Author's Notes: So two people so far interested in this ^_^ im kinda really happy xD for my first work to get this bit of attention almost brings a tear to my eye. Anyways, Chapter 1 was just to get our hero into the world and show him through his reflections… His real journey and that of his new friend Summoner Hughes all begin here… So without further ado. (OH also please pm me and let me know what champs you'd like to see within the story and I'll do my best to have them join in and interact with our kindling Hero.
Chapter 2:
Rules of Engagement
Was it a nightmare or maybe it had all been just a strange dream was the first thought that crossed Zenith's mind as he awoke his head pounding and trying to stretch his body. It felt so sore as he lifted himself up to sit up crossing his legs as he looked around it was unfamiliar woodwork and carpentry then what he was used too. "So it's real…" Zen shook his head lightly, it still pounded lightly from the mental invasion he had suffered through the day previous. Zen looked over to the blinded window that prevented what little light was coming in from behind the blinds as he stood feeling woozy as his body shook and he had to steady himself placing his hands on his legs as he did his best to walk slowly to a small adjoining room not more than seven feet away from the bed he pushed open the door to see a small bathroom. Zen just smiled a little and stripped before he showered away some of the pain he felt. The water was beyond warm stinging him as it began moving all along his body and flooding the small tiled floor beneath him.
Zen didn't dare move as he let the water wash away a lot of the pain he was feeling as he stretched slowly and carefully. Zen reached forward and shut off the water as he went back to the main room finding several outfits set out in the small dresser next to the bed with a note atop of it. Zen knew the symbol upon the note well as he had seen it upon Hughes desk in the days following him being summoned by mistake. Zen chuckled to himself as he thought how the very idea of a mistake saving his life seemed to be filled with irony that maybe only he would recognize.
Zen chuckled as he noticed that the note was an invitation from Hughes to dine with him in the cafeteria and possibly be introduced to some of his favorite champions with the hope of Zen maybe making some friends on his first official day on league. Zen dressed in a gray shirt donned a cape and cowl to cover it before pulling on some dark colored pants as he pulled on his belts and clipping his swords to them. Zen patted himself down adjusting himself to try and look proper, the clothes looked too big and made him look like a fool and a wanderer… As little as the title suit him a new look may serve him well. Zen strode through the rest of his new room taking in the decent sized kitchen area as well as the dining table that looked as if it could sit four to five people around the circular table.
Zen didn't much care to look around the rest of his room at the moment; maybe it would give him a reason to redecorate to fit his taste later. He coughed slightly as he stepped towards the large gray door that lead out of his room to what he believed to be the halls of the league. Zen opened it and stepped into the hall noticing the light still shone brightly in the sky representing it was some time into the morning as the sun's white glow seemed to reflect of the white marble that made up much of the hallway. Light bending through arches and designs that the young swordsman deemed gaudy and extravagant almost to the point where it occurred to him that It could be a small omen of what was to come in the rest of his journey to find the cafeteria and Hughes.
Zen took a step forward standing near the middle of the hall as quiet steps approached from a room further down the way, his attention wasn't truly turned in till the steps seemed to stop before reaching him and he felt eyes pressed into his back as he turned to look who it was that was boring holes into his head.
The warrior that stood in front of him held a hardened gaze in till Zen's eyes met his and the gaze shifted into one of confusion as Zen took in the sight before him quickly. The man's hair was black though part of his face was covered by a gray scarf and armor that ran some ways past the man's shoulders and down his left arm. While the man's stomach seemed to be revealed Zen could see a rope acting as both a belt and a strap along his waist and one reaching upwards across part of his stomach towards his shoulder while holding onto the man's gray pants and open toed ends which covered the base of his feet, but left his toes seemingly exposed.
Zen's eyes jumped at the movement as the man placed one of his hands upon the hilt of his sword. Zen returned the notion placing his left hand on the sword that bore the name 'Rebirth'. The man's eyes met Zen's and for the briefest of seconds neither of them seemed to draw a breath before the man moved his hand and shook his head muttering something about an impossibility before he bowed his head to Zen.
