Jax didn't like swimming. It wasn't his hobby. But now, he was swimming for more than five hours in the cold waters of the sea, swimming towards Ionia with Yi's body on his back. Thank's to the grandmaster's endurance he could swim more without fainting. The weight of the Wuju bladesman wasn't anything for Jax, the water wasn't cold, so he would continue to Ionia. He was sure he'd make it, so the grandmaster swam forth, ignoring his inhuman wounds. He'd seen worse.
Three hours more passed, his body started feeling the cold temperature of the water. The waves were pushing him around, Yi's body started to weigh down. Jax swam forth.
Two more. His body was at the edge. He couldn't feel his legs, wich grew numb and then fully stopped. They still kept moving, only to get him out. His hands were cold and weak. Master Yi's weigh was just pushing him down. His eyes were red with the salty water, but he kept going. The water didn't help his wounds too. Now, he couldn't feel half of his body, but that was a relief because the pain was starting to burn him in agony. He now felt his way was longer, his eyes traced the horizon, searching for the isle. He just swam.
Five hours passed. The shore was clearly visible to him. But he wouldn't reach it. His condition was so weak, that even a baby, a few months old, would be able to beat him down. He was more like floating over the water than swimming in it. He gave up all hope a few minutes ago. His legs and hands were feeling less, his head hurt. But he didn't leave for the realm of darkness, though the offer was so tempting. He felt the waves, pushing him slowly towards the shore. He then... Thought he was loosing his sanity.
"He goes forward..." The voice was silent, almost impossible to be heard. It came from the depths, as a howl. Jax laughed at himself for hearing voices.
"Forward... Wasn't that your typo?" That voice was gentler, friendlier. Feminine. It contrasted the previous one fully, although something connected them. They both came from the depths.
"Well, it was..." The first answered. It was really, really distant.
"So, why don't we help him? Don't the others need him to be their ne-" The feminine voice offered, but was interrupted by the other one.
"Ok, ok... We will help him pass that task..." The male voice agreed with the feminine, a chuckle was heard and then Jax felt the water start massing behind him. The power of the sea entered his body, refreshing him and returning his powers. He felt a sudden end of the flow, then a tidal wave pushed him towards the coast. His powers were drained again by the wave, wich pushed him just a few feet in front of the beach. Jax stood up and started breathing heavily, his lungs absorbing the air. He realized that those voices werent just his imagination. They were something, a part of some group wich needed him to be a 'ne'. He laughed and was reminded his task by the blinding light wich led him up.
Jax looked around himself and noticed. The beach was empty, only stone and some sand. Most of the sand was used as barricades for the upper land, where guards looked at him. They didn't attack, although their weapons were drawn and some had bows, touted towards him.
"Someone is on the isle, without allowance." The monk said. His white beard was covered with drops of sweat. Irelia was the first to stand up, her troubled eyes dug holes into his closed ones. The others, Varus staring at the coast, Karma drinking tea with Udyr, Lee Sin humming something and Soraka inspecting her belt looked at her.
"And tell me, where is that person and is he armed?" Her voice, wich was really astonishing for those who didn't know her, her blue hair hypnotised them and at last her curves stunned them. She carried her blue jumpsuit and armor straps over it. She was in full battle readiness, as everyone else was. The monk nodded.
"He is unarmed, his appearance is... Cryptic. He looks like a walking corpse. And is a man." The monk explained. Irelia sighed and started walking back to her seat when a guard came, looking as if he saw a ghost.
"Captain Irelia, reporting from the coast. Unarmed man just left the sea, he is soaking wet and hurt really bad. He is also carrying the corpse of Master Yi, The Wuju Bladesman." Her breath stopped. Her heart missed a beat. Yi was dead? Who killed him?! Was it that man? She felt anger burning inside her. Irelia ran out of the tent, her blades circling around the graceful body of the woman warrior, mirroring her emotions. Their camp was close to the Wuju temple, so they could make quite a defensive play here if Noxus or one of it's friends attacked.
She saw the man. The others did too, except Lee, who felt the presence. This was a cryptic picture. The man was dressed in soaking clothes, purple soaking clothes, had the tunic cut on about ten places and a grievous wound ran through his face, wich was still bleeding. Yi was on his back. The wuju bladesman looked just fine, with the exception of three deep cuts in the chest area, wich cut to bone and probably broke his ribs. Irelia didn't move, she only observed now, as everyone else.
Jax moved forth. His body was forced almost over the edge. But he would stand and accomplish the task. The sun shined cheerfully over him, but he didn't care. The light blinded his vision, but his eyes didn't flinch. He saw Soraka walking towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder, offering to heal him. He shook his head and walked. She silently followed, the other champions of Ionia did too.
Jax had the Wuju temple in sight now. He was seeing the giant structure, the statues build all around it. He heard voices, whispering to him, pushing him forth. There, he was in front of the stairway, his left leg was the first to climb, then the right and the cycle started repeating itself. He untied Yi's hands and walked forth, carrying him in arms. Jax was at the entrance, the light shone from only one place, it shone from the center of the temple. He forced himself to reach the destination and placed Yi's body there. It was immediately surrounded by light, lifted just a few inches off of the ground and was then placed in standing position. Jax observed. His body felt heat. Yi's body started slowly turning into stone, creating the reminder of the last master of Wuju.
The desert with melting sand greeted him. But the sand was no longer melting, and was no longer sand. It was dirt. And from that dirt grew plants, weak and fragile, but still - plants. The statues towered over the grandmaster at arms. Their heavy gazes were staring into him. He felt the dirt under his feet change and become stone. The plants were already trees, grass covered the earth. It was almost magical.
"You brought the last master of Wuju, grandmaster. For this, we bless you with Wuju, the ultimate sword play. But your skill will be unlocked by yourself. We shall not interfere with mortals. Begone now, grandmaster at arms." The voices boomed, their statues were covered with vines, the trees were higher than them, a pond formed under the leaves. Jax was sent back to the world.
He fell to his knees. Exhaustion was taking over him. But then, Jax felt someone's arm on his shoulder. He turned his head...
Irelia had placed her hand on the stranger's shoulder. This brought his identity to her, it revealed him. This type of cloth was worn by only one person in Runeterra. She had feelings for him once, once before the Institute fell. She knew he was dead, that's what she thought of him. It was the one and only she ever loved. It was Jax. She felt tears in her eyes, but forced them away.
"Jax..." Irelia whispered to him, only he would be able to hear her. He nodded.
"Two hours... Noxus comes..." He answered. Irelia winced. Noxus was coming? She turned to Karma.
"Noxus is attacking in two hours. Prepare the men and barricades!" She told her friend. Then turned back to Jax. She noticed only two of his eyes were open. Irelia collected enough courage to move his hood back a little and saw the purpose. The other five were closed, affected by the horrific wound that ran across his face.
"Soraka, come here. Help him." She asked the divine to help Jax. She was about to cast the healing magic when his hand stopped her. He shook his head and stood up.
"Give me an axe and I will be fine." He said. Irelia nodded and dismissed Soraka. She couldn't belive, her Jax was alive. She would be with him again.