Chapter 3: "The Butcher of the Sands"

Writer's notes

My notes will be underlined as such

Character's thoughts will be Italicized as such

I do not own rights to anything here

_

The morning sun was rising fast into the sky, already starting to make the sands of the desert sear with heat. A drop of sweat Kai'sa wipes from her brow as she looks back to the town. She felt bad for not saying goodbye to Taliyah, she knew she was probably very upset at her for that. It's better this way, better that she moves on, Kai'sa thought to herself. Marching forward, Kai'sa continued to walk south deeper into the desert, she knew she had to save her energy, using her powers now to move faster would only make her weak when she really needed the energy, she had learned that well over the years of fighting the Void, The patient hunter wins. She tried to put together a plan in her head of what she was going to do now, where she would descend into Void, where she would patrol, and what she would fight. But her thoughts kept being interrupted by the sweet voice of Taliyah with all her rock jokes that Kai'sa never laughed at. She also kept seeing her face, her face lit by a beautiful sunset. Kai'sa shook her head, hoping she could shake the thoughts from her mind.

I'm no good for her, for any of them, I'm cursed, Kai'sa reasoned to herself.

Her own words seemed to feel like a nail in her chest, and not like the needleish pain she was used to from her second skin. She feels her skin crawl, not knowing what the suit is trying to tell her, Kai'sa assumes it's just wanting her to stop being emotionally weak. She looks down at her second skin as she walks across the burning sands, she feels anger at her suit, anger for being an ever present reminder of the claim the Void has on her, of being cursed by the undoing of this world, and a ever present reminder of the normal life she cannot have, the life that was stolen by the Void. Taliyah reminded her too much of that normal life, the way she looked at her like she wasn't cursed at all. How neive, Kai'sa thought as the Taliyah's face still lingered in her head. An even sharper pain the second skin hits her with again, strong enough to interrupt all her thoughts. "Dammit, what do you want!" Kai'sa said aloud, not understanding her second skin. She then noticed the symbiote throbbing around her feet, drawing her attention to a rumbling that she could feel getting closer. She then realized what her suit was trying to tell her, you're in danger.

The realization came almost too late, as one second later she saw a massive crocodile leaping at her from the top of a dune behind her. Arching herself backwards she managed to lower her head enough by an inch to dodge the beast's mouth, as it flew over her and buried its face into the sand in front of her. A split second later another crocodile appeared over the same dune, but this one carried a giant warrior on its back, which swung his spear at her neck, aiming to decapitate her. Instinctively Kai'sa closed her helmet and ducked her head, the spear smashing against her forehead with concussive force, but deflecting off of it. Though her helmet did a good job protecting her head from sharp things, it offered little protection against the blunt force trauma the blow inflicted on her head; as she found herself slightly dazed by the blow. Snapping herself out of it, Kai'sa quickly got off the ground and stood up straight, charging up her plasma weapons immediately, readying for a fight. As she lifted an arm to fire at the brute riding the giant crocodile, the beast snapped up grabbing Kai'sa's charged wrist, and dragging it to the ground. It's teeth didn't pierce her armor, but it made her an easy target for the headhunter who was swinging his sword at her neck once more. Kai'sa lifted her arm to block the blade_which struck her armor, bouncing off of it like steel. While the brute was recovering from the blade's recoil, she moves her arm and fired a Void energy blast into the croc's face that was holding her arm. The croc's tough skin was surprisingly resistant to the blast, but it still caused enough pain to make the beast let go.

As soon as her arm was free, Kai'sa teleport dashed to the top of the dune behind her assailant, then fired three shots rapidly. The first struck beneath the headhunter's mount, sending the beast up off the sand and into the air. The second and the third shots landed on the croc's underside causing it to flip and plow back into the sand, landing upside-down on top of his rider. Kai'sa thought it was kinda funny that this chump thought he stood a chance against her. "You think you can take me with a couple of crocs and a spear?!" Kai'sa mocked, her voice being a low distortion from her mask. "Hah, there are three'', he replied; Kai'sa not realizing what he meant until it was too late. A third crocodile smashed into her from behind, grabbing her by one of her shoulder pods and smashing her into the sand right next to the headhunter. She charged her hands to fire only to have another croc grab her wrist again. "God dammit!" She muttered under her breath in annoyance.

