Chapter 13: Within Frozen Dreams
Tension seeded the air for the next few days. The hatred between Sejuani and Ashe encompassed not only themselves, but their tribesman as well; and it was beginning to irritate Kaldur to the point of nausea. Due to his timely intervention of their fight, Sejuani kept a strict berth from him and his group, directing her Winters Claw to do the same. Ashe, in order to keep her tribe as negotiable as possible, imitated the behavior despite her clear dislike of the entire situation. From then on it was just Kaldur, Ahri, Ryze, Ezreal, Jax, and a fuzzy new friend that seemed attached to them.
"He's going to eat us." Ezreal remarked.
"He's not gonna eat us." Kaldur groaned as he stuffed dry Elnuk jerky into his mouth.
The creature Ezreal referred to was named Willump, at least that was what his smaller companion Nunu referred to the beast as. Willump was a yeti. With white fur adorned by two antlers atop its head, the creature was a large teddy-bear containing four arms and a charmful catlike face only offset by two dull tusks protruding from his lower jaw. His bright blue eyes glimmered as if by magic, and only shone more whenever his companion was around. If anything, he was downright huggable, but as with anything, someone disagreed.
"Willump says you look tasty." Came a child's voice.
Kaldur turned to his right as Ezreal moaned and Willump made a low chuckle only to see a young boy not even ten years old standing beside him. Tucked head to toe in a Freljordian furry poncho, the kid wore a hood mimicking a stitched-up version of Willumps head. With dark hair and bright blue eyes, the child was easily the most innocent person here. Within his hands he held a simple flute graced by a small outline of true ice that formed the air-hole in the center.
"Is that so?" Ahri smiled. "Well, I bet he would make a most delicious snack."
"Hey!" Ezreal looked affronted.
Everyone laughed.
Kaldur was unsure about the wisdom of bringing a kid along with them at a time like this, but Jax trusted him and the yeti was no slouch either. None of the Avarosians nor the Winter's Claw minded his presence either, and Ashe seemed to recognize the youngster from a time long passed. Looking out at the separated camps, yurts glowing bright in the night as the fires inside burned, Kaldur couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at the situation.
"Think they'll ever get along?" He asked.
"A bond as broken as theirs takes time to heal. Perhaps these three weeks will give their tribes the time they need." Ryze pointed out.
"I don't know." Ezreal chimed in, his voice solemn. "It takes a bit more than that to fix broken trust."
"How about music?" Nunu jumped. "Everyone loves music."
Kaldur smirked. "I wish that were the case kid. I really do."
As morning came the next day, so did more and more troubles. Traveling through the ice and snow infested tundra was already a problem for Kaldur and his group, which he assumed would be far easier to the natives, but it seemed that the north didn't realize summer was here. With three hundred men and women nearly freezing to death it should have sparked a compromise of food and provisions, but whatever was hunted belonged to the tribe that caught it. And whatever was lost, the other tribe dared not share.
As it so happened, everyone's frustrations came to a head just short of a week away from their destination. The winds were unbearable, and with that came trouble. The caravan of warriors kept arguing over food and tools despite the shortage that each knew was coming from such a journey. It was only when a few fights broke out between the Avarosians and the Winters Claw that everything turned sideways. Whether it was the noise from all the fighting or something completely different, Kaldur didn't know, but when a wall of clouded snow came tumbling towards them, it was cause for worry.
The rumble beneath his feat was the first giveaway. As Kaldur looked to the horizon he could see the puffs of upturned snow approach. At first, he suspected another force of Voidlings, but their presence was either hidden or nonexistent which meant it was something more natural. When he began to tell the Avarosians and Winters Claw, he noticed that they were already preparing for the worst. Despite their earlier differences, each Freljordian had a part to play. While some worked to barricade the animals under the carts or create as much of a wall they could, others fashioned makeshift holes in the snow as the seconds till impact ticked away.
"Kaldur!" Ryze called. "With me!"
Kaldur joined Ryze as quick as he could, and the old man grasped his arm.
"Form an arrow tipped wall as close to the men as you can." He guided. "I will give you as much power as you need."
Visualizing the tip of an arrow, the shielded wall began to form between the coming avalanche and the hastily barricaded warriors. The energy barely made it up before the heft of the snow thundered into the side of the barrier. Despite Ryze's help, the shield couldn't keep all of it away. The snow poured over and around the wall with such force that the Freljordians on the outskirts were torn away or buried in an instant.
The moments that the drifts formed and the sounds roared were far longer than what actually transpired, but Kaldur was sure he had held that barrier for nearly an hour. He felt exhausted. When it finally ended, and the shield was brought down, Kaldur was devastated to learn that many people were either dead or missing.
