Bam! New chapter! I promised you all I'd have one coming soon. I made a few drafts of this one, instead of just uploading the initial draft! Now that we're getting into the fluff and real content of the story, upload times are gonna be longer (maybe, I write fast). Thanks to everyone who's given kudos, it's such a huge motivator. Please let me know what you think of the chapter in the comments below. I'll respond to your lovely comments in the next update ;3
Also, the chapter is a bit short. I figured it would be nice, following such a lengthy read from the last update. I hope you enjoy! ~Aurora
Edit: I've edited Chapter 3 as well! Keep in mind, Chapter 4 will be changing entirely. The old Chapter 4 is now chapter 5, and the new Chapter 4 is BRAND NEW! It will help with filling the gap in Veigar and Lulu's relationship 3
Veigar laid on his back, staring up at the clear skies hanging over the Institute. He had just wrapped up a match, settling some minor dispute between Zaun and Piltover. He'd won, of course, but he couldn't shake the low boiling rage he felt in the pit of his stomach.
This… solution that the Grand Summoners had devised a few months ago. Nothing about it sat well with Veigar. It felt like a dirty towel wrapped around a gaping chest wound; a patch, not a cure. As if on queue, the burly Demacian, Garen, got locked in a heated argument with the female Noxian, Katarina. The two screamed at each other with clear hate in their eyes.
Veigar smirked as he watched the exchange from his hilltop. Is this your grand solution, Summoners? Forcing everyone to kill each other over and over again, until their anger with one another becomes too great to control? Seems like an awful plan to me. he thought, lowering down into the grass again.
This wasn't peace. Innocent people were still slaughtered in the night by pirates and bandits. Somewhere, he was sure, there was a yordle suffering innumerable tortures, just as he had. The world was still just as twisted and horrible as it was before the League. True, the immense wars between the nations had ceased, which meant the ground beneath Veigar's feet wouldn't vanish overnight. He begrudgingly admitted that the Grand Summoners had, at the very least, ensured that the world would keep spinning on.
"Whatcha thinking about, Veigar?" A chipper voice smashed through his thoughts like a bull in a china shop. Groaning, he sat up and turned to see Lulu standing behind him, smiling widely at him. She'd been quite the pest since the League had begun, seemingly obsessed with him for some reason or another. Veigar had gone as far as asking the other yordles to convince her to stay away from him, but either they ignored him or she just didn't care.
He didn't answer her, instead pulling out a small book from the aether. Pulling it open, he tried his best to ignore her gaze burning into him. She was clearly very excited about something, the subject of which Veigar could only begin to guess. Sighing, he closed the book and set it down beside his staff.
"What do you want, Lulu?" He had abandoned calling her witch a few weeks ago, after he'd witnessed a particularly impressive display of skill by her in a match between Bandle City and Bilgewater Bay. Despite her innocent appearance, she could be quite the fighter if angered.
She widened her smile and hopped in place a little. "You actually answered! Gosh I uhm… wasn't expecting that actually. Usually you just ignore me or leave. I… forgot what I wanted to ask." She giggled and scratched the back of her head, sticking her tongue out a bit.
Veigar sighed and stood up, snatching his staff from it's perch on a small boulder. "Leave me alone already." He couldn't kill her, at least not here. Besides, the League would never let him hear the end of it. Threats just didn't feel worthwhile when he couldn't follow through anymore. He hoped that if he continued to give her the cold shoulder, she would get the message and leave him alone. So far, that plan was failing miserably.
Lulu visibly deflated, her ears wilting slightly, but she nodded and glumly turned away. As Veigar started down the hill in the opposite direction, he heard an unpleasant but familiar voice.
"Why hello there, madam. I was just… passing through, and couldn't help but notice you all the way out here." Veigar groaned. Tahm Kench was far worse than Lulu. At least Tahm didn't hate him like he did other-
Wait, Veigar thought, pausing. Did he say madam? He turned to see that Tahm wasn't even speaking to him. His attention was focused on the young sorceress, who was looking up at the large toad man nervously.
