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Chapter 10: Into The Storm
The moment the screaming started, Jarvan was awake.
Shyvana, who had been sitting in a corner and throwing pebbles at a wall, rushed to her feet as well. Rammus stood at the edge of the pool, looking into the dark bottom mysteriously. Jarvan gripped his lance tightly, prepared for an assault.
"It's Horace," Shyvana said grimly. "He was at the bottom of the pool,"
Jarvan immediately went to the nearest rope and tried to descend to the bottom of the pool, before being stopped by Kyvan. August, Lance and Alfie ran back into the hall after hearing the commotion, only to find Horace missing among them.
"Horace!" Jarvan shouted. A few moments later, they could hear a voice belonging to Horace's, but it was muffled and distant, as though he was now a few feet below the ground. Nonetheless, he needed their help.
"Prince," Kyvan's grip was strong, forbidding him from going further. "You don't know what's down there,"
"He needs help! I will not have another man lose his life under my command!"
"One of us can go and scout," Lance suggested, drawing a sword from its sheath.
"No, it's too dark," August grumbled.
"I'll go,"
All eyes were fixed on the half-dragon, who stared at Jarvan nonchalantly. She lifted her gauntlet and conjured a ball of fire in her hand, casting eerie shadows upon the walls of the bath house.
"Shyvana-"
"I'm not under your command. I'm just tagging along anyway," the fire flickered above her palm, growing as she summoned it at will. "Your men hates me, and if something happens to me down there, you're free from your promise. You can go back to Demacia and deal with the politics in Kalamanda. Isn't that what you want?"
Yes, but you don't have to risk yourself for it, Jarvan thought. But he said nothing. His men watched them intensely.
"Besides," Shyvana tugged on the rope and began her descent without waiting for Jarvan's consent. "If I die, I don't have to buy you ale for the whole night anyway,"
Jarvan only sighed. "Please be quick," he said, but Shyvana already made her way down to the bottom. "Others, draw your weapons, just in case,"
Shyvana landed on the hard ground with a thud, the fire giving her a small circle of vision. Carefully, she trudged aimlessly about the pool, trying her best to conceal the scraping noises her boots made on the ground.
Then she noticed a large section in the middle of the pool which was caved in, and when she held the light closer to the collapsed area, she could clearly see a pile of scattered and broken bones.
This isn't a bath house? But a sacrificial pit? But that was none of her concern. She approached the other side of the cavern gingerly, and came across with another hole, but this one was smaller, and even when Shyvana shone her fire near it, she was met with a deep, bottomless abyss.
She was about to throw a ball of fire into the tunnel, to see how far it was. Then she heard a terrified shout, a few muffled words coming from the cave. Shyvana crept backwards, deeming the tunnel dangerous. However, she could tell that the voice belonged to Horace.
Then a scream. Long and agonizing. Followed by gurgles and gagging noises, as though the owner of the voice was choking on something.
What frightened her even more was the snarls and crackles and hisses of several other creatures. Those sounds were inhuman, and they sounded contented, satisfied and happy. She did not want to think about what happened to the man trapped down there.
Shyvana put out the small mote of flame, stepping backwards slowly to avoid drawing attention. That's it, if I keep inching backwards to the wall, I can climb back up-
She felt her feet slip as she was stepping on different heights, and she tumbled into the large cavern she had discovered earlier, crashing into the pile of bones. The hole was only about three-feet deep, yet when her rear hit the bottom, she couldn't help but hiss in pain. Her fall was loud, reverberating through the silence of the pool.
The snarls and hisses of the creatures stopped.
Shyvana did not think twice before scrambling back to her feet, sprinting and climbing out of the hole. She ran as fast as she could to the end of the pool, and cursed when there was no ropes. She sank the claws of her gauntlets into the walls to climb back to the top.
A loud rumble echoed behind her, and the ground began to tremble.
"Shit!" Shyvana cussed, her grip on a ledge slipping. She climbed frantically, but her hand kept sliding away from the wall of the pool.
