Shadowed Reunion

Edgar stood next to Artix, watching as the cloaked necromantress picked up the skull of the last skeleton the paladin had struck down, her broken phylactery glowing. The necromantress wore a hooded dark purple cloak and black gloves, hiding all but her green eyes. She seemed so familiar to Edgar, but he could never place her.

Artix waited to see what the cloaked woman would do. She was outnumbered, and despite the frequency of her appearances, he'd never seen her actually fight. He visibly tensed when the skull she was holding lifted into the air, breaking apart. The pieces of bone spun around quickly before the necromantress caught them and tossed them onto the ground. As the pieces melted into blood, they formed a magic circle on the ground.

Edgar felt his stomach churn. Something was coming. He raised his sword in preparation. He assumed Artix could feel it too, since he raised his blade as well. A few seconds later, large cracks glowing red appeared in the circle. The ground burst open, and an undead warrior three times the size of either warrior rose up. It wore a horned helm, metal bracers and boots, and had several arrows protruding from its back. Its eyes were glowing crimson as it reached down and pulled up a sword roughly two-thirds its own size.

Edgar looked up to the tip of the sword, noticing a purple aura surrounding it. "…Yikes. I think you're going to need something a little bigger." He said to Artix.

"Hmmm. You may be right." The paladin looked at his sword, the only replacement he could get after losing his axe. He looked all around the area for a weapon, and then crouched low. When he rose again, Edgar's jaw dropped as Artix lifted a large stone hammer he'd produced from seemingly nowhere. "…This should do! Ready?" Edgar nodded, lifting his own sword.

The fight was on. Edgar and Artix made great use of their paladin training, focusing light into their attacks and healing themselves when the large warrior managed to land a blow. Despite its size, the creature fought with great skill, very similar to Edgar's style. Artix was equally impressive, managing to not only defend with his oversized weapon, but get in a few good blows of his own.

The necromantress watched with wide eyes as her champion undead lost ground against the two warriors. Edgar managed to knock the sword out of the giant's hands, and kicked it away. However, when Artix attempted another blow, the undead warrior caught the hammer, and threw it aside. It grabbed the paladin's shoulders and lifted him into the air. Artix closed his eyes and placed his hands on the creature's wrists. Smoke rose from his hands, and a burst of light separated the pair. The giant's red eyes went wide as it realized its hands were gone.

Artix noticed he was still holding the creature's hands and recoiled when one of them twitched, dropping them to the ground. From a few yards away, Edgar watched, waiting for Artix to finish the fight. He didn't wait long, as Artix closed his eyes and was surrounded by light. He lifted his right hand into the air and a bolt of lightning came down, forming a spear of light in his hand.

The necromantress watched in horror as Artix threw the spear, which passed right through her creation, destroying its body, and leaving its skull and helm to fall to the ground. However, the spear did not slow as it shot through the necromantress' phylactery as well, shattering it. Her eyes widened as the spear shot through her as well. It did little damage to her, likely because most paladin arts are for dealing primarily with undead, but the force was enough to knock her to the ground.

Edgar walked toward Artix, joining him as he walked slowly toward the necromantress. When they reached her, the spear dissipated, and Edgar handed Artix his sword. Artix looked down to their foe. "Now we have you! Let us see who hides beneath those purple robes!"

The brown haired paladin took hold of the shoulder of her robe, and the necromantress leapt away, leaving it in his grasp. They could now clearly see her bright green eyes, short purple hair of the same shade as Edgar's, and small red bat wings on her back. Edgar remembered her from the town of Moonridge. "You've unveiled Vayle! I have to admit, I saw that coming."

If looks could kill, her glare would have slaughtered them both, reanimated them, and killed them again. "YOU… YOU ANIMALS!"

Edgar felt a slight tingling sensation, but pushed it to the back of his mind. Artix raised an eyebrow. "Us?"

"You destroyed my brother! I have kept his spirit safe in his spiritcrystal for YEARS… ever since… that night! I was so close to getting Noxus to teach me to bring him back… but I used his spirit to animate that undead and you DESTROYED HIM and THE SPIRITCRYSTAL! Now his spirit is gone… forever! It's all your fault!"

Artix gave Vayle a sympathetic look. "Vayle, if what you say is true then you have been keeping his spirit captive. The spirits of the dead long to move on. Noxus was lying to you when he said that he would teach you how to get your brother back. If his life force was really captive all those years then there was probably nothing left of your brother to…"

"NO! YOU LIE! I LOVED my brother Edgar, and YOU destroyed him…" Both paladins' eyes went wide at the name, but neither had a chance to respond. "I HATE you Artix! I HATE YOU! Noxus was right. I should have destroyed you when I had the chance."

