Wednesday night/ Thursday morning.
The Summoner was exhausted. Panting heavily as he rested on his hands and knees, beads of sweat dripped off his brow on to the cold floor. The raw anger which had been powering him before had subsided, giving way to exhaustion. He tried to stand, but found himself dropping to the ground and rolling on his back.
Elise, having been training him throughout the day, had made herself a hammock out of webbing, where she had dozed off. Upon hearing his gasps, her red eyes fluttered open.
"Still going at it, Summoner?" She asked, "You do realize if you use sustained magic for too long, it can kill you, right?"
"I'm fine," he panted, "Just a little weary. I just need a minute to rest…"
Elise yawned, before rubbing her eyes, "Right now you're not practicing, you're destroying your body. You need to sleep, it's…"
She went wide eyed, "The sun is rising! You've been at this since the early afternoon yesterday! Summoner! You need to sleep!"
"I'll sleep when I've won, Elise, I can keep going."
"Perhaps you can, but I'm not going to allow you to."
"It's not like you can stop me. You have to do what I say, remember? And I say- HURPMH?!"
Badger went wide eyed as webbing wrapped around his mouth, his hands trying to pry it off, before Elise webbed those to his side. Before him, she transformed into an enormous, metallic looking spider with gleaming red eyes.
"Don't look so startled," she hissed, "Anyone who has seen me in your League knows I can do this at will. Now, don't struggle."
Her spider legs picked him up now, her abdomen shooting out webbing to attach to the ceiling. She pulled him up now, weaving him in tightly snug threads, the Summoner struggling all the while, before she placed him on the ceiling.
He glared at her as she turned back into her human form, swinging from a long, thick strand.
She leaned in to him now, her lips moving over the skin beneath his jaw line. Next came a sharp prick in his neck, a blue venom flowing out of Elise's fangs. It only took moments before he felt himself grow weak.
How did Elise keep doing these things? His spell prevented her from hurting him, right? How…
His eyes shut like lead as his head fell back. She'd knocked him out cold, her venom causing his muscles to all relax and his body to go into a much needed sleep. She wove a few more webs to cradle his head, her hand moving to his face to brush his hair out of it.
She sighed, her hand moving over his cheek.
When he wasn't doing that incessant smiling or running his mouth, he was actually quite handsome. Elise softly caressed his face with the back of her hand, feeling soft, gentle breaths escaping his nose.
It almost made her angry to see how much hardship he was enduring for this woman, who, even if he won, would no doubt shun or just abuse him more. Such dedication, such strength, such loyalty, it was hard to find that in a man these days. How lucky she should have felt…
It took her a moment to realize just how close she'd gotten to him, mindlessly moving in closer and closer.
Her hand moved over to the webbing, before she softly pulled it from his lips. They looked soft and warm… perhaps…
The silence was broken by a loud snore. Elise twitched and shook her head, dropping down from the ceiling and back to her hammock.
You idiot! What were you thinking?! How stupid of you! Stupid, stupid, stupid!
And yet, she'd thought about it, and couldn't help but feel a smile cross her face as she resumed her sleep.
The Past
Noxus.
She hated Noxus with every fiber of her being, and yet, it's people were so ready and willing to sign up to be devoured by a gigantic spider.
Of course, none of them knew that, but the lie was so easily bought that it was like taking candy from an infant.
And how delightful it was to take these sweets from their protective owner. The thought of slaughtering each and every one of these savages brought a wicked smile across Elise's lips, even if no one could see it behind her veil, the same kind of garment that her pursuer was wearing.
Indeed, she was disguised right now. Discomfort had filled her as of late. During the night, she'd noticed shadows outside of her window, things that had once been in one spot had moved during the darkness.
While Elise had very little fear of anything anymore, what with her inhuman strength, Spider powers and claws, nothing really posed much of a threat to her, and yet, she hated the idea that she was being spied on.
So it both frightened her and angered her when she saw that she'd been followed for several streets. It was a woman like herself, she could tell from body shape, perhaps slightly shorter, but her robes reeked of Noxian nobility and she carried an air of power that Elise could sense even from where she was standing.
Elise ducked into an alley way, knowing she'd be followed there too.
She made sure no one was around, before quickly scurrying up the wall of the building. Her claws sticking to the brick and quickly pulling her up.
