Chapter Seven: A Present of Conflict
"Mommy. Daddy. What's going on?" Came the voice of a small child. All four sets of eyes turned to the source of the voice.
It was a little boy who couldn't have been older than six or seven years. He was dressed in a light blue kimono, wore a pair of sandals, and his hair was a mess. It looked like he had just woken up from bed. He had a dark shade of blue in his eyes, his hair was dark brown, and a few freckles dotted his left chin. There was a bruise under his right eye, like he had been in a fight recently.
Rebekah began to rise, but was stopped when Syndra grabbed her right arm in her left hand. She met her mother's worried eyes with an emotionless face, silently requesting her to stand down. The woman swallowed, but eased down anyway, more out of fear than anything. Syndra then looked to the child. "Good afternoon, young man. My friend and I are scholars from the Institution of War, or the League of Legends, whichever you prefer." She said sweetly and with a smile no less. The smile quietly faded when she noticed the mark under the boy's eye. "What happened to you dear?" She asked, frowning.
The boy looked at his parents, his mind trying to determine if these two were friendly, and then, when they did not say anything, he looked to the woman and smiled. "It's nothing, really. Some of my classmates in school said my older sister was an embarrassment to my family, and was worse than the Order of the Shadow." He said before shrugging his shoulder. His smile grew a little. "So I asked the one who said it to take that back or else. When he didn't, I hit him." He said.
Syndra gasped, moving her hands over her mouth in surprise. She was faking it, but it looked real. "Goodness! That must have gotten you into trouble." She exclaimed.
The boy crossed his arms over his chest, proud to tell the story. "That was after the fight. I would have won if the teachers hadn't shown up. Now I am suspended for the next few days." He said.
Syndra removed her hands from her mouth, taking a deep breath before speaking. She was proud of her younger brother, but could not say it. "I know a bit of magic. Would you like me to heal that mark of yours?" She asked, lifting her hand in a gesture.
He shook his head. "No thanks. I'll let it heal on its own." He said.
She shook her head as she rose. "Nonsense, you have a handsome face, and that mark does nothing but ruin it." She said as she approached. She bent down, her hand going to his cheek, but paused when he backed away. She tilted her head and smiled at him. "A bruise is no mark of honor, child, and scars are for men and warriors. Besides, how will you ever get a girlfriend with that bruise ruining your smile? And what if she wants to kiss your cheek?" She asked.
The boy turned his head and blushed, making her giggle slightly. "Fine, go ahead." He huffed, turning the right side of his face to her. He still looked at her out the corner of his eye.
As Syndra placed her hand on the boy's face, she heard the gasps of her parents, and then Xerath's voice. "About the questions we have come to ask. We were sent to find out where the Noxian troops are stationed and if they have employed the use of deadly magic or concoctions. If it is chemical or magical warfare, then we are prepared to offer aid and resources." He said, drawing part of their attention.
The two adults had their attention half to the child and half to Xerath. "Of course, if needed, I am able to do something about any Noxian outposts if an exchange is needed for your information." He said. He then lifted his hand, a small bolt of lightning appearing, and held it in place.
Both of them turned their attention fully to him. The husband was the one to speak. "I can tell what I've heard..." He began. Neither knew what to expect from these two, but neither wanted to risk harm to themselves, their village, or their son.
Syndra carefully wove some magic into the boy's injured face, mending the wound as best she could. Though it was not her preferred use of her powers, Ganzo had been insistent of her learning more supportive magic. "Would you mind telling me your name?" She asked.
The boy thought for a moment, and then spoke. "Timothy, but call me Tim. You?" He asked.
"My, aren't you a brave you." She said with a smile. Tim shrugged. "I am Elain. It is very nice to meet you Timmy." She said. He was about to say something, but paused when she merely smiled away his coming comment and continued. "Could you tell me about your sister? She must be a good sister for you to get into a fight over." She said.
Tim turned away before she finished, a sad look coming to his eyes. The bruise had shrunk considerably, but it was still a noticeable wound. "I've never met her." He muttered. He looked to her, and, seeing that she was interested, continued. "She's been with an old mage for years, since before I was born. I've heard she is a powerful sorceress though." He said, a little bit of joy coming back into his eyes.
Syndra nodded. "Have you not been able to visit her?" She asked.
He shook his head. "No. Mom and Dad say the old mage doesn't want visitors; that he only trains a single student at a time and any outside interference will only distract his students. I can't even send her letters." He said sadly.
She stood and patted his head, ruffled his hair, and smiled down at him. "I'm sure your sister is a fine student and blossoming into a fine sorceress. One day, I am sure you will meet your sister. Actually, did you know you have a spark of magic?" She asked.
Tim took a step back, surprised. "Wh- what? I'm a mage?" He asked.
"Sorcerer, actually, mages are different." She said, looking to the side in pretend thought. She did, however, look back at him out the corner of her. His eyes twinkled with wonder. "Yes. If you were a mage, someone would have noticed by now, but sorcerers are not nearly as common, so more difficult to find. You should come into your own magic within the year, as old as you are." She added.
