Jax fell to his knees, feeling how his heart was trying to break free from his ribcage. Irelia fell on her back next to him and started gulping the air hungrily. Lee simply stopped running and looked around. It was probably the most brutal thing Jax had ever done. Running for three days and nights without rest through the Ironspike mountains, after fighting with Noxians and the Piltoverians.
The armmaster attempted to calm himself down, to breathe slowly and deeply, yet he wasn't able to do so. They would have to wait so Jax and Irelia could get to their senses. About ten minutes passed.
Irelia stood up, dusted herself off and extended an arm for Jax. He took it gratefully and stood up, looking towards Lee Sin. He was casually standing in the middle of the clearing which they have reached.
"Lee, let's go." Jax said, after coughing a few times to clear his throat. They haven't been allowed to drink nor to eat for all those days, and it was reaching them. Thirst, hunger. Not to talk about exhaustion. Their escape through Piltover was not as challenging as they thought it would be. After the battle with Zac they had a few encounters with police parties, but they were not a challenge.
But their fear of standing against Jace and Vi was spoken of. The enforcer was brutal in her work, so they were worried about doing anything. Also knowing that Jayce was going to be there to help her didn't make any difference in their situation. Three exhausted and injured warriors versus two fully rested and in excellent condition was not fair. Not at all. Although, no one knew how Lee Sin fared. He didn't even sweat in their marathon through the Ironspike.
They started walking, headed towards the Institute, but their plans were only to pass there. Tell Brand hello, then go somewhere else. Jax still didn't know where to go. It was a hard decision, knowing that all the friendly settlements and city states were destroyed, but he still thought on going to Demacia. At least to see what had happened. But what if they went to the Freljord...
His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp object burrowing deep into his left side. He grunted, which got the attention of both his companions. Irelia rushed to his aid, while Lee started scouting the area.
Jax pulled the object, which was a golden shuriken. Only one person used that kind of weapon in all of Valoran. Of course, only one person he knew. Another one flew from the nearby bushes, that time towards his head. His axe flew towards it, but something else got to the strange throwable object first. Lee Sin's hand grabbed it. The monk spun and threw it in the direction from where it came.
"Run." He whispered. At first it didn't seem like either Irelia or Jax had been able to hear him, but the expressions on their faces changed a few moments after.
"What?! If we split up -" Irelia started.
"Run." Lee repeated. The will of the blades was eager to keep talking, to understand why he wanted to leave them, but Jax pulled her towards him and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes widened and she started struggling, her blades becoming aware of her emotions. Jax pulled her behind Lee and lifted her over his shoulder. He started jogging, after a silent 'good luck' towards the blind monk.
Lee nodded slightly and looked towards the bush where he threw the shuriken. Irelia looked at him as he took a battle ready position, his left hand behind his back, while the right was extended forward. He was going to fight them alone.
When Jax and Irelia disappeared behind the trees, Lee kept his stance. The battle would be harsh, probably ending with his defeat. But he had the hourglass. A lot of people thought that Zhonya was a mage. But in truth she was the only feminine monk in all of Ionia. To hide her weak skin behind something was going to be hard, because monks usually relayed on their will to keep their skin hard as an armor.
Being a woman was not a good thing, because it was almost impossible to keep your will iron, yet she created an object which allowed her to become invulnerable, her skin harder than steel. It was the hourglass. When she used it for the only time in her life, she became invincible. Yet, the hourglass was wicked in one way. It was going to slowly but surely start to turn the user's body into the golden statue, which it had been becoming with the uses of the hourglass.
Zhonya understanded that too late, when her lungs had started becoming pure gold, along with her heart. When she was able to turn back into her usual self, she didn't lose the golden light of her skin. But she lost her life, because taking the hourglass as a gift was wrong. It was counted as a sin by some, yet it was not. On the fields, the hourglass had become a famous tool for surviving close calls. Yet, he had obtained the original, which didn't create a stasis, and could be used as long as one wished.
