Mordekaiser
Sacred Woods
"Chuckles* I didn't think you could cook." Said Morgana as she helped herself to the stew that Mordekaiser had made for her. The Iron Revenant just grunted at her words as he looked at the small pool of water that was within Morgana's home.
The two were having their first weekly meetup with each other, something they discussed with each other the day they spent some time with Moxxie and his wife. Having been told ahead of time how Mordekaiser will arrive, Morgana wasn't surprised when a portal popped out of nowhere in her cave and out came Mordekaiser. What did surprise her was Mordekaiser bringing a small pot with him. Upon inspection of its contents, Morgana discovered it contained a stew within. Realizing what he did, Morgana chuckled as the two sat near the pool of water in her home, a patch of wool protecting them from the harsh rock of Morgana's home, while she enjoyed the food Mordekaiser prepared for her.
"I do possess rudimentary cooking skills." Said Mordekaiser as he watched her eat his food, obviously pleased with the stew that he provided her. "I was amongst the living once." Morgana gave a smile at that.
"Then you must had a gift in creating food." Said Morgana as she finished the stew. "One that you haven't lost since you became what you are today." Mordekaiser just scoffed at that as he looked at the pool of water.
"It is a simple stew. Nothing more." Said Mordekaiser, causing Morgana to chuckle.
"Even a simple stew can be made a delicacy if one puts the time and effort to doing so." Said Morgana as she sat next to Mordekaiser with a smile. "I should know. I do have some skills in the culinary arts as well." Mordekaiser grunted at that before continuing to look at the pool of water before him.
Putting away the bowl and spoon she had, Morgana moved closer to Mordekaiser and spoke.
"I appreciate that you decided to keep to our agreement, Mordekaiser." Said Morgana as she looked at the Iron Revenant with a smile. "It does tend to get lonely here in the woods, alone with only those refugees to keep me company." Mordekaiser looked at her with a nonexistent eyebrow raised.
"You're lonely despite possessing refugees to interact with?" Asked Mordekaiser, causing Morgana to chuckle a bit sadly at his question.
"While they love me and look to me for leadership and guidance, they do not see me as an equal." Said Morgana with a sad smile on her face. "They see me as above them. A goddess above mortals. As such they revere me. Consider themselves not worthy of being around me for more than necessary." Mordekaiser looked at her upon hearing that.
"Were you not revered when you were one of the Winged Protectors of Demacia? How is this any different?" Asked Mordekaiser, curious.
"Even back then, I didn't want to be revered as a goddess." Clarified Morgana as she hugged her knees, bitterness in her voice. "I didn't want to become what I am now. I just wanted to be a normal human being and have a normal life. Not what I am now. Not a being of great power as I am now."
"And that should be a good thing." Said Mordekaiser, annoyance in his voice. How could this woman not see her great power and other gifts as curses rather than great boons? How could she not see that her powers can help her in becoming something greater than what she had accomplished so far. "You should use what power you possess and use it to accomplish your goals. To forge an empire made with your own beliefs in mind. Much like you did with Demacia before you left it behind." Morgana frowned at his words, annoyed at what he just said she should do.
"I do not want to become a ruler of an empire." Said Morgana as she glared at Mordekaiser. "I have never once desired to become the ruler of a people. Even when my sister and I founded the nation that will become Demacia, we never wanted to be seen as goddesses or rulers. Simply as protectors that protected them and guided them into being better people."
"And look where your Demacia is currently." Said Mordekaiser as the two glared at each other. "It has become a nation of fools that look upon magic and those that wield it as monsters that need to be exterminated or imprisoned. Rather than as a tool for them to use. All because you and your sister abandoned it. Had you stayed after your sister left, none of Demacia's current problems that concern you would have never occurred. You would have been able to forge it with all your ideals and beliefs in mind. You could have created a great empire that rivaled Noxus in size and power. Perhaps even prevent its rise to power. But instead you cower here, allowing Demacia to become weak and foolish. It could have been an empire that you would be proud of rather than one you are ashamed of. All because you are scared of facing your sister again." Upon hearing all that, Morgana glare intensified. If looks could kill.
