Chapter 3

Fight or Flight

By the time he'd finished his story, Commander Cryus was stroking his salt and pepper beard, processing it all. He told him as honestly as he could about where he was from, about Grandpa, the Magehunters, and how he was attacked on his way out of Hamlet, leaving out who his attackers were. Both Darius and Draven listened behind their commander, more concerned with using his dagger to clean his nails. Draven had paid no attention, while the other, with his cold iron gaze, never took his gaze away from Zachariah's faces, as if looking for a reason to bash it in and learn all his secrets."Magehunters, not sure what fool would think it's a good idea to hunt Mages within the Empire. Maybe in Demacia, Draven, make a note of that for the log on our march home. We should establish a local garrison in Hamlet for its protection. Zealots and bandits have no place in our borders."

Zachariah gapped "Borders, Hamlet isn't part of Noxus?"

The three imperials all stared at him and Commander Cyrus smiled, "As of this past week, your village has had the honor of becoming a Noxus protectorate until a stewardship can be established, Hamlet." Why does that name sound so familiar? "

For "The Brotherhood of the Red Leaves Commander, Noxus was in a full on war with Demacia and mercenaries were sent to raze an old fortress. They settled there nearly a century ago." Darius said, still staring Zachariah down. "But due to the war effort, the Empire offered them the land in exchange for gold."

Zachariah's eyes bulged at hearing that, Darius pounced on it like a cat on a mouse, a cat the size of a tiger. "Do they say something different in Hamlet?" Commander Cyrus said.

"Uh yeah… I mean yes sir, the adults at the village always told us the mercenaries refused the gold, wanted the land instead?" Zachariah explained hoping to correct the history.

Draven, finally paying attention, laughed, slapping his knee. "Hear that Darius mercenaries prefer dirt to gold."

"I did. It does make for a better story, even if it's a lie." Darius said, frowning at Zachariah, wondering how he'd respond. Zachariah didn't make any motions of surprise or even look upset about the revelation, more confused really, considering all he wanted to be was not in the tent with three Noxian soldiers, but he was probably surrounded by a whole army.

Commander Cyrus held up the ring. "Your grandfather was a mage like you, yes?" Zachariah stared at his grandpa's golden dragon ring. "Taught you magic, of course?"

He nodded, "Then you won't mind giving us a demonstration?" Commander Cyrus asked him, gulping. Zachariah wasn't sure what exactly the commander was asking of him. Was this a test to see if he was lying? Did they want to gauge how much magic he knew to keep him prisoner. He had to think of something simple and something quick before they got suspicious. Something simple but also something that would not be threatening. Holding out one hand, he drew the runes for the spell and summoned a simple illumination spell. One he'd used whenever he had to go check out something in the stables at night if he didn't have a lantern or torch to use.

"Hmmm I've seen apprentices do spells like this, and why were you carrying a staff?"

When the Commander gestured, Darius walked out of the tent only to come back in with all of Zachariah's belongings, his bag of clothes and books, and in his other hand, Grandpa's staff. He set the bag down and Darius gave the staff to Commander Cyrus, who looked at it "This is quite a relic, and a crystal of this size, our battlemages have been dying to get a look at it." Commander Cyrus said, returning the ring to Zachariah.

"Battlemages?" Zachariah asked. He'd heard of them but only in the books Grandpa had him read or the stories he told of the Rune Wars.

Cyrus noticed the curiosity "Yes, by the time our medics had stopped the bleeding rumors were abuzz that you were in fact a Battlemage from somewhere in the Great Barrier, one soldier even thought you were a Minotaur Mage."

He was really interested now. "Minotaur- Great Barrier…" he mumbled. He did his best to think of where the maps Grandpa had were old. He knew of the Argent Mountains to the south. Was he heading in the right direction? While he thought about it he grabbed his head throbbing and started to set in, Cyrus continued to speak until he noticed that the boy was fading.

"I think that's enough talking for now. We'll talk more after you've eaten and our healers take another look at that leg." Cyrus said, standing up still holding the staff, "Of course we cannot allow a stranger to hold weapons in our camp, given that you already have some power without it." Zachariah looked at the staff then at the Noxians before he gave a gulping nod of understanding.

When they left, Zachariah laid back down and rubbed his face, thinking of how rotten his luck had turned. Sleep soon overtook him and he woke up to the smell of a thick scent of food. Upon waking up, he saw someone in a Noxian uniform come in, laying down a plate of soup, a loaf of bread, and a tankard of water before they left. Zachariah practically jumped out of bed before he hit the hard rug that covered the dirt beneath him. His leg felt like it was on fire again. Grabbing his right thigh, he could feel the bullet wound still sore before he heard laughter. "What is it about food that makes men think they can fight through pain?"

Zachariah looked up to see a man standing over him, he had thick sideburns and smoked a pipe wearing Noxian crimson under a blood stained apron. He had a pair of spectacles on and reached down to help Zachariah up from the floor and back onto the bed "Now hold still you can eat after I take a look at the wound." The stranger said, he handed Zachariah a cup of the water brought to him and he downed it quickly parched beyond words. Giving a long 'aaaah' after the cool clean water rejuvenated him he looked at the strange who was unwrapping the leg "Now holds till this will hurt." Green light sparked from his fingertips, he recognized the movements of his fingers and saw familiar runes plus ones he'd never seen before, this man was a mage. Looking down at his leg Zachariah saw the bandages recede and he felt his leg go numb the pain vanishing. When the last bandage rose up he could see a bloody red hole on the top of his thigh, the skin ripped apart but also coming back together. Breathing in deep on his pipe and holding up his other hand the mage began to recant healing spells over the gunshot wound Zachariah stared in awe at how painless it was and how quick the wound bubbled over and the skin began to heal rapidly, sealing up with dried blood all that remained over an already fading scar.