Kai'sa wasn't afraid, not yet, she still hadn't used her Void missile rain from her shoulder pods, but if she did use that she might harm herself, with her assailant being on top of her. She also seriously doubted the man's weapons could pierce her armor. Still; she was pinned on the ground with only one hand free, and that was a feeling she didn't like. She fired a blind shot behind her head, hoping to hit the brute or his croc that was holding her down. Instead by sheer luck the shot knocked the man's sword from his hand as it was coming down to try and behead her. But she was still pinned, and she didn't like that. Filled with determination, she fired five more shots rapidly hoping to hit something as she fired aimlessly. One of the shots hit the man's arm making him scream in pain at the nasty burning of the purple flame, three more shots missed, but one of them hit the croc on it's side. It hisses in pain and tries to adjust its grip. Seeing her chance, Kai'sa pulled free, rolling under the beast, it's grip slipping off the chitin pod. The moment of liberty was interrupted by the fact that the other croc still had her wrist. Annoyed, she fired four quick shots into the croc's face making it let go, only to see the third croc coming for her feet. It's lunge was stopped by holding the beast's mouth open with her feet, the rider swung down his spear at her, forcing her to block the attack with her arms. This is kinda ridiculous how even this fight is, come on Kai'sa this is embarrassing, She thought to herself.

All of a sudden they both paused and stopped fighting as a massive rumble shook the sands around them. There wasn't much time to think about what it was. All of a sudden they saw a massive wall of rock rises up between them , pushing Kai'sa and the crocs both to opposite sides of the wall. Kai'sa then noticed Taliyah riding the wall right before she grabbed Kai'sa by one of the joints connecting her shoulder pods ripping her off the ground and putting her on the back of the rock she stood on as she carried on riding her rock wall like a bat out of hell. It all happened so fast Kai'sa's head was spinning, "What The Hell! I Had Him!" Kai'sa yelled over the loud noise of the ground flying by them as Kai'sa had never seen Kai'sa travel this fast before. Taliyah didn't respond, her face defiant and angry as she ignored Kai'sa and kept rock-surfing full speed ahead. Kai'sa then noticed about a dozen more crocodile headhunters behind them that would have been right on top of her if Taliyah didn't grab her and pull her out of there. Kai'sa calmed herself for a moment, she could feel that Taliyah was angry, that feeling definitely didn't sit well in Kai'sa's gut, but she also didn't care to apologize, Taliyah needs let me go, she thought, even though she was thankful for all Taliyah was doing.

The two rode for hours, Taliyah hardly slowing down at all, the bandits far out of sight behind them as they left the dunes and started to enter a region of canyons and badlands. "Okay Taliyah… I think we are safe now." Kai'sa spoke up just loud enough for Taliyah to hear her. "Hmmp" Taliyah said, anger still boiling in her. "WOOAAAH!" Kai'sa screamed as Taliyah slammed to a stop, sending Kai'sa flying off of the rock and onto the ground ahead. Kai'sa instinctively put her helmet back on as she rolled across the ground from the force of Taliyah stopping so fast. Kai'sa then stood back up, collected herself for a second being a little dazed. Then lowering her helmet and looking back at Taliyah with a perplexed look, as if to say that she was overreacting. "Sigh… ok look I am I'm thankful for everything you did for me Taliyah… but you really need to leave… thank you for helping back there, even though I wouldn't have probably been okay." Kai'sa said, stuttering a bit. "Was That Supposed To Be A Fucking Apology?" Taliyah said, looking directly at Kai'sa as she hopped off the rock. Kai'sa paused for a second, kinda shocked by Taliyah's choice of words, she had never seen her this mad before, Kai'sa just let out a pent-up breath and bowed her head, not knowing what she could say to make Taliyah calm down. Part of her wanted to tell Taliyah what she wanted, saying something that would make her feel good just so Kai'sa didn't have to feel the sting of her angry gaise, but the other part of her wanted to tell nothing but the cold truth, that she knew she needed to let her move on.

