"Are you sure about this?" Jarvan said, hesitantly. Shyvana looked up at him bravely and nodded.
"I'm merely a burden in this state. If there was anything I could do and I didn't do it..." She paused and shook her head, dismissing the idea of backing down. "I'm ready." Jarvan looked at her for a long few tense moments before sighing, and nodded. He picked up a crystal vial of ruby red potion and unstopped the cork, casting it aside as the contents of the bottle swirled as if something evil was constrained within. The color was more violent than Shyvana hair, the color of a sunset on a scorching summer's eve.
"This is going to hurt a bit." Jarvan said, lifting the dragoness up with one arm, using the other to hold to vial before her. Shyvana swallowed and nodded, the hesitance and fear now showing in her posture as she exhaled slowly.
"I'm ready." She said, smiling at Jarvan. He took one final look around; Quinn and Forsythe had consented to giving the two some privacy while they grieved. Though sad, Jarvan and Shyvana had only let their friend's death add to their resolve to kill their enemy. With Isaacs dying act, he had enabled Jarvan and Shyvana to complete his desire, the death of Kampf. The health potions were volatile but effective and they would allow the pair to begin the relentless hunt again.
"I'll see you on the other side." Jarvan said, tipping the vial back and letting it drain into Shyvana's mouth. She swallowed and closed her eyes, exhaling as a faint green glow began to surround her body. Her chest began to rise and fall quicker, as her eyes and mouth flew open, a piercing shriek escaping her lips and she threw her head back. Jarvan clamped his hands over his ears and cringed as the bloody scream caused his head to hurt, steam starting to rise from Shyvana as if she were being cooked alive.
"Shyvana!" Jarvan bellowed, looking down at her with horror on his face. He had seen injuries of all magnitudes but nothing like this, nothing this horrifying. "Shyvana, speak to me!"
Her eyes rolled back in her head as she tossed on the gravel, her voice having expired but the pain on her face undiminished. Her face was contorted in a silent scream of pain as her chest began to expand and bubble, her skin seeming to cook. She curled into a ball, hands against her chest, blood weeping from the wound, as she rolled away from Jarvan tossing and turning with pain. She arched her back and screamed again as steam exploded from her mouth, the acrid stench of burnt meat hanging in the air.
Jarvan sat on his knees, watching in horror as she continued to thrash, his voice caught in his throat. The wounds bubbled, a white foam starting to roll off of them. Wind buffeted Jarvan's body as flames started to burn along the ground. He pushed himself to his feet, taking a few nervous steps backwards as the heat began to burn his skin. Jarvan yelped and tossed himself backward, crashing to the ground, the flames starting to burn underneath him, licking at his body.
She screamed bloody murder, the pain in her voice enough to cause Jarvan to cringe. She struggled to her feet, arms wrapped around her body as an inferno roared around her. She let her head flail back as she screamed again, casting a pillar of flame and smoke into the sky. Jarvan started towards her again, holding his hand before his face. A solid wall of flame erupted around Shyvana, cutting him off and locking him out, sending him stumbling backwards.
"Shyvana!" Jarvan shouted as he was forced to watched in horror as Shyvana barely managed to crawl to her knees, her hair swept into the air above her like a tornado. She hunched over, wrapping her arms around herself as she screamed. Shyvana's normally pale skin was slowly darkening into a dark bluish gray, the color spreading beneath her skin. Her hair was no longer it's deep fiery red; it was dark, nearly black, shot with streaks of brown and red. She tossed her head back and stared up into the sky, the pain on her face started to crescendo as she arched her back again and let out a blood curdling scream, her eyes flying open. The normally magenta orbs glowed a brilliant gold, like the heart of a flame. Fire billowed around her like a hurricane, a small area in the middle safe from the flames as Shyvana coughed a few times, groaning as the flames continued to rage around her.
Jarvan was on all fours, his mouth ajar as he watched in awe and shock, the energy and flames seeming to just billow off Shyvana's body in sheets like a heavy rain. She started to examine her body, looking herself up and down, her clothes long burned away by the flames. The skin was a rosy color where the wounds had been on her chest and back, her slender arm and legs a matching shade of pinkish gray. Jarvan started to reach out towards her, but the heat was immense and he could feel his skin start to tighten over his flesh as if he had a bad sunburn. The wall of flames were dispelled in a small explosion, the heat washing over him and sending him rolling backwards over the ground, ending up face down on the ground.
Jarvan coughed, shaking his head as gravel pelted him from above, seeming to fall like rain. He wrapped his hands over his head until the gravel stopped, looking about cautiously before he exhaled and put his arms underneath him. He pushed himself up from his stomach, groaning a bit as he did, struggling as his head started to swim. He shook away the discomfort and blinked a few times as he scanned the area.
Standing a few meters distant was a healed and healthy Shyvana.
It was Shyvana - but it wasn't at the same time. Bluish gray skin coated her body and golden eyes gleamed with bloody intent. Molten orange pupils darted back and forth over her body. Dark hair, nearly as black as Jarvan's gleamed with a reddish tint as she examined her body.
