AU

This is the revised edition of the first chapter. Upon rereading the work, I found myself asking many questions that I should've answered in this chapter. Here it is, Nasus, revamped and buffed!


To the ignorant visitor, the Shurima Desert is little more than a vast expanse of billowing sands and towering dunes. The blazing sun scours the burning earth; it scorches everything within its glare relentlessly. The scalding hot winds that whip across the desert are also unyielding, punishing the few who dare to trek the ancient paths of a civilization long gone.

A more romantic traveler, however, would note the gleam of the golden silt, shimmering under the brilliant, albeit oppressive, sunlight. He would also realize that the winds, as they passed through his flickering clothes, carried traces of the mighty kingdom in endless search of the remaining ruins. The crumbling structures, however, were well hidden under tawny hills and sparse vegetation that littered the rocky plains, unidentifiable to all but the exceptional few.

Nasus, the Curator of the Sands, is one such being. An enigmatic creature and an enlightened intellectual, the bestial guardian is not actually of Valoran. However, the world he comes from shares much in common with the Shurima; hence the jackal's affinity to the hostile desert.

When he was first summoned to Runeterra, the god-like being, enraged and furious, tore through the west wing of the Institute of War. Soon, however, his advanced intellect overcame his primal instinct, and his remorse quelled him from further destruction. Horrified at the wreckage he had caused, Nasus at last heeded the explanations of the summoners. Wrought with regret, he swore to never again lay harm on another being unless motive willed him to. He accepted his role as champion; slaying his traitorous brother, Renekton, would have to wait.

Unaccustomed to the iron discipline of Demacia, the cutthroat nature of Noxus, and the shimmering nightlife of Piltover, Nasus first established his home in Ionia. He could not, however, adapt to the strange, alien lifestyle the Ionians lived. They were not quick to accept him, either, since the elders viewed the Curator as a disturbance to the force of balance. Thus, when he heard of magical ruins within the Shurima Desert on account of Ezreal, Nasus quickly made it his duty to relocate there. However, before he did so, he hand copied every single book the Great Library of the Institute had to offer. By the time Nasus had settled in the remains of the Temple of the Falcon, he managed to restock the hallowed building with shelves upon shelves of knowledge. Contributing to the collection with volumes native to his home, the temple, once again, became a revered site of learning. Now, champions and summoners alike flock to his respite in an attempt to understand the cycle of life and death.

Occasionally, he would be asked to partake in a league match. In the beginning, the issues at hand were of historical importance; the battles often decided the borders of two states or the welfare of one. Lately, such requests had dwindled in both quality and quantity, but he was still called to the Summoner's Rift enough times to make him feel relevant in world affairs.

"Summoner Opal," Nasus recognized. Each visitor had a specific way of knocking on his door; he quickly learned to associate his guests with their idiosyncrasies. "You are welcome."

The sturdy, plain door opened sheepishly as a shy, soft-spoken girl stepped into his study. She was an Ionian of a medium height, with jet black hair that stretched down to her waist. Her bangs were cut just above her eyebrows, revealing bright brown eyes that were highlighted by the smoky make-up on her eyelids. Much of her body was concealed in a pale-blue robe that pooled on the ground; as beautiful as she was, she was also rather sensitive of her looks.

Nasus smiled upon seeing his old friend. The summoner, when she was younger, had often spent days in his library, browsing the seemingly endless display of ancient texts and modern literature alike. Years later, the ceiling-high book shelves still managed to bring about a sense of wonder in her.

"Ah, yes, my famous bookshelves," mirth adorned Nasus's husky voice. "I made them myself, you know."

"Yes," Opal's voice was light-hearted and delicate, like a bird that did not quite know how to spread its wings yet. "You've told me many times," she whispered quietly in reverence, noting the pride that gleamed within the Curator's eyes. It had meant a lot to him to be able to successfully restore the ancient temple. She knew that fact better than anyone else.

"You came alone?" Nasus asked, concerned, as he peered behind the summoner.

"Not quite. I was escorted to the Shurima Desert by Ezreal. I trekked the rest of the journey by myself."

"Admirable," the keeper of the temple was duly impressed. "Not many can wander the sands of Shurima and live to tell the tale."

Opal giggled. "I am no longer the little child that frolicked between these ruins, Nasus. I'm a summoner, remember?"

"Of course," Nasus grinned, beckoning her to take a seat. She curtsied before treading daintily toward the intricately carved chair. Like Nasus, she observed, it was a few centuries old, preserved by magic that had been long since forgotten.

"I see that my desk still holds interest in your eyes," he smiled, watching as Opal ran her pale, slender fingers up and down the smooth, ebony wood.

"Hmm," she hummed. "This worktable used to be larger."

"And you, my friend, used to be smaller." His unblinking, sapphire eyes and serene composition, however, still rendered Opal rather insignificant next to him.

She responded with only a coy smile, her eyelashes flittering slightly as she drew her hands under her chin.

"Your purpose is not to flirt," Nasus suddenly snarled. "You had a reason to come here. Speak, human."

"Um," Opal gulped, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She did not expect the harsh response Nasus had given her. "Vi and Caitlyn were recently engaged, and they want to hold a ball in Piltover in recognition of their anniversary."

"Send them my blessings," Nasus barked at the good news. His menacing glare unfurled itself.

"Well, you see," Opal stuttered. "The problem is that Jayce is completely against it. Somehow, it escalated to a matter of the state. Caitlyn submitted her request to the Institute, and now a league match is being fought to resolve the dilemma."