Despite his best efforts, people still died and the guilt began to form once more.
"These are the dangers of the Freljord, Kaldur." Ryze explained. "Do not linger over what you cannot control."
In spite of his kind words, they didn't make Kaldur feel any better.
The wake of the destruction was a sight to behold. People worked tirelessly to remove others from the snow no matter their tribe. Ahri and the rest of the group did their best to aid as well. Nearly a hundred people were still unaccounted for by the time the sun had set over the horizon and the frost had taken hold.
By this time camps still needed to be made and troops fed. Due unforeseen weather phenomena, people scrambled and argued over what to do, but in the end found a compromise in the name of survival.
Kaldur refused to eat anything that night, his head pounding either from adrenaline or something else. Ahri made sure to keep him company and nearly had to force water down through his throat through a kiss to make sure he had something. Not that he minded so much, but his mood had soured and made the experience a little forced. By the time the sun had arisen the next day he was ready to throttle someone.
Making his way from the group yurt that was torn and shredded to bits, Kaldur saw that the morning light was greeted by a resounding argument from Ashe and Sejuani.
"Can you two shut up!?" Kaldur shout, causing the two do give him a deadly stare. "We have more missing people we need to find, and we don't have time for this."
"Kaldur. Watch your tone." Ashe warned.
"I don't give a damn! I am so surprised you two can't get along like your tribes seems to be doing! We had an AVALANCHE! People are dead! You two want to drive this army into the ground because you can't get along. For the sake of everyone's survival: Get. Your. Shit. Together."
Rubbing his temples to abate the headache, Kaldur left the warmothers with their mouths open as he caught up to Ryze who was in the middle of trying to detect survivors. That day they were only able to find five more survivors who had buried themselves under a broken sled. With that, the leaders made their decision to move that day, each hoping to make some semblance of progress.
Normally the days would have stretched on in a haze at this point, but someone dared not let Kaldur off the hook whenever the caravan stopped to rest the remaining animals.
It was the smack upside the head with a lamppost that surprised him the most. Fumbling into the snow, Kaldur spun around with his blade ready and a shield around him.
"If I were a voidling you would be dead young warrior." Jax criticized.
"Been a bit distracted."
"Your wife has told me of your headache." Jax nodded. "Training will distract you from it."
"She's not my wife yet…" Kaldur began.
Immediately Kaldur instinctually blocked a lower blow only to be upturned by a swift leg sweep. Thumping back onto the ground Kaldur blinked as he tried to get his bearings.
"Get up young warrior. You have a long way to go."
As the training with Ryze took a hiatus, Jax was more than willing to fill in the gap he thought Kaldur desperately need filled. Every morning, and after the day's journey, Jax became Kaldur's ruthless teacher. Enough so that he made Lee Sin look like a teddy bear by comparison. Everything was a dance to this man. If you moved, so did your enemy. The key, at least according to him, was to lead the dance so that you can predict your enemy's movements. It was exhausting to say the least. At one point, Jax even recruited some Avarosians and Winter's Claw to beat him within an inch of his life until he could find a way to guide the flow of battle.
Kaldur didn't get any sleep that night. On many occasions he would walk away with more bruises than he knew could exist, but Jax never let up.
"You're going to kill him." Ryze warned as he came to watch the training one evening. "By the time we reach our destination he will be to worn to fight."
"He will have plenty of time to rest when he is ready." Jax countered.
"And what if he is not ready in time?"
Jax leveled his gaze to Kaldur, his usual upbeat attitude clearly gone. "Then he will die."
Kaldur slumped into the ground, the wet snow staining his pants as he pinched the bridge of his nose to move away the headache. He was just about to pull out his waterskin when a stray hand reached forward to snatch it. Instantly a shield blocked the hand as his sword formed towards his intruder's chest.
Jax made a satisfied grunt and backed away. "Well, it seems he's not all hopeless."
Kaldur took a swig and stood up, his head shaking in annoyance. The relationship between Ryze and Jax felt like two mother hens bickering over their chick. It was subtle, and took a far worse toll on Kaldur's mental fortitude then he would ever care to admit. Ashe and Sejuani's relationship was a piece of cake comparatively; at least they were improving.
Due to the avalanche, the journey took longer than expected, and along with training and everything that had occurred between then and now made the trip that much harder. Despite everything, Kaldur was glad to see that everything between Ashe and Sejuani was progressing at a steady pace. Slowly for sure, but the bond was beginning to mend. By the time the sun had set on the twelfth day, the army had made site of their goal.
The citadel was larger than any structure he had ever seen.
