Hello readers. My second story, this time more story-driven. There will be violence and some mature scenes. I'll try to leangthen the next chapters, but i wanted to get the first chapter out asap. Now, enjoy some fiction with the Purifier and the Radiant Dawn.

Greetz, Ser Tarlon

Chapter One

The hunt on Mount Targon

It was an enjoyable day in Mount Targon, at least for those living there. The sun was blazing down less than usual, the temperatures at just about 35° Celsius. The Rakkor were slowing down their usual tasks and talked more. The life seemed almost peaceful today.

The Solari did not relax, they never did. Their devotion to their sungod did not allow them to do so. There were rituals to be held, heretics to be purged and if nothing else, their own bodies had to be trained. Leona, the Radiant Dawn and shining model of the order, did train. Her body, clad in golden Armor, was sweating from her intense training. After she merged with the Aspect, she lost the ability to sense heat, as she burned inside with power. Some people said that the sun itself burned in her heart, causing her body to emit heat like a stove.

Hours have passed since she started her regimen and hours would have passed before she ended it, if a scout wouldn't have interrupted her. "Solari Leona, there is a stranger coming towards the village of the Rakkor!", he informed her. She stopped right in the swift strike of her sword, not moving for a few heartbeats. "Why would you inform me?", she asked him while standing up straight and turning towards him. "One of the seers sends me. He said you will know the stranger.", the scout informed her before he bowed and turned away. "You are expected at the gate." He left, leaving Leona slightly confused. The seers rarely ordered the Solari, let alone ordering herself, the Radiant Dawn. This intrigued her and she followed the order. She arrived at the gate a few minutes later, where the seer awaited her. "One of your fellow champions is coming.", he said, leaving the salutation, now obviously insulting her. Seer Trastor still resented her, siding with Atreus, on thinking she was a heretic. Leona was polite enough to overlook his behavior, but she couldn't take him seriously anymore. He seemed to have lost his reasoning and was going down a path of self-destruction. She pitied him.

"Who will arrive?", she asked and let her gaze roam over the emptiness in front of the gaze, finding the small and lone figure in the distance. "I was not able to see. I know only of his ties to the Institute of war." Leona gave him a surprised look, but answered nothing. The seers abilities to foresee the future decreased, too. Grabbing her sword and shield tighter, she stepped outside the walls of the village and headed towards the stranger. It took her a few minutes to reach him, but she recognized him a long time before she stopped right in front of him. "Lucian the Purifier." She drove her sword into the ground and leaned her shield against it to fold her arms in front of her chest. Lucian bowed slightly, greeting her with his usual reserved behavior. "Leona.", he answered, letting his hands fall on the two relic-guns that hung on his hips. "What leads you to these harsh lands, Purifier?", she asked, not moving anywhere. She knew that she did not have to fear him, but an encounter with his guns was some no one forgot, as they were very painful to the living, but not lethal. "I am chasing an undead from the Shadow Isles.", he said, shortspoken as always. "Please let me pass and proceed, Leona. I wish you no harm, but I won't let anyone step between me and my prey." The cold determination in his eyes gave all those shivers that met them straight, but Leona was a warrior of the Solari, she feared no human being.

"The mountain is my land, Purifier, don't forget that. The Rakkor rule the mountainside. Even a strong warrior as you would not withstand them." She shook her head while grabbing her sword and shield again. "You need their permission to hunt on Mount Targon. I will escort you to the elder." Her fiery eyes burned into the cold ones of Lucian, causing him to nod. "As you say. Lead me to them." He didn't sound different from before, merely accepting the habits of Mount Targon. He followed her over the plains in front of the village, through the gate and to the back half of it. The small cabins grow slightly higher and longer, leading to a long-house with stone-arches holding up the roof like ribs. The guards bowed when they recognized Leona but hesitated to let Lucian pass. "He is a stranger!", claimed one guard and grabbed the hilt of his sword. "No stranger is allowed into the Hall of Elders!" The other guard grabbed his sword too, but he was more cautious than his comrade. If Leona led a stranger to the Hall of Elders, she had intentions he wouldn't contradict. "Move aside, guard!", Leona commanded with such force in her voice, that the guard immediately stepped back, fear in his eyes. The aspect of sun walked past him like he just disappeared, the man in his swallow-tailed coat following her.