If he had been pretending to be interested, he was no longer. What she saw now was genuine interest. "Really? What kind of magic will I be able to do? Do you know?" He asked, nearly jumping up and down.
A hand on his shoulder prevented such a thing. "Settled down. I said you will, not you are. I am sure you'll find a good teacher some day and become a great sorcerer, and then no one will say you cannot see your sister." She said with an honest smile.
He smiled proudly at that, showing a large, white toothed grin. He was certainly pleased to hear that. "Thanks." He said.
Syndra put her hand back over his wounded cheek. "Now, hold still so I can finish." She said. This time, he smiled as he stood still, letting her work. When she finished, she removed her hand and took a step back to get the whole picture of him. "You're a very handsome young man Tim. I know you'll grow into a great sorcerer and meet your sister one day." She said.
When Tim closed his eyes to smile his biggest grin, Syndra placed her hand over his eyes and took a deep breath. She caught him as he fell to the ground, and then carried him over to her mother. She met the woman's startled eyes with a calm yet sad smile. "He's only asleep, don't worry." She said. She then turned to Xerath. "I am ready to leave, Teacher."
Nodding, he rose. "Are you sure?" He asked. When she nodded, he started to the door. "I'll be waiting outside when you are ready." He added, floating toward the door and moving out of the house.
Syndra rose when he left and began to follow. Halfway there, she paused and turned back to her family. She first looked at her little brother, and then to her parents. "Be honest with him, and do not betray to him... as you did with me." She said, turning around to head for the door. "Good bye... Mother, Father, and Timmy." She added, closing the door behind herself.
Outside, she turned and smiled at Xerath. "We should be going. Zed and his warriors should be allowed to retire." She said.
Xerath, knowing there was no longer a need for his robe, ignited it with a small burst of magic, the ashes sprinkling around in a circle below him. "About time to be rid of that damn thing. I was beginning to forget how to move my prison." He said, the stone parts of his body moving back into place. It was a strange sight for the onlookers, but he cared little for the opinions of people he'd not see again.
Before he could begin to move away, Syndra grabbed him by his arm. He turned to see her, tears filling her eyes. "Thank you. For making me come here and put my past to rest." She said.
The two of them stood there for several moments, and then he moved his other arm over her shoulders, taking her into a comforting embrace as she lost it. He just stood there, letting her silently weep on his shoulder, her tears evaporating in a puff of mist when they hit his magical body.
After about three minutes, she sniffed, her tears halting. She wiped away her tears with the aid of her robe's sleeves. "Let's go." She said, starting on the way ahead of him.
"We'll have to deal with the Kinkou on our way to your fortress." He said.
"I know." She responded, removing her robe and beginning to fold it. She wore her usual Ionian outfit, only the head piece was missing and her skirt was a few inches smaller. She placed folded bundle inside a washing tub as they left the little village.
"It'll probably escalate into a large fight." He informed.
"I know." She repeated.
"You'll have to help me fight them should we be unable to get past them." He inquired.
"I know." She repeated. Her tone had not changed.
He was silent as he followed her, making her curious as to his silence. A glance revealed his head was turned at a 180 degree angle, watching the trees above them. "What are you staring at?" She asked.
Xerath did not say anything, his gaze still on the trees. She let him slide, at least for now, but if he did not answer in a few minutes, she would ask again.
Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she stopped, causing him to bump into her. He didn't even turn around. "What are you staring at?" She asked again.
Finally, he did speak, but did not turn around to face her. "Those ninjas have been shadowing us for some time now." He answered.
She looked where he was, curious, but could not see anything. "How many are there? And how long have you known they were there? More so, why did you not say anything?" She asked, slightly annoyed.
His hand came up, pointing. There was movement in the trees where he pointed. "There were three, but now there are two. I believe they've been following us since an hour before we game to that battle ground." He said. He cupped his hands over his mouth, making it seem that he was trying to amplify his voice, but such an act would do nothing as he could adjust it any time. "Hey! Ninjas! What happened to the third one!? The short one!?" He called out.
Syndra narrowed her eyes, trying to see what it was he could. Suddenly, there was movement in the lower vegetation. The trees also moved, two shadows moving in between the branches and away from them.
"I think we should be going. I've got a bad feeling about this." She said.
Before she could begin moving, Xerath's head darted to the side, his arm immediately pointing toward the jungle. Without warning, he unleashed a bolt of lightning that tore through two trees and a bush. The lightning did not ignite a fire, but it did cause the two trees he had to fall over. "Your bad feeling was too late." He said.
As though on cue, a ball of magic was thrown directly at the two of them. Xerath caught it, but cried out in pain as his half his arm was blown off, the stone falling to the ground. "Nice catch… abomination." Came a voice from the brush. Both Syndra and Xerath turned to the speaker as he emerged from the brush, pushing the branches of bushes and saplings away.
