Welcome! To the first of the three Interquels that take place in the midst of the Ruination Saga. Do not expect the Sentinels to make an appearance, at least not the core cast, some may show their faces, but these stories are implicitly about those other heroes doing their best against the now ravening forces of the Ruination. Battle of Silvermere is Poppy's story, but more than that, it is Demacia's story, and all the troubles they have brought into their midst, and what happens when as the world ends, you still hold on to your fear.
If you are picking this up without The Ruination Saga…why you doing that, hey? Regardless, welcome. I hope you enjoy the story. If you haven't and want to understand the better context of this story, read chapters 15 and 16 of the aforementioned story.
With that out of the way, let's get into the action.
Battle of Silvermere Part I
A Shadowed Dawn
This was going to be a long night.
That thought burns into her mind as Poppy's hammer caves in the head of a lunging shadow-beast. Dozens dart around her like rats, scampering away from the glowing light of her hammer and the purple flames coating her fellows' blades.
"What are these things?" Rya demands, spinning her glaive and parting another as it lept down at her from atop a wall.
"Demons, clearly." Danel returns with a smirk, seeming to have the time of his life despite their dire situation.
Poppy finds her thoughts returning to Vayne, flipping through the dour woman's journals, making herself familiar with the threats her new friend was adamant would attempt to take advantage of the Ruination.
"They're Scavengers." Poppy states, "That's what Vayne called them, Evershades, Doombeasts, Lesser Nightmares, other cryptic and dark names like that."
"Sure are being proactive for scavengers," Rya mutters, cracking one of the demented Yordle-esque Evershades across the face, purple fire igniting at the blow.
"That thing back there drew them to us." Poppy states, sending a canid Doombeast high into the air.
"Pity be," Danel remarks, "It's gotta deal with Tana."
"Not the demigod out of our childhood warning-tales?" Rya returns.
"Tana's scarier," Danel returns, "You never worked with her before all this."
"Scarier, is she?" Rya asks, quirking an eyebrow, "That's not what I heard you say the other night."
Donel blusters, even as his blade finds the neck of an owl-like Shadow Beast, which corrodes in a burst of feathers, shadow, and purple fire.
"Like you weren't mooning over our mysterious sorceress." he fires back.
"While this is entertaining," Poppy remarks with a wide grin, "Can you two focus up?"
"What, afraid we're gonna start prying after that pretty blue-haired girl?" Rya remarks, earning a grin from Danel.
"I will strike you." Poppy returns, sending her shield flying over Rya's shoulder, carving into the face of a monstrous horse-like beast.
Rya whirls, chopping its other head free of its body, and nods, "Duly noted, Captain."
The creature rears, shrieking abhorrently, only for Poppy to come down with her hammer onto the edge of her shield, cracking through its skull in a flash of gold.
The creature dissipates into sludge and shadow, and she pulls her shield free.
They were only a few steps from the cathedral now, and as they got there, they could see Shadowbeasts frantically attempting to get at the refugees inside.
"Back off!" Poppy shouts, lunging into the thickest crowd of the beasts and battering them back.
Rya and Danel are a step behind, weapons sheering spectral flesh, burning it to purple cinders.
"I've missed being useful," Danel states as he pierces an Evershade attempting to lunge for a small child.
"You were useful." Poppy reproached, slamming her shield and forming a golden barrier that pushed the demons further back.
"Even with that bum leg, Demacian to the core," Rya agrees.
"Not so sure about that anymore." Danel returns, briefly eying his runed blade, "We've made a dangerous deal tonight."
"We're doing what needs to be done." Rya returns, frowning even deeper, "Damn the taboos."
"I never liked them anyway." Poppy remarks, bashing another beast into the dirt.
"That's because you are one, Mam." Danel jokes.
"I thought I said to cut the chatter." Poppy returns, turning and calling out to the refugees, "Are you all alright?"
"Yes!" a soft voice calls out, "What is happening?"
"More trouble from the Ruination." Poppy returns, "But don't worry, we've got you."
"What of Laurant and the others?" the voice asks.
"Hells take him," Rya mutters, "Tana is guarding the others."
"But her weapon…" the voice begins, a shriek cutting them off.