She heard a shout, someone calling out her name. Jarvan.
"Get out of here!" she barked as loud as she could, hoping that they heard her. Her hands scrabbled on the wall for purchase, and she lifted herself inch by inch, desperately clinging to the wall for dear life.
A screech sounded in the air. Shyvana froze. Her breath stopped short, and she did not dare to turn back.
I am a half-dragon, she reminded herself. This is nothing, I've faced worse enemies.
But the enemies she had fought did not come in a swarm.
Behind her, an unknown creature suddenly exploded out of the bottom of the pool, forming a gaping cavern. It landed on its legs and shrieked, an animalistic noise that a predator makes when it was hungry for blood.
Then more creatures burst through the ground. The pool was plunged into darkness as Shyvana had put out her flame, and she hoped they couldn't see her. She slowly lifted her hand and grasped around for leverage, holding her breath for fear they could hear her.
The snarls and hisses grew louder. More crawled out of opened tunnels.
Shyvana cheered internally when her hand found a grip. Slowly she climbed another inch. A little more, just a bit more.
Just next to her, a creature burst through the wall, its maw of vicious fangs visible. When it crawled out of the burrowed tunnel, Shyvana could tell from the silhouette that it had two front legs, and a long, lean body filled with smaller legs for crawling. It was slightly larger than a regular adult.
She did not hesitate, she did not care if they heard her. Her hands and legs worked hurriedly, as she finally gripped the edge of the pool. The creatures, however, heard her. And she could hear them approaching her at terrifying speed.
Shyvana was about to swing her leg up to climb out of the pit, when a clawed hand grabbed her leg tightly. The sharp claws dug into her leather boots, plunging into her ankle, and she howled in pain.
"Son of a fuck!" she summoned a large ball of flame, throwing it down into the pool. It slapped into the face of the unknown creature, which it whimpered and released its grasp.
The flames exploded and lighted up her vision for a heartbeat. It went out quickly, but she saw enough to know she had to get the hell out of this place.
There were hundreds of them.
Something wrapped around her wrist and Shyvana shot out with a fist frantically. But before she could land a punch, another hand grabbed her. "It's me. Rammus led the others out," Jarvan said reassuringly, though his strong grip on her wrists were a little too tight. "Come on, we have to hurry!"
He pulled her out of the pool with all his might, and without a second thought, they sprinted towards the exit. It wasn't long before they could hear the screeches and cackles of the creatures, more tunnelling out of the ground right behind them. Their fear gave them a burst of adrenaline, and they ran like the wind.
They exited the hall into a long hallway. After making sure they were far enough from the creatures, both Shyvana and Jarvan leaned against a wall, panting heavily.
Jarvan breathed a sigh of relief. "Whatever they are –"
"Xer'Sai," Shyvana answered.
"Have you fought them before?"
"Only heard of them. Never even met one," she panted. "And there are a swarm of those. Horace fell into one of their tunnels,"
The prince remained silent, but closed his eyes forlornly. Shyvana would have felt sorry for him, but now the building was being infested by hundreds of Xer'Sai. She crept near the wall and looked warily, before telling the prince to follow her.
"You can mourn later. We have to get out," she whispered.
Jarvan nodded, looking behind him fearfully. Together, they walked through a series of hallways, each time creeping along chambers and peeping into empty halls for any threat, before moving forward again. It seemed like an eternity, but when they saw light and winds pouring through the crumbled entrance, they couldn't have felt more relieved.
"The sandstorm is still strong," Shyvana hastened her pace, making quick strides towards the entrance. "We have no choice, put up your hood–"
"Get down!"
She felt some great force slamming into her, pushing her to the floor. The fall knocked the air out of her lungs, but she could hear a deep humming nearby and a hellish symphony of the creatures' call. When she opened her eyes, she gasped.
