Chapter 12: Peace, at last!
EDIT: A kind guest reviewer, one that named him(or her)self Space Mage Veigar, warned me about problems in the end of this chapter. I saw the problem, thanks to that review, and tried, at least, to correct it. Also, I would like to say that these kind of reviews, reviews that tell me about something I did wrong, are kindly accepted. My main objective is to make this story good, and any help in that is welcome. Love ya'll S2
Also, the "EDIT" took more than double of the original lenght of this chapter, so yea, it's like I released a whole new chapter.
As a plus, I'd like to inform that I'm already 1,350 words into the next chapter, so it shouldn't take... too? long for the next update.
AN: Hello there, my dear readers!
First of all, I'm going to say I'm sorry in advance for the next chapter, as I have bad news:
I'm going to Italy. Tomorrow.
However, you might ask "How is that bad?"
Well, for me, it isn't. Travelling is great.
However, that means I'll probably not update this for a long time. Next update probably will come out only in August.
Yes, I know I promised two chapters until then, and instead am uploading just one, short chapter. I'll stop promising things. Always, when I say that I will upload in x time, i take somethig like 2.x time. If you don't like maths, I'm basically saying that I always take mor time than what I think i'm going to. And I need to learn to shut up instead of trying to make predictions.
But enough of that. I probably am just boring you with this endless blah-blah-blah.
Also, I have a few lines down there written in a language most of you probably don't know. Kepp min mind that it is intentional. In that part, they are speaking a different language from the common runeterran(english, if you're curious), so I decided to use a different language. But don't worry, I made the meaning clear, going as far as to add the translation.
Well, that's all for now, folks!
If I don't upload anymore at all, then my plane crashed and I'm either dead or lost. But don't worry, it's probably neither of those and just my lazyness.
So, here, have a chapter!
He was running. Noxus, strength, what did it matter? He knew he preferred to be a living coward than a courageous dead.
He at first had thought those two were his allies. He now could clearly see how wrong he was.
Those two were only murderers. They had no allies, except for themselves. No reasons, except thirst for blood. No mind, except for combat.
The lizard appeared in front of the noxian, towering above him.
The noxian turned backwards. From behind, the Juggernaut was charging.
He was stuck, like a rat cornered by two cats.
He silently prayed for his gods to give him a decent afterlife.
Azir had completely forgotten the two warriors. He had been completely distracted by the blue… thing? in the sky.
Nasus, however, had been paying attention. Probably because of his brother. The dog-like being reminded Azir that he had urgent matters.
Azir, at last refocused, casted his spell. The two mad warriors, whom had been bathing in the blood of the noxians foolish enough to stay near them, were contained by magical bindings.
Azir, however, wasn't done. He still had to get a safe place to keep the two. And, considering they became some sort of friends during the battle, he decided it would be good to keep the two together, as maintaining an escape-proof cell used to be very expensive.
It was incredible how proficient some healers were.
Just a few hours before, Annie was barely able to breathe, her wounds very grievous. However, after just an afternoon, Annie was already fully healed!
She thanked Lulu with all of her heart. After all, she probably would be dead by then wasn't for the skills of the yordle sorceress.
Azir was just shy of dragging the two giant warriors behind him.
Apparently, the two were quite displeased for having to leave the battlefield while someone other than them still could stand.
However, Azir's magic was strong enough to force them to so.
What Azir wasn't seeing, however, was the quickly approaching blue meteorite-ish thing falling towards him and the two giants.
Azir heard something crash behind him.
He turned around.
There it was a crater just behind him.
It must've been at least 15 meters (or about 40-45 feet) wide, being half that deep.
Also, it was partially filled with liquid mana, which gave away a powerful spell.
In the middle of the mana pool was laying a man in a light blue cloak.
Azir took a long time to recognize him. He just could be sure that it was that man he had seen earlier that day when he saw his staff, which had been tossed aside when he touched theground. The man started moving. Azir noticed the man had been laying face-down, which meant that by now, he probably had inhaled the mana. That was not lethal, it probably wasn't even very painful, as Erindor obviously was a strong mage, but it still would at least give him a headache.
The Emperor decided it would be best if he helped the other mage up.
After all, Erindor just had fallen from the sky.
Azir couldn't stop his mind from racing to two certain angels. While helping Erindor, he was thinking about what could have happened with them. He decided to ask some noxian about that later, as Morgana used to live there.
