The Fall: 36. Filling a void

Filling a void

-Can you walk now?- asked Anyssa.

-Yes, it's way better now.- said Ezreal, even though he wasn't sure if it was correct to say that his coal-black arm was "better".

Even though they tried to hide their thoughts, Ezreal knew what was going through everyone's mind. Most people always tried to take a glimpse at every stump they got to see. The lack of something, sometimes even the lack of knowledge, was something that baited most being into things. And having nothing but a dark cloud in the place that had once been his arm definitely called his companions atention.

Except for Tahm Kench. He never looked as someone who cared.

...

Lux was starting to feel fear. A fear that she had not felt for years.

The faces of the marching men were horrible. Noxus and Demacia had allied for nothing but the sake of killing and massacring. Those sick being preferred to call themselves a hunting party, but they were nothing but an army. A huge army marching towards an enemy that they didn't really know, parding just for the sake of blood gold and pride.

She could also see it in their faces they didn't look at her as people would normally do. Darius saw in her nothing but a weapon, Malcolm's look scared her even more than when he had taken her hostage into Riven's body and not even her brother's eyes could make Lux feel more calm. Garen didn't look like the man he had once been.

...

-How is it working Mr. Ezreal? -asked Tahm Kench.

He had not told the rest was was going on, but it was definitely time for some words. It was clear that they wanted an explanation, and Tahm Kench's comment had sparked some curiosity in them.

-Looks great. -answered the Prodigal Explorer.- After some training it's working even better than before.

Not even LeBlanc could believe what they saw afterwards.

They were not getting there late.

...

Everything would bend to their will. Darius wanted Thresh's head, and the Hand of Noxus had made Garen believe that LeBlanc and Darkwill, those who had disappeared after Draven's death, were the ones to blame for what had happened to Jarvan. Malcolm coudln't believe that Darius was letting him live; maybe it was because now he had something to fight for. Darius had always known that Malcolm had nothing to do with his brother's death, even though he knew wrong; that was the only reason that Malcolm could find for Darius to ignore every chance he had for chopping his head of.

How would they react there? How would it all be when they got there? He could feel Thresh's mark on the soil they were stepping on, he could feel the deathhug of the Shadow Isles around the Kumungu Jungle. They were definitely closer to Darkwill than them.

If it all happened as Aalcox and Aatrox expected, Darkwill would leave in front of them, escaping with Thresh, LeBlanc and all those that these two armies blamed. With no one to behead for revenge, they would surely turn onto each other.

-Are you enjoying the ride, Astor? -asked Malcolm to the albino merchant.

...

He could feel it. She was closer. But Thresh was not the only thing he needed to get her free; the chain warden would not handle her to him that easily. He needed Malcolm's girl. And he wanted LeBlanc to see it.

He had been planning it all for years. He had tricked everyone into it, he could not fail now. Another mistake like Galio's death was not a possibility.

The Fall: 35. The Stalker's Pray

The Stalker's Pray

Sona could not understand it. Shyvana's words had left her broken-hearted; she could not believe what the half-dragon was saying. Taric was not mean, he was not being selfish.

As much as she repeated those words to herself, they wouldn't kill the doubt that had sprouted into her heart. Taric, the calm knight that had always been there for her, the sympathetic person that had always been eager to lend a hand when needed, the warrior that had been a fierce leader when time called for it; the one and only man she had trusted enough to fall in love with.

Shyvana had to be wrong.

Those were difficult days at Bandle City. Everyone was hurrying up, trying to get their things ready for the departure. Nervous and noisy, the Yordles were always going from one place to another. "No more scouting lady, but I can still guard." used to say Teem when she found him on Bandle's City's walls. "Heimerdinger asked for some help." usually grunted Rumble "He can't handle all this mess alone, no matter how many machines are helping him.".

She could not answer. In Bandle City, no one was interested in her etwahl; whenever she played it for a while, most Yordles usually asked her to calm the tunes down instead of resting and relaxing with her. That was why she walked and stalked, looking at what everyone was doing, knowing that she could not help. Sometimes she just looked for Taric without him knowing it, just for the sake of seeing him.

He looked calm, he always did. Nothing had changed in his face, not even the day when Shyvana decided to leave Bandle city.

...

A few days of rest and LeBlanc was fine enough to walk by herself. Up until then, Yasuo and Lucian had been taking turns to carry her. While they walked and talked she was absent-minded, on her own world of plans and rules, wanting to focus on her objective, but unable to do so.

The man that she had chosen to follow her had risked his own life to save her. That was something that had not happened once in her whole lifetime before; not even Darkwill, her companion since LeBlanc could remember her own existence, had risked even a bit to save her.

But Ezreal had not doubted. He had jumped in in the blink of an eye, if Tahm Kench's words were to be believed. Without even knowing what he was facing, he received the obsidian's hit right in the arm that usually held his Shuriman artifact.

That was why she could not stop looking at him. Tahm Kench carried him over his shoulders. "Some fresh air will do good." argued the Demacian gunslinger. As usual, both Tahm Kench and Yasuo had supported his idea, so she had let the River King carry him.

In the end, they needed to get there in time.

Darkwill would not wait.

...

He had been working on this for so long.

Aatrox would love the coming years, Malcolm was sure about that. He and Aalcox had been preparing it all for the bloody bastard; still, there were things that escaped to their reach.