Embedded within the mountainside was a work of sheer monument and terror. Made of walls hewn from ice and rock, the massive buttresses towered over the small force; its mass casting an ever-present shadow. From the base of the snow thin stairs spun and twisted nearly five hundred feet up to the chasm entrance where the only comfort came from the dark blue glow of two menacing obelisks that guarded its gates. When the wind blew, the echo of chains could be heard rattling through the inside and exterior of it vestibules.
Despite the darkness in every corner, there was a simple luminosity that reigned ever present. A frigid and treacherous light that bore neither hope nor prayer of anything good that could come from such a place. Whatever lived within its borders Kaldur couldn't imagine, but he could feel the fear it exuded none the less.
He felt so entranced by the sight before him that he nearly jumped when he felt Ahri grip his hand in comfort. Yet despite this, the fear and the ache behind his eye would not abate. Forcing a look and a smile of reassurance, Kaldur dragged his gaze away from the giant fortress in a false attempt at security, a guise Ahri seemed all too aware of.
"We shall make camp here tonight." Ashe stated, making her way to them, her eyes never leaving the structure. "Sejuani and I agree that nightfall would be only benefiting her."
Kaldur nodded in agreement before Ahri and himself began to set up camp next to their friends. By the time the sun had fully set, Kaldur and the rest were sitting comfortably by the campfire. As he looked around, he could see it wasn't just him that felt off about this place.
Jax' many eyes never looked away from the entrance, and Willump cradled Nunu as if something beyond the doors both terrified and angered them. Ryze's gaze seemed farther away than usual and both Kaldur and Ahri gazed at each other in worry.
Ezreal was everyone's saving grace. Whether he was terrified or not, he hid it well behind a charming smirk that gave Kaldur a slight relief to the subtle pressures building in his mind.
"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if we go in there to find it's been abandoned and that all this worrying was for nothing." Ezreal commented, breaking the silence. "I mean, at least we should see if there is a relic or something there."
"You're the explorer. You'd probably just do what you want anyway."
"I'm not an idiot." He defended. "Normally I'd have a little more research prepared for a journey like this."
"I am surprised you have yet to encounter this place." Ahri noted.
"You'd think, right? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a fascinating tale, but I was never in the mood to die a frozen death."
"And yet you travel with us." Jax noted.
"Hey, at this point I got nowhere to go. And so long as I am not too far from a fire, I can keep myself from freezing my butt off. Besides, what would you do without me?"
"Oh, yes, what would we ever do without you." Kaldur repeated, the sarcasm drooling.
"In all seriousness though, you get caught in one dangerous scenario after another. What sane adventurer would want this gig?"
"The operative word is 'sane.'" Ahri shot.
Ezreal looked affronted and put his hand to his heart. "Ouch."
Kaldur chuckled at the self-deprecation, before his eyes caught a glimpse of something on the horizon. Blinking Kaldur quickly stood up to catch a second glimpse before he realized that whatever it was had vanished from sight.
"What's wrong?" Ryze asked, his gaze following Kaldur's.
"Just thought I saw … never mind." He shrugged taking a seat. "So, who is this ice witch that everyone talks about?"
As usual most remained silent. Kaldur could not tell what Jax could be thinking at the moment, and Ahri clearly had no knowledge of the person, but the rest seemed awfully disturbed by the question.
"From what I remember," Ezreal began slowly. "She's supposed to be a walker of dreams. She causes ice to come forth from the ground and haunts people in the night. Their only legends really, but from what I've heard, she's been around for a while. I didn't believe she was real."
"The Warmother's seem to think otherwise." Jax noted gruffly.
"She's real!" Nunu shouted. "Willump and I hear her all the time."
"You hear her?" Ryze asked, his gaze focused.
"Well, yeah. She sounds like lady Lissandra from the Frostguard. But unlike her, the witch is mean."
Kaldur paused and looked at Ahri. "Isn't the Frostguard the people we came to fight?"
"Yes." Ahri answered, her eyes not wavering from Willump.
Turning his attention to the yeti, Kaldur began to notice the subtle gaze of dread that marked his face. In near brief instances Kaldur swore he could see the face shift from a happy creature to one of terror, but it never stayed. Whatever Willump knew about the Frostguard or the Ice Witch, it was clear he dared not tell Nunu, but whether it was for the kid's protection or something worse Kaldur couldn't tell.
"In most legends she is the ice maiden." Ryze said, cutting the quiet. "But those are the legends people have been forced to hear over the decades. I have yet to find the full truth of the matter, but I know she is far older than I; and by all accounts more powerful."
"Is this going to be another lecture about why we shouldn't go in there?" Kaldur asked.
