Yay~ people actually bother to read this :D Thanks a lot for caring~ Here's the second chapter. Don't worry, this is the last part of the prologue. I promise this will get humorous and light-hearted soon!...Maybe! Meow~

~All characters unless otherwise mentioned are property of Riot Games(I just mess with 'em o.o)~

Chapter Two: Prologue Pt. 2: Welcome to the League of Legends

The warden busied himself cleaning his instruments after playing with his new acquisition. It had been so long since he had a fresh soul to toy with, that he enjoyed himself a little too much. He also forgot how much energy a young soul had, and would take that into account the next time he releases a young charge from their shackles. He shifted the shackled table to it original upright position (after being shifted during his previous engagement) and returned his ethereal chains to their place on the walls. Before he left the room he notice an odd colored flog next to his usual ones. He approached the fuchsia torture instrument and his face grew deeply annoyed.

"...I forgot that I borrowed this from her." The warden said with regret to himself. He put the small flog in his robe pocket and walked towards the door. Walking up the stairs of his decrepit mansion, he had great disdain for his next destination. He opened the main door and furrowed his boney brow in response to the creature in front of him.

"And I was just about to ask you about that. Glad you remembered it." Cooed the blue skinned woman. Thresh lazily drew the flog out of his pocket and weakly tossed it in her general direction. Giving a feigned sigh of annoyance, she picked up the instrument from the ground and said. "I hope you cleaned this properly."

"After you dropped that abomination in my quarters I hung it up and never touched it." Spat thresh. "I asked for a torture devise, not a child's toy..."

"Well you're no fun, as usual." The woman then turned to leave but then stopped. "Oh yea, you know Elise isn't the happiest that you let those kids go. And Yorick was looking forward to a new body to raise for a while. You didn't have to give it to them." She said with her hands folded.

Thresh gave a deep sigh. "I could care less if I disappoint you or that old spider's lapdog. But I already explained to Yorick the circumstances of my actions, circumstances in which living creatures, such as you and Elise have know reason of understanding." Thresh walked down the few steps from the front of his home and headed towards the forest.

"Where are you in a rush to?" The warden did not answer her and continued on his way. "It's Monday remember, we're all going to the Institute of War." The warden stopped in his tracks. He had forgotten the week had restarted and the leaders of the Isles had their obligations. The woman giggled at his silence.

"Don't miss us too much darling." Said a sultry voice from behind.

"Elise, don't you have eggs to nest. With all the charges you take from me, you and that overgrown grub must be insanely busy..." Thresh hissed at the woman as she put her hand on his shoulder. He rudely shrugged it off and continued onward. "How could I forget this joyous occasion...Mondays mark the time in which I no longer have to cope with you or this creature's nonsense for a whole five days. Ahh, such bliss. I also won't have male charges 'miraculously' disappearing from their cells." He turned to give an annoyed look to the spider-like woman next to him. "And I won't have to deal with the remains of a certain someone's 'unreasonable' business partners..." He gave the same glance to the blue woman. "Now ladies, if you would excuse me I have a few things to discuss Lord Mordekaiser. Don't let the portal guard mistake you both for concubines..." With that he took his leave.

"Touchy..." Said Evelyn as both her and Elise made their way through the forest towards the portal to the Institute. "I mean he didn't have to complain about the bodies...He likes souls right? I thought I was doing him a kindness."

"And it's not my fault if me and my lord are in need of followers. My lord is a very hungry being. And Thresh sometimes leaves his charges down in his dungeons for days just letting them rot away. How can I just stand by and let perfectly good help just wither away?" Exclaimed Elise.

"Don't worry girl, he just has a hard time showing his appreciation. Now lets go make some moneh!" Evelyn added a slight skip to her step as they continued along the wooden path, passing by the Twisted Treeline.

"You never cease to amaze me Eve." Elise smiled and the women continued on their way.

~.~

The warden continued through the forest in haste. He couldn't believe the weekend had ended so quickly. He had to inquire Mordekaiser of any new duties that needed to be done in his absence for this week. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a surprise onslaught of lost souls that he would have to round up. He considered such an activity a waste of time, though he did have fun with a few of them afterwards however.

"Good day chain warden..." Came a shrill voice from the Thresh's right. In the misty air stood a hunched over creature carrying a shovel with a ghoul at his side. Though there was something strange about this sight.

"Good morning dear friend. Sorry I didn't see you there. Permit me to ask...is that a guitar?" Thresh pointed to the instrument being held by the ghoul. Yorick gave him a slow nod.

"Actually this is a base, my lord."

"Did I ask for a correction? They both make noise do they not?" The warden asked getting slightly annoyed.