"How dare you." Said Morgana, rage clear in her voice. How did they go from a simple conversation to this? "I do not fear facing my sister again. I fear for the safety of the people of Demacia, who have twisted our beliefs and morals to become a kingdom that justifies imprisonment and discrimination of others simply because of their gifts as protecting the world. My sister will judge them and find them wanting. She will smite thousands of them without mercy. Not just the rulers, nobles that rule Demacia as well as members of the Mage Seekers, she'll also smite the common citizens and soldiers of Demacia. My sister believes that those that allow injustice to occur are just as guilty as those that commit it. And the common citizens of Demacia…well, they not only allow the Mageseekers to persecute and imprison those with magic, but also condone it. Kayle will not discriminate if she returns. That is why I cannot return. She will murder thousands in the name of justice."
"If that is what you truly fear, then why didn't you lead Demacia when your sister left?" Demanded Mordekaiser as he returned Morgana's glare with one of his own. "If you truly cared about the people of Demacia still as you claim and fear your sister's judgement on them, why haven't you done anything to help prepare them from the shadows? To defend themselves when she returns. Why didn't you do such a thing?" Morgana just continued to glare at Mordekaiser, hurt and angry at his suggestion.
"You believe I think my sister so lowly that I help the people of Demacia in learning a way to defeat her?" Asked Morgana, her rage near boiling at this point. "She and I may have left each other with hostility, but that does not mean I wish to have harm be inflicted upon her. She is not an evil person to be defeated, far from it. She merely takes things to the extreme. Nothing more. If she returns to Demacia, I will be there to defend the people from her wrath. I promise you that, but I will not help Demacia in trying to hurt my sister." Mordekaiser simply scoffed at that.
"Even when doing so can potentially save the lives of those previous Demacians you claim to care about? Even when doing so can help you reform Demacia from what it is now?" Asked Mordekaiser, a mocking tone in his voice. Morgana just continued to glare at him. Despite that however, Mordekaiser can see that there was some slight hesitation in her eyes. As if she was pondering what Mordekaiser had suggested. Seeing this, Mordekaiser pressed on. "Tell me, have you not considered the possibility of merely adopting a fake persona to avoid drawing your sister's attention? So that you can both avoid drawing her back to Demacia and allowing you to still guide your people without fear of her or your Demacians believing you to be a mage?" Morgana, upon hearing all that, simply sighed and spoke.
"I have." Admitted Morgana, causing Mordekaiser to once again raise a nonexistent eyebrow at her. "A few decades after my own exile from the affairs of Demacia and her people as one of the Winged Protectors, I thought of adopting an alias similar to my persona and the Veiled Lady. Only one that is more proactive in helping Demacia."
"And why haven't you?" Asked Mordekaiser, curious on what her response would be.
"Because of my sister." Said Morgana, saying the statement as if it was the most obvious answer. Hearing Morgana's excuse being that of her sister again, caused Mordekaiser to scoff at her. Just how much did this woman fear her sister's return? And just how much of her reasoning pertained to her sister? "Even if I try to conceal my presence, my sister will eventually discern that I have returned to aid Demacia in any shape or form and thus return herself. Thus, bringing about her wrath on Demacia."
"And how would she know of your interference in Demacia's affairs if you keep yourself hidden?" Asked Mordekaiser incredulously, annoyed at the seemingly sole reason that Morgana refuses to intervene on behalf of the people that she supposedly is protecting from her sister.
"You underestimate her intellect and her hatred of me." Said Morgana with a tone of both bitterness and sadness. "She and I have been inseparable when we were mere children. Even when we acquired our powers and became what we are today, we were inseparable. We trained together, honing our new powers and our skills with a blade. We fought against those that dared to attack those under our protection together. Everything we did while forming Demacia, we did so as sisters. We even discussed between ourselves what our ideal Demacia would be and how we would achieve it. Thus, we knew everything that the other would do as well as our individual beliefs and actions. We know how each of us would help Demacia if we did it by ourselves and without the other's assistance. So, she will know that I'm helping Demacia from the shadows."
"And you can't do anything to prevent her from learning your involvement in Demacia's affairs?" Demanded Mordekaiser, annoyed at her reasoning. "Cannot you simply avoid obvious signs that you are interfering with the lives of Demacia? Surely she is not omnipotent."
