A fortress in the rain

It passed some hours till the Sun rose in the sky, and with the morning lights one grey rocky skin was turned into petrice. Her face contorted in a content smile while she cradled the bodies of two humans, her wings forming a dome around them. Letting still a gap in between for them to be able to get out of her embrace even when she went to sleep.

This time the burning and aching, and heaviness of the stone. Didn't take so much out of her, the pain was strong and really bothersome but she could take It knowing that her purpose was being fulfilled.

When the white was reaching her head she felt that pang again. Like when she had remembered her name at Jinx's questioning and mentioning of her light abilities. It was like her memories were caged in the back of her being, like a barricade of soldiers had formed and every time she tried to push past It, they fired at her with magic blasts, the substance colliding with her absorbing It, causing an overflow and exploding in a really painful blow.

And with that sense of feeling her head cracking for the explosion she groans and enters the realm of stillness.

[.......]

Jinx comes out of her dreamless sleep to the first rays of sunshine and the rattling around her along with groans.
When she finally opens her eyes she can see eyelids closed under white stone. No marble blue moves in the socket. She probably had gone to sleep too. Not in a really good state by the looks of her lips, the tusks biting upwards in a grimace.

With tender fingers she touches lightly up the gargoyles cheek.

“Wow, she's really soft. Is like sliding with socks against a pilties ballroom”

Jinx had sneak out a lot into the pilties houses in her teens. Sometimes to get Intel for Silco, others just to roam about those halls and mess around with them, leaving little presents in thanks for inviting her that kindly. Lux’s skin felt like a polish floor and it reminded her of a really familiar blue stone. Full of power and sorrow of those who had tried to harness its power . Was Lux full of that too?

Isha let out a yawn and stretched her little limbs, still in the embrace of the stone creature. Upon seeing her Jinx’s detached her hand from the gargoyle's cheek. Isha looked at her and then at the claw around her with the segments of the fingers with a line of gold that had been smudged a little with time. Would they make the same sound as Jinx's metal finger?

“We have found ourselves in quite the predicament haven't we kiddo?”

[She has gold fingers]

“Mhm? Uh well is seems like is just the joints”

[Kinda like yours]

“Nah kid, mine is full of cheap metal, our friend Lux here seems to have like real fuking gold as bones. Well i don't know if they are her bones showing out the skin or, shit is confusing”

Isha keeps looking at the fingers joints of the creature, she needed a bath too. Then she looked at Jinx moving her hands trying to say the name with the sounds she had heard. But it was complicated, she just patted the inward wing protecting them from the morning gentle wind.

“Oh yeah big girl told me her name when you passed out. Names Lux, right in the nose right? Think it means light”

Isha giggles, nodding, Lux was accurate to the firework creature. And then tries going out of the little living tent. Jinx following behind, Isha makes note of her guardians look of curiosity, just like she had when she was tinkering with a new toy, trying to see all of their capacities between her knowing hands.

So when they were both out of the embrace, she stared at Jinx. The pink eyed girl moved uncomfortably from one foot to the other, not looking at the child directly.

“Why are you looking so much kiddo? Do I have a monkey on my face or what?”

Isha rolls her eyes, crosses her arms and keeps with the stare.

“Okey little bun stop it, I'm not telling you shit”

“mhmmmmmhm”

“Nuh-uh, there is nothing to tell, if it was you would now, but there isn't”

Isha arched her brown.

JInx throws her hands up with a guttural sound, spins around and then comes back to the hazel gaze of this little shit of a child she has, while gripping her hair.

“Okey! Fine! I’m really interested in the golden knight dumbass but come on Isha! Is a moving gargoyle! A contraction made with magic? Born? I don't know and it is scratching at my brain with so many questions that I think it is going to split in two. Like how the fuck does she work? Does she have organs or is she full stone? ”

And Jinx starts moving around their little camp while mumbling a lot of stuff that makes Isha giggle. She knew her partner was gonna spiral sooner or later. She was a genius! She needed to know everything about the things that looked fun. And lux looked so fun!

“Oh yeah laugh it off kid, you are as interested as I am”

Isha nods without a trace of shame.

“You have to get that checked out you know, getting all trusting with weirdos”

Isha shrugs and moves her hands for a moment looking at pink and then sighs and decides to tell Jinx, there wasn't anything to lose. She needed it to tell her how important she was to her.

[Love you, mama]

And Jinx just stops the retort she was gonna come out with. Going around in her head about the language of movement she had learned from her first Dad, from the extensions she had grasped from Vander. But those were kinda the first ones they had tought her, along with sister and directions. She knows those words, she knows their meaning. She knew that they were family, that they had each other no matter what. But hearing her kid saying that? Acknowledging? It was too much.

