Starting from the place where she have transported, Syndra is back at The Placidium, she stretches as she massages her muscles because of the ride that the vision wants her to see.
However, as she fixes her composure, there were no civilians around, the whole grounds are basked with nothingness, the wind whips out sediment dusts on the dirt, but everything is the same, she have gotten curious on what happened here not until a piercing arrow passes through her body, she gasps as she have finally realized that the vision is not over.
Quickly, she hovered on the center of the city, what she have seen is tragic, the whole grounds are covered with dead bodies, lots of arrows prodded on the corpses and the ground, and pools of blood that continues to flow.
"What the hell..is happening?" Her eyes is horrified on the scene in front of her.
Ahead, she heard a loud battle cry, following the sound lead her to a collision of soldiers with their unsheathed weapons, the Ionian soldiers advances on a legion as they kept on offense, by looking at the armor of their enemies, she have realized that they were all Noxians.
"Is this..war? What's going on?!" Standing in the middle of the fight, she have seen how Ionians clashed their swords against the invaders, since this is only a vision, she is like a ghost to them.
Completely panicked, she suddenly remembered Irelia, what could happen to the woman at this time of the war? Seeking for answers, she ignored the soldiers and hastily flies towards Irelia's home.
As she reached on the porch of the house, she heard voices inside. Before she would enter the house, a man wearing a red, tight-fitting armor came out, grasping his sword that is sheathed on his side as he made pass through Syndra's body, his solid boots stepped on the grass and looks back at the house. Inside the house, a girl in teens runs towards the door, passing through Syndra as she worriedly called for the man.
"Is this..Irelia? She have grown so much.." Syndra stated as she admires Irelia from head to toe.
"What's happening? Is that man will join the battle?" She asked herself while she glanced back at the siblings.
"Zelos! You better..come back."
"I will, I am not going to let my promise between me and father vowed with."
"Zelos.. I.."
"Irelia.."
Zelos went close to his sister and holds her hands, he stared at the depths of Irelia's eyes and spoke.
"It's the best thing that I could do, if we have reached Demacia to seek further assistance, we may be able to win this war."
"But I don't want to lose you! Father is gone.. and YOU will leave me here?!"
"Irelia I.."
"Please.. stay, Zelos. You're the only I have."
"I can't do that. Do you want to let Ionia fall to the hands of those Noxians?"
"No."
"So, please entrust me on this one. I will come back, I promise.."
"Zelos."
Irelia gave her brother a warm embrace before he leaves.
"I will let myself left behind for me to protect Ionia, I promise that I will succeed."
"That's our little Irelia."
"Shut up. I am stronger than what you think."
"Yes, yes, you are stronger than your brother."
Zelos releases his grasp and proceeds to the city, leaving Irelia on the porch with his eyes filled with determination.
"Zelos.. Father.. I will stand resolute for both of you." She murmurs and enters the house.
"So, her brother didn't make it and that is why she is now living alone.. Her father must've died.." Syndra concluded.
Noticing that Irelia went inside, she followed her, Irelia made her way to her father's room and crouches on the bed, she took her arms underneath and pulls out a large chest hidden. She wiped the chest that is cloaked with dusts and dirt, nonchalantly she opened the chest and the content inside made Syndra gasp.
Four, long, and symmetrical blades, it is the weapon that her father uses and up until now. She expects Irelia to manipulate it but she only did is to wrap the blade in a white cloth and wraps it on her back.
"Wait.. she didn't manipulate it? What the-?"
Swiftly, she pushed the chest back in and hustled outside, Syndra followed her as Irelia reached the center of The Placidium.
Before she expects soldiers, Syndra have seen a crowd of elders blabbering on something, she paused and listened.
"The Noxians have advanced the province, all of our soldiers are annihilated, we should make a decision whether we have to send more forces."
"No.. We have lost too many lives.. Noxus is also using magic. We.. we have no choice."
"Maybe, a surrender is a must."
The whole crowd kept murmuring on the decision of the elder, some of them are against but majority that most of them agreed. Syndra grimaced on the decision, she disgusts the elders' decision making that they have not looking for the details on Ionia's state.
"Cowards." Syndra crosses her arms as she spats insensitively.
Before they have settled the decision, a teenage girl ran and faced the crowd.