Erindor, helped up by someone, opened his eyes.
He knew that drinking mana could lead to hallucinations, but he had thought he wouldn't be affected as bad as most were.
He clearly had overestimated himself, as he was seeing something impossible in front of him.
A giant undead, carrying a huge axe, was walking aside a giant lizardman. They had been bound by some spell, but that spell seemed to be fading away.
The spell suddenly vanished.
The two giants looked one towards the other, then towards Erindor.
They started charging towards the mage.
Erindor was sure those had to be only in his mind, but he still casted a spell to stop the two.
He didn't know that it would be the spell to save his life.
He collapsed, drained because of all he had gone through recently.
Sion collided with an ice wall.
His lizardman ally also had been charging, but saw the wall and changed direction.
However, it wasn't enough. They had been trapped inside the ice.
They were inside some sort of ice cage. The walls probably were too resistant for them to break, seeing how a full-speed Sion hadn't even left a dent.
They could now only wait. They probably would be bound and taken somewhere.
The important part was that they sadly would have nothing to kill.
Annie would have to thank Lulu again later. Wasn't the healing skills of the yordle, she would, in the best scene, still be in bed. And then she would miss these curious sights she was seeing.
Annie had been quite used to weird things, being a former champion of the League, but seeing a crater with a pool of mana inside was a first.
And seeing two titanic warriors trapped in an ice cage also was a first.
And seeing Azir carrying an knocked-out Erindor also was unexpected, at least.
She could barely contain herself from rudely asking what happened, instead keeping her vocabulary at its finest to talk with the Emperor of Shurima:
"M'Lord, what exactly happened here?"
Azir turned towards her, very startled at first, but relaxing after recognizing the fire mage.
He then said:
"Weird things, Annie, weird things. First of all, your friend here fell from the skies and created that crater there. He probably is alive because of some spell he must've cast before colliding. That spell probably is the origin of the liquid mana. Then, I went towards him, with the intention of helping him to stand, but the mana must've interfered with a spell of mine, as Sion and Renekton were released. He noticed that before me and created that ice cage there, trapping the two, but then passed out. I don't even know what the hell is actually happening. A mage falling out of nowhere? That's well over the absurd."
Annie couldn't agree more with Azir. They would probably have to wait until Erindor was awake again to understand what happened.
Veigar had just been through the shock of nearly being eaten alive and then nearly being charred to death. It was no surprise he was passed out.
Kassadin picked up the small mage. He knew someone would probably be very worried about that yordle, and he knew the pain Lulu probably was feeling. He knew that pain way too well.
He Riftwalked towards the camp, where Lulu probably would be tending to the hurt. She always had that heart of gold.
He couldn't even imagine how she'd fallen in love with Veigar. The two were practically polar opposites.
The Voidwalker made a mental note to ask Lulu later about it. But, in that moment, his curiosity wasn't one of his top priorities.
He was floating in an enormous sea.
He had been there before.
That sea… It was the sea where he used to live. But, at the same time, it wasn't.
It couldn't be the Green Sea, as the sky had stars. He wasn't stuck between worlds. That was a good start.
However, it was just like the green sea: the water was a very clear and bright green, the sea had no perturbations whatsoever and it had no end. It could be as clear as the purest glass, but it showed nothing in the depths. It showed all of its depth, but the water ended before anything else could be found. The first thing in the depths were the stars from the other side. It was empty, and there it was only one sea like that. Consequently, he wasn't anywhere that existed, or at least anywhere he knew that existed.
He looked all around. After a few minutes, he became sure that his hypothesis was true.
He was inside himself, locked within his own mind.
He had no time to waste, however, even in that state: He started a meditation, trying to decide which of his options would be the best. That was very important, for his plan was in a very unstable place. It risked crumbling with each passing second.
And his plan was all he had left.
Erindor woke up.
He was in a room he had never seen before.
It must've been in some sort of palace, from the size and grandeur of the room. Its walls were made of the purest of all gold, decorated with silver and precious gemstones. It was very large, expanding both horizontally and vertically. From the style of the architecture, he guessed he was in Shurima, but he wasn't sure.
Well, he'd know it soon enough, seeing as someone was nearby.
He sat up on his bed. The person, who he supposed was a nurse, came on his way. Before she was close to him, however, he asked his first question, in the Common Tongue of Valoran:
"Where am I?"
