Breathing a sigh of relief, I threw down my sword as I realized that it was over at last. The energy drained from my muscles, and I collapsed onto the metal floor as the rest of the team recovered.
"Wentao!" Ahri's voice rang urgently through the room as she hurried over to me, wrapping her arms around my head as she gave me a big, warm hug. I felt myself melt into her embrace, as she gently kissed me on my forehead. Ahri's golden eyes met my own, and we held eye contact for just a single moment as Ahri examined my thoughts. She smiled, her face glowing brightly as the patterns on her face flickered in the torchlight, making me feel safe and at home.
"You've done it." Ahri told me gently, brushing the hair out of my eyes. "You've saved Noxus. I am so proud of you."
The realization hit me. My job here was done. According to Karma, solving the conflict between Noxus and Ionia would steady my soul, allowing me to truly decide what was best for myself. She was right. I knew just that.
"Thanks Ahri. Does this mean we could go back to Ionia now?" I asked Ahri, who nodded her head.
"Of course, little one." Ahri told me, as she gently pulled me off of the metal floor of the Immortal Bastion. She rubbed my head affectionately, and I purred in her arms.
"There's just one more thing left to do." Swain's voice rang from the corner. I looked over towards Swain, who had his ghostly hand raised towards the Boram Darkwill, who lay half unconsciously on the ground. His demonic hand glowed as he prepared to deliver a final burst of magic that would finish the old man off. Another thought sparked through my head.
"Wait!" I shouted towards Swain, who stopped in his tracks and looked questioningly at me in surprise.
"Yes?" Swain asked, turning towards me slowly.
"Can you spare him?" I asked, as I pointed towards Darkwill's body.
"Wentao, I don't think you understand what you are asking of me." Swain answered. "This man alone nearly caused the downfall of the entirety of Noxus. He ordered the invasion on Ionia, and massacred thousands in the process. "
"No." I replied. "I think I understand him a bit better now. But it's like you said. He started out alright. But not all people are meant for power."
"Well, I guess it's the least I could do." Swain sighed, before taking a golden bordered badge off of Darkwill's coat and putting it onto his own. I recognized it as the badge of the Grand General. "I could probably arrange for LeBlanc to give him a new identity, and park him in an off-country village somewhere. Of course, we'll have to tell the public that the old Grand General has been slain. At last, Noxus can rebuild."
Emerging from the throne room, we descended the tower of steel as Swain donned the colors of the Grand General. After walking down many flights of stairs, we at last arrived at the entrance of the Immortal Bastion. At the foot of the iron fortress stood Darius, who was chatting with Marcus Du Couteau. The Hand of Noxus was much friendlier after the throne of Noxus had changed hands. At the sight of Swain's descent, both knelt in respect in regards to the new Grand General. Swain greeted them both, before finally leading us towards the exterior of the Immortal Bastion where Leblanc and her mages channeled their illusion spell.
"LeBlanc." Swain said as he approached the sorcerer, who was still stuck in a trance, channeling her spell. As she heard Swain approach, she lowered her arms and nodded tiredly at the new Grand General. "Stop the spell. It is done."
As the mages of the Black Rose terminated their spell, the semitransparent dome of magic slowly melted into the brightening skyline, slowly disintegrating into sparks of purplish magic. Birds chirped cheerful songs as the sun rose once more in the horizon, not only to signal the start of a new day, but as a start for a new age for Noxus.
As a new day began in Noxus, the Black Rose brought out some food from the kitchens of the Immortal Bastion for us to eat as Swain gathered the Noxians for a long yet powerful speech to declare himself the new Grand General of Noxus. I yawned tiredly as I ate my portion of beef which was served on a thin bronze platter, and Ahri gently cushioned my back with her tails to provide me with a bit of rest. I grabbed onto Ahri's soft white tails, which she had somehow kept clean during the chaos of combat, and rubbed my face against it's comfort. Ahri's golden eyes twinked warmly as she playfully tossed her orb of deception in the air like a ball with her left hand. I watched nonchalantly, a smile on my face as Swain's low yet steady voice droned on and on in the background. Ahri and I didn't talk much, instead simply sitting there enjoying each other's company. My primary school teachers had taught me once that a picture was worth a thousand words, and I thought that if an artist had painted a picture of Ahri and I sitting under the rising sun in front of the Immortal Bastion, then this picture would surely be worth a million.
