Chapter 26
The entire body of Angels kneeled. A radiant carpet of blinding brilliance rolled out from the opened gates as an angelic chorus sounded. The immaculacy of the royal entrance brought all beings on Runeterra underneath. The endless stretch of Royal Guards lined up neatly and prepared for their King's entrance. Kayle, terrified, kneeled in the direction of the gate and completely forgetting Morgana. For the King himself to appear upon a mortal plane is truly of cosmic significance, a sign that she herself has failed. The Fallen Angel could was immobilized too with fear as a crushing aura of dark might enveloped her.
The entire atmosphere and the very molecules of the air itself in Runeterra trembled and quaked. Everyone, even the mortals, fell to their knees. Artrix could feel it, an immense, crushing gravity bringing him down. His felt as though his bones were about to shatter at any moment. He dreaded for what was about to happen. He had hoped with all his heart that He would not make an appearance but against the will and law of the First King, the Lord of Heaven has descended unto a civilized mortal plane. Yet he knew this was inevitable, that his uncle would come. He reached for the Archangel's Dagger he had gotten from Luthers. He was determined to plunge it into his uncle's black heart and avenge all who have been lost to Othrius' tyranny. His fingers felt the cool leather sheath concealing the steely dagger and he made sure that it would not be lost.
Out from the gates, an omnipotent presence emerged. When Artrix saw his uncle, he noted something amiss. Despite being donned in the immaculate and divine white armor, there was this sinister, twisted aura leaking from him. He was no longer the same man long ago but a corrupted and morphed form. All the divine radiance that emanated from a god has withered away into some dark recognizable abyss. An endless pity of death, suffering and evil crept out of Othrius. His bony, snaky face had only served to enhance this as his soulless black eyes darted about. His shoulder length hair lacked any life to them as they dripped to his shoulders like snakes. His emotion was a mix of null and insanity as evidence from his deteriorated mind.
Kayle shivered controllably when Othrius turned those deadened eyes at her. She felt as though her very own life force was being drained out of her body. Her might and power leaked away, leaving only a shell.
"Oh… Kayle… How you truly disappoint," Othrius rasped. There was this mocking yet weary tone to it. His voice was nearly demonic with only a few strands of humanity remained. "I gifted you the powers of an Archangel… I even gifted you one of my finest army yet you still disappoint."
Kayle's eyes were fixed downwards, unable to look up. "I-I truly apologize all with my life, my Lord. I will succeed, I swear. Allow me to resume…"
"No, no no no… That won't do… You have already proven yourself. There could've been no way that you had failed unless you deliberately sabotaged your own effort," Othrius accused.
"I would never my Lord, I would-" Kayle attempted to defend herself but was cut off.
"Yes, you are a traitor. You have plotted against me since the first day, I should've known," Othrius said with a hint of delusion, "but do not blame yourself my child. It was my fault, I did not catch on early enough even with all my omniscience. I could not save you from your wicked path before it was too late. I should apologize, not you…"
Kayle was speechless. She felt the insanity brewing in a malevolent storm within him. Her King was demented, she thought, but why?
"And for that, my child, for my apology to you, I will bring you a swift end and I will personally take on your burden…" the King lightly began, "and… succeed WHERE YOU HAVE FAILED!"
In a terrifying instance, Othrius' feint serenity was snapped into an insane rage. His voice, so darkly gentle suddenly transformed into a demonic anger. Within a split second, Othrius vanished and reappeared behind Kayle. For a short moment, Kayle could not even feel what had just happened when suddenly, a gush of blood spurted out from a wide slash across her abdomens. Morgana looked on, horrified.
"Kayle!" she cried out to her. However, Kayle' eyes were still open but saw nothing. Her wings stopped beating as did her heart as she plummeted unconsciously towards the earth. Morgana dove immediately after her fallen sister.
Othrius paid no attention to them and instead trained his eyes upon Artrix who was nothing more than an invisible speck at this distance. Without a sound, Othrius had instantly teleported himself onto the fields before Artrix much to everyone's shock. He planted himself right in the middle of Valoran's army, surrounding himself with a hundred of thousands of fragile lives.