Seeing as the nurse didn't answer him, instead looking like she didn't understand a single word of what he had just spoken, he tried to ask again, this time in the Modern Shuriman:
"Onde eu estou?"
The nurse, apparently still slightly taken aback by the fact he was already awake, and even more surprised by the fact that this outsider knew her language, took a long time to actually register and answer Erindor.
"Ahn… é… Ah, me desculpe, senhor. Você está no palácio do Imperador, na enfermaria."
(For simplicity's sake, I'm adding here a translation:
"Uh… er… Oh, forgive me, sir. You're in the Emperor's palace, inside the medical ward.")
So, he was inside Azir's palace. Erindor wasn't expecting such answer, but it was obvious, considering the amount of gold used in the construction of the room. However, if he was inside the palace and not in some kind of dungeon, it probably meant two things: First, Azir made peace with Noxus and Trigum. Second, his mission had been fully successful and the Void had been driven back.
That was a start, but he still had many questions. Questions those that probably would only be answered when he met Azir, Xerath and the others.
He asked about his other aquaintances, and the nurse directed him to the dining hall.
Shuriman cuisine was quite good, Annie had to admit.
She never was particularly interested in the culture of the desert-like country, but she was quickly becoming addicted to the spicy and tasty food of the country. It was very different from the noxian cuisine, which was mainly based on seafood, and this difference was for obvious reasons. The food was consistent of a few curious plants that managed to live in the arid desert and meat from many different species. She never had expected snakes to taste that good.
However, she couldn't stop thinking about Erindor. It was very strange, he was one moment knocked out, the next awake, and then he entered a coma? That made no sense.
Kassadin had been trying to imagine a way to make his question not be offensive, but he eventually gave up and just asked what he had been thinking to the Yordle aside him:
"So, Lulu, how did you and Veigar, well, you know, become a thing?"
Lulu turned to him, somewhat surprised. The pose she froze into was even comical, a single fried potato hanging in her fork, halfway to the mouth.
She took some time before answering, but for the first time since he knew her, it was a clear answer:
"It was back in the Institute. I, being the foolish girl I used to be, started stalking a certain mage I had a crush on. Eventually, that mage talked back to me, we became friends and after some time, I revealed the extent of my feelings to him. That's all, there's nothing more to it. No adventures for you, purply."
Kassadin smiled. It had been quite close to what he had imagined.
It had been quite annoying, sitting next to an emperor. Annie would've Imagined Azir as a curious kind of guy, as someone who would probably start conversations.
And he seemed to want to ask something, but he never actually went as far as to simply ask it.
Annie decided to start the conversation herself, as it seemed like Azir wasn't going to speak soon.
"Azir, do you have something you want to ask?"
The Shuriman hesitated, but eventually asked out:
"It's just that I was curious, Annie. Do you know what happened to Morgana and Kayle after the end of the institute?"
Annie hadn't expected that question, and only knew half of the answer:
"Well, Morgana is living in Noxus. She still owns her bakery, and makes a living out of it. However, I have no idea whatsoever about what Kayle has done or where is she. I never have thought about it, to be honest."
Azir seemed not completely pleased by the half-answer, but he understood she had no way to actually know and thanked the answer.
She had been so focused eating she hadn't noticed someone entering the dining hall. This someone, then, announced his presence:
"What? You're feasting already? And you didn't even warn me?"
All of the heads in the room turned towards the entrance, where a man stood.
The man was wearing a light blue cloak. It covered his whole body, leaving no skin to be seen. His face was covered by a plain white mask, and to his back a staff was strapped.
All of the occupants of the room quickly recognized him.
Annie, with surprise stamped on her face, said:
"Erindor! You finally have woken up!"
"Yes, I have. Why do you sound so surprised?"
Annie's face switched to a small smile, probably because her friend seemed to be alright. She then said:
"Why, you ask? Probably because waking up to then fall in a coma is perfectly normal and the most common thing in the world?"
Erindor seemed a bit taken aback by Annie's small outburst, but after a few seconds, he finally said:
"I'm sorry. I didn't think you would be so worried about me. I'll try not to lose consciousness next time I fall from the outer space into a desert, which hopefully is never."
Suddenly, the room started to glow blue, even though it was made of gold.
Everyone looked to the source of the glow. Xerath had just entered the room.
The Magus didn't waste a single second, going straight to the point:
"Azir, we need to talk. Privately."