She felt the tears fall to her cheeks without trouble, some purple mixing with the salt water.

ƳƠƲ ƛƦЄ ƓƠƝƝƛ ƦƲƖƝ ӇЄƦ

“No, no no please shut up, not know”

ƳƠƲ ƊƠƝ'Ƭ ƊЄƧЄƦƔЄ ƛ ƑƛMƖԼƳ, ƬӇЄƳ ԼƠƔЄ ƳƠƲ ƛƝƊ ƳƠƲ ƇƦƛƧӇ ƬӇЄM

“Please, please let me have this, let me rest, Isha loves me, she's my kid, i'm gonna protect her, she would be fine”

ƘƖԼԼЄƦ, ƇƦƛȤƳ ƁƖƬƇӇ, ƳƠƲƦ ƝƠƬ MƠƬӇЄƦ.

ʆƖƝҲ ƳƠƲ ʆƖƝҲ ЄƔЄƦƳƬӇƖƝƓ ƛƝƊ ЄƔЄƦƳƠƝЄ

ЄƔЄƦƳƠƝЄ ƜӇƠ ƓЄƬƧ ƇԼƠƧЄ ƬƠ ƳƠƲ ƊƖЄƧ

Jinx dropped to her knees clenching her head, the tears didnt stop, her nails making crescent moon marks with the force, the metal stinging her flesh, scribbles swirling around her eyes, more present hallucinations too putting their weight into her back, she couldnt breath. Please stop, please just once. Let her have something good going.

And then a really solid body was hugging her head fighting her fingers to stop their assault, little sobs, and nonsense sounds that were like a begging, but also a defiance to fight of the ghosts, to protect, to love, to make her mom stop hurting, and Jinx…with really unstable hands clutch to her little girls back, hearing a voice much more calm, she wanted to tell him to go away but he was already speaking in her ear.

“Start anew, do what I could never do, stop fighting the feeling of caring, stop the excuses. She is your daughter, never forsaken her”

And when she spoke, it almost sounded like an echo.

“Don’t cry…you're perfect Isha”

[.................................................................................]

The night arrived again and like that Lux awoke again, her roar making some birds fly away in the distance, she stretched out open her maw and let the yawn fly with her sleep.
She had dreamed that much could be said, of what she wasn't sure, it was fuzzy and chaotic, all she could remember was someone's voice saying her ... .name over and over again, going after her. But she couldn't make much out of it.

She opened up her eyes finally, and was met with a little bonfire made closeby, a sniff and she could tell the humans had decided to use some of the meat of the crag beast. Good it had lots of nutrients and their insides were soft and easy to cook by the fire, giving the gaps she had torn of the creature it wouldn't have been difficult to take some, and from the stab ether, but after today it would probably go to waste, at least for the humans, for the insects was going to be a five star meal.

Scanning around though she couldn't see the humans at all. Have they fled? Her wings curled into her frame and her tail went between her legs. Well lady Jinx have been really forward that they will just stay until night comes again. But Lux expected…maybe a goodbye?

And then she hears laughter approaching, her ears move at that, she is going to climb the trunk of a tree to hide in its branches, but she recognizes the sounds of these souls.
A smile comes to her lips and she stays put waiting for them to arrive at the little camp they had made.

“Oh you are awake big girl. Sorry we left you alone a little, we saw the village was really close when we went to drink in the river and decided to go you know shopping”

The little person at her side laughs more and by looking at them Lux can tell that they have fetched new clothes aside from the matching hoodies, the rest of their outfits are completely different, the foreign look now has been changed for the demacian style of leather and cotton.

She can also see under the jewels cloak tied to her belt at her hip was a crossbow and a dagger.

The kid also had a dagger tied to the belt and they both had new sachets.

“You really have been recollecting, you guys could blend in any market. Did you have that much gold on your person?”

Isha makes a gulp and does not meet Luxes face.

“Well blondie I just thought that things here worked by trading you see. We got all this stuff and the other guys got less weight to carry”

A gasp is heard from the creature, her wings expanding and coming back to a cape form, her face of outer discomfort almost sending Jinx cackling to the floor. This thing was really a knight wasn't it?

“I’m sorry my ladies but theft is very wrong! Those fine people had worked hard to earn and do all those contraptions. Is a dishonor to them!”

“Oh relax big girl yeah? They didn't need all this stuff they had lots of coins on their pouches”

Isha started moving her hands in a really odd way, and that cracking came back to Lux’s head. Shaking her head to take the feeling away.