"My apologies...Pentakill has a few sets this week...We will be meeting today in the Lord's chambers to discuss the details and I and the other members will be gone this weekend for the planned shows."

"When you say members, does that include the blue-haired dame and the broad fellow?"

"Yes, and unfortunately for you...Hecarim will be joining us." Thresh jaw dropped in this statement and as soon as he was about to reply, Yorick stopped him. "As you know it's around this time of year when Vilemaw needs a great amount of sustenance due to him molting his old skin. Because of his ravenous hunger, the bodies that you provide me with have gone 'missing'." Thresh gave a great sign. So it seems he wasn't the only one suffering from Elise's antics. "Due to all that, I haven't had enough bodies to raise as stage hands, and Lord Mordekaiser has requested Hecarim to aid in our endeavor."

"...So I'm to spend another weekend alone with those two?" Yorick gave a regretful nod and bid him farewell. Though not the happiest of the coming days, he no longer had to rush to meet with his Lord. He decided to wait till nightfall to discuss his duties and continued back towards his abode.

~.~

Sunlight barely etched it's way past the Isles' cloudy skies. Wherever light seemed to slip through, residents fled to the inner woods or underground for their desired cover of darkness. Thresh continued his stroll while shrugging off shambling corpses that clung onto him every so often. He soon found his way onto a small hill overlooking the newly remodeled Twisted Treeline. Though he hadn't been a resident of the Isles long enough to see it in it's former glory, he never took a liking to it. The lack of true death in the air, and the noise produced from the various battles held there did naught but annoy him as he went about his days. Even with his great disdain for the structure, he took a moment to relish the silent ambiance the place gave off before the Institute opened its doors once more.

With regards to the Institute, his Lord and various other rulers of the Isles recommended that he join their ranks and become a champion. The warden had no interest in this however. He found no real incentive to be the plaything of mortals to solve petty disputes such as land ownership, or who took whoever's sweetroll. The humans of Runeterra were bad enough, he didn't want to fathom what those from 'Earth' were like. He had no real need for money as he could always just give a soul to Yorick and have him raise a body to steal whatever materials he needed for his day to day activities. And as for glory? There was no glory in the Shadow Isles, only despair, anguish and death. Solace only came to those with the strength to manipulate those qualities. He was such a being, he along with the six other rulers of the Isles. But there was also another reason. Thresh became an inhabitant of the Isles about a year after his Lord became a champion. Though his memory of his mortal life is very selective, he remembers hearing rumors of the prowess of Mordekaiser. Once he met him face to face, all the rumors he once heard were in fact true. However, during the year of his residency on the Isles, he's noticed a change in his Lord. Though he is still the formidable fighter, his Lord's mannerisms and personality seemed to have softened. The fact that he even created a 'band' was rather peculiar to Thresh. This change in behavior wasn't an isolated incident either. The other undead rulers have slowly seemed to assimilate into the society of the mortals they associate with. It has even come to the point where all of them prefer to stay in the dorms provided by the Institute during its operational hours during the week, rather than returning to the Isles at night. Though they do stay in their original quarters on the Isles during the weekends, they seem to do it more out of obligation to their homeland, rather than out of preference, since the Institute allows them the option to stay in the dorms as long as they see fit. This seems rather irrelevant as most of them still spend most of their weekend mornings on the other side of the Institute's portal.

"I'd have no problem with all this if I wasn't the sole maid of this place." Thresh said quietly under his breath as he started walking down the hill. It was true that in fact, Thresh was damn near the sole caretaker of the Isles. The other rulers are constantly enthralled with their own pursuits and since he has elected to not join them, the honor of welcoming new lost souls, dispersing large crowds of shambling dead, and keeping the areas around the Twisted Treeline and the portal to the Institute clean and 'death-free' was all his during the week. The only solace he got was during the weekends where his dear friend Hecarim would invite him on his nightly raids on nearby Noxian warships. Or when Yorick would get word of mortals finding there way to the Isles (such was the case of yesterday). Thresh would get a new toy along with its soul, and Yorick would get a body. Those were his happy times. Though there was one thing he didn't completely hate about the weekdays. He wouldn't have to deal with the idiotic antics of the two mortal women that prance around him all the time. Ever since he died, Thresh has had no desire for mortals who weren't in his charge. He also couldn't fathom how those two were even allowed to remain in this place. Yes, Evelyn arrived here before anyone else, and yes, Elise keeps that overgrown insect from running rampant...but they just would not leave him be! If there were not dire repercussions for taking their souls, he would have done so months ago.