Artix lowered his head. He remembered when he first met Vayle when they were children. How he'd saved her from the monsters in the cave they were trapped in, and how he'd taken her back to the village. Despite the fact that her brother assumed he was responsible at the time, Vayle still seemed to consider him a friend. To have lost that friendship… like this. "Vayle…" His voice trailed off. He wasn't sure what more he could say.

Edgar stepped forward, ignoring the strange feeling that was growing stronger by the minute. "Please Vayle, listen to Artix…"

Vayle ignored them, too overcome by anger and renewed grief to care what they had to say. "I was holding back because of what happened when we were children, but that's over now." There was new, more potent venom in her voice as she continued. "I will avenge my brother if it is the last thing I do. You will pay… BOTH OF YOU WILL PAY!" Darkness shrouded her, most likely returning her to the Necropolis.

Edgar placed a hand on Artix' shoulder. "Artix, if she has gone to warn Noxus then we don't have a lot of time. We have to get to Noxus and stop him."

"I do not believe that it was her."

"Snap out of it paladin. Sepulchure won't wait for his undead army. We have a world to save from darkness."

Artix finally looked up to Edgar. "Yes. You are right. Noxus has to be stopped…NOW!"

Edgar smirked. "That's better. Let's get to it." As he turned to walk away, the tingling sensation from before became a sharp pain, forcing Edgar to his knees. He grit his teeth and dug his fingers into the dirt, trying to bear it.

Artix knelt next to him quickly. "Edgar! What's wrong? Are you injured?"

Edgar shook his head as Artix tried to heal him, but it didn't make a difference. Edgar felt as though he were being pierced by swords on all sides. His blood was like lava in his veins, and he wondered if this was how it was supposed to end. Suddenly he opened his eyes, which turned from hazel to bright green, just like Vayle's.

Memories flooded his mind, memories of Vayle as a child, coming home accompanied by a brown-haired boy. He remembered seeing those red wings on her back for the first time.

"VAYLE! I was so worried. What… are those WINGS? What…?"

Vayle looked up to Edgar imploringly. "Brother, please don't be mad! I got lost and this boy found me. His name is Artix and he…"

Edgar turned to Artix, glaring at him. "YOU! Somehow you did this to my little sister! You… stay away from her!"

Artix looked confused, apologetic even. "But… No… I…"

"I SAID STAY AWAY!"

As his mind and vision returned to the present, he looked up to a shocked Artix, a strong paladin who had saved his life several times, who never needed a reason to help people. He remembered Artix telling him about the day he met Vayle, and the green mist that had claimed the lives of all the villagers, including Vayle's own brother. Now he realized what was happening.

The phylactery held the soul of Vayle's brother, but there had always been a piece missing. When Vayle used her brother's spirit to animate the giant undead warrior, he could feel it coming, and felt it throughout the entire fight. When the crystal was destroyed, the strange tingling feeling began. Until now, Edgar's earliest memory was waking up in the woods in Amityvale, near the stone circle where the witches known as the Yaga sisters resided.

"EDGAR!" Artix' voice finally broke through the cloud of memories and revelations as Edgar looked up to him. "What's wrong? Tell me!"

"I… I'm sorry Artix."

"Sorry for what?"

"For yelling at you. You were protecting Vayle, and even brought her home. And I blamed you unjustly…"

Artix narrowed his eyes. "Edgar? What are you talking about?"

"I remember. I'm Vayle's brother."

Artix' eyes widened. "But how? She said she'd held him in that spiritcrystal, and it's gone."

"It was broken. I think… I think she only had a part of me. But I remember that day in the village. I remember our house, and even the green mist."

Artix took a step back as Edgar got to his feet. "But how could that be possible?"

Edgar was silent for a moment before speaking. "I don't know. But I know who to ask." He turned toward the helm covered skull that only moments ago was part of him. He walked past it, picking up the oversized sword of darkness it had wielded against them. The sword felt much lighter than it appeared to be, and he rested the blade on his armored shoulder before turning back to Artix. "But I'll do it after we deal with Noxus."

Artix smiled, resting his sword on his own shoulder. Having done all they could here, the pair of paladins turned back the way they came, and left the cemetery. One chapter of their story was nearing its end, and they both knew the next would change everything.