"FOOLS!" A mage roared above while she focuses her mana just to empower the spheres she uses.

"Let us see if ALL of you elder freaks will stand a chance against ME!"

It was a surprise that the mage made a visit at the land she hated named Ionia. Though she still resides on the country what she truly hated is the system of the Council, in other words the elders themselves.

Despite of the mage's actions, she readies her spheres to prepare an attack, the sight is so terrible that all people are calling for help as they were scampering away from the mage.

"All civilians must evacuate. NOW!" One of the Ionia's soldiers cried while leading all people to safety.

"WITCH!"

"Run Away!"

"I..I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

The civilians are all crying for mercy and fear as they run away fast from the grounds.

"Sovereign! Seize this at once!" Came from a voice of an elder who is on the ground with the group of elders.

"We must NOT provoke the Sovereign!"

"But how can we drive her away?!"

"If we kept pleading for mercy, the Sovereign will do more worse!"

"She will destroy The Placidium at any time! How can we-?!"

"People!" All of the elders went silent as they heard the voice of the Duchess of Ionia.

"Duchess Karma, what now?! The Sovereign is preparing for an attack!"

Karma halted the elder and glared at the mage, she gripped her fists hard until she felt her nails poked on her palms. She can't think of any ideas on how to drive the mage away or to make her stop her threat not until she relaxes and fixed her composure.

"Duchess! What are you doing?!"

Karma ignored the rant of an elder as she kept on relaxing her senses to let the stress away.

"Duchess Karma, why are you so calm in to this kind of situation?!" Said of an elder.

"Silence! Don't mind her, I believe she is on a trance! We must believe on our Duchess!"

Suddenly, a loud battle cry roared on the southern part of the grounds, the soldiers of the Ionian Guard continued to march with their weapons ready, a group of archers formed a line as they pulled the string of their bows and anticipated an attack to the violent mage.

"Attack!"

Thousands of arrows has been flown across the sky in a perfect trajectory that is about to pierce the mage, unfortunately with a single sweep of her hand, all arrows pulled back and fell on the ground, one arrow tried to pierce her but she caught it accurately with her hand.

"Pitiful.." She said as she analyzed the pointed arrow. "Is this a toy? This thing can kill me? Ha!"

At the end of her sentence, she bends the arrow just like a thin stick as it creates a loud crack sound, she subconsciously threw the bent arrow on the elders and snarled.

"Do you THINK all your attacks affects ME?! Have YOU freaks forgotten?!" She focuses her mana and creates a discharge of power. Purple aura surges on air as it made a windy force that all people struggled to endure the burst.

"I. Am. UNTOUCHABLE!" The mage laughed in sinister that echoed the whole area. The spheres orbited in motion then it gets bigger because of the tremendous amount of mana she have charged.

Without warning, she hurls a large sphere towards the crowd of elders, it is almost large as a boulder that could destroy the whole country.

The people screamed as they crouched down and closes their eyes that indicates their death.

But something amidst that came to them, it is like a miracle that happened to them, the sphere that is about to destroy them is completely denied by a blade, not just one blade but four of it, it pierced the sphere on the center that it created a sudden burst of energy reaction on it; it's like two stars collided each other.

"What the-?" The mage got surprised on what happened, the sphere she hurled dissipated into thin air. As the sphere gone, the blades that stopped it has gone as well.

The Sovereign glanced at the ground quickly for her to glimpse who dared to defy her. Before she could react, she heard a thin clanking on her shoulder, more like someone is tapping her shoulder pad. She prepared for it until she felt it close to her. She couldn't believe on what she saw, it was a person that was indeed behind her.

"What?! How could you-?" The mage couldn't imagine on what is happening.

She hovered back while she floats on the air, the person in front of her is a woman who wore a red shining armor with a mantle floating on her back, she glanced on both of the woman's feet; it was the blades that she saw after she hurled the sphere at the crowd.

"It seems you are touchable right now." The woman fixed her hair and faced the mage. She maintained her balance while she stand on the base of her floating blades.

"S-SILENCE!" The mage growled and prepared three spheres to attack. "Impossible..You considered THAT flying?!"

"Odd..isn't?" The woman smirked as she made a fake cringe on behalf of it. "Rather than pestering the people down there, you have to get through me first."

"Hmph. We will see about that, Fool." Syndra prepared a stance, with her balance as she manage to control her floating on air.

"We could use the sky as our battlefield than on land, what do you say?" The woman made a fighting stance while balancing on the blades.

She never expected this to hear from an enemy, she felt that this woman could be a perfect opponent for her. Finally, the mage smirked as she accepted the challenge from the mysterious woman.