"Keep away from the openings!" Poppy orders as several smaller demons burst around the corner, followed by a beast in the warped shape of a Silverwing raptor, a spectral glaive punched into the center of its head. A familiar glaive.
Rya blanches slightly as the creature locks onto her and snarls, "You'll stay dead this time!"
The trio starts forward, weapons raising and falling, battering the lesser nightmares aside, the Silverwing raging towards them, tattering wings unable to lift it off the ground.
"Rya, switch right. Danel, mind the tail!" Poppy orders, the soldiers moving at her command. Rya rolls under the creatures lashing strike, carving into its arm, which alights immediate.
Locking his stance, Danel plants, resting the edge of his blade against his armguards as the tip tail whips around. He is knocked back, the blade biting slightly into his armor, but despite the risky move, it pays off as the enchanted blade carves cleanly through the tail, sending it flopping across the ground.
The creature shrieks, frantically shaking its head and forth, snapping savagely at the three of them.
Poppy spins her hammer, and as the beast lunges down to cracks it into the ground. A golden hammer erupts from the ground and takes the beast's head with it sending it spiraling into the air, dissipating into the Black Mist hanging above.
"Right, let's-" Poppy begins, only to be cut off by a horrific noise.
It is like the screams of dozens of people, undercut by the shriek of terrified farm animals and backed by thunder, creaking metal, and crows' calls.
A ripple passes through the Black Mist, the eerie green light within briefly changing to a rudy blood red.
And an all-consuming fear wrenches its way into Poppy's heart. She watches Danel stumble back as if struck, clutching his heart, while Rya goes stock still, her glaive nearly falling from her hands.
The frightened cries of the refugees join the cacophony, and try as she might, Poppy can't get herself to move.
The Nightmares freeze as well, looking back the way they had come and, almost in unison, race back the way they had come.
The sound ceases, and Poppy regains control of her body once more, staring about as the Nightmares almost frantically run away.
"Ladies above," Danel swears, collapsing against a wall.
"What in every hell was that?!" Rya cries.
"I-I don't know," Poppy mutters, looking up and blinking in surprise as the Black Mist begins to retract, pulling away from them.
"What's happened?" she wonders allowed, and without a word, she races to find Morganna, the others stumbling after her, shaking off the last grips of their fear.
Morgana grimaces as the Nightmare dodges her strikes. A gasping laugh emerges from its stolen face.
A Demon of Nightmare, likely one with a name all its own, is a powerful being using the body of a frightened man as a puppet.
For most.
Even weakened as she was, this being was not so dangerous for her. Yet, for those under her protection, it was a predator without peer.
Tana holds off the lesser demons admirably, and Morgana can feel her silent thanks for her enchantments as her spear pierces flesh and it remains wounded.
"You will leave this place," Morgana states softly, forming a barrier around her form as it tries to carve into her. Its blades skitter along the length of her shield but find no purchase, and the demon darts back, the legs of its host swinging back and forth listlessly.
She casts a blast of flame towards it, then, as it pirouettes around, it slams her hand down the ground erupting in a puddle of purple fire. Gasping, it darts out of the blighted area, even as the flames lick across its stolen form.
Other Demons burn to ash in the crossfire, and she feels no small amount of joy at ridding the world of these parasites.
They coveted pain, grief, and fear, even more readily than the specters of the Black Mist, and unlike them, they had no reason other than the feral drive imbued into their very being.
The major demon tries to dart past her, arm blades carving through the dirt, and she rebuffs it, a lashing chain finally landing a blow.
And at that moment, she gains perspective: the true face of the demon, its purpose and its name.
"Nocturne," she mutters, and the creature freezes, its white pinprick eyes narrowing all the more.
She lashes at it again, but it darts away, vanishing into the ever-deepening clouds of Black Mist surrounding them.
"The light is fading," Nocturne whispers, its voice seeming to echo from every corner and crevice.
"It was never here." Morgana returns, whirling as she feels its presence, her shield catching its blades, and she leans forward, staring deeply into its unfeeling eyes, "Shadow is my domain as well, Nightmare-Man."