“I’m sorry but what has lady Isha said?”

“She says sorry and that we needed it, and yeah shes not bluffing”

“I…I understand but next time please look for another route or at least…steal just from bad people not happy people”

Jinx arched her brown and looked at the creature with a new perception. Not so knight after all. Isha comes closer to her and Lux after that sentence lowers to her knees to be at the little girl's level. She touches her claw and she lets her move it, Jinx observes how Isha is teaching the gargoyle their shake and an odd smile comes to her face. When Isha does the pew and Lux imitates although a little confused she seems to understand that this is something really personal and a promise.

“I’m sorry I think I didn't tell you my name missie, I’m Lux and is an honor to meet you…well met you”

The gargoyle takes the little hand and brings it to her face giving it a light nuzzle making Isha giggle.

Jinx scoffs and moves closer to the pair giving a soft knock on the blonde's forehead making the blue marble move around confused.

“Well the pipsqueak here has taken a liking to ya. And you are kinda interesting yourself so we kinda want you to stay around. That sounds good for ya?”

The gargoyle squeals and hugs both humans, twirling them around moving her tail and curling her wings around them being happy by the laughter and retorts that come out of the jewels voice.

“Calm the heck down you big dumbass or I'm changing my mind!”

The gargoyle sets them down still smiling and Isha pats her cheeks lightly.

“Yes my lady, i Will calm, just a tiny bit”

Jinx rolls her eyes but doesn't say anything about still being in Lux's grasp.

“Let's go back to the tower”

Lux nods and releases them both. They start to walk back although Isha's steps are a little lazy. The gargoyle lowers her head close to her.

“I could give you a little gargoyle ride missie. I’m sure a mighty lady like yourself should have a mighty steed as well”

Ishas face almost glows at the prospect and she stops and brings her hands up asking for upies. The gargoyle happly complays and rests the little girl on her shoulders. The girl took hold of her hair a little but It didn't bother Lux.

“Miss would you be okey by teaching me that language you speak with your hands? I would love to understand your words”

Isha passes her hand through her blonde hair as if she was petting her but also saying of course. She made a whistle and Jinx turned on her walking at that.

“Yeah Isha don't worry i would give her some lessons at night while you sleep”

The Brown dyed blue girl pouts at that.

“You need your rest time kiddo. Don't argue with me on that. O shit even my peepers ar starting to not see a thing “

“Can you see in the dark lady Jinx?”

“Well see is an exaggeration, but mostly yeah, but is too dark now”

Lux armor starts to glow and a staff appears at her claw. She extends her light with it and soon enough a couple of light orbs are letting their way back to the fortress.

“You really are the Shiny, blondie”

“Thank you”

[...........]

They finally arrived at the tower, Isha on the gargoyle's shoulders fighting the sleep away and Jinx opening the little door. Lux lower Isha from her resting place and give It to Jinx Who cradled her head lightly to the shoulder.

“You deserve a soft place to rest, i'm sorry I do not have of that”

“Ey don't sweat It. Is not your fault, besides we ar use to It”

“No my lady, don't try to let me out of this thought. You wait right here I'll be back in a jiffy”

“What- where ar you-”

And soon enough the gargoyle was climbing up the tower, and disappearing on the roof. Since when did It have holes? And then Up her head a stomp was heard,then multiple and soon enough in the stairs hole was a blonde head . Offering down her claw.

Jinx adjusts her hold on Isha and gives her hand to the bigger one. Then she is being lifted up.

When her head comes out to the next floor she can see a bed of hay coming together with a cloak lay there.

“Some nights I lay on them when I don't want to wander around too much. Not much. But please take it, we could try and do more later.”

With the hands still together the blunette leaves the little child on the bed of hay and tugs her in with the back of the blankets.

“Is It good?”

“Yeah Big girl, thanks”

Jinx turns around and smiles at her squishing her claw and then the marble blue comes down to their hands together, a finger clawed traces Jinx's metal digit.

“What happen?”

“I was not great with authorities back where we came from, you see?”

“Theft too?”

“Complicated Lux, is complicated…”

“I understand my lady, i Will not push “

Jinx does the same and traces with her little fingers joints of gold.

“Are they like your Bones showing or something?”

“I don't have bones, the lines of gold are like those separations on your metal finger. They make my limbs move but theyre not Bones”

“So you're mechanical and Magic?”

“I do have biological parts as well though “

“Like?”

“I have a heart”

“Interesting. Is it like humans? On form i mean”

“Of that i'm not sure, and opening my chest would be troubling”

“I can imagine that much”

They end Up sitting against the wall Next to the bed. Jinx's playing with Isha's hair.

