Chapter 11
Irelia stopped. She dropped Syndra onto the ground and looked up in front of her towards the entranceway. Her leather bag bumped off her chest, now dyed crimson in her own blood. Irelia stared at the source of the voice. It was a man wrapped in blue silk. She stared at him for a few moments, shook her head and went back to strangling Syndra.
He called out again, "Irelia, don't!"
Irelia froze. Her shoulders quaked, her blades ripped out of the ground and reformed itself. She started laughing, shaking her head, "I...I failed, didn't I? This is the afterlife, right?"
She got to her feet and walked past Syndra. Her body convulsed and twitched, her left leg finally showing its damage as she dragged it useless along. A half smile was evident on her face, "I only wish...I only wish I could apologize to Karma, to Soraka, to the people of Ionia, for failing them...At least will see them soon. I tried, I tried so hard..." Her smiled widened, "Oh well. It doesn't matter anymore. At least I can see you again..."
Syndra coughed and gasped for air. She rolled over and nearly vomited from how close to death she was. Her bloodied and tear stained face looked up at the slowly walking Irelia. Her back was turned to Syndra, completely ignoring her. Complete and utter rage filled her heart. No one, no one dishonors a Sovereign in such a manner. No one does so and lives. She will die.
Syndra's hands whipped out to her sides, and grabbed the remnants of two stone pillars. She slammed her hands together, and made them race at the delusional Irelia who was still laughing and smiling in an almost insane manner.
The man ran forward, wrapped his arms around Irelia, and held her close as he waited for the resulting impact which...never came.
A forcefield stopped the pillars easily. The man could feel a gust of wind shield them while Karma walked past the two.
The Duchess fanned herself far quicker than someone should ever fan themselves as she made her way to Syndra. The Sovereign breathed heavily, "You...I am going to kill all of-"
*Fwip* *SMACK*
Syndra received a hard slap across the face from one of Karma's closed fans. It left a considerable red mark, considering the fan was made from some of the finest steel in Ionia. The Duchess' irate tone could be clearly heard, "I am going to talk, and you are going to listen."
"You...you slapped-"
*SMACK*
This time it was with the back of her hand that Karma slapped Syndra with, "You will not talk while I am talking! If you wish to act like a childI will treat you like one! I will bend you over my knee and I will spank you if I have to! I did not ask Irelia to spare you just so you can try killing her! You will not repeat the same mistake you made before!"
"Mistake?! What-"
Karma raised her fan at Syndra, which made the Sovereign instantly go quiet.
"I said the only mistake that the council made was not giving you a decision in what should be done! What they did, however, was merciful! What do you do with an orphan child who has such amazing power and uses it to uproot trees, fling cattle about and whenever you threw a tantrum the village doctor would be booked for weeks? How do you react to that?"
"You..."
"I. Am. Still. Talking!"
Syndra cowed once more.
"You have to make a choice! You were hurting people because you did not get what you wanted, and your power was without check nor limit! No one could do so! What could be done? They had two choices, kill you, or train you! They decided that because you were a child, to have you killed would be a terrible thing! They decided to have you trained in your abilities, nurtured, something you never had before! How did you repay him? You killed him the moment you found out he was limiting your abilities so you can gain control of them!"
"He was an ignorant fool! He was scared of me, of my potential!"
"And rightfully so! The moment you found out your potential, you killed him! Does that warrant fear?"
"If he hadn't-"
"If he hadn't, then you would have possibly killed more people than you had today! I am going to run a few things by you, alright? First: Those that follow you? They're scared of you! They do not respect you! I regret that they did not see what transpired here so they would know what true strength is! Secondly, you did notkill a legion of soldiers: you nearly killed a cohort of guards and a few thousand civilians and monks you spoiled child! That's who you killed because of your absurd amounts of pettiness! Thirdly, you fought the successor to the Hiten style! What made you think you could possibly win against her?"