"Ah, my dear nephew. It has been some time hasn't it for us to face each other personally," Othrius weary said.
Artrix's arms were poised to draw his Dagger in a flash. One quick stab to his heart and it would all be over, the problem is getting to him.
The troops surrounding Othrius were unsure what to do. Their soldier's instincts tell them to charge at this vastly outnumbered adversary. After some hesitation, a group of Noxians assaulted him with their axes and swords.
"No you fools! Get away from him!" Artrix desperately shouted but it was too late. Othrius did not flinch one bit. When the men's swords and axes were about to make contact with the King, they began to disintegrate into air. The horrified troops too were not spared as they followed next, after their own weapons. Their shouts and screams only lasted for a second before they too had been erased from existence.
"Retreat… Retreat back to the Institute and hold out! We will handle him here!" Artrix commanded. With that order, the troops quickly hurried back to their forts, clearing the fields. A team of Champions and Summoners quickly came to Artrix's side while the other half returned to the Institute. With the shield around the valley cleared, the flocks of Angels streamed out of those rocks and towards the forts. They went on to assault the Institute and soared overhead past Artrix and his allies, leaving Othrius to confront them.
Behind Artrix stood Vessaria and a group of elite Summoners, Riven, Kassadin, Irelia, Ashe and several others. They prepared their spells and weapons and faced Othrius.
"Artrix, why do you do this? Tis such a waste of lives, there is no need for bloodshed," Othrius said mockingly.
"Since when did you care about lives, uncle," Artrix spitted out the word.
Othrius began falling into a mad laughter uncontrollably for a few moments before snapping back to his austere posture.
"You insult me, dear nephew. Oh you must think me an idiot now. Why would I want to destroy this world? Such a beautiful, lovely world filled with this life and joy, no no no… If I wanted to destroy Runeterra, I could've done so with the mere thought of it but I do not. If I destroyed everything in my way, then what is there left to rule? No, I seek to become a conqueror, not destroyer Artrix. I seek to add to the new dominion of Heaven. All of the cosmos will be mine," Othrius said.
"An evil nonetheless. If you tyrannize and rob the mortals of their freedoms, that is no better than being destroyed," Artrix said.
"Well I am sure that you would understand Artrix. Look at how low you have fallen, once a mighty Prince now defending this forsaken cause alongside these petty mortals. You are a disgrace to Heaven, to your father…"
These words would've broken Artrix just months ago when he was just exiled but now, it was different.
"I know, I know that my father is ashamed of me. I know Heaven is ashamed, but that does not mean I have given up. You know uncle, being a mortal isn't so bad. It's not what you think. These people standing around me, they all fight and they all have fought. They will fight until they are either dead or victorious. They know why they are fighting, and they are free to fight and defend what they love. You? Look at those who serve you. Do they dare speak anything but music to your ears? When was the last time you've heard a truth from anyone? When was the last time someone had said what they truly believed to you?"
Othrius' face twisted and contorted not with this strange emotion. It was as though he was angry, yet happy at the same time.
"Oh… My poor nephew. What has mortality done to you? Oh the horrors… Look at all the opportunities you had, blown away. Look… you… YOU COULD'VE RULED THIS WORLD! IT WAS ALL YOURS FOR THE TAKING! ALL FOR HEAVEN! You… you could've taken your father's throne and become the greatest King there ever was but you choose to follow these, these pathetic, weak mortals. They are disgrace to the cosmic design, a mere speck in the existence of grand powers yet YOU THREW IT ALL AWAY!" Othrius hissed.
Artrix looked on as though pitying an insane man. "Then you need to look deeper. You are no true King if you cannot even understand your subjects. Your mad greed for power knows no bound."
Then, as though he had forgotten everything, the anger from Othrius drained away before he threw himself in a hysterical laughter.
"Surely you jest, Artrix," Othrius said madly, "there is no need for the truth when you have the power to run over those who dare defy you. Why would I need to know what anyone is thinking when I have all of this?"
"Then you are mad and alone in your dark small world."