The healer gave a sigh, "There were, almost as good as knowing you will walk with a limp for a while, but that should go away by tomorrow, I've already had a crutch made for your size if you want to get out of this tent." The healer said, "Stand up."

"You're a mage?" Zachariah gasped.

Seeing the pipe was out, he relit it and the burned man said, "I'm a doctor, Leviticus Vane." He said, holding out his hand, "Zachariah."

"Zachariah…. No house, no surprise considering you're this far out on the frontier." Dr. Vane said as he poked his head out of the tent reaching for something, he grabbed it. Coming back in, he presented Zacharia with a hand carved wooden crutch, a wrapped up cushion on the top and a sanded grip in the middle for him to lean on.

"Well, give it a try." Dr. Vane asked.

Zachariah was hesitant to stand up because he only had a blanket to cover himself. "Nothing I haven't seen before, lad, but if you want, I'll turn around."Dr. Vane said, getting up and turning his back to him.

Standing with the crutch tucked under his right shoulder, he leaned on it feeling his leg was stiff and sore, but far less so when he used the crutch to lean on it "Well?"

"I can walk, so that's good." Zachariah said before he sat back down, now Zachariah knew why the Noxian Empire was so able to expand so rapidly they had magical healers he bet Grandpa could never dream of. Not much to worry about if a soldier gets stabbed with a spear or filled with arrows when they have doctors like this. Dr. Vane had also returned to his bedside taking out his pipe; he touched it to his left arm where the Magehunters bullet had shot him.

"I noticed this clumsy work. I half expected the bullet to still be in there." The doctor said he remembered the terrible pain he'd felt when he extracted it before passing out.

Reading the look on his face, the doctor added, "You fainted, didn't you."

Blushing a bit, Zachariah nodded, "Healing magic isn't one of my strong suits. My Grandpa- my teacher was the village healer."

Thinking and humming to himself, the doctor stood up and pulled something from inside his apron. "I noticed the library you had in your bag. Perhaps you'd accept this donation? " He said, handing Zachariah a small leather bound book. He turned it over on its face to read the spine. "The Medic Mage's field guide to battlefield wounds and first aid… by Leviticus Vane, you wrote this?" Zachariah asked.

"I've already taken the liberty of relieving you of the financial burden of the purchase, considering it a discount for the healing." Dr. Vane said.

Zachariah took a moment to process it and said, "You… you robbed me?"

Dr. Vane scratched his sideburn "Consider it equivalent exchange I heal you, give you a book and take some gold coins out of that purse hidden at the bottom of those undergarments speaking off, you'll need new pants so I best take some extra." Zachariah watched as the doctor reached in his bag and pulled out a single gold coin flipping it "Remember to use the crutch."

By the time he'd received the new pants and finished off the food, Zachariah was getting used to the crutch and wanted to be rid of it as soon as possible. He got dressed in the new trousers, soldiers' trousers no less, made of tough fabric but soft on the inside for easy movement. He'd fashioned a string out of one of his spare boot laces to fit the ring around and around his neck. Reaching in his bag, he pulled out a clean white linen shirt and grabbed his boots before he dared to look outside the tent. Just as he feared, he was in the heart of a Noxian military camp. There were tents popping up all around the mountain side, rolling clouds hiding the peaks of the Great Barrier and the banners of Noxus standing high over the tents beneath them. Marching through the camp were Noxian soldiers in their full plate armor, single horned helmets and slit visors hiding their faces. The soldiers not in uniform were either working at various tasks, he could see a smith outside his tent hammering swords, a cook stirring a pot, probably the same one he'd just eaten. He decided to take a chance and get his bearings, taking one step out of the tent. Nobody at first noticed him limping through the encampment. He passed by a group of soldiers playing some sort of card game, while others were sitting around a fire talking before they saw him listening. Their glares of 'should we kill this kid or not' made Zachariah hurry along before he smelled something familiar, horse shit.

He was near the stables, Zachariah started to follow the scent hoping to find Bess when he came around a large tent to see the lower regions of the camp and an ocean of horses. But none of them were Bess, all of these horses were big strong beasts of war, powerful legs and muscular bodies being brushed by their caretakers. He walked the makeshift fence of the stable looking over her. If she'd been conscripted or worse died bringing him here Zachariah was in worse trouble than he thought. He strode into their stables seeing they had rows upon rows of saddles already filled with supplies in their saddlebags, skins for water, and a tent rolled up on the back so they could be put on at a moment's notice.

"Looking for this?" Zachariah turned around to see the glaring Darius staring at him. In his left hand were a pair of reins, and attached to them was the blueish gray charger, "Bess!" Zachariah limply ran to the horse, smiling ear to ear to see a familiar face. She gave him a soft nod and pressed her large head against his as he stroked her mane.

"Quite the horse you have here. She's well adjusted and knows a military camp when she sees one." Darius said, patting Bess's ears.

Standing up now, the height difference wasn't much from when he was in bed. Darius still stood at the height of a full grown man and was still growing. Up close, Zachariah noticed a scar over his left eye, probably something given to him in battle, and he could only imagine what the other person looked like. "How can you tell she's a war horse?" Zachariah asked.

Darius glanced at her. "Besides how she's responded to the Horsemasters' aides, she kept you up right all the way to us." That's something that takes training and her ability to find us knowing she was carrying a wounded soldier. " He said, stroking her mane a few more times "Yes, a good horse."

He didn't offer the reins to Zachariah "If you're able to walk, then you must come speak with the Commander soon."

"Right now?" Zachariah asked him.