"Uhm… hello Tahm. I was just leaving actually…" Attempting to push past him back down the hill, Lulu let out a little squeak as Tahm stepped in front of her, blocking her escape. Seemingly undistracted by her attempt to leave, he continued.
"You see, I was terribly inconvenienced by you and your fairy magic in the last match. And while I understand that the League… suggested that we not kill our fellow champions, I can't seem to help myself around you yordles." He took a step forward menacingly, causing Lulu to fall backwards in fear.
Tahm Kench chuckled, his laugh echoing in his deep gullet. "Oh never fear, darling. You'll still be able to wake up tomorrow for work. I just plan on roughing you up a bit, so you know not to mess with me in the future." With that, he reached for Lulu, his eyes wild with a mixture of anger and hunger.
A blue star whistled down from the clear sky, smashing into Tahm Kench. The monstrous riverman went flying backwards, skidding to a halt as his head smashed into a bush. For whatever reason, seeing Lulu being attacked had made Veigar… angry. Veigar had frankly considered Tahm Kench more tolerable than most, which is why both himself and Tahm were surprised when he stepped forward protectively in front of Lulu.
"Leave the girl alone, River King. She beat you and your team fair and square." Tahm picked himself up, licking his lips with his long tongue.
"Ahhhh, Veigar. One of the few Yordles I can… tolerate. What caused you to attack lil ol' Tahm? I highly doubt it was for the girl. After all, you're the Master of Evil. You have no friends, isn't that right?"
Veigar frowned and took a step towards Tahm. "Not another word, Tahm. You disrupted my quiet evening. I'm letting you live because of our past, but if you continue to bother me…" To accentuate his point, Veigar ignited his hand with purple flames.
Tahm's gaze darted between Lulu and Veigar before letting out another chuckle. He stooped down and picked up his small hat, then made a dramatic bow. "As you request, Dark Warlock. I shall take my leave then." He flashed a glare at Lulu before turning and waddling back down the hill towards the Institute.
Veigar heaved a sigh and glanced down at Lulu, her eyes still wild with fear. Reaching down, he offered her a gloved hand. Lulu glanced up at him, her breathing slowing to a normal pace, and accepted his help. Hoisting Lulu to her feet, he moved to leave.
"W-wait." Lulu grabbed Veigar's free hand, pulling him back. "Why did you… why did you save me?" Veigar winced as she looked at him quizzically. He had hoped to slip away while she was still in a daze and avoid the questioning.
"The Master of Evil does not need to explain his actions to anyone. Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be." Lulu let go of his glove and lowered her gaze, but as Veigar moved to leave, she continued.
"I've never been that well liked. No matter where I go, I always seem to make people uncomfortable. People look at me with suspicion like I'm going to hurt them, when all I want is to be their friend." She looked up at Veigar, her eyes twinged with blue as a few tears ran down her cheeks.
"I don't know why you gave me the coin back in the forest, but I just wanted to say thank you. It meant a lot to me." Lulu sniffled, wiping her tears away with her long sleeves. "I'll leave you in peace. I promise not to bother you anymore."
Lulu moved to leave, but this time it was Veigar who grabbed her sleeve. "Wait."
I can't believe I'm doing this. Veigar just couldn't help himself. Listening to her story, it all sounded so familiar. "I don't… hate having you around. You're certainly leagues above the rest of our kind when it comes to decency. If I had to choose who pestered me every morning, you'd probably be top of the list."
Lulu started, looking back at him with wide eyes. "Really? You mean it? I'm not bothering you?"
God damn my weak heart. "Not in the slightest. I'm just not very good at expressing it. I haven't really spoken to many people in a long time." She beamed at him, then jumped in the air. Good lord she has quite the jump! He thought, letting slip a small chuckle.
Veigar started as he realized something. "Lulu, did you remember what it was you wanted to talk to me about earlier?" She nodded, and from her bag she pulled out an Amplifying Tome. Veigar eyed it curiously as she held it out.
"I'm still incredibly grateful to you for gifting me a coin. The League has been amazing for me! I haven't managed to make any friends yet, but I've definitely impressed people with my skills. I'm sure sooner or later someone will want to be my friend, and that's all thanks to you. I wanted to repay you with a gift of my own. I used some of the remaining money to buy it from a stall at the end of the match, and snuck it out of the arena." She held a finger to her lips and winked.