At last, Swain returned to us, a holographic raven perched on his shoulder as he finished munching up a piece of chocolate.
"Alright. It's time for me to fill my end of the bargain." Swain announced. "With me Ionians. The time is nigh to end this war, once and for all."
Swain personally led Ahri, Yasuo and me down the metal Noxian docks as the sun lit the sky with bright crimson fire at our backs. At the end of the harbor, stood a large magnificent battleship with the symbol of the Grand General embedded into its haul. Its many red sails flapped in the strong Noxian wind as the four of us walked aboard, making the floorboards creek below our feet. Swain gave a few quick members to the boat crew, who quickly detached the boat from the Noxian harbor before making its way out into the Guardian Sea, the ship's nose pointing towards what I assumed must have been Ionia.
Ahri, Yasuo, Swain himself and I spent a few of the hours below deck, taking a much needed rest after the eventful night. Curled up beside Ahri's warm and reassuring tails, the ship rocked gently as I drifted into a dreamless deep sleep. It was not until noon, when we were already approaching the Ionian coast lines when a cabin boy woke us up.
"Howdy. How was your rest." Swain greeted us in a much more formal suit as we approached him above deck.
"It was quite nice." Ahri smiled, and wrapped one of her warm arms around my neck as together we watched the Ionian coast line approach us. The coast line was shrouded in smoke and fire, indicating a great battle that would have frightened me had it not been the knowledge that we had come to end this at last. "So, I assume there will be a few changes in Noxus, perhaps for the better?"
"Oh yes, quite." Swain chuckled, as he stood at attention in the front of the ship. "I'll have to rebuild the foundations of Noxus itself, starting of course by immediately withdrawing Noxus forces from Ionia. God knows how much resources we've wasted on this pointless war. Then the laws will of course have to change, starting with theā¦"
Although none of us knew just yet, Noxus would indeed change for the better. A patriotic man such as Swain was much more difficult to corrupt than a desperate Darkwill, and he served Noxus from today onwards. Yet Swain knew that no man was immune to temptation, and he himself was after all, just another man. So instead of taking the throne alone, he formed the Trifarix Council with two other members of Noxus to ensure that if one was to divert from the foundations of Noxus, the other two rulers would be able to keep them in check. One of the rulers was Darius, while the other, although unknown to the public eye, would be LeBlanc. The three of them each embodied one of Noxus's core values, Swain for vision, Darius for might, and LeBlanc for guile. Together, the Trifarix Council dedicated themselves to returning Noxus to its former glory.
Shouts were heard from the fog of war, and Noxian helmets emerged from the smoke as the faces under them stared in awe at Swain, who stood imposingly in his Grand General colors.
"It appears there has been a change in ruling." Swain stated steadily towards the Noxian soldiers as our ship touched the shore. Crew members hastily placed wooden planks for Swain, who calmly strode off the ship as Yasuo, Ahri and I followed. Swain signaled for a Noxian, who was dressed in much more formal wear compared to the rest of the soldiers, to comforwards. The Noxian took a bow, before standing at attention to await his orders. "Captain, inform all units of the new changes in leadership as well as to prepare for immediate transport. As Grand General of Noxus, I decree an immediate retreat from Ionian soil and for all Ionian operations to immediately come to a halt."
"Yes sir!" The Noxian captain yelled, before scurrying off to carry out his orders.
"Come." Swain gestured, with his regular hand. "Let us find your friends. Raum tells me the Blade Dancer is nearby."
The four of us trudged through the smoky battlefield, and the sounds of combat grew louder yet again. Ahri ignited her orb of deception, which lit the gloomy battle field with a radiant glimmer of blue. Through the smoke, I saw Irelia locked in combat with a large burly Noxian, her blades repeatedly clinging against the Noxian's armor. As the Noxian noticed Swain with his Grand General emerging from the fog of war, he momentarily froze in shock which gave Irelia an opportunity to knock the man over and flash her blades before the man's neck.
