Chapter 22

As the battle drew closer, the furor of Valoran rose like the undying flames of a furnace. The people of all cities, be at Noxus, Demacia, Zaun or Piltover were restless. Plans were being made by the generals under Swain, resources and troops were being produced all for the upcoming battle, even food was being voluntarily rationed by the people. The general mentality that the battle will be hard and bloody permeated through the air but that had only served to fuel the fire of Valoran.

As each day and night passed, time seemed to have quickened for Artrix. Time felt like the shifting sands of Shurima to him, with each passing second closer to the day of battle. The thought of meeting his uncle again sickened him and somewhere inside he had just wanted to hide and escape. However, the sounds of haste and progress for the defenses of Valoran would always snap him back into the cold reality. Like a blizzard, the warmth within him gradually diminished. His goals were only kept alive by his promises to Riven and to the people of Valoran.

Artrix stood outside of a large, granite balcony hanging high over the tallest tower of the Institute. The day was still young as the rising sun began to breathe light onto the Valoran. It seemed so peaceful, Artrix thought. The chirping of birds, the rustling of leafs and the humming of the summer warmth in the air made everything seem normal. It was serenity with a limited lifespan. Suddenly, the sounds of shattering glass from inside woke Artrix from his daydream. Back inside a servant had accidentally dropped a cup and was busy cleaning the brown stained floor with a cloth.

Back inside was a war room with a multitudinous board of maps pinned onto nearly every inch of the walls. It was a lightly furbished room with the central piece a massive, circular granite table. The sole source of light in the room, if it were night, was a wooden chandelier, its numerous candles sustained by magic when needed.

"Come join us, Artrix, your insight is needed," Jarvan, one of the leaders in the room asked.

At the table sat the leaders and representatives of the few factions and cities from Valoran. From Demacia Jarvan, from Bandle City a Yordle, Zaun a dark looking man, the North Queen Ashe, Piltover an ambassador by the name of Rosswell. Artrix noticed the absence of Swain who instead had sent Katarina for the job. She looked bothered to be present at the room.

"The basics of the plan have already been created, now we just need the fine details. As you had mentioned earlier, the Army of Heaven's general doctrine is often a singular, massive strike in one area. From then on they will penetrate any defenses and crush their oppositions. Knowing that, we can concentrate our forces instead of spreading them thin and confront them in one decisive spot. The problem is, we know neither where precisely they will land nor what types of weaponry that they might have," Jarvan began, "and so, we have requested you here for your views on matters."

The plans of defense have been largely created by Swain. Surprisingly enough however other than the general orders of battle and placement of troops he had let Jarvan and his Demacian generals to lay out the rest.

"I cannot tell you the exact location, but I have eyes in Heaven and hopefully I can get the information. However, I can tell of the weapons they have. Despite being servants of Gods, Angels are still largely foot soldiers who wield basic magic. They come in vast numbers and it is not impossible for even one of us here to take them down. If you wish for a comparison, think of Kayle. Now, she has left this world and have become a servant of Heaven once again, she will be our enemy this time," Artrix said.

When he said eyes in Heaven, he had meant Morgana. She had been sent on a convert mission deep into Heaven in an attempt to scout out any knowledge she may acquire.

"What do you think the projected casualties may be?" the Piltoveran ambassador asked.

Artrix thought for a moment. "Heavy. To be truthful I do not expect many of us to come of this battle alive. But that is the only chance we may have."

Katarina looked about uneasily. On the table intricate battle plans and toy figurines representing troops lay all but unknown to her.

"Why am I even here…" she muttered under her breath.

Jarvan then turned his attention to the assassin. "Interesting that of all people Swain would've sent, it would be you."

"I had no control of this, don't expect me to help you," she sharply retorted.

"I wasn't. Of course I cannot expect a shred of logistics and tactical prowess from a lowly assassin such as you."

Katarina, visibly enraged, shot up from her seat. "Take your words back, Demacian. I will find no trouble plunging a dagger into your throat."