"The...the Hiten...? What is-"
"The Flying Heaven technique, also known as the Sovereign slayer! The Hiten style was used to end the reign of tyranny of the Sovereigns! His sacrifice was made known since the Kinkou had to kill him for the chaos that ensued due to the collapse of the government system that was in place for so many years! He knew of the consequences, and he took responsibility for it! Sounds familiar? I don't think so, since you do not know what taking responsibility means! The books that you read from are outdated, your common sense is completely lacking, you are inexperienced in more ways than one and you do not even know what a Yordle is! What makes you think that you deserve to rule a kumquat never mind a country? Strength? Please, stop being so childish! That was just proven ineffectual! Do you know economics? Do you know the law system in place in Ionia? Do you know how to manage the country's treasury? Do you know the current political issues in Ionia? Do you know Demacia, Noxus, Piltover, Zaun, Shurmia, any of these places? Probably only from books! Do you know of the League of Legends? Do you know the political games that must be played with the Summoners? I highly doubt that!"
Karma glared at Syndra, not waiting for her to respond before firing her next question, "How about the Ionian-Noxian war? Do you know that?"
Syndra moved her lips to answer but stopped herself in the case it would earn her another slap.
"No, you don't! You were sheltered the entire time! You were kept safe! Your safety was made paramount over your master helping in the war! Did you know your master assured your safety by deterring Noxian forces himself? He killed more Noxians than people you did this day, to make sure you were kept safe! He loved you, but he was terrified of you and not your power! Oh no, he understood your power, but it was your temper! All of his reports always talk about your temper! You do not deserve to rule ants, never mind people if you cannot do something so simple as keep your temper under control!"
Karma pointed at the floating terrain, "Now go back to your castle or your fortress or whatever, go away, think about what you have done, and when you come back, we will talk! If you do not want to talk, you will deal with all of Ionia directly. Irelia will be the least of your worries if you try a stunt like this again! You are powerful, you have a lot of potential, you are the yang to the yin of the majority of Ionia, hence why you have so much power condensed in you! Do not, and I repeat myself, do notwaste this second chance!"
The two women stared at one another until the Duchess pointed again at the floating terrain, "Go!"
Syndra breathed in and out angrily, she pointed a finger at Karma, "How d-"
"Oh you better not be thinking of trying anything else. I will resort to Noxian diplomatic techniques if I have to!"
Syndra snorted and flew away from her, cursing under her breath. Karma called out, "And you better wash your tongue next time you visit! It is unfitting for a Sovereign to have such a vulgar vocabulary!"
With the Sovereign floating away, Karma turned her attention back to Irelia and the man who held her tightly. Irelia's body went limp, a smile on her face as she passed out.
Syndra pushed past every one of her servants and serfs who stopped and questioned why she looked the way she did. She reached her inner sanctum, where she had a specially crafted throne for which she could sit on. It was incredibly comfortable. She screamed aloud, "Smithy! Tailor!"
Her scream echoed throughout the entire complex. Several minutes passed, and two men ran into the room. They bowed before her, fear alit in their eyes. They spoke in terrified unison, "Wh-what is it S-Sovereign?"
Syndra covered her injured forehead, her tone was near maniacal, "Tailor, I want you to make me new clothing. These ones have too much peasant blood on them."
"Y-yes Sovereign!"
"Smithy, I want a crown."
"A crown?"
"A crown," Syndra hissed. "I want it with a purple gem, the darkest amethyst, embedded in the center, I want it to be silver colored, and I want it to be large and exquisite. I want it to cover my forehead and let my hair flow out from behind it."
"B-but why would you want it to cover your beautiful foreh-"
"Go!" She screamed.
The two mousey men scurried away, leaving her alone in the dark room. She breathed in, breathed out, and muttered aloud, "They will pay. They will all pay. I am power without limit."
"Everything has its limits, Sovereign."
Syndra shot out of her seat, wildly looking around, "Who speaks?! Who's here?!"
"I am Shen, the Eye of Twilight. I am one of the Kinkou's ninja triumvirate. I am the judge."
The blue ninja walked into view from the shadows.
Syndra snorted at him, "I saw you before. You were with that Yordle thing."