"Stop right there!" Irelia screamed.
All elders glanced at Irelia with surprise.
"We? Surrender?! Do you think that this is the best choice for saving Ionia?! I would rather die from battle than seeing myself being enslaved by those Noxians!" Irelia screamed, all elders have their eyes onto the teen.
"Our soldiers have risked their lives for them to defend our country and you elders only choose to surrender?!" Irelia quickly added, she chose these words for her to motivate the elders if ever.
"If all of you insist that we must surrender, I swore to this blade-" Irelia pulls out the blade as she unwraps the cloth.
"That I will keep fighting until the end as I prove the worth of my honor for my family!"
With haste, Irelia scuttles away towards the battlefield, the elders called as they have tried to stop her, behind their backs is a voice that halted them, she wore a traditional regalia with a floating mantle behind her that has two dragons rotating symmetrically.
"Oh? So this is that Duchess? Hmph." Syndra grunted.
"Duchess!"
"She is right. Surrendering is more unacceptable than dying on the battlefield, we still have the hope to bring back Ionia." Karma stated, she faced the sea of elders and glared each one of them.
"I heard that she is the daughter of Master Lito, the famous swordsman that possesses a floating blade and created a martial art that only chosen people can learn. She might've possess the talent." One elder concluded.
"I will join the battle as well."
"But Duchess!"
"Look on how everyone sacrificed for this country, even the Starchild insisted to aid us. I am not going to let their efforts wasted."
Karma walked pass through them, ignoring the calls of the elders. She now focuses her mantra as she proceeds to the battlegrounds.
Blood pools are everywhere as Irelia reached her destination, the soldiers continued to be defensive though Noxians are advancing for them to breach the wall that divides the city. She took out the blade and tried what her father taught her to do, to be honest she still lack of practice to manipulate the blades despite her father is sick at times she have to train.
Syndra watched the legion advance against the Ionians, she glanced everywhere to look for Irelia, the battle is chaotic; the ground shakes and the field is covered in dusts and sand, she can't see well because of this not until she saw a loud cry of pain at her side, she saw how Irelia sliced a Noxian soldier with the massive blade, but she noticed that Irelia is struggling to control it, the blade slips out her grasp while she manipulates it.
"She can't control the blades.. But she can still fight at that state.." Syndra said. "If only, I could help her fight along with her.."
Irelia released a loud battle cry as she severely sliced the soldier.
"Haa.. haa.. No.. It's not enough.. Why I can't do it?" She took breaths as she felt a conflict with her technique.
Her energy is depleted whenever she uses the blade, she feels that she will fail but her determination hides the negativity around her, shakingher head she took the blade again and stood up, but suddenly an arrow prodded her back, she shrills in pain and glanced at the direction where the arrow came, she gasps as she saw a legion of Noxian soldiers.
"Irelia!" Syndra screamed, she went at Irelia's side and faced her but since everything is just a vision, she can't grasp Irelia's wound.
"Who dares to hurt her?!" Syndra snarled.
She stared at the direction where Irelia is facing, her eyes is astonished because of a legion of soldiers is ahead in front of Irelia.
"Reinforcements.. we are too late.." Irelia murmured as she hold her wound.
Swiftly, she went to a different direction where she can't be seen by the legion, she took a chance to help the Ionian soldiers on the other side of the battlefield.
One soldier is stabbed by a long spear, he spewed blood and inhaled his last breaths, however as he face death, a form of magic went down on him, healing his wounds and sluggishly opened his eyes until he saw a woman in robes.
"Get up. You have to live."
"Are you-?"
"I am Soraka, the Starchild, I devoted myself to aid Ionia, I will guide you so you must leave now on this battlefield, you have your family that were waiting for you to go home."
"Thank..y-you!"
"Now, child, go now."
"Lady Soraka, please help that teenage girl! She is wounded badly.. I owe her my life, she have helped us even though she struggled."
"Yes, I will. Now go!"
The soldier swiflty fled and went to the city grounds safely, Soraka saw Irelia immediately as she get up. The moment she saw Irelia attacks the blades with tenacity, she wondered where she have got the strength in fighting. Before she would aid Irelia, she prioritized first the wounded soldiers that are still persuading themselves to fight, some of them sacrificed for the others to live.
