Chapter 15: Two Worlds Apart

Burp. One down. The legs had quite a bit of meat on them, on par with some larger chicken legs. "Mutations from the Chemtech runoff, I guess," Orion thought appreciatively, despite the potential harmful side-effects.

Orion was about to take a bite into the second toad-leg when another voice interrupted his meal.

"Did you have fun?"

"Damn it..." A low grumble escaped him. Shifting slightly, he was caught off guard to see Vi standing there now with here arms folded. She eyes glared at him, her tone demanding answers.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Orion gave a tired sigh. "What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?" he joked, feigning ignorance of her love of Jericho's food as he turned back to his toad leg.

"Keep telling yourself that." She replied flatly, sliding into the seat next to him. Jericho let out a series of happy, loud noises upon seeing her. Vi immediately slid five half-bronzes across the counter with a small chuckle.

"Fish bowl, please."

Between bites, Orion asked curiously, "How can you understand him?" She shrugged as if it were normal.

"You just pick up on it," she said, her tone voice softening as her eyes drifted back at Orion's injuries. A tinge of sympathy crept into her voice, layered with curiosity and teasing. "Like a lot of things around here. Getting involved with the wrong people?"

From her angle, the hairline on the back Orion's skull revealed a slight gap, the skin beneath distorted skin and scar-like. She couldn't see his other injuries, except for the bruise on his chin which suggested he'd taken a hard hit, and his slightly pale, haggard complexion.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on? Is- Vander can help handle things if you're in trouble."

Orion's face twitched with slight irritation. He let out a sharp sigh before replying, "I'm not in trouble. An... opportunity appeared."

"Did the pretty smile get you?" Her tone dripped with sarcasm as she continued mercilessly. "From my view, becoming a punching bag isn't a very good 'opportunity.' Should I ask who's winning?"

"Wha- oh," His first word carried a glimpse of anger before realization struck him, and his tone softened. "No, this was from the morning. I got jumped."

Vi's gaze shifted slightly, a flicker of regret crossing her soft blue eyes. She glanced down for a moment, shifting uncomfortably before meeting his gaze again. "Sorry." she muttered, her voice quieter this time.

Just like with C, a bowl slide noisily to Vi. "Aw, shucks! Extra? Your amazing Jericho!" Befitting her age, her tone shifted to an upbeat cheer in response to the food, praising Jericho, who bubbled happily. Outside of the buzz of the market and sizzling of the grill, there was only silence as they ate their meals.

Vi broke it, asking between bites of blue fish, "When will you be back?" Her next words came as an obvious deflection, her eyes fixed on her food bowl. "Powder's wanting to show you a new sketch of Mylo already." She ended it with a faint smile, her focus still on the food.

"Soon enough- tell Powder to hold onto it for me for a day." Bones clattered on the plate as he finished, his reply casual. With a full stomach, his tone lightened, carrying a hint of amusement. Leaning in slightly, he teased, "Don't worry, I'll be back."

"I'm not worried," Vi shot back quickly, though her tensed shoulders raised slightly. She glances down, pausing as if debating what to say next, before looking back with a faint smile, "Just... Come back in one piece, okay?"

Orion leaned back, nodding. His reply was genuine, "No problem, just keep my jobs between us, miss leader," he teased at the very end.

Vi smirked, chuckling softly as her shoulders relaxed. "Sure thing."

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Residents from the undercity entering topside wasn't unusual. Citizens travel back and forth for work, delivering products or materials, though it was usually one way in that regard. The jealousy felt by many undercity residents- wishing they could have the same clean air and streets, wishing they could have more like the topsiders- resonated deeply within Orion.

Orion acknowledged it wasn't just the boy's lingering memories of jealousy but his own too, now experiencing it first-hand as he crossed the main Piltover bridge, the Bridge of Progress, under high noon of the following day.

He felt the disparagement, the disgust cast down by topsiders. Enforcers alternated, despite him being just a teen, between suspicion stares and warning glares. The first time it happened, he glanced down at his clothing. Compared to the clean, pristine attire of topsiders, he truly did look like a rat.

"Everything here is double, but it looks cleaner," he muttered, passing rows of food stalls.

Orion unfolded the parchment again. It gave him a path to Count Mei's Menagerie and described the details of the plant he was meant to retrieve, which troubled him.

"Red Blossoms- red as the name suggests. Pedals are toxic if consumed. Thorns cause mild paralysis..." The list of toxic attributes went on, describing every part of the plant: sap, seeds, stem, roots...

"How the hell am I supposed to collect it? Let alone steal it?" Orion grumbled, his thoughts swirling over the potential challenges of this assignment.

Grimacing, he spent the last of his money on a used dirty brown cloth sack from the undercity. He had folded and tucked it into the back of his pants. Hidden by his jacket and shirt, the rough texture was just mildly uncomfortable and itchy. 

As he drew closer to the menagerie, the surrounding buildings shifted dramatically, reflecting the wealthier elites and Houses of Piltover. Gilded mansions behind ornate gates, pristine workshops, luxurious shops, grand banks, and high-flying entertainment houses.

"I bet shoes here are worth gold," Orion remarked dryly, comparing the scene to some city spots in his previous world.

These thoughts trailed him before the path opened up to his final destination: Count Mei's Menagerie.

//AI Art Exterior in the comments.//