The armies would march, Lux would die and Darkwill would tear the world apart in front of them.

At least that was how he thought that everything should work out.

...

He missed her. He wanted to be back with her, to rest in the safety of her arms. To enjoy the comfort that her smile had always blessed with to those who witnessed it.

He had been waiting for so long.

But the wait was about to end. It would all be over soon.

The Fall: 34. The Trailblazer's Path

The Trailblazer's Path

The yordles had prepared a small building for them to live and rest after the long escape they had gone through.

-I told you that we're not the first leaving, Shyvana. -calmly said Taric.

-That's not the point Taric! -answered Shyvana, who was clearly nervous.- You tricked us into this!

-There's a reason for it, Shyvana... -said Taric on his typical tone, trying to fade out the rage that had lighted up in the half-dragon's heart.

-Your loneliness! -shouted Shyvana.- Is it the fact that you were not called? -angrily pointed out the Demacian warrior.- You know you're not one of us, Taric!

-Why won't you trust me? -said Taric, with his voice rising in volume and deepening it's tone while his gems glowed like bloodstone.- The Trailblazer has always been around here! We'll find the way back into those days!

-They won't be back, Taric.- said Shyvana, with a lower voice.- You met Zilean long ago, you know how ill he is. What he said cannot be blindly trusted.

-It's not about him. -clarified Taric, his voice calming a little while his shield glowed like a ruby.- It's not about a twisted legend that's thousands of years old, Shyvana...

-Then what's it about? -asked Shyvana, tired of Taric's words.

-Just trust me. You'll see him before Bandle City leaves. The caretaker always comes when he's really needed.

...

They needed a pause. Both Lucian and Yasuo had been following Tahm Kench's orders for long. He was supposed to know where they were going, but Yasuo didn't trust him enough and Lucian didn't even know about Anyssa and Ezreal.

Also, he didn't know how they were faring with their wounds.

...

Nothing but pain.

His arm was aching as it had never been. Jayce was supposed to have fixed the artifact, such a reaction from a hit was not expected. What had that monster used? What weapon was he wielding? It had shone as nothing Ezreal had seen before. And Ezreal, the prodigal explorer, had seen quite a lot of things.

It reminded him of the stones he had seen at the Shuriman tombs; painted in the walls, it looked like those stones had been used to keep something out. The question is; what?

...

An obsidian blade. LeBlanc had not expected an obsidian blade. She hadn't even expected the attack, but if it had been a normal beast she could have simply dashed out of its range and stop him. But, why was she alive?

Usually, an obsidian blade would have killed her in the instant that it got to pierce her skin. She could feel the pain of it, but she couldn't tell where her wounds were. She was simply aching, her whole body in pain and paralyzed.

Still, if hat was the case, someone had stopped the monster from getting to her.

Someone was foolish enough to try to save her, and she loved every detail of it.

...

Hecarim and his army reached him hours after he had finished with the last remnants of Xin Zhao, and after him came Kalista, Mordekaiser, Karthus and more.

It had been difficult for Thresh to convince them all of joining him; most of them had had some highs and lows between themselves during the last hundreds of years, but when Thresh made a call of this type they were all eager to follow.

-To the Kumungu jungle, Hecarim. -said Thresh.

Without an answer, the Shadow of War marched. He had been needed to guide the rest; now he left, since Hecarim had never liked Thresh's tricks. No one liked to fool around with Thresh's lantern.

...

When LeBlanc started to feel better, Tahm Kench explained it all to her.

Rengar was the name of the beast that had attacked them; he had never lived in a place so close to where they were by then, but someone had invited him to make a stop by her. Darkwill had given the beast the idea.

-Do you really think I don't know how he got the Obsidian blade? -said LeBlanc, still aching a bit but now able to hold herself on her feet.- Answer my question, you demon.

-You may only have a slight hint, but you can never know something you didn't witness. -answered Tahm Kench, clearly mocking LeBlanc.

The Fall: 32. The Hunter's Night

The Hunter's Night

Rengar didn't understand it.

What had gone wrong? He had done exactly what he had been told. He had followed Darkwill's rules and Tahm Kench's advice, yet he had failed. That's what this had been; an utter failure.

At first he didn't understand where he was; a huge hall, with windows that showed a dark seabed that surrounded him. The room was empty but for a small creature with a trident, inlaid in armor and ready to fight.

Where was he now? It didn't matter anymore. It looked like, again, he had to fight for survival. The white beast let go one last roar before jumping into the fray that the Atlantian palace's room was about to become.

...

Tahm Kench had carried both Ezreal and Anyssa.

At first it had looked like a trap or something, but Yasuo had to trust the River King; he didn't feel like facing such a demon, not after what had just happened some days ago.

Still, the walk was silent, and he had grown used to Ezreal's talking and Anyssa's orders. The lone wanderer was not as comfortable as he had once been while walking in silence. That's how his conversation with Tahm Kench started.

-Mr... Tahm Kench? Is that your name?-asked Yasuo, without exactly knowing how to ask what he wanted to know.

-Call me King, call me Demon... The River forgets the name of the drowned... -said Tahm Kench with a nostalgic touch in his face.- But yes, Tahm Kench is one of my names. What troubles you, outcast?