Syndra helplessly watched Irelia fight, she is itching to use her powers to help her but she can't do anything inside a vision obviously, she saw how Irelia got hit by a shield, she also saw how Irelia got sliced with a sword on her arms. Syndra's eyes have seen more pain, seeing the person that is special to her is more miserable than the destruction she sees on everyone.
"She..she really risked her life for this STUPID country!" Syndra angrily stated.
"She don't deserve this! Where are those people that will serve as their defense?! She is only a teenager!"
Before she didn't know it, there is a large explosion on the side, she protects her eyes and all soldiers were thrown on the air due to the force.
"Irelia! Where is she?!"
At the back of a tree, she saw Irelia covered herself.
"Gladly.." Syndra sighed in delight that Irelia is safe.
Suddenly, she heard people cry in agony, coughs and screams of pain is heard, both of them looked for the source of the sound, what they have seen horrified them. All soldiers were melting, some of them were instantly turned into corpses. their bones is melted due to the concentration of the explosion that made Irelia terrified.
"Poison?! What the hell?!" Irelia immediately backs away for her to avoid inhaling the poison.
"Wait..POISON?! I remembered how she told me that they were bombed by those Zaun people." Syndra said as she went on Irelia's side.
"Noxus used poison?! Those...Bastards..!" Irelia raged, she quickly went towards a group of soldiers that were fighting.
She cuts every Noxians with a blade, she ignored how it slips off her hand.
"Get out of the way!"
"Arrghh!"
"You..SCUMS of hell!
"Ack-!"
"How dare you used such THING?!"
She cuts off one Noxian's head with force, all soldiers backs away because she totally annihilated every enemy she sees.
"COWARDS! FACE ME!"
As she continued her rage, there is a sinister force hiding, Syndra felt this malevolent energy on the side, she saw a black robed person with a book. She gasps and realized that it is a Necromancer, she reached out her hand as soon a large black matter went straight on Irelia.
"NO!" Syndra cried before she could reach out the captain.
"Ahh! " Irelia made a deafening shrill before falls down and got paralyzed.
"Irelia!" Syndra tried to holds Irelia but her hands pass through.
"DAMN IT!"
Most of the soldiers move out and went towards a different field for an attack, the Ionian soldiers followed them for defense leaving the teenage girl alone.
"FOOLS! WHY DID YOU BUFFOONS LEFT HER BEHIND!?" Syndra snarled.
"Is she dying?! She.. she can't! She is alive until now but what's the meaning of this?! Why is she alive on the present?!" Syndra has several questions that she needs to be answered. Her mind is confused on how Irelia is dying into this timeline but alive at the present.
Irelia's eyes closes little by little, she also coughed blood, her lips is pale as the black magic courses her body. Syndra is horrified on what she sees, she heard Irelia mutter words that made her shocked.
"No.. I can't die. Not.. yet." Irelia coughs out more blood as soon it covers her whole mouth on it.
"I made a promise..with her. I can't let that fade..away."
"I still have..to visit her.. I wonder how is she doing..right now..?"
"I-Irelia.." Syndra's eyes tear up, she understood what Irelia meant by the words.
Secondly, Irelia whispered again.
"Father. Zelos."
"I am..sorry.."
"I have..failed."
Her life essence is escaping from her mouth, Syndra is in panic that Irelia is dying. Her mind is in turmoil and blank, she did nothing but to watch Irelia die.
"DAMN...IT! IRELIA!" Syndra screamed, her tears flowed to her eyes as she crouches down and cried for her. "No..This is impossible! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"
Little did she knew it, her life essence went straight up to heaven, Irelia's body is now lifeless. All Syndra can do is to cry more and more.
And more.
She felt so weak that she have seen Irelia really die, she remembered how Irelia elaborated how the war happened but she realized that there is a flaw. Irelia hid the truth, she really have died in the first place.
"Why..why didn't you tell me?! That..That YOU HAVE DIED!"
"WHY?!" Syndra slammed her fists on the ground with a brute force, leading the a blast of magic erupted from the ground.
Syndra mewled and sobbed, the pain she have seen is so miserable. She never thought that she could feel these emotions that are inbound to her.
While she cried for Irelia, her body is casts in shadow, Syndra glanced up to see what is, it is Soraka.
