"Kill all of these monsters but make the safety of survivors the top priority!" Irelia yelled to the group of soldiers from the Guard that accompanied her to Zorak. "Make sure to bring any survivors to the medic camp! The summoners will be here soon to appease the fire! Go! Lives are on stake!"
With a yell, the soldiers ran into the city, attacking all monsters on the way.
"Now I should go too. I have no time to waste!" before she could make a run to the city, a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned to see a blue-masked man looking at her, a green-clothed woman and a little purple-clothed yordle at his side. "Shen?! What is the Kinkou doing here?!"
"We heard about what happened here, so we thought about lending a hand." The yordle said, already running to the city.
Irelia looked at the two ninjas that stayed, with a sad look on her face. "Normally I wouldn't accept help from the Kinkou, but the situation is grave. Thank you for the assistance."
Shen closed his eyes; Irelia could have sworn she saw a smile appearing under the blue mask. "Don't worry. The Kinkou will not let the common people die if we can do something about it. If the balance is perfect, people will only die from natural causes."
"Right! We don't have time to waste!" the Guard Captain said, already going into the city.
"Yes. Akali, let's go!"
"Right behind you, Shen."
"The entire city… Is on fire…" Ahri fell on her knees, looking at that terrible show.
"Dammit, what happened?" Wukong said, going to Ahri's side to help her. "How can a city as big as Zorak have a fire of that magnitude?!"
Volk also could not believe in something as that. It was a spectacle… Interesting, to say the least. Like a wall of flames blocking their entrance on the city, or something like that. However, at the middle of that crimson scenery, he saw shades of purple moving.
"What the hell is that…?" ignoring his instincts, he ran past Ahri and Wukong and after the purple shadow.
"Hey, Volk, where are you going?!" Wukong screamed, seeing the boy going to the city. "Does he want to die?!"
"Volk…" Ahri woke from her trance, getting up and starting to run after the amnesiac. "C'mon, Wuk! We can't let him go alone!"
"Heh? Ok, then! Let's go!"
Volk kept running after the purple being, as he disappeared at every corner of the flaming streets. Every time the boy thought he had it, the thing started to speed up, and he started to lose it. He chased it into a part of the city where the fire was not as strong as the rest.
"Damn… Why am I even doing this?!" his mind stopped, even though his legs did not. "Why this feeling of 'need' is filling me up like this?!"
The shadow turned somewhere at the middle of the street. Even if he did not know the city, he knew what that was "A dead end". This realization brought a smirk to this face as he ran to the alley.
Reaching there, however, he found the place empty. Not a single being was there.
"What…?" Volk thought, his mouth opening in surprise. "WHERE DID HE GO?!"
Before his answer could be provided, he noticed a little folded paper at the ground of the alley. He picked it up and opened it. There were some writing in a seemingly scary way, "Just like those in horror movies…". He started to read it, as his eyes widened.
If a tree fall when no one is near to hear it, does it makes sound?
If a person has no memories of it's past, does it really have one?
"What…" he started to babble, staring at the piece of paper. "What is that supposed to mean…?"
His confused train of thought was interrupted by a grunt behind him. A human – no, it just looked like one, but the pale skin and the lifeless eyes made it impossible to be a human being. The thing moved his hand, ready to attack Volk with his claw before the amnesiac would have a chance to draw his sword.
However, the monster soon fell to the ground, lifeless.
"Huh?" Blades left the back of the monster body, fluctuating and going back to where they came – a blue haired woman in red armor. "Who… Who are you?"
"I should be asking you that." She approximated Volk, a fierce look in her eyes. "You do not look like a habitant of this city, nor one of my Guards. Also, you are extremely suspicious."
"Wait, you are not implying…"
"That you may be one of the ones who started this whole madness? Maybe. But I still find difficult to think someone could summon so many monsters to a city."
"Monsters…" his eyes widened, but soon closed, as he understood the situation. "So, monsters started the fire… is that what you're trying to tell me?"
