The Weapon of the Faithful

He complimented Alune on her good timing and the chosen location: as he was guided into a port town, surrounded by lush and gorgeous green forest, he saw himself enter vividly decorated and lively marketplace. The lanterns, lights and adornments suggested that the holiday was to celebrate various gods. Among many symbols he witnessed around him, he picked out several those that suggested the following of the Moon – the only thing close to heart. Alune, too, seemed to swell with pride when he made his way through the crowded streets. Although everyone was either masked or had their faces painted in accordance with their own preferences or favourite deities, Aphelios still chose to purchase a mask to conceal his identity; albeit he doubted any of the Solari were present here, he did not wish to compromise his position and the safety of the locals. His experience with the sun cult had shown him that the golden warriors were nothing but ruthless and they never shied away from sacrifices, even if the numbers came from the innocent bystanders.

It was Alune’s own demand that he’d remain there a bit longer; though he was on a mission to retrieve the said relics, he could sense his sister’s excitement when he eyed the stalls and the different products on sale: scarves, masks and dresses with intricate and careful designs, pastries, candies and toys that looked enticing under the candle and moonlight. Aphelios entertained her and purchased a scarf he sensed Alune eyeing, though it followed with a small pinch of pain in his chest. When would he ever see his sister to deliver her that little souvenir? For now, they both settled with Aphelios wrapping the silken scarf around his wrist and tugging at its delicate material with his fingers. Only several hours later, when he sensed Alune’s satisfaction after they’d looked through every stall (some a few times over), he finally abandoned the lively marketplace and disappeared from sight, exchanging the warm and comforting streets to the dark and cold shadows.

The full moon hid itself behind the dark clouds, illuminating the path Alune guided him towards only every now and then. Aphelios did not need the light to see the random branches and fallen trees in the dark, but he most certainly did not feel at ease in these strange lands.

I can sense it nearby. Alune’s voice echoed in his head. Aphelios finally halted and looked around; he’d been walking for an hour at least, his one arm extended and ready to summon any weapon in his arsenal; his other hand kept pinching at the silken strand tied to his wrist as if it could somehow assist in soothing his anxiety, anticipation and paranoia. The relics here… they are infused with Ionia’s magic. They are powerful. The assassin gave a short nod and then he began studying the surroundings. The soil beneath him seemed untouched for at least centuries – the flora was majestic, seemingly drawn towards any source of life and light, and their petals were luminescent and inviting.

Magical, he thought to himself, although he was certain his sister could also hear the admiration in his voice.

Aphelios, Alune reached out once more few minutes later. The assassin had ventured further into the depths of the forest, now reaching a small pond. He looked up towards the sky, hopeful, but his sister’s voice was now weary: I sense someone near.

The words of the stranger carried a heavy weight to them. Holy sites indicated that his sister’s intuition had been correct and they had stumbled upon a place that held magical inheritance, but was it explicitly that of Lunari? Alune was seldom wrong, but with how Ionia’s magic toyed around with intricacies of life, Aphelios began to think that it was a mix of everything that drew them near, not just the ancient artefacts they tried to gather.

Alune’s grasp on him seemed to tremble, but that not out of anticipation, but rather of fear and discomfort. He tried to reach out towards her, but he was only met with careful evaluation of the stranger.

I have never seen someone like him before, he finally heard his sister say, and that sentence heralded Aphelios’ curiosity. Although he reached out his arms, Alune just as ready to deliver him his weapons, the marksman turned himself around to come face to face with the being that donned a face of a man. I sense something malevolent within him, his twin stated, but her voice lacked the tone that demanded him to strike. She was cautious and so was he.

Aphelios dared to glance around once again, studying quickly the greens in the dark, and then his gaze fell back to the interrupting individual. Could he be a guardian of the site then? He’d spent seconds without having any projectiles directed towards him and, having faced off with Solari before, the marksman dared to consider himself lucky. Perhaps they could avoid conflict and bloodshed? Alune seemed just as lost as he was, but he doubted that this man – beast, thing, demon, however he wanted to identify as – would allow him to remain there for long without an explanation.