-The battle at the riverside some days ago. -straightforwardly pointed out Yasuo, ignoring how the monster knew about his past.- What happened there? Why did that beast attack us?

-You're not asking the right questions, Yasuo. -whispered Tahm Kench.- Or should I call you... Yone?

...

He could hear them coming.

Thresh had told him to start marching before they arrived, as if he knew at exactly which point they were meeting without having talked with anyone at all.

-You haven't even whispered to your damned souls. -shouted Xin Zhao.- How are you supposed to know what to do?

-Some of us have plans, Seneschal.- said Thresh.- When you know what's lying ahead of you, it's easier to know what to do. Don't you agree?

-You call everything a plan... -whispered Xin Zhao, clearly annoyed.

...

Thresh had brought Xin Zhao down quite fast. The Demacian seneschal had not expected the hit that had brought him down in a second; a death sentence that had been written since they met. As a flayed and tormented soul, Xin Zhao was still alive. Still, he was nothing but a parasite now.

-You understand it now? -asked Thresh, his ghostly voice coming out of Xin Zhao's rotten visage.

...

-Swain is ready to leave with them. -said Aalcox.

-The girl will be there too; the Noxian and the Demacian army will march, and she'll take the lead with those weak kings. This battle might be the greatest of them all, Aalcox...

-Remember what our plan is, Aatrox. -said Malcolm.- This is not only about the greatest battle; this won't be a bloodshed of a week and end; we've got to make the worls sink with Darkwill.

-Is he really leaving?- asked Aatrox.

-You never listen to Thresh, don't you? -pointed out Aalcox.- The female Ziraeth that can still transition gives him the information just as if he was working for her.

-Haven't we fooled enough of them during their existence? -asked Aatrox.- Their whole species is coming down, can't they see it?

-They know it Aatrox.- calmly answered Malcolm.- They just don't care. They're nothing but weird specimens of a weird species.

...

It had taken a long time, but Tahm Kench had narrated Yasuo's life from beginning to end, taking into account details that even the unforgiven Ionian swordsman had forgotten. Now he understood; Tahm Kench was not a being to mock and poke.

-Are you going to ask the real questions now Yasuo?

That is how he learnt who Anyssa was. That is how he learnt what she was and why he and Ezreal had been chosen. He also learnt who they were looking for and where they were marching afterwards.

...

Night had finally reached the hunter's life.

He had craved for a worthy opponent, and Tahm Kench had given him what he asked for even though he had failed. He knew what was coming next.

Rengar was bleeding, his only working eye covered in dry blood. The slippery blue creature had managed to avoid every single trick he had prepared for a fight like this. The little trickster had been a fight that he had been wishing for long.

Even though he hated to recognize another being's strength, facing an opponent like that one before dying had been a dream for long. A daydream that let him awake hour after hour, day after day, both in the search of a prey and taking care of his surroundings.

Now he could finally rest.

...

Meanwhile, all around Valoran, countless little beings wandered through the lands, blessing forests, paths and lives while they crossed a land that was about to change forever. Those who were busy with their own things didn't see them; meanwhile, every single child from Runeterra had noticed that something huge was about to happen.

But adults don't always listen to children, do they?

Adults tend to be busy.

The Fall: 30. Alone in the dark

Alone in the dark

No clammy slobber; Tahm Kench left LeBlanc into what looked like an ancient palace. The room she was in was completely empty; no furniture, no illumination, no life. The only light that dared get into that rotten place was the one that strangely passed through the windows, that showed a world sunk underwater.

-What did you do with them? -asked LeBlanc.

-They asked the wrong questions. -answered the River King. 

The words, followed by an uncomfortable silence, were nothing but a mock, and Tahm Kench's laugh showed that seconds later. A laugh that made the very same walls of that place tremble, a laugh that could be listed with the few things that disgusted LeBlanc.

-Of course, they were greedy. They asked for too much. -explained the ancient monster.- You know how it all goes. I was hungry, they had a debt to pay. Am I right, Fizz?

A door opened, and a yordlish water being entered the room. His mouth was full of pointy teeth that resembled those of a shark; he carried a rusty trident and was wearing an armor that looked hundreds of years old.

-He's just a child. The last atlantean child. -said Tahm Kench.- He wished too much, yet he got it all.

The yordlish being grunted a bit, only to show that his mouth was sewn.

-That was not his fault; you already know that I hate those who can't stop talking and sobbing. But you didn't come here for this. What are you looking for, Ziraeth?

-There are a few things I want.

-Then I guess that there are a few things you're willing to give me...

-You'll have Valoran once I'm over.

-What makes you think I don't have it all for me already?

-Well, you're still here.

Tahm Kench's laugh drowned the room again. It looked as if the windows were about to burst, letting the water in. But she knew that things didn't work that way here.

-You're a funny girl, aren't you? -said the River King.- But jokes aside, what will be the deal?

...

-It's been days since you said they were coming. -said the remnants of Xin Zhao.

-Yes, I told you we would wait.- pointed out the Chain Warden.- History is not always written with battles, races and conquests; patience is an important part of it, Viscero.

Xin Zhao was not worried about it; the only thing that mattered to him was that, without knowing why, he was starting to feel stubbornly alive again. And the first thing he had felt was fear.

...

"And that is why they used to call me the harvester of souls." thought Thresh. He was sure that when he had met that man there was no single sign of a soul or anything similar. It was a body without will, a bunch of meat and bones living just because it had to. Just because it could.