The Emperor of the Sands first looked up, his body language demonstrating his curiousity. As he got no explanation about Xerath's sudden appearance and his surprisingly serious and severe demeanor in what was supposed to be a party celebrating the success in stopping the Invasion, he sighed and got up, going towards the door.
"Annie, you should probably come with us. We shall discuss important matters, and Noxus is involved in a few of those."
Annie, also showing to be surprised, quickly went after the two Ascended beings.
A figure hidden in the shadows revealed a small grin, but still went unnoticed. He had been there for hours, just waiting for that moment. Everything was going according to its master's plan.
Azir, who had taken the lead of the small group. conduced the two other magician to a personal meeting room inside his living quarters in the Palace.
Just like the rest of the palace, the walls were made of solid gold, but, unlike all the rest of the palace, Azir's quarters had some quite modern furniture, going as far as to having hex-analisers, some curious Piltoverian machines that allowed its owners to store and share data. It was unexpected, seeing such a mixture between milennia-old architeture and cutting-edge technology, but Annie and Xerath took the new information quite well; after all, Azir was a governor, of course he'd have some time-sparing technology to help him.
Azir cleared his throat, calling the attention of both his visitors. He then said, his voice showing a tiny bit of worry:
"So, Magus, here we are. We can have a conversation as private as any could be in this room. Now tell us, why exactly do you want to talk?"
"Oh, yes, the talk," Xerath said, refocusing on his original objective. "Well, I am here to, as you probably had expected, a few... unsolved... matters."
Azir, once again in that evening, sighed. "Why did I expect you to say something like that?", said the gold-clad mage. "Is it about what happened in Steel Peak? I admit I was wrong, and I already offered a large sum from the Imperial Bank to try and fix my mistake."
Xerath laughed. After laughing, he started speaking again, his voice even more distorted than normally, giving off an aura of sheer power, aura which also had materialized all around Xerath's stone coffin.
He said:
"It is, yes, about what happened in Stell Peak. However, it isn't something that money can correct. You broke the fifth rule of the Shurimane Lex Codice. And, according to it, I can choose whichever sentence I want."
The tension hung in the air after those words. Annie was afraid things would get really ugly at any moment. Xerath's glow had gone from his usual light-blue to a very vivid green. Azir seemed very tense, like a snake about to bite. Sand was coming out of places unknown, like it was just appearing out of nowhere. However, Annie felt like something was amiss. Xerath wasn't that kind of person, someone who would try to ask for the head of an Emperor in the heart of said Emperor's empire. He wasn't a fool.
Xerath was about to try and kill himself? That didn't sound quite right.
He had his fate hanging, and his next words would possibly seal it.
"And I want..."
Azir lifted his staff, just about to cast a spell.
Annie got ready to try to stop the two before any of them went too far.
"I want, or in other words, my sentence is that one guilty and wanted criminal in Shurima must be absolved of all of his crimes."
The tension in the room, which seconds ago had been as high as the sky, dropped down to that of a group of friends hanging out. All of the sand Azir had conjured just disappeared, the Emperor returning to his usual stance. Annie also relaxed, showing a small smile. 'So the firefly was just making a scene... I got afraid for one second that things would get ugly.'
Azir, after a few deep breathes, finally answered Xerath's request.
"Is that so? I guess the Codice is quite clear about that. Not even an Emperor is out of its range. Very well, consider yourself restored to your former condition of a non-wanted person. Also, never, and I repeat, never, make a scene like that one again. One more second in wait and I might have just snapped and forced you out of the Empire. In the hard way."
Annie knew Xerath had no skin, but she could swear the Magus had just paled.
"Yo-you don't mean that, do you? Please tell me you didn't mean that!
She knew that Azir too had no facil expressions, but she was sure that, if the Emperor had those, he'd be grinning there. He had just made one of his rivals basically beg something.
"Of course I meant that! However, don't you despair, I am not about to do that now. It was just a warning."
Xerath's relief was clearly visible, even though the Magus had no facial expression to show his emotions. Annie, the only witness of the curious situation, wondered what drove so much fear in Xerath. She had seen him using magic old and wicked,spells that could make millions bend their knees. She had seen him daring Death to go after him, challenging Nature itself, and getting out of those situations without a single scratch. The punishment Azir mentioned had to be something very, very scary to make her former teacher so afraid.