"No. Wisdom and common sense should be the reason. But that has long fled the minds of the Freljords people."
Taking a sigh, the old mage looked back to the citadel with the eyes of a seasoned survivor. "Dark forces and powers are at work in this world. They have been since as long as I can remember. Yet now it seems they are moving with a purpose that is far older and more potent. Pieces are in play that neither I nor the wisest could ever hope to outmatch or comprehend. For now, they guide us on a path that leads us to an unknown fate; but whether their machinations succeed or fail depends on what we find, and what we do… The heart of the Freljord is being fought by the very souls around us. I just hope that we are prepared enough to face the dangers I know exist."
"You think I am not ready." Kaldur noted.
"No one is ever ready young warrior." Jax stated. "All of us here have seen our share of troubles, but it's never really enough. You just have to hold on and do what only you can do."
Not quite satisfied with the answer, Kaldur decided to head to sleep early. Finding as solitary a corner in the yurt as they could find, Kaldur and Ahri nuzzled in close and passed out. It was always a comfort to know she was by his side when he slept, but tonight it didn't abate the dreams and thoughts that kept him awake throughout the night.
By this point he knew the Ice Witch would never leave him alone, not with his party this close to her domain, but Utyr and Ayala were careful to watch over his mind. Even the unnamed void essence played his part. Her interest in him bothered Kaldur, but it seemed he was not the only target to the dream walker's agenda. Sejauni and Ashe had seen visions of the coming days months before his arrival, and Ashe had visualized images of him before he even stepped foot in these frozen lands. It was something Kaldur couldn't help but suspect was the Ice Witches doing as well.
Jax followed wherever the voids presence felt strongest, and he too came here. As the thoughts poured into his unconscious mind, anger, fear, worry, grief, and pain came back to him … but was always abated by a simple squeeze from Ahri's hand. He wouldn't know what he would do without her.
The next morning, everyone awoke to find the sky heavily overcast and dreary. Small flakes of snow floated down much akin to the calm before the storm. Many of the gear was packed and stowed away, only to be watched by a mixed group of Avarosians and Winters Claw. The elnuk were far too afraid of such a place and refused to go any further despite their masters whips or Udyr's summons. The only animal to accompany was Sejuani's Druvask that huffed the cold air without fear or worry.
And so, began the long climb into the citadel.
Sejuani, Udyr, and Ashe led the way, the first warmother's beast barely able to keep its figure from toppling over the thin staircase. Jax, Kaldur and Ahri were the next to follow while Ryze and Ezreal lingered behind with the hundreds of clattering footsteps that marked the Freljordian force. It took far too long to reach the edge of the chasm entrance, and with every step the wind picked up speed and the sky grew darker under the light of the only aura available.
Every pillar and obelisk of ice was etched in metal designs that permeated its outer circumference, each shaped like diamond knots that hung similar to jewelry. As they walked into the main entrance, Kaldur realized that the hole he thought was an archway was merely an illusion.
Dozens of entrances lingered at the top where stairs lead them to the statues of men and beast of intimidating apparel. Here stone was lit by small fires from torches embedded in the rock, while outcroppings of doors threatened to unleash enemies at every turn. Only no one arrived to greet them.
Sejuani had expected soldiers to guard the stairwells, it would have been an easy vantage point to bottleneck any intruders, but the place was only filled with ghosts of whispers long frozen by the ice.
Stepping onto the first stable platform, Kaldur moved forward to get a clearer view of the architecture behind the icy peaks, only to find his breath taken away. The place was nothing but a singular abyss that cut into the ground and dropped into pure darkness and fog. Dozens of monumental bridges spanned the gap both above and below. Where they stood was a single pathway of a forked intersection that met at a single bridge leading to the other side of the chasm. There stood a fortress greater in appearance than the outer hull of the mountainside entrance. To Kaldur, it looked like a darkened city where torchlight was its only facet of humanity. At the base of it walls were two gigantic steel doors that remained closed and could be seen over the tallest statues and designs that littered its singular connection.
Lingering in the air were emissions of light that stretched to the heavens, each coming from a sort of sapphire crystal that adorned certain spaces of each bridge and intersection. It was most likely the reason for the haunting glow that came from this place, but Kaldur suspected another use other than decoration.
"Someone is still here." Ezreal mentioned. "No one keeps lights lit like this if the place were abandoned."
"Then where is everyone?" Jax asked.
"Trap?" Kaldur posed.
"Most likely." Ryze groaned.
Ashe and Sejuani were a bit ahead of everyone, and deep in conversation, before either one gave a decent answer.