Then, Othrius shifted into a dark, evil tone. "Do not worry Artrix, I will spare all of these mortals that you so love. They will come to serve me. But for you, I will kill you. No matter how you resist, I will end you. But I will allow you to fight me as a source of my amusement. Entertain me Artrix, how will you defeat a god and the King of Heaven?"
"With this," Artrix said. He then gave a hand signal to Vessaria and her Summoners, who all nodded and teleported into a ring around Othrius. They then began casting a powerful magic as an earthly web formed in the vicinity. The magical snare pulsed powerfully as the ground quaked.
Othrius stood still with an amused expression on his face. "What is this?"
"Now!" Artrix commanded. At an instant, the team of Champions all dashed into different directions before launching the assault on the King. Artrix had melted into this flurry of people whirling about Othrius. The Champions' blades, spells and fists were all dodged by Othrius with inhumane speed or parried with his very own hand. It was an effortless defense for him, despite all of the Champions fighting to their maximum potential.
Othrius continued to only defend before he became bored. "Is this all you have to offer to me Artrix? Then I am sorely disappointed."
With a swift wave of his hand, a gusting blast exploded from his body, throwing all of the Champions away violently. Just as the dust cleared, Othrius saw Artrix standing before him, with a familiar dagger in hand.
"Ha, now what do you-"
Artrix, without saying a word, gave the Summoners' the order. From the earthen web a pillar of searing magic shot up skywards. This magic was powerful enough to vaporize air itself. It breached Runeterra's atmosphere and could been seen and heard and felt miles away as a rippling earthquake waved through the buckling grounds. It was bright enough to outshine the Sun, causing everything around seemed as though it was deep at night. Othrius was completely consumed by the fiery pillar.
Artrix now wielding the dagger ran forth towards his target. The Summoners then shifted their hands in a complex yet synchronized manner as the small gap opened in the pillar, revealing an immobilized Othrius. His arms and the lower half of his body were gripped tightly by the searing flames, leaving only his chest and head open. Despite being blanketed in these flames hotter than the Sun, he was completely unscathed.
"Impressive Artrix, I truly applaud you, but you must be a fool to think this magic can hold me!" Othrius hollered over the roaring sounds of the inferno around him.
Artrix quickly dashed at him and prepared to stab him in the heart. Othrius was still unmoving, completely amused by Artrix's efforts.
"The magic is not what will hold you. It is your arrogance that will do it!" Artrix said briefly before he brought forth his dagger. The blade was now merely an inch away from Othrius, so close to his still beating heart, so close when the steel of the blade caught his eyes.
"You-!" Othrius said, now realizing what the dagger was. He quickly pulled his hands out of the fire and blocked it with his own flesh. It pierced through effortlessly like butter as a rover of blood began spewing from his wound. Artrix pushed even harder, silently cursing his dagger for not being a sword instead. Othrius grunted in agony as the god slaying dagger dug deeper into his flesh. With no choice, he freed his other hand and grasped Artrix's arm, trying to stop him from pushing the dagger through. However, he felt his strength being sapped away as his left hand continued to bleed profusely while being pinned to his own chest.
Now, it was a struggle of strength with Artrix seemingly having the upper hand.
"How did you get this dagger?" Othrius hissed painfully.
"From the man whose family you had murdered, I will hold to his promise. I will end all of this here!" Artrix replied before pushing even further.
"Enough of this charade! You will not kill me!" Othrius roared before he casted a shockwave from his body, dispelling the pillar and knocking every Summoner and Champion to the ground. Artrix managed to hold on, still in the struggle. Just as it seemed like he had won, Othrius' sinister grin returned.
"Some of your old strength had returned Artrix but remember this, you are still a petty mortal and I a god," Othrius said.
With that, the tide had suddenly turned. Artrix felt a crushing power pushing on him as Othrius forced him back. He felt an overwhelming strength surge through Othrius before being pushed onto his knees.