The demon hisses and goes to strike again when a horrific sound echoes across the battlefield.
But within the din, a voice comes to her, cold and clear.
"Do not…turn your back…on me, Sister." Kayle's voice mutters, echoing in her ears as if she stands directly behind her.
Despite herself, she whirls and finds nothing except the Black Mist suddenly glowing with bloody light all about her.
Turning back, Nocturne looks at her, stolen head tilted at an angle almost resembling a curious dog. She can feel its presence change, becoming almost meek before suddenly releasing its host and vanishing, leaving behind the now dead and desiccated Laurant at her feet.
The sound ceases, and the silence that follows is almost more chilling.
"What…what was that?" Tana asks, desperately clasping her weeping daughter to her side, face pale and streaked in sweat.
"Something old and dangerous." Morgana returns.
"Morgana!"
She turns, spotting Poppy and the others racing towards her.
"What-what just happened?" Poppy demands.
Morgana looks around and raises a hand towards the retreating whisps of Black Mist.
"Let us see," she states, reaching into the Mist, searching for the pain she knew should be there.
Her eyes go wide.
Dozens of voices shout within the Mist, some exalting, others terrified, and that swiftly changes to hundreds, the morose emotions being joined by the will and intent of several beings, but one voice, the voice, is missing. No, not missing, diminished, lessened, sleeping.
"The Ruined King slumbers," Morgana states, looking down at her compatriots.
"They won?" Poppy asks, ears perking up excitedly.
"No." Morgana returns, "His pain has been quieted but not ended. He will return."
"But what of the Ruination?" Tana asks, "Will it cease?"
"No…" Morgana returns, prodding the wills within and feeling a hollow pit open up within her, "For all the King was, he held the reigns, he directed the storm he had wrought. Now, it is rudderless, and many hands are reaching out to take his place, for how momentary that might be."
"Is that good or bad for us?" Rya demands.
Morgana releases the thread, allowing it to dissipate on the wind, and looks up as, for the first time in months, a true dawn rises across the skies of Demacia.
"I do not know," Morgana states, the others joining her in watching the sunrise, "All I know is that the end is not within sight."
"Then we continue to Silvermere." Poppy states, hefting her hammer, "Warn them of what's transpired before they get lulled into a false hope."
"Yes, Captain." Tana, Rya, and Danel salute her, the latter two rushing off to get the carts ready to move while the former convinces the individuals within the crypt to come out.
Poppy grimaces, "I wish they wouldn't do that."
"Treat you with respect?" Morgana asks, leaning down and healing one of the yordle's many new wounds, "Listen to you when you speak?"
"Ye-well no, but…maybe?" Poppy mutters.
"Savor it, little hero." Morgana returns, "They believe in you. They trust you. It is something…that not everyone gets to experience.
She turns, taking in the frightened faces of the refugees staring at her. She nods to them with a sad smile, retracting her wings and donning her hood.
Poppy's eyes flick from her and the crowd, "If they should be thanking anyone, believing in anyone, it should be you. You saved me, gave us a fighting chance here."
"Yes, well…" Morgana begins, only to be silenced as Nora detaches from her mother's side and wraps her in a tight embrace.
Morgana looks down in surprise, then up as several others approach, her bowing their heads in reverence.
"Thank you, my lady." the young farm boy states, his deep tan tinted all the redder by nervous embarrassment.
"There is no need." Morgana begins, only for Poppy to snicker and punch her lightly in the shin,
"What was that about savoring the belief?" Poppy snarks.
Her own joke is cut off by Nora wrapping her in a deep hug as well.
Morgana stands, the crowd backing up slightly, and she bows her head to lesson her presence amongst them, "Silvermere awaits, and the way is still long to go. We should take our leave."
The assembled Demacians nod, and she hears the whispered prayers of thanks on their breath. Her wings subconsciously flex against their chains.
She casts her eyes down and, with a wave of her hand that elicits more than one gasp of awe and fear from the assembled crowd, burns Laurant's body.
Stooping down, she gently gathers his ashes into her hands and steps away from the group.
"Rest now. Your pain has ended," she mutters, casting the ashes into the breeze, letting them be carried towards the rising sun.
