A/N: This is being crossposted from AO3 in full. If you want to catch me updating works in real time, check me out there or on twitter GoblinBridge
The formerly blue skies of the Demacian countryside have turned grey, not from storms but from the ashen clouds produced by Noxian Warmachines. The moors of Demacia once sang the songs of nature and peace, but that is now drowned out by the cacophony produced by metal clashing with metal, sword with sword, and the war cries of soldiers both Demacian and Noxian.
Fort Ironwood is the fort that stands between Noxus and Demacia's borders. If it falls then Noxus will have a much easier time spilling into Demacia. Which is how Eryn Mooreheart found herself enlisted into the army. A young brunette woman with freckled skin and bright brown eyes. Her skin was tanned and her form was muscular and tall from the years of working the farms, but even she looked small compared to her younger brother Claudius, who had enlisted at fort Ironwood a few years ago and rose to the rank of Sergeant.
Even though Eryn had preferred to remain an unnoticed farmhand for the rest of her life, when the Noxian War Banners were raised at the Gates of Mourning just over the rocky steppes, the acting General of Ironwood enlisted every able bodied Demacian in reach. Demacia's standing military had been called to the capital to deal with the mage rebellion. Noxus smelled blood in the water and like sharks they were here to feast.
Eryn pushes back the terror mounting in her chest and swings her sword at a Noxian footsoldier before her. She runs the blade through his chest and he cries out in anguish, and Eryn has to fight back nausea as she realizes she's killed a man.
She jumps as a gentle hand touches her back and she looks up to see her brother Claudius standing over her, smiling cockily. "I have a plan!" He shouts over the sounds of war around them. He lifts his warhammer and points it past the fighting of the infantry towards a distant war machine. "Our trebuchets can't penetrate the Noxian machinery!" He declares just as a boulder hurled from a trebuchet crumbles upon hitting the steel casing around the machine. "And if those reach the gates the fort will fall! We need to take them out!" He looks down at her expectantly.
"If a trebuchet can't penetrate it how will we-" She begins to argue with him and he cuts her off.
"Eryn we don't have time to play dumb! Do your thing!"
Eryn feels more fear rise in her chest than the sight of a thousand war machines could ever induce. "P-people will see me Claudius, I-I can't risk that!"
"Would you not risk your freedom to save the lives of countless Demacians?" His eyebrows are raised, looking at her with disappointment. "With or without you, I'm heading to those machines. And I can only succeed with you sister!" He lifts his warhammer and charges forward.
Panic rises in Eryn's chest as she weighs her options, before swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat and races after her brother. She leaves her sword and shield behind before ripping off her gauntlets. She concentrates and green light flickers around her finger tips. She pushes past the warring foot soldiers, ignoring the confused looks from her own countryman.
In front of her, Claudius's charge has been halted by a hulking Noxian juggernaut clad in steel armor. He's about to bring a morningstar crashing down into Claudius's shield. Eryn flicks her wrist, almost like tossing a disk, and the green light leaps from her hands to surround Claudius's body. The light pulses around him and Claudius blocks the morningstar like it was just a light slap, and then throws his warhammer into the juggernaut's chest. The iron armor shatters like it was made of glass and the Noxian is sent flying like a ragdoll.
Sweat is pooling down Eryn's forehead and her legs feel like they're made of jelly but she continues to race forward to meet up with her brother. The green light that had surrounded Claudius dispersed after the hit. "Good timing sis! Was worried you were going to leave me to die for a second!"
"I would never." She says between ragged breaths. "Now let's hurry with your ridiculous plan before I run out of steam."
He nods with his signature cocky smile and takes off running again, knocking Noxian soldiers out of his way with ease. Eryn follows closely as he cuts a path straight towards the first warmachine.
The machine is unsurprisingly unguarded. The Noxians had so much confidence in their machine's defense they never thought of wasting manpower guarding the machine when they could be slaughtering Demacian foot soldiers. It towers over the two siblings. The might of the machine was daunting as it's wheels turn and turn urging it forward. No single man has taken out one of these before. And even Eryn was wondering if her powers would be enough.
