Over and over, like the swing of a pendulum, the people of Runeterra fought for dominance. Nations rose and fell in rapid succession, all because each ruler saw their vision as the only way to lead the world. Conflicts, both great and small, tore the land apart as powerful magics were weaved into devastating spells by mages who ignored the consequences. Rife with malice and greed, the world was on the precipice of war. Tonight, however, there was quiet. The only sound heard so deep into the evening was the whistling of wind as it blew through lush leafed trees on its never ending quest.
Flowing gracefully through thickly foliaged branches, the wind continued into the deep jungles of the south. Laid out in the warmer climates of the world, the jungle hummed with shades of green and brown. On the horizon, the last rays of golden-orange trickled through the crashing waves of the sea, illuminating the branches of the fertile woods. Animals of all varieties settled in their homes for the night, preparing for the next day.
Veigar let out a deep sigh, slumping against the trunk of a towering mahogany. He snatched the edges of his tattered dark blue cloak with one of his asymmetrical metal gauntlets, pulling it tightly around himself as the wind swept past. The bark was uncomfortably rigid, but it sure as hell beat lying on the ground. Being in a compromising position like that made him feel vulnerable, a cat with its' belly exposed. He shuddered, reminded briefly of his former weakness. Never again would he allow himself to be so feeble. His gloved hand clenched tightly around his staff, the crystal adorned at the top glinting in the fading light of the evening sun.
A familiar agony lanced through his forehead, eliciting a wince from Veigar. Putting his hand to his temple, he tried to think of more pleasing thoughts. He pulled his gauntlet off, observing the fingers underneath. The once smooth skin was withered and dingy from a lack of sunlight and care. Frowning, he stalked over to the nearby creek, dunking his hand in the water. Inhaling sharply at the bite of the cold, Veigar drew his hand back. Breathing hot air onto his exposed palm, he attempted to warm his frigid fingertips.
Across the small stream, Veigar heard the hooting of an unknown creature. Peering into the darkness, he made out the faint outline of an upright animal staring back at him. He smiled to himself, recalling the terrified faces of the foolish humans from earlier. Their screams were sonorous, a comfort in otherwise stressful times. The way they had approached him, swords drawn and sinister smiles creeping onto their faces despite being clearly outmatched was amusing to Veigar.
One of the humans, a young man with short hair and a freckled face, had drawn a short bow and aimed it at Veigar, eyes glinting with malice.
"This don't haff ta end nasty for ya, lil man. Surrender yer belongings to us and we'll let ya go wiff only MINA injuries." The man had let out a chuckle at his own joke. Veigar understood a threat better than any other member of his species, being quite the expert himself. He simply raised his free hand to the sky, his eyes igniting with a crackling yellow energy.
A few of the humans stopped short, nervously eyeing up the strange yordle before continuing their approach. Veigar smiled with interest at the boldness of these humans and began pulling energy from the stars above. His large gauntlet crackled as the magic ignited within him, invigorated with tremendous strength.
"Allow me to show you true terror!" Veigar shouted, his eyes narrowing. An orb of purple energy formed in his hand, sparking with tremendous power. This was probably overkill for such weak mortals, but he had felt an innate desire to "flex" so to speak.
A few of the humans shouted in alarm, one of them letting loose an arrow at Veigar. It bounced harmlessly off his invisible barrier, eliciting naught but a grin from the malevolent warlock. Veigar smashed the butt of his staff into the dirt, and the malevolent energy gathering in his palm shot upwards, disappearing into the night sky. The humans stared in confusion for a moment, before laughing in relief.
"Looks like ya missed lil buddy. Yer gonna regret that." The closest bandit drew back his sword, readying a swing that would surely be unpleasant to receive.
Like thunder, Veigar's spell came crashing down from the clouds above, smashing into the throng of humans. Several of them were vaporized instantly under the tremendous power as it struck them directly, screaming as the ray disintegrated them. A few were thrown into the trees, smacking against the trunks with a sickening crunch and slumping to the floor, lifeless.
The human directly in front of Veigar was blasted forward directly into Veigar's outstretched gauntlet. Gripping the man's throat tightly, Veigar knocked the sword out of his trembling hand with a flick of his staff. Shoving the brigand's face into the dirt, Veigar ground the razor sharp tip of his staff into the human's shoulder joint.
