Chapter 1 Braised Goat with Peaches
Writer's notes
My notes will be underlined as such
Character's thoughts will be Italicized as such
This will start out as a ship fic however once the ship is established i plan to bring our two lovely champs on a much bigger story orientated journey.
I may put that in a different story or just have it in this one, but just many chapters down the road.
Note I don't own rights to anything here.
Also there are elements of this story that directed reference characters from the official Taliyah Kai'sa story called "Hollowspun"
This story directly follows "The Call" cinematic
And has a reference to the Warriors cinematic
"The void is not a place, it is a power. Reaching out to consume everything.
It is the undoing of everything that makes this universe beautiful and good. The undoing of life. But when I see the chaotic spirals of twisted matter mixed with the purple flows of void energy, I can't help but see beauty in it. I wonder if it's bits of our reality fighting back, trying to be something beautiful even after being corrupted by the void… however I doubt the void has a mutual feeling, it has no respect for anything living or dead. Even the monsters that ravage our world, I doubt the void has any loyalty for them. Just pawns in a greater game. Though the purpose of the game still eludes me." Kai'sa's said while looking at the campfire light reflecting off her second skin.
"Perhaps the void just has a different view of what is beauty, loyalty, good, and all that." Taliyah Replied
"Hmmp… that thought scares me…" then said Kai'sa
…...four days later...…..
Purple shards of twisted soil fly by Kai'sa's head as she falls down the void tunnel not knowing what lay ahead at the bottom, not to mention the 20 ton monster known as Rek'sai falling down with her wanting Kai'sa as a snack. She felt the fury of the beast behind her, almost as if this was personal hatred for all of Rek'sai's offspring that kai'sa had slane over the years. That being said, she felt no fear at this moment. Even though she was falling back into the realm of oblivion, and a fight that maybe her last lay ahead, still, great peace was over her now. She felt… Alive, free... she knew it was the young weavers doing. She had treated her like a real person, not another thing that crawls out of the ground like the beast behind her.
Sure hope she'll not be too hard on herself up there, I'll be okay friend….
She charged her big blasters and fired a powerful shot at the ground slowing her fall a bit before rolling over to land hard on her heels, immediately closing her helm and unleashing a massive missile volley at rek'sai above her knocking the void beast forward in front of Kai'sa causing it the land hard on its face and be disoriented by the impact.
But if i do die today it will be a good day still, for i have seen and felt the warmth of my homeland today and had someone stand by me and call me friend
"COME'ON! STAND UP AND FIGHT ME YOU OLD HAG!"
Kai'sa spit out, the words sounding venomous though her helmet. She spread her stance, charged her blades, and readied herself for the battle of her life.
She did not strike the beast, but waited patiently for the Queen to get back up on her feet…
Not yet Kai'sa, your timing must be perfect…
Rek'sai stood to her feet letting out an ungodly scream that would have caused ear damage to Kai'sa if it wasn't for her helmet. Still the beast did not strike, it stood angry and prepared to devour, but it didn't strike, as if it knew that's exactly what Kai'sa wanted.
Looks like more tuanting is required
Kai'sa powered down her energy blades, straightened her posture to a relaxed straight up stance. "So we're gonna rain check this meeting for a later date or…"
Cutting off Kai'sa's taunting speech, Rek'sai with the swipe of her tale launched a pile of small rocks and dirt, as well as splashes of void energy that flowed in the ground at these depths. The debris smacked Kai'sa off her feet slamming into the cave wall hard. Quickly she shook the debris and as fast as she could got back on her feet but when she did Rek'sai was mere feet from eating her with one bite. In the blink of an eye Kai'sa dashed to the side of Rek'sai and stabbed her back foot with her energy blade. Though it didn't seem to do much damage, it did make the Queen shriek in pain.