Jarvan scoffed. "I would like to see you try."

Katarina instinctively reached for one of her many steel strapped onto her belt before being halted by Artrix.

"Enough! How are we to win this battle if we can't even settle our differences?"

The tension between the two eased away as Katarina sat back down on her seat, arms crossed. She groaned and muttered something vulgar under her breath while Jarvan regained his mighty composure.

"At any rate, the most we can do now is preparing ourselves and get into the mentality of battle. We can only wait," Artrix said.

Jarvan nodded in approval before returning to the maps with his generals.

The chatter of strategy had continued for the next few hours. Plans of where armies were to be positioned, resources and reinforcements to be placed upon and how the battle will be commenced were all part of the hours long strategic talk. There were slight disagreements here and there but Katarina had stayed silent for the remainder of the time before excusing herself later. She walked out of the room and down to a nearby courtyard where the flowers of summer were still blooming and the sweet scent of nature endorsed the humid air. The clouds above were drifting eastward with the flow of the winds. How carefree they were, Katarina thought, to just exist with the flow of the world.

She paced herself around the courtyard and then noticed a brilliant purple Orchid growing alone in a patch of grass. It was a singular, fragile plant sticking out amongst the fields of dull grass. She thought of how easily the flower would've been noticed and preyed by any natural predator as she approached the flower.

She kneeled over and stroked the soft pedals of the flower. Then, ever so slightly, she let out a sigh as her eyes drifted away in thought of her father. She felt powerless, like the Orchid or a single pin in a haystack. Then, she thought of that despicable man, Swain. Unconsciously, she clenched her fist tightly, crushing the delicate flower into a mangled mess of its former beauty.

"What have the Orchid done to you?" a voice jolted Katarina as she stood back onto her feet.

Katarina turned around and saw Riven entering the courtyard. Her massive runic blade was strapped to her back along with her usual rags. Katarina felt defensive with the muscles of her fingers itching for her blade. While Riven was a Noxian, the tales of her betrayal and disgrace to the people of Noxus ran heavy, a work of Noxian propaganda. To her eyes, she saw Riven as an enemy of Noxus and for some time after the Noxian-Ionian war, she had been anticipating an assassination order on the exiled captain though it never came.

"What do you want?" Katarina coldly snapped.

"I was just on my way to the war room," Riven replied without any sign of retaliation in her voice.

"What good can you do, they won't care for someone like you."

Riven was now slightly perplexed by Katarina's hostile manner. "If you need to be reminded Miss Du Coutea, that I was once a Captain in the Noxian Army. I do have a fair grasp of the tactics of war."

"Then let me be clear, Captain, that you are an enemy of Noxus, no matter what little tricks you try to do. Even if you win this war for us, I, no, the whole of Noxus will still treat you no differently. I don't know what you are up to, but if I find out that you try to plot against Noxus, expect a dagger from me."

Riven paid no heed to the threat.

"Like I said, I don't care about you or Noxus right now. All I care is that we can win this war and make sure everyone lives. If you want to think that way, fine, but do not get in my way."

Katarina grunted, her piercing green eyes having no effect on Riven's stance.

"So you think you are somebody? Just because you are in love with some Prince of Heaven or whatever and that makes you think you can talk like a big shot?"

"I never intended for any of this. You are just another pawn of that man, all you do is assassinate others in the so-called name of Noxus but do you even know why you kill? And for what?"

"Shut up! Shut up! You have no right to talk, you can't even enter the city and you think you can try and talk down to me? I've done more for Noxus than you will ever have. You are just a disgraced exile!"

"Yea, I may be an exile. I'm also a traitor and a failure to the duties of Noxus. But at least I can do what I want, and not leashed by some man sitting high above in a throne room. I can act in my own will, I can feel how I want to feel, I can love whoever I want, Katarina. I'm not a puppet to anyone anymore. Unlike you, at least I can be free."