The darkness inside the hall blinded Lucian for a few moments, leaving him somewhat helpless, while Leonas clinking steps moving away from him. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the darkness. A long hall appeared out of the darkness, pits of glowing coal illuminating it slightly. A group of five elderly man and woman sat in the background, staring into the flames. A long curtain separated the last part. The stone-arches were visible inside, interrupting the clay of the outer walls. Lucian captured every detail, every crack in the clay, every bump in the stone, and the place of every pit. His never-ending fight against the undead taught him to pay attention to his surroundings. After he imprinted everything into his mind he strode forwards, following Leona on her way to the group of elders. She bowed respectfully before rising to speak. "I greet you, elders of the Rakkor. This man is Lucian, the Purifier." She raised her hand to point towards him. "He is a hunter and sworn enemy of the undead. One of his targets hides on the mountainside. He seeks your permission to hunt. And I am his warrantor." The elders didn't look away from the fire, but one woman spoke. "Leona, aspect of the sun, Radiant Dawn, leader of the Solari. Your request will be permitted." Her head turned towards Lucian, her blind eyes locking his. "Lucian, the Purifier, dread of the undead. You may hunt your chosen pray." Her eyes went back into the fire, the conversation obviously ended. Lucian turned without a word and left the building without looking back.

Leona thanked the elders and followed Lucian. "Lucian, wait!", she called after leaving the building. He was already heading towards the mountainside but turned to her. "Are there any unsettled matters?", he asked calmly. "Yes, there is one. As your warrantor I will have to accompany you in your quest.", she explained, earning a rising eyebrow of him. "I hunt alone.", he declined and walked towards the mountain again. "My hunt is my matter, and mine only. I know that you will not be in my way, but the times of my hunts with a partner are bygone." The hint of sorrow tinted his voice. "You know it." Leonas eyes saddened, but he was right. "I will not take part in your hunt. But I will be close to you, as it is my duty." She understood him, and he did understand her. His determination to kill the undead was met with her determination to follow the rules of the mountain. "This offer I can accept. Stay out of my reach, and I will not try to lose you." She nodded, waving her sword towards the mountain. "Go hunt, Lucian."

Two weeks had passed and the hunt was coming to a close. Lucian followed his undead foe like a wolf followed its wounded prey. He had encountered the undead a few times, but it always slipped away. Their last encounter left it wounded though, and Lucian wouldn't let it escape again. Leona had followed him all the time, carefully avoiding to interfere. She had no doubt that Lucian would slaughter his target in the beginning, but her faith in his skills or her respect for the monster had changed. He got a blow of the magic of the beast, too, and it slowed him down. His usually swift and accurate shots missed more often. She started to worry. If anything would go against Lucian, she would interfere. She was his warrantor and would not let him die under her protection. The gunshots of Lucians ancient weapons ripped her out of her thoughts and she climbed to a higher vantage point. She climbed on the edge of a valley, lights blazing below her. Lucian or the undead monster had chosen this valley as their last arena. Their silhouettes were as small as puppets down there, the undead slightly larger than Lucian. Close up, the beast towered above Lucian, two or more heads taller, but Lucian had the range advantage. His Piercing Light keeping it from landing any more blows to him. They went on for minutes, the beast jumping from cover to cover, Lucian firing at any motion he could see. Numerous trees had been cut down by the bright light, their stumps smoldering in the cold mountain air. From her point of view Leona could see the fight slowly changing in favor of the beast. It gained the height advantage while Lucian seemed to have lost all composure. He fired his Culling, not even aiming properly anymore. The boulder the beast used as cover started to melt, but it didn't plan to stay behind it anymore. It climbed up, reaching the top of it. Faster than Lucian was able to react it jumped high into the air and crashed down onto him. The force of the impact created a crater, its body covering Lucians, but the glow of his guns was still evident below it's broad body.

Leona cried out, angry at herself for being so distracted by the fight. In the blink of an eye her sword stabbed towards the mountain, calling down the power of the sun. The Solar Flare smashed on top of the beast, smoldering the skin from the undead muscles. It screamed in pain and flung itself away from the sunlight. Just as fast as it reacted to the burning light it recovered, swinging its head to either side, searching the source of its pain. Leona jumped down the slope of the valley, her armor shining with the power of the aspect within her. She readied herself to charge in with the Zenith Blade, but the beast fled as soon as it recognized her.