Instead, Kai'sa decided to say nothing and just sat down with her head bowed. Taliyah normally would get even more angry at someone ignoring her, but she stopped herself and realized Kai'sa was no normal person in how she was used to dealing with emotions. Taliyah paused for a second before walking over and sitting down next to her. "You need to talk to me… I know it may be hard for you… just because you feel like you're not welcome in the world of people doesn't mean you don't belong in it. The great weaver has a place for all of us in the tapestry of life and none of us are meant to be alone," Taliyah spoke calmly now. "What do you see here," Kai'sa said, holding out her arm in front of Taliyah. Taliyah knew she was referring to the second skin, but she didn't know what answer Kai'sa was looking for. "This, this is a curse, the same curse that wishes to unmake the very tapestry you speak of! My fate is sealed, I have been claimed by the Void as a child. The only choice I have left is how many of those monsters I can kill before I become like them! Now are you sure you want a rancid, cursed thread like myself in your weavers tapestry still!" Kai'sa said, her voice carried a bitterness and despair in it at what she felt was her fate.

Taliyah could feel the emotion in what Kai'sa said, how she was hurting and didn't want to show it. I wonder if she's been hurting for a long time while she's been alone down in the Void, Taliyah thought. "My mother once told me, Fate only exists where there is no hope, that it is one's not believing for a better future that makes them seal their own fates, and that they choose that fate. It doesn't choose them," Taliyah said. "You think I chose this?" Kai'sa questioned, holding out her hands looking at what she was. "No, of course not… but you hold yourself back, who's to say the Void has to ever turn you into one of them? Who's to say you can't fight the Void and be above it… sounds to me like you're keeping your expectations on yourself low," Taliyah said, Kai'sa sat and listened, sitting still and not having a reply yet. "You ask me what I see, I see a powerful woman that took a curse that would have killed everyone else and chose to rise above it, you've come so far Kai'sa… why cut yourself down just short of the finish?" Taliyah said again, her words sounding sharp but also so soft in Kai'sa's ears. "I don't know, I used to think like you think, thought if I fought hard enough I could beat anything. But when I look back at the things I've done to fight the Void… I feel like I've already lost myself," Kai'sa replied meekly. "Then just turn back to the place you were before you made whatever mistakes you made, no one is perfect." Taliyah said while she put a hand up to Kai'sa's cheek and brushed it in a comforting way.

The action made Kai'sa panic internally but she did a really good job of not showing it. "I… I will try… try to turn back to that state of mind." Kai'sa stuttered, raising her head to look at Taliyah, before Kai'sa quickly stood up and looked away, letting a deep breath out to relieve the panic in her head from Taliyah being so close. "We should probably go southwest from here, traveling along the lower mountain ridge we'll be harder to track, but it means no rock-surfing. We'll have to walk," Taliyah said. "Well, I haven't been this far west since I was a child, where my home was, probably two days west of here. I Do not wish to return there, nothing but sand by now," Kai'sa commented. "Well we are not going that way," Taliyah said. "I was thinking… if the Void are learning to work together to destroy our world, perhaps we should do the same. We can work our way to the capital telling everyone to be prepared for the Void and recruit anyone strong enough to fight them."Taliyah said again. "But that emissary to Azir is already going to the capital to spread the word, " Kai'sa replied. "Pfft And only Azir will hear that word I bet! I'm talking about spreading the word to the normal everyday people of Shurima," Taliyah said. "I've tried to talk to people about the Void, They Never Listen!" Kai'sa said. "That's why I go with you, people listen to me, I'm a people person, you.. eeeh not so much," Taliyah said with a teasing tone. "It may work I guess," Kai'sa replied. "Or you could always go back to fighting an infinite army alone, see how that approach goes," Taliyah teased again. "Haha alright let's get moving knucklehead, " Kai'sa replied with a smile.