Jarvan stood above her, holding his lance out menacingly, daring the Xer'Sai to approach them. Gold light and markings seared into the floor, illuminating the dark hallway as it revealed hundreds of Xer'Sai staying away from the edge of the markings, hissing at them angrily. When she raised her hands, she realized that both Jarvan and she were enveloped in a strange golden light, like a shield.
"No fucking way," she looked up at him incredulously. "You didn't tell me you know magic!"
"Golden Aegis," Jarvan simply said, though his voice sounded strained. "Do something, Carve a path to the entrance! This shield won't hold!"
Shyvana did not need to be told twice. She channelled her anger and focused them, feeling her limbs and throat and chest surge with red-hot fury. Fire soon engulfed her frame, before she enlarged to thrice her size, grew wings, horns and a long tail. Her mane of red hair flowed down her spine like a river of flames, her tempered Ionian steel gauntlets melting and fusing with her wings and claws, strengthening her.
"On wings of fury!" Shyvana roared, a bestial tone lacing her voice. She sprayed flames upon the swarm of Xer'Sai blocking the entrance, watching gleefully as the creatures scampered away with fear. Some caught fire and even though it clearly hurt them, the creatures were not fatally wounded.
Jarvan's shield shattered, and he used his chance to throw his lance forward. A Demacian standard shot outwards, planting itself near the entrance. Jarvan shot his lance ahead, and Shyvana continued breathing fire upon the sand Voidlings as his lance extended to thrice its length. The lance hooked itself to the standard, pulling Jarvan towards it as it retracted.
Shyvana tucked in her wings and glided towards the entrance, crashing past it as the small opening couldn't fit her. Immediately, strong winds threatened to bring her down. She pumped harder, struggling to keep herself afloat. Jarvan had already put up his hood and scarf, gesturing to the half-dragon to follow him.
"Prince Jarvan!" Kyvan's voice, like a clap of thunder, was muffled by his scarf. The men all had their weapons ready, and Rammus was curled into a ball, spinning in circles anxiously.
"Xer'Sai," Jarvan explained quickly. "Coming. In large numbers,"
"Incoming!" Alfie shouted. He nocked an arrow with lightning speed, barely aiming before releasing the arrow. It whistled past Jarvan's ear, and embedded deep into the head of a Xer'Sai. It whimpered piteously, before falling to the ground, its legs flailing in the air.
And behind it, hundreds of Xer'Sai burrowed out of the grounds, bringing down stones and statues and pillars. Each and every one of them was the same – purple and blue shells that covered their flesh, a maw filled with sharp teeth to tear their prey apart and two legs armed with curved claws. They all hissed angrily as they spotted them, spittle dripping down their teeth.
Rammus shot off in the opposite direction without a warning. And the men followed behind the Armordillo, desperately keeping their scarves and hoods in place to shield themselves from the merciless storm.
As they sprinted on the sands, stumbling along the way, a few more Xer'Sai burst through the sand ahead of them. Some of them ran into the men, jaws hung open to attack. Kyvan roared and swung his tower shield with might, slamming into the Xer'Sai and knocking them away. August swung his mace, battering those that came from the side. Alfie shot arrow after arrow, each planted deep into the Xer'Sai's head, whereas Lance and Jarvan pierced and stabbed and slashed those that came too close.
Shyvana flew above them, spitting a ball of flame to the ones in front while keeping Rammus in sight. Rammus sped off quickly, leaving trails behind before covered up by the rough, raging sandstorm. Rammus was going too fast, and Shyvana would soon lose sight of him.
And around them, the Xer'Sai kept increasing in numbers. Soon they would be surrounded, before being overwhelmed.
"Jarvan!" Shyvana called. "We won't make it!"
"We will!" Jarvan shouted, holding his scarf in one place and swinging his lance with the other. "We have to! Kyvan, take the front!"
Kyvan grunted. He pushed his tower shield forward, and the other men fell in line behind him. Kyvan charged forward, hiding behind his shield as Alfie continued firing arrows at the creatures that tried to attack him.
