As promised, here is my Judgment for Ahri, the Nine-Tailed Fox. Ahri is one of my favorite champions of the League, if not perhaps the one I'm strongest with, so I was glad when someone suggested this. I have no idea why, but it took me a long time to figure this Judgment out. I'm sure there are a few areas where I can improve this, but I'm reasonably happy with it at the moment. Any comments would be greatly appreciated though.
Also, I've only just realized that this is the tenth Judgment I've written thus far. I have to say, I didn't think I'd get even this many readers, so a big thank-you to everyone who comments, follows, or just plain reads these. You guys rock and I doubt I'd still be writing this series without you.
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Candidate: Ahri
Date: December 14th, 21 CLE
OBSERVATION:
One's eyes are drawn immediately to Ahri upon her entrance to the Great Hall and seemingly cannot move away. Though she is but one of many beautiful girls to seek entrance to the League of Legends, there is more about her than just good looks – a certain aura of sex appeal seems to follow her wherever she goes and entices even the most stalwart of hearts. Her outfit seems carefully chosen to emphasis this particular trait, riding low on her chest and high on her waist. A half-smile decorates her face – a soft, knowing expression that one cannot help but feel is directed at them.
However, it is very apparent that she is not fully human. A pair of black fox ears protrude from underneath her raven-colored hair, twitching this way and that at each little noise that reverberates through the hall. More obvious than her inhuman ears though is the mass of pearly-white tails that slides sinuously behind her. Though supposedly she possesses nine of them, a casual observer would be hard-pressed to count even half of that number before they lost track, and Ahri herself seems to avoid confirming the fact.
Though she neither turns nor hesitates on her way to the Reflecting Chamber's doors, Ahri seems content to take her time with the journey. She gives a soft giggle upon seeing the inscription above the giant stone slabs, then flinches in surprise as they open for her. Her composure is recovered within seconds though, and the nine-tailed fox enters the room beyond.
REFLECTION:
No sooner had the doors closed behind Ahri that she felt a sudden change in her body. She fell to all fours as white fur sprang out from her skin and her face suddenly bulged outwards, forming a snout. Mere seconds after the transformation had begun, she found herself once more as the nine-tailed fox that she had been for most of her life. Ahri's surroundings had changed along with her body, and it took her only a second to recognize the small Ionian forest in which she had spent most of her life.
The sudden reversion to her old form brought with it the same deep sense of unease that Ahri had felt throughout her entire animal life. The fox's body was lithe, strong, and far better than a human's body in terms of sensory detection, but Ahri could never help but feel that it ill-suited her. There was something intriguing about a human's body, something immensely curious about their movements and magic that Ahri couldn't get enough of. As it was though, she couldn't spend her time dreaming the day away – there was hunting to be done.
The scent of blood on the wind was what first caught Ahri's attention. Sniffing carefully, the white fox pinpointed the direction of the smell and leapt off in that direction, bounding gracefully and swiftly through the forest. Blood meant a kill, and a kill usually meant food. Though there were many beings residing in the forest that were stronger than she was, Ahri's tails and rarity allowed her to intimidate and scare away most creatures. It was always better to steal food than it was to hunt for it yourself.
After a quick, five-minute travel, Ahri found herself instinctually slowing down. She was nearing the edge of the forest, which meant approaching human territory. Though she was fascinated with the beings, they were equally in thrall with her and would not hesitate to chase her down. The scent of blood was even stronger now though, and Ahri began to suspect what she would see upon exiting the woods. She pushed her snout through the tangled branches of a bush, concealing her presence as she checked beyond the boundaries of the forest.
The sight that met her eyes was one that she had seen before, but which never failed to make her uneasy. As far as she could see lay dead human bodies, red oozing from their wounds and weapons scattered around their prone forms. Crows had descended from the sky and were busily feasting upon the deceased, a sight which many humans could not stomach but which meant nothing to Ahri. Several of the humans were still moving, but barely, and Ahri knew she had nothing to fear from them. They would be dead before long. She slipped through the brush, exiting the relative safety of the forest, and moved out onto the plain of battle. There was nothing here that she would willing consume, but curiosity pulled her onwards.
A sudden scuffling noise broke through the sound of the crows cackling with one another over their spoils. Ahri twitched towards the noise instantly, prepared to flee, but nothing moved. Her ears picked up the soft, ragged sound of something breathing and she slowly moved forwards, her inquisitiveness getting the better of her again. A gleam of green was the first thing to catch her eye, and as she clambered over a pile of corpses she found a single human male lying on the ground, a green glow suffusing the air around him. He wore a long, flowing garment that was colored purple and appeared to be in pristine condition, apart from the long gash that had been torn in the chest through which his blood bubbled out. His lips moved soundlessly, knitting the field of healing that surrounded him, but as Ahri approached his words faltered and the light began to dim.