She looks around the remains of her home once more as Poppy and Tana leave with the others, her gaze lingering at the depiction of her hand intertwined with her sisters.
"They long forgot their need for me because of you." she mutters, tracing her fingers along the image of her sister's hand, "But I never did. I doubt you can hear me, but know that your people will always be safe with me, no matter what you might still think. I hope…the Ruination finds no claim on your heart, sister, I truly do."
She turns and leaves, rejoining the group as they begin to make their way out of Zeffira, smiling to herself as she finds Nora's tiny hand placed within her own.
It takes days, but finally, they crest the final hill to see the towering marble edifice of High Silvermere. The rising sun glimmers across the deep lake upon which it rests, its main waterfalls glimmering with rainbows. Soaring above the domed roof of the Raptor Aerie, Silverwings fly in tight patrol.
It is almost idyllic if it weren't for the shattered defensive walls, pitted stonework, and the mourning shrouds flying in the winds.
And on the horizon, the Black Mist still looms, flaring with green lightning, as if preparing to strike at any moment.
Poppy's caravan crosses across the bridge, and she takes note of the broken and abandoned homes behind them, turning to face a line of Demacian soldiers, their silvered-armor glinting in the sun.
Racing past them, several Ranger-Knights, on greathorn-back race by, the great deers' breath steaming in the chill mountain air.
"Halt!" a voice calls out, deep and thunderous, as a Minotaur pushes to the front of the shield wall before them, "State your purpose."
"What do you think," Rya mutters to herself, earning a slight glare from Tana.
"We seek to get these people to safety, first and foremost," Poppy states, gesturing to the refugees behind her, "And then, I would like to meet with your leaders, my friend, and I have something important to tell them."
The Minotaur snorts, looking over the refugees, "You may come in, but what makes you think that the Commander and the others would wish to speak with a…Yordle."
A grumble of discontent passes through Poppy's group, Morganna smirking despite herself, and Rya opens her mouth to snap off something, likely rude and flying in the face of rank, but Tana steps forward.
"Come now, Kriel, surely retirement didn't muddle your brain that much." Tana states, stepping forward and removing her helm, "Have you forgotten all her stories?"
"Tana!" Kriel cries, a wide smile crossing his face, almost rushing to embrace her before composing himself. He turns back to Poppy and, for the first time, catches sight of the hammer on her back.
"You're-" he begins.
"Yep." Poppy stats, rubbing the back of her head abashedly, "Let's not make a big thing of it."
"I'm sorry, My Lady," Kriel mutters, bowing his head, and Poppy feels the tips of her ears go a deeper blue as Danel and Rya fight to hold back a laugh.
"Get these people somewhere safe!" Kriel barks, and the Vanguard soldiers go about it immediately.
"Those who wish to accompany Lady Poppy to meet with the Commanders, follow me." Kriel states.
Tana kisses her daughter goodbye, entrusting her to Cal, the young farmhand, and steps in line with the Minotaur, peppering him with questions.
Rya and Danel fall in behind Poppy, while Morgana hangs back, allowing the refugees to go before her, her eyes falling to a young woman with short blonde hair, draped in a thick brown cloak looking up at them with a look of curious relief.
The girl catches Morgana's eye and looks away before flustered, packing up the food she was gathering from the dockside vendor and hurriedly walking away. Something about her keeps Morgana's attention even as she walks to catch up with Poppy, who she notices is sniffing the air curiously.
"What is it?" Morgana asks.
Poppy looks up and whispers, "I smell…magic, not Black Mist, though."
"You smell it?" Morgana returns, raising an eyebrow.
"All Yordles can. You smell like jasmine and slightly burnt bread, Gwen was like fresh mint and vanilla, Vayne like charcoal and bitter tea. She'd hate if I told her that." Poppy rambles.
"You're getting off track." Morgana states with a chuckle.
"Right, it's like honey and warm stone." Poppy mutters, "You know what I mean?"
"Not particularly." Morgana returns.
"Eh, probably not important. A lot of Petricite around might just be residual." Poppy remarks.
"Might be," Morgana mutters, looking back towards where the blonde woman had disappeared.