Some eight hours of walking had passed and they were both exhausted at this point. The sun had already set and it was now late twilight. "Unfortunately I didn't get all my supplies from the hotel room that I had got for us, I ran out so fast seeing you ditched me that I forgot some things, so unfortunately I have no bed mats and only one blanket," Taliyah said. "Sigh… That's Fine I guess…" Kai'sa replied with a exhausted voice. The two tried to find suitable places to lay down but they weren't in the foothills of the south shuriman mountains, so there was no soft sand to lay down on you could bet it would get cold tonight. "Here let me" Taliyah said as she used her stone weaving to shape the ground in two stone U shaped beds. "Lovely, my own sarcophagus… Do you have the painted lid?" Kai'sa joked. "HAHA Hey that was actually a good one" Taliyah replied, booping Kai'sa on her shoulder. "Goodnight Kai'sa, please don't run off." Taliyah said as she laid down to go to sleep. "Goodnight… I'm not going anywhere." Kai'sa replied as she laid down as well.

Several hours passed and Taliyah had fallen into a deep sleep. Kai'sa still laid awake, the cold desert night making it hard to sleep. Kai'sa lays on her back admiring the beautiful night sky above her. She thought back to what Taliyah was telling her, she felt that she was possibly correct on the fact that Kai'sa could beat her curse, but only possibly correct, there was also a possibility the fight against the mark of the Void was unwinnable, but for Taliyah's sake, she would try. A cold breeze hits her again, it becomes clear to her, she is not going to get any sleep without some heat. Kai'sa looks over to Taliyah and considers crawling next to her for some body heat. "Nope" Kai'sa says to herself after realizing that idea would make her very uncomfortable, and so she gets up to start making a fire. Kai'sa makes a pile of twigs beside her bed, then blasting it with a tiny bit of Void energy to catch it on fire. Once the fire starts to crackle she then gets some bigger chunks of wood to set on top. Luckily the high desert has no shortage of dry wood debris everywhere. Once the fire was burning well, Kai'sa went out and gathered a bunch of hand sized rocks and placed them around the edge of the fire. Thirty minutes or so passed as she enjoyed the fire under the desert night as Taliyah was still hard asleep. Then Kai'sa stomped out the fire with her feet, the armor crawling a bit at the burning but she knew it could take it. Kai'sa then kicked all the embers and stones into her bed and began spreading the embers evenly over it. She then pushed a big pile of sand into her bed until the embers and stones were completely buried. "Aaahhhhh, there we go," Kai'sa said as she let out a sigh of relief as she laid down on the sand radiating with heat from the buried hot stones.

Ghostly echoes flicker through tunnels filled with twist matter glowing with violet energy, the sounds of clicking critters ring out from every direction Kai'sa looks around her surroundings and tries to look for a way out of this place. Among the sounds or crawling critters and ghostly echoes a third sound starts to become noticeable. It sounded like ten thousand people whispering, yet it carries a power in it that was like thunder. The sound continues rising in volume, becoming almost unbearable in Kai'sa's head. The walls of the tunnels began twisting and turning pulsing with purple flames. A lone Voidling steps behind Kai'sa to challenge her, the same small size as the first one she ever killed. Kai'sa shakes out the cursed sounds and whispers that were filling her ears and raises her arm to blast the Voidling away. She then notices the fingers on her hand start twisting and deforming in front of her eyes, taking on the same form as the twisted spirals matter of the Void tunnels, the deforming spreads to her hand as the whispers become a deafening scream… "NOOOO!" Kai'sa yells in defiance.