The quivering fool let out a howl of pain, reaching for the dagger at his side. Before he could draw the weapon, Veigar let out a pulse of dark energy from his glove wrapped around his neck. The energy flowed into the human's throat, which began to emit a bright purple glow. The human's eyes popped out of his head in agony as he tried to let out a scream, clawing at the glove wrapped around his scruff. His pathetic cries for help were quickly silenced as his head exploded, splattering against Veigar's energy barrier. Veigar grimaced, tossing the body aside and wiping the goo off his robes.
He turned to the remaining adversaries, only to watch as they ran, screaming, into the forest. Smirking, Veigar snapped his finger, drawing on his sizable power. Appearing around his staff were six orbs of glinting black energy, floating in a lazy orbit around the gem. With a wave of his scepter, the orbs sped after the remaining humans with frightening velocity and precision, following them into the deep foliage. After a brief pause, Veigar heard the screams as his magic made contact with flesh. His work completed, Veigar tossed his cape dramatically and continued his trek into the wilds.
Returning to the present, his grin widened as he reminisced on their screams as they begged for mercy. Being in a position of power was what Veigar deserved, and he always enjoyed putting fools in their place. A fierce rumbling in his stomach cut through his inner monologue like a knife, reminding him of his mortal weaknesses..
Frowning, Veigar pushed himself to his feet. He cracked his neck, considering his options for dinner. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied the creek he had washed his hands in.
"I suppose it shall be fish again," he groaned, already sick of the saltwater taste. The other creatures of the forest gave him a wide berth, and he had long since forgotten the harvesting techniques of his kind. Dark magic had changed him, sharpened his teeth and ignited a deep craving for meat.
He certainly could hunt for animals in the underbrush, but he had yet to discover a way to quell the aura of magic he emitted. It made hunting nearly impossible, especially in areas of the world where the wild life was deeply attuned to magic, such as here.
Twirling his staff, he pulled on his powerful magics, raising a strange purple field from the aether, cordoning off a section of the stream. The structure was an intimidating size and shape, impressive dark arches rising from the ground like a claw, linked together by a glittering purple magic. Seemingly stuck in time were a cluster of red-scaled fish, eyes wide and mouths agape as they sat still inside the purple twinkling of the field. He reached down and plucked several from the river, spearing them with the tip of his scepter and dropping them into a basket he had procured from the humans earlier. Satisfied with his catch, he released his Event Horizon, allowing the fish to continue their swim in peace.
As he approached his campsite, his fingertips surged with magic, igniting his previously extinguished fire. It roared to life and illuminated his small campsite, shadows forming through the boughs. Slashing one of the branches free of the trees above, he roasted the stick and threaded it through the fish, holding them aloft over the fire. The crackling embers of the fire drowned out the buzzing of insects as his fish roasted, oil from their skin occasionally dripping into the flames, causing it to flare slightly. Light from the campfire reflected on Veigar's shadowy disguise, nearly being consumed by its' darkness. Watching this repetition intently as he waited for his meal, Veigar relaxed ever so slightly.
...
An arrow whizzed past his face, barely nicking his cheek. The point embedded in the tree trunk behind him, quivering from the impact. He fell backwards with a start and grasped his staff, summoning his Event Horizon in front of him defensively. Exiting a bush at the edge of the clearing was one of the humans from earlier, his left arm bleeding profusely. In his right hand he held aloft a small crossbow, another arrow already strung, aimed directly at Veigar. His eyes were ablaze with fear, his jaw slack from pain. He let loose the other arrow. Veigar cursed his incompetence and raised an arm to defend himself.
His perspective of his surroundings suddenly warped. The entire world seemed to shift, and he found himself extremely close to the ground, even by yordle standards. Everything around him seemed to have grown, the already enormous trees sprouting to tremendous heights. His Event Horizon dispersed in front of him, the magic fizzling. Veigar looked up to see the human towering over him like a skyscraper, staring down with malice. The human raised up his boot, seemingly confused, then brought it crashing downwards. Veigar tensed, ready to leap out of the way.
To his shock, Veigar watched as the human vanished in a puff of smoke. Sitting directly in front of him was a small twin-tailed squirrel with purple fur. Veigar opened his mouth to voice his surprise, but the only sound that escaped his throat was a faint squeak. Veigar hurriedly glanced at his own form, trying to process what was happening. With terror, he realized he was also a squirrel.
