Chapter 3: Journey

Riven was leaning against part of the wall of the League's central chamber, which was cavernous with its vaulted roof. It was a surprisingly colorful place, as it had been designed with large open walls revealing the magical crystals used to power nexi and other summoning tools. The warrior, however, seemed a bit ill at ease, glancing around, one foot pressed to the wall she leaned against, her sword dangling in one hand.

"Riven! Thank you for meeting me."

She lifted off the wall and turned with a respectful tip of her head to none other than Ashe. The Frost Archer offered a warm smile, and gave a similar nod.

"I must confess my concern, your majesty," Riven began with a surprisingly meek tone. "I've not spoken with you outside a match. Why did you send me a note so specifically?" Her semi-Noxian status always remained a concern at the back of her mind. Why would the matriarch of Freljord want to talk to her directly?

Ashe maintained a cordial and warm mood, her eyes and hair shimmering. "Be not concerned, Riven. I've been keeping an eye on the investigation just like Shyvana, and I… would like to be a friend to Summoner Hale. I learned Shyvana is guarding him, but I heard several disturbing rumors along with it. I heard you were partially involved, and I know you to be of noble character. I hoped we might talk?"

Riven blinked, and hoped the warmth she felt in her cheeks wasn't actually a blush (it was). She never felt noble… she desperately wanted to be, but never felt it. Not since… "I am honored, your majesty. Certainly, I will tell you all I know."

The two started to speak as they walked an idle circuit of the large chamber, Riven explaining what she had witnessed of Sylus' interrogation, and Ashe adding further background for Riven about the investigation.

"I agree with both of you, I must admit," Ashe started at last. "I don't see how Sylus could be the culprit. He believes too sincerely in the League. Especially because of the protection against death and real violence." She sighed a bit. "I am sorry he had to witness it so directly."

Riven tipped her head. "Agreed in full, your majesty."

Ashe intended to playfully remind Riven she could use her name, but both champions sensed something going wrong in the air. Not mages or summoners, they wouldn't have specific words for it, but they knew the surge of power in the air.

What truly surprised Ashe was when Riven grabbed her, shoved her to the ground, and flared her own body into a wide stance, black runes and green power erupting out of the warrior's body in the same instant.

They were engulfed in a catastrophic blast from the wall they had just been passing. Several summoners had been thrown, and the rest of the crowds in the chamber started to scream and many panic.

Dispersing smoke revealed Riven and Ashe unscathed, the archer quickly rising up with a look of controlled shock at the wall around Riven. The warrior turned to face it as well, her red eyes narrowing.

"That's the same type of blast," the warrior immediately muttered, even as League guards and high summoners came running up.

Ashe nodded, and looked around. "The center wall, between all the branching halls… I think we were just in a bad spot, Riven."

"Exactly."

(Elsewhere…)

The explosion had shaken the entire, massive building. Shyvana was up on her feet before the shaking even stopped, and Sylus was awake and shoving himself off the bed almost as fast.

"Another!?" he exclaimed.

Shyvana nodded. "From the main hall this time. With me, summoner!" she shouted, dashing out the door without her helmet.

Sylus sprinted after her without a second thought, his robes trailing.

(The main hall…)

Already talking with high summoners and attendants, as well as a myriad of other champions coming to investigate, Ashe and Riven spotted Shyvana and Sylus approaching. Ashe specifically waved them over.

Shyvana gripped Sylus' wrist before thinking about, and pressed through the crowd while she pulled him. Sylus hoped his blush was fading as quickly as it had formed.

"Your majesty, was this aimed at you?" Shyvana began instantly.

Ashe was shaking her head and starting to speak when one of the high summoners who had interrogated Sylus shot in front of the dragoness.

"Halt. Why are you bringing the suspect to the scene of the crime?"

Sylus meekly waited behind his guardian, but Shyvana's mood snapped from alert to furious in a blink. Her body had hunched, and her hands were clawing at her sides as her eyes flashed. "Suspect? For THIS!?" she snapped her left hand at the gaping chasm in the stone wall. "I've been watching him myself for the last six hours SINCE he walked out of the room WITH YOU!"