"No, she's not." Said Morgana. "But both she and I have a rather unique ability that forever means we can know what the other is doing and vice versa. Whenever someone prays to us, whether it be they pray to the Winged Protectors or some other alias we had, we instantly know of it. We hear their prayers and listen to what their hearts and minds desire. Why they pray to us. And that ability is why I can't come back to Demacia, even if its in the shadows. For all it takes is a single concerned or even grateful Demacians praying to the Winged Protectors for my sister to learn of what has fallen to Demacia, leading to her learning of what I'm doing. Thus, bringing her here." Mordekaiser scoffed when he heard all that, finding it all nonsense and enlightening on who Morgana is.
"You claim that your unwillingness to help Demacia is because of compassion and worry for their safety, yet all I hear is the words of a coward that yet doesn't know she is one." Said Mordekaiser, causing Morgana to widen her eyes in shock at what she heard. Shock that soon turned to anger as she glared at Mordekaiser.
"You dare to call me a coward!?" Yelled Morgana as her temper flared up, the chains holding her wings breaking apart to allow them to unfurl to reveal their splendor. "You dare to call my compassion for the people of Demacia, even if some of them don't deserve it, as cowardice!? Do you not understand the death and destruction that my sister will bring to Demacia if she returns!? How many will die just because of the failures of the leaders of Demacia!?"
"And how many of those deaths would have been caused by your decision to remain in this cave, hidden away from Demacia? By you not helping your people prepare for your sister's return?" Demanded Mordekaiser as the two immortal beings glared at each other, standing up and readying themselves for a confrontation. "From what I gathered from your excuses, all your refusals to help your people stem from your fear of your sister's return. The fear of having to fight and hurt her rather than your fear of people getting hurt. That is what is truly preventing you from helping the people you claim to care about. You abstain from helping them because you care too much for the sister that tried to slay you hundreds of years ago. That caused all that you both created to be undone and what's left to be a far cry to what you originally envisioned. All because she decided to act irrationally and attack you, forging what bonds you had, instead of withholding her rage and trying to discern why her only blood sibling killed her most loyal follower. Am I not correct in that assessment?" Morgana opened her mouth to make a retort but nothing came out of her mouth.
Instead, she opened and closed her mouth, blinking as she did so, as she processed Mordekaiser's words. Seeing this, Mordekaiser gave a grunt.
"It seems that you never once thought that was a possibility." Said Mordekaiser as he looked at Morgana processing his words. "It shows just how much thought you put into your reasoning for hiding here like a coward and abandoning the people you claim to care about." Hearing more of Mordekaiser's words, Morgana returned to glaring at him. The chains that used to hold her wings were floating in the air, their ends pointing at Mordekaiser as if they were trained snakes, awaiting the command of their mistress to attack the one that was causing her distress.
Morgana, rather than attacking however, simply stood down and turned away from Mordekaiser. Crossing her arms over her chest, Morgana spoke to him while her back was turned to him.
"Leave now." Said Morgana through gritted teeth as her wings furled up behind her back again as her chains reformed to hold them in place. "I do not wish to show you again for awhile." Mordekaiser scoffed at this, amused at her reaction and a slight disappointed that she didn't start a fight with him. It has been so long since he actually fought someone that could actually stand a chance against him, however slim that chance was.
He was about to goad her into attacking him when he suddenly remembered Moxxie and how happy he was when he heard that Mordekaiser was going to meet up with Morgana on a regular basis. Happy that his dad was finally doing something he thought was good for him.
Remembering this and his adoptive son's love for Morgana, Mordekaiser growled internally as he correctly deduced how sad and even angered Moxxie will be at him for angering and hurting his only friend in Runeterra. Realizing this, he stood down and obeyed Morgana's request.
"If you desire my departure so you can ponder on the validity of my words, then so be it." Said Mordekaiser as he got up and opened a portal to the Grey Realm. "Keep the stew, pot, and utensils. I have no need for them. They were meant to be as a gift. To celebrate our little arrangement. Though I do not know if that will stay given what happened today." Mordekaiser then departed before Morgana can even speak. Once the portal closed, Morgana let out a huff of frustration and anger before making her way to her hut so she can calm down.
As she walked to her hut, she began to think upon Mordekaiser's words and how much they angered her. She knew that interacting with him on a frequent basis was going to be a hassle for her, given their vastly different personalities, but she didn't think that their arrangement will go awry this quickly. And on the first day no less.
"How dare he suggest such things to my face." Though Morgana, a nasty scowl on her face as she walked to her hut. "How dare he suggest that I remain hidden because of my fear of fighting my sister and not because of my love for all of Demacia's people. If my sister comes, I will fight her and defend the people of Demacia, even if some of them don't deserve it. He knows this, yet he claims I don't intervene because of cowardice and fear of facing my sister? If I could, I would teach him some manners."
