Hey guys, Wings here.

First off, I apologize for the large delay of updating this. But I have alot of ongoing stories and this one is in the low-priority zone. But hey, I still wrote it from time to time and managed to throw together a chapter to update it.

So guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter ^^

~ Wings

The Flightless Crow

Chapter 1: The Remedy

Eraya had cried herself to sleep in Ezreal's embrace, her cries having slowly lowered in intensity as the intervals lengthened between her gasps until her breathing stabilized and her eyes fluttered close. Ezreal stayed like that for an hour or so until he was sure she was asleep. Gently placing her back on the bed, Ezreal walked out into his living room.

It was not so much as a living room as it was a work room. The floors, tables, walls and sofas were all messed up and cluttered with things. Maps, pictures, news articles, various objects relating to Ezreal's profession cluttered the area all around. Ezreal walked past the living room and into the kitchen, opening the fridge. He pulled out a can of iced coffee (He'd been chugging down a lot of those, recently), and walked back onto his living room. Finding a spare spot on the couch, he collapsed down onto it with a groan, pulling the tab of the iced coffee can and popping it open with a small hiss.

He himself looked like a sorry reminder of the brilliant young man he had once been. His features had matured greatly in the time and hardships he had gone through, losing the youthful curiosity he had in his eyes. His hair was still mostly silver in color, contrasting greatly with his bright blue eyes. He wore a white shirt, half pulled out of the black pants he was wearing, a black tie loose around his neck. Dark circles decorated the underside of his eyes, serving as a constant reminder of all the sleepless nights he spent working. He took a good sip of the iced coffee he held, enjoying the coolness of the drink as it poured down his throat, releasing a contrasting warmth of caffeinated energy that invigorated his dull senses.

"You look quite the sorry piece, loungin' around like that." A voice, finely accented, came from the entrance of the living room. Ezreal straightened up, leaning forward to see Caitlyn walking into his living room, skirting around all of the objects littering the floor.

"You know, Caitlyn, as the Sheriff, you shouldn't really be entering people's homes without knocking or ringing the doorbell. That counts as breaking and entering." Ezreal said with a small smile as Caitlyn cleared a space on the sofa opposite to Ezreal.

"Oh, pish-posh, Ez. It's your fault in the firs' place for leavin' the damned door unlocked." Caitlyn said, brushing some strands of hair that had escaped from her neat hair-style back behind her ears as she looked at Ezreal, while Ezreal looked at her. It was strange how a few months could change the way people looked and operated. Caitlyn wore a blinding white shirt with a black skirt that reached down her stocking-covered legs, stopping just at the knee. Over the shirt, she wore a dark grey cardigan.

The amusement left Caitlyn's face as it became slightly somber. "'ow is she?" Caitlyn asked in a low voice as Ezreal grimaced, shaking his head. "Everyday, she's falling further down the dark hole of depression. Nothing I do brings her back." He said in a dark voice.

"Well… Ezreal, tha's partly the reason why I came here. I think I might 'ave a solution for 'er ailment." Caitlyn said. Ezreal froze, becoming rigid for a few seconds, his heart skipping a beat before he leaned forwards, placing the half-empty coffee can onto the coffee table as he fixed a steely gaze onto Caitlyn. "Elaborate."

"I 'ave a former summoner visiting me in an hour or so. 'e's coming here just to visit and spend some time in Piltover, as well as to visit me since I'm a friend." Caitlyn said as Ezreal's shoulders dropped slightly. "Caitlyn, we've already gone over this… The summoners that are left simply aren't pow-"

"'e's a former challenger. One of the last few that remain alive. 'e was one of the leading members of the resistance against the Void assault back during the Nocturne Incident." Caitlyn said quietly as Ezreal's words caught in his throat, his heart skipping another beat again.

"No… No way…" He muttered, but Caitlyn looked indecisive. "Oh… There's a catch, I presume?" He asked as Caitlyn nodded, unable to meet Ezreal's eyes.

