Hello, Lyan here, again. I did not expect to be posting chapter 2 so soon, but oh well. I hope you guys will like it. Also, I want to apologize for any grammatical mistakes. It has been a long time since I wrote, so sometimes I don't see when I make them. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

I awoke with a sharp pain throbbing in my skull, nausea quickly rising. I tried to lift my arm to touch my forehead but something stopped me midway, the clinking of chains giving away that I was restrained. I opened my eyelids with difficulty, seeing the world wobbling in my sight. Once my vision stabilized, I was able to take in my surroundings. I was in a cell, just a small cubicle, barely big enough for me to take five steps around. Both my wrists were cuffed by heavy shackles, the chains firmly attached to the ground, making it impossible for me to move freely. I could feel the metal on my ankles as well and even… Did they really have to bind my tail as well? I let out an involuntary growl of irritation, trying to move it around to relieve some discomfort caused by it being still for too long, but chains were keeping it annoyingly trapped. A heavy metal collar was around my neck, this one also tied to the ground with another chain. I sighed, lowering my head. Not that it is the first time I end up in a similar situation.

Beyond the bars caging me inside this prison, I could see a few more cells, the flickering of nearby torches barely giving enough light for any normal human to see. However, my acute vision did not require much light in dim lit areas. The smell wasn't too bad either, to my surprised. Usually the cells I rot in smell like something's been decaying there for ages.

I heard a few ruffles, feet moving on the ground, and the knowing sound of armor moving around. A shadow stopped in front of me, those fiery eyes boring right through mine. It was a woman, or what it looked like a woman, but definitely not human. I could see that her skin was not white, more of a darker shade, some sort of blue and purple. On the parts of her body that were not covered by her solid armor, I could see that he skin was more like a hard shell made of scales, a few scars visible here and there. He body was mostly covered in a red armor, damaged and stained, showing the strain of battles she has been through. She didn't wear any helmet so I could freely look at her face. Her hair were almost the same color as her skin, a shade darker, two braids falling on either side of her neck and a big one dangling on her back. He face, although feminine, had a strong jaw and determination was written all over it.

"Who are you?" she spoke in a deep voice, a low rumble barely audible in those words.

I kept quiet, not sure what to respond. Even if I told her my name, she wouldn't know who I am. I am not even from this world. Unless these are faraway lands we had never discovered before but I highly doubt it.

She slammed her hands on the bars, making me jump slightly at the sudden sound that echoed in the room.

"You will speak, or I will make you. And you don't want that, stranger".

It wasn't the first time I've been threatened. Hell, most of my life has been filled with threats for what I was. Another person making them was no news to me. However, I underestimated her dedication. Seeing that I wasn't responding, holding her gaze defiantly, she scowled dangerously and taking the keys that have been dangling on her left hip, unlocked the cell door. In two quick steps, she was on me, her strong fist connecting with my left cheek in an instant, sending my head backwards and making me see stars behind my closed eyelids, that had shut on their own at the impact. The pain made me hiss, but before I could recover, another hit blew my air away, this time aimed at my stomach. I tried to curl up, the agony making me tug on the chains as I vainly attempted to take a fetal position to shield my body, but I could not move.

A strong grip found itself on my throat, forcing me to look upwards in those burning eyes. I could feel blood slowly dripping on the side of my cheek, my skin and scales on fire. Gosh, she sure knows how to throw punches. She brought her face inches from mine, her lips brushing against my furry ear, making it twitch involuntarily, like a cat's ear.

"Who. Are. You? This is your last chance to answer, unless you want to suffer even more," she whispered, and even if she spoke so softly, I could feel the danger in those words.

But stubborn, or stupid, as I am, I kept quiet, planting my gaze in hers as if to challenge her even further. A wicked smile grew on her lips and before I knew it, another fist connected with my face, rough skin and scales cutting my lower lip, blood spilling all over my chin. I felt her grab me by my hair more than I seen her, he grip strong and commanding. She forced me to tilt my head back, exposing my throat, vulnerable.

"You're a fool. And fools don't deserve to live"

She was about to strike when a thunderous man's voice snapped her out of it.

"Shyvana, ENOUGH!"