"You can't beat me Artrix, just as a mortal cannot beat a god. I thought you would know this best but now, it seems that only death can teach you," Othrius hissed as Artrix strained and struggled. Then, a deadly aura began forming around the two. Artrix felt his life and strength rapidly sapped away as he began losing consciousness.
Riven, who had just recovered albeit now covered in wounds, called out to him.
"Artrix, no! Wake up!" she cried.
However, it was no use as each passing second, Artrix's lifespan shortened. Then, just as all seemed lost, an angelic voice called out to them.
"We haven't lost yet!"
From the corner of Artrix's eyes he caught a flying Luthers charging straight at them with blade in one hand. He was fully dressed in combat armor as it hid away all of his wounds.
Artrix tried to stop Luthers but he could not force anything out of his throat as the Angel roared loudly like some bravado gesture.
"Another traitor of Heaven? You will not forestall my judgement!" Othrius said before casting a bolt of lightning at Luthers which had then pierced his heart but it did not stop him as his body continued forward with the momentum. He hurled himself into Othrius, who instinctively raised his hand to halt the Angel.
In this moment, Artrix's eyes and Luthers met. It felt to him like slow motion.
"This is your chance… kill him now… I'm not a coward, and neither are you," Artrix heard his voice. Without hesitation, Artrix freed his hand and capitalized on Othrius' mistake. He plunged his dagger forward at the surprised Othris who gave out in quick agonized groan as the sharp steel entered his heart. He stumbled back, his face shadowed by the sun above before becoming motionless upon the sands.
Artrix was breathing hard before he quickly rushed to Luthers. He held him to his arms and saw Luther's lifeless expression. His eyes were open but they saw nothing.
"I'm so sorry, I could not kill him without you, I'm so sorry that I had let you die. I broke my promise to your father but I kept the one to you. Rest in peace, my friend," Artrix softly said.
The Summoners and Champions recovered as they staggered to him. The Angels above had halted themselves, looking down in horror as their King stood there with a dagger in his heart.
"Did we do it?" a bloodied Riven asked.
Artrix laid Luthers back gently onto the ground with his arms crossed. Just as they were about to relax, they heard a low, twisted laughter from Othrius. Immediately, everyone returned to defensive stances. Artrix was shocked that the dagger had not killed him. Did he miss he wondered. That was impossible; he felt the blade pierce into his beating heart. He even heard his heart stop.
"How…?" Artrix muttered under his own breath.
Othrius regained his posture, his appearance even darker than before. He proceeded to pull the dagger out as the blade disintegrated into dust. From the wound, a black liquid oozed out, spilling onto the ground.
"Did you really think that such a trick would work on me? You are sorely mistaken my friends," Othrius hissed. He then grabbed for his white armor and pulled it off, revealing a horrifying body underneath. He was cloaked in pure black which drained aaway any divine features he had. The new set of apparel seemed to pulse as though it had a will of its own. But the most horrid thing was where over his heart was, a vile crest wrapped tightly around it like a leeching crab. From the centre of the living crest came a pulsing purple essence, mirroring his own heartbeats.
"No, that can't be it…" Kassadin said, "that's the Essence of the Void. He has consumed him!"
Artrix looked back at the corrupted figure, tainted by the Void.
"What have you done?" he asked in horror.
"I have transcended myself beyond even that of a god! I have merged two perfect beings together into one. I am no longer a god, I am something greater. Your dagger cannot kill me, I have already ascended being living. This is the power that you oppose, this is what you have brought upon yourself!" Othrius hollered madly into the skies.
The ranks of Angels above looked on, unable to decide what to do. They did not understand how their King has become so twisted and vile like this.
Othrius laughed at the skies then snapped his neck back into place and glanced before him. Artrix along with his allies stood unmoving.
"Now, it's time to end this game," he said. Then, with the snap of his finger, a violent sandstorm measuring thousands of miles too and gusting with tearing sands pulsed from his body. The Champions and Summoners, as well as the Angels above were forced to shield themselves lest they be torn to shreds. This storm raged and expanded at unmatched speeds, devouring all in its sandy path.
