Chapter 4: Possession
Devour
Consume
Swallow
Ingest
Eat
Feast
DEVOUR
A voice boomed from the darkness, shocking, what seemed to be, the only inhabitant of this dark world. Its strange chant sounded as if it were a demand towards this one, white fox.
"N-No! I cannot, they're just like me now!"
The white fox retorted in an almost broken terror. For one reason or another, this fox could speak in the dark realm. Sometimes a small light would cast a see-through, transparent gloom among the solid black, and with a voice attached.
Look at you, you're a fox, not a human
You chose this path, so you must suffer the consequences
DEVOUR OR DIE
A great, powerful voice boomed through the darkness, seemingly covering up or expunging all others. After some moments, the fox grew enough courage to say one, small sentence towards the humongous entity.
"I must not, I am human…"
Sensing the fox's unwillingness to take heed to their demands, the voices began chanting threats.
We can find another if you won't
Do it "Please, we don't need to do this anymore." WEAK
How can a whelp like you be in control?
The she-fox had begun losing sway over the voices, her voice almost dissipating among the masses. They grew numerous around her, showing vast, angry colors. In the face of so much hostility, the fox shrunk back, and almost seemed to shrink herself.
"I am still me!"
Then why aren't you taking responsibility?
One last voiced protest against the voices around her left the fox breathless, as she couldn't answer the voice's one question. A great feeling of disgust and disdain, towards the fox, left her feeling threatened even more.
"Just leave me alone…"
The fox had nothing more to say, and the voices seemed to have made up their minds about what to do with her.
Face it, she's finished
You can only ask so much from an animal
Bitch should have never taken the orb if she couldn't handle it
The voices took rise to their opinions, however, one voice in the midst grew louder than them all. All stopped what they were saying to listen. Clearly, this was the strongest of them all.
Enough
If she won't bear
the burden, then
I shall
As the voice's booming stopped, its massive aura shown brighter, a deep red akin to that of spoiled blood. Fearing for herself, the fox cowered away from its power, as it continued coming closer to the middle of this fox's small, dark realm.
"Stay back!"
The fox's protests were futile, as the aura surrounded her completely, and solidified more and more, no longer as transparent as before. The light around the fox, which was her aura, shown bright as it approached, but dimmed when the two touched. The fox screamed in agony as the red met white, leaving her convulsing on her side. The red aura then became a clearer, more human-like entity. It was the face of the sorcerer, the first human she had imprisoned within the orb the witch of Ionia had bestowed upon her, so many years before.
Leave the reigns to me,
foxy.
I'm taking control from
here on out.
The fox tried to scream out in pain some more, but it was too much for her, leaving her in a silent wake of pain. The blackness seemed to become even blacker in the fox's eyes. No, it was the aura around her weakening, giving way to the darkness she felt around her soul.
She's finished, the sorcerer shall free us from her grasp
This is what she deserves anyway
Useless fox
Only an animal can be so cruel yet weak
The fox could only manage a few more words before her aura completely dissipated.
"Please…"
"Help me…"
It seemed like none of the voices within the black would come to her aide, but why should they? It's all her fault they were no longer within their bodies, but inside this God forsaken orb instead. They should only feel hatred for her. But one voice didn't agree with this assessment.
Don't worry
"Hello?"
The random voice, within the throng, seemed to surge the fox with new found strength, and almost took away her pain entirely from just two normal words.
You're not evil, I can feel your remorse
It gave the fox reassurance, and filled her with a loving feeling, as if the voice was a beloved friend.
"Did I not kill you? Why aren't you angry at me?"
Everyone deserves a second chance, especially the ignorant
The fox's question was simply her inner conscience's turmoil demanding a reason for her existence to continue. It had received a good enough answer that time, but it needed another before it could trust this stranger.
"You'd help a murderer?"
