I finally got around to doing my profile's bio, which I've been putting off for so long. Now I can rest assured that it is there for nobody to ever read...
Anyway, new chapter coming your way, returning a little more to the romance side of things we love so much. There is still a bit of content setting up for the rest of the story, but it should feel more familiar than last chapter.
Also, guys, how did none of you notice I names the first five chapters then forgot about the rest? I believe I fixed them, but it if it has stuffed up it wouldn't be the first time. If you notice an inconsistency like that, please point it out, I felt like a fool :P
There are a few messages at the end which I implore you to take the time to read, but even if you don't, please enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 9 - Selflessness
The game only lasted twenty minutes, Avarin's team continuing their aggression until all hope of a comeback was gone. Avarin himself managed to gain a few more kills, either from confrontations in the jungle or from heading to bot-lane. Overall, he found the match quite easy, although he imagined it would not always be like this. After the formalities were over the champions found themselves back at the Institute, most heading off in their own direction, although a few stayed back to chat.
"Nice work out there newbie." Tristana offered him a high-five that, although it looked a little ridiculous to be high-fiving a yordle, he happily accepted. The pair chatted for a little longer, Avarin trying to learn a little more about the yordle gunner. He began to feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up, a chill running down his spine. He looked over his shoulder to the glowing eyes of the creature Kha'Zix, standing reclusively in one of the corners.
"Don't worry too much about him, he's just salty that you smashed him." The creature suddenly disappeared, leaving the group of champions.
"He's a little scary. Where is he from?"
"The void, although he apparently spent a good amount of time in the Kumungu." This caught Avarin's attention.
"The Kumungu? Are you sure?" Trsistana nodded.
"Yep, him and Rengar had this big hunt thingy going on, I don't know the details, but it was a little intense. Where are you from exactly?"
"Kumungu." Tristana's eyes grew a little larger.
"Oh, well, I'd try and have a chat with Rengar then. He isn't the brightest of sparks, but he can be good company." Avarin nodded absent-mindedly, his mind wandering towards the figure he just saw leaving the room. Zyra had refused to talk to him for the rest of the match, always just offering him a smile that sent his mind spinning. He desperately wanted to see her, but he also didn't want to miss the opportunity to meet some of the other champions.
"What about Nidalee? Do you know her?" Avarin was too distracted to hear Tristana's question, the yordle noticing the hunter's distracted look and following it just in time to see Zyra leaving the room. She offered him a gentle punch in the leg to get his attention.
"You zoned out for a moment there." Avarin chuckled.
"Sorry, been a busy morning, what did you say?" Tristana waved her hand.
"Not important, how do you know Zyra?" Avarin's gaze returned again to the door Zyra had left through, a forlorn expression overtaking his face.
"The story is a little complicated, but she saved my life once, and then helped me find a meaning for it." Tristana frowned, muttering the sentence under her breath to try and figure out what he meant. In the end she gave up.
"Well, whatever that is supposed to mean, you better go talk to her." She gave him an encouraging push towards the door, and Avarin offered her a small hug before leaving on his way; he really didn't need much encouraging.
He managed to recall the path back to the Kumungu quarters, although he inevitably made a wrong turn or two along the way. He got a few strange looks from summoners and champions alike, the latter possessing a highly critical eye, as though sizing him up. He was glad when the clean walls dissolved into plant life, the jungle air soothing him. He looked down the hall at the collection of rooms, knowing one of them probably housed Zyra, though he had no clue which one it was. He approached the first door on his right, opposite his, knocking gently. There was the sound of shuffling before the door was opened, Avarin's jaw almost dropping at the sight. Before him stood the largest cat he had ever seen, and he'd seen some big ones. The creature wore a patch over one of his eyes, the other scanning his surroundings for the source of the noise. Eventually his eyes fell to the hunter in front of him, both standing in silence. Avarin wasn't sure who the creature was, or what they were like, so he subtly reached behind him towards his bow. Then the creature smiled and any sense of hostility was forgotten.
"You must be the new kid! Is it true you kicked the ass off that forsaken void bug?" Avarin relaxed, realising there was no threat here.
"Kha'Zix?" The creature reached forward and embraced the hunter, the action a little awkward but certainly not hostile.
"That's my boy! Anyone who does that in their first game is a friend of mine. Name's Rengar, and you are?"
"Avarin. Word travels fast around here." Rengar grunted, nodding his head.
"Yeah, although it helps when you know one of the champions."
"You mean Zyra?" Rengar nodded, stretching.