"The witch is here." Ashe said reassuringly. "We have nowhere to go but forward, so let us keep moving."
Kaldur nodded in agreement as the army resumed their trek towards the howling abyss. The wind had picked up tremendously outside the walls of the peak, creating sounds that sent a shiver down Kaldurs spine every time it came. Small gatherings of Avarosians and Winter's Claw scouted ahead and searched the walkways and structures only to report back no sign of activity from Frostguard soldiers or strange magics. It all seemed too easy.
By the time they had reached the center bridge, the nagging feeling that had plagued Kaldur reached an all-time high. Stopping for a moment, he moved over to the edge of the bridge where he looked down the long and dark fall. From there he could see lesser and torn overpass' that were weary from age and what looked like battle. Spider's legs of blackened ice spinning around them.
"Kaldur?" Ahri called, drawing his attention away from the depths.
"Yeah, sorry. Just got that feeling again." He replied, walking back toward the group.
"She is here. And perhaps so are some answers to those questions." She reassured, a dancing navy flame in her hand.
Kaldur nodded and returned to the group. Along the solitary passage were stone giants of men that stood as if guardians to the edges of this sacred place, both flanked by a horned sphere with a singular eye in the center. It was a chilling sight to see, but the freljordians kept pushing on till they arrived at the stairs that led to the black gates.
"Take it down!" Sejuani roared to her men as they began to prepare a makeshift battering ram.
It was only when the warriors neared the gate did Kaldur hear it.
"Welcome sisters." The voice spoke shrilly. "It has been too long."
Everyone froze, weapons ready and eyes scanning the horizon for the source. It seemed to come from everywhere, even inside his own head as Kaldur reached out with his mind. Sensing nothing he was about to recede when the gates to the solitary fortress opened.
Everything felt wrong, fear gripping him, only stunted by his now overwhelming curiosity. He couldn't hear Utyr or Ayala, but whether that was good or bad he didn't know. Despite this, the Freljordians continued forward into the doorway, each as determined as their leaders to end this once and for all.
It was Ryze that wouldn't stop glowing, his eyes and mind reaching out with every form of energy he possessed.
"Ryze what's wrong?" Ahri asked before Kaldur could get a word out.
"The magic … it's different. It's torn and blind, but powerful. She knows what she's doing. We need to leave."
"But …" Kaldur began.
In that instant the scene before him changed. What once was a bridge now was a maze of frozen ice mirrors where all he could see was his own reflection.
"So, you are the one." A woman's voice echoed.
"Who are you? Where is everyone?" Kaldur shouted, his swords in his hands and a shield around him.
"You know who I am. Your mind has told you much."
Kaldur couldn't get a grip on his fear. He had never felt so afraid and alone since his time with Gangplank. Was it something she did? Was it his own mind playing tricks on him? He didn't know.
"Where is everyone?" He asked, attempting to push back his emotions.
"They are here. And they are there."
"Stop being cryptic." Kaldur spat, stabbing at the ice.
It had no effect.
"Your power is no use here. I control this domain." She warned.
Turning around Kaldur began to walk towards the openings between the framework that caught his eye. Yet, every step he took changed the scene just subtly. One moment he was treading along a clear-cut path, and the next he was staring at his own shattered reflection. Despite his efforts, Kaldur was not sure where he was heading and had the distinct feeling that this maze was leading him someplace, he had no desire to go.
What was most disturbing came from some of the images that he saw, if only for a moment, come from the mirrors. At times he swore he could see the hem of Ayala's dress match where his legs should have been. At others, Utyr's sleeves or the Void entities hand. But whenever he tried to get a closer look they disappeared.
"I have questions for you little pawn." The voice echoed, making Kaldur's blood freeze.
"I don't give a damn!" He roared.
Blinking and shaking his head, Kaldur tried to dumb down his anger before it got out of control. "I know you're the one in my dreams. What I want to know is why."
"Why?" The voice laughed."I will show you why."
The scene once again shifted in the blink of an eye. Standing mid-air above the empty crevasse that made this fortress, Kaldur's heart nearly leapt from his chest as he realized he had no ground to stand on.
"The howling abyss: a bottomless crevasse surrounded by an ancient fortress carved into a glacier." Began the voice. "No one remembers who built this place. No one remembers its purpose. No one … but me. Long before Ashe and Sejuani, before magic shattered the broken peaks, before the desert swallowed Shurima, it was the time of the three sisters. We were so young back then … Avarosia, Syrilda, and me, Lissandra. Back then, the frozen watchers lived here. I do not know where they came from, but I know they were powerful. They gave us gifts, shared their magic, made us immortal. They named us … iceborn. In return we gave them whatever they desired. This mighty fortress, the vast empire, our loyalty. These were a small price to pay. Avarosia did not see it that way. Like a spoiled child she cried out for freedom. She demanded choice. She sowed the seeds of rebellion … and betrayal. This place is where it happened. On one side: the frozen watchers, on the other: Avarosia and her iceborn horde."
