\n\nThe bigger boy grabbed his arm gently. \"Hang on, want me to help?\"\n\n\"Oh…uh sure but we're kind of in a public place…\" The smaller boy wasn't sure how he felt about the public nature of what his friend was offering.\n\nKennen smiled. \"It'll be okay. I promise.\"\n\nHailun nodded, trusting the other boy entirely. The red panda handed off the bar of soap to his friend. Kennen began working the soap into his furry palms, allowing suds to form over the entirety of his palms. He then started rubbing his hands over Hailun's back. The smaller boy's back was rigid and tense. He could tell he was a bit stressed despite what he had said otherwise.\n\n\"Try relaxing…\" Kennen said in a soft tone into Hailun's ear.\n\nThe red panda tried easing himself a bit into Kennen. His body remained firm enough to hold itself up but he was allowing the bigger boy to have more control of him. Kennen soon gravitated his hand over Hailun's stomach, circling in figure eight around the upper and lower portions of his chest. Having his boyfriend touch him that was reassuring to him and gradually he was getting used to it.\n\n\"Good boy.\" The bigger yordle could sense the relief in tension as Hailun's body lay almost against his own.\n\nKennen removed his touch for a moment to reapply the soap before continuing his work over Hailun's chest.\n\n\"Ease up a bit so I can get your back.\" Kennen tried to get him to straighten his posture so he could access his backside.\n\nHailun stood back up, putting some more space between the two boys. Kennen continued to work his soapy hands across the ridges of his friend's back. Even going as stroking down the length of his tail. The smaller boy flitted his tail back and forth to be cheeky about it, causing the bigger yordle to nibble on it playfully. When Kennen was done he held the soap in his hand, looking proud about what he'd done.\n\n\"All done…feel better now?\" He said, placing the soap back into Hailun's hand.\n\nHailun nodded. \"Yeah, that was nice…thanks. Want me to do you now?\"\n\n\"If you feel comfortable enough to do it, sure.\" Kennen didn't want to force the issue.\n\nHailun wasn't about to leave him hanging, guiding the bigger boy in front of him so the water more directly hit him. The red panda began rubbing the soap over the boy, the constant stream of water washing it away as he applied it. Kennen remained firm in his stance as he didn't want to catch him off guard due to their small difference in size. Hailun wasn't nearly as slow and methodical about it as he was a little more uncertain about it.\n\n\"Want to…clean my feet?\" Kennen turned around with a slight smirk on his face.\n \nThe red panda murmured a bit. He looked at the nearby stalls that were visible\n and determined that the people inside them had left. He thought about a moment longer and slowly shook his head. He didn't want people to know about his thing for feet. Kennen sighed but decided not to pursue the issue. Sure enough, the whistle for dinner was blown, and Kennen cleaned the rest of himself off to help the other boy.\n\nBoth boys arose from the shower stall naked, wrapping themselves in the towels they grabbed. Hailun and Kennen realized they hadn't grabbed a change of clothing and would have to get some before they reported for the meal. Hailun took their clothes and the toy boys walked barefoot back to their tent. He allowed Kennen to grab them their pajamas, while he disposed of the dirty ones in a clothing bag that had been placed outside their tent.\n\nEach of them took their turn in changing into their pajamas. Due to the small nature of the tent, they had to do it separately. When they were finally clothed again, they returned to the main part of the camp. Heimerdinger had set up a table with a small selection of items for the kids to pick from. It was mostly pre-cooked food that had been thawed out at the fire but he wouldn't have to tell the kids that.\n\nWhen Hailun and Kennen arrived, most of the other students had already started eating. They walked over to the portion of the table where the selections had been laid out for them to pick from. Some of the cubs looked back at them.\n\n\"Hailun and Kennen, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.\" One of the students started the song and a few followed suit.\n\nHeimerdinger tried to hush them but there were too many of them for him to handle. Kennen stopped a second to look at the kids who were singing. They continued even still. Hailun took his hand, trying to get him to just ignore them. The brown yordle clasped Hailun's hand in his own and held it tightly. He turned around and faced Hailun.\n\nFor a moment, Kennen was conflicted about what to do. He didn't like being pestered by the other kids and the idea of conflict didn't seem right either. After a moment of hesitation, he reached in and grabbed Hailun by the shoulders before turning his head and kissing him square on the lips. The embrace lasted for but a few seconds but when they broke apart, the crowd of students watching them fell silent.\n\n\"Awh…\" One of the girls said, no longer interested in pestering them.\n\nHailun's face was flush red as Kennen took his hand and held it tightly. \"Come on, let's get some food.\"\n\nThe two boys approached the area where the food had been situated. Each of them picked whatever wanted. The students were no longer heckling them, only a few of them occasionally looked over their way but it wasn't enough to distract them from what they were doing. Once they had grabbed their food, they sat down near the end of the table. Both boys were pretty hungry so they didn't waste any time in devouring the food that they had picked.\n\nBy the time they were done, most of the other students had left the table. Heimerdinger was the only one at the table. Hailun got up to check on the older yordle.\n\n\"Did you want help cleaning up?\" He asked in an attempt to be helpful.\n\nHeimerdinger was half out of it. \"Oh, uh nah. It will take but a moment to dispose of this mess. No worries, my child.\"\n\nHailun nodded and waited for Kennen to finish before they returned to their tent. Hailun filed in first, brushing off his paws before making his way inside. Kennen did the same once the other boy was inside. They both yawned and stretched as if it had been a long day. Hailun eased himself closer to Kennen and hugged him tightly. The two eased into their sleeping bags, each one on opposite sides of the tent.\n\n\"Wanna sleep next to each other?\" He suggested so they could cuddle.\n\nHailun yawned. \"Yeah, okay. I guess it's not like they don't know now.\"\n\nKennen shifted his body causing the sleeping bag to slide across the floor. Eventually, his body was right next to the other cubs. The bigger boy slung his arm over the other boy and squeezed him a bit.\n\n\"Good night, Hailun.\" The brown yordle closed his eyes and allowed his mind to rest.\n\nThe red panda shut his eyes. \"Good night…I love you…\"\n\nHeimerdinger cleaned up before retiring himself for the rest of the night. The remainder of which went by without an issue. The students were too tired to cause much of a ruckus. Despite his fears of problems, he hadn't had any so far and he could only hope that would continue to be the case.\n\nThe next morning came before long. Birds nearby began crowing upon the rising of the sun, providing the makeshift wakeup alarm that Heimerdinger needed to get things rolling. He blew his whistle signaling for the students to begin to get ready to leave. He began to process of making breakfast to get that out of the way. After all, he didn't want to give the students any reason to complain.\n\nKennen and Hailun awoke to the sound of the sharp blow of the whistle. The red panda roused first and the movement of his body caused his boyfriend to get up. He yawned and stretched trying to get himself out of the state of restful stupor he was in. The smaller yordle rubbed his eyes and shook the other boy in an attempt to get him to wake up quicker.\n\n\"Come on, it's time to get up.\" He reminded the other boy who groaned again.\n\nIt took Kennen a few more minutes before he was finally up. Hailun had already grabbed them a change of clothes. Taking the ones he picked for the brown yordle he threw them on top of him to be funny.\n\n\"Come on, lazy butt.\" Hailun started shedding his pajamas and hanging onto his wardrobe for the day.\n\nKennen eased up and stretched before getting ready himself. Once the boys were ready, they headed outside for breakfast. By this time the students were again already at the table. The sight of the two boys didn't cause any stir this time as they had gotten it out of their system the previous night. The meal that Heimerdinger had prepared was smaller than the previous night as he hadn't brought much more in anticipation of arriving at the city later that day.\n\n\"Alright, the next leg of our journey will begin at the Placidium. We will not be stopping here but rather just passing through on our way to Ionia City. We will be taking a portal out of here, so please be ready to leave within the hour so we can start early as we have another long journey in front of us.\" Heimerdinger announced to the students the next plan for the trip.\n\nHailun and Kennen grabbed their breakfast. The selections were just fruit and grains, which didn't bother the red panda as much as it did his friend. Still, both boys ate what they thought would tide them over for the day as they figured they likely wouldn't be stopping again. When they finished, they returned to their tent to grab their things in preparation for leaving. By the time they were ready, they could see that the students had already gathered around the center of the camp.\n\nHeimerdinger opened up another portal for the cubs to walk through. He didn't go through the procedure this time as he hoped they knew it by now. They took the nexus through to the Navori plains, a vast open flat of greenery and ridged hills. The students arrived on the other side of it, greeted by a light rain. The ground was already soggy from the previous day's rain. Heimerdinger arrived at the rear of the train of yordles with a disgruntled look on his face. He hadn't planned on rain but supposed it didn't matter since it was still rather light.\n\nThe chaperone closed the portal and the group began their trek down the dirt road. Some Ionian caravan's passed them down the path but none of them paid them any attention. The merchants of Ionia had seen plenty of yordles in the past, though to see so many of them in one place certainly was odd. Still, they paid them no mind as they had better things to do than to worry about travelers.\n\nThe group of yordles continued down the path across a declining hill that led into a valley. A spiraling dirt road that pitted into the very heart of the crest of the Navori Plains. At the center of it, some wayward wilderlings scurried across the land in a herd. Heimerdinger stopped his troop to take in the sight. The vast number of beasts took some time before it cleared the way in front of them.\n\nThey continued into the valley through a swooping lane that carried them back up to another plateau of pasture. Vast fields of flowers and streaming reads carried along with the wind which continued to carry the light rain that persisted in the area. The clouds above remained ominously grey and there were no signs of light anywhere. It was obvious that the weather was not likely to let up anytime soon.\n\nThey soon came within eyesight of the Placidium. Its towering winged spires loomed ominously in the foggy distance. Already the group was quite wet by this point, the rain has persisted enough at this point that they were soaking wet. Some of the students were shaking from the chilled breeze carrying through it and one of them mentioned it to Heimerdinger, who relented in choosing that they would take a short respite at the Placidium itself.\n\nThey carried on until they reached the Placidium itself. The rise of cliffs and stone outcroppings formed an almost natural ramp that turned up towards a large arch overlooking a valley below. Water could be heard flowing beneath, an ever-vigilant river rampaging and expanding with the incessant rain that continued to pour into it from beyond its banks. They now found themselves at the base of the craggy base of the shrine.\n\nAt the base of it was a fire that had been pitched between the natural bridge above. The stone structure provided some much-needed protection from the elements for the flame to be kindled. Some people crowded around it, many of them haunched over in canvas wrappings to protect them from the wet and breezy atmosphere that surrounded\n them. The moment they were close enough to it, many of the students rushed over to warm themselves.\n\nHeimerdinger decided to let them take it easy for a few. They had already been traveling for a while and it would give them a chance to snack and rest before the final stint towards Ionia city. He pulled out some small snacks from his bag and handed it to each of them, then shared his water canteen with them so they could drink. He felt bad that they had to deal with it but there wasn't anything that he could do to change the situation.\n\nThey hung out at the campfire for a bit and the rain seemed to subside for a little. Heimerdinger thought it would be a good opportunity for them to move on. He sounded the whistle once again to signal they were getting ready to head out. To be safe he counted heads again and verified everyone was accounted for. The students fell in a makeshift line and began following again, many of them re-energized after the short break.\n\nThey departed from the Placidium and the rain began to pick up again. The roads were becoming sloshy with dirt and every time they took a step the water picked up on their shoes. The clothing and footwear each member of the group was wearing were well passed soaked at this point. Heimerdinger considered going back to the campfire, but after a moment of contemplation decided they would press forward toward Ionia city.\n\nThey passed onto the Weh'le fields and soon came upon more traffic. The roads in this part of the fields were no longer as washed out by the weather. Many of them were made of gravel to distinguish them from the otherwise dirt pathing. The fields were now full of overgrown grasses and greyed trees that overlooked them. The canopies that overlooked them canvased colors of brown, orange, and red showing the signs of the change of seasons more evident in this part of the area.\n\nThe mostly flat land soon began to decline into another pit. The slick surface of the grass and mud made for a difficult trek down the path. Heimerdinger occasionally looked back to make sure none of the kids having issues getting down. Just when he thought they had conquered the small challenge, Hailun slipped and fell. The red panda lost his footing and slipped to his behind with a muffled yelp as his body hit the floor.\n\nHeimerdinger quickly rushed over to check on the accident. Hailun was gritting his teeth and squinting his eyes. Kennen was overlooking the boy, though he was uncertain what he could do about it. The chaperone looked around for any sort of assistance they could see as he assumed the boy was hurt. Sure enough, a small caravan was spotted in the distance, so the oldest yordle began waving it over in hopes of gaining their attention.\n\nThe humans on the caravan noticed the frantic waving and made their way over. The group of yordles near the side of the path was hard to miss, even with all of the constant rain downpouring over it. Heimerdinger pulled out his old translation device in hopes that he'd be able to communicate with them. The caravan soon arrived at their side. The woman sitting in the rain looked down at them, seeming to be unconcerned with the rain.\n\n\"Greetings, travelers. How can I help?\" She asked, looking down at the crestfallen cub who didn't appear to be in distress to her.\n\nHeimerdinger spoke into the device. \"One of the students has fallen and hurt themselves, I was hoping you could bring him into the city for medical treatment?\"\n\n\"Oh, I see. I suppose it is that one there? They do not appear to be injured to me.\" She folded her arms, already losing patience.\n\nThe chaperone reached into his pocket pulling out some silver coins. \"Look, I'll even pay for your assistance. I just need to make sure he's not hurt.\"\n\n\"Oh, very well. I will accept this service. He may lie down in the back. There is space among the hay I am delivering.\" She didn't bother to get down, expecting them to do the work of getting him on the wagon.\n\nKennen stepped in. \"May I go with him? I want to make sure he's alright.\"\n\n\"I don't see why not…Do you have space for this one as well?\" Heimerdinger was certain it wouldn't be an issue.\n\nShe rubbed her chin. \"Perhaps for another silver, I shall consider it.\"\n\n\"Very well…\" The man felt like he had no choice as he couldn't let Hailun go by himself.\n\nThe woman nodded. \"Out with it then. Get them onboard. I don't have time to waste.\" She leaned back and pulled over the small awning over the rear of her cart.\n\nKennen eased himself under Hailun's arm and worked to get him to a mostly upright position. The two struggled to the rear of the cart. Heimerdinger tugged on Kennen's shoulder just before he was about to hop up onto us.\n\n\"I will meet you at the Medical Center once we arrive. Do not leave until then.\" The chaperone advised his student.\n\nThe brown yordle nodded and helped his friend up to the rear end of the caravan. Fortunately for him, Hailun was able to help a bit by shifting his body back by using his arms. Once they were inside, Heimerdinger nodded to the woman and handed her the coins. No words were expressed between them as she snapped them away from him. She snorted before slapping the reins forward to make her steed continue its journey.\n\nHeimerdinger watched as the caravan made a complete U-turn. He was glad someone came along, though he was still concerned about the well-being of his student. He roused the kids around again, most of which were mumbling about what happened. He told them they needed to press forward before the weather got worse. Ionia city was now finally within sight and he couldn't wait to arrive.\n\nKennen and Hailun sat at the rear of the vehicle together. The thing bobbed up and down as it trucked along the dirt road. The whole inside of which smelt of damp hay as they were surrounded by the stuff. The red panda was still hunched over grabbing his ankle.\n\n\"Does it hurt?\" Kennen asked as he looked at the other boy struggling with his pain.\n\nHailun tried to force a smile. \"Yeah…it hurts a lot.\" The cub was trying to hold back the desire to cry as he sniffled a bit.\n\nThe bigger boy reached over to hug him, stroking his back. \"It's okay. You can cry if you need to. I won't judge you.\"\n\nThe smaller cub let himself go, weeping into the shoulder of the other boy. Kennen continued to stroke his back to comfort him. The caravan continued its trek back towards the city. The travel to it didn't take long since they weren't very far from the city. The woman knew all the back roads inside of the city and made a direct B-line to the clinic. When she arrived she slapped the reins once again to stop the beast from moving again.\n\n\"We're here…get out.\" She announced with a somewhat annoyed tone.\n\nKennen put his head underneath Hailun's armpit and lifted him again. \"Let's go.\"\n\nThe two slid out bit by bit until they were out in front of the clinic. The white building with a red cross made it apparent what it was. Once the woman saw they were out, she wasted no time in heading off with no further words to them. Kennen scowled at her, deciding to let the issue go since there wasn't anything he could do about it. \n\nThe bigger boy brought the smaller one inside the lobby area of the clinic. The smell of rubbing alcohol and sanitary wipes dominated the area. A human man eyed them from the front desk, wasting no time rushing over to them when he realized what was going on.\n\n\"I'll take care of it from here, son.\" He said, taking the boy from Kennen's hold to give him a bit of a respite.\n\nAll members of the hospital were required to wear translators in case foreigners were supposed to visit and every member of staff wore them for language barriers.\n\nThe small yordle looked up at him and smiled. \"Thanks, I think he twisted his ankle.\"\n\n\"Right, we'll get him back right away to look at him.\" He lifted the cub off the ground without an issue to take the pressure off Hailun's legs.\n\nThe brown yordle reached in and grabbed the human's leg tugging on it. \"Can I go with him?\"\n\n\"It might be better if you wait out here for him. We normally don't allow non-patients beyond the entrance unless their family.\"\n\nKennen hesitated before answering. \"I'm his brother.\"\n\"Oh, I see. Come right back then, I suppose.\" The man wasn't expecting that and didn't question the issue.\n\nThe man began down the hall with Hailun in his arms. The yordle was very light, even compared to Human children's standards. Kennen struggled to keep up with him as he was somewhat tired from trekking all day. The chill in the air of the clinic made him shiver a bit but he tried ignoring it to deal with the issue at hand. Eventually, he was led into a small room with a metal operating table at the center of it.\n\nThe man set Hailun down who thanked him for the help. The man looked over at Kennen who was shivering. Reaching into the cabinets he pulled out a blanket and handed it to each of them.\n\n\"The doctor will be in shortly.\" He left the room, leaving the two yordle boys alone.\n\nHailun looked over at Kennen. \"Thanks for your help.\"\n\n\"I mean, I wasn't about to leave you hanging. A white lie or not…at least you have someone with you.\" The cub tried to justify his answer.\n\nThe red panda winked at his friend, not seeming bothered by it either way. \"It's okay. They don't need to know the truth.\"\n\nEach boy wrapped themselves in the blanket. The immediate difference in temperature was welcoming. It wasn't much longer before the doctor arrived. A tall bulky woman wearing rather casual clothes for a doctor. The woman looked at the yordle on the operating table and then over towards the one sitting in the chair. She was loudly chewing gum, her mouth full of the stuff slapped her lips together loudly,\n\n\"Ah, yordles. I don't see much of your kind these days. So, what seems to be the problem? I didn't see any intake chart on your door.\" The woman waited patiently for an answer.\n\nHailun\n grunted as he moved his leg a bit up the table. \"I hurt my leg when I tripped.\"\n\n\"I see. Let me take a look at it.\" The doctor approached the table slowly.\n\nShe looked over the cub and gently eased his head to the platform as he let out a little whine.\n\n\"I need you to try and not flinch when I touch your leg.\" She said, trying to get him to not squirm as much.\n\nShe took a first look at the furry leg. The hair was wet and matted down from being in the rain all day. She could tell it looked a little swollen.\n\n\"I need to take your shoe off to prevent further swelling, alright?\" The doctor said, warning the boy as she assumed it would hurt to some degree.\n\nKennen approached the counter and offered his hand to the other boy and held it tightly in his own. The human rearranged herself so she was at the foot of the bed and slowly began unlacing his shoe.\n\n\"Alright…brace yourself.\" She said before loosening up his laces in preparation for taking it off.