"Stand down, champion. Your cooperation with this investigation is already straining decorum!" the high summoner replied, straightening his posture.

Riven planted a hand on her face, Ashe closed her eyes, and Sylus cringed.

Shyvana had fire bleeding out of her eyes as she roared back, her voice transforming into her fully draconic, bestial snarl, "Unless you intend to arrest ME as a suspect, summoner, you will stop wasting my time. The only suspect you had was acquired by my action, and he has an alibi I can directly vouch for! Now are you going to investigate the attempted assassination of two of your champions, or are we going to bicker about jurisdiction!?"

The summoner was frustrated (as well as frightened), but another high summoner reached over, gripping his shoulder. She gave him a firm look, and he finally backed down. Shyvana nodded to the other summoner, calming, and gestured for Sylus to follow her again.

As the summoners and investigators started to work, Shyvana and Sylus finally joined Ashe and Riven.

"What actually happened?" Shyvana began fresh, her hair loose down her back.

Riven quickly listed out the relevant details, but didn't specifically mention why the two had been speaking beyond interest in the investigation.

Sylus was intrigued, "So you don't think it was aimed at yourself or Queen Ashe?"

Riven shook her head, and Ashe answered, "It's the central wall, and our meeting was fairly limited in terms of who would know it was happening. This looks like another attack on the League itself. To make it seem even more unsafe."

The summoner nodded, looking up at the damage with a thoughtful frown.

Shyvana crossed her arms, looking down at nothing with many thoughts swirling in her mind.

"And pardon the completely inappropriate personal comment, Shyvana, but your hair is quite lovely when you let it down," Ashe added with an innocent smile.

It completely broke the dragon's thoughts, and she stared at the Frost Archer while Riven controlled a giggle and Sylus looked anywhere but at the three champions.

Regaining her composure, Shyvana chose to respond, "Oh? You thought I was born with the helmet?"

Sylus' cheeks flaring was the only clue it was an inside reference, but Riven caught it. Ashe, however, giggled, shaking her head, "I've seen you in different armor on the field, Shyvana, don't worry."

Since he was trying to avoid the conversation, Sylus happened to catch two of the high summoners quickly duck around a corner. "…Shyvana?" he called, but quietly, focusing his eyes on the crater in the wall to avoid further attention.

The three champions realized he was troubled, and the dragoness faced him. "What, Sylus?"

Still not looking away from the crater, he answered, "Summoners Ikan and Ralhe just ducked out of the area around that corner to our right."

Shyvana instantly looked to Ashe and Riven, and gave the two women a nod toward Sylus. Riven nodded without a word, and then the dragoness shot through the crowd like a crimson and gray bolt. Sylus was startled, and faced the two remaining champions. "W-what's the plan?"

Riven smiled for him, "We're just making sure nothing happens to you, while she checks it out."

Sylus scratched the back of his head. "Under guard by two of the greatest champions in the League. This is starting to go to my head."

Ashe and Riven shared his mild humor while they waited for Shyvana's results.

(Around the corner…)

Shyvana found a nook around the corner, and flowed into it with surprising skill for her usually direct and blunt combat style. Neither summoner detected her arrival as they spoke in hushed voices.

"…who else could it be!?" Ralhe hissed.

"There is no reason to assume that! Not yet," Ikan whispered back instantly. "He's one of our best, and we've had no reason to doubt him since his return, and the census hasn't reached him yet."

Ralhe gave a clearly exasperated flail of her arms. "Ikan! These spells can't happen here! Not without a summoner of incalculable skill involved! And we just so happen to be directly aware of a savant summoner who did time in Valein House, and happened to rehabilitate so well, we believed he was a useful resource. Why have you not already dispatched a team to check on him!?"

"We need him, Ralhe! If we get him stuck in this investigation, we lose access to his genius! How else do you think we contained Nocturne and Brand? How do you think our fields contain void spells!? HIM, all him! We had good ideas, we had foundations, but if it wasn't for his ability to just… understand summoning matrices, we would have had half our number slaughtered before we knew Nocturne was even a threat!"

