Chapter 4.

Quinn swallowed nervously when the light flooded the room. She felt Valor gently squeeze his talons on her arm to reassure her. A second later, she felt herself seized by an invisible hand and her feet left the ground. She closed her eyes while a familiar but unpleasant shiver went through her body. For a second, the wind roared in her ears. It ended as fast as it began. Her feet touched the ground again and she opened her eyes on the purple base of Summoner's Rift.

It took her a moment to regain her senses and mechanically ensure that her companions were all here. A few seconds later, they regrouped around Garen.

"We will start cautiously, harassing them and tiring them out gradually," he ordered. "Their team has great potential but what will miss them is cohesion. Try to take them one by one, keep a reasonable distance, do not approach unnecessarily."
He looked at them.

"Our setting does not play to our advantage, but we can win if we fight as a team and help each other. Darius will definitely take the top lane, as he is accustomed to. I'll take care of him. Lux, Quinn, you ..."

"I'm going with Lux," interrupted Ezreal. "We will crush them".
Without waiting for Garen's agreement, he put an arm around the blonde's waist and led her to the bot lane.

"Hey!" Garen protested.
But the two blonde had already disappeared behind the trees.

"That arrogant brat ..."
He stopped, seeing Morgana walk away toward the middle lane.

"OK!" He sighed, annoyed.
He glanced at Quinn, the only one who stayed to await his orders.

"Come on," he said, nodding at her.

* * The sands of war * *

The light faded and Darius cast a glance at the familiar landscape around him. The blue base was covered with a thick layer of snow and the nexus tinged it with a cold glow. The trees bent under their immaculate burden and the three lanes were hidden under the white blanket.

"Snow," Talon sighed kneeling to examine the ground. "No use trying to hide in the bushes."
The trail in the snow would betray all attempts to ambush the enemy team, at least early in the game. Later, when the ground would be trampled, it would be easier to cover their footprint around the bushes.

Darius did not pay attention to the assassin, after a quick inspection of the trees lining the base, he turned to his teammates. They were individualists and would not facilitate his work, but he had already subdued worse.

"I know Garen Crowngard well enough to know how he thinks," he began. "He will assume I will take the top lane, probably alone. We're going to take him off guard. I will go bot lane with Draven."
He turned to Talon and Miss Fortune:

"I'll let you take care of Crowngard."
He then turned to Syndra who gave him a quick nod to assure him she knew what she had to do.

"Don't let them escape," Darius ordered. "Crush them whenever you get a chance. Harass them, push them to despair and they'll lose the will to fight."
With that, he nodded at them and they understood that it was time to go.

Draven did not wait for his brother's order to run into the forest. An axe in each hand, he cavorted like a kid on the slippery floor. Slowed by his heavy armor, Darius followed about ten feet behind him. He knew his tactic was risky. His axe did not give him enough stretches to fight against the enemy's marksman, probably the eagle girl for whom Luxana had come to him, but he knew that Draven would be happy to take care of her. He would ensure that her support, either Luxana or that annoying piltovian, does not interfere with his brother's work. By the time the Might of Demacia realizes his mistake and come to the counter him, his team would have had time to take the advantage. All they will have to do then would be to keep it.

A few feet after the base's limits, the pavement made way for a muddy trail covered in ice. Darius slipped twice before reaching the inner turret, barely managing to keep his balance. When he joined Draven under his team's turret, he was in a bad mood.

"It's not even started yet and you're already on edge?" The executor threw with a smirk.
Darius gave him an icy stare that did not seem to bother his brother.

"Don't tell me it's the first time you get to fight in the snow?" said Meirin's slightly mocking voice, in his mind.

"No," growled the general through their telepathic bond.

"You reassure me!"
Irritated, Darius ordered her to stop making fun of him. She knew perfectly well that he had already seen the Rift under the snow, she had invoked him.

"The hostilities have begun," announced the summoner more seriously. "Syndra pushed Morgana under her turret. And the minions are coming."

"Good!"
Draven seemed to have received the same information. He cast a glance behind them and ran out of the turret's protective halo when the minions rushed past them.

The brothers wasted no time and rushed to the wave of purple minions as soon as it came to them. They had already killed several of them when a bright flash took Draven by surprise. He narrowly avoided the light orb threw toward him. Luxana Crowngard, perfect! Exactly as planned, thought Darius. However, what he had not expected was the energy bolt that struck him hard, two seconds later, making him step back. Hardly shaken, he swung his axe with ease and did not try to suppress a smirk when he felt the wide blade mowing Ezreal down. The blonde rolled on the snow covered ground, blood splattering around him. It was not enough to kill him, however, and the piltovian stood up, holding his left shoulder in pain. Lux jumped back and threw her staff charged with magical energy, enveloping the adventurer with a protective bubble. One of Draven's axes came bouncing on the shield without hurting the blond. The spell lasted just long enough to allow Ezreal to hide under his tower. Lux backed away, throwing her Light Binding on Darius, and joined her teammate, dodging Draven's axes.

The brothers finished the last purple minions and approached the enemy turret. Without acknowledging the two defenders, Draven aimed at the tower as it decimated the last blue minions. Lux targeted him with her Lucent Singularity, forcing him to retreat to dodge the blast. Darius, who had not followed his brother into the turret's danger zone, harpooned Ezreal with his axe and pulled him away from the tower's range. Taking advantage of the surprise, he hit his opponent twice before the blond could rush back to his turret. Merciless, the Noxian leapt to his target, wielding his axe above his head, and struck him with a terrible blow which nearly split the piltovian in two. Ezreal fell dead while the turret was firing on Darius. The Noxian stepped back, taking the blows without flinching.