Darius shook his head. "Not yet, he and the other Generals are in a war council."

"A war council?" Zachariah asked, growing pale, "Are… are you at war?"

Zachariah felt Darius analyze him. "The Empire is always at war, growing and expanding. The Great Barrier will become part of the Empire soon if the Minotaur clans in the Mountains choose to or not. Though they have resisted us for centuries, the Imperium is resolved that this will be the last campaign if terms can't be reached." Darius said, looking up into the mountains. "It would be most unwise of you to attempt a crossing to Piltover."

Eyes wide Zachariah said, "I never said I was going to Piltover?"

"You didn't need to, you were mumbling by the time I brought you into the camp." Darius smirked, and Zachariah felt embarrassed that he still mumbled in his sleep.

"Come, join me and my brother at our fire." Before he gave Bess off to a stable boy, "Don't worry, she'll be well taken care of."

Later, Darius led Zachariah to a large tent near tents bigger than half the houses in Hamlet. There He saw a large crowd of soldiers gathered around cheering and chanting "Draven, Draven, Draven, Draven, Draven!" By the time Darius pushed through with Zachariah behind him avoiding the crowd of armored muscled men and women they saw Darius' brother, Draven shirtless wrestling a man twice his age and size in a contest of wills. Draven was on top of the man, bending his arm and leg back, his chest sweaty and flexing as he laughed with a bloody nose relishing the chanting of his name.

"Say it, say it!" Draven said to the other soldier he had pinned. The other soldier let out a scream of pain but refused to give in. "You asked for it." Draven said before he yanked on the moans arm and there was a loud pop followed by an even louder chorus of moans from the crowd. Zachariah felt a chill run up his spine seeing Draven break the man's arm without any effort and the roars of the soldiers doubling "Draven, Draven, Draven, Draven, Draven!" Getting up to the cheers of his adoring fans Draven then helped his combatant up.

The older soldier he'd defeated clutched his arm as Dr. Vane emerged from the crowd, "Come on, idiot, let's get you patched up, and Draven, can you please stop breaking out soldiers, we need them."

Draven just stared at the doctor sheepishly. "But that's what you're here for, Doc."

Rolling his eyes behind his glasses Dr. Vane helped the injured soldier away as Darius walked up to his brother, the crowd still chanting "Hear that older brother, soo none day my name will be chanted from one corner of the Empire to the next."

Darius gave a smirk before he patted his little brother on the shoulder. "Of that I have no doubt, little brother. As for me, as long as every corner of the earth smells the glory of the Empire, I'm content." Zachariah smiled painfully at them, seeing how close they were, his mind wandering back to if George and Clark were okay. He was snapped out of it when Darius and Draven approached him.

"The mage lives." Draven said this with his hands on his hips, staring down at him.

"My name is Zachariah." He said reintroducing himself.

Draven folded his arms over his muscular chest "I'll try to remember, but will probably not come, sit those canes are never fun to stand on for long."

Zachariah didn't have much of a choice in the matter, sitting down at their fire Draven picked up a pale of water before dousing himself in it feeling the cold water wash off the blood and dirt he'd been wrestling in "So Zachariah, what awaits you in Piltover?" Draven asked him, he waited for an answer while Zachariah stared at Darius. He remembered how his brother told him he was mumbling in his sleep. Did they have the letters, the one from Grandpa and the one to the man he was supposed to meet, Vander.

"I'm not sure." Zachariah said, clutching his crutch and gripping the ring around his neck, "Before he passed, my Grandpa wanted me to travel there, meet a man named Vander."

"Vander?" Draven asked, looking at Darius, who just shrugged, "Hmm, he a mage like you?"

Shaking his head "Never met him before, or even knew about him until after Grandpa… you know."

"We do, was he your only family?" Darius asked him.

Zachariah remembered the part of the letter Grandpa had left him, about how this Vander may help him discover his lineage "I'm not sure, he raised me since I was a baby." Darius and Draven were silent, sensing he was still mourning the loss of someone he held dear.

"You'll have to tell us what that's like. For the longest time, it was just Draven and myself until Commander Cyrus convinced us to join the legion. It's our true home." Darius said, patting his brother on the shoulder

Draven gave a playful smirk "It's your true home, mine is wherever they say my name with every ounce of love and adoration." Draven said boisterously.

Eyes rolling like marbles Darius turned to Zachariah "My brother plans to finish his tour of service and then for some idiotic reason join the Fleshing."

"Fleshing?" Zachariah asked.

"A gladiatorial arena where there's glory to be had, if you can't find it on the battlefield." Darius said, his brother scoffing loudly and exasperated at the lecture. "It's clear you don't know too much about Noxus."

Giving him a shrug that Darius took as' 'what gave me away ', Darius held his gaze on him. "A shame, the Empire is far more misunderstood outside its borders. We were seen as conquerors more than liberators. Before we were soldiers, my brother and I fought to survive in the streets of Basilich, until Commander Cyrus seized it in the name of the Empire and lifted us from squealer." Darius said his eyes weren't as menacing as before. Instead, they were passionate, deep, Zachariah could feel everything he was saying. He believed, "In Noxus, a slave can rise to freedom and beyond. Many of our greatest generals came from humble origins."

Draven snickered, slapping his knee. "Oh, give the propaganda speech a rest, brother, I don't think you can recruit this one."

"Recruit me?" Zachariah asked him.

"I don't know much about magic Zachariah, but Noxus values it far more than Demacia or the rat nest of Piltover or Zaun." Darius said holding his hand up before crushing it into a fist "Our Battlemages could teach you from where your Grandfather left off, if you're brave enough." Zachariah was silent, he looked at the glowing embers in the dying fire mulling it over, Grandpa wanted him in Piltover and beyond, these Magehunters wanted him dead, the Wesley's wanted him to stay in Hamlet now Noxians wanted him in their army, the only person who didn't seem to know what they wanted was himself.

