Hi there! I've noticed that the percentage of you who decided to read this far is quite low. I know there isn't sexual content right now, and there might not be for a little bit, but please bear with me. Rather, thank you for spending the time to read my story. I really appreciate it. Anyways, here's the next chapter! Look forward to the next one!
Smoke fills my eyes and throat as I force myself into the Debonair. I easily ignore the searing pain of the fire and the falling debris, relentlessly pushing myself until either my body breaks or I get to the back, where Riven definitely is. I think about the speed I displayed several times earlier ever since Kassadin did... something to the void powers latent inside my body. I need that speed now. Without it, I'll be too late. Of that I am sure. "Dammit! Dammit, dammit!" I spit out the blood pooling in my mouth as another piece of flaming wreckage falls onto my neck. I stumble to the ground and look up to the collapsed ceiling at the front of the stage. How am I going to get past that!? In a fit of rage, I get up and swing my fist into one of the support beams inside the building. The room promptly falls in on top of me... and there it is! The world is in slow motion again! I smirk triumphantly through the pain as I move safely out of the way of the falling wood and concrete. I'm not sure what I did, but I'll take any help I can get. Continuing to advance through the room, I mutter to myself. "Shit, I would have died there. I've got to be careful." Wait...
"... I could have died there!"
Something in my head clicks. Either this is an act of suicide, or a lucky hunch. I'm betting on the latter. Firing a bolt of magic above me, I invite another wave of debris and fire and death. Once again, I manage to speed up and cover even more ground, readying another spell. It's working. If I make enough situations where I face certain death I might be able to get to Riven in time! At least, lethal damage seems to be the trigger for my Void Powers activating. I must be really fragile considering there were so many triggers to it on my way over here. Shooting an Overloaded Iceball at the barricade, I blast it out of the way. I make sure that I am dangerously close to the explosion. Another success! Time slows down and I deftly move into and through the arcane explosion, readying a second Heal spell. With this and the spell I readied earlier, I should be able to heal both Riven and myself... assuming she's still alive. The cool air generated by my magic manages to blow away the thick smoke enough for me to get a good view of the back. I see several summoners and showgirls. All of them are dead. I rush past them, following the bloody footprints of what is unmistakably Voidlings. I'm so close. I have to be in time.
"Riven!"
I burst through the doors of the locker room and into the mass of Voidlings. Riven's in the back, and some sort of weird, human looking Void Monster is pulling her in with his tentacles. This is just like the one from the other day, though this one is bigger, and has more appendages. Ignoring the creatures feeding on the dead bodies clumped against the wall, I bullrush the Void Monster. It turns to me, and tries to fire a barrage of bladed arms in my direction. Big mistake. I can feel the Void Magic in my body resonate through my left eye as the world once again turns blue. I dive under the tentacles and place my hands on Riven. I unload one of my heal spells into her. Both the spells and the slo-mo resolve and I use my hand to tear out the tentacle that seems to have been drilling into her stomach. Blood gushes from the wound. I place my other palm on the hole and unleash my Overloaded Heal. It doesn't fully recover her, but at least I stopped the bleeding. I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight. A feeling of happiness and accomplishment swell in my chest. I did it! I saved her! The exhalation doesn't last for long, though. Tentacles lash at my back, tearing gaping wounds. The Voidlings all finish their meals and turn to me as well. Like Cho'Gath, they also seem to be swelling in size. Holy shit, please nerf the Void. Fortunately time slows down again as all the enemies near me launch their attacks simultaneously. Squeezing Riven against me, I pick her up, grab her sword along with its many shards, and make a dash for the open door.
I don't know how long, but I kept running as long as I needed. At that time, I didn't care how much my back was bleeding - I could have cared less about how exhausted I felt - My entire body shivered with pain, telling me to stop - that it was okay to rest. No, it wasn't. I will rest when Riven is safe. She's still there, unconscious in my arms. If I relent now, both of us could die. Finally, I reach the edge of the city and place Her under a tree. The plant itself is withered and dead, but at least its trunk can offer her back some support. Sitting on top of a nearby boulder, I try to prepare another heal spell. No mana. Shit. At least this is a good place to rest. Kassadin must have given a good amount of mana to me when he grabbed my head earlier and filled me with the power of the Void. Reflecting on the events that happened since yesterday, I can't imagine myself ever using so many Summoner Spells in succession. That definitely wasn't possible at all without Kass' help. I'll need to properly thank him if we ever meet again. For now, I have to pick up Riven and keep walking. I can hear the scuttling of a massive army not too far behind me.
