"So, what do you think those bits of cargo we saw at the dock were?" Shyvana asked, making sure to lower her voice.

"No clue, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say whatever boat they came from is long gone. Whoever attacked the Demacian ship, they were very well prepared. You can give any idiot a pistol and he'll do decently, but not a whole lot of people can learn the dead arts." As they pushed open the doors to the mess hall, the room went silent and both let out a tired sigh. "This whole 'Look, a dragon!' thing is getting old."

"Well sorry I'm a dragon," sniffed Shyvana.

"Didn't mean it like that."

"Hehe, yeah, I know. More importantly, you know how you and Jarvan found me close to Noxus?"

"Yes. I believe it was near the tip of the Ironspike Mountains."

"Mmhm. My dad hid us there because no one wants to be between Noxus and Zaun. Other than a few envoys and merchants, we didn't have to worry about being bothered."

"I never understood that about you northerners. I get that Noxus is rather savage, but that's nothing compared to the tribes in the Shurima. Are they really that bad?" At the far end of the hall, several serving maids stood over meats, soups, and other meal items. Walking over, Shyvana wordlessly pointed for an extra large helping of beef. The maid paled and didn't argue.

"Honestly, I have no idea," replied Shyvana. "My father and I just used that fear as a smokescreen, that's all. I do know that they're the only two cities which legalize necromancy. Why do you call it the 'dead arts?'"

They took a seat at the furthest table, away from prying eyes and curious ears. "Where I'm from, the dead arts, or necromancy, I suppose, isn't necessarily a bad thing. It is a way to commune with spirits, both the dead ancestors of our families and the primordial spirits that reign over nature. I know the League banned it, but it's not as if too many officials come down the Great Barrier."

"So you know necromancy?"

"A bit. I was never a master but I talk to the twin spirits in my kris when I'm in serious trouble. You saw me summon them to fight that dragon. If I can summon two legendary wolves, I can summon the dead. The concept isn't that different, as long as the dead haven't moved on from this plane of existence."

"I see. You should let Lux and Jarvan know. You did promise to help after all."

"I will when I see them next." Finishing their meal, the two left the cafeteria to find Jarvan.


"Welcome, Lady Crownguard," rumbled Galio, his stony form cracking into a sliver of a smile.

"Hey, Galio. I thought I told you to just call me Lux. We are fellow champions after all."

"Yes, you did, Luxanna. You'll have to excuse my stone head." She visibly cringed at the use of her full name. "A certain officer arrived with your seal. He asked to deliver some cargo to the labs for study. It stank of death..." His voice trailed off as he handed back her seal.

"I talked to J4 earlier and it seems I'll be busy again," she sighed. "It looks like necromancy was used so I need to gather evidence and purify the cargo."

"I wish you luck," he said in a rumbling drawl, turning his gaze forward once more in a watch that broke only for the summons of the League.

As usual, she turned heads as she stepped into the college grounds, professors and students alike marveling at the return of such a celebrated alumnus. An old, white haired man waved her over and with a mental groan, she complied.

"Hello, Professor Thorndike," she said in her best politician's smile.

"Miss Luxanna Crownguard, hello. How good of you to visit your old instructor." He vigorously shook her hand as she tried her best to remain cordial. Turning to his current students, he said, "Allow me to introduce you to the sole daughter of the Crownguard house. She is my best student and the youngest woman to graduate from the College of Magic at the tender age of sixteen. I do hope you all will learn from her example."

There's a damn good reason I rushed to graduate asshole, she thought. Seeing the discomfort of his students, she said, "It was a great pleasure, professor, but I am not here for simple pleasantries. I was given an order by Prince Jarvan to analyze and purify the recovered cargo of a Demacian vessel that had gone missing. If you will excuse me, I must attend to the business of the state." With a quick bow and a slip of the tongue so only the students could see, she trotted off to the lab.


