I know its been a very long time since I've updated! I am so sorry, but I lost muse for this up until recently! That and I've been busy with life, so I apologize for a VERY much needed update and I hope you enjoy! After this chapter will begin the process of Thresh subduing Shiva to his complete and utter control~ Wheee~
The weary and troubled Shiva had awoken from her slumber as her internal clock rung without fail. Last night's conflict repeated within her thoughts, as sitting on the bathroom tiles aided her not. Standing to unlock the door which lead to the living room, the Warden was found cleansing his tools as the poor man's body had completely disappeared. He must have stayed up all night torturing the poor soul. Questioning not for it was none of her concern, she headed for the door to the room before he stopped her with a scoff.
"Yes?" she responded.
"You don't plan on waltzing out of here after last night's event, now do you?" he stated.
"...Its not like there's another way out except through the gates" said Shiva.
"My, my, and you expect me to stroll down the halls by your side? I dare not step foot out of this room, least without a form of concealment" said Thresh.
"I assumed others would see your...disguise, like last night" said Shiva.
"Don't be a fool, it was only temporary as I unveiled it to the winning prize you brought" said Thresh.
"...then what do you expect to do now?" she asked.
"There...is a way to leave the premises unseen, but-" the Warden marched to her, pinning her petite frame up against the door. "It would require a sacrifice on your part".
His scythe caressed her neck as he applied pressure.
"Perhaps, a worthy soul could manifest another concealment, powerful enough that even I could dance my way out of this wretched place" he leered at her.
Unable to guide her hands upward, Shiva began to panic as her heart raced. Just as the sharp blade nearly pierced her throat, the Warden dropped her from his grasp and returned to his previous post. Gently feeling her neck for any form of cut he might have inflicted, this was perhaps the only time he didn't harm her.
"Your time to satisfy me will come all due time" the Warden spoke as a finger flicked the thin air.
With that flick, a portal embed with sickly dark emerald was formed in front of him.
"Come, we return to the Isles" he spoke as he entered the portal.
Surprised the Warden hadn't forced her to enter first, the thought of escape crossed her mind as a hand wandered to the door knob, but did nothing but rest there. What would she gain if she ran out of the room? Would she tell Jarvan, Garen or Shyvanna of the Warden's presence and evil deeds? Would they even believe her? They would have no reason not to. What would she do after? Return to Piltover and request Heim to send her back home? What would be the point if no one would be there to greet her. The grip on the knob loosened as she gritted her teeth and stormed straight into the portal. As soon as she stepped over, the Warden was there to greet her with a devious grin.
"For a moment I was expecting you to run. Oh how fun would the chase have been" he said.
"Apologies if that was my chance to please you" said Shiva.
"No, you've done far greater good than that, for now. Seeing as you've become rather obedient, minus the few hesitant thoughts which cloud your mind. You've proven yourself worthy enough for me to gain a little 'trust' in you, if that's what you'd like to hear" said Thresh.
"...trust? Am I even qualified for such a thing?" said Shiva.
"Don't get carried away, for I would punish you severely if the thought of crossing me ever crawled its way into your worthless head. I have a task for you" said Thresh.
"Task?" she questioned.
"You see. The souls here are becoming duller each and every time, there's nothing interesting within the lands. I aim for a much higher resolution" he spoke.
His words halted for a moment as he seemed to recompose himself from the very thought dwelling within his mind as he nearly echoed a laugh.
"You will be joining the Institute" he said.
"The Institute?" she asked again.
"As much as I despise even walking amongst the very halls of that place, I figure there are promising souls residing within the Institute" said Thresh.
"Aren't you prohibited from harming summoners..." said Shiva.
"Oh yes, but I never mentioned that 'I' would be the one luring them to an unfortunate demise" he said as he walked over to her and lifted her chin with a finger. "That, my dear, is where 'you' will come in".
"M-me? What do you hope to accomplish with me there? If I were to endanger another summoner, I would be the one facing the consequences" said Shiva. "How does that work out for you...".