Annie decided to finally speak.
"Look, I'm not even asking what 'that' is. I just want to know why am I even here."
Xerath took some time, but eventually recovered from the shock of being threatened with that. He then said:
"Uhh... Sorry for that. I also have things to discuss with both of you. Annie, Azir, I am sure both of you are well acquainted with the Alliance made between Noxus, Ionia and Trigum. First of all, I would like to announce that, from this day onwards, the Alliance shall consider the Shuriman Empire as a friendly nation and, as such, allow merchant caravans from Shurima to pass freely and unobstructed through our lands. We also, however, demand the same rights. All of the Ionian, Noxian or Trigunian, from now on, must be accepted freely in Shuriman lands, as long as they have a few required documents. Noxus now must be considered an independant country Also, Trigum is demanding a material retribuition for the damages caused on a sad event in Steel Peak a few weeks ago. On the other hand, Trigum has admitted that Shurima also has a claim to a substantial amount of gold for an attack to the Mogron Passduring this week, and is willing to pardon all Shuriman debts as long as Trigum's debts also are forgiven. What do you say about these conditions, Azir?"
Annie was quite surprised by how mild Xerath's offer had been. Azir could've been a powerful leader of one of the strongest nations of Valoran, yes, but still, the armies in front of the gates of Shurima weren't shuriman, and he probably could have asked for a lot more.
Azir, who apparently also realized that, was made curious.
"Tell me, Xerath," said Azir, "what are you really planning?"
"Is the fact that I was hiding something so obvious?"
After getting no answers but a glare from Azir, Xerath decided to finally reveal the information he was having.
"I want this agreement firstly to not have to bother with another war popping up and mainly because of a trading alliance I am about to do with Bandle. However, it all goes down if I can't get a safe landroute, as Trigum has no contact with the Oceans, the conditions in Demacia are far too oppressing for any outsider to risk his skin by passing through there and there it was no rule about Noxus and ours trading caravans when the Alliance was first formed, and I know for a fact that Noxus would exploit this opportunity by putting heavy taxes on our traders. No, we need this landroute to ensure the trades go well. And this was the best way to make it sure to work."
Azir took a long time to finally answer, but his answer was not what Annie and Xerath had expected.
"No."
Xerath wasn't about to accept that answer.
"Xerath, I know you are about to protest, and do not even try to. You did not listen to what I suggest yet.
Xerath huffed in annoyance, but decided to give Azir a chance.
"Go on then, Emperor."
Annie couldn't quite believe Azir hadn't accepted, as the agreement was obviously a great advantage to Shurima. It would be freed of enemies that had proven themselves mighty, it would get a way to profit with trading caravans directed north with valuable Shuriman artifacts and products and, lastly, Shurima would be freed of a high fee Xerath had the right to ask for. What more could the man want?
"Xerath, your conditions are decent, but I will not accept those if not with a slight bonus. I want Shurima to be included in the Alliance."
Annie would have been shocked if she didn't know Azir. That one move had been a master's touch. He basically forced Xerath to accept it, as he would not be damaged and seemed somewhat desperate to estabilish the trading route with Bandle City. She as a representant of Noxus, also would accept, as it was sure to bring Noxus profit, and also make Noxus completely free, and the only variable was Ionia. However, even if Ionia disagreed, Syndra would be forced to give in, as two votes had been guaranteed and Lulu and Veigar would not object to Azir's addition in the Council of the Alliance. Azir's move had been very well planned, and that in just a few minutes. That man surely was a nightmare to any opposing pilitician.
Xerath was astonished; Azir truly had shown amazing skills in that request. He decided he would only be able to stall the agreement if he didn't say anything, so, he finally accepted it:
"I still have to call the council, as your request is somthing much too large for I to decide alone. However, I am quite sure your condition will be accepted."
Annie decided to keep an eye on Azir; he would be a dangerous enemy, so she'd better be sure whether his alliance was a lie to get him in a better place for a few weeks or something he intended to last, and she'd better be sure about that as fast as possible.
The crowd was very excited, nearly all of the population of the Empire had gone to the Capital and united there. The Emperor had an important announcement to make and he had called all the people to hear it.
"My people of Shurima, you probably are aware of a few important guests we've had recently, and I am happy to announce that we've come to an agreement. But, before I tell you which agreement we've come to, let me first introduce you our guests!"