And this was truly something he could not provide. Not after consuming the juice so soon, at least.

What he knew of spirits, however, was that they often wanted to be appeased somehow, whether it be by a feast, a souvenir, or a sacrifice. Since he lacked two options, and he was not certain he wanted to know what type of sacrifice this one wanted, Aphelios looked down and studied the trinkets he carried with him. All of them were held the heritage of Lunari, but perhaps, if this spirit was there, he also held a connection? Maybe this little sigil could serve as a tool to convey his mission there?

Viego’s words and voice sounded like silk, but the look he studied Aphelios with did little to warm the young man. Shivers were unavoidable when he detected something akin to a hunter’s glimpse in the other musician’s eyes, but he made no attempts to back away just yet.

There was a moment of silence and Aphelios allowed the rock star’s words to sink in. His brow was raised in his otherwise impassive face, albeit, if Viego looked closely (which he was sure the other did anyhow), he’d see how his thoughts raced.

He and Alune worked hard on their craft, but unlike many other singers, they did not necessarily aim for the fame and glamour. The twins wanted to share their songs, their ethereal melodies combined with energetic and powerful tunes from metal and symphonic rock. It was not everyone’s niche, but they gathered their audience and critics thanks to the carefully sought out and perfected balance.

Regardless of the evidence he had with him, Aphelios remained silent, though even that could serve as an answer for the ever so perceptive man. Then he froze; Aphelios had never been a big fan of physical contact. His family knew that, his band mates knew that and even his fans knew that. The young man held himself carefully and always avoided getting far too close to others. So when Viego leaned in and held him, the guitarist was stunned by both surprise, confusion and, admittedly, respect.

When he was finally left to his own devices and he escorted Viego’s distancing form with his eyes only, Aphelios inhaled deeply and shook his head. This was certainly something. He took a moment to calm himself, to somehow force down the blush that had heated up his face before returning to his sister. Alune would certainly be very interested in meeting up with their new contact.

And so it was, a few days later, that they’d contact the other man – namely Alune was doing all the talking whereas Aphelios remained on the background, though just as invested.

The studio was reserved just for them now and the twins arrived there earlier than anticipated.

He was quite cryptic in regards of his expectations other than saying that he’d help us ‘unlock the transcendent music’. His anxiety had deemed it a bit difficult to speak and thus Aphelios had to rely on the sign language. Alune watched his hands move and then glanced up, anticipating a follow-up. Do you think this will mean we’ll change our course again, sister?

“Could be. I have seen him perform and I have kept an eye on his doings. Viego has orchestrated the first waves of change in the music industry, and I think we could learn something from that.” Benefit, Aphelios thought, but his hands remained on his lap, and he picked at the loose strands of his shirt. Everyone was seeking acknowledgement these days. “This could be our opportunity to learn something new, brother. See where the tides will take us. I think it is about time we’d expand our horizons.”

I. Aphelios looked up at Alune, noting her hopeful and excited gaze and then gave a nod. She smiled and he smiled back. Yes. I agree.

“I know changes are hard for you, Phel, but we got this. And think of it that way: we can finally work with your favourite musician. I know I’d be fainting if I’d get to be on stage with Evelynn or Yasuo. You’re holding yourself up quite well. Anyway, I’ll prepare us all some tea before he arrives.”

◈◇◈ ― It was not long before their long awaited guest had finally arrived at the studio in a discreet white vehicle. The hush that came over the building’s reception staff and the distinct sound of his boots would be the herald of his arrival.

“I do hope I am not fashionably late?” He humored them, catching the twins just as they were about to pour some tea. 

The man’s presence was… arresting. Just by the way he carried himself oozed with charisma and dominance, one can never put a finger on the kind of allure he gave off. His presence demanded your full attention where you can never seem take his eyes off him.

Viego smiled at them by the doorway, casually taking his sunglasses off before sauntering into the room towards the two. He has something slung over his shoulder, a large and hefty thing shaped oddly like a shaft that was tightly wrapped in cloth, which could only be his concealed legendary instrument. 

