//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: Born/Became an Exile // Story: The Crystal Vanguard // by Skarner //------------------------------// "There is a place between war and murder in which our demons lurk." ―Excerpted from the poem, "Scarlet Shon-Xan" What was she doing here? She should've died honourably with her comrades. Another part of Riven argued that she was right to have escaped the gas, otherwise her death would've been in vain. She kneeled before a fallen Ionian citizen, inspecting her features. She was a young filly; barely over her teenage age. Unfortunately, she had no head. Her blood that was gushed in front of her was dry and dark, indicating that she has been severed a while ago. It’s not anything unfamiliar to Riven, she was expected to pay no heed to images such as this. The sky was gloomy and dark, flooded with grey, instead of the cheery bright daylight that penetrated through the plush clouds. Ionia didn't deserve this... she fought to reason why... Why was she fighting in war? It was all she knew; throwing it away would mean to cease purpose. Sure she could betray her Noxus regiment, and apply for the Royal guards at Canterlot, but wasn't that what she thought of Noxus? She thought they were right. She thought they were truly the 'good guys' in this world, so if fighting was what she was passionate about, why not enlist for service? She simply wanted to defend the innocent and purge the guilty as the leaders of the Noxus community suggested. However, in training, she out-smarted and out-fought the other trainees, making her stand out very distinctively. Almost immediately, she was ranked one of the elites. Since it was a secretive program, she had to remain loyal or else she could risk losing a family member; not that she had any still alive anyways. As one of the elites, she also enlisted for the Royal Guards, serving as a spy for Noxus. She was quickly made into an elite there as well. When her comrade, who coincidentally was Darius, made his stand in that griffon skirmish, she reported him to the leader of the Noxus community, although known as the Black Rose back then. LeBlanc offered Swain and Darius a place in The Black Rose. Through so many spec. missions, and daily sighting reports, she finally dove into action. But now, here she is.. kneeling before a dead civilian. Who could she trust? If she were to truly become loyal to the royal guards once more, would they make her do this? Would they make her slaughter the innocent, and support the guilty? She was regretful that she didn't die a warrior's death. It may or may not have been her fate to die so hastily, but what will she do now? Riven lifted herself onto her hooves and faced down the crumbled street. Karma's palace was decimated from the point of view of Riven. Her elite armour and clothing was ripped and tattered, so she took the silver and blue cloak that hung from a building's debris, and covered her head with the hood. She carried her sword beside her, then began walking away from Ionia. She ignored the curious gazes from onpassers, letting her hooves' trotting overcome the whispers of accusation. She knew what she will do now: nothing. She didn't belong in this world, nor will serve a true sentient purpose. She had to rid herself from here, so that she can’t ever hurt another pony ever again. "Halt!" a drake warrior flew in front of Shyvana. "Shy..." he said softly as he recognized a familiar red dragon. "Let me in Thade." she said with a threatening tone. Thader was short for The Shadow . His father, who shared a close connection to Shyvana's father, ruled over the south section of the Dragon Kingdoms. However, he was a terrible ruler and was quickly thrown off the throne in less than a year. Thade grew up with his mother, learning to not be like his father; to do whatever he displeased. Before he was an adolescent, he ran away before he could be assaulted by his father when he learned that Thade refused to call him his own kin. He was found by Zarg, and was raised beside Shyvana. They both were close despite the berth that they had to keep, since she was half-pony. Truth be told, Thade isn't his real name, so more of a nickname he was given. He was a black-scaled dragon with purple spikes and belly. He wasn't much of a fighter, unlike his friend Shyvana, but he did have a good heart, unlike many other drakes. "Sorry Shyvana," he lowered his guard, "Remember the last time you tried to talk to Zarg?" "This is important!" "You always say that." "This is one of those times where it really IS IMPORTANT!" she emphasized those last two words by bearing her teeth. "At least make me look roughed up before you barge through me." "I'll be soft." she said before she punched him in the jaw. She then scratched his neck, leaving 4 trails of blood. He took steps back, trying to signal that he had enough. Shyvana