\n\nShe slowly began taking it off and the boy squinted his eyes and gritted his teeth further. Tears flowed out of his eyes slowly as the pain became too much to bear. Fortunately, within seconds, the footwear was off. She looked over at the brown yordle and back to the red panda. She had been told they were brothers but they certainly didn't look similar. The woman decided it didn't matter.\n\nThe doctor threw the muddy shoe on the floor and walked away from the table. She returned with a small pair of two pills in her palm.\n\n\"Take this…it will help with the pain and allow me to look closer at it in a few minutes. I will be back in a few moments.\" She handed it to him before heading out of the room.\n\nHailun swallowed the pills without a second thought. There was no feeling of immediate relief despite what his innermost desire wanted.\n\n\"You alright?\" Kennen said, feeling even more concerned about his boyfriend's well-being.\n\nThe red panda laid back a bit and allowed himself to lay flat. He murmured and sniffed. \"It…hurts.\"\n\n\"I'm sure…it will be better soon. I promise.\" He squeezed the cub's hand again and kissed his cheek.\n\nOver the next few minutes, the pain in Hailun's leg began to dissipate to a constant throbbing. The doctor returned shortly after with a small device and her hand. She thumped it in her palm as she approached the table again. Hailun wasn't moving as much, she assumed the boy had been somewhat sedated by the medicine.\n\n\"I need you to step to the side for the moment. We are likely going to have to splint his leg.\" She said to the brown yordle who was still at his side.\n\nKennen looked at Hailun. His eyes had glazed over and it was apparent he was out of it. The conscious boy stepped to the side and nodded to her, taking a seat in the chair at the side of the room again. Over the next few hours, the doctor did a set of x ray's and found the yordle had a small fracture in his lower leg. She splinted it before casting over his leg with a small plasture adhesive to give him extra support.\n\nThe medicine made it so Hailun had no idea what was going on. He had essentially fallen into a lighter state of consciousness. The pill made him feel nothing and even allowed his body to feel like it was in a state of rest. Kennen watched from the sideline as his boyfriend's leg was cased up, hoping it would be enough so that he could enjoy the rest of the trip.\n\nHeimerdinger arrived by himself sometime after the procedure had ceased operation. The doctor had left the two boys alone as it had been a few hours since completion. The nurses checked periodically in on them but Hailun was still passed out from the medication. Heimerdinger was shown back to their room, relieved to see that Hailun was alright. Kennen had also passed out on the chair while waiting on Heimerdinger to come to get them.\n\nThe doctor popped in shortly after Heimerdinger arrived as she had been notified that their guardian was on location.\n\n\"I presume you are his caretaker?\" The tall woman kneeled to the yordles level.\n\nHeimerdinger nodded. \"Indeed, how fairs the child?\"\n\n\"He fairs fine. Just a minor fracture. He will need to take some pain meds for a while and use this walking stick for a while until it heals.\" She handed him a small cane that had been refitted to a yordles size.\n\nThe man rubbed his chin. \"I see. Has he woken up yet?\"\n\n\"Yeah, he's been awake for a bit though he's still sort of out of it.\" Kennen said as he approached the two adults who were talking.\n\nHeimerdinger nodded. \"Very well. Let us get the bill taken care of and we can get going to the hostel.\"\n\n\"There is no bill for foreigners. It is a service we provide for all.\" She said before bowing deeply.\n\nHeimerdinger had a look of surprise on his face. \"Oh my, well thank you kindly then.\"\n\nThe doctor helped the boy off the table and handed him over to the other two yordles. Hailun still wobbled a bit as he walked. Kennen took hold of the small cane that was offered to them and bowed back to her.\n\n\"Thanks for helping my friend.\" He said with a wide smile on his face.\n\nShe smiled back. \"Most certainly.\"\n\n\"Is he going to be able to bathe in this?\" Heimerdinger asked so Hailun would know later.\n\nThe doctor nodded. \"Indeed, it is waterproof. You do not need to worry about it any further except for when it is needed to be taken off.\"\n\n\"And when will that be?\" Kennen asked as he wanted to know when he would be back to normal.\n\nShe scratched her chin. \"Time will tell child. Now enjoy the rest of your trip and be off with you.\"\n\nThe two yordles propped up the somewhat sedated cub who hung loosely on their arms. Hailun was heavier than either of them realized, even if neither of them said anything. Heimerdinger called a rickshaw and the rickshaw picked them up before dropping them off at the hostel.\n\n\"Kennen, everyone else has already gotten food. I don't suspect Hailun will be hungry tonight but there are leftovers in the kitchen for both of you, should you want it.\" Heimerdinger said before they got off the rickshaw.\n\nThey arrived at the front door of the hostel, which was open for anyone who wanted to step inside. The building was an older one thatched edged roofing that curled overtop into a point. The hostel proprietor greeted Heimerdinger upon his return, eying the passed-out cub that he and Kennen were still carrying on their shoulders.\n\n\"Head over to the far door on the right…You all have your room as does every other group of students.\" Heimerdinger informed his student who hadn't been there yet.\n\nKennen could smell the aroma of something cooking and it made his stomach rumble. He hadn't had anything to eat in hours and would go check out what it was when he dropped off Hailun in the room. It didn't take them that much longer before they arrived in the room. Kennen and Heimerdinger hauled Hailun inside before carefully setting him down on one of the canvas bedspreads that lay across the floor.\n\n\"Alright, good work. You should go get yourself something to eat. I'm sure he'll be out of it a while.\" Heimerdinger suggested saving the boy some time.\n\nThe brown yordle nodded and stretched. He was still wearing the blanket he had borrowed from the clinic and tossed it to the side. Kennen made his way to the kitchen, his stomach constantly reminding him that it was famished. The boy made his way inside the open room, a small table sat in the center of it, much smaller than what he'd grown used to in Bandle City. A small selection of rice buns and pot stickers was strewn about.\n\nHe approached it and knelt at the table before beginning to look at it more closely. Steam rose from each of the items, showing they were still warm from being cooked. He looked around and noticed no silverware and only a few stray chopsticks that appeared to be unused. He had never used them before and decided to just eat with his hands. No one else was around and he assumed it wouldn't matter.\n\nHe began gorging himself without much thought of how much he was eating. There wasn't much left of the food in front of him, it looked to be a full meal at most. The taste was like nothing he had at home and he found the stuff to be of his liking. Just as he was about to finish the last few morsels in front of him. Immediately feeling a sense of guilt as he stopped himself from eating the last piece.\n\nKennen picked up the last piece and wrapped it in a napkin. He was still hungry but he wanted to make sure Hailun had at least something to eat for the night. The cub picked up the glass of water and downed it. His stomach growled again and he rubbed it, trying to satiate his desire. The boy picked himself up and grabbed the wrapped good in his palm before heading back to the hostel room.\n\nWhen he returned to the room, he saw that Hailun was still out of it. The brown yordle made his way over to him and shook him gently to see if he roused.\n\n\"You want something to eat?\" Kennen said, half expecting an answer.\n\nHailun groaned, still completely sedated. Kennen looked at the morsel he had taken with him and decided Hailun probably wouldn't eat that night. He unwrapped it and began to eat it, constantly keeping watch on his friend who remained still in front of him. When he had finished the meal, he felt better. Looking around the room, he saw their bags had already been dropped off earlier.\n\nThe slight chill in his body reminded him that he hadn't bathed yet that day and figured it was time to hit the baths. He made his way out of the room and looked for signage that indicated where the washroom might be. Most of the language appeared to be in Ionian but fortunately for him, little pictures were affixed to each of them, making it easier to figure out what they were. Sure enough, he saw what he assumed was the symbol of a bath and headed to it.\n\nKennen made his way to the washroom. He looked inside and saw that it was vacant. A large wide open room with a fairly large body of water, at least\n for a bath. Benches on each side of it with wet wash rags affixed to several of them. At the foot of each bench sat a bucket, some of which were overflowing with suds. He began to strip his clothing and placed it on one of the benches near the front of it.\n\nKennen looked around for traces of soap or shampoo but saw nothing. Soon he peered within one of the pails and saw what appeared to be two bars floating within. He assumed this is what he would use to clean himself. He began stripping off his clothes and stepped in the pool of water once he was naked to wet his body. He sunk his body within, allowing the warm water to relax his body once he was fully submerged.\n\nHis mind wondered for a bit, almost absent of thought. He was overly tired from the physical duress of the day. Eventually, thoughts of Hailun's well-being slipped into his mind. He tried to silence them but he couldn't kick the concern he was wrapped up in. He picked himself up and proceeded to clean himself, no longer wasting as much time in the ordeal. When he was done, he wrapped himself in a towel before grabbing his stuff and proceeded to head back to his room.\n\nKennen arrived back in the room to find that Hailun had still not moved. He figured that the boy needed a bath as well but knew he was probably in no shape to deal with it. He decided instead to deal with his body odor and try to get a good night's rest. The boy headed over to his bag and pulled out a pair of pajamas. The brown yordle stretched and yawned before changing into his pajamas.\n\nOnce he had changed, Kennen eased himself into the sleeping mat closest to Hailun and fixed a blanket so that it was over him. The cub placed his arm over the other boy allowing his head to rest on the floor. It was an awkward position compared to the usual comforts of his bead at home but he didn't care. In no time his mind drifted off to sleep and into the realm of dreams what they could do in the city together tomorrow.\n\nThe night remained a restful one. Hailun was conked out for most of it. It was not until early in the next morning that either boy roused. The red panda was the first one as his pain medicine had finally worn off and the throbbing sensation of his leg had returned in full force. He groaned and turned around on his back, his eyes flickering before finding himself in an unfamiliar room.\n\n\"Urgh…\" Hailun said in a muffled tone.\n\nThe immediate noise and movement of Hailun did not stir Kennen who was still deep in slumber. Hailun looked over at him and saw the other boy next to him. He still was uncertain where he was but he figured it must have been with the group again since Kennen was next to him now. Looking down at his leg gave him a vague recollection of his accident, making the throbbing even more prominent than before.\n\nHe moved himself a bit away from Kennen, careful not to wake up. He was in pain but he knew Kennen was asleep, so he didn't want to wake the other boy up. The cub tried getting up but the awkward stiffness of the cast he was in made it difficult for him to get up. Instead, he slid himself along the floor. The cast he was wearing made a slight scratching noise as he tried to move as quietly as possible.\n\n\"Hailun?\" Kennen rubbed his eyes as the noise was becoming too annoying to ignore.\n\nHailun remained silent for a moment, hoping his friend wouldn't notice he was up.\n\n\"You're up? Are you okay?\" The brown yordle yawned as it was still early.\n\nThe smaller cub murmured. \"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to wake you up.\"\n\n\"No…it's okay. What do you need?\" The bigger boy pulled the blanket off himself.\n\nThe red panda squinted. \"My leg hurts and I'm hungry…\"\n\n\"Well…uh I'm sure I could find you something to eat but the doctor gave me some pills you can take for the pain.\" Kennen headed over to the side of the room where his dirty clothes were and reached inside the pocket.\n\nHailun nodded softly. \"Yeah, sure…I'll take some.\"\n\nThe brown yordle pulled out a single pill and gave it to him. \"Sorry…I don't have anything to eat.\"\n\n\"It's alright. What time do you think it is?\" He swallowed the pill, hoping it would go into effect soon.\n\nKennen shrugged. \"I'm not sure but I think it's early.\"\n\n\"Want to come lay back down with me?\" Hailun offered as he had no better idea to pass the time.\n\nThe brown yordle nodded and headed back over to where Hailun was laying down. Kennen slowly eased himself back on the floor and glided himself with his mat until he was next to the other boy. Kennen placed his arm over the other cub and pulled him in tightly so he was square against his body. The medicine had already begun to work and Hailun was able to relax a bit more.\n\nThe two continued to rest alongside one another until the following morning. Heimerdinger walked in on the two boys still tightly locked against one another. He couldn't help but smile as he knelt and tried shaking Kennen. Kennen was still light on sleep from being woken up earlier in the night. His eyes fluttered as he came around.\n\n\"You guys think you're up for a day in the city since it's our last day here?\" Heimerdinger asked uncertain if the injured cub would be up for it.\n\nThe brown yordle peered over at Hailun and then back at Heimerdinger. \"Probably. Let me see if he feels up for it.\"\n\nKennen shook Hailun gently who awoke shortly after. He was still a little out of it but certainly more discernable than the night before.\n\n\"You want to head into the city? It's morning time.\" He asked in a whispered tone.\n\nHailun shook his head. \"Yeah, I'd be up for that.\"\n\n\"Alright, sounds good. Let's help him up. I'll grab his walking stick.\" Heimerdinger headed to the side of the room and grabbed the cane that had been given to them.\n\nKennen sat up and got on his knees, waiting for Heimerdinger to return. When he was close enough both of them lifted Hailun off the floor and waited for him to take hold of the walking stick. The boy wobbled a bit but grabbed hold of it easily enough.\n\n\"Go ahead and try walking. Kennen, will you be his aid if he needs it?\" The Chaperone was certain that would be the case.\n\n\"Sure, I can do that.\" The bigger boy watched as Hailun hobbled around the room, maintaining a close distance from him just in case.\n\nHeimerdinger nodded and headed towards the door. \"Go ahead and get dressed and we will wait for you two in the kitchen. We leave in about an hour so you have time.\"\n\nThe man showed himself out. Hailun continued to struggle a bit but managed to keep himself upright for the most part. Kennen smiled at him, glad he was making progress. Hailun eventually eased himself into a chair by the door, making it evident that walking was a bit more taxing on his body than before.\n\n\"You alright?\" Kennen asked, certain that his friend was still dealing with pain.\n\nHailun looked over at him. \"It's just kind of awkward. The cast makes it so it's like one side is longer than the other.\"\n\n\"Oh…that sucks. Anything I can do to help?\" The boy just wanted to be helpful.\n\nThe red panda shook his head. \"No, I don't think so.\"\n\nHailun looked over at the small pile of clothes from the other day, remembering he hadn't changed yet.\n\n\"I guess need to change.\" The smaller boy noticed Kennen was still in his pajamas.\n\nKennen nodded. \"Yeah, you can't go out in the same stuff. It's all muddy and your fur is probably still matted from yesterday\n\n\"Want to help me?\" Hailun asked since he figured he'd have a hard time doing it himself.\n\nKennen smiled. \"Of course.\"\n\nThe bigger boy hummed but didn't respond. The two proceeded into the washroom, which was vacant. Kennen had to help Hailun strip out of his clothing but once they were both naked, the two got into the washing pools. Hailun struggled a bit to clean himself but the other boy was more than happy to help him out. The whole ordeal of bathing didn't take them very long, especially since Kennen had bathed the previous night. They took a bit longer than they would have otherwise.\n\nEventually, they heard Heimerdinger's voice call out to them from the Kitchen. It was apparent that Breakfast was ready and that they had taken too long doing what they did. The two proceeded to hurry up their pace, finishing the rest of their hygiene routine before returning to the room to dress. The Red Panda found himself feeling silly for asking for help again when he couldn't quite get his underwear or pants on.\n\nAfter they were dressed, they came out to the kitchen. Heimerdinger gave them the stink eye as they approached. They were late and he was the only one there. He told the remainder of the kids to go explore on their own.\n\n\"I won't ask what you two were doing but you have the same privilege the other students do. This is our last day here. All I ask is that you return for dinner so that we can leave shortly after.\" The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sum of Ionian money before handing it to them.\n\n\"That should be enough to buy you lunch. Hailun don't go overdoing it. You are injured after all. Kennen, please make him take breaks if necessary. Go ahead and help yourselves to breakfast. I will see you all tonight.\" Heimerdinger saw himself out of the kitchen and towards the front door.\n\nKennen and Hailun walked over to the kitchen table. The red panda was quite famished and worked through the food rather quickly. The brown yordle was a bit slower but still ate more food than usual since he hadn't had much the previous night. A small crumb remained on his cheek. The smaller yordle reached over and brushed off.\n\n\"Thanks, so ready to head out?\" Kennen asked as he was looking forward to seeing Ionia City for the first time.\n\nHailun's tail wagged behind him gently. \"Yeah, let's go.\"\n\nThe two proceeded to walk out of the hostel, following the same path that Heimderdinger had only moments ago. They arrived outside and looked upward. The skies were much clearer than they had been yesterday when they arrived. Only a few clouds remained. Hailun tugged on Kennen to get him to follow him. Hailun was walking as fast as he could, though still hobbling for the most part. The bigger boy was surprised he was able to walk as fast as he could.\n\nThey began down some of the main streets of the city. The city was busy with life with Humans and Vastayans walking about. The roads themselves were made of limestone brick that was shaped in whatever way filled the space them. Some of which adjusted every so slightly as the mud they had been affixed with had long past its date of service. Their shoes tapped against the surface as they walked.\n\nKennen looked around at all the buildings. They were much larger than the ones in Bandle City. They seemed to be made out of wood with red that curved towards the outside. A large golden spire topped each of them pointing to the sky above. Hailun tugged on him again as the other cub continued to get distracted by looking at the various sights around the city. \n\n\"You can look at the buildings later…come on!\" The Red Panda tried to justify his sudden hurried nature.\n\nThe brown yordle allowed himself to be pulled along without much protest. He knew that Hailun had been looking forward to showing him around. Hailun knew his way around well enough that he knew where to go to avoid foot traffic. Eventually, he brought the other boy to a large red and yellow gate. Tall rouge-painted collums led up to a two-tiered platform. Atop of which the mythical Ionian Lion sat with its tongue curled outward and its paw extended down towards the floor.\n\nHailun struggled to kneel before tugging on Kennen to do the same. The brown yordle followed suit, the two remaining at the base of the gate for a few moments.\n\n\"This is the gate of the setting sun. Ionian legends state all spirits come through this gate when they pass from this world.\" The Red Panda got back up and helped Kennen do the same.\n\nThey walked past the gate until they were at what appeared to be a garden. Large rectangular-shaped shrubs bordered the area, keeping the area blocked off from the outside. A large pool of water sat near the rear of it, extending the entire way along the borders of it. Hailun brought Kennen over to the pond and pointed inside.\n\n\"Some say that should one toss a coin into the Pond of Perpetuity, that it would grant one's wish.\" Hailun didn't believe in such things but shared the story all the same.\n\nKennen kneeled to look within. Some fish were scurrying around that looked to resemble Koi. At the bottom of it, he could see the shimmer of previous coins that had been thrown in. \n\n\"Do you want to make a wish?\" Kennen asked as he wasn't sure what he wanted.\n\nHailun shook his head. \"Nah, I already got what I wanted.\"\n\n\"Yeah? What's that?\" The brown yordle looked up at his boyfriend.\n\nThe smaller cub smiled. \"To spend time with you.\"\n\n\"You're sweet.\" The taller yordle stood up and kissed the other boy on the cheek.\n\nThe two walked over to one of the benches in the garden and sat down. They held hands, simply taking in the sights of the area. One of the other groups of students happened to walk up to them. It was another pair of boys that they didn't know very well.\n\n\"Looky who it is…it's the little gay kids.\" One of the other two boys started mocking them.\n\nKennen looked up and scowled at them. Hailun tightened his grip on the boy's hand in an attempt to settle him down.\n\n\"And they're holding hands….how sweet. Well go on now…kiss.\" The other boy tried to get in on the action.\n\nNeither Kennen nor Hailun said anything. The brown yordle looked towards his boyfriend who simply shook his head.\n\n\"Oh, what? Not going to follow along? Maybe we should hurt your little boyfriend even worse than he already is.\" One of them stood right behind Hailun and touched his shoulder.\n\nHailun backed away but couldn't move much since the other was in front of them. \"Don't touch me.\"\n\n\"Or what? What are you going to do about it?\" They continued to pester the two cubs.\n\nThe Red Panda squeezed Kennen's hand. \"Come on, let's go.\"\n\n\"Just what is your problem?\" Kennen asked the two who continued to mock them.\n\nThe boy standing in front of them barred them from getting up to go. \"You two are.\"\n\n\"We didn't do anything to you so leave us alone.\" Kennen warned them as his eyes burned bright blue.\n\nThe two boys mocking them gripped their hands. \"And what if we don't.\"\n\n\"Let's not cause a ruckus…I don't want to get in trouble, Kennen….\" Hailun tried to calm the other boy down, sensing that he was getting angry.