The half-dragon used all her strength to fly faster, the strong air current resisting her flight. The Xer'Sai could not hop high enough to attack her, and she took that as an advantage. She flew far ahead of Jarvan and his men, scanning everywhere within the storm for the sight of an armadillo with a vaunted suit of armor.
But Rammus was nowhere to be found. And they had no idea where they were.
Where? Shyvana remained in midair, searching frantically for the little creature. Had he abandoned them? She couldn't help but feel fear. They could fight as much of the Xer'Sai as possible, but they did not know where to go. If they went to the wrong direction, they may head even deeper into the Sai region.
The air was filled with the strong howls and roars of the sandstorm, drowning out the sounds of clashing steel against hard skins and the whimpers and hisses and snarls of the ever-increasing Xer'Sai.
All that mattered not when a loud screech pierced through all the noises. It was similar to that of a Xer'Sai, but this one sounded fiercer, more malevolent, and certainly hungrier.
The men had stopped fighting, their faces froze with horrified and astonished looks. Even the creatures had backed away slightly, cackling in awe.
Ahead of them, a large beast burst through the sands.
It was huge, almost the size of a house. Its features were similar to that of a regular Xer'Sai, but this one had larger claws and teeth, and looked like it could crush Shyvana in her dragon form with a stomp. The monstrous creature snarled, and the Xer'Sai swarmed around it reverently.
Jarvan couldn't help but step back in fear. Even Shyvana flew further away, her eyes wide with terror.
"It can't be true," Lance shuddered. "They said it was just a myth,"
"It can only be her," Kyvan grumbled. "The Queen of the swarm, Rek'Sai,"
"We're going to die," Lance muttered.
Rek'Sai turned towards them, her mandibles rattling viciously. The Xer'Sai hissed in unison, baring their fangs. The creatures quickly formed a wide circle around them, more crawling out of burrowed sand tunnels. The men stood back-to-back, weapons drawn and ready to fight back. Shyvana landed, still in her dragon form, her head swinging side-to-side to look for a way out.
"Awaiting your command, prince," August lifted his mace intimidatingly, ever the fearless. Rek'Sai lowered her body to the sands, prepared to charge.
"We separate. Three directions," the prince used a commanding voice, though he could feel his hands tremble with fear. "Shyvana and I will hold off the Queen, the four of you, try to open a path,"
"What else, prince?"
Jarvan tightened his grip on his lance. "Show these bastards the true power of Demacia!" he roared and charged forward. The men followed his cue and charged as well, weapons raised. The Xer'Sai started filling in, scuttling and pouncing towards the men.
Shyvana growled and hopped into the air, clawing and biting and burning everything in her path. Jarvan fought like a madman, his lance a blur as he swung and pierced and slashed, making sure that each blow was as lethal as possible.
Rek'Sai hissed and dashed forward, her jaws hung open to bite the dragon into half. Shyvana quickly swerved out of the way, spraying flames upon the Void beast. The flames, however, did not have the same effect as it did on the smaller creatures, as the flames only spread and flickered out on the surface of her skull.
"Jarvan!" Shyvana roared, gliding back and forth as she dodged Rek'Sai's bite. "What's the plan?!"
He sprinted towards Rek'Sai, ducking and dodging the Xer'Sai's rampage. "Distract her! I know what to do!"
"That's not helping!" Shyvana growled, ducking as Rek'Sai swung her tail at her. She flew to the other side of the Voidborn and planted her claws into her spine, trying hard to plunge them into her thick armor.
Rek'Sai seemed more annoyed than hurt. She hissed and stretched her front legs over her shoulders to grab the half-dragon, yet Shyvana held on fast, avoiding her curved claws. Furious, Rek'Sai reared backwards before burrowing deep into the sandy terrain, bringing the half-dragon with her.
"Shyvana!" Jarvan shouted, following the trail of destruction that Rek'Sai left upon the dunes.