Walking to her hut, Morgana looked at the modest place that she built to house what few items she owned and a place for her to rest.
It wasn't anything grand, as Morgana had no real desire for the life of luxury combined with a desire to understand the common people that often come to her home, nor anything to talk about much, but it was home and that was enough for the winged woman. Sitting upon her bed, Morgana crossed her arms as she thought of Mordekaiser's words more and couldn't help but bit her lips in frustration.
"I knew he was ruthless and cold, but I never thought he would be so apathetic to the plight of others." Thought Morgana as she thought bitterly on Mordekaiser and his didn't try to show it to him, but Morgana was deeply hurt by his words, specifically him calling her a coward.
Being called a coward by someone she considered a good acquaintance hurt her. Even more so than she thought it would. She didn't know why this was. Perhaps it was because she thought he would never call her a coward. Even if it sounded like something he would do, given what little she did know of him.
"That doesn't give him the right to say anything he wants to other people. Especially his friends." Thought Morgana with a scowl as she laid on her bed as she thought of Mordekaiser and his general attitude towards…everyone. "While honesty and speaking one's mind are admirable qualities, that doesn't give one the right to say anything they want. Words are a powerful tool that can hurt one more than any blade can ever do. And he knows that. So why does he not show more tact to those that wish to befriend him? Does he not know how to restrain himself from insulting and hurting those that wish to interact in a noncombative manner or simply don't deserve such ridicule?" As Morgana thought of this, the more she was starting to believe that Mordekaiser simply lacked the tact and empathy that comes with socializing people in a normal capacity.
Recalling his history as a tyrannical dictator, Morgana theorized that he never had any interactions with anyone that didn't involve ordering them around like fearful servants or sycophant underlings that obeyed his orders without question. At the time of his rule, he likely never had any reason at all to interact with people with anything but disdain, uncaring, and coldness that he has displayed to her today and before. And was something that probably continued whilehe His interactions with his adopted Imp son were probably the only true friendly interactions that Mordekaiser has had in a long time. Perhaps even the first time ever as she didn't know anything about his life when he was among the living. Thus, this entire arrangement between her and Mordekaiser was an experience that he didn't have any experience of and had no one but his son to turn to for advice, something she had a feeling his pride and character would never let him do so unless it was absolutely necessary.
Pursing her lips at this revelation, Morgana was unsure of what to do about it. On one hand, it explained why Mordekaiser acted the way he did today and most of their interactions, but on the other hand, she wasn't sure now if it was a good idea for them to continue this arrangement of theirs until he learns how to act around those that wish to interact with him. Not as servants but good acquaintances or even friends.
It wasn't that she didn't want to interact with him now just because he was rude and inconsiderate of her feelings, she wasn't that shallow, rather it was because she worried that their clashing personalities will result in them fighting more than anything else. And by fighting, she meant them actually attacking each other with arms and magic.
As much as she didn't want to admit, Morgana had a terrible temper. One that has only gotten worse over the years from both stress and frustration at what Demacia has become since she left it as well as fear of her sister's inevitable return to Demacia, whenever that may be. There was no doubt in her mind that her temper combined with Mordekaiser's…general demeanor and attitude will lead to a very volatile combination. One that can lead to disastrous consequences for all parties if it ever went off. And it wouldn't take much for it to the combination to go off. Not until both Mordekaiser and Morgana can talk about their issues and lay some groundworks if they wish to continue their talks and meetings.
Wishing that she had some way to contact Mordekaiser or even his son, Morgana pondered on what to do when she suddenly sensed another presence entering her cave. Taking a moment to hone her senses on this presence in order to determine if it was dangerous or not, Morgana realized that it was merely one of the mage refugees that have chosen to live and hide in her sanctuary/home.
Upon sensing this, Morgana sighed in resignation. Whenever the people that had suffered from Sylas' failed rebellion came to her in her own home, it was often because they needed something of her. While she didn't minded helping them in their problems, as they were now her responsibility, said problems tended to just be resolving disputes between refugees regarding various topics, many of which were around Sylas, his failed rebellions, and Demacia's true failings, or tending to their basic needs as the Sacred Woods wasn't the most hospitable place for humans. In many respects, she had become their new leader after they either abandoned Sylas or he abandoned them.
