"Isolde! My love! You have returned to me!" The man almost rushes forward happily. He grabs my arm and yanks me into an embrace. The mist on his chest creeps up my body. I don't have enough time to scream for help, and everything is so tranquil. I smile at my husband as I pull away.
"My king, you found me at last." I greet my husband with a tight hug. He sighs into my hair. He loves me. He's found a way to save me. He did it.
"Of course I did, Isolde. Would you doubt me?" Viego asks fondly. He tilts my chin up slightly to kiss me gently. I happily lean into the kiss, though there's a niggle at the back of my mind. I dismiss it to look at my husband in all his glory. His presses a hand fondly against my cheek.
"Never." I whisper as I pull away. He quickly scoops me into a hold. I shriek and laugh in surprise at his actions. He's always trying to spoil me, but that's how I know he loves me.
-lah… A voice appears in the back of my head. I twitch but decide to ignore it.
"You look beautiful, my love, with a crown rightfully on your head." Viego comments. I reach up to feel a firm crown on my head. It feels exactly like my king's crown.
Lei- The voice interferes. This time I twitch a little bit more. My husband notices.
"Is something wrong, my love?" Viego asks.
"Nothing at all, Viego. I'm perfectly-" I cut myself off as a black snake with ruby eyes and a dot on its head gets between us. It flays open its hood.
"Leilah! Wake up!" the snake screams. I blink, confused.
"I'm sorry, who are you talking to?" I ask politely. The snake is swatted away. My gut clenches and I try to reach out for him, but I can't. Viego is holding me back.
"What is this? Isolde?" Viego asks. I try to answer him before sharp tug at my mind interrupts me.
Come on, Leilah, you are so much stronger than this. You have blood and magic that literally counters everything on this damned place, now use it! A familiar male voice roars in my head. I blink. You saved me on Mount Targon by fighting through a compulsion. Use that damned stubbornness! It's me! Say my damn name!
"Star-" I start to speak when my husband covers my mouth. Everything returns to a tranquil state. I feel relaxed.
"I can not trust what that infernal creature will make you say. Stay with me, my love." Viego tempts me. I open my mouth to agree with him.
"Starshadow." I state. I blink and stare at the crowned man in horror. His ghostly eyes widen and I feel shadows creep down my shoulders. I let out the scream I tried to do earlier and quickly back away. I grab at the crown on my head and yank it into oblivion. Starshadow, for his part, actually grabs the wraiths in his mouth and flings them off me.
That's it, Leilah! You keep fighting it! Starshadow crows and lands between the madman and I. I pale. I kissed a corpse. I spit and wipe my mouth attempting to be clean of him. Not the time, Leilah.
What did he do to me?
At least that was the worst! Imagine if you were under his possession longer!
I hate you!
"Isolde!" Viego screams in agony. He reaches for me, only for Starshadow to grow in size, challenging the man. I collapse on my knees.
"Her name… Is Leilah. She's my bonded, and you will go to hell for what you tried to do to her!" Starshadow roars. He snaps his mouth forward and opens his hood wide.
"You've taken her from me. Prepare to die." Viego snarls, twirling his large sword like it was nothing. I panic a little bit. Starshadow's too small to fight him and protect me. Viego raises his sword and prepares to stab my bonded.
"Leave him alone!" I yell. I barely manage to pull Starshadow out of the way while I thrust a hand out to hold him. For the first time, my magic failed me. I can't stop him. I barely manage to dodge the stab to my gut. Instead, it grazes my side. I grunt and hold it tightly. Starshadow enlarges himself the moment he feels my pain, growing larger than the mad king.
"You dare to attack her? Your so-called queen?" Starshadow hisses. I snap my head up and yank him backwards. Apparently just in time. I hear the swish of his sword as it passes harmlessly by. Starshadow recoils before allowing a bit of Darkin to coat his form. He looks absolutely demonic with it.
