Taliyah IV
The cobbled stones beneath my feet was a comforting presence as we approached our target. The mountain of scales and muscle sat at the edge of an empty dock, the dockhands stopping curious and awed people from wandering in, most likely at his request.
"Ya Alice?" The burly man standing watch asked brusquely and I frowned in confusion. That name didn't even sound Shuriman. Sivir sighed.
"That's me." Behind us, I could practically hear the suddenly swiveling necks of our companions as they turned to stare at Sivir. I couldn't blame them, I was surprised as well.
"Your name's Alice?" I blurted out and Sivir grumbled. The man crossed his arms and glared at us suspiciously.
"Don't ya lie to me. Lord Renekton's a very important person. Ya kids should stop bothering 'im." I snorted. Based on what Sivir tells me, I'm pretty sure "Lord" Renekton would absolutely love having kids bothering him. The sharp intake of breath through her nostrils told me that Sivir was about to do something she would probably regret.
The next few words that came out of her mouth were said in a high pitched voice that made me stare wide eyed at my companion.
"One, two! One, two! And through and through. The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!" She gave a little twirl of her Chalicar, the legendary weapon glittering as though it didn't mind being used for a childish dance.
I could hear the children giggling and even Kadira gave a loud snort. I tried to hold myself back. I really did.
"Oh my goodness, Sivir. Alice. Whatever. That was great." I laughed at Sivir's bright red face. We all stopped laughing when we noticed the burly dockhand kneeling and looking up at Sivir, his face a picture of awe and excitement.
"The prophecy of the Jabberwock! You are truly Alice!"
"I'm gonna kill him..." she grumbled, walking past the still kneeling man and headed straight for the two figures at the end of the dock. We spent the next few minutes walking in silence, Sivir still grumbling irritably and the rest of us wondering what this Prophecy of the Jabberwock was.
The closer we got, the more I recognized the sheer size of the Ascended being. A scale covered mass, rippling with power. I could practically hear the stone dock beneath his feet screaming at the stress his weight was causing them. Atop his shoulder was a beautiful girl, nine furry tails proudly waving in the wind. I've never heard of an Ascended that looked so human, but then again, most of them have faded into myth and legend so there probably were more human looking ones back then.
"I saw your dance from here, Alice." The loud, rumbling voice drowned out the wind. I felt hand clutch the back of my cloak nervously, but I didn't dare turn away from the two Ascended to see who it was. Sivir marched up to him, glaring defiantly at the reptilian muzzle. The furry Ascended on his shoulders watched the scene, a small, content smile on her face.
After last night's excitement, I think I know why that smile is on her face.
"Renekton! Will you stop calling me Alice!" Sivir's shout roused me from my completely innocent thoughts. Renekton tilted his head, the Ascended girl somehow managing to remain seated despite the movement. He simply stared back at Sivir, shrugging off her rising anger effortlessly. Sivir sighed.
"Will you please stop calling me Alice, Senpai?" I thought that after the past few minutes, nothing could surprise me anymore, but the demure voice was so unlike Sivir that I had to take my attention off Lord Renekton, no, Lord Senpai? Was that even a word? It sounds vaguely Ionian.
The row of teeth that appeared from the amused grin startled a gasp out of me. I could feel various hands gripping my cloak and my arms from behind as our companions decided that yes, we were standing on top of a stone dock, and that yes, I could probably make a wall in front of me if those teeth decided we were chewy and delicious.
"Good, gooood." Lord Senpai, for the owner of those terrifying teeth gets to be called whatever he wants to be called, drawled out, his clawed hands intertwining their fingers under his snout. "The Prophecy of the Jabberwocky is clear..."
"What prophecy? That was just a random poem you taught me in case I needed to find you!" Sivir hissed out, her face completely red.
"I find your lack of faith disturbing." Lord Senpai retorted, his grave voice somehow managing to convey his amusement at the situation. Sivir's hand twitched, a now familiar reflex that meant she was about to grab her crossblade and throw it at someone.
"It is clear that Alice, that's you, will follow the golden road and defeat the Wicked Witch of the West." My heart sped up. Was that an actual prophecy? But what did it mean?
"You're making that up!" She bit back but I couldn't get the words out of my head.