The storm had reached the Institute where they were being sieged and immediately, their barriers and walls were torn down to rubble. The grand towers and buildings of the Institute crumbled down into rubble and the troops scurried frantically to find the safeguard of shelter. Many of them did not make it and ended up being caught in the violent winds. The vast stretches of greenery and lush forests all became entombed in the sands. The winds tore off even grand oaks of thousands of years old off of its very roots.
Artrix along with Riven was blown back together while becoming separated from the others. When the ordeal was over, the scenery around them had dramatically changed. From the green, lively plains into a harsh, dry desert. Not a single tree or a blade of grass could be seen for miles away. The centre of Valoran had transformed into something that resembled the Shurima Deserts.
Artrix got up to his knees, feeling the softness of the desert ground below him. He then spotted Riven lying close to him and quickly helped her to her feet. He saw buried bodies of both men and Angels alike everywhere. He felt disgusted by what Othrius had just done.
In front of them the demented King approached. "Look what you just did, Artrix. You forced my hands now didn't you."
"You… You will pay for this!" Artrix yelled.
Othrius only grinned before summoning five phantasmal blades behind him. They were all aimed at Artrix who had quickly attempted to draw his sword but he was too late when two of them flew towards him and embedded themselves in both his hands. He hollered in pain and two more found themselves into the flesh of his shoulders. They then began to lift him into the air, painfully suspending him with both his arms stretched out while Othrius enjoyed this sadistic pleasure.
"ARTRIX!" Riven cried out.
Not thinking, she grabbed for her blade and reforged it. Desiring to protect Artrix, she dashed forth at the perpetrator of his suffering.
"Riven, no!" Artrix weakly called out but she did not listen. Othrius, all the while smiling without happiness, effortlessly blocked Riven's slash with his hand as her blade shattered into the sands. Then, he launched his fist at Riven's abdomen and caused her to fly back several feet. The air was forced out her lungs and instead, blood spurted from her mouth as he landed away.
She lay motionlessly yet still conscious. She could feel every bone in her body shattered like her blade. It caused great pain for her just to turn her neck but she forced herself anyways to be able to meet Artrix's eyes.
Othrius then sent Artrix crashing back down and withdrew the phantom blades and repositioned them in his legs and stomach. A pool of blood had gathered beneath him as he writhed in agony. Then, he once withdrew the blade as all five of it now hovered above him, ready to end his life at any moment.
Riven and Artrix, feeling that their end was close, glanced at each other. No words were exchanged as their eyes met. Artrix remembered this back in Piltover when they hunted down Pyro. It felt like that time again, like reigniting a spark. A thousand stories and emotions were shared between them without a single utterance. The bond between them could not be severed even in the face of death.
Othrius noticed and gave even a wider grin.
"Ah, love, such a beautiful bond… so easily severed. Look at you Artrix, look how disgraceful you've become, to have an affair with some vile mortal. Do not worry Artrix, I will end you and know in death that she will live, and you will not," Othrius said before bringing one of the swords down towards his heart slowly. The sharp point burrowed itself painfully slow as it entered his flesh. Artrix could not find the energy to groan but the pain was excruciating. It felt like his own body was being torn in half as the blade twisted about in his chest.
Riven too could not make a sound and could only watch as tears streamed from her eyes. She tried to reach for Artrix, using every bit of strength she had to fight to pain. Her tears puddled onto the sand on her face, forming a dark spot on the ground. She pushed her fingers out despite the searing agony tearing her body to shreds.
"Artrix…" she weakly said.
"This is over Artrix, this is where it finally ends," Othrius send before plunging the sword straight through his heart.
Then, Kassadin appeared next to Riven through the Rift and quickly but carefully lifted her onto his back.
"We must leave!" he said to Riven before he prepared to teleport out.
"No… get him, not me…" Riven faintly said before losing consciousness as Kassadin Riftwalked away.
Artrix, seeing Riven safe, began to slip. His body felt a nagging cold as he gave a slight shiver. The pain was easing away now, as was his consciousness. His vision began to become black as his sight blurred. His other senses too felt like they were leaving his body, causing him to drift about in the eternal desert.
Then, all became black for him.