Author's Note: I take no credit for any characters, places or events taking place in this written work. This is a fan-made extension of the League of Legends champion's lore. Please enjoy.
League of Legends: Extended Lore
Garen the Might of Demacia
Thousands of marching footsteps are heard traversing the lands of Valoran heading towards the benevolent city-state of Noxus. The almost in-sync rhythm of the march was nearly as noticeable as their uniform. The blue chainmail they wore was covered by shinning silver armour outlined in gold, each soldier carrying a shield of similar colour accompanied by either a longsword or a spear for the soldiers closer to the frontlines. One of the men in the frontlines was carrying a banner with the image of two proud golden lions in front of a blue shield, each holding a sword that would cross in the centre, the Demacian crest. The Demacian soldiers were led by a large, proud man wearing a similar uniform. He didn't carry a shield like the other soldiers, as his large frame allowed him to carry a weapon far better suited to his powerful fighting style. His name was Garen, and they called him the Might of Demacia, for he was the pride of the Demacian army. He held his hand in the air for a moment as he began to slow, the soldiers that followed him immediately followed suit.
In the distance they noticed another army of similar size wearing darker armour than theirs, as if they represented the battle between the light and the darkness. The specifics of the armour could not be seen, but a quick glimpse at their banner revealed their identity. The silver outlined blue shield that sat in front of two large silver weapons, an axe and hammer crossing to make an 'X' with what looked like a silver stick with both sides sharpened sitting horizontally behind the shield. The Noxian army stood proudly behind their emblem, just as the Demacian's stood behind theirs. Before engaging the Noxian soldiers, the leader of the Demacian army thrust his large sword into the air, shouting a mighty "For Demacia!" before leading the charge against their enemy.
The open field had become cluttered with the abundance of soldiers engaging in mortal combat. The constant clashing of steel was like an endless loop of ringing, and the once green grass that covered the field was starting to change to a deep red, moistened by the blood of Demacian and Noxian soldiers. Neither side seemed to have the upper hand.
That is, if you didn't notice the Might of Demaica slicing through multiple Noxian soldiers with a single swing of his mighty sword.
Noxian soldiers didn't even know what hit them until it was too late. By the time they had felt his blade against them, he was already halfway through the torso and ready to continue onto the next soldier. The whirlwind that Garen became was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. The enemy troops fell one by one in a bloody heap of bodies sliced cleanly into two halves.
Fear began to sweep over the Noxian army.
After putting another group of soldiers to rest with his blade, Garen noticed many of his own soldiers falling one after the other in quick succession. He quickly charged to the location of the carnage, slicing through the few Noxain men that stood between him and his men.
"Fear not, I'm coming!" He shouted, trying to inspire his men to hold onto life until he arrived.
He stopped in his tracks at the sight of his men lying lifeless on the blood soaked grass, looking up at the man who had put so many of his comrades to rest. But it wasn't a man at all. The form that stood before him was that of a more feminine figure. Her emerald green eyes shone with the fire of a warrior, and the vertical scar on her left eye was a memento of battle, or so he guessed. She was an attractive woman, Garen thought, with long lavender hair that hung down to the middle of her back. She wore tight, dark leather that accentuated her womanly form. Her top was short enough to barely cover her cleavage, with a small leather jacket that hung no further than her shoulder blades, and tight pants that we a house to a multitude of small blades. She looked at Garen for a moment, and he did the same.
"Come forth, you will find honor in death." Garen taunted as he tightened his grip around the large blade he wielded.
"If you insist." She replied, widening her stance and holding her two swords firmly. Without any further delay the dual wielding warrior lunged at Garen, attacking him with a swift flurry of sword strikes that were blocked by the Might of Demacia. He swung his large sword in an attempted counter attack, but the bladed woman disappeared, appearing almost instantly behind him. He barely managed to bring his sword around in time to block the incoming blow.
"Intriguing." The woman said with a smile before disengaging, gracefully somersaulting backwards and landing in a low stance. A similar smile could was on Garen's face, which only intrigued the woman further.
The battle of blades that the two warriors were engaged in drew the attention of many soldiers, Demacian and Noxian alike. Some of the soldiers were able to gain a combat advantage due to the distraction; others became entranced by the epic battle. Fear overcame some of the Noxian soldiers, who began to run from the battlefield. The Demacian soldiers however could not abandon their commander, and began to clean up the few remaining Noxian soldiers before circling around the two warriors.
Surrounded and outnumbered, the bladed woman stopped her assault on Garen, who had also realised his troops gathering around them both. The Noxian woman smiled, the gut feeling of a deadly attack made Garen scream for his troops to run.
It was too late.
The Noxian woman had begun to spin around and around, releasing an abundance of small blades into the throats of all the soldiers. Garen quickly jumped back and took down the two closest men, landing on top of them so that he would take the blades instead of them.
When silence overcame the battlefield and Garen slowly peered back to the woman, she was gone, leaving behind a multitude of dead men, all with a blade in their throat. He picked himself up off of the two men he jumped on, checking to see if they were still alive. The one on his left arm was alright, although a little shaken. The one under his right arm was not, a blade lodged in his throat, covered in his own blood.
The only man alive (apart from Garen) slowly collected his wits, clutching his wounded ribcage as he rose from the blood soaked grass. He looked at the Might of Demacia, who had his back towards him as he thought to himself. The surviving soldier looked in awe as Garen's back was riddled with blades, with blood trickling down his back as the blades had partially penetrated his armour. The other thing that surprised the man was Garen's heavy breathing. He had never heard of that man ever returning from a battle with a shortness of breath.
"Who… was that woman?" the soldier asked Garen a little hesitantly, looking around at all of his comrade's motionless bodies.
"I've heard stories of her exploits before." Garen replied, attempting to recall the rumours he had once heard. "The daughter of Noxian General Du Couteau, Katarina…" The thought of this new foe strangely excited him. He turned to face the only survivor, the man he saved, and smiled. "Let's try to find some survivors and return home."
"… it seemed as though the two were locked in a mortal waltz set against a symphony of clashing blades." A drunk man exclaimed, the drink in his wooden mug was spilling from his unbalanced movements.
The smell of alcohol was thick in the air as the tavern was filled with men who had drunk more than their sober bodies could handle. The wooden floors were stained with spilt brew, and room was filled by a loud commotion that always came from the same drunken man.
"So you're saying… *hic*… that the pride of our army joined the League of Legends…" another drunk man said before he had to pause and regain his balance. "…to join the League just to fight that woman again? You're crazy boy!"
"If you were there you would understand. You didn't witness it… I don't think I've ever seen Garen smile like that…" the first drunk man stated.
Equiping his usual Demacian armour and grabbing his large sword, Garen left Demacia and headed to the Institute of War. He had heard a rumour that Katarina was joining the League of Legends, and he wanted to lock blades with her once again. He never entertained such a notion in front of his fellow Demacian's, but he knew they wouldn't understand. The thought of a worthy opponent was reason enough to rise each morning. He sat his sword across the back of his shoulders, paused for a moment of reflection before shouting "To the Fields of Justice!"
