"I carve my spears from poachers' bones."~ Nidalee, The Bestial Huntress
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"Where are we? This is not Kalamanda."
Shen looked around, "I do not know what Kalamanda looks like... you do. The teleportation is guided by the spirits according to your memories."
"Then the spirits have made a mistake."
"I believe the spirits have decided that you would be more of use here."
Gregori looked forward, "Here?"
Sprawled in front of them was a city in ruins. Fire raged across buildings, dust, sand and wind doing nothing to alleviate them. Parts of the earth were scorched from some kind of explosion. Bodies strewn about but the distinct lack of blood flowing was an sure indicator that they were in the edges of Shurima. Sand was a good absorbent for blood.
There were two clear sides from what he could see.
"Noxians." Shen pointed out. The armor on the bodies was the traditional Noxian grey.
Gregori pointed at a banner that still stood. "This was a Noxian settlement."
"Was?"
"Do you see them claiming the land now?" He pointed to the other bodies, "These are Shuriman clothes and the blades inside them are Noxian. Rebels maybe."
"Or a culling."
"Or a culling." Gregori nodded but then shook his head, "No. They are too well armed for a culling. Too many Noxian bodies as well. It is more likely that the Noxians were taken by surprise. This was probably an uprising and judging by the sighting front of us.... a failed one."
"They do not stop." Shen said as he sadly stared at the body of a dead child. The child's eyes were open, her face frozen in fear.
Gregori did not reply. There wasn't a point in doing so. Noxus was a conquering nation. Its foundation was built on countless bodies. He wondered when it would end. If they conquered all of Valoran? The planet? Would they eventually provoke something that would wipe them out entirely?
The last option seemed more likely. They might even tickle the fiddle near Demacia and wipe themselves out.
Shen stepped over a body and walked through the rubble. Gregori walked beside him, his attention focused on the surroundings.
Suddenly, both their heads turned toward south.
"Magic." Gregori said as the two picked up speed.
"Quite a large amount." Shen stared ahead.
The surroundings zipped past them until a large Ascended stood in the distance. Shen slowed down but Gregori sped up instead.
The Ascended had black skin, muscles rippling underneath. Its head was that of a dog with glowing blue eyes. A cracked ceremonial headdress stood atop its head. Its hand held an axe its size. A Shuriman skirt was wound around its hips. But what stood out was the blood flowing from it. It was injured. And badly at that.
Close to it, stood a group of humans. All of them weary.
The Ascended turned toward him and raised its axe in their direction.
A warning.
Gregori came to a stop. He held out his hand indicating Shen to do so as well.
"A Darkin thrall." The being spoke.
"No." Gregori replied. His voice carried through the distance despite not carrying the same weight as the Ascended. He raised his hands in surrender, "I am not here to harm you." He turned to Shen, "Neither is he."
The Ascended did not drop his axe at his words.
His eye then caught a person among the group.
"I know her." He pointed. "The one with the Chalicar."
The woman stepped forward. Her clothes were different from before and her hair was longer but she was still recognizable.
"I said that you could look for me at Targon if you ever needed help." Gregori said, "Five years ago, when you were hired by the Du Coteau girl."
The girl raised her weapon
"The man moving children across the desert." She spoke, "Why are you here?"
"We were aiming for Kalamanda but we ended up here." Gregori spoke, "Where here is.... that we do not know."
"You are at what once was Vekaura." Another young woman spoke up. She was shorter. A long scarf draped around her shoulders reaching down to her knees.
He could sense the magic rolling off her.
But still Vekaura. That was a lot further south than he had initially expected. This was close to Void territory.
"What are you doing on Shuriman land?" The Ascended rumbled.
"Azir." Gregori answered, "We are looking for the Emperor."
The Ascended stepped forward, he raised his free hand and reached out to them.
Immediately both men felt a profound weakness settle within their bodies. They swayed for a moment before both of them steadied themselves.
"I would appreciate it if you listened to us Nasus." Gregori said as he shook the weakness off. He held Caalyx out in front of him, "It is a long overdue meeting between an uncle and a nephew. And if everything goes well, it will wipe out both the Darkin and the Void."
"You are a host." Nasus observed the wrapped weapon Gregori was holding out.
"Caalyx." Gregori confirmed. "Your general. And you are obligated to listen to me. Military hierarchy."
"The armies of Shurima are being rebuilt and he is not the general anymore. Not after he fell." Nasus refused.
A sudden burst of wind rushed between the two groups. A faint bluish green color flowed within the winds, forming a small glowing bird.