The moment her pursuer entered, Elise dropped down behind her, her claws moving into the other's hood, her arm dragging her target into her.
"Make one wrong move, you die," she snarled.
The figure made no motion. Suddenly, the robes went slack and fell to the ground, something pressed into the back of Elise's head.
"You won't find me such easy prey, Elsa of the Shadow Isles~"
The Present, Thursday
When the Summoner awoke, he felt better than he'd had in a long time. Letting out a yawn, he moved to stretch, only to realize he could not move.
Oh god, not that dream again!
"Elise?!" he asked, panicked as he looked towards the ground, "Elise!"
The Spider Queen, still sleeping in her hammock, drearily opened her eyes and looked at him.
"You're loud, Summoner," she said, letting out a soft yawn of her own and rubbing her eye, "Haven't you ever heard the term 'let sleeping spiders lie'?"
"Put me down!" He yelped, seeing how far off the ground he was, "Put me down now!"
Elise yawned again, "I will, if you'd just calm down for a moment. You're in my webs, those strands are almost as strong as steel. You are in no danger of falling, and you're wasting you energy by struggling. Just give me a moment."
Her form shifted once more, the Summoner's jaw dropping as he watched her change into an enormous spider in less than a fraction of a second. The large, gleaming red eyes and mandibles causing him to freeze in fear.
"Don't struggle," she giggled, her voice echoing in her new form, "If you fall, you'll make quite the mess~"
It didn't take long for her to pluck him from the ceiling and drop down to the ground, the Spider Queen shifting back to her human form, the webs around him disappearing in a flash of red smoke.
The Summoner leapt up, patting himself all over and making sure he was moving.
Alright, turns out real Elise isn't as scary as dream Elise… Sorta…
"Thank you," he said, softly.
"You're welcome, though next time, don't struggle as much."
"No, I mean, for taking care of me. You know, making me go to sleep and whatnot. That was really nice of you, sorry I was a pain in the ass about it."
The Spider Queen blinked, "Oh. That. Well, think nothing of it, my dear Jay, I simply wish to help you win your contest."
He smiled, his lips curling as he grinned widely, "Did you just call me Jay?"
Elise frowned as her nose twitched, "Summoner! Summoner! It slipped out!"
"Ha! You're actually starting to like me!"
"That is a very strong assumption!"
"But you're not denying it!"
"You're an idiot!"
"You still didn't deny it!"
He maintained that grin as she crossed her arms. The two stared at one another before Badger let out a laugh, Elise's black lips curved into a smile as she gave him a friendly nod. Sure enough, the idiot was growing on her.
"Let us return to your training, you have a battle to win."
Badger smiled, though he scratched his head.
"Why are you all of a sudden so eager to help me?"
The Spider Queen looked away as she sighed, "Because I know what it's like to feel powerless…"
Hours later
The Summoner and the Spider Queen left the training grounds together, the two in good spirits after a successful day. The Summoner was getting better at controlling his magic and using it in spurts for better output and technique, the Spider Queen very pleased with his performance.
As the two were walking, however, a firework went off in the distance.
"How pretty," Elise remarked, watching another one fly up, "Tell me, Summoner, is there some sort of celebration going on?"
He scratched his head and sighed, "Yeah? Didn't you know? The annual blood moon festival started today. I was hoping we'd miss it during training."
"And why is that?"
He sighed again, "Because Delilah is going to be there, and I don't want- hey!"
He yelped as she tugged him along, a grin on her face, "Come! We are going to that celebration! I want to watch the little wretch's face burn with jealousy! The more they see us together, the more thrown off they both become! Come along, Summoner! Play your cards right and I may even have a drink with you!"
The Past
Elise sat in the luxurious parlour of the Noxian manor, crimson eyes narrowing as she scanned her surroundings. Everything was purple, even too much for her tastes. Still, the gold that adorned everything was a nice touch.
She had woken up only a few moments before, whatever that object had been that poked her head, it had knocked her out cold. She'd been caught off guard by it, perhaps she'd grown far too comfortable with her powers.
It was a valuable lesson, and one she would not soon forget.
"So, now that we are here in what I presume to be you home, would you mind explaining just who you are and how you know who I am?" Elise asked the air, "I can feel your presence, your power. It's grossly miniscule in comparison to my own, so I suggest you speak quickly before I decide to devour your insides."
