EHS 4

Ionian Epic

Zed dashed from tree to tree, rushing back to the Order of Shadow's headquarters. Passing by a dark forest, Zed jumped nimbly through the thickets of greenery, dodging between various protruding branches. As he was moving, a black sphere appeared in his way. Zed, unable to stop, crashed into the ball and promptly lost consciousness.

Syndra's Castle

Zed woke up, bound by magic bonds. His armor stripped of his body, leaving only the black tunic and shorts he wore underneath. Zed looked around until he noticed Syndra float into the room. "Well, what have I caught roaming my land?" she arrogantly purred at him, gazing at his exposed face. "It has been long since I have felt the touch of a man," she continued.

Zed looked away, quietly responding," Woman. Do you not hate me? Do you not wish that you were able to kill me?"

Syndra laughed," Of course! But that does not mean enemies cannot...what's the term..."

Zed blandly stated,"fuck?"

Syndra giggled and nodded. Zed stared at her, and after looking over her body, he promptly shook his head. "Nope."

Syndra frowned. 'Damn it. Seduction doesn't work on him.' She smiled at him once more. Reaching for her breastplate, she slowly pulled it down. "Now?"

Zed rolled his eyes and disappeared from sight. He teleported out of the bonds and grabbed his armor. Disappearing in a portal in the wall, Zed continued on his path to his temple. 'What a strange thing, women are. First they want to gut you, next they wish to be engaged in sexual activity.' Zed mused as he entered the temple gates.

-At Syndra's Castle-

"God damn it!" she cried out in anger. "I can't get him to notice me!" Syndra threw a ball of purple energy through a window.

"Ever since he asserted his strength like that... I wish that he could... just..." Syndra sighed to herself, deeply infatuated with the dark, mysterious, powerful man. She put her hands to her face.

With Zed

Zed left his temple after attending the elder's meeting. Dashing once more through the jungle, he came across a woman. She was a simple peasant woman, washing clothes in the stream for her family. This woman was quite beautiful, however, and Zed decided to try out what Leblanc had taught him to do.

'Make a fantastic entrance.' Zed took off his clothing, leaving on his black pants and dove within the gently moving river a 100 meters upstream from the woman. As he passed by the woman he surfaced, shaking his hair side to side and glanced at the woman with his crimson eyes. The woman blushed, staring at his muscular body and captivated by his hypnotic eyes. Zed regarded the woman. She had somewhat large breasts, long brown hair streaming in straight lines from her head. Her face was quite beautiful; her eyes were a lovely maroon and her lips a full pink. Her skin was somewhat pale, but rosy on the cheeks.

"Hello, miss," Zed calmly stated, grasping her hand. "Would you be so kind as to tell me your name?"

The woman stuttered over her words. "S-Serena. My name is Serena."

'Asking for the name success. Now to engage in a simple mutual action. "Well, beautiful Serena, my name is Zed. How would you like to go for a swim with me? The water is...rejuvinating."

She blushed harder as he smiled at her. "Uh-Y-I don't know how to swim..." she quietly whispered, looking away.

'Be gentle. Shower woman with compliments. Smile.' Zed grasped her hand gently from the shoreline and kissed it. "Shall I teach you? It would be a privilege to tutor such a beautiful lady as yourself, Serena."

Serena giggled and blushed furiously. "I...I guess I could try..." she whispered. Running to the cottage some distance away, she cane out in a simple shirt and short pants. Stopping at the shoreline of the large, clean river, she called out,"Zed? Are you still here?"

Zed's black mop of hair popped up from the surface of the water. Turning to her, he swiftly swam to her. She gingerly put her feet in the water and then continued to drop herself deeper. "Wow... That's c-cold."

Zed laughed gently and grasped her hand. "Don't be afraid now. I'll be right here if you need me."

Zed guided her hands and swum next to the pretty lady. "Ah. Be careful of the ground. Quite rocky-and there may be some fish or something that would not hesitate to strike at you."

Serena looked at him and looked down in panic. "Um, okay? I'll be sure to be careful. Thank you for the warning."

Zed abruptly grasped her hand and pulled her towards him. She latched onto his body, staring into his face. With fear in her eyes, she stuttered,"H-hello Zed,"

'Be courteous and thoughtful, but bold.' Zed smiled. "Be careful of the shoreline. I would not like to see such perfection be ruined with blood."

She smiled, relieved. Suddenly, she looked up at Zed with nervousness in her eyes. "Zed?"