Veigar smiled with amusement. "I thought you were a goody two shoes. Is it really okay for you to do something as bad as steal from the League?"
She huffed with indignation. "It's not stealing! I paid for it. I just… bent the rules a little bit." Veigar laughed at her expression as she tried to hastily cover up her act.
"Maybe there's hope for you yet, Lulu."
Grinning, Veigar looked Lulu over. His breath caught in his throat. She looked different, and it wasn't just her eyes. For the first time he noticed the slender curves of her cheeks, the tender movements as she sashayed excitedly, her slight but beautiful purple lips… Veigar shook his head. He was the Master of Evil! Not some hormone driven yordle hellbent on companionship. Still, he couldn't deny that Lulu was quite an attractive yordle, despite her annoying tendencies.
Lulu peered at Veigar curiously. "Is there something wrong, Veigar? You went stiff as a board. Is Tahm Kench back?"
Veigar shook his head. "It's nothing. I just saw something rather pretty."
Looking over his shoulder, Lulu tried to spy what Veigar was talking about. "What did you see? The mountains over there? They are very pretty!" Veigar snorted. She may be skilled on the fields, but she was more oblivious than a rift scuttler.
"Is there anything else you needed from me, Lulu?"
She smiled. "There's just one more thing!"
Veigar looked at her curiously. "And what would that be?"
Without warning, Lulu leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
"A reward for my hero! I'm paying back my debt, just like you did for me. It's something one friend does for another, right?" Veigar stumbled backwards, his face beet red with embarrassment. Lulu giggled at his reaction, wiggling joyfully.
"Does this make us friends, Veigar?" she asked innocently, swaying timidly in anticipation of his answer.
This made Veigar pause. Were they friends? Veigar hadn't been close to someone since before he became the Master of Evil. Was a yordle as cruel and cold as him even deserving of companionship. He looked at Lulu, seemingly on the edge of her metaphorical seat, and let out a deep sigh.
"Yes, Lulu." Veigar said, giving her a faint smile. "I think it's safe to say we're friends."
Veigar stooped down and collected the remainder of his things. "Now, I do genuinely have something to attend to in the institute. I'll see you around?"
Lulu nodded emphatically. "You betcha!"
The two walked down the hill together in silence, Lulu beaming at Veigar as he attempted to hide his blush. It wouldn't do well for everyone in the Institute to think he was a weak willed child. Parting ways with Lulu, he approached a large stall selling a variety of magical items for use outside of the Fields.
Lulu turned to Pix. "Shall we go home, Pix?" The fairy nodded in agreement, yawning and slipping under her hat to take a nap. Before she could channel the teleport spell, she spotted a yordle approaching her. Is that Teemo? she thought, waving hello.
Teemo waved back as he cleared the distance between the two. "How are you doing, Lulu?"
Lulu smiled and flashed a glance to where Veigar was standing a few feet away. "Great, actually! I just made a friend."
Teemo followed her gaze, and his mouth dropped open when he spotted Veigar. "Lulu, you don't mean to tell me your new friend is VEIGAR, do you?"
Lulu threw her hands in the air with exasperation. "Everyone keeps reacting like that! What's the big deal with Veigar? All he's been is nice to me. Far more kind than anyone in Bandle City."
Teemo grimaced at the jab, being a major representative of their hometown. "Lulu, I promise we're doing everything we can to get the ban removed. No one blames you for what happened, it just made us all a little on edge."
Lulu frowned and folded her arms. "Well you know who isn't put on edge by me? Veigar!" A sinister idea popped in her head. She struck a pose similar to how Veigar does when he's trying to be intimidating.
"Now, unless you have something you require from me, I must be going!" she said, desperately trying to suppress a laugh while mimicking Veigar's voice.
Teemo's eyes widened and he took a step back by reflex. When he realized she was joking, he sighed. "Just promise me you'll stay safe, okay Lulu? He's not the same as the rest of us. Something changed him."
Lulu dropped her fake stance and looked Teemo in the eyes, joviality gone. "I know. That's why I like him."