Soraka hurried to heal Irelia but the necromancy is powerful that a simple magic can't heal it.
"No..NO! I am too late!"
"I must..save her but how?! Her life essence have faded!"
She caught a glimpse of the blade of Irelia, the orb sparkled as the light reflects on the smooth surface.
"I..I have no..choice. I have to act fast.. Please.. live!"
Soraka took the blades and prayed, she call upon the stars as the sky swirls around above her, the light illuminated on Irelia's body as some of her life essence circles around her.
"What the hell is happening?!" Syndra quickly backs away and watched Soraka doing the process.
The life essence glows and transferred on the red orb, after that the whole sky went back to normal and the orb falls down.
Waiting for the result, the orb floated; the blades were also do the same, Syndra and Soraka got surprised as the blade floated by its own yet a battalion of soldiers came to her, she is in danger. Soraka stood up and didn't do nothing, one soldier went close to her and tries to attack her, she crouched and protects herself but only a sound of being stabbed is heard. The blade stabbed the soldier with no one is controlling.
"What the-!? What is that?!" The soldier gasps from the distance.
The blade animated on its own and formed into a blooming flower, like a bullet it went through the line of soldiers, impaling them passing throughout their bodies.
"Retreat!"
Instead of retreating, the blade caught them and cuts them into half.
"What..is happening?" Soraka asks as she sees a grisly scene.
She saw Irelia sluggishly stood up and sliced the soldiers like a paper. She have seen Irelia controlled the four blades each and uses it to decapitated all soldiers in seconds. Her body is covered in blood as she made the ground cloaked with blood more like she painted the whole battlefield with blood and her brush is the blade.
All soldiers are killed and Irelia faced Soraka, Soraka went close to her, Irelia thanked and bowed and left the grounds, proceeding to the mountain as she saw soldiers trying to infiltrate a temple.
"Wait! Where are you going?!" Syndra called, she quickly followed Irelia.
"She is resurrected?!" Syndra is in shock as she finally found the truth.
"So now her life is embedded with those blades beside her."
Before she could know it, instead of reaching Irelia, the vision started to grumble, all around her faded. Instantly, she is teleported into a different place now, annoyed at her situation she raged on the fact the orb is playing at her.
"Now what?! This stupid vision is getting in my nerves!"
Glancing around, she is in a room that is dim, everything is spacious and filled with books, only the light from the lights is giving out brightness.
"Wait.. This place." Syndra ponders. "Why I have the feeling that I had been here before?"
She strolled around to investigate, she slides her finger on a desk that is wiped clean, making her way towards the bookshelf and admires the books, the whole interior is going to stir around her head while she investigates. There is one thing that she is surprised with, one of the books that are pulled out from the shelf and placed on the desk that is written in a familiar language, the page of the book tells that the reader would cast an orb as he follows the guideline. She reads the content and let herself got interested on the book.
"This page is contributed by one of the summoners from the Institute of War, only for those who has the ability to flow mana from their being can cast this spell." Syndra reads.
"The spell is used by most of the summoners as they fight at the Rift. It is, in fact the most notable tool for indicating for location. An orb that could foresee what is beyond of life through magic." She continued.
Suddenly, an image of the orb that she often uses as she spy the activities of Ionians popped up her mind. According to her sources, the book is held by the elders that took care of her, but as she thinks about it, the more she reveals the truth, she concluded who might be the one who uses this room and this is a huge discovery.
"Don't.. tell me. This room is-"
She turned around and looked at the door, it creaked open and a girl that is about in teens came in, her hair is silver, the ponytail she wears is the same as hers, the eyes that is in purple glowed under the dim translucent light, in fact the girl made everyone ran from the fear before, it is none other than herself. Syndra.
"No..! I am not GOING BACK!" Syndra clutches her head to ease the stress from her past.
Seeing herself made her agitated, she may see the elders that imprisoned her again, the past that she have escaped came back, her rage is filled up from this vision which it is not ideal to let her see the past but something that will clarify her.
At the moment when herself walked across the room, she passed throughout Syndra, she went towards the window and stared at the sullied grounds of war.
"...If only my power is enough, I could help them with it." The other Syndra murmured. "The elders prevented me to go."
