3 weeks later
For Zed, not much had changed. His matches in the League went fairly normal, and though he had feared it, Diana obviously hadn't recognized him as the one eavesdropping on Akali and her, for the few times he'd met he in the corridors of the Institute, she hadn't even seemed to care that he was there. He knew he couldn't talk to her in the Institute, too many would be watching, and he couldn't talk to her outside under the moon. Then she'd definately recognize him as the one she'd tried to blast with moonlight. He'd have to find someone else to give him answers. There were two options he could go for, one was Diana's archnemisis Leona, and the other was Ryze. Known to have a vast library filled with ancient scrolls, Ryze would surely have the answer to his problem, or at least he would find it. So Zed decided it would be him.
Zed left his quarters in the East wing of the Institute, and walked through the long, straight halls of the buildings towards Ryze's Library, which was in the First Corridor of the East Wing, with his study, in which he kept his most valuable books and scrolls, in a small tower over it. On the way there he saw Akali, Kennen and Shen talking in one of the many courtyards of the Institute. He knew it couldn't be anything important, they always held the important discussions in one of their private apartments, which each champion (with some exceptions), had.
As he turned the corner to the First Corridor, he saw an apprentice summoner leaving Ryze's library, and locking the door. He quickly closed the distance and tapped the summoner on the shoulder. He was so suprised that he hadn't heard anybody approach that he whipped around, and raised his hand as if to blast Zed on the spot. Recognizing Zed, he immediately took the hand down.
" Never. Do. That. Again." He gasped.
"Is Ryze in there?" Zed asked, not wanting to waste time.
"Professor Ryze" the apprentice said pointedly. "Is not here. He's down in the summoning prisons, in the catacombs."
"What would Ryze be doing down there?"
"Research. On what exactly, I don't know. I'm only his assisstant."
"Hmpff." Zed turned and walked towards the entry hall, intending to go and find Ryze down in the catacombs.
The apprentice behind him opened his mouth to call after Zed, but then, remembering who he was talking to, only muttered: "You're welcome."
When Zed reached the door to the catacombs, which were to the left of the stairs in the entry hall, he could feel the damp air come up from the stairwell that lead down. He knew that Malphite and Skarner lived down there somewhere in large chambers. He headed down the stair well that went down the center of a large cave. The cave was big and circular, it had 10 summoning chambers along the northern side, in one of which Fiddlesticks was imprisoned, and the others were only used for practice reasons, now that the summoning towers were built. On the southern side, there were 2 exits, one leading straight to Malphite's chamber, the other leading towards the gem chambers. Here the Institute made crystals and gems, most of magical nature, for many different reasons. Some crystals simply radiated light, others were looking glasses with which you could see anything that was touched by light.
Beyond that lay the Summoning Prison. It was here that Brand, Nocturne, Cho'Gath and others were imprisoned. And that was where Zed was headed.
He found Ryze bending over the runes etched around one of the niches holding the nexus fragments in which the beasts were imprisoned.'I always wondered where Ryze disappeared to so often. Seems he's resaerching these runes.'
"Ryze, I need to talk"
Without even looking up the professor answered: "Not now, Master of Shadows, I'm busy." Just like Ryze to not be very polite while talking. Not that Zed was either.
"It's important."
"So is this. Your point being?"
"The difference is, your research can wait a while longer."
Ryze paused a moment. He looked up at Zed.
"Well then." Ryze stood up, looking at Zed. "What is it?"
Zed hesitated a moment, not certain how to continue.
"Get on already, haven't got all day!"
"..."
"I thought this was important!"
'Oh well, here goes...'
"I need all your scrolls, journals, books and notes on light and shadow."
"'On light and shadow', hmmm... let me think a moment."
As Ryze was standing in front of the niche he had been inspecting earlier, sometimes muttering about scrolls he might have, Zed looked around the chamber, and his eyes fell on one of the other niches, this one's nexus fragment had a dark tint, almost black. He felt something touch his mind.
'On light and shadow? Are you leaving the darkness for the light? Are you as weak as all the others?'
'Begone, Nocturne! I do not need your advice!'
'I can tell you all about darkness and light, how light is too weak, how darkness will overpower the world! I will be free, and then, I will remember my friends, Zed'
'There is nothing you have I could wa...'
"Alright," Zed was ripped from the mental conversation with Nocturne by Ryze calling him to attention. "I should have the books and scrolls you want, but it's a large topic, could you narrow it down?"
"Hm? Oh..." Zed had to think for a moment. "The way light and shadows stand towards eachother."
Suddenly, Ryze looked at Zed completely differently, as if someone else stood before him. "I see, meet me tomorrow, in my library, one hour after noon. I should be able to help you."
"Akali! Kennen! You should hear this." Shen's indifferent voice called across the hallway. He Akali and Kennen were in the Ionian practice rooms, and Shen had gone to one of the call crystals in the room. When Akali and Kennen joined him, he said to the image of Ryze on the crystal:"Alright professor, please repeat what you said."
"We need to meet. Something has happened, and I thought it important to inform you. If you could, i would like you to meet with me tomorrow, at noon in my library. I'll tell you exactly what I mean when you're here. I must ask you though, not to speak to anyone of this. It wouldn't be helpful if everyone knew of this."
"Professor, " Akali asked. "Might I ask, what this something is about?"
"For now, suffice to say it is about balance."
The image on the crystal flickered, then disappeared. The three looked at each other.
"Well, I can't wait to get to know what that was about." Kennen was already moving around again as soon as the conversation was over.
"We'll find out tomorrow, little one" Akali said.
"You know i don't like you calling me 'little one.'"
"And you know..."
"... that she won't stop. Come on, we need to keep working."
Author's note: I hope this isn't a too long and boring chapter, so please: read and review
btw: I write and upload these chapters as i think them up, so the upload rate might be inconsistant