"Irelia! Stop!" Ahri shouted, but the Blade Dancer did not hear.
"This land will be your grave!" She hissed, and was just about to plunge a row of blades into the man's skull when Ahri blew a kiss towards Irelia's back. The pink heart projectile hit the blade dancer square in the back, and she turned towards Ahri with a lustful expression. Ahri giggled, before undoing her magic to leave a bewildered and confused Irelia staring at us.
"Stupid fox! Don't do that again." Irelia cursed half heartedly before approaching us. "Ah, Swain! I assume your plot in Noxus was successful?"
"Fortunately, yes." Swain nodded, who had just finished checking up on the nearby Noxian that Irelia had nearly skewered. He returned to us with a grim smile, before offering his demonic hand to Irelia. The Blade Dancer gulped uncomfortably, and Swain laughed before shaking Irelia's hand with his regular one. "Rejoice. Noxus is now under new rule and the war has come to an end. I must give thanks. Without the aid of Ionia, the plot may more than likely have failed. But despite my gratitude, each of your deeds must remain hidden, to be buried under the layers of history. Noxian must not know that it was each of you that helped me."
"We understand." Ahri nodded, and she too, shook the hand of Jericho Swain. Yasuo and I followed suit. With a final goodbye, the new Grand General of Noxus waved before stepping back into the fog of war. Around us, the sound of combat had come to an abrupt stop, as the war with Noxus drew to an end.
Irelia gave each of us one last look, before wishing us farewell. Turning, she too was consumed by the fog of war as she went to search for the remnants of her battalion. Yasuo walked with us until we officially left the fields of battle back into the wilds of Ionia, where the birds chirped and I could once again smell the fresh scent of nature in the gentle winds.
"It seems this is where I shall leave you both. It was an honor." Yasuo said at last, before turning towards us.
"Ah, so soon? Where will you go now Yas?" Ahri wondered, as she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side to let her dark black hair splash in a variety of different directions in the tranquil wind.
"Perhaps I can return to my old brethren as my name has been cleared." Yasuo shrugged, heaving his long sword onto his shoulder. "But in short, wherever the wind takes me."
"Very well." Ahri nodded. "Farewell Yas. Take care!"
As the wind rose, causing the flowers to dance in the meadows, Yasuo walked deeper and deeper into the treelines until he too, disappeared into the wilds of Ionia.
"Well little one, it's just us two now. Hehe." Ahri smiled, as she gently ruffled my hair.
"Ya. What do we do now?" I wondered.
"Well, we're actually not too far from my cabin, which is nice." Ahri explained as she carefully examined our surroundings. "Shouldn't be much more than a half an hour walk. We could go there for the night and rest, before I take you to Karma tomorrow. I'm sure you miss your world."
"Oh, alright." I nodded, though somewhat dejectedly as I admittingly did not want to leave Ahri. Ahri must have seen my worry, as she gently smiled before giving me a warm hug, rapping the both of us in her tails.
"I'm going to miss you too, Wentao." She murmured into my ears, and I noticed a tear drip from her golden eyes. "But follow your heart, for I'll always be there for you, deep down."
As Ahri pulled away, a whopping sensation burst open in my stomach, as if the world had suddenly turned upside down. Ahri gasped as a flow of blue light erupted from my body, creating a shimmering rift in the Ionian afternoon. I managed to get a glance into the depths of the rift, and saw a familiar room. A laptop, a table, a spilled drink, the last things I had seen from my homeworld before fate inserted me into the new world of Runeterra. Judging from the scene before me, I deduced that no time at all had passed in the real world.
"Well, this makes things much simpler." Ahri sighed, somewhat sadly as she stared deep into the portal. Her golden eyes were somewhat moist, and the droplets reflected off of the afternoon sun to give them an even brighter glow. Ahri kissed me gently on my forehead. "It's time for you to return home now. I am going to miss you darling."