Beneath the sand, Shyvana held onto Rek'Sai's back as the Voidborn shovelled violently through the tunnels with incredible speed. She felt as though she might be ripped away from the creature, which only made her grip tighten. The rough rocks and sand rubbed against her back and wings, and the blinding pain almost made her lose her grip.
It wasn't long before Rek'Sai resurfaced, throwing Shyvana off balance. The half-dragon was hurled towards a swarm of Xer'Sai, and she crashed forcefully into them.
Shyvana engulfed herself in flames, hissing painfully as she got to her feet. The Xer'Sai were in a frenzy, rushing forward and surrounding her, some even daring enough to bite and claw her, leaving wounds upon her draconic form. Shyvana hissed, her reptilian eyes crazed, then clawed and crushed the Xer'Sai. Blood flowed through her wounds, but her blood was boiling with rage as well.
Rek'Sai approached her, baring her fangs and her lips were stretched back in a smile. Shyvana growled, her strength faltering slightly, but her will to survive was hard as stone.
Then from above, Shyvana caught the sight of a human figure. When she looked up, she was surprised to see Jarvan holding his lance aloft, descending between Rek'Sai and her.
He came crashing down with his lance planted deep into the sands, and around him, the ground cracked and shifted. Stones protruded from the sands and surrounded Jarvan and Rek'Sai, whereas most of the Xer'Sai were thrown off by the powerful force. Even Rek'Sai staggered, snarling at Jarvan.
Jarvan dashed forward fearlessly. He roared a battle cry, but Shyvana could not make out what he was saying. Rek'Sai dashed forward as well, her claws raised. Without a second thought, Shyvana took off the ground, and flew towards the arena that Jarvan formed around himself.
Jarvan's lance extended, and Shyvana let forth a jet of flames. His lance scraped against her strong armor, but a crack formed upon the hard shell on her left shoulder. Shyvana's flames hit her full in the face, and Rek'Sai hissed painfully, some of the fire flowing into her maw and singeing the soft flesh within.
Shyvana flew higher and higher, breathing short bursts of flames upon the Voidborn as the prince struck from below. Rek'Sai snarled angrily, and tried to catch the half-dragon with her maw. Jarvan shot forth his lance again, grinning triumphantly when it finally penetrated its hard armor, sinking into the soft flesh beneath.
Rek'Sai staggered backwards, whimpering in pain.
Jarvan retracted his lance just as Shyvana clumsily dropped to the ground next to him. The half-dragon hissed as blood seeped through her wounds, before her form was embraced by her own flames. Slowly, she shrunk, returning back to her human form.
"Heh," Shyvana wiped a stream of blood from her chin. "The others don't seem to be faring well,"
Jarvan looked to where his remaining men were fighting. Alfie was firing his arrows as quick as he could, each shot precise and lethal but his quiver was running empty. August roared and swung his mace, smashing the Xer'Sai's fangs and claws to bits. Kyvan would stun the beasts by slamming his shield into them, then crush them by bringing the massive shield upon them. Lance was a deadly dancer, his dual swords slashed and cleaved and cut as they moved in rhythm with his body.
But no matter how many they brought down, two more would take the place of the defeated. It wasn't long before Alfie ran out of arrows, and he stood helplessly behind his brothers-in-arms.
"It won't work," Jarvan mumbled. Behind them, Rek'Sai howled again. This time, she sounded much more agitated, and her mandibles rattled furiously. Shyvana was badly hurt, and would not be able to transform into a dragon anytime soon.
"Death by a swarm of creepy creatures," Shyvana chuckled. She lit her gauntlets ablaze, ready to face the Void Burrower once again. "How unfortunate,"
"At least we don't die screaming," Jarvan's lips twisted into a grimace. He had sustained a few injuries, and his strength was draining away. However, he raised his lance, facing Rek'Sai and her swarm of Xer'Sai.