"Why not? Playing with you will be fun than those..filthy elders since you get along with my power.."

"Really? I will take that as a compliment from the Sovereign."

"Let's see how can you last, rival."

"Bring it."

As they both stared with each other, they anticipated who will attack first, the mage summoned another batch of spheres for her battalion of attacks while the woman waited patiently like a calculating predator. After few seconds, they clash each other in a blinding speed, lots of spheres flying towards the woman like a bullet though the woman evaded each sphere she passed perfectly, she countered it with the use of her blades as she danced on air while she manipulate the blades, every sphere that will hit her dissipates because she pierced each of it with a single sweep of her hand.

"Not bad." The woman commented. "Your precision..I am quite impressed."

"Why thank you." The mage hurls a sphere in a quick motion.

"Though my precision is better than yours." The woman finally surged in front of the mage as she manipulated her blades and formed it like a blooming flower, the attack is swift that it made the mage staggered after she dodged it.

"She also has the power of manipulation which is the same as mine but most of it was all telekinetic. Interesting.." The mage thought as she moved away from her opponent.

"Never knew that I would taste that power of yours again since that fight we had at the Rift."

"And so do I." Said from the woman. "You still lack of resolve, Syndra."

As she heard her name came from the woman's lips, she can't help but have emotions that are mixed with anger and excitement at the same time.

"Yet you will never beat me in terms of magic, Fool Captain." She taunted with a certain anger in her tone.

"Magic is inside of me, and you'll never know that." The woman answered, she glared the mage with her piercing, green eyes.

"Oh? You have magic? Prove it to me then." Syndra gestured by using her pointer finger and curls it, more likely daring the woman.

It will be a fight between physical and magical entities that may change the fate between them, Syndra; The Sovereign finally unleashes a barrage of spheres and hurled it on the captain, she is so impressed on how the woman managed to dodge all of it by aerobatics, though this made her thirst for more, in fact her powers is challenged here yet she got entertained at the same time.

At this point, the sky flickered with purple aura and projectiles as it is viewed below, all of the elders watched their heroine clashed with the villain. Karma ordered the guards to evacuate some civilians at areas where there would be some trapped people waiting for help to come.

"It's the captain!" One of the elders said in a hopeful tone. "She came right on time!"

"We must not let the captain's efforts wasted, Elders!" Karma called. "Move now!"

"Yes!"

While the elders running away from danger, Karma smiled as she took a glance back at the sky.

"Be careful, Irelia." She said before she turned her back and proceeds to her objective.

Both women clashed as they ran out of energy, Syndra respirated a cup of air as she can't move her limbs after she unleashed her power, her mana is lacking and her spheres started to dissipate while Irelia; the captain who she fights with, also ran out of left energy yet she isstill on her blades.

But seeing the captain sluggishly breathe air, Syndra found an opening, without any signal, she summoned and hurled a small sphere that speeds up the attack.

"Not..yet!" Irelia gasps as she pulled out momentum and dodged the sphere with a quick surge of her blades towards the mage. Since Irelia has no energy left, she just tackled the mage, both of them pushed backwards despite of the force.

"Nggh! Let..go off..ME!" Syndra groaned in pain.

Syndra repays Irelia with a slap to her cheeks with her clawed hands just like a cat scratched another cat which it made Irelia felt the pain coming to it.

Irelia ignores the pain and tries to grip both Syndra's hands just to prevent her to attack again while they fell on the sky not until she saw an island floating right towards them.

She still struggles the captain's grip as she tries to escape the captain's touch then it happened. Suddenly, her body turned sideways and the captain is in front of her, the glowing eyes of hers widened as the captain is so close to her until she saw the blades underneath them.

"What are YOU doing?!"

"You'll see!"

The island is getting closer for them to reach since they zoomed across the sky due to Irelia's force after she tackled the mage, with a sweep of her hand, she let the base of her blades as a platform for both of them until they crashed on the solid ground of the land, the two tumbled and rolled as the crash made its result leaving them lying flat on the ground.

Dusts and smoke is seen on the field and both women breathes heavily. Syndra tried to get up and saw the woman beside her, she glanced around as she started to familiarize the environment around her.

On the other hand, Irelia gets up and coughed a little bit, she stood up and fixed her armor covered with dusts and dents.

"What is this?" Irelia asked herself as she looked around.

What she truly see is a large temple in front of her, a hill which resides behind it and a large waterfall continues to flow on the land, it is mysterious and serene at the same time not until her attention went on the mage who just got up and pats her clothes to rid off the dust on her regalia.