At the mention of freedom, Katarina clenched her fist. A pained expression lit up her face, followed by defeated eyes. Her fist shook with anger but she knew Riven was right. Katarina dropped her head and fixed her eyes on the ground, her red hair dropping downwards as well. For a few moments, she could not find any words to reply to Riven. Her throat felt dry as the deserts of Shurima, her words choked up in her esophagus.

"You…" Katarina muttered like a defeated child. She released her fists and let her arms drop. A few strands of her crimson hair lingered in front of her face, shelling her eyes from the world and Riven.

Riven could feel the pain in Katarina's voice. "But that doesn't mean you can't."

Katarina was surprised. She looked up and saw Riven's face. It was not a face she had expected. It was kind and accepting, completely contrary to all the propagandas that she had heard back in Noxus. The stories of a weak, pathetic girl who couldn't even hold a blade properly and the stories of a demented anarchist seeking only chaos was all washed away by Riven now. For ages, Katarina had not been greeted with such humility and acceptance.

The only true faces Katarina had ever known were those who were about to be killed by her daggers, that of genuine fear and desperation. The other faces were all masks, be it from his brother Talon, his sister Cassiopeia and most of all, Swain. Katarina had never known truth. It had been so long that she had met anyone with any honesty, yet she could tell Riven harboured no lies.

"If even someone like me could escape, then you too can," Riven said.

Katarina found that she was unable to meet Riven's eyes. Those eyes, so full of purity and determination, were something that Katarina did not have. She turned her head away in shame and held her arms as though she was in agony.

"You don't know half of it…" Katarina dejectedly said, almost in a whisper. "If only I could save him…"

Riven approached Katarina and extended her right hand towards her. Katarina was surprised by this gesture and stared deeply at Riven's calloused hands.

"You hate Swain as much as I do, but we all have our reasons I suppose. But if you won't even try, then you will never know. Do what you believe in," Riven said, her hand still extended.

Katarina contemplated whether or not to accept this. She felt her own hand move towards Riven's as though it had a will of its own. Every muscle screamed for her to accept it. In the end however, she forced her own arm back down to her side and turned her back to Riven.

"Just… go…" Katarina muttered.

"Remember, we are never alone," Riven said, echoing Lee Sin's teachings she had received long ago.

As Riven left, Katarina stood in the courtyard, surrounded once again by the fields of grass and flowers. She hunched her back like a turtle escaping into its shell. She grasped her right arm tightly as the vehement sea of thoughts bombarded her. Perhaps she should've accepted it, she thought.

Then, a light breeze carrying a tumble of fallen leafs brushed through the yard as Katarina felt a single droplet roll down her cheeks.

The afternoon sky had suddenly roared and shook violently as bolts of supernatural lightning tore through the peace of the day. The brilliance of the Sun was then blotted out by an unnatural storm cloud that crashed like a maelstrom and dark as the lifeless abyss itself. The Summoners were quickly manoeuvring about, bringing themselves into a state of emergency.

Vessaria, along with Artrix and several other Champions hurried into the scene which was already filled by Summoners. Powerful barrier spells were already being casted all over the Institute and the forests surrounding it.

"It's like that time when that Angel came," Vessaria said, referring to Amethus' arrival.

"Are they attacking already?" Jayce asked, "This is way earlier than we thought."

Artrix examined the thundering skies left and right. "No, this is not it. It's something smaller, much smaller. If it were an Army the whole of Runeterra would've been quaking."

A violent gust of wind tore through the atmosphere when suddenly, a small white portal ripped open in the middle of the storm. Emerging from it were two figures soaring out at breakneck speed as the portal then immediately closed behind them.

"There!" Jayce pointed out.

The two figures drew closer and closer and soon appeared to be two winged humanoids. Then, a purple shield constructed of hexagonal panes became clear and finally, their faces.

"That's Morgana, and another Angel!"

Vessaria then noticed that the two falling had no intention of slowing down and soon she saw why. They were unconscious and injured.

"Quick, summon a catching net!" she ordered a nearby group of Summoners.