An amused laugh rang out throughout the room, the woman from before materializing. Gold and purple vestments seemed to appear out of nowhere as a face finally made itself known. The flowing robes spun around her, becoming a short skirt and long cloak, her upper body rather exposed in a way that even the Spider Queen found revealing.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, dear Elsa," the woman mused, making a bow, "My name is Emilia Leblanc, and you and I have much to discuss."
"You have me mistaken for someone else," Elise replied, "I don't know anyone by the name of Elsa. That's a Demacian name, if I'm correct."
Emilia laughed, her purple lips curling in amusement as she snapped her fingers, causing a chair to appear for her to recline in.
"Ah, you may think you've left your old life behind, but I assure you, it will always follow you." Leblanc mused, her golden eyes gleaming as she took in the Spider Queen, "My, my, look at you. You truly are quite the sight to see, you know that?"
Elise crossed her arms, this woman was far too casual, especially if she actually knew who she was. Had she known this woman in her old life?
No, that was impossible, that was nearly a century ago. There was no way this woman knew who she was, not without spying on her…
But how would that be possible? She never spoke about her old life, she hadn't told a soul.
"Why don't we stay on the topic at hand," Elise said, "How do you know my old name?"
"Oh Elsa, I-"
"Elise. My name is Elise."
"Ah, 'Child of God', how fitting," Leblanc purred, stroking the crest of her staff as she crossed her legs, "Tell me, what was it like when you-"
"I'm not telling you anything until you tell me how you know the name Elsa!" Elise snapped, growing impatient already.
Leblanc lifted an eyebrow, "Watch your tone, darling, I will not have a Demacian peasant speak to me in such a manner. No matter how powerful or grand you believe yourself to have become, you are still a frightened, miserable wretch to me."
Elise snarled as she leapt to her feet, her palms gleamed with red magic as her eyes glowed bright red with fury.
"Don't act superior to me!" she shouted, blasting the woman with her spells.
Leblanc just sighed as she was consumed in the concussive forces. When the dust cleared from the attack, all that was left of the woman was some charred bones and tatters of her cloak.
"Wrong one, darling."
Elise went wide eyed, whipping around, Emilia standing before her, completely unscathed.
No, that was impossible, she could SEE the dead form over in the chair, how?
"You know, if you're going to call yourself a Queen, you could at least try to act like one. I can see you have power, but you have absolutely no idea how to use it. Such a shame… I'd hoped giving you a whole century would allow you to gain some sort of mastery. What have you been doing all this time? Lounging around? Haven't you tried anything with your abilities yet?"
Elise snarled, her extended canines glistening as she felt her blood boil. Truth be told, those red magic blasts were the only thing she'd learned how to do, and it had been completely by mistake.
"For your information, I've spent the last century slaughtering Noxians like sheep! Laughing and bathing in their blood as a gigantic spider ripped them limb from limb! I-"
Her eyes went wide, she even knew how long she'd been Elise?!
She unleashed another blast as she screamed out, "How do you know such things?!"
The woman grinned as she vanished, reappearing behind Elise as she blasted her in the back with her staff, the Spider Queen stumbling and catching herself on her Spider legs as she fell forward, gasping from the attack.
"Bah, I suppose it's true what they say, you can dress a peasant in robes but it doesn't make them a Queen," Leblanc lamented, "For your information, Elsa, I'm the one you can thank for all of your power."
Another blast from her staff, Elise dropped to a knee, the other woman was aiming in the center of her back, between her four arachnid legs.
It was the first time in nearly a century that she'd actually felt pain. Real, burning pain.
The feeling of such a bizarre area to strike dropped her to a knee, before another blast dropped her to both, her hands holding her up.
"Stop!" she cried out, "Cease!"
Leblanc sighed as she paced around the other, "I'm glad I've been able to remind the peasant where she belongs. I want you to remember this, Elsa."
She placed the base of her staff on Elise's chin and forced her to look up.
"No matter how many lives you drain, now matter how much power you obtain, you were born to kneel before your betters."
The Spider Queen glared up at her, still breathing heavily from the attacks. Her back burned from the assault; her skin actually burned bright red from the concussive magic.
"Tell me… How do you…"
A loud THWACK was heard around the room as Leblanc smacked the other with her staff, the Spider Queen dropping to the ground and clutching her face in pain.