But he knew the Kinkou had a team spirit, being almost unbeatable in fights involving a full team. They had been the sole party which hated him for what he was. No one else hired such a hatred for somebody, as the Kinkou hated him. They had left Ionia after a failed attempt to kill him, which was a bad sign for the future of the islands.
A smoke screen started forming around him. He knew that it was only supposed to weaken him, yet he was already blind and they couldn't hide in the shadows from him. He felt Akali's presence in front of him, then the little ninja and at last The eye of Twilight.
"Monk. Turn yourself in, so you do not die. You will live as long as you do what ever we tell you." Shen ordered. Lee shook his head slowly. The trio understood what that meant. Feeling the shuriken, short scythe and sword flying towards him, he allowed them to hit him. This allowed him to dash towards Kenen with the speed which the yordle could hardly beat.
Meeting the short creature with his fist, pointed towards his forehead. Kenen attempted to escape, but Lee Sin's fist made contact with the yordle's head and blew him a few feet backwards. Clapping his hands together, the monk hit the ground and a circle of psy energy flew from his hand. It hit Kenen again, shattering his jaw.
The short ninja was already at the brink of death, because he knew only Shen had durability from the three. The sharp side of Akali's weapon stabbed his shoulder, making him grunt, but his will didn't allow him to fall downwards. The scythe was usually followed by a kick, so he prepared to grab her leg and twist it.
He was right that she would attempt to kick him, but he was wrong. Shen dived towards him, cutting his chest, then stabbing his left hand, which allowed Akali to dive freely against him and kick the air out of his stomach. He flew a little backwards, but fell on his feet.
Akali held her weapons at the ready, while Shen looked at Lee with a mixed feeling. Of course, the monk couldn't see it.
"Monk, surrender now, or be destroyed!" He ordered. Lee smiled to himself.
"You want to give me to the Noxians? Well..." He started. The psy wave already flying from his hand and blasting in Akali's chest. Shen had anticipated it, as Lee knew he would. The shield around the woman started forming.
"I will give you..." He dashed, his leg pointed towards her chest. Shen was going to appear there, as he knew. Gold started covering his entire body, while fire burned around his feet. The eye of Twilight appeared in front of Akali, enforcing the shield around her with one of his own.
"A GOLDEN KICK!" Both shields shattered, while his leg reached Shen's chest. The fire devoured the ninja's skin and cloth. Akali flew backwards, jumping off of Shen's back.
Smoke flew all around the monk and the ninja. The feminine member of the trio looked with wide eyes. Waiting for the smoke to clear, she readied her weapons instinctively.
Lee Sin's right leg pointed through Shen's chest, the ninja's hands hung lifelessly down his body. The monk was entireley golden, a little dirty - golden, yet truly made from the metal. Akali's eyes were wide. Shaking the body off his leg, the monk turned towards her.
"Akali..." In a raspy and cryptic tone he said. He started walking towards her, with swift steps. She couldn't move. That thing got her off guard. A shout, almost childish sounding echoed through the valley. Kennen sped towards Lee, his body devoured by lightning. The monk felt the same thunder and lightning on himself, yet very distant. It was barely able to tickle him. He of course felt dazzled and stunned at first.
But after that feeling disappeared, he dashed to Kenen and swiftly hit his throat. The yordle froze and looked at Lee Sin's hand, which had been enough to cut it. The life left Kenen swiftly. He fell to the gorund, dead.
The monk turned to Akali once again. She was trained for everything. Yet this... This was monstrous. The monk was invulnerable, they couldn't harm him. She was still unable to move, because fear overtook her. No, fear was a weak word to describe what she felt. Akali was terrified.
Lee Sin started stuttering towards her. Slowly, almost painfully he walked slowly, his hands waving with the shakes of his body.
He finally reached her. Extending his hand, the monk tried to lift it on a level with her throat, but he wasn't able. Damn it... I won't be able to finish it... He thought to himself. Feeling his strength fading as fast as the light, he whispered something in Akali's ear.
Her eyes were still wide when he fell over her, covering her entire body with his. Strangely, his body remained almost weightless, even though he was a golden man now.
A dead golden man.