It was a landscape described in tones of blazing gold and burnt brown. Dunes, like a sea of sand, formed wave after wave that shifted in the warm spice-tinted winds, rocks and hills periodically jutting their heads above their sandy crests. The only contrast was the startlingly blue sky, the subtle gradient from washed-out almost-white on the horizon to the deep azure of its zenith uninterrupted by even a single wisp of cloud. The sun was still climbing, but shone with fierce brightness for that it had not yet reached its peak: the shadows it threw stood in sharp relief to its radiance, especially in the place where Azir and Nasus waited.
They stood atop the flat surface of one of the rock hills that were a common feature of this part of the desert. This one, however, was unique: at irregular intervals around the edge of its flat peak great spikes of rock jutted up into the sky, curving like the talons of a hawk. For this reason the place was known to the locals variously as the Upturned Talon, the Grasping Fingers or the Crown of Thorns. It was a no man's land far from any source of water or other useful resource; only the desert claimed dominion here.
Nasus stood in the dark shadow thrown by one of those curiously curved stone pillars, watching the horizon in front of him. His master stood brazenly in the sunlight, seemingly unaffected by the glaring brightness or the baking heat; the sun glinted off his golden armour casting a refulgent aura around him. Azir too had his eyes on the horizon, focusing on a small dot that was slowly growing larger.
The approaching figure moved across the dunes on a slab of rock, literally surfing across the sands. The two Ascended watched her progression as she bobbed and weaved across the desert, disappearing into a dip one moment, shooting over a peak the next, constantly in movement and always chanelling momentum into her next motion.
"There is a certain elegance to the way she moves," Nasus observed. "Her mastery of her powers must be coming along well."
Azir made no reply. His eyes were locked on the approaching figure and the sprays of sand it left in its wake.
Eventually the figure reached the base of the hill. Instead of dismounting to climb she continued straight on up the side of the hill, losing absolutely no speed. In a fraction of the time that it would have taken a normal human to reach the summit Taliyah reached the top, swiftly stepping off her rocky board and laying it to one side: there was no way that a girl of her stature would be able to lift such a huge hunk of stone, but everyone present knew that it was not any kind of physical strength that allowed her to achieve such feats.
Although Taliyah made a good show of appearing calm and composed, she could not deny a certain amount of anxiety, standing in the presence of not just one but two Ascended. She had heard the stories – all Shurimans had – but seeing them in the flesh was definitely something else. The foreboding figure of Nasus towered over Taliyah, easily twice her height; Azir, though not as tall, radiated majesty and importance, as though the very fact of his existence demanded the attention of all who saw him. Still, Taliyah would not allow herself to be cowed, not even by these immortal beings; there was too much at stake here to go to pieces now.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, Emperor," said Taliyah, allowing herself to sound jocular in an attempt to defray her tension.
"To keep me waiting at all is to make me wait too long," Azir fired back. "You should consider yourself fortunate in the extreme that I chose to grant you an audience at all – especially in such a desolate place."
"Do you really think me foolish enough to step into your palace?" asked Taliyah. "I don't trust you. I only speak with you because my people require it."
Azir paused a moment before replying. "Your people."
"Yes. My people. In other words, not yours." There was a hard glint in Taliyah's eyes; a flash of defiance against the godlike being that stood before her. Azir took very good note of it.
"Forgive my interruption, but surely it is the will of the people themselves that decides to whom they belong?" asked Nasus, his voice surprisingly soft to Taliyah's ears – she had expected his voice to bark and boom. "Some choose to follow you, just as many have chosen to follow my Emperor."
"I cannot tell them where to go, nor would I," said Taliyah, an edge of resentment in her voice hinting at memories of bitter disagreements, "but I do not for a moment think that you will be satisfied with only those who go to you willingly. I know your kind, Emperor: you speak of uniting people, of rallying them together under a common cause, when in reality that cause is nothing but the furtherance of your own power and glory."
"Watch your tongue, child," Azir snapped, raising his staff to point directly at Taliyah. "I did not come here today with violent intentions, but that does not mean that I will countenance whatever accusations you make of me. You know not whereof you speak."
"Am I wrong?" asked Taliyah heatedly. "Your predecessors – including your father – waged many long and bloody wars for no purpose other than conquest. You put on a kind face to those who willingly kneel to you, but you will just as happily put to the sword any who resist you."
"I am not my father."
"Indeed, you are worse than him! It was your arrogance that caused the downfall of an entire empire – your empire – and the deaths of untold innocent people."
Azir's royal raiment flared out wide like the wings of an enraged bird. "As I said, child, you know not whereof you speak."
"If I may, my Emperor?" Azir turned to look at Nasus. He nodded, allowing Nasus to speak. The Librarian had ever been a source of wise counsel, an able diplomat and peacekeeper who helped douse the flames of Azir's anger whenever it began to grow out of control. That role had once been filled by another, but Nasus was now the only part of that lost past on whom Azir could rely.
Nasus approached Taliyah and knelt before the girl, such that they were able to look at each other eye-to-eye. Taliyah found herself taken aback by such a respectful gesture, but held his gaze steadily regardless. Unlike Azir's sharp stare that commanded the obeisance of all it looked upon, looking into Nasus's eyes was like peering into deep wells of wisdom.
"Do you trust me, Taliyah?" asked Nasus.
"…More than I do him," said Taliyah, flicking her eyes briefly to indicate Azir who was at that moment silently smouldering with righteous indignation.
"Then know this: the old tales do much disservice to my master. It is true that he made a mistake, but it was not out of any kind of malevolence. He was led astray by one that he trusted with the utmost confidence, one who betrayed him at a critical moment. I will not say that my young Emperor is perfect-" (the edge of Nasus's lips curled upwards in a brief smile that was for Taliyah's eyes only) "-but neither is he the villain that you make him out to be."
