The pair allowed the stars to guide them through the dense forest. They moved with haste, not taking a moments rest. The two continued east in hopes of reaching the Noxian coast. The cover of night provided a much needed relief from their relentless pursuers. However the thundering footsteps of the soldiers clad in plate drew closer with every breath.
The Noxian army had no need for subtly nor caution. The squad of soldiers plowed through the forest brush, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Armed with weapons of steel and lanterns to part the shadows the squad continued their search for the two deserters. The soldiers broke the silence of the night by shouting boastful gestures to let their presence be known.
"Lady Oracle, why have you stopped? We must hurry, less you would like to find your head upon a pike." The hooded man stated.
"Forgive me Sir. Thompson but I need a moment to rest." The woman panted.
"Sadly that is not a luxury that we possess my lady. We must continue on Lady Oracle; the coast cannot be too far off. Once we secure a ship for passage you can rest all you want but right now we must hurry."
"It is not just me who needs to rest or have you forgotten about my child?"
Oracle pressed her back against a twisted tree and sat upon a bed of fallen leaves. She removed her tattered hood revealing a violet gaze. Short dark blue hair fell past her ears and a warming smile filled her face. She stared at the swaddled newborn in her hands. Despite the soldiers advance the child slept peacefully.
Thompson felt a strange warming sensation swell in his chest when he gazed upon the newborn. He also felt a strong sense of disgust towards his fellow Noxian brothers and sisters. Seeing the innocence within the child only reassured his decision to betray Noxus. The very thought of parting Oracle from her child sickened Thompson. The war with Demacica had brought out the uglier side of Noxus. As a result, Thompson was forced to commit many heinous actions that up to today still haunted him. Deep down Thompson knew that he would never be able to wash his hands clean of his crimes. However, he vowed to regain some of his honor by protecting Oracle and her child.
Suddenly a feint orange light illumined in the distance. Thompson tensed up as the light quickly multiplied. Like a leave caught by the gale the lights danced and drew closer.
"It's them. The Noxian army approaches my Lady."
"Gods help us. At this rate they are bound to catch us." Oracle stated.
Oracle stood up cautiously to avoid detection. She pressed her child tightly against her chest and frowned. She used her free arm to reach for her etwahl, which was strapped to her back. Thompson quickly placed his hand upon her shoulder and shook his head.
"No there is no need for that my Lady. No matter what it takes I vow to keep you and your child safe, so that you will never have to fight again. Now I need you to continue eastward and you shall meet the coast hopefully by sunrise."
"And what about you Sir Thompson?" Oracle interjected.
"I will lead the soldiers a stray buying you two some time." Thompson said confidently.
"Surely you jest. The soldiers will kill you on sight for betraying your countrymen. I will not abandon you. There must be some other way of escaping them Sir Thompson."
Thompson tore a branch from a tree. He retrieved the dagger strapped to his boot and also removed a block of flint from his pocket. He held the tools over the branch and began scraping his blade against the flint. Soon enough tiny embers flew off of the blade and onto the tip of the branch. Thompson nursed the embers until it grew into a warming flame. He took hold of torch and held it high. He waved it proudly, catching the eyes of the pursuing soldiers in the distance.
"I wish there was some other way but it cannot be helped. Now hurry Lady Oracle the soldiers will only be fooled for so long."
"But ... We left Noxus together you cannot expect me to just leave you to the wolves." Oracle pleaded.
"Go!" Thompson said sternly. "Promise me that you and your child will stay safe. Do not ... don't not make my sacrifice for nothing." He said forcing out his last words.
Oracle stared at Thompson. She felt bad, knowing that this was probably the last time she would be able to gaze upon him. She focused her gaze off into the distance and noticed all of the soldiers were heading in their direction. Time was short and she had to seize this opportunity to escape. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes but she had no time to weep.
"Thank you, Sir Thompson." She said softly.
Thompson nodded his head and watched as Oracle disappeared into the night. He felt a sense of relief as she vanished. He grinned underneath his cowl.
"You have a beautiful baby girl Lady Oracle. Tis a shame I will not be able to watch her mature." He said sadly.
Thompson shook thoughts from his head and cleared his mind. He waved the flame wildly to draw in the soldier's attention. He waited about thirty five seconds before running the opposite direction of Oracle. The soldiers had picked up their pace and gave chase. Thompson looked back every few seconds to make sure that the soldiers ensued. The glows of the soldiers grew closer and closer with every minute. Fatigue was settling in but Thompson knew he had to continue. His only goal was to draw them as far from the coast as possible.