I would help someone who needed it
"…"
The fox not only grew stronger, but the helpful voice did as well. An orange aura began combining with the fox's, filling her with goodwill and power. With that last answer, the fox's spirit was suddenly more vigorous than it had been in a long time, enabling her to stand up against the tirade above her. The white aura that was her soul also grew brighter, seeming to drive away the red face beating down upon it. Standing against the evil red in defiance, the fox looked up into the eyes of her aggressor.
"Away with you, sorcerer of Noxus. I am still in control."
The sudden influx of spiritual strength from the fox stunned the sorcerer, losing him even more ground than before. Enraged, he turned towards the source of the orange aura, the one who had spoken in favor of the fox.
Why would you help the one who had killed you?
Has she bewitched you even here?
She is a natural spirit, and I believe in the good within her. I
sense none of that goodwill within you, as you are only a sick
being of greed and arrogance. None should stand by as you
force your will upon those you believe to be below you.
You are afraid of death, coward
These words brought a moving meaning to the crowd around the fox, changing even the most stalwart of minds throughout the mass of voices. Maybe they were wrong about the fox, it wasn't her fault that she's the way she is now. If it had not been for the unholy act of the sorcerer, trying to bind nature to his will, then she would have lived out her days as a sly fox of the wild. This realization swayed some of the braver voices to action.
I believe this man is right
We were wrong to judge an animal so viciously
Leave her alone sorcerer, your time should have ended long ago
And thus, the collective effort of the voices pushed towards the sorcerer, binding his will deeper into the abyss they currently resided in. This was the last effort needed to tip the balances towards the favor of the fox. One last moment before the face of the blood red aura fully dissolved, he looked back at the fox.
Someday, I'll take control of you foxy, and you won't be able to stop me then
Not even with the help of others
With those last words said, the red aura disappeared from view, and the fox was once more alone. Even the orange aura of the nameless man that had helped her was nowhere to be found. The fox looked down at the ground in exhaustion, and when she opened her eyes again, her paws had been replaced with hands. Her current body had taken precedent in this realm of the spirits, marking a large change of style for where she was. The 9-tailed fox's aura then faded out, and it seemed like she was the last one left in this cold, dark world of sadness. That was until, she finally woke up.
Writer's note - (Sorry for the haitus guys, but it's over now! However, I'll be posting these irregularly, and chapter 4 isn't even done yet. That'll be coming soon, trust me!)
It was cold in the High Counselor's office that evening. The room was well equipped with spells of protection, purity, and a warm hearth for comfort. These things did not comfort the High Counselor though. All he felt was cold.
"Where is it? I could not have left it out! I had it here, in a place that only I can find!" The wizard was muttering to himself in an irritated drone, all the while checking hiding spots, peeling back illusions, and revealing even more hidings spots within the confines of his office. "It couldn't have been moved by anyone but myself, otherwise..." That last thought left him to ponder a moment, and he hesitated in his search. "Don't go being paranoid Heywand, so it's probably nothing, you've just misplaced it a while ago..." He waved a dismissive hand towards the places he was looking through, but then a fear gripped his heart.
The wizard paced back over to his desk, a large, mahogany, chiseled set. Ancient in its own right, its existence spanned much longer than the current High Counselor's life. High Counselor Heywand Relivash slammed his fists on the surface of the antique with anger behind the blow. "I could not have misplaced it, it's my most important documents! Absolutely no one can see them but me!" The rage had built up past a boiling point within the old wizard, his fear taking hold of him. "If anyone finds out about what I've been doing..." Heywand thought to himself of the consequences.
The sigils and protections around him made him feel the opposite of safe. They felt constrictive. Stone walls surrounding him suddenly gave the impression of a prison, and the grey seemed bleak and oppressive. Relivash was bordering insanity, "Someone has stolen them, I know it!", and then a devious plot had entered his mind, "Wait, I know! I can use a possession spell to seek out the thief's location, then I'll silence him before he can say a word of it! Anyone with knowledge, that they've taken what belongs to me, shall not escape this charm." Reaching down into his desk, Heywand pulled out a slender tube containing some black powder. Pouring the contents out onto his desk, the wizard then began chanting the words of power to himself. "Fuhrs za i'ar siahsu." Roughly translated, the spell read, "Find me the one who has taken the secrets."