"What in the hell was that!?" Swain slams his staff into the ground. After an awkward silence, one of the members of the High Command speaks up. "We have no idea! The Black Rose has not contacted us since they started their little... distraction." The Grand General angrily kicks the table in front of him, knocking it over along with stacks of important legal documents. "I could care less about the soldiers, but Sion has gone missing! This isn't a distraction, this is a disaster! Find that Juggernaut!" Another member speaks up, "We can't do anything in NoxDemacia at the moment. The entire city has been taken over by the Void's Armies." Swain's eyes glow green with dark energies as anger wells up in him. With a level voice, he grumbles, "Who, then, is to blame for involving the Black Rose?" Silence. The fear in the room is palpable. The members of the High Command sweat profusely as Swain continues to glare at them with a level stare. "Answer now, or all of you will be punished." Eventually one of the men gets up out of their seat and starts to run. Without even showing the smallest effort, Swain roots him to the ground before he even gets within reach of the door. "Did you honestly thing you could get away from me?" The Grand General slowly walks over to the other side of the room, pinning his victim against the double doors. "I can't have LeBlanc pay for her transgression, but you will do for now." Transforming into his giant bird form, the life is quickly sucked out of the man. Before long, his lifeless body slumps to the floor. Swain reverts back into his normal appearance and leaves the meeting room without speaking another word.
Katarina is waiting in the hall outside. "Grand General, what's our next course of action?" Swain gives his staff a solid smack and closes his eyes, channeling the remnants of his anger into the ground. "... where is Talon?" he asks. "Talon is somewhere in NoxDemacia. I lost contact with him when the Void armies unleashed their attacks. It seems like other forces showed up in major cities in several other places. From what I can tell, this is a worldwide catastrophe. Even the League was caught off guard." Swain continues to muse, eyes closed. Something about the puzzle pieces in his head click together. Giving a subtle signal to Kat, he instructs her to follow him to someplace more private within the Immortal Bastion. "... I'm certain no one else is within earshot, what is it that you want to keep secret?" Swain exhales and explains, "It is not uncommon for people to worship the Void, especially among summoners who had close ties to Malzahar and the other Void champions. The Void Champions frequently break their bindings, but they rarely get so far as uttering a word before they are taken care of. I believe that cultists have infiltrated the League. This is a variable that neither I nor LeBlanc considered until now. Katarina, go to the Halls of Justice. Compile a list of any Summoners that have been fraternizing or operating closely with Malz and his kind. They know something." With a bow, the Red-haired Assassin takes her leave. "As you wish, Grand General." With a flourish, Kat's body disappears instantly.
Cho'Gath wades inside the wreckage of the Debonair. He was looking for the summoner who had volunteered to bring him food everyday. This idiot who somehow wandered his way into Icathia, and then started being able to foresee the Void's plans. Sure, being able to see when the End is coming does not matter against the overwhelming powers that command Cho'Gath. However, Cho sensed an explosion of Void energy within the building during his fight with Sion. He knew it didn't matter, but something in him sensed that that man would be a major thorn in his side. Feasting a Voidling in an attempt to sate his everlasting hunger and relieve his temporary irritation, Cho makes his way to the East opening up other minor portals to the Void in his wake. He cannot do anything to catch the Summoner now. All he can do is focus on his Ultimate Objective.
"This looks like a safe place. Maybe..." Laying Riven down in the cool dirt of the cave, I look around outside. The surrounding area is mostly forest. There are marshes on the other side of this mountain, and I have no desire to cross that kind of terrain in my condition. I bring a hand to my ear and listen for several minutes. Good, no signs of Void Creatures. I take off my Summoner's robe. Using a shard from Riven's blade, I clumsily tear the clothing apart. I manage to carve out some ribbons that I start to tie around my chest. My body is aching from the exertion, but I need to make sure I don't bleed out and die before I go to sleep. A sharp pain sinks into me as I feel pressure on the wounds that I have sustained. It's not a perfect job, but I can't do anything until I get my mana back. Hopefully, I won't need to cast another spell for awhile. Finding a comparatively comfortable spot in the cave (note, nowhere is comfortable in there) I sit awkwardly in front of the Exile. Damn. No matter how many times I look at her, my response is always the same. Blood splattered across her beautiful, tanned skin, the way the tufts of her white hair fan out like the feathers of a swan, her smooth, refined body... she's nothing short of a War Goddess.
I almost get up. I want to hold her in my arms again. I want to keep carrying her. I want to take her far away from the Void, the High Command, anything and anyone that would want to hurt her. I can't. After my last words with her the day before, it's clear to me. Those two nights of passion. That was a farce. She only goaded me into making a move because my passiveness annoyed her. She only satisfied my fantasies because she owed me... She beat the shit out of me because I'm not worthy enough to be with her. Riven doesn't love me. As things stand, she never will. I resolve myself to part ways with her if she doesn't leave while I'm asleep. I don't want to be a burden to her any longer. It's best that I forget the time we shared together and my desire to be by her side. Sadness gripping my heart, I hold back tears and force myself to sleep. I'll need as much rest as I can for the days that follow.