"Yes… The only reason 'e's one of the few that survived is because of 'is expertise in the dark arts, which allowed 'im to circumvent Nocturne's mental influence and keep his sanity… Sadly, this also means that the only way to 'eal Eraya would to be resort to-"

"Blood Magic." Ezreal said, the words coming out of his mouth like they were curse words. Although peace had finally come to Valoran in the form of all the nations getting along in harmony, many summoners from the league had already gone insane from what had occurred, while many simply defected to find their own paths. From these summoners, the majority had delved in the dark arts, engaging in forbidden practices such as Blood Magic; using blood and sacrificial rituals to harness the essence of the Void in order to do powerful feats of magic. However, in more cases than one, most of these practitioners became possessed by the Void as a result. They were one of the last threats remaining in Valoran and were feared as well as hated.

Caitlyn nodded solemnly as Ezreal ran his hand through his hair. "Fuck it. I'll do anything at this point." Ezreal said as Caitlyn stared at him. "You really do care about her, don't you?" Caitlyn asked as Ezreal grabbed his can of coffee and drank it bottoms-up, his silver hair hiding his eyes.

Caitlyn took that as a silent reply and did not pry further. As Ezreal finished, releasing a sigh and throwing the can into the rubbish bin a few feet away, he stood up, dusting off his pants. "Well, we better get moving then. Eraya is asleep right now, so it's best to go as fast as we can." Ezreal said as Caitlyn nodded.

Just as Ezreal was about to walk out of the living room-

"'ey Ez?"

Ezreal turned around to see Caitlyn still standing in the middle of the living room, looking slight anxious. "Do you mind… if we stop by the graveyard?" She asked as Ezreal's firm, determined look softened. He nodded gently as he turned back around, taking his trusty brown leather jacket off of the coat hanger while Caitlyn took the large black overcoat she had hung there when she came in. He contemplated on taking his familiar goggles, but decided not to take them.

…

They stepped out into the rain, pulling out umbrellas and walking down the wet street. They passed the grey, cement gate of the cemetery, the only monochrome part of Piltover. They walked in silence down the cobblestone path until they had reached their destination.

Instead of tombstones, there was a very large pair of statues, depicting two figures. One of the figures was Jayce, holding his hammer up high as he proudly stared into the horizon. The other one was Vi, holding her giant left hextech gauntlet up at the ready, staring off to the side with a serious expression on her face.

Below, there were two plaques on the ground, made of polished marble and stone. "Here lies Jayce, the Defender of Tomorrow, and Vi, The Piltover Enforcer. They gave their lives to fight for those who could not. May they forever find peace in the afterlife." Caitlyn read as Ezreal stayed silent, both of them standing infront of the graves under their umbrella as the rain fell all around them.

"She would've hated this statue of hers." Caitlyn said with a small, sad smile as Ezreal looked at her with a sombre expression, while she continued to stare down at the plaque that read Vi's name. "She'd say she never looks that noble. And she's probably stirring up all bunch of troubles in the afterlife without me to keep her in line." Caitlyn said as Ezreal gave a small smile.
"Yeah… I can guess." He said quietly.

"Well, I guess it's time to go… We shouldn't keep Caelum waiting." Caitlyn said, and as she turned around, she stopped. Ezreal turned around as well, looking back to see a tall, dark figure standing there. He wore a slim-fit long black coat, which hugged his form and gave more definition to his slim body structure. He was tall, with long black hair that reached down to his shoulders. His skin was pale, although the only skin visible on him was on his face, neck and hands. The rest was covered by his black attire. His eyes were a vivid shade of icy blue. He had black tattoo-markings under his left eye.

"Caelum?" Caitlyn asked as Caelum began walking towards them.

"I'm sorry, I came early… And I figured you would be here." he said with a small smile, which looked forced and died away as soon as it had come, his face taking the somber expression it held from before.

