-68- Prisoners

In the evening, after a short nap, Linwin got up feeling quite comfortable. 

Sleeping soundly was a luxury he hadn't experienced for a long time, especially in the treacherous sands of Shurima. Trying to sleep in the desert? Ridiculous! If you did that, you might end up buried too deep the next day.

The nights in Shurima were terrifying, with the yellow sand devouring everything and bringing countless dangerous creatures along with it. Calling them small creatures? Well, any creature that managed to survive in Shurima until now was probably not harmless.

Without the assistance of the giant creature Skallashi, nobody dared to sleep in the desert of Shurima. Linwin had tried using wind magic to envelop himself and sleep in the air, but the higher he flew, the less obedient the elemental spirits were. 

Those 'small' things had their own thoughts and preferences, reluctant to follow along. 

After a night of flying, Linwin felt extremely drained. The next day, his lips were purple, and his legs shivered uncontrollably, resembling someone who had overexerted. 

Flying too low, on the other hand, maintained magical energy, but occasional instability in control during dreams and the frequent intrusion of yellow sand, often resulting in spitting it out sand in the middle of the night, became a norm.

After a night of good sleep, Linwin was feeling physically and mentally rejuvenated. It seemed like everyone was in a good mood.

Linwin, upon waking, found both Twisted Fate and Graves asleep. Amused, he walked over, playfully extended his leg, and gave Graves a light kick. As expected, Graves groggily opened his eyes, and upon realizing it was Linwin who kicked him, he immediately started cursing.

"Damn it, let me go! Otherwise, I'll..."

Linwin interrupted Graves before he could continue and smiled, "Are you awake? Did you sleep well?"

"Ugh, yeah, not too well...."

Graves, a bit puzzled, scratched his head, showing a goofy expression. He quickly responded to Linwin's question but then anger returned to his face. 

However, before Graves could unleash another round of curses, Linwin spoke up.

"It seems to be around mealtime, Graves. Are you hungry?"

To everyone's surprise, Graves hesitated for a moment, licked his lips, and exclaimed, "Well, if you're offering food, I'm not saying no!"

Twisted Fate, witnessing this exchange, facepalmed in disbelief at Graves' behavior. However, he couldn't cover his face because his hands were restrained by a peculiar set of handcuffs – a Zaunite technological innovation rumored to be created by Powder for Vi. These cuffs were designed to make it easy for Vi to apprehend suspects, though she rarely used them.

According to Linwin, Vi's reputation in Zaun suffered because she tended to verbally gave a short warning before resorting to physical force. Handcuffs for someone who's already half-drad seemed unnecessary.

In recent years, Zaun has seen some improvements, but certain individuals still struggle to shake off their thieving habits, and among them, none is feared more than Vi. While other Enforcers issue warnings before apprehending suspects, Vi takes a more direct approach—punch first, ask questions later, sometimes simultaneously.

Linwin, satisfied with this piece of information, acknowledged the close relationship between Vi and Powder, given that Powder crafted a special Hextech weapon for her. Linwin mused on how his presence had indeed altered the dynamics.

However, Vi's penchant for violence seemed unchangeable, much like Linwin's own violent tendencies when he was in his teens. It appeared that this brother had influenced his sister.

Despite Vi's aggressive nature, no one dared openly criticize her anymore. This was partly due to Vi's exceptional combat skills, especially after donning the Hextech weapon made by Powder. Rumors circulated that even Vander, with a weapon, might not necessarily defeat Vi in a one-on-one duel.

Linwin always knew Vi was a natural-born warrior. Another reason for the lack of dissent was Vander's elevated status. As the current ruler of Zaun, Vander's authority was indisputable, and no one in Zaun dared to oppose him.

Vander, despite being aware that Vi sometimes errs, is extremely fond of his two daughters. His initial motivation for becoming the person he is today was to protect Vi. If Vi makes a mistake, as long as it's not a major issue, Vander tends to turn a blind eye, especially when it comes to her use of force, which he doesn't consider a mistake.

One should never try to provoke a father that have daughters, especially one willing to risk his life for their safety.

"Mark, go and bring in more food," Linwin, feeling a bit hungry, instructed his attendant. Seeing the ravenous look on Graves' face, Linwin arranged for some food to be brought in. 

After Mark, a relatively short and seemingly dangerous middle-aged man, entered with a large tray of food, Graves began voraciously salivating.

Graves complimented Linwin, saying, "You're not a bad guy. I like the fact that you don't mistreat prisoners."

Linwin: "." 

And while Mark fed Graves and Twisted Fate, Linwin enjoyed his own meal.

After finishing dinner, Graves, satisfied and no longer causing a ruckus, understood that he wouldn't be killed. Accepting the offered food, he jokingly mentioned, "If you could let me play a game of cards and throw in a glass of Shuriman wine, I might like you even more."

Linwin sighed, "As you said, Graves, you are a prisoner, so please don't make such unreasonable demands." He gestured for Mark to leave.

Mark nodded silently and exited the room.

"His demands are indeed unreasonable, but my request shouldn't be too much, as you're probably aware, Bel'zhun experiences a drastic drop in temperature at night, and it gets very cold. So, if it's not too much trouble, Linwin, could you please provide blankets for Graves and me?" Twisted Fate made a request.

"No problem at all," Linwin nodded.

Linwin had already anticipated this issue, having experienced the chilling nights in the desert before. Bel'zhun, just as Twisted Fate described, was scorching hot during the day but got unbearably cold at night. The drastic temperature difference between day and night might be related to physics or something about the heat capacity of sand, but Linwin found it more practical to accept this as common knowledge rather than delving too deeply into the science.

Twisted Fate, relieved at Linwin's agreement, thanked him, recognizing that despite his magical abilities, his physical resilience was not strong. 

During the day, both Twisted Fate and Graves didn't wear thick clothing due to the intense heat. Graves wore a gray tank top, while Twisted Fate wore a robe for shade, but it offered little warmth. Consequently, after a night in the cold, Graves might be uncomfortable, but Twisted Fate feared he might end up freezing his brain.

Linwin quickly fetched two thick blankets and personally wrapped them around Twisted Fate and Graves.

"Wait, Linwin, I think both of us might need to use the restroom first," Graves suddenly interjected.