Have I ever told you how much I love you guys? I posted my first piece on Sunday after almost a month of writing it, and on the first night I got the greatest review I could ever have hoped for. To the two of you who took the time to send me a private message, I'm looking at you Tinyshygirl125 and kewlstory, you guys are absolutely amazing. It is for that reason that I am posting this piece here today.
Tinyshygirl125, you asked for Zed x Syndra, and thus you shall receive! I wasn't entirely sure which path to take after The Heartseekers, but I'm so glad I've started writing this now, it's a lot of fun. So please, read on, and I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1 - Absolute Control
Zed really hated architecture. It wasn't that he had grown up in Ionia, where the way a building faced could have religious significance, but simply because it was so overwhelmingly boring and meaningless. As he stood under his turret, nothing to do but look at the warrior-like statue as the minions waddled their way towards their inevitable demise, he was disappointed to realise that architecture was all he could think of. He had joined the Institute under the assumption that his prowess as an assassin would be put to good use, not wasted on petty shows of strength against other people who's egos were a thousand times larger than they should have been. He had long since given up wondering who would approach him across the lane; they were all the same to him. That wasn't to say he didn't get some interesting match ups, he often looked forward to going up against the young pyromancer or the maniacal yordle bomber, but if he had to go up against another damn Du Couteau, he was sure he'd murder himself. After what felt like a small millennia the minions finally found there way to the middle of the lane, and Zed lazily stepped forward to start slaughtering the little blue ones. How low he had stooped.
His thoughts were cut short however with a sudden smack to the back of his head. He turned, throwing out his duel blades but cutting nothing but air. Another hit came from behind him, and this time he pivoted on the spot, swinging his blades around him in a flurry, but once again colliding with nothing. Laughter filled the air, and his opponent stepped her way out of the nearby bushes.
"That's certainly a different technique." The mage walked with a certain degree of pride, but it was the fact she was walking that surprised Zed the most. He was certainly not unaccustomed to fighting mages, but he found it hard to remember the last time, if ever, he had gone up against this particular one.
"Syndra, wasn't expecting to see you here." She offered a weak smile, raising her arms as she lifted into the air, hovering so that she didn't seem as short in comparison to the assassin.
"I do get picked sometimes you know?" Zed scoffed, which caused Syndra's shoulders to slump a little. In the end she decided to respond with another ball of dark energy, which Zed now expertly sidestepped. The two continued to farm in silence, which Zed welcomed. He was so sick of having to verse people who bragged about every little bit of poke damage they got on him; it was pathetic really. Syndra would smile when she hit him, and nod when she was hit, the pair both acknowledging their respect for their adversary.
Ionia may put too much influence on architecture, but at least it's champions still seem to have honour. Zed found himself watching the dark mage as she fought. There was an undeniable eloquence to her actions, the simple flourish of her wrist as her magic manifested to the way she almost danced through the air as she ducked and dodged his abilities. Her technique was quite mesmerising.
It wasn't until a terrible shriek came from the jungle that their peace was broken, Syndra taking off at a sprint-like pace into her own jungle. A few seconds later a voice boomed over the arena, announcing a kill for Zed's team. Syndra returned looking a little battered and bruised, clearly not coming out of the fight well either. Zed seized his chance and leapt at her, using his shadows to get so close that she had no hope of dodging his abilities. The technique was brutally effective, and Syndra's body slumped down in front of him, sad eyes looking at his face before she collapsed face first to the floor, the voice announcing another kill for Zed's team. Years as an assassin had long since desensitized him to death, but he couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret at the loss of Syndra. It wasn't even her fault that he had gained an advantage, so he couldn't see any honour in what he had done. She returned to lane, evidently disheartened.
"That was rude, you know my teammate set me up there." Zed just shrugged.
"Not my fault, you should have backed." Syndra just returned to farming, confusing Zed. He was clearly becoming way too accustomed to people wanting to argue every decision he made. Zed expertly sidestepped another purple orb, only to have a second thrown at him from his other side. He stepped back, then realised the mistake he had made. Between him and Syndra was the first orb, and Syndra noticed this. In a flash of purple Zed found himself knocked back, the orb colliding with his head and dazing him. He could feel more orbs hitting into him and his body screamed at the pain. He was forced to his knees and looked up at Syndra, who finished him with one final orb.
Zed had grumbled his way back to mid-lane, where Syndra had just came back herself, not making the same mistake of overstaying. She seemed so calm, and it was really beginning to bug Zed.
"Welcome back." Zed growled, a little bit annoyed at having been solo-killed after having an advantage.
"Don't sound so cocky, I killed you first, remember?"
"And you let that advantage go to waste. You should have backed." Zed's own words used against him. Suddenly he thought that the incompetent mages and assassins he normally faced might not have been too bad. But Syndra didn't seem to care less about Zed's thoughts, resuming her farm as though nothing had happened. Zed kind of just stood there, missing a couple of minions before throwing his blades at Syndra, which she sidestepped, throwing him a curious glance afterwards.
"How do you do it? I know I'm probably here a lot more than you are, but don't you find the others to be…"
"Self-obsessed, egotistic and narcissistic?" Syndra smiled, and for a moment the haunting purple glow seemed to dim. She waved her arms and the small orbs that orbited her form lined up, and she stepped across them without so much as faltering. It looked like a simple act, but just like how Zed could jump from shadow to shadow, he knew the technique required would be much more difficult.