dashed forward into a tight embrace, "Thanks Thade." she planted a small kiss upon his forehead, showing him her sincere apologies. "Just be safe Shy." "Stop her!" "Halt criminal!" Shyvana dodged the drake warriors with great agility, flying her way towards the leader's encampment. Below her, the children cowered in fear, believing that she was here to decimate their place. A warrior hurled a fireball at Shyvana, who dodged it with a simple switch to the left. Soon, more fireballs were thrown at her, making her flight increasingly more difficult. She could see the tent in front of the ruined keep rustle, revealing her father who's jaw was agap. Quickly, she beckoned into his direction, and hollared: His eyes narrows and called for his advisor who made quick pace to come to his side. They watched as the red dragon dodged and flapped her way towards them. Shyvana was finally hit with a fireball on her left wing, causing her to drop as the fire singed her wing. She aimed away from the houses and onto the main pathway, where it's clear of dragons. She crashed with no grace, but luckily her scales were thick and sturdy which kept her from great harm. She created a large crater on the desert ground, which was quickly surrounded y dragon warriors who blocked the chance of any escape. Before anything could happen, Zarg made the scene. He flew up to Shyvana and leaned in to speak to her closely. "Shyvana, as I recall, you aren't allowed to come near here." Zargonath spoke, silencing the murmurs of the other dragons. "I come with urgency of news. Terrible news." she lifted herself and stood at her father's neck-height. She had to admit, she was really nervous coming back to her community; unwelcoming as always. "Then what is it?" he raised an eyebrow. "Burdac is still alive." causing only Zarg to gasp. All of the other dragons knew not of what she was speaking about; they had never heard of Burdac before. "How could this be?" he said softly. In the past, when the dragon kingdoms were still united, Burdac was a very well known assassin. He served his life as a mercenary-for-hire, so we can just say he's a bounty hunter. One of his assignment was to kill Shyvana, who deemed to be a forbidden child. It was strictly against dragon code to bare a pony-dragon child. So Zargonath ordered for a special elite guard to protect his family and himself. The elite guard reported that he had eliminated Burdac, and that he will trouble him no further. He also discovered his personal secrets... such as his own family. For treason against Zargonath, Burdac's family was executed in public. He had a beautiful wife, and a single male child. Their names were long past forgotten, as well as Burdac's greatest achievements. Days just before the dragon civil war, Zarg finally gets confronted by Burdac. "You.... you made this personal." he said through his teeth. He held Zarg by the neck, with his spare claw just beneath his heart. "You had what was coming for you!" Zarg reputed. "You could've killed me instead!" "It wasn't me who has gotten them killed! You signed the contract with blood!" he kicked him away, releasing his grasp on Zarg. They gazed into each other's eyes, only seeing determination and fire. "You will pay for their deaths!" he charged. The dash forward was too fast for Zarg to dodge, so he was open to any fatal attacks. Burdac wasted no time to take advantage of that, so he sank his teeth into Zarg's wings, elicitating a loud bellow. Zarg was then pinned to the floor of his own castle, blood stained both scale hides. Burdac grabbed his ears and yanked back, causing yet another loud cry of pain. "Now it is you who will get what was coming for you!" Burdac sank his teeth into his neck; a very critical spot for dragons. Luckily, Shyvana came into the room when she heard the noises from outside. Her brother Thade, wasn't home unfortunately, so she wouldn't expect any assistance from him. She quickly had the attention of Burdac, who had a huge wicked smile. At least she was able to delay her father’s death. "Well well well! Let’s see how you feel to lose you're only child!" Burdac started to walk towards Shyvana, leaving Zarg groaning in heavy pain. "Bring it on poo-scales!" what? she was young and innocent back then. She knew how to fight very well, by training with her father and brother. "She shares your stubbornness Zarg." he said, just before the elite guard that the king hired, tackled Burdac. The elite was nimble and clever, so he was able to lock Burdac into a hold that he could not escape. "Stay away from the king you fiend!" he remarked before he carried him outside. The storm roared with thunder and rain, only making the situation seem emphasized. Shyvana watched in awe as both dragons fought to the death. Their blood went unseen as it was washed away by the heavy rain, slashes back and forth, weakening them the more they went on. The elite resorted to his last maneuver, by grabbing onto Burdac, and dive into the sharp, jagged boulders that stayed prick at the bottom of the cliff. Shyvana lost sight of them after they disappeared behind the cliff. Both were believed to be dead. "What are you waiting for Zargonath?" he snapped back into reality, a local drake warrior weren't allowed to interrupt their ruler with such rudeness, but Zarg did nothing but stand there. “Gyllis?