Dead Silent

Chapter 2

Cithria felt something akin to a shiver as she walked back towards her camp, night had fallen on the boarder of Demacia and with it the cold and eerie noises followed, the past few months had been brutal to Cithria but she had endured, training had been painful but she managed to overcome the odds, her captain had been pleased with her performance and decided to give her and a couple of other recruits their first mission, night watch on the boarder. Cithria knew just how important this mission was if a battalion from Noxus or any other enemy country attacked Demacia the nation relied on them to run back and alert everyone, she ignored her two companions as she went looking for more wood, fire was fading.

With her lantern attached to her hip Cithria's small expedition led her into a small clearing where plenty of dead wood laid before her, wasting no time she started to gather the best wood for her whistling as she did so, just before she made her way back towards her cam she heard a whistle similar to her own making drop the wood and quickly take out her sword

"Is not funny Tedric" she said as she felt a small shiver run down her spine, there was nothing around her only shadows and trees, walking back towards the clearing, Cithria threw her lantern away not wanting to be spotted so quickly but her enemy was not stupid, it was hunting her.

Cithria started to feel her anxiety rise as wood snapped and leaves shook. Making into the clearing Cithria thanked the moon for the light and stared into the woods around her.

"I'm ok, I'm ok" she said to herself trying to find her assailant, her knees where shaking and cold sweat formed on her forehead. There was rattling on one of the trees branches, Cithria lowered herself into the grass hoping not to be seen. The branches stopped moving and Cithria hopped that whatever was around her had just decided to leave, but just as she was about to stand up the tree exploded. Cithria bit down her lip in order to suppress her scream and looked around franticly for the monster, there was no way that whatever caused that was human. Cithria waited minutes laying on the grass hoping for something to move but nothing happened only the sound of insects reached her ears and her eyes couldn't catch any movement. Tentatively she stood back up and quietly made her way towards the camp, she needed to alert the town. There was a monster out here they needed the mage-seekers or the sentinels to hunt it down. Cithria started to run but before she could make her exit she tripped and fell face first into the ground. She tried not to groan in pain and looked down at her foot, blood started to pour out of the place where she had hit it. But there was no rock around her and roots could not make her bleed, something had attacked her. She let out a soft whimper as she stood back, she could hardly put weigh on her injured foot but that didn't matter she needed to get back to town, she needed to save them… that's what a hero would do. She hopped as best as she could and felt a small smile form on her face as she saw the light of the town approach her, she just needed to get past the scarecrow and she would be there.

Cithria stopped herself, there was no Scarecrow before and that lamp that he held, looked a lot like… hers. Cithria took out her sword even though she could feel her arms shake "It… It's just… just a scarecrow" she said as she walked towards it, it wasn't moving. Cithria was now face to face with the scarecrow she poked it with her sword but nothing happened "Just a scarecrow" she said lowering her head as she tried to grab her lantern, but as she pulled the thing resisted. Confused she pulled back harder, but to her surprise the scarecrow pulled back. Before she could scream the scarecrow grabbed her by the throat nearly crushing her windpipe. He raised her to his livel and Cithria was now face to face with a demon.

"JuSt a SCareCRow!" it echoed back to her creepily before smashing her face into the ground, his claws drawing blood from her face. Before she could recover he grabbed her leg and swung her against a nearby tree. Cithria tried to scream as her ribs shattered but the monster did not allowed her to do so, he slammed his hand against her mouth and his claws dug deep into her face.

"Fiddlesticks!" it said one last time before he slammed another one of his arms against her armor breaking it a little, seeing how this terrified Cithria, Fiddlesticks took out new limbs and started to reputedly attack Cithria leaving her a bloody mess. Her armor shattered and her limbs rendered useless.

"Plea…" she started to say but the monster stabbed her in the heart, stopping her in her tracks, her eyes started to close as the terrifying beast looked at her and let out a guttural scream. Her eyes finally closed and darkness greeted her, but slowly she felt whispers around her grow louder, pain faded and little by little her eyes opened, a sea of grey greeted her.

"What! But I was just…" she looked down at her chest and to her horror a large hole was on her chest, just around where her heart was. Tears formed on her eyes "I'm sorry mom, I failed you… I failed everyone" she whimpered. A shadow made her look up and gasp in shock as a giant armored monster stood before her, not wanting to die twice she tried to run. Cithria didn't make it far giant green claws appeared from out of nowhere drawing her back towards the monster.

Cithria started to cry "Please, no more… I just want to go home" she said as she covered her head with her hands, but pain didn't come. Looking up she noticed how the monster was moving his fingers with magic muttering to himself something, finally he looked down at her "You are shorter than I expected"

"… I'm… sorry?" she said confused, the monster shook his head "None of my children where this small, but no matter I can use now" Cithria felt her throat go dry.

"I have watching you Cithria of Cloudfield" the monster said as he grabbed her arm and made her stand up, she felt so small right about now "My last living descendant, you should feel honored to be in the presence of your greatest ancestor"

Cithria's jaw almost hit the floor "But... I really died didn't I?" she said sadly as she looked at the wound in her chest.

"Yes, slain by a demon"

"I… I still have so much that I wanted to do… bet you are ashamed of me"

"I hardly care, about how you died or if you still have something to prove, I only care about what you can do for me" Mordekaiser said and motioned Cithria to follow, looking at the nothingness that was behind them Cithria lowered her head and walked behind her ancestor, slow tears started to fall down her face.