They then raised her hands and waved it around in synchronization as light energy radiated from them and from thin air sprung forth a magical net, much like a spider's that suspended in mid-air. The two fall directly into it and safely slowed down until they gently touched the ground.

Vessaria and the Champions quickly rushed to them and found Morgana to be barely conscious while the other Angel was completely out. Their bodies were scarred by deep cuts and bruises and dried blood. Morgana tried to stand up but a broken rib stopped her.

Vessaria then called for healers as Artrix approached them. He saw Morgana and then instantly recognized the other Angel.

"Morgana! And Luthers?" Artrix asked.

Morgana tried to breathe but each breath pained her. "Argh… They almost got me, but we barely managed to escape."

As she finished her sentence, she coughed out a splatter of dark blood onto the ground.

"What happened, Morgana, and why is Luthers here?"

"Listen up Artrix, Heaven's Army is almost here. They will arrive no later than tomorrow at noon, and the exact area they will strike is just a few miles north of here, close to the Howling Marsh. They number in the millions, and even the Void will be at their service," Morgana forced her words out.

"The Void? But why?" Vessaria pondered for a moment.

"How certain are you that this information is accurate?" Jayce questioned.

"Certain enough that I almost died for it. These were the personal words that the Archangels were speaking, my ears do not betray me. Now, we need to prepare, I must get to-" Morgana again tried to stand but her attempt ended in agony.

"Do not force yourself, your information is already a great aid to us. You must rest and heal for tomorrow, and I need to go inform the generals," Artrix said, he then turned his eyes to the unconscious Luthers. "And Morgana, what happened to him?"

Morgana coughed another splatter of blood.

"Ask him yourself when he awakes. I only found him running on the edges of Heaven as I myself was being hunted," she weakly said.

Then, a team of healers arrived at the scene and began casting a teleportation spell to transport the two to a nearby ward.

"What do we do then?" Jayce asked.

"Now we know exactly where they will strike. I need to go back to the war room and there we will give the order to march our forces to the northern fields. Jayce, go spread the word, and get everyone ready. Tell them all that it will be tomorrow," Artrix said.

Without hesitation, Jayce nodded and hurried away.

"Vessaria, can you please get the Summoners and mages ready?"

"Of course," she said and began to leave, "and good luck Artrix, good luck to all of us."

Dawn had arrived surprisingly fast; the strategic meeting had drained Artrix of much of his energy. The armies from all cities and varieties had mostly already arrived at the location where Heaven will strike. Each army had its own quirks and strengths and general theme to them.

Swain and Darius led the Noxians, clad in bloody grey armor and armed with wicked axes and blades wavering high. The Demacians, led by Jarvan and Garen had the colors of Demacia as they marched in high morale. The Yordles were an eccentric bunch and at one glance, they would've resembled more of a vast swarm of playful children but underneath, ingenious designs and weapons were all set and ready to decimate their enemies much like Heimerdinger's or Rumble. The Piltoverans were a technological people. Their army looked like a silver sea, glistening with smoothness and perfection. Airships and tanks and artillery had accompanied their massive army of drones and engineers.

Many more cities and towns had too marched with the main army towards the fields, with every one of them ready to fight for Valoran. It was a miraculous sight to behold. For the first time in history, men and women from every single city states had set aside their grievances and marched as one, under the banner of Valoran. The very grounds quaked from the boots of millions of troops like a glorious stampede, yet not quite as chaotic.

Encampments and tents were set all along strategically important areas, often that of high hills and mountains. The fields were relatively flat, its plainness only marred by a few rolling hills. The tents had housed all the Champions of the League as well as the generals from the cities. As the Sun faded away, a sea of flickering orange light from the torches lit the entirety of the massive fields. It must've been more than hundreds of miles wide and across, and every single inch of it occupied by this gargantuan mass of men. Never have Valoran seen such a huge congregation of people, not even all from all of the Rune Wars combined did such an enormous army existed.