Leona ran towards Lucian and dropped to her knees. He was unconscious, but alive. She examined him carefully, recognizing broken bones everywhere in his body. If she didn't bring him to the closest temple of the Solari he would die. She took up his bright glowing weapons and secured them in the holster at his hips. It seemed odd to her that they still glowed with Lucian unconscious. They always went dark if they left his hands, but she assumed it was a reaction to the nearby undead. After they were secured, she lifted his body with ease and headed towards the closest temple. It would take her a few hours to reach.

Lucian tried to turn around. His back hurt, like he had laid for too long. His consciousness slowly returned to him, which caused him to gasp. With his mind, the pain came, too. Every muscle in his body felt like it was ripped apart and his breath filled his lungs with fire. He moaned in pain and stopped his motion. "You shouldn't move.", said an unfamiliar voice behind him. Her steps circled around him, but he couldn't move his head towards her. He opened his eyes to see her as she moved into his field of view. The woman wore a traditional solarian outfit, her kind eyes swept over his body. "You are not healed yet. Your body still fights the poison of your undead enemy, as well as healing the broken bones and smashed muscles." She examined the bandages and casts around his body. Still dizzy from the pain, he tried to figure our where he was. His restricted movability prevented him from seeing more than the ceiling, so he had to turn his eyes towards the female Solari. "Where am I?", he asked. "You are in a solarian temple, brought here by Miss Leona." The woman replaced a few of the bandages without looking at his face. "She will see to you immediately, if you wish for it." She finished her work and caught his eye. "Shall I call her?" Lucian grinned in pain, then he closed his eyes. "Yes. I'd like to talk to her." The healer nodded and left the room without another word. Her footsteps faded away in the distance, while Lucian, against his intention, faded into sleep again.

Leona entered the room, dressed in the solarian functional dark-yellow cloth they wore under their armor. A short skirt, sandals and a shirt. The heat of their homeland didn't allow any more fabric, it only protected from the heated metal of their armor. When she noticed Lucians sleep she took a stool and sat down next to him without waking him up. She remembered his broken body. She monitored his surgery, horrified by his wounds. Several ribs were broken, one almost pierced his lungs, his left arm was broken as well, every part of his skin covered in almost black bruises. The surgeon and his team had to work for almost ten hours to restore Lucians body to a stable state. They kept him asleep for a full week afterwards, strapping him to the stone slab he was laying on top of now. Every movement of his could have reopened the wounds. After this week they changed his medication, discontinuing the sleep medicaments, but continuing the painkillers. They fed him with a liquid diet all the time, keeping his nutrition at a healthy level. Nothing else was to do, so they waited, until he woke up three days later, while the nurse tended to his wounds. Now, they'd have to ask him what he wanted next, but Leona was pretty sure he would leave as soon as he could walk, no matter his overall shape.

"Leona.", he spoke after a few minutes of waiting time. She had not moved at all, but she guessed that he could feel her presence after all the battles on the Rift. "Lucian. How do you feel?" "Bad.", he answered, but she could not hear any of the pain in his voice. It was as steady and calm as always. "Why am I here?", he asked, a hint of anger in his voice. "The beast you fought defeated you. I had to interrupt the fight and save you from death, but your wounds were grievous. I brought you here to get you healed." She stood up and stepped close to the stone slab so he could see her face. "Do you have an issue with my action?" "I do, and you know it. I told you to NOT interrupt my hunt, yet you intervened. You denied me a meaningful death in fight." The sorrow was evident in his voice. "If I am not able to cleanse all undead, I shall die by their hands, for my life would not have any worth anymore. There is no room for other in my life, and there is no need for rescuers." He had to cough, his raised voice was still too much for his wounded body. "I should have died there, in honor of Senna." His voice was a mere whisper when he spoke of his late wife. Leona shook her head. "I could not have allowed you to die in that valley, Lucian. You are under my protection as long as you roam these lands. If you wish to die, throw yourself off a cliff, but every monster that defeats you will be defeated by me, before you will die. There is no exception to the rules of the Rakkor." Her burning eyes locked his. "And your wife wouldn't have wanted you to seek death by the undead. She wouldn't have fought a foe she couldn't kill alone, would she? She would have gotten help, she did not seek a meaningless death." "What do you know about her! Do not talk about Senna!", Lucian interrupted, burning anger in his eyes. "Only I know, what Senna would have wanted me to do! But she is dead, nobody can ask her anymore! It does not matter, I will not see her again. Not even in death. But in death I will perish and find peace." He spoke low and closed his eyes, overcome by grief.