"You don't know that? Did you just come to the city without even knowing what was happening? Are you an idiot?"
"Well…" before he could explain to the girl about the thing he had seen, he noticed a shadow crept behind her, ready to attack. "Behind you!"
Volk quickly drew his sword, slashing the monster before the attack connected. The giant spider fell to the ground, with a big cut at the middle of its back.
"Thanks." She said, not changing from her fierce tone.
"I guess we are even now…?" he tried to make a joke, but the girl glared at him, sending a shiver through his spine.
"I'm Irelia," She offered him her hand, "Captain of the Guard of Ionia, localized at the capital."
"I'm Volk." He accepted the gesture, shaking hands with her. "Friend of talking-animals and apple lover."
"You… what..?" Irelia's eyes widened in confusion. She then sighed, putting a hand in her head. "Oh, you must be talking about Wukong…"
"And about a certain fox lady!" he added, laughing a bit.
"Also one of Ahri's friends…?" she sighed once again. "Alright then, I guess you're not suspicious enough…"
"Why that sounded like I was still suspicious…?"
"Volk!" he heard Ahri's voice calling him. Getting out of the alley, he saw the fox girl, together with Wukong, running through the ablaze city. "Where are you?"
"I'm here!" he yelled back, waving his arms to make it easier for the girl to notice. She saw him, opening a smile and running to the boy's direction.
"Really, why did you ran away like that?" she seemed worried about the amnesiac, as she pouted, yelling at the boy. "It's dangerous here!"
"Don't worry, I'm alright." He said, showing a smile.
"For someone that was scared of bandits, you sound very calm entering a city in flames." Ahri sighed. "We don't even know what is happening here."
"Well, I can help with that." Irelia made a step forward, drawing the attention of Ahri and Wukong.
"Irelia! What are you doing here?" Wukong asked, visibly surprised.
"I'm with the Guard. Monsters have been sighted here, and the city has been set in flames because of them. I was asked to come to protect the civilians and kill those monsters."
"For real?" The monkey scratched his head, thinking. "That's… Unusual."
"Unusual is an understatement." She answered, lowering her head. "I don't remember the last time we had problems with monsters."
"Sounds really strange." Volk turned to Ahri, who was silent since the subject changed. "What do you think?"
"Let's help." She said in a monotone.
The boy's eyes widened a little. "Definitely that wasn't the answer I was expecting." He sighed. "I guess that would be the right thing to do, though."
"I would appreciate it." Irelia smiled softly to the fox-girl, then making a serious face to the two boys. "I need to go back to my soldiers. I also need to know exactly when the summoners arrive to extinguish the fire. Even though this side seems a lot better in that regard."
"I'll go with you, Irelia." Wukong said, smiling confidently. "It's better if you don't go alone."
"Thank you very much." She turned to Volk and Ahri. "You two take care of yourselves. The fact that lives are at stake does not give you the right to be reckless."
"Don't worry about that. Me and Volk can take care of it." She winked, turning to Volk. "Leggo!"
He just sighed, scratching his head. "Whatever…"
The two started to run around the town, looking for survivors, and killing monsters that appeared in front of them.
However, even though Volk was fighting, his mind was still on the mysterious note that was left where the purple thingy was. No memories means no past, but does it really? Questions and more questions flood up his brain.
"It seems like it is the only thing I really do, after all…" he made the sarcastic remark to himself, regarding his own endless interrogation.
He was interrupted by his fox companion that pulled his coat a little, taking his attention.
"I heard something there. We better go look at it." She pointed to a smaller house in the corner of the street.
"Right, lead the way." He nodded.
They ran to the building that Ahri pointed as fast as they could. The house was half crumbled, without part of its roof.
"Hey! Is somebody here?!" the man shouted and then went quiet, trying to hear voices in the middle of the flames.