Shyvana looked at Jarvan. For a man who was about to meet his death soon, he seemed extremely calm. She felt uneasy about this, and more so when this man, the prince, had just wished to at least go back to his home once again, to at least see his beloved mother.
She understood the lure of home, of knowing that there were still people you love out there.
"Take your men and leave, prince," she finally said.
"What?"
"I'm going to open a path to the east. That was where I last saw Rammus," Shyvana said. "Use that shield of yours, your remaining strength may be enough to cast a shield that large. And have Kyvan lead the front. Once you're far enough, run as far as you can,"
"But what about you?" Jarvan shook his head vehemently, refusing to accept what she said. A few Xer'Sai pounced towards them, and they quickly fended them off. Yet more were coming their way.
"What about me?" Shyvana grunted, smashing her gauntlet into a Xer'Sai's skull. "Why do you care?"
"You never liked us," Jarvan swung his lance. "And now you're willing to sacrifice for us?"
Shyvana spat. "This isn't for you. I am dead the moment my father was murdered anyway,"
"The drake –"
"Even after we killed the drake, so what?" Shyvana whirled and yelled at him angrily. Jarvan was taken aback by her sudden outburst, but beneath the anger, he could see grief and hopelessness. "I don't have a home anymore. You still have a purpose in life, you have to return to your people. I am nothing but an empty shell,"
"I promised you –"
"If you're a good prince, you would do the right thing for your men. I am not your people, only a half-breed. I do not deserve your kindness," she faced the battle once again, turning her back against him. Her decision was final.
Jarvan pursed his lips. He turned towards his men, and did what he had to.
"Kyvan! Prepare your shield, Shyvana will open up a path. To your east, and prepare to run for it!"
"Aye, sire!" Kyvan growled, swinging his shield back and forth. Lance, August and Alfie slowly inched to their east, waiting for the chance to present itself.
Shyvana lifted her gauntlets, which were now too heavy for her weakened state. Mustering her remaining strength, she summoned all her fire and fury, and threw both her fist forward. A massive burst of flames erupted, burning through even the Xer'Sai, as they whimpered and hissed before laying still on the ground. Right on cue, Kyvan charged for the exit, knocking down Xer'Sai that were in his way.
Then Jarvan summoned the Golden Aegis. As the men ran past him, they were all enveloped in a golden energy. And when the Xer'Sai pounced upon them, they were struck by the shield and only bounced back harmlessly.
However, Jarvan did not follow them to the exit. He remained by her side, waving his lance tauntingly at Rek'Sai, distracting her.
"What are you –"
"I'm doing the right thing," Jarvan said. "Everyone deserves to be treated kindly and fairly. And the same goes to you, half-dragon,"
Shyvana scoffed. "You do realize that your men will come back and drag you out of here, right?"
"No, they won't," Jarvan swung his lance and knocked a Xer'Sai backwards. Rek'Sai began charging towards them, not even noticing the absence of the other four men. "I told August to lead them all away to safety, and wait for a day. If I do not make it out alive, they will come back here to retrieve my body and return to Demacia,"
"Fool," Shyvana looked away, but she couldn't help but feel relieved.
Together, they dashed towards Rek'Sai. Shyvana's flames were now mere embers, and she was tiring out. Jarvan noticed, and rushed forward to cover her, his lance finishing off the Xer'Sai that she had managed to weaken. Even so, his strength was faltering. It wouldn't be long before they were overwhelmed by the large number of Xer'Sai.
"Shyvana," Jarvan dodged as Rek'Sai lashed out a claw. He struck her vulnerable shoulder with his lance, and she shrieked in pain and fury. "Think you can gather enough fire to light this bitch on fire?"
"How do you think I should – wait, did you see that?"
Jarvan only continued striking with his lance. "See what?"
Suddenly, a swarm of Xer'Sai to his left were knocked off their feet snarling in surprise. Something insanely fast and strong ran over some of the Xer'Sai, crushing skulls and snapping spines. Even Rek'Sai looked elsewhere, trying to track down the assailant.