"Saw her not five minutes ago, said I should find you. Suppose it's kind of funny that you found me first." Avarin smiled.
"You wouldn't happen to know which room is hers?" Rengar nodded, pointing down the hall.
"Far end on your left. I'd be careful though, the girls like their peace."
"Girls?" Rengar smiled and winked at the hunter.
"Yep, not that I've had any luck with them. You seem young and fit though, I reckon you could score twice." Avarin blushed, not entirely sure how to respond. The taller man just laughed, offering a rather hard pat on the back.
"Look forward to seeing how you fight. Until the rift." With that peculiar salutation the other hunter was gone, re-entering his room and leaving Avarin alone in the hall. He made his way down the hall towards Zyra's room, stopping to look at some of the other doors. Most seemed untouched, as though empty, which wasn't much of a surprise to Avarin. The Kumungu wasn't well known for its hospitality. The room next to Zyra's however was adorned with a collection of different flowers, many of which Avarin recognised. Temptation getting the better of him, he knocked on the door to meet the owner. He could hear somebody moving in the room.
"You seem to be one door off." He turned to meet the eyes of Zyra, the mage standing aside to allow him into the room. Smiling, he accepted her invitation and entered her room. Once inside he heard another door open, Zyra turning to her neighbour.
"Wrong room dear, apologies." Avarin heard a voice mumble something before a door closed abruptly, Zyra shrugging in response.
"Problem?" Zyra sighed.
"Let's just say that we don't get along very well." Avarin took the opportunity to observe the room. It was much the same as his, except where he had furniture Zyra preferred garden, the space literally blooming where one would expect to see a couch. Another difference was that, unlike his room, Zyra's possessed a window, and what a view it offered. What Avarin hadn't seen as he approached the Institute were the magnificent gardens it possessed. He had to assume it was off limits to the general public; otherwise he was sure the merchants would have readily taken advantage of the large expanses of green grass the seemed to stretch out for miles before merging with the surrounding forest. Interspaced amongst the grassy planes were walled gardens brimming with roses, chrysanthemums and tulips, contrasting to larger bushes that dropped cherry and apple blossom onto the otherwise pristine ground. In the distance Avarin could make out two young children playing peacefully on the grass, the sight bringing a smile to his face. He hadn't beheld something so sublime in many years.
"You like the view?" Zyra had closed the door, turning to see Avarin staring out the window.
"It's incredible." He took a few steps forward, watching as the plants shifted around his feet so as not to be crushed. This place was definitely Zyra's.
The mage herself strutted past Avarin, seating herself in the middle of her plants, motioning for Avarin to join her. He slowly sat down, not entirely trusting the plants to move in time. Once he was finally seated he found himself able to relax.
"Not a fan of your children?" Zyra frowned before realising he was still talking about her neighbour, the mage shaking her head.
"More a matter of ideals. She is a purist, convinced the Kumungu is perfect as it is and that my presence is a disease. Nonsense really." Zyra held out her hand as a bush grew from the ground next to her, a large pinkish fruit forming before dropping onto her hand. She placed it next to her and repeated the process, offering the other to Avarin. The hunter took it, observing it sceptically. Zyra laughed at this, finally offering Avarin the warm smile he remembered from so long ago.
"It's a peach, it won't bite." She continued to watch him, waiting for him to take the first bite. He began to see what this was to her; a test of trust. It had been a long time, during which she had left her jungle for the Institute, a decision which no doubt led to her meeting a lot of people who saw her as evil. The look in her eyes told Avarin she wanted to believe he trusted her, but she had to be sure. Avarin raised the fruit to his mouth, taking a large bite. It was tangier than most peaches, the flavour more wild than the sweet fruits often farmed by yordles and Demacians. Zyra followed his lead, greedily digging into her own peach. Avarin actually chuckled at how messy an eater she was.
"Isn't this some sort of filicide for you?" Zyra stopped devouring her sweet, looking up at Avarin, a confused look on her face.
"Filicide? What is that exactly?"
"I heard about it from a hermit near the Voodoo lands, something like killing your children." Zyra's face turned a deep shade of red, and she put her peach on the floor next to her, the seed disappearing into the ground.
"I most certainly am not harming my children, but thanks for putting me off my meal. When exactly did you head to the Voodoo lands?" Avarin scrunched his face up as he tried to remember.
"It would have been about a year ago. I tried to steer clear of their lands, but my pursuits took me that way."
"To the Voodoo lands?" Avarin laughed nervously.
"It's a pretty long story."
