Zed and Syndra walked silently side-by-side around the hills south of Zaun. However, Zed's mind was a long way away. He was picturing a temple in Ionia where all of his ninjas eagerly awaited his return. It was a small temple across the island of Ionia from Shen's that was most easily recognizable for the fact that it had clearly been abandoned by whoever was there long ago. It had vines growing through the windows and doors and cracks running through every wall. In fact, the place looked like it was about to collapse and must have been condemned quite a while back as unsafe for habitation. Of course, ninjas don't cause much of a disturbance wherever they go, so the temple suited them nicely. Zed had about a hundred ninjas working for him and it was from this set of warriors that he chose the group that fell to Akali. Zed would have to bare that news eventually to them, but tonight was a night of victory. He wanted to give them a speech, a surge of motivation to prove that their days of being second class to the Kinkou were over.

As Syndra walked, she twirled twin orbs between her fingers. She watched them quietly as she moved, maneuvering them expertly one after the other. Zed watched her work quietly. He actually enjoyed watching her practice her control over her orbs and with two orbs this small, it was actually quite difficult for her to weave them in between her fingers without touching them. Syndra was very talented, however, and proved capable, her eyes glowing a luminescent purple hue as she channeled the arcane power with which she had been born. Finally, Zed broke the silence. "Syndra?"

She looked up and the color of her eyes faded back to their normal brown, "Yes?"

Zed carefully looked for the words he wanted to convey to her and eventually settled that he should just come straight out with it. "I want to take down the remnants of Shen's order tomorrow night."

Syndra blinked confusedly a few times, "The Ionian one? In Ionia?" Zed nodded. "How? I mean, that's a thousand miles away!"

"Well," Zed started hopefully, "I can teleport through shadows but I need to see them and feel them in order to manipulate them, as you know. I was hoping that perhaps if you used your magic to… I don't know… connect me to a shadow in Ionia?"

Syndra shook her head, "Zed that's not my field, you know that. I'm an energy mage with some telekinetic powers but you're talking about something else entirely."

"But it has to be tomorrow!" Zed growled, angrily stomping his foot and glaring at Syndra.

Syndra was taken aback by the sudden outburst and looked Zed over carefully, "Why?"

"Because," Zed explained, his anger evident on his face. "I feel a draw back to that temple. I can't explain it. I just feel like that is where I need to be. There is something about that place…" Zed's fingers twitched as they traced over his mask hanging on his belt. He hated letting Syndra see him angry or violent. He liked to think that if he only acted that way with the mask on, she would maybe not associate his face with the voice that preached his words. That way, when he took off the mask, she'd only look upon the face of a kind man, not a monster.

"We've never tried anything like that before…" Syndra pondered.

"I'm just asking you to try," Zed prodded, hoping that she would agree to help him sate this inexplicable urge to get back to the place he left in flames five years ago, not as a student but as a conqueror.

Syndra nodded and went back to playing with the orbs, "I'll try, but no promises. I'm rusty with my utility magic. With you around, it's like I only get to practice my fighting."

Zed grinned, "Alright, let's try." He stopped at the top of one of the small hills and grabbed Syndra's hands. "Focus and try to amplify my senses. Try to let me see a shadow in Ionia."

Syndra held on tight to Zed's hands and closed her eyes, "I'll have to picture someplace I know and once I do, you'll hopefully see a portal in your mind, like a door to cross over. If I can open it at all, I'll only be able to keep it open for a moment so you need to grab onto a shadow right away. Understand?"

Zed closed his eyes, his heart racing, "I understand."

"Then here… we… go," Syndra muttered as if giving a countdown.

"So Riven, see that tower in the middle of the city?" Yasuo asked, pointing at the spiral tower that marked the center of the city of Demacia. The tower stretched what must have been twenty or twenty-five stories into the sky, much higher than any other building in the beautiful city. The tower was a long way away in the bronze city, but it was easily visible from anywhere.