Xerath let out an agitated breath when he saw who it was. "Must we do this now? I am sure we can take care of this another day. Say tomorrow?" He offered.
The mage shook his head. "No, we cannot. This time, you've gone too far." He said.
The magus looked at his broken arm, then the stones on the ground. In a matter of moments, strings of lightning shot out of his arm, connecting to the stones on the ground, and then tightened before his arm was made whole again. As he flexed his rebuilt arm, he spoke. "Ryze, I know we do not always see eye-to-eye, often times we see can't even agree on colors, but, just this once, can we just agree on this one thing?" He requested.
Ryze shook his head again. "No, we cannot. Both the Kinkou and I know you and Syndra are working with the Order of the Shadow. I will not sit ideally by while you do as you please, not in this." He said. He brought up both his hands, setting them away from his chest, conjuring a spell of runes as the ones in his body began to glow. "Now, it's time you be put in your place." He added.
Xerath looked at the rogue mage with uncaring eyes. "You cannot kill me, Ryze, and you know this. I had to get Syndra here so she could speak to her parents and put her past aside to continue as my student." He said.
The rogue mage's eyes did not lose their fire. "You could have asked the Kinkou for their aid." He said; his spell nearing completion.
"No, I could not, not with the way they view her. If anything, they would have captured her and bound her powers, and even then would not have let her see her parents." He began. In an instant, he locked himself to the ground, tapping into the vast energies of the world only he could reach. Magic began to shoot off his body like he was a raging storm, forcing Syndra to take several steps away. "As a mage, I will not allow such a thing. If you were a mage, a true mage, you would see this as the only way to ensure she speak with her family. Your title in the League suits you, for you are a rogue mage!" He declared.
The two were silent, both with their own spells ready. And then, as thought to signal the battle, a leave fell between them, instantly being incinerated by the withheld magic.
As one, they both roared as they unleashed their own spells. Xerath threw his arms back, and then forward, a bolt of white and blue lightning cooking the air. His spell met Ryze's spiral of runes, a jumble of symbols and unknown words colliding with raw power. As their spells clashed, arcane magic trying to overcome primal magic, they were locked in a chaotic stalemate.
As the two mages fought for the upper hand, Syndra's attention was drawn to a shuriken that just grazed her neck. Had she not felt the slight tingle of magic within it, it would have slit her throat. Quickly, she summoned her orbs, putting them between her vitals and the trees.
Another shuriken hit her leg forcing her to the ground. She blocked a third aimed at her face with her arm, letting out a cry of pain as its blade hit bone, but it was enough to know where to aim.
She threw two of her five orbs in the direction the shuriken had come from, hitting something as it tried to evade. The form fell to the ground and quickly rose, zigzagging through the trees as it threw yet more shrunken at her. She managed to block most of them with her remaining orbs, but not all of them.
Syndra dropped to the ground on her knees, attempting to pull out the electrified shrunken, while at the same time watching for any more to be thrown her way. A sound caught her attention and she placed a tether on one of her orbs. Watching carefully, she threw it in front of the dashing figure.
Kennen, having had no way of seeing her prepare to go on the offensive from behind the trees, stumbled from the shocking wave of the orb hitting the ground. He managed to get his footing, but not quick enough as the same orb was drug across the ground right after him.
Sandwiched between a tree and the shadow orb, he took out a shuriken and tossed it at the tether line. The electrified weapon caused the orb to lose some of its force, allowing him to get away from it before the connection was strengthened once more.
The Kinkou drew two shrunken in each hand as he turned to Syndra, who had two orbs tethered to a hand each with three others circling her. She was bleeding from two wounds in her left arm, one in her right, one in her right knee, and a fifth in her left ankle. She could not stand, so she floated in place with magic. The two locked eyes.
"Returning was your final mistake. Surrender now and you will be allowed to live." Kennen warned, sparks trailing off his weapons.
Syndra's eyes turned hard. "What life is there if I am forever chained down? I will not be a slave to what I am because of what others fear I can do!" She announced, fire burning within her eyes and tone.
Kennen's eyes narrowed, the only part of his face visible. "Then you leave me with no choice. The balance must be preserved. I am sorry." He said.
With that, Syndra brought her brought her right arm back, preparing to attack. If she and Xerath were to get out of this land alive and unbound, she would need to defeat the Heart of the Tempest.
Now, not just because she did not want to be restrained, not just because she finally had a teacher who believed in her and would not restrain her, not just because she had confronted her parents and settled her past with them, but because now, more than ever, she knew she had a future to fight for. Ever since she had learned the truth under Ganzo, that she had been lied to and her powers bound because others feared she would become too strong to control by herself or others, she wanted to live.
If that meant she had to take a life, she would.
Only this time… it would not be through rage, but intentional to protect herself.
Not only has Ryze, who I've gotten some people asking about, entered the fray, but even Kennen. Why the short one? Because neither Akali and Shen are not super fast according to their lore. Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed and be ready for the next action-packed chapter.