"I heard the tales of Senna and you, Lucian. I know of her determination, and I know of your kind heart, burned by grief and hate. You went down a path of revenge, and I respect that. But not only you knew Senna. She was a widely respected woman, even up here at Mount Targon. She wanted to purge every undead, but she did not want to die by their hands. You should take up her determination to live, too. Not only the determination to purge." Leona stepped back again. "But it is your decision. I will leave now, if you need anything, call. Someone will be close. As soon as you feel well enough, you may leave." With those words, she left, leaving him with his physical and mental pain.

Two more weeks passed until Lucian was fit enough to stand alone. The solarian healers tended well to him, but he never spoke the whole two weeks. They respected his choice, but did tell him some news once in a while. Sometimes about skirmishes between Demacia and Noxus, about their tribe or just some stories about his fellow Champions. None of it was of any interest to him, but they didn't seem to care. Now, Lucian wanted to leave again, restored enough to walk. He sent a Solari to Leona, to inform her of his plans. Just after he finished dressing himself, she walked into the chamber. "Do you want to leave immediately?", she asked, giving his slightly bend posture a critical look. "I do.", he responded, straightening up. "Follow me, then.", the Solari told him. They walked through the stone corridors into another chamber. Spears and shields were stored in neatly organized racks, some other weapons like swords and mazes stored on a separate rack at the back, Lucians relic-weapons laid on top of the rack. He immediately walked to the rack, puzzled by their changed appearance. "What happened to them?", he asked Leona. They shouldn't have been glowing while they were separated from him, especially not in such a yellow light. He knew that their light turned orange after some shots, but not in their resting state. He grabbed them, while Leona spoke. "I don't know. They kept glowing after I hit the beast with my Solar Flare while it laid on top of you." He examined them closer, but couldn't see any damage dealt to them. "That is … puzzling.", he said, more to himself then to her. "Pray that they still work properly."

Lucian went straight away from the temple buildings until he thought the distance was safe for him to try out his guns again. Leona watched him carefully, standing right beside him. "Let's see …" He fired one of his guns, analyzing every detail of the shot. His weapon reacted regularly, but the light-projectile was different. It had grown slightly in shape and moved faster than before. Its color had turned yellow as well, but the impact was the most interesting thing. The rock he had selected as target was no glowing, too. Usually, his shots exploded holes into the objects they hit, but there was no hole evident in the stone surface. Only a spot of molten stone. "Well, it still works, good for you. But the changes … I'll see how they affect my efficiency." He took a stable stance and held the weapons in front of himself. His eyes jumped through the obstacles which could be used as targets, then he unleashed hell. The frequency of his shots rising fast, several per second. Leona had to squint her eyes, blinded by the bright lights. Lucian on the other hand had is eyes wide open, following every single shot. After the first 10 or 20, their new attributes were fading away, the yellow color disappearing and the strength and pace returning to the state Lucian was used to. "Good to know.", he mumbled, cutting of the stream of projectiles after another couple of shots. "They seem to absorb your sunlight.", he said, turning towards Lucian. "This may qualify you for this hunt, but this hunt alone." He spun his weapons arounds his fingers before pushing them into their holsters. "You may stay close to me, but you still have to refrain yourself from actively engaging the prey. He is mine."

The two warriors reached the place of Lucians defeat the next day. As he was still slowed down by his wounds, Lucian had to take several breaks during their way. After they reached the valley, his vigor got renewed. He saw the burned spot on the ground, the silhouette of his foe left unburned. His resolve to kill the monster grew again, causing him to take up its track immediately. Leona shook her head, but followed without any objection. They had enough food for two weeks and could hunt the animals living around the woods, so she felt safe letting him lead the hunt. She did force him to take a few breaks, though, since he would force himself above his limits again without her. And so the hunt went on, leading them higher up the mountain. After two weeks they found the undead monster again. It was hiding in a cave system, wounded. Unlike Lucian, whose body was almost fully restored now, it was unable to heal, giving the pair of hunters the edge to kill it.