Panicking, he reached for the tremendous power he relied upon to vanquish his many enemies. Nothing. Fear rising, he started breathing quickly, sucking in air with sharp breaths. This powerlessness, he hadn't felt anything similar since his imprisonment by the Iron Revenant, a feared conqueror from ancient times. Veigar closed his eyes, waiting for his demise at the hands of this unseen foe.
No killing blow came. Slowly opening his eyes, he found the world returned to its normal proportions. Whatever spell had been cast on him was dispersed. Instinctively he reached for his magic, sighing in relief as he felt its' embrace around him. At his feet was the human, still morphed into a squirrel.
Veigar glared down at it in anger and raised his staff to smash it. The small animal squeaked in terror and scampered off into the forest, fleeing the campsite.
"Goodbye cute squirrel!" a voice called from the trees above. Veigar whirled, shooting a volley of twisting nether into the branches. The bark was scorched as his powerful magic whizzed off into the night, exploding in the sky above. Several bundles of leaves ignited from the fury of his attack, illuminating the boughs above. Cursing his poor aim, Veigar scanned the trees above, searching for the origin of the voice.
Highlighted by the burning tree limbs was a small girl with an enormous hat, rivaling Veigar's in size. In her hands was a gnarled oaken staff, and fluttering over her shoulder was a winged purple creature, which Veigar surmised to be a Fey, or fairy. She was clothed in a red dress and black stockings, her sleeves hanging low around her wrists. Barely over three feet tall, the girl grinned and dropped from her perch. Landing with a clumsy thump in a prickly bush next to Veigar, she let out a gasp of surprise.
"Whoopsie daisy! I took a bit of a tumble there," The girl said, laughing. She stood up and brushed herself off, her cap nearly falling from her head. Glancing at Veigar, she was startled to see his staff pointed directly at her, malevolent branches of energy sparking along it's point.
"You shall pay for what you did to me, witch!" he shouted, glaring at the newcomer with his glowing yellow eyes.
Veigar was used to strange reactions to his appearance. His stature was often mistaken for "cute" by foolish humans who saw him first and foremost as a harmless yordle. The rarity of his kind so far outside Bandle City was always the first thing people saw in Veigar. They often came to regret such disrespect. Other times they would underestimate him, trying to take advantage of his diminutive size, like the human brigands from earlier. Occasionally, they understood his true power from the start, and fled in fear from him before he could bestow his wrath upon them.
This time, however, he was taken aback. The girl pushed his staff aside and leaned in close, inhaling deeply. Veigar let out a curse and stumbled backwards frantically, pushing the girl away.
She smiled and said "That tasted very purple! You're delicious, did you know that?" Veigar stared at her in confusion. This girl was clearly insane, even more so than he was! Before he could respond, the winged creature that was floating behind her flitted over and landed on his head, pulling at his hat playfully.
"Fool! You dare to mock ME?" Reaching for the fairy, Veigar was a little too slow to stop it. No longer covered by his hat, his ears unfurl to their full length, twitching from weeks of containment. The girl gasped, stepping closer.
"You're a yordle?" she said, excitement etching her voice. Veigar's eyes widened and he brought a hand to his face. The normal mask of shadows he used to hide his appearance was gone, most likely dispelled along with his Event Horizon from earlier.
"I am no mere yordle! I am Veigar, Master of Evil! I control the very stars around you! The world bends to my every whim!" Veigar was a bit chuffed to have his annoyingly cute form exposed by this newcomer. She giggled at his threat and started hopping in circles around him, eyeing him up and down quizzically.
"Where did you come from? How did you learn magic? Do you really think that hat is intimidating? How long have you had that scar?" Her excitement was so palpable, Veigar was nearly suffocated by it.
Groaning with frustration, Veigar raised his staff, summoning his powerful prison to contain her… strangeness. She stepped backwards with surprising agility, observing the field with interest as it conjured. Veigar narrowed his eyes, his gauntlet clenching his staff tightly. Taking a moment to compose himself, he jumped up and snatched his hat from the fairy floating above him, placing it back where it belonged.
"What do you want with me, Witch?" Having nearly met his end at the hands of a measly human, Veigar was on edge. However, the girl's strange magic and abnormal behavior intrigued Veigar enough to stay his hand.
She skipped around his barrier and trotted right up to him, clearly unafraid. Veigar inwardly cursed himself for allowing this to happen, but begrudgingly relaxed his stance. Sliding his staff into the holster on his back, he folded his arms and glared at the girl.