"You continue to miss my point here. No one would suspect another summoner to inflict any form of harm to another summoner. Although, there is a method which voids any form of safety for a summoner. That, my dear, is when we need their consent" said Thresh.
"...how do you expect to get it from them without being suspicious..." said Shiva.
"Trust. You will earn it from them" said Thresh as he walked off.
Continuing to stand as she tried to piece the puzzle together, the Warden's presence proved difficult in conjuring any form of thoughts aside his own at the time. So far, he would have her join the Institute, form bonds with the other summoners and gain enough trust to lure them into an ambush set by the Warden to claim their souls without arousing suspicion. Knowing not the exact plans on acquiring the consent of the summoners would play out, she left the planning to him as she would only play as the puppet. The Warden returned shortly with a duffle bag filled with critical items which the Institute requires. Spell books, encyclopedias, user manual, etc. Going through the items, most involved using magic spells, something she was unfamiliar with.
"I am to learn magic?" said Shiva.
"It is a requirement. You will study these to keep them distracted from your real goal. They won't see it coming" said Thresh.
"When do we depart?" said Shiva.
"Now" he said flicking his finger to open yet another portal.
Swinging the duffle bag over her shoulder as she stepped through the portal right behind the Warden, the step through the portal had then appear at the very gates of the Institute. They were grand and meant to fit anything/anyone through them. From where they stood, she was unable to calculate the grounds which it covered. The Institute was grand and amazed her in nearly every aspect. Thresh disappeared without a sound as she was left to venture into unknown grounds. Walking in front of the gates as they opened freely for her, a long hall presented itself to her as torches illuminated a path for her. On the walls rested paintings of High Summoners and various locations throughout Runeterra. Interrupted by a fellow Summoner who so happened to bump into her, the lack of proper uniform caught his curiosity as he approached her.
"Are you new here or are you currently off duty?" he asked.
"I'm new here...I was told to come here if I wished to become a proper summoner" said Shiva.
"You must speak to the High Summoner first, then you must be tested to see if you are equipped to be a summoner" he said. "But I apologize for not introducing myself, my name is John, a pleasure to meet you".
John, a medium tier summoner who dressed in the formal lavender robes which the Institute provided. His long raven hair covering his right eye as it flowed in layers to his upper back. With a book in hand, he politely bowed to her as he motioned her to follow. Trailing closely behind John as she continued to admire the paintings on the wall, as interaction between them lacked. This man remained silent and only had his face buried into the book currently in his hand. Both passed through multiple rooms which had wooden plates containing the names of the summoners which resided inside.
"Do all summoners get their own room? Asked Shiva.
"Yes. Summoners and Champions alike are provided a room for their comfort" said John uninterested.
"Champions as well? How are large creatures such as Cho kept in a room?" asked Shiva.
"Even in containment they are given their own room, but under constant watch as they can provide unseen threats to the Institute" said John.
"...mm. What activities does the Institute provide? Are there interactive events where summoners and Champions are allowed to-" John stopped abruptly to face her.
"Why do you ask so many questions when you haven't even seen the High Summoner. Yet here you are asking away as if you're already one of us" said John.
"I like to be informed" said Shiva. "Unless there is a rule against acquiring basic knowledge of the Institute".
John furrowed his brows as he turned away and picked up his pace. Trailing behind for a decent amount of time, both reached the East Wing corridor, where the High Summoner's quarters resided as he stopped once again in front of the door and knocked.
"Another who wishes to join the ranks of the summoners" he spoke.
For a brief moment, a sharp pain caused Shiva to rub her temple as it faded just as fast as it came.
"The High Summoner Maik will see you now. Good luck" said John storming off.
Lofting a brow at John's hostility towards her, Shiva entered through the doors to find a relatively old fellow sitting on a luxurious chair with a quill pen and paper in hand, motioning her to sit across from him.
"Please, take a seat" said Maik.
Approaching his desk to pull up a chair and sit down, she set down the duffle bag next to her and rested her hands on her lap.
"What brings you to the Institute, child?" he asked.