"Shy...vana?" He said hesitantly, looking upon the dragoness. Her entire body seemed to contract as he spoke, and she quickly dropped onto all fours and looked up at him, baring her teeth. She lowered herself to the ground as if she were afraid, her golden eyes burning with anger. Flames swirled around her hands as she looked up at him. She began calming down, but as Jarvan stared, open mouthed, she crept slowly backwards. Jarvan blinked slowly, the small smile on his face draining away as something unpleasant settled in his stomach.
Shyvana hissed and snarled at him, cause Jarvan to falter a moment, as she looked at him with anger and fear in her eyes.
"What?" Jarvan said lamely, his arms falling to his side as he struggled to comprehend what was happening. "Shyvana..."
She snarled, barring her teeth as she sunk to all fours in an animalistic defensive stance. Fire glowed in her golden eyes, gleaming like gems in the dull light. Jarvan felt the bottom of his stomach drop out.
"Shy..." He said softly, blinking. "You don't remember me?" Jarvan shook his head and pulled his helm off, casting it aside, the metal bouncing across the ground as Jarvan extended a hand towards her, a sad smile on his face. "It's me. Jarvan." Shyvana paused, her shoulders slackening slightly when she heard the name, then suddenly screamed, grasping at her head. A wall of flames struck Jarvan, knocking him away, lofting him off the ground and heaving him backwards, tumbling him end over end. He hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from his chest as he bounced once before grinding to a halt in the center of the arena.
"Jarvan is-" Shyvana held her head in her hands as she shook it from side to side, her hair billowing wildly around her. It lashed out like a thousand whips all being cracked at once as the flames snapped and hissed, billowing around her. "Jarvan is dead!" She screamed, her knees weak beneath her body as she collapsed to the ground. She sunk to her knees as molten orange tears dripped down her face, dropping to the ground and sizzling when they hit the cool stone. "He was killed! Killed by the beast who slew my father!" She shook her head from side to side, wiping the tears from her face, the anger returning and drowning the grief.
"Shyvana!" Jarvan shouted, pushing himself up to his knees, trying to shake off the shock and confusion. "I'm not dead! Kampf didn't kill me!"
"Enough!" She bellowed, struggling to her feet as flames billowed around her again, whipping her hair around as if she was in a massive storm. She puffed out her chest and roared, the deep and violent tone arcing upwards into a pained shriek. The flames sucked in air from around Jarvan, small rocks and dirt slowly getting consumed by the vortex of fire that had begun to swirl around her. She let her head hang back and she roared, the demonic sound bouncing up and down the canyon, echoing and resonating like thunder. She slowly lowered her gaze back to the ground, her eyes leveling with Jarvan. She started walking towards Jarvan, where he sat stunned on his knees, staring back at the woman he loved, now intent on killing him. She surged forth, suddenly closing the gap with startling speed, her fist sailing towards Jarvan's chest like a missile.
"Shy-" Her attack cut him off as it collided with his chest, sending him crashing backwards again, tumbling end over end like a rag doll. She came again, this time flames surging around her, the swirling inferno surrounding her. "Wait!" Jarvan gasped for breath as Shyvana raced towards him. He tried to dive to the side, but Shyvana's strike was already headed for his stomach. He turned his body at the last moment as the blow glanced off his chest and spun him about. Jarvan hit the ground hard this time, the wind exploding painfully out of his mouth. He lay back, struggling to get air into his lungs, the heat and flames of her attack having sucked the oxygen from the air around them. The world spun around him as he stared into the sky, his body struggling to break out of the daze.
Shyvana strode up to him, stepping over him and putting her foot on his throat, applying light pressure. Jarvan felt his face turn red as he looked up at Shyvana, the dragoness clearly unaware of the world around her.
"Tell me, human." She hissed, applying more pressure to Jarvan's neck. "Kampf. Where did he go?"
"I don't know!" Jarvan gasped, grabbing at her leg, trying to only meet her eyes as she threatened to crush his windpipe.
"You lie!" She shouted, her anger mounting. "You know my name. You know of Kampf! Tell me where he went before I kill you!"
"Shyvana!" Jarvan gasped, trying to fight against the dragoness' hold. "I can't breathe!" A frown creased her expression as she lightened the pressure just enough for Jarvan to suck in a breath. He rolled to the side, tucking his head down as he brought a leg up and across, striking Shyvana in the side and sending her stumbling away as he rolled onto his knees, coughing.
"You insolent fool!" She hissed as she recovered, standing up straight and looking down at Jarvan. He had pulled himself to his feet as she started another advance, her flames carrying her onwards. She struck out with her fist, but Jarvan raised a gauntlet, blocking the attack and surprising the Dragoness. Her flames spluttered out as Jarvan coughed again, the surprise easy to read on her face.
"Shyvana!" He shouted at her, causing her to take a step backwards, the surprise suddenly becoming fear. "Stop! Please!"
