Sitting on top of the roof I embraced the radiant warmth of the rising sun, smiling slightly as I looked at orange sky.
Even though I was stripped of most of my senses I was glad that at least I had this one thing.
I was silent, thinking through my life as my hand slowly crept up my neck to where my scar presented itself.
I found it funny but depressing that the only living remnant of Shurima was that of an exile and thought to be murderer.
That them stripping everything I was and locking me away unintentionally saved my "life" if you could call it that.
That the "Almighty" Emperor who planned to have himself turned into a god, or even the one who betrayed him were here today.
Well, that's what I thought.
When the sun finally reached high enough into the sky I climbed down from the roof, checked on Holus (who was still unconscious) told the couple the treatment for their son before bidding them goodbye.
However before I could walk out the door, the two of them pulled me back and gave me a travel bag.
Despite my denial the two of them held firm and said: It was payment for my service and that they hope to see me again.
I thanked Agrass and Theresa a bidded them farewell before I walked upon the path again.
There I stood at the fork I the road, wondering what journey I could take.
I could continue walking aimlessly across all of Valoran until the end of time or I could walk back to the town and nestle my roots there instead, gods knew that the people needed a doctor.
And maybe, just maybe, I could even make up for my failure, not for Azir, not for the kingdom, but for the people that I swore to protect, for Aphra.
To be honest, it was never truly a hard decision.
I quietly walked across the dirt road, my travel bag slung over my shoulder.
The path was swamped from the night's storm, the rain having washed away most of the mud, leaving a barren uneven skeleton of rock.
Nonetheless the inhabitants of the town were still bustling to their destinations.
Though I couldn't say the town was crowded it was still somewhat startling for me to feel the busyness of that many people in one spot, a stark contrast to what the town was the previous night.
Making my through the town, I looked for anyplace that I could sign for residency or apply for a position.
The area was small enough so that it didn't take me long to find what looked to be the town hall.
As I passed people in the streets only the occasional glance was spared towards me as made my way to the steps.
It was then I felt the focus of a group staring at me from behind, I ignored it, they had no quarrels with me and I had none with them.
The town hall itself was simplistic it could have easily blended in with the rest of the buildings if it had not been for the small sign by the front entrance.
I walked into the town hall to be greeted by what seemed to be a sort of receptionist.
She looked up at me, taking a second before she stretched a fake smile across her face and putting a sickly sweet tone in her voice.
"Hello! How can I be of service?" She asked, still sitting behind her desk.
"Yes, I was wondering if I could speak to someone in charge, I would like to apply for position in the town." I explained, trying to ignore her questioning look.
"Apply? Apply for what?" Her sickly sweet tone was gone now.
"You see, I have experience concerning the medical field and I heard that there hasn't been a doctor in this town for quite some time, I thought I could perhaps fill in for that position." The receptionist's look was skeptical as she glared at me, completely silent.
It was a few minutes before she spoke up again.
"Do you have any credentials to back your claim?"
I was silent, I was stripped of my emblem when I was persecuted but even so I would barely think that a millennium year old artifact would qualify me today.
"I don't necessarily have credentials, but I have proven myself on multiple occasions that I am fit for the requirements." I responded, hoping that she would believe me.
Again, the woman was silent as she stared at me.
She then stood up from her desk and began walking towards the door in the back of the room.
"If you'd wait here, I'll have you speak with an official shortly" She stated to me while still having her back faced towards me.
I stood there, waiting and hoping that whoever the receptionist was speaking would decide to indulge me.
For what felt like another eternity I waited, the entire time I could feel the buzzing of activity in the back of my mind.
Eventually, I saw the door reopen and the receptionist look towards me and nod.
One of the most noticeable things about the room, when I first entered, was the man seated behind the desk and the fact he looked in much better condition than the rest of the town.
As soon I had stepped through the door I could feel the scanning gaze of the previously mentioned man.
He had a slight smirk stretched across his face, almost as if in his mind he were picking me apart, piece by piece.
The surroundings walls were adorned with multiple banners and plaques. The man gestured to the seat opposite of him, and I in turn sat myself down.
Immediately there was an almost palpable silence between the two of us as he continued to analyze me and I scanned his aura, which one gave the most information I'll never know.
It was after a minute or so that I finally grew impatient and spoke up.
"You've probably been informed why I've asked to meet you, and I have no doubt that you have some questions for me."