While he said that on his previously set stage, six shadows appeared in the back of the stage, still hidden.
"First, we have an yordle. Meet Lulu, the Fae Sorceress!"
The crowd cheered as the diminute girl got out of the shadows and bowed her head before the watchers.
"Hi! I'm Lulu! Glad to meet you!"
After introducing herself, Lulu had her hat pulled up by itself. Out of it came a small purple fairy.
"And this here is Pix, my fried. Say hi to them , Pix!"
The fairy waved its small hand. After that, the two decided to make a small show for the people to see. Pix and Lulu, at the same time, released a wave of fairy, glittering energy, which exploded like fireworks in the sky.
The crowd couldn't resist the cuteness and cheerfulness of the Yordle, much less not be impressed by the beautiful performance she and her magical sidekick had just done. After a general "Awww" was uttered by nearly all of the present people, Azir called their attention.
"Next up, here is Veigar, the Space Mage!"
Another yordle emerged from the shadows, but that one didn't get such a positive reception. The way Veigar carried himself around, although somewhat comical, wasn't really what one would expect from a Yordle. The way he tried to look prideful let all of the observers confused, the magical energies he was releasing in his walk to look menacing not helping to accomplish anything, and the crowd decided to just watch.
The Yordle went to the limits of the stage and shouted.
"I am Veigar! Remember that name!"
Half of the people in there immediately burst out in laughters, and soon were followed by the other half. His squaky voice was way too much for them.
"HEY! I AM EVIL! STOP LAUGHING!"
Luckly for Veigar, no one could quite hear he saying that.
After a few seconds, Veigar gave up in trying to impress the laughing crowd and went back to his place in the back of the stage.
Azir once again regained control of the situation. After finally calming the excited crowd enough, he continued with the presentation of the guests he had.
"Let me now introduce you to Erindor, the Wanderer!"
The cloaked mage approached the edge of the stage, walking in a way somewhat akin to Veigar's, although without any magical enhacement. When he reached the edge, he did a small movement with his staff, launching a little blue bolt to the sky. Soon, a lot of shiny dots appeared in the sky. Not long later, those dots came close enough to be identified.
The whole crowd was left speechless.
That mage had just made it snow in the middle of the desert.
Even Azir was shocked.
Eventually, Azir finally got a hold on himself, and decided the show had to go on, even with that unexpected turn of events.
"Well, isn't that surprising? Snowing in Shurima? Never would've guessed it. But now, let me present you another of our guests. We have here with us Annie, a member of the Noxian High Council, and a former colleague of mine."
Shurima already knew her, but Annie played along Azir's little event. She went to the front of the stage, just like all had done before, and respectfully bowed her head.
"As Azir already said, I am Annie. Most of you probably have already heard about me, but for those who didn't, I am known for my skills with pyromancy."
Annie, then, conjured a small fireball in her hand. When she released it, the fire started to glow a fiery red, illuminating the square even more than what the sun already had done. A few of the people even had to cover their eyes or turn away.
The pyromancer, noticing she had exaggerated, made the spell tamer, so that everyone could look at it.
When the crowd all was watching, something very unexpected happened.
The snow, which was still falling from Erindor's spell, was reflecting the light coming from Annie's fire, creating exquisite effects that left the crowd dazzled.
Eventually Annie let the fire die out, ending the spetacle she and Erindor had, probably unconsciously, created toghether.
Azir took notice of that, seeing that Annie considered that she had done enough already, and continued the presentation:
"I have no words to describe what just happened. In the old times, Shurima used to be a place of wonders, but I have never seen anything that could match that. Now, however, let me continue to introduce you our guests. Our next visitor is Xerath, the Magus Ascendant and King of Trigum.
Suddenly, all the happiness and excitement of the Shuriman died out. No one could blame then; after all, Xerath was an enemy of their emperor and of them until, well, from what they knew, until that exact moment. The crowd was silent and tension hung in the air as the blue etherial being approached, floating, the edge of the stage.
The Magus was in front of the crowd. He could see each and every look of apprehension and fear, even, that the people of Shurima were giving him. He could see the hatred some showed, and he also could see he wasn't welcomed there.
He did something unthinkable, then: He, a King, someone way above the common people in front of him, lowered his head in a bow.