\n\nKennen pushed the boy in front of them to the side. \"Come on Hailun, let's go.\"\n\nHailun tried picking himself up but was kept down by the boy behind him.\n\n\"Let him go.\" Kennen warned one final time.\n\nThe two boys mocking them stood next to each other, grinding their fists on their palms.\n\n\"This will go no further, children.\" The keeper of the gardens saw the fisticuffs from above in a watchtower.\n\n\"You're lucky…\" The two boys mocking them walked away, not wanting to get in trouble with the person watching them.\n\nKennen's eyes fizzled down as his mood normalized. He offered to help Hailun up and the two headed out of the garden.\n\n\"You alright?\" The bigger boy asked just to be sure.\n\nHailun nodded. \"Yeah, they were just being jerks…come on.\"\n\nThe bigger boy's scowl turned to a smile once again and he held Hailun's hand a bit tighter than before. They proceeded to walk again with the red panda still in the lead. Walking for some time until they reached the outer rim of the city itself. The city was walled in and they walked out of the gate to look at the Weh'le fields that they had traveled on before. The vast sprawling green pastures bent over with wind passing through them. It was a wholly different site than the day before and a rainbow could be seen in the distance.\n\nThey walked outside the city gates and sat along the walls. The stone roads gave way to grass and dirt. Some other people were sitting around having a picnic, they paid the two yordles no mind.\n\n\"Want to take a load off before lunch?\" Hailun suggested as he sometimes liked to chill out there before he moved.\n\nKennen nodded. \"Sure, that sounds good.\"\n\nThe two headed to the opposing side of the wall where no one was. It was a shaded area that looked out into the horizon. Kennen helped his friend sit down before joining him on the grass. The two lay down flat on their back, staring into the skies. Various shapes of clouds billowed above obstructing the otherwise clear skies overhead.\n\n\"I'm glad I came.\" Kennen remarked turning himself to face the other boy.\n\nThe red panda titled himself on his side. \"Me too.\"\n\n\"We should go on another date soon…\" The brown yordle hadn't thought about it but they hadn't been on one in a while.\n\n\"Aren't we on one now? I mean we're alone, aren't we? Though I wouldn't mind spending more time with you.\" Hailun leaned in and gave Kennnen a light kiss on the lips.\n\nKennen returned the kiss with one of his own. \"I guess your right. How does your leg feel?\"\n\n\"It's getting sore from walking around. I'll take another pill during lunch.\" The Red Panda turned flat on his back.\n\nThe two fell silent for a moment. They remained there until their stomachs started to rumble. Kennen was the first to rouse, shaking the other boy who had fallen into a slight state of slumber. They got back up and headed back into the city. Despite it being midday it was getting darker and clouds were starting to gather again. Hailun took the lead once again and headed toward one of his favorite street vendors.\n\nIbaku was a local favorite. An open doored ramen shop that steamed its goods to the view of its customers. Its owner was a Vastayan Monkey who had long since retired. A man who went by the name of Kong. It had been a while since Hailun had seen him and the boy was looking forward to catching up. As they approached the vendor, the two boys could see it was rather busy. Hailun tugged on his friend to get him to go quicker.\n\nKennen was surprised how quickly Hailun had picked up the quirks of walking with a cast. He wasn't struggling nearly as much and he was glad to see his friend able to figure out the issue with such grace. The Red Panda took him to the rear of the building. The smaller boy tapped on the back door a few times. They proceeded to wait about a minute before he tapped again.\n\n\"He might be too busy with customers.\" Hailun remarked based on the observation from the front of the building.\n\nKennen cocked his eyebrow. \"Why not just wait in front?\"\n\nHailun shrugged and conceded it would need to be done. They walked back out front. The bar area was full but a few tables were open so they took one of them. It was a few minutes before they could offer. The Red Panda went as far as to order for the two of them. The staff was quick to make and within minutes they had food in front of them without delay. The Red Panda couldn't help but smile upon seeing his old favorite.\n\nKennen looked at the rice bun in front of him. He'd never had it before and yet Hailun seemed rather enthusiastic about it. He gingerly poked it. The warm sticky surface lifted the side of the bun before retreating downward.\n\n\"Go on and eat it. I promise it's good. \" Hailun said with his mouth half full.\n\nThe bigger boy chuckled and picked it up with his fingers before delivering it into his mouth. The initial taste was bland but the moment he bit into it his sense of taste was overwhelmed and all he wanted was more.\n\n\"Oh wow…this is good.\" He remarked, now beginning to eat more eagerly.\n\nHailun nodded and the two ate their lunch without delay. The waiter returned with something for them to drink. Kennen pulled out the money they had been given, carefully counting it to not overpay.\n\n\"Should I leave a tip?\" He asked as he wasn't certain if it was customary.\n\nThe red panda shook his head. \"Nah, it's not normal here.\"\n\nThey finished their meal before waiting on the money to be picked up. Hailun was disappointed that Ibaku herself wasn't around but supposed it didn't matter.\n\n\"Where too now?\" Kennen asked as he was genuinely curious about what the other boy had in mind.\n\nThe smaller boy hummed a bit. \"You said you're a fan of Shen right?\"\n\n\"Yeah, what about him?\" The brown helped his friend out of the chair.\n\nHailun crutched himself on the walking stick. \"Let's go to the Kinkou Monastery.\"\n\n\"You think he'll be there?\" Kennen's eyes lit up at the possibility of seeing his longtime idle.\n\nThe red panda shrugged. \"Only time will tell. It's worth a shot. I only have one other place I want to show you other than that and I want to save it for last.\"\n\nKennen nodded and the two boys headed out from the restaurant. They proceeded to head towards the center of Ionia city. A place that even Hailun hadn't seen that much as it was usually off-limits to commoners. In his mind, he was already concocting a plan of how they'd access the building even though it was off-limits to travelers and locals alike. They soon arrived at the area of town known as the Promenade.\n\nThe Promenade was the seat of the Ionian government. A small imperial palace sat at the backdrop of it all where the figurehead members of the state sat on their lilac and rose-gilded thrones. Hailun and Kennen walked together toward the back of the largest building. A domed structure with rather simple columns holding up its roof. An open door gazed into the world beyond where only darkness and shadow flowed from within.\n\nSeveral guards lined the area, each of them holding large spears Wearing robes of green and blue, each of them was donning a Douli that protected them from the rays of the sun. The two yordle children approached them without much thought. The guards closest to them didn't even move until they were within arms reach of them. Extending their arms out to keep them out.\n\nHailun tugged at Kennen who continued to follow him. Hailun knew there was a river that led to the rear of the Monastery. He hoped they could follow it to the Monastery itself. As they got closer to the river, they could overhear the flowing river rushing nearby. They passed back through a few bushes, managing to work their way through it without much issue. Eventually finding themselves staring at the base of the structure.\n\nThe building jutted out enough that only a small parcel of land separated it from the water. Hailun eyed it and gauged it, wondering if they could pass through it without falling into the water below. He wanted nothing more than to make Kennen happy, telling himself that it would work. Steeling himself he treaded forward heading over to the small passway between the Monastery and the river.\n\nHailun and Kennen looked over the small ledge. It was but a small distance between it and the next wider expanse of land. The cub took a single step forward, his casted foot losing the grip it had on the ground below it. Hailun's form lurched forward, falling rather lopsidedly into the river below. Kennen watched in terror as his friend fell below.\n\n\"Guinsoo!\" A flash of purple light burst across the river.\n\nHailun felt himself being picked up by something. Only seeing a blur of purple energy and the constant breeze pushing against his fur. The energy dissipated within seconds. Hailun found himself right back where he was, next to Kennen who was still staring into the river below.\n\n\"And so, wayward child. What brings you to this place?\" An unfamiliar voice spoke to them.\n\nKennen turned around as the voice was near both of them. \"What the? Oh my god…Hailun…your back!\"\n\nHailun looked up at an unfamiliar person in dark blue robes. He stood there with his arms crossed. His face was completely shrouded by a mask that only showed his glowing eyes. Kennen gazed over at the human in awe.\n\n\"Shen?\" The bigger yordle remarked, recognizing the man's appearance instantly.\n\nThe human tapped his foot. \"I await your response, child.\"\n\n\"I uh…well my friend just wanted to meet you.\" The red panda stammered a bit, glad he was still able to speak Ionian.\n\nThe man shook\n his head. \"To attempt such folly is foolhardy. You could have fallen into the lake.\"\n\n\"Sorry, I didn't think about it. I just wanted to give him a chance to meet you.\" The red panda looked to the floor seeming ashamed of himself.\n\nShen reached down and patted the boy's head. \"It will be alright. The spirits have guided me to you this day. It was foretold in the winds of fate.\"\n\n\"Oh? So uh…Kennen this is Shen.\" The smaller boy looked back at his friend who was still dumbfounded by the human's presence.\n\nKennen murmured. \"I…I…know.\"\n\nThe man kneeled so he was closer to eye level with the two yordles. He pulled off his mask and gave a smile.\n\n\"Can I have your autograph?\" The brown yordle asked, reaching into his pocket and finding nothing in there but a single bill remaining from the money they'd been given for lunch.\n\nShen looked confused he couldn't understand the yordle language. He looked over at Hailun in hopes he would clarify.\n\n\"He wants your autograph. He's a big fan of yours.\" Hailun put it rather bluntly.\n\nShen pulled down his mask so they could see his face. \"What if I do something better? How would you two like to see the inside of the Citadel?\"\n\n\"I think he would like that. Come on Kennen…he's going to show us inside.\" Hailun pulled on Kennen who was still in a state of shock.\n\nThe man held out his hand, waiting for each of them to take one of them. Once they had he began channeling energy as purple light flowed around them. Within seconds they were teleported into the chambers of the Monastery itself.\n\n\"We have arrived. Tread lightly, this is a place of balance. You would do well to not disturb the peace.\" Shen let them go, allowing them to leave his side.\n\nHailun tugged on Kennen again who was still star-struck. It took a few more seconds before he followed along. Shen couldn't help but smile at the two. He had a soft spot for children and yordles were certainly no different than anyone else to him. They proceeded to walk around the complex. It was a fairly large single room that echoed when they made a step. Hailun's cast and walking stick made extra unnecessary noise. Some of the people inside stared at them as they passed by.\n\nThey soon came across some students who were sparring. They stopped and watched for a moment. Shen soon came behind them, sensing their interest in martial arts.\n\n\"Does he wish to participate in a round?\" The man asked Kennen's friend as he could see the red panda was injured.\n\nHailun looked over at Kennen. \"Do you want to spar?\"\n\n\"Against one of them? Sure.\" The brown yordle wasn't one to turn down a challenge.\n\nKennen nodded at Shen and the man understood. The human blew air into his fingers, resulting in a sharp whistle that caused the two individuals to stop fighting amongst each other immediately. They stood at attention, waiting for his orders.\n\n\"Students of the Order, we have a challenger who wishes to test your might. Which one of you stands to take the challenge?\" Shen said loud and calmly.\n\nOne of the female students moved to the center. Gender separation was not normal in Ionia. The student bowed and Shen nodded back to her.\n\n\"Tell him to take his stance on the opposite mark and to wait for my call. No weapons will be permitted. The first to score three strikes wins.\" Shen explained to Hailun so he could translate back to Kennen.\n\nThe red panda relayed the message to his friend who nodded back to him. Kennen proceeded to the center of the makeshift area. It was a slightly raised platform with a rubberized mat to reduce impacts.\n\n\"No hits above the head. No weapons. Anything else Goes. We are to have a clean fight. Understood?\" Again Hailun translated the instructions to the other boy.\n\nThe girl opposite Hailun was a human wearing the acolyte's garb of the order. A lighter blue robe that fit rather tightly against her form. She fixed her mask and tied her hair behind her head. Shen soon blew into his fingers making the whistle sound, signaling the beginning of the match. Kennen was the first one to make a move, heading in slowly, waiting for the opponent to do the same. Yet she remained still as if waiting for his blow.\n\nKennen continued to angle towards her, she positioned her arms in a defensive stance. The cub rushed forward, leaping and kicking into her. Her arm knocked him off without an issue but the boy landed on his feet with what seemed like catlike reflexes. She turned around to face him again, taking the same stance as if expecting him to come at her with the same tactic. Yet Kennen was no novice at hand-to-hand combat and was searching within for something else.\n\nKennen ran at her once again, this time running right through her legs, attempting to sweep from beneath. The girl was more than able to jump overtop him, bopping him in the rear.\n\n\"Ichi\" Shen called out, awarding the first point to the boy's opponent.\n\nThe brown yordle backed away, contemplating his next move. His body turned bright blue as electricity flowed from within, making his fur stand on end from the static he generated. The light from his body glowed brightly, illuminating the area more than it already was. Yet, even still the girl remained still in her form. Kennen's blazed forward at the speed of light. His movements are untrackable as he zipped across the floor mat. The sound of splitting electricity struck all around him as he reappeared on the other side.\n\nThe girl remained still before hunching over to the floor.\n\n\"Tomeru.\" Shen didn't bother to award him a point as it appeared he had hurt the girl.\n\nKennen's remained still as he cooled down. Some sweat poured from his brow and body as he tried to deal with the stress it caused him. Eventually giving in and allowing himself to slump in as well. Shen tended to his student while Hailun tended to his boyfriend. The brown yordle assures him that he was alright but the girl ended up being taken away. Shen soon approached them and spoke to them once again.\n\n\"That was quite the show. You should come back when you're older.\" Shen commended the young yordle and offered him a hand up.\n\nHailun translated the compliment and Kennen smiled. \"Thanks. I would be honored.\"\n\nShen stepped away and grabbed a piece of paper before signing it and handing it over to the cub. \"Here you are.\"\n\nKennen smiled and stood back up, squinting a bit. \"Thanks.\"\n\n\"You know you shouldn't overdo it like that…right?\" Hailun warned the other boy.\n\nKennen shrugged. \"I only used a little bit of my power. I'll be fine.\"\n\n\"Now…I shall show you off the grounds. It is time for you to leave before the Order of Shadows arrives.\" Shen spoke to Hailun again.\n\nThe smaller yordle patted his friend on the back and explained the situation before they were shown out. When they arrived at the front gates, the guards were surprised to see children on the grounds. Shen told them not to worry about it and the yordles were let go without issue. They were politely shown off the grounds by one of the guards where they looked back at the Monastery once again.\n\n\"So…It's getting late and places here typically close early on the weekend. I have one other place I want to show you.\" Hailun said with a wide smile on his face.\n\nKennen stood up and nodded. \"Alright, how's your leg hanging in there?\"\n\n\"It's a little sore but I can manage a bit longer.\" In actuality his leg was throbbing but he wasn't about to give in on his little trip around the town.\n\nThey proceeded to walk together to the other side of town. Foot traffic was dying down as people were getting ready to turn it in for the day. The two boys were making good progress, even despite Hailun's injury. The cub had seemingly picked up pace as he didn't want to catch the place just as it closed. As they got closer to it the fauna and foliage of the area became much more dense.\n\nThey soon arrived at the area of town known as the Forest Market. Wide arches of leaves and flowers looped overtop them as several flocks of birds flew through the air. Lanterns were started to be lit to illuminate the area as very light from the sun seemed to penetrate that part of the town. Hailun stopped to take a deep breath. The scent of that area of town was decadent with flora and various fruit.\n\nHailun tugged on Kennen again, taking him under one of the entry arches. Grassy flourishes, sprouts, and sprigs curled up around them seemingly making them feel smaller than they were. Soon they arrived at the first stall, a vendor who didn't even notice them. Hailun poked at Kennen who continued to get distracted by all the sights and sounds he was unfamiliar with. The red panda had a specific place he wanted to go in the market and wasn't about to miss out on it.\n\nThe two yordles continued walking through the market. Most of the humans paid them no mind and only a few even noticed them. The small critters were far from the norm in Ionia, though travelers weren't something that alarmed them. Hailun and Kennen arrived at stood atop a giant lily pad. When both of them remained there idle for a moment, the thing rose into the air taking them to the floor above.\n\nThe upper area of the market was much smaller than the one below. Only a few stalls of goods were laid around. The largest of which sat seemingly built into the very heart of the tree itself. Hailun led towards it. The entrance leading into it, enlarged as two humans emerged from within and then collapsed to close once they exited. Once the yordles were within a more personal distance to it, the thing opened once again.\n\nThey arrived in the shop to the sound of a small bell going off, indicating customers had arrived.\n\n\"Oy there.\" A high-pitched voice beckoned through the small room.\n\nHailun and Kennen approached the counter. The moment the red panda touched it, the thing lowered itself so that the two boys could look over it.\n\n\"Oh my, other yordles. Why allo there, kin. How can I elp ye?\" The shopkeep approached\n the counter and straightened her long flowing her.\n\nThe shopkeep snapped her fingers, causing a wide variety of candy and treats to spin on a singular dish in front of them.\n\n\"Which one takes yer fancy?\" The woman said as she showed her goods.\n\nHailun pointed at one he had before and pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket to show to her.\n\n\"Oy, a coupon…I see. Well right then! Coming right up.\" She touched the food dish causing it to disappear.\n\nKennen looked at his friend. \"What did you order?\"\n\n\"Just wait and see…\" The cub hoped his favorite treat would appeal to the other boy.\n\nThe shopkeep disappeared for a moment, returning shortly after with a small box in her hand.\n\n\"I got ye' two. One for each of ye'. No charge for a fellow yordle of course. Come in again ya' here?\" She said bowing lightly to them.\n\nHailun took hold of the box and smiled widely at her. \"Thanks, ma'am.\"\n\nThey headed back out of the snack shop and Hailun took him to a branch that curved in such a way that it resembled a bench. The red panda eased himself down and patted the spot next to him, waiting for Kennen to join him. The bigger yordle smiled back at him before joining him on the chair. Hailun peeled back the top of the box and allowed Kennen to take one before taking one himself.\n\n\"Well…go ahead and try it. It was my favorite treat before we moved.\" Hailun wanted to see if the other boy liked it.\n\nKennen didn't waste any time and dove right into the baked good. It was a soft and gooey treat, filled with apple tart. The thing was rather bitter but wasn't that bad. It was far from the cub's favorite but he wasn't about to disappoint his friend by saying otherwise.\n\n\"This is pretty good, yeah.\" He continued to consume it until about half of it was gone.\n\nHailun smiled back at him and the two proceeded to eat their treats together. The confections were rather small so it didn't take them long to finish. When they were done, the two sat there for a moment and the Red Panda put his arm over the other boy.\n\n\"It's getting late…maybe we should head back.\" Kennen didn't want to be late back to the hostel so they could make it back to return on time.\"\n\nHailun nodded. \"Yeah, you're right. Let's head back.\"\n\nKennen helped the other boy up and they made their way back. Hailun knew the back roads of the city so the trek back didn't take them that long to accomplish. By the time they returned to the hostel, they arrived just in time to see Heimerdinger gathering all the students to leave back to Bandle City. It was time to return home, the field trip had come to a close. Heimerdinger shook his head at the two lovers and proceeded to count one final time to make sure everyone was there.\n\nOnce he had confirmed that was the case, he told everyone to go grab their bags and return after they had done so. The students did as they were told. Heimerdinger opened the portal once again and proceeded to guide the students through it one pair at a time. When it was Kennen and Hailun's turn, the two were still holding hands and he smiled at them before motioning for them to go inside.\n\nThey returned home after traveling back to the Nexus. Each of the student's families was waiting for them on the other side and they all got to go home. Hailun and Kennen kissed each other goodbye, despite their parents only being a few meters away. Of course, Hailun had more explaining to do than his friend did. But they understood in the end how he hurt himself and didn't hold anyone responsible for the ordeal.\n\nIt had been a long trip and Hailun was looking forward to getting home. He yawned and stretched, peering into the sky and staring at the sky. He was glad he got to see Ionia again but just as glad to be back in Bandle City. After sharing the tales of his trip with his family, he retired to get ready for bed. Already eager to get to sleep and see his friends to start the day anew…and share their experiences.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Ionian Excursion by Pent Ghelsburg