Now that she was no longer assaulting his personal space, he took the time to observe her. With a shock, he realized that she was a yordle as well. Her fluffy ears were a dead giveaway, sticking straight out of her hat. Veigar glanced at her staff, the oaken stick clearly emanating Fae magic in waves.
She smiled, relieved that he was no longer attempting to kill her, and wiggled in place.
"I haven't been around for a REALLY REALLY REALLY long time! I've been wandering around, trying to make lots of new friends. No one will give me the chance though…" Veigar detected a hint of sadness in the last statement and frowned. He didn't appreciate the memories she was stirring up, ones far older than this morning.
"I am the master of all that is evil. I have no time for friends, Witch." He spat the last word with venom, still on edge from his strange transformation earlier. The girl stepped back, clearly hurt by his remark. In the corners of her eyes, Veigar spotted tears forming. She quickly rubbed them away with her long sleeve.
"I will grant you one chance," Veigar said, "due to your… assistance with the human. What gave you the right to defile me with such magic?" The girl looked taken aback, then raised her free hand. Her palm sparkled with a purple glow, a flower sprouting from it. She set it down on the floor in front of them, then aimed her staff at it.
"Whimsify!" A bolt of pink and green energy rushed from her staff, striking the flower. In a puff of smoke, the flower was gone, replaced by a small rock. The girl looked up at him and smiled.
"It's fairy magic!" She said, positively beaming. "I'm from the Glade, and I haven't been around for a… long time! My name is Lulu by the way!"
The Glade? Veigar had heard mentions of the mythical homeland of the Fae. Like Bandle City, it was nigh impossible to find unless it WANTED you to find it. If she was truly from the Glade…
Dismissing the idle thought, Veigar addressed her. "NEVER cast that on me ever again. Your assistance was ultimately unnecessary, and all it did was make me incredibly uncomfortable."
Lulu frowned, disappointed, but nodded. Veigar glanced around his campsite, a bit disheveled after the attack. Spying his pack next to the tree, he stalked over to it and reached inside. Lulu watched from where she was standing, attempting to see what Veigar was looking for.
Veigar returned a moment later with a coin in hand. He shoved it into her hand roughly, then turned his back on her.
"I refuse to be indebted to anyone. Even though I never required your help, you still provided it. The Master of Evil always pays his dues." Lulu stared at the coin in her hand with wonder. It was an acceptance token, indicating that whomever held this token was a champion of the soon to be formed League of Legends. Acquiring a token was quite difficult, as the League was conducting much of their plans in secrecy. Very few knew of what their plans were, just that these coins were incredibly valuable.
Shocked, Lulu grabbed Veigar by his cloak as he stalked away. ""Veigar, this is… why are you giving me this?" The evil yordle let out a sinister laugh and held up a coin of his own.
"I may have owed you a debt for what you did, but I also won't forgive what you did to me. We will meet again, and when we do, I will pay you back a thousand-fold for your-"
Veigar was cut off as Lulu hugged him, tears streaming down her face.
"Oh thank you thank you thank you! I had nowhere to go after… after I left home. I was really hoping to get my hands on one of them, but I couldn't find one! How did you manage to get so many?"
Flexing his gauntlet, Veigar summoned his dark magic into his palm. Lulu stared at it in wonder as he turned on his heels, allowing the energy to soar forwards into one of the trees. In an explosion of purple, the tree was gone, the splintered stump smoldering from the blast.
"When you want something, you must TAKE IT. I just happened to take a few extra during my… quest. Now! Unless you would like me to swallow your soul, leave this instant!"
Lulu opened her mouth, only to close it again, unsure of what to say. She glanced at her fairy, Pix, who shrugged and flitted over to her, peering over her ear at Veigar. Frowning, Lulu turned and walked away into the underbrush.
Veigar watched the girl leave, his face expressionless. As her form vanished into the shadows of the jungle, he slumped to the ground, leaning his head against the tree once more. Truly, today had been full of surprises. He smirked as he pulled out his own coin, twirling it between his gloved fingers. The moonlight caught the edge, illuminating the design molded in the center: A golden circle, with a large L adorning the center, overlapping a background of blue.
Glancing down at her own coin, Lulu smiled to herself and held it against her chest. Her first gift since leaving the Glade! And from a yordle at that! She had been worried she would never reconnect with her kind. Now, she had hope..