"KAI'SA WAKE UP" she hears Taliyah say and opens her eyes to see that it was all a dream. "Are you okay?" Taliyah asks in a concerned voice. Kai'sa takes a minute to catch her breath, still panting from the nightmare,"I'm… I'm fine…just a bad dream" she stutters. "Do you need to talk about it?" Taliyah asks as she sits down next to her, placing a hand on her to comfort. "No" is all Kai'sa says in reply as she stands up. "Did you bring any food? Or do I need to go find something for us?" Kai'sa said. "Um, no I only have some spices in my bag but no food really," Taliyah replied. "Wa… why would you make sure to grab those but not any food?" Kai'sa asked, a little annoyed. "Because I can find food anywhere, these are rare. Plus these were pretty expensive and they didn't weigh me down at all as I went chasing after you." Taliyah replied. "Okay fair point," Kai'sa said. "And no… I'll go find food, don't want you blasting a rabbit or something into bits," Taliyah said. "Haha fine, have it your way," Kai'sa replied.

Morning twilight had already come but the sun still hadn't come up yet because the mountain ridge to their southeast blocked it. Taliyah walked off up into the ridge hoping to find some breakfast for the two.

Kai'sa sat quietly now alone and thought about her nightmare, she wondered if it had a meaning, if the Void was putting it in her head to make her afraid and weak. She also knew it very well could have just been all in her head, just imagining what she fears. Kai'sa tries to focus on the words of Taliyah from yesterday, to not doubt her ability to defeat this curse. Maybe the thought of it being a curse was just something I imagined all along… After all, my second skin has never influenced me to serve the Void… not yet at least, Kai'sa thought. A itch the second skin starts inducing right as she finished her train of thought. "Yeah, yeah… she's getting some food," Kai'sa says to herself in response to the symbiote's complaint.

About an hour passed and the sun was now over the mountain as it drove away the cool desert morning air. "Bit late for breakfast," Kai'sa said as she saw Taliyah returning with a sack full of something, "well I got something did I… even though this place really is barren," Taliyah replied as Kai'sa stood up to look inside her sack. The sight was rather disappointing, "it's… a bunch of… beans," Kai'sa said. "They're mesquite bean pods, fresh and still green. Here, try one, it tastes like snap peas," Taliyah said as she handed her one. "Mmhpp, not bad," Kai'sa says as she tries one. "I also found these, but they're so dried out they're not gonna be edible unless I boil them," Taliyah said while showing Kai'sa two handfuls of sun dried dates. "Boil? Hell no I love those just like that," Kai'sa replied, grabbing one for herself. "But, it's as hard as a rock," Taliyah said, perplexed at Kai'sa. "That just means I can chew on them for a really long time," she replied. "That's just weird," Taliyah teased. "Eeehh, I don't care," Kai'sa teased back.

Taking their meager breakfast the two resumed their traveling heading east south east along the bottom of the mountain ridge that covered the south Shuriman continent. They walked for hours more weaving in and out of canyon passages. Kai'sa started to get a strange feeling like they weren't alone in these passages, but she couldn't be sure it wasn't just paranoia. "Keep your eyes peeled please Taliy… perfect place for an ambush," Kai'sa said. "Did you see something?" Taliyah replied. "No, just a funny feeling I have about this place." Kai'sa says as she looks ahead at the narrowing passage in front of them, her skin growing restless at the vulnerability it would put them in. "Can we go around this?" Kai'sa asks as she stops Taliyah, insisting they don't take the path they're on. "We could go this way, but I don't know if it goes through. Taliyah said as she pointed to a canyon fork splitting off to their left heading south deeper into the mountains. Kai'sa stood still for a minute, staring into the narrow passage in front of them, her eyes scanning every crevice for any signs of danger. "I'll take that risk… let's keep moving," Kai'sa said as she led Taliyah down the left fork deeper into the mountains.