"So, Kriel, right?" Poppy asks, "I heard a rumor, but who is in charge around here?"
Garen sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose as, for what felt like the thirteenth time in about as half as many days, his Uncle had entered into a shouting match with the Ranger Knight Commander across the war map before him. Next to him, Cithria of Cloudfield stands silently, though her quirked eyebrow tells him she feels much the same.
"We must go on the offensive!" Lord Eldred shouts, "Teach the foul beasts the might of our arms, and teach a lesson to any who exalted in this foul act of magical heresy!"
"Again, my Lord, the people taken by the Mist are not in their right minds!" Quinn fires back, Valor snapping his beak agitatedly at Eldred from his perch behind her, "My scouts, and your nephew's own word proves that to be true. Furthermore, the Black Mists haven't retreated any further. They have stopped, forming a ring around the mountain. That is not a retreat. It is a cage!"
"All the more reason we should endeavor to fight our way out of it before the noose closes around our neck." Eldred barks, slamming his fist down, his golden mask glinting in the rising sun.
"With what weapons?" Quinn returns, "Our blades and arrows do not leave a lasting mark, and you refuse to let us use the weapons your people absconded with from the Sentinels!"
"Their heretical weapons should never have been allowed into our kingdom." Eldred barks, "The King-"
"Is dead." Garen states softly, silencing the pair as he stands, "And he would have seen reason, he would have trusted his best to use those weapons with careful judgment."
"Your aunt-" Eldred begins.
"Has vanished." Garen returns, "As has the Prince, the Seneschal Quinn's reports tell us was turned and has gone missing as well. With the leader of the Dragon Guard lost to us as well."
"Why you must bring that beast into the conversati-" Eldred mutters, stopping again as Garen slams his hand down onto the war map.
"And the Sentinels scattered to the wind, the responsibilities of this nation fall to the three of us in this room, and Radiant Myrtille, who is too busy looking after the wounded to listen to you continue to argue against reason, Lady bless her." Garen snaps.
"You think you can speak to me in that way?" Eldred returns, "I am-"
"A man who married into my family." Garen returns, stepping towards his uncle, "The Leader of the Mageseekers, defenders of the common people from the plight of magic, and right now, from my position, you are not doing a very good job of it."
Quinn smirks as Eldred goes slightly red in the face. Cithria looks away, hiding her expression.
"With your wife missing, I lead the Dauntless Vanguard." Garen states, "And if you want your offensive, I am telling you, you will give those stolen weapons over to the cause."
"Offensive?" a new voice asks.
The three whirl, taking in a blue-skinned Yordle holding a massive hammer, a strikingly tall woman wreathed in a purple cloak, a Radiant Knight with burning red hair holding a feathered spear, and two members of the Demacia City Guard, a brown-haired man dressed in heavily scarred armor, holding a longsword, and a darker-skinned woman with long black hair, a fresh claw scar along the left side of her face, holding a glaive adorned with Silverwing feathers.
Kriel stands off to the side, "Commander, may I introduce-"
The Yordle cuts him off, "Poppy, just Poppy, well…honorary Sentinel of Light Poppy."
She taps her black and white armor, "We've come a long way, and we have a fair bit of information that we think you are going to want to hear."
Garen turns, the name clicking with legends he had been told since childhood, ignoring the indignant look crossing his uncle's face, "Then speak, please."
"Have heart," the hooded woman states, "For the Sentinels have halted the Ruined King on distant shores."
A buoy of hope rose within Garen's heart.
"But the Ruination is far from over." the woman continues, "A storm is coming, and Silvermere currently rests within its eye."
"Told you," Quinn states, looking over her shoulder at Eldred.
Garen pinches the bridge of his nose once more.
And so ends the first chapter of Battle of Silvermere. The first chapters of the other two interquels should be out in the next couple of days. Hope you enjoy them.
I can already tell writing Garen is gonna be fun, more of Poppy as well.
Already got my wheels turning.
And boy, howdy, are there gonna be some "friendly" faces coming in the next couple chapters.
It's odd. I feel renewed writing this story.
So hope you folks are excited for what is to come.
As always, comments, questions, and critiques are appreciated. this has been VerBeeker, signing off!