"Kennen, the Heart of the Tempest," a chipper voice said. Kennen appeared next to Shen from a bolt of lightning.
"What do you two want?"
"I am going to do two things: One, reinforce what Karma said. Next time you meet her face to face in Ionia, or anywhere else that is deemed out of League boundaries, you will be civil or else-"
"Or else what?!"
Shen did not show any displeasure upon being interrupted, "Or else the League will imprison you and confine you. You will become their puppet and be used in League battles against your will."
"The League?" Syndra waved a dismissive hand at Shen, "The League means nothing to me."
Kennen palmed his face, "Do you even know what the League is?"
No response came from Syndra.
The Yordle sighed and gave his explanation in a single breath, "The League of Legends is a place in the center of Valoran in which political issues and debates that cannot be settled peacefully are done so via violence meaning it has become a stage on which beings can gain fame for themselves or a cause or simply try bettering themselves by pitting themselves against strong fighters or gain more knowledge in regards to cultures since it is a melting pot of every culture in Valoran and even alien cultures." He looked over at Shen and muttered, "I feel like I give that explanation waaay too often."
"This does not interest me," Syndra scoffed. "They are nothing to me."
"Irelia, the woman who just defeated you, is not the strongest champion in the League. There are Summoners who are much more powerful than her, and you would be made a puppet if you give them the chance."
Syndra's eyes went wide. She started quaking at the thought.
Shen continued, "We do not want that to happen. That is the second reason as to why we are here: You will follow the Balance, or you will be cut from it."
"What do you mean, the Balance?"
"If you fall into the hands of Summoners, if you become their plaything, you will be killed. That much power at their fingertips, with you having no control over it, is far too dangerous. You will be killed. You will also neglect from dropping entire pieces of floating land onto building structures. Your magic may be a natural aspect of your being, but dropping large land masses on people and buildings is not unless you return it from whence it came. You are incredibly lucky that two of the most physically and spiritually gifted men in Ionia had decided to visit the Placidium this day."
Syndra's eyes narrowed, "What makes you think you can threaten-"
Two blades wrapped themselves around her neck and pulled her towards her throne. She felt the same sensation as she did before: Fear. She was too frightened to react properly. Syndra was firmly secured on her chair as a third voice spoke,
"Akali, the Fist of Shadows. Our concern and our duty was to assure the safety of the Ionian people at the time. Irelia's duty was to assure you were stopped. We do not threaten, we state fact. If you do not follow the balance, you will be removed in order for Balance to be restored. You have officially become an issue for the Kinkou to observe and to deal with if need be."
Shen nodded, "We will be keeping an eye on you, Syndra. Always."
With that, the three ninjas disappeared. Syndra let out a frustrated scream which tore apart any nearby furniture and dented the walls. She grabbed at her bloodied face,
"The League, huh? The League is able to do all that? They think I'm weak? I'll show them...I'll show them. I'll get stronger, I am limitless. The League can do that for me? It will let me kill them? I must find them, must talk to them. I will kill them. I am in control. They will pay."
Irelia's eyes slowly opened. She stared at the ceiling above her. White, nothing special. She looked over to her right, there was an empty chair and a nightstand that had a bouquet of flowers. A few roses, a few lilies, and one Irelia flower, flattened and almost withered beyond recognition. She patted what she was lying down on to see what it was. It was a mattress. Who knew the afterlife would be so barren? She sat up and rubbed her face. Upon second look, she realized this was her room. There was her desk and its drawers, her mirror, her mannequin dressed in her armor, her armoire, so...the afterlife was the Placidium?
She shuffled over the side of the bed, and gasped out in pain.
'Definitely not the afterlife.'
She grabbed her chest, she could feel her bruised and broken ribs. The covers slid off her, showing the multitude of securely wrapped bandages that encircled her body from the neck down over where all of her open wounds were. She could clearly see the leather pouch that still adorned her neck.
'I almost resemble Amumu,' she thought to herself.
