Hey guys, here is Chapter 7. Describing what happens in the league from my own opinion is harder than it looks. Anyway I hope you enjoy this new chapter!
The Institute of War was a large fort made up of solid stone surrounded by a wall, just a bit higher than the size of a normal man. A young man in robes leaning against the wall next to the gate lifted his head to see a group of four strangely dressed travellers approaching the Institute. He stood up straight and coughed slightly as the group reached the gates. "Welcome, travellers, to the Institute of War! Home of the League of Legends! How may I assist you?" The man told them, in a loud and excited voice. Shen stared at him. "We wish to join the League of legends."
"Ah, excellent! Follow me please!" The man exclaimed. They followed him through the Institute. He led the group inside the fort and into the central hall. There were several men and women in robes sitting around a large table in the centre of the room. The young man coughed slightly and everyone around the table turned to face him. "Excuse me, High Summoners. But these travellers here wish to join the League of Legends." The man told them. The High Council summoners glanced around the room at each other, talking silently. They all looked up and one man dressed in very fine and noble-looking robes addressed them. "You all wish to join the league? Once you join, there is no going back." The group nodded and the man smiled. "Very well, you will be tested to see if you are strong enough." The older man turned to the young man who had led them. "Summoner Benji, please show our guests to some spare quarters, where they may rest." Benji nodded and gestured that the group followed him. He led them through the Institute until they reached the Champions Quarters. He showed them to four rooms along the hallway, and Benji led Shen into one room, while another three summoners led Varus, Akali and Kennen into the other rooms.
Benji closed the door behind him and looked closely at Shen, who stood glancing around the room. The room was quite large, and there was a large double bed against the back wall of the room. There was a large couch in the centre of the room, with a small table in front of it. On the table rested a bowl, full of different fruits. In the west corner of the room, there was a large bathtub. Benji walked forward and placed a hand on Shen's armoured shoulder. "I'll let you get acquainted, Champion. If you need to contact me, there is an orb over there." Benji said, pointing towards the east wall where a large, glowing blue orb rested on a table. "Get some rest while you can, for you will be very busy tomorrow." Benji told him with a slight smile. Benji turned and left the room, and Shen moved towards the couch and sat down. He pulled off his mask, grabbed an apple from the bowl and began to eat. After he finished eating, he walked towards the bath and began taking off his armour. He waited as the bath began filling with hot water, and finally stepped in slowly and relaxed. He started using the soap to wash the dirt and dry blood off of his body. After he was done, Shen stepped out of the bath and reached forward to grab a towel and dried his body.
He put on his armour again and grabbed his swords, sheathing them on his back, and left his room. He ventured down the hallway until he reached the massive central hall. He walked across to the opposite side of the hall and found the training room. He opened the door and found people spread out across the room, some men and women lifting weights and some training with their weapons against the training dummies. Shen ventured over towards the training dummies and found a dummy. He drew his swords and looked to his right, where other people with swinging and stabbing with a variety of different weapons. Shen turned his attention back to the training dummy and gripped his swords tighter.
He began slashing and stabbing the dummy with incredible speed and strength. The man next to him threw glances at Shen every minute or so. Shen continued attacking the dummy for about another twenty minutes. Shen sheathed his swords and walked to the other side of the room, where a rack of white towels stood against the wall. Shen took a towel and wiped the sweat from his unmasked face. The man who had been glancing at him during training approached him. The man looked quite young, about his early twenties. He had short black hair and slight stubble. He had grey eyes with gleamed with intelligence. On his back, he had a sheathed massive golden hammer, which was unlike any weapon Shen had seen before. He was wearing a brown overcoat which covered golden body armour. His right arm was completely covered in thick golden armour. He smiled at Shen as he spoke. "Greetings, friend. From the looks of it, you handle yourself in combat pretty well."
"You as well. That is a very odd looking weapon." Shen said, pointing at the hammer sheathed on the man's back. The man unsheathed it and placed the butt of the hammer on the floor, showing the hammer's height. The hammer was tall, about the same size as the man who wielded it. The man laughed. "She's a beauty, isn't she? I made her myself, just as I was about to hunt down Viktor. The name's Jayce, by the way. I'm also known as the Defender of Tomorrow or the Hero of Piltover." Jayce said, extending his left hand. Shen shook hands with Jayce as he said. "I am Shen, the Eye of Twilight."
"Nice to meet you, Shen. Are you here to join the league as well?"
"Yes, my brother fled here after he committed a horrible crime, I came here to hunt him down. Tell me, is there a man named Zed here?"
"Zed? I think I've heard that name before. Ah yes, Zed arrived here a couple of days ago. He has already joined the league."
Shen swore. "I've got to get into the league. He cannot be allowed to escape justice."
"From looking at you fight, you have a very high chance of being accepted. What did this Zed do that was so bad anyway?" Jayce asked, sitting on a bench in the bottom right corner of the room. Shen sat down and looked down at the floor. "Zed was my brother, as you know. We were very close, but he was jealous of the attention my father, the previous Eye of Twilight, gave me. For I was his true son, and I needed to be strong in order to forfill his roll. Zed was wandering the temple at night when he found an ancient box. He opened it and the shadows within took over him. He challenged me to a duel, and he used techniques I have never seen before. Father knew he had opened the box, and banished Zed from the Kinkou order. Zed trained a whole new order of what he calls "Shadow Ninjas" and returned to the Kinkou order with his army of ninjas behind him. My father approached him and begged Zed for forgiveness. My father led Zed up towards the box. Once they were inside, there was a scream. Zed came back out with my father's head. Zed continued on to destroy to Kinkou order completely, but I managed to lead some of the order to safety."