And before they knew it, Rammus appeared right in front of them, uncurled and facing the large Void beast gallantly.
But there were no time for warm greetings and such, as the Voidlings advanced upon them, eager to tear this small creature and its spiked shell apart. Rammus crouched low, and clenched his clawed fists tightly.
And the ground began to tremble slightly. It was unnoticeable, until the small tremble turned into a powerful tremor, before growing into a massive earthquake, throwing some of the Xer'Sai off their feet.
Shyvana and Jarvan couldn't stand due to the quake. And before Jarvan could summon his Golden Aegis, something near his chest sizzled with heat. He fished into his tunic and revealed the pendant that Leona had given him, the Locket of the Iron Solari, and it began to glow brightly.
"How does it work?!" Shyvana shouted, her voice tiny because of the sound of the rumbling earth. Jarvan shook his head, but tried to channel his mana energy into the small pendant.
And just as the earthquake grew destructive, an orb surrounded both of them. They watched as sands rose and fell like the waves of an ocean, dunes blown into the sandstorm like leaves and terrains shifted and split. A loud, resounding crack resonated, forming a split in the middle of the earth and sending numerous Xer'Sai tumbling into the gap, before being swallowed by the earth.
Rek'Sai hissed and tried to move away, but the quake had proven too strong even for her. She stumbled and crashed into sands, crushing a few Xer'Sai beneath her. Some of the Xer'Sai began to disperse in fear, most burrowed into the ground and disappeared. Rek'Sai still remained, snarling and hissing in anger. Yet this time, her voice was laced with fear and uncertainty.
As the earthquake slowly diminished, so did their shield. Rek'Sai was still dazed, and Jarvan used this chance to charge forward, aiming his lance at her weak shoulder. With a battle cry, he plunged his lance into the beast's soft flesh.
Rek'Sai screamed and threw her head back in pain.
"Shyvana! Now!"
The adrenaline rush gave her a new burst of strength, and Shyvana quickly surrounded herself with flames, pushing her forward. She jumped and held both her gauntlets close together, conjuring a ball of fire before firing it into Rek'Sai's mouth.
The fire exploded and burnt the weak flesh inside her mouth. The Voidborn shrieked and shook her head back and forth, whimpering slightly as Jarvan withdrew his lance. She gave one last roar at Jarvan and Shyvana, before whirling backwards and burrowed a tunnel through the ruined land, disappearing with a resonating hiss.
The sandstorm was now nothing but a mere breeze, and the devastated desert was suddenly filled with eerie silence.
Rammus plopped down and sat on his rear, staring at Jarvan and Shyvana, blinking his small eyes. Jarvan still stared at the large hole the beast had created, afraid that she might burst out of it any moment.
Shyvana fell to her knees, coughing violently. That got Jarvan's attention, as he rushed to her side and pulled out her skin of water.
"You fought well," Jarvan pulled away the cork, lifting it slowly as she gripped the skin desperately, taking big gulps of water. "How do you feel?"
"Exhausted," Shyvana sighed. "Otherwise, fine. We're lucky he did not abandon us,"
They both stared at Rammus who sat there, his chest heaving in exhaustion. "OK," that was all he said.
When Jarvan and his men had rejoined, there were no time for greeting and such. Immediately Rammus led the way again, with Jarvan filling in what happened during the fight. Shyvana was at the rear of the company, saying that she would watch their backs. But Jarvan noticed her wincing whenever she tried to keep up with their pace, and how there was a slight limp in her leg.
Jarvan kept an eye out for her. Each time he asked her if she needed help, she would refuse. He knew she was in immense pain, but she never asked for a rest, not even once.
Soon, night fell. Thousands of stars littered the sky that night, and the temperature plummeted drastically. Still they kept walking, with the guide of the moonlight and the little Armordillo.
"Maybe it's best if we rest for a while," Jarvan said out loud, stealing a glance at Shyvana. She had wrapped herself with layers of linen cloak, shivering slightly to the chill.
