I know, I know. I reeally shouldn't be doing this. I should be writing my other stories that I'm actually working on. But inspiration struck with a vengeance, and I could do nothing against its unending march in my head. So I had to finish this story. Anyway, I'm sure that most of you can guess what this is, but I'll say it anyway: Without further ado, I give you...

The Hunt is On

Chapter 2: Rengar

Some people think that eyepatches make you look cool. I'll admit, that's probably true, but it is beyond painful when you injure an eye to the point that you need one. Some people also think that my eyepatch is actually some magical artificial eye that lets me see in the dark, sense body heat, see through walls, walk through walls, fly, and any number of other absurd powers. I'm able to see in the dark naturally, it comes with the territory of being part-cat, and all that other stuff is just rumour taken to an extreme. It's really just an eyepatch that also glows for intimidation factor. The glow is also handy for helping me see in situations without other light.

And no, the irony of an eyepatch helping me to see is not lost on me.

Nonetheless, I'm sure those of you who don't know who I am are wondering why I even have this eyepatch. Those of you who do know me most likely know my story already, since the all-mighty Summoners seem intent on spreading the story of every 'champion' who comes to their league. Hah, as if any of them are true champions. They always feel more like… some sort of glorified foot soldier. Oh, certainly, there are the ones who have their merits, like that nutcase who fights with a lamppost, and the other one whose village was destroyed by that dishonourable coward who loves chemicals and poisons. But as a whole, they are rather… lacking. None can ever satisfy my need for the thrill of the hunt and hunted, the great dance that both man, beast, and those in between have participated in from time immemorial.

And I've gotten sidetracked again. My story, of course, is what you came for, not for me to pour out my grievances with the world onto your shoulders. And, as it is what you wish for, I shall give it to you, the story as I saw it, and as I see it now.

For fear of sounding terribly clichéd, it honestly started on a dark and stormy night. I had been living in my territory for nearly three moons before I became restless. I needed to hunt, to find the greatest prey and take it down, just as my father had before me, and his before that, and so on for generations. Being uncontested as the ruler of an area was fun for a while, but after those three moons the novelty wore off and I moved on. That was the night of the great storm.

The wind was howling all around as I began crossing the Great Barrier, and a light fall of snow began. The clouds were a thick slate grey ceiling above me, and the hard rock below was the same dark shade. The plains stretched out behind me, flat and lifeless this deep into the winter. Nearly no light shone that night on the barren land of cold and wind. It seemed as if the only thing moving in the area that night was me.

And, as I was soon to find out, the only man stupid enough to gaze into the Void and believe it was a smart idea to bring it into this world.

As I reached a notch between two peaks that opened into a shallow valley, my keen ears were able to discern a sound that had not been previously audible against the ever-mounting storm that was clear on its way to becoming a true riot of a blizzard. The sound was soft, guttural chanting, and it sent chills down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold air around me.

At the center of the valley, I saw the man dressed in the clothing of a desert-dweller, but he seemed untouched by the cold around him. An ominous purple glow surrounded him, and the ground around him was bare, even from the snow. He tensed slightly as I drew near, but he did not stop his chanting as it grew to a crescendo. Even to this day, years since then, I can still remember the words, even if I only heard the end of it.

"Alok nol nil. Faan hi nol nil. Nil uroksvaal, Kha'Zix!"

The air rent around him, and a scythe-like blade appeared from the darkness around him. It was followed by a grotesquely humanoid-yet-insectoid purple arm and a similar body, with wings buzzing slightly on its back. It looked to the desert-dweller, and made some obscene clicking, trilling noise. I can only assume it was some sort of "thank you," as the purple-clad man replied to it, "You are welcome, but it is only as my master commands."

Then it turned to me, and I saw the look in its eye. It was one I knew all too well, one I saw every time I saw my own reflection: the look of the predator. The mage quickly vanished, but I did not care. I only had eyes for the disgusting, beautiful creature before me. It was the concept predator given form. I needed to kill it, to prove myself.

A growling chuckle grew in my throat, and I leapt towards the resplendent abomination. It gave a vicious shriek and raised its scythe-like limbs to meet my claws and dagger. It locked my blade between its limbs, and I swung my hand around to rip out its throat, but spikes flew off of it to embed in my skin. I roared out and flinched in pain, and the creature made a series of high-pitched clicks that I could tell was its form of laughter.

We fought long into the night, all across the shallow bowl of the valley it had been summoned in, up the sides of the great peaks, and back down towards the desolate grasslands below. At one point, it would seem that I had the upper hand, but then the beast would turn the tables on me, and the fight would continue with renewed vigour. Eventually, we found ourselves alongside the great rainforest that my earliest memories were formed in, and we plunged in with reckless abandon.

We both used the forest to our advantage, ambushing and breaking away from each other again and again, but the battle was taking its toll on us. I could see it in the monstrosity's slowing movements, but I could also feel it in my own sluggishness and the blood oozing down my arms. I prowled along the bank of a river, when I heard a rustle in the bushes next to me. It was all the warning I got before a blade-arm whistled out of the brush and took my eye. I howled in pain as the white-hot lance of agony drove into my skull, but I still managed to hurl a bola at my adversary. It travelled straight and true to wrap around the dazzling fiend, and its wings crunched pleasingly as I too took my pound of flesh from it.

It writhed on the floor of the jungle in agony, as I did, before managing to wriggle into the river flowing next to us and float away downstream. I had no energy left, and I was forced to stay on the ground, cradling the mangled side of my face. It was the only prey to ever escape me. I found it worthy enough even to declare an honour-war on it, but have been unable to find it in the four years since that fateful day to satisfy my honour.

Until today.

As soon as I found myself standing in the Arena again, I could sense it. I knew that it was there, just as it knew I was there. A low growl escaped from my throat as I picked up the weapons I would need.

"Rengar?" a soft voice questioned from my left.

"It is here…" I hissed. "Do not interfere, Nidalee. Honour will be satisfied." I loped off towards the jungle at a ground-eating pace.

I crept silently along the riverbank in the pitiful jungle of the Arena, ears sharp for any signs of the creature. My necklace shifted lightly against my chest, and I cursed myself in my head for allowing it to make any noise. I continued slowly for a few more steps, until a noise caused me to stop. A soft sound, one I would never think twice of had I not been listening for it.

The low hum of wings.

I turned to my right to stare at a bush directly across the river from me. There, among the leaves, I saw the yellow-green eyes of the beast; watching me, preparing to strike. I crouched down on to all fours, preparing myself to leap towards him. My lower body wiggled slowly, tail swaying behind me, just as in the cats I am most likely descended from.

At some unseen signal, we both leapt towards each other. The beautiful creature clicked out its high-pitched laugh, and I answered in kind with a feral roar. My blade trailed behind me, prepared to whip around and skewer the insect mid-flight. I felt the blood rushing in my veins, felt the thrill of our unfinished hunt return. We had risen, each to the challenge of the other, and met at last mid-air above the stream.

The hunt was on.

And yes, I do realise the second to last scene was originally in the first chapter, but I've retconned it out and put it in this one instead. So deal with it. And now this story is actually done, and I can go back to my other things I should be doing.

As always, R&R. I live for reviews, and I will always - always! - reply to your review if you're logged in and have PMs allowed, even if it's just to thank you for the review.