He makes a beeline for Alune, gently lifting one of her delicate hands to his lips.

“I do not believe I have been formally aquatinted with your sister.” He says to Aphelios, whilst not taking his eyes off her. Though it was Alune that had gotten in touch with Viego’s… management.

“Your brother must have told you all sorts of things about me.” He now addressed her while clasping her hand between two claws in a gesture of sincerity.

The smirk he gave them carried promises. But one can never be too sure to trust, agent of chaos that he is. A wildcard. In all honesty, Viego was not expecting them to take the bait and reach out to him as soon as they did.

Once settled, the rock star sat quite regally upon his chair as they drank soothing tea. He again praised the two of them for their dazzling performance a few nights ago the first time he had seen them perform live on stage. 

“Your ethereal sounds…  I believe that it is something I have been looking for, for a long time.” Viego confessed, “I love that you do not follow the forces of Trend. You have transcended them. Which is exactly the type of music that dabbles into innovation and musical counterpoints that this world so desperately desperately needs. For how can one appreciate the brightness of day when one cannot appreciate the gentle embrace of the darkness of night?”

He then sets his tea cup down, and takes on a more somber note.

The first thing the young man noticed was the presence – Viego’s charisma seemed to overshadow all, albeit his sister’s soothing presence was there to challenge that. She danced across the floor like an ethereal fae, her delicate fingers wrapped around teacups, each placed right in front of them all. Aphelios was glad for the distraction and he felt himself fall deeper into the comfortable chair. Alune always took the lead when dealing with potential customers or allies, and she knew how to stand her ground. He would not call himself weak in that aspect, Aphelios had proven time and time again that he possessed a strong spine, but conversing with others was a challenge on its own, especially now when he had been clinging to sign language since morning.

Alune smiled at Viego, dimples digging deep into her soft cheeks. “Oh, he certainly did,” she began, her voice smooth and polite. “But as you’ve probably saw, or guessed, Phel can be quite shy and modest. He failed to mention… what you’d call ‘captivating persona’. Cameras and pictures do you no justice.” Alune gestured with her hand, offering the whole room to the visitor.

Aphelios’ dark eyes remained on the smooth surface of the table right before him, but his attentiveness never faltered. He could tell what his sister’s expressions looked like when she conversed with someone, he could also easily guess what she was thinking by the subtle shift in position or even breathing. It was the other musician he was still trying to figure out, albeit it was becoming more and more of a challenge. Viego seemed to be in constant motion – like a river – crashing and soothing the bends and rocks at the shore, leaving an impact but never staying long at the same place.

He did not know what to make of this.

Alune, however, seemed to beam under the attention and even more so when Viego complimented their trajectory. “Spoken like a poet,” she chimed in. Her eyes fell on Aphelios, but momentarily, before she tilted her head in curiosity towards Viego. “Mhm, I was told as much that you’d be interested in developing something more unique,” Alune stated as she set her little cup down with a quiet ‘clink’ on the table. Aphelios looked up then, catching the eye of the other musician, but he could not linger long under the gaze of the other. He was overwhelmed, but if it looked like he was simply being shy in the presence of the scandalous rock star, his sister quickly caught on, though when she spoke, Aphelios was certain she misunderstood what Viego had meant with his words:”I am certain these are things we can fix in due time. Phel is quite talented in a vast array of instruments, and we have many unreleased demos that have not yet fit into our scene, but I am certain something can be done with those. It would be a shame to let all this material to go to waste.

This is a brand new Aphelios blog that is offering you a chance to channel your thoughts while he performs his duties to the moon and tries to ignore you while giving you a good shoulder to cry on or talk to at the same time!

  When he actually gets to “talk” (read: he will stop ignoring your attempts to communicate) to you, he will introduce you to his Lord and Saviour, the Moon, and you might win a first row ticket to a fantastic moonlight show performed by yours One and Only: Aphelios! (weapons included)

Don’t miss out for this next adventure and this magnificent friendship might just be yours!