She stopped, her opened jaw inches from my throat, her fangs dangerously near my jugular, a low, primal growl building in the back of her throat.

"I said, ENOUGH! Back away right now," repeated the commanding voice and a tall man appeared behind her, his armor golden and adorned with what looked like dragon horns.

Without hesitation he grabbed her by the arm and she let go of me as he tugged her outside the cell, placing himself in between us. She backed away slowly, her eyes still directed on my person. He crossed his arms over his chest and took a step sideways to block her line of view, finally getting her attention back on him.

"I told you to get answers, not to kill it" he said, more calmly. "We don't know yet if it is a foe. Garen said it saved his life."

"I don't care. Something is not right with her. She appears out of thin air during a battle we could've lost, and suddenly, wipe out at least three hundreds Noxians with some fireball that went supernova when it collided with the enemy's magical barrier, giving us what we needed to win this battle? Something isn't right".

Dread overcame me, my nausea back in strength and I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, in between the pain irradiating from my body and the urges to empty my stomach. I killed three hundreds people? I… I did not mean… I didn't want…

The man heard me gasp and he lifted his hand at Shyvana, quietly commanding her to quiet down. Turning back to me, his black hair following the motion, he locked eyes with mine, sapphire meeting ruby.

"My name is Jarvan," he said, crouching a little so he wouldn't be so imposing. "My soldier, and friend, Garen, told me you are the one we have to thank for yesterday's victory on the battlefield. However understand that your sudden appearance rose quite a few suspicions in my ranks. Not everyone can brag about killing three hundreds of Noxians without giving up their life as well."

"I did not intend to cause that many casualties," I rasped, tasting blood on my tongue. Speaking was like torture, my lips swollen and cut open.

"Why did you do it then?"

His eyes searched mine, questioning. But not harmful. He just wanted answers. I took a deep breath, moving my stiff shoulders in an attempt to relieve some stress from the awkward position I had to hold.

"I don't know. Your friend was in danger. I acted without thinking much."

A smile tugged on his lips and he stood up, turning back to Shyvana. "Give me the keys, will you?"

"And for what?" she snapped, crossing her arms on her chest. "You're not going to free her, are you?"

"You heard her. She helped Garen without a second though. Because he was in danger. You really think a Noxian spy would risk killing Darius and many others, just to make us believe they're friends? I do not think so. They need Darius in this war, and whoever she is doesn't matter. She gave us something we didn't have for a while. Time." He waved his hand at her, and with a grunt, she gave him the keys.

He walked back to me, crouching and starting to unlock all the shackles that have been keeping me from moving freely. Once my tail was free, I felt the urge to move it around, releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Mallows, feels good to be able to move that again," I whispered, the muscles in my tail now free from the stillness.

Jarvan chuckled and offered me his hand to help me up, and I took it, unsteady on my wobbly legs.

"I didn't know it would cause you such discomfort, but we didn't want to risk you escaping by helping yourself with it" he said in a friendly tone, helping me on my feet.

"Wise decision," I snorted. "That tail helped me escape many dungeons in the past".

"Told you" muttered Shyvana behind us as we walked towards what seemed to be the stairs to exit the dungeons.

A smile crept on the side of my lips at the thought of Shyvana asking Jarvan to bind my tail and the look on his face when he asked why. I removed those thoughts from my mind as we started ascending, Jarvan letting me lean on him for support since my legs were still a bit weak from my captivity in the cell. Once we reached the top, I stopped short in my steps, taking aback by how beautiful the inside of this palace was. It was huge. The ceiling of the hall was so high a dragon could fly in there. Five thrones were waiting patiently in the center, stairs encircling the area, where two tall statues, both holding down swords, seemed to be keeping guard on the place. The columns that supported the ceiling was made with what seemed like marble, white and pure. Two sculpted wings on either side of the central throne gave the place an aura of power, justice. At the bottom of the stairs, two more statues, on either side of it, kept a silent watch on the hall. A few arcs leading outside were big enough to let sunlight shine through, keeping the room comfortably lit, and cozy.

Jarvan gave me time to look around, watching me silently as my eyes roamed around the room, not pressing me to keep walking. I could see pride in his eyes as I was trying to take in every details of the room and its beauty.