Ralhe leaned at Ikan this time, and Shyvana raised an eyebrow at the clear force and authority the woman was exerting. "Ikan, you listen, and you listen well. You will have his whereabouts on my desk by sundown today, or so help me, I will have you locked up as the prime suspect while we FIND HIM!"

Ikan growled, but nodded, subdued. The two summoners glanced around cautiously, and then hurried back to the investigation. They never saw Shyvana, even after she poured out of the shadows, and rejoined the crowd herself.

(The main hall…)

When she first returned to Sylus, Ashe, and Riven, Shyvana shook her head, and they realized something was very wrong. More investigators came over to speak with Riven and Ashe, and Shyvana made sure that Sylus was seen as an assistant to her own work in the investigation rather than a suspect. After an hour or so of this, Shyvana finally let them know it would be a good idea to retire and 'go over their findings.'

Ashe got them a private chamber in the Freljord quarters of the League building with her authority. Once it was just the four of them, Shyvana quickly relayed what she had overheard.

Sylus sat back, eyes widened. "Valein House… I had no idea we'd recovered a master summoner from that forsaken place. Those fools," he sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Riven glanced at him. "So you know of it?"

Sylus nodded. "Quite so, my lady. All summoners are made aware of it to help keep us in line. It's where you go if your mind can't handle the tasks we perform. Particularly if your mind breaks. New summoners share horror stories about the place, practically like ghost stories for children, even rumors that the League drafts some of those broken summoners to make sure champions like Nocturne and Brand have someone controlling them that won't break worse. Until now, I'd assumed that was just idiotic banter."

Ashe sighed. "So this is just a case of hubris reaping what it sows. How sadly logical. I will do what I can to make sure the summoners give this suspect proper focus, and not try to dodge the issue. If his contributions are so great, I see their perspective, but we can't let a rogue summoner run free when he's blowing up the League itself."

Riven nodded. "I'll be doing the same. I have some contacts that might know more, now that I have something concrete to work on."

Sylus looked to Shyvana. "And what of yourself, my lady?"

She was looking down into nothing again. "…Where is Valein House?"

"Neutral territory, but near Noxus. Any summoner could direct you," Sylus answered.

Shyvana stood up. "Good, then you can."

Sylus blinked, rising up as well. "…You wish me to accompany you there, my lady?"

Shyvana nodded, looking into his eyes. "Precisely so, summoner." To Ashe and Riven, she said, "We need your efforts, but I fear the League's council will try to cover this up before anything else. I want to make sure they don't have that luxury. As such, I want to go to the source. Even if it isn't this… savant summoner, we may find more there, especially if there are other instances of these… mad summoners being used by the League."

Ashe and Riven stood.

Ashe said, "I agree. It sounds like a good plan, Shyvana."

"Just send word if you need a hand," Riven added.

"My thanks," Shyvana said with a nod as Sylus bowed. "Come, Sylus. We have a journey to prepare for."

After the pair left, Riven and Ashe shared a slightly amused look.

"Partners in crime?" Riven offered.

Ashe giggled, shaking her head as they also left the room.

(Later…)

"I-I'm sure I could simply wait outside, my lady," Sylus muttered meekly. He was in casual attire himself, a tunic, jacket, slacks, and a travel pack over one shoulder. His eyes kept darting around at the various parts of Shyvana's own quarters in the League Hall.

"After a wall randomly exploded in the main chamber? Honestly, Sylus, your sense of propriety is refreshing, but we haven't the time," Shyvana's voice dryly called from the closed bathroom.

The summoner was so busy trying NOT to imagine what she was doing in the smaller room that he didn't actually react to the door opening at last. His back was to it, and he was fixedly contemplating the titles of the books in the shelves on the far wall.

"I keep a travel pack ready in case of emergency missions," Shyvana muttered, pulling a satchel out from under her bed.

Her closer, unfiltered voice snapped Sylus back to reality, and he twisted around… and froze. Again.