"No, no, it makes sense." The Great Weaver moved in mysterious ways and I could feel fond remembrance of my childhood learning how to puzzle out her signs and portents. "If you truly are the 'Alice', then you have to defeat a Wicked Witch, a mage, to the West."
Sivir turned to me, shock apparent in her face. Zaifa tugged at the back of my cloak.
"Tali, the golden road. That's the desert, the Great Sai." she whispered.
"Hm-hm," Kadira hummed in agreement, her earlier nervousness replaced with the curiosity she often showed when talking about history and relics, "The fallen city of Nerimazeth, bad juju there."
The Fallen City of Nerimazeth, at the westernmost edge of Shurima, shrouded by stories of dark magic and angered gods.
"That's where he is. Xerath. The Wicked Witch of the West." I concluded, idly wondering why the term used for female mages was used to refer to Xerath. Then again, from what we saw, his body was made up purely from magic. Maybe he was a she all along?
Sivir stared wordlessly at us before pointing an accusing finger at Lord Senpai.
"You! What about making my own destiny! You said my fate is mine and mine alone! You said it!" I could hear the terror in her voice, the cool under pressure mercenary replaced by a young woman understandably confused as the first person she trusted in years seemingly deceived her.
I grabbed her in a hug, and without hesitation, our friends joined in, trying to comfort her with physical contact. Sivir didn't sob, she didn't really do that anymore, but I could feel her body tremble at what she saw as a betrayal.
"Sivir." I glared at the massive figure of Lord Senpai, noticing the worry in his ruby red eyes. The other Ascended, still sat comfortably atop his shoulders, looked like she wanted to join in our little group hug. I must admit, the thought of cuddling those furry tails distracted me for a moment.
"Your fate is yours, Sivir, let none tell you otherwise. But Xerath is my foe, my eternal enemy. Shurima will never find peace while he lives. No one is forcing you to face him. But I am asking you for help."
To our shock, the Ascended warrior, a being spoken of in legend, a massive warrior whose scales can shrug off the strongest blows, whose claws can tear through the strongest steel, bowed at the waist. The Ascended woman casually stepping off his shoulders and bowing as well.
After a few tense seconds, I could hear the familiar smirk in Sivir's voice as she replied.
"Fate can go die in a ditch. But you're family." I caught the short glance she gave us - me, Zaifa, Anit, Kadira, Samir and Sami. "Family is everything."
The massive grin that greeted us after Lord Senpai straightened up wasn't so terrifying anymore.
"Arigatou gozaimasu." Ionian sounding words again. Maybe he's visited Ionia at some point in the past. The grin widened, becoming unnerving once again.
"Pack lightly, we head west!" Bafflingly, the growly voice somehow managed to sound cheerful. Giddy even. I couldn't help but smile at the infectious energy. Sivir, on the other hand, had some issues.
"Wait, we're going after Xerath now?"
Lord Senpai laughed and even his companion hid a demure giggle behind her hand.
"Of course not. We're going on a training trip."
I grimaced. The memory of making the mistake of looking for teachers of magic - in Noxus of all places - still a fresh scar.
But as I looked around, at the children, excited at the thoughts of adventuring with a legendary figure, at Sivir, who quickly hid a fond smile behind an exasperated grimace, and at Lord Senpai, who I hadn't even been introduced to, I couldn't help but feel that this is one journey I wouldn't regret.
Alune I
The silence of the Marus Omegnum was familiar. Comfortable. It wasn't often that I stopped watching over my brother, but the Moon Weapons required prayer and meditation to restore to full strength. It was lonely without his familiar echo in my head, but if it meant keeping him safe, I would gladly suffer through it.
My meditation was disturbed when a mass of stars galloped in the sky, shaped like a particularly vibrant dog. That wasn't strange. The Messenger was the most active Celestial in the night sky. Surprisingly, the sky once more shifted, the Flight erupted into a cacophony of flapping wings, a strange occurrence considering the Flight's usual rigidity.
"Mother Moon, hear my prayer." I started a prayer for guidance, only top be interrupted when the Sky Shadows, twin beings that meet only once a millennium, started circling each other with rabid fervor. I blinked in surprise as the other celestials in the sky - The Fangs, The Viper, The Trickster - started moving in strange in patterns. I gasped as a divine epiphany made itself known.
I hurriedly rushed to the pool at the center of the Temple, calling for my brother's echo.
"Aphelios! Twilight comes! And it's... skipping?"