The black powder began to sparkle, and the wizard could feel his soul leaving his body. After a moment experiencing a deep feeling of his soul being dragged through water, the wizard opened his eyes, as streams of light passed around him. Looking through this light, it appeared as if he had a bird's eye view of the Institute of War, and then he plunged through the ceiling into the summoner's living quarters. Searching among the many students that resided there, the wizard smiled as he found the quarry he sought, as the spell illuminated her above the rest sleeping around her. "There you are my little thief." Heywand forced his spirit back into his body, and regained awareness of his physical surroundings. "She thinks she can simply take what is mine without me knowing of it? I'll go there right now and show her what I think of this insult!" The wizard began towards the door, until it opened suddenly, no knock announcing this visitor's intrusion. The High Counselor, taken aback, questioned the nighttime invasion of his office. "Who's there? What business do you have with me?"
Blue eyes looked up at him, as the form holding the door knob had begun to slump to the ground onto its knees. The 9-tailed fox was gasping hard, her chest heaving with effort, and she looked up at the High Counselor once more. "Please... Help me..."
Saying Heywand was shocked is an understatement, as one of the champions of the League of Legends had just collapsed in the entrance to his office. "What is ailing you fair one?" Heywand had kept his composure from the random event, and made his way to give Ahri a shoulder.
"I've almost been... possessed." The fox stated with a grimace. Her eyes shown with that of a regretful sadness, not of shock from her predicament.
Heywand let out a gasp, "How could this be possible, has an intruder stolen away into the Institute without our knowledge?" The wizard's inquiry had made the 9-tailed fox give out a weak chuckle. "This is no laughing matter, you must tell me who has done this." Relivash coldly demanded a straight answer.
"No, no mere man has tried to possess me, but the spirit of one did. One of the ones I have taken from long ago, the first to be exact." Ahri weekly explained in Relivash's arms. This made the wizard take pause, all of his plans and dealings suddenly didn't hold precedent in his mind, and his attention was focused on one question.
"Whose soul did it belong to?"
"You know of him as the black mage of Noxus, Cael Erebos."
Terrible news; awful news. One of the greatest sorcerers of Heywand's time has almost succeeded in taking control of a champion under his protection. Cael Erebos, a name he hadn't heard in so long. Why did he have to resurface at a time like this, when he needed to retrieve his records? "This is awful news my lady, I shall see what I can do to prevent this from happening again." With that said, Heywand had helped her up to a chair near the edge of the hearth.
"Thank you for your kindness Counselor." The 9-tailed fox gracefully showed gratitude towards Relivash. At the moment, she had felt no one else in the world could help her solve this problem, any better, than the High Counselor himself. The hearth had given her the greatest feeling of warmth she had felt in days. Joining the League of Legends had given her hope that the sucking feeling within her heart would stop once she had gained enough life essence. But absorbing solid souls is a completely different matter compared to just the mere life essence of another champion. The orb hungered, and she feared it. Only that one, beautiful soul had stopped her from utter domination. It chilled her greatly, and the hearth stopped giving her comfort when she thought of it again.
On the left side of the office, opposite of the hearth, a large array of private books were lined up on shelves. The High Counselor's book sets held the deepest, and most forbidden magicks known to magekind. "Possession is a touchy subject my dear, as a spell would need to strengthen the soul itself, and that requires powerful magic indeed. First a soul must be strong in its own right for it to work at all." The High Counselor spoke softly to the 9-tailed fox, as he ran his fingers over many different spell tomes. "I don't think you'll have that problem though."