Ethereal chains shot out from the ground, wrapping around Elise's limbs and tugging them close to her form.
"Make another demand, and I promise you, you won't have to worry about your past anymore. I will paint the floor with your arachnid insides. It'll be easy," she purred, her foot stepping on Elise's crown, "Like crushing an insect."
The Spider Queen cried out in pain as she writhed on the floor, the chains holding her down as Leblanc grinded her heel into her cheek.
"You're such a disappointment!" The woman snarled, "You've been granted eternal life, and look how unbelievably pathetic you are! You can't even stand up to an old witch without crying on the ground! It's time to grow up, Elsa! Ulric isn't going to save you anymore!"
Elise froze, Ulric? How did she know?
She looked up at the other, Leblanc grinned at her sadistically, "You want to know how I know who you are?" She asked, "I was going to hold it in to myself before, mostly because I was afraid you might kill me if I told you, but now that you're not a threat, I really want to see you squirm."
Elise tried to get up, but could only scream as she was blasted with the staff once more.
"You see, Elsa, I am not the woman you think I am. Like you, I also wear a mask…"
Leblanc's visage shifted as she removed her crown, the form of a wrinkled old hag in ancient looking robes replacing that of the young and vibrant woman in the revealing outfit.
"For years, I have sought eternal life, looking for a way to prolong my life span so that I may truly become the most powerful mage that the world has, or will ever see!"
Another blast, Elise felt her world beginning to grow distorted.
"But you see, all the routes for eternal life are so… Well you see, they're repulsive. Between vampirism, undeath, or selling your soul, there's nothing that gives me what I want. But then, then I discovered something interesting! I found a remarkable book about a place called the Isle of the Blessed, upon which there once lived an unspeakably evil creature that had been locked away. This monster, a gigantic spider, supposedly had venom so potent, that it could kill an individual with just the tiniest drop. Doesn't sound pleasant, does it?"
Leblanc let out another shot from her staff, Elise gasping in pain once more.
"Now, the Isle of the Blessed was not without its troubles, and one day, a tragedy came. The isles were swallowed up in a sea of unholy magic, tainting everything there with unspeakable necromancy. However, just as everything became dead, a true miracle arose. That cursed Spider joined the hordes of the undead, but something changed about it."
She grinned sadistically as she strolled forward to clutch Elise's chin, "In the world of the living, venom is death, but in the land of the dead, the toxin is reversed. The book told me everything I needed to know, but it also informed me that only a select few could obtain the precious substance. Only a few could collect the venom from the Vile Maw of the beast. Not wanting to risk my own safety, I decided to select a guinea pig from the insufferable nation of Demacia…"
She grinned wider, "and what a wonderful one I picked! I couldn't have asked for easier manipulation if I'd had a god as a friend! I allow a hole to appear in Noxus' defenses, and your lover boy takes the bait. He hacks up a few of the mages who were in my way, and I blast him across a battlefield with a wave of my hand."
Elise's eyes slowly opened as she forced them to obey, what did the witch just say…?
"All it took was a simple sleeping spell to make your beloved Ulric appear to succumb to his wounds, leaving you just enough of a sniveling wretch to do something desperate. I'll admit I was worried when I watched you slip into madness, but you've no idea how wonderful it was when I saw you decide to run. It was like herding a cow into the slaughter house."
Elise's eyes opened wider, she could feel something within her now, something wrong, something horrifying, screaming to be let out.
"And what a magnificent cow you turned out to be. I knew sending you out during the Harrowing would pay off. You found the island, of all people, the Spider called to you. You've done magnificently, for a testing rat. I was out expecting to create a monster, but you? I can see how wrong I was! So beautiful, radiant, perfect!" Leblanc mused, "And now, all I need to do is go to your ship logs to find the island myself. I will find your 'god' and make it submit to my orders. Immortality will be mine, and you…"
She grinned as she charged up her staff, "I will finally grant you what you've always wanted, you're going to be with your dear Ulric again. Goodbye, Elsa~"
The world went silent, it seemed to move in slow motion as she was struck with the charged attack, the blow sending her reeling, her body shattering under the force of it as she coughed up blood, her body going slack.
Elise's eyes went hazy as she felt her heart stop beating.
Elise...
Ulric… ?