"I'll miss you too, Ahri." I said, though an idea had sparked in my mind.
"Ahri, if I were to stay in Runeterra instead, can I stay with you?" I asked, hoping against hope.
"Well, of course you may!" Ahri told me. "I'd be delighted! For the last week, you've brought me a new meaning in life that I hadn't felt in centuries. But I still think you should go home little fox. This might be your only chance to return home after all.
"Actually in that case," I said, a grin slowly spreading across my face as I realized the possibilities. I reached into my backpack, and produced the Portal Accumulator I had retrieved from the Immortal Bastion back in Noxus. Pointing the device at the rift in midair, I pressed the red button on the back of the Portal Accumulator, causing the device to make a sound quite similar to the magically enhanced noise of a vacuum cleaner as it absorbed the rift from the air. The glass tube, which was now glowing, was injected from the device into my hand, and I held it in mid air to examine the swirling azure portal that had now been trapped inside of it. I smiled confidently at Ahri before showing her the glass tube and putting the device along with the portal back into my backpack. "This won't be my only chance. I'll be able to return home whenever I want. But, I'm already home. Home is not the place, it's the people. And with you in Runeterra, I've felt more at home than I've ever felt in my home world."
"Oh darling!" Ahri said, as a bright fiery smile played across her lips. She laughed, the heavenly sound cutting through the tree lines, illuminating the entirety of Ionia after the grim battle with Noxus. Her golden eyes sparkled, now with tears of joy as she once again pulled me into a hug, before pulling away to look into the teary eyes of my own. "I'm flattered. You also mean the world to me. It's alright. You can stay with me for as long as you'd like."
Together, Ahri and I cheerfully walked through the trees as we made our way back towards Ahri's cabin. On the way, Ahri picked handfuls of berries from a few nearby trees for us to eat, as we talked about the plans we had for the future ahead of us. Perhaps, we could one day visit Piltover, see the ancient sights of Shurima, and out fox the cunning folks of Bilgewater.
That night, Ahri and I sat on the rooftop of her wooden cabin after a simple yet delightful dinner, as we observed the sunset from afar. Ahri had wrapped me in her tails, whose warmth countered the chilly night air as the sun slowly set in the horizon, launching bright and wondrous streaks of orange into the night sky like a blazing bonfire in the clouds. Twilight approached, enveloping the world of Runeterra in a violet shade of light as the night drew nearer and nearer. Up ahead in the night sky, stars twinkled to life like an assortment of ceiling lamps, and the bright silvery glimmer of the moon gradually came into view.
"Your tails are so fluffy Ahri." I said, as I comfortably hugged one of them as my head lay against her breasts.
"Awww. They are reserved for good little foxes." Ahri giggled, as she patted my hair. "Do you know who's been a good little fox?"
"Is it me?" I answered, smiling as I pushed my head deeper into her tails.
"Awww, hehe." Ahri giggled. "Yes, it's you. Do you want a kiss?"
"Sorry, my doctor said I can't have anything sweet before bed." I responded, which made Ahri laugh before she gently kissed my forehead.
"I love you Ahri." I confessed, as I pulled one of Ahri's tails over my shoulder like a blanket.
"Awww." Ahri murmured as she smiled at me, her golden eyes gleaming in the darkness while she wrapped her warm arms comfortably around me and pulled me in for a hug. "I love you too Wentao."
As Ahri and I sat under the moonlit night, watching the stars, I knew that I had made the right decision when I had chosen to stay in Runeterra. True, danger lay at every corner, but staying with Ahri was more than worth it. And back home in the real world, there were dangers of its own. I would be alone, completely vulnerable, and at the mercy of the hearts of modern men. Here, I had a fate of my own to discover and find. Who knows? I remembered such tales of the ruination from League of Legends, which seemed to have yet to pass. Many more adventures awaited us. And when my time would finally come to an end, perhaps I'll be able to go to the spirit realm and spend an eternity with Spirit Blossom Ahri. Things could be worse after all.
The end! That was fun. Feel free to tell me your opinions on it and whether or not I should continue writing similar stuff in the future! Warcraft out!