He stopped swimming. "Yes, Serena?"

Serena kissed him fully on the lips and wrapped her arms around him. Zed reciprocated, pushing himself onto her lips and stroking her wet hair. 'Let her make the first move.'

After a few moments, Serena pulled away. "Sorry Zed!" she squeaked nervously. "I..I couldn't-"

Zed silenced her with a finger to her lips. "I didn't mind it one bit. Now, we should get to shore, shouldn't we?"

Serena smiled at him. "Yes. And thank you for this wonderful..date." She whispered out the last word, blushing furiously.

Zed smiled. As the pair walked upstream once more, Zed grasped the armor he left. "My beautiful Serena. I ask that you visit me sometime at my humble abode."

Serena giggled. "Sure, where do you live?"

Zed began to walk. "Come to the Temple of Shadows," Zed calmly said. Grasping her hand and kissing it, he whispered into her ears," Your eyes are absolutely stunning, m'lady."

He disappeared. "Wait... Zed? the master of the shadow order? Did I just go on a date with a hot, rich, lord of shadows that actually likes me?!" the girl squealed, holding her blushing face as she walked into her home.

'So Leblanc's advice really does work. And goodness, what a fine woman,' Zed mused as he teleported back to the Institute of War.

Back in Zed's room

Zed heard a knock on his door as Janna stood there. "Hello, Zed! Thank you for this amazing gift. I was told that you forged it yourself?" She held up the short blade, glowing bright blue and green.

Zed nodded. "Indeed I did, storm bringer."

Janna smiled and leaned to him. Kissing him twice, she whispered sultrily at him,"That one was for the present, and the other one was just because I like you."

Zed heard Leblanc's voice echo through his mind. 'When a woman fools around with you, you fool around with her.'

Zed disappeared as Janna felt a hand go to her back. She felt herself drop precariously close to the floor, one of her legs tracing up Zed's arms. He held her and threw his facemask off. Kissing her, he whispered back,"This one is because you're beautiful, and this one's because I can."

Janna smiled and invited herself in. The pair talked the night away. Zed left to use the restroom and came back to find a sleeping Janna draped over the couch. Zed gently laughed.

The next morning, Janna woke to find a man next to her. Grasping Zed's hand, she whispered," Zed?"

Zed's eyes opened. Gazing into her eyes, he mumbled back,"Hello, storm bringer. I carried you to my bed and cleaned your body; by the way. I do hope you don't mind."

Janna giggled. "Thank you, Zed," she kissed him and draped her arms around him from under the blanket. "So, are we...?"

Zed sighed. "I have no idea. Do you have romantic feelings for me?"

Janna frowned. "Yes, but I am aware of you and Akali's past and frankly, I wish not to be assassinated from the shadows."

Zed held the woman in front of him, thinking. 'Akali. She... I... No. She is no longer in my heart. This woman can help me,' he mused to himself. 'I also wonder how far Serena would go for me.'

"Janna," Zed sighed. She smiled and nodded. "If I asked you to do something strange for me, would you do it?"

Janna kissed his scarred cheek. "I would do anything," she whispered. Zed whispered his thanks as the pair began to get out of the bed.

Zed smirked to himself. 'Success. I must really thank Emilia for this later.'

Janna left his room shortly, as Zed meditated once more.

There was a room once more. Zed reached for the door, but there was a hand. Zed turned to find Akali. 'How far your have fallen, Zed. We know you still love me, but yet you deny yourself..'

Zed roared and stabbed the shadowy figure. The figure dissipated and reformed next to him. 'You are worthless.' Zed tore the figure apart. 'Pitiful.' Zed threw a bladed shuriken. 'Weak.'

A kama pierced his chest as he looked, astonished. Falling to his knees, the world went dark.

Zed opened his eyes, bloody tears streaming down his face. Zed felt his face curl into a raging howl as he roared out in anger into the night.

-With the Ninja Triumvirate-

Shen looked up, hearing a bloody scream in the night. Turning to Akali, who was busy sharpening her blades, Shen calmly observed,"Something has happened to Zed."

Akali cringed. "I know. Please don't.."

Shen stopped her. "Akali, you must put your past behind you. Zed should not have a place in your life. You have your duty. Your friends," he sighed. "You have me," he stated finally, quietly as he tried to hold the nervous woman's hand.