Thresh looked up to find himself in front of the portal to the Institute. Recently, he seemed to always find himself here when he allows his thoughts to wonder, and he didn't completely understand why. The portal wasn't the most extravagant of things. It consisted of a midnight blue exterior with ionic columns holding it up. The portal itself was located within the the large, one room building. Though it did not look like much. The only things protecting it were two floating statues of sages. But the magicks they exerted are much stronger than they appear. Thresh learned that the hard when he tried to send to send a corpse that Yorick raised for him after Evelyn as payback for releasing one of his charges as a request for one of her clients. Once the corpse got within 5 feet of the portal, it completely disintegrated and the soul imbued within it faded from existence. It is always a sad day when the warden loses a charge. He hadn't even had the opportunity to torture it yet...

"Here again, friend?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Thresh answered before turning around to face his centaur colleague. "Is it safe to assume that our Lord has already left?"

"You are correct. I shall be taking my leave as well. And I apologize for my future absence this weekend. You know how Morde gets when things don't go according to plan." Hecarim let out a light sigh.

'Morde'? That's a new one...Thresh thought. "Don't worry yourself Hecarim, I'll manage as I always do."

"Earnest as ever aren't you? Well, remember you have full access to the portal Morde's request. Come visit if you ever get lonely." Hecarim chuckled at his own comment and the slightly shocked face of Thresh. "Good-day!" The centaur passed through the purple oval and was gone.

"..." Thresh stood there in silence. Lonely? Him? The less people around, the less distraction to take away from him enjoying the writhing screams of his charges. But Thresh has never looked at his situation in that way before. I'm no longer human...I have no reason to feel anything. Loneliness is a luxury I relish missing out on...Thresh told himself. He turned around and took two steps forward. He stopped. In the corner of the portal area stood Hecarim's lance. I thought Hecarim seemed as if he was missing something. It then donned on Thresh. ...He did this on purpose... Picking up the spear he approached the portal. He stared at the swirling purple vortex for a few moments. He turned his flaming skull to take one more glance at the forest behind him. He sighed. ...Well, this will be interesting...

~.~

After stepping through, Thresh opened his eye sockets and was welcomed to a darkened room. Many other portals of varying colors surrounded him. Two large human guards looked at him.

"State your business." Said the one to his right.

"Lord Mordekaiser gave me passage..." Thresh said bluntly. Both guards made an expression as if they realized something and allowed him to proceed. Thresh inwardly gave a sigh of relief seeing as his person was still in one piece. Mordekaiser must have really told the summoners to give him passage. Then again, Thresh would have never attempted to pass through in the first place if he didn't have faith in his Lord...no matter how strange he acted. Passing through the dark corridor, Thresh assumed he finally left the portal area once bright lights filled his field of vision. He found himself face-to-face with a large ornate fountain that towered over him.

Hmph...Humans are so easily amused...Thresh shook his head at the structure and took in his surroundings. From what he could tell, this large area was the shape of a semicircle with large hallways sprouting from the edges. Frivolous lighting fixtures adorned the walls along with paintings of landscapes and people indiscernible to Thresh. A total of five hallways were visible and the one in the dead center seemed to serve as a glass walkway to the other side of the facility. Though too bright for his taste, Thresh had no qualms for the atmosphere. But there was one this he was wondering.

"The Institute is open...where is everyone?" Thresh asked aloud. Though he didn't mind the impromptu trip so far, Hecarim needed his lance if he was going to conduct any type of battle, and he would not like for his friend to leave ill equipped.

"Most champions are already on the Fields of Justice." Came a muffled voice. Thresh turned to his right to see a robed...man? His face was covered with a mask of some sort and he floated towards him. "Kassadin, if you were wondering. You don't look as if you know your way around here...but if you were a new champion, you'd be out there fighting already. The summoners love new blood you see." The man chuckled. Thresh just stared and Kassadin calmed himself down. "By the look of your face, I assume you're just a visitor. Correct?"

"Not entirely..." Thresh held up Hecarim's lance.

"Ah, you really aren't a new champion." Thresh raised an bony brow at this comment. "Don't worry about Hecarim, he has a weapon to fight with." Thresh still did not look as if he fully understood but just slightly shrugged in response. "But you can still return his lace to him, let's see. This way if you would my good man." Kassadin motioned Thresh towards the glass corridor. Walking through it, Thresh got a better grasp of the building. Below him were park-like areas with gardens and benches to his left. To his right, ornate patio tables with flowers on top of them. They seem to be related to the eatery right next to them. Across form the gardens to his left was a small hill with a large tree atop it. Unlike the Shadow Isles, the sun's like shown through the cloudless sky. The sun's rays reflected off the white marble exterior of the Institute.