"Perfect control. When you hold power like I do, you can't afford to have anything less."
"Perfect control? You don't think that's a bit narcissistic yourself?" Syndra shrugged, returning her orbs to orbit.
"It's true none the less." Zed smiled beneath his mask. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually enjoyed himself in one of these fights.
The two shared a knowing glance for a couple of seconds, and they both knew what was about to happen next. Zed jumped shadows and threw his blades, barely missing Syndra, who responded with orbs of her own. One just clipped Zed, stinging a lot. Seeing the damage she had done, she picked up a nearby minion and flung it at the assassin, but he was gone by the time it arrived. Suddenly he was all around her, attacking her from all angles. Syndra sent out a wave of energy, knocking Zed back. Zed barely had time to look up before the stream of orbs slammed into him, knocking him back until his body slammed into the wall behind him, and still they kept coming. He felt blood trickle from his nose, knowing he wasn't getting up. He laughed before he collapsed, content in the fight. Syndra looked down at his body with something akin to sadness before sitting down herself, waiting for Zed's death-mark to take her own life. She fell forward, their bodies lying together on the ground.
In spite of the two Ionians going completely even for the entire game, Syndra's team soon fell behind, courtesy of an incredible snowball from Zed's jungle. Zed approached their team after the game, like he did every time, to show his respect for their strength during the game, and like every time, they were all gone.
"Typical. Do these people have no honour?"
"That's a little bit harsh." When she wasn't hovering, surrounded with dark magic and her orbs, she looked so very normal. Zed on the other hand was still in his full body armour, making him the ever-intimidating threat he was, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Seeing Syndra like this was somewhat unsettling for the assassin, but she had seemed nice enough during their fights, so he figured he could tolerate it.
"This whole forsaken Institute is built on the back of peace and cooperation, and yet nobody even stays back to show some respect. It's disgraceful, not just dishonourable."
"You are too tough on other people. Not everyone has such rigid views on honour as you do." Zed scoffed, turning away from the mage.
"Since when are you so kind-hearted? I thought you were supposed to be the oh-so-scary Dark Sovereign?" Syndra cringed, looking at her hands before clenching them, refusing to meet Zed's eyes.
"It's not that simple." Zed wasn't sure what prompted him to do it, but he came over and put a hand on Syndra's shoulder, a comforting gesture that was so rare, both to her and from him.
"I'd be interested to hear more about it." Syndra's eyes shot to Zed, trying to read anything behind his mask, but failing. She wasn't sure what to say, had he just asked her out? If he had his body language didn't show it, although Syndra was fairly sure she was blushing. Zed laughed.
"So much for perfect control." Yep, she was definitely blushing. Zed turned and began to leave, a very stunned Syndra still standing where she was. He turned back to her before leaving the room.
"I train at the institute every third day, starting tomorrow. I'll see you there." And he left, not waiting for her answer, although he was fairly sure he knew it already. He didn't waste any unnecessary time as he made his way to the room that would take him back to Ionia. Nobody actually knew where Zed was transported, although they knew it was none of the major Ionian cities or the Order of Shadows. Zed favoured secrecy above all else, and he wouldn't risk the location of his beloved Order to the summoners of the Institute, who as far as he knew still assumed he operated from the temple they seized from the ninja order. Fools, every last one of them.
After finally finishing the regular malarkey of declaring goods he found himself standing in the middle of a clearing, the beautiful ancient oaks of Ionia rising up on all sides around him. In all the years since he had come here in his youth, he never failed to marvel at the beauty of such a place. He still remembered that first day he had come here, back when his few aspirations revolved around pleasing his master and beating his rival. As much as he hated the truth, it had been one of the Kinkou that had shown him this place, and if she desired she probably could lead Shen and the others here. He was putting his faith in the hope the forest meant as much to her as it did to him. He started walking, taking seemingly spontaneous twists and turns as he did, just as a means of ensuring nobody followed him. On more than one occasion he found himself jumping from shadow to shadow, just for the extra security. Some would label him paranoid, but better that than being caught. The forest got thicker and thicker, and soon Zed took to the treetops to continue on his way until he reached what he was looking for. The new temple for the Order of Shadows was nowhere near as spectacular as the Kinkou's old temple, but it had something that temple never could; discretion. He dropped from the trees to the front gate, where three of his greatest warriors waited for them, on guard just as he had trained him. They bowed when he stood before them, rightfully showing him respect. He paid little head to them, making his way into the temple and through the training grounds. He felt no small degree of pride at how many people he had recruited to the Order since his attack on the Kinkou, and every time he saw the leagues of ninjas going through the delicate techniques he had taught them, his heart leapt.
His personal quarters were on the third floor of the temple, secluded from all the other residents. Inside was a simple bed, Zed often preferring to wander at night, as well as a desk that was currently piled with reports from his numerous generals on the progress of their units. He sat down, beginning to read his way through them, but his mind anywhere but in his work. His thoughts turned to his game that day, fond memories gracing him for what felt like the first time in ages. Syndra. Zed was intrigued by exactly how little he knew of the mage, especially since she was probably the only other Ionian champion he didn't despise, and didn't despise him in return. He put the reports back onto the desk, leaning back in the wooden chair. He found himself laughing at the situation he found himself in. The greatest assassin in all of Ionia was left confounded because of one fight, and with a mage no less! He suddenly found himself really looking forward to tomorrow.