"Forgive my rash behavior. I apologize, but you bore an uncanny resemblance to someone I once knew." The man's gaze soften and though Zen couldn't see it he wondered if the man's mouth had the same soft apologetic look that the man's eyes held towards him. Zen took a breath before doing the same and sighing a little, "It's alright I'm nervous as well first day here at the league you see." The man nodded before he spoke, "I understand it seem everyone has gone through that feeling of unease when they first arrive here at the Institute My name is Yasuo." The man offered a hand Zen took it as he looked at the man and let a small grin take form before laughing a bit, "Zenith Obido." Zen replied finally feeling a little bit of the uneasiness that had filled him finally leave.
Yasuo nodded and released Zenith's hand before he nodded and was about to continue his walk, but just before Zen turned and addressed him, "Yasuo… Would you be able to tell me where I might find the cafeteria?" Zen rubbed the back of his head as he watched the man signal with his hand to follow. Yasuo dared not look back towards this newcomer, his thoughts betrayed the calm he held right now having only lost his calm for a brief second earlier and one thought ran through his head, 'Who is he really?'
The trip had been a fury of turns through twisting and changing hallways and Zen watched as the white marble turned to steel and turned into a black stone as they walked. Finally as he watched the arches turn into a dull grayish stone as Yasuo stopped before two white doors with the word League Cafeteria displayed above them carved into the very stone above it giving off an radiant purple glow. Yasuo turned and again gave Zen a respectful bow and Zen returned the notion before looking up again to find no one before him and only the whisper of the wind remained.
"How…?" Zen pondered for a moment what had transpired and wondered if he would run into the mysterious warrior Yasuo again. Zen turned and pushed open one of the doors to the cafeteria and was greeted with two things, one being the sight of many people cloaked and otherwise amusingly chatting amongst themselves as well as the second being a very large cleaver sailing over his shoulder and impaling itself in the stone arch that was some feet behind the wall.
Zen stood petrified for the longest of moments as everything froze for him as a hulking purple and white monstrosity strode up to him gently picking him up and moving him off to the side of the door within the cafeteria before exiting and retrieving the cleaver with a very loud, "See! MUNDO throw cleaver at door and no one get hurt Now Mundo go where he pleases!" Zen placed a hand against the wall as he steadied himself as he started to regain what little control over his breathing capabilities he had left from the two incidents that had happened today. Zen realized he was being touched and noticed Hughes smiling in front of him holding him up as he brought Zen over towards a table where a black crown wearing white haired woman sat adorned in a somewhat revealing black dress as he blushed as noticed the woman's eyes find his as Hughes and he approached. Hughes shooed him into a seat before going off and to fetch him food as the older man had said leaving the two of them alone and some eyes of summoners and other champions alike finding themselves placed onto the young man .
Zen turned and found the purple eyes of Hughes' friend beaming at him as she offered him her hand, "Syndra." The woman's voice was cool, yet Zen could tell of this… Syndra's immense power it oozed off of her from her voice and in the charming beauty that she held. Zen took the hand and shook it gently, "Zenith." He muttered still blushing slightly as he held Syndra's gaze before looking away as Hughes returned placing a plate of odd food in front of him as well as a drink. Zen began picking at both as Hughes spoke up, "I hope you haven't been too traumatized by the Doctor's antics Zen. " Syndra sat quietly as her eyes darted slowly over to Hughes as he continued to speak Zen's eyes followed and looked at the man who had saved him by a mistake. Hughes continued speaking, "I'd like to point out that your training begins tomorrow and I had the pleasure of selecting several opponents for you to see where you'd best fit in when the summoners used you on the Rift." Zen nodded as he ate turning as he heard a slight clearing of a throat coming from in front of him as he was again looking towards Syndra.