Gonna take a lot more than that to take her down"
After the scream Rek'sai decided to change tactics and in an instance dug into the ground throwing heaps of earth in the air and tunneling out of sight of Kai'sa quickly. Kai'sa wished she had the stone weavers earth senses at this moment. For while Rek'sai appeared blind, at this moment, it was Kai'sa who was blind. The feeling was unnerving. She looked around looking for anything in the environment that she could use to her advantage, the void energy flows caught her eye. She hated letting her suit feed on raw void energy, its corruption was far more potent than the corrupted life of void monsters it normally feeds on, but she knew she didn't really stand a chance against Rek'sai, she needed power if she were to survive. She reached her hand into the vain of energy flowing on the ground immediately her second skin began absorbing it. It felt like fire in her skin, it hurt, it burned, and there was a strange noise she could hear whenever she touched raw void power, but she could not think on that now, she had to fight still.
"Reeeekrgggg dun dun dun…. Clck clck clck"
Familiar echos Kai'sa heard down one of the tunnels, it was the strange calls of the Lamplights, perhaps they can be a distraction for Rek'sai.
Without further thought the ground cracked open beneath her and time seemed to move in slow motion as she noticed the shape of the Queen's jaw coming up out of the ground around her. Thinking as fast as she could she split her legs into a split placing one foot on the beast's left mandible and the other foot on the top jaw and pushed as hard as she could forcing the beast's mouth open. The beast now landed back on its feet out of the ground, only now it had a peculiar morsel named Kai'sa stuck in its mouth as Kai'sa held the monster's mouth open with her legs. Rek'sai tries to bat Kai'sa into her mouth with a massive claw swipe only to have it's claw stabed by one of the Voidhunter's energy blades. It stretched in pain but Kai'sa was fully intent at inflicting more as she plunge both her weapons into Rek'sai's jaw on either side and shot out a massive blast of void plasma blasting her free from the beast's jaws.
"Nothing hurts quite like the sting of your own power doesn't it!"
Kai'sa yelled, the words ringing loud in her mind, still trying to ignore the pain pulsating in her own body from the void energy flowing in her.
Rek'sai hissed once more at her before swinging a massive arm at her.
In a blink Kai'sa flashed out of the way of the assault, the Beast swung again,
And again, and again, each time getting more frustrated at how Kai'sa dodged with such speed.
She's getting tired i think, or maybe just tired of me
In the blink of an eye Rek'sai seemed to lose interest in Kai'sa, she was blind so it was not like she had to be looking at something to "see" it. However she normally faced what she was interested in, normally interested to eat. Rek'Sai turned away from Kai'sa completely ignoring her and facing the direction Kai'sa heard the lamplights.
Maybe she's not tired, she just knows something is coming
Even Kai'sa could feel a rumble in the earth from their approach, but she couldn't see them, not yet. Both Rek'sai Kai'sa now stood still, peering down the tunnel with their different senses. Kai'sa started to see some light down the tunnel, at first it looked like a blur, but as time passed she realized that it was blurry because of how many there were coming. Hundreds, thousands, swarming and approaching probably a half a mile away at this point.
A sense of real fear hit Kai'sa and there was only one thing she thought to do, Run.
She looked up, saw the chasm she fell down leading Rek'sai down here, she noticed the spikes of twisted matter all along the walls going back up. She took her chance,
Teleport dashing to one of the spikes and pulling herself to stand up on it. Dashing to the next place to grab onto, she continued to climb, building up a rhythm to dashing and grabbing onto the horizontal spikes of deformed earth. Launching herself up and grabbing onto a spike, she then was almost knocked off by the shaking from a massive claw grabbing the earth beside her.
It was Rek'sai, it appeared the beast had the same idea as Kai'sa. Run, Run upward, and she was completely ignoring Kai'sa at this time, the only thing they both wanted was to escape the endless swarm of lamplight monsters. For a moment Kai'sa had mild pity on Rek'sai, just a moment, but two there was no room for them both to climb and Kai'sa still had a job to do, keep the void down here.
Charging up Kai'sa's blasters, she blasted the ground which Rek'sai held onto as she climbed up causing the beast's hand to break free. Another powerful shot blasted out from Kai'sa hitting the other hand breaking it free from the tunnel wall as well.