"Listen to him Nasus. He is our last hope."
The bird faded away just as fast as it had come.
The axe dropped to his side.
"You have convinced Jan'ahrem." Nasus said calmly.
Gregori shrugged, "She was willing to listen. Now tell us.... what happened here?"
"Rebels who were not satisfied with Noxian rule rose up to fight them." The young woman with the scarf spoke. "But then they were attacked."
"By Xerath."
"But he did not finish the job, assuming from how you look." Gregori spoke, "Or did he run away?"
"He wanted Renekton to kill me. But we managed to escape. Thanks to this girl." He gestured toward the woman with the scarf. "I came here looking for this girl." He pointed to Sivir. "She must return to the emperor's side. The last living royalty. It is her responsibility to keep the line from dying."
"I do not want to be held up in a palace." Sivir replied immediately. "Are you going to take me there forcefully?"
"If you are expecting me to ask for your consent regarding this... Your expectations will remain unfulfilled." Nasus barked at her. "The Sun Disc can only stay functioning as long as there is a living descendant of the royal line. After the emperor rose once more, so did the Sun Disc. You know this. But he cannot keep it functioning. He is not human. There was never an Ascended king for this reason."
The many drawbacks of immortality. These Ascended gave up their humanity in exchange for their powers, it was the reason for their anthropomorphism. They chose an aspect of an animal in exchange for their humanity. And the Targonians decided that only a human could hold the Sun Disc up. To prevent the Ascended from getting drunk on their own power.
An looking at Nasus. It was clear that the dog was loyal. Even after all these years.
"You can have this discussion at a later date." Gregori cut in. "The Darkin are closing in on Ionia. War is imminent. And we need Azir's cooperation for the things to be ready on this end."
Nasus's head swiveled toward him, "You are bringing war to these lands once more?"
Gregori shook his head, "We are ending two. All we need from Azir and Shurima, is to move every man to the outer reaches of the Voidand hold it there until the war is moved."
"Many will die."
"The world will be saved." Gregori countered.
"You will die."
"A sacrifice I am willing to make."
Nasus stared at him in silence as his wounds began to knit itself.
"Then we begin our journey." Nasus spoke, "I will lead you all to safety, to the Emperor. Follow me."
-x-
"Would you like to speak with Caalyx?" Gregori asked Nasus.
Nasus shook his head, "No. It is better to have our conversation with the Emperor with us."
"He does not blame you. Nor your brother."
Nasus grunted as he trudged through the sand, "I am a strategist. I stayed far away from the corruption. Caalyx's overthrowing had nothing to do with me. My brother's madness and fury needed my attention. He wanted to participate in the war. But I could see what it was doing to him. He would have fallen to the corruption. I held him back. Even if Caalyx blamed me, I know that I am blameless."
Gregori appreciated that line of thought. Nasus knew that he could not be held responsible and thus did not bother with trying to prove the other side a traitor, completely removing himself from any guilt that the others had in the process.
"Are you from Ionia?" The young woman in the scarf asked.
Shen glanced at her, "Yes."
"I lived there for two years you know." The girl continued, "My master is Ionian."
"Your Master...." Shen asked calmly, "Does he belong to an order?"
"Not anymore."
"A defector?"
She shook her head rapidly, "No. No. He fought against the Noxians in the war."
"What is his name?"
"Yasuo."
"Of the school of wind. The one who slayed his own master." Shen recognized him.
"No!" The woman raised her hand, "Well yes, that is him but he did not kill his master! The nearby village was attacked and he had to save them, when he returned his master was no longer alive."
"Elder Souma was a frail man. It was his job to protect his master and school when the rest of the warriors were at battle. Leaving his post is the same as killing his master." Shen countered.
"Shouldn't he have left the village to perish?" Sivir, who was following close behind asked.
"Ionia protects its own. The land would have fought. And if it couldn't, I would have been sent." Shen replied.
"You were nearby?" Asked the scarf clad woman.
He shook his head, "I do not need to be nearby. As the Eye of Twilight, I can instantly travel across Ionia as needed."
"The protector of balance?" The woman gasped, " Why are you here? In Shurima?"
"Stopping the end of the world."
-x-
"Has my uncle come to overthrow me?" Azir's voice boomed the moment they stepped onto the stairs leading up to his throne right under the gigantic Sun Disc.
Gregori silently unwrapped the spear in his hand and and an equally booming voice exploded from Caalyx as his eye spun about taking in the sights.
"Ahhh home. Time hasn't done you justice has it? Azir! Boy! We have much to discuss."