Kaldur was not sure where she was going with this, but despite the terror he felt, the story was beginning to distract him and let his mind return to a calm state.
"It was I whose mind was changed that fateful day. For the first time I could see what the watchers were through the minds of the iceborn: an abomination, bent on unmaking. I knew what had to be done. In a final stroke I took the life of Avarosia and Serylda and banished the watchers to a frozen slumber at the bottom of this chasm. Their life fueled the magic that now keeps these terrors at bay."
She was lying. Something in her voice or the way she told the story seemed false. There may be some truth to it, as Kaldur knew that the best lies spawned from enough truth to keep the listener away. But as with all things, stories like this were meant to manipulate.
"And now you come. An emissary of their power and terror." Lissandra droned.
Emissary? What was she talking about? As far as Kaldur knew, Malzahar was the prophet that preached the voids hunger for destruction. Yet now it seems like there are more sides to this conflict.
"I don't speak for the void."
"I know it was the priest of Shurima that sent you here. His dreams and visions have been a thorn in minds since before you arrived. What I do not know is your very purpose."
"Purpose!?" Kaldur responded, aghast. "Your dreams brought me here! The ones you made in Ashe and Sejuani's heads! I just followed the breadcrumbs."
"Of course." She answered, a coy smile could be felt just behind her lips."Use your enemy's pawn as your own. For that I must thank you. Bringing my sister's reincarnations to me have been most helpful."
In an instant the pressure in Kalsur's mind erupted, causing him to scream in pain. It felt as if a clawed hand were raking at his brain, his knees falling to the floor.
"It's time to see what you are hiding little pawn." Lissandra snarled.
Kaldur couldn't breathe. He felt cold, like the air around him was freezing him solid despite his efforts to move. There was no noise, externally or in his mind, and the presence of those within him had diminished to almost nonexistence.
"Don't trust your eyes." Came a familiar voice.
Kaldur looked around, but as his vision began to fade to black, he couldn't make out who was talking.
"Don't trust your eyes. They can lead you astray." The voice said again.
"But didn't you tell me to trust my senses in a fight?" Another voice asked that was strangely his own.
"It's a balance. You must learn when to trust and when to forgo. In your mind your eyes are useless. Visualizing everything is a crutch that can lead to everything around you breaking."
Lee Sin stood in front of him. His blind fold as red as the autumn trees that filled the hazy background.
"It's not something you can master like the training I have taught you." He lectured. "But keep that in mind. For now, you will have to substitute for a visual representation."
Kaldur remembered this training. It was a one-time thing, but Lee Sin urged that physical strength was nothing without mental preparation.
"Don't trust your eyes." His voice echoed.
Kaldur closed his eyes, the pain still strong and ever present. Inside all he could see was darkness. Initially he could make out shapes in the distance, people fighting and energy flowing, but one by one he let the images flow away like dust. Soon there became only a subtle feeling, or rather a plethora of feelings. Power, emotions, and a tingling sensation that encompassed them all.
Inside it felt like the rushing of multiple rivers that coalesced at one singular point. On the other side was a lone presence that bashed the rivers around as if it were attempting to get to the center. Two sensations about these seemed undoubtedly familiar, one more so than the other. Much like a tunnel, or a tube, Kaldur let the emotions of these two sources funnel into each other, his own emotions becoming the same. Rage, Love, Fear, Kindness, Guilt, Compassion, Hate, and Mercy became one thing: a balance of control and release.
It was here that Kaldur could feal the fear and torment that guided the foreign presence, a set of emotions that caused it to back away.
Kaldur opened his eyes finally to see that the scene was completely different from what he saw before. Instead of the bridge, the chamber they stood in was a collection of blackened ice sculptures. Inside each one stood the frozen image of a person … or was it a real person? At the head of the walkway that Kaldur stood in front of was a near glass throne sitting afront a cockeyed giant horned helmet made of stone and glacier walls. It was nearly the size of a building.
At the base of the steps that lead to the immaculate chair stood a creature or woman that loomed at nearly twice his height. Her base was covered with a skirt that flowed with black and blue trimmings, its frills looking like they sunk into the ice floor itself. Pale arms fused into a dark steel breastplate and shoulder pads where her clawed hands gracefully caressed the face of her nearest trophy. On her face was an elongated helmet that resembled a jagged hammerhead shark, all the while a metallic blindfold sealed her eyes from view. Behind her flowed hair as white as lifeless snow braided so low it reached her hips.