"I haven't felt anything from the rocks around if it makes you feel better, heck I haven't even heard the tiniest peep" Taliyah said to her, trying to comfort her. "That's just it… it's too quiet, " Kai'sa replied. The two continued on their journey, doing their best to stay alert whenever they rounded a bend or crossed over a hill that would block their view. The terrain started to change after about 5 miles of travel by foot as the two started to see giant mounds of crystallized salt scattered about the rocky badlands. They're shape looked like colossal water fountains that had breaked forth from the ground and were frozen into ice, only it wasn't ice, the towers were salt, some towered well over 150 feet high and 30 feet wide. Kai'sa looks up in wonder at one of the salt columns, she thought about what manner of natural process could make these monumental structures, her second skin crawls, something about pure salt the Void doesn't seem to like. Maybe these pillars were created unnaturally to ward off the Void, Kai'sa thinks to herself. "The ground looks flat enough for some rock-surfing, wanna get the hell out of here?" Kai'sa asked. "Sure, here let me just…" Taliyah replies as she pounds a foot into the ground and rips a long stone away from the earth, "There, now hop on,'' she finishes. Kai'sa stops and takes a look around before getting up onto Taliyah's rock, the loud noise She made ripping up the stone made Kai'sa uncomfortable, still not sure if someone was following them.

"And away we go… woh woh, yoo." Taliyah says as she wobbles her balance a bit as she gets the rock moving. Continuing on, she rock-surfs with Kai'sa standing on the back half of the stone who was a little more comfortable with the motion now then when she first tried it. "No woh whos here please Taliy, this place gives me the creeps" Kai'sa said. "Okay… hmmhhmmhmm" Taliyah said as she then started humming a song. "No singing please either!" Kai'sa snapped, keeping her voice quiet. "But, it helps me concentrate, I seriously doubt anyone will hear my humming over the sound the rock is making, " Taliyah replied. "Sigh, it's not about that, it's about staying alert," Kai'sa replied as the two passed through a patch of fine dust that was being blown by a light wind. "How do you expect us to stay alert if my control starts to wobble cause I can't focus," Taliyah snaps back as she starts to get annoyed. "Well, I'm sure you can do just a fine job without ur song for a few minutes ok," Kai'sa said keeping her voice quiet. "Kai'sa you're really rude at times!" Taliyah barked back. "Taliyah I meant no disrespect but please keep your voice down," Kai'sa pleaded to Taliyah.

A shadow wisps by just at the edge of Taliyah's view in the dust and disappears as soon as she sees it. "Did you see that?" Taliyah asked timidly. "See what, did you see something? What was it?" Kai'sa said, leaning forward to look ahead with Taliyah. A nervous chill started in Taliyah's spine as she found herself wanting to sing to calm herself and gain control, but she decides not to so she doesn't upset Kai'sa. The nervousness grows, she was certain she saw something in the dust but not sure what, a wobble starts in the stone they were riding. "Taliyah… You ok?" Kai'sa says as she struggles to keep her own balance as the rock wobbles. "Yes, I'm fine Kai'sa… wooh!" Taliyah says as she notices a rock in her path and loses control trying to steer out of the way. The two tumble sideways across the dirt, the dust still making the air thick, "aaaouch…" Taliyah pouts. "Are you okay?" Kai'sa gets up and jogs over to check on her. "I'm fine…" Taliyah says, holding her hand on her own cheek. "Here let me see that," Kai'sa says as she gently moves Taliyah's hand to look at the wound. It was just a scrape on her left cheek from her face falling into the dirt when she fell off her rock. It looked kinda nasty, but it was completely superficial and should heal up fast. Kai'sa grabs Taliyah's scarf and gently brushes the blood off her face, "sorry for being rude" Kai'sa says softly while cleaning Taliyah's cheek. "Here, let's get some shelter," Kai'sa says, as she helps Taliyah get up off the ground and guides her to a crevice that was in the ground that was close by. The crack in the ground was about three feet wide and about ten feet deep, but it was enough to get out of the dust storm that was getting worse.