"People of Shurima, I am sure most of you do not enjoy my presence here. I know why it is so. And now, let me apologize for my mistakes in the past. All I want here is forgiveness, and any forgiveness earned here is probably more than what I deserve. I am saying, and with all of my heart, or at least the metaphorical one, is that I know I did mistakes and all I want is to do something to amend them."
After his small speech, Xerath made a sudden movement with his left arm, like he was performing some sort of backhanded strike on the air.
A puff of smoke appeared in front of him. When the smoke disappeared, all could see what had Xerath had done.
He somehow had conjured a fountain. Water, something that in Shurima was worth more than gold, was sprouting freely, coming out of nowhere. The people of Shurima had seen truly outrageous things in that day, but a gift like that one, and above all coming from someone they had always thought of as an enemy, was something completely out of their minds.
Xerath never had seen a crowd cheer him as hard as the people of Shurima were in that moment.
Azir already knew Xerath had something big in store for that moment, but even he was stunned by that gift. Xerath would've needed the whole night to plan such a thing, and also would've needed a very solid plan already in store. That spell he had just used, it was just unbelievable. He conjured a spell to make water sprout out of nowhere, which meant he had to know a kind of magic nearly forgotten by time, magic related to water.
However, no matter how stunned he was, the show had to go on.
"I, in the name of Shurima, thank you, Xerath, for this kind gift from your part. Let this moment never be forgotten, and consider your past sins left there, in the past."
Xerath respectfully bowed, this time facing the Emperor. He then returned to his place in the back of the stage.
"Now, people of Shurima, let me present you our last guest. With us, we have Syndra, the Empress of Ionia."
The crowd, that was still cheering Xerath's work, went quiet again. They had never heard of anybody with a title to match the title of their ruler. Whoever was powerful enough to have earned such a title surely was someone whose own existance required their respect.
Out of the shadows, floated forth the figure of a woman. Every detail of her showed off power and pride, not letting any doubts about her role as a ruler. She drifted foward with confidence, her display both beautiful and terrifying. She seemed to be not a human, but a goddess instead, floating with such fluidity into the view of the Shuriman.
She, just like the five who had come before her, approached the Shuriman as much as she could without leaving the stage. Her skin-tight costume, green and golden, directed the onlooker's eyes to her definitely not underwhelming assets, and also accented her womanly figure. She also wore a horned golden headdress, one that looked like a crown, but wasn't exactly one. Every detail of her clothing, body and looks either radiated power or looked astonishing.
Her entrance alone already had been enough to leave the crowd astounded.
She then lowered herself, touching the ground with her feet. Her stature was quite avegarage, but her altive and prideful posture made she look like she was above all other human (and the fact that she usually would be floating also helped to materialize that impression), so no one even noticed her somewhat underwhelming height.
She, after finishing her entrance, said:
"People of Shurima, I am Syndra, the Empress of Ionia. Now, be witness to my power!"
After her somewhat menacing shout, not few of the Shuriman were afraid for their lives, but Syndra hadn't planned any death to happen that day.
First, she took a piece of solid gold fallen on the ground, part of a damaged nearby building, with her mind, and crushed the metal beyond any possible recognition with just her magic.
She then lifted he right hand, channeling power to her fingertips. She released her energy in the direction of the walls, which had been damaged during the recent conflict with the Void.
Many of the shuriman ran out of the way, fearing for their lives. If she could've crushed gold with ease, what would a strong spell of hers do to a normal human?
The energy released became a green wave, passing over the head of the crowd. Whenever the green wave touched a building, it was restored to its state previous to the Invasion.
The wave washed through the whole city, repairing anything that had been damaged. No one in the square could see how far it had gone, but they'd eventually discover the wave extended itself way beyond the city, reaching the furthest corners of the Shuriman Empire, and repairing all that was damaged in its way.
The shuriman looked around in awe. The spell the ionian had just conjured was something at least as outlandish as Xerath's spell. She had single-handedly repaired the whole city, something they thought would take years, decades even, in but one minute.
"I have learned, people of Shurima. I used to believe that all there it was to do was destroy, but now I know that repairing can be just as effective, if not even more. I, now, know that it's better to have peace than war, I know that it's better to repair than to destroy, and I know all needs to be in its balance. You need not fear for your lives, for I am powerful, but I also am righteous. You commited no crimes I know of, and thus you need not be punished. Now, enjoy the gifts you have just recieved."