Shyvana hefted the satchel onto one armored shoulder, and blinked at him. Her skin was a smooth, natural human pink, if a little paler than standard, her hair was smooth and flowing in thick waves down her back, and she was clad in a surprisingly flattering suit of segmented armor from collar to toe. Two armored gauntlets were currently off her hands, slung into hooks on the back of her belt. "…Are you going to have this reaction every time I change?" she finally asked, a moue on her lips as she realized the source of his shock.

Sylus blushed violently, and twisted to the door. "N-no, sorry. I just… didn't know you could change… so much."

Shyvana giggled, not really thinking how unlike herself that was. "I can do much more than you see on the fields of justice, summoner."

This time, he smiled over his shoulder at her. "I'm learning that. I was already more than impressed. You seem to have no limits, Shyvana."

For some reason, that warm, sincere compliment made many uncomfortable things happen in her stomach, and she pushed forward. She did still smile at him, giving a little nod of thanks, but she quickly led him out of the room, and they started down the hall.

Sylus was a bit startled when they diverged from the normal path to the central Hall, ducking into a rather dimly lit side-hall.

"I want to avoid detection as much as possible," Shyvana explained. "We'll avoid using spells to travel, especially ones hosted by the League. I know the roads, as long as you know the destinations."

Sylus nodded, trying to keep up with her brisk pace. "Certainly, my lady. On foot, the nearest town on the path is Diligast. It's… hm, about a day's travel, if we truly are walking."

"Then we'll stop there to sleep," Shyvana confirmed without hesitation.

Sylus had no reason to object, though privately the idea of hiking miles straight was daunting. He'd never been much for physical exertion. Then he caught himself admiring her profile, and quickly focused ahead again.

"I must confess," he chose to say, "I never imagined I'd be going on an adventure with a champion, yet alone someone as prestigious as yourself, Shyvana."

She smirked. "Fate has a way of providing such surprises. Not terribly long ago, I would never have imagined working alongside pureblood humans so specifically."

They took a short ladder down to a service tunnel as they continued to converse.

"I imagine," Sylus agreed. "How has your opinion of plain old humans changed?"

Shyvana chuckled this time. "For the most part, it hasn't. I simply realized there were exceptions."

Sylus sighed. "I wish that was some kind of surprise, but I can't blame you. I get tired of humans myself, often enough."

She gave him an amused sidelong glance, to which he just shrugged.

A short time later, Shyvana raised a hand for silence, and Sylus made sure to actually clench his jaw against the urge to speak again lest he reveal himself to be the very fool he feared he was.

There were near the edge of the Hall's grounds, and Shyvana was checking around the corner of the doorway they had just opened to see if anyone was in the area to see them depart. Still looking out, she waved quickly for Sylus to proceed, and he hurried out, going straight for the brush across a small dirt path, hiding behind the first tree.

Shyvana joined him a moment later. "Good. I was worried I'd have to tell you to get out of sight," she 'greeted' with more of her dry humor.

Sylus giggled at this point, but didn't speak yet. He was still worried his voice would somehow be more troublesome than her own.

With a simple nod, Shyvana indicated they should continue, but through the trees. She clearly had a plan of their path, so Sylus just followed.

(Later…)

She had to be frustrated with him, he knew. The poor summoner was panting and wheezing, stumbling along almost doubled over in his attempts to keep up with her after merely two hours. He didn't actually give words to his pleading for a rest, but he knew his chorus of weakness was all too clear to the dragoness.

Shyvana finally eased to a halt, and turned to him. The summoner was holding himself up at his knees, dripping sweat from his nose, panting still, and looked up at her apologetically. He couldn't tell if her expression was purely disappointed, or sympathetic in some way.

"S…sorry… my… my lady…"

Shyvana shook her head, and came closer. "Sit," she commanded softly, pushing down on his shoulder.

He slumped to the ground, still mainly catching his breath. On instinct, the reached for his water bottle and started to take a deep gulp, but Shyvana snatched it away from him before he could really get enough into his throat.

"Slower, Sylus," she said sternly, like a parent to a child. "If you swallow it too fast you'll just vomit it back up. Sips. Take a full breath between each." She returned it.

He obeyed her command, taking a sip, a full breath in and out, then another sip. His body was begging for more, faster, but he knew she was far wiser about such matters.

