Chapter 38

Morgana

Sacred Woods

Morgana sighed as she marched through the Petricite trees of the Sacred Woods, the winged woman was making her way to the general location of the mages that the boy had heard they were seen and thus relayed it to her before she left the safety of her sanctuary. Unfortunately, said location was took her out of the Sacred Woods, where her sanctuary was, and towards the Silent Forest, the forest that the Sacred Woods was apart of. While this wasn't a big problem for Morgana at all, it did leave her a picture of what likely happened to the refugees that were trying to reach her sanctuary.

"They must have gotten captured by the Mageseekers along with those sent to find them and bring them." Thought Morgana as she walked out of the Sacred Woods and towards the Silent Forest. "They should have told me about these refugees. They should have informed me about this situation sooner. They knew the Mageseekers were active around this area, yet they decided to act without my help or consent." Sighing in annoyance, Morgana nevertheless trekked on in order to find the missing mages and refugees. She'll scold them later. For now, lives were depending on her to save them.

Walking amongst the trees of the Silent Forest, Morgana was keeping an eye out for danger as, despite its name or rather perhaps because of it, the Silent Forest was filled with creatures that, if provoked, can lead to a very violent and not at all quiet death. While most of those creatures that reside in the Silent Forest were no threat to Morgana, those that can were something that Morgana would avoid as she didn't want a confrontation. Not when lives were depending on her. There was also the fact that it would alert what Mageseekers were around that something was amiss and that may cause them to do something rash to the mages they captured. So, she was treading silently, something she has become adept to over the years of hiding in the Sacred Woods.

She was also adept at sensing magical beings of a wide variety of origins. Not that she needed to be when a portal just suddenly opened up right in front of her and out came someone she really didn't want to see again. At least so soon after their argument.

"What are you doing here, Mordekaiser?" Demanded Morgana in both anger and exasperation as she looked upon the Iron Revenant as he made his way out of the portal he created from his realm. "Have you come to antagonize me again?"

"No." Said Mordekaiser simply as he looked upon the woman that he had a fight not too long ago, a bit amused at the attire she currently had. This must be her garb when adopting her Veiled Lady persona. "I have come to assist you in saving your people." Upon hearing that, Morgana blinked in shock and surprise before she narrowed her eyes.

"How did you know about that?" Demanded Morgana as she crossed her arms under her chest. "Were you spying on me after you left?"

"Yes." Said Mordekaiser simply, causing Morgana to purse her lips in both irritation and anger.

Taking a deep breath, Morgana just barely managed to control her anger, only doing so because of the fact that people were counting on her to save them, Morgana spoke to Mordekaiser.

"Ignoring what you just said and how inappropriate and insulting it was, why are you looking to help me when you just recently insulted me?" Asked Morgana as she glared at Mordekaiser, who simply stood still as he looked at the Winged Protector of Demacia. Former Winged Protector technically.

"Because I desire to help you after what happened not too long ago." Said Mordekaiser simply, causing Morgana to raise an eyebrow, both in surprise and skepticism. Trying to gauge if he was lying or not, Morgana spoke to him.

"Why?" Demanded Morgana as she looked at Mordekaiser, trying to understand his actions. "Why are you coming to help me after the argument we had? After you insulted me?" Mordekaiser just grunted at her questions before speaking.

"We're wasting time." Said Mordekaiser as he looked at Morgana with his typical stare that brought dread and terror to those that saw it, but for Morgana, it only brought unease as she had grown used to meeting Mordekaiser and his intimidating presence. "With every second we waste here, is another second we could use to save your precious people. From your other precious people as well." Morgana didn't exactly like the way he spoke of the people she was trying to save, but if he was willing to extend his hand to help save the mages, then she was willing to put up with his attitude.

"Agreed." Said Morgana as she looked at Mordekaiser with her Veiled Lady garb. Although he couldn't see her expression on account of the mask she wore, Mordekaiser can deduce that Morgana was still angry with him for what he said to her earlier, but was willing to put aside her annoyance with him for the time being. "I assume you have an idea of where to start? One better than the one that I have at the moment?"