Rek'sai fell backwards, her arms and tail flailing violently as she fell blind, reaching for anything to grab to regain seismic vision. Smacking the ground hard Rek'sia landed on her feet out of luck, but the wave of new voidling creatures was upon her. The lamplights flooded over Rek'sai like a wave of water, blocking out Kai'sa's view of the Queen as she looked down upon them while she still climbed.
"May you find the endless fountain, and always be welcome." Kai'sa said softly, the old Shuriman parting phase she normally only said to the living, or the once living.
Kai'sa pressed upwards the lamplights didn't seem to notice Kai'sa yet and so she continued to dash and climb up to the surface, only problem there was no light coming from the surface so she was not sure how far the top was, she was falling for awhile, she just hoped she had enough energy to get back to the surface.
Taliyah sat on her knees bent over with her head buried in them, her tears still trickling over her cheeks as she left her hands stretched out resting on the soil, hoping to feel any sign of life below. It had only been about 15 mins, but it felt like hours feeling deep into the earth for any movements remotely recognizable, yet nothing but tiny specs of moments that were so unclear that they could have been anything, could have been Rek'sai … she stopped herself, dare not think about the worst that could happen and hold on to hope that Kai'sa was ok.
The thoughts wore on her normally hopeful mind, after all, it was her naive attitude of hope that led them here. If only I'd have listened, she told me I'd only find death here. And I led her and myself to it anyway. What a fool, what have I done?
The thoughts interrupted by a small movement underground felt with her hands.
The movement felt like rabbit hopping on a desert dune in the distance, only she was certain it was coming from below. Taliyah leaned forward some more, flattening her hands onto the ground to feel it better and lowering her head to place her ear down directly on her left hand, to sense the earth better still. The hop and scratch sound was getting stronger, now it didn't sound like a rabbit hop, but a loud thud, followed by the sound of dry dirt cracking and breaking, also a new sound was adding the mix of motions she felt below. It was a certain unnatural sound, she didn't know how to describe it, nor had she ever felt this sound before. But when she pictured the sound she felt with her hands in her head she realized that she had heard it before.
It was the sound Kai'sa's suit made when she teleport dashed, kinda like a low distorted version of a desert grump, but quicker.
Kai'sa… is that, you
Taliyah focused deep into the earth to try and get a lock on where the movement was, still unsure if it was her friend or a different void monster. The movement approached faster and faster, it was a very unnatural movement pattern, if she hadn't seen how Kai'sa moved she would have never thought it was her. Taliyah's heart was racing, not sure if more monsters or a friend would breach the ground any second, she tried to take a deep breath and ready herself for whatever came. The warping movements she felt stopped just beneath the layer of rocks she had buried the tunnel with, silence fell for a moment, Taliyah's heart raced faster. Then she felt a knocking,
Like someone banging on a shack door, "That's definitely a person's hand… Kai'sa"
Taliyah said to herself, then she split the ground open creating a small shaft to the human below the ground.
Crawling up the shaft Kai'sa slowly lifted herseft to her feet, her helmet was still on, her breath you could hear panting heavily though the mask. "I thought I killed you" Taliyah said as she gave Kai'sa a hug. Kai'sa could tell she'd been crying, the thought didn't sit well in her heart, but she didn't dwell on the thought long. "Srry, am ok, We must go now. Close up this hole quickly" Kai'sa said kinda coldly, her voice still distorted under the mask as she gently pushed Taliyah away ending the hug and pointing to the hole she climbed up that Taliyah had made. "Okay" Taliyah nodded
As she binded up the ground again weaving it back into solid stone that could not easily be breached.
"We must leave this place now." Kai'sa said sternly, her mask still distorting her voice. Taliyah wondered if she was angry at her, but Taliyah had no protest to her order. "We're do we go?" Taliyah replied, looking around at the vast empty sands surrounding them. "Can you get us up that cliff face?" Kai'sa questioned, pointing to the cliff that Taliyah had brought the giant statue down from to bury the void tunnel.
"Oh that cliff… of course I can!" Taliyah responded as Kai'sa began fast walking in the direction of the cliff face. "Hey! Wait up" Taliyah said, jogging to catch up. She noticed Kai'sa was walking funny, like she was in pain, and the fact that she still was hiding under her helmet made Taliyah wonder if she was in worse shape then she let on.