He nodded silently as he never tore his gaze from me.
Again, silence fell between the two of us, I decided I had indulged him in his staring contest for long enough, so my eyes began to drift across the room.
The banners I had mentioned before all had different markings, signifying different events that could have held a sort of sentimental value to the man in question.
My eyes shifted from the walls down to the stranger's desk, the organized labyrinth of papers all held miscellaneous information concerning political conditions, tax adjustments, wanted criminals or suspicious persons and what seemed to be a sort of contract.
Looking closer it took me some time to read the upside text, however slowly but surely I began to piece together the sentences.
...this agreement will ensure that both powers shall engage in combat strictly within the boundaries set by the Institute of War.
The aforementioned battle will determine the routes of trade between Noxus and Shurima.
Both the designated leaders: Azir and High General Swain will appoint who they wish to participate in this event.
However, each leader is restricted to choosing up to five members including themselves since they are both registered champions of The League.
Since the result of the event in question has a wide spread influence for both powers this information will be made public, however the usual contract of anonymity each champion and summoner are provided as well as required to abide by, still stands.
Shurima...Azir...
No...It wasn't possible...How?
Shurima was destroyed it just wasn't possible.
Everyone I loved, everyone I swore to an allegiance to protecting was turned to nothing but sand, and he survived?
Fury burned inside of my chest, what I thought to be true was again torn down and cast to the wind.
My mind buzzed like an angered hornet's nest as I could feel my scar on the side of my neck pulsate.
I glared at the contract, swallowing my hatred and looking back up to the stranger sitting across from me.
He had been mostly likely staring at me while I was looking through his papers as now he had lost his smirk and now quirked an eyebrow towards me.
"So, I've heard that you have no credentials to verify that you are able to fill in the position properly."
I instantly got out of my seat and turned towards the door, I've had enough it.
"You're right, I apologize for wasting your time." My monotone voice spoke with my back faced towards the stranger.
Cracking my neck, I reach to the door only to be stopped by one word:
"W-wait"
I couldn't see the man's reaction to my outburst but I could hear him scramble from his desk as stride towards me.
I felt a hand on my shoulder as he begged, lost of any bravado that it originally had.
"I-I'm sorry, i-it was rude of me to be acting that way, especially since you're applying for such an important role."
I rose an eyebrow, suspicion and frustration coursed through my veins as I turned around and glared at the stranger.
The smirk on his face was long gone, only to be replaced with an expression of worry.
He had completely changed in the blink of the eye, despite this I decided to indulge him for a little longer.
"I-if you could please sit with me, we can further discuss the conditions." He stammered, gesturing towards the two now empty chairs.
"I'm Mas ZhenZain, pleased to you…" He paused as he stuck out his hand in a friendly manner, awaiting my name.
"Inumbris…" I answered coldly, taking his hand and shaking it before joining him by the desk yet again.
Mas ruffled his hair out of order as he pulled random pieces of paper from the top of his desk and organizing them together, the wanted posters and the Institute of War contract were now stored away.
"U-um sorry, let me just….there we go, so-Inumbris- you said you'd heard that this was missing a physician? From who exactly?" He was sweating, his aura twisted and turned anxious as if he were preparing to outrun a wild animal.
"Oh, I heard it from random person I met on the street, never caught their name though." I lied, scanning Mas for even the slightest reaction.
He managed to regain some of his composure as he shook his head and set a sheet of paper aside.
"Shame, would've liked to thank them, you see we haven't had a doctor here in years." He then shifted through the pile of paper until he reached the one he wanted and grabbing a pen from his side.
"So while you don't have any documented qualifications of you medical capabilities, can you provide any evidence to prove th-?"
"No, I can't we've been over this already Mr. ZhenZain. I have no physical way of showing that I am a qualified physician, again I would like to apologize for wasting your time." I interrupted, my voice never changing from a monotone drone.
"No-just sit please, so if you don't have any forms of proving your prowess, you still can apply for the job as long you can follow u-up your words."
"Would you care to explain?" I spoke, looking Mas in the eye.
"As the town's official representative I can inform you t-that no one has applied for this position for years, and will mostly likely not have one for more to come. So we're willing to accept anyone."
"Oh…I see…" I spoke, trying to piece together what happened, this was too easy, one moment he was Mas ZhenZain silent asshole extraordinaire, but now he was practically begging me to take the position.
Something wasn't right.