"Yeah, what of it? Is that where we will find Jarvan IV?"

Yasuo nodded, "He lives at the very top." He took a few steps towards it before turning back to make a note, "The prince and I are friends so no matter what he says, even if it's against Noxus or you or whatever, just let me do the talking. He's a nice guy but I don't want you wrecking things with him because you're so prideful."

Riven sighed, "Understood, let's just get through this."

Yasuo grinned and lead the way, "Who knows, it could be fun! I mean, lavish suite with a view of the city, company of the prince, free food, what's not to like?"

Yasuo noticed Riven's remaining frustration and tugged his hat down over his eyes to hide his embarrassment as he said, "Look, Riven, I'm sorry for messing with you when we were on the road. I know I was being a jerk but..." Yasuo's voice trailed off. He was not used to apologizing. In fact, usually everyone who deserved an apology from him ended up dead before Yasuo could go through with saying sorry. It was different this time. He was working with Riven now and probably shouldn't upset her for extended periods of time unless he fancied failure and constant bickering.

Riven looked back to Yasuo, surprised at his ability to be kind, "Thank you for the apology. I accept it."

Yasuo smirked and kept walking, "Don't get used to it." With a grin he performed the same wind trick he had earlier and blew a gust at Riven's legs, making her stumble. Riven caught herself and stopped for a moment to regain her composure, grumbling her annoyance under her breath.

Chuckling, Yasuo looked back over his shoulder at her, "You know Riven, I could show you some more of the wind technique if you want. You know, parts of it that don't just lop off limbs?"

Yasuo shrugged, "Maybe it will help you fight, maybe it will give me something to do. I've never really taught anyone before. Back in Ionia, I surpassed my master's abilities with the technique in about a month. Nobody seems to be much good at it anymore. Maybe you can be. After all, you learned that slicing move pretty quickly for the one mission."

Riven pondered for a moment, "Well I suppose it could be quite useful. Sure, I'll give it a shot."

"Sort of funny actually," Yasuo mused, "You started by learning how to cut people up and never learned what I was taught first."

"I could assume the basics involve maneuvers along the lines of stabs and sweeping slashing to deter an opponent's ability to advance."

Yasuo laughed and clapped a hand on Riven's shoulder, "No, no, no. You're such a Noxian! The first thing they taught us wasn't how to fight. It was how to blow the blossoms and leaves off of the trees, a gentle breeze."

Riven tilted her head, somewhat confused as to why such a powerful enhancement to one's battle capabilities began with something as mundane as moving leaves. "I guess that would help in improving a user's control over the wind..."

"Riven, the wind isn't a weapon. Sure you can use it as one if you need to, but the wind itself is peaceful in nature. That's why it doesn't work as well when you swing your sword like you're cutting down a tree. You have to be swift and precise. Then the wind will do what you want."

"Wow, you actually can sound knowledgeable. You've been nothing but an abrasive drunk this whole time, yet when you talk about your art you're refined and well versed. I'm impressed."

Again, Yasuo smirked, "Dear, whatever artist was once inside me has long since been killed off. I'll show you what I know, but we both know that I'm teaching you how to fight, not how to use it as art."

With that, the duo made their way to the spiral tower and ignored the guards. Many of them noticed and recognized Yasuo and knew not to stop him, but Riven was not so lucky. With the Noxian inscription easily visible on the sword, both Yasuo and Riven were forced to push their way through and yell over the crowd, "We're going to see the prince, we're friendly! Stop it!"

Eventually it got to the point where Yasuo blasted wind at anyone who dared approach them. Riven didn't much like it and apologized to the guards who were just doing their job but she had to admit, it was an effective method of clearing the way.

At the top, Yasuo pushed aside the guard at the door, slamming him into a wall and walked confidently into the prince's throne room, a grin on his face. When the Jarvan saw Yasuo come in, he immediately stood from his throne and came to greet him. "Yasuo! It's so nice to see you again! Is everything alright? You should have told me you were coming."