And, after saying those impactful words, the Empress of Ionia floated back to the group of guests, which had come closer to the front of the stage. She placed herself in-between Azir and Xerath, forming a line with them, Annie, Erindor, Veigar and Lulu. Azir, then, continued his speech:
"People of Shurima, as you might remember, I still have an announcement to make. What you must know is that, in a meeting recently done between us, we decided that I was to form an alliance with the present guests. We now have an alliance estabilished between the countries of Noxus and Trigum, the Ionian Empire and the Shuriman Empire."
That announcement led the crowd into a very excited state. Apparently, they needn't fear the most powerful countries of Valoran, as they were allies with those.
Azir smiled, even if he knew no one would see it. He had done the, as Annie had called it, "little staged performance" perfectly, and now he had an euphoric crowd cheering in his and his new allies' recent triumphs.
Things were looking very good.
In those days, with two ages-old sworn enemies suddenly becoming allies and more than half of Valoran uniting itself as an allied force, one could believe things would finally become good for the Valorians, that people who had gone through suffering unending.
Sadly, nothing that is good lasts forever. Eventually, that alliance could falter, and if it did, chaos would surely follow.
So, that's it. The end. Now go away.
You still there?
DAMMIT! HOW DID YOU KNOW I WAS LYING?
Well, sorry for that dumb prank. This here is the end of the chapter and of this part of the story. The next chapter might even feel like it's a different story. I actually was still thinking about splitting this story when writing this. I might even be still thinking about it right now, but I am quite sure I won't.
Also, I have news! I uploaded an extra story under the "Valoran Bleeding" name! Go check the new, fresh "Valoran Bleeding: Side Stories" and ask for what you want! Feel free to either review there, here or even PM me to ask for me to write about whatever it is in the AU of Valoran Bleeding.
I also have set up a poll in my profile, to choose some sort of side project for me to write. I need to explain here that, no matter what, I will have one of those uploaded. It's that, although I love Valoran Bleeding, sometimes I need to write different things. So, vote whichever you prefer from the options I offered. The one that gets more votes will be the first I'll do. I might eventually write the other options.
Now, it's the time all of you reviewers have been waiting for!
IT'S TIME FOR THE GLORIOUS...
(Viktor appears and shouts something about his Glorious Evolution)
(I kick Viktor's ass back to Zaun, proceeding to lie down on the ground, crying because his steel ass was way too hard for my now broken foot)
(sniff, sniff) Well, as I was saying, it's time for the Review Reply corner(tm)! (I upgraded it, to make you reading easier. Now my answers shall not be in bold anymore, to make distinguishing one answer from another feel easier)
Review 1, from Guest:
First of all, Me - wait, no... - you- ARGH! MY BRAIN! NOOOOOOOOOOO!
I just bugged the universe! HOW CAN I TALK TO SOMEONE CALLED "ME"?
Well then, "Me", I also had thought about how Renek and Sion had just entered the fray when all the fighting stopped, and I have to say, I also feel bad for them. And for the noxians that were close to them. More for the noxians than for the two toplaners, to be honest.
And they were doing their things, like farming the Q and helping the adc!
No?
Well, at least I tried :T
Also, I'm sorry for not including Urf. Your idea was incredibly good, but I already had what it was in my mind. And I know you probably knew it was like that, but you made me laugh a lot :')
Thank you for reviewing! And I hope you like the chapter.
Review 2, from SpaceMageVeigar(Guest name):
Well, thanks! I hope I kept up with your expectations. Also, POTATOES! I included a little sentence in this chapter thanks to your review :p
Review 3, from Creator0fWords:
Well, I'm sorry for the problems, which seem to be focused mainly on the few first chapters, as I already had expected. The 'Crownguards Brothers' thing is pretty bad, now that you've told me. I just translated it literally, without considering the fact that the word "siblings" even existed. You know, if you have a certain mindset based on a certain language, sometimes translations will be really badly affected by that. I thought in Portuguese to write in English, and failed to remember the difference. In other words, I fucked up.
Also, thanks for the advice! I might get a beta someday, when I get over my laziness :v
Thanks for all the help! Love ya! S2
So, that's all, folks! Thanks for the reviews! Also, if you like the story, feel free to favorite, follow and review!
If you're going to review, tell me just what you think! Tell me about what's good, what needs to be improved and what's just terrible and is crippling this fic beyond all repair! (I hope it's nothing, this last category)
See you next chapter!