Draven groaned, "I'm going to get some food. Maybe you can retell the siege of Harlow after I saved you from that collapsing siege tower." Draven said getting up and walking off.

"You were the one who caused the collapse." Darius called out, Draven just gave a middle finger and Darius chuckled it off before he and Zachariah noticed something going on at the larger tints. More soldiers started to move and Darius stood up "Somethings happening?"

Both now standing, Zachariah limped behind him and the other soldiers "Out of the way." Darius said, pushing toward the largest tent in the camp. Standing outside it he saw Commander Cyrus and other Noxian generals all of them in red garments with dark iron armor. They were men and women, some in capes, plumed helmets, some without, but they were all looking down a row as someone was approaching.

"What's going on?" Zachariah asked.

Darius frowned, "I'm not sure."

Just as he said it, Zachariah saw them walking through the camp. It was hard to miss them because of how big they were, "Minotaurs." Darius said, walking into the camp in a group of five were in fact just as Darius had said Minotaurs, cloven hooved, horned at the head with the faces like cattle wearing little clothing except for robes and armor around their waists and things, they each wore a tunic around their shoulders of a different cloth and were a mix of colors, brown, black, red, even a purple one who carried himself taller than the rest.

"I thought you were at war with them?" Zachariah asked.

"Not yet, with any luck they've seen sense and will agree to join the Empire." Darius said arms crossed.

Commander Cyrus walked out in front of the other generals and a gray haired Minotaur with a brown coat wearing a silver tunic, his horns adorned with gold and a beard the same. The Minotaur bowed and Commander Cyrus stepped aside, offering him the tint before he and the other Minotaurs walked in, one of them actually getting stuck on the small tent door compared to the Noxian humans. Zachariah gave a snicker a bit too loud before the purple Minotaur stared him down, and he did his best to hide behind Darius. After they went inside, the soldiers started to disperse back to their duties or free time.

"So what happens now?" Zachariah asked.

Darius turned around "They'll talk, if an agreement can't be made then we will fight them."

"Do you want to fight?" Zachariah asked, following him using his crutch to keep up with him.

Darius walked toward a tent near the Commander's one, it had a large axe leaned up against the entrance that Darius was able to lift with one hand, "It's not a matter of what I want, it's what's best for the Empire and what's best is that we grow." He leaned it on his shoulder "You should return to your tent in the meantime Zachariah, think of what I said Hamlet may no longer be your home, but Noxus could be."

He wasn't sure what to say, Zachariah had no idea what it was to be a soldier so he did the first thing he thought they'd do. They followed orders, returning to his tent he sat down on the bed and looked at Grandpa's ring he wanted him to travel the world, a soldier could do that and Noxus was never short on looking on places to go from the way Darius spoke. But could he stay here, learning magic for war it just felt…

wrong

But he'd already used it to hurt someone, to kill another Magehunter who he'd-he'd…

He needed a glass of water, getting up he looked at the tankard it was empty, grabbing the crutch, he left his tent again looking for a water barrel or well. The sun was going down now and the sky had a mostly dark blue appearance with an orange hue on the horizon casting long dark shadows in the camp. Looking between the alleys of tent walls he saw a barrel in the corner of some tents with water written on its side. Approaching he looked in the reflection and for the first time noticed a bandage wrapped around his head, the cut he'd gotten from the Magehunters bullet. They must have cleaned it and bandaged it for him, maybe staying here with the Noxian military wasn't such a bad idea. Reaching into the water he started to fill it when he suddenly went face forward into the water. Someone had grabbed the back of his hair holding him there against his well, he struggled to push himself out but the person holding him was stronger than him. He had to hold his breath or he'd drown, but that seemed inevitable. They pushed him deeper into the water and his throbbed so hard his own blood from the cut on his head started to bleed into the water he had to… had to…

AIR.

Zachariah felt something pull him out of the water, sucking in air, coughing when it was too much. Looking left and right, he saw Darius standing over him holding his axe caked in blood, and just across from them, cleaved from shoulder to stomach, was an iron masked Magehunter.

It was minutes later, passing through a camp on high alert, they were inside Commander Cyrus's tent. The tent was bigger than a barn, there were sections curtained off. To the left he saw pillows and blankets for a bedroom, a stand holding weapons and armor of varying kinds. Then on the other end a table of maps and markers, in one corner was Zachariah's grandfathers staff. The Magehunters' remains had been brought to him and laid on the ground by the soldiers. Both Darius and Draven were there, so was Zachariah, the Magehunter had been stripped of his clothes and weapons, they were just like the one in Hamlet. A dark cloak, leather traveling clothes, guns, knives, even a mix of strange pellets that when one of the guards threw it at the ground created a cloud of smoke they had to flap out of the tent. The only thing they couldn't remove was the mask.

Dr. Vane was inside the tent to examine the body and was looking over the corpse and the mask, trying to pull it off. "The mask is welded on, if I were to remove it we could rip his face off."

"So this is a Magehunter?" Commander Cyrus said, looking him over.

"Darius, good work but maybe next time take them alive?" Cyrus asked.

Darius bowed his head in shame "Forgive me Commander, there was little time to consider it."

Cyrus patted him on the shoulder. "Learn from this mistake, now what are we going to do with their target?" He asked. All eyes went to Zachariah who was still reeling from the third attempt on his life this week "Have our messengers send word to the capital if these Magehunters are real and can infiltrate one of our camps, every mage in the Empire may be at risk."