The green magic flickers between her finger tips before enveloping her entire hands. She reaches out to her brother and takes hold of his hand. The light washes over him now, leaving from her hands to his. She holds for a moment before staggering backwards. The magic this time looks less like a soft glow and more like green flames, and Eryn could feel the magic emanating off her brother even as she steps away from him. Hopefully it's enough.
When Eryn let's go of him, Claudius leaps forward and brings the warhammer down onto the side of the warmachine. The hammer rips through the outer steel like wet paper, crunching through the steel shell and into the machinery beneath. Sparks fly and the machine skids to a halt. Claudius brings the hammer down once more and this time the hammer hits something much more vital. Claudius doesn't have time to react before the machine before him lights up and blasts him backwards in a fiery explosion.
He's flung backwards and rolls across the field towards Eryn. She reaches down to check if he's okay, but he's on his feat quickly. There are burns across his face but they pulsate with the green magic before closing up, completely healed. The magic energy around him has dimmed, but is still present. "One down." He says grinning at Eryn, and then looks off across the field. "One to go."
Eryn is struggling to stand now and her stomach churns, feeling nauseous. She doesn't have much strength left to give. "Claudius I don't…" She doesn't have time to protest. Beyond the wreckage of the warmachine a figure is approaching. A Noxian.
He has dark hair with a wisp of silver, a strong jaw, and a scar running down his face. He's holding a large axe and rests it on his shoulder as he approaches. His armor has spiked shoulder pads and beneath them a red cloak billows in the wind. His eyes scan the wreckage of the warmachine before turning to the Demacians standing among said wreckage. Clearly the culprits of the attack.
"Impressive maneuver." He comments, his voice is gruff. "I've seen much in my time serving for Noxus, but two Demacian foot soldiers taking down one of our best warmachines, now that is new." He seems relaxed, almost casual about this whole affair. "It's too bad it will be for nothing. We only need one machine to rip down your forts' defenses, and to get to the remaining one you'll have to go through me."
"You see what I can do to you machines, now imagine that but to your face!" Claudius cockily taunts pointing his warhammer at the Noxian.
The Noxian laughs which causes Claudius to scowl. Eryn grabs his arm to get his attention. "I don't have much energy left. Maybe only one more buffing spell. Take him out and then we need to go."
Claudius launches himself towards the Noxian. The Noxian barely dodges out of the way as Claudius's hammer collides with the earth where the Noxian had been standing just moments before, leaving a small crater on impact. "You have much destructive might, it's a shame it's wasted in Demacia." The Noxian taunts once more. Claudius's scowl deepens as he swings again, missing wildly. Eryn swears under her breath, both of their lives resting on if Claudius could control his wounded pride.
Claudius lunges forward, managing to collide his hammer with the Noxian's pauldron. He staggers backwards, but is otherwise not too bothered by the hit. The green aura that had once engulfed Claudius is gone now.
Eryn swears again, the idiot used all of his strength in the wild swings. And with all the footwork and dodging done by the two, the Noxian now stood in between them. She wouldn't be able to cast a buffing spell without risking hitting the wrong person.
The Noxian swings his great axe at Claudius who steps backwards, the axe grazes his face leaving a shallow cut. The Noxian is relentless and swings again before Claudius can recover, landing it into his side and Eryn could hear the crunch of Claudius's bones.
Panic rises in Eryn's chest once again as she watches her brother stagger backwards. Green energy swirls around Eryn's hands but her body feels frozen, unsure of what she could do to save her brother from here.
I could try… I haven't tried that since I was a teen and it nearly killed me… Fear and doubts swirl in her head, unsure of her own power.
The Noxian is raising his axe above his head, and Eryn doesn't think anymore and her legs carry her forward. Her arms wrap around the Noxian's torso, attempting to grapple a man twice her size. She can feel his shock as he tries to turn his body to see who was grabbing him. He's trying to shake her off but Eryn holds on determined as she presses her hands onto his chest.
Time then seems still to Eryn as she sends a pulse of her magic into his chest. The Noxian stills beneath her arms and he slowly crumples to ground, falling unconscious. Eryn can feel her body shaking, completely drained of strength, and she falls to the ground as well and lets the darkness wash over her.