"Are you Okay Kai'sa?" Taliyah asked timidly as she approached the rock wall.
Kai'sa looked back making sure nothing was crawling out of the ground Taliyah had buried, completely ignoring the question she asked. Finally she acknowledged Taliyah breaking out of her contemplation of whether the lamplight horde was coming or not. "I'll be fine when we get out of here, come on boast us up" Kai'sa answered. "Okay" Taliyah simply replied as she raised a pillar of stone beneath them, lifting them up quickly to the top of the cliff. "There you go," Taliyah said, proud of her stable work lifting them both a good 300 feet without any shaking. Kai'sa got off the pillar Taliyah lifted them up with in a hurry and crumbled to her knees, her helmet finally retracting as she tried to take a deep breath to calm down.
Adrenaline was still pounding in Kai'sa's veins and the raw void energy as well all still setting her muscles on fire, all still making her heart race and her breath stutter. She sat on the ground forcing herself to slow her breath, deeply breathing in and out.
Taliyah stood on her side watching, trying to think if there was any way she could help her, she noticed the purple tilt to her skin that wasn't there before, her veins seemed to pop out as well being really purple."Are you…sure you are alright?U look..different"
Taliyah asked in a concerned tone. Kai'sa didn't answer immediately, she took a moment still catching her breath then replied "It's the power of the Void, it's raw corruption, I've felt it inside me before. My second skin will feast on it, draining it from my body and healing the damage it causes. But yes, before you ask, it does hurt all the same."
Taliyah sat down next to Kai'sa placing a hand on her shoulder, "I'm so sorry for bringing you here, you were right about this place all along and I was a fool!" Taliyah said sobbing while leaning her head on her hand that was on Kai'sa's shoulder. Kai'sa froze for a second, she was not used to having to deal with this much raw emotions from people, the only emotion she was used to dealing with from people was fear.
After some hesitation, Kai'sa replied "just because I was right doesn't make you a fool Taliyah… I.. I'm gonna tell you a story, the story of the last time I was normal." Taliyah's head slowly perked up to listen.
"When I was nine the Void attacked my village, it was much the same as this place here" Kai'sa said while pointing to the ruined city below them. "The hole that opened beneath my village swallowed the whole town. I'm sure if anyone walked by my village after the Void came they would have said,'Surely, there are no survivors'. But here I am, in the caverns and buried runes of my home I survived '' Taliyah just sat and listened now, unable to frame any words to reply at the moment. Kai'sa continued "my point is, if someone like you would have gone to the ruins of my village after the Void attacked, maybe I would have had a different, a normal life… we need hope, without it… we just like the void. We just another hunger that wants to survive." Taliyah sat ponder what Kai'sa said for a moment until finally responding, "I'm sorry no one was there for you when you needed it back then"
"I am what I am now. No use thinking about what I could have been. And even though it is bizarre, The people of shurima need me like this." Taliyah stood up slowly, wiping the tears off her face and composing herself. "People used to think I was bizarre, strange how people never notice what they need, isn't it?" Taliyah said with a cocked smile reaching her hand down to Kai'sa to help her stand up. "Yeah you weren't half bad of a fighter down there" Kai'sa chuckled while taking Taliyah's hand and pulling herself to her feet "aahhg" Kai'sa let out a sheek of pain after she stood up fulling.
"Is there anything I can do to help you heal faster?" Taliyah asked.
"Yeah a big meal would be nice, I'm famished" Kai'sa said with a small chuckle.
"That No Big Deal! I can go catch some rabbits and make a fire." Taliyah replied.
"NO. Not here. We must leave this place. The Void will stay buried if we are gone. But if it senses our presents around here it will breach again." Kai'sa said sternly.
"Okay… Well, the nearest safe town is Vekaura, which should be about 80 miles west northwest of here on The Path of Dust. With rock surfing we can do about 50 miles tonight and 30 or so in the morning before it gets too hot." Kai'sa had a concerned look on her face as soon as Taliyah said "rock surfing". "Oh don't worry, I'll use a rock that's plenty big. You're gonna have enough room to even lay down on the rock as I giude it, no balancing needed. We'll travel a bit slower, but still faster than walking on the sands." Taliyah said. "Welp, i guess i don't have a choice then" Kai'sa replied.