Taliyah's eyes flicked uncertainly between Nasus and Azir. "Even if you do speak the truth, I cannot take your word for it. My people are scared. They have seen the power that you command; the armies that you can build. Talk of good intentions is not enough. I need something to show them."
His feathers unruffled, Azir spoke in a calmer tone. "Even if your people do not kneel to me, they are still children of Shurima. I will protect them against any threat, whether it be a rival nation or…" Azir paused darkly. "…the creatures of the Void. Even so, there is only so much that I can do: the tribes you represent are scattered, individually weak. They would be much safer were they brought together behind my walls. I understand your unwillingness to place the lives of those you love in the hands of one whose true character is unknown to you, but even I am not all-powerful. It would be so much easier to protect them were they to come to my city."
"You are capable of speaking prettily, I see," said Taliyah, smiling wryly, "but as I said, I need something to show to my people; something real."
Azir closed his eyes and breathed deeply, summoning the patience that Nasus so often advised him to have. Back when he was a prince he would never have tolerated this kind of behaviour from a commoner – a mere shepherd's daughter, at that. But, things had changed… and this was no normal shepherd's daughter.
"If you have a request to make of me, make it."
Taliyah smiled briefly at Nasus; the dog-headed man nodded to her and got to his feet, standing to one side. Taliyah moved to stand before Azir, choosing a distance that indicated respect but also a lack of fear.
"My people, the nomads of the desert… we are being hunted. At first we didn't know what was happening: people went missing here and there, swallowed up by the desert, but this wasn't something to be alarmed by in and of itself. It wasn't until the hunter grew bold enough – or hungry enough – to attack an entire camp that we knew what we were facing."
Azir and Nasus shared a quick glance. Taliyah picked up on it.
"What's the matter?"
"We may know of the beast you mention," said Azir grimly. "A giant eyeless worm clad in purple scales that swims through the sand and devours those who tread upon it."
"Yes! That's the one!" Taliyah burst out. "But… if you knew of it, why have you not killed it? The longer it stays out there, the more people will die!"
"I could ask you the same thing," said Azir in a measured voice. "You have some power of your own – not many have the ability to move the rock and sand as you do. If you are indeed the leader of the desert tribes, surely it falls to you to protect them?"
"I…" Taliyah found herself momentarily unable to reply, the truth of Azir's words dumbfounding her. "I tried. But I am not powerful enough. I have faced the beast, but I was barely able to hold it at bay, much less kill it. I came this close to dying."
"You risked your life to stop the beast?" asked Azir.
"To protect my people," Taliyah answered, looking him in the eye.
A moment passed. The only sound was the song of the wind. The three of them stood in the midst of the circle of stone, the seconds ticking by as the sun continued its journey across the sky.
Azir stepped forward and, with great solemnity, placed a hand upon Taliyah's shoulder. When he spoke next it was without the usual harsh, commanding cadence normally present in his voice. "You will not have to risk your life again, Daughter of Shurima. I will protect you."
"You think I can't handle myself?" asked Taliyah, her injured pride apparent.
"That you were able to fight that beast to a standstill is more than enough to prove your worth. However, even the strongest of us sometimes require aid. You have mine."
Taliyah remained tight-lipped. "Don't think that this means I owe you any kind of allegiance."
Azir let out a quick breath that sounded almost like a laugh. "Worry not, child: for this deed, I will demand no payment." Azir removed his hand from Taliyah's shoulder and turned. "Nasus."
"My Emperor?"
"When we return to the palace, search the Grand Library for anything that might be of help in the coming battle. The more we know about this Void creature, the better equipped we shall be."
Nasus bowed his head. "As you wish, your Highness."
"What about me?" asked Taliyah.
"What about you?"
"I want to fight the beast," said Taliyah, her voice brimming with fury. "I want to be there when it dies. I need to pay it back for what it has done to my people."
"You will get your chance," said Azir evenly. "Indeed, I am sure that your particular talents will be very useful in fighting the monster. That is… if you are willing to take orders from me."
The air in between Azir's and Taliyah's eyes crackled with tension. Nasus was about to intervene again when Taliyah broke the silence.
"You need to learn about a thing called 'teamwork', Emperor," said Taliyah, a cheeky smile on her face. "I know every relationship you've had thus far has been you giving orders to others, but there are other ways to work together."
Azir stared hard at Taliyah. "My father used to execute people for such impertinence."
"You aren't your father."
The stare continued for a few seconds more. Taliyah stood her ground.
"…Come, Nasus. We're leaving." Azir turned from Taliyah and stepped over the edge of the plateau: as he did so the sands of the desert rose from below to meet him, forming a swirling disc that hovered in mid-air and provided a platform upon which Azir stood. Nasus bowed his head to Taliyah before going to join his master, a gesture that Taliyah reciprocated.
"Prepare yourself for the coming battle, Taliyah," said Azir, looking back at her over his shoulder. "I will send word when it is time."
"Make all haste. People's lives hang in the balance."
Azir made no reply, but Taliyah was in no doubt that she'd been heard. Without another word, Azir motioned the disc on which he and Nasus stood to move with a wave of his staff; it did so, bearing the two Ascended away across the desert at great speed.
Taliyah prepared to leave. As she stood on her surfing rock, she reflected on the events that had brought her here – and what the future might hold. So much was still uncertain.
"…I've come too far to fail now. I can't let them down."
She launched herself down the slope of the hill, speeding back towards the nearest tribe. They would be waiting for her return, anxious to hear of the result of her audience. It wasn't a promise of eternal peace – far from it – but for now, it would do.