"You made me hurt her. You will pay with your life. Now, give me back my queen." The king snaps. I feel the magic tense as his sword glows brightly. I duck behind Starshadow as a blast of blue mist sweeps past us. It's so cold, it burns. Starshadow forces himself to use enough magic to ensure that I am completely safe from the attack. I feel frost crawl up my skin, desperate for my soul. I gulp and take a deep breath. I need to copy the Black Mist magic. I have to help Starshadow somehow. I coax my magic against it. I feel colder and more drained as my magic struggles to acclimate. It almost seems to surge towards my core. I gasp and fall to my knees. The chill is both burning and numbing my senses. Maokai… he told me that our magic is completely opposite. Maybe everything my magic isn't, it has to become.
Daamien, if you're listening, can you change my magic to be it's complete opposite? I plead. The chill envelopes me tightly, refusing to let go until every single part of me has been consumed. I glance down at my hand and notice they are blue, like Khalista's, and are only getting worse. The glow creeps up my arms. I whimper and desperately call on my magic to stop fighting. To allow the mimic to happen. It… it fails me again. My hands return to the solidness they were. If anything, the Mist refuses to be copied.
"Starshadow!" I whimper and look behind me. My companion is screaming as he fights against the cold. He's sliding backwards into me. His neck is becoming ghostly like my arms. I don't even want to see what his face looks like.
Get ready to run, Leilah. Starshadow's voice echoes in my head.
"What? No!" I protest.
Leilah, we can't survive this. Not together. Your magic won't accept becoming it's opposite. This… king… he's literally the core of this place. He's channeling all the magic of this place through him.
"We ran through the origin of the Black Mist. We can fight this!"
That was passive. This one, it's aggressive. It wants to kill us. And we… we aren't strong enough. Run, Leilah. Just run. I'll hold him off. Starshadow's tail brushes my cheek. I shake my head.
"No! We are both getting out. I swear it!"
Run, Leilah. I'm… I'm glad I was your companion. Starshadow nudges me away. I stumble to the ground and look up, terrified. He turns his head briefly towards me. He's lost all his scales. He looks like a skeleton, with bright glowing red eyes looking into mine. A tear flows down my face and I grit my teeth. Sorrow and fear churn into each other constantly. It never ends, feeding each other. I start to hyperventilate. Starshadow's tail pushes me away. I bump into a rock and suddenly everything is crystal clear. This king, he's going to kill Starshadow. And Starshadow, he could be trapped here. I'd lose him and he would be in pain constantly. He could forget me. My magic swirls, tempting me with power. I feel furious enough to take it. And my magic responds accordingly.
The freezing mist doesn't chill me anymore. The ambient magic doesn't make me want to sleep. I feel… I feel powerful. My fingers curl into fists. Everything in me is pulsing. I can barely see straight. All I can see is the mad man pointing his sword at my dying companion. My limbs tremble. My feet leave the ground. A pulse erupts from me, a bright light flashing around me. It floods the little area. Starshadow's face heals, from skeleton to scales again. He's staring at me in awe. I touch his head gently before turning back to the mad king.
-WARNING: THIS PART CAN GET A LITTLE… CRAZY-
"You will never harm my bonded again." I snarl. Aurora and Daamien's voice echo with mine. The king slashes forward. Another blast attacks me. I lift a hand. A blindingly bright shield materializes before me. The blast screams and melts away. The king stares at me in fury and attempts another attack. This time he lashes out with his sword. It lands on my shoulder, but doesn't cut through. Another pulse of magic erupts from my body. He gets flung back into a wall. I feel the pain in my back, but it almost encourages my fury. How dare a lowly creature harm Starshadow, me, with his pitiful magic? He stumbles to his feet and prepares another attack. I raise my hand, taking him with it. He struggles to escape me, but I refuse. My hand curls. The king twists horribly. I feel my own bones break with his. The pain just continues to invigorate me. "Are you enjoying the pain you have inflicted upon thousands of people? Millions? Centuries of time? Feel the same pain they felt!"
"Khalista! Hecarim! I need you!" He tries to scream. I swipe with my other hand, silencing him. For the first time, he doesn't look at me in derision or fury. He's afraid of me. I feel another surge of magic pulse out. The Black Mist disappears from anywhere close to me. I take another step forward when a tail holds my broken wrist. I turn around, seeing my fully healed bonded look at me.