Like moths the soldiers continued to chase the lone torch all throughout the night. Unfortunately the chase ended once Thompson reached cliff side. He carefully looked over the edge at the fatal drop that awaited him. It was over; there was no place to run. He dropped the torch, which was nearly burned out. He removed his cloak and stood his ground. Thompson stood there with dark blue eyes that burned with passion. His short charcoal colored hair looked like ink against his pale completion. His muscular body tensed as the soldiers finally arrived.
The soldiers quickly surrounded Thompson yet they all seemed surprised. It appeared that none of the soldiers expected to find a deserter, who still bared a suite of Noxian infantryman armor. Thompson immediately recognized some of the soldiers faces. He couldn't even imagine how they felt about the situation. Thompson swallowed hard as a cool sweat ran down his back. He reached to his hip and drew his sword, which gleamed in the light of the creeping sun.
"Well, well the rumors were true." A grizzled voice cried out among the pact of soldiers.
Thompson's confidence seemed to shatter when he heard the voice, which he knew all too well. He prayed that his eyes were deceiving him but they weren't. The soldiers parted as a muscular man made his way towards Thompson.
"Darius." Thompson said with a slight chill.
"I was told that one of our own was aiding a soul weaver, who refused to fight for her country. However I had not expected that you were to blame Thompson." Darius said sternly.
Darius stared at Thompson with a look of disgust. He rested his gigantic blood stained axe over his shoulders. Just the sight of Darius's famed cleaver instilled fear into the other soldiers but Thompson remained firm.
"You have been accused of harboring a deserter in a time of war. So where is she Thompson?"
"Darius hear me. You look to part a mother from her newborn. Surely as an orphan yourself you could understand..."
"Silence traitor. I will not ask you again; where is she?" Darius interrupted.
"So there is no reasoning with you? I had hoped it would not come to this. I will not speak a word of Lady Oracle's location. I rather die with honor than to sell her out." Thompson shouted.
Darius tighten the hold on his axe and drew closer to Thompson.
"Your weakness sickens me. Scum like you has no business in the Noxus I wish to build. You speak of honor yet no honor can be held by a traitor like yourself."
Thompson was vastly outnumbered and he had his back to a cliff but he vowed to keep his promise to Oracle and her child. Without another word he ran towards Darius with blade in hand. He was determined to end Darius's legacy with a single blow. Thompson trusted his sword forward hoping to plunge the blade deep into Darius's black heart. Darius showed no fear in his face, he easily side stepped the attack. In one fluid motion, Thompson continued his attack, swing his blade in an arc this time. Darius was ready for the assault. As the blade neared, Darius caught Thompson's wrist with an iron grip. Thompson's eyes widened. Before he could react Darius pulled him in and delivered a massive head butt.
Thompson was disoriented but he managed to collect himself. As he scrambled to his feet an ominous shadow loomed over him. When he looked up he caught the gleam of Darius's mighty axe, right before it sank deep into his shoulder. The coppery scent of blood filled the air. Some of the soldiers looked away when they heard the sound of bones snapping. The blade ran deep into Thompson. He could feel the cold steel scraping against his pelvis. When Darius removed his axe the overwhelming pain intensified. Gallons of blood erupted from Thompson's wound as he fell to the ground.
The chill of death was creeping towards Thompson. His skin grew paler as blood continued to gush out of his body. His entire body had grown numb, yet he could not stop thinking about Oracle's wellbeing.
"I expected more of a fight from you." Darius rumbled.
Darius planted his crimson blade into the ground. Afterwards he grabbed Thompson by the neck and lifted him so the two could be leveled. With the exception of Thompson coughing up blood, he looked lifeless in Darius's hands.
"Where is the girl?" Darius commanded.
Thompson gasped and heaved trying to gather as much air as possible. "Go to hell." He said with the last of his breath.
Anger swelled in Darius's face after hearing the defying words.
"You first." Darius said in a chilling tone.
Without a second thought Darius tossed Thompson off the cliff. Darius watched as Thompson fell helplessly until he was completely out of sight.
"Sir Fredrick Sona Thompson, you were a brave man but a fool." Darius spit and turned to face his soldiers. "Fan out my men. The soul weaver could not have gotten far. Find her or you will all have to answer to my axe."
"Yes sir." The soldiers snapped.
The sun had fully wakened form its slumber and Oracle finally made it to the pier. She took in a deep breath, absorbing the salty air. She stared at the azure sea then down to her child. Freedom was before her and all she had to do was grasp it.
"Check over there!" A voice cried out.