Jayce frowned. "That is a sad story, Shen. If in any way possible I can help you defeat Zed, then I will, you have my word."
"Thank you, Jayce. Zed will pay for what he has done."
Just after he spoke, a woman approached them. She had long brown hair which trailed down her shoulders and back. She wore a short, purple dress and a matching coloured, tall hat. She had hazel eyes and a smile that was like the sun coming up. On her shoulder rested a strange looking weapon. It was quite long and looked heavy, but the woman carried it with ease. She smiled at Jayce and playfully hit him in the arm. "Making friends, Jayce?"
"Indeed. This is Shen, and he is here to join the league."
"I see." She turned towards Shen. "He's quite handsome, isn't he?" She asked Jayce, chuckling. Shen frowned and that made the woman laugh again. "I'm just joking around with you, Shen. Oh, my name's Caitlyn, a pleasure." She smiled at Shen. He nodded and looked inquiringly at her weapon. Caitlyn noticed this look and pulled her gun off of her shoulder and held it in both hands. "What sort of weaponry is this?" Shen asked.
"This? This is a sniper rifle, haven't you ever seen one before?"
"Never have I seen anything like that before."
"Really? Where do you come from?"
"Ionia." Shen answered simply.
"Ah, no wonder. Rifles are hand-crafted in the city of Piltover."
"What are they for?"
"Snipers are made for long range and accuracy. I can pick off targets at a very far distance. Men and women with swords can't get anywhere near me."
Shen smiled his rare smile. "I bet I could."
Caitlyn smiled. "Let's test that out sometime." She turned to face Jayce. "We are going to be summoned in ten minutes, Jayce. Get to the summoning room. Anyway, I gotta go. Catch ya later guys." She happily waved goodbye and walked out of the training room. Jayce had turned to see the beautiful woman leave the room. He turned back to Shen and grinned. "Now there's a woman who I wouldn't mind to call my own, but I doubt she feels the same way about me." Jayce's grin disappeared. "I'm just another citizen to her. Even though the city calls me a hero." A slight smile appeared on Jayce's face." Bah, I'm not going to trouble you with my problems. I'll see you around, eh?" Shen just nodded. Jayce waved and left the training room, leaving Shen alone there. Shen found no point in staying in the training room, and left. Shen ventured across the massive hall and back towards the Champions Quarters. He knocked on Akali's door and she opened it. Her dark hair wasn't tied back like it usually was, instead it flowed down her back. Her mask was off, revealing a beautiful face. She was wearing normal clothes instead of her Ninja tabi. She smiled at him and gestured that he came in. He glanced around the room, which was much like his own. Akali sat down on a chair and Shen sat on the chair opposite of her. She poured two glasses of wine and gave one to Shen. He took it with a smile and sipped it. Akali looked at him, smiling sweetly. "What brings you here, Shen?"
Shen leaned forward slightly. "I have some news." Akali nodded for him to continue. "It turns out that Zed is already here and has become a champion."
Akali frowned. "I doubt that the summoners would tell you that. Who told you about this?"
"A man named Jayce. He has been a champion here for a while, and he saw Zed join the league. He seems an honourable man. Jayce promised me that if he could help me defeat Zed in any way, then he will. I hope he keeps that promise, because we need as many allies as we can get." Shen took another drink from his wine glass as Akali made a tent of her fingers. "But… how are we going to defeat Zed? Killing in the walls of the Institute is against the law, and you do not truly die on the Rift. How are we going to stop him?"
Shen froze for a moment before speaking quietly. "I haven't thought of that yet, in fact, I don't want to think about killing my own brother. But he will die for the crimes he has committed, brother or no."
"Is death really the only way? Maybe he could cure him somehow…"
"There is no cure for madness. Zed has gone insane for power."
"There must be something we can do other than butchering him. It seems so wrong."
Shen's face hardened with anger. "If you think it's so bloody wrong, why don't you go and join him? I'm sure that will suit you much better!"
"Shen… I didn't mean it like that."
Shen's face was relieved of anger and he sighed. "Sorry, Akali, I should have controlled my temper. Some Eye of Twilight I am. I can't even control my emotions anymore."
"Do you still want to be the Eye of Twilight?"
"I can't be the Eye of Twilight anymore even if I wanted to."
"Then what is going to happen after we defeat Zed?"
"I… I don't know. Go back to Ionia and rebuild the order, I guess."
"You don't sound so happy about that."
"Not particularly. I don't want to be an emotionless statue. I know Father would want me to, but…"
"You don't have you follow his wishes anymore."
"I know, but I won't abandon the order. If I have to be the Eye of Twilight, then I'll do it."
They remained silent for a time, and Shen was becoming tired. He bid Akali goodbye and retired to his own room. He got out of his armour and hanged it up on the mannequin, which was next to the door. He slid into his bed and sat up awake for about an hour. He closed his eyes and after a time, fell asleep.