The two set out northwest across the desert, leaving Xolan behind, and the monsters that destroyed it. Though they both knew there would be more monsters ahead, it seemed there was no corner of the continent they hadn't influenced in one way or another. Kai'sa tries to get some rest but the bumpy ride on Taliyah's rock sled and the constant sounds she made while balancing the stone and steering it make rest impossible. "Woowoohoo" Taliyah shooted as the sled crested a dune peak then began sliding down at high speed. All Kai'sa could think was how much she felt like she was gonna throw up, but luckily her stomach was empty. "Yiiiippy! Isn't this fun!" Taliyah exclaimed. "Yeah… yea it is." Kai'sa pretended to agree while she held her hand over her mouth in case her stomach did find something to spit out.
As much as Kai'sa felt Taliyah was annoying at first, she was starting to grow on her. Taliyah's giggles while piloting the sled she couldn't help but smile at, she found them just adorable. And while normally their conversations were one way, Kai'sa had enjoyed the stories Taliyah would tell while they walked together to Xolan, though Kai'sa never expressed it much. Okay how do I go about this? Kai'sa thought as she wanted to start some friendly small talk but wasn't really used to such a thing. "So you said you met Nasus, like thee Nasus?" Kai'sa timidly said just loud enough to be heard over the sand passing by as they traveled on the sled. "Oh Yes! Yes I did!" Taliyah replied with a chipperness, Kai'sa wanting conversation was a pleasant surprise. "Hmmm I always thought he was just a children's story, was he good?" Kai'sa said.
"Yes, at least I think he was, he fought to protect innocents. But he also spoke highly of the risen emperor Azir. So maybe he is not so good." Taliyah replied
"How is this risen emperor, this Azir guy bad?" Kai'sa asked. "He… he's the slave emperor! It's said his greed made the sundisk fall, and now he wishes to rebuild his army of slaves. How could he not be bad? '' Taliyah replied. "It's just, i've never heard of him… maybe he is bad, i just was hoping you may have met some powerful potential allies to help fight the void." Kai'sa replied as Taliyah stopped the sled. It was a low spot between dunes, just a little patch was flat but it was enough to set up camp. "We don't need any help from People like him, the people of Shurima are strong, we don't need him." Taliyah said as she laid her scarf down on the sand as her bed. What she said troubled Kai'sa though she did not show it.
She had heard that Shuriman pride want to stand up and fight the void before.
Such pride only gets people killed, I hope she can learn what I know about that pride she has, Kai'sa thought. "I'm sorry I don't have any other bedding Kai'sa" Taliyah said laying down on her scarf. "It's ok, the sand is softer than what I'm used to." Kai'sa replied, laying down a few yards away from Taliyah with her back facing her.
Taliyah couldn't help but stare for a bit and wonder at Kai'sa's second skin.
She observed as she could see it relax in sync with Kai'sa going to sleep. Well, hopefully bringing her into the town will be nice tomorrow. Probably been awhile since she enjoyed all a town has to offer." Taliyah thought to herself with excitement.
"Wake up sleepy head." Taliyah said. The sun was just beginning to rize, the chill of desert nights still in the air. Kai'sa retracts her helmet letting out a sigh, "it's far colder up here on the surface at night" she said. Taliyah noticed that the purple tint had left her skin and her face looked more normal, but she still looked pretty banged up. "Did you sleep okay?" Taliyah asked. "Second skin was keeping me warm, sorta. But I still feel the corruption in my muscles so no, I didn't sleep much. I'll be okay" Kai'sa responded. "Well best get going so we can make it to the town before the heat of the day" Taliyah said. Kai'sa nodded her head then slowly picked herself up letting out a tiny sigh of pain.