Lucian went into the caves first, both his guns in his hands. The white light illuminated the walls of the tunnels and caverns, giving live to dancing shadows. Leona behind him used the inner glow of her equipment so see. It took them mere minutes to find the monsters hiding spot, but it had sensed them before, running deeper into the caves. Leona felt uncomfortable, as the caverns lead deeper into the mountain, and slightly down. She knew every story of Mount Targon, and caverns inside the mountain had only the grimmest of tales to tell. "Be careful, Lucian, I do not know these caverns. There might be greater dangers than the undead one." Lucian nodded and slowed down his pace. The guns glow brightened as well as the one of Leonas equipment. They followed the trail of the monster and found it a few minutes later. It stood in a larger cavern, but even though there was another tunnel leading away from its hunters, it didn't flee any further. Lucian observed the walls thoroughly, but couldn't find proof of any trap. He gave Leona a puzzled grim, but stepped out of the corridor into the open. The beast looked at him and howled quietly, before starting to charge him in a straight line. Lucian opened fire instantly, but the beast didn't dodge away. It took every shot directly and tried to reach him, but it was defeated after a few shots. Its smoldering remains dropped to the ground. "What happened?", Leona asked curiously. It seemed odd to her that the beast suicided like this. "I am not sure. But it feared something, most likely. Undead like this only act by instinct, it has no humanoid brain. Which means that there is something stronger down that tunnel." He pointed to the other entrance. "Which I will investigate."

"You shouldn't.", said Leona quietly, her voice serious with concern. "This monster was strong enough to defeat you. Anything that it feared should be feared by you as well, especially if it's in Mount Targon. You know neither this place nor its monsters, take my advice on it. Descending into Targon is suicide." She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away, but he shook her off. "I will not fight anything I don't know, I am not as hot-headed as that. But if there is something that has to be purified, I will not step away. And I have to assume there are undead down there, as undead fear the fewest of living creatures." His gaze met hers. "If you do not want to follow me, I won't say anything. But you can't keep me from seeking every undead in these caverns." The Purifier turned away from the Radiant Dawn and paced towards the dark corridor. Leona watched him as he left, but hesitated to move. Even as a Solari, she didn't want to face what lived inside the mountain, or maybe because she was one. Her remorse fought with her survival instinct, but in the end, she walked on the path of honor and couldn't let Lucian leave alone. "Wait!", she shouted, starting to follow him. He stopped, waiting for her, but didn't turn around. After she reached him, she gave him an angry glance. "From now on, you will do as I say. If I tell you to run, you will run, no matter what enemy awaits us." He met her gaze, but didn't answer for a couple of minutes. "I will see.", he answered and tried to move past her, but her sword blocked his way. "You will follow me, from now on. I repeat, YOU will follow ME, not the other way around." Her blade started to shine with the light of a dawning sun. "You will follow my commands, and you will follow them immediately. Do you understand?" He squinted his eye to see her face behind the shining sword.

"You are not someone I take orders from.", he answered again, grabbing his guns. Before he could move anymore, her shield hit him in the chest, hurling him back a few meters and stunning him. "You will either take orders from me or you will be removed from the lands of the Rakkor and not return to the lands of Mount Targon again.", she said, stepping closer to him. "Chose wisely, Purifier." The anger in her voice and the bright glow of her weapons impressed him. Without the limitations of the Institute of war, her full power was let loose now. He understood why people spoke of her like of a goddess. "Under these circumstances I will surrender myself to your will.", he said, a hint of awe in his voice. Leona stood above him for a few more heartbeats, then she sheathed her sword and gave him her hand to help him up. "I do not wish to command you more than absolutely necessary, Lucian. But I need to be sure that you will follow me. The creatures of Targons mist are something you have not faced yet, but I have. Your weapons may not even have any effect to them." She turned towards the entrance again. "Stay close to me and have your guns ready. I suppose there will be more than enough … things … living down here for you to shoot." Together, they stepped through the entrance, entering a new world.