"How did they even get in?" Zachariah asked him.

"We found six of our soldiers dead, and the alarms were sabotaged too. These warriors are good." Draven said examine the knife, it was a simple design double sided, meant for silent quick kills.

Zachariah rubbed the ring on his neck standing their on his crutch "I can't stay here…" he mumbled.

"No, you cannot." Commander Cyrus said, "Commander?" Darius asked.

"Negations with the Minotaur Clans have broken down, a smaller one led by a Minotaur named Alistar has cast doubt we've sent for Emissary of House Tewain to renegotiate but I sense the fighting will start soon." Commander Cyrus said walking over to a map hanging on the wall. It was the entire continent of Valoran. Noxus in the center, Demacia to the west and just south of Piltover, and right between them and it were the Great Barrier mountains. "I'm sorry young mage, but for your safety and the safety of my men I cannot allow you to go across those mountains, you will be sent to Noxus there to learn from our Mages and protect you from these Magehunters."

Zachariah stood up in protest. "What, I never agreed to that!?"

"Silence, be grateful." Darius snapped at him.

"I don't get it?" Draven asked, kneeling over the Magehunter.

The argument was paused when Draven spoke "We've had Mages in the Empire for centuries, around the world even and now all of a sudden a highly trained order of Magehunters appeared and there after him?" He asked Zachariah.

"All the more reason for you to go to Noxus, Zachariah." Commander Cyrus added "This a conspiracy that could affect more than we know." Zachariah searched the faces of his so called 'saviors' now seeing he was little more than a prisoner now he backed up dropping the crutch feeling he could stand on his own looking at the staff he focused on the summon spell to make it fly off the tent wall toward him but with lightning speed Commander Cyrus caught it.

Both Darius and Draven raised their axes, but instead of one, Draven had two jagged sharp edges holding them at Zachariah, ready to kill him just like the Magehunter. "I knew you weren't just some simple mage apprentice." Commander Cyrus said, looking at the gemstone and rubbing his hand against it. "The children who study magic at Capital can summon lights without even thinking, and when our scouts reported a lightning bolt striking a bridge not far from here, I got curious when you showed up on our doorstep with this." He said, holding up the staff. He walked up to Zachariah, holding it in both his hands. "The staff of Battlemage."

"What?" Zachariah gasped, "That staff belonged to my Grandpa."

"Who I have no doubt was a Battlemage, as our own confirmed from these ruins any spell you attempt will be amplified near a hundred fold with a gemstone this big." Zachariah watched Cyrus marvel at the staff "A relic such as this is what caused the Rune Wars, and should not be held by a child magical prodigy or not." Cyrus said, leaning it on his table and pulling out the two letters Grandpa had left him both opened "I would expect nothing less from a Dragon Lords apprentice." Eyes on the gold ring around his neck.

"Dragon Lord-what?" Zachariah held up his hand where they could see them gawking.

"Don't worry, boy, you'll learn soon enough when you get to Noxus."

Something blunt clocked Zachariah on the back of his head and he was out like a light, again.

By the time he came too, he wasn't in a comfy bed in a warm dry tent but in a cold dank cage somewhere in the camp, looking around he saw other prisoners in the cells. Minotaurs, most of them purple, furred and were wounded, all of them in shackles and so was he. His wrists were cuffed connected by a series of chains but he had extra clamps around his hands so he couldn't use magic. Looking at the nearest cell he saw a Minotaur missing an eye "Hey, hey you?" He asked.

The Minotaur raised his head, looking with his good eye, "What's happening here?"

"Whats it look like human, we're going to be sold into slavery sent to the Fleshling for cruel sport." The Minotaur said.

So much for the Noxians rescuing him; they weren't going to throw him into that arena, were they? Maybe if he didn't cooperate in becoming their 'd send him into war, they'd turn him into a weapon, but that wasn't even the least of his worries, even if he'd be safe from the Magehunters. Grandpa had never told him any of this stuff, about battlemages, whatever a dragon lord was, was what his ring meant.

The ring?

Looking down he saw it dangling from his neck he was told to keep it with him always. Was this what he was afraid of, of the Noxians finding him, good job Zachariah he thought, you walked right into their hands maybe he could give himself over to the Magehunters if he gets attacked again.

"Don't look so glum." Zachariah heard someone say, "Draven."

He squatted down in front of the young boy "Easy to say when you're not the one inside a cage?"

Draven's squat turned into a cross-legged sit. "Hey the Empire may be a little rough around the edges, but give it a chance, a bet. In a year or two after you do some studying and learn to send a few fireballs over a city wall, boom, you'll be right back here with Darius and I." He gestured with his hands before adding, "No pun intended."

Zachariah stared at the dirt in a glare "Oh stop pouting, Darius and I like you, we could use a mage our age to mess around with, all the others are long white bearded goats."

"I'm not joining your army." Zachariah hissed.

"Uh you don't have a choice, no one can stand up to Noxus." Draven said, smiling at him, it then shattered at the piercing roar echoing down the mountainside, carrying across the camp, sending every bird in the camp and around it flying away. More roars joined in with the main one and then the ground started to shake. The other Minotaurs in the cages started to roar too, grabbing the cell bars and shaking their chains. Draven was up on his feet, looking up at the cloud covered mountains.

Zachariah felt his lip curling up. "No one can stand up to Noxus, you so sure about that?" The dark sky started to turn orange looking up at the clouds. They were glowing with embers, rolling down the mountain side were flaming boulders mixed in with an avalanche heading right for the Noxian camp. The stones flaming or not tore into the camp knocking over watch towers, crushing tents and sending them ablaze. Alarm bells rang loudly and screamed for the Noxian call to arms. Draven took cover behind the cage after boulders jumped over the cages and knocked over some of the Minotaur cages, shattering the bars.