“Is miss Isha 's hair naturally brown?”

“Yeah, a little chocolate bunny. But she likes to have my style the little dummy “

“So It is paint?”

“Yeah i would actually get to try and get some, along with trinkets to modify my new toy”

Jinx gets a good hold of the new crossbow and swifts It in her painted hand as It was a gun long gone.

“Modify It?”

“Yeah to make It more right of my alley, Do you know about guns? Granedes?”

“I do know about guns, I think, but they ar not the norm in Demacia. The most explosive thing you could find would be a cannon or Magic.”

“Yet, not when I am through with Stinkmaw”

Confused by the name, the gargoyle turns her head to one side looking at Jinx.

“oh that's gonna be the crossbows name?”

“Yep. What blondie, find It crazy that I name my toys?”

“Not at all It is said that a good sword always needs a name to go along with it”

Lux nods proudly giving her companion a tusks smile. Then without minding the personal space at all the blunette lets Stinkmaw on the floor next to them and climbs to the creature's lap. The blonde doesn't do anything to stop the approach, she just observes the jewel eyed girl accommodate herself on her legs. Then she cradles her face putting one finger to one of her upper fangs.

“So do you have a name for those?”

“Fangs and tusks?”

The girl giggles releases her and rolls her eyes. Still in her lap. Then she takes a hold of Luxs armor by the neck of It.

“Is the armor part of your body?”

“No, i have a body under It”

“Oh”

There's a bit of silence in which Jinx lets go of her grip with a little cough and trying to get away the pink in her cheeks. Lux is also fighting the light in her cheeks at least the chaotic soul speaks again.

“Does your growing stick have a name then?”

“Pardon?”

“Yeah that thing that you use to cage the pig”

“My Magic staff?”

“Yeah”

“Mmm It doesn't. But it seems you are a professional at naming. Why don't you give It one?”

“Oh that is you don't have the creativity for It”

Lux's gruffs and holds Jinx by the waist. Jinx almost jumps seeing that those clawed fingers take almost all of her torso. Big girl indeed.

“I do have It my lady. But I'm now yours to keep. It is normal i decide for you to name my arsenal”

“Min-mine to keep? Okay, that's a little too much, big girl. But yeah I can help you brainstorm.”

“Good”

Lux's grasp stays put and blue with pink stay glued to each other.

“ Shiny”

“Lightsavior”

“Staff Bonbayas”

“Double Rainbow”

“Seriously, double Rainbow Lux?”

“I adore Rainbows! Tell me Lady Jewel, have you ever seen one?”

“Well Luxie where we are they're are not lots of Rainbows I'm afraid. But enlightening me, of how much of a cool I am for not have across one”

"Well, a double rainbow is a phenomenon of optics that displays a spectrum of light due to the sun shining on droplets of moisture in the atmosphere. Does that explain it?”

“O'God your a nerd”

“A nerd? What is that?”

“You blondie”

“I'm still no following my lady, could you put It on a sentence?”

“Sure. You are a nerd”

The gargoyle rolls her eyes (the sound can actually be heard, like rock rolling around).

“Take that in mind. How is your daughter such a smart missie having you as a teacher”

“Ey! I let you know that I'm a great role model”

“Didn't say you weren't my lady, just let the semantics to me from now on”

They stare at the other for a long time and then they both laugh trying to keep It quiet not to awake the very own smart missie.

“Oh so you are really going with us on the ride uh?”

“Well only if you want me too. I do not wish to overstep”

“No no, I…appreciate the help, i've never been a mother you know. Don't know if i crazy hare like me can take of a little bunny “

“Well no one is born ready, you just learn along the way my lady. And I can tell by looking into her soul that she is becoming a great fighter and person”

“Thanks…Lux”

A yawn can be heard from the girl and Lux gives her a smile.

“Thank you my lady for giving me company, now go rest with the little missy. I Will go back to my place”

Jinx stands up from the bench of Stone that is her lap and cuddles up to Isha hugging her protectly.

“You could stay with us, you know? Your an awesome warmer”

“I prefer being able to watch from outside. Don't worry I Will give the Stone my Magic to give your guys wartm”

“Okey…good night Lux”

“Good night my lady”

When the silent snoring joins the avalanche of Ishas snore. Lux smiles and tugs them in before going outside by the hole in the ceiling. She closes them again with the bubbles, heat Up the bricks and then go place herself on her perch, guarding their home and her humans with her humans with her staff drawn and her wings on display. This has been a great night.