It was a beautiful day in the land of Ionia. Clear skies adorned the fresh green grass alongside the varieties of trees that sprouted from beneath the Earth. It was incredibly scenic; Ionia was known for its beauty after all. However, the stunning image was soon tainted as crimson droplets found their way atop the emerald green grass. Wind stirred in multiple directions as the source of the blood dragged himself throughout the seemingly never ending forest. The man looked down, saddened by the ensanguined trail he left behind him. I can't seem to stop ruining everything I step foot on he thought to himself. With a sigh, he tore off a strip of his already tattered greyish-blue poncho and wrapped the rough cloth around the deep gash in his arm, right below his elbow. He had been recognized earlier by a fellow samurai whom he had trained with. At the sight of him, he immediately attacked and attempted to kill him on the spot. Using only his hands, Yasuo managed to subdue the man, however blocking his attacks resulted in the severe injury. He winced as he tied the fabric tightly, however it was certainly nothing he wasn't used to. In fact, this was definitely a more mild encounter compared to the other ones he had experienced. He was just glad he hadn't bloodied his sword once more, and unquestionably relieved he did not have to kill another person. He was tired of this life, tired of running, tired of killing, and close to giving up on seeking justice. The fuel to his fire was running out rapidly. No matter what he tried, no one would believe the words that came out of his mouth. And he didn't blame them; the situation was perfectly set up so that he looked like the criminal. After all, he was the only known person to have mastered the legendary wind technique. But he knew he was not guilty, and he would not accept punishment until the true culprit was caught.
He continued on walking until he could find a secure place to rest. Staying out in the open was incredibly dangerous, especially after the previous encounter. If the man ratted him out to the authorities, the risk would be double, even triple depending on the area he was in. His thoughts were soon brought to a halt as a familiar sound made his ears perk up in delight: it was a freshwater stream. He choked out a silent, gratified laugh as he made his way toward the noise. He smiled for the first time in a long while at the sight before him. He then ran toward the glorious life source and fell to his knees before it. He was parched; he hadn't had a thing to drink or eat in days. He practically dunked his face into the river and half-chugged the water down, not caring about the water that went down the wrong pipe. Yasuo quickly regretted it though, immediately removing his head out of the water and coughing harshly several times until his throat was cleared. Finding the situation hilarious, he began laughing incredibly hard at his own stupidity. "Hah, if only Yone was here to see this" he muttered. The laughing promptly stopped at those words. He slowly brought his shaking hands to his face, cupping his cheeks as he skooted towards the river once more. Looking into the river, his reflection horrified him. His hair was a complete sullied mess, his skin was now a greyish-yellow tint, complete with dark, baggy eyes. He had become somewhat zombified, a man who seemed to be playing with death stood before him. Instantaneously, he looked away and diverted his attention to the now deep blue night sky. It was a full moon, the night reminiscent of when he buried his own brother, his blood tainting his hands. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt wet, hot tears embracing the brim of his eyes. "Yone…" he murmured. He felt his shoulders rise and fall in short spurts; his crying turning into melancholy sobs. He was desperate, confused and depressed; he no longer knew what to do with his life. In that moment he knew that unless a miracle occurred, he truly had given up. "I'm sorry Yone, I'm so sorry" he sobbed out in defeat. He lay there for a few more minutes until his cries lulled him to sleep.
