Passing the last village nearest to the great barrier, Jarvan and his men headed out. They spent a night patrolling the little village from invaders-but these were no mere enemies that Jarvan has faced before. Nor he has ever seen in reality. Dark entities, with the form of shadows and the howls of wolves; it caught Jarvan by surprise he wasn't a sheltered man, he has clashed blades with entities not of these earth many times before but these enemies, they were unearthly…
Jarvan examined his lance. The demacian forged weapon looked muddied as he previously used it to impale the dark entity. Looking closer he used his hands to hold the slimy substance only to take it away in a mere second. Jarvan's suspicions were correct these entities who have the form of shadows and the howls of wolves also had the blood of acid. Luckily for Jarvan and his men, they had more than enough weapons to put into harms way, they were prepared to fight the war of a thousand man despite only being counted by the tens, yes, these men were handpicked by Jarvan for that reason alone.
These people had the same experience he had, not literally in the sense but the effect, Jarvan knew it all to well. They all felt broken, useless, a burden to Demacia. They all had the same feeling, Jarvan handpicked these men just by staring at them in the eye, Jarvan knew how to spot a worthy soldier. He looked at them, looked into their very soul and if he couldn't see his reflection in their eyes they were worthy.
The people all looked at Jarvan and his men riding away proudly, these were their saviors, but no once could blame them if they were afraid, they were indeed afraid of their own protectors, yes, they were noble warriors who meant no harm nor cause harm but these people could not shrug away that feeling of dread whenever they approached one of the Demacian soldier or Jarvan himself. Eyes that do not seem to look back at you, is what they noted the most…but they were grateful.
Jarvan rode with his men only mere miles left to the great barrier but Jarvan thought back to his time in the village, nothing sentimental about his bond or anything of the sorts, but the village itself was the one that filled Jarvan's mind with questions. Why were they still there? Jarvan thought to himself, it was a logical question, in all sense it was. Jarvan did not keep this question himself, he had asked this previously to the village elders and chiefs, but their only response was…
"It has to be done, we have to stay here, We await the prophecy…" they all answered leaving Jarvan in a state of wonder, if Jarvan had not have a goal in mind to go to the barrier he would have stayed there, just to discover what makes the clockwork of a village tik.
"Prince, Jarvan. This place…this does not seem like a great barrier…" one of the soldiers said stoically as Jarvan and his men were nearing a colossal wall, they call the great barrier.
"It does not seem like much, but rest assured they do not call it the great barrier for nothing." Jarvan said to the soldier not looking at him but instead facing towards what lies ahead, what lies in his path is the only thing that Jarvan has at least a shred of care for.
Jarvan and his men approached closer, as the afternoon sun began to set. The gust of cold wind swept by them as if to push them as they were mere giant steps away from the great wall. True, the great barrier was just a barrier separating one place to another but some say that it was more than that, Jarvan was skeptical but his thirst for a challenge was most fierce, when compare to that of his reasoning, this is not what Jarvan would careless but instead being adventurous.
And there they were…faced to face with the great barrier…
"Beyond this barrier…is where we will reach atonement." Jarvan said proudly for all to hear, this made his men blood boil in anticipation as just like him, they wanted a challenge worthy of the Gods. "We shall venture during the day, for now we shall rest and strategize our tactics further…" Jarvan stared at the great barrier, as he knew that what lies inside it is nothing he has ever seen before. "…We do not know what we will be up against." Jarvan continued as he jumped from his steed.
….
The men prepared camp and feasted, though a scene of merriment and celebration is what would be expected from proud soldiers, these men, however, were not engaging in any of the sort. These men were busy sharpening their blades and working their bodies, some were thinking of strategies and some were sparring, these were only a dozen men, and yet they could not form a bond within themselves, but their reclusiveness is understandable, these were men who have gone through hell and back, they know-No, they lived through stories that can be classified as fable, they know pain in every sense of the word.
Jarvan looked at the scene, these men were truly like him, and he was truly like them. Try as he may Jarvan can not shrug of this sense of pride. he had looked at himself in the mirror everyday since that event. He looked broken. He thought, that only mere noxians had the same kind of feeling he had right now, it was understandable however, for these eyes resembled those of a person who had want to cause pain and Jarvan wanted to cause so much pain, he used to have a belief to protect but now he believes in protecting and punishing. Noxians believed in punishing and Demacia believed in protecting, but now Jarvan felt the call to punish much greater than the call to protect. For you can punish those who are willing to hurt those you protect but you cannot protect those who have the right to be punished, but it was already a knowledge that humans put to heart.
These men were Demacians, yet their belief rivaled those of noxians, this belief was not wrong however-to Jarvan at least. These men were the future of Demacia…
It was approaching dawn and his men rested, but Jarvan did not. He was restless, his mind lingered. His mind wandered, his mind was in a mix of excitement and anticipation. Jarvan almost felt sick at he looked at himself, a man excited about causing death, truly this man was sick. Jarvan could reason that he was excited because of the adventure that lies ahead but Jarvan can not lie to himself, he wanted to become strong, he wanted the strength of a hundred men and the wisdom of a god. He wanted to experience it all.
Jarvan can not contain it any longer. He threw the blanket that embraced him throughout the night and headed out, weapon in hand. His men will understand that an ambition of a prince can not be contained. He ventured out, unknowing the effects of his actions in the great barrier will cause the prophecy that the strange villagers had unknowingly said to the prince.