"What even is our life sister?" Jinx, Zaun's Hope
This chapter was a little harder to write.
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"She didn't listen." Jinx stated, "Fat good you did."
Mel looked at her with a defeated expression on her face.
"She did listen." Daani pointed out, "Ambessa looked at all the points at hand and made a decision that would favor her. For a moment, Mel did get through to her."
"Shut it tails." Jinx waved him off.
Daani held his arms out and looked to the others for support, reeling from the fact that she had called him tails.
"So now we fight." Daisy said as she looked at the group.
Sydell took a deep breath and stared at the ground, his mind trying to put everything together and figure out the correct decision.
But despite every possible thought, there was only one that stood out to him. A quick look around proved that everyone thought the same.
They would stay and help.
Stay and fight.
Their father would definitely disapprove but that was something they could handle. They needed to focus on the current task first and then figure out how they would break it to their father.
"We fight." Sydell nodded.
Rell sighed, "I'm not going to be killing anyone."
As the eyes turned toward her, she explained, "I will incapacitate them. Their armors are made of metal after all. But that is all. I'm not going to be killing anyone despite however easy it might be. I'd have enough of that."
She hadn't made that decision on the spot.
It was something she had decided after discussing with her father.
The act of killing in anger was something she had grown to abhor. Especially after doing so herself right before Gregori found her. It was something that she couldn't get past mentally. She hated the her from then for killing everyone.
Gregori had told her that she was more empathetic than all of them when she had come to him with this. And that empathy wasn't a weakness. Not when you were stronger than everyone else.
It was why she had trained as hard as she did.
"I will." Daisy interjected, "Don't have the spellblade and this one.." She patted the sword at her waist, "No one is living after taking a hit from that."
Viktor interrupted, "You wouldn't need to use the weapon at all. As long as I stand this place will not be touched. The Arcane will not allow it."
"Your magic?" Faye commented.
He waved his hand.
The surrounding magic reacted. The metal structures around him suddenly lost form as they spun around him.
"Ferromancy?" Mel looked between him and Rell.
Viktor shook his head, "No. My control over the Arcane does not extend over to all metals. Just one that my magic has touched. Anything my magic has touched I can use."
Rell squinted at the flowing metal and focused, her own magic flaring.
A portion of the metal disconnected from the overall floating river of metal and flew near her. Instantly hardening into a solid chunk.
"Hmm..." She thought.
Her magic only allowed her to bend the metal, stretching it, flattening it and controlling it. But this was different. He had changed the very property of the metal. Something solid was flowing like liquid.
"I can feel that piece. It is in my control but still obeys you. Why?" Viktor asked.
Rell sent the metal back, "Control. Practice. I could have taken all the metal but I didn't need to."
"You don't have much knowledge of magic do you?" Daani asked as he heard the question.
Viktor shook his head, "Unfortunately my connection to the Arcane was a recent development."
"Is that what fixed you?" Mel asked.
He nodded, "My legs were something I had felt let me down. But I have grown to understand that a physical imperfection can always be fixed. Be healed. The Arcane provides us with something great. A chance to heal. To grow." The metal around him returned to its original state, "To evolve."
"Magic doesn't make you something great Viktor." Rell replied, "Let me remind you once again, we are just normal people with a little extra. Not gods. Just people."
"People with purpose." Viktor shook his head, "We exist to help. I exist to help. Your reluctance to help those around you is your decision. My desire to help comes from my experiences. Our goals are not the same. WE are not the same."
"But regardless of what you say..." Sydell stepped in, separating the two from further confrontation, "We have a battle to face. And we will help. Whether it be actively fighting the enemy or helping the people evacuate."
"Then I suggest you start doing so." Viktor said, "I have already spread word for evacuation, the men and women of the commune and the process has already begun. If you would help those who cannot move on their own yet, it would be appreciated."
The group immediately moved to help the people evacuate. All except Sydell and Daani.
The two split off and began walking through the crowds to the entrance.
At the entrance the two boys faced each other and nodded.
"Information." Sydell said, "We need to know the number of their forces and if they will be conducting a frontal assault or do they have us surrounded."
Daani agreed, "On it. I'll get the number of enemies down." He began walking to the rocks surrounding the area and turned around the corner, turning into a Noxian soldier.
He moved toward the Noxian settlement and blended into the army.
"What are you two up to?" Vi asked as she appeared behind Sydell. She had spotted the two slip away and had decided to follow them.
Sydell began walking toward the Noxians, "Investigating. Gathering information."
"What about you brother?" She asked, "Where did he go?"
"Doing the same." Sydell answered, not electing to reveal Daani's abilities to her.
Not yet.
Vi was still connected to Piltover. Her allegiances were not guaranteed.
There was no need to share any personal information with her.
Watching Sydell walk into the darkness of Zaun, Vi waited for a few minutes to see if he would return. When he didn't, she spun around and tried to do the same as them. Gather information.
She hugged the rock walls and tried to get close to the Noxian camp.
"Vi?" A voice called.
She spun around, her arms coming up in a standard boxing stance, but she recognized the voice, "Cait?"
Caitlin stood behind her, the sniper rifle in her hands dropping, "What are you doing here?"
"What am I supposed to do Cait?" Vi asked, "Ambessa is after my father!"
Caitlin's eyes widened, "It is him?"
Vi nodded.
"And he is alive?"
"He recognized me. He recognized Jinx. He is alive Cait." Vi's shoulders fell, "And..... this man Viktor. He is helping him. Everyday he is a bit more himself. Everyday he gets a little better."
Caitlin reached for her and put an arm around her shoulder, offering her comfort.
"Ambessa isn't going to stop." She said.
Vi looked up, a frown forming on her face, "Why are you here?"
Caitlin sighed, "It was either me or the enforcers. Right now.... if even a single enforcer loses their life... Piltover is not going to recover. So I joined Ambessa."
"You will participate in the battle?" Vi asked, betrayal evident on her face.
Caitlin shook her head, "No. I am not going to fight. I still represent Piltover. And this is a Noxian attack. Piltover is not picking a side. I'm here because Ambessa wants me here."
Vi looked at the tents in the distance. Her fists clenched for a moment before releasing, conviction on her face.
"We might need to kill Ambessa."
"WHAT?!" Caitlin looked shocked.
Vi looked at her lover, "She is not going to stop and I don't want to lose him again Cait. I can't lose him." Tears formed in her eyes.
"You won't." Caitlin hugged her, "It will work out. Trust me."
Meanwhile, Sydell opened his eyes, looking away from the two as his orb stopped working. A spider dropped onto his palm.
It brough information.
A frontal attack.
Easy and straightforward.
Ambessa wanted this over with quick.
There were no soldiers around the perimeter boxing them in. The frontal attack was the only possible action.
Twenty minutes later, Daani slipped out and followed the spiders, which led him to Sydell.
"There are over a hundred soldiers. And more are coming. Their final force is anywhere between a hundred and fifty to two hundred. The other soldiers were talking about warships arriving."
Sydell nodded, "All for a frontal assault."
Daani nodded, "Straightforward."
"Lets see what we can do then."
Daani watched as Sydell began to walk away, he looked at the tents, "I'm planning on killing that man. Corin Revek."
Sydell looked over at his brother.
Daani met his gaze, "He needs to go."
All he got in reply was a slow nod. The brothers had each others backs.