"No." She gasped, shaking her head as her knees went weak again, her hands grasping at her head as if a lance of pain was shooting through her skull. "NO!" She screamed, tossing her head from side to side as she did, her attacks suddenly becoming savage as she launched herself towards Jarvan. She attacked blindly, swiping with rapid left and right strikes, random haymakers and viper quick strikes that seemed to all come at once in a flurry of blows. Jarvan stumbled backwards as the attacks came, blocking as many as he could. Some made it through though, and he felt bruises begin to form on his body as her strikes landed, bouncing off his chest and armor. He felt like a sunburn was starting to cover his entire body as Shyvana's fire swirled around them both.
"Shyvana!" He shouted again, his voice caught in his throat as tears began to well in his eyes. "Stop!"
"No!" She screamed, tossing a ball of flames that struck Jarvan on the shoulder, showering the ground with bits of flame and sparks. "I can't! I can't stop until Kampf is dead!" She attacked again, a quick left and a right striking his wounded shoulder and then his gut, sinking Jarvan to his knees. Jarvan saw stars as his vision started to turn red, the pain he felt nearly blinding.
"Shyvana..." Jarvan begged as he pushed himself into a sitting position, one arm hanging at his side, the other used to prop himself up. Blood trickled from his eyebrow, stinging his left eye. His breathing was strained. He tried to wipe the blood away, but it only made the blood flow faster over his eye.
"Don't speak to me like you know me!" She hissed, looking down at him with an imperious glare. Jarvan had seen that look before. Kampf.
"You're just like him." Jarvan muttered as he pulled himself to his feet. "You're no better that Kampf!"
The words struck Shyvana like a physical blow, rocking her back as if she had been slammed into a stone wall. She wore a stunned look on her face as she stared back at Jarvan. He managed to get a foot beneath himself and he pushed off, diving towards the stunned dragoness, bowling her over with his good shoulder. They tangled briefly as Jarvan tried to get an arm around her neck, but with his shoulder screaming in pain every time he tried to move it, Shyvana was able to simply throw him off. She hissed angrily as she stood up, the flames billowing around her.
Jarvan struck the ground yet again, though this time, there was the clang of his armor striking something metallic. As he started to push himself up with his good arm, he saw something gleaming beneath him.
"My lance?" He said quietly, blinking, wiping the blood from his eye. "No..." He grabbed the metal object and pulled it from the ground but his heart sunk when he realized it wasn't his lance, but rather Forsythe's great sword.
As Jarvan struggled to recover, much slower this time, rolling onto his stomach and groaning. Shyvana took several moments to shake the hair from her face, running a hand up over her forehead, pulling her long black locks over her shoulder. She lowered herself into a fighting stance as Jarvan hauled himself to his feet, grimacing as his leg started aching. His knees wavered as he took a half step forward with one leg and sank onto the other, leaving himself in an awkward, lopsided fighting stance. His right arm was completely useless, hanging limply at his side, but with his good arm he held the sword, most of the length of its blade blackened by flames. He used it like a staff as he pulled himself to his feet.
"Tch." Annoyance crossed onto Shyvana's face as she bared her teeth, a snarl getting caught in her throat. She lunged forward, lashing out with her fists, wrapped in flames. Jarvan struggled to raise the sword, just now realizing that he had lost more of his strength than he had realized. Sparks flew as he parried her strikes with the blade, her claws starting to extend. The blade screeched and hummed with every strike, and with every blow that Shyvana failed to land, her anger seemed to grow. As her anger grew, the heat of her flames did as well, the raging inferno becoming stronger.
"Stop, Shy!" Jarvan shouted over the hum of the blade, the constant, ferocious attack driving him steadily backwards. "This isn't you!" Her eyes grew wide with anger and she spun, striking harder than Jarvan imagined possible. He raised the blade in front of him to block the second strike, grabbing it with both hands, bracing for the attack to come. The blow struck, causing the blade to ring like a struck bell. The blade bounced off of Jarvan's chest, sending him skidding back along the ground. He released the blade and let it spin in his hand, grabbing it and sinking it into the ground, using the friction to come to a stop. He sucked in a breath as he looked up at Shyvana. She cannonballed into him in a flurry of flame and smoke, knocking the sword from his hands. The world went black as pain exploded from the back of Jarvan's head.
Jarvan erupted backwards through the wall of the arena in a cloud of dust and stone shrapnel. He hit the dirt and skidded along the ground, sliding to a stop as his head swam. Jarvan saw stars and a myriad of other colors as he gasped for breath and tried to blink the pain away.
"Jarvan!" Quinn shouted, scrambling to her feet. She looked stunned, glancing back and forth between where Shyvana stood, surveying the area, and where Jarvan lay on the ground. "Shyvana?" Her voice caught in her throat when the dragoness looked her square in the eye with the gleaming golden orbs she possessed. "What... What is that?" Quinn took several steps backwards, shaking her head from side to side, horror playing out over her face. "That's..."
"It's Shyvana." Forsythe growled. "Something is wrong though... very wrong." He groped his hip for his sword, but had to look down when his hand failed to find the weapon. He spat a curse and then drew his knife, sweeping Quinn behind him. "Stay out of the way."
