Peace had been broken and the land attacked. It juste took some time for the information to reach the Wuju village, so far from everything even within its own nation. The only warning was heavy smoke, ashes falling in the village like corrupted snow. Children grew quiet, running back home.

The village wasn't attacked, since it was known from no one outside. The population calmed down, waiting in deafening silence. They weren't the target but would they soon ? Wuju was to be protected also. If any invader made it up the mountain, they would be killed without mercy. But for now, nothing happened. Wait and see.

Unless they were threatened, the villagers wouldn't seek more about Noxus or the invasion. Not their business, after all. Neutrality was important, specifically now.

Yi couldn't understand that decision. Lifes were at stake. Other villages of the island were attacked, many people killed and the solution would be to do nothing. This seemed unfair, even knowing Wuju couldn't be revealed.

From the roof of the pagodas, he saw the never ending smoke coming from the valleys. Noxus and its poison, running the land. And they said not to intervene.

More than ever, he wanted to go outside. He wasn't a child anymore, he was perfectly able to defend himself. So why not use this to protect other people ? Or their land ? If in the end no one stopped Noxus then without a doubt they would find their village. In no way Wuju was safe as long as intruders stayed on this land.

On another note, Yi was used to comply and follow what the elders said. Even when it was the opposite of what he wanted. Like forbiding him to go outside, just to find his soulmate. There was always a good reason to keep him here. Always.

Now he had too a reason to go outside. Not in the optic of finding his soulmate but an occasion nonetheless. He wanted to help, aware that a massacre was potentially happening.

Days after day, Yi lost patience against this cruel decision. Why was there still dark smoke ? Their land kept burning and the villagers did nothing except urging their kids to stay home.

He knew he wasn't exactly the only one thinking that. Other ones from his generation were equally revolted to see Ionia bleed and burn while the village kept its quiet life.

Until one night, when Yi decided it was useless to stay here playing oblivious. In the cover of the early hours, he prepared for the fights then left the village, taking the family armor and blade with him.

Many emotions caught him that night : the thrilling freedom of moves, the vicious guilt for breaking a rule and most of all the urge to be useful. It guided him down the mountain, to the closest village he could find. Devastated.

Even before reaching it he could see the difference between untouched land and the one soiled by Noxus's passage. Corpses, limbs, blood and the worst smell around. Would the land recover from this, if it ever came to stop one day ? All that mattered was harmony and now it was broken.

Each village he came accross was empty of life, sometimes a few lucky souls had survived but there was so little to do. After helping as he could, Yi chased desolation, after Noxus.

And it led him to his first kill. Not even difficult, a mere enemy soldier that he found looking into the ruins of another destroyed village. To see a noxian in a house where blood splattered the walls didn't help their case.

Yi would remember it forever. And count. Each single person killed, for this wasn't the reason he was taught Wuju. But he used it this way and it could help to protect innocents. If he had to spill blood for Ionia, he would, at the prize of his own responsibility. The sickening feeling stayed but not just for what he did himself. It was worse than he would dare imagine, death at every corner.

Compared to the quiet life at the village, this was such a shock.

The end of innocence.

Always running, looking for the actual fights since till now he merely found the ghosts left behind. Until Yi reached the sea. It was elsewhere and he had to follow. Slowly he really understood that he wasn't going back home soon.

From the start he knew he wouldn't be back in a few days, weeks. Even more since the elders and his parents would be waiting for him with a harsh punishment. But now it took so long and he barely arrived on the coast, more smoke to be seen on the other side.

Of course Bahrl wouldn't be the only island attacked, there were bigger ones with certainly the most important symbols.

Ready for everything, Yi crossed the sea and joined the main land.

Too many things busied his thoughts, between the same guilt and growing fear about Noxus. This was going so badly, from what he saw. Would this end one day ? Was Ionia even able to gather its strenghts and fight back ? This was an issue in itself, violence had nothing to do there.

On the other hand, the land had to be protected and defence became a priority.

Would he die ?

As strong as he was, Yi had to consider this possibility. In no way this was alike what he expected from war. But what he discovered in cruelty and violence, he gave it back perfectly. No one knew Wuju, Noxus wasn't even familiar with ionian ways in battle so there was no way for these poor soldiers to understand what happened to them.

They deserved this. The first to attack was at fault, himself just like every other warrior merely fought back. This building hatred helped, in a way. Not to lose the point, after so much time.

Yi still wondered how he was still able to stand and fight more. Exhaustion was terrible yet he found himself restless, quick into the battlefield.

Each day had its new corpses, another river taking a red hue just like grass and flora. Red was everywhere, everything. Until one could imagine lose their mind. Cut, stab, dodge. Kill.

Yi felt that too, lingering nausea for bringing death instead of teaching. He had made his choice long ago and the war wasn't over. No way back until the end.

The clash of iron rang in his mind, stuck there even the few times he could rest a little. Far, back in the closest villages not found by Noxus.

Would this even end one day ? No answer would come. The mission remained the same

The fights there were violent, like everywhere else but being in the most populated region, it meant a stronger defence. In the end, this was where Yi went by chasing noxian soldiers.

Not alone anymore. It was still a comfort to see that many other like him decided without hesitation to take their weapons and pay blood for blood. All united by the same purpose, against the same enemy.

Among these warriors met in the battlefield, one kept his attention. The one always ready to fight, no matter what. Everyone was but this particular man had something. No idea what.

Just someone he noticed from time to time, still alive despite charging recklessly. Maybe he expected this youngster to die soon, because of his behavior and tendancy to fight too many alone. But sometimes he saw him, glimpse of a blade and the fury of wind.