"This is the Hall Of Valor. Where I have to attend to my duty, most of the times," said Jarvan with a smile.

"It's… breathtaking," I said, my eyes looking everywhere still.

A few soldiers wearing full plated armor and helms were posted at specific places in the Hall, guarding it. A few of them looked our way, probably wondering why Jarvan was helping a wreck like me out of the dungeons. They bowed their head at him when he looked their way, but they never left their post, obviously taking their duties at heart.

"Have you never seem anything similar where you come from?" asked Jarvan, helping me move forward.

"No, never. I've seen a few kingdoms where their architecture was indeed quite stunning, but not as much as this one."

"Well, I am glad you like it then. Demacia is home for justice and valor, and we wouldn't want our main Hall to be merely captivating. We want our guests to feel the power of rightfulness when they step in. Here, we will help those in need. Here, we will plan against the terror that is Noxus. And yesterday, you helped us a great deal. Demacia will always be thankful to you, stranger."

"The name's Zaheerah."

"Then welcome to Demacia, Zaheerah", said Jarvan warmly.

I heard Shyvana chuckle behind us, and I looked over my shoulder to gaze at her, wondering what made her laugh.

"Who the hell is dumb enough to call their kid Soft Cub", she muttered, an eyebrow lifted up in obvious disbelief.

I nearly tripped when I heard those words, face burning with embarrassment. How does she know the meaning behind my name? But I didn't really need to ask myself that question. She was obviously not human, and if my suspicions were right, she too, was half dragon. But how does our language share the same meaning from this world to mine? That however, I could not answer. Is there more behind the history of dragons that we were told? I'd probably never know.

Gaining back my balance, I steadied myself enough to walk on my own without Jarvan's help, and followed him as he leaded us out of the Hall, leaving the serene aura behind us. I felt a bit sad leaving this majestic place already, but surely I was not ready to see what waited for me outside. The rays of the sun blinded me for a moment, and I shadowed my eyes with the help of my hand, giving my sight time to adjust to the sudden change in luminosity. Then my arm just fell to my side as I stood shocked, seeing what Demacia was outside. The fortress was enormous. Bigger than any I've ever seen. High, strong walls and towers were keeping the place safe, a wide plaza encircling the main citadel. There was so many people walking around that the crowd seemed like buzzing bees going around in a honeycomb. Merchants were talking with passerby, hoping to sell them their goods. Soldiers were walking among the crowd, keeping an eye on everything and ensuring that there was no troubles.

In the distance, where the city was not covering grounds, I could see mountains and a distant sea. This place was amazing.

"Jarvan, there you are!" said a cheerful voice, taking me out of my trance.

The three of us turned around as a petite woman walked towards us, a shining smile on her lips. Her blond hair were held back by a small headband, her blue eyes filled with amusement and mischief. She wore an armor similar to the one Garen had during the battle, however smaller and a lot less bulky. She stopped short when her eyes found me, then anger made her cheeks turn red.

"Shyvana, you did this, didn't you!?" she accused, pointing at my face.

I held a hand on my lower lip and grimaced, the pain from the cut now coming back to me. And of course, there was probably blood all over my clothes as well. Before any of us could answer, the small lady walked to me, taking out a handkerchief out of one of her pockets and started to clean my chin, empathy written all over her face. She had to stand on her toes to reach my face however, since I was at least a head taller than her.

"You poor thing, you didn't deserve that. Garen told me you're the one I should thank for saving him" she said gently, keeping the pressure of her handkerchief to a minimum on my wound so she wouldn't hurt me. She smiled when our eyes met and put a hand on my cheek, wiping away a trail of blood that was still there. "You saved my brother from a certain death, and I could never thank you enough. If you ever need assistance, I will help you any way I can. I'm in your debt."

I didn't reply, not knowing how to react at her speech and sudden proximity. My ears twitched on the side of my head, visible sign that I was embarrassed, and she chuckled, bringing her hand to my left ear, where, years ago, a piece of it was ripped off by an arrow during a vicious fight with a thief. Her finger brushed the fur, sending shivers down my spine, making my ears twitch again.

"Your ears are just like a cat's ears! It's so cute!" she giggled, a smile spreading on her face.