With time, he had grown a soul on the man; one that was both new and old. He could sense the footprints that the past had left in that body, and no newborn soul was immune to its recipient. But the new soul had something different.

This new soul could feel fear.

And Thresh was yet to know if that was a good or a bad thing for him.

Still, only a man that knew fear would be able to inspire a true fear.

...

When Lucian woke up, only Darkwill was still there.

-She will come.

-Who? -asked the Demacian gunslinger.

-You'll know when time's due. What will you do when she does come?

-How should I know? -asked Lucian.- I don't even know who she'll be.

-She'll tell you lies.

-How do I know that it ain't you the one lying?

-It might be both.

-You're not helping me...

-I am, believe me.- said Darkwill.- Once you meet her allies you'll understand me.

-I cannot follow your words.

-You just have to kill them. The three of them. And it will all be over. You'll know who and how in due time.

Lucian had no time to answer; Darkwill was nowhere to be found.

...

Meeting that man always reminded him of Senna. Valoran had once been beautiful, that for sure. But without her, this world made no sense; at least not for him.

He would leave Valoran, just like Senna had done. They'd be together again.

The Fall: 29. The Ziraeth, the King and the River

The Ziraeth, the King and the River

He should have been around there, but the river king was nowhere to be seen.

-Are we waiting for something?-asked the ionian outcast.

-You are definitely slow concerning some things, Yasuo. -pointed out Ezreal.

-He should be here. -said LeBlanc.- Do you hear me Tahm Kench? You should already be here!

...

Anyssa, the blonde girl, was cursing at the river while he and the Piltovian explorer rested nearby. When he was about to start laughing at the ridiculous situation they were at, he saw it happen.

-Patience my lady, patience.- said a frog-like being. A giant frog-like being that responded to the name of Tahm Kench.

-Sorry Mr. Kench.- said Anyssa.- You already know that I grow uncalm with ease.

-I didn't remember it, but I have already noticed LeBl...

-Anyssa was my name, sir!

-Ok lady, ok, sorry for the confusion! -politely apologized the river monster.- Your aura reminded me of someone I met long ago.

-There's something I need you to help me with, River King. -said Anyssa bowing to Tahm Stench.

And then he swallowed her and disappeared into the river.

The Fall: 28. The River King

The River King

-And you said we were going to...

-Demacia. -firmly answered LeBlanc, interrupting Yasuo's questions.- There's someone there I'm interested in.

-And the forest is the only way you know? -asked the former lone wonderer.

-The forest is not our way, that's just the closest path to the river. -said LeBlanc.

-Are we sailing? -asked Ezreal.- You still need to explain me what's your plan, lady.

-Why should I?

-I came because of a promise.

-And it shall be fulfilled.

-When?

-That's not a question I will answer anytime soon.

The group marched non-stop, the blonde girl leading them through the tress and moss. Doubt was being nourished by the Ziraeth's words, but fear was still stronger.

...

Gnar was jumping on Rengar's shoulders, sometimes falling onto the ferocious beast's head, ignoring who he had in front of him. Galio could not believe that the voice he was listening to was the one of the Ziraeth. He could not understand why he was there, in front of him.

-The migration Galio... -started Darkwill.

-That's none of my concern, Ziraeth.- answered the Gargoyle.

-I'm giving you a second chance because I'm trying to behave with who I once thought of as a friend.

-That was thousands of years ago, Darkwill. -answered Galio.- Demacia is my home, as it has been since most people in Valoran remember.

-But you know who you are. -answered Darkwill.- You know what you are, and you know that they don't like you.

-It's nothing but a cycle, Darkwill. You've seen it run through even more than myself.

-This time it will be different. -prompted Darkwill.- This is a whole new thing.

-That's what you always say. You said it ten thousand years ago and you'll say it back in a hundred thousand more. -Galio said while starting to take flight.- I'm not going with you, Ziraeth.

Darkwill was sorry. He did not look as if he was though; feelings are not supposed to be shown by gods. But he had to do it. Galio had to come, or his end would come here and now. That's why he gave him another chance.

With a heavy sound, Galio crashed onto the ground.

- Why?-asked Galio, now more seriously. Darkwill could feel the doubt and fear in his eyes; it had been way too long since he had seen the Sentinel's Sorrow that way.

- I already told you. It will be different now. Ages will come and go before we get back here. This kind of people don't deserve us.

-My answer is still the same, Darkwill. I'll see my old friends die as monsters if that's what I have to go through, but I won't leave this people behind.

-That's not how it works, Galio. -said Darkwill. His heart was breaking, but he couldn't show it to the outside world. Galio had been, together with LeBlanc, the darkins, the archmages and others of the gargoyle's kind, one of the few that had been around since the Ziraeth remembered his own existence.- This is not how this was supposed to end, Galio.

...

Rengar could not believe what he had seen.

The demacian gargoyle was nowhere to be found, and Gnar had suddenly transformed while on his shoulders and jumped towards Darkwill, who had completely ignored the huge beast that laid in front of him, aggresively roaring.

-He wants him back.- said the Ziraeth, talking to Rengar.- Looks like your friend really liked that old gargoyle, but he's smart enough to avoid a fight.

He knew he couldn't trust that being, but Rengar had no options left. After seeing what had happened to Galio, he knew that he did not want to share the same ending.