Akali looked up at him. "Zed is not someone that I can just let go like that. I have loved him since the moment I was capable of love."

Shen signed once more,"Akali, why can you not accept that I am much more of a better match with you. That...monster-"

Akali slapped him. "Never. Call. Him. Murderer!" She growled. Shen attempted to hold her shoulder, but she pushed him away. Teleporting to a shadow, Akali disappeared.

Kennen waddled up to Shen. "Girl problems?"

Shen frowned at this as he walked away. Kennen watched him. "Shen in love. Surprising," he mumbled to himself.

Zed was holding his self-inflicted wounds. The deep lacerations against his face dripped blood like tears down his face. He howled in agony, screaming in pure anguish and rage. The door burst open as Akali, Janna and Leblanc appeared.

Leblanc gasped. "Zed!" Rushing to howling man, she wrapped her arms protectively around him, hushing him. "Shh, Zed. It's okay. I'm here."

Zed quieted to the soothing touch of the motherly Leblanc. "I...I cut myself..."

Leblanc hushed him once more. Looking up, she shot an angry glare at Akali, who backed away with her hands up. Janna pushed her way past Akali and gently used healing magic to close the angry, red gash. Zed's face healed as Leblanc muttered quietly," What happened?"

Zed quieted and stayed silent in her arms. Old blood pooling beneath him stirred as he stood up. "I must speak to the Fist of Shadows." Seeing Janna, he remarked once more,"Alone."

Janna grasped his hand as Zed kissed her. "I'm sorry, Janna. I must sort this out with her."

Janna smiled."It is alright, Zed."

She and Leblanc disappeared out of the door, leaving Akali beside a counter top and Zed standing in the middle of the dark room. The silence was unending, echoes of dripping blood renting the silent air.

After what seemed to be a millennium, Akali weakly spoke,"Zed? What do you need to talk to me about?"

Zed looked up, gazing at Akali with his blood red eyes. She shivered under his gaze, trying to make her self small, shrinking back against the wall.

Zed silently sighed, replying,"I-I don't know. There is a doubt in myself that I cannot ignore any longer," he quietly stated.

Akali, emboldened by what he had said, approached him slowly and took his hand. "Zed... You know that I loved you and I still do," she warmly stated.

Zed snatched his hand back. "Why did you leave me? Why couldn't you stay? Why did you have to ruin the one chance I had for regaining my humanity?"

Akali's eyes watered, seeing Zed painfully saying what he had in his heart.

Akali hugged the man, who did not try and push her off. "Zed, I made a mistake. I'm sorry. I wish I should have stayed but I could not find myself to love a man that...killed... everyone. I knew I still loved you but my mind could not except... My heart was waging war against my soul," she whispered into his ear.

Zed opened his palm to reveal his wedding ring. "Akali," he whispered back, a tear dropping from his face."Akali, I'm sorry for doing this to you."

She smiled at him. She took off his face mask and lovingly cupped his cheek. Zed faltered for a second, and said,"Akali? Why did you join those...Balance... fools?"

Akali flinched. "I.. I had no choice. I was captured by them and forced either into servitude or slavery."

Zed snarled. A certain blue-armored man would definitely feel true agony soon enough.

The pair stood silent. Zed broke it this time, stroking Akali's hair, now free of the pony tail. "So, are we to be together once more? Are you going to renounce the order of balance and join me once more?"

Akali frowned. "Of course I will join you. And perhaps we should wait on being together until later, since you already have Janna, no?"

Zed sighed. "I... I don't know about that woman. I was going to seduce her only to have her interpret my dreams and heal me spiritually, but I cannot help but be attached to her."

Akali smiled at this. 'Zed, you are a changed man.' "Perhaps she would not mind if we were to...share you? No?"

Zed furrowed his brow. "I.. Maybe? Perhaps. I do not mind, but it is all up to you both."

Akali smiled. "I assure you, there is more than 2."

Zed looked on in staged confusion as Akali laughed. 'And Serena as well,' Zed mused.

Thanks for reading chapter 4! Don't worry. This story is not coming to a close any time soon. I just really hate writing about Zed hating on Akali because honestly Zed/Akali warms my heart. And many of you are probably wondering why I am adding an OC peasant girl to Zed's... group. This is because I am saying through this that Zed can get any girl, whether it be a dark sovereign with the power to tear chunks of the earth out, a peasant girl, or even a princess of the north (hint hint).

Thank you all for reading and please spoil me moar!

-solpls