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters You have been warned.
\t
\tSeveral weeks had passed and the normality of every day was much the same for our young hero. Hailun and his friends continued to go to school and live out their lives with the occasional day off. The red panda even became much more active in the Bandle Scouts, a change that Teemo enjoyed wholeheartedly. Hailun and Kennen seemed to grow a bit more distant as time went by, as the initial honeymoon period of their relationship had come and gone.

\tThe two cubs occasionally hung out but they had taken things a bit fast and both boys had taken a step back. Even Teemo and Tristana had recognized this, an issue neither of them confronted since Tristana had told her boyfriend to keep out of it and let things pan out the way they should. Despite his desire to see them happy, Teemo decided to be true to his word and let them handle it themselves.

\tIt was the beginning of a new week. Placards had begun to be placed around the school about a planned field trip that was in the works. The "Ionian Excursion" as it was being billed was a weekend-long trip to the far-off lands of Ionia. Each of the posters contained a different image of the places they would see. The school staff hoped it would generate enough interest as they knew they needed at least 15 kids to go or it wouldn't be worth the cost.

\tHailun arrived at school that morning in the complete absence of hubbub that surrounded the school. The usual students hung around in front of the building. He looked around, wondering what was going on. It almost felt as if it was a holiday. The boy continued through the front doors of the school and was greeted by a small crowd of people. The noise immediately picked up inside as chatter filled the room.

\tHailun tried to see through the crowd as to what was going on. Being one of the smaller students didn't help his situation. He then saw Teemo pushing his way back through the crowd, without so much of a thought as to disrupting the order of the moment. He pulled his friend to the side.

"What's going on, Tee?" He said once they were a bit removed from the rest of the crowd.

Teemo looked at him seeming caught off guard. "Oh, hey Hailun. What do you mean?"

"Why is everyone gathered around the wall? What's the commotion about?" Curiosity was driving him mad and he wanted to get an idea as to the cause of the sudden rush of interest.

Teemo pointed at one of the other posters nearby. "The school is planning a field trip to Ionia."

"Ionia? Really?" Hailun's face lit up at the possibilities.

The smaller cub nodded."Yeah, why? Are you interested?"

"Maybe…I wonder if my parents would let me go." The red panda scratched his chin, thinking to himself a bit.

Teemo cocked his head awkwardly. "Aren't you originally from there?"

"Yeah." The bigger boy seemed rather excited about the prospect.

The smaller boy shrugged. "Then how come you want to go?"

"I was thinking maybe I could invite Kennen and show him around. I don't think he's ever been there."

Teemo smiled. "That sounds nice."

"Have you seen him around?" The red panda panned his head around, expecting to see Kennen around somewhere.

The other yordle shook his head. "Nah but if I do I will let him know you're looking for him."

"Cool, thanks. See you around." The bigger boy waved to him before heading off.

It wasn't until later in the day that Hailun found Kennen. At lunchtime, they finally ran into each other. The two sitting together for the first time in what seemed like weeks.

"Hey, Kennen. How were classes?"  The red panda tried to start the conversation on a more casual note.

Kennen sat down next to his friend and smiled. "Good. You? Teemo said you were looking for me?"

"They were alright. Did you hear about the Trip to Ionia?" Hailun was hoping the other boy was excited as he was about it.

The brown yordle began eating his meal, speaking between bites. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Do you want to go?" The red panda touched the top of Kennen's left hand as if to appeal to him.

The bigger boy briefly shook his head. "Nope."

"Huh? How come?" The smaller boy's smile turned quickly to a frown.

Kennen gulped down the food he was eating. "Because I have plans already for the weekend."

"You do? What are you doing?" Hailun couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment.

The brown yordle hesitated before answering. "I'm not sure yet."

Kennen was still grounded and he wasn't sure he wanted Hailun to know about it.

"Then why not go with me? I want to go. It would be fun." The red panda continued to try and convince him.

The bigger boy sighed. "I don't want to go sorry. "

"Oh, okay…" Hailun hung his head low, not saying anything further.

The rest of lunch remained silent for the two. Hailun didn't eat much of his food, instead dangling it around on his fork. Not worried about his stomach rumbling to remind him to eat. He just didn't feel in the mood to eat. The boy remained aloof for most of the day and it wasn't until Teemo confronted him that he had to deal with the issue again.

"What's wrong, Hailun? You've been acting weird after we talked." The smaller boy assumed something must have happened but he wasn't sure what it was.

Hailun looked up but still looked defeated. "Nothing. I'll be fine."

"Please don't like…I hate being lied to. I thought we were friends and past that?" Teemo grasped the other boy's shoulder tightly.

The red panda confided in himself. "I'm sorry. It's just Kennen didn't want to go to Ionia this weekend."

"Oh? How come?" The smaller boy folded his arms defensively.

Hailun sighed. "He has plans."

"Oh, that sucks. Did he say what they were?" Teemo hoped that Kennen had a good enough reason to turn down Hailun.

The red panda shook his head. "Nah, he wouldn't tell me."

"I see. Do you want me to talk to him?" The other yordle how much more he should be involved in their relationship any more than he already had been.

The bigger boy hummed a moment. "It's alright. I will let him make his own decision."

"If you would like…I can go with you instead?" Teemo tried to be friendly to perk up the other boy's spirits.

Hailun smiled. "I appreciate it but I don't think I want to go anymore."

"Alright, I'm not sure my parents would have let me anyways. Well…try to feel better. Alright?" Teemo shrugged as he knew who the boy wanted to go with.

Hailun hugged him briefly. "Yeah, thanks."

The bigger cub walked away as Teemo watched him. The scout thought for a moment as to if he should interfere further. He liked to see Hailun happy but he didn't want to push it any further than he already had. Just as he was thinking about it, he saw Kennen walking by with Poppy. He thought about stopping the boy but decided to figure out another way to help his friend. The cub decided he would follow them a bit to see if he could figure out what was going on.

Teemo cloaked himself and followed the other two yordles. It was the end of the day so there weren't many other people in the school. He couldn't hear much of what they were talking about but he made out bits and pieces of the conversation.

"Hailun asked me to go to Ionia today." Kennen said, confiding in his best friend about the issue he was battling within his head.

 A few moments of jargled words were shared between the two.

Poppy slid her hips into the smaller boy. "So? You're old enough to make your own decisions aren't you?"

Teemo tried to get closer to them without being detected. They soon stopped allowing him to be close by.

"I suppose but I can't just go and tell my mother otherwise." Kennen sat down on a stone bench on the side of the school garden.

Poppy touched his shoulder. "Maybe if you just talk to her. I think she's just upset you snuck out. You're still grounded aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am. That's why I don't think it's worth even asking." The brown yordle looked up into the sky as if deep in thought.

The bigger girl shook her head. "I think you need to figure this out yourself. You need to decide if you want to go. Then if you do you need to talk to her about it."

"Yeah, I know. Hailun seemed excited but I didn't want to tell him the truth." Kennen looked back over at his friend.

Poppy rolled her eyes. "You're silly you know that? That boy loves you. I think he needs to know you're grounded."

"I guess. I just don't want him to feel guilty about it."  The boy patted the spot next to him coaxing her to join him.

The girl walked opposite him. "Look, I told Lulu I would meet her today so I can't stay any longer. I told you what I thought. Do what you will with it."

Teemo was glad he didn't interfere as he wanted them to figure it out themselves. Telling himself that time would tell if it was meant to be. It wasn't until the Middle of the week that Kennen confronted his mother about the issue. He had waited a day as he was still afraid of her response about it. Kennen didn't waste a single moment when he got home that night.

"So uh…have you got a moment to talk?" He asked his mother who was sprawled out on the couch.

She peered over the sofa and patted the spot next to her. "Yep."

"I was wondering if we could talk about my being grounded." He sat down next to her and folded his hands in his lap.

The mother eased her hands over his shoulder. "Mhm?"

"I was hoping I could delay it a bit…there is a field trip I'd like to go with the school this weekend."

The larger woman faced him. "Is this the trip to Ionia?"

"How did you know?" A look of shock was on the cub's face.

She tapped her forehead. "Because Hailun's mother told me about it."

"Oh…well…Can I go?" He asked hoping that the other boy's mother had convinced her already.

The mother tapped her fingers on the couch. "I am willing to make a deal with you."

"Okay, what is it?" Kennen was willing to do anything to be able to go.

She turned around so she was facing him. "I want you to promise me that you won't sneak out again.
 I know you like that boy but neither we nor his parents were pleased about that."

"I promise." He nodded trying to seem as sincere as possible.

She murmured. "And I want you to promise to not lie to your friend again. His mother told me that he thinks you're dating someone else now."

"What? I didn't tell him that. I just told him I was busy this weekend." Kennen's heart sunk in his chest.

She shook her head. "Be that as it may. That is not how he took it. I will allow you to go if you apologize to him. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, thank you, mom." He smiled widely seeming more upbeat about his situation.

The mother pointed at the door. "Now…I think you owe him a visit but plan on being back before dinner. Are we clear?"

"Yes, mom." Kennen picked himself up and bowed to her.

She chuckled at him. "You're so silly…off with you, lover boy."

Kennen quickly darted out the door. He knew he didn't have much time and contemplated using his powers. Instead deciding to bike as fast as he could, keeping to all the back roads to avoid any traffic that he may have otherwise encountered. It took him about an hour to get to Hailun's. The cub had already worked up a bit of a sweat as he pulled into the boy's front yard. Jumping off his bike and rushing over toward the front door.

He knocked on the door a single time and was greeted by Hailun's father. The man looked down at him and said nothing to him, instead calling back to his son.

"Hailun, someone is here to see you." He shouted to the rear of the home.

It took Hailun a few moments to arrive at the front door as he was still in a bit of a funk. When he arrived his father gently pushed him out of the door and left them alone.

"Hey, Hailun…" Kennen kept his eyes on the ground, trying to avoid eye contact.

The red panda murmured a bit. "What do you want?"

"Look…I know you're upset but I just wanted you to know I feel bad for lying to you and that I'm sorry." The bigger boy tried to reach out to grab the other boy's hand but Hailun pulled back a bit.

Hailun stammered as he spoke. "What do you mean…you lied?"

"I didn't have plans this weekend…I just didn't want you to know I was grounded and feel bad about it." The brown yordle looked up at Hailun who was gazing into his eyes.

The red panda stepped in closer. "Does that mean you want to go to Ionia?"

"Yeah, but only if you still want to go. Do you want to come with me?" Kennen tried reaching out again, this time able to touch the top of the other boy's furry paw.

Hailun nodded as his tail wagged gently behind him. "Uh-huh. I would like that."

"Cool, so do you forgive me then?" The brown yordle said with a renewed sense of hope kindled within him.

The smaller boy smiled a bit, gripping Kennen's hand in his own. "Yeah, I forgive you. I understand."

The two remained silent for a moment before Kennen moved in closer to hug him. They shared a soft embrace for almost a minute before breaking. Kennen followed up with a soft kiss on the cheek.

"I have to get home so I don't get in trouble again. See you this weekend, Hailun!" Kennen waved and went his way.

Hailun smiled and waved back. His heart soared high again. Asking his parents proved to be no issue. Anticipation began to build within him as he began to plan the trip. The school hosted a preliminary seminar that all of the students had to attend to go over rules and such. An itinerary and agenda were provided to the group as well as a meetup time for Saturday morning. The students were happy to learn that Heimerdinger had been assigned their chaperone.

The days had come by pretty quickly. The auspice of the trip to Ionia was something that grew ever closer. Hailun's parents reminded him constantly that he needed to get packed and be ready for the day in question. The red panda had done what he could to pack what he thought was needed but when his mother finally checked on the issue, she found that her son had packed only a mere number of things inside his backpack. She couldn't help but chuckle at the naïve practice and decided to help him along in the process.

\tThe morning of the trip finally came to pass. Hailun sprang out of his bed rather quickly as he had been looking forward to the trip for weeks now. The red panda stretched and yawned, allowing his bedclothes to press against his form. He rubbed his eyes, trying to remove the crust on his eyelids. It was early in the morning, much earlier than he usually woke up for school but he wasn't about to let his fatigue get the better of him.

\tHailun changed out of his pajamas into something more casual. He knew Ionia was a mountainous place so he decided to go with a long sleeve t-shirt with some jeans. He hadn't worn it in a while and so the clothing was rather stiff from sitting in his drawer for so long.  The cub looked around his room for the bag he and his mother had prepared and had seen no signs of it.  He proceeded to make his way out of his room and into the hallway leading towards the kitchen.

\tHailun saw only a single light on in the home and it was coming from the kitchen. He was certain that one of his parents was up to see him off. Upon peering into the room, the boy saw his mother was hard at work preparing his breakfast.

"You're up early." Hailun said in a silent tone.

She peered over her shoulder. "I wasn't about to let my boy go on a trip without saying goodbye."

"Aw Mom…but it's just to Ionia. It's not like we're going forever." The cub tried to console his mother's fear.

The woman turned around and walked over to her son before hugging him tightly. "I know but my little boy is growing up so quickly."

"I'm not going anywhere I promise Mom. I'll come back soon." He hugged her back tightly.

The two hugged tightly for several moments before breaking up.

"I made you some breakfast before you leave. Go ahead and eat and I'll double-check your stuff to make sure you're ready." The mother said before turning around and heading out of the kitchen.

Hailun walked toward the kitchen table which had already been set up with a bowl, some fruit, and a glass of juice. He sat down at the table and looked at the bowl. A plume of steam poured from the oatmeal in the glass bowl. He quickly worked through the meal as he was in a rush to get out the door. Heimerdinger had instructed them to meet at the school promptly by the 6th turn of the clock. He knew he didn't have time to dilly-dally and never liked being late to start with.

The cub finished his meal and downed the remainder of his juice when he was done. Snatching an orange for good measure, he made his way back out of the living room. His mother was already waiting by the door for him. She crossed her arms patiently, holding the duffel bag they had prepared together. As he approached her, she held out the bag for him to take so he could be on his way.

As he was taking the bag from her, she stared at him. Hailun rolled his eyes, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. She smiled at him.

"Have a good trip honey, be safe." She opened the door and saw him out.

Hailun waved to her and began walking in the direction of the school. They were instructed to meet in the courtyard at the rear of the school. He wondered how many kids had signed up for the trip as they never made the list public. All he knew was that Kennen was going and that was all that mattered to him. Hailun quickened his pace to get to school before they started assigning groups.

The cub made his way the same route he took every day. Traffic was a lot less than normal since it was still early in the morning and not many people worked this early. The breeze outside was rather nice as he hunched his bag on his bag to reduce the load on his arms. The bag wasn't very heavy but he wasn't used to carrying that type of bag and the way it swayed back and forth made it more difficult to handle than his usual book bag.

It didn't take him much longer before he arrived at the school. When he arrived he only found a few people were out and out about. Some other kids were being walked by their parents to the rear of the building. Hailun huffed and made a concerted effort to do it all on his own. He did not like to rely on other people to get things done and today was no different. Hailun followed the crowd to the back of the building.

A small spotlight had been affixed near the center of the courtyard. Even from the front of the building he could see the light scouring the skies above. Peering towards the clouds he could make out a few birds that were gliding overhead with their wings extended outward. Hailun continued walking until he was at the rear of the building. A more prominent crowd stood all around, with no particular line or order to them.

Hailun began to look around for signs of Kennen or any other friend he could locate until things got underway. He kept to the outskirts of the crowd, occasionally peeping his head in between the groups of people. Most of the kids he didn't recognize and saw no signs of Kennen anywhere. He decided to wait idly until he saw someone he knew. He placed his bag on the ground and sat on it while he waited.

A while passed and some of the parents had filtered out. Heimerdinger had begun checking in the kids to make sure they had arrived. When Heimerdinger came to Hailun, the red panda looked up at him and smiled.

"Ah, yes. Hailun correct? Do you have a group yet, my child?" The older yordle's bristled mustache twitched as he spoke.

Hailun hesitated a moment before answering. "Is Kennen signed up for the trip?"

Heimerdinger looked at the list for a moment. "It appears he has but he hasn't checked in yet. Shall I group you with him?"

The red panda nodded. "Uh-huh. Please."

"Very well. We will be leaving shortly. If he doesn't arrive soon, you will have to be placed in someone else's group." The chaperone walked away without a second thought about the issue.

Hailun nodded, still hopeful that Kennen would arrive on time to make it for their departure. Time continued to pass and Heimerdinger had finished checking people in. Everyone had been given groups, except for Hailun as the number happened to be odd. The chaperone made his way over to check on the red panda as he hadn't forgotten about the fact he hadn't been assigned a group quite yet.

"So did you find a group yet?" Heimerdinger asked with only a hint of a smile on his face.

Hailun looked around once more. "I guess Kennen didn't show up?"

