Prologue - The blurred memories

I awakened. I felt as if I have slept for centuries. My body has gone numb. I inhaled, feeling my lungs revitalize with the oxygen supplies reaching them. The air was warm and stale. It made me feel nauseated. I felt like I was no longer able to sense the life inside my body. I could see from it, but there was no trace of energy. It was like I was floating within it in some other life form. My vision was unstable, weak and blurry. I could only tell shapes apart. Everything was either black or white for me.

"I...I think she is coming back..." I heard a soft voice, broken into fractions, but my ears were trained to identify and decipher muffled and unclear sounds.

"Yes, yes, she is breathing a lot faster now! Call the healer!" a differently pitched, but still soft voice rushed, and then I heard heeled footsteps tapping out of the chamber in a hysterical pace. Heels? Tender voices? Women. I tried to gather some focus, in order to fully restore my vision, but no such luck. A sudden jolt of pain started gnawing inside head, as if a hungry monster of some kind was feasting on my brains. I gritted my teeth in order to sustain the pain and make it stop sooner. Even keeping my teeth gritted caused waves of pain to spread over the muscles on my face, making them instantly numb. It took some efforts from me to inhale a new portion of oxygen, as it felt like it was mercilessly cutting through the tiny pores of my nostrils.

Suddenly, a thin, red veil started to form before my eyes. Like a mist. As the seconds passed, it started pulsating and becoming thicker... Like a fog...

Mixed voices. People talking. Unknown language...

I felt an explosing throb of pain spreading through my ribcage. I half screamed the pain I experienced, gripping my sore ribs with both hands. A white flash interrupted the red curtain that was my vision. The pain retracted for a second, but only to appear in a greater magnitude and in my right knee. I hissed, feeling the insides of my mouth fill with blood. My lips were sealed shut. Blood came dripping from the corners in small, thick, dark red drops, rolling down my chin. With a new flash rendering my vision useless, my body started generating random pain spots througout my body. It wasn't just a regular sort of pain. It burned. It felt too real. I couldn't take it.

I saw an axe flying inches from my head and devastating the tree nearby.
I saw a massive sword swinging in the air.
I felt a radiating wave of heat.

I remember the crumbled ground my massacred body had fallen on I remember my face pressed tightly against its firm, dry texture.
I remember the sound of marching footsteps echoing below the ground.

I remember the moment where everything ceased to exist...

"Well do something! She is losing blood!" I vaguely heard the familiar voice.

I could finally open my eyes. I saw two female figures leaning over me and the face of the healer staring into my blood shot eyes.

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift off into the realm of dreams.

"Wake up, Tanno..."

I stiffened up and opened my eyes. A red haired woman was sat on the edge of my bed. She brushed her hands together. "Are you alright?" she asked.
I couldn't gather the strength to speak out.
She understood.
Ashe sat on the floor of the room, next to the bed I was in and gave me a friendly wave.

Katarina didn't say a word.

I was suddenly in a wave of panic. Why are Ashe and Katarina in the same room? What is going on? Are we attacked!

Why wouldn't she speak to me? Did I betray her? Did I insult her? What happened to me before I ended up in this room?

Ashe slowly lifted herself off the floor and approached Kat.
"I must go now. It would not be fit for a queen of Freljord to be seen spending time with her enemy. Take care of the summoner. So long." And with that, she left the room swiftly, leaving the cold breeze behind her.

The look on Katarina's face changed from neutral and indifferent to worried and guilty.

I took a deep breath, while shifting my head so I can look at her.

"K...Kat..." I uttered, feeling exausted already.

She placed her arm over mine.

"Yes, summoner?"

"W...W-w...What... What happened... To me?" I was barely able to construct such a simple question.

She hung her head slightly and patted my shoulder.

"You got hurt pretty bad, you know... I did not expect to see you walk among the living after the hits you took." her voice was cold and hard.

"I...I know... But... Still... What... Ha- happened?"

"I would rather not tire you with the trivial nonsense..." she kept refusing to give me an answer.

"Kat!" I shouted and started coughing, for the action required more breath then I could provide. I was determined to express my need to find out the information, but I was distracted, by a wave of violent coughs that would not allow me to catch my breath again. Finally, the storm of coughing has calmed down and allowed me to speak.

"I need... I need to know wha- what happened..." I said in a hushed tone.

"Tanno, let us not speak of the matter now. You are in no condition to handle it." she was somewhat annoyed by my persistance. I couldn't see it clearly, but I felt it in her voice.

I nodded silently.

There was a moment of silence between us.

Her eyes, fashioned out of emeralds by the gods themselves gazed into mine. The glistening in her eyes made me confused. She was the one who rarely chose to show any sort of emotion. And now here she is, on the verge of crying.

"Kat." I said plainly.

She looked at me attentively.

"There is something you aren't telling me... I can feel it." I added.

She went silent. Her normal state when you are trying to get something out of her. But her sudden fragile behavior and mysterious silence made me insane with worry.

I heard many footsteps approaching.

"Tanno... I am so terribly sorry..." she almost whispered suddenly.

"What are you talking about?" Now I was puzzled even more.

"You took up a very brave stance... And you wished to restore the smile of union to my face. You did fail. But you fought bravely. And I will never forget that."

"Stance...? Union? what on Earth are you saying to me, Katarina?" I coughed out again.

She continued, as if she didn't hear me at all: "You... You made me feel alive, summoner. You made me feel deadly and powerful again. I wish I could repay you now... But the price is too high... Rest assured that all of Noxus shall hear the tale oh your devotion to me."

I was too tired and confused to be able to say anything at this point, so I didn't bother. I just closed my eyes and tried to sort the information I recieved in my mind. It didn't make any sense. I did something good and now she is sorry and I am lying here all battered up. The footsteps were heard for a long time now. I wondered where were they coming from, or where were they headed. That was trivial to me right now, compared to the mystical words of the sinister blade.

"You were more then just a summoner appointed to lead me into battles," she started in a warm, loving tone, that was so innapropriate and strange on her. "You were also my friend, my personal spiritual guide... I... I cannot believe I am going to.. Going to..." And then her voice got cold and hard again. She held back words and hung her head again. She seemed to be in pain. When she lifted her head back up, I noticed that she bit her lower lip so hard that it started bleeding. That's never a good sign with Kat. I know it's a harmless wound, but... It means that she can't deal with something and it pisses the crap out of her.

"Thank you... I guess." I uttered out a few words, just to leave the impression of a person who is well aware of the situation they are in, even if I was not.

The door opened.

I saw Xin Zhao and Garen enter the room. They exchanged looks with Katarina and then looked over at me.

"Ah, good. You will be awake for this occasion." Garen said in a tone which I recognized as threatening.

Xin smiled and nodded. Garen gave a sign to the four summoners that were standing on the entrance, and they lifted me off the bed and carried me out of the chamber.