"Stay away!" Jarvan shouted hoarsely, waving away Forsythe. "Go!"
"But my prince!" Forysthe protested, shocked that Jarvan would let himself get kicked around by this monster. Jarvan groaned as he started to roll to his feet, but a swift kick to the side spun him about and rolled him further along the ground. Jarvan spat out a mouthful of dust and blood and coughed, as he sucked deep breaths of air in and grunted, holding his breath, trying to force himself up onto his knees. He tongued a loose tooth as he grasped the sword, getting his arms beneath his chest to haul himself to his feet again.
"Stay down, fool." Shyvana said, her voice starting to deepen and grow with a monstrous tone. Jarvan pushed himself up with his good arm, the limb shaking as he tried to stand. Shyvana took a step forward, raising her arm for another blow.
"Jarvan!" Quinn screamed. Shyvana cast a furious, wide-eyed sideways glance at Quinn and snarled, tossing a ball of fire at her. Jarvan cast Golden Aegis as he slid between Forsythe and Quinn and the ball of fire. The flames exploded over his shield and washed through the air around Quinn and Forsythe.
"I refuse to let you harm an innocent." Jarvan said, his voice starting to fail him. He slumped back down onto one knee, his head rolling slightly as he wiped the blood that was now pouring from his chin with his arm.
"Jarvan, you can't keep this up..." Forsythe said, putting a hand upon Jarvan's shoulder. The taller man, spun and slapped his hand aside, his face contorted in frustration.
"This is my battle and no one else need follow!" He snarled, surprising both Quinn and Forsythe. They looked back at him like he was the beast and not Shyvana, but the shock quickly faded from Forsythe's face, replaced by a mask of both anger and resignation. He slid the knife back into his belt and turned, taking Quinn with him. He paused and looked over his shoulder.
"Come back alive with her in tow when you have the dragon's head upon a pike." Jarvan nodded and turned back towards Shyvana, his ability to hide his pain and exhaustion running out as the ranger and the knight retreated.
"Wise to send them away." Shyvana said, amusement thick in her voice. Jarvan knew it was false though, he could see the tension and anger just behind the smile that she wore. "They would only be more casualties." She slid forth, propelled by her flames and struck Jarvan with a hammer blow that should have felled him.
Golden light flashed again and Shyvana was lofted as she bounced off the solid wall of Jarvan's Golden Aegis. The barrier dropped as she licked her lips and smiled a fang laden smile. Jarvan dropped to one knee, gripping the blade with one hand and gripping his heart with the other. He gasped in pain, the feeling of his strength being sapped from trying to use the shield so many times. He had felt it once before, in his battle with the Curator of the Sands, Nasus. The Anubis had struck him a Wither spell that had sapped the very life out of him, leaving him feeble and weak. That same feeling was gripping his heart like an iron vice now as he sucked in greedy breaths.
"How many more times can you use that shield till you go down?" She said, pacing around him, a huntress bearing down upon her prey. The black diamonds, encased in the fire of her eyes played over him like a viper preparing to strike, waiting to sink its fangs in. "Your heart will probably give out soon if you keep it up. Do yourself a favor and stay down."
"I won't go down." Jarvan muttered, out of breath as he shook his head. "I won't stay down until... till you listen to me." His breathing was strained as a cross expression marred her face. "You'll have to do better than that to get me to leave you alone, Shyvana." Jarvan said, one eye now swollen shut and one arm completely useless. He hauled himself to his feet by pulling on the sword, a mix of a sadness and pain marring his expression. His split lip cracked as he tried to smile at her, more blood pouring down his chin. He took several steps forward, his legs dragging along the ground, the sword ringing as it scraped along the stone. Jarvan lifted it up one handed, the blade shaking as it rose up, and the swung it down, striking stone.
"I pity you." Shyvana murmured in an inhuman voice as Jarvan swung the sword again, Shyvana sidestepping the blade. He swung again, and Shyvana merely caught the blade in one hand, looking at him with contempt in her eyes. Flames erupted around her hand as the blade started to glow a molten red. The blade collapsed inwards around the fuller as Shyvana bent the blade along its entire length from tip to hilt. The hardened steel started to drip as Shyvana leaned forward and roared at him. Jarvan felt hot air sweep over him as she jerked the blade from his hand and tossed it aside. He watched the ruined blade bounce along the ground and then clatter to a halt, the red steel rapidly cooling and smoking in the chilled air. He looked back towards Shyvana as she raised her hand up across her body. Shyvana struck Jarvan across the face, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Why..." Jarvan muttered, groaning as he struggled to lever his shoulder out from under himself. "Why can't I get through to you." He managed to get up onto his knees, but when he tried to get up to his feet he simply tumbled over. Jarvan grunted as he hit the ground.
"You would die for no reason at all?" Shyvana sneered, looking down at him as he lay at her feet. Jarvan pushed himself up, sinking onto his knees, content to simply sit like that as he watched the dragoness look him over with contempt and pity.