Rammus stopped and cast a glance at Jarvan. Slowly, he shook his head, gesturing that they had to keep walking.
Jarvan wanted to protest, but Shyvana interrupted. "Keep going, we're running out of water. And there's not even a single plant in sight. It's easier to walk under the night than the glare of the sun,"
"You're injured. The least you can do is lay down for a while,"
"I'll be fine," she dismissed Jarvan's concern with a wave, though he noticed how bloodshot and tired her eyes were. "We have to keep going. Perhaps we might find an oasis soon,"
"Perhaps," Jarvan agreed, even though he knew that it was unlikely to find an oasis soon. He had no idea where they were, and could only rely on Rammus' guidance.
"Prince!" Alfie and the others had hiked atop a small dune. Rammus had stopped as well. And the sense of urgency in their voice hinted that they had found something intriguing.
When both Jarvan and Shyvana climbed to the peak of the dune, they gasped in awe.
Beneath them laid the ruins of an ancient city, its statues, pillars and broken shrines scattered throughout the wide span of the desert. Eons of swirling sands had swallowed up this great civilization, yet some of its remains prevailed. They all heard enough lore and legends to know that this was no normal city. This was the ruins of Ancient Shurima, a great civilization once revered for its wealth, glory and vast knowledge of magic.
Embedded in the middle of the ruins was the ancient Sun Disc, destroyed and desolate, known to have harnessed great power that could grant a mortal godly powers.
"Shurima?" Jarvan whispered. "Does that mean we were in the middle of the desert all along?"
"The sandstorm had drifted us far away from our path. And look, that's the Frozen Watcher," Shyvana pointed to a constellation of stars far north, right beyond the Shurima wastes. "Follow the Frozen Watcher, hopefully it will lead us out," Rammus nodded in agreement.
When they passed by the ruins of the ancient city, they couldn't help but stare at the fallen statues and ruins in awe. They were standing atop something that they had once heard of only in bedtime stories, yet they were now gazing upon a broken Sun Disc, the one where Emperor Azir had used for his Ascension. The Emperor's Way were parched and ruined, whereas far ahead of them, a massive stone structure that resembled a large tomb resided beneath the sands, only its entrance visible. Guarding the gates was a stone serpent, covered in a sheen of dusts and sands.
"The Tomb of the Emperors," Shyvana said.
"How do you know?"
My father once told me about it: the tomb of fallen kings of Shurima, guarded with a serpent's curse. What rests within, no one knows. And the secrets that lie within died with Shurima," she quoted. "The tomb is sealed. That's what my father said,"
"Very impressive," Jarvan praised. "All my father ever told me, was how Demacia had -"
"You do not belong here,"
They all drew their weapons immediately when they heard the voice. It was deep and gruff and echoed throughout the wasteland, yet it sounded obsolete, strong and soothing. Shyvana swore that the temperature had slumped even further, the chill slowly seeping into her bones. Around them, the swirling sands started to blow, all heading towards the Tomb of the Emperors.
"Leave at once, mortals,"
"Who's there?!" Jarvan howled, posing his lance with threat. "Appear, you craven!"
"Craven?" the voice rumbled. "There is such potential in mortal life, and you've wasted yours,"
Jarvan felt a shiver running down his spine. Why did it feel like the voice knew all about his life?
The ground began to tremble, and beneath it, an enormous form rose from the desert. It stood twenty-feet tall, and was shrouded by a dark mist, sands that swirled around it quickly blackened to corrupt. It was dressed in golden Shuriman garb, in its hand a large axe. Although the figure was clearly humanoid, its head was a jackal's, and its eyes were white and gleaming with fury.
"Be gone, mortals," the figure pointed its axe at them. "Or your spirits will drift into the sands of Shurima!"
This chapter felt difficult to write. I don't know why. Please review if you feel something's wrong, or if it's fine. Opinions are always welcomed!