"Indeed I do." Said Mordekaiser with some satisfaction in his voice as he gauzed upon Morgana. "I possess the location of where your mages are along with the Mageseekers." Upon hearing that, Morgana gauzed upon him with surprise, stunned to hear this information.

"You are certain of this?" Asked Morgana in disbelief. Mordekaiser's simply glowed as a response.

Later

Mageseeker camp vicinity

"There it is." Said Mordekaiser simply as he and Morgana gauzed upon the camp that the Mageseekers erected for themselves and their prisoners, both hidden away from their sight, not by magic as that ran the risk of alerting the Mageseekers but by carefully hiding themselves amongst the trees of the Sacred Woods. "These Mageseekers, I admit, do have some prowess in the arts of detection, especially those of an arcane nature, but it wasn't enough to discover my own scrying methods of discerning where they were. Though I suppose them possessing no knowledge on my realm has helped in preventing them from learning of my presence. Your refugees are in the middle of the camp. I imagine they're being interrogated at the moment by the leader of these Mageseekers." Morgana said nothing as she looked at the guards that were guarding the perimeter of the camp.

Pursing her lips as she looked at the half masks of the Mageseekers and the garb of their organization, Morgana sighed as she gauzed upon the sizable camp before her. There must be at least twenty or so Mageseekers that they'll have to contend with, maybe more. If there wasn't any hostages around, Morgana could easily take all of them down with ease. But because there were, Morgana was slightly hesitant on what to do in fear of what the Mageseekers will do to the hostages. The organization's reputation has been in decline ever since Sylas' declaration of the Winged Protector as well as the exposure of their many crimes against mages and even those that didn't possess the ability to use magic. Even though, Sylas has hurt the people of Demacia's perception of Mages with his rebellion, the harm he caused to the reputation of the Mageseekers still remained. That would have left the Mageseekers not only desperate to regain the trust of the people and Jarvan, but also bitter against any and all mages, no matter their part in Sylas' rebellion or if they had any at all. And that bitterness can lead to rash decisions on their part, especially in regards to any mages they capture. Thus, Morgana needed to be careful in how she wanted to save the mages and her people. Something she needed to convey to her companion as she was completely sure that he wasn't the most…subtle of people.

"We need to handle this with care." Said Morgana to Mordekaiser as she looked at the revenant, who adopted a smaller form in order to avoid catching the attention of the Mageseekers. The same one he adopts when interacting with the denizens of Hell. "The mages they capture may be at risk if we don't handle this with care."

"I know that." Said Mordekaiser as he looked at Morgana with his currently hooded face or rather lack of face. "However, I believe that we must kill these Mageseekers if we wish to save all your mages from them. Unless, of course, you have a way to avoid that." Morgana just glared at Mordekaiser behind her mask before speaking.

"I wish to avoid killing them, yes." Said Morgana as she continued to glare at Mordekaiser. "I despise the policies and beliefs of the Mageseekers, but these men and women have families and friends. People who not only be saddened upon hearing of their deaths, but also people that depend on them to survive. Who love them. I do not wish to take that away from them or sever such bonds, even if I wish to make these Mageseekers suffer for their actions against their fellow Demacians." Mordekaiser just looked at Morgana when she said that, both annoyed and intrigued with what she just said.

"And if you are forced to kill them?" Asked Mordekaiser, curious on what her answer would be. "Will you do so? To save the life of another? One more deserving of life according to your beliefs?" Morgana just gritted her teeth a bit before replying back.

"Then I will do what I must to save them. I won't enjoy it, but if I must kill someone to save another, then I will do my best to make their death be quick and painless." Said Morgana, causing Mordekaiser to look intently to her eyes, to see if she was telling the truth or not. Upon realizing she was, he huffed in amusement.

"Then, I will provide you an opportunity to do so. But only an opportunity. It'll be up to you what you want to do with those that try to stop you." Said Mordekaiser simply as he looked at Morgana, causing her to blink in surprise. He was willing to help her in solving this issue without bloodshed?