"They prevented YOU to go because they ONLY see your power as THEIRS!" Syndra roared and angrily stomped her foot.
The Syndra that she sees took some of her mana and a purple aura is surged, it only created a mist rather than of making the orb that she reads on the book.
"Why.. I think that my power is weakening.." Other Syndra sighed.
"Maybe I should tell them why after this war, they still forbids me to intrude while the battle is ongoing."
There is loud blast heard ahead from the distance, she took a look on what is happening, the other Syndra froze as she saw a legion of soldiers climbing on the stairs, one of them shouted to open the doors, fear and sweating she felt; other Syndra is nervous on the commotion, she felt that she is in danger and vulnerable because her magic is weak. To hide herself, she hid under the window and avoided to look outside for her to be unseen.
Unfortunately, the soldiers came close, the sound of their swords are ready to kill the people who dared to oppose them.
"Breach it. We need to resupply inside, the war is ongoing so we must to find a place for our base."
"Yes!"
"Soldiers! Ready your weapons!"
"Blast the door, NOW!"
They would use a ballistic to open the door, Syndra watches them do the thing that she hated, she remembered this as well, she raged and got angry, if only her power is not sealed, she would have drive those Noxians away.
"Bastards.." She gritted her teeth with anger.
"Nggh..! No.. Please don't come in. Please don't.." The other Syndra hoped, though this is really the truth on how the Sovereign acted on that time.
Before the Noxians blast the door, they heard a loud cry from one of their allies, the Legion Commander halted them and let their ally speak.
"Commander-! I.. I-!"
"Calm down, what happened?"
"There is-! There ..is-!"
"You ARE isting our TIME! What is it?!"
"There is a girl there that kept on killing our soldiers!"
"A..girl? Ridiculous. A girl can kill?"
"It's the truth!"
"Just where is this girl? How she kills our men?"
"It's different! She controls a blade without touching it!"
All soldiers glanced at each other, they chuckled on how they see the man's statement as a joke.
"That is the MOST ridiculous thing! Are you up on your mind? Or maybe you are just in need to rest now?"
"No-! It's the truth! We can't stop her tracks! She don't care on what she is doing rather than to kill! She is a monster!"
"Don't tell me this is Ionia's weapon of destruction against us?"
After the Commander spoke, Irelia's voice made a stern, low sound.
"Cowards."
The soldiers is astonished on what they have seen, they really saw a floating blade in front of their eyes. They backed away and staggered.
"It's that girl from before!"
"I have seen how she have fallen after the Necromancer kills her!"
"Why she is alive?!"
"I don't know!"
Slowly, Irelia anticipated to run after them and readies her blade, she dashed at the soldier and impales his body, blood splattered on their faces and saw the death of their ally.
"..A-Attack..!"
The soldiers marched and tried to attack Irelia but they were invited with death as she dashes each of them with a swift slice like a lightning, the porch is dripping with blood and covered with the scent of flesh.
"Die."
"A-AH!" One soldier screamed.
"Don't you DARE STEP foot of this temple! Our temples are OURS TO KEEP, NOT YOURS, INVADERS!"
"Ack-!"
"Go back where you BELONG!"
"Urkk..!"
All soldiers were decapitated, only the commander is left alive, he crouches and crawls, but Irelia prodded his both legs with two massive blades , he screamed in agony as Irelia pushes the blade more under the ground until she sweeps her hand and pulls the blade out, amputating the legs of the Noxian.
"No..NO! Please!"
"Haa..Haaa!" He felt an agonizing pain from his legs, he can even feel the blades to his bone.
"..Tch."
"Don't come near me! You monster!"
"AHHHH!" Irelia screamed lastly, and anticipated her blades above.
Rage and hatred. Irelia feels nothing but death, she didn't accepted the Noxian's pleading and she only gave him a last message which is death itself, she impales the Noxian with the blade; not just two but all four of it. Blood seeped out the body and splashed on Irelia's face and her clothes,the blades were dripping with raw blood and the porch of the temple is bathed with the gore and violence of Irelia's rage.
"Irelia.." Syndra widened her eyes in surprise.
"Impossible.. She.. she.." Her legs froze from the shock she have seen.