"No, he hasn't." The older yordle checked his list one more time just to be certain that Kennen had checked in and he forgot about it.

A moment later and a flash of light sparked through the area. Streaking back and forth before ultimately stopping right next to them. Hailun smirked as he knew all too well who it was. Looking at him, Kennen's body gave off a slight illumination as the sparks of his power bounced from his form.

"Reporting in…Mr. Heimergdiner." He huffed and puffed trying to catch his breath as he hunched over and gripped his knees.

Heimerdinger examined the boy for a second and then crossed out his name. "Kennen, I presume?"

The boy nodded but did not answer back.

"Very well, we shall be on our way shortly. You will be grouped up with Hailun for the trip." The chaperone walked away and towards the center of the group.

Hailun touched Kennen's back and stroked it a single time. "You alright? You remember you're not supposed to overdo it, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine. It wasn't a very far trip anyways." He stood up and brushed himself off trying to seem like it was no big deal.

Hailun looked over at him suspecting otherwise but said nothing. He didn't have long to think about it before Heimerdinger began speaking to the whole group.

"In a moment, I will be opening a portal. While it is certainly not your first time traveling through a portal, I'd like to go over a few things. You will enter the portal in pairs. You are expected to hold onto your bag during the duration of travel so it is not lost in the nexus. Mind your hands and legs as the conduit transports you through the network. It should not be a long travel. Do we understand?"

A muffled response from most of the students was elicited as many of them were still fighting the morning blues.

"Our first stop will be the island of Ralin. We will be surmounting Mount Hirana itself. At the peak of which is the Hirana Monastery. I would like to remind you that while they welcome visitors, you are best to mind your manners and remain as quiet as possible as it is first and foremost a place of worship. Additionally, please respect the wildlife as the Ionian wilds do not respond well to dissonance. I have no issue with sending students home early. Do I make myself clear?"  

Another muffled response from the cloud was sounded. It was enough for Heimerdinger to begin to open the portal. He reached behind him and held open his arms. He said nothing as a bright yellow light began to arise from the center of where he focused his arms. The little spec of light began to enlarge and more golden light flowed from within. Soon it was bigger than Heimerdinger himself and it continued to expand until its light was enough to illuminate the entire area surrounding it.

Once the portal reached its full-size Heimerdinger began guiding each of the groups into the portal entrance. Each pair approached the golden light and it flickered, a flash of light absorbing the passengers as they were taken into the nexus of travel. Hailun and Kennen proceeded to wait in line until it was their turn. It didn't take very long for the queue to work its way through to the portal.

When it was finally their turn, the two friends walked through the portal together. They were the last one in the line so Heimerdinger followed them shortly after, making sure to close the portal. Hailun and Kennen drifted through the nexus stream. Their bodies rotated around as gravity longer had the same sway on their bodies. It was always an odd experience to deal with but they had gone through it enough times that it was more of a novelty now.

Traveling through the portal never took very long. It was designed to be short as it could be somewhat taxing on the body. As they neared the other side of the portal, they could make out the exit. A portal had been situated at the base of Mount Hirana and a yordle guide was standing by to make sure that each of the students made it to the other side and didn't cause any mischief. After about half an hour of waiting, Heimerdinger appeared on the arrival side and nodded to his old friend to indicate everyone was clear.

Hailun and Kennen arrived one after the other at the arrival side of the portal. The wind immediately brushed against their fur as they exited from it. Kennen looked around noticing that the leaves were turning in this part of the world, though the flowers were still in bloom. Many pink, red, and purple colors bloomed across the land. He tilted his up upward. Rocks and coiled roots went as far up as the eye could see. Only to the side was there a small stairwell that lead to a dirt path.

Heimerdinger soon appeared and was waved over by the guide the school had hired to show them around. The chaperone turned around and touched the portal. The golden light shrunk in size before entirely dissipating from sight.

"I take it you are Makino? The one who is supposed to show us around Ionia?" Heimerdinger asked the obvious question on his mind.

The younger yordle shook his head. "Hai, I am she." The grizzled yordle looked no younger than Heimerdinger himself was.

"Alright, students. Our next step is Hirano Monastery. As I said previously, please be silent at the place of worship. Our goal for today is to make it to the mid part of the mountain. A campsite has been established for weary travelers. This is where we will stop and rest for the night but we have a lot of ground to cover between now and then. Is everyone ready?"

The students hummed in affirmation as Heimerdnger took point along with the guide. The guide held a small rope with a metal clasp in her hand. Kennen was still looking around, seeming rather transfixed by all the new sights he was unfamiliar with.

"Come on, they want to get going."  Hailun patted his friend on the back to gain his attention.

Kennen looked in front of him. "Right, let's go."

They began treading up the path up the mountain. It was a winding path that swooped back and forth between the ridges of the various points of the mountain basin. Eventually, they wrapped around to the rear part of the mountain, where they were able to look out into the vast forest and valley that surrounded the area. Staring out into the beyond, both boys could even see the Ionian sea in the distance through the fog somewhat obstructed their view.

The group continued walking up the path until the path finally cut off. A small sign in Ionian read to beware the treacherous passing. A bridge overlooked a crevice that separated two parts of the mountain. They stopped once they came up to it. The guide made sure that not too many of them went at once. The rickety wood foundations of the bridge creak with each passenger that might their way across.

When it was Hailun and Kennen's turn, they went together one after the other. The bridge was narrow enough that the kids had to position their bodies so they slid along rather than just walking straight.  Kennen and Hailun grasped the rope that acted like a railing. Each step they took caused the bridge to sway in either direction. It was a slow process but eventually, they made it to the other side without much of an issue.

After getting past the bridge, the group continued around a corner edge of the mountain. They were getting higher up now and so the fog was much thicker now and only the occasional bird could be seen flitting by. Once they had cleared the corner, they again came upon an area with stairs. Two stone dragons sat at the bottom of them looking ominously in the beyond, fog seemingly billowing from their nostrils as if they were blowing smoke.

This group was able to ascend the stairs much faster than the rest of the mountain so far as it was a relatively straight trip to the top. Spiraling hand rails curled at either side of the stone platforms at each level. Some of the students tried running but the crumbling staircase deterred them from rushing it after only a few seconds.  Neither Kennen nor Hailun was brash enough to run up the stairs and took it slow and easy instead.

At the top of the stairs, the group arrived at Hirana Monastery. A monk in flowing grey robes bowed to greet them. The shaven human man said nothing to them but instead gestured for them to follow him. The human was far larger than any of the yordles but it was far from the first time that they'd seen a human before.

The monk brought them to the rear of the shrine. A large statue sat next to a bell. Some people were kneeling and bowing toward the statue. Their guide bowed deeply before heading over to the bell and picking up the huge wooden gong that sat nearby. He offered it out in his hands, before kneeling expecting one of the students to take it and ring the bell. It took a few more seconds before one of them braved up enough to go up and grab the gong before ringing the bell.

The bell chimed a deep tone, causing the nearby trees and leaves to shake hard enough to cause them to shed from the canopy above. The student handed off the gong and walked back toward the group. The monk deeply before straightening up to an upright posture. The monk extended his arm out to get the yordles to follow them. Heimerdinger and his charges soon followed in pursuit.

They were brought to a smaller split-off of land that overlooked the vast valley below the mountain overlooked. A small shrine dedicated to one of the old Vastayan gods of Ionia stood with its hands flattened in prayer. The monk motioned towards the lookout area and stood to the side so they could access it. Heimerdinger cautioned the students to be careful as nothing was stopping them from careening over the side.

Kennen and Hailun walked up together to the ledge. Kennen reached over and touched the side of Hailun's hand with his own but stopped short of actually holding it. The two looked into the horizon for a second. The sun was somewhat obstructed by the clouds and fog covering the area so they didn't have to shield their eyes. They stood there for a few minutes before they were tapped on the shoulder to move to the side for the next group.

The group soon finished rotating students through the sight and they were ushered off by the monk to the rear of the building. They bowed deeply once again and returned to the inside of the temple to attend to their duties. Heimerdinger took the lead once again and motioned for the students to follow him to a nearby area. They proceeded along a stone path to one that looked up the distance up the mountain path.

"Alright students, our next stop for today is a bit far off. We will stop here for a brief picnic but the next time we stop after that won't be until our camp sight near the middle of the mountain. So go ahead and help yourselves to the small snacks I prepared." Heimerdinger reached into the bag on his back and pulled out a small parcel before delivering it onto the floor.

Heimerdinger knelt and touched the side of the sack. The sack expanded into a picnic blanket with a basket and some cartons of various drinks on it. The students approached the blanket and sat on it, keeping close to each other since the space wasn't overly large. Kennen and Hailun sat nearest to the Mountain with their backs facing it. Neither of them thought much of the lack of variety in options. Still, both boys reached forward and took the first thing they could find.

Kennen made a silly face at Hailun who stuck his tongue back out at the other boy. The two giggled for a few seconds before beginning to unwrap the paper that covered it. Inside them were some sandwiches. Kennen scowled at the poorly made sandwich but he wasn't about to turn down the meal. The bigger yordle wasn't very hungry but he was able to finish the meal without much more of a fuss.

Hailun scarfed his own down without so much as looking at it. He wasn't very picky when it came to food and he had worked up a bit of an appetite from their hike up the mountain. Still, it wasn't much of an option for lunch and it didn't satisfy him. The two cubs sat there idly without saying much to each other. The breeze in the area blew through their fur, ruffling their otherwise well-kept visage.

The group didn't take long to work through the small pickings of food. Each of them whetted their whistles. When everyone was done, Heimerdinger stood up and motioned for everyone to get up so they could be on their way. The clouds were beginning to grey, so he was concerned it might rain and wanted to move fast. The cubs weren't as fast in getting up and he tried rushing them to quicken their pace.

When they were finally up, Heimerdinger touched the tip of the blanket and it immediately folded up containing all of the garbage within. He stashed the compacted parcel in his bag before motioning for them to follow him. The group soon congregated around him and he counted their heads to make sure no one had gotten left behind.  Once he had confirmed that was the case, he spoke out again.

"Alright, I need you all to make some form of a line. The path from here will likely narrow and I don't want anyone falling below."

Heimerdinger reached into his sack and pulled out a small rod. He touched the button on the side of it, causing the rod to extend into a makeshift pole. A red flag soon rose itself to the top, serving as a marker so that the students could easily Heimerdinger from a distance behind him. Kennen and Hailun found themselves coming up at the rear of the line, though neither of them seemed to mind.

The students worked themselves into some semblance of a line. The group began to work its way down a path that worked itself around the mountain. The path was an old one that crumbled as they made their way past it. Railings lined the side of the route that looked into the crevice below, However, the railings did very little for the yordles since it was designed for beings of a larger statue.

Eventually, the path wound its way through the middle of the path. Heimerdinger touched the button on his stick again, causing light to illuminate. The light wasn't strong enough to illuminate very far. They began traveling through the tunnel. The thin crevice of the pathing acted as a guide to lead them along. A chilled air passed through the air, causing echoes of a wind that almost sounded as if it were whining. Soon they made it out to the other end.

Heimerdinger pursued to wait at the other side to make sure everyone had made it through without an issue. When he saw Kennen and Hailun walk out at the end of the line, he proceeded to stick the lighted end of his staff into the tunnel to check if anyone had lagged. Just as an extra precaution, he shouted down there and there was no response. Once he had satiated his fears, he took the lead and pursued going forward.

The path had widened up a bit and they were going up the incline of a ramp. It caused the group to trudge forward at a slower pace. It wasn't a very steep incline but it was more abrupt than the path they had taken to this point.  The incline led up to a flatter area that was faced by a relatively big wall. A rope had already been fastened on the ledge above it, hanging loosely with a few steps that led upward.

Heimerdinger looked up at the climbable wall. He reached into a bag and grabbed a single glove before putting it in his hand. Touching the rope with his hand, he was immediately whisked away up the length of the rope with no physical labor. At the top, he loosened the glove and refastened it to the rope itself. Once it was free of his hand, he allowed it to sling back down the rope to the base of the climb.

"Alright, kiddos. For those of you that want an easy climb up the wall, all you have to do is fasten the glove to your hand and grip the rope. The glove will do the rest. Those of you who want a challenge…you may climb the wall of your own volition."

Kennen looked over at Hailun who smirked back at him. Both boys competitive spirits sparked up the moment a prospect of a challenge was mentioned. It took a while before it was their turn. Even with the quick climb feature of the glove, the putting on and taking off of the device slowed things down. Still, only a few of the kids were complaining about the wait. It took almost an hour before it was finally Kennen and Hailun's turn.

The glove was lowered back down the rope and Kennen looked at the glove, considering it but for a moment. He shook his head up at Heimerdinger before shouting up at him. The older yordle nodded and retrieved the glove by recalling it with a simple tap of the rope. Kennen gripped the rope and began pulling himself up. The rope swayed back and forth as he repelled off the wall and continued to climb up using the fold holds as support.

As he started up the rope, the cubs watching above cheered him on. Kennen was known for being one of the most athletic kids in school and so it didn't surprise Heimerdinger that he took on the challenge. Kennen continued to make slow and methodical progress up the rope as he continued up the length of the wall. As he was nearing the top of it, he could feel his body aching a bit but he was able to overcome the stress and was met with jubilation at the peak.

It was now Hailun's turn. He took a deep breath and gripped the rope the same way his friend had. It was the first time he'd ever tried something like this but he wasn't about to let Kennen outdo him. The red panda began slowly at first as he was worried about losing his grip. Within seconds the crowd at the top of the wall began cheering him on as if to spur him on further and to give him even more of a reason to press forward.

Hand after hand he continued to climb up the rope, like so many he had done with gym class in the past. But having a wall to bounce off from made it entirely different. He looked down to check his progress, seeing that he was about halfway. He snorted and continued his way up the rope as he dragged on. Hailun continued much in the same fashion until he gave a final huff and climbed overtop the peak with his final bit of energy.

"Good job, everyone. Let's take another short break and then we'll make the final stint toward the camp sight. I'm sure everyone is tired but we are almost there." Heimerdinger reached into his bag and pulled out a small water canteen before starting to hand it around to the group.

Hailun sat right next to Kennen. He had overexerted himself and both boys were sweating a bit from the physical activity. The bigger boy hung his arm over his friend and pulled him in closer. Hailun could pick up a whiff of what he assumed to be the other cub. He didn't say anything about it as it didn't bother him that much.

"That was fun, hehe." Kennen said, easing himself into the other boy.

Hailun nodded. "Yeah, but that was hard for sure…nothing like what we do at school."

"Right, but we still did it right?" The bigger yordle said, trying to relax a bit on the other's shoulder.

The red panda sniffed ever so lightly, his nose brushing right against Kennen's neck. The other boy could feel his breathing.

"I hope I don't smell bad." Kennen blushed a bit thinking that might be the case.

The smaller cub shook his head slightly. "Nah, I don't mind it at all."

Heimerdinger looked over at the two boys who were almost on top of one another. He had seen them holding hands before so the prospect of their relationship didn't alarm him. He cracked a smile before standing up to announce they were making the move.  Some of the kids grunted and moaned. It had been a long day and many of them were tired. The sun was already beginning to set, so he knew they had to move fast or the weather might turn on them.
 
Once all of the kids were up and about, Heimerdinger counted them again just to make sure everyone was there. After confirming, they began treading down the path to a wider area. The wider area was much more full of trees and other foliage. The breeze blew through the opening, making a brisk but cool wind blow through the fur of the harried travelers. Heimerdinger shielded himself as broke the wind so the students behind him didn't have to deal with the brunt of it.

The path to the camp was a much less treacherous one than they had taken before. It was much more well-lit with torches leading up to the camp itself. Several signs are directed towards it, making it almost impossible to get lost. The sight of a campfire in the distance and rising smoke made it even more obvious where they were headed. As they got closer and closer some of the kids ran off towards the camp in hopes of taking a load off sooner rather than later.

The entirety of the group arrived before long. Heimerdinger took a sigh of relief upon seeing the sight of the open flame at the center of it. Everyone had made it and nothing had happened as yet so far. Only a few days to go…he told himself as he took a deep breath. The chaperone blew the whistle he had brought one final time to make sure everyone got a bunk and that they didn't fight over it. After all, he knew kids argued over stupider things than where to sleep.

"Alright, we are here. Dinner will be served shortly. Go ahead and get yourselves showered and cleaned up. Curfew will be as soon as we finish dinner. We have a long day tomorrow and I want everyone to get rest. Everyone follow me and I will assign them tents." He thanked the guide before dismissing them.

Heimerdigner began to walk towards the area of the camp where small tents had been assembled. Pointing at each of them and calling off the groups of students who peeled off when their names were called. It wasn't until the very end that Hailun and Kennen's names were called since Kennen was the last one to arrive. Heimerdinger saved himself the biggest tent as he needed to take a load off before worrying about food for the night.

Kennen looked over at Hailun who had already poked his head inside the small canvas enclosure. He stashed his bag inside before withdrawing himself from the zippered opening. Kennen didn't bother to look inside and instead just threw his bag into the tent.

"So uh…I guess we should go take a shower?" Hailun suggested since both of them had worked up a sweat over the course of the day.

Kennen smirked. "Yeah, unless you like the way I smell."

Hailun stuck his tongue out at Kennen before playfully shoving him. "Come on, let's check out the campgrounds first."

They began walking around the camp area. They found there were mostly tents and two larger buildings that were set on the opposite side of the tent area. Signs were affixed on the top indicating which one was the bathing area and the other was a makeshift shop. The door to the shop was currently closed since it was so late and it wasn't open for business. Some of the other kids were horsing around the bath area but neither boy paid attention to them.

Eventually, they came to a cliff that overlooked the vast beyond. The light blue moon shone above with its gazing offering a soft illumination to the world below. They crept over to the side and Kennen sat down before patting the space next to him. Hailun made no hesitation in joining him, despite it being so close to the ledge. Kennen put his arm over the other cub and the two looked out into the distance and simply gazed for a moment.

Neither boy said a word, instead just taking in the sights before them. The night sky stared back at them. Sparkling lights of stars above and the omnipresent Lunari moon above. Kennen leaned over and kissed Hailun on the cheek, causing him to blush.  The smaller boy clutched the others and they held hands tightly for a few moments. They remained still for a few minutes until the bigger boy roused once again.

"Come on, let's get a shower so we can have dinner with the rest of the group. I'm hungry." Kennen got up and offered his paw as a helpful gesture to the other boy.

Hailun took the hand and pulled himself up. "Thanks, yeah me too."

The two walked back together towards the bathing area of the campsite, forgetting all about the fact they were still holding hands. Some of the other kids pointed and stared at them as they made their way past, though neither of them noticed. Once they arrived at the bathing stalls, they made their way into the wooden building.  They walked into the building and saw a few dry towels hanging up, each of them taking one for themselves.

Going further they found the inside was warmer than the outside, likely from the overabundance of steam and permeation of mist. They could hear that some of the showers were still running, which likely meant that people were still bathing. Looking at each of the doors that barricaded the stalls off a small dial indicated which ones were taken with a bright red label. Eventually, they arrived upon one near the end that was vacant, though it appeared to be the only one.

Kennen leaned into the other boy's ear and whispered. "Wanna shower together?"