"Wait a minute… I know you. Caelum… You once came onto the radio show Cait used to host." Ezreal said as Caelum's face turned slightly dark, nodding grimly.
"Where's… Jason and Ellie?" Ezreal asked as Caelum lowered his head slightly. "Ellie… is back home. She works as a healer. Jason…" Caelum closed his eyes, his eyes falling into shadows as his bangs fell slightly forward to cover them. Ezreal glanced at Caitlyn, who had a similar sorrowed expression as she caught his glance and shook her head gently.
"Oh." Ezreal said, his lips pressing into a thin line as Caelum exhaled calmly through his nose.

"Well, lets get going then, shall we?" Caelum asked.

In the cab, Caitlyn sat inbetween Ezreal and Caelum. As the city ran past their windows, Ezreal turned his eyes back to Caelum.
"You're wondering how I survived?" Caelum asked, knowing what Ezreal was thinking of without even turning his face around to look at Ezreal. He kept his gaze skywards, staring up at the sky through his window. Ezreal nodded.

"Its not a pretty story. I was one of the summoners who used Nocturne, so, naturally, it affected me as much as it did everyone else. I, however, had some… education relating to occult arts and rituals." Caelum said.
"So you turned to blood magic?" Ezreal asked, his tone slightly harsher than intended.
"It was either that or watch myself kill my best friends with my bare hands." Caelum said bitterly. No more conversation took place as they silently sat in the cab, the car driving through the roads.

The rain had stopped when they arrived at Ezreal's home. As they exited the car and walked up the stairs to the floor where Ezreal lived in, Caitlyn spoke up. "So… Caelum. Do you know why I've asked you 'ere?"

"To help a bird who cannot fly, as far as I've heard." Caelum answered in his monotone voice as Ezreal glanced back at him. "She's a woman, not a bird." He said.
"I know."

As the door opened and all three of them stepped in, Ezreal walked on in to the bedroom while Caitlyn conversed with Caelum in the living room.

He gently opened the door as he stepped inside. "Hey, Eraya?" He asked. She was still asleep on the bed, so he walked over to her side. He gently nudged and shook her a few times until she uttered a soft groan and opened her eyes. "Ez…?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Eraya, Caitlyn has brought someone here who can help you." Ezreal said gently as Eraya sat up. "What?" She said, surprised.

"It's a summoner. His name is Caelum and he knows of a way to help you." Ezreal said. Ezreal's heart lifted as he saw a shine return to Eraya's eyes, one that had been missing from her eyes since a long time ago.

"But there's a catch." Ezreal said Eraya's face seemed to fall, her brows furrowing slightly. "He needs to use blood magic to do it." Ezreal said as Eraya's face paled, her lips parting for a few seconds in surprise. She hung her head, deep in though as her hair fell infront of her face, hiding her face from Ezreal as he went over to sit infront of her.

"What do you think… I should do, Ezreal? I don't know… If it's worth it." Eraya said quietly as Ezreal gingerly reached and grabbed her hand, gently wrapping his fingers around her hand. "Whatever choice you make, I'll support you and be here for you, Eraya." Ezreal said.

"You two don't need to worry so much." Caelum said from the doorway as he stood there with Caitlyn at his side, who looked a bit abashed to have interrupted such a moment between the two. Ezreal and Eraya weren't bothered in the least though as they looked up to meet Caelum's icy gaze.

"I'm not going to be sacrificing any lives or anyone's blood here, aside from my own and yours but even then it's a small price to pay." Caelum said as he looked at Eraya. "You're broken, but not unfixable. I can do a simple trick to nudge you back in place, but after that you will still need to find your own way back. I can simply make it possible." He said as Eraya looked at Ezreal again. Their eyes met and Ezreal saw a resolve within her onyx eyes that he had missed seeing for very long.

"I'll do it." She said.

…

Ezreal had to wait outside with Caitlyn while the door to his and Eraya's room remained closed off, Caelum and Eraya within. Caelum had told Ezreal he couldn't be distracted from this as even though it was simple, blood magic was always tricky and needed utmost concentration.