Leilah! You're going to die! Starshadow pleads in my head. I look down at my right arm. It's broken, having several more bends in it than it should. I don't feel the pain. I give him a soft smile. I feel a liquid dribble out of my mouth and nose. I caress his face.
"I'm not going to die, Starshadow. I feel fine. Great actually." I try to comfort him. He pulls on my wrist a little bit sharper. I struggle to hold in my pleasure.
This isn't you, Leilah. You never want to hurt anyone. This isn't Aurora or Daamien. None of you would want to hurt anyone for pleasure.
"I don't want to hurt for pleasure. I want to teach him a lesson." I cock my head. Starshadow's grip tightens around my wrist. This time I can't hold back, letting out a sigh of relief. Starshadow looks even more concerned.
The Leilah I knew would never enjoy pain. Come back. Please. Starshadow pleads. I blink at him before looking at the ghostly king. Even with all my torture on him, he still tries to stand. He pulls his sword and attempts another swipe. I sharply raise my hand to the sky. He smacks into the ceiling and drops, not moving. I gasp from the pain. Not pain, pleasure. It's intoxicating. Starshadow's tail smacks my face. I look at him.
"What was that for?" I ask, saddened by his attack. Starshadow attempts to pull my magic away. He grows larger than what he was on Mount Targon. His head is twice the size of my body, but I can still use magic. I stroke his nose. "It's ok, Starshadow. No one will hurt you."
Leilah. What would Yone think if he saw this? Your mother? Your Father? Starshadow pleads. I blink, the haze pulling away slightly. There's a bit more of a drain on my magic than I'd like. I tilt my head as the haze returns.
"They'd understand, Starshadow. To protect you all, I'll do what I have to."
What should happen if you decide you have to imprison them! To hold them hostage to keep them safe? Starshadow yells at me. I'm not your prisoner or someone to protect you. I'm your bonded. Your partner.
"Exactly why no one will ever hurt you." I coax. My magic becomes easier to use again. I raise my hands. A brilliant light swirls in my hands. I point them at the so-called king. Starshadow sinks his fangs into my shoulder. I moan from the pleasure. Starshadow whimpers as his own scales break apart.
Leilah, wake up! Starshadow screams in my head. Your parents didn't raise a ruler. They raised a beautiful young girl who loves stories, adventures, to help people. Does hurting someone mean that you're helping? Yone, he loves you for doing the right thing, for being true to who you are, a beautiful soul that wants to help in any way possible without hurting anyone. To tell stories that inspire others to be better. Is this the person they would love?
I pause. My magic almost scrambles to pull me back. I feel my feet touch the ground, and I feel a little bit more grounded. I stare at my hands, broken fingers and all. There's no pain. Yone's hands float over my own. I look up, afraid. His face is horrified and he's pulling out one of his swords. He points them both at me. There's sorrow, pain, and determination in his eyes. I scream and snap out of the haze.
-All set. Summary at the bottom.-
I cover my mouth in horror and stare around me in fear. The Black Mist remains very far away from me. The ghost of the king melts away, leaving his sword. All my injuries no longer feel good. They feel like the worst agony in the world. I cough into my hands, wincing at the movement. I see blood splatter on my pale skin. Starshadow shrinks down to a more manageable size and helps me lie down on the ground. Even then, it doesn't take long before my magic washes over me, healing all my injuries. I start to sob, finally coming back to my senses. The Mist surges towards me. I cry into Starshadow's embrace, allowing it to come close. Maybe I deserve this. Starshadow creates a dome of light before they get too close. It feels like the last of my magic is being used for this.
"What happened to me?" I sob. My voice is just mine. Mine alone. Starshadow looks at the runes around us. They are tinged pink, slowly turning back to white.
"The Runes, the ones around us, they're amplifying magic. Your magic must not have been able to replicate the Shadow Isles themselves, but maybe you mimicked the magic of the Runes. That's what gave you such a powerful surge." Starshadow comforts me.
"I… I tried to kill him. Daamien, Aurora, you, I almost killed you all. I almost killed you." I wail and bury my head into his scales. Starshadow's tail rubs my back tenderly. I can't stop crying. What monster could I be?
"You could be the worst of the worst monsters, Leilah. But I know that you didn't completely lose yourself the entire time." Starshadow nuzzles my head. I look up at him miserably.
