A/N: Woah, I feel touched! Like, literally. Only two chapters and you already covered me with reviews (Why only 3?), so yes, here it is, Chapter 3! Hope you like it, it was quite hard typing that one!
Someone was humming. Jax realised someone was actually humming. A little song, childish melody. He winced and rolled, unable to see anything.
"Ah, sleeping beauty is awake! The prince came!" Someone commented, the humming stopped. The voice was really familiar. Jax opened his eyes and was immediately blinded by the sunlight. It took quite some time until he recovered, but when his gaze stabilized, he was greeted by a man made entirely of coal, had burning torso and his hair was fire. He was a magical creature, known to Jax by the name Brand. The grandmaster at arms stood up and looked around. It was... Strange. There was tall grass, ponds, trees. Just like a forest. Then old white stones came in to vision, reminding to Jax where he was and what happened.
"You know what? I don't think you have anything against me, do you? Because, you are not saying anything so I thought that you don't like me. As a person. Why?" Brand started shooting questions around, while chasing butterflies. He looked like a little kid.
"I don't have anything against you Brand. But, tell me, do you know what happened here? Why does this place look so ancient yet is the remains of the Institute. Why are you here? And mainly, why are you chasing butterflies?" Jax answered with his own question. Brand immediately covered his hands behind his back and started whistling, trying to look the most innocent he could. Jax smiled under his mask, while stretching his arms. The burning vengeance suddenly started walking towards a little shack, wich had a huge sign in front of it. The sign said: 'Brand Lives Here. Do not make him burn down the forest!' Quite interesting, knowing the nature of Brand, who loved burning things. Jax followed, without any idea what else to do. The shack was nicely decorated, a bed next to the left wall, a table in the middle and a kitchen on the right wall. Really simple but nice, Jax thought. Brand, surprisingly, extinguished his flames so that he wouldn't light the house on fire and sat on the chair next to the table, inviting Jax to sit on the chair in front of him. The grandmaster at arms sat and looked directly into Brand's eyes. Those eyes were full of fire, and fire that was torturing, murdering or terrorizing. That was Brand's fire, it was written in his eyes. But now... Something had changed. Brand had another kind of fire in his eyes, one of great sadness and naiveness. He felt somehow weak, Jax understood, Brand who was a strong foe felt weak and useless for the first time.
"What is it, Brand? Will you answer my questions, why don't you help the champ?" The grandmaster at arms asked, his idea of a weak Brand growing bigger into his mind. Brand sighed. He was quite amazing now, after all that time spent silent.
"You know, Jax, nothing is the same. This place, the ruins of the Institute, is slowed in time. I asked Zilean do it. All on all, nine days passed since I came here and Zil did his job. You were here all the time and I was about to cremate you, but something told me you weren't so dead as the others. So yes, I waited for you. Next up, why am I here you would ask, won't you? Well, Noxus and it's allies quite likely already rule over Valoran, so in exchange for my help to get rid of summoners along with the other of us who were held captives to the Institute. This is my reward. Remain undisturbed for endless times but don't leave. It suits me, for I've lost a friend of mine. Do you remember Fiddlesticks? He is dead. Butchered by Rengar when the attack started. The kitty cat was about to butcher me too, but I was lucky his leg was hit from some soldier and my chance to burn him was there. Only ashes were left after the beast. You know, this... Changed me. I thought that after we get out, me and Fiddle, we would bring terror to the world. But he was dead, so I requested loneliness. I earned it. When I returned here, the corpses of the dead lew all around the ruins. I did my best to cremate them, then buried the urns. It was quite saddening, so many lives lost to some unknown cause. I made my shack and started playing around like a kid. Ha ha ha..." Brand answered Jax' questions who looked at the Burning vengeance. It was, in fact, a weak Brand. The grandmaster at arms nodded for him to continue.
"Well, that concludes the story. But know time here is slowed. I think that a day here is equal to ten outside of the ruins. So you will have quite the task getting along after five months. I mean it, only fifteen days passed here. But out... Only one hundred and fifty." His face made a hilarious grin. ( I mean that :O ) Jax sighed. How could this be possible? A hundred and fifty days and he didn't wake up? That would be bad.
"So, what are you going to do now, Jax? Going to leave and enter hell? Because outside it is hell, literally. And answer my question." Brand turned the conversation. Jax sighed. It was quite strange for him to answer to the burning vengeance, but he tried his best.
"Well, I am going to investigate, to search for survived summoners. If I can't find any, I will just... Don't know, do my mercenary job, probably." Upon saying this, the form of the dyeing champions passed throught his mind. No." No. I will stand against Noxus. Even if I am alone, I will stand against them to avenge our fallen brothers and sisters. I will avenge Fiddlesticks. I will avenge Ashe and Sivir. Heimerdinger wont remain forgotten. I will avenge all of them, so I could rest at night, and be left unhaunted by their spirits, pointing at me, their eyes saying it - 'Why did you survive?'. No. I will avenge them, so their spirits may be put to rest, their innocence restored and those traitors - punished. And if I am not Jax, then I won't do it. But I am Jax. So this... Is my quest!" Jax couldn't belive his words, let alone Brand. The burning vengeance nodded and pointed the door.
"You may leave when you want. I don't have anything against you, but there is nothing that holds you here, plus there is no food. As you know I don't eat so... Bye." Brand waved as Jax walked out of the shack and closed the door. Actually, he didn't intend to leave quite right now. Jax would visit the graves, to see who actually died. The grandmaster at arms walked through the forest to an end of the road. The remains of the wall lew there, but in front of those remains were resting grave stones. They were all melted into the forms of the fallen ones, the one representing Fiddlesticks made with the most care and work. The little Nunu was smiling while Willump looked behind him with a silly grin. Amumu was holding hands with Annie, who's bear, Tibbers, walked behind them like a guiding light. Garen was next to Lux, whose smile was still there, but was not as lively as... Well in life. Ashe hugged Tryndamere while Anivia and Volibear were playing cards. Graves and Twisted Fate were laughing together, frozen in the sculpture. Jax sighed. There he was, in his full glory, the artisian at war, holding Leona with his spear hand while his shield covered them both. Wukong was happily laying on the cloud. Rengar... Well, Rengar was hitting Kha Zix, wich was quite funny, meaning the fact that Kha Zix didn't have a head. Fizz was looking at the coast that didn't exist there. Caitlyn was smiling all alone, while Quinn was looking at Vayne with a puzzled look on her face and Valor seemingly whispering something to her. Heimerdinger was standing beside Ziggs, both holding a turret and a bomb. Tristana was talking with Corki, although the words were soundless. Alistar rested on a stone beside Maokai and Malphite. Zyra was smiling to her plants. And they were all in a circle around one person. Probably Brand's best friend or something. Nocturne. The eternal Nightmare looked at Jax, his eyes digging into his soul. Even in death, he was terrifying. Xerath, Ryze and Syndra were studying over a book. That concluded the sad collection. It was really sad, because he knew each one of them in life, but wasn't beside them in death. Jax sighed. It was getting darker, so he decided to leave the safety of the Institute's ruins. He climbed over the wall like Wukong climbed over it so long ago. He jumped of as Rengar used to leap against his prey. And landed as Pantheon crushed the land after his infamous MANdrop. Started slowly walking away from the past. The past, that might be his future.