Oracle immediately ducked behind a wooden barrel. Her heart sank when she saw the Noxian soldiers scouring the pier. Oracle could not help but fear for Thompson's safety. She wanted to turn back and look for him but she knew it would be impossible. She had to continue on for her child's sake. With her fears settled, Oracle took a breath and made her move. She lowered her hood to shield her face. Taking small strides she tried to blend in with the other fishermen and merchants on the pier.
The falling droplets of water caused Thompson to wake abruptly. He immediately tried to move but an overwhelming amount of pain coursed throughout his mangled body. His body felt numb and his skin cool. He tried to speak but found it difficult since his throat was dry and sore. Even with his body failing him; Thompson was still able to hear clearly. He was quickly able to distinguish the sound of running water, as well as the constant echoing of falling water droplets. Judging by the stalagmites overhead, he believed to be in some sort of cavern.
"So you're still alive? Your injuries were so server that I did not expect you to wake." A withered voice called.
Thompson was startled by the voice. He tilted his head slightly until the person was in view. The person was cloaked by a hooded teal robe, which was decorated with golden scriptures. The person stood with a hunched posture and made slow movements. Thompson noticed that the person was preoccupied with something else at the moment.
The hooded figure stood in front of a strange rock formation. Water resided in the rocky dish a top the formation. The magical essences emitting from the water was evident. The hooded person passed an aged hand over the surface of the water several times. Thompson slowly placed his hand on top of his chest to check his wounds. He ran his fingers over the large scar, which was almost completely sealed. An odd green light pulsated from his wound that made him believe that magic was at hand. After all he was delivered a fetal blow by Darius; not to mention the fall from the cliff was enough to kill any man. Thompson was sure that the mysterious individual was behind the strange magic that now filled his body. It took a while but Thompson managed to sit up.
"Thank for saving my life stranger." Thompson said in a weakened voice. "Your robe is rather unique. Are you a summoner?"
"That is not the question you truly want to ask. You wish to know about the soul weaver correct?"
Thompson's eyes filled with shock. How did the man know about Oracle, he questioned. Before Thompson could address the statement the summoner signaled for Thompson to come to his side.
"Soul weavers are quite rare in this age. Able to bend and manipulate the souls of others or themselves can prove to be a valuable force to any army. It is because of such talents why the Noxian army had taken an interest in her. Or is it the child that they seek? Regardless such magic should be preserved and not exploited for man's own greed. A lesson Noxus will learn in time."
Thompson listened to the summoner speak. He spoke ill of Noxus yet there was no traces of hate or anger in his voice. In fact the summoner sounded disappointed. Every step Thompson took pained him, yet he continued to fight the pain until he limped aside the summoner. Thompson's body was riddled with lacerations but each gash pulsated with an odd green light.
"Watch." The summoner said, waving his hand across the pool of water.
In moments the ripples in the water died and were replaced with moving images. Thompson was not surprised by the magic at foot but the images of Oracle took his breath away. He was relieved that the child and her were safe but was worried when he saw Noxian soldiers searching the docks.
"I must go to her." Thompson said firmly.
"That would be impossible in your condition. Besides, your part in her story has concluded. You can only spectate." The summoner chimed.
The carefree tone from the summoner infuriated Thompson. However the summoner held truth in his words. As much as he hated to admit it, Thompson knew that he was useless to Oracle in his condition. Thompson did the only thing that he could do. He calmed his nerves and watched Oracle through the pools of water.
"She's over there! After her!" The soldiers shouted.
The Noxian soldiers shoved their way past the crowds of people in pursuit. Oracle held her child tightly and ran as fast as she could. She had come such a far way and she refused to be caught now. As she ran, Oracle tipped over a basket of fruits to delay the soldiers. She turned the corner, hoping to find a spot to hide but it was no good. Oracle had run out of planks to run on. Only the ocean and docked ships stood in her path. When all hope seemed lost a voice cried out to her.
"Hey you! Over here, quickly!" A fisherman called.
Oracle did not hesitate. She ran towards the man's fishing boat and took refuge. As the man hoisted the sails and lifted the sails the stampeding soldiers arrived.
"Stop right there." A soldier yelled.
The fisherman ignored the soldier's orders and readied his vessel for departure. The soldiers reached for their quivers and released a flurry of arrows. Oracle managed to shield her child from harm but at the cost of her own body. Even though she had several arrows lodged into her back, she managed to smile once she saw that her child was ok.
The fishing boat cruised out of the harbor but two Noxian ships were already in pursuit. The soldiers aboard the ships prepared the cannons to sink the deserters. Despite the eminent cannon fire the fisherman tried helping Oracle. He examined her body and slowly tried to remove the arrows from her back.
"Why are you helping me?" Oracle said with a winded voice.