Pale yellow rays of the early morning run made their way through the large windows of the temple of the Kinkou Order. Lying silently in his bed, Shen's eyes slowly opened, awakening soundlessly. He sat up, almost in a mechanical-like manner, and proceeded to slip out of the bed. He strode swiftly across the polished wooden floors, and made his way to the washroom. After showering, he slipped on his shozoko and mask, and continued on to the balcony. He walked outside, breathing in and relishing the feel of the fresh, crisp air. He stealthily propped himself upon one of the many pearl-white pillars set upon the edge of the balcony, and with perfect balance sat upon it in a criss-cross position. He set his hands down upon either knee, and settled for a moment, taking in the beautiful scenery. He truly was grateful for all of this. After Zed's rampage and ultimate killing of the majority of the previous temples inhabitants, the survivors alongside Akali, Kennen, and other generous volunteers managed to rebuild a new temple, far from where Zed had taken over. He sighed, gently closing his eyes as he did. He began humming, focusing his Ki energy into the art of meditation. A brilliant purple aura began to emanate from him as he was slowly lifted off the pillar. He then began to chant ancient Ionian script, ones that invoked peace and prosperity to the ones near him.
His mediation was soon interrupted by a familiar pattern of footsteps headed toward him. He paused his recitation and slowly drifted down until he was seated again. Without opening his eyes, he addressed the interruption. "Fist of Shadow. What troubles have brought you before me?" Despite Shen facing away from her, she bowed her head down in respect and stayed that way. "Eye of Twilight" she said in a monotone, with the slightest hint of urgency "I deeply apologize for my intrusion. However, a wounded samurai amongst a few others have made their way to our temple seeking assistance on a rather important matter."
Shen swiftly removed himself from the pillar with a twist, and landed gently facing Akali. "I thank you for bringing this to my attention, Eye of Twilight, however, I trust that you can handle situations like these without my guidance." He opened his eyes, looking down at the bowed head beneath him. "You are one of the finest in the Kinkou Order. Do not be afraid to make your own decisions. Now go on and assist them. If you truly need me, do not hesitate to ask." Silently, Akali nodded. "Thank you for your guidance. I shall be off then." With a swift turn on her heel, she lifted her head up and with the lightest of steps, made her way out of Shen's vision. He sighed in confusion, it was rare that Akali seeked guidance from Shen. After all, she did make the right decisions one hundred percent of the time. So why now? It's probably nothing to worry about he reflected. He placed himself upon the pillar once more, and resumed his meditation, his recitations now invoked protection upon his people.
Akali resumed her kneeling position amongst the group of samurai before her. "I have spoke with the Eye of Twilight, and he has given me permission to take care of your troubles." She stated, scanning each of their faces. "Although I find it quite odd that you all urged me to seek him out, what is it that troubles you?" She eyeballed the wound on the samurai who sat in the middle of the group, wondering what exactly happened. It was no more than a centimeter deep cut across his exposed stomach, probably from a sword or possibly a dagger. 'Fist of Shadow" the wounded samurai spoke "I was attacked by an infamous man that you probably want dead" he looked straight at her "I was lucky to survive his attack, he knocked me out thinking I was dead and left me' he lied. He knew very well that Yasuo did not even fight back against his attacks, but he wanted him dead for killing the elder regardless, and he knew Akali could help with that. It was her job to eliminate those who threatened the balance after all. Yasuo certainly met that criteria.
Akali's expression changed from her usual emotionless expression to one of rage. She clenched her hands into fists, knuckles turning white. She looked up amongst the samurai, and turned her rage ridden gaze to the wounded one. He looked back at her in understanding. "Yasuo, the unforgiven" she barely spat out "he did this to you?!" The samurai nodded. "We know where he is located. Perhaps you can stop his madness once and for all." The lightest of smiles crept up on his face. Akali growled an almost inaudible growl. "I will stop him" she muttered "for sullying Ionia's name by committing such an unspeakable crime!" The samurai were taken back by her sudden introduction of emotions, but quickly brought themselves to their original stance. "Thank you, Akali, you truly are of utmost help to us" one of them said. "Shall we go?" They all looked at Akali in anticipation. "We shall, immediately." The group stood up and made their way out the temple.
Kennen slowly crept out from behind the wall he was hiding behind. He watched the group leave in dismay. He couldn't let Akali do this; her emotions were getting the best of her and he knew she would do something irrational if she didn't control herself. Kennen quickly made his way up the stairs of the temple: He needed Shen now.