(gill-liss)” he called to his adviser, “For now and on, you will take over my authority, and position.” He announced. Everyone gasped, what in the world was he doing? “Zarg?! Why?!” Gyllis asked with anger. “Also, Zargonath will be deemed banned from ever returned to his tribe.” “You dare betray your own kin; the tribe?!” “I dare so. Quickly Shyvana!” he reached a claw out to her, she took it without hesitation and they dashed into the air, flying away from the tribe. Gyllis who longed for and appreciated the position of a ruler, cursed in Zarg’s name. “What were you thinking father?” she asked lowly as they slowed to a cruise. They were a good distance away from the community, with no dragon giving chase. “Burdac will bring his wrath upon me, and you. I want to make our last moments special... together.” “Why won’t we just hire protection for you?” “You mean our guards? They’re useless compared to him.” “Then why don’t we train our combat skills to match his?” “I can’t let you risk your life. If he finds us, promise me you’ll run away and never look back.” “That’s something I will never do!” she said with sudden sadness, “You can’t just leave me again!” she started to tear up. She understood that she couldn't live happily with her father at the keep, but she didn't want to be left alone again. She needed someone to hold her dearly. “And I don’t want to lose you like your mother Shyvana.” He turned his head towards her, “I’m sorry for doing all this to you. I’m going to make it all up to you today. We’ll do everything we never did; we’ll finally be happy.” “Don’t talk like we won’t ever see each other again. We can make it through this!” she desperately avoided the inevitable. “We can only hope.” "What if it's a creature?" everyone turned their curious attention to Ryze, "What if the relic is rather a living embodiment?" "Impossible. Zargonath has seen it with his own eyes; I don't doubt him when he says it's an artifact." said Sarhoth. The blue mage shook his head in dismissal. "That's not what I mean." he levitated his massive tome and flipped through it's contents. Quickly, he found the page he was looking for. He dropped the tome, while still showing the page, showing a picture of a half-dragon, and a helmet. "this my friends, is an enchantment spell, that brings anything to life." "So ah zombie spell?" said Yorick with a hint of interest. "Related to so; the difference is that it doesn't work on dead beings such as our bodies if we die. So it's a 'come to life' spell for non-living things." "So the relic really wasn't stolen, it was housed in here: the Shadow Isles?" said Quinn, "I believe so. The spell that is used does not require much magic, so it could've been done by any unicorn who finished their education in academics." Ryze remarked. "Why would someone do that?" asked Sarhoth, "Im not sure..." Ryze prodded his chin as he recalled any possible reason that one would make a relic come to life. "Hold on!" Krypt intercepted the attention, "Where was Yorick leading us if the artifact is constantly moving?" he growled softly, intentionally at Yorick. He did have a point; Yorick couldn't possibly be able to track down the artifact if it really was moving. He said he knew where it was, but now they realize that he hadn't. So where was he taking them? He stood still, slightly uneased of his current position. He clasped his shovel tightly, threatening to smack anyone who dare came too close. He lowered his head so no other can see his eyes. He drew a wicked smirk, the laughed hoarsely. "Do you hear the ghouls?" he simply said. With his necromancer powers, he summoned the ghouls of the Shadow Aisles to assist him in combat. Both elite guards were tackled by 4 blue ghouls, trying to prevent them from biting off their necks. Luckily, Valor was quick to react, so he quickly swiped off the ghouls from his master and her friend. Sarhoth smashed her fist on the ground, causing the once groggy forest, to become a chilled with ice. Strangely, it did not affect the guards at all; Yorick was hindered however. Krypt, who also dominated in the fields of necromancy, embued his claws with a deathly touch, glowing florescent black. "Behold!" a new voice boomed, "The might of the Shadow Isles!" "Bout time!" Yorick shouted in the direction of the voice. The Voice was low and wisped, as if it was a ghostly pony... and who would guess? Hecarim charged with full speed, and his large