The samurai and the archer stepped back from each other's arms just before champions and summoners entered the hall. All of them readied up on the plataform, preparing to travel to the Summoner's Rift. Draven and Darius were late so the eight champions and ten sumnoners had time to revise their strategies. The Freljordan team had Ashe and Nunu fighting in bottom lane, Anivia in the middle one, Volibear in the jungle and Dimitri at top.
He was slightly insecure about fighting alone in his lane but his summoner, a young freljordan girl with a white ponytail, reassured she would be there to guide him. When the noxian brothers arrived, everyone hurried to their stations, summoners handles their crystall orbs while champions stepped on glowing blue runes in the stone. The orbs began to shine as spells were casted upon them and blue beams shone through the stone.
Dimitri held his breath as a blue lighting took over his body. A sudden feeling of being thrown by a catapult came over, he could feel the pressure on his body. Then his feet met the stone floor again and he was standing in an identical platform facing a structure supporting a colossal blue crystal.
"Welcome to the Summoner's Rift." A harmonious voice echoed through the arena.
"Dimitri, can you hear me?" His summoner's voice was inside his head.
"You are my eyes, J'ollanda" That was her name, common in Freljord.
"Great. You're against Darius, buy Boots of Speed and three potions to get started." The summoner instructed. "We'll rush for a Ninja Tabi and why not a Black Cleaver."
"As you wish." He walked to the little store with the other champions and each one bought their starting itens from an elder yordle.
Before proceeding to the top lane he heard Ashe calling for him. When he turned she was looking back smiling. "Good luck, Spiritsblade."
He returned the smile. "Good luck, Frost Archer."
Dimitri walked through the lane in a fast pace, passing by two stone structures shaped like animals holding crystal staffs. These must be the turrets.
"These are the turrets, you can sit down at their base for a picnic in the early phase, but be careful." J'ollanda's voice filled his mind again. "They don't get stronger as champions do, give the match sometime and your enemies will start ignoring them to kill you."
"What a waste of a good picnic."
After a few seconds she spoke again. "Remember where the Blue Buff Golem is? Voli is asking for assistance over there, just damage it a bit and run back to your lane."
"Aye."
And so he did, surprised by the creature's size but not shook. When Voli lunged at it Dimitri unsheated his sword and slashed against the stone-skin of the monster a couple of times.
"Thanks Dimitri, you can go back now." The polar bear said between a strike and another, claws taking chunks ofstone.
Dimitri passed through a brush, feeling the invisibility spell applied by it and when he got back to the turret the small minions were already fighting their own war. Behind them Darius stood with his dark armor and heavy axe. His presence was frightening, but the nord learned that no matter how big your enemy is, you can always explore his flaws.
The minions were easy to kill and he slashed through them with no concerns.
"Calm down, you're pushing your lane too much by attacking minions like that." The summoner's voice echoed. "Stay your blade until you can deliver the killing blow."
Dimitri tried to, but he never knew when a minion was about to die, also his blade seemed dull, not cutting as it used to cut.
"Dimitri, I told you to calm down! Look at where you are."
"Can't you see I'm trying?" He talked back, but when he looked to his right the river that crossed the arena was behind him. That made him feel uncomfortable about staying there but he had to farm the minions otherwise Darius would have an advantage over him.
Through this phase, the noxian managed to spin his axe at Dimitri, slashing twice through his torso. The dark metal left two bleeding wounds but he was still in good shape and farming.
"Drink a potion, it will heal you."
Dimitri slashed at a minion's head and reached for the potion in his pocket. He popped it open and drank the red liquid in one gulp. It tasted like blood with fruits but made effect. His cuts started closing and blood stopped leaking. But just as the last wound was almost completely healed he noticed Darius approaching in a fast pace.
His axe extended to its full reach and got Dimitri by his back, pulling him closer. As he was dragged to Darius, the samurai slashed at the breach between the armor plates. Mithril left a bleeding gash on the executioner's stomach but it wasn't as deep as the samurai expected. Another axe swing slashed Dimitri, this time cutting his sleeve and his forearm. The samurai stepped back gaining distance and let his foe take another swing.
As Darius lifted the heavy axe for an uppercut, the nord shifted his weight and dodged the strike swiftly. He got his enemy off guard and now was time to deliver the finishing blow. A well placed strike cut Darius' at the side of his neck, followed by a blue transparent ghost blade. Both blades did good damage, leaving the thick neck gashed and bleeding and making the Noxian tripping back.
Dimitri had the advantage and readied his sword to finish the job. As he approached to kill, a sudden pain rushed through his spine, throwing him aside. When he looked back there was a grey werewolf with bloody claws. Both Warwick and Darius lunged at Dimitri and attacked at the same time. There was nothing he could do.
