It was after some time that they were away from the Zaun camp that Mel turned to her mother.
"What was he talking about mother? What did he mean a deal with the Noxus empire" Mel turned towards her mother who looked very pensive.
"I do not know, daughter." There was a pensive expression on Ambessa's face. There was a pause. "They looked like soldiers who had nothing to lose and everything to gain, daughter. The person you looked at would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. You saw the look in his eyes." Ambessa sighed. "This place is not safe for our family anymore."
"It can't be that bad, can it mother?" Mel asked.
"Silco, they all desire vengeance. I do not think that they will stop at anything to get it." Ambessa explained.
"There must be a way. Something that will stop this meaningless war." Mel bit her thumb as she began to think of something, anything to avert the looming civil war. Victor's words rang inside her head. 'They desire blood.'
"Would they have to sacrifice someone to assuage their rage?" Mel clenched her hand.
And so another council was called in as the news was relayed.
"The Undersiders refused to parley," Mel stated for the council.
"Do they not care about the city?" Bolbok asked. The mechanic life form seemed genuinely confused.
"They would rather take their chances elsewhere." Mel paused. "Silco also implied that he had a deal with Noxus." It was better to rip the band-aid off.
"Zaun, we can agree to the separation and formation of Zaun." Hoskel said, as he looked at the other councilors hopefully.
"I tried that. I agreed to all of their condition as well as granting them priority and free use of the Hexgates." The councilors remained silent. "They refused."
"Can we deal with them?" A question asked by Shoola.
"No, such an endeavor would be costly. There is the element of other nations coming with aid. We cannot let them see us at civil war. It would result in them imposing control over us." Mel said, her voice downcast. "It would also weaken us to the void invasion."
"So, what do we do?"
"Stay out of their way. With any luck, they would lose substantial strength during the void invasion." Ambessa said. "You can try to negotiate with them again at that point." She paused. "If any of us manage to survive."
"Or, you can satiate their need for revenge," Ambessa said. "They could be useful allies."
Salo stood up. "The Ferros clan will not -"
"We may not have a choice." Mel said. There was silence in the council chamber as the words were digested.
"I do not expect the Feros clan to have any measure of honor, councilor Salo." Jayce said as he glared at him. "I certainly hope that you can present your lady here. Before she causes more problems."
The entire place was silent for a moment as Jayce's words started to have an effect on the councilor's present there.
"All of these problems were caused by the meddling of the Ferros clan. This entire war, I believe the sacrifice of the Ferros clan should be enough."
Jayce stood up. "I have already made this entire matter public."
"Councilors, the reinforcements from Noxus and Demacia are here."
So, it begins.
It was Jarvan the fourth, crown prince of Demacia who stepped out of the transport ship, followed by Garen and his sister Lux.
"Prince, you need to calm down. There are proper protocols for these things." Garen said as he followed the prince.
"Calm down Garen, I have always wanted to see this city. These gates are truly convenient. It took us a day to mobilize our troops."
"I agree prince but-."
"Come on, my lady. It is best that we do not keep the Council waiting." Garen said as he proceeded to help Lux disembark the ship.
That was until his eyes fell on other ships entering the harbor. He gained a hard look in his eyes, The empire of Noxus was here
The prince's entire demenor changed as he saw the Noxus emblem. They were two competing empires, one which were destined to go to war. Their hatred ran old indeed.
"It seems that the Demacians are here before us." Swain said as he stepped out of the airship.
"Swain, are you sure you can regain your prowess here?" Darius stepped behind him.
"They did invent the healing potion," Swain said. "It would be foolish to believe that they did not develop or are not developing a more potent remedy."
"So be it." Darius replied.
"A loss here will snowball into the end of the world." Samira jumped down from the top of the airship. "There can be nothing as breathtaking as that." Samira laughed. "A challenge of a lifetime, this is what I live for."
"That it would be. A battle of a lifetime." The warrior's blood in Darius roared.