Hailun blushed again and whispered back. "Uh…I guess since there aren't any other free stalls, we don't have a choice."

"Well…I mean I can wait if you want." The bigger boy didn't want to make a big deal about it.

The smaller yordle shook his head. "Nah it's okay…I don't mind."

Kennen nodded and look off his shirt before placing it on a nearby peg. The water from inside the stall was already running from its previous user.  He looked over at Hailun who was starting to get undressed as well. The two continued to strip down to their birthday suits before proceeding to the inside of the stall. Hailun walked in first since he was the smaller of the two and wanted to test the water before getting under it entirely.

Placing his hand underneath the spicket, the water was a bit warmer than he expected but he saw no signs of an adjustment knob. He approached the spraying water slowly and allowed each of his legs to reach out underneath before allowing the rest of his body to follow suit. Kennen wasn't far behind as he was more used to warm water than the other boy. Pushing himself in right behind the other cub but not close enough to bodies together.

"Heh, I've never shown with anyone else before except in gym and that's different…" Hailun commented as he tried to ease himself into the idea.

Kennen rubbed the other boy's shoulder. "Me either but it can't be that bad since we're boyfriends now…right?"

"Yeah. I guess you're right." Hailun looked around and grabbed the nearby bar of soap and held it in his hand.

The bigger boy grabbed his arm gently. "Hang on, want me to help?"

"Oh…uh sure but we're kind of in a public place…" The smaller boy wasn't sure how he felt about the public nature of what his friend was offering.

Kennen smiled. "It'll be okay. I promise."

Hailun nodded, trusting the other boy entirely. The red panda handed off the bar of soap to his friend. Kennen began working the soap into his furry palms, allowing suds to form over the entirety of his palms. He then started rubbing his hands over Hailun's back. The smaller boy's back was rigid and tense. He could tell he was a bit stressed despite what he had said otherwise.

"Try relaxing…" Kennen said in a soft tone into Hailun's ear.

The red panda tried easing himself a bit into Kennen. His body remained firm enough to hold itself up but he was allowing the bigger boy to have more control of him. Kennen soon gravitated his hand over Hailun's stomach, circling in figure eight around the upper and lower portions of his chest.  Having his boyfriend touch him that was reassuring to him and gradually he was getting used to it.

"Good boy." The bigger yordle could sense the relief in tension as Hailun's body lay almost against his own.

Kennen removed his touch for a moment to reapply the soap before continuing his work over Hailun's chest.

"Ease up a bit so I can get your back."  Kennen tried to get him to straighten his posture so he could access his backside.

Hailun stood back up, putting some more space between the two boys. Kennen continued to work his soapy hands across the ridges of his friend's back. Even going as stroking down the length of his tail. The smaller boy flitted his tail back and forth to be cheeky about it, causing the bigger yordle to nibble on it playfully. When Kennen was done he held the soap in his hand, looking proud about what he'd done.

"All done…feel better now?" He said,  placing the soap back into Hailun's hand.

Hailun nodded. "Yeah, that was nice…thanks. Want me to do you now?"

"If you feel comfortable enough to do it, sure." Kennen didn't want to force the issue.

Hailun wasn't about to leave him hanging, guiding the bigger boy in front of him so the water more directly hit him. The red panda began rubbing the soap over the boy, the constant stream of water washing it away as he applied it. Kennen remained firm in his stance as he didn't want to catch him off guard due to their small difference in size. Hailun wasn't nearly as slow and methodical about it as he was a little more uncertain about it.

"Want to…clean my feet?" Kennen turned around with a slight smirk on his face.
 
The red panda murmured a bit. He looked at the nearby stalls that were visible
 and determined that the people inside them had left. He thought about a moment longer and slowly shook his head. He didn't want people to know about his thing for feet. Kennen sighed but decided not to pursue the issue. Sure enough, the whistle for dinner was blown, and Kennen cleaned the rest of himself off to help the other boy.

Both boys arose from the shower stall naked, wrapping themselves in the towels they grabbed. Hailun and Kennen realized they hadn't grabbed a change of clothing and would have to get some before they reported for the meal. Hailun took their clothes and the toy boys walked barefoot back to their tent. He allowed Kennen to grab them their pajamas, while he disposed of the dirty ones in a clothing bag that had been placed outside their tent.

Each of them took their turn in changing into their pajamas. Due to the small nature of the tent, they had to do it separately. When they were finally clothed again, they returned to the main part of the camp. Heimerdinger had set up a table with a small selection of items for the kids to pick from. It was mostly pre-cooked food that had been thawed out at the fire but he wouldn't have to tell the kids that.

When Hailun and Kennen arrived, most of the other students had already started eating. They walked over to the portion of the table where the selections had been laid out for them to pick from. Some of the cubs looked back at them.

"Hailun and Kennen, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." One of the students started the song and a few followed suit.

Heimerdinger tried to hush them but there were too many of them for him to handle. Kennen stopped a second to look at the kids who were singing. They continued even still. Hailun took his hand, trying to get him to just ignore them. The brown yordle clasped Hailun's hand in his own and held it tightly. He turned around and faced Hailun.

For a moment, Kennen was conflicted about what to do. He didn't like being pestered by the other kids and the idea of conflict didn't seem right either. After a moment of hesitation, he reached in and grabbed Hailun by the shoulders before turning his head and kissing him square on the lips. The embrace lasted for but a few seconds but when they broke apart, the crowd of students watching them fell silent.

"Awh…" One of the girls said, no longer interested in pestering them.

Hailun's face was flush red as Kennen took his hand and held it tightly. "Come on, let's get some food."

The two boys approached the area where the food had been situated. Each of them picked whatever wanted.  The students were no longer heckling them,  only a few of them occasionally looked over their way but it wasn't enough to distract them from what they were doing.  Once they had grabbed their food, they sat down near the end of the table. Both boys were pretty hungry so they didn't waste any time in devouring the food that they had picked.

By the time they were done, most of the other students had left the table. Heimerdinger was the only one at the table. Hailun got up to check on the older yordle.

"Did you want help cleaning up?" He asked in an attempt to be helpful.

Heimerdinger was half out of it. "Oh, uh nah. It will take but a moment to dispose of this mess. No worries, my child."

Hailun nodded and waited for Kennen to finish before they returned to their tent.  Hailun filed in first, brushing off his paws before making his way inside.  Kennen did the same once the other boy was inside. They both yawned and stretched as if it had been a long day. Hailun eased himself closer to Kennen and hugged him tightly. The two eased into their sleeping bags, each one on opposite sides of the tent.

"Wanna sleep next to each other?" He suggested so they could cuddle.

Hailun yawned. "Yeah, okay. I guess it's not like they don't know now."

Kennen shifted his body causing the sleeping bag to slide across the floor. Eventually, his body was right next to the other cubs. The bigger boy slung his arm over the other boy and squeezed him a bit.

"Good night, Hailun." The brown yordle closed his eyes and allowed his mind to rest.

The red panda shut his eyes. "Good night…I love you…"

Heimerdinger cleaned up before retiring himself for the rest of the night. The remainder of which went by without an issue. The students were too tired to cause much of a ruckus. Despite his fears of problems, he hadn't had any so far and he could only hope that would continue to be the case.

The next morning came before long. Birds nearby began crowing upon the rising of the sun, providing the makeshift wakeup alarm that Heimerdinger needed to get things rolling. He blew his whistle signaling for the students to begin to get ready to leave. He began to process of making breakfast to get that out of the way. After all, he didn't want to give the students any reason to complain.

Kennen and Hailun awoke to the sound of the sharp blow of the whistle. The red panda roused first and the movement of his body caused his boyfriend to get up. He yawned and stretched trying to get himself out of the state of restful stupor he was in. The smaller yordle rubbed his eyes and shook the other boy in an attempt to get him to wake up quicker.

"Come on, it's time to get up." He reminded the other boy who groaned again.

It took Kennen a few more minutes before he was finally up. Hailun had already grabbed them a change of clothes. Taking the ones he picked for the brown yordle he threw them on top of him to be funny.

"Come on, lazy butt." Hailun started shedding his pajamas and hanging onto his wardrobe for the day.

Kennen eased up and stretched before getting ready himself. Once the boys were ready, they headed outside for breakfast. By this time the students were again already at the table. The sight of the two boys didn't cause any stir this time as they had gotten it out of their system the previous night. The meal that Heimerdinger had prepared was smaller than the previous night as he hadn't brought much more in anticipation of arriving at the city later that day.

"Alright, the next leg of our journey will begin at the Placidium. We will not be stopping here but rather just passing through on our way to Ionia City. We will be taking a portal out of here, so please be ready to leave within the hour so we can start early as we have another long journey in front of us."  Heimerdinger announced to the students the next plan for the trip.

Hailun and Kennen grabbed their breakfast. The selections were just fruit and grains, which didn't bother the red panda as much as it did his friend. Still, both boys ate what they thought would tide them over for the day as they figured they likely wouldn't be stopping again. When they finished, they returned to their tent to grab their things in preparation for leaving. By the time they were ready, they could see that the students had already gathered around the center of the camp.

Heimerdinger opened up another portal for the cubs to walk through. He didn't go through the procedure this time as he hoped they knew it by now. They took the nexus through to the Navori plains, a vast open flat of greenery and ridged hills. The students arrived on the other side of it, greeted by a light rain. The ground was already soggy from the previous day's rain. Heimerdinger arrived at the rear of the train of yordles with a disgruntled look on his face. He hadn't planned on rain but supposed it didn't matter since it was still rather light.

The chaperone closed the portal and the group began their trek down the dirt road. Some Ionian caravan's passed them down the path but none of them paid them any attention. The merchants of Ionia had seen plenty of yordles in the past, though to see so many of them in one place certainly was odd. Still, they paid them no mind as they had better things to do than to worry about travelers.

The group of yordles continued down the path across a declining hill that led into a valley. A spiraling dirt road that pitted into the very heart of the crest of the Navori Plains. At the center of it, some wayward wilderlings scurried across the land in a herd. Heimerdinger stopped his troop to take in the sight. The vast number of beasts took some time before it cleared the way in front of them.

They continued into the valley through a swooping lane that carried them back up to another plateau of pasture. Vast fields of flowers and streaming reads carried along with the wind which continued to carry the light rain that persisted in the area. The clouds above remained ominously grey and there were no signs of light anywhere. It was obvious that the weather was not likely to let up anytime soon.

They soon came within eyesight of the Placidium. Its towering winged spires loomed ominously in the foggy distance. Already the group was quite wet by this point, the rain has persisted enough at this point that they were soaking wet. Some of the students were shaking from the chilled breeze carrying through it and one of them mentioned it to Heimerdinger, who relented in choosing that they would take a short respite at the Placidium itself.

They carried on until they reached the Placidium itself. The rise of cliffs and stone outcroppings formed an almost natural ramp that turned up towards a large arch overlooking a valley below. Water could be heard flowing beneath, an ever-vigilant river rampaging and expanding with the incessant rain that continued to pour into it from beyond its banks. They now found themselves at the base of the craggy base of the shrine.

At the base of it was a fire that had been pitched between the natural bridge above. The stone structure provided some much-needed protection from the elements for the flame to be kindled. Some people crowded around it, many of them haunched over in canvas wrappings to protect them from the wet and breezy atmosphere that surrounded
 them. The moment they were close enough to it, many of the students rushed over to warm themselves.

Heimerdinger decided to let them take it easy for a few. They had already been traveling for a while and it would give them a chance to snack and rest before the final stint towards Ionia city. He pulled out some small snacks from his bag and handed it to each of them, then shared his water canteen with them so they could drink. He felt bad that they had to deal with it but there wasn't anything that he could do to change the situation.

They hung out at the campfire for a bit and the rain seemed to subside for a little. Heimerdinger thought it would be a good opportunity for them to move on. He sounded the whistle once again to signal they were getting ready to head out. To be safe he counted heads again and verified everyone was accounted for. The students fell in a makeshift line and began following again, many of them re-energized after the short break.

They departed from the Placidium and the rain began to pick up again. The roads were becoming sloshy with dirt and every time they took a step the water picked up on their shoes. The clothing and footwear each member of the group was wearing were well passed soaked at this point. Heimerdinger considered going back to the campfire, but after a moment of contemplation decided they would press forward toward Ionia city.

They passed onto the Weh'le fields and soon came upon more traffic. The roads in this part of the fields were no longer as washed out by the weather. Many of them were made of gravel to distinguish them from the otherwise dirt pathing. The fields were now full of overgrown grasses and greyed trees that overlooked them. The canopies that overlooked them canvased colors of brown, orange, and red showing the signs of the change of seasons more evident in this part of the area.

The mostly flat land soon began to decline into another pit. The slick surface of the grass and mud made for a difficult trek down the path. Heimerdinger occasionally looked back to make sure none of the kids having issues getting down. Just when he thought they had conquered the small challenge, Hailun slipped and fell. The red panda lost his footing and slipped to his behind with a muffled yelp as his body hit the floor.

Heimerdinger quickly rushed over to check on the accident. Hailun was gritting his teeth and squinting his eyes. Kennen was overlooking the boy, though he was uncertain what he could do about it. The chaperone looked around for any sort of assistance they could see as he assumed the boy was hurt. Sure enough, a small caravan was spotted in the distance, so the oldest yordle began waving it over in hopes of gaining their attention.

The humans on the caravan noticed the frantic waving and made their way over. The group of yordles near the side of the path was hard to miss, even with all of the constant rain downpouring over it. Heimerdinger pulled out his old translation device in hopes that he'd be able to communicate with them. The caravan soon arrived at their side. The woman sitting in the rain looked down at them, seeming to be unconcerned with the rain.

"Greetings, travelers. How can I help?" She asked, looking down at the crestfallen cub who didn't appear to be in distress to her.

Heimerdinger spoke into the device. "One of the students has fallen and hurt themselves, I was hoping you could bring him into the city for medical treatment?"

"Oh, I see. I suppose it is that one there? They do not appear to be injured to me." She folded her arms, already losing patience.

The chaperone reached into his pocket pulling out some silver coins. "Look, I'll even pay for your assistance. I just need to make sure he's not hurt."

"Oh, very well. I will accept this service. He may lie down in the back. There is space among the hay I am delivering." She didn't bother to get down, expecting them to do the work of getting him on the wagon.

Kennen stepped in. "May I go with him? I want to make sure he's alright."

"I don't see why not…Do you have space for this one as well?" Heimerdinger was certain it wouldn't be an issue.

She rubbed her chin. "Perhaps for another silver, I shall consider it."

"Very well…" The man felt like he had no choice as he couldn't let Hailun go by himself.

The woman nodded. "Out with it then. Get them onboard. I don't have time to waste." She leaned back and pulled over the small awning over the rear of her cart.

Kennen eased himself under Hailun's arm and worked to get him to a mostly upright position. The two struggled to the rear of the cart. Heimerdinger tugged on Kennen's shoulder just before he was about to hop up onto us.

"I will meet you at the Medical Center once we arrive. Do not leave until then." The chaperone advised his student.

The brown yordle nodded and helped his friend up to the rear end of the caravan. Fortunately for him, Hailun was able to help a bit by shifting his body back by using his arms. Once they were inside, Heimerdinger nodded to the woman and handed her the coins. No words were expressed between them as she snapped them away from him. She snorted before slapping the reins forward to make her steed continue its journey.

Heimerdinger watched as the caravan made a complete U-turn. He was glad someone came along, though he was still concerned about the well-being of his student. He roused the kids around again, most of which were mumbling about what happened. He told them they needed to press forward before the weather got worse. Ionia city was now finally within sight and he couldn't wait to arrive.

Kennen and Hailun sat at the rear of the vehicle together. The thing bobbed up and down as it trucked along the dirt road. The whole inside of which smelt of damp hay as they were surrounded by the stuff.  The red panda was still hunched over grabbing his ankle.

"Does it hurt?" Kennen asked as he looked at the other boy struggling with his pain.

Hailun tried to force a smile. "Yeah…it hurts a lot." The cub was trying to hold back the desire to cry as he sniffled a bit.

The bigger boy reached over to hug him, stroking his back. "It's okay. You can cry if you need to. I won't judge you."

The smaller cub let himself go, weeping into the shoulder of the other boy. Kennen continued to stroke his back to comfort him. The caravan continued its trek back towards the city. The travel to it didn't take long since they weren't very far from the city. The woman knew all the back roads inside of the city and made a direct B-line to the clinic. When she arrived she slapped the reins once again to stop the beast from moving again.

"We're here…get out." She announced with a somewhat annoyed tone.

Kennen put his head underneath Hailun's armpit and lifted him again. "Let's go."

The two slid out bit by bit until they were out in front of the clinic. The white building with a red cross made it apparent what it was. Once the woman saw they were out, she wasted no time in heading off with no further words to them. Kennen scowled at her, deciding to let the issue go since there wasn't anything he could do about it.

The bigger boy brought the smaller one inside the lobby area of the clinic. The smell of rubbing alcohol and sanitary wipes dominated the area. A human man eyed them from the front desk, wasting no time rushing over to them when he realized what was going on.

"I'll take care of it from here, son." He said, taking the boy from Kennen's hold to give him a bit of a respite.

All members of the hospital were required to wear translators in case foreigners were supposed to visit and every member of staff wore them for language barriers.

The small yordle looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks, I think he twisted his ankle."

"Right, we'll get him back right away to look at him." He lifted the cub off the ground without an issue to take the pressure off Hailun's legs.

The brown yordle reached in and grabbed the human's leg tugging on it. "Can I go with him?"

"It might be better if you wait out here for him. We normally don't allow non-patients beyond the entrance unless their family."

Kennen hesitated before answering. "I'm his brother."
"Oh, I see. Come right back then, I suppose." The man wasn't expecting that and didn't question the issue.

The man began down the hall with Hailun in his arms. The yordle was very light, even compared to Human children's standards. Kennen struggled to keep up with him as he was somewhat tired from trekking all day. The chill in the air of the clinic made him shiver a bit but he tried ignoring it to deal with the issue at hand.  Eventually, he was led into a small room with a metal operating table at the center of it.

The man set Hailun down who thanked him for the help. The man looked over at Kennen who was shivering. Reaching into the cabinets he pulled out a blanket and handed it to each of them.

"The doctor will be in shortly."  He left the room, leaving the two yordle boys alone.

Hailun looked over at Kennen. "Thanks for your help."

"I mean, I wasn't about to leave you hanging. A white lie or not…at least you have someone with you." The cub tried to justify his answer.

The red panda winked at his friend, not seeming bothered by it either way. "It's okay. They don't need to know the truth."

Each boy wrapped themselves in the blanket. The immediate difference in temperature was welcoming. It wasn't much longer before the doctor arrived. A tall bulky woman wearing rather casual clothes for a doctor. The woman looked at the yordle on the operating table and then over towards the one sitting in the chair.  She was loudly chewing gum,  her mouth full of the stuff slapped her lips together loudly,

"Ah, yordles. I don't see much of your kind these days. So, what seems to be the problem? I didn't see any intake chart on your door." The woman waited patiently for an answer.

Hailun
 grunted as he moved his leg a bit up the table. "I hurt my leg when I tripped."