"Oh crap." Draven said, taking out his two axes from behind his back.

The Minotaurs free of the cages started to free the others letting out fierce battle cries Zachariah, saw his show grow long looking behind he a flaming boulder heading straight for his cage "That makes two of-" The boulder crashed into the ground behind his cage sending him flying "UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSS!" Zachariah felt the cage sail into the sky over the camp, fires starting to spread more boulders crashing down from above followed by him. The cage shattered on impact and Zachariah had the wind knocked out of him thrown out; he sat up checking to see if he was even still in one piece, somehow amongst the chaos he was. He looked at the shackle still around his wrist staggering to get up; he saw hundreds of Noxian soldiers armored and some not wearing anything but undergarments grabbing spears, swords and axes running toward the flames. Others were trying to out do the fires spreading rapidly, not noticing one escaped prisoner, climbing to his feet Zachariah scanned the tent tops looking to see where Commander Cyrus tent was.

He needed to get the staff back.

Setting off in a run, Zachariah moved through the tangle of running soldiers, the roars echoing around them and just as one Noxian guard saw he had escaped, the tent he was standing exploded from another falling rock. Getting back up, Zachariah pressed on past a line of soldiers handing water buckets to one another to put out the fires. Dipping into the same alleyway he almost drowned in he could see he was close to the Commander's tent. Sneaking through the gaps in the tents he saw the tent flap open just as he got close. Commander Cyrus was in full plate armor sword in hand he raised it high overhead "Well lads we came for Glory, now Glory's come for us let's get STACKING" The soldiers around him let out cheers before following him with no one to guard the tent. Zachariah sprinted toward the gap and ran inside, the body of the Magehunter had been removed and all of his things laying in a corner, his bag and clothes, the staff too laying on the war table looking it over he noticed a pile of maps and figured he'd need them grabbing the paper he would need them. Looking at his shackles he couldn't think of any way to get them off but then he remembered what Cyrus said about the staff it would multiply his power.

Walking up to the staff he pressed the shackles up against the gemstone at the head, focusing he saw the gemstone light up and the shackles started to crack with blue light before they turned to dust right around his fingers.

"Hehehe, I can't believe that worked." He chuckled to himself before he grabbed his bag, putting the maps in his bag, grabbing the staff he turned to leave.

But waiting for him in the doorway, axe in hand was Darius, "Leaving so soon."

The two of them stared at one another. "Shouldn't you be outside?" Zachariah asked, hearing the chaos.

"Shouldn't you be in a cell? Darius asked, lifting the axe.

Zachariah started to hold his staff up but stopped. "You saved my life, twice…" he lowered it "Please, I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't, I can see it in your eyes you don't have the stomach for violence or war but you could learn in Noxus, I'd rather have you join us freely to see Noxus as I do." Darius told him to get ready to charge him "But I will follow my Commander's orders."

Gritting his teeth Zachariah groaned looking at Darius, he had no remorse in his eyes, no hesitation, but Zachariah couldn't do it. He couldn't imagine the idea of killing someone not again even if they were an enemy he wouldn't kill. "So be it."

Darius said he ran at Zachariah. He swung and Zachariah had to dive to evade him. Darius cleaved it in two with one swing. Before Zachariah was on his feet, he almost thought to use the staff, but he was afraid he'd cause the same level of destruction at the bridge to Darius. Using his free hand, Zachariah drew a quick set of runes and Darius prepared himself for whatever magical attack he'd face, only to get a face full of snow, blinding him in cold powder. "Stand and fight!" Darius shouted at him while Zachariah dashed around him toward the tent exit. When he came outside, half the camp was in flames, and at the edge of the mountains he could hear the shouting and yelling of soldiers preparing for battle. "Mage!" He heard Darius shouting after him before he ran away.

But Darius was only a few leagues behind him running from the tent he saw Zachariah dart around the now inflamed camp smithy. Chasing after him Zachariah looked to his left to see Darius on the other end of some tents watching him like a wolf after a deer. He'd look over at Darius in his axe and there he was, then a tent then Darius, then a tent, then Darius, tent Darius, tent Darius, tent Darius, tent, tent, tent he was gone. Then ripping through the crimson cloth of the tent ahead of him Darius tackled Zachariah to the ground, pinning his axe metal grip on Zachariah's neck, even as he tried to push off with all his strength. Darius was far stronger than him "I see your leg is working fine, I'll call the Doctor after you pass out but he may have his hands full with this night raid." Darius said casually choking Zachariah into submission.

There was no way he could beat Darius in strength or in combat, he was a trained soldier. Eyeing the staff Zachariah he let himself think it was him or Darius- NO HE WOULDN'T BE A MURDERER. Pushing up on axe handle overh is neck he let his other hand slide onto the dirt "It's pointless to resist." Darius said, stomping his foot up on Zachariah's free hand just as he drew the last rune. The ground rumbled directly around them and three pillars of earth punched up striking Darius off him leaving three first size dents in his breastplate when he reeled back coughing from the wind being knocked out of him.

Coughing up his own lungs, Zachariah grabbed his bag and staff just as Darius stood up. "Just let me go, I'm no threat to you." Zachariah asked.