"For you... I would die a thousand deaths." Jarvan murmured, his voice stuck in his throat. Shyvana's eyes had become reptilian slits, golden orbs cut along the center by a black diamond. Bluish purple scales flared around her eyes as flames consumed her, the heat pouring off her like a furnace. Horns burst from her head as she rolled and screamed in pain, closing her eyes.
"I guess... I guess this is it then." Jarvan muttered as he watched the Dragoness's body start to morph. Shyvana's skin turned from blue gray to nearly purple and scales burst form beneath her skin, her body starting to expand. Jarvan watched from his knees as Shyvana spread her wings and then tucked them into her body, her claws gleaming in the chilly air, her eyes glowing brightly as she watched him with contempt for his determination. Shyvana stared down at Jarvan, looking at him down her snout, heat and steam billowing from her mouth with every breath in the frigid air. "Shyvana..." Jarvan croaked, trying one last time, tears now streaming down his face as he stared down the young dragon. "What happened to you... how did this happen?"
The words seemed to simply wash over her.
"We were going to return to Demacia. I was going to give you a home." Jarvan's voice grew louder as he pushed himself to his feet, his legs shuddering. He wavered on his feet, barely able to stand, his body broken and battered. He was drenched in blood and burns, the heat and anger of Shyvana's flames having burned him to a crisp.
"Enough!" Shyvana roared, sweeping her arm through the air before him, dismissing Jarvan's final pleas. She had long ago become fed up with all of his talk and unwillingness to simply die.
Then, something deep within her hesitated. Jarvan watching as her eyes softened for a moment, tears suddenly welling in her eyes. She felt her cheeks, surprised by her tears, and nervously wiped them away.
She's starting to wrest control back. Jarvan took a step forward and he started to reach out towards her.
"No!" She shouted angrily. Shaking her head, flinging the tears off. "I can't take this any longer!" She roared, shaking her head and snarling, leaning toward Jarvan. "You did this!" She bore her teeth and roared at him. "What did you do to me?!"
"Shy..." Jarvan said softly, taking another staggering step backwards. "I... did..." Jarvan coughed a sad chuckle that was caught in his throat. It came out like cough, but the weak smile on Jarvan's face as he dropped to his knees gave the dragoness pause. She shook her head and raised her claws back. She took off, closing the gap on a chariot of fire.
"You die now!" She galloped forward, lunging through the air, her claws drawn back and ready for the final strike.
Jarvan brought his arms up in front of his face as the dragon bore down on him.
"SHYVANA!" Jarvan shouted as he clamped his eyes shut. "I LOVE YOU!"
A brilliant golden light enveloped him, exploding around them both, casting them both backwards, away from each other. The blow twisted Jarvan about and sent him skittering across the ground, crashing to a stop against a boulder. Shyvana was sent arcing through the air, her body shrinking till she was human again, hitting the ground hard and rolling to a stop.
...
Only the howling of the wind filled the void of silence as snow began to fall.
Shyvana opened her eyes as the pure white flakes of snow descended from above. She shielded her eyes with a groan as even the dim light from the cloudy sky caused her to wince, blinking a few times before she grew accustomed to the light. After a few minutes of staring up at the sky as the snow drifted down and melted upon her skin, she realized just how cold she was. She pushed herself up and shook off the disorientation that followed, and looked around. She blushed when she saw that she was unclothed, but picked herself up, looking herself over for any damage or bruises. Her skin was a bright pink color in places, but her pale skin looked healthy. Despite a few bruises, and a feeling as if she had just been smacked, the pain she had felt in her chest and arms seemed to be gone. She looked around, taking in all of the destruction that she and Kampf had caused in their fight. Stone lay crumbled around her, some of it blackened by flame, other clumps of stone covered in a shiny surface as if it had been turned to glass.
Stone had been scattered in every direction, cast outwards in a pattern that looked like a star.
"An explosion?" Shyvana said aloud, stepping carefully along the ground. The wind battered her, the cold striking her deep, but she was too consumed by the strange pattern on the ground to be bothered by the cold. Her pace quickened as she moved towards the center of the blast. Bare stone was blackened by flames, though at the very center of it, there was a small circle where the stone wasn't darkened at all. The stone had been warm under foot as she approach the epicenter, but when she kneeled and touched the stone at the center, it was cool to the touch. Shyvana was surprised as she sat back on her haunches, a frown creasing her face.
"What happened here?" She said quietly, looking around the area. She paused when something an oddly dark shade of gray stand out at the base of a boulder. "Wha-"
Her breath caught in her throat, her heart beating so quickly she felt it was going to leap out of her chest.
"Jar..." She stood up and started walking towards the odd shape, peering through the lightly falling snow. Her pace quickened, then broke into a run. Jarvan was propped up against a boulder, beaten and battered. Blood covered his chest and face, one eye swollen shut, his lip was slit open, and a large blue bruise starting to form on his cheek. The armor on his right shoulder was gone, and as she grew closer, she realized that the discoloration was his shoulder, the flesh burnt and blackened. "Jarvan!" She shouted as she slid to a stop on her knees, leaning over his body. "Jarvan, wake up!" His eyes fluttered open and he looked into Shyvana's eyes. His eyes grew wide as tears welled up. He clamped them shut and the tears rolled down his cheeks before he opened his eyes again, a weak smile blossoming on his face.