Kaldur was just about to move forward when he stopped just suddenly and looked down to see that his legs were frozen in place and the ice was growing towards his face. Building a shield that mimicked his body's shape, Kaldur let the power flow through him until a sharp blast of black and turquoise energies came forth and shattered the ice on the floor.
The sound caused the woman to stumble backwards for a moment until she realized where it came from.
"YOU!"
As if by the speed of thought Kaldur felt the ground beneath him begin to shift. Rolling forward, he glimpsed back in enough time to see a sharp spike of serene dark ice sticking out of the ground. Without hesitation, Kaldur leapt forward, his speed and grace far stronger than anything he had ever summoned before. The woman, which he could only assume was Lissandra, backed away only to have placed a wall in his path where she once stood … only he wasn't aiming for her.
With a twist of his wrists, Kaldurs blades sank into the ice figures that were nearest to her. With an outbust of energy, the ice splintered into a thousand pieces revealing a worn-out Ashe and an equally distraught Sejuani.
Both fell to the floor on their knees, a look of confusion on their faces as Kaldur dove over the wall with a single leap. Leaning into the turn, Kaldur fell towards Lissandra with his blades by his head. Below him, spikes of ice surrounded her, aiming at his midsection. At the last second, Kaldur formed a shield that smashed into the ice shards, not a single ripple in site from the impact. Using it as a platform he pushed off and flipped over her head, twisting his body so he was always facing her. Before he touched the ground, one blade made its way towards her in a frantic swing. It wasn't much, but it was enough to prevent her from creating more ice at where he stood. With ease she dodged the blow, but didn't expect the second blade till the last moment.
Twisting out of the way, she suffered only a minor scratch on her legs with a tear showing in her skirt. Her arms flailed upwards before Kaldur had any time for a second attack, and beneath her morphed a pillar that propelled her up into the air at an angle. Kaldur tore up the side of the pillar in pursuit, his blade cutting away stray shards that were aimed at his vital spots. Lissandra couldn't get away fast enough. Building up power in his blades, Kaldur slashed across her face only to toss her back to the ground with a resounding boom.
Fractured white smoke formed around her impact crater as Kaldur landed gently on the ground near her. It took a moment to realize what had happened, but the second he saw it Kaldur realized why she was just knocked away and not unconscious. Around her was a mass of ice that resembled armor attune with magic.
With a swipe of her hand, Kaldur was forced to duck as a ravaged set of phantasmal claws upheaved a chunk of the ground and threw it at his head. Kaldur rolled to his right, a shield forming behind him. With a lash of his arm, the shield flew straight into Lissandra's face with a satisfying smack.
Dazed, she barely noticed the violet beam of light until it was too late. Around her formed a cage of pure energy.
"How?" She screamed, her hand flailing madly in the opposite direction of Kaldur.
At first there was a resounding crash as ice broke ice, but the shield never abated. "You lost focus." Ryze said from behind the darkness.
Slowly, a violet aura began to lighten the room, and out stepped Ryze and Jax from behind the glaciers. Both looked weary, but ready for a fight.
"There are too many of us for you to trick, witch." Jax seethed. "And I won't make the same mistake twice."
Up above in the rafters of the chasm a loud roar erupted as a white furred figured cracked into the floor before Lissandra. For an instant, Kaldur thought Willump was about to rip her head off, but the beast just roared into her face. It was Nunu that Kaldur noticed was terrified by the site of the woman, his unusual silence a cause for concern. Behind him, Kaldur watched Ashe and Sejuani storm forth their weapons raised and ready.
Kaldur was just about to ask for Ahri when a sudden heat wave caused everyone to turn their attention towards the last remaining dark corner of the room. Swaying though melting glaciers and ice sculptures revealing frozen Freljordians, Ahri stormed forward. All her tails swaying and her magic blazing around her.
She was pissed.
Kaldur couldn't help but smile and looked back at Lissandra. "Facing us alone was a bad idea Lissandra. I think we win this round."
At first the sound that came from her mouth seemed miniscule and weak, but as the seconds passed Kaldur listened in horror as the sounds transformed into a devastating laugh.
"You think I am alone? You think me beaten?"
Kaldur was really beginning to question his choice of words.
The laugh continued, but as it did, so did the subtle beginnings of an echo. Around them, blurred and fractured figures of Lissandra's person appeared beside them as if by thin air. And so did the appearance of armored soldiers that poured in from outside the chamber.