Mas then gathered himself and stood up from his desk yet again.
"Would you be inclined to sign this paper work at your residence? I believe that there is a reserved building for the town's physician." He asked, his voice adding in the same sickly sweet tone his receptionist had, as he eyed the space between my head and shoulder.
The moment of realization brought understanding and the feeling of stupidity.
Strapped to my back was my prison but to him it was nothing more than a simple sword that I could run him through with.
Of course he would act nervous, he probably thought I'd leave and come back to skewer him in his sleep.
"…In fact I believe the reserved building is just a couple of blocks away from the town hall." I heard him ramble, as he stepped around his desk and opened it for me.
I got up from my seat and followed the man out the door and through the front hall.
The receptionist looked at the two of us out of the corner of her eye as we both walked out the exit. Was it that simple?
After all of this accidently flashing a sword and literally being the only one to apply could get me in so easily? I
could feel my rage for Azir quell itself slightly as I made my through the town.
The sun was now high in the sky as soon was soon approaching.
I continued to follow Mas ZhenZain as countless others passed us by until we hooked around a corner and passed through an alleyway until we reached a walled off section of the path; a dead-end.
Mas stopped and stood there, I could feel his condition of fight or flight kick in.
I instinctually began to back away from him turning on the heels of my feet to run away, only to have the feeling of cold steel press against my neck.
No words were spoken as my balance was quickly swept from under me and I fell face first into the ground.
My head hit the ground with a thud and the world began to spin around me.
I could feel rough hands take my prison from its sheathe and someone quietly mumbled as if they were passing it on to someone else.
I then felt someone hold my wrists together and wrap rope around them before it was tightened and tied off.
Trying to fight off my dizziness I attempted to focus on those behind me and read off anything from them.
I was soon stopped as the static from the entire town's activity blurred my thoughts and the throbbing pain grew.
"This is him you wanted right? I d-did what you asked a signaled you when we walked out the door." I heard Mas' voice stutter as my captor turned me onto my back, my eyes were berated by the sun's light as I focused my vision and stared up to see a woman glare down at me.
Her face was mostly obscured by her iron helmet but her eyes were like that of a hawks looking at its prey before sinking its talons in.
My heart pounded in my ears but I could still hear her voice snarl as she extended her hand towards the liar.
She was given a sheet of paper, her gaze flicked from me to the sheet and then back to me again.
I stared up towards the parchment, the image printed on was titled: ᗡƎTИAW with an image of a hooded figure their face glaring towards whoever was looking at the notice.
The handle of a sword was present, sticking out from behind his back.
On the neck of the figure was a crudely drawn jagged line but even so I instantly knew what it was: My branding.
Son of a bitch.
I was played like a fool, an ignorant fly walking straight into the web of a spider.
I was zero for two now.
Mas wasn't interviewing me for a job he was scanning and comparing to the fucking wanted posters, and I saw it!
I growled in frustration for my own stupidity, causing to the woman to snap her vision back to me, grab the front of my shirt and shake me silent.
She then reached down and pulled down the collar of my shirt, exposing my scar.
I glared at her, sending any silent curse I could think of to her aggravating face.
She ignored my anger and turned her gaze to Mas who was standing behind me, noticeably cringing when she looked up at him.
"He looks the part but I can't be sure, Mr. ZhenZain. Rememberif General Swain is disappointed it's your ass that's on the chopping block." She barked, folding the wanted poster and putting it into her back pocket.
"B-but Ujiza…just look at the scar! Have you seen anyone else with that ugly mark? He even threatened me with that shitty sword of his!" Mas stammered, averting his eyes from meeting my captor's gaze.
"I did no such thing you treacherous slime!" I hissed at him, if she was doubting him now was my only chance of crumbling his credibility.
Ujiza however, looked at me and snapped her fingers.
"Gag." She order holding out her hand and one of the other guards from the corner of my vision handed her a rag before she promptly forced my head up and tried the cloth around my mouth, forcing my jaw to stay open and muffling any noise I tried to make.
With that she lifted my up from the ground off of my feet and slung me over her shoulder.
"Ever since Thrule kicked the bucket you've been-"He tried to say under his breath before Ujiza turned to him and struck the man across the face.
"Silence!" She commanded, never truly raising her voice above a cold snarl.
"You. Will. Not. Speak his name ever again, especially to anyone, are we clear?"