"How? How can you know?" I plead. There's a little bit of hope if he's right.
"Daamien's vow. You were so powerful I think you could have broken your own vow if you wanted to, but you sustained the same injuries as he did." Starshadow explains. My tears return, only this time I'm happy. Daamien's vow kept me from becoming a complete monster. I sob in relief.
"Thank you." I mutter over and over again into Starshadow's scales. I don't know who I'm thanking, Daamien or Starshadow, or anyone. He keeps rubbing his head against my cheek for the entirety of my break down. What feels like hours lets out all the emotions I was feeling in that moment. I have a few hiccups before I wipe my eyes. I take a deep breath and exhale. "Starshadow?"
Yeah?
"I want to leave."
We need to wait for the next teleport.
"I want to leave now."
Leilah-
"Please, Starshadow. I don't want to be here. I'm scared of myself. Until I can take that vow, I don't want to be here."
Leilah, you'll be ok.
"Please Starshadow!" I scream. He jumps, not expecting my pleading.
Just last a little longer, ok?
"Starshadow, I don't care about the history of this place anymore. I want out." I want to cry, but I've already cried them all out.
"Isolde… my queen… I found you… a perfect… guard." A misty and weak voice murmurs. Chills shoot up my spine. "Leilah… you will… protect her… when I can't." viego appears once again. I feel like hyperventilating when all his injuries are restored. My magic healed me so fast I thought it forgave me, but maybe it's because of his healing as well. He… he sees me and looks like he's going to try to possess me again. I don't want to be possessed. That was terrifying. I couldn't think of anything he didn't want me to. I don't want to be here anymore. I can't react at all. I can't move. Starshadow hisses and tries to grow, though he winces from his attempt. That brings me out of my terror enough to act. If I lost control over my magic because Starshadow was going to be killed, I'm not going to let him die. Just like that, I feel like I have the magic to do whatever I need to.
"Not today." I snap, scooping Starshadow up and run back the way we came in. Into the lake. I barely manage a few steps in before I trip over something. I land into the water. It tastes like death. I shoot my head up and spit out the taste. Starshadow's body slithers onto mine.
There's a fucking corpse down there! And you dropped me on her! Starshadow whines.
"You wanted me to run. We're running. And after this, we're teleporting out of here. Got it?" I snap. I scoop him back up and deposit him on my scarf before using my magic and shadow stepping across the basin. I flick my hand to find my way back to Maokai. Without missing a beat, I change my trajectory to where I need to go. I don't stop running until I burst out of the fog. Maokai is the one to help me realize that I was out. His hand catches me as I run into him. I feel my nose break from colliding into him. My magic is slow to heal it. I laugh giddily. It's not amplified anymore. I'm back to my old magical self. I just lie down, trying to catch my breath. My treant friend appears to be a little impatient.
"...WELL?"
"I'm sorry… I couldn't get... much information... I barely... got out... with my life." I pant, struggling to breath. The mist burns my throat, it's magic sinking into me. It sends me into another panic, scrambling to get rid of it by activating my magic as strongly as I can.
"WHAT IS WRONG?" Maokai asks, his hand bringing me up to his face.
"Get it out! Get it out!" I shriek, though with each word, more mist floods my mouth. I cough and sputter, unable to breath. I'm being suffocated… I'm going to die here. And I'm going to protect him and his queen… or I'll be his queen… I don't want that… Starshadow, help.
OH, HELL NO! I DID NOT JUST ALMOST DIE FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY DIE! Starshadow roars in my head. A small smile twitches at my lips. A bright flash of light invades my gut. All the mist that just flooded my mouth shriek as they are forced to leave. Maokai has to look away as Starshadow purifies me of all the Mist. It gets so bright that even I have to close my eyes. Everything hurts though. I need to live, for Starshadow. I need to see my parents again. See Yone…
The light dies down right as I find I can breath. I feel like I'm coughing up everything as I attempt to drink in the air. Maokai starts flinging saplings to protect me. Starshadow grows large and carefully wraps around me, a physical barrier from the wraiths.