"Just how dare you managed to get into my territory?" Syndra crosses her arms as she rudely remarked on what just happened.

"It iswise to crash down here rather than to return back on the ground we came before." Irelia answered calmly.

"What the hell did you just do while we are airborne? Does that include to those stunts you ALWAYS do?" Syndra snarled and glared at Irelia.

"Probably." Irelia strolled a little and returned her gaze at the mage. "I used my blades as a support just to ease the crash we had, if I didn't do that, you could be having a broken limb right now."

"Oh really." The mage looked away and paused. "Why do YOU care? It will be a viewing pleasure to me if you are the one who broke a limb."

"Yet I am not going to let myself fall for that. After all, I always took care of your mess while you are threatening the elders." Closing her green eyes, Irelia averted her gaze to avoid the mage's figure, she answered straightforwardly with calm.

Syndra grunted and cringes, she is right to be honest, whenever Syndra does to destroy some properties from Ionia, Irelia came right away without any hesitations. She just can't get enough of the captain's intruding of her plans to begin with.

"Tch, you are ALWAYS interrupting my plans!" Syndra loudly growls at the captain.

"Of course, I am always trying to stop you from doing it." Irelia crosses her arms and stated.

"There is NO way that you will stop ME!" Syndra answered as she pointed her finger to the captain. "Do you THINK those elders are bound to be trusted?! Even YOU are looked like untrustworthy!"

"I know, some of them are untrustworthy. Though I have enough of their ramblings and pathetic remarks that I state for the sake of Ionia." The captain shooks away and admires the scenery around her.

"They always against what I state to the council even though the Duchess supports my claim, they won't listen to me."

"What..?" Syndra raised her brow.

"Though as the Captain of Ionian Guard, it is my duty to secure Ionia from its invaders even though I swore to myself to protect Ionia as a home of mine." Irelia faced the mage. "Not until this feisty, malevolent Sovereign tries to make a mess that I could always do to stop her again and again."

"Hmph. You..little.." Syndra finally silenced in a moment before she could speak back.

"So basically, you are also sick of those freaks with the exception of that Duchess but you have no choice but to follow them." A smirk formed to her face as she glared back at the captain.

"Aw..How pitiful." Syndra hovered close as she circles the captain. "Your life is so..harsh and liberated. I could always clap at your sobbing story that you have."

"You could make fun of me whenever you like, I am not accepting this another life that offered me." Irelia takes the insult and calmly stood on her toes. "You'll never know my burdens, never will."

She saw how the captain glared at her, those green eyes of the captain is blank and unreadable, Syndra suddenly felt a jolt from her chest after Irelia stated her last sentence, a burden that Irelia speaks is what she started to stagger from the ground; though she also ended her burden that she would never forget until now.

Irelia broke the silence as she sighed after their fight, she faced the mage and spoke.

"I have a word from you. I want you to keep this just between us."

Word? What could that be? That word ringed in Syndra's mind as curiousity popped up her head.

"Speak." Syndra summoned a sphere and sat on it, she waited for the captain to start her word.

"On the behalf of the council and how they had treated you before, I would like to make up for it with the power I have." Irelia kneeled down and made a traditional bow, this made Syndra surprised on the first time someone kneeled before her.

"This is one of the reasons why I demanded to drive you away instead of apprehending you." Irelia added.

Syndra just couldn't believe, she never expected this to happen although she doubts on Irelia's claims whether she has to trust it or not.

She rubs her chin and think of the events that could possibly connect to Irelia's offer. First, Syndra visited Ionia two months ago, she is right that Irelia came and drove her right away as she tried to demolish a temple. Second, she choked her summoner for being stupid and clumsy while she was in the middle of the team fight at the Rift, and then Irelia stopped her immediately, Irelia also apologized to the summoner to cover up Syndra. All of these are making any sense, it seems that Irelia's motives are her own personal reasons for the change of everything.

"Hmph." The mage grunted.

"I am not expecting you to answer it right now, it is up to you whether you wanted it or not." Irelia stood up and remarks, she waited for the mage's answer.

The mage still let her lips shut as she stared at the captain, she have decided not to answer the captain though her mind is settled on what could possibly happen if she accepted Irelia's offer. She could make Irelia as her only comrade or she could be something which she hasn't yet discovered.

As Irelia noticed the mage is ignoring her, she sighed and started to walk away, she called her blades that is prodded on the ground and manipulate it alongside with her.

"I am not done with you yet." A low tone from the mage behind her ringed her ears, she felt her legs unable to move because the mage casts a binding to prevent her to move.