Mas looked terrified as a red welt started to form underneath his eye, he quickly nodded and turned his gaze away from her. Ujiza in response turned back and began her stride.
"You'll know if Swain is unsatisfied, Mas" She spoke, her voice was saturated with an ominous vibe that made me slightly pity even Mas if whoever Swain was came after him.
I struggled against the titan of a woman, trying to make her drop me, she in response set me down sitting against the wall; the last thing I saw was the hilt of my own sword before I was plunged into a world of darkness.
My eyes shot open only to find myself sitting by the side of the Shuriman roads, the morning sun reflecting off the golden structures, flooding the entire area with light.
I had fallen asleep again…
I felt stiff and my mind was buzzing from the strange dream I had, yet I could barely remember it. Feeling my joints pop as I moved from my curled position I look up to the thousands of different strangers that strode by me.
Though most of them seemed to be merchants and nomads, I could see a couple of guards standing in a circle by the alleyway.
My ears were greeted by the sound of a million footsteps, merchants calling out advertisements about their own shops, and the idle conversations of those who were close enough.
Unsurprising to me, the glowing light each person emitted still hadn't faded away.
The first time I saw this I was undoubtedly confused, rubbing my eyes to see if they were either playing tricks with me or going out.
Eventually though I had grown used to them, and a part of me even welcomed them.
I felt the happiness as the "souls" of individuals danced and twirled within their own bodies and the despair of those whose energy was doing nothing more than remain motionless.
When I closed my eyes I could see what looked like the mass of a million fireflies fluttering in their own individual paths.
This had been my life ever since I entered Shurima, I couldn't remember anything else before stumbling through the desert and coming across the beautiful city, its gates open to many wanderers.
I wrapped my brown robes tighter around me as I looped my elbows around my knees, letting my eyes wander and drink in the spectacle.
Occasionally a few glances were spared my way, but those were either of pity or irritation.
I didn't need to see their auras to tell me what they were thinking.
It wasn't particularly well hidden that to many my skin tone wasn't exactly welcomed, it didn't bother me, no one truly advanced at me or threw insults, however it didn't make finding a residence any easier. Some part of me was frustrated about this fact but in the end they were only a small percentage of a much, much larger people.
Lost in my own thoughts, I found myself looking beyond the passersby and onto the small group of guards in the alley way.
One's energy contorted in a worried expression, well what I could only have guessed was a worried expression, and the other however seemed irritated and was attempting to brush off the other.
I could hear nothing of what they were saying and the rest of the group seemed to have nothing to do with what was happening between the two, this only piqued my interest even more.
I quickly got up from my spot against the wall, pulling my hood further down and walked through the channel of people.
It was only when I gotten myself close enough and pushed the nearby merchants out of my mind could I hear the whispers.
"You're being ridiculous, I'm fine and there's nothing to worry about."
"But Aphra I'm not! Look at your arm! Whatever that rogue did to your shoulder it's still affecting you!"
I stole a glimpse from around the corner to see the two women leaning towards the wall and quietly arguing to each other.
The other guards either couldn't hear them (which I highly doubted since from even where I was they were clear as day) or they were ignoring them.
"Saia, this has gone on for long enough, it's just sore and I'm tired of hearing any different." Interrupted one of the two that I guessed was Aphra.
I spared another look, scanning the two women, looking for what they were talking about.
It didn't take me long to find that Aphra's arm was clutched to her side, her shoulder underneath the armor was wrapped in bandages.
In my mind I could see that the light that usually flowed throughout the entire body was growing faint in her right arm, almost as if it were slowly withering away.
Whatever happened to her most likely severed nearly all connection she had with it.
Seeing this I felt a rush of energy flow through my hands as I then…well…
If you were to ask me why I decided to run into a group of armed guards and decide to grab onto one of them then I would dutifully answer:
"I don't have the faintest clue."
As if it were in slow motion I ran past the first couple of guards, neither of them having the time to react.
I wrap the palms of my hands around her shoulder and passed the energy I had, into the wound.
Like a chain reaction the other guards wielded their spears, Aphra yelled in pain, and Saia began pulling me away from her companion.
I loosed my grip and the woman pull me away as the guard others pressed the tips of their spears to my throat.
I closed my eyes half expecting them to push further and skewer me, but I heard a quick "Stop" and everyone backed away.
I opened my eyes again to Aphra glaring at me, the light was slowly but smoothly flowing through her right arm again as she used it to pull me forward and close to her face.