"HOLD TIGHT!" Maokai roars. I reach down to grab the biggest twig, though it's too smooth. In the end, Starshadow is once again my saviour. He calls on our magic, using a shield to hold us still while Maokai battles around us. It's so taxing trying to hold onto everything. My fingers can't even close around a twig or a branch, so I'm just tumbling around inside Starshadow's makeshift shield.
"Can't you just put us in your branches on your head?" Starshadw yelps. My eyes are starting to close. I'm just so tired. You rest, we'll keep you safe.
Promise?
"GOOD IDEA." The branch I was holding onto shifts to right above his eyes. The wraiths keep attacking us, though they can't get through Starshadow's shield. For that, I'm grateful.
Promise. With Starshadow guarding me, I feel comfortable enough to sleep.
I'm woken with a soft nudge to my side. I groan as I come to. Starshadow and Maokai are standing above me. Well, Starshadow is only the size of my hand, from wrist to my middle finger, so he's pretty small. His scales reflect the moon from above. The full moon has never seemed brighter, nor more menacing, than in that moment.
Did we escape? My voice somehow manages to sound raspy in my head. I wince as I do my best to sit up. My head is pounding. My magic must be struggling to recover. I'm just so tired…
"GLAD TO SEE YOU AWOKE, LEILAH."
"We escaped." Starshadow presses his head firmly against my chin. "Don't you ever get possessed again, either by a mad, delusional man or the Black mist. It's terrifying."
"I promise." I weakly reach up to pat his head, only my hand just drops on him. He doesn't protest, merely slithering through my fingers to sit on my forehead.
"DID YOU FIND ANYTHING TO HELP THE ISLES?" Maokai groans. I open my mouth, willing to share my discovery over my blood, but Starshadow interrupts me.
"We don't know enough about what happened here to really help."
"ARE YOU CERTAIN? I SENSE HER MAGIC IS-"
"I'm certain, Maokai. If we found anything that could help, we'll tell you immediately." Starshadow persists.
"I SENSE HER MAGIC WILL BE ABLE TO HEAL THIS LAND." Maokai steps forward aggressively.
"And she is in danger of dying. If you truly want her to help you, you need to wait. She can't heal this land if she's too busy trying to survive. Besides, she isn't magically strong enough to stop the mist. Maybe in a few centuries, she can stop it, but right now, any attempts to make the Black Mist go away right now, would only result in her being absorbed. The only hope we have to restore the Isles would just be consumed." Starshadow rambles. Maokai freezes and thinks before he sighs.
"I HAVE WAITED CENTURIES ALREADY. I MERELY WISH TO SEE MY HOME RESTORED. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE KNOWING." The treant pleads.
"I'm sorry, but you are going to have to wait a little longer." Starshadow firmly puts his tail down. Literally. It smacks into my eye. I wince at the pain. Sorry.
"...I SUPPOSE THAT I CAN WAIT A LITTLE LONGER." Maokai sighs. I feel a little bad that he's resigned.
"We'll… come back.. And save this place." I gasp out. Maokai's bright ghostly blues lock on me. "I promise."
"YOU SHOULD REST, LITTLE LIGHT. REGAIN YOUR STRENGTH." Maokai creaks, offering me another fruit. Starshadow attempts to help, though the fruit is about his size. I can't help but giggle. Starshadow's mouth cracks a small smile, but keeps helping me without commenting. He must be just as tired as I am. "DO YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE?"
"If you could bring us to the edge of the Isles, where the light is brightest? She's not going to be able to stay safe here." Starshadow asks.
"THE WARDEN LIVES THERE. I WILL NOT TAKE HER THERE." Maokai refuses. Starshadow sighs before perking his head up. He's a little bigger since I had the fruit.
"Can you give us a little more food? I can get us to safety then."
"CERTAINLY." Maokai hands more fruit to me. Starshadow helps me eat every single fruit until I can't anymore. My stomach feels so full and empty at the same time. It tastes too liquidy to sustain me, but I feel quenched and my magic is returning. "COME BACK AND SAVE MY HOME WHEN YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH."