Ahri stayed still, sniffing the air constantly and letting her ears as focused as possible to hear possible help cries. "Volk, there!" she yelled to him, running to the corner of the house with the boy following closely.
There, a woman that looked around her late thirties sat with the back at one piece of rubble. They approached the woman, yelling for her.
"Hey, ma'am!" Volk went to her side. "Are you alright?"
"Ah… Help has arrived… I see…" She mumbled, looking to the ground.
Ahri also approached the woman, knelling on the ground. "Very well, we need to bring you to the medical camps, can you stand?"
The woman, instead of answering immediately, eyed Ahri with fear. "Fox… ears…?" She then jumped away from the girl, raising her voice considerately. "You monster! Get away from me, you soul stealer!"
"… W-what…?" Ahri stopped cold. Her eyes widened as the words left the woman's lips, and she started shivering. "… Y-you can't be serious…"
"Ahri, are you ok?!" Volk knelled at the side of the girl, as she put her hands on her head in despair.
"Don't be near this she-devil!" the woman yelled again. "I-if it wasn't for her… If it wasn't…"
"Please don't say it…" Ahri mumbled under her breath, tears starting to flow from her eyes. "Please, don't…"
"If it wasn't for her, he would still be here!" she yelled with all her might, leaving a stunned Volk looking to the two women.
"What… what are you talking about…?" the boy did not know what to do, as his hands desperately tried to comfort the crying girl at his side by caressing her hair.
However, he was interrupted by a yell from a known voice.
"Volk! Ahri!" Wukong ran to the two, together with some soldiers from the guard. "Guards, take the lady to the medical camp!"
They nodded and helped the woman to get up, however, she kept yelling. "That devil woman… Stay away from her! STAY AWAY!"
The guards took her away to receive treatment, leaving the three alone in that blazing city.
Finally calming down, tears started to overflow from Ahri's eyes.
"Ahri…" Volk whispered, then doing what his instincts were telling him to do.
He hugged her.
Actually, he almost smashed her with his hug.
"Volk…" Wukong said, looking at his friend.
"What…?"
"I think she isn't breathing."
"WHA WHAT?!" he quickly let go of her. "Ahri, I'm sor—"
For his surprise, the girl kept clinging to him, tears still going down her face. "Please… Just a little more." She buried her face a little more in his chest. "I don't care about it, so… please…"
"Ahri…" he did not say anything more, once again embracing the girl.
"I won't ask what happened right now." Wukong said, standing up. "But we really need to get going."
"Very well." He turned to Ahri, trying to help her stand up. "We need to go."
She just answered with an "Hmmph" and gripped his shirt again.
"What am I, a giant plushy? A hug pillow?"
"Beats me." The monkey put his hand on her shoulder and shook it slightly. "Ahri, as much as I know you love to be in the arms of a man you met today, it's dangerous here."
"WAAAAH! WAAAH?" The girl jumped, red in embarrassment. "It's not like that, Wukong! I was just…"
"Yeah, yeah, his chest must be really warm. But you can be all lovey-dovey later."
"Hmpf… Idiot monkey!" she said, visibly angry.
Volk, on the other hand, just watched the scene dumbfounded. "She was crying in my arms just a few seconds ago and now…" he sighed. "Really, this girl is more trouble than she is worth…"
"Alright, let's go! I'm all set!" She raised her hands to stretch herself. "What are you waiting for, Volk?"
He sighed once more, soon standing up besides the two. "Nothing. Let's go."
The three of them started to go back to the medical camp. By what Wukong had said, the summoners had already arrived, so the fire was slowly being extinguished.
With that, the guard would do more searching later in the day. As of now, everyone was to cease operations so the summoners could work faster.
None of the three spoke about what happened earlier. Every time Volk looked to Wukong, wanting an answer, he would just nod negatively, telling him that for now it is best if he did not know.
They kept walking, getting near the main entrance of the city. However, something strange starts to draw Volk's attention.
"What it is, Volk?" Ahri asked, seeing the visible worry in the boy's face.