"Hey..." he croaked. Shyvana reached towards him with one hand, but flinched as he shrunk back from her hand. The smile on her face fell for a few moments as ice settled in her gut, the sense of something gone terribly wrong striking her. She dismissed it and grabbed Jarvan's hand, holding it up to her check and pressing his warm hand against her flesh.
"Hey." Shyvana mouthed, smiling as Jarvan cupped her cheek in hand, wiping away a tear with his thumb. Shyvana wiped the tears from the other side of her face with her arm before she dropped down, wrapping her arms around Jarvan's neck and pressing her lips to his fiercely. Jarvan seemed surprised at first, but he soon returned the kiss in earnest, wrapping an arm around her and holding her close. Shyvana finally had to come up for breath, panting as she looked into Jarvan's eyes, a teary eyed smile on her face. She broke into a nervous giggle as she buried her face in Jarvan's neck, breathing in his scent and letting her racing heart slow.
"Welcome back." Jarvan said as he groaned slightly. Shyvana yelped and shifted her pressure to her side, sliding off his chest as Jarvan exhaled softly, looking down at the dragoness. She wore an imp-like smile upon her face that said she was sorry but not really, and Jarvan couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Shyvana shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment. "What happened to you?" She turned and looked out over the area. There was a smoking crater where Shyvana's descent as a dragon had collided full force with Jarvan's light shield. Rocks had been tossed asunder, and nearly half of the arena walls had been leveled by the force of the blast.
"You mean you don't remember?" Jarvan asked, disbelief upon his face. Shyvana tore her gaze from the destruction and looked back up and his, shaking her head slowly.
"I don't..." She said softly, a frown settling upon her face. "I remember taking the potion and then... pain." She clamped her eyes shut and shivered, trying to dismiss the thoughts of the pain. Jarvan watched as she physically shivered, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Then there was darkness. I remember several bright flashes of light, but that was it." Her brow furrowed as she struggled to remember.
"It's fine now, Shyvana." Jarvan said softly, stroking her hair. "It's over." It was long and tangled, splayed over her like a cloak of fire on her pale skin. She shivered as she rested her chin upon his chest, looking up at him, streaks on her cheeks. "Here..." Jarvan struggled to sit up, pulling the fire doused cloak from his neck, unpinning it and pulling it free. "It's a bit ragged, but it's seen me through the worst of it so far."
Shyvana nodded and blushed furiously as she accepted the cloak. Jarvan leaned back against the rock, but not before letting his eyes linger upon Shyvana's body for a brief few moments. Shyvana sat up, her legs extending out to one side and she swept the cloak around her shoulders, pinning it at her neck. She frowned when something warm and damp touched her neck, and when she pressed her hand to the inside collar of the cloak, her hand came away red. Shyvana blinked a few time before she turned to Jarvan with a look of horror on her face.
"Jarvan, you're bleeding!" She exclaimed. Jarvan held a hand over one side of his neck. He tried to fake a smile, but Shyvana furrowed her brow, leaning over Jarvan, trying to get closer to the wound. "Does it hurt?"
"No, just a bit of blood." Jarvan said, trying not to meet her eyes. She sat back on her knees, tucking them underneath her as she looked at Jarvan with concern. Shyvana pulled the edge of Jarvan's tattered cloak onto her lap and ripped a long strip from the end of one of the frayed tips, holding it in one hand as she leaned over him.
"Here, let me use this to stop the bleeding." Shyvana said, gently tugging on Jarvan's arm.
"Don't worry, it already stopped." Jarvan said, trying to put on the fake smile again. Shyvana sat back again, wondering why Jarvan would try to keep something like this from her.
"I..." Shyvana frowned, but sighed and nodded. "How about your shoulder then? Those burns look painful.." Jarvan nodded, pulling his good hand away from his neck to push himself into a better sitting position.
"Aha!" Shyvana said triumphantly, holding Jarvan's arm as she pushed his chin aside, trying to get a good look at his neck.
"Shyvana, wait!" Jarvan exclaimed, but it was already too late. Shyvana pulled the edge of his shoulder pauldron down and lifted his chin up, getting a good look at the three shallow claw marks that ran along Jarvan's neck. They still wept blood in places, some of it dried along the edges, other marks along his neck where it had dried upon his skin. Shyvana's arms fell to her sides as she looked at the wound, her smile frozen on her face. She looked stunned as her shoulders slumped. Jarvan took the fabric from her and quickly wrapped the makeshift bandage around his neck, hiding the gashes.
"Was that..." Shyvana began, her voice wavering almost silently. Tears began to well in her eyes as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth. "Did I..?" She looked to Jarvan, but he couldn't meet her gaze, instead staring at the ground as he grimaced, working his shoulder about awkwardly.
