The dusk was crisp and cold. Webbed droplets of dew slid down the stalks as the wind caressed the surrounding grassland. Overhead, the faint hum of a Piltovian air ship stalked the air, headed northeast toward the city of progress. The roofless wooden structure creaked hazardously, but she had enough faith in the Noxian militia that the rundown building would not collapse on top of them. The Radiant Dawn heaved herself up from her bedroll, glancing toward the clearing before sliding into golden armour.
Her companion was asleep on the other side of the dying fire, curled up into a tiny ball. There was a flash of disappointment, and the hope of a silent meal by her counterpart's side was quickly pushed away. The other woman never usually slept before she had woken, suggesting an eventful night. By the fire, she noted two sharpened sticks, one carrying half a cooked raptor.
Having packed her items, the warrior picked up her blanket and draped it over the sleeping form. She then got to work.
The trails made by woodland creatures were easy to track, but none more-so than the set of glowing footprints trailing into the shrub. She gathered fresh berries and nuts to restock the pile. Branches, big and small, were also piled up in the clearing for firewood. Spring water was scooped up generously in leather skins that hung from her belt.
Hunting was a slow affair. The warrior was not well versed in many forms of combat other than her signature sword or shield, but the snares she set were mostly effective. Her companion - Diana, Scorn of the Moon - was the better marksman from when they had once trained together in the Ra-Horak. During the night, it was Diana who hunted for bigger game.
Searching the area for her contraptions, she startled when a Piltovian cam-bot crawled through, levering itself up a tree and training its watchful eye on her, clicking and twitching. Schooling her features, the warrior focused on her search. Nothing had been snared in her traps. With a sigh, the she gathered them together and hefted them over her shoulder, continuing on her morning routine.
By the time she had gotten back to the clearing, the sun rose high into the sky. Cool air invaded her skin by the time she sat idly by the fire, chewing noiselessly on the cooked meal. From the time she had started traveling, the weather had waned significantly, signalling the approach of the winter months. It was then that the warrior regarded their meeting.
She had followed the footprints.
Glowing light fading, the Radiant Dawn abandoned her fatigue to power forward into the shrub. It was at the first signs of battle that she noticed that the lit trail had intensified and frowned, hurrying forward until strikes of luminescent light were prominent throughout the open sky.
Breaking into the clearing, the warrior only had a split second to take in her surroundings. The heretic was swarmed, desperately slashing at the celestial beasts that lunged at her. On instinct, she raised her Zenith Blade and lunged forward with a flash of light.
The battle was short; with both Chosen warriors in the fray, it didn't take long to dispatch the beasts. As the battleground revealed the two women as victors, Diana didn't hesitate for long. Rushing forward with cry, it was almost all the warrior could do but to call upon the Shield of Daybreak to protect her. The heretic lashed out again and again, each attack parried until the warrior struck the shield forward. Diana was sent flying back and she fell to the ground with a pained grunt, her injuries more severe than the warrior's own.
With a fierce glare, Diana held her moonblade at the ready. Without a word, the warrior dug both her shield and sword into the ground before kneeling down in front of the injured woman. She waited for feelings of anger and resentment to take control. They never came.
"I will never submit, Leona," the heretic spat, dragging herself backward with difficulty. The armoured chest heaved from the exertion, and her glowing eyes looked absolutely piercing against the mark on her forehead.
Leona held that defiant gaze. Never before had she felt like she belonged in another person's presence. The pull toward the woman in front of her was subtle but she could feel the weight of understanding pulsing within her. Unaffected, she extended her hand.
There was a flicker in Diana's eyes. In that split second, Leona recognised the hesitation and reluctance to give in, a feeling she knew all too well. She waited until Diana forced her gaze away, then rested her hands on her knees. She wasn't going to give up the moon.
The space dragon had overrun many surrounding villages. The mystical trail in the sky and glaring shadows from above warned the people of the impending doom but were powerless to stop the celestial invasion, let alone escape. Leona had been on his trail for a week, intent on stopping his rampage to rectify the situation. It wasn't surprising that Diana seemed to be heading in the same direction.
Whenever Leona left camp, she followed his residual pull. The Pantheon was also on the dragon's trail, his presence flaring up in her subconscious. She didn't expect him to make contact, and contented herself on their equal progress.
Leona wiped her fingers on the grass. The trail in the sky was shimmering bright and powerful, calling her to reach him faster. Aurelion Sol. His name brought pain and misery, a cry for release from his bonds.
She stood. With a last glance toward the sleeping figure, the warrior picked up her belongings and continued forward in their journey.
There was a fanfiction competition on the OCE server and I thought I could put in the effort of entering it, seeing as I wanted to start writing again. There was a word limit so this is short.
I apologise for the mediocrity QAQ I haven't written in years.