"Come, let us not keep the council waiting." Swain stepped towards the Council.
"A bunch of mercantile clans. In the end, they do not matter." Samira languished behind. Her eyes went to the tall building. How fun would it be to jump off of them? She lived for the adrenaline.
(Within the Council)
The delegation from Demacia entered followed soon after by the delegation from Noxus.
A war map was present in the middle of the room where the councilors. The councilors were looking over it.
"This and this place would be the best to set up our cannons. The range will give them the required amount of coverage to prevent any assaults." Victor was pointing favorable locations for the beginning of the assault.
"We need to evacuate our citizens. Do we have any place that can serve as a -"
"What about the docks? In the worst-case scenario, the docks can be used to evacuate your citizens." Jarvan the fourth voice rang out.
"A valid point." Swain added. "If saving your citizens is your aim."
The words left unimplied that they would run to save their own skin.
"We are not on good terms with the undercity at the moment," Mel replied. "We were on the brink of war when this incursion of the void spawn happened."
"So they and hope that you weaken yourself." Jarven the 4 said.
"Not exactly. They wish to fight alone."
"Pardon me", Lux said from behind. The words seemed unfamiliar to her. "They wish to fight alone."
"We cannot risk a civil war with the threat at our gates." Bolbok, the only non human in the room stated. He really wished that they had Hemindinger here. He regrated working with Jayce to expel Hemindinger from the Council.
"They want to fight alone," Swain said. "A foolhardy move." Swain began to think, his eyes widened. "Unless." The only way this would be possible if the undersiders had some trump card.
"Sound like my kind of people. "Samira said smiling. Her eyes turned towards Swain "Your orders boss."
Before Swain could say anything, another enforcer entered. "The void rift is open. The Undersiders are mobilizing."
"Darius, organize our forces. Samira with me." Darius saluted him and left.
"Garen, organize our men. Lux with me. Hopefully, we can stop this madness before it's too late." Jarvan moved.
"Sheriff, organize the men. Councilors with me, lets hope that we can still reason with the Undercity." Mel said as she left. The other councilors reluctantly followed after. "For their own sake."
(At the Gate)
Silco looked on from atop the wall. He felt it in the air, it was almost time.
A giant crack appeared in the distance. The crack slowly extended till it looked as if it was a tear in reality itself. Silco clenched and unclenched his hand, this day would either make or break Zaun
A horde of void spawn creatures stepped out. He looked down and saw that there number was in the thousands, as far as the eyes can see. Their numbers were acceptable and within calculations, and yet he felt that something was amiss.
He looked closely, these creatures were organized. They were not mindless creatures, they were following the orders of something. Silco faltered for a moment, it was only when he felt the hand of his son on his shoulder that he calmed down.
"Silco stop, you must reconsider." Mel stepped forward towards him. The entire delegation of councilors followed her. They were proceeded by Jarven and Lux on one side, Swain and Samira on one side. Ambessa followed them with her own guards.
"Is this really necessary? Would you rather risk the entire world for the sake of your what? Making a point" Jarvis stated, pointing a hand towards the void creatures. "Those are our real enemies. We need to stand united."
Silco laughed. "You can never understand prince." He said in a mocking voice. "You who has never suffered, never gone hungry, never seen all the people around you die." Silco became quite. "I once tried the peaceful approach. The council ignored me. I then tried to protest, the council starved us, set its enforcers upon us. I dare you prince to step in my way. Or else I will blow this entire wall sky high. Now, I must meet the enemy General before the war."
Mel made to say something but she felt an arm on her shoulder. Ambessa shook her head to hold her silence.
Sillco nodded at Danny who extended a hand towards Ekko. Ekko handed him a loud speaker.
Danny stepped forward and spoke into the loud speaker. His voice amplified out.
"We call you here to parley, before we engage in Battle." Danny put the speaker down as he waited. Soon a Drone that looked like a giant oversized fly approached them. A crystal in the shape of Void was placed in front of them From it, an image was projected.