"Jarvan... what happened?" Shyvana asked quietly, looking down at her hands, the blood from Jarvan's neck covering one hand with a deep crimson color.
"It was nothing." Jarvan said, shaking his head.
"Nothing!?" Shyvana said, distraught. "It looks like I nearly took your head off. I... I attacked you?"
"I... I don't know what it was. What you became..." Jarvan sat up, hunched over, nursing his shoulder. He closed his eyes as if he were recounting a bad nightmare. "You changed, blue skin and golden eyes. You were violent, and didn't seem to remember me." He paused taking a deep breath. "You knew me... but didn't." He shook his head, his shoulders slumping as he shook his head. "I don't know how to explain it."
"Jarvan..." Shyvana looked down at her hands and back up to him again. " Did I attack you?" Jarvan frowned and glanced away. "Tell me!" Shyvana said, the tears now streaming down her face. "TELL ME!" She snarled, suddenly jumping at her own words. Jarvan stared up at her as she held her hands out in front of her, looking at Jarvan with wide eyes. Jarvan stared back, unable to hide the moment of pure fear he felt when Shyvana had snarled.
"Shyvana..." Jarvan said tepidly, trying to find something he could say.
"I didn't mean that." Shyvana said, shaking her head from side to side. "I'm sorry... I..." Tears continued to streak her face, as she pushed herself away from Jarvan, her feet getting beneath her as started to move away. She jerked to a halt as Jarvan grasped her hand.
"Let go!" Shyvana begged, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Jarvan. "I don't want to hurt you! Not again!"
"Please..." Jarvan croaked as he looked up at her from beneath his dark hair. Tears burned his eyes, and the blood and dirt that streaked his face left him in a state Shyvana never expected to see him in. "I can't lose you too... not again, not after losing Isaacs." His voice trailed off as Shyvana collapsed to her knees, Jarvan's hand still engulfing hers.
"Jarvan..." Shyvana said softly as her face fell, tears blurring her vision.
"Please..." Jarvan said, his hand now trembling. "I can't let you go, Shyvana, I won't let you." His voice cracked as he let out a half choked sob that should have been a strained chuckle.
"But I..." She struggled to hold the tears back.
"But nothing!" Jarvan said, shaking his head as he pulled her into his arms and wrapped her up in a firm hug. "Shyvana, I love you." Shyvana's heart fluttered for a few moments before she finally broke down into tears, wrapping her arms around Jarvan and returned the firm hug he had wrapped her in.
Shyvana finally broke the silence, wiping tears from her cheeks. She met Jarvan's gaze and smiled, her eyes sparkling with the tears of joy that she wept. "I know." She said and blushed furiously. She looked to the ground, but when she looked back up at Jarvan, she wore a broad smile that had spread into her violet eyes. "I love you too." Jarvan kissed her deeply, emjoying her spicy taste and the heat that radiated from her body. Shyvana wrapped her arms around his neck and let her hands get tangled in his hair. Jarvan regretted having to relinquish Shyvana's embrace, but she pulled back, looking Jarvan up and down.
"Ow." Jarvan mouthed, as Shyvana pushed herself up.
"I really did a number on you, didn't I?" She said sheepishly, inspecting the damage.
"You're telling me..." Jarvan said, wincing as Shyvana ran her fingers over the parallel scars on his neck. Shyvana looked hesitant for a few moments, but Jarvan held her in his arms and refused to let her go. "I don't care though. I have no regrets about this, none at all." Shyvana refused to meet his gaze, but Jarvan pulled her chin up and forced her to look into his eyes. "That thing, whatever it was, wasn't you."
"It was me though." Shyvana said, a frown marring the beauty of her face. "Something dark and dangerous dwells within me."
"I have defeated many a beast." Jarvan said, a cocky grin forming on his face. "And with you by my side, I have claimed the greatest prize of all..." Shyvana looked at him quizzically, but Jarvan tapped her chest with a smile. "Your heart." Shyvana blushed but buried her face in his neck, drawing him into another embrace. She lifted her head after several long moments of Jarvan stroking her hair.
"That very first night..." Shyvana said shaking her head from side to side, tears threatening to spring forth from her eyes like a well. "In the tavern where we met Quinn." Shyvana paused, her voice becoming small. "I had been prepared to become a trophy, just another kill for you to display if you raped me, if it meant killing Kampf." She wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she spoke so unguardedly. Jarvan wore a blank expression, his mouth hanging slightly ajar. Shyvana saw this and a smile crept onto her face as her chin fell and she let her eyes drift closed as she leaned up against him. "But you refrained. You were kind and gentle to me. I had been ready to hate you and resent humans like I had always before, but you proved me wrong, Jarvan Lightshield."
"Shyvana, I..." Jarvan's voice failed him and he gulped heavily as his chest rose and fell in an emotion laden sigh. Shyvana opened her hands, looking at her fingers, then looked up to Jarvan's neck where the scars showed Shyvana's mark. She shivered at the thought that she had come so close to harming Jarvan, opening and closing her hands several times.