-You are a curious case, Rengar. -pointed out Darkwill.- Both Vladimir and Warwick were clearly magic users, but you... you are nothing but a beast.

-Keen eye.

-The point is that there is no place for you.

-This forest is my place.

-Not for long.

-Are you threatening me?

-Just look at what's going on, beast. -said Darkwill.- A half-dragon, a thousands of years old gargoyle and a handless yordle appear in your forest, and in less than a day this gun-wielding man and me come through. There's way more to come, and Tahm Kench is not the only one.

...

-Got what you needed, dear Ziraeth. -said Tahm Kench, the river king.

-Get it off me. -prompted Darkwill.- Do you see it Rengar? That is for you. -he turned towards Tahm Kench.- Give it to him and explain him the deal.

-Remember our business, Darkwill.-said Tahm Kench.- Vows are meant to be kept, and I shall keep both parts of mine if you dare not redeem this debt.

-Just do your job and I'll do mine.-said Darkwill, before disappearing, vanishing into thin air.

Ziraeths were always annoying. Greedy, gullible bastards that thought of themselves as gods when they were nothing but mere mortals. Tahm Kench would love to tell them the truth, but he would not dare. He had lived through way too many god wannabes.

Sometimes, silence was the funny way.

...

-Will this stop her? -asked Rengar.

-Yes, didn't you notice the fear in Darkwill's face? -said Tahm Kench.- This is why there are only two Ziraeths left.

-Why didn't you kill him then?

-Oh, that would ruin the game.-said Tahm Kench.- There's a word to keep, there's a job to do. And that's what we all live for, right?

-If that's what you mean...

-You'll keep your word and I'll keep his.

-Will Gnar be safe? -asked Rengar.

-The prehistoric being? I can't promise anything. -said the river king.- He's not part of any deal.

-He is now. -said Rengar.- Keep him safe.

Rengar took the obsidian shard and jumped into the river, just like Tahm Kench had told him to do.

The Fall: 26. Acceptance (Impotence)

Acceptance (Impotence)

-What are you doing here? -said Yasuo. He could trust no one; he never knew if who he met was just another assassin sent to get rid of his existence.

-Ask her. -said the blonde man, pointing at the girl that was at his side.- I just follow orders.

-What was happening here... -timidly whispered the blonde girl- My name's Anyssa. -said a bit louder, with a shy smile on her face.

-I'm Ezreal.

-A name is not something I give so lightly. -answered Yasuo.- What are you doing here?

While waiting for an answer, Yasuo smoothly moved his hand towards his sword. A huge surprise it was when he found out that there was no blade to be wielded.

-Are you looking for this? -said Anyssa, holding his sword on her hands.- Here you have it!

Suddenly, the blade was whirling in the air; she had thrown it towards the mist-covered water. Yasuo could see how the sword would be lost and, with it, his purpose to keep on living.

-What's your name? -repeated the girl.

-Yasuo! -said the Ionian outcast while dashing towards her, fist ready to hit.

-Good to meet you. -said Ezreal with a smile on his face, his fist in contact with Yasuo's and the sword on the other hand.- Here it is. -said while hanging the blade to him.- You're coming with us, right?

Who were these people? Yasuo had no idea. But they could have definitely killed him if they had wanted to. Now he had no chance but to follow them; he knew they were powerful, and he was too tired to try to overcome such a duo.

...

While going back to her mime's place, LeBlanc smiled. She had found the man she was looking for. Ezreal had stopped Yasuo from hitting her without hesitation, and that made her feel as she had never felt before.

-Ain't it strange to feel protected? -said LeBlanc to herself.

The Piltover blondie was definitely the right choice, and the new Ionian addition was definitely what she was looking for. They would be useful. Maybe they would be able to stop this nonsense. Now she only needed the Demacian guy.

...

Luckily, the mines had recently been used to escape. Yes, the path was crowded with the beasts that the so-called "Demacian justice" had casted outside of their city-state, but at least he was able to walk his way out by running and shooting.

The dark of the caves was only fought by the lights of his pistol and Senna's, that were shooting the life out of every being that dared reach his sight. Still, he felt as if he knew the path. As weird as it sounded, it was as if the lustruous stones were guiding him through the dark cave.

...

-We're leaving someone behind.- said Taric.

-Galio will reach us when it's time.- roared shyvana, that was rampagin through the forest, clearing his way towards Bandle City.

-I don't mean him. -answered Taric.- We need to turn back.

-Look at the yordle, Gem Knight.- said Shyvana with a peremptory voice.- The man that's late can wait.

With unease, Taric accepted the half-dragon's words. No one should be left behind in days like these. Specially if it was the man he thought it was all about.

The Fall: 22. Echoes

Echoes

-Fancy meeting the boss, kid? -said the woman that had once been his childhood friend with an irritating tone.

-Sure, I guess that you Pilties can't get a job done without that overseer's hand telling you to do so. -said Ekko again.

Just as he expected, his face was punched into the wall. He had already gone through this way too many times. Always trying to find a way to fix what had happened in Zaun.

...

The city was a living chaos, now more than ever.

Viktor had died, but the Pilties hadn't had enough. They would raze the whole place, and the kids would go down with it. That is, unless he did something.