Willump was the first to attack as he grabbed at one of the Lissandra clones, shattering it into a spree of shards with a tremendous grip. Everyone began to fight right then and there. Ryze, desperate to keep the shield atop the real Lissandra was just about knocked away until Lax stepped in with a quick set of moves that demolished the clone and sent a lone soldier tumbling away. Nunu began to gather up his confidence as he chucked snowballs at his foes with reckless abandon.
Ahri blasted through the clones as if they were butter, her attacks forcing some of the frozen soldier to be released from their prison.
"NO!" The Lissandra's echoed. "You will set them free!"
Ahri, unaware of what she was referring to, laughed as she ignored the witch's plea, her fires releasing countless Freljordians from every age. Ashe and Sejuani stood back-to-back and let loose dozens of frozen attacks that left the soldiers wounded or trapped but had no effect on the clones. Kaldur leapt near the warmothers his attacks causing the clones to melt or burst apart. Using all hat Jax had drilled into him, Kaldur swayed through the battlefield as if he were dancing through a storm. Every slash had a purpose, every block a counter.
The freed strangers who were not already part of the Avarosians or Winters claw, joined the fray the moment they realized the fight was being directed towards the Lissandra. Some, however, thought of Willump as the enemy and directed their attention towards him and any who defended him.
It was an all-out brawl.
Kaldur was just about to slash at the real Lissanrda, hopefully to end the tirade of her clones when he realized that she was no longer bound by a cage. Ryze must have been distracted. Swaying through the destruction, Kaldur finally caught a glimpse of a familiar blond when his stray arc of energy soared through enemy ranks.
"Watch where you point that thing Ez!" Kaldur shouted.
"If you haven't noticed, it's a little chaotic here!" He shot back.
"Hey! Use your teleport. Find the real Lissandra!" Kaldur ordered as he ducked a soldiers spear thrust and stabbed him in the stomach.
"Who…?"
"The Ice witch!"
"They all look the same to me!" Ezreal complained, firring dozens of energy bolts into the same target.
"The real one doesn't look blurry, or …" He ducked a stray ice shard aimed for his head. "like broken ice!"
"There are blurry clones?" He asked.
At this point Kaldur was beginning to suspect that he was the only one who could see the real Lissandra. Taking his leave of the situation, Kaldur dashed through the open fights till he stood atop the pillar Lissandra had made earlier. Gazing across the shifting figures of warriors, vagabonds, and deceptions, he could see nothing; or at least no clear figure of the ice witch. He was just about to head down and help keep the clones at bay when a stray movement caught his eye. Flowing against the current of the battle was a lone figure… a tall pale woman.
Instead of wearing her armor, this person looked normal, albeit tall. With her pale skin and snow-white hair that flowed down to her hips, Kaldur was almost positive it was Lissandra. Creating a small platform at the base of his feet, Kaldur built up power into his legs. In a single bound, Kaldur launched toward the woman with frightening speed, so much so that he almost thought he missed his mark.
Clumsily, Kaldur landed with a roll and appeared just behind her, his sword already in her back.
"I think we're done here." He told her.
The battle seemed to freeze momentarily. The clones faded into puffs of snow, as the Frostguard soldiers who were apparently real stood in shock at their leader's defeat. Some stray ruffians attempted to continue the fight, but were put down by more proficient people.
The woman turned around and looked at Kaldur, her eyes a solid pale blue. It only hit Kaldur then her condition: Lissandra was blind.
"You fool." She chided meekly.
Tearing his sword out of her, Kaldur watched her fall to the floor. Inside he knew she wasn't dead, but the way she looked and acted sent a chill down his spine.
The rest of the altercation went as expected. Despite their zealotry for their leader, the Frostguard dared not raise a finger to anyone with Lissandra held hostage, and soon everyone managed to calm down.
"I am wet." Ahri complained as she made her way to him.
Kaldur shook his head. "Excuse me?"
"The melted ice." She clarified. "It is uncomfortable."
With a small chuckle, Kaldur leaned in and gave her a kiss. "You'll live."
"I know." She said with a grimace.
Kaldur was just about to compliment her when the ground below him began to rumble. Looking around it seemed that he was not the only other person who felt it. Quickly he started to make his way to where Ryze held Lissandra when the ground once again rumbled, and far more violently.
"Everyone out!" Sejuani roared, hopping atop her Druvask.
Leaning in close to the ground, Kaldur looked up to see that only he and a few other people were gathered here. Everyone else was making their way to the edges of the room and the doors. Despite his desire to follow suit, it was too late. Underneath him, the ice made earth split, forcing a chasm to open up beneath him, and causing the ground to fall through.
"Kaldur!" Ahri cried, her face being the last thing he saw.