"I see. Let me take a look at it." The doctor approached the table slowly.

She looked over the cub and gently eased his head to the platform as he let out a little whine.

"I need you to try and not flinch when I touch your leg." She said, trying to get him to not squirm as much.

She took a first look at the furry leg. The hair was wet and matted down from being in the rain all day. She could tell it looked a little swollen.

"I need to take your shoe off to prevent further swelling, alright?"  The doctor said, warning the boy as she assumed it would hurt to some degree.

Kennen approached the counter and offered his hand to the other boy and held it tightly in his own. The human rearranged herself so she was at the foot of the bed and slowly began unlacing his shoe.

"Alright…brace yourself." She said before loosening up his laces in preparation for taking it off.

She slowly began taking it off and the boy squinted his eyes and gritted his teeth further. Tears flowed out of his eyes slowly as the pain became too much to bear. Fortunately, within seconds, the footwear was off. She looked over at the brown yordle and back to the red panda. She had been told they were brothers but they certainly didn't look similar. The woman decided it didn't matter.

The doctor threw the muddy shoe on the floor and walked away from the table. She returned with a small pair of two pills in her palm.

"Take this…it will help with the pain and allow me to look closer at it in a few minutes. I will be back in a few moments." She handed it to him before heading out of the room.

Hailun swallowed the pills without a second thought. There was no feeling of immediate relief despite what his innermost desire wanted.

"You alright?" Kennen said, feeling even more concerned about his boyfriend's well-being.

The red panda laid back a bit and allowed himself to lay flat. He murmured and sniffed. "It…hurts."

"I'm sure…it will be better soon. I promise." He squeezed the cub's hand again and kissed his cheek.

Over the next few minutes, the pain in Hailun's leg began to dissipate to a constant throbbing. The doctor returned shortly after with a small device and her hand. She thumped it in her palm as she approached the table again. Hailun wasn't moving as much, she assumed the boy had been somewhat sedated by the medicine.

"I need you to step to the side for the moment. We are likely going to have to splint his leg." She said to the brown yordle who was still at his side.

Kennen looked at Hailun. His eyes had glazed over and it was apparent he was out of it. The conscious boy stepped to the side and nodded to her, taking a seat in the chair at the side of the room again. Over the next few hours, the doctor did a set of x ray's and found the yordle had a small fracture in his lower leg. She splinted it before casting over his leg with a small plasture adhesive to give him extra support.

The medicine made it so Hailun had no idea what was going on. He had essentially fallen into a lighter state of consciousness. The pill made him feel nothing and even allowed his body to feel like it was in a state of rest. Kennen watched from the sideline as his boyfriend's leg was cased up, hoping it would be enough so that he could enjoy the rest of the trip.

Heimerdinger arrived by himself sometime after the procedure had ceased operation. The doctor had left the two boys alone as it had been a few hours since completion. The nurses checked periodically in on them but Hailun was still passed out from the medication. Heimerdinger was shown back to their room, relieved to see that Hailun was alright. Kennen had also passed out on the chair while waiting on Heimerdinger to come to get them.

The doctor popped in shortly after Heimerdinger arrived as she had been notified that their guardian was on location.

"I presume you are his caretaker?" The tall woman kneeled to the yordles level.

Heimerdinger nodded. "Indeed, how fairs the child?"

"He fairs fine. Just a minor fracture. He will need to take some pain meds for a while and use this walking stick for a while until it heals." She handed him a small cane that had been refitted to a yordles size.

The man rubbed his chin. "I see. Has he woken up yet?"

"Yeah, he's been awake for a bit though he's still sort of out of it." Kennen said as he approached the two adults who were talking.

Heimerdinger nodded. "Very well. Let us get the bill taken care of and we can get going to the hostel."

"There is no bill for foreigners. It is a service we provide for all." She said before bowing deeply.

Heimerdinger had a look of surprise on his face. "Oh my, well thank you kindly then."

The doctor helped the boy off the table and handed him over to the other two yordles. Hailun still wobbled a bit as he walked. Kennen took hold of the small cane that was offered to them and bowed back to her.

"Thanks for helping my friend." He said with a wide smile on his face.

She smiled back. "Most certainly."

"Is he going to be able to bathe in this?" Heimerdinger asked so Hailun would know later.

The doctor nodded. "Indeed, it is waterproof. You do not need to worry about it any further except for when it is needed to be taken off."

"And when will that be?" Kennen asked as he wanted to know when he would be back to normal.

She scratched her chin. "Time will tell child. Now enjoy the rest of your trip and be off with you."

The two yordles propped up the somewhat sedated cub who hung loosely on their arms. Hailun was heavier than either of them realized, even if neither of them said anything. Heimerdinger called a rickshaw and the rickshaw picked them up before dropping them off at the hostel.

"Kennen, everyone else has already gotten food. I don't suspect Hailun will be hungry tonight but there are leftovers in the kitchen for both of you, should you want it." Heimerdinger said before they got off the rickshaw.

They arrived at the front door of the hostel, which was open for anyone who wanted to step inside. The building was an older one thatched edged roofing that curled overtop into a point. The hostel proprietor greeted Heimerdinger upon his return, eying the passed-out cub that he and Kennen were still carrying on their shoulders.

"Head over to the far door on the right…You all have your room as does every other group of students." Heimerdinger informed his student who hadn't been there yet.

Kennen could smell the aroma of something cooking and it made his stomach rumble. He hadn't had anything to eat in hours and would go check out what it was when he dropped off Hailun in the room. It didn't take them that much longer before they arrived in the room. Kennen and Heimerdinger hauled Hailun inside before carefully setting him down on one of the canvas bedspreads that lay across the floor.

"Alright, good work. You should go get yourself something to eat. I'm sure he'll be out of it a while." Heimerdinger suggested saving the boy some time.

The brown yordle nodded and stretched. He was still wearing the blanket he had borrowed from the clinic and tossed it to the side. Kennen made his way to the kitchen, his stomach constantly reminding him that it was famished. The boy made his way inside the open room, a small table sat in the center of it, much smaller than what he'd grown used to in Bandle City. A small selection of rice buns and pot stickers was strewn about.

He approached it and knelt at the table before beginning to look at it more closely. Steam rose from each of the items, showing they were still warm from being cooked. He looked around and noticed no silverware and only a few stray chopsticks that appeared to be unused. He had never used them before and decided to just eat with his hands. No one else was around and he assumed it wouldn't matter.

He began gorging himself without much thought of how much he was eating. There wasn't much left of the food in front of him, it looked to be a full meal at most. The taste was like nothing he had at home and he found the stuff to be of his liking. Just as he was about to finish the last few morsels in front of him. Immediately feeling a sense of guilt as he stopped himself from eating the last piece.

Kennen picked up the last piece and wrapped it in a napkin. He was still hungry but he wanted to make sure Hailun had at least something to eat for the night. The cub picked up the glass of water and downed it. His stomach growled again and he rubbed it, trying to satiate his desire. The boy picked himself up and grabbed the wrapped good in his palm before heading back to the hostel room.

When he returned to the room, he saw that Hailun was still out of it. The brown yordle made his way over to him and shook him gently to see if he roused.

"You want something to eat?" Kennen said, half expecting an answer.

Hailun groaned, still completely sedated. Kennen looked at the morsel he had taken with him and decided Hailun probably wouldn't eat that night. He unwrapped it and began to eat it, constantly keeping watch on his friend who remained still in front of him. When he had finished the meal, he felt better. Looking around the room, he saw their bags had already been dropped off earlier.

The slight chill in his body reminded him that he hadn't bathed yet that day and figured it was time to hit the baths. He made his way out of the room and looked for signage that indicated where the washroom might be. Most of the language appeared to be in Ionian but fortunately for him, little pictures were affixed to each of them, making it easier to figure out what they were. Sure enough, he saw what he assumed was the symbol of a bath and headed to it.

Kennen made his way to the washroom. He looked inside and saw that it was vacant. A large wide open room with a fairly large body of water, at least
 for a bath. Benches on each side of it with wet wash rags affixed to several of them. At the foot of each bench sat a bucket, some of which were overflowing with suds. He began to strip his clothing and placed it on one of the benches near the front of it.

Kennen looked around for traces of soap or shampoo but saw nothing. Soon he peered within one of the pails and saw what appeared to be two bars floating within. He assumed this is what he would use to clean himself. He began stripping off his clothes and stepped in the pool of water once he was naked to wet his body. He sunk his body within, allowing the warm water to relax his body once he was fully submerged.

His mind wondered for a bit, almost absent of thought. He was overly tired from the physical duress of the day. Eventually, thoughts of Hailun's well-being slipped into his mind. He tried to silence them but he couldn't kick the concern he was wrapped up in. He picked himself up and proceeded to clean himself, no longer wasting as much time in the ordeal. When he was done, he wrapped himself in a towel before grabbing his stuff and proceeded to head back to his room.

Kennen arrived back in the room to find that Hailun had still not moved. He figured that the boy needed a bath as well but knew he was probably in no shape to deal with it. He decided instead to deal with his body odor and try to get a good night's rest. The boy headed over to his bag and pulled out a pair of pajamas. The brown yordle stretched and yawned before changing into his pajamas.

Once he had changed, Kennen eased himself into the sleeping mat closest to Hailun and fixed a blanket so that it was over him. The cub placed his arm over the other boy allowing his head to rest on the floor. It was an awkward position compared to the usual comforts of his bead at home but he didn't care. In no time his mind drifted off to sleep and into the realm of dreams what they could do in the city together tomorrow.

The night remained a restful one. Hailun was conked out for most of it. It was not until early in the next morning that either boy roused. The red panda was the first one as his pain medicine had finally worn off and the throbbing sensation of his leg had returned in full force. He groaned and turned around on his back, his eyes flickering before finding himself in an unfamiliar room.

"Urgh…" Hailun said in a muffled tone.

The immediate noise and movement of Hailun did not stir Kennen who was still deep in slumber. Hailun looked over at him and saw the other boy next to him. He still was uncertain where he was but he figured it must have been with the group again since Kennen was next to him now. Looking down at his leg gave him a vague recollection of his accident, making the throbbing even more prominent than before.

He moved himself a bit away from Kennen, careful not to wake up. He was in pain but he knew Kennen was asleep, so he didn't want to wake the other boy up. The cub tried getting up but the awkward stiffness of the cast he was in made it difficult for him to get up. Instead, he slid himself along the floor. The cast he was wearing made a slight scratching noise as he tried to move as quietly as possible.

"Hailun?" Kennen rubbed his eyes as the noise was becoming too annoying to ignore.

Hailun remained silent for a moment, hoping his friend wouldn't notice he was up.

"You're up? Are you okay?" The brown yordle yawned as it was still early.

The smaller cub murmured. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to wake you up."

"No…it's okay. What do you need?" The bigger boy pulled the blanket off himself.

The red panda squinted. "My leg hurts and I'm hungry…"

"Well…uh I'm sure I could find you something to eat but the doctor gave me some pills you can take for the pain." Kennen headed over to the side of the room where his dirty clothes were and reached inside the pocket.

Hailun nodded softly. "Yeah, sure…I'll take some."

The brown yordle pulled out a single pill and gave it to him. "Sorry…I don't have anything to eat."

"It's alright. What time do you think it is?" He swallowed the pill, hoping it would go into effect soon.

Kennen shrugged. "I'm not sure but I think it's early."

"Want to come lay back down with me?" Hailun offered as he had no better idea to pass the time.

The brown yordle nodded and headed back over to where Hailun was laying down. Kennen slowly eased himself back on the floor and glided himself with his mat until he was next to the other boy. Kennen placed his arm over the other cub and pulled him in tightly so he was square against his body. The medicine had already begun to work and Hailun was able to relax a bit more.

The two continued to rest alongside one another until the following morning. Heimerdinger walked in on the two boys still tightly locked against one another. He couldn't help but smile as he knelt and tried shaking Kennen. Kennen was still light on sleep from being woken up earlier in the night. His eyes fluttered as he came around.

"You guys think you're up for a day in the city since it's our last day here?" Heimerdinger asked uncertain if the injured cub would be up for it.

The brown yordle peered over at Hailun and then back at Heimerdinger. "Probably. Let me see if he feels up for it."

Kennen shook Hailun gently who awoke shortly after. He was still a little out of it but certainly more discernable than the night before.

"You want to head into the city? It's morning time." He asked in a whispered tone.

Hailun shook his head. "Yeah, I'd be up for that."

"Alright, sounds good. Let's help him up. I'll grab his walking stick." Heimerdinger headed to the side of the room and grabbed the cane that had been given to them.

Kennen sat up and got on his knees, waiting for Heimerdinger to return. When he was close enough both of them lifted Hailun off the floor and waited for him to take hold of the walking stick. The boy wobbled a bit but grabbed hold of it easily enough.

"Go ahead and try walking. Kennen, will you be his aid if he needs it?" The Chaperone was certain that would be the case.

"Sure, I can do that."  The bigger boy watched as Hailun hobbled around the room, maintaining a close distance from him just in case.

Heimerdinger nodded and headed towards the door.  "Go ahead and get dressed and we will wait for you two in the kitchen. We leave in about an hour so you have time."

The man showed himself out. Hailun continued to struggle a bit but managed to keep himself upright for the most part. Kennen smiled at him, glad he was making progress. Hailun eventually eased himself into a chair by the door, making it evident that walking was a bit more taxing on his body than before.

"You alright?" Kennen asked, certain that his friend was still dealing with pain.

Hailun looked over at him. "It's just kind of awkward. The cast makes it so it's like one side is longer than the other."

"Oh…that sucks. Anything I can do to help?" The boy just wanted to be helpful.

The red panda shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

Hailun looked over at the small pile of clothes from the other day, remembering he hadn't changed yet.

"I guess need to change."  The smaller boy noticed Kennen was still in his pajamas.

Kennen nodded. "Yeah, you can't go out in the same stuff. It's all muddy and your fur is probably still matted from yesterday

"Want to help me?" Hailun asked since he figured he'd have a hard time doing it himself.

Kennen smiled. "Of course."

The bigger boy hummed but didn't respond. The two proceeded into the washroom, which was vacant. Kennen had to help Hailun strip out of his clothing but once they were both naked, the two got into the washing pools. Hailun struggled a bit to clean himself but the other boy was more than happy to help him out. The whole ordeal of bathing didn't take them very long, especially since Kennen had bathed the previous night. They took a bit longer than they would have otherwise.

Eventually, they heard Heimerdinger's voice call out to them from the Kitchen. It was apparent that Breakfast was ready and that they had taken too long doing what they did.  The two proceeded to hurry up their pace, finishing the rest of their hygiene routine before returning to the room to dress. The Red Panda found himself feeling silly for asking for help again when he couldn't quite get his underwear or pants on.

After they were dressed, they came out to the kitchen. Heimerdinger gave them the stink eye as they approached. They were late and he was the only one there. He told the remainder of the kids to go explore on their own.

"I won't ask what you two were doing but you have the same privilege the other students do. This is our last day here. All I ask is that you return for dinner so that we can leave shortly after." The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sum of Ionian money before handing it to them.

"That should be enough to buy you lunch. Hailun don't go overdoing it. You are injured after all. Kennen, please make him take breaks if necessary. Go ahead and help yourselves to breakfast. I will see you all tonight." Heimerdinger saw himself out of the kitchen and towards the front door.

Kennen and Hailun walked over to the kitchen table. The red panda was quite famished and worked through the food rather quickly. The brown yordle was a bit slower but still ate more food than usual since he hadn't had much the previous night. A small crumb remained on his cheek. The smaller yordle reached over and brushed off.

"Thanks, so ready to head out?" Kennen asked as he was looking forward to seeing Ionia City for the first time.

Hailun's tail wagged behind him gently. "Yeah, let's go."

The two proceeded to walk out of the hostel, following the same path that Heimderdinger had only moments ago. They arrived outside and looked upward. The skies were much clearer than they had been yesterday when they arrived. Only a few clouds remained. Hailun tugged on Kennen to get him to follow him. Hailun was walking as fast as he could, though still hobbling for the most part. The bigger boy was surprised he was able to walk as fast as he could.

They began down some of the main streets of the city. The city was busy with life with Humans and Vastayans walking about. The roads themselves were made of limestone brick that was shaped in whatever way filled the space them. Some of which adjusted every so slightly as the mud they had been affixed with had long past its date of service.  Their shoes tapped against the surface as they walked.

Kennen looked around at all the buildings. They were much larger than the ones in Bandle City. They seemed to be made out of wood with red that curved towards the outside. A large golden spire topped each of them pointing to the sky above. Hailun tugged on him again as the other cub continued to get distracted by looking at the various sights around the city.  

"You can look at the buildings later…come on!" The Red Panda tried to justify his sudden hurried nature.

The brown yordle allowed himself to be pulled along without much protest. He knew that Hailun had been looking forward to showing him around.  Hailun knew his way around well enough that he knew where to go to avoid foot traffic. Eventually, he brought the other boy to a large red and yellow gate. Tall rouge-painted collums led up to a two-tiered platform. Atop of which the mythical Ionian Lion sat with its tongue curled outward and its paw extended down towards the floor.

Hailun struggled to kneel before tugging on Kennen to do the same. The brown yordle followed suit, the two remaining at the base of the gate for a few moments.

"This is the gate of the setting sun. Ionian legends state all spirits come through this gate when they pass from this world." The Red Panda got back up and helped Kennen do the same.

They walked past the gate until they were at what appeared to be a garden. Large rectangular-shaped shrubs bordered the area, keeping the area blocked off from the outside. A large pool of water sat near the rear of it, extending the entire way along the borders of it. Hailun brought Kennen over to the pond and pointed inside.

"Some say that should one toss a coin into the Pond of Perpetuity, that it would grant one's wish." Hailun didn't believe in such things but shared the story all the same.

Kennen kneeled to look within. Some fish were scurrying around that looked to resemble Koi. At the bottom of it, he could see the shimmer of previous coins that had been thrown in.

"Do you want to make a wish?" Kennen asked as he wasn't sure what he wanted.

Hailun shook his head. "Nah, I already got what I wanted."

"Yeah? What's that?" The brown yordle looked up at his boyfriend.

The smaller cub smiled. "To spend time with you."

"You're sweet." The taller yordle stood up and kissed the other boy on the cheek.

The two walked over to one of the benches in the garden and sat down. They held hands, simply taking in the sights of the area. One of the other groups of students happened to walk up to them. It was another pair of boys that they didn't know very well.

"Looky who it is…it's the little gay kids." One of the other two boys started mocking them.

Kennen looked up and scowled at them. Hailun tightened his grip on the boy's hand in an attempt to settle him down.

"And they're holding hands….how sweet. Well go on now…kiss." The other boy tried to get in on the action.

Neither Kennen nor Hailun said anything. The brown yordle looked towards his boyfriend who simply shook his head.

"Oh, what? Not going to follow along? Maybe we should hurt your little boyfriend even worse than he already is."  One of them stood right behind Hailun and touched his shoulder.

Hailun backed away but couldn't move much since the other was in front of them. "Don't touch me."

"Or what? What are you going to do about it?" They continued to pester the two cubs.

The Red Panda squeezed Kennen's hand. "Come on, let's go."

"Just what is your problem?" Kennen asked the two who continued to mock them.