With enough of his breath back to speak, he wanly smiled for her, and said, "I imagine you've never had this much trouble with a traveling companion before."

Shyvana rolled her eyes, but there was a ghost of a smile on her lips as she left her hands on her hips. "How close is Diligast to the Valein House?"

"Assuming one day for Diligast, then about two further days beyond."

I'll have to assume six days then. There's no way he'll make it to Diligast in one day, she realized to herself. Her natural annoyance at such a delay was oddly muted, she found. What was appeasing her temper so much that she could forgive this ridiculous weakness? Dismissing the troubling notion, she eased toward him by a step, and offered her hand. "Come, we must continue."

He nodded, quickly putting his water away, and gripped her hand. He was trying to stand as well, but her strength was far greater, and he was up so fast he lost balance. For Shyvana, it was obviously a none issue. She caught him, steadied him, and started to ease him back onto his feet.

Sylus' gasp of surprise at losing balance yanked a full breath of her scent into his system, however. Ashes and incense, mingled with a strangely alien and beautiful… perfume? Shyvana wouldn't wear perfume.

"Sylus?" Shyvana asked with sincere concern, her hands on his shoulders. There was a strange haze over his eyes.

He blinked abruptly, and jerked fully upright in her hands. "S-sorry, my lady! My exhaustion got the better of me. Please, lead on." He quashed the surprisingly strong urge to ask her what the source of that strangely intoxicating scent was.

Shyvana persisted, tilting her head down to find his downcast eyes. "Summoner, you're not well. Do we need to stop here for more time?"

More serious, he shook his head. "No, my lady. Forgive my delays so far. Let us proceed." He made sure to meet her eyes this time, hoping he looked stronger than before.

Her eyes were tightened, appraising his manner. He was embarrassed some how, but not in a childish way. It was a serious matter, something he was deliberately not discussing. Part of her, the suspicious part, wondered if perhaps he was somehow involved in the bombing, and this was the first chink in his innocent mask. The rest of her just didn't see it that way, however. Her gut told her he was just determined not to speak of whatever was truly troubling her. With so many things she preferred not to discuss herself, she set the issue aside.

With a final nod, she turned, and they continued.

(Further along…)

Sylus had never before had a stitch in his side from walking. What would normally have just embarrassed him was humiliating, because it was in front of someone he respected, and desperately wanted to impress. He kept his urge to groan silent, keeping a hand pressed to his aching flank, and made sure he kept marching along in Shyvana's wake. He still had to cringe periodically, but he tried to keep his breath steady and calm.

Once or twice he'd gotten another whiff of that alien scent, and he found that it somehow rejuvenated him. He felt lighter on his feet, his breath came easier, though he still ached and felt exhausted.

He started to notice it was getting darker. They weren't close enough to Diligast. He rolled his eyes at himself. He'd slowed them down far too much. He assumed Shyvana would simply march them through the night due to his error.

Shyvana stopped just a short time later, however. "We'll make camp here. It's isolated enough. No fire, however. We don't want to reveal our position unnecessarily."

Sylus let himself slump down to the ground. "…Forgive my weakness, Shyvana. I've delayed us terribly."

Shyvana waved the issue down with her hand, her eyes closing as she shook her head. He noticed that other than a faint glisten on her already flawless skin, she appeared fully alert and energized.

"You are a remarkable woman," he chose to say before he thought better of it.

She blinked at him. "Oh?"

His blush flared. "S-sorry, that was… I do mean it, but that was inappropriate to blurt out. My apologies."

Shyvana smirked, and sat down across the little clearing from him, her back to a tree, her hands clasped on one raised knee. Mildly playful, she challenged, "And how am I remarkable, young summoner?"

Still blushing, he looked down with a wan smile, saying, "Powerful, ferocious, indomitable, and always beautiful no matter what. I don't know how you manage it."

Shyvana tried to disguise her discomfort with the actual compliment by smirking off to the side. A blush was faintly tickling her cheeks, however, and she tried to focus it away. "Beautiful, you say? An odd item to add to that list."