"You still wanted to challenge me?"

"Hmph, like what else?"

"But we ended up stumbling on this ground that you called your own territory."

"So what? Though I am impressed on how you fought me."

"Really? I also did the same, I never fought a mage who is literally powerful enough to burst me in seconds."

"Hmph." The mage smirked then hovered closer to the captain. She took that as a compliment that also can be seen as a praise.

"Still, I never felt this way how my mana emptied by a mere Ionian like you."

"So, maybe we could say that this would be a draw perhaps?" Irelia snickered and went closer to the mage.

"Hmph. Likewise." Syndra made a small chuckle, she faced the captain with a smug and pride.

"Well, shall we form a truce here?" Irelia took out her right hand while facing the mage.

The mage is about to accept the captain's hand until she felt something that she couldn't explain, she ignored it and took a shake of Irelia's hand. After that, Irelia proceeds to move away from the mage as she walked towards the edge of the land.

"I say, let's settle things again at the Rift someday." Irelia said, then she faced the mage and made a bow. "I must leave though I know that you wanted to throw me out right now."

"Then get out." Syndra ordered even though she wanted to hear more from the captain but she literally forget about it.

"Oh, tell those freaks that I shall return someday. They must be ready." Before Irelia leaves the land, the mage slips some words that marks on Irelia's mind.

Irelia sighed and took a quick glance back at the mage, she has started to get used of Syndra's visits though she is the only one who can stand her.

"I understand."

The captain called her blades and made atop of it as she manipulated it across the sky, she zoomed down towards The Placidium and let herself fall.

On the other hand, the mage is now alone, she kept her position still and wander her thoughts, visiting the land below her is a pain because she often see the faces of the elders whom she hated the most but seeing the captain made her cringe. She never thought that only one Ionian made her busy, and that Ionian is always getting in her way.

Before she went inside of her fortress, the words that Irelia spoke popped up in her mind. The offer that the captain proposed; she is hesitating whether she has to accept it or not.

"She is so annoying.." Syndra snarled. "But..she was different that she is the only one who can stood a chance against me than those freaks."

She took a glance back to the edge and pictured the captain's presence, she made her mana flow again but it was not enough, giving up her senses she entered her home and proceeds to her private quarters.

Still baffled with the captain's words, she wondered what could possibly happening on the land she hated. In order to see them, she took out a book for summoners on the bookshelf, the book was kept from the elders who took care of her since she was a child; though she has to get rid of the things that are in the elders' possession as soon as possible but she found out that it could be useful in many ways, she flipped the page and made herself in to the page where a spell for summoning a map indicator lies, she reads the page and follows it, a form of magic surged on her fingertips as mana continuously flowed and created a small orb that grants her vision on Ionia.

The first thing she saw is the captain, she cringed as she heard the voices of the civilians roaring upon the grounds as they saw the captain.

"Ugh..! ANNOYING!" She growled as some of her spheres orbited swiftly. She covered her ears to ease the voices that echoed across her room.

"I..wanted to TRAMPLE them like ants.." She remarked.

"Hmph.." She fell silent after she saw Irelia's blank face on the orb, the captain's face is showing nothing; more like she is a blank page in a book.

Syndra decided to watch the captain's movements, it will be a chance for her to spy Irelia's actions as well as the Ionians even though she disgusts the voices she hear from what is happening below from her fortress.


Irelia landed on top of a structure that stood near the Town Hall. She analyzed her surroundings carefully as she witnessed the mess of the ground, dusts covered the whole area though it is literally mixed up of some debris from Syndra's outburst. As she strolled around, the civilians found their captain have returned, they all rejoiced and celebrated although they have experienced the horrors of the mage.

"Captain! Thank goodness you are back!" An elder spoke. A group of elders circled around Irelia as they scanned her to look for any indications of wounds."

"Are you hurt? Your armor is in a bad shape!" One elder grasps her worn out armor.

"Oh blessed you child, you are safe.." The elder gestured as if he thanked the gods for Irelia's safety.

"Make room for the captain! She have won against the Sovereign!"

Irelia suddenly twitched and coughs, she fixated her pose and raised her hand to halt the elders.

"We have won together I correct." She said, she finally walked pass through the sea of elders. "Neither loss nor a victory, in fact we have gained a draw between our battle."

All of the elders whispers after they heard the captain speak, they were shocked on the news that the battle is a draw.

"How..?"

"That is impossible!"

"That's enough!" A stern voice ringed throughout area, all elders were silenced as they stood the ground in a manner of respect.

It is Karma, she went towards the elders and crosses her arms, she glared each elders and prepared to speak.