Of the original twelve, only three remained; but while the years passed by, a place like Zaun always gave birth to more orphans and those scared children always needed their help. Ekko and Mine had been bringing the orphans from Zaun in turns, always taking care of them while living hidden in the outskirts of Piltover. None was the one in charge of finding them out and contacting both Ekko and Mine, but that ended with the last few battles.

The sky looked different the day they received None's last letter.

...

From I,

IX and XII, XXXI and XXXIV are bringing you my last piece of writing.

Chaos reigns in Zaun; Viktor has manipulated the government itself and we're being forced into the military. Every single soul is forced into it; women, children, even the elders. It is said that Singed's latest modification of Shimmer is being tested on those who don't look strong enough to fight. I guess that you understand why this will surely be my last letter for you, friends.

Don't forget what we've been fighting for. This is not the Zaun we praised, Viktor is not the herald that was supposed to make our lives better. The corruption that has taken control of our homeland does not represent the lifestyle we defend. That's why I need to ask you one last thing.

Keep Zaun alive. This war is already lost, Zaun has self-destructed itself and ruined its own roots. Broken-hearted, I can only tell you to let this place fall, and bring Zaun to Piltover. Teach our ways to those Pilties, make them realize that we were right. Show them that we're not their enemies, but their rivals instead. The children you're taking care of are the future of Zaun, make sure that you don't forget that.

With best regards,

None

...

His footspets echoed thorugh the empty streets of Zaun. Ekko ran as fast as he had ever done it, rushing through corpses and ruins. Not even then he realized what None had meant; Zaun had already killed itself, but that meant nothing to Ekko. The mural, their hideout, their past. The place where the original twelve had met for the first time. I's ability to be ignored when he wanted to go unnoticed, II's handcrafting techniques concerning techmaturgy, III's thirst for vengeance, IV's lack of purpose, V's way of being trusted by everyone, VI's irritating voice, VII's innocence and goggles, VIII's illness,  IX's egoism and self-centered hate, X's pigtails, XI's plan. He was XII. He was the one with the dream.

And that dream had't died out, not even after being witness of what was happening to their homeland. While running he started to hear voices; loud as they were, it was difficult to understand them. Still, he managed to notice Viktor's tone on that voice. The one to blame's words were as irritating as they had been the day that half the crew was lost. Back when Viktor was known as VIII, he had been the one to force them back, leaving II, III, V, VI and VII to rot down in Zaun's underground mazes. And he was now the one that would let the rest of them dying for a cause that no one defended but him.

-The shimmer didn't work as expected Singed. -he could hear Viktor say.- These beasts couldn't stop an organized army like the on of Piltover.

-Did you really expect them to do so? -asked Singed.- I already told you that the only thing they'd bring would be chaos.

-You should have explained yourself better.

-I already explaioned myself better when we tried it out with your old orphan friend, and here you have the results.

Only then Ekko realized; the screams of agony, mixed with moans and deep groans that could be heard over their conversation. He needed to know what had happened to None; with nothing to stop him from doing so, he slightly moved towards the alley. Once he saw what was there, he wished he had never left None alone at Zaun.

-This guy and Dr. Mundo's experiments are nearly the same. -said Singed while his finger pointed towards None's last remnants.

-Whatever, leave them to rot now. -ordered Viktor.- We'll get to the old lab, subjects III and VII are our only hopes in this war. I'll tell Twice that we're on our way, You'd better get going.

-What should we do about him? -asked Singed, feeling bad for what had been a poor, scared boy.

-Free him. He'll be a decent distraction.

In a split second, Ekko was in front of Viktor. Half an instant before that, Ekko was back at his position. It had been less than a second, but he had stared at his face. Had he noticed? What had he meant with "subjects III and VII"? Ekko couldn't tell. And he didn't have time to find out.

-BOOM, BABY! -shouted an irritating female voice from the darks.

Suddenly, dust covered everything. He could feel the presence of two more people around, and the consumed energy could be felt in the air. The voice had been familiar to him, but he couldn't tell only by that.

-Got him Jayce! -shouted the same voice again.

Then he realized. It was VI.

When the dust faded out he saw them both. VI was holding Viktor up in the air with a single hand, her gauntlet covering all of the Viktor's trunk. Does she realize who he was?

-What are you waiting for? -asked VI to her companion. -Singed won't take long to wake up, finish this now Jayce.

The man had a scary look on his face. Ekko knew that VI's companion found no pleasure in doing what he was going to do, but the boy could see in that man's eyes that he knew he had to. Shocked, he witnessed how his cannon suddenly transformed into a hammer, and the man accomodated it in his hands for it to fit a correct position. And then VI's companion smashed Viktor while she held him up.

Another cloud of dust rose, and this one took longer to fade out; when it did, nearly nothing had changed. VI's body was laying in the floor near a wall, but she was fine. Her gauntlets had small remains of blood and flesh, and the place was covered with the remnants of what had once been a half-human half-machine person. 'Rest in piece, VIII.' thought Ekko. It took him long to realize what was truly happenind. Singed had covered it all with some kind of adhesive, and both VI and her Piltie friend were stuck on it.

-Are you Ok Vi? -asked the man, unable to see her because they were stuck in opposite directions.

-I always am boss! -answered VI.

Had she kept her name? If so, did she remember anything at all about their shared past?