"Sorry for losing control," Taliyah says as the two huddle together in the bottom of the crevice. "It's okay, should have let u hum i guess, " Kai'sa responds with a teasing chuckle. "It could have been a Illusion from the dust that you saw, I was just probably being paranoid," Kai'sa says. "Perhaps" she replies. "I'm gonna check something, " Kai'sa says as she puts her helmet on, her voice becoming distorted. Kai'sa climbs up and peeks around out of the crack, letting her thermal vision peer through the dust. "Don't see anything," Kai'sa says as she climbs back down, retracks her helmet, and sits next to Taliyah. "Hmmm, you're really warm, '' Taliyah says as she leans over onto Kai'sa's shoulder. Kai'sa doesn't reply, instead she gently places her hand on top of Taliyah's hand, enjoying the momentarily calm. I wonder if I should tell her how I feel about her, it's becoming really clear, I think I …like her. Kai'sa's thinks, her mind scrambles as she looks down at the weaver relaxing on her shoulder. "Taliyah… I, " Kai'sa starts to say something only to have Taliyah start saying something as well. "SHHH…I Feel someone nearby," Taliyah says, as she perks up and places her hand on the walls around them, feeling the earth. "Something big, walking straight towards us." Taliyah says with a quivering voice. "Shhh… we'll be okay, I'll make sure of it." Kai'sa says to her trying to comfort her.

"THUD" the sound of a massive foot lands right above the two hiding in the crevice, Kai'sa immediately putting her hand over Taliyah's mouth and closes her helmet so neither of them would make a sound. Sniff sniff sniff… the sound they heard from the beast above them picking up their scent they heard, "Who would Dare have the guts to cross into my desert and stand before me!" A powerful reptilian voice spoke. Kai'sa not knowing what to do, figured it was worth a shot to try and solve this dilemma diplomatically, since whatever it was that was speaking wasn't the bandits that were hunting them. "I am Kai'sa and this is Taliyah, we are just traveling through, we want no trouble." Kai'sa said, lowering her mask so her voice sounded normal. "Is that so.. you want no trouble…hahaha you think I'm a fool don't you, like I'm some half wit bandit that lives off scraps…. You reek of the Void! It's smell covers you," the monster shouted. "No no we are not with the Void, that smell is on us because we fight the Void "Taliyah spoke up and said. "Is that so, many of my ascended brethren were lost to the void, any brave enough to wage carnage against that plague has my respect. Come up from that crack, and meet me."

Taliyah pushes the crack open with her stone weaving and then the two climb up to meet the creature. She then sees him, a massive god-warrior in the form of a crocodile standing some fourteen feet tail, covered with patches of golden armor and holding a blade that was the size of herself. "You… you are Renekton?" Taliyah says, quivering. "Yes I am…" Renekton pauses a moment as he sees Kai'sa step up. "Hmmm, is that armor crafted from the shells of dead Voidings?" Renekton asks Kai'sa. She takes a moment before replying as she tries to ignore her second skin itching. "Um, yes, that exactly what it is," Kai'sa answers. "Hmmm, then it is truly an honor to meet such savage fighters of the Void, especially those who fight the void with such fragile and weak bodies as yourselves." Renekton said. "Um. Thanks," Kai'sa says. "Thank you, the great warrior of Shurima," Taliyah then says, giving a small bow. "True honor is hard to find in this land, but your fight is the only honorable fight left." Renekton said. "We not the only ones left, your brother seemed pretty honorable." Taliyah said, starting to get comfortable with the beast. "My brother…" Renekton replied. "Yeah, you're brother Nasus, I guess I'm kinda friends with him, he was very friendly, meet him in Nerimazeth," Taliyah says, as Kai'sa bumps Taliyah on the shoulder noticing a change come over the god-warrior. He started to huff and pant, a rage building in him, "Nasus, honorable, friend, LIIIIEEEES!" He screamed as threw his blade at the two, Taliyah thinking fast, raises a column of rock and blocks the blade." Everyone Nasus loves WILL DIE!" Renekton screams as he dashes at them, hoping to smash them both.

well then, say hello to Renekton. As you can see, his brother Nasus is a touchy subject.
too bad... he almost could have been friends with our party.
I'll try to have next chapter ready in a week. but maybe sooner maybe later.