An image of a giant humanoid creature. Looking feminine and yet there was something wrong with it.
"What are you?" Danny asked the creature.
"I am everything that the void has consumed, and so I have come to devour this city, just as I will devour this world."
"You are not some mindless void creature, aremyou?" Danny asked.
"I am all the knowledge that has been consumed. I am destined to be all that there ever was and ever will be. I am Bel'Veth."
"I cannot allow you to take the title of my son's friend." Silco was of course referring to Death,
"Insignificant mortal. Face the judgment of the void." Tendrils of darkness bound both Silco and Danny. "Show me your greed, show me your essence. I wish to feel more." The rest of the people near them froze as well.
From the void, a screen formed over Piltover as the life of Silco began to play.
A boy born in the slums. An intelligent boy who loved the undercity more than anything. They saw his life, as the Undercity began to be exploited by Piltover. The fall of the infrastructure, the general feel of helplessness. They saw a young boy find a few friends. One that he considered a brother, Vander.
They saw Vander gather money to send him to Piltover university and Silco managed to get in. Yet, he refused. He intended to stay behind. This was where both of there paths diverged. In an ironic scenario, Silko was far more diplomatic waning to organize peaceful protests. To organize a peaceful movement and have a talk with the Councilors. His gambits failed and the councilors ignored him. Seeing the pollution and the spreading sickness, he talked with Cassandra Kiramman. Begged her, and she halved the wages of the already destute Zaunites working within her mines.
It was then that Enforcers were sent after them. A young Silko took refuge within a temple of Janna. The Enforcers broke down the gates and burned the place to the ground. Killing all the orphans and priestess. Silko survived, half of his body burned. It was at that point that Silko changed. He preferred subtly. Believing that Zaunites could only be free by more subtle action. It was here that Vander refused and they saw Silco drowned. His entire ideology about water, his rebirth. They saw the slaughter on the bridge from his perspective. The dead bodies falling in the water.
Silco's actions became more extreme, that is until he met Danny and Jinx. Danny with a knife stuck in his back, and Jinx crying at being left alone. He adopted them both and his actions began to change. They saw the research, one not bound by magic and one bound by it.
"Unfortunate, that I cannot absorb your knowledge. There would be time for that later."
The void screen had no sound or the like. It was based on playing memories with the highest emotion associated with it.
It was one thing for the councilors to see everything from a distance. But now, they cannot ignore what they saw. Same for the average citizen as well.
And now it was Danny's turn. For the first memory, all it felt was pain. Danny dying over and over again as his body was remade. That was followed by a life of pain and suffering. One where he entered the realm of death. Fought the king, fought himself and overcame himself. In a city more advanced than Piltover. It ended with his final sacrifice, a knife in his back from his mother. Yet, the scene of him multiplying and saving the earth.
Danny willed the ectoplasm within him to move, his eyes shone green as he yelled. The bindings of the void broke as Danny fell to his feet. His eyes shone green as he shot an ectoplasmic ray from his eyes. Scattering the screen.
"I came for Piltover, and yet I found you. You will live, provided you serve. Surrender." The creature looked down at them.
Danny got to his feet first. "We cannot accept your surrender. We do not have the space to house you."
Silco laughed. "Maybe you should ask the Noxus Empire, or the Demacian republic. They may have some prison cells for you."
"Insolent whelps."
A few shots went through her projection. "Stay away from what is mine." Jinx snarled as she stepped forward.
The creature's body unfurled as it's torso turned into a gaint mouth. The creature showed it's true appearance. "For the sake of Zaun, I will sacrifice the entire world. Understand this creature, I will go to all extents to deal with the enemy of Zaun. I do not need anyone to admit the creation of Zaun. Zaun's creation will be carved in blood."
"Your blood and the blood of anyone who stands in our way." Danny added, stepping forward. "It's time for war."
"The time for words have ended, now is the time for war," Danny said.
"So be it." The projection disappeared.
6