Jarvan cleared his throat behind me, bringing back the small woman's attention back on him. She shyly lowered her arm and took a step back to give me space her lips still perked up.

"Lux, this is Zaheerah. Zaheerah, before you stands Luxanna Crownguard, one of our most skilled mage here in Demacia, and Garen's sister."

"Cub" muttered Shyvana behind me, so low that I was probably the only one that heard her.

I tried to ignore the fire rising in my cheeks again, focusing on Lux instead. "Nice meeting you, Luxanna" I greeted, bowing my head slightly.

"Just call me Lux," she said with a wink. "Shorter and we're now friends, saying my full name would just be awkward".

I smiled and felt like somehow I made a new ally.

"Lux, would you mind taking her to the baths? I am afraid I cannot let her walk around like this, people are starting to think we've been hiding a monster in our dungeons again," said Jarvan jokingly, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Shyvana will bring you a new set of clothes with armor as well, please accept them, Zaheerah. Your current clothing are… past their lifetime, I am afraid."

I looked down on myself and, indeed, what had been my everyday life clothes were more or less just rags now. A new set of clothes and a warm bath did sound amazing.

"Alright! We'll be heading there right now. Come, Heerah! Bath's this way!" said Lux, grabbing my hand and tugging me towards a corridor, ignoring the look some of the nearby soldiers gave her.

"He-heerah?" I said confused, following her the best I could. How can such a tiny mage have this much energy to hop around?

"I figured calling you with a nickname would be nice, don't you think? Unless you don't want me to?" she replied as we walked past a few rooms, following a hallway deeper into the citadel, its walls all made of marble as well.

"No, it's fine, I don't mind it" I assured her, trying to keep up the pace with her quick steps.

My exhaustion was starting to show and I was hoping to get to our destination soon. As if my prayers were heard, Lux stopped in front of a huge silver door and opened it, guiding me inside. My jaw almost dropped at the sight of the room. This wasn't a bath. This was a lake inside a goddamn palace. The warm water was causing steam to rise above the surface of the bath, and an amazing smell of lavender was already soothing my mind. A few petals of what I think was roses were floating on the surface, slowly roaming around in water. The bath was sculpted directly into marble, dug deep enough to be able to dive in. Around the room, a few columns were keeping the low ceiling company, a few chandelier hanging above, the white candles sending soft rays of light around the room. It was lit just enough to be able to see the whole place, without breaking the calming atmosphere of the chamber. Although this place was big, we were surprisingly the only one in it. Lux guided me to a bench on which she made me sit and, without hesitation, started tugging at my clothes. Panicked, I grabbed her wrist in my hands, heat rising in my face.

"W-what are you doing?" I stuttered, trying to avoid making eye contact with her.

"Undressing you, silly" she laughed, freeing herself from my grip. "You can barely move your shoulder, I know you're wounded. Vayne got you pretty bad. So unless you wanna go in the bath with these on, I suggest you let me help you."

I sighed and nodded. I did want to take a bath, and without those rags would be the best.

"Don't worry, I won't look if that is what's making you so reluctant" she said a bit more seriously, placing her hands on my forearms.

"It's okay" I said, trying to hide the shyness in my voice.

It is not the fact of being naked around her that made it so difficult for me to get undressed. I just didn't want her to think of my body as one of a monster's. Humans always thought of Drackians as monsters because of what we looked like. The less they saw of us, the better we both were.

"So, what are you anyways?" she asked, taking my mind away from my thoughts as she helped me out of my shirt, being careful not to move my shoulder too much. "Vastayan? You do seem to have some kind of animal spirit within you" she continued, finally freeing my torso of my shirt.

I saw her eyes run over my body, taking in the sight of my chest and what was hiding under my clothes. My abdomen and my torso were covered in scales and bony plating. Dark fur, the color of my ebony hair and ears, was running down my neck, covering my shoulders and part of my upper arms and forearms, covering my back as well. The side of my torso was also covered in fur, leaving the front of it untouched. Lux couldn't see it but the rest of my body was furry as well. Down to all the length of my tail, hiding the scales underneath, and to my draconian feet, stopping mid way and leaving the rest to the scales and the sharp claws I had on each of my toes.