"How trivial," Nasus squinted at the summoner.

"Teams have begun to form. Vi, Caitlyn, Ezreal, and Leona support holding a ball in celebration. Jayce, Heimerdinger, Janna, and Diana are deeply against it."

"You are not making any sense," Nasus frowned. "Jayce and Janna are on good terms with Vi and Caitlyn. Heimerdinger, I'm certain, is far too intelligent to belittle himself for this cause. And why did Leona and Diana even drag themselves into this match?"

Opal paused in consideration; she, herself, didn't question the motives at play. "I honestly don't know why Jayce and Janna are against it. But the heretic and the sun warrior, they see themselves within Vi and Caitlyn. Leona believes they should embrace their love, Diana thinks it'll spell the end of their friendship."

"Why have you come to seek my audience?" Nasus, however, already knew the answer.

"The sheriff of Piltover wanted an intellectual to decide on which side is worth fighting for," Opal explained as she pointed her index fingers at each other.

Nasus gave off a low growl. "This matter is by far too trivial for me to partake in," he dismissed her at once. "I apologize for leaving you empty-handed, but it is not my duty to determine what is right or wrong in personal matters."

"It's not just that," Opal pouted as she averted his scorching gaze. "I insist, Nasus. Please. Participate in this match for me, if you must."

"I cherish your friendship," Nasus skeptically squinted. "But I will not allow you to use it as leverage against me."

"No, no, you misunderstood," Opal waved her arms, the oversized sleeves of her robes flailing in the air. "Ah, I'm sorry Nasus, that's not what I meant."

"Explain, then."

Opal's flustered face deepened into a shade of bright violet. Her eyes darted nervously between the orderly books stacked on his desk and his penetrating gaze. She gulped; there was no way out.

"Alright, I admit it," she stammered. "I did try to use our friendship against you…" Her voice drifted off.

A pang of remorse stabbed at Nasus's heart. Perhaps he was being too harsh.

Or too soft, he snarled at himself.

"It's just, you know, I thought it was a good cause," she struggled onwards, wringing her hands together. "I mean, I know personally how it feels like to be denied happiness. I, too, loved someone, and I, too, was…" Her voice cracked. "It just didn't work out in the end. You know the story."

Nasus nodded solemnly. His friend's love life was like a tragic epic, now that he considered it. Since she was the daughter of Elder Hing, a renowned poet and influential political figure, she was subject to the courtship of many young princes and rich businessmen, not all of them benign. Unsatisfied with their haughty, arrogant personalities, she instead turned to a seemingly faultless intellectual. He, however, had ulterior motives; upon exploiting her naïve nature, he pillaged her innocence before selling her away to human sex traffickers. Fortunately, Caitlyn and Vi, along with the help of Nasus himself, were able to track her location down. Living up to their name, Piltover's Finest easily apprehended the criminals.

The nightmare did not end there, however. During the trial of the deceitful man, he was revealed to be none other than Opal's older brother, who was exiled by Elder Hing upon his razing of an entire Ionian village. He was sentenced to life in prison, but the damage had been done. Opal, devastated, locked herself in her room for months.

What finally emerged after a year-long hiatus was not a soulless shell of a human being. Instead, like a phoenix reborn from ashes, she was renewed and teeming with life. Although she was still reserved, and often kept to herself, Opal began devoting her time to relearning the arcane arts she had left behind. After tedious years of study, she eventually ascended to the role of summoner. Finally establishing a name for herself, she began to devote her efforts towards equality and rights for all citizens of Valoran.

Nasus sunk his head into his chest. Even if the motive for the match was selfish, it was also righteous.

"You bring up a good point," he said at last. "You wish to repay Caitlyn and Vi for their kindness, I understand as much. I accept the match, and I will take the sheriff's side."

Opal's magenta eyes lit up instantly. Exhilarated, she leaned forward and pecked a very surprised Nasus on his cheek.

"Really?" She asked to make sure. "You're really going to commit to this? Oh my god, you're the best! Everyone will talk about you!"

"Calm down, dear Opal," Nasus chuckled, rubbing the area where Opal had kissed. "I'm not doing this for fame. I accepted my role solely for you and for the future of Valoran. As minuscule as I believe this match will be in the final scheme of things, I still believe that the fates call out to me to bring some small change to the world."

"Oh," Opal sighed, "How can I thank you?"

"Don't bother me again, ever," Nasus growled.

Opal lowered her chin and whimpered at him with a pitiful face.

"Fine, get me dog biscuits or something," his faced remained cold and expressionless as he joked.

"Is that it?" she raised her voice, surprised.

Nasus laughed heartily. "What else am I supposed to ask for? Wait, don't tell me," his face darkened as he leaned forward. "For only $2.95 a minute, you'll leave me breathless?"

"Hmm hmm," Opal chuckled mischievously. "If you put it that way..."

The keeper of the temple shook his head disapprovingly. "With your childhood went your innocence, huh?" He jested. He instantly rued his banter, and began to apologize. "Ah, I'm sorry, I…"

Opal, however, only feigned a hurt face.

"Aren't you harsh with words," her voice was thickly layered with honey. "Don't worry. The past shouldn't trouble us," she soothed him upon noticing his troubled face. "We must remember, and then let go. Speaking of going, I have to go too. I'll see you later!" She called behind her as she skipped out of Nasus's study.

The Curator of the Sands simply waved back at her. Though he had spent much time in learning their manner of life, much was still nuanced to him.