...Would it kill them to not be so damn bright? Thresh took back his previous expression of the facility. It was far too bright. The men arrived at the end of the corridor to find a large rectangular room with a large wide-screen on the wall. Many luxurious armchairs, loveseats, and couches adorned the area, all facing the powered down screen. Thresh noticed a bready smell coming from his right. There was a woman in a window looking through a magazine with many a pastry behind her. Looking over her magazine she slightly squeaked at the sight of the warden. Thresh smiled and chuckled inwardly at this. To his left was another long corridor.

"This is the waiting slash respawn room. All champions have a five minute break before being able to be chosen for another match. They all spawn here for the moment. The summoners are working on a system which allows champions to spawn in other locations, but when that will be finished is neither here nor there." Kassadin explained. Kassadin walked over to the large screen and pressed on a much smaller screen right next to it. "Now lets see...Hecarim's match started about 17 minutes ago...they are 6-7...I'd say they'd have another 15 minutes, 20 tops. Here, I'll put it on the screen for you." He pressed the smaller screen and the match started to load on the large screen. "To my left is the mini café, all amenities are free to champions and their friends so help yourself."

"That won't be necessary..." Thresh immediately responded. He walked to an armchair right in front of the screen and sat down after placing Hecarim's lance and his lantern at his side. The match was still loading and Kassadin had placed himself f on a couch to his left and started reading a novel. Thresh then wondered something. "Permit me to ask...If all champions are in matches right now...why aren't you?" Kassadin started to chuckle and put his book down. He was about to respond when a timer with the number 300 appeared over Kassadin's head. It suddenly turned to 274, then 210. It progressively decreased until it steadily started to drop at 45.

"Well this hasn't happened in a while." Kassadin said with a slight laugh. "I'm sorry good sir but it seems like I'm being summoned." At 25, Kassadin levitated a foot off the round and started to become more and more transparent. "Before I leave may I know your name friend?"

Friend?... "I go by Thresh..."

"Farewell Thresh. Enjoy your visit to the Institute." With that Kassadin vanished. The room now consisted of Thresh and the quivering young woman behind a magazine. Hecarim's match had finally loaded up on the screen. Thresh was rather intrigued to say the least.

~.~

Wind-like sounds came from behind the warden's head and 10 people appeared before him. Most of them left immediately before he could get a good look. Those who did stay were Hecarim, a purple skinned 'thing' with a horn coming out of their head, and what looked like a small red-haired child.

"Thresh?" A smile crept onto Hecarim's face. He bid farewell to the horned creature and the child followed it out. "Finally thought to check out my place of employ, eh?"

"It isn't proper to bait your colleagues into doing certain tasks, certainly you know that?" Thresh handed Hecarim his lance.

"No-one said you had to bring my lance back, now did they?" Thresh signed at this comment. "Unfortunately I won't be able to give you a tour at the moment, I should be queued up again soon."

"No matter, there's no need for such anyway. I will be leaving for the Islses once more. My deed is done." Thresh got up from his chair and started for the glass corridor.

"Really? Come on, stay a while. Isn't this better than tending to brainless corpses." Thresh stopped for a few seconds, as if he was actually considering his friends offer. But he returned to his trek down the hall. Sighing, Hecarim followed the other champions down the left hallway.

~.~

Thresh made his way back to the semicircular atrium when he heard a sultry voice.

"Don't you trust me, baby?" To his right Thresh saw two shadows. One seemed to be of a tall man, the other was rather strange as the person seemed to have many long appendages. Walking behind the fountain to gain cover, he got a better view of the couple. The shadow with the many appendages belonged to what seemed to be a woman, and those appendages were long white tails. The man was slumped on his knees and it looked as if all the blood was drawn from his face. The woman held his face in her hands and a peculiar looking orb floated on one of her tails had faint tendrils which stemmed from the man's person.

A succubus? Thresh got down on one knee and tried his best to listen in.

"O-of course I trust you! I gave up everything for you! I love you Ahri!" The man seemed to expend all the remaining energy he had in that confession as his face slipped through her hands and hung down.

"Tee-hee-hee! Aren't you just adorable." Ahri withdrew her orb and the man seemed to regain enough strength to lift his head up once more. "Ok cutie, I gotta go now, here." Ahri gave him a small card. "Take this to your chauffeur outside, I'll see you tonight babe." With that Ahri sprung up and skipped down the corridor.

The man managed to lift himself up and then looked around. "How did I wind up here...?" He then looked at the paper the woman handed to him. "Holy shit!" Somehow the man was able to regain his energy back and ran towards the corridor to his right.