If Lux was taken aback by my look, she didn't show it, instead continuing to help me out of my clothes while making small talks. It calmed me enough for me to actually start to relax, and after a few minutes, once she got me fully undressed, she helped me down in the warm water.

As soon as my body was submerged, the tension in my muscles started to wash away and I let out a sigh of relief, keeping myself steady on the side of the bath by resting my arms on the marble floor. Lux let out a laugh and crouched nearby, tilting her head on the side.

"Do your ears always move like that? It's captivating" she said, touching the tip of my left ear to make it twitch again.

"I guess so" I answered with a smile, trying to resist the urge to shake my head. "I don't actually think about moving them, it just kind of happens."

"It tells a lot about yourself when you pay attention to it, actually" she said, sitting on the floor dipping her hand in the water. "Depending on the way they move, I can tell if you're nervous, calm or angry."

"How do you do that?" I asked, curious.

She giggled and bopped my nose with her finger before standing up. "I told you, they're like a cat's ears! It's easy to understand body language when you pay attention. I will leave you for a few minutes, there's something I need to go talk with my brother. Shyvana shouldn't be too long with your new set of gears and clothes, so in the meanwhile, enjoy your bath and get clean, alright?"

I nodded and, after a cheerful "See you later!", she was out of the room, leaving me in the quietness of the chamber. All I could hear was the rippling of water as I moved around, the sound echoing softly on the walls. I moved to a less shallow area of the bath to be able to stand up, slowly washing my body of the dirt, blood and other things that got stuck in my fur. The process was long and I took care to clean every inch of it, including my tail. I cleaned my shoulder and my wounded lower lip, making sure that I would not get infected that way. Taking a deep breath, I dived under water, washing my hair, untangling the dirty bangs. After a few seconds, I came back up for air and breathed in, pushing my ebony locks behind my head. I don't know how long it took me to clean myself, but the bath had gave me back some energy. I guess I did need to rest a bit. I walked out to the marble stairs leading out of the bath when a silhouette made me freeze halfway out. I haven't noticed that someone was standing on top of the stairs, staring at me. However, I would recognize these eyes anywhere.

Shyvana stood before me, her expression unreadable. We both kept awkwardly still for a moment, as I was too embarrassed to make another step while she was seeing me in my most natural outfit ever. I could see her eyes roaming over my torso, and then her deep voice broke the silence of the chamber.

"Soft Cub" was all she said before she turned around and exited the room, leaving me speechless. Oh Mallows, someone kill me right here right now I silently pleaded, my face burning up. How long will she be calling me like this? And just how many more times will I make a fool of myself in front of her?

Shaking my head and trying to shove my embarrassment away, I got out of the bath and headed to the bench where she left the new clothes and a towel. There was a black shirt and a black pants, and the armor had the same colors of the ones I have been seeing around in the citadel. Silver with gold and a few tones of blue. After drying myself up with the towel, I dressed up, putting the armor in place, wrapping the blue scarf around my neck and making sure every part of the armor was clipped correctly. Unsure of what to do with the pair of boots, however, I decided to grab them and bring them back to Jarvan, since they were no use for me. Those were boots made for the shape of a human feet, not mine. And walking around barefoot was actually something I liked. I was more agile that way.

I made my way out of the baths, my tail lazily swinging behind me as I walked back to the Hall Of Valor, a few curious glancing at me while I passed them. My feet were silent on the beautiful floor, and no one heard me enter the main hall as I arrived. I could see Jarvan, Garen, Shyvana and Lux talking, with someone else standing beside, a huge blue bird perched on their shoulder. The animal was the only one to sense my arrival and it looked at me, crooking its neck on the side, curious. Then the bird brought it's beak to the person's ear and made a soft screech, breaking the ranger's attention to the conversation. She turned her face to her avian friend, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Soft Cub? What the hell are you talking about, Valor?" said the ranger.

With a grunt, I face-palmed myself, my shoulders slouching. And now a goddamn talking chicken is even calling me that. Just how much more embarrassing can this day go?

That's it for chapter 2. I know that for now, nothing really interesting happens, but hopefully in the next chapters, it'll get better.

Peace~

Edit: Made a few corrections. I realize I repeat myself a lot with some words so I tried to change it a bit