Wondering what the newest problem was for the people that she took under her care, Morgana walked out of her hut in order to meet up with whomever the refugees selected to make their request known to her.
Walking out of her hut, Morgana found herself looking upon a young man with brown hair near the entranceway to her small home, looking at her nervously as Morgana made her way to him. As she walked to him, it was clear to Morgana that the boy felt that he was unworthy of being in her presence, something that secretly vexed her.
Since settling into her sanctuary, the mages that she took in after Sylas's failed rebellion have learned, in one way or another, that she was one of the Winged Protectors, the founders of Demacia. Some learned because Sylas told them after informing all of Demacia of the truth of the Winged Protector and others learned after sometime settling into their new home. Needless to say, such revelation brought forth a new wave of awe and respect that Morgana would like to not have been given to her. To the point that they stopped treating her like a woman that foolishly helped Sylas in his rebellion while it was in its infancy to an actual goddess, something that Morgana had never wanted ever. She had just wanted to help those in need. To atone for her mistake in helping Sylas. She didn't want to become worshipped or have followers again.
Still, if enduring these things allowed her to help those in need and rectify her mistake with Sylas, then Morgana was willing to burden the worship.
Stopping a few feet from the young man, who was likely no older than ten years of age, Morgana spoke.
"Be at ease, young one. I will not cause you harm in any shape or form." Said Morgana in a reassuring tone with a small smile on her face in an attempt to ease the boy a bit. It worked and the young man looked at her with a bit more confidence than before. "Now, tell me what is ailing you and your compatriots that you seek me out." Upon hearing that, the young man spoke.
"It's just that…some of our friends went missing recently." Said the young man, causing Morgana to frown. "You see, we heard from our hunters that there was a group of mages that were in the woods, coming to seek sanctuary with you, Veiled Lady, but since this place is filled with demons and other hazard, not to mention the Mageseekers and other Demacian soldiers coming here to look for us, some of us went out to try and guide them back safely here. But…"
"They never returned." Said Morgana, getting the picture. Although a little annoyed that she wasn't informed of this before anyone made a decision pertaining to this group of mages, Morgana can understand why they did so. They wanted their fellow mages to be safe just like them.
"Well…not exactly." Said the young man with a nervous look on his face. "You see, they only left yesterday and the others assume that it's just them taking a while to get back or even just find them, but I can't help but worry. The others tell me to relax and trust in those that were sent out, but…I don't know. I just got a bad feeling that something awful to them. The Mageseekers have been prowling around the forest lately and if they found either the group or those sent to find them…I don't want to think about what will happen to them in order to find this place. And, after what happened in the rebellion, I don't think the Mageseekers will be merciful to them at all." Morgana just nodded in understanding, knowing full well some of the…acts that Sylas and his rebels did in their rebellion. Acts that did nothing but further the divide between the common people of Demacia and mages.
"I understand." Said Morgana as she looked at the boy with a look of pity. "If it'll put you at ease, I'll go look for them. With some luck, I'll find them all and bring them back here safely."
"Thank you, Winged Protector." Said the boy with a small and grateful smile. "Thank you so much. You truly are what the legends speak of you and your sister." Morgana simply gave a smile of her own, though it wasn't one of satisfaction or happiness like the boys'. It was a smile that one would adopt when they wished to hide their exhaustion or pain from others. And the boy must not have realized it, too oblivious to see what Morgana's smile really was.
"Be with your people and stay with them. I'll return soon with your friends and fellow mages." Said Morgana as she went to find one of her cloaks that she used to both hide her true appearance and to adopt her Veiled Protector persona. As she walked, she thought of Mordekaiser and how he would react in this situation. With scorn at the boy for coming to him with his request to help his friends? Or pity him and do what he requested? Sighing, Morgana went to her hut to find some clothing befitting the Veiled Protector.
Unbeknownst to her, the object of her current thoughts was observing her from the Grey Realm, having heard everything between her and the young mage.
Giving a grunt, Mordekaiser closed the portal that he used to observe Morgana and proceeded to go about his day. And yet, he couldn't help but linger a bit at Morgana and what she was doing now and soon. Pondering on her as well as Moxxie's reaction to how his first meeting with Morgana went, Mordekaiser gave another grunt as he thought of what to do.