halberd pointed at the guards. The apparations of shadow riders were in sinc by his side, posing a very scary situation indeed. Hecarim was rumours to be an undead centaur, some even say he was an undead spirit; or perhaps both. He is built with unearthly armour, which seems to house his spirit. Instead of a mane and tail, there left trails of smoky grey-ish blue. He bore no cutiemark, nor any flesh. His chest is replaced with a large maw, bearing sharp teeth, as if it was his second mouth. The guards were helpless to dodge the charging horses, as they towered twice as tall as ponies, and spreaded out in a wide berth. "Retreat!" Mordlen shouted amoungst the oncoming horde of spectral riders, but the guards were useless to escape their path. They shielded themselves and prepared for impact. Thier minds boggled for the worst outcome; pinned to a tree,lifeless; ripped to pieces;shred their friends before their own eyes. Instead, they felt the spectral riders pass through the guards, leaving them breathless and cold. Then the horrific image of Hecarim's true power blurred their visions, making them literally, frozen in fear. They felt useless against their will. Gradually, the uncontrollable hex wore off, but it only made them realize that they were being bashed to bits. Fortunately, Ryze was able to snare them in a runic cage. Giving them ample time to escape. They wore heavy injuries, and torn armour, but their determination was the most damaged. The elite guards in The Crystal Empire were rallied to Poppy's office, as Shining commanded so earlier. "You guys are heading to Urtistan, we need to evacuate an extremely important objective, AKA--" she pointed on the map where they were heading. It was just above Zebrica, where the Shurima desert laid. Zebrica was south from the kingdom that Celestia and Luna rules. Urtistan is well known as a beacon of time; where StarSwirl often studied. The place goes a very long way back, since it was how time occurred. An alicorn controls the sun and/or moon, pegasi moves the weather, unicorns harnessed magic, and earth-ponies somehow are in tune with the land itself; so what controlled time? "The ClockTower." "I must admit, it is quite far." Ezreal commented. "Indeed. It will prove to be a challenge to arrive in minimal time." said Poppy, "Now you may be wondering. Why us when we're so far up in north?" The elite guards nodded in agreement. "It's because The Crystal Empire's former-former ruler, Queen Terra, has installed a very long-range teleporter in the crystal castle. Meaning we can use it to get ourselves to the other side of the world in less than a moment." she turned away from the map and approached the guards, "Shining has chosen basically all of the elite guards stationed here: Lux, Garen, Ezreal, Kennan, and our special guest... Sivir." They looked around for the new guest, but it was apparent that she was not present. The guards then placed their attention back on Poppy. She sighed, "May the oh glorious and beautiful battle mistress allow us to be in your presence?" she said in a monotone. "Thank you Lieutenant Poppy." she entered through the back, posing a very intimidating stance with her eyes gleaming blue. She has a bright beige coat, and thick dark brown hair that seemed to flow. Her cutiemark was a sapphire and a blade. She wore light black armour, decorated with gold linings and sapphires. She held a massive gold glaive with blue and decals running along it's blades," I shall be leading the assault--" "It's a rescue mission." Ezreal remarked, earning him a very cold glare from Sivir. "Whatever." "Alright!" Poppy broke their petric gazes, "Go get prepared; we'll leave at noon." "Yes ma'am!" they said in unison, except Sivir, who simply left without formality. The things I have to put up with. Poppy thought, Couldn't just let me come on the mission instead of her huh Shining? A mercenary instead of a highly trained guard! She sat behind her desk and began scheduling for next week's patrols. It seemed harder now that Equestria is under a massive threat, since more than half of them has to remain vigilent at the outer defenses, where as the rest are cycling breaks. Whatever happens, I don't want to sit here and do nothing... The boar is sprinting now, not going to die without a fight. You could tell that it was a 'he' because of it's large tusks; something females didn't have. The boar was foolishly cautious of the sudden noises from above, so without a doubt, he leapt away just in time to flee. Unfortunately, he didn't make it far before he was clutched in the hands of a red and blue dragon. Shyvana quickly scratched his legs, hindering his mobility. She then laid him on the ground and chanted: "I thank you, for giving up your life. Your death will serve purpose and I am forlorn grateful." then she snapped it's neck, finally putting it to rest. She sighed, then