Titles gave hope, but little substance to what he actually needed. "Let's see, 'Master's Grimoire', no, that wouldn't help. Maybe 'Librarium Volatlile'? That was just spells of violence, I remember now. How about 'Manuscripts of the Daemon'? Anything spirit related was mentioned as daemons in the past, not now, however..." One particular tome stood out among the crowd of his private library. "Now what are you?"
With dark purple staining, this particular tome had seen many better days, alluding to have been a deep blue many years ago. 'Pertaining to the Nature of Soul Custody.' This was the one, Relivash was sure of it. "Let me see, I think I've found something that can help you here Miss fox." The wizard gave Ahri reassurance as he turned towards her with the tome in hand. Raising the dusty hardcover upwards, the familiar crinkle of paper began, and the smell of old glue wafted into the air. 'Assorted writings by Toci'l Erebos' was the author heading within. Heywand began laughing aloud to himself.
"What is it, did you find a novel of gags?" The 9-tailed fox seemed irritated at the sudden upstart of cheerfulness.
"No, it's just that I think I've found a tome written by one of Cael's ancestors. It seems they want to help us be rid of him as well!" This made Ahri's ears perk up, and she too, smiled.
"Let's see, here." The wizard pointed out a particular section, speaking of protection against possession, within the table of contents. "Allow me to see if anything in here will help you."
Sitting down behind his office desk, Relivash begun pouring through the tome's many secrets, hidden within the chapter that had caught his eye. After a time, one spell made him stand up in triumph. "Yes, this one, I am sure of it." Getting up from his desk, he marched over to the chair Ahri resided in, and showed her the page he was on. "Right here, it's a spell that will strengthen your resolve in the face of this power, allowing you to control it for a massive stretch of time. This, I believe, should work for the rest of your life!"
This gave a light of confidence inside the 9-tailed fox's eyes. "That's wonderful news High Counselor! Thank you for your efforts."
"Don't thank me yet, I still have to cast the spell." With that said, Heywand set down the tome on his office desk next to him, so that he may read from it while he faced the 9-tailed fox. Spreading out his arms, he began to recite the spell. "Buhrs su raisr a su suui'asus sa sil uhssuhrph, i'ars rssurphsur silrus." The translation would read out, "Bind the souls of the defeated to thy bidding, and strengthen thyself." However, Relivash had not ended with that, but added a last line of his own choosing. "Ti'ahu sil suhu, uh sil'r surasu i'auhsr, i'ars ursr uhr zarrurruharh." The second line would read, in Runeterrean, as, "Take thy life, if thy's resolve fails, and ends in possession."
And so, it was finished. The words of power had created a faint white circle, out of thin air, around the 9-tailed fox. Slowly, it began to shrink around the fox, until it met skin, and shone as it touched. This was brief, however, and seemed to become one with her skin. "And now you should be safe my dear. I can understand that you may be stressed by the events you've suffered tonight, but I recommend that you get some rest." The wizard's warnings were met with a smile.
"Thank you High Counselor, for all that you've done." Slowly, she got up on her own, able to stand without being shaky. It was as if she had become well rested all of a sudden. "I'll do just that." Nodding as she said this, the fox had walked over to the door, opened it, and said her goodbyes as she closed it behind her.
None of this boded well for the wizard. "I had to do it. I'm sorry my dear, but I had to." Saying this with sullen eyes he had been hiding from her, he looked down at the ground in thought. "If I didn't leave a safeguard in place, he could come to life again. I can't allow that." The guilt he was feeling was taking rise within him. The black days of a runic war, years ago, was led with dark magic, and suffering. Cael Erebos was at the head of that suffering when it came to the war. If his kind of power were allowed to walk Runeterra once more, the entire balance of peace the world has experienced, all of it could be tipped so easily. The last line of the spell was meant to kill the body of the possessor. If she had shown any signs of losing herself to him, she would no longer be alive.
