Hey guys, welcome back and welcome to the actual first chapter! This one is somewhat slow but it helps set the background of what exactly is going on while Azir tries to leave Shurima to find information on his quest. I use some locations that you might be unsure of, and if you want to know the exact location of the place names I mentioned, just Google Image "Map of Runeterra" and that should give you some pretty good results. Enjoy!
-tehQinQin
Chapter 1: The Journey Out
After his encounter last night, Azir had been walking for hours, simply thinking to pass his time. What an arrogant boy that Ezreal was, yet with such power. Regardless, as long as he poses no threat to my quest, he will be ignored, he poses no threat now that I am Ascended. Although he possessed godly powers, boredom and loneliness still overtook him, sad that he had none of his men to keep him company. The sands swirled around him and a soldier materialized out of the dust, an exact replica of his best officer.
Azir tried talking to him, "Long time, right?" He sighed, "I know, I know, foolish to talk to the sand," as he continued walking, still bored and lonely. Without a word, the soldier tread behind him and his sand orb of treasures floated next to him. It would be a long journey to find out his empire's past.
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Ezreal awoke with a groan, his body still in pain from the sand phalanx Azir had summoned. His nature still left him curious about the emperor, and although Azir promised to end him if they ever crossed paths again, the explorer inside still wished to seek him out and learn more about him and his empire. His body, however disagreed, Ezreal could barely stand, much less travel across the unforgiving desert. With a frustrated sigh, Ezreal plopped down on the sand.
Since he couldn't start his travels now, he would just have to plan it out. Where could I find out more about possibly the most powerful ancient empire that ever existed? How was it never documented, that's just impossible. And emperor with such power as Azir? Also he keeps talking about some sort of... Ascension. Why isn't he in a museum. "GAH!" he shouted aloud, frustrated that there were no answers to his questions, or were there? I know, I'll just see Nasus when I make the journey back to the League. Surely the god librarian will have answers to my questions within his infinite pool of knowledge. Seeing nothing better to do, Ezreal lay back down to again enter slumber.
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After around half a day of walking north, Azir could finally make out the Great Barrier: a series of imposing mountains with the largest being the towering Mount Gargantuan, a fit name for such a monster. Azir, even after millennia, recognized all of this. Some things never change. And, if his memory served him correctly, Mogron Pass was still wedged between these mountains, that was his destination. North of this pass was the Institute of War, but Azir didn't know that. All he knew was that walking south towards the Kumungu Jungles would lead him no closer to his answers, and the rest of the land as far as he was concerned, was still undeveloped desert.
But it was getting too dark to continue his journey, and although powerful, he was no immortal. Travelling in the desert night would kill you, Ascended or not. A single sting of a scorpion or a timely strike from a snake and it was over. This has carried true through time. Some things never change.
Azir began to set up camp the best that he could. The sand orb and soldier dissipated back into the ground, his treasures falling onto the soft mounds. He summoned a dome of sand to protect both him and belongings from the cold and creatures of the night, and lay down, closing his eyes and thinking wistfully of the past.
Azir awoke in the morning, and with a yawn and a stretch, again summoned the orb of sand and the soldier to accompany him. Grabbing his spear off the ground, he began walking again through the winds, this time, however, the journey was not as uneventful as yesterday. Ominous towers of dark clouds hovered behind Azir, to the south. The low rumble of thunder sounded off in the distance. Rain doesn't usually come in the desert, but when it does come, it comes in a flood. Azir would need to race the storm, and he started to set off at a jogging pace.
Azir had managed to beat the storm for the couple hours he had been running, but it seemed to be outpacing him, drawing ever closer to his current position. By now, the storm should have rained itself out and the clouds should have dissipated, but it seemed like it was chasing him, an omen. Ahead, he could now visibly make out Mogron pass, but it seemed the storm would beat him there by a long shot.
Azir started to see the first tendrils of lightning streak out of the clouds. He could no longer outrun the storm, he had to defend against it. It was eerie how quickly the air cooled down. The first drops of soft rain started to land around Azir. The time was nigh, he had to set up immediately before it got any worst. Again summoning another sand dome, Azir stood in a balanced position, knees bent and staff poised, its tip touching the apex of the dome and providing it with more power, an ever constant flow of sands coming out from its the spearhead.
Rain began to pound the dome, smashing like hammers against the sand. Azir saw the dark water of the flashflood rise up against the walls of the dome, pushing inward, the pressure was beginning to strain his power. Suddenly, a finger of light stretched down from the clouds and struck the dome itself, conducting itself into the metal staff Azir was holding, electrifying him and buckling his knees. This was too much, the wet sand collapsed upon Azir and the uncomfortable feeling of the wet sand pushed him heavily down. He collapsed under its weight, finding that the sand would no longer obey him so saturated. He heard the storm rumble off before his vision went dark.
Sorry if I made Azir seem so weak, but he isn't really an actually god, just immensely powerful, and he already can control sand, so I feel like a huge mega storm with a flood and getting directly stricken by lightning would be able to (temporarily) put him down. Future chapters will start to encompass more characters from or related to Shurima including, but not limited to: Sivir, Nasus, Renekton, Amumu, Rammus (OK), and Xerath (I would also call him Ascended). Drop a review, you input is valued, thanks!
-tehQinQin