Darius' axe stuck deep into his left thigh, while dark claws slashed his face apart, killing the norse. But he didn't die. Dimitri was still there but it was not the same. Everything was black and white, he saw warwick running back to the river and Darius retreating, body on fire.
"First Blood!" The female voice echoed through the arena.
"Wait... wait..." J'ollanda said, anxiously.
"An enemy has been slain." The same voice said.
"Well, at least you killed him"
Dimitri felt too light and empty. "How?" He was still able to communicate with the summoner and that surprised him. "Wait... what is happening to me?"
"I ignited him." She said slightly proud. "You died, Warwick killed you. But you'll be back in some seconds."
"Killed by a wolf, huh? That's ironical." He had a bad taste in his mouth and his mind felt out of tune with his body. The idea of dying but staying alive was sinister, specially when you could see your own corpse laying bloody on the floor.
He didn't have much time to analyze death as he was soon respawned back to the fountain.
"Ok, you got some gold from that kill and those minions. Buy a Ninja Tabi and... let me see..." J'ollanda hesitated. "A ward would be nice to avoid ganks like that."
"Ganks?"
"Ambushes, the junglers are here for this after all."
When he got back to his lane he placed the ward in the river and continued farming. Darius managed to catch him with his axe but Dimitri easily got out of reach with a quick dash backwards. As Darius spinned his weapon to farm a couple of minions the samurai found a breach on his defence and lunged into the man. He cut through his arm with both blades and when the noxian tried to strike back, he pushed his hand aside, avoiding the axe and slashed his arm one more time.
In a desperate attempt to damage his foe, Darius spun around with more strength than precision. Even though it was a lousy move it hit Dimitri full in the chest, knocking him down. The noxian raised his axe to charge a devastating blow at the samurai, but just before his axe would split a face in half, the knocked down norse blocked the strike sideways with the handke if his katana, guiding the dark blade of his enemy into the earth. In succession, he drove the tip of the sword upwards, stabbing the big man's stomach. As the blade exited through his spine, blood leaked in quantity, spilling on Dimitri's cloak.
He pushed the dead body aside and stood up, bloody and wounded. What he saw next was too fast for him to understand. He saw a flurry if red and black coming out of the river bush and felt a throwing knife being carved in his left shoulder, then the figure disappeared with a puff of pink smoke. He didn't have time to search fir his attacker as he felt two blades stabbing his back.
Then, the norse heard a familiar voice of a certain redhead assassin behind him. "Welcome to the Summoner's Rift."
"Katarina..." He whispered, blood leaking from his mouth.
Then she stuck her knives even deeper, cutting through his lungs and kidney. He fell to the floor and the last thing he saw was her black boots and leather pants running back into the river.
"Fucking Mike didn't report M.I.A.!" The freljordan summoner cursed in his mind.
"Didn't we have a ward?" He responded.
"Uh, well... I didn't notice her coming." She said with a bit of shame. "But it wouldn't be of any use, you had just killed Darius."
"Yeah, sure."
Dimitri bought a Black Cleaver and a couple of health potions and went back to his lane. During the match he killed Warwick when the werewolf tried to steal their Golem.
"You should have his fur on your cloak, Ionian." Sejuani, who assisted him, jested as she went back to her jungle.
In top, things started well, he was farming more than his adversary and Darius couldn't damage him so much as he did before. But when his ward faded out the Sinister Blade trapped him again. It happened twice, first she got the kill and then she gave it to Darius, who stuck his axe into the norse's shoulder so deep and violently, he almost split the man apart.
He wasn't going so well, but Ashe was having a great advabtage over Draven and when the team fights started, victory was certain. Even though Dimitri got some kills from the battles, Katarina always appeared behind him, killing him in a matter of seconds. J'ollanda was beginning to curse the assassin loudly, giving the samurai sone headaches.
When the noxian Nexus collapsed he was dead, killed by the same assassin as before, but his team scored an ace and won the match. According to his calculations he finished the game with five kills and seven deaths, five of them by the skilled hands of the Sinister Blade, who was standing in frint of him at the Summoning Hall.
"Nice score for a new kid." Her curvy body walked towards him.
"It would've been better if you didn't have a crush on me." He shook her hands, almost crushing her hand.
She sighed in pain but kept he cocky attitude. "Don't flatter yourself, Spiritsblade." And with a devilish gaze she left. He couldn't help but to look back at her.
Hips swaying in that tight black leather, knives dangling accordingly. He red hair wave through the air, even more beautiful than Miss Fortune's crimson locks. When he turned back to the champions, Sejuani was standing in front of him. Her helmet was below her left arm, exposing a short white hair.