Sylus chuckled, leaning his head back with closed eyes. "That's the remarkable part. There are several who could do any one of those things at a time. You manage all of them at once. Though, forgive me, I should have listed intelligence as well. Your mind is as sharp as your talons and fangs, my lady."

She was glad he wasn't looking as her blush had become uncontrollable, and she was now truly awkward with the conversation. That uncomfortable twisting had returned to her gut, and her armor was itching her now. "Kind words, summoner. My thanks. Now rest. We start early."

"Yes, my lady," he muttered, clearly drowsy already.

Shyvana continued to look down to the side, her expression worried. Her own behavior was becoming troublesome. Why these odd reactions to his childish remarks? Why the strange moments of pain and empathy? She shared respect with Jarvan, but had never felt these odd moments. Why was she doting on this little weakling in the first place? Why was he even on this journey with her? Wouldn't she do better alone?

Glancing at the likely already asleep summoner, she cringed faintly. His peaceful expression as he rested somehow caused a reaction in her as well.

She quickly stood up, and looked away, forcing her eyes out to watch the surrounding woods. Or so she told herself.

(Morning comes…)

"Wake up, summoner. We've much ground to cover."

Sylus tried to snap himself awake, but even as they packed their food supplies and started off, he was shaking fog from his head. It took him about half an hour of walking to really become fully aware in the early light. That was when he noticed Shyvana seemed a bit taxed. Nothing great, of course, but she seemed worn in a way he'd not seen yesterday.

"Shyvana, are you well?"

She gave a glare over her shoulder. "Don't start projecting your weakness onto me!"

Sylus jerked, stuttering his steps from her sharp and vehement retort. He swallowed thickly and kept his eyes down as he continued to move, not eager to nettle her nerves again.

Shyvana groaned, rubbing her forehead. "…Pardon me, Sylus. I'm not in a proper mood for small talk this morning. Let's just carry on."

"Of course, my lady," he said quickly. It did allow him ease a bit, but he was more seriously concerned for her sake. Something was clearly on her bad side.

Shyvana kept leading, but her face was etched with dark frustration. She hadn't slept. Granted, it was her job to keep watch anyway, but she'd never bothered waking Sylus so she could take her share of rest. Too many disturbing thoughts swirled in her skull to rest properly. Why had she brought him along? What point was there to it? She could have easily gotten directions from him and left him guarded at the Demacian hall.

She wanted to claim he was best protected directly in her care, but that was becoming more foolish the more she thought about it. She wasn't a guard, she was a warrior. He was more likely to get into danger on this little journey anyway. What had compelled her to drag him along? What disturbed her about him being out of her sight?

It was truly giving her a headache. The dragoness growled softly, rubbing one temple with wincing eyes. "…driving myself mad," she muttered under her breath before she thought about it.

"Pardon, Shyvana?"

Her eyes flared, but she calmed herself to say, "Nothing, Sylus. Just have a headache. An annoyance."

Sylus blinked at her back. "…I have some medicine in my pack. Would you like some?"

The headache was digging into her last nerve, and she didn't want to snap at the poor man again like she already had. Pausing awkwardly, she just nodded at him, a quiet kind of embarrassment marking her features. She wasn't normally one for medicine for simple pains.

Sylus dug through his pack, and offered her a couple of pills and his water flask with a gentle smile. Shyvana took them, downed the medicine with a quick sip, and returned the flask with a final nod. She said nothing else before they continued.

A few minutes later, she sensed something moving ahead of them. She wanted to blame it on overtired nerves, but she instantly jerked back, an arm snapping out to coil Sylus back with her, against a tree so she could look out around it. Other than his initial gasp of surprise, he quickly made himself silent, pressing himself to the tree.

Sylus was also desperately trying to ignore the fact that her arm was coiled across most of his torso, to the point that her hand was clutching his hip in her protective posture. There were far too many uncomfortable and embarrassing responses from his body to that contact.

He noticed Shyvana's frame slump after a moment, and she just rolled back so they were shouldered to shoulder against the tree, her arms limps at her sides with the same gesture, as her eyes rolled skyward with aggravation.

"…What's wrong?" Sylus whispered, looking up at her profile.