"Growing up it was just my father and I." Shyvana said slowly, starting to speak before Jarvan had the opportunity. "There was no one else that I could trust, no one I could turn to. When I met you, I expected the worst - just another human, greedy, angry, and demanding." She shook her head as she tugged on a few locks of her long red hair. "You were the opposite though, you genuinely seemed to care about me. You fed me, treated my wounds, cleaned me up..." Color flooded her cheeks at the memory of that. "I was in your debt for so many things, but none of that mattered to you. You cared about me, and for that, for the life you've given me, the life you want to give me..."
"Shyvana, I know." Jarvan said softly, letting her slide her hands into his. "And you know what?" He grinned sheepishly at her. "I'd do it all again for you." Shyvana blushed, but leaned over and kissed him.
"Thank you." She said softly, letting the warmth linger on her lips for a few moments. "But now..."
"We can't let Kampf escape. Not again." Jarvan said, nodding.
"But how?" Shyvana said, grimacing. "You're in bad shape."
"There should be another health potion left over from what Isaacs gave us." Jarvan said, gesturing towards the ruined arena. "Hopefully it's still intact." Shyvana nodded and pushed herself to her feet, letting her hand linger in Jarvan's for a few moments. She moved quickly as the snow and wind caught her off guard, stepping out of the shelter of the boulder. She ran toward the ruins of the arena and scanned the ground, looking for the small burlap bag the potions had been in.
She bent over, picking some rocks up and sliding them aside, digging through where she had seen a corner of the heavy wool blanket. She wrapped the corner around her hand and tugged on it, pulling it free of the rubble. Shyvana tumbled to the ground as the blanket came loose from the large slab of stone that lay a on top of it. She frowned as she knelt and dug around, looking through the stone. A smile blossomed on her face as she pulled the bag out of the rubble.
She held the bag up and her heart fell, the smile turning to a look of disappointment. Ruby red liquid dripped from the bottom of the bag. Glass tinkled within as she lowered her arms to her side, staring down at the bag. She shook her head and opened the bag. Inside, broken crystal and the sweet sticky scent of the potions wafted out, and she frowned. She knelt and emptied the broken glass out, frustration causing her hands to tremor, when something heavy hit the stone. She looked down, a ruby red crystal vial gleaming in the dim light. A snowflake settled on the bottle as if it were guiding Shyvana's hand. A smile spread on her face as she grabbed the bottle and bounced back towards Jarvan.
"Find something?" Jarvan asked, watching as Shyvana nodded happily. She looked around on the ground then bent down to pick up Jarvan's water bottle before kneeling down and setting it next to him. She looked up at Jarvan, as he used a hand to stifle the blood flowing from his nose, his face pale.
"Jarvan, what happened?" Shyvana said, leaning down and grabbing his shoulder, shaking him slightly. "You look as if you've seen a ghost." Jarvan blinked several times and tried to hide the blood pouring from his nose as he closed his eyes and let his head hang back.
"You're not wearing pants still." Jarvan said, casting a wayward glance down at Shyvana. She glanced down and then back up, realizing exactly what she had just done. Shyvana's face turned the same shade as her hair for several moments, while she stared at the ground, mortified. She hid her face behind her bangs for a moment, one hand tugging the tunic down over her legs and the other hiding her face as her gaze bored into the ground. After a few moments, she looked up at Jarvan, her eyelashes fluttering as she met his gaze, her face still burning bright red.
"If you want... you can look some more." She said sheepishly, getting a rise out of Jarvan, sending him into a fit of coughing.
"I don't think my heart could take that!" He choked out the words and sat up, blood still dripping from his nose as color flooded his face. He gripped his chest in mock horror as a smile crept onto his face. Shyvana's horror turned to surprise and then became a flushed smile.
"I can fix that." She said coyly, causing Jarvan to blush again and glance away. Shyvana giggled softly, tugging the tail of her cloak down her legs. It didn't cover more than a hands width of her thighs and when she tugged on the front it rode up in the back.
"Oh?" Jarvan said, raising an eyebrow, surprised at her audacity. She held out the health potion. "Oh..." Jarvan's face fell as he shriveled his nose up at the memory of the pain the health potions had brought him, both personally and by way of Shyvana's blind rage. "That's mush less fun then what I had in mind." A smile spread on Shyvana's face and she brushed a lock of hair from her face as she looked nervously at Jarvan.
"That might have to wait till this is over." She said quietly, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.
"We have one last thing to take care of don't we." Jarvan said, looking down to the ground and sighing. He released his nose and let his shoulders sink. "We had better get this over with." Shyvana nodded and broke the top off the crystalline flask and held it up to him. Jarvan let out a sigh of resignation and accepted the bottle and then peered at Shyvana over the lip of the flask. "Cheers, love." He tipped the bottle back and drained it, shivering as it slithered down his throat. Jarvan gripped Shyvana's hand like an iron vice as she gave him a smile.
Shyvana clasped his hand in both of hers and held it firmly, looking at him with brave eyes. "I'll see you on the other side."
Jarvan smiled at his mirrored words before the pain contorted his face into a mask of horror.