"We have a long time." Avarin shook his head, stretching a little as he considered how to approach his story.
"I caught word of a lumberjack who was cutting down tree in the Kumungu for his home. Usually such petty cases could be dealt with through simple threats, but he was particularly persistent." Zyra raised a curious eyebrow.
"Could you not handle him?" Avarin lifted his shirt, Zyra trying to hold back her gasp at the sight. He was well toned, just as she'd expected, and the full view of his body was certainly detracting from Avarin's words. He pointed to a scar just below his right nipple.
"Managed to clip me with one of his damn axes. Figured it'd probably take more than threats to convince him." Snapping out of her moment of perversion, Zyra laughed.
"How on earth did he manage to hit you?" Avarin blushed.
"It'd been a long day and I was slow, stupid mistake really. Anyway, I talked to some of the locals and found the man, and the problem was dealt with. Took a little longer than expected, the social skills of those people are more primitive than the jungle beasts." Zyra laughed, thankful Avarin finally pulled his shirt back down, the temptation to stare removed. She rubbed her wrists awkwardly. She really wanted to talk and hear his stories, but she was never known for her patience, and there was one question she really wanted to ask.
"And what of your other pursuits? Did you find what you wanted?" Avarin had hoped they could have simply caught up without needing to bring up the day he'd left her, or had she left him? Even after all this time he wasn't entirely sure. He reached behind him and took his bow off his back, manoeuvring it around his head. The bow never left his side, and it was for that reason he had taken to using it as more than just a weapon. He followed the engravings he'd etched into his bow until he reach the tip, pulling off a small red flower that seemed to bloom out of the wood and handing it to Zyra. She gently took the bloom, finding herself completely speechless.
"I helped Kumungu in more ways than I ever could have imagined, even coming to the Institute is in service to it if I'm perfectly honest. I found my purpose, but that wasn't enough." Zyra placed the small flower on the floor and watched as it grew and burst into colour, the bloom taking on shades and designs Zyra barely thought possible. Even Avarin was staring in awe at the bloom.
"Well, it never did that before." Zyra managed to find her voice, but it was distant and barely louder than a whisper.
"It has taken traits from all the lands you've journeyed to; vibrant colours from the yordle forests and defensive markings from the Voodoo lands to name a few. Is this really one of the flowers…"
"That you left for me at the summit?" Avarin smiled, nodding his head.
"Everywhere I went I took it with me, and it never wilted. In some small way I felt like I was carrying a small part of you, keeping the protection you offered me." Zyra felt tears forming in her eyes.
"Why is it whenever you show up things get more complicated." Avarin wasn't prepared as Zyra shuffled over and embraced him, letting her tears drip down his shoulder. He eventually came to his senses and returned her embrace, resting his head on hers. She smelt absolutely divine, and the embrace felt so overwhelmingly right, as though Avarin had finally found another piece of what he'd been searching for all these years. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he let his mind permanently imprint this moment.
Then the guilt hit him. It started as a slight pang and soon turned into overwhelming agony. He'd spent so many years lusting over Zyra, her beauty truly unrivalled by any other being in this world. All save one. Avarin wasn't sure how long he'd spent searching for Nidalee before he accepted what he saw as the inevitable truth; the Noxians had found her first. It had been a hard reality to accept at first, his love slaughtered because of a decision he'd made as a child. He'd spent a few nights unable to find sleep, dark whispers tormenting him as his mind tore him apart. It was when it began to affect his ability to care for the jungle that he learnt to control it, pushing Nidalee from his mind through devotion to his duty. That wasn't to say he never thought about her after that, he would often recall the warmth of her body as he finally found a peaceful sleep, waking up with a sense of something being absent. His grip tightened around Zyra, as though holding her closer would somehow take his mind of the huntress. Zyra noticed.
"You didn't find her did you?" Avarin lifted his head from Zyra's, looking at her in confusion. He couldn't recall ever telling her about Nidalee, or about another girl at all.
"What do you mean?" Zyra just chuckled to herself.
"Do you think me so ignorant? I know a man in love, and I know when that love is not for me. I knew it all those years ago just as I know it now." Avarin ran a hand along her cheek, fighting back tears.