"Lass I am no stranger to Noxus and their draft. They took my boy a couple of years back and he never returned. It pains me every day to wake up knowing that I will never be able to hold my son. Noxus severed our bond and I did not want to see the same happen to your child."
Oracle was grateful for the stranger's kindness but she feared for the worst. Her wounds were deep and she felt the cold hand of death creeping towards her.
"You must help her!" Thompson screamed. "How can you stand idle by as she suffers?"
"I am merely a watcher and nothing more. It is not my place to change her fate." The summoner said in a dull tone.
Thompson was once again overwhelmed by anger. It frustrated him to watch Oracle and not be able to help her. With the Noxian ships closing in, he knew her death would soon follow. Tears ran down his cheeks and into the pools of water, which he watched Oracle from. The summoner watched Thompson as if he was searching for something.
"You really care for her don't you?" The summoner asked.
"There is nothing that I would not do for her, nothing!" Thompson shouted.
The summoner remained silent. He seemed pleased with Thompson's words. The summoner placed his hand within his cowl and stroked his chin. Slowly he made his way to Thompson. The summoner placed his withered hand upon his shoulder. Thompson was startled when the summoner revealed a pair of reptilian eyes. The summoner's dark amber gaze illuminated and engulfed the entire cave with a strange light.
"Very well if that is what you truly desire, so be it." The summoner whispered.
The roars of cannon fire could have been heard from miles away. The tiny fishing boat desperately tried to stay afloat but was completely at the mercy of the Noxian military. While the fisherman struggled to avoid the cannon fire, Oracle's condition worsened.
Oracle had become pale, lying in a pool of her own blood. Her breath was feint but she still clung to her child tightly. Even though the two Noxian ships drew closer the world around her had gone silent. She hummed a soothing lullaby, while gently stroking her child's cheek.
"I'm sorry lass but this looks like the end." The fisherman shouted.
When all hope seemed lost a mysterious fog roll in. It didn't take long for the fog to fully cover the area. The Noxian soldiers were baffled by the strange event. Their confusion was soon replaced by chilling screams. The sea itself opened and giant tendrils, made of water, slowly emerged from the depths. The tendrils looming over the two ships made the mighty Noxian cruisers look like toys. The tendrils came crashing down and drug the two Noxian ships to a watery grave.
"By the gods." The fisherman gasped.
The mysterious fog quickly dispersed. The water settled and no traces of the Noxian ships, or its crew remained. The fisherman ran port side and stared at the ocean. The fishermen's attention was drawn, once he heard Oracle's dying moans.
"Hold on lass. The gods smile upon us, we will get you to shore and patch you up.
"No you're wrong. This is not mercy from the gods but of a friend." Oracle said with a feint chuckle. "Thank you Sir Thompson."
Oracle's condition had grown worse. Her body had become completely pale and the light within her eyes were all but gone. Oracle passed her hand over her child's face.
"Fisherman where is your destination?"
"I was on my way to Ionia for trade but I will dock at the nearest port to see that you make it."
"No, please press onward and see to it that my child makes it to land." Oracle said in lengthy breaths.
The fishermen knew that Oracle had lost too much blood. He nodded his head and accepted her dying wish.
"Lass you never mentioned the child's name."
Oracle kissed her child on the forehead. She had never settled on the child's name but after everything that she had gone through, to escape the grasp of Noxus there was only one name that came to mind.
"Her name is Sona." She whispered.
With the last of her strength, Oracle reached for her etwahl that lay beside her. She placed her hand atop its strings and watched Sona.
"Forgive me Sona but I must leave you." Oracle said with lifeless tear filled eyes. "Even though I must leave you I will protect you always my child. May the strings that bind our hearts never be severed."
Oracle's violet gaze faded to grey and her breath became still. Her body was slowly encased in a blue light, which matched her hair. The fisherman watched in awe as her body began to break apart into dozens of particles. The remains of Oracle drifted into the etwahl until there was nothing left.
"So the soul weaver decided to bind her soul to her etwahl." The summoner mumbled.
Thompson fell to his knees. The pain from his wounds could not compare to the pain he felt in his heart. He had given Oracle his word that he would protect her and he had failed. His tears ran down his cheeks echoing as they hit the ground of the cave.
"Dry your eyes human this tale has yet to conclude. Come and gaze upon the water once more. The soul weaver's life was but a prolog. The true story lies within her child's tale." Said the summoner.
The summoner extended his withered hand towards Thompson. Thompson was still heartbroken but the summoner's words interested him. He raised his head and took the summoner's hand. The two stared into the mystic pools and waited to see the next chapter of Sona's life unfold.