Ulric… I'm… afraid…
Elise, what do you think you are doing? Don't you know, I am hungry…
My lord… is it truly you…?
Elise, I am starving!
Lord Vilemaw I am sorry, I cannot… Feed you any longer…
Your service to me is not done, Elise! I am hungry, and I demand sacrifice!
My lord, I cannot move… my body is… broken…
Your human body is weak and flawed. Tell me, Elise, are you hungry?
I… I am, lord…
Are you famished?
I, I am starving, lord.
What do you want?
I want to devour, lord!
What do you want to devour?!
Elise's eyes shot open as she forced her neck to look at Leblanc, her eyes, releasing tears of blood, gleamed with unholy malevolence as she spoke, her massive fangs seeming to stretch.
"I want to devour the witch that ruined it all!"
Leblanc stepped back, horrified, the broken creature before her looked unhinged, unreal. She should be dead! There was no way-
With an wretched screech, Elise's eyes glowed bright red, the power flowing through her veins and causing her skin to illuminate. The ethereal chains once again lashed out at her, wrapping around her body, Leblanc sighing in relief, before crying out as the chains expanded and exploded, golden links of magic lodging into the walls as Elise's spider legs ripped through them. The Spider Queen dropped to the ground, claws glowing bright red as she limped towards the mage, eyes burning with hatred as more legs grew from her back.
"I'm going to eat you from the inside out!"
Another horrific screech, and Elise leapt at her, transforming mid-air into an enormous arachnid. Long, metallic, black legs reached out ahead of her as vicious, terrifying mandibles snapped at her face. Gleaming red eyes, possessing every last ounce of malice and anger as her human form, bore into Emilia as the Spider Queen descended on her.
Another blast of magic rang out, but this time, Elise batted the attack aside.
A strand of web shot out, gripping Leblanc's staff and ripping it from her hands, Elise tossing it to the other side of the room as she charged forward and pinned the old woman to the wall. The gigantic fangs clicking together, before a cloud of red mist formed around her, the Spider Queen once again returning to her human form, completely restored. Her Spider legs held the defenseless witch against the wall, Elise's face contorted in a rage-controlled snarl. Raising her hand, she cupped a fist, her hand releasing a cloud of black magic as she looked at it, then back to the trapped woman.
"Elsa! Elsa! Wait!" Emilia cried out, "It was a test! It was all a test! It was, HUHRK!"
The woman's jaw dropped as she looked down, Elise's hand had impaled her, her blood pooling around the Spider Queen's wrists.
The woman gasped as her legs gave out, Elise following her down to the floor, her red eyes without mercy, without restraint. She gave a soft smile as she tugged her bloody hand out, waving it to seal Emilia's wound with her magic, before softly stroking the elderly witch's cheek.
"You wanted to unleash a monster on this world? Well congratulations, your ultimate plan is a resounding success," She said, gently, "You did a magnificent job, and you're right, I really do need to thank you for the power that you granted me. Without you, who knows? I might have lived to be an old woman with my husband, while you got to live."
Emilia tried to respond, but was stopped by a horrific pain in her stomach, something different than even being impaled. It was, it was ungodly.
Elise's smile grew, "You must be wondering what that feeling in your wrinkled old belly is. Don't worry, it's not old age, it's a swarm of Kumungu corpse spiders. Fantastic creatures, really. They're known for crawling inside cadavers and eating them from the inside out. However, what many do not know is that they also love living flesh, even if it's old and withered like your own."
Leblanc's jaw dropped in horror, before coughing up blood and gasping for air.
"Even now I can hear them inside your mortal body, can't you hear them thanking you, Emilia? Can't you hear them just chirping in excitement as they feast on your insides? You apparently taste wonderful."
The woman sank lower, her body giving out under her as she clutched Elise's wrists.
Emilia's panicked eyes looked up at her. She was desperate to live. She was terrified.
"Elsa! Please! I beseech you! I don't want to die! I'm afraid to die! Please! Elsa! Stop!"
Elise tilted her head as she smiled, moving Emilia up, as though embracing her.
"Didn't you know, Emilia?" She asked, softly, "Elsa's dead."
With that, she spread her fangs wide and sunk into the other's neck, blood red eyes gleaming as she and her pretties delighted in the wretched and agonized screams of the squealing and struggling Leblanc.
"And Elise is hungry!"