But he didn't feel too guilty. It would be like killing two birds with one stone. Two murderers dead at the same time, would be more than worth the sacrifice. Besides, he was certain that the strength of his spell was more than enough to keep Cael Erebos at bay. The powerful magic of the orb the 9-tailed fox possessed is much stronger than even he, not to mention the spell he had just cast contained his spirit entirely. The artifact, the spell, and the life essence Ahri is obtaining should be more than enough to keep the souls under control now. Just as long as Ahri stays within the League of Legends, she should be safe. This gave comfort to his guilt, and Heyward then turned his focus to his own problems.
"Now where were we young interloper...?"
It's been many years since Relivash's fall from power. His scandal was revealed that night, by the young woman who had stolen his personal manifests, proving his dealings with mercenaries buying magically enchanted weapons from him. This had seen him removed from the position of High Counselor, personally by the High Council of Equity. Ahri thought of the events that had occurred that night, so many years ago. But she did not understand why. Remembering Cael's face sent chills down her spine, but then she also recalled the spell that removed his ability to possess her. Thinking of this always gave her strength when facing the souls at night.
Ahri had never actually dreamt by normal means. All of the images, that passed through her mind, resided in that dark realm. Every night, she could watch their past lives, as if they were on a crystal viewing screen. She had grown particularly fond of a young farmer she had seduced years ago, watching as a third party, through all of his past moments he had spent with his betrothed. The love the two shared gave her mixed feelings. First of all, sadness that she had taken this beautiful life away from him. Second, a longing for her to have this kind of relationship as well. It was only human for her to think this way, and not far from animal as well. Animals are more well-known to be more capable of love anyway.
She's witnessed hundreds of lives, going about their day to day work. Their lives seemed bleak and uninteresting, but to an animal, they were wonderful. Ahri cherished every moment, feeling as if she were one of them, working to live as a human being. It's all that she ever wanted, to be human. But she hadn't known that it was never her choice to do as she had. It's what kept her up so many nights, filled her with so much terror. That guilt that she had killed so many of what she wanted to become. In truth, she never wanted to kill any of them. It was the orb that had filled her with that urge to consume.
But in the end, the blame was all hers, and she didn't know that at all. Being an innocent fox, she believed all of the actions she had taken were hers alone. Now she carried the burden of those intense choices, to produce more life essence for the orb to be satiated. It wasn't that bad as it was years ago, as she had nothing but the essence to protect her from being consumed herself, and it had been proven to not be enough. She didn't want to think about it any longer. Her new life had begun, and she looked around herself in wonder.
She was standing inside her very own apartment. This was no one else's, but hers. The thought was new to her. Ahri was used to taking things, used to taking souls, used to taking space in the Institute. However, this was a paid for accommodation, where she was completely alone. No more heralds bothering her, and no more High Counselors she could go to for help. She was on her own, but always under the careful watch of Piltover's finest. The 9-tailed fox could feel this burning sensation, that unyielding sense of true freedom, coursing through her veins. Is this what it felt like? To be truly, human? Or was that her animalistic understanding of being let off a leash? She didn't care, it made her feel wonderful!
Looking around her, she could find anything that she could possibly want to do. Board games were set out on the table, artistic equipment was left out in the middle of the loft, and a doorway next to her led to a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in. The last of which, was the most tempting to her. The sun was beginning to set, and her mind was feeling hazy. Ahri had decided to head to bed for the night.
A special pedestal was setup by the 9-tailed fox's new bed. On top of it was her faithful orb, summoned by her thoughts. The blue luminescent ball was fluctuating with different, deep, shades of the same color. Unlike most of the nights she had spent lately, it seemed like this one would be the least stressful. Her new life, had after all, just begun.
Lifting up the blanket and sheets, Ahri slipped under them with her nightgown on. Resting her head on the pillow, she faced the direction of the orb before closing her eyes. Thinking of that fateful night again, she remembered that brave soul that had risked its being to protect her. Beautiful, gorgeous Amesh. The wonderful, kind Amesh. For a moment, the orb shown with an orange brilliance. Ahri smiled.
End Chapter 4