Here we go. Starshadow murmurs in my mind. I feel like I'm constantly going from full of magic to empty while I'm on the Isles, but when the shadows take me, they spit me back out next to the recently filled light basin. I slump against the stone pillar. A dark bit of laughter echoes around us. A shriek rips from my throat and I cover my ears. I don't want to be here any more. I don't even want to think about going on another adventure for a long time. I need time to absorb everything that's happened.
You did pretty well, all things considered. Starshadow tries to help. I close my eyes.
"I need a break from being me." I whisper. Starshadow snorts.
You can't stop being you.
"I meant I need to be a normal person for a bit. I… I need to recenter myself. That magic, that intoxication, I'm scared of me. I need to remember what I enjoy doing." I explain. Starshadow freezes before nuzzling my head.
I forget that sometimes you still think like a mortal.
"I've only been an Aspect and a Darkin for a few years, Starshadow. I'm still not used to being so powerful. Today scared me."
I never would have thought that the Guide would need help.
"Well, I see a lot of crap. You say I'm young all the time. Well, I'm going to claim that I'm young and I need a break. I need help." I whisper. Starshadow's head bobs over my shoulder. I can feel his smile.
You're in luck, Leilah. Aurora and Daamien hear you. Look. Starshadow invites me. I tilt my head to my side and take a peek at my. I could cry in joy. The teleporting shadows slide underneath me and rise. There isn't much of a tug on my magic, so Daamien is teleporting us. I close my eyes, praying that the Aspect and the Darkin residing in me are willing to help me center myself, to absorb everything that happened to me. The shadows feel different, almost apologetic. The shadows fall away to bright, sunny light. I close my eyes quickly. I actually laugh as I feel its warmth. I feel grass under my body.
I don't know how long I lie there. I feel incredibly content. The only thing that could make it feel so much better is if I didn't remember what happened when my power went out of control. Starshadow remains alert while I just relax. Everything is just how it should be. I pretend I'm home, in the fields of my farm. I pretend I'm in the field when I first met Yasuo and Yone. I pretend I'm in the fields when I helped Daamien get his mind back. I never knew how comforting a simple plant could be.
Leilah, you might want to get up. Starshadow sounds incredibly pleased. I finally open my eyes. I sit up. My head barely peaks over the top of the grass. I look around slowly, warily. A feeling of being hunted sinks into my bones.
Apparently, I look around too slowly. Starshadow's tail forces my head to turn away from where I'm looking. I let him, trusting him. He guides my head to a silhouette in the distance. Where there's a man with very fluffy hair. I bolt up to my feet, excited. I raise my hand to the sky, sending a burst of colors above me. The hair snaps away from me. I spot his face. He's grown taller, with a bit of beard like his brother, only his reaches his hairline. The man stares at me while I wave excitedly. He snaps out of it soon enough, turning around and gesturing wildly to someone else. I cover my mouth when I realize who it is. He's older, more refined. His hair is still up in that interesting bun with strands of hair falling in his face. He wears a tunic with gold colored shoulder stares at me like he's shocked that he sees me. I feel my knees tremble and I start to run to him.
Yone finally gets his body in motion, running faster than his brother is. I'm not sure how since Yasuo is a student of wind techniques, but it's not the highest of my priority. I just want to be next to him. To feel safe and have him be proud of me. To forget what my power can do.
LOOK OUT! Starshadow screams. I twist around to see a large reptile with many eyes and a small horn leap out of the grass, directly at me.
O.O... Yeah, I am proud of this chapter. Look how dark my mind went. For those that would not have handled the crazy bit, Leilah took in too much power. her emotions took control and she lashed out... Violently. Of course, her curse makes her feel it, but for once she enjoys it. She enjoyed knowing how much pain she could give, and that her bonded was safe. It was a wild ride for her. Only through Starshadow begging her to come back was she able to do so. Other than that, Viego saw pretty girl and thought it was his wife, the crazy, mentally unstable idiot that he is.
And Now We are back with Yone and Yasuo! I mentioned earlier that I was going to make long arcs or location timelines. We're at the start of one that is at least 13 chapters long, so it's going to be a while. Hope you guys are ready for at least a month of being in Ionia, i've got a few people that would definitely have an interesting interaction.
As usual, I offer you my wish. That your day is extraordinary, for everyone of one of you makes my day amazing.