When the greetings were done, Jarvan turned to look at Riven who was standing quietly behind Yasuo, not making eye contact. "Who's this Yasuo?"

"Don't you remember?" Yasuo asked, "That's Riven, the girl I was chasing way back then. You know, that girl who ran away from the kind and generous care you offered after the Shadow Isles incident?"

Then, Yasuo recanted the story of the dead ninjas in Zaun and why he and Riven were working together. "So can you help us?" He finished.

Jarvan pondered for a moment, scratching his chin but then smiled, "Of course. I can lend you a boat easily! In fact, I'll give you a prototype that we just received. It has a new navigator that was cooked up by some scientist in Piltover. They call it a Global Positioning System. It will tell you where you are and help you get where you are going."

Jarvan laughed, "You are undoubtedly in my debt. Do you have any idea how much money I've spent on you?"

Then the prince turned to the quiet Noxian in the room. "You haven't said a word since you got here! Why are you being so quiet Riven?"

"Umm... well, I haven't really much to say only than thank you for your kindness, especially towards one who is not only a stranger, but an enemy in your land." Riven bowed, "I am truly grateful."

Yasuo shrugged and glanced at Riven, "I don't know if we're friends. It's more of a working relationship. She is helpful."

Yasuo paused a second before adding, "Actually, she knows a little of the wind technique so I'm going to teach her some more. You might as well just call her my student." Yasuo looked at Riven with a joking grin on his face and burst out laughing.

Riven's faced turned red, embarrassed to be referred to as someone subordinate to Yasuo, "P-please I was just accepting your offer and besides when it comes to fighting I'm obviously the better trained. If anything I should be teaching you how to fight!"

"Right, I don't know why, but I thought Draven's arrogance was unique. I guess it's just all Noxians."

Jarvan took a decisive step forward between Yasuo and Riven and placed a warm hand on each's shoulder. "Just calm down you two. Focus on the goal, not each other. Shadow Isles, right?"

"Right," Yasuo agreed, "Boat ready tomorrow morning at dawn Jarvan?" Jarvan nodded to which Yasuo replied, "Thanks again, my friend. I'll see you when we get back." With that, Yasuo left the room at a fast walk, waving for Riven to follow him. He ran his way down the steps and out onto the street where he bee lined straight for the nearest inn with a bar. Riven saw him enter the bar just as she reached the bottom of the steps and followed him in. As she entered she saw Yasuo already ordering a drink.

"You seriously want to go back to the Shadow Isles sober?" Yasuo questioned.

Riven shrugged, "Damn, you've got a point. For once."

"I made lots of good points!" Yasuo defended himself, grinning as he slid a drink to his companion, "You're just too busy being moral and righteous to notice."

"Me?" Yasuo asked, feigning surprise and dejection, "Never!" He smirked and raised his glass to Riven, "To partnership... and luck. We'll need that, too."

Riven raised her glass in agreement, "To hell in Valoran and a future we can be proud of." She downed the drink with a gulp. As the alcohol burned her throat on the way down, she wondered what nightmares awaited her in the Shadow Isles.

Authors notes: An all-nighter culminated in this chapter's completion haha. Diovolo and I were up writing this until about 5 AM and we quite like what we can do here, especially with Yasuo and Riven. That's a very complex and unique relationship and I think we're going to have a lot of fun fleshing out their individual characters as well as their bond. We honestly don't know if this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship or not because of the way we write these conversations. Essentially, we just try to make them as natural as possible and if natural ends in a fight, so be it.

Next time on Legacy of the Shadows: Zed and Syndra speak with the shadow ninjas and formulate their plan to assault on the Kinkou warriors and end their order perminantly while Yasuo and Riven pursue their path to the Shadow Isles in hopes of finding answers as to who the dark clad ninjas are and why they were in Zaun.