She spoke slowly almost trying to make him hang off of her words as if she was coyly controlling him, "For today, however you are to just relax and mingle as Hughes has put it. He had asked me to escort you, However I do not think I should be roped in so callously without my permission." Hughes frowned as Syndra spoke about to raise an objection, but Zen feeling as if he realized the delicacy it would take to convince her to escort him around. Zen was about to reply when someone sat next to him carefully and quietly and waited as if wanting him to finish what he would say before speaking. Zen turned to look and see who had joined them the words stolen from his mouth by this person.
Her hair was short and atop her head sat a white and black hat that seemed foreign to him. "Perhaps then I shall escort our fellow champion Dark Sovereign Syndra?" Her voice seemed to hold an edge in it and her eyes, pink or maybe purple as she swirled the yellow and black cloak she wore slightly. Syndra puffed up slightly at this fellow champion's appearance, before she let out a sigh and muttered aloud with a lack of interest, "Do as you please Deceiver." Hughes was again about to object when the woman who Zen only knew as the Deceiver stood and waited for him. Zen looked to Hughes then Syndra before standing up and turned to face the woman.
"My name is Leblanc." The woman said her voice holding a playful tone as she turned and walked to the exit without looking back expecting the young Zen to follow like some loyal student. Zen looked back to Hughes who was somewhat dumbstruck at the exchange and didn't really give any help at all. "I'll see you later Hughes' "Zen unconfidently called to the man and waved as he walked after Leblanc. Zen was somewhat bothered by all the day had brought him, but perhaps taking in the grounds and meeting the fellow champions seemed like a good thing.
The tour was long day turning into evening though it held a tidy feel to it, yet it was filled with an air of teasing as well as informative as all the while she explained things Leblanc would eye him in a peculiar way that would cause Zen to blush, no matter how hard he tried he was unused to the flirting if it was that and not some strange way of being overly nice as he was used to. Zen blushed again as Leblanc continued speaking even through his thoughts they had just arrived back at the neutral part of the institute where people like Syndra and Zen himself would stay. Leblanc had showed Zen the Noxus quarter, Ionia, Demacia, Piltover quarters as well as The summoners lobbies where he and other champions would wait to be summoned to the fields of justice. Leblanc turned to look at him standing there her face holding neutrality as she stare at Zen and he uncertainly held her gaze.
"Thank you for showing me around the institute Leblanc." Zen said smiling as he stepped forward seeing that his room was not too far from where they were. Leblanc only nodded as she watched him step past her a smile returned to her face as she called out to him, "Be seeing you around Zenith." Zen stopped and turned looking towards her to only see her close the distance and kiss him deeply. Zen eyes widened slightly as he took a step back stunned by the kiss as he looked at Leblanc who continued to smile before walking past the young champion and spoke out as she disappeared into the shadows that the arches created leaving Zen stunned and standing alone within the hallway with only the parting words left floating in his mind.
"What… was that.."
Zen said as he moved to his room tired from the excitement of the day. Zen opened his door and moved forward closing the door carefully as he couldn't shake the stunned feeling he had as he pressed his back against the door and laughed slightly..
What kind of strange place had he ended up in when he could barely operate with the surprising things happening left and right… Zen smiled and touched his lips the blush still on his face as he still could feel Leblanc's lips on his. Only muttering something he now just realized,
"She… stole my first kiss."
Zen didn't say anything else and as he found his way to his bed his thoughts quickly drifted and he found himself soon sleeping soundly in the new bed. 'Maybe just maybe' Zen thought as he felt his mind wander away from him, 'Maybe I can start again here.'
Author notes: That is chapter 2 ladies and gentlemen. With 100 percent more MUNDO! Anyway. For those of you following and reading this If you have champion(s) you'd like to see interact with our dear Zenny please pm me and I'll see what I can do. Also no asking for spoilers or I'll sick mundo's cleaver on you! And as they say nothing set in stone for our poor little kindling hero.
