Chapter 1

The sun was lazily disappearing behind the mountain overlooking the Institute of War. It probably was the most famous place in Valoran, as it was the headquarters of the League of Legends. Most champions lived there, some by choice, others because they had nowhere else to stay. A few champions however were not allowed to remain in this area because of their dangerous nature and lust for destruction. The Institute was located in the center of a small town where summoners and masters mixed with the champions of the League. The whole place was considered peaceful since the strict regulation prohibited all acts of violence against champions or summoners. For those who knew its deepest and darkest parts, however, it was no different from places such as Bilgewater or Noxus.

Irelia was striding her way on the main street going to the Institute. She was lost in her thoughts, and her mind was on fire from her argument in the tavern where she was coming from. It was the only tavern around, which meant the place was quite crowded every night. She had arrived there early in order to enjoy her drink before any bothersome people invaded the large room. When she had pushed the heavy wooden door, Garen and Jarvan were chatting in a corner. They both nodded at her as a greeting. She then ordered a drink and heard a despising throat clearing on her left. Her eyes met Draven's, nonchalantly sitting with his feet on a table. Next to him were Vladimir and Ekko. A provocative smirk had appeared on the Glorious Executioner's face which Irelia had ignored by looking elsewhere. Another throat clearing had reached her ear, echoing louder than it actually was. She had shut Draven out, taking a sip of her drink. Draven had stood up and walked towards her, determined to get a reaction from her. After leaning against the counter next to her, he said:

"This is not very polite. I greet you, and you do not respond. Should I show you how to say hello to you comrades?"

"I don't want to talk to you, Draven. Back off, or should I teach you how not to be a pain in the ass for the people around you?"

A jeer had shaken Draven's shoulders as he had replied: "Unfortunately I do wish to chat with you. It is not often that an Ionian can be found away from the pack."

"Pretty relevant comment from a Noxian," Irelia had retorted, glancing at Vladimir.

"Draven, that's enough," Ekko had stood up as well. "You're already acting like a dick, and you're not even drunk yet." He had tried to relax the atmosphere, and Draven had looked at him, confused.

"Thank you Ekko," Irelia had said "but I'm done here anyways." She had kept her voice calm and cold, but inside she was burning like a volcano. Shoving Draven, she had made her way out of the tavern holding her head high.

When she reached the Institute, the sun had almost disappeared, and the clear sky had taken a dark blue tint. By the time she got to her room, her head had cooled down, and she promised herself she wouldn't go back to the tavern any time soon. A bit later this night, a gentle knock on the door echoed in the silent room. Irelia opened the door, surprised to find Teemo.

"This is for you. It's from the head of the League." The yordle handed a rolled piece of paper which Irelia suspected he had read even though it was not addressed to him.

"Thank you, Teemo."

"Always ready to help." He smiled before walking away, whistling a joyful melody.

Irelia unfolded the paper and read its content.

To Irelia, champion of the League of Legends,

We have the honor to inform you that our latest recruit is ready to enter the League of Legends. She will arrive tomorrow, and you have been assigned to be her mentor for the next months. You will find her profile below.

Name: Ahri

Origin: Ionia

Age: Unknown

Race: Unknown

Hair color: Black

Eye color: Blue

Skills: Use of magic (skills unclear)

She will be waiting for you in the entrance hall tomorrow at 6am. We are counting on your cooperation.

High Councilor Vessaria Kolminye

Irelia frowned: she knew every time a new champion joined the League they were assigned a mentor, another champion who was supposed to guide and inform them about the rules within the Institute and in the Fields of Justice. She wondered why the League had asked her to take care of this newcomer. Perhaps because she came from the same country as her. She sighed and got back inside her room to get some sleep, but she couldn't shut her eyes, her mind boiling trying to imagine what Ahri looked like.

The next morning, Irelia went to the entrance hall. She was a bit early, but an unknown figure was already there. The first thing that struck Irelia was the long white tail, whose fur seemed extremely soft, floating behind her. Her long black hair was braided behind her back, and two pointy black ears came out of it. Irelia wondered what part of Ionia she was from, as she had never heard of this kind of race.

"Morning," she said, drawing the attention of the girl. "You must be Ahri. My name is Irelia, and I've been asked to help you during your first months here."

Ahri smiled, and they shook hands. "A pleasure to meet you. Pardon my clumsiness. I am not familiar with how to behave with champions of the League."

"Just treat me like a normal human being, not like a god. Don't worry, you'll get used to it very quickly... and you technically are a champion of the League too from now on."

The newcomer seemed a bit shy and was looking around, uncertain of what to say next.

"Come with me," Irelia added. "I'll show you around. If you have any questions, don't hesitate. I'm here to help."

She started by explaining the role of the Institute as headquarters. They walked through the corridors talking about the different parts of the building.

"The Institute is divided into different wings, each one of them made for a faction. We are here in the upper eastern wing, where all the champions from Ionia live. At the end of the corridor, you have the upper western wing, where the yordles live, except for Kled. He doesn't really belong to any faction and hates everyone here, himself included."

"Interesting character," Ahri commented.

"You'll get to meet him on the Rift. If you take the next left, you will get to the Noxian wing and trust me, you don't wanna go there, especially if you are from Ionia."

"I've never had any issues with Noxians. I've met some, and they were as friendly as anyone else."

"Where did you meet them?"

Ahri hesitated, as if the answer to that question would embarrass her.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to. Let's keep going."

They went downstairs, where all the champions from Piltover and Demacia stayed. The level below was the training center, a huge room where one could find anything to train with.

"How about the champions from Bilgewater and the Freljord?" Ahri asked.

"The Northern ward is on the top level of the Institute. This is where you can find the champions from the Freljord. As to the people of Bilgewater, most of them live in another building next to the main one."

"Why are they isolated?"

"I think they asked for it. They are pretty noisy and received many complains in the past few years, so they asked to be moved to another place where they can shout without disturbing anyone. I wouldn't go there after dusk if I were you. It can be dangerous. Gragas owns the only tavern around. He's probably the only one from Bilgewater I don't mind talking to."

Ahri nodded, her ears twisting to every sound around. Irelia wondered about her background, but was too polite to ask questions.

"The Shuriman champions are on the same floor as the Freljordian," she carried on "As to the champions from the Void, they have a special wing in the catacombs under the training room. Most of them are extremely dangerous, so try not to approach them. Violence is supposed to be prohibited in here, but it doesn't prevent mental manipulation."

Ahri scowled, as though she did not believe it was possible, and Irelia felt her naivete would soon be blown away.

"Where is the fighting area? I haven't seen it yet."

"The Fields of Justice are not around here. You can only access them by teleporting from a platform. When you are called for a match, you have to go to the Fountain Yard, and your summoner will cast a spell to take you to the Rift." After a silence, she asked: "How much do you know about the League of Legends?"

"Not much, really," Ahri sighed. "I only know the basic concept: you fight in an arena."

"That's it? Then why have you joined if you don't even know what to expect?"

Ahri looked around, observing the carvings in the walls before replying. "I guess I wanted a new life."

Irelia caught a glimpse of sorrow in her eyes, but kept her thoughts for herself and held back a heavy sigh. "Come, I'll introduce you to some of my friends. They are champions too, and we will explain everything to you in further details."