Shyvana sighed, and let her head loll down. "It was a rabbit."

Sylus wanted to be sympathetic to her self-frustration, but the simple truth of the situation was starting to make him shake with mirth. He desperately clenched his jaw and looked down, but couldn't stop the awkward choke of a laugh starting anyway.

Shyvana's mood was dark enough that she initially wanted to growl something at him, but after looking at the summoner shaking with constrained laughter, she finally shook her head, and a smile cracked through her mask of aggravation. "Some guardian, I am."

Sylus was still trying not to laugh at his esteemed companion. "Ever-vigilant, my lady. I'm sure if it were a void-rabbit, it would be at your mercy this very moment."

She had to give him a look. "Void rabbit?"

He lifted his hands helplessly, still trying not to burst into raucous laughter.

Finally, she had to laugh fully herself. The situation, her own foolishness, and his undeniably adorable reaction. With her laugh ringing in the air, he finally relaxed his vain struggle, and slumped down laughing himself, actually rolling to his side in his fit of mirth.

She couldn't deny it to herself in that moment. She enjoyed this. This idiotic event, her companion rolling on the ground laughing, her own humor. It made the horrors of her life melt away, even if just for the blink of an eye.

As they started to calm, Sylus wiping tears from his eyes, Shyvana reached down to offer her hand. He gripped it, trying to rise before she yanked him, but she still beat him to it.

"I am… sorry, my lady. I don't mean to… laugh at you…" he felt compelled to say, still catching his breath.

Shyvana shook her head. "I needed the laugh myself, Sylus. …And I'm sorry about snapping at you earlier. It wasn't your fault."

Sylus calmed into a warm smile. "I appreciate the second apology, my lady, but it's not needed. I'm simply concerned. You seem a bit… out of sorts this morning."

"…I am," she admitted, glancing to one side wearily.

Even like that, she was so magnificent in his eyes. Tired and somehow ashamed as she was, she still seemed strong and marvelous. The unexpected beauty of her free-flowing hair didn't hurt the picturesque moment, either. "…May I ask why?" he continued gently, wary of stinging a nerve.

Her head dropped again. "I don't know, myself. I am… My thoughts are chaotic." It was a half-truth. She didn't want to admit it was mostly because of him. That twisting discomfort in her gut returned as she thought of telling him that much.

Sylus saw his own hand reach up, about to caress her cheek. He realized what he was doing, and his eyes widened in panic, his hands snapping down instantly. He was grateful her head was bowed and her eyes closed. "Is there anything I could do to help?" he chose to offer instead.

She shook her head, and looked up at him. She seemed so tired again.

Taking a controlled risk, Sylus did reach up, but just rested his hand on her armored shoulder. He offered a kind smile. "Let's continue, my lady. Perhaps the walk will help calm your thoughts."

She flashed a faint smile, nodded, and rose fully away from the tree with him, starting off again.

(Author's Note)

Had this ready, and then forgot to post. Sorry it's technically late! This chapter contains two moments I'm particularly fond of. 1) "Void-rabbit" and 2) Riven protecting Ashe with her Valor bubble. I wanted to show some practical use of a champion's talents, and Riven's power lent itself so easily to the scene concept, I pounced on it. "Void-rabbit" as a scene was just too good to pass up. The mingled vigilance and vulnerability in Shyvana, Sylus' struggling to keep up with her, and how the two actually do end up working well together for various reasons all come through here in a scene I'm quite fond of. I dare say it has a nice comical rhythm, too.

To be clear, Shyvana's costume is basically her Ironscale skin without the sheath over her ponytail. Her hair is loose. It seemed to me that Shyvana has some basic shape-shifting talents, and could make her skin various colors if she so-chose, and manipulate the manner of her eyes. I know skins aren't cannon, but it seemed to fit her powers and nature, so I ran with it anyway. (I tend to use her Ironscale appearance ingame myself. Something about warriors running around with exposed skin irks me, and her default appearance is definitely better than most 'fantasy armor,' but it's still basically a bikini of red metal)

I hope you enjoyed reading, and thanks for the reviews so far!