"Aphra, your arm!" I heard Saia exclaim from behind. Yet Aphra kept her eyes locked onto mine, her grip holding on like a vice.
"What's your name?" She asked, yet it never sounded like a question.
"Rexas…" I said, trying to keep together what little composure I had left.
"Well Rexas-what the hell did you just do?" She spoke, loosening her grip a little just enough so that we weren't an inch apart.
"I-I don't know."
The scenario froze and slowly turned into a gray blur as I cracked open my eyes, only to have the light almost blind me.
My heart felt like it had just turned into ice, my throat was dry.
I had almost forgotten what she looked like, the memory was like walking around in Shurima again, and getting to see her again.
After that moment, she had me escorted to the closest magus and made me show what I could do.
It wasn't long before I became a trained physician and was ready to take an oath to the city.
Healing the people of Shurima was the only thing that kept me from being picked up from the streets and either kicked back into the desert, or being thrown into the jails and eventually having to serve a life of manual labor.
When Aphra found out that I had almost nothing she without hesitation invited me into her own home.
Of course she acted suspicious, I was still foreign to everything that made Shurima and its people, but over time she began to enjoy my company and I began to enjoy hers.
It was only when Saia was killed did she hug me closer than anyone else.
The day she received the letter that she had lost one of her guards that she began to grow depressed, barely responding to anyone, during that time she smiled even less than usual.
Seeing her like this I did the only thing that came to mind, which was to help and comfort her in any way I could.
It took many months but I eventually got her to begin to smile again and deliver her biting quips of sarcasm.
Eventually it was decided that I would be moved to the infirmary for the sake of convenience, when Aphra got the news, she seemed almost sad.
Yet, it never stopped her from coming up with excuses, either moving her patrol to area around the infirmary or personally escorting one of her injured subordinates to me.
Most days I was unrelentingly busy, so seeing her soon became what I looked forward to when the afternoon rolled by.
I plunged out of my own thoughts as I felt myself be pushed forward causing my forehead to bump into something.
My eyes were adjusted, the grey blur that hindered my vision had faded.
A sudden pain formed across my forehead as my last moments of consciousness came back to me.
The throbbing only worsened causing me to groan into my gag as I looked around my surroundings.
I was sitting on top of a horse, my arms were still tied behind my back but it felt as if my bindings were also tied to the gullet of the saddle.
In front of me sat one of the armored guards that surrounded us as Ujiza held me down.
There were two other guards on either side of me and in the front of the line rode their leader, looking just as deadly from behind as she did when she was tackling you.
We seemed to be in the middle of the woods, the city long gone.
I had no clue on how long I had been out but I could see that the sun was newly risen as the sky was in a stage of ocean blue and coral.
I leaned away from the rider and straightened my back, feeling my spine pop as I did so.
The person in front of me either must have my movement since they turned their neck to look at me and call out:
"He's awake." His voice echoing across the empty woods.
Ujiza turned back to the two of us, her gaze now turning into a glare again.
Already I could feel my anger sap back into my limbs, nulling the pain in my head somewhat.
She forced her horse to turn round and trot back to my left.
It was only then did I see my sword hanging by its handle on the saddle skirt.
I looked back up to Ujiza, whose gaze never shifted away from me.
"You woke up later than I expected, you can't much of a hit can you?" She sneered, taking her time to try and messing with me.
I simply stared at her, relaxing my face as to not betray the amount of hatred I had for this woman.
She only took that as a sign to continue.
"We will arrive at the city-state of Noxus, there we will take you to Swain who had sensed you enter Noxus ever since you have set foot here, and unregistered magic is a federal crime punishable by public maiming. However, he will ultimately decide what punishment you will receive."
I mumbled into my own rag loud enough for her to hear my muffled words.
She glared at me before pulling the gag out of my mouth and spoke:
"What did you say cur?"
The moment I no longer had the dirty cloth between my teeth I sighed in relief with the removal of the discomfort.
I cracked my jaw, purposefully ignoring the glaring woman.
"What. Did. You say cur?" She growled, reigning her horse closer to me.
"Oh I was simply mumbling to myself on how much of a raging bitch you ar-"I snapped before I felt a gauntleted fist punch me across the face.
The pain was excruciating but I cracked a smile nonetheless.