"Why would you do so?" Asked Morgana, wanting to know his reasoning for extending such an offer to her. Instead of answering her question, Mordekaiser simply spoke.

"Do you not wish to accept the opportunity I gave you or not? I will not extend it again." Asked Mordekaiser, his tone suggesting that he will not give her the opportunity to prevent much bloodshed again if she doesn't accept his offer now. Pursing her lips, Morgana decided to accept his offer to save the mages without bloodshed, though she made a note to ask him later when everyone was safe.

"And how will you help me in saving the mages without spilling the blood of the Mageseekers?" Asked Morgana, both curious and dreading how he was going to accomplish this task without bloodshed. Mordekaiser simply chuckled before telling her what he had in mind.

Meanwhile

Mageseeker camp

In the Mageseeker camp, members of the anti-mage organization were either guard duty, keeping an eye on their perimeter, or interrogating the mages that they luckily acquired sometime ago. For months they have been patrolling the Silent Forest, having heard that mages were spotted coming to the forest, seeking the sanctuary of the Veiled Lady, a deity that the people of Demacia pray to so that their loved ones can pass to the afterlife in safety and is said to lurk deeply within this treacherous forest.

No doubt the mages did so as a means to escape the justice of the vengeful Demacians, both from the common citizens and the military, after the violent rebellion caused by the mage Sylas. Why they would seek help from a deity that protects souls as they transcend to the afterlife, the Mageseekers had no idea. Perhaps they seeked to absolve their sins or simply had no other choice. It mattered not. The mages that escaped to this forest will be found and they will pay for their transgressions against the royal family and Demacia as a whole.

The two group of mages they captured, one of which they captured soon after capturing the first, were just the start. As of this very moment, their best interrogators were interrogating the mages for information about more of their kind in this forest and where they were. They were surprisingly resilient to their interrogation methods, but eventually they'll break and the Mageseekers will find the rest of their kind and prevent them from ever harming Demacia and its people ever again.

At least that was what they thought. For someone was not willing to let them harm the mages under her care anymore and she'll take care of anyone that dares to lay a hand on them.

Two guards were diligently guarding the main entrance to the camp when they spotted a cloaked figure suddenly appearing before them from out of the ground, a sickly green mist projecting from their body. Upon seeing this, the guards instantly knew what this being was.

"Undead!" Yelled one of the guards as they drew their swords upon seeing the figure, alerting the rest of the camp to the sudden threat. Once the alarm was raised, the undead figure began to move away from the camp just as a large group of Mageseekers came running towards it so that they can eliminate one of the greatest threats to all life. The undead. This action, of course, left the camp dangerously understaffed, but the Mageseekers were so confident in there being no threat to the camp, be from the mages they captured or other threats in the forest, that most of them left their posts to pursue the undead figure that appeared near their camp.

This overconfidence, however, was part of the plan to save the mages without killing anyone as, while most of the Mageseekers left to confront the undead figure, Morgana was making her ways inside the camp, both to find the captured mages and punish the leader of the Mageseekers here for their many crimes.

Entering the camp, Morgana looked to see the Mageseekers leaving in droves to pursue Mordekaiser, who was leading them further and further from the camp.

"He better keep his word on not killing the Mageseekers." Thought Morgana as she watched the chase continue. Yet despite her worry on Mordekaiser not keeping his word about sparing the Mageseekers from death and harm, Morgana couldn't help but respect the man for helping her in saving her charges when he had no reason to. They had departed on bad terms the last time they met, yet he was willing to help her despite that as well as their clear disagreements on many things. She hated to admit it, but she couldn't help but admire him for that. If only he wasn't so harsh and cruel all the time.

Sighing to herself, Morgana soon focused on her part of the plan so that Mordekaiser wouldn't be forced to kill the Mageseekers pursuing him. Once she found the captured mages and led them out of danger, she'll find Mordekaiser and the two will leave with the mages to the safety of her sanctuary. And if any of the remaining Mageseekers attempt to stop her…well, she'll do what she must in order to free those under her care.

With that in mind, Morgana trekked further in the Mageseeker camp.