Zaifa I

"Taliyah, over here!"

I ducked as a massive rock erupted from beneath the sands and went careening into the creature chasing me. The xer'sai gave a pained shriek as it tumbled over, its brethren clambering over its body without hesitation to continue the pursuit.

Barely a day after that meeting at the docks, our little party scrambled to pack up what little possessions we had and started the journey west. Three days of quiet travel since then, and here we are, halfway through the Great Sai fighting off a horde of xer'sai.

"What the hell are the xer'sai doing this far north? And why aren't we running?" Anit complained, hiding behind one of the stones that Taliyah was flinging around earlier. Atop said stone, Lord Renekton sat, keeping a close eye on the melee with Samir sitting on his shoulder. Considering how the xer'sai gave Lord Renekton and the stone he sat on a wide berth, it was probably the safest spot in miles.

"Tranquil as the forest." his answer was cryptic as usual, the growl emanating from his throat now familiar, rather than intimidating. A clump of sand went flying over us, striking a xer'sai that was sneaking up on our resting stone. That would be Sami, and her newfound sandcrafting powers. The ability to manipulate sand has been popping up in a lot of people ever since the Sun Disc was raised by the Emperor, and the twins were taught the basics of using magic by Lady Ahri the night before.

"But on fire within." I took my eyes off the fight and stared at Lord Renekton. It was difficult to tell, since his voice was more bestial than human but if I didn't know better, I'd say he was... singing?

"Once you find your center." Samir, still sat on top of Lord Renekton's shoulders, shot a bolt from the crossbow that Lord Renekton bought for him back in Nashramae. His accuracy wasn't exactly good, but the xer'sai were big enough that he could at least hit their bodies, even if they weren't exactly critical points.

"You are sure, to win." Great Weaver, he truly is singing.

"You're a spineless, pale pathetic lot." Anit flinched from where she was hiding and hesitantly started shaping the sand around her into pointed stakes.

"And you haven't got a clue." I turned my attention to where Sivir and Kadira were back to back, one brandishing a legendary crossblade, the other a well worn machete.

"Somehow I'll. Make a man. Out of you~" For a sound that was more growl than song, it did sound rather rhythmic. A xer'sai erupted from beneath the sand nearby, but before I could do more than pull out my knife, Lady Ahri arrived in a burst of magic and blasted the creature with orbs of magical fire.

"I'm never gonna catch my breath!" I couldn't help but giggle as she continued the song.

"What are you blabbering about now, you stupid reptile?" Sivir's voice carried well through the desert winds and Lord Renekton turned his head towards her, one massive claw holding Samir in place.

"That's not the next line, Sivir."

I laughed, a sound echoed by Anit and Samir. The past few days have done a lot to mitigate the awe and fear we had of Lord Renekton. The banter between him and Sivir often distracted us from our own exhaustion.

"To pass this test, the three of you have to take these bells from me."

"Those aren't even bells!"

"It is tradition for a mentor to toss his student off a cliff."

"What kind of tradition is that!?"

After some time, Lord Renekton plucked Samir off his shoulder and set him down on the rock. Then, he let out a guttural roar.

Ever since we first met him, he always seemed like a kind, old man who went out of his way to entertain the children back at Nashramae. The farewell we received upon leaving involved more than a dozen kids crying while hugging Lord Renekton's legs.

That single roar reminded me that we were travelling with the Butcher of the Sands, a legendary hero with millenia of experience under his belt.

"Oh..." I turned to see Anit clutching her chest, her breath ragged and her wide eyes trained on Lord Renekton who was now a whirlwind of ferocity, carving up xer'sai by the dozen when it took a lot of effort for the rest of us to take even one down.

Still, despite the fact that my heart was rattling in my ribcage from the terrifying sound of Lord Renekton's warcry, despite the fact that we were in the middle of a chaotic melee, I couldn't help but smile.

Lord Renekton, Lady Ahri, Kadira, Anit, Sami, Samir, Taliyah and Sivir. As long as we were together, we could do anything. After all...

"Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are even worse than trash, isn't that right, Lord Renekton?"

====
Diana I

I knelt at the center of a plateau, the tip of my crescent sword planted at the ground. Its blade shone under the moonlight, a source of light in the encroaching darkness. I stayed there in comfortable silence for a few minutes, my mind clear of any thoughts. There would be no distractions. Not tonight.

I felt it immediately, the sudden drop in pressure, the charge of alien magic humming in the air. Without warning, the air buckled and split apart, opening a hole into a dark void. Strange creatures spilled out of the void, their ivory flesh covered in carapaces of solid bone.

Before the creatures could adapt to their new environment, I was already on my feet, surging between them. My blade swung upwards, catching one of the beasts by the neck, its carapace unable to hold strong in the face of divine moonsilver. The head fell to the ground, followed shortly by its body.

One of the remaining two charged me with ferocious speed, its snapping jaw filled with ebony like teeth, its skin bubbling and hissing, unused to this world's atmosphere. Though distracted by the beast's condition, the whistling sound of something moving fast alerted me to the motion of the other creature, razor sharp talons already in motion.

Uttering one of the Lunari holy words, incandescent light burst forth from my blade, the sudden illumination distracting the beast enough for me to swing my sword, the power of the moon erupting from the blade in an arc and neatly bisecting the creature. I followed through with the motion, turning fluidly towards the last remaining creature. There was no wariness or fear in its eyes, only sheer malevolence. I waited for it to start charging again, but the sudden wave of magic in the air distracted both my foe and I.

A hole formed in the air, smoother and visibly more stable than the earlier rip, spitting out a young girl, barely in her teens and dressed in Lunari clothes. My eyes widened as the creature turned to what it saw as an easier target and pounced at the newcomer, teeth and claws bared.

"Look out!" I surged forward, knowing that I was not fast enough to save the girl, only to be halted when a bolt of cosmic energy disintegrated the creature in a flash.

Turning to me, the girl gave a wide smile.

"Hey, it's me, you're favorite Twilight Herald! Are you part person, part moon or are you moon moon?"

Memories not my own, memories from the Aspect within me, answered the confused questions I asked myself.

The Aspect of Change has returned. Something that only happens when the world was about to have a large upheaval. I had no illusions that it was the Lunari's plight that brought it forth.

The question remains, what could cause such a massive change in the world that the Twilight Herald would be called?