The woman looked like Ashe in a way, the blue of their eyes was the same tone, their hairs were also the same silver and both skins were pale from the north. But the Winter's Wrath was different in so many ways. She was much taller, her eyes meeting Dimitri's at the same height. She had muscular arms and broader shoulders than the Frost Archer. Beside that all, her heavy armor contrasted to Ashe's light robes.
"Couldn't expect a neutral score from an Ionian." She said, staring coldly at him. "You just had to feed, didn't you?"
"Isn't my grey hair enough to prove how freljordan I am?" He scratched his beard, gesturing.
"So why don't you carry a man's weapon like a true nord would?"
"Oh I'm sorry, you must be mistaking me for a brainless barbarian, or perhaps for someone from your tribe."
"Are you calling my people stupid?"
"I don't know anyone from your tribe, but judging by their leader... they can't be very smart." He didn't smile or chuckled even as Sejuani' s face began to blush in anger.
She pinned his chest with a finger. "I won't take shit from someone who fights like a eastern!" Her voice was loud enough to drag some attention.
"Hey, what's going on over there?" Ashe came to them in a fast pace. "Are you two arguing after such a successfulmatch?"
Sejuani stepped back from Dimitri and he also kept his distance, knowing how dangerous the woman could be.
"Just keep your dog leashed, Ashe." She said before walking out of the hall.
"This pet talk is starting to bug me." He turned to the queen, casually.
"Just ignore these people." A sigh of exhaustion came of her mouth. "I'm leaving, you wanna walk with me?"
That made him smile. "Yes, of co..."
Nunu pushed himself in the conversation. "Actually. Dimitri and I have to discuss his travel to Freljord." He looked up at the bearded man. "I'll meet you at the bar, take your time."
As the yordle walked out Ashe sighed again. "Well... good job on the Rift, Dimitri. Guess we'll meet tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow then."
Ashe began raising her arms for a hug but stopped halfway and only shook his hand cordially. He watched the archer walking to the door and going away. Then, he said farewell to the few summoners and champions still in the hall and proceeded to meet Nunu.
When he got there, Dimitri nodded to Gragas and sat in a dark corner.
"Here's the briefing." The yordle extended a map on the table. "My eyes in the north report that Tryndamere is hosting a welcoming banquet in his tribe, here. But in a couple of days he will travel to the east, and raid villages on this area here. Can you point me where your hometown wad exactly?" He looked up to the taller man.
Dimitri glanced over the old paper picturing Freljord and laid a finger on the eastern side. "It was here, under the foot of this hill."
The ambassador scratched his chin. "Interesting... given the position of your village, it might be the one he attacks first."
"I'll wait him there." The nord replied coldly. "I won't be alone."
"You're a fast thinker, huh?" He chuckled. "It's settled, you'll be traveling a day after tomorrow. Sejuani is going if you but she has a different destination."
"Sejuani..?"
"Olaf and Trundle are coming back this day so he had been given permission to leave."
Dimitri and Nunu settled the details and when finished, the samurai went back home, leaving the yordle talking toGragas. It was almost nine o'clock by his calculations and the halls were emptier than usual. Monday was not the best day to go out at night.
When he got to the northern wing of the main building summoners were all gone. A cold breeze rose his cloak, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. He glanced over his shoulders but could only see a summoner far away,going the opposite direction. The sounds creept up again, this time making him stop and turning back quickly.
Now not even the lone summoner could be seen, not a single living being. He fastened his pace and slowed only when he arrived at the gate of his house. Concerned, he made sure to lock the door behind him and then went to the kitchen to prepare the usual tea. As the water boiled he went to his closet to change clothes but noticed something wrong.
The wind outside could be heard. The windows were closed but when he looked at the glass door that lead to the backyard it was half opened. Looking around the room, nothing was out of place but something seemed wrong. Dimitri closed the door and placed a hand on the sheathed sword, ready to face an intruder. There was no one behind the curtains. No one in the closet or wardrobe. Not even under the bed.
Suddenly a loud sound came bursting from the kitchen and Dimitri pulled his blade in a fraction of a second. But there was no enemy, it was only the water that boiled too much and spilled through the counter. He unsheathed the sword and relaxed.
"It's just my mind playing tricks on me." He whispered to himself as he entered the wet kitchen.
It was only when he grabbed a cloth to clean the mess that he saw it. A waving red courtain moved with the wind outside his window. When he glimpsed two bright green eyes, they were already lunging at him.
...
So, this was Dimitri's first match and next chapter the Sinister Blade is paying Dimitri a little visit. Thank you all for the reviews, for reading and for bearing with my typos. Chapter 13 is coming soon by the way!