"Nothing." He just shrugged it off, still walking.
Do not lower your guard.
"Huh?!" The amnesiac looked at his surroundings, trying to find the source of that voice that crept in his head. However, none was found. "What… What was that…?"
"What NOW, Volk?" Wukong made an irritated expression, putting his hands at the back of his head in boredom. "If you just say 'nothing' again, I'm going to punch you, really."
"Well, I…"
He smiled shyly, scratching his head. However, before he could answer the monkey's question, a strange shadow caught his attention. The shadow moved quickly by the buildings, as if in a hurry.
Volk's eyes widened. "Could… Could it be again…?" He started to run after the shadow, with no hesitation.
"Volk, what the hell?!" Wukong yelled to the boy, as he turned to answer and made an "I'm sorry" gesture. "AGAIN?!"
"Don't worry!" He yelled back. "Just keep going, I'll catch up with you later!" And he returned to run after the strange shadow. "You won't escape from me again, whoever you are!"
Noxus.
Roof of the High Command Building.
A suspicious man was standing at the highest part of the roof, observing the entire capital. Since most of Noxus buildings were in the underground, he could only see the richest parts of the city.
"Really, this city is so gray. It depresses me." He spoke to no one in particular, letting his voice get lost in the air.
"..."
"I knew you would agree. You are too much of a happy-go-luck person to like this place." A grin appeared in his face, as his dark brown eyes took glimpses of the city with an ambitious look. "But still, I guess we should be happy with how the things went so far."
"…"
"What? You don't agree with me?" he laughed, visibly amused. "I thought we were friends! I'm hurt now!"
"…"
"You've become a really grumpy person, did you know that?" He laughed a little more, this time a more evil and twisted laugh. He looked to the sun that was starting to set down. "It is incredible how, even though the sun was high in the sky, this city look so dark. It kind of remembers me of the past."
"…"
"I know." He nodded to himself. "It's nearly time for the first phase."
Volk kept running after the shadow in the city. Just like before, he could not keep up with the shadow, however, differently from before, this shadow did not look as if it wanted to be followed. It simply wanted to get away from the amnesiac field of vision.
The boy reached an open ground in the city, from where he had ample vision of the surroundings.
"Dammit..." he mumbled. "Where the hell this guy is…?!"
He started to scan the area, searching for any place where the shadow could be hiding, until he found an alleyway. "Of course." He thought, with a grin in his face.
He entered the alley slowly and drew his sword. "Who is there?" he asked loudly.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds have passed.
"What the…" the boy suddenly felt a blade cutting the air besides his throat. He jumped to the wall and let his back against it, sword positioned in his front.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds again.
This time two projectiles went to his direction. He ducked them and jumped to his side. As he was recovering his balance, a blade came to his direction, aiming for his throat again. He blocked the blade with his sword, and finally was able to see the owner of those attacks.
A masked man, a little taller than Volk, wearing a black and red clothing. His mask was black with a yellow detail in the forehead. At his hands, two scissor-like katars, and at his back, two giant shurikens.
"Who… Who are you?" Volk asked the masked man, but got no answer. "Not much for talk, huh…?"
"…" Putting more strength at his arm, he forced Volk to release his blade, making the boy jump closer to the exit of the alley.
"Now that I think about it, wasn't that other guy purple…?" he thought, recovering his balance. The man walked slowly to the boy's direction, with a calm but deadly air surrounding him.
"… None escapes their shadow." With that, the man disappeared.
Volk stood still, still feeling the aura of death from the man. "A shadow technique, huh...?"
A blade starts to creep from Volk's own shadow. As fast as he disappeared, the man appeared behind Volk.
"Sorry… But only the worthy survive." He spoke, before moving his katar, aiming at the boy's chest. However, before the blade found its target, Volk had disappeared. "What…?!"