Artrix stumbled his way to one the tents situated on one the highest hills around. It was a sizable brown tent, hold up from the four corners by sturdy posts and ropes. When he made his way into the warmth inside, he saw Riven sharpening her blade within. The tent could've housed at least five, but Riven and Artrix were put together as the only ones in there, no doubt the work of some mischievous Champion.

"Getting ready I see," Artrix remarked as he entered.

Riven nodded soundlessly as her focus on her weapon remained unchanged. Artrix sat down in his cozy cot as a brief silence ensued.

"Artrix," Riven suddenly began, "I think now is a time as good as any to say this… And I have been wanting to say this to you for some time now."

"And what's that?"

"I love you."

Artrix was slightly surprised by the randomness of her words. "And I love you too?"

"Don't joke Artrix, this may be our last time together," Riven said, setting her sword aside.

"I'm not, I do hold you dear to the very centre of my heart. You know that no matter what, I will always love you. Even in death…"

"No, that's exactly what I mean, death. I know this is selfish and that this would contradict everything I may've said but, I do fear death. Not because of the pain or agony and darkness but of losing what I had gained, what I had worked so hard for. Before meeting you, I would've had no problem ending my life if it happens but now, now I know what it is to live. To be able to love, and it is you! If you or I were to die, then all these feelings that I could never have enjoyed would be gone forever. You gave them to me Artrix, and I truly love you for that, but I just can't bear…"

Artrix smiled and placed his hands on her head and lightly stroke her soft, silver hair. Riven looked up and their eyes met.

"I understand what you mean, I have been through it too. You are the first person that I could ever say that I love you to. But that is the reason why we must fight without fear. It is to protect this precious bond between us. We must fight to our best, and I know, I promise you that I will not die and neither will you. Not only that but we will be victorious, I promise."

Riven faintly smiled as Artrix softly brought his hand down and caressed Riven's cheeks. They were rough yet smooth at the same time; his hands could feel every single bumps and imperfections like the scars she had worn, every ridges and bumps. To him, this mattered not. In front of him is the woman he loves, and not anyone else. The one person who changed him for better, the one person that was able to bring him away from his blindness and destructive path. The one person that not for eons could do what she did. A strength that he could not apprehend was something that she possessed.

The seconds feel like hours as the torches outside flickered brightly. The tent seemed to begin closing in on them, drawing their two warm bodies together. Artrix could suddenly feel his heavy heartbeats with each of its thumps pulsating through him. He saw Riven's glowing eyes and he knew she felt the same. Slowly, they brought themselves together as their lips met. Artrix felt a sudden jolt through his body. This was by no means the first time they had shared a kiss yet to him, it felt as though it was. The warmth from her body and lips exchanged with his. He could feel every bit of Riven as they held onto each other tightly. Her sweet scent grasped his sense of smell away and her beauty up close his heart. Perhaps it was the thought that this could indeed be their last time did he feel this way. He felt at home, at peace, in Heaven.

The warmth of the tent encouraged further action. The prolonged kiss quickly escalated into something more as Artrix held Riven onto the cot. It had accentuated their love and passion and Artrix felt the utterance of the natural flow they were experiencing. The humidity in the tent caused him to undress as well as Riven, revealing their naked bodies. Their warmth radiated onto each other as they pressed tightly together. Artrix lifted his lips away and their eyes locked once again, with Riven's telling him that she was ready in every sense. Artrix could feel her smooth and lithe features, often hidden underneath her rags and armor. His own muscular form was too fully revealed to her as she accepted him unto herself. His skin tingled with zest as they quickly resumed their ritual of love and passion. No words could now describe Artrix's feelings for he had fully submersed into her.

The night to them, felt as though it were weeks, months, years. It felt like it could never end. It was their own world, their own cosmic creation. No one, not even the darkest evils could break this piece of Eden and invulnerable to all harm. It was bathed in eternal light, an unceasing glory. The feelings of joy delight and pleasure all mixed into one ecstasy. It was an unbreakable treasure, meant to be kept forever as they had shared a passionate night.