"She's dead, and it's my fault." Zyra returned the gesture, trying to offer what little consolation she could. She had hoped for a long time Avarin would return to her, he was still the only man she'd ever met who didn't instantly condemn her, Rengar being the only possible exception, but the hunter was frequently too dim-witted to be taken seriously. She'd gone a long time with sleepless nights as Avarin tormented her dreams, offering her his warmth only to take it away as her eyes opened in the morning. Just as she did all those moons ago she wanted to be angry at Avarin for doing this to her, but she couldn't. Now he was back again, the love she'd competed with gone. This was her chance, but she could not bring herself to take it. She smiled to herself at the ridiculousness of it, since when did she develop such a moral high ground? She leant in and kissed Avarin, a soft kiss laced with sympathy and love, but devoid of passion.
"I can't replace her. I'm glad you are back Avarin, and that is enough for me." With that Zyra pulled away and stood up. Avarin's mind was still computing what she had said. He felt pained at being turned down by the girl he'd longed for some time, yet relieved at the same time that he would not have to deal with the guilt that plagued him. He stood up and offered Zyra a final, friendly embrace before leaving. He stood outside her room for a little, not sure what to do now.
"Are you a mage?" Avarin turned to the voice, a large tree-like creature staring at him with a pair of mystical eyes. He'd never seen anything quite like it before, and he was lost for words. The treant didn't seem to react one way or another to the silence, waiting patiently before repeating his question.
"Are you a mage?" Avarin shook himself out of his trance, shaking his head.
"No, simply a hunter." The treant grunted.
"Then welcome to the Institute, I am Maokai, and my friend here is Malphite." Avarin looked to where Maokai had gestured, astonished to find that the rock-like object he hadn't even bothered to recognise earlier was a living entity. The golem, Malphite, didn't say anything, instead preferring to stare at the hunter. Realising the peculiar duo were not overly talkative, Avarin took the initiative.
"So, do you two represent the Kumungu too?" Malphite laughed, Maokai simply shaking his head.
"We represent Valoran in general, protecting it from the threat magic poses." Malphite raised an eyebrow at his companion.
"Well, I do at least, this rock-head here just tags along most of the time." Malphite seemed to consider this for a moment, not entirely sure if what Maokai said was an insult. Avarin smiled at the joke.
"What brings you two to the Kumungu quarters then?"
"We live here, the jungle is the most natural place in all of Valoran, an obvious choice really." Malphite grunted, getting Maokai's attention. The treant sighed, turning his attention back to Avarin.
"It was nice to meet you hunter, but we have a match to attend. Until the rift." There was the same saying again, Avarin beginning to assume it was a convention amongst the champions.
"Until the rift." Maokai offered the hunter a smile before leaving with his friend. The treant stopped however a short way down the hall, turning back to say something to Avarin.
"I'd be careful with those two by the way, mages are hard to trust." He pointed at Zyra's door and the door decorated in flowers. Avarin smiled politely, although he was fairly convinced he could trust Zyra.
"I'll keep that in mind." Avarin spared another glance at the door he'd knocked on earlier, not sure what to expect on the other side. Was it to be a mage like Zyra who was one with plants? The flowers seemed to suggest an affiliation of sorts. Or was it possible she was a hunter like Rengar, not the brightest champion around but with senses keener than even his own. All it would take is a second of his time, to reach out and knock.
But he didn't, instead choosing to head down the hall to his room, almost collapsing onto the bed. It had been a long morning, and although he knew it was too early in the day to sleep, he needed the rest. After all, who knew what the evening would bring.
How close can Avarin come to discovering Nidalee but fall short? Hope you found the trend as enjoyable as I did!
Anyway, I got a review last chapter about abilities, and while I'm not 100% sure what they wanted (Description of Avarin's abilities? More conflict in general?) I still felt it rose some things worth addressing. This piece is very much focussed on the romance side of things, and while it is true they are at the institute, I don't want to write whole chapters worth of conflict. That being said, there will be more conflict scenes upcoming, and so you will get to see more of Avarin fighting other champions. Also on that note, I am not a believer that the abilities we use in game reflect what the actual conflict would look like, so when Avarin pulls a stunt like putting the knife in the floor, I don't think that'd be an ability he would have in game. This isn't so applicable now, but when I describe other champions pulling moves which seem inconsistent with their in game abilities, that is why.
On that note, I do actually have champion concepts for all my OCs, whether they be General Fole (from Sentimental), Feykin (from Of Gods and Yordles - and yes, that name is a spoiler! Good on you for noticing if you did!) or, indeed, Avarin. If you are really interested in my concepts, send me a PM and I will happily discuss them.
Special mentions to R4ptorCS for the brilliant review last chapter! Things like that make all the time I spend writing truly worth it, so please RFF :)
Until the rift!
BJ