"It is unwise for all of you to judge the strength of the captain. Just because she have saved our lives back doesn't means she has the power to take down every evil that lurks beyond Ionia." Karma explained.

"Duchess.."

"We must be humble to our country, not to believe what we want to believe." Still, she further elaborated what she wanted to say for the elders, it was not all the elders she speak for but also the people around.

"Victorious or not, she is still one of us and we also have to aid her as well! We also have our strength inside us and we must use that for the good of our lives! And that is courage!"

The people roared and accepted Karma's words, Irelia stood on the ground watching the crowd without any reactions, instead of speaking, she used her thoughts to speak for herself.

" I admire your words, Karma. But this doesn't mean the people has the will to follow it. " She stated, she took a glance back at the Duchess and returned her gaze on the crowd.

" Though, it's happening again, words are filled with hope and morality will soon to disappear.. "

Soon after Karma's preach, every civilians went back to their destinations also the elders did. Karma stayed on her toes as both her and Irelia are alone together on the grounds.

"Here we go again, I guess." Irelia stated first.

"I don't have a choice but to do my job to preach them." Karma replied, she looked directly on Irelia's eyes and spoke. "They still lack the meaning of Balance. They still believe that there is only one person who would save them."

"Though they see me as their regular and local heroine." Irelia smirked and chuckled. "Completely forgotten how I truly work for Ionia as a normal captain."

"People are people and we have no power to change their beliefs." Karma sighed. "And then, being a Duchess is what I made myself to be dedicated to protect Ionia."

"So do I." Irelia flipped her hair after she replied.

"Anyway, what happened between you and Syndra? The people thought you could be in danger while you commenced a fight."

"Typical." Irelia walked a little bit and paused. "She is still the same, yet she is grumpy as ever."

"Really?" Karma chuckled and coughed. "I would like to help you but only both of you can fight in terms of flight."

"I can handle her on my own, though she still has the potential to destroy me in any minute."

"Why is that?" Karma pressed, though she has to be just to make sure she can get information to the captain.

"Her magic is getting stronger, yet it requires a lot of mana for her to pull it off." Irelia remembers how Syndra staggered after she outbursts her magic on air.

Karma rubs her chin and think, she walked a little and faced the captain, she just admires Irelia's will to fight even though her opponent was a powerful mage of Ionia.

"Still, I am impressed on your strength, Irelia. You managed to stop her on how dangerous she is."

"Thank you, Duchess." Irelia smiled and bowed down to Karma.

"Karma." The Duchess corrected immediately.

"I mean.. Karma." Irelia corrected, she glanced away to pretend.

"It is better for you to take a rest now, you also have to call for a blacksmith to repair your worn out armor." Karma started to walk away from Irelia.

"I will, thank you again."

"I'll see you tomorrow. Good day."

Irelia finally is alone now as Karma went back to her destination, before she go home; she took a last glance back at the sky whether she glimpse the fortress or not but it is nowhere to be seen. She went straight on the dusty road towards her home though she has to make a short climb since it is located on a slope.

While she climb the mountainous form of the road she felt something, like she is being watched. It is so familiar that she can probably tell what it is.


Syndra is so entertained on how she spied the Ionians from above, she sat on her spheres and watched the captain climbed the mountain.

"We have won together. Huh.." Syndra rubs her chin and relaxes. "Not bad. What an understatement."

She remembered how Irelia responded on the Duchess as she is questioned why Syndra can be hard for her.

"I never expected I could get a praise from a fool captain like her." She snickered. "Though that Duchess is so clueless since she never crossed magic with me."

She now caught a glimpse of a steep mountain on the orb, it seems the captain is on climbing the slope towards her home. She watched Irelia and continued spying on her, she called some of her spheres as she rested her chin atop of it.

"Now she is climbing after she fought for her country, what a strong girl.."

Suddenly, Irelia stopped her climb, Syndra got surprised on how Irelia didn't continued to climb for more, what could it be?

"She stopped. Is she tired? Poor thing.."

Then it happened.

. . .

Irelia looked around on her surroundings if she can caught what would be the thing that she felt that watches her, she took her senses and relaxes.

It is still there, at least it is not dangerous or it is. She calmed down and sighed, then she decided to ignore it.

Getting a peaceful rest for the day is her top priority now as she continued climbing the slope until she finally reached the haven that she have been living from the beginning of her life.

Home.


NOTE:

Before the story goes on, Syndra's character is easy to bend with, which minimizes the seriousness of her ideal character.

Next chapter will be the start of our mage's interest. Who knows what will happen.