Mordekaiser looked back at his descendant and felt… something, it was a long time since he had a soul so preserved around him and seeing the mess that was the body of his descendant made him feel… emotions. He could look down on her if he wanted but honestly it didn't make the feelings go away, maybe it was anger at the creature that had slain the girl, maybe it was that. As they made their way back to his castle Mordekaiser looked around his kingdom and felt pride as he watched the city of the dead preparing itself for the war against the living. Cithria stared in awe as these ghost and monsters out of her nightmares prepare themselves for battle, their faces emotionless and their moves unfaltering, her ancestor approached gates as big as mountain and with a wave of his hand they opened, Cithria almost screamed as she saw giant serpents floating in the sky surrounding a castle. Mordekaiser kept walking unbothered by everything around him not caring a bit about the specters around him, that was until some started to surround Cithria. "Tell to go away" he said, making her nod "Ermm… shoo" Cithria said not feeling very confident but they disappeared back form wherever they came from. Mordekaiser nodded and once they were inside his castle he sat down on his throne.

"Kneel to Mordekaiser" was all that he said, Cithria quickly obeyed not wanting to anger the clearly very powerful monster, Mordekaiser took his mace and stood up he took menacing walks towards her enjoying how with each step she trembled, finale he placed it softly on her shoulder "Congratulations you are being knighted for a very important mission little one" Mordekaiser said making Cithria look up at him confused "How… how can I help?"

"My lord" Mordekaiser added but he was not feeling aggressive towards her, he simply wished to establish who he was. Mordekaiser nodded at her excuses but simply shook his hand "You have nothing to fear Cithria of Cloudfield, I am you ancestor and simply because my blood runs through you I have decided to help you, in helping me of course, I shall give you a chance my dear to return to the world of the living" Citrhia stood up quickly and looked at Mordekaiser flabbergasted.

"Do you really mean it!" she said with a big smile on her face, Mordekaiser almost felt a twinge of emotion on his chest… almost. "You will return, I want to see the world again Cithria just to make sure is ready for my return and your eyes would be the ones to allow me to see" Cithria quickly nodded.

"Sure, I will gladly look over the entire world if you need it, I can join a Demacian expedition or something"

"So you still want to be a soldier?"

"It was my dream, but I understand if I have to leave it" Cithria said sadly but still had a smile on her face, this was her second chance to live, she would not waste it. Mordekaiser on the other hand nodded his head at her obedience, good, she was already leagues ahead of his spawn. Entitled brats that believed themselves worthy only for being his. "You can still be a soldier I do not care, I only need you to be ready for my return and to allow me to see the world through your eyes, that means that your soul will be bound to mine and I can see your every move"

Cithria felt a little unnerved by that but she was not going to argue with the one who apparently had the keys to her return, so she simply nodded at him. Mordekaiser satisfied reclined back onto his throne "But this cannot happen now, you will have to wait some time, I need to gather enough power to send you back"

Cithria nodded, yeah that made sense "What do you want me to do while I wait… my lord?"

Mordekaiser hummed and closed his eyes, it was so quiet, he had been haunted by this fact ever since he had heard the melody by the blue haired lady his world was a grave with no sound. He tried to replicate it but he had failed miserably, he could not overcome this obstacle for some reason and it bothered him to no end, Cithria's arrival had been a blessing only for the fact that he no longer had to forge a mirror to look into the outside world and also because it distracted him of his failure, and he did not FAIL.

"Tell me of what killed you, I can see that you where mauled by a demon but I would like to know by whom, maybe I ran into it in my past lives"

Cithria shuddered and placed a hand on the wound on her chest "It hunted down… it was so fast, I could barely keep up with it, he was this weird scarecrow but he moved and… screamed, he stole my voice" she whimpered confused and scared, Mordekaiser brought a hand to his chin "Fiddlesticks is real? Thought he was just a story to put the fear of the gods into people, but now we both now that he is not only real but active"

Cithria barely nodded still terrified of the beast that had… killed her, Mordekaiser noted this but chose not comment on it because in all honesty he didn't care. He moved towards his mace and started to infuse it with magic that he would need for the ritual later, so focused was he on his task that he forgot all about Cithria. Using his minions he started to gather the souls needed for the portal and the ritual, Mordekaiser kept on doing this until he felt movement close to him, finishing his work he turned back to Cithria who yelped in fear.

"What do you want?" Mordekaiser asked irritated at being interrupted, Cithria lowered her head as an apology "I'm sorry… is just that, you didn't move for hours and everything here is so… quiet it made feel… you know, worried"

Ah so she had noticed, Mordekaiser nodded and let the minions keep doing the work it was almost finished anyways so he did not care, he grabbed one of his od capes and placed it around the shoulders of the child "I also have noticed the quiet child, but do not worry yuu will be able to see the world again soon enough"

"Sorry for acting like a kid… Hehe is almost funny how much noise can help a place, Demacia is full of noise and music there is this lady called Sona she makes the most amazing music"

"Oh really now, tell me more about her"

Cithria smiled at her ancestor glad that he was talking to her after hours of complete silence "She apparently is from Ionia, her instrument is this weird harp thing that she carries around really matches with her blue hair"

Mordekaiser simply smiled under his helmet, so it was her, good he would soon claim that too.

A/N: Hope you like this little story of mine, I really liked how some cards from Legends of Runterra have lore, and like everyone really liked Cithria so I scrapped a story that I had planned with Viktor and made this one. Tell me what you liked and what I can improve, see you soon!