"You badly choose your knight, lady Luxana."
He saw with a great satisfaction the young woman bite her lips and turn pale. It was pleasant to taunt her; she showed more reaction than her brother. In response, Lux concentrated her magic in front of her.

"Demaciaaaah!"
The beam of light shot out like a laser.

"What!"
Draven jumped out of reach, launching one of his axes ono the young woman as a defense. Darius had less luck. He stepped to the side to dodge, but not fast enough. The beam struck him in the side. He rolled in the bushes, left arm and shoulder severely burned under his white-hot armor. Gritting his teeth, he straightened himself, leaning on his axe. Draven carried on assailing Lux, throwing his axes on her one after the other. He seemed to handle the situation.

"I recall," announced Darius.
No need to dwell with his wounds while his brother had the advantage upon the Demacian. Draven showed no sign of having heard, but Darius knew his summoner had given him the message. He took cover and let Meirin recall him to his base. A bluish flash later, he found himself at the blue fountain. He could immediately feel its healing power ease his pain and soothe his burns, healing his bruised flesh.

"Meirin, report."

"Hey, I'm not one of your soldiers," replied the summoner. "Everything is going well. Quinn managed to kill Talon but Miss Fortune gets to keep Garen at bay. Syndra and Morgana are still shoulder to shoulder and ... Ha, Draven just killed Lux. We have a slight advantage."

"Good!"
His wounds healed, Darius stepped out of the fountain. At the same time, Talon appeared near him, coming out of nowhere. He seemed particularly annoyed, probably because he had just been killed. He vanished in silence.

"Send me back, Meirin," Darius ordered.
The summoner chose a minion to anchor her spell and, a moment later, the Noxian General was teleported near the Violet Turret. He arrived just on time. Harassed by Ezreal, after taking several hit by Lux just before, Draven seemed on verge of exhaustion. The piltovian launched spell after spell while staying under his turret's protection.

"Coward," Darius growled, protecting his brother.

"I'd rather say I'm cautious," taunted the blond.
Ezreal had learned the lesson. Now he remained out of Darius' Apprehend's range to avoid being pulled out of his security zone once again. It annoyed Darius even more.

While Darius undertook to stop most of the piltovian's spells, Draven concentrated his last forces on the minions. When they were all killed, the brothers aimed their attacks at the turret. It took an effort to Darius not to throw himself on Ezreal. His axe had scarcely touched the tower when a ball of light shot out to him before exploding, forcing him to retreat. Lux came under the turret to support Ezreal.

"You come just on time to see a genius at work, babe," threw the piltovian arrogantly.
Focusing his magic in his amulet, he formed an arc of energy in front of him before throwing it at the two Noxian. Meirin used her flash spell to put Darius out of reach, into the bushes. The general turned in time to see his brother on the ground, raising one arm to the sky before it falls back, not moving.

Darius' anger flared. Few people knew it, but the two brothers were much closer than they let the others see and Darius was still bound by his promise to protect his younger brother. No one could take down Draven and escape safely. Not in front of him, anyway. This damned piltovian was going to pay.

Clenching his jaw, he tightened his grip on his axe and gave a look full of hatred and threats to his newfound target. Ezreal seemed to realize it because Darius was pleased to see him pale. Few champions found favor in the Noxian General's eyes. For him, they were a bunch of cowards and weakling whose only interest was to be crushed in the Fields of Justice for Noxus' glory. The only ones to stand out were Garen and Luxana Crowngard, Jarvan Lightshield, Swain, of course and, to a lesser extent, Katarina du Couteau. The others were only a bother which did not deserve his time. But among them there was one whose mere presence was enough to really make his hackles rise, and it was this poor excuse of a sorcerer. Ezreal, the so-called genius, as proud as a peacock, behaving as if the Institute belonged to him, strutting like a victorious general in the halls, courting every girl in sight as if he was the only worthy man in Runeterra. His only glory was the unfortunate discovery of a cursed amulet in a dusty tomb, nothing worth of interest!

One could believe that someone living with Draven could forgive any excesses of arrogances, but it was not the case. The difference was that Draven was acting. It was all part of the character he had created as a child to protect himself from the harshness of Noxus' streets. Ezreal, however, was convinced that the world was waiting for him. It was time to get him back on earth! And that's exactly what Darius intended to do.

With a cruel smile, Darius rushed on the piltovian, forcing the passage under the turret. Ezreal did not wait for him and flee without thinking. Throwing his axe forward, Darius grabbed him before pulling the blond towards him. Ezreal jumped to escape, but the flat of the axe struck him hard, throwing him to the ground. Darius walked on the blond to finish him when a light curtain suddenly closed upon him, preventing him from advancing further. Lux emerged from bushes twirling her staff. She threw it to Ezreal to wrap him in a protective bubble before joining him. At the same time, Light Binding vanished; releasing Darius, and the Noxian immediately threw his axe at the two blonds. Ezreal jumped to the side to dodge and the axe snatched Lux. The petite blonde let out a cry of surprise mixed with fear when she felt herself drawn back, into Darius' clutches.

"Ez!" She cried, distraught.
The piltovian looked at her for a moment before running away.

"Sorry, babe, question of priority," He called over his shoulder.

"Ezreal," Lux shouted incredulously.
But the adventurer had already disappeared, returning to the base to heal his scratches.

"Looks like your shining knight give more value to his life than yours," said a deep voice in the girl's ear.
Lux shuddered involuntarily and it was not from the cold.

"What a disappointment it should be."
She did not have time to think about it. A moment later, Darius freed her from his grasp before finishing her with a powerful strike of his axe. While the world dissolved into a gray mist around her, Lux could see the Noxian rush to the defenseless turret. A terrible collapsing sound reasoned, signaling the fall of the turret. Then the darkness took her.