Thresh stood and began to wonder. Who was that...and what was she doing to that man? Thresh would have normally passed over any sort of magic or supernatural happenings as normal occurrences, but what he just witnessed felt far too...familiar. She couldn't have been taking his soul...he was still able to function...The man's body was still able to move yet whatever just happened gave off the same aura as his own activities...but without the torture. To be able to mimic his own endeavors yet have your victim still live...Thresh needed to know more, but how. He came to the conclusion that he needed to find that tailed women. Champions always spawn in that room...Thresh turned to start his trek back to the waiting room, only to be met with a pair of bright yellow eyes and black pointed ears.

"It's rude to eves-drop." She said with a smile on her face. He was caught. Well, the opportunity seemed to have presented itself willingly to him yet, he couldn't get the words he desired out. He felt a slight chill in his bones. His arms and skull became heavy. His body started to waver ever so slightly. The woman giggled at his expression.

"...Thresh." Was all the warden could eak out.

"Thresh?" The woman looked puzzled.

"...My name." He started to wobble in place. He felt near to completely drained. He was using all of the strength he had left to remain standing.

"Tee-hee, that's a weird name. But I guess it fits a weird guy. I'm Ahri, as you probably already know." The smile never left her face as she continued to watch the warden waver. The warden didn't know how much more he could take and then noticed the orb behind her back and the near invisible tendrils that were stemming from his body to the orb itself. She took notice of this. "You're not like most people. Normally people would be on their knees by now. You're weird...I like it." She gave him a toothy smile while bearing her small fangs. "You're not a champion are you...you should fix that." A timer appeared above her head that stated at 100 and slowly ticked down. She broke the bond between her orb and Thresh and began to walk through the glass corridor. Thresh felt energy slowly flowing back into him. Once he had enough energy to move he ran towards the hall and opened his mouth to speak. "Turn around and follow the hall furthest to your left. Take the lift down and there should be an information desk. Your questions will be answered there." Floating in the air as her timer ticked from 10 down, Ahri turned around and winked at Thresh. "Be seeing you~". With that she disappeared.

Once he was sure he was alone Thresh sank down and began breathing heavily. Drawing his lantern to his chest he absorbed a few souls and immediately regained his strength. He had only had to resort to such an act after dealing with exorcists or exceedingly strong fiends that caused trouble on the Isles. How was it that a woman of her stature effortlessly bring him to the brink of weakness. Not only was her power astounding, her grip was dangerously similar to his lanterns. Furthermore...that fox woman smiled all the while. But her orb wasn't the only thing that bothered the warden...there was something else. Something that truly scared him.

"Why...why didn't I attack her?" Thresh said barely above a whisper. Thresh may not be a fight on par with Hecarim, or Mordekasier, hell, even Elise could give him a schooling in one-on-one dueling, but he knew how to protect himself. His lantern was more than just a soul container, and it was always in reach...so why didn't he respond. Though he lost a lot of energy, all he had to do was mentally bid his scythe to...to what exactly? I couldn't...harm her...but even a succubus' charm can't affect me...What power could she be using!? Even now, Thresh couldn't even imagine raising a weapon in her direction. This was bad. Very bad. He had to find out what she was using. He needed to know what that orb was doing. He needed to understand why the mere thought of her makes him so uneasy yet...calm.

~.~

The visitors center of the Institute was a bustling metropolis of civilians and summoners of all ages, races, and skill levels. Ticket booths to view ranked games were well within reach along with many a gift shop. A sliding door with the word 'Earth' written above it was on the far right, located just behind one of the twin fountains in the area. Only humans were seen going in and out. To the far left was the connection to the major shopping center. Though the place was always busy while the Institute was open, a stir seemed to come over the crowd today.

"Good-morning, this is the Institute of War's help desk, how may I help yo-AHHH!" The woman at the service desk (and her male partner) let out small yelps as they looked up from their paperwork. In from of them was a small pile of paper and a man with a flaming green skull and a stern countenance. "U-u-uhm...W-what can I d-do for you sir?" The woman managed to get out.

"My name, dear woman, is Thresh." Looking at both of the service personnel, he kept his visage stern and with conviction declared, "I would like to represent the Shadow Isles as a champion in the League of Legends."

This turned out to be longer that I though, eh-heh-heh...Sorry? :3 Chapter 3 will be up soon, but all other chapters will be posted on a weekly basis(either on Thursdays or Fridays). Don't worry, these prologues were meant to set up the background of the story, chapter 3 will mark the actual start of our endeavor into the degradation of Thresh's psyche~ Or we'll just find out what his favorite food is. Meh we'll see. Thank for reading, Meow~