Shiva hesitated to answer as there was no solid reason for her to be here aside on Thresh's orders. Maik paused his writing to look up at her.
"Do you not have a set reason as to why you would want to join the Institute?" asked Maik.
"...I don't have anywhere else to go..." said Shiva.
"This isn't a shelter" said Maik. "There are requirements. Not just anyone could summon a Champion, let alone harness the power to wield magic".
"I can summon Champions. I may not know exactly how to wield magic, but I can learn. I've formed bonds with some of the Champions and I am a very dedicated support main" said Shiva.
"...what did you just say?" asked Maik.
"...which part?" replied Shiva.
"The support main...we don't use that term here..." said Maik. "...you...you come from the other side...don't you".
"What do you mean other side? You mean on the screen? Or...I don't follow" said Shiva.
Maik slowly stood from his chair as he calmly walked over to Shiva and reached over to her head. Confused by his actions, she best thought to allow the old man to resume his actions. His hands rested on her head as his eyes closed and Shiva felt his presence in her thoughts as he dug through her memories. Feeling her thoughts bring intruded by the old man, Shiva forced herself out of his grasp and stood up from her seat.
"My apologies if it was your first time. I wasn't convinced you had no experience in anything" said Maik.
"...you invaded my mind" said Shiva.
"I wanted to see for myself if you were truly from the other side. You've proved me right. Again I apologize, but it has been a very long time since I have seen anything from the other side" he said returning to his throne.
"What do you mean...don't all the Summoners return once a game is over?" said Shiva.
"Only those who still live on the other side. Sometimes, Summoners are warped in and end up here with no hope of returning" said Maik.
"Wait, are you saying all the Summoners are stuck here for eternity?" said Shiva.
"In a form, yes. There are only a handful who are alive from the other side, including myself. Ages can pass without a single soul getting transferred here, only to find out they can never return home. Not only because its physically impossible without ripping the fabric of space, but because if all the Summoners left, then there wouldn't be an Institute...there wouldn't be peace in this world" explained Maik. "Some Summoners can't handle the fact of never returning to their normals lives and end up killing themselves, others go mad and never return to their conscious...then there are those like myself to accept their fate and contribute to the Institute. Others enjoy it here, those without family or true friends on the other side...they rejoice here. Those are usually the ones who end up living normal lives and at times leave the Institute to create a family and home. But you my dear, haven't accepted your fate...something else binds you to this world and I'm uncertain of what it is...but I'm sure with the time you spend here, you will grow to accept it".
Remaining silent, the fact that the old man gave her the option to adapt to this world pleased her not. There was a way to get back home, but there was nothing to go back home to. Thresh was her only reason to reside here, for now. Even then her fate was to have her soul harvested by him, not exactly the most pleasant way to go.
"You may study within these walls. I will provide a tutor for you to learn magic and you will be allowed to summon Champions in the Fields of Justice. To make your stay here more comfortable, please let me or any other High Summoner know" said Maik.
Reaching down for her duffle bag, Maik scribbled down directions to her new dorm as he handed it to her.
"You will find everything you need already set up in your room. There should be a guide as to what time your training commences and what feats you will require" said Maik.
"...thank you..." said Shiva bowing politely before walking off.
Following the directions Maik gave her, Shiva lost herself a couple of times trying to find it, but they proved useful when she took note as to where the kitchen and lounging area were located. After a good while of wandering nearly the whole Institute, Shiva found herself in her cozy personal dorm. Dropping her duffle bag at the door after shutting it behind her, proper robes were neatly folded on a chair nearby along with a couple of handbooks and accessories. There was a kitchen and bathroom provided along with a small closet for personal storage, it felt just like a small house, which was something she missed. Jumping straight on the bed as her body bounced on the soft bed, a soft smile covered her face as stress had been released from her mind. Rolling from side to side as every position was comfortable enough, her smile softened as sleep dawned over her, exhausted after a long day. The Warden was no where to be found and she figured for now it was for the best. Yawning loudly as she curled up on her side, her eyes flickered for a moment before closing. Tonight was the best night she's had in a long while.