Darius wasn't having any of that "Not today, but one day and I will protect Noxus from all threats." He said jumping in the air to bring the axe down just as the young mage slammed his staff into the ground, Zachariah closed his eyes hearing Darius gritting his teeth growling. Opening them he saw a bright blue bubble shield had formed around him, holding Darius' axe back with him still on top of it before the bubble crackled with magic a single rune glowing on the staff under his thumb. Darius was bounced off it like a pebble on a stone wall into a dozen different tents. The shield evaporated, Zachariah held up his staff the same rune that had been glowing fading when he moved his thumb he recognized the rune. It was the magical symbol for protection. He scanned it seeing the runes running up and down the wooden shaft as a quick spell method, he even saw the rune for storm, his hand must have been on the rune when he destroyed the bridge. "Thinking I'm starting to get the hang of—" he was cut off by the sight of seeing someone running around on fire while others frantically threw water on him, remembering it was time to go.

Retracing his steps through the fire didn't help much; he found the stables in a storm of cavalry and knights mounting them too busy to notice or care he was there. Stable boys rushed to get horses out from flaming pins, massive mounts covered in armor were already riding out with their knights getting on top of them. Zachariah couldn't help but be amazed at how orderly and calmly the Noxians were acting even as the stables were in flames there were lines of fire brigades already dousing the fires and at the same time others helping soldiers go into battle for whoever was attacking them. Zachariah couldn't even begin to think about who the attackers were. All he knew was he didn't want to be around here anymore than he had to be, which was none at all. After making his way all the way into the back he saw Bess getting hitched up to a cart filled with barrels by a stable boy.

Running up and thinking up a lie he snapped "What are you doing boy!" Zachariah said, turning his voice gruff and deep for good measure.

"W-what?" The stable boy asked.

"Don't you know this is Commander Cyrus's new horse, he'll skin you alive if he sees it hitched to a cart?" Zachariah added lying.

The stable boy looked like he was about to faint hearing that "C-c-c-commanders— new horse, oh gods I'll be flogged?" He gasped.

"You bloody idiot, get those fires out over there in front before they spread to the rest of the stables. I'll fix your mess here." Zachariah barked, pushing the boy away from the horse "Sir yes-sir." The stable boys said before he ran off.

Zachariah couldn't believe that actually worried, hoped the kid wouldn't get in trouble maybe he'd just say Zachariah cast a spell on him or something, he thought as he freed Bess from the cart and led her over to the on stand by saddles he'd seen earlier grabbing the last one he fastened it to her back and strapped her in tight before he climbed up on her "Alright 'war horse' lets hope we don't get maimed this time." Zachariah said kicking his heels riding out of the stables just in time to see the stable boy he'd trick realize he'd been duped, throwing a pale of water after Zachariah but missing him by a mile. The fires that had been raging around the camp were now starting to turn into columns of thick smoke as he rode toward the mountains looking for a gap in the camp lines. But he had no idea where the entrance or exits of the camp were, pulling his horse around he almost collided with a full brigade of Noxian cavalry, pulling Bess at the last second she got caught in the rush and started riding with them on instinct.

"Forward, double time men." A knight with a full plume on his helmet said at the head of the column. The knights pace quickened and Zachariah had to hold on with both hands to the reins, his staff poking out awkwardly among the knights.

A Knight pushed his staff away "Watch where you point that Battlemage." And Bess almost knocked into another horse.

"Keep the rank tight men." A Sargent said somewhere.

Zachariah could see they were getting closer to the mountains and more soldiers than he'd seen all day were gathering at the site where the avalanche had destroyed their defenses facing the mountains. Whatever the valley had looked like before the Noxians arrived, it is now unrecognizable. Lookout towers were fallen over, barricades smashed to bits, trenches filled with gravel with mangled bodies of the Noxian sentries who caught the full force of it all. He was glad he hadn't eaten any dinner because Zachariah could feel he'd throw up at the sight of the carnage. Zachariah looked for any way he could get his horse out of the Calvary line, being moved through the front lines. Up in front of a fallen watchtower Commander Cyrus was directing the forces toward flag bearers waving different flags. Each time they waved the lines shifted. They passed by a row of legionaries forming up on the front as archers and ballistas were preparing for whatever was coming. "Company split!" The cavalry captain shouted and on his word the column of armored horses and knights forked one going left the other going right, Zachariah was in the middle and saw the right column was the one moving away from the camp they were heading out into no mans land up to a higher hill outside the camp where Zachariah could see the field laid out before them and the burning camp behind. From this view he could see the valley he'd entered. Zachariah's heart was pounding harder than the drums that started to play and then they heard it.

It was a roar, the same one that heralded the rain of stone and fire, it carried over the entire camp and army in front of him making everyone go deathly silent, from the horses to Commander Cyrus. The roar's length went on for what seemed like an eternity then silence from everyone around the only sound the crackling fires still burning, as if all the courage and order in the Noxian forces was wiped out.

Then Zachariah saw him.

Walking out from the front lines, his cape tattered now and covered in soot, but still holding his massive battle axe, was Dariaus. He was okay, in fact, he looked better than okay. He looked excited. He climbed up the nearest boulder and raised his axe, letting out a roar equal to the one they'd just heard. The other Noxians joined him, shouting into the darkness, banging their shields, stomping their spears at the abyss even as the ground rumbled again, not heavy like the avalanche, but something big was heading their way.

Zachariah watched Darius stop when shapes formed in the darkness ahead of them, Zachariah could see them among the cavalry they were hard to miss. Charging down the mountain in full force were the Minotaurs and at their vanguard leading the charging with a massive broadsword in one hand and club in the other was the largest Minotaur he'd seen yet, purple with four horns two up two down and a mane of blue hair with a ring around his nose with eyes red as blood.