Her sword hummed to life and floated over to her. She steadied herself on the flat of the blade and stood up. She walked over to her desk, and saw a white smock that had been laid out there. She looked in the mirror, she could see the gashes on her face that had been healed, though red lines marked where they once were. Under Soraka and Karma's care, they would disappear soon enough. She rarely scarred.
She put the smock on and looked around for some footwear. A pair of sandals waited patiently at the foot of her bed. She slipped into them, and walked towards her door. She could hear arguing. Arguing? That was odd.
She opened the door, and saw Prince Jarvan being held back by Shyvana while yelling at the someone else, "I have every right to assure her safety! It is my duty as her ally and as the Prince of Demacia-"
"She's hurt at the moment you ijit! She doesn't need you, me, and the dragon lady to visit all at the same time!"
"Did...Did you just call the Prince of Demacia an ijit?"
"Yes, yes I did! Let her rest, all of youryelling will wake her up, so stop it and walk away! I'm seeing her first!"
"My yelling? Myyelling?! You're the one who's yelling! I'm just concerned for her safety!"
Irelia's eyes went wide. She stepped out into the open and looked at who Jarvan was arguing with.
His long, black hair flowed down his back like a river. His emerald eyes was complemented by the red tint in his face as he argued with Jarvan. His lithe body was covered by traditional Ionian clothing. A wooden charm that had childish carvings on it read, いれりあ. Save for the ridiculous stubble that adorned his face, she recognized him instantly.
"Oh you're concerned, huh?! Let me tell you who should be concerned-"
"Zelos...?"
He looked over at her, any sign of anger disappeared. He smiled meekly, "Hey, Irie! ...So, ah, I had something planned to say, but..."
The man looked over at Jarvan, motioning with his head the opposite direction. The Prince nodded and smiled at Zelos, "I will come back later. I see you are fine, milady."
Jarvan and Shyvana left the siblings alone in the now silent hallway.
The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Zelos whistled, "Soo yeah, you musta seen the flowers in your room. They're not mine, truth be told. That one, the little one, is. Friend of yours came by, River? Regis? I think her name was Riven? Ah..."
He awkwardly clapped his hands together, "So, I'm back! Surprise?"
Irelia burst out into a fit of laughter. She laughed so hard she intermixed gasps of pain and laughter with one another. She almost fell to the ground when Zelos rushed over and attempted to catch her again. This time her sword flew over, caught her and helped prop her back up.
Zelos smirked at her, "Hey hey, don't strain yourself now! I mean I wasn't gone that long, was I?"
A sharp glare from Irelia made him wince, "Too soon? Yeah, too soon. Totally inappropriate. Trying to be funny, ah..."
"You are such an idiot," Irelia laughed. She stood back up and smiled at him. It was strange, they were almost the same height. That only meant it was easier to hug him now as she wrapped her arms around him.
He hugged her back, "I'm sorry it took so long, Irelia, I'm so sorry. We have a lot to catch up on, like...That."
Zelos pointed at the floating sword that hummed with excitement, "Why is dad's blade, y'know...floating like that? I mean, for him, it wasn't exactly like that, and who was that chick with the purple and black dress? And what is-"
"Right now, I just need some rest, Zelos. I'll explain it to you when I am better."
"Alright, alright, I'll just pop in and make sure you're bundled-"
Irelia shook her head, "I don't want you to see me like this. Please. I am alright. I can take care of myself."
Zelos nodded, "Yes yes, right...Right. I'll..." He pointed about the hallway, "Make myself familiar again. I got lost for like an hour when I was trying to find your room, had to be guided by that Riven woman here. Get well soon, Irelia. We have a lot to catch up on."
Irelia smiled broadly at Zelos, not very sure how she should properly react. She went with what first came to mind. She reached into the pouch, and withdrew from it a small wooden charm. It read, "ゼロス." She dangled it in front of her, smiling as she spoke,
"Welcome home, Zelos."
Author's Note: I know there are so many reviews I have not replied to, but I want to let you know that I will reply to each one personally! I am so sorry I haven't yet, I've just been a bit swamped! Thank you all for reading!