So Ezreal was pacing in his cluttered living room with Caitlyn sitting upon one of the sofas, looking at him with worry in her eyes. "Ezreal, you need to calm down luv." Caitlyn said softly as Ezreal shook his head. "I can't. I'm trying but I can't. I'm worried about her and this… Waiting, doing nothing, is making worse."

And then, he heard her. Her screams. Years of working as a sheriff had trained Caitlyn enough for her to react quick enough to jump at Ezreal, restraining him from running into his room. "Ezreal!" Caitlyn said, struggling to hold onto Ezreal. "You can't go in th-there!"

"ERAYA!" Ezreal shouted, uncaring of what Caitlyn was saying. "EZREAL!" Caitlyn shouted, trying to get through to him and Ezreal stopped, blinking as he realized what he was doing. He stopped, sagging into a sofa as he hung his head, burying his face in his hands and trying not to focus on the screams of Eraya from inside the room. But they stopped soon enough.

The silence was more tense than her screams and Ezreal's legs were jack-hammering on the floor without pause in his restlessness, Caitlyn biting her lip and watching Ezreal to make sure he didn't jump up again. She felt bad, watching Ezreal like that, near the point of panic.

Finally, the door opened and Caelum stepped out. Ezreal gaped at him. The entirety of Caelum's left arm was covered in blood, still dripping from his fingertips, exiting from the slit he had made on the underside of his arm near his elbow.

He looked paler, almost chalk white, and more tired than he had been before. "It's done. She's resting and I suggest you do not disturb her until she wakes." Caelum said as he walked over to Caitlyn, extracting a roll of bandages from his pocket. "Cait, do you mind…?"

Caitlyn took the roll and helped Caelum, rolling his wound around with the bandages as Ezreal stood up wordlessly. He briskly walked over to the door and looked in.

He didn't know what he was expecting, but a great wave of relief fell on him as he found the room just as it had been when he left. Everything looked normal, aside from Eraya lying asleep on the bed, her left arm extended and bandaged up. Ezreal sighed, his shoulder slumping as his tense body finally relaxed.

"When will she…" Ezreal began asking, trailing off as the effects of all that tension leaving him turned his words to nothing as he looked at Caelum, who understood nevertheless.

"She'll most likely wake up tomorrow. I do not know how long it'll take for her to recover the use of her legs or the full capabilities of her body, but she should soon recover if she has the willpower for it." Caelum said in a flat tone as he cleaned up his bloody hands at Ezreal's sink. Caitlyn had stood up as well as she walked over to Ezreal and gave him a light hug.

"I wish you all the best, Ezreal. If you ever need me, just give me a call, alright?" Caitlyn said as she patted him reassuringly on the shoulder as Ezreal nodded. "Thank you, Caitlyn. And Caelum. For everything."

And with that, they departed, leaving Ezreal alone in his apartment with Eraya. Even though it wasn't that late yet, Ezreal felt absolutely exhausted. The sleepless days and nights he had spent, together with the all the stress he had gone through in the past few hours, was making it extremely difficult for him to think straight. He sat down on his sofa, closing his aching eyes as he decided to rest his eyes for a few seconds. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep…

…

The next day came quite fast as Ezreal felt the morning rays of sunlight bleeding through his window and hitting him in the face, warming his face and causing him to stir with a small groan. The first thing he registered was the smell of roasted coffee in the air… He opened his eyes, frowning at the scent. His cans of iced coffee didn't usually give off such a rich aroma… And he was too busy to usually make coffee by himself, though he had a jar of coffee beans he bought long ago.

Waking up, he realized he had slept through the entire night. Groaning at the soreness of his body, he got up and walked to the kitchen. He froze at the doorway.

"Good morning." Eraya said happily, looking over her shoulder at him as she stirred her cup of coffee in her hands, another cup steaming as it sat on the counter.

Worry not folks, there's going to be alot more hardship and drama ahead. This isn't the least of their problems. Life itself is a grand collection of pain and they will face it all.

See you all next chapter.

~ Wings