The boy standing in front of them barred them from getting up to go. "You two are."

"We didn't do anything to you so leave us alone." Kennen warned them as his eyes burned bright blue.

The two boys mocking them gripped their hands. "And what if we don't."

"Let's not cause a ruckus…I don't want to get in trouble, Kennen…." Hailun tried to calm the other boy down, sensing that he was getting angry.

Kennen pushed the boy in front of them to the side. "Come on Hailun, let's go."

Hailun tried picking himself up but was kept down by the boy behind him.

"Let him go." Kennen warned one final time.

The two boys mocking them stood next to each other, grinding their fists on their palms.

"This will go no further, children." The keeper of the gardens saw the fisticuffs from above in a watchtower.

"You're lucky…" The two boys mocking them walked away, not wanting to get in trouble with the person watching them.

Kennen's eyes fizzled down as his mood normalized. He offered to help Hailun up and the two headed out of the garden.

"You alright?" The bigger boy asked just to be sure.

Hailun nodded. "Yeah, they were just being jerks…come on."

The bigger boy's scowl turned to a smile once again and he held Hailun's hand a bit tighter than before. They proceeded to walk again with the red panda still in the lead. Walking for some time until they reached the outer rim of the city itself. The city was walled in and they walked out of the gate to look at the Weh'le fields that they had traveled on before. The vast sprawling green pastures bent over with wind passing through them. It was a wholly different site than the day before and a rainbow could be seen in the distance.

They walked outside the city gates and sat along the walls. The stone roads gave way to grass and dirt. Some other people were sitting around having a picnic, they paid the two yordles no mind.

"Want to take a load off before lunch?" Hailun suggested as he sometimes liked to chill out there before he moved.

Kennen nodded. "Sure, that sounds good."

The two headed to the opposing side of the wall where no one was. It was a shaded area that looked out into the horizon.  Kennen helped his friend sit down before joining him on the grass. The two lay down flat on their back, staring into the skies. Various shapes of clouds billowed above obstructing the otherwise clear skies overhead.

"I'm glad I came." Kennen remarked turning himself to face the other boy.

The red panda titled himself on his side. "Me too."

"We should go on another date soon…" The brown yordle hadn't thought about it but they hadn't been on one in a while.

"Aren't we on one now? I mean we're alone, aren't we? Though I wouldn't mind spending more time with you."  Hailun leaned in and gave Kennnen a light kiss on the lips.

Kennen returned the kiss with one of his own. "I guess your right. How does your leg feel?"

"It's getting sore from walking around. I'll take another pill during lunch." The Red Panda turned flat on his back.

The two fell silent for a moment. They remained there until their stomachs started to rumble. Kennen was the first to rouse, shaking the other boy who had fallen into a slight state of slumber. They got back up and headed back into the city. Despite it being midday it was getting darker and clouds were starting to gather again.  Hailun took the lead once again and headed toward one of his favorite street vendors.

Ibaku was a local favorite. An open doored ramen shop that steamed its goods to the view of its customers. Its owner was a Vastayan Monkey who had long since retired. A man who went by the name of Kong. It had been a while since Hailun had seen him and the boy was looking forward to catching up. As they approached the vendor, the two boys could see it was rather busy. Hailun tugged on his friend to get him to go quicker.

Kennen was surprised how quickly Hailun had picked up the quirks of walking with a cast. He wasn't struggling nearly as much and he was glad to see his friend able to figure out the issue with such grace. The Red Panda took him to the rear of the building. The smaller boy tapped on the back door a few times. They proceeded to wait about a minute before he tapped again.

"He might be too busy with customers." Hailun remarked based on the observation from the front of the building.

Kennen cocked his eyebrow. "Why not just wait in front?"

Hailun shrugged and conceded it would need to be done. They walked back out front. The bar area was full but a few tables were open so they took one of them. It was a few minutes before they could offer. The Red Panda went as far as to order for the two of them. The staff was quick to make and within minutes they had food in front of them without delay. The Red Panda couldn't help but smile upon seeing his old favorite.

Kennen looked at the rice bun in front of him. He'd never had it before and yet Hailun seemed rather enthusiastic about it. He gingerly poked it. The warm sticky surface lifted the side of the bun before retreating downward.

"Go on and eat it. I promise it's good. " Hailun said with his mouth half full.

The bigger boy chuckled and picked it up with his fingers before delivering it into his mouth. The initial taste was bland but the moment he bit into it his sense of taste was overwhelmed and all he wanted was more.

"Oh wow…this is good." He remarked, now beginning to eat more eagerly.

Hailun nodded and the two ate their lunch without delay. The waiter returned with something for them to drink. Kennen pulled out the money they had been given, carefully counting it to not overpay.

"Should I leave a tip?" He asked as he wasn't certain if it was customary.

The red panda shook his head. "Nah, it's not normal here."

They finished their meal before waiting on the money to be picked up. Hailun was disappointed that Ibaku herself wasn't around but supposed it didn't matter.

"Where too now?" Kennen asked as he was genuinely curious about what the other boy had in mind.

The smaller boy hummed a bit. "You said you're a fan of Shen right?"

"Yeah, what about him?" The brown helped his friend out of the chair.

Hailun crutched himself on the walking stick. "Let's go to the Kinkou Monastery."

"You think he'll be there?" Kennen's eyes lit up at the possibility of seeing his longtime idle.

The red panda shrugged. "Only time will tell. It's worth a shot. I only have one other place I want to show you other than that and I want to save it for last."

Kennen nodded and the two boys headed out from the restaurant. They proceeded to head towards the center of Ionia city. A place that even Hailun hadn't seen that much as it was usually off-limits to commoners. In his mind, he was already concocting a plan of how they'd access the building even though it was off-limits to travelers and locals alike. They soon arrived at the area of town known as the Promenade.

The Promenade was the seat of the Ionian government. A small imperial palace sat at the backdrop of it all where the figurehead members of the state sat on their lilac and rose-gilded thrones. Hailun and Kennen walked together toward the back of the largest building. A domed structure with rather simple columns holding up its roof. An open door gazed into the world beyond where only darkness and shadow flowed from within.

Several guards lined the area, each of them holding large spears Wearing robes of green and blue, each of them was donning a Douli that protected them from the rays of the sun. The two yordle children approached them without much thought. The guards closest to them didn't even move until they were within arms reach of them. Extending their arms out to keep them out.

Hailun tugged at Kennen who continued to follow him. Hailun knew there was a river that led to the rear of the Monastery. He hoped they could follow it to the Monastery itself. As they got closer to the river, they could overhear the flowing river rushing nearby. They passed back through a few bushes, managing to work their way through it without much issue. Eventually finding themselves staring at the base of the structure.

The building jutted out enough that only a small parcel of land separated it from the water. Hailun eyed it and gauged it, wondering if they could pass through it without falling into the water below. He wanted nothing more than to make Kennen happy, telling himself that it would work. Steeling himself he treaded forward heading over to the small passway between the Monastery and the river.

Hailun and Kennen looked over the small ledge. It was but a small distance between it and the next wider expanse of land. The cub took a single step forward, his casted foot losing the grip it had on the ground below it. Hailun's form lurched forward, falling rather lopsidedly into the river below. Kennen watched in terror as his friend fell below.

"Guinsoo!" A flash of purple light burst across the river.

Hailun felt himself being picked up by something. Only seeing a blur of purple energy and the constant breeze pushing against his fur. The energy dissipated within seconds. Hailun found himself right back where he was, next to Kennen who was still staring into the river below.

"And so, wayward child. What brings you to this place?" An unfamiliar voice spoke to them.

Kennen turned around as the voice was near both of them. "What the? Oh my god…Hailun…your back!"

Hailun looked up at an unfamiliar person in dark blue robes. He stood there with his arms crossed. His face was completely shrouded by a mask that only showed his glowing eyes. Kennen gazed over at the human in awe.

"Shen?" The bigger yordle remarked, recognizing the man's appearance instantly.

The human tapped his foot. "I await your response, child."

"I uh…well my friend just wanted to meet you."  The red panda stammered a bit, glad he was still able to speak Ionian.

The man shook
 his head. "To attempt such folly is foolhardy. You could have fallen into the lake."

"Sorry, I didn't think about it. I just wanted to give him a chance to meet you." The red panda looked to the floor seeming ashamed of himself.

Shen reached down and patted the boy's head. "It will be alright. The spirits have guided me to you this day. It was foretold in the winds of fate."

"Oh? So uh…Kennen this is Shen." The smaller boy looked back at his friend who was still dumbfounded by the human's presence.

Kennen murmured. "I…I…know."

The man kneeled so he was closer to eye level with the two yordles. He pulled off his mask and gave a smile.

"Can I have your autograph?" The brown yordle asked, reaching into his pocket and finding nothing in there but a single bill remaining from the money they'd been given for lunch.

Shen looked confused he couldn't understand the yordle language. He looked over at Hailun in hopes he would clarify.

"He wants your autograph. He's a big fan of yours." Hailun put it rather bluntly.

Shen pulled down his mask so they could see his face. "What if I do something better? How would you two like to see the inside of the Citadel?"

"I think he would like that. Come on Kennen…he's going to show us inside." Hailun pulled on Kennen who was still in a state of shock.

The man held out his hand, waiting for each of them to take one of them. Once they had he began channeling energy as purple light flowed around them.  Within seconds they were teleported into the chambers of the Monastery itself.

"We have arrived. Tread lightly, this is a place of balance. You would do well to not disturb the peace." Shen let them go, allowing them to leave his side.

Hailun tugged on Kennen again who was still star-struck. It took a few more seconds before he followed along. Shen couldn't help but smile at the two. He had a soft spot for children and yordles were certainly no different than anyone else to him. They proceeded to walk around the complex. It was a fairly large single room that echoed when they made a step. Hailun's cast and walking stick made extra unnecessary noise. Some of the people inside stared at them as they passed by.

They soon came across some students who were sparring. They stopped and watched for a moment. Shen soon came behind them, sensing their interest in martial arts.

"Does he wish to participate in a round?" The man asked Kennen's friend as he could see the red panda was injured.

Hailun looked over at Kennen. "Do you want to spar?"

"Against one of them? Sure." The brown yordle wasn't one to turn down a challenge.

Kennen nodded at Shen and the man understood. The human blew air into his fingers, resulting in a sharp whistle that caused the two individuals to stop fighting amongst each other immediately. They stood at attention, waiting for his orders.

"Students of the Order, we have a challenger who wishes to test your might. Which one of you stands to take the challenge?" Shen said loud and calmly.

One of the female students moved to the center. Gender separation was not normal in Ionia. The student bowed and Shen nodded back to her.

"Tell him to take his stance on the opposite mark and to wait for my call. No weapons will be permitted. The first to score three strikes wins."  Shen explained to Hailun so he could translate back to Kennen.

The red panda relayed the message to his friend who nodded back to him. Kennen proceeded to the center of the makeshift area. It was a slightly raised platform with a rubberized mat to reduce impacts.

"No hits above the head. No weapons. Anything else Goes. We are to have a clean fight. Understood?" Again Hailun translated the instructions to the other boy.

The girl opposite Hailun was a human wearing the acolyte's garb of the order. A lighter blue robe that fit rather tightly against her form. She fixed her mask and tied her hair behind her head. Shen soon blew into his fingers making the whistle sound, signaling the beginning of the match. Kennen was the first one to make a move, heading in slowly, waiting for the opponent to do the same. Yet she remained still as if waiting for his blow.

Kennen continued to angle towards her, she positioned her arms in a defensive stance. The cub rushed forward, leaping and kicking into her. Her arm knocked him off without an issue but the boy landed on his feet with what seemed like catlike reflexes. She turned around to face him again, taking the same stance as if expecting him to come at her with the same tactic. Yet Kennen was no novice at hand-to-hand combat and was searching within for something else.

Kennen ran at her once again, this time running right through her legs, attempting to sweep from beneath. The girl was more than able to jump overtop him, bopping him in the rear.

"Ichi" Shen called out, awarding the first point to the boy's opponent.

The brown yordle backed away, contemplating his next move. His body turned bright blue as electricity flowed from within, making his fur stand on end from the static he generated. The light from his body glowed brightly, illuminating the area more than it already was.  Yet, even still the girl remained still in her form. Kennen's blazed forward at the speed of light. His movements are untrackable as he zipped across the floor mat. The sound of splitting electricity struck all around him as he reappeared on the other side.

The girl remained still before hunching over to the floor.

"Tomeru." Shen didn't bother to award him a point as it appeared he had hurt the girl.

Kennen's remained still as he cooled down. Some sweat poured from his brow and body as he tried to deal with the stress it caused him. Eventually giving in and allowing himself to slump in as well. Shen tended to his student while Hailun tended to his boyfriend. The brown yordle assures him that he was alright but the girl ended up being taken away. Shen soon approached them and spoke to them once again.

"That was quite the show. You should come back when you're older." Shen commended the young yordle and offered him a hand up.

Hailun translated the compliment and Kennen smiled. "Thanks. I would be honored."

Shen stepped away and grabbed a piece of paper before signing it and handing it over to the cub. "Here you are."

Kennen smiled and stood back up, squinting a bit. "Thanks."

"You know you shouldn't overdo it like that…right?" Hailun warned the other boy.

Kennen shrugged. "I only used a little bit of my power. I'll be fine."

"Now…I shall show you off the grounds. It is time for you to leave before the Order of Shadows arrives." Shen spoke to Hailun again.

The smaller yordle patted his friend on the back and explained the situation before they were shown out. When they arrived at the front gates, the guards were surprised to see children on the grounds. Shen told them not to worry about it and the yordles were let go without issue. They were politely shown off the grounds by one of the guards where they looked back at the Monastery once again.

"So…It's getting late and places here typically close early on the weekend. I have one other place I want to show you." Hailun said with a wide smile on his face.

Kennen stood up and nodded. "Alright, how's your leg hanging in there?"

"It's a little sore but I can manage a bit longer." In actuality his leg was throbbing but he wasn't about to give in on his little trip around the town.

They proceeded to walk together to the other side of town. Foot traffic was dying down as people were getting ready to turn it in for the day. The two boys were making good progress, even despite Hailun's injury. The cub had seemingly picked up pace as he didn't want to catch the place just as it closed. As they got closer to it the fauna and foliage of the area became much more dense.

They soon arrived at the area of town known as the Forest Market. Wide arches of leaves and flowers looped overtop them as several flocks of birds flew through the air. Lanterns were started to be lit to illuminate the area as very light from the sun seemed to penetrate that part of the town. Hailun stopped to take a deep breath. The scent of that area of town was decadent with flora and various fruit.

Hailun tugged on Kennen again, taking him under one of the entry arches. Grassy flourishes, sprouts, and sprigs curled up around them seemingly making them feel smaller than they were. Soon they arrived at the first stall, a vendor who didn't even notice them. Hailun poked at Kennen who continued to get distracted by all the sights and sounds he was unfamiliar with.  The red panda had a specific place he wanted to go in the market and wasn't about to miss out on it.

The two yordles continued walking through the market. Most of the humans paid them no mind and only a few even noticed them. The small critters were far from the norm in Ionia, though travelers weren't something that alarmed them. Hailun and Kennen arrived at stood atop a giant lily pad. When both of them remained there idle for a moment, the thing rose into the air taking them to the floor above.

The upper area of the market was much smaller than the one below. Only a few stalls of goods were laid around. The largest of which sat seemingly built into the very heart of the tree itself. Hailun led towards it. The entrance leading into it, enlarged as two humans emerged from within and then collapsed to close once they exited. Once the yordles were within a more personal distance to it, the thing opened once again.

They arrived in the shop to the sound of a small bell going off, indicating customers had arrived.

"Oy there." A high-pitched voice beckoned through the small room.

Hailun and Kennen approached the counter. The moment the red panda touched it, the thing lowered itself so that the two boys could look over it.

"Oh my, other yordles. Why allo there, kin. How can I elp ye?" The shopkeep approached
 the counter and straightened her long flowing her.

The shopkeep snapped her fingers, causing a wide variety of candy and treats to spin on a singular dish in front of them.

"Which one takes yer fancy?" The woman said as she showed her goods.

Hailun pointed at one he had before and pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket to show to her.

"Oy, a coupon…I see. Well right then! Coming right up." She touched the food dish causing it to disappear.

Kennen looked at his friend. "What did you order?"

"Just wait and see…" The cub hoped his favorite treat would appeal to the other boy.

The shopkeep disappeared for a moment, returning shortly after with a small box in her hand.

"I got ye' two. One for each of ye'. No charge for a fellow yordle of course. Come in again ya' here?" She said bowing lightly to them.

Hailun took hold of the box and smiled widely at her. "Thanks, ma'am."

They headed back out of the snack shop and Hailun took him to a branch that curved in such a way that it resembled a bench. The red panda eased himself down and patted the spot next to him, waiting for Kennen to join him. The bigger yordle smiled back at him before joining him on the chair.  Hailun peeled back the top of the box and allowed Kennen to take one before taking one himself.

"Well…go ahead and try it. It was my favorite treat before we moved." Hailun wanted to see if the other boy liked it.

Kennen didn't waste any time and dove right into the baked good. It was a soft and gooey treat, filled with apple tart. The thing was rather bitter but wasn't that bad. It was far from the cub's favorite but he wasn't about to disappoint his friend by saying otherwise.

"This is pretty good, yeah." He continued to consume it until about half of it was gone.

Hailun smiled back at him and the two proceeded to eat their treats together. The confections were rather small so it didn't take them long to finish. When they were done, the two sat there for a moment and the Red Panda put his arm over the other boy.

"It's getting late…maybe we should head back." Kennen didn't want to be late back to the hostel so they could make it back to return on time."

Hailun nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Let's head back."

Kennen helped the other boy up and they made their way back. Hailun knew the back roads of the city so the trek back didn't take them that long to accomplish. By the time they returned to the hostel, they arrived just in time to see Heimerdinger gathering all the students to leave back to Bandle City. It was time to return home, the field trip had come to a close.  Heimerdinger shook his head at the two lovers and proceeded to count one final time to make sure everyone was there.

Once he had confirmed that was the case, he told everyone to go grab their bags and return after they had done so. The students did as they were told. Heimerdinger opened the portal once again and proceeded to guide the students through it one pair at a time. When it was Kennen and Hailun's turn, the two were still holding hands and he smiled at them before motioning for them to go inside.

They returned home after traveling back to the Nexus. Each of the student's families was waiting for them on the other side and they all got to go home. Hailun and Kennen kissed each other goodbye, despite their parents only being a few meters away. Of course, Hailun had more explaining to do than his friend did. But they understood in the end how he hurt himself and didn't hold anyone responsible for the ordeal.

It had been a long trip and Hailun was looking forward to getting home. He yawned and stretched, peering into the sky and staring at the sky. He was glad he got to see Ionia again but just as glad to be back in Bandle City. After sharing the tales of his trip with his family, he retired to get ready for bed. Already eager to get to sleep and see his friends to start the day anew…and share their experiences.", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Ionian Excursion", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "1", "rating_name": "Mature", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "2", "name": "Nudity", "description": "Nonsexual nudity exposing breasts or genitals (must not show arousal)", "rating_id": "1" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "7", "views": "367" }