Ahri's instinct was to turn and leave the battlefield, but something about the man called to her. She stepped closer, cautiously watching the human for any sign of danger even though she knew he posed no threat. The man's eyes flickered in her direction as she approached, and a flash of some emotion flickered in his eyes – was it fear? She couldn't tell. But as she stared back into his gaze, Ahri almost felt as though he could see through her physical form and into her soul, where her true form resided.
The field of magic that surrounded the dying human suddenly pulsed with energy, its illumination brightening once more. Its green light began to change though, gradually lightening into a brilliant gold color. Ahri's fox instincts screamed at her to flee, but she found herself riveted in place by the sudden change. Something inside her – she couldn't describe exactly what it was – reached out to the human, whose eyes had closed as the light built around them. For a moment it felt as though she could feel the human's life force leaving his body before the light consumed her, burning away the world around her. She felt her body twisting, changing, but her mind was unable to process anything but the surge of magical energy.
After what seemed like an eternity, the glow finally faded away. Ahri opened her eyes carefully, as though afraid of what she might see following the spell. To her immense surprise and pleasure, she found a pair of pink hands on the ground in front of her where her paws had formerly been. Leaning back on her haunches, Ahri realized that her whole body had changed. Her white fur had receded, replaced by soft, smooth skin, and her form now mirrored that of the humans who lay strew about the battlefield around her. For the first time in her life, Ahri's spirit rejoiced – no longer did she feel ill at ease in her own body. This was what she was meant to be.
A soft light from nearby caught Ahri's attention and as she glanced up, she found a sphere about the size of her head, made of blue light, hovering a few paces away. She lifted a hand as though to reach out to the orb, and in response it delicately glided over to her palm, settling just above it. It was only then that Ahri felt the magic bubbling within her body, and she gave a small giggle. Not only had she been given a human's form, but a human's magic as well. She had gotten lucky indeed.
A rush of movement from behind her brought a slightly pause in her revelry. Ahri glanced back quickly, afraid that someone had seen the light from the magic and had come to investigate, but all she found instead was one of her tails gently waving back and forth. A sense of disappointment settled over Ahri as she realized that her transformation was incomplete. It was close, but not enough for her. She glanced back down at the form of the human below, as though to demand that he finish the spell, but the human's body was unmoving, the rise and fall of his chest finally stilled. He had given all he could to change her – and it wasn't enough.
Ahri snarled in frustration, her fingers clenching in her palms. The orb of light sparkled in response to her anger, its smooth surface fracturing into uncontrolled waves of energy. As Ahri watched the orb roil with her emotions, she slowly remembered that she possessed the same magic that the human did. All she would need to do is steal the life essence of others in order to complete her transformation. Ahri gave a feral grin, then stood and began to walk lightly towards the waiting forest. She would finish the spell herself and finally be a true human.
A small cough echoed from behind her. "Why do you want to join the League, Ahri?" came an unfamiliar voice. As the fox-turned-human whirled around, magical sphere at the ready, she found the "dead" human rising from the ground, his eyes wide open and fixed on her. The illusion was disturbing and Ahri took several steps backwards before she remembered the Institute of War and the Judgment she was undergoing. A ball of frustration knotted itself in her gut as she realized that she'd been duped by the Summoner's illusions.
"You know why I'm here," she said, keeping her expression calm. "I told the Senior Summoner of my intentions here. I fight for you in your little games, and you help me a way to become fully human."
The human gave Ahri a mocking half-smile. "I thought you already found a way to do that," he said. "Something about absorbing the life force from the humans that you seduced?"
Ahri blushed and lowered her head in shame. "I can't keep doing that," she admitted softly. "I feel… bad, about it. Killing them, I mean. I don't why." She felt vulnerable, giving away her secrets in front of an unknown human, but she had no choice. He could see her mind and knew everything about her. "Now let me go."
The Summoner gave a wicked grin, just before the battlefield and its legion of bodies disappeared. Ahri flinched as the walls of the darkened chamber reappeared around her, this time with a door at the far end. Despite the mental stress from the Reflection, Ahri's composure was recovered within seconds. She had been admitted to the League, securing the aid of the most powerful magicians on Runterra to help her with her goal, and all she had to do was participate in their League of Legends. She licked her lips in anticipation – they had never fought someone quite like her before. No one would be able to stand in her way. With a seductive swing in her step, the Nine-Tailed Fox pressed onwards.