They both climbed onto the rock Kai'sa sitting down on the back Taliyah standing up front as she pushed the rock-sled forward up into the dune. The sands seeming to be unless out here. A true ocean without water, Kai'sa let a little smile break out at the sight of how at home Taliyah seemed in this desert. Kai'sa wasn't really sure where she belonged, she was an enemy in the void, she was an enemy in the village. Normally she wouldn't dare go to a town knowing how the people felt about her,
But there was something addicting about Taliyah, something Kai'sa didn't really expect. The only thing she could think of was it being similar to a feeling she felt as a child when her whole family was together and safe.
She found herself staring at Taliyah as she thought, she was unaware as she focused on guiding the sled over the dunes. Kai'sa stopped herself as she realized she was staring, she wasn't sure what she was feeling, she wondered if it was just curiosity or something more romantic. To be honest she really didn't know how romantic feelings worked. She thought back to this time she saved a young blonde haired explorer in an ancient Shuriman temple from a bunch of small voidlings. What was his name, oh yeah Ezreal, I mean, I thought he looked cute and attractive, but that's not really what I feel here with Taliyah, Kai'sa thought to herself. I mean, I definitely think she is attractive, but annoying as yordles also, uuhgg. The thoughts swirled in Kai'sa's head, not making a lot of sense.
"You have any Family?" Kai'sa decided to start a conversation and ask so the conversation in her own head would stop. "Mmhm, yep, Mom and Dad back in my hometown. Dad always said I was a Shepherd's nightmare, always making sheep run off by accidently shaking the ground. Luckily I am in control now. I wasn't always." Taliyah said. "Did you accidentally hurt anyone?" Kai'sa asked, not understanding why someone would be away from family if they had a family. "No no, they are all good. However it became clear It was not my place, the Great Weaver blessed me with a great gift. I would dance and the earth would move with me. It scared them…" Taliyah was saying then Kai'sa made a comment "Power often does scare them". Taliyah paused for a second before ignoring what Kai'sa said and continuing "so anyway, I told them I would travel the world and find a place where I can learn about my gift. Learn to control it and understand it." "Did you?" Kai'sa replied. "I learned to be confident with it, which gave me a sense of control, yes. Do I understand it, I don't know, not everything is meant to be understood. Somethings are a beautiful mystery,
Like you." The comment made Kai'sa bow her head and blush a bit, Taliyah cracked a smile noticing her blush, though Kai'sa didn't notice Taliyah peeking back when she blushed.
The two continued sledding across the sands, the dunes almost seemed to move like waves across the desert, but it was just that fact they were going up and down the dunes so much that made that optical illusion set in. Hours passed, Kai'sa just trying to stay awake so she didn't fall off the rock-sled. In the distance the dunes flattened out, and the town Vekaura could be made out as a blur where the dunes ended. "Maybe I should just wait here, you just bring me some food. So we don't cause a hassle." Kai'sa stuttered. "Nonsense, if they have any problems with you they'll have to get through this Rock!" Taliyah said confidencently pointing at herself when she said the word rock. Kai'sa didn't respond except for a nervous smile that faded into just a plain nervous Look. She was always so weary of people, they are so unpredictable, unlike the Void which always thinks the same.
They rolled up to the edge of the town the rock coming to a fast stop, Taliyah hoping off gracefully while Kai'sa who wasn't prepared for the stop falls off face first into the sand. "Ahhaahahakekeke" Taliyah found Kai'sa's clumsiness hilarious. "Oh shut up" Kai'sa said while getting back onto her feet. "So what do you like to eat?" Taliyah asked giving Kai'sa playfull punch on the shoulder. "I'm okay with anything, I don't care." Kai'sa replied frankly. "Oh come on don't pull my leg, we all like something to eat." Taliyah said. "I told You, I don't c…" Kai'sa started to reply only to have Taliyah cut her off. "Kai'sa" Taliyah stopped her putting a hand in front of Kai'sa's mouth. "What do you want" Taliyah asked again with a serious but soft tone. Kai'sa paused for a second before finally deciding to acquiesce to Taliyah's question. "Um… there was this meal my father made, it was goat braised and cooked on a bed of… of peaches." Taliyah smiled. "That sounds lovely, I'd love to try it."
note I'll try to be posting these chapters every few weeks or so. hope you enjoy