"I'm here, Shredder!" he said from behind the man, slashing with his sword, however, the man had already distanced himself. "Dammit…"
"Such speed…" he thought. "Well, it only means I cannot joke around anymore… Huh?"
As he was thinking about his next move, Volk had already left the alley, going to the still sunlit playground.
"You can't use your shadow techniques in the light, right, Shredder?"
The plan was sound. Even though he did not have a lot of time until the sunset, for now he could still have an advantage.
The man started to laugh, looking to the amnesiac. "Oh, so you have half a brain." He then jumped to the boy, readying his blade. "But even a brain can't save you from the shadows."
Volk parried the katar with his sword. The masked man then attacked with his other katar, making a slash with both his hands, forcing Volk back.
"Even without shadows, he is strong. But at least I can dodge, here in the sun…" However, a shadow start to cover him up quickly, as well as the rest of the playground. "Huh?"
He looked to the man in front of him, that was as surprised as him, looking to the sky. He also positioned his stare to the sun, and his eyes widened.
"What the hell is happening…?!"
"HAH!" the man at the High Command roof started to laugh once again, looking to the darkened sun. "A solar eclipse."
"…"
"Oh, come on, it's not like I'm involved in every strange occurrence here!"
"…"
"But yes, you are right." The grin at his face became even bigger, as he started to chant what looked like an old poem. "At the first dark sun, the hell spawn shall repopulate the earth. Don't try to run, as this is our own rebirth."
He looked at the dark sky, softening his smile.
"Lovely, don't you think?"
"An… eclipse…? RIGHT NOW?!" He yelled, visibly angry. "Damn… This means that the shadows…"
Before he could even finish his thought, the man appeared behind him, blade in hand. With a quick reflex, Volk parried, then jumping away, starting to run away.
"I can't fight him anymore, it is suicide! I need to flee!"
Shurikens started coming his way, one by one, even though he dodged most of them, one scratched his arm, making a deep cut through his coat and skin.
One second.
Two seconds.
Another three seconds have passed.
Thousands of shurikens were thrown from every little shadow from the city. From the front, behind, and sides, there was no way Volk would be able to dodge that many shurikens at once. In a best-case scenario, he would leave with too many vital injuries, and would be an easy target for the masked man.
"It's a death or death scenario, huh…?" the thoughts started going through his mind, as he watched the rain of blades that was coming at him. "Well, I guess I should at least try."
For real, you cannot do anything without me, huh.
"What…" again a strange voice in his head. Even so, there was a more important matter at hand. "If you think I'm so useless, then at least help, damn!"
That is what I will do. Hold your sword and leave the rest to me.
He closed his eyes. Getting a firm grip in his sword.
The shurikens were finally getting close.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
As the shurikens started falling in, he kept his eyes closed. Still, a grin was in his face, even before certain death. One by one, he kept dodging the razor blades that only wanted to kill him.
They had all fallen. All of the blades resting on the cold ground and—
"Hurgh…" His eyes opened again. He lowered his head, looking at the blood that stained his otherwise dark-brown coat.
I guess even I could not expect to dodge all of them, huh…
The shuriken was just as high as his stomach. The blood kept flowing, even as he tried to stanch it with his hand and his shirt. The boy slowly backed until he found a wall to lean against, falling down.
His eyes started to feel heavy. He knew the injury could kill him if it was not treated quickly. At the end of his eyesight, he could see the masked man coming to deal the coup de grace.
His eyes finally closed.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
"What are you doing here…?" the masked man voice echoed through his ears.
"Go away now or I won't take responsibility for my actions." A female voice spoke in a threatening tone.
The man laughed. "Very well." Was all he said before the deadly aura he emanated went away.
Volk tried to open his eyes slowly, to see the person that had saved him.
"Don't force yourself." The female voice said, approaching him. "You'll survive, but you need to be patient."
He was only able to see green clothing before finally closing his eyes.
"Everything will be fine."
Everything will be fine.
Everything will be…
End of Chapter 4