"FOR NOXUS!" Darius shouted leaping off the boulder and the front lines charging without hesitation toward the Minotaurs. Zachariah watched the two forces charging a sea of iron and red toward the war herd of Minotaurs. The Cavalry captain held his hand up and another cavalry man blew into a ram horn, all the horsemen around Zachariah drew their swords with their captain signaling a charge, he was going into battle. Zachariah tried to keep Bess from joining but the other horses pushed her forward; it started as a trot, the horses' pace quickened to a run, and the Calvary gave their own battle cries. From behind the other horses Zachariah saw Captain raise his sword to strike at the first Minotaur they'd meet but the black fur beast swung a war hammer up sending the captain and his horse flying back into their lines. The captain and his steed sailed overhead followed by more the absolute raw strength of the Minotaurs making Darius's look like a kitten. Zachariah clutched Bess's reins tighter when he saw a Minotaur club flying at him, he ducked, feeling it brush over his head before he rode around the swinger. The Minotaurs and Noxians were in full battle now, mixed together on the battlefield from the glimpses he could see the Noxians appeared to out number the Minotaurs ten to one but for every Minotaur appeared to be fighting ten Noxians all at once. Bess gave a scream to the left, Zachariah followed her sound to see a Minotaur charging right at him horns down. Hand up Zachariah saw water streaming down the rocks the Minotaur was running over, with a quick spell he froze the water into ice making the Minotaur slip crashing head first into the dirt before he rode on. But everywhere he looked now instead of just Noxians there were the Minotaurs fighting them and taking swings at Zachariah and Bess when they got too close.

Looking up he saw the mountains were still in front of him, he had to make it to them if he had any chance to get to Piltover and away from the Noxians. "Yah." He said to Bess heading for them, when he thought he saw a gap in the battle he could escape through he heard a familiar voice shout. Over his shoulder he saw Darius get knocked to the ground by the black Minotaur with the warhammer that killed the Cavalry captain in one swing. Draven appeared then running to his brother's side before he threw one axe at the black Minotaur. With his great flail he swatted it away like a man would fly. Draven leapt swinging at the Minotaur brute, it was no use they grabbed him by the neck slamming him into the ground. Zachariah couldn't hear them screaming but saw Darius reach for his little brother crying out in horror.

They were going to die, they saved his life but also kept him prisoner. He was almost out of this nightmare, but he'd never forgive himself. Across the battlefield, Darius was on his feet grabbing his axe; he dragged it across the ground before lifting it up to swing at the Minotaur, crushing the life out of his brother "Draven!" Darius shouted swinging the axe, the Minotaur blocked it with his hammer and picked up Draven throwing him into his brother.

Rolling across the battlefield dirt the Minotaur roared ready to smash them with his hammer "Looks like this is the end older brother." Draven coughed spitting blood.

"Then we will make it such an end, on your feet." Darius rose, helping Draven on his way, and prepared to fight barehanded against the giant Minotaur.

Draven and Darius readied to meet the end but stopped when they saw an old warhorse carrying a farm boy flanking the Minotaur. To their astonishment, they watched Zachariah jump from the horse and wrap his arms around the back of the Minotaur's neck with his staff "He's crazy." Darius said. Taken completely by surprise the Minotaur dropped his hammer trying to reach around their back to grab him but Zachariah was too small for him to reach around the beast's muscles.

"My kind of crazy, now come on!" Draven shouted, picking up his brother's axe and throwing it at him. Draven and Darius ran to the Minotaur, swinging Zachariah around on his neck, trying to get rid of him. Draven recovered his own twin axes, swinging into the Minotaurs' left leg taking it out. The Minotaur yelled in pain, falling to one knee just in time for Darius to bury his axe into the titans' chest, but it punched him away, the blade not cutting deep enough. Swinging its arms at Draven, the fighter danced around the Minotaur before he slashed the beast up the arm with his axe, cleaving away part of its right arm. Zachariah was losing his grip and felt his right hand give. He tumbled off the back of the Minotaur just in time to see Darius slice its head off with his axe. Darius walked over to the head, picking it up and holding it high for the other Noxians and Minotaurs to see. When the slain Minotaur's kin saw his head get tossed into the dirt, the Minotaur's momentum was brought to a finding halt.

Walking over to him, Draven, holding the staff, helped Zachariah up to his feet. Across the field, Commander Cyrus and his men were rallying, pushing the Minotaurs back. "Draven, Darius, don't just stand there, get him in a cell and let's win this." Cyrus snapped at the two older boys and at Zachariah before he and his men marched on, Darius grabbed Zachariah by the shoulder to hold him tight while obeying the order.

When Commander Cyrus was out of sight, Darius and Draven exchanged looks. Zachariah could see the two brothers were having a mental conversation with their looks. Draven raised his eyebrows, Darius shook his head, then Draven rolled both eyes at him before smirking and leaning his head toward the dead Minotaur he'd just killed. Darius knitted his brows before he let go of Zachariah "Oops you escaped."

"Yeah, that Zachariah got away from us." Draven said, handing Zachariah the staff.

Darius made a whistle over at Bess who was standing off to the side "Any idea how he got his horse back?" Darius asked, leading Bess over to Zachariah giving him the reins.

"No idea, mages are tricky that way." Draven added hands on his hips.

It took him a minute to realize the two were letting him go, "Thank you, I still owe you one though." Zachariah said getting on top of his horse.

"You saved my life and my brothers' "I'd say two lives for saving your life twice makes us even. " Darius said, offering him his hand, Zachariah leaned down and took it in a firm handshake. "Hope you find what you're looking for in Piltover, but should you not know, Noxus will be waiting and so will we." Darius said before bidding him farewell. Zachariah turned his horse around and kicked her sides to get her to head for the mountains away from the battlefield.

Draven sighed. "If the mountains don't kill him, the Minotaurs will." Draven said.

"We'll see," he said, "we'll see," he said before he headed off to join the route, and Zachariah on to Piltover.