Chapter 7
When Lux opened her eyes, the stars were leaning towards her. She blinked several times and sat. She looked around, and saw a familiar face in front of her. The Lunari's white eyes were intensely gazing at her. Before she could even wonder why Diana was there, Lux remembered their last discussion. She looked away as a feeling of shame grew inside of her. Diana broke the silence. "How are you feeling?"
"I have been better." Lux said "Where are we?"
"Exactly at the same spot where I found you. You were unconscious and lying in a puddle."
Lux turned her head and saw that the tree's trunk was still split, revealing a narrow passage. "That's it," she whispered "the tunnel starts from this tree."
"How do you know where it was?" Diana frowned.
"I...heard a voice in my head." Lux was a bit hesitant, as this explanation sounded crazy. An awkward silence followed her words. The young woman was feeling better, and the pain had gone.
"What happened to you?" Diana coldly asked.
"I touched the tree, as the voice said, and when it split up, I passed out." After a few seconds, Lux gathered her courage and asked "Why are you here?"
Diana looked to the moon before answering with a calm voice "Maybe I realized I was in the wrong from the beginning. I could not break the promise I made to Soraka..." she deeply sighed, as if the following words were the hardest to say "and I did not want to leave you here on your own. I thought I could at least take you back to Demacia. It was before discovering this tunnel, though"
"So... you are not leaving?"
"No," the Lunari firmly replied "even if I have to lose my life, I will help you retrieve your power."
Lux looked down, fiddling with grass. "Thanks, she whispered. "I am truly sorry for what I said back there. I fucked up. I have no excuse for behaving like a jerk."
Diana seemed to judge her for a second, and a smile spread on her lips. It was the first time Lux saw her smile since they had left.
They entered the passage inside the tree. A staircase was leading underground. The walls were soaked, and the floor slippery. Lux wondered how long this tunnel was. The corridor was so narrow that she could touch both the walls by stretching her arms. Diana was walking in front of her, holding a lantern. Lux was holding her staff, and the contact with the weapon felt better, as a new hope had grown within her. They walked for a long time, resting when their legs tired. They could not tell how much time had elapsed. Hours? Days? Even Diana seemed to be more and more uneasy about the situation. Lux's heart leaped when she saw a weak light at the end of the tunnel. It had to be the end. They climbed a rocky wall, and the sky appeared overhead. At first, Lux had though she would be happy, but the landscape felt so evil, that she almost wanted to turn back. The sky was dark with clouds, and a constant mist was floating in the air. There were no colors but dark shades of blue, gray and green. The air was cold and humid. Lux looked around: they had come out of a huge gravestone. An ice-cold shiver ran though her spine. Where should they go from now?
Walk forth until the darkest hour the voice whispered. Walk forth? From where? Lux told Diana about it, and they decided to go straight from where they had come. There were only few plants growing on the island, an Lux could not stop thinking about all the creatures lurking in the dark.
The light decreased and, despite Diana's lantern, Lux could barely see where she put her feet. She suddenly doubled up, as the pain in her chest came back, sharper than ever. She gasped in pain and fell on her knees. Diana turned around and ran to the young mage.
"What's happening?" she asked, but Lux could not say a word. She could barely move. The Lunari forced her to raise her eyes which were tearing up. Diana startled: Lux's eyes were not blue anymore. They were black, from the sclera to the eyeball, and a green spark shone inside. Without thinking twice, the Lunari forced Lux to remove her hands from her chest, and pulled down her collar. The mage's neck was striated with dark veins which all came from a black spot on her heart. Diana swore, and her blood froze when she heard a scream. It could not have been produced by a living being and sounded like the howling of death itself.
A figure appeared, dashing towards them. Its eye sockets were empty, and the bottom part of its jaw was missing. Diana jumped up, and deeply severed the creature's abdomen. The monster collapsed on the ground before standing up again. The Lunari dodged its sword, and chopped off its head. She rushed by Lux's side and firmly grasped her elbow "We have to go, now!" Other figures were walking towards them. Lux managed to stand up and stumbled behind the Lunari, fighting the pain which had extended to her whole upper body. The both of them managed to run, but even though their enemies didn't seem in a hurry, they would eventually catch up to them. It was getting even darker, and Diana had forgotten the lantern when they had stopped. After a few minutes, Lux's pain started to subside, and she could run faster, tripping over every dead branch or rock.
The loud sound of hooves brought a wave of panic on the two women. They would never be able to outrun horse riders. Lux stumbled over a big rock and fell flat. She immediately stood up, but the riders were right behind them. "Lux, you go!" Diana said "I'll handle them." Diana's voice was firm, but Lux stayed by her side.
"If you think I'm gonna let you fight them on your own, you're totally crazy!" she said. The Lunari glanced at her, and Lux saw a glimmer of gratitude in her pale eyes. The riders were now in front of them. They were three and came straight from hell. Even though they still had a human look, they reeked death. Their horses were tall and their skins were torn in several places, displaying their bones and muscles. The riders dismounted, and the horses vanished into smoke.
"Mortals are not allowed on these lands." one of the riders said. His voice was everything but human, and reminded Lux of Wolf's. Diana and Lux kept silent. What could they say? The rider who had spoken walked towards them. Diana tightened her grip on her sword. The undead stopped in front of them and stared at them with empty eyes. "Your hearts are not as pure as the other mortals', but this is our duty to keep any living being out of the Shadow Isles. If you wish to step on these lands, you must become one of us, and there is only one way to do it." He walked back towards the two other riders who stepped forward. They all pulled out their weapons. Lux saw Diana's jaws contract, and knew this battle would not have a good ending.
Still, she remained by the Lunari's side. If she had dark magic within her, she might be able to use it. Diana darted forward, attracting the attention of two riders while the third one turned to Lux, whom they probably saw as a minor threat. The glimmer coming from the rider allowed her to see rather well. Her opponent was holding a double sword. Lux focused, and instead of searching for light, she sought the deepest darkness within her heart. Her eyes turned black, and a green smoke came out of her hands. Without knowing what she was doing, she propelled it towards the rider who rolled aside, dodging the spell. He jumped forward, and Lux managed to cast a shield made of the same smoke. The rider seemed confused, but kept attacking, using his agility to dash around. Lux glanced at Diana. The Lunari was in a difficult situation, having to deal with two enemies at the same time.
She laid her eyes back on her own enemy who was rushing towards her. Lux cast a spell, and the black smoke surrounded the rider, immobilizing him. Another look at Diana made her panic. The Lunari's right arm was wounded, and she was trying to fight with her left hand. One of her enemies jumped to strike her. She managed to dodge and stabbed him in the throat. Lux clenched her fist, and the smoke crushed the rider like a fly. His body faded into a green smoke. She twisted to help her companion, but the last enemy standing was already on her. He disarmed her and swung his blade. The Lunari doubled up and a river of blood streamed from her abdomen. Lux dashed forward knowing she would never make it on time.