"You really do have a way with words, so you are raging bitch as well as fatuus, I bet everyone back at home just loves you." I continued, throwing any caution I had to the wind as I felt another blow strike me across the face.
I began to chuckle now, I could already feel the bruise forming on the side of my head but I didn't care, Ujiza didn't seem to have the brains to realize that I had a gag around my neck.
"I see you enjoy trying to get a rise out of others but when shit is flung back at you it's nothing but silence and throwing punches, you must be a load of fun at parties." I again quipped only to have her pull my own sword from the saddle and have the flat of the blade smack against my spinal cord.
I arched my back from the pain as it shot up my spine and to my neck. I however never wiped the grin from my face.
Ujiza seemed to have wizened as she pulled the rag around my throat back up between my teeth.
"You are lucky High General Swain is the one to decide your punishment." Ujiza growled as she kicked her horse to quicken its pace and resume her position in the front of the line.
It was then I could feel the same sensation that usually swept over me when my prison was far enough away.
It was a sort pull at my core, giving me the feeling that something was horribly wrong, it was the only reason I didn't chuck the damned thing when I was at the ruins.
"You should thank the gods that she only struck you. I've seen her break the arms of those who were foolish enough to even flash her a defiant eye. You're lucky Swain wants you alive and unharmed… mostly." The rider in front of me whispered behind him, yet never bothered to look back at me.
I merely rolled my eyes to the man's warning, I had suffered thousands of years of torment, and there was nothing she could do to frighten me, not anymore.
Silence fell between the entire squadron and would not be broken until many hours later.
The time ticked by slowly as the group continued to pace forward towards wherever it was we were headed.
I lazily stared up to the sky, my bindings restraining from much else.
No one spoke a word, there was no friendly chatter with one other, not under her watch.
Creatures of the woods scurried away as if we were a ferocious monster on the hunt.
I saw the tail ends or deer, rabbits and even some sort of animal that was made entirely of rock.
Out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn I saw a person made of moss and wood peek out from behind the tree before disappearing without a trace.
The sun was beginning its descent by the time the asphyxiating silence was broken.
From the trees formed a thick fog, making it impossible to see five feet ahead.
None of the guards seemed to be too phased by the mist but drew closer together making sure that no one vanished from sight.
In the front Ujiza's horse jumped up onto its hind legs and neighed, refusing to move forward.
"Idiot horse! Behave yourself!" she commanded, forcing the steed to still itself, before she gazed off into the mist.
It was then I felt it, a horrible dread trickled down my spine and I could feel the temperature drop, causing my skin to crawl.
From out of the mist stepped a darkened figure, their body was covered in black armor, a plume of blackened feather stuck out from the top of their helmet.
The body of the ghostly woman itself was a dark blue that casted an eerie light into the fog.
Her eyes were pupiless emerald lights and what seemed to be three blue transparent spears were penetrated through her abdomen.
"Ujiza, you have been unpunished for your crimes of betrayal, it is time to face your justice." The phantom echoed, her voice void of any emotion.
I couldn't see Ujiza's face but telling from her aura she was terrified.
Something caught my eye about the apparition, besides her stood a faint armored figure, their eyes were similar to the woman he was standing next to.
I could barely see his face but from what I could recognize was sheer outrage.
"Protect!" Ujiza cried as she repositioned herself along the back row while one guard from either side of me rode forward grabbing their crossbows from their backs and fire two bolts at the phantom.
In the blink of an eye the woman dodged the bolts with ease, while in mid hop, pulled a spear from her midriff and flung it towards one of her attacks.
The projectile hit its target's chest with deadly precision making them fall to the ground like a lifeless ragdoll.
The phantom gestured her hand as if she were pulling something causing the fallen soldier to jerk forward, a sicken tear of flesh sounded as the spear was pulled out of its victim's body and back into its mistress' hand.
The second guard never had a chance to even react as they too were pierced through the heart by the spectral spears, the aura of their life being snuffed out in an instant.
The second line of attackers charged forward towards the huntress weapons drawn, unfortunately that included me.
I struggled frantically against my bindings the soldier in front of me gave out a yell as he withdrew his sword and sped forward to certain death.
Again, I felt the tug from the sword pull at my core.
I tried to focus on the feeling, blocking out the screams of terror only to be interrupted by my guard's yell being cut short.
I opened my eyes to see a spear jutting out from his back, the tip only stopping a couple of inches from my chest.
The man slumped over and slid off the saddle.