Immediately, she kneels down without energy, her mind is troubled after she finally learns the truth, she glanced at her hands and stared at it, she kept staring until she realized that Irelia is gone and made her way to kill more Noxians.
"No.. I.. I can't believe this."
"Is this what the vision wants to tell me?"
"Irelia.."
"She..saved me.."
With her conclusion, it finally is the end of all, the vision fades little by little, the only thing she have seen lastly is her self looking at the window, more like she kept looking for the one who saved her last fate.
Finally, she jumped out from the floor, sweating and breathing heavily, at her side is the orb that glowed in a faint red light, the mist that connects her forehead went back on its place back to the orb and returned on its natural form.
Syndra gets up and rubs her forehead, her heart is beating up fast, she didn't quite understand what happened, though she believes that it is a vision and a dream, glancing around she is back at the infirmary.
Her senses acted and floated as possible, she saw the bed and Irelia is resting soundly, she just can't believe that the ride from her past is grisly and beautiful at the same time, mentioning how the childhood memory clarified everything.
As she saw Irelia's face, she softly gazed at her, placing her fingers on the captain's cheek as she rubs it slightly that conducted friction. What she have wanted is to tell Irelia everything that she have seen if she would be able to remember it, though it is long story and she knew that Irelia is a type of person that listens to stories that are personal.
"Irelia.." Syndra started.
"I finally found it. I can't believe it." She ended up in a chuckle.
"Your orb is stupidly annoying that it cuts off the things that we have done during our childhood."
"But It's worth it."
She pauses and blushed.
"I.. I never knew that you had saved me.."
"I am so helpless that those..putrid elders dampen my magic."
"I would have..died if you didn't came.."
"I must..thank you."
She paused.
"H-How..should I reward you?"
Syndra poked Irelia's face and slowly massages it, she leans forward and presses her forehead to Irelia's.
"Maybe.."
Syndra's eyes went straight towards Irelia's lips, she is about to contact Irelia inch by inch.
"Hmph.. What if she wakes up?"
Her cheeks is flushed in red as she slowly leans forward to contact Irelia's lips, but suddenly she can't do it because of embarrassment.
"Irelia.." She pauses her movement.
"How come you are so..cute up this close..?"
"I can't wait to taste this..asset of yours." Again, she went back for her action to contact Irelia.
She is about to kiss Irelia until there were footsteps that can be heard not far but it is coming to the direction towards the door.
Syndra clicked her tongue and got irritated, she swiftly hovers up to the window and prepared for departure, she made a gaze back at Irelia before she leaves.
Unfortunately, her eyes is glared at the sun rising from the horizon, she covers her eyes and flied in a blinding speed towards her fortress.
"What the..I have slept for the whole night?!" She gasps while airborne.
"...Hmph."
"Who cares? I have made myself to look for my Irelia."
"..Wait."
"My? Irelia?"
"Hmph." She blushed furiously.
Her foot finally reached her fortress and immediately went inside, she quickly jumped on the bed and hugged her pillow.
"Irelia.." She dumps her face on the pillow.
"That is indeed..lovely. I hope that I could.."
"Make her mine.."
She screamed and blushes on how she is about to take the captain's lips before the doctors came.
"Why..WHY I DIDN'T DO IT?! IT FEELS INCOMPLETE!"
"Stupid. Doctors. If only they didn't came."
She touches her lips and grasps the skin of it.
"..I may be able to know how her lips tastes like, which is.." She cuts of her statement and smiled, returning her embrace to her pillow.
The sun finally up and the morning sunshine calls in, Syndra stood up and looks outside, the wind makes her hair flow along with it without making it frizzy. The day invites her for the new things she must do, she felt in need to exercise her power more for her mana to stimulate.
"Might as well.. give that to her as her honorable reward." She finishes, and now she made her way to the meditating chamber for her to start her magic exercises.
NOTE:
In this chapter, I tackled some Irelia's lore here. But first, the only thing that piques me is that, what if Irelia really saved Syndra from her imprisonment? You know, the lore stated that since Syndra's magic is sealed, and the war came, she might be helpless. But with Irelia's resolve, little did Syndra know that her life is saved by a rival. That would be a great theory!
Anyways, the fluff is on. Will Syndra be able to give her..'reward'? Well.. before that, next chapter will be a twist. Read on!