Jarvan sat alone in his chambers, lights dimmed with the subtle flow of music from recordings of a certain Maven of the Strings. He would do this when he had to think and there was much to consider. Noxus and Zaun... Two constant thorns in my side. Could one of the city states be responsible? It wouldn't be strange for there to be a few rogue necromancers, but how many are strong enough to sink a diplomatic vessel? The DSS Excursion was a mark of peace between the Avarosan and Demacia; how much is it going to cost us to recover? And what of Kalamanda? I'll have to organize a negotiation party there too. He sighed and slumped forward, allowing himself the briefest respite until he heard a knock at his door.

"Enter." In came Shyvana and Eniah, looking around at the lavish room and seating themselves near the fireplace.

"Is your room always so dark?" Shyvana said.

"Usually no, but I like to think while listening to music."

"Mmm. Sona, right? I think you told us about her sometime."

"Yes. Why are you here?"

"What? Friends can't visit?" quipped Eniah.

"You can, but neither of you are much for idle conversation."

"True. We came to tell you that I can preform necromancy. Apparently, that's a big deal to you."

"W-wait what? You're a necromancer?" Jarvan stood abruptly, throwing his chair to the ground. "Who were you trained by? Noxus? Zaun? When?"

"Calm the fuck down Jarvan," Shyvana growled.

"Let me explain. What you call necromancy is called the dead arts among the Serigala. Necromancy is the art of communing with dead souls, sometimes raising them to do your bidding. Because the Serigala believe that ancient spirits of nature were once beasts and men who rose to near godhood, we make no distinction between the shamanism that lets us commune with our ancestors and natural spirits and the necromancy you know."

"Why haven't you said this before?"

"Since the League doesn't hold much power beyond the Barrier, I never realized it was such a big deal to you northerners. Sure the dead arts can be dangerous and destructive, but so can any other form of magic. I'm no expert, but I can understand basic runes. We were there when Lux picked up the cargo because she was giving us a tour of the pier district."

"So I heard. And do you have something to tell me about them?"

"Only that the more sinister spirits were summoned in the battle. I don't recognize the spirits summoned by Noxus or Zaun, but if you want me to study them, I might pick up something."

"Alright, thank you for telling me. Is there anything else I should know?"

"I suppose you may as well meet them while we're talking about spirits." With that, Eniah closed his eyes, his hands on his kris, as an ominous aura filled the room. He slowly drew his blades as the metal seemed to evaporate, only leaving the rusty red and jade green of the two runes behind. Slowly, the black and white handles distorted to form two wolves with their respective runes marking their foreheads. The tips of their mane and ears were dyed in the same color as their respective runes. Jarvan instinctively stepped back, reaching for his lance. The two wolves merely looked on in amusement and nuzzled Shyvana.

"You saw me call them once before when we chased the dragon."

"You called that technique Last Solace. They weren't just bursts of mana in wolf form then," he said between deep breaths. The air had thickened with the heaviness of despair.

"Meet Freki and Geri; their names mean 'greed' and 'ravenous' respectively. I summon them as a last resort. They are the two chief guardians of my tribe and I am the first in centuries to be able to summon both of them."

"Well met, princeling," the two rumbled. "Until next we meet, beware the spirits." As Eniah focused once more, their shapes distorted back into the mid-sized kris.

"Well, calling them isn't too different from calling a dead soul, since they were technically just really big wolves a couple thousand years ago."

"I see. That's one hell of an introduction."

"So, should I help out?"

"Tell me then; would you be able to purify tainted items? "

"In theory, yes. These two can devour anything, including abstract concepts like souls or impurity, but I think Lux's light magic is better suited to purifying the touch of an evil spirit. If that spirit were still around, it'd be a different story though."

"If that is the case, I'd like you two to join the League of Legends. You don't have to fight for Demacia, but it will give both of you a better idea of the relationship between city states as well as more influence in interstate affairs."


A/N: Woot! Finally, the League comes into play. Next time ;) I think my chapters have gotten longer, though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. Anyways, enjoy.