Terrified, I leaned backwards away from the speeding horse who was still charging towards the spectral woman, I felt the rope slip from the gullet of the saddle as I tipped backwards and fall towards the ground.
My back collided with the earth, pain crackled through me.
Blinking away the darkness that was forming on the edges of my vision, I could see that I had landed only a couple yards away from the huntress.
Her soulless eyes were staring at mine, spear ready in hand.
Absolute terror coursed through my veins, I closed my eyes blocking out the world and focused on the tug of my sword as I counted my last breaths.
In that moment I felt my body shift, I was being pulled away from the assassin and my body was forced into position.
Before I could even register what happened I found myself sitting behind Ujiza.
I wasted no time in asking questions, swinging my leg over the saddle, I slammed the commander in the shoulder and kicking the woman off balance.
I then bent my spine, my tied fingers grasping desperately for purchase.
Once I could feel my weapon, I grabbed around the handle and swung my body forward, sliding the blade out of its sheathe and flinging myself off the horse.
I again met the earth with a painful impact but ignored it as I sat up and held the edge of the blade against my bindings, quickly the rubbing the two against each other.
I paid no attention to the situation around me, the dying screams and the sickening sound of tearing flesh was more than enough.
Once my sword had cut through enough of the rope, I pulled my arms apart, tearing the remaining fibers and freeing my hands.
I hastily pulled the gag out of my mouth and jump to my feet, sword in hand and ready to fight my way out of here.
But the road was now quiet, the agonized screams were silenced and motionless bodies were strewn across the ground.
The phantom woman stood motionless, its gaze focused on Ujiza who placed herself across from her opponent.
She had a sword pointed towards the assassin, she was glaring daggers and her face was pulled into a snarl.
A fight was inevitable between the two.
I felt my rage burn in my heart, so this was the kind of leader she was.
She let her subordinates be trampled under the foot of the enemy, only lining herself up when the last possible option was gone.
She was a coward, and she deserved whatever justice the phantom had planned.
I felt a pulse in my hand, it was almost like a little heartbeat.
Unsure, I slowly reached out my hand and wrapped my fingers around an invisible object, the source of the pulse.
I tightened my grip and yanked it towards me.
Ujiza's face drained of all its color, she dropped her sword and clutched both arms to her chest as if she were having a heart attack, before falling to her knees in a fit of coughs.
The Phantom approached forward gripping her spear and readying for a final blow.
I stumbled forward placing out my palm, gesturing for her to stop.
She and her armored companion both glared at me but ceased their pursuit nonetheless.
I crouched down to keep eye level with Ujiza.
"How does it feel? Kneeling down hopelessly as your death creeps closer and closer. Do you feel dread? Fear? Are you thinking over every mistake you've ever made or are you now thinking about the ones you love in your last moments?" I asked, staring into her enraged gaze.
"Let me give you a little nugget of advice, think of it as a parting gift."
I leaned in close to her ear.
"None of them will miss you… and you should pray you'll only be forgotten."
I sat in front of her again, letting a smile spread across my lips.
I placed a hand on her shoulder as I dropped my voice.
"Now, one last question Ujiza. Can you tell me where the Institute of War is?"
"I will gladly see you in hell first, cur." She finally spoke up, spitting at me.
I sighed and removed my hand from her shoulder, slowly getting back up onto my feet.
"Suit yourself."" I whispered as I turned back to the phantom.
"All yours." Walking past the two figures I made my way to the massacre of bodies, ignoring the screams that echoed throughout the forest.
It wasn't long before I had scoured through the armor and satchels of the dead before I found various maps of Noxus and Valoran all together.
In my searchings I actually found the travel bag that the Sheinchoungs gave me.
Sliding my foot into the hold of the saddle, I felt a piercing gaze focused on me.
Turning my neck, I see the soulless eyes of the woman analyzing me.
It was only then did I noticed that the man who was stood next to her had disappeared and her aura glowed and swirled like that of a thousand souls, I could feel the chills creep up my spine once again.
"We sense the betrayal in your past, Inumbris, if you wish for our service you must only speak our name." She said, a hundred different voices echoed underneath her own.
With that she backed away from me, allowing the darkened mist to surround her before it all vanished without a trace.
Ice flowed through my heart and my hairs stood on end as I climbed onto the stallion and began my journey out of Noxus, the stories of Kalista: The Spear of Vengeance, now plaguing my mind again.