Chapter 7: Fall from grace Part II
The sun beat down hard upon his head as he moved forward the sand trying to burn through his boots as he walked forward with the single ringing thought of vengeance on his mind with little concern for his surroundings. Zen knew he walked the desert of Shurima a forgotten kingdom once ruled by a man named Azir. Though the information he had been taught by Hughes seemed to flow into his mind as if trying to turn him back.
Zen stopped staring out at the endless burning desert ahead of him before he let out a scream of frustration, "I know exactly what you would say you old bastard." Zen crouched down and shook violently his mind wandering again back to a beach in a far off land to a happier time or rather to when he was even younger than he ever cared to try and remember. The beach was cold in contrast to the sands he now treaded on rain had poured down upon two individuals that stood there contrasting each other both young warriors, red eyes piercing and staring the other down as they drew.
"So.' The young Zen spoke staring as he drew his two swords each ringing out with each drop of rain as he stared at the other warrior some twenty feet away. "You must be the monster antagonizing our troops and rallying our enemy…" A grin spread across the warrior's face as he swung the sword in his hand slightly. "What of it?" Zen inched closer as he began to feel the rain on his skin again even amongst the heat he felt as he moved forward as if he knew the spot he would move too where he would meet his old foe… Where he would kill that son of a bitch and bury him in the sand. As Zen stepped he felt as if his soul was torn between the past and the present. Zen stopped and looked into the distance seeing a small pond of water and a formation of a ruined shack in the distance. Zen stopped as he just stared about the oasis dubious of its existence in till from the ruined shack stepped the reason he had come to this forsake place.
Aatrox looked to meet his gaze and motioned patiently which was a small surprise to the Epitaph of Rebirth as he trudged forward to the oasis slowly as his mind again wandered back in time the sound of blades meeting and the ringing sensation that ran through his arm as he met the red eyes of Aatrox. "You will not harm anyone any longer." Zen gritted the words through his teeth as he pushed the two blades harder against the large broad sword his opponent wielded with ease as he was pushed back as much as he was pushing into the other young swordsman's blade.
"You seem lost in thought Epitaph." Aatrox's voice cut through his distracted mind as they both sat across on each side of the small pond each refilling a canteen with water and drinking while their eyes locked almost unable to look at their surroundings. "I'm going to bury you out here." Zen responded with as he stood and drew his swords stepping into the water and moving across it towards Aatrox who watched him and smiled, "Not even going to ask about Hughes?" Aatrox said waiting as he looked over at the approaching furious spectre that was the hooded form of Zenith Obido.
Zen didn't speak as he took a long lunge forward as Aatrox rose and jumped forward and the two once again crossed blade echoing the age past. Echoes' flashed through both minds as the battle was almost joined side by side with shadows of their former battle. Zen swinging his swords left and right the past and present fights now only steps slower and faster as the two moved through the water and sand battling it out rage in the mind of Zen over his lost friend reason not mattering only bringing death much like the young Aatrox he had once battled who had only wished to preserve the war that Zen had actively sought an end too. Now Zen could care less about the world around his as the sound of water sloshing around and swords clashing and beating into the metal of another sword. Zen kicked Aatrox back as he smiled for the first time since he had found out who had killed Hughes he spoke, "Its going to end the same as the first time Fool." Aatrox moved forward swinging hard responding with a loud growl, "No it will not!" Zen moved forward as well his body turning swinging his body as the two swung with the intent to kill.
Zen couldn't see for a long time as he took a breath, only for it to come out as a scream. Zen felt a weight gone from his body the weight of his left arm removed from his body as he heard the splash behind him and the laughter of Aatrox as he turned shaking as he stared seeing the red eyes of the man who killed Hughes. Zen felt his body starting to fail him… This wasn't right why had he been slow moving his body why was his arm laying over somewhere in the pool ruining the water that he had drank only moments earlier….
Zen moved again blood dripping down from his arm and moved slowly almost throwing his sword as Aatrox caught the sword with his own and pushed aside as he let Zen stagger past him before he swung his sword down towards Zen's leg as he heard the scream of the man he had hated more than any other. Zen felt water rush to meet his face as he screamed into the water the pain now unbearable as he started to crawl forward trying to find the edge of the pond as he felt a hand grab him by his neck and lift him from the water and throw him onto one of the pond's edges. He tried to move before he felt a boot into his abdomen as he screamed out. Aatrox stood above him looking down at the bleeding wreck that had been the Epitaph of Rebirth. "So Epitaph, what is it that you think happened to Hughes… and here now. Do you know why it happened?" Zen growled out as he reached up weakly towards Aatrox, "You better kill me you damned son of a-.."
Zen never finished that sentence as Aatrox thumb was driven into his left eye and pushed into his head as he screamed out again. "You are weaker then when we fought all those years ago and now I see you for the fool and weakling you are… a pathetic child standing in the path of my true power!." Zen ke[t screaming as he felt the pain building up more and more as the time went on, "I'll end you! I will never stop till I kill you you understa-"Zen was stopped short at a sharp pain in his chest his one good eye looked up staring as Aatrox had impaled his sword into Zen's chest and twisted it in as Zen's voice cut out and little by little Zen felt the light fleeing from his sight and the strength from his body.
"That pretty little thing of yours helped me you know…Epitaph. Leblanc helped me kill Hughes and she wanted you to know she was glad she popped your cherry before I killed you so you could have that bittersweet memory run through your head before you died like the worthless piece of dirt you are."
Aatrox laughed as he pulled his sword out and walked back through the bloody water stepping out on the other side leaving Zen with only the sight of Aatrox leaving. Aatrox turned for a moment to look back a flash of recognition at the scene as he saw the bloody heap that had been the main frustration of his over the years as his only defeat. Aatrox recalled that he had been left on that beach bleeding but not in pieces like he had left the Epitaph, but Aatrox had sworn on that day he would end Zenith and now he had. Aatrox took a breath as if the moment was not all he expected it to be and started his trudging journey back through the desert.
…..
….Zen…
….Please Don't Die…..
"I'm Sorry."
….Who…
"Please!"
Zen felt his eye open briefly before closing again and his body going numb as he lay against the blood soaked sand. With voices swirling his head as everything began to stop all his breath all his movement every single function that Zen once had just slowly began to halt with one last breath Zen could only ask himself a single question,
"Hughes… I'm… Sorry."
