*****MEGA EDIT: FREAKING LORE CHANGES RIOT. FREAKING LORE CHANGES. Well, this basically means the entire premise/plot line of where I was going to take my story is done, and I really don't want to have to redo it to include that Cassiopeia/Sivir stuff, so discontinued. Really sorry guys! I'll be doing more stuff in the future if you want to follow me, for more work like this. In the mean time, if you're looking for a good fanfic, read Follow the Wind on this site. It's actually freaking amazing, and has a lot of meat to keep you busy while I type up my next story.***** Hey guys! This story is going to be about the (relatively) newly released champion: Azir! I love Azir both in concept/lore as well as in gameplay, so what better way to express that than with an epic. Also: this is my first story on this site! Please comment and any criticism is welcome. If I feel like you have good points, I might change the story to accommodate your requests. Also, if you want the story to go in a certain direction just comment and I'll be sure to consider it. Also, I don't really have a set schedule for updates so if you really want to know when I update it just follow it. Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

-tehQinQin

Prologue: Shifting Sands

The looming sun lazily glanced over the sand, baking it with its heat. Dust kicked up and swirled in the dry air. The lack of cloud cover would make these conditions almost impossible for almost any organism. Yet, creatures still skitter in the land. A lizard with its dusty skin and stripes drifted across the ground, almost unseen in the sand. The prodigal explorer himself, even, journeyed the land, looking to hit it big.

As Ezreal trekked over desert mounds, he approached eroded blocks of a dazzling white: ruins of an ancient civilization. As day fell to night, the ruins' trail continued seemingly endlessly. The ruins of not any ancient civilization, but of a great ancient empire. As he followed the path, occasionally using his power-imbued gauntlet to shift forward to save time, remnants of buildings lay scattered about, none of them standing, but their structure still slightly distinguishable.

As he approached a final clearing and what seemed to be the end of the trail, one structure still managed to survive the test of time: a lone pyramid weathered over the years but still an extraordinary masterpiece of breathtaking awe. A crude entrance stood crafted at the base of this pyramid. Ezreal felt the excitement rise up inside of him, the same excitement he always got when he makes a great discovery.

Arcane shifting towards the door, Ezreal entered the pyramid, even more astonishing from the inside, with its humongous interior and a single glass block at the apex of the ceiling, shining an eerie moonlight precisely at the center of the room. Yet, this was all nothing in comparison to the golden tomb and its surrounding riches bathed in the soft moonlight. A fitting burial for the ruler of a great empire.

He dashed towards the goods, immediately stuffing anything he could into his equipment bag: rubies, gold coins, emeralds, diamonds, trinkets, baubles. Finally, he looked to the golden tomb, the most valuable of all these treasures. The pattern was beautifully meticulous, with blue curves running down the length of the tomb, outlining the emperor and accentuated by occasional bursts of other colors. A beautiful golden staff lay across the tomb, with a mysterious spearhead floating inches above its top through magic.

He knew he had already made a good score with everything he had collected, but, the tomb would be a magnificent discovery for all of Valoran and the fortune it could bring could last for generations. Carefully removing the staff and tying it to his back, Ezreal tried to lift the tomb, but to no avail. Even with the strength of his gauntlet, the tomb was far to heavy with its solid gold casing. Ezreal knew he could have just taken the staff back and all his other finds, but he just felt... wrong to leave such a beautiful treasure in the sand, exposed to the elements. He would have to make it lighter. An idea quickly occurred to him and he began to lift the top in order to remove the body... Barely as there was a crack in the tomb, the top burst off with an explosion of sand, blinding Ezreal.

A golden humanoid with the head of an eagle arose from the dust, his voice booming with power, "I AM REBORN, I AM ASCENDED! COME TO ME MY ROYAL SUBJECTS OF SHURIMA! YOUR MASTER AZIR BECKONS YOU!"

No one came, and Azir looked around in confusion and anguish as he looked out the entrance and only saw the ruins of his city. His eye landed upon Ezreal, "You! Is it you who has awoken me? You who has destroyed my great empire, my best men?"

Sensing the danger, Ezreal quickly pushed himself to his feet, firing a mystic shot of imbued energy towards Azir. As it made impact with Azir, he flinched a little, then regaining his balance, his eyes flared with anger, "Fine, if you do not wish to answer my questions cooperatively, I will force you!"

As Azir was talking, Ezreal had charged up another burst of energy and fired it at Azir, but to no avail. The sands around the emperor swirled up, forming a protective wall blocking the charge of energy, catching Ezreal by surprise, "What the-," but before he could even finish his sentence the wall of sand shifted and took on the form of a phalanx of soldiers, there rapid advance forward knocking Ezreal off the feet. He landed on the ground unable to muster the energy to get up.

"How could someone with gauntlet of power such as yours be foolish enough to face the master of the sands?" Azir questioned, "What is your explanation for this?"

Ezreal could only muster a small, "I'm sorry."

"Do not be sorry, answer my questions and I will spare you and your pathetic life," as Azir bore his eagle eyes into Ezreal's, "Now tell me, who are you, and what happened to my empire?"

Ezreal sighed with relief, some fear leaving him, all he had to do was answer his questions, "Thank you, my name is Ezreal, the prodigal explorer. I came to document this land and perhaps make a few valuable finds. This was the first time we have ever come across ruins of an empire of this size in Shurima," Ezreal continued, "I don't think it was ever documented."

Azir responded, "Fine, if you do not know, I must find out myself, and I will restore Shurima to its former glory." As he said this, Azir looked off into the distance, as if he wasn't talking to Ezreal but reaffirming this to himself. "Now, one last thing, my spear. Do you know where it is." Ezreal slowly unstrapped the golden staff, and Azir's anger flared. "The reason you came here was to take my treasures? Is that all you are, a mere bandit and thief with no morals? Where are my riches? GIVE THEM TO ME!"

Ezreal quickly dumped everything he had grabbed in his bag down at Azir's feet. Azir commented, "As a great ruler, I understand the value of mercy," Azir snatched his spear up, "but beware, if we cross paths again, I will have no hesitation to end you," and with a flourish of his hand sand began to swirl around his treasures, encapsulating them in an ever moving orb of sand which hovered next time him.

Without a further word or even time for a response from Ezreal, Azir walked away, the sands unnaturally cloaking him and his magical sand orb accompanying, the sands ever under his control. The journey across the desert, the encounter with Azir, it all left Ezreal exhausted. He passed out, his body hitting the sand as he fell.

So there you have it. I tried my best to embody what I think Azir with all his pride and power would be like after he returns from Ascension and all that stuff. And who better to discover it than the Prodigal Explorer himself? Should I continue to use Ezreal throughout the story, or no? I'm really debating it so your input is extremely valued. Onto the actual chapters! EDIT: A friendly guest offered some suggestions to make it a lot less bulky/awkward, so I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Also made a few grammar corrections and the such. Tell me how you like it! Also, I'm really happy that Riot changed the lore, it gives me a lot more artistic freedom now because there are fewer confines within the League universe that I have to stay within in order for people to understand the story/its background.

-tehQinQin