her father swooped down beside her. "Never have I been so proud of you Shyvana." he said softly. His daughter, who was blushing in flattery, replied with a hug. "Thanks dad." she whispered over a croaked voice. It has been awhile since she has called him dad. They broke the embrace and lifted the boar to her den, which he was mildly impressed with. It wasn't too big, nor small, and it was perfectly secluded with a overhang that sheltered the inside. It's been only a day since they left the tribe, yet so far they have done so much. They used to never swim; they took a dive at the south-eastern sea: Atlantis. It was where they were able to meet some friendly (and flirty) sea-ponies. They to never had the chance to talk about boys; ended up being a very very short conversation. "So... Shy... sweetie... any boys in your life?" "Uh... does Thade count?" "Nevermind." They used to never stargaze; one might say that they're more grateful for Luna's blessing. They used to never have their own adventures; it was glorious!... until they became hungry. they used to never have a feast together; "Want to make a feast Shy darling?" "Definitely!" and thats where we left off... The fire-spit glowed warmly at first... then it ignited into a lovely fire that wasn't too large, nor small; just right. With small difficulty, he jabbed a moderately long stick through the boar, which was already gutted, and placed it above the spit. He turned it slowly, making sure he got each angle and inch of this boar cooked well; just the way he and Shyvana liked it. Time flew by as he pondered life's mystery while cooking pork. Soon enough, it was done, and just in time as Shyvana returned with an armful of fruits and vegetables. She was an omnivore, he was a carnivore. "Wow, what a lovely pick you got there." he commented. "And you were always a better cook than me." she snickered. "I thought your mother was better." a new voice spoke, "Shame that she can't join us on our great feast tonight." chills were sent right through Shyvana's spine. Luckily, Zarg was quick enough to grab his daughter and launch out of there. With much haste, they started their quick trip to their former migration area: The Badlands. Burdac mused at the sight, he liked frightening others to the point they cross the ocean, to where the ponies are. Now then! He gets to enjoy a warm and delicious feast.. prepared by them truly. She sighed... with great depression. She was powerless to stop it. Her people depended on their leader, Karma, or so shes nicknamed as. She stood before her ruined palace, which laid asunder. The thought that 3/4's of Ionia's citizens took up protection in there caused her great grief, which felt your heart getting bucked with no mercy. She had a chocolate coat that had green markings on her body and legs, that resembled vines or magic resonance. She wore a royal purple gown, with some gold linings. Behind her floated two glowing jade stones that resembled the 'ying-yang' symbol, docked between two masts that were connected to her back, as if they were wings. She was a very skilled unicorn, and a sweet one too. Her cutiemark was a jade stone, placed between the yong-yang symbol. It represented, as her name suggests, what goes around,comes around. The jade stone represented vitality and hospitality, so with the ying-yang, it meant kindness and wisdom comes around if you give it. "Karma!" somepony shouted in the distance behind her. She didn't bother to turn to meet the pony's gaze. "Im so sorry!" Whoever this pony was, he was unconventionally forgiven. "Please forgive me!" "It's alright Master Yi." she simply said. She didn't expect for him to hear her, but she didn't care anyways. "I should have stayed... I shouldn't.... i shouldn't have gone." "it's alright." "I shouldn't have left for a break... a break to meditate... " "Stop, you're forgiven." "Even eternal meditation can never repay for this deed... for many years, i've defended this city from every single enemy-- and now-- now I decided to let my guard down for one day... where I was so greedy." She turned to place a hoof on his shoulder, "It's alright." her voice cracked. Even behind his peculiar helmet, she knew a grown stallion was tearing up. Master Yi is possibly one of the most skilled fighters in Equestria, according to many many ponies, and she wasn't surprised that he would feel great guilt. He didn't show his coat, but it was beige. His mane was dark brown, and he had a stranded beard. His helmet had goggles, that bore 7 lenses. He wore clad grey and gold clothing, and he had 3 blades; one massive one by his side, a smaller one at his right foreleg, then another at his left back-leg. "I feel so weak." he said, "I'm not strong enough to even protect my own home." "Please Yi, stop! You're talking--" "I must become stronger--" he vanished in a dash. Leaving Karma a little more depressed.