A falling wall caught Ekko's attention. None's moans were louder than ever, and the stones that had once held him back were now falling to pieces. One of them fell infront of him, and only then he realized where he was; he had failed to defend the mural. Luckily, he always had another chance. He was called Ekko for a reason.

But luck was not with him that day. His Z-drive had been hit by a piece of the mural, making it useless. He had failed to defend those he had loved, and he had failed to keep their memorial through the years. Then he heard the screams.

Vi's ally was shouting the void out in pain while what had once been None was crushing his arm. The hammer, probably pulverized by the hulk that None now was, was nowhere to be seen. But Vi was still fine.

Avoiding the zones where Singed's adhesive covered the floor, Ekko got to Vi and freed her without a word. He carried her towards the inner side of the mural, what had once been their home, and walked towards None. That was when he saw Mine with the children and he realized that he had fucked it all up.

A scream drowned in chaos while Zaun  burned down to ashes.







_________________________________________________________________________________
Special thanks to /u/Xecelee and his post in Reddit's /r/leagueoflegends for making my investigation job about Ekko way easier than it would have been.

The Fall: 19. What the void is she looking for?

What the void is she looking for?

Jayce didn't really know why they had left in such a hurry; in a day where the whole Piltover celebrated, he had worked way too much. The girl, Anyssa, had asked him for a guide; the reason was a long trip around Runeterra searching for a family relic, or something like that. But Jayce knew when he was being lied to, and that had been one of the countless times that he had let the lie pass by. "Ezreal is your man." said Jayce. If Ezreal worked with her, Jayce would end up knowing what she was really looking for.

After some hours, he received a call from the Prodigal Explorer; he wanted to know when would his artifact be ready to use.

...

LeBlanc had seen it in Darkwill's eyes. Whatever he was planning, it was no good, and the Black Mist at Bilgewater had to be a part of his plan; it made no sense that they sieged the city only some lunar cycles after the last attack, they usually took a year or two between every wave. But he had also felt fear in his eyes. 'Sweet Elliot...' thought LeBlanc. Not even Darkwill was able to predict what his own plans would end up being.

The girl that everyone saw as Anyssa already knew who se had to talk to. The Prodigal Explorer was the man she needed; no other former warrior knew the various places of Runeterra as well as him, and there was no other viable option because of the time it would take to get them ready; not even Sivir would have everything ready for that very same night, even when granted half the gold of Runeterra. She had to be thankful that Jayce had accepted to receive her at his office in such a special day where everyone was in the demonstrations and other events; the major didn't lack any work that day, and he still found out how to plan a meeting.

Once she got into his office, LaBlanc saw what Jayce truly was; nothing more than a former hero of war, that was now a crippled leader. Nothing but a shadow of its former self.

...

She had Lux eyes, and her hair's colour was exactly the same. Anyssa didn't really resemble Lux, but those two thing were identical; after some thinking, that was enough to get him into the job, even though usually he wouldn't have even thought about taking accepting the meeting in a day like that one. Still, the similarities with Lux and the secretism of the youg woman had been enough to make his interest be strong enough to take over his sleepyness. He did not remember having worked any other day in his life when concerning this day.

The little girl's job had sounded more like an order at first, but once they got to know a little bit of each other's intentions the conversation went on smoothly. In the end, he would be paid hundreds of thousands just for accompanying her, no matter if they suceeded or not. If they did find what she was looking for, she would double up the amount. Looked like a good deal, and that was why he would have avoided it. Good deals didn't exist in his job; those who offered a good pay were usually liars or thiefs. But the curiosity killed the cat.

The main question that occupied his head was; what the void was she looking for?

The Fall: 17. Haunted

Haunted

-She left a long time ago, Yasuo. -said Yone. -The assassin you were looking for, the one that we should have been chasing instead of you, is dead now.

-That's impossible brother. -arrogantly answered Yasuo before taking a drink. -I saw her when the Noxians came. She still walked, holding that cursed blade and a bright wand with her.

-That's not who you're looking for, I am telling you that Riven is already dead. -repeated Yone while looking at his brother empty the bottle in the blink of an eye. -I have met her here, and so have you.

Yasuo spitted on the floor and rose, only to find out that there was no ground at all.

-Why am I still dreaming brother? -asked Yasuo to the remains of his brother.

-Maybe you don't really want to wake up Yasuo. Knowing what you have done because of our chase, being certain that you'll never have the chance to prove that you're not guilty... -said Yone, who was now at his back. -You can join me brother. Here you'll have nothing to worry for.

-I'm really sorry, brother. -whispered Yasuo. -I can't join you, I just can't. I've got things to do...

Suddenly, Yone's eyes turned red. Blood was streaming down his face, and the ground, once inexistent, was now a growing pond of blood.

-You are not understanding me brother. -said what was left of his brother. -You will join the mist! -screamed the spirit.

Suddenly, a barrage of yellow missiles cutted the monster in half, waking Yasuo up.

-Looks like we got here just in time. -shouted a blonde man that Yasuo didn't recognize.

-Are you fine Yone? -asked a girl with blonde curled hair.

...

-What happened? -asked Malcolm while waking up.

-Ask Aalcox. -answered Swain.- He can explain it way better than I.

Only then he realized; Aalcox had been sleeping for years only to wake up in the very moment of his death. Malcolm's pitiful existence could have ended, but the Darkin had spared the life that the Noxians were going to take. Well, it had been a pitiful existence after Aalcox's loss.

Now that he was back...

...

After days of walking non-stop, Thresh sat down and opened his lantern.

-Come out, I want you to do something for me. -whispered the Chain Warden towards the souls that were starting to leave the lantern.- There's  some people I want you to look for, you already know them and you will all do it for me.

The dead man was on his feet, looking at Thresh and listening to the sick dialogue he was having with the sorrowful souls that inhabited his lantern.

-Do they always do what you tell them to? -asked Xin Zhao, who felt alive and curious for a second. Curious and afraid.

-It looks like it will be hard to teach you when you should talk and when you shouldn't. -the Chain Warden said while looking at Xin Zhao's heart. -You've changed, that's for sure, ha ha ha...

-Do they always do what you tell them to? -asked Xin Zhao again, with the same monotonous voice.

-What they will do is something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. -said Thresh.- They do what I need them to do, not what I want them to. But without orders they would never move.

-Why wouldn't they? -asked Xin Zhao, feeling more alive with each word. He could feel Thresh's curiosity starting to grow, but the fear he had of the Chain Warden was bigger than the part of him that was coming back to life.

-Because I gave them the time of their lives. -said Thresh, pointing the lantern. -Their existence is only painful when I want it to, and the fear of being punished keeps them calm. Look at your surroundings; your lack of soul won't let you notice, but this place would scare the shit out of any human that dared to walk alone through these woods. Specially now...

Suddenly, the place started to shine and a warm breeze hit Xin Zhao's face. After some seconds, everything was back to normal.

-They'll be here soon, dead man. -said Thresh. - You'd better prepare yourself.

The Fall: 9. The Prodigal Explorer

The Prodigal Explorer

Artifacts like that one had always marvelled him. Solving puzzles that for hundreds of years had remained secret was the kind of challenge that made him feel as alive as he was before the war. No one would never know how much both of them had been through; why Jayce was sitting there, in front of a desk, full of sketches and machines whose functioning wouldn't be understood by most people. was a mystery even to himself. There had been a lot of variables and coincidences that had made Jayce become what he was; where he was born, who were his parents, how he had been raised, his early work as a child guided by Professor Kozim... He as a person was no more than the result of a never-ending pile of coincidences that had luckily happenned one after the other. And the same was appliable to that artifact that he was now trying to understand; why had it been created? who did it, and what was its purpose? how did it survive all this time without the need of a fix until now? why had Ezreal found it and why had he trusted him to repair his artifact? If the answer to one of those questions had been different, he might have never seen a creation like the one he was observing right now. If some deatil of his life had been different, he might have never even had the chance to end up working with such a precious invention.

No matter what people said, luck was always a huge factor. He knew about a lot that would point the Gods as the ones responsible for their own success or failure; others would think that they were in full control of whatever happenned in their lives, owing nothing to no one. But he knew they were wrong. There was always a huge random factor, because for something to happen you need an infinity of other events to go in a specific way, and the possibility of one of them depending on pure luck is as never-ending as the steps needed for the main event to be possible.

But those thoughts were not gonna fix it. Ezreal needed his weapon, and he needed it now. Anyssa Elestar had been very clear when pointing out that she wanted the so-called prodigal explorer to lead her team on her journey to wherever she had pointed in that map. She talked about buried history, secrets untold that were ages old and the truth about the fall of the old empires.

Usually, Ezreal would have denied the job. A little girl giving orders the very minute she came looking for him that would not accept a "No." as answer... Jayce knew that his friend had never been fond of such people. But the very moment that she mentioned Shurima his eyes started to glow, and without a word he signed the contract.

That was how Jayce was now back at the laboratory instead of working at his office. No sleeping, nearly no eating and feeling dehydrated from time to time, he preferred the restless work of the inventor than the comfortable chair that awaited him on the major's chamber. He was enjoying every single moment of this work, the last one before his laboratory was annexed to Piltover's Techmaturgy Museum. Working with the Shuriman artifact that had raised Ezreal to glory was not a bad way to end his scientific career, even though it made him sad to know that this was the last permission he would get from the council to abandon his responsibilities.

Suddenly he started to feel how a sharp pain in his stump. He pulled it away from the desk, noticing he had burnt a bit of it. That accident brought him back to the desk where he was working. 'Focus, Jayce. It's your last job here, you better do it right.' thought before getting back to work.

...

It had been a long time since he lost her, but Ezreal still felt as if everything had happenned the day before. Countless heroes had lost their lives at that last battle against Noxus; they had underestimated their strength, basing their strategy solely in the numerical superiority of the Trinity army that counted with people from all around Runeterra. Year of Noxian repression had given a reason for a lot of regions to rise against them during those hard times; Demacia, Ionia and Piltover stood out as the three major components of the army, and he was part of the infiltration squad lead by Quinn.

Every night he dreamed of the day he woke up at Lux's side. It all happenned the same way it had been that day. Her bright smile, one that would even be able to light the fog of war, her golden hair and her blue eyes reflecting everything he felt.

-Be careful Ez. -she said before leaving the tent- We'll meet here tonight, and I don't want you to come harmed.

-Don't worry, ours